Redemption (The Extinct Race Series Book 4)

by Michelle Farrell

  “Only because you just saved us from having to kill humans, even if they are horrible hired killers who deserve to be dead.” Zoe replied and walked out. A small smile played on her lips. She walked back out into the main room just as the Onyx couples were finishing their report.

  Kaiden went to speak and Zoe placed a hand on his arm. “Jaco has made a deal and we need to wait here for a bit. When the deal is done it will only be Aldrich and his children left with no way to escape.” Zoe said loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “How?” Kaiden asked surprise coloring his face.

  “Money speaks, seems these men are hired killers. Meaning the highest payer gets their attention. So we will have a bit of clean up to do later but we won’t have to harm any humans in this fight even if they possibly deserve it. This is us against Aldrich nothing else.” Zoe announced

  “Well ok then, we wait.” Kaiden smirked.

  Aldrich felt the pulse of magic as soon as they went over this area. It was the same pulse he got from the journal but so much stronger. The helicopters landed in the valley a good ways away from the pulse of magic. The men all exited the helicopters armed with their guns. Aldrich stood for a moment and savored his victory letting the feel of it soak into his pores. He pulled his small trunk out of the helicopter and strode forward towards the human men. Both teams that landed with him carried a few of his sons. His sons all ran out and joined his other children. The humans however landed a ways away from Aldrich and were huddled close to their helicopters.

  As he walked calmly towards the human teams he gestured for his children to form a line behind him as he shouted at them to be prepared. He kept walking to the humans when the forest color helicopter shot up from the ocean below. He stopped his walk standing there and watched in silent horror as missiles flew to his two helicopters. A huge a violent blast shook the area as his helicopters blew to pieces.

  As Aldrich stood stone still and watched the burning pieces he turned and then watched as the humans ran back to their helicopters and shot into the air in a flurry and took off with the forest helicopter. The three helicopters shot off over the ocean leaving him stranded. Aldrich screamed in fury and threw his trunk on the ground as he ran towards the pulse of magic.

  “FORWARD! Kill them all!” Aldrich seethed in anger.

  His children strode forward not noticing the three brothers on the end that didn’t move. They waited a few moments to see if their father or siblings would turn to watch. No one turned to see them the rest strode forward with nothing but killing something in their eyes. When Aldrich didn’t turn around and none of the others did they ran. Once they got to the woods they kept running and didn’t look back.

  As his children surged forward he stripped the clothing from his body and stood still as a statue. He felt his Dragon come forward and he let out an angry roar as the burn ripped through him then he ran forward on four legs right behind his children.

  As one the line of half-bloods met an invisible brick wall that threw them back a good fifty feet. Aldrich was next to reach it and it tossed him back making him roll over and over crushing his wings. The sudden need to go home overcame his senses but the journal spoke to him loud and clear.

  He knew it was magic and knew that the spell to make him want to go home would not stick. Aldrich noticed his children start to get up and look at one another confused and then some started to walk away. Aldrich quickly gathered them all back up and touched them to get the magic influence out. They were all lined back up when the ground below them started to roll toward them like a wave. What was left of his helicopters was being swallowed by the earth.

  Aldrich knew they were here and that they were creating this. He roared his anger out loud and long some of his sons flinched and started to fire. Aldrich smiled, knowing those bullets fired out of terror from his roar would kill the ones hiding behind the magic. They won’t be able to run from a bullet.

  Aldrich turned back to the invisible wall as screams filled the air from behind him instead of in front of him where they should be coming from. He turned to see the guns explode in each of his children’s hands. He let out another angry roar as he watched his stupid children scream in surprise then look to him like he could magically make the guns reappear. Aldrich went to take a step towards his children when an electric current ran up his body.

  He turned to see a woman striding towards him. She wasn’t alone however there were at least a hundred or more with her and they seemed to just appear one by one from thin air. He watched as lightning came from her outstretched hands and struck his body. An intense shock ran through his body and he felt more pain than he ever had before. His teeth clenched together and his vision faded as everything went black. Then he felt nothing.

  Chapter 22

  Memories of the Mind

  “All right we can go!” Jaco yelled as he ran out of his room and out the front door. The whole house erupted into pure chaos. Some stayed to shift into their Dragon forms while the others ran. They all watched the explosions and the other three helicopters fly away. Once they were all there they watched as Aldrich shifted and roared. His children were all lined up and running towards them with their guns pointed right at them. As soon as they met the barrier they were thrown back. This surprised everyone who was inside the barrier. When Aldrich ran and met the barrier everyone took an instinctive step back. As he hit the wall and began to roll away a few chuckles ripped through the crowd.

  Once Aldrich recovered they watched him look around confused then like a twig being snapped clarity came over him. He then ran towards his children gathering them up as he touched each and every one of them. Some were walking away but when he touched them they shook their heads and formed the line back up with their fellow brother and sister.

  “He knows its magic.” Zach said

  “How?” Zoe asked knowing that the possibility was impossible as her and her brother were the only ones that had magic in their blood.

  “I don’t know but he does.” Zach replied

  “Not good. Earth Dragons! Your turn make them scared and worried that they have messed with the wrong ones!” Kaiden yelled out.

  The Earth Dragons all knew that there was going to be no rock throwing or tree swinging. They all put their minds to work and seemed to come up with a plan without saying a word to each other. Morgan created the holes and swallowed up all the burning wreckage. Quinn and Hunter made the earth roll while the others got the stuff buried in the back. When the group of half-bloods fell from the waves of earth rolling at them a little bit of laughter filled the air. Then as one they seemed to surge forward and some started to fire their guns when Aldrich let out another roar.

  Everyone flinched and some gasped when a bullet hit the barrier. But it just fell to the ground and a collective sigh went all around. Donny surged forward from behind a few people and shot his arms out. Immediately the guns all exploded in the half-blood’s hands. When all the guns had exploded Aldrich let out another roar of anger and Donny shrugged his shoulders.

  “Alright now decision time, are we going to heal or kill him?” Kaiden asked

  “I think I would like to see in his head first. How the hell does he know magic?” Leon replied.

  “Alright I will agree with that. I am a bit curious myself. But he is gonna be hard to catch as a Dragon.” Kaiden realized

  “I got this.” Halina responded and sent out her lighting. It struck him in the back except he didn’t go down. “Fuck I need to get closer.” And before anyone could argue she surged forward through the barrier. Zach was the first to follow. Then one by one they all followed without question. As the last of them came through the eyes on the half-bloods looked like they were going to explode.

  Large Dragons mixed with men and women was probably a sight to behold but they were all used to it. Aldrich looked back at them then and in his eyes was only rage. Pure hate and evil seeped from those pupils. He started to shift like he was going to attack them and Halina outstretche
d both hands walking forward.

  Halina gathered as much power as she could and she let the lightning shoot from her hands towards Aldrich. It hit him right in the chest. He went down the shock causing him to shift back to human violently which looked very painful to Zoe. Only his children winced from the shift.

  “Well he is down, now what?” Halina smiled and bounced on her feet. Zach laughed and pulled her in for a kiss.

  Aldrich’s half-bloods stood in shock as they saw their father go down. Only a few started to prepare themselves for a fight.

  “Hey Etana you think you could use that whip of yours and pull him forward? I think we will handle the rest of them after we have a look in that head of his.” Zoe announced. She really didn’t want to kill anyone but her family had a bit of revenge built up for the ones that took her mother.

  Everyone tensed as a group broke loose of Aldrich’s sons surging forward ready to fight. A group of half-bloods from the barracks were the first to respond and they took off towards the bad half-bloods. A large son launched himself into the air as Kevin took the lead and jumped up to meet the larger man. When they met in the air Kevin twisted throwing his leg out catching the large male on the side of his head and knocking him out. The rest met on the ground and not long after the fight was over with all of Aldrich’s sons knocked out or subdued.

  “Would an Earth Dragon please make sure these men do not go anywhere while we gather the others?” Kevin yelled out. The full-bloods watched as the rest of the half-bloods from the barracks ran forward and gathered the rest of Aldrich’s children. Morgan and Quinn had their hands to the ground as groups were brought forward. They made shallow holes in the ground while the sons and daughters were lead into them and then filled so that there was no escape.

  “I am going to need Sarah, Alexi and Gosha. Vivi if you want to help you can.” Leon announced thinking that they needed to get this done while the evil spawn of Aldrich were confined. After all Aldrich could wake up while they were busy fighting and that would not be a good thing.

  Etana had pulled Aldrich forward and Leon pounced at his head. He wanted to make sure he was good and passed out. He was however he was also waking just as Leon had feared he would. Alexi and Gosha ran forward and Leon instructed them both to keep him asleep. A strong Blood Dragon could fight another mentally but with four he didn’t stand a chance. Sarah and a hesitant Vivi stepped forward. As soon as the half-bloods noticed her they started to yell and cuss at her, threatening her even though they were stuck in the ground. She ignored it all and asked Leon what she needed to do.

  “I want you to open his mind, like I showed you. I will do the looking and you will see it too since you will have the link open. Sarah, honey I would like you to lower his heart rate. His adrenaline is still pumping hard and I need it to stop.” Sarah nodded and got right to work. Vivi hesitated a moment not completely sure she wanted to see inside her father’s head. “Vivi you can block them if you don’t want to see them. Some might leak through. The stronger ones will but be aware the strongest ones are usually love and happiness.” Leon explained

  “Ok I can do this.” Vivi said as she mentally prepared herself then placed her hands on the man that made her. Vivi opened the mind right where he wanted her too and as soon as Leon looked the memories played out like a movie.

  She saw a beautiful woman in extreme pain and strapped to a table as she watched her baby being taken away from her. Vivi could see a bit of herself in that woman. Then she saw a younger Ada and a man that must be her grandfather. The memories played out in order and it was basically watching Aldrich’s whole life. She saw what Ada talked about and the happy little boy who liked to play with his little wooden toys. She saw the beatings and then the change in the little boy.

  Vivi watched it all. She saw him looking at a woman in a barn being beat. She saw him kidnap a girl and then blocked the scene from her mind. She looked to Christian and stared at him for strength.

  About ten minutes later a vision slammed through her walls. There was a gorgeous older woman with wisps of white in her bangs. She realized it was the first time her parents met. She knew it was her mother and this was the first time she had ever seen her. “Mama!” she cried out involuntarily and then began to weep as the memory shifted to his first night with her. Vivi wanted so bad to block it out but she couldn’t. It was the only visions of her mother she had even though the scene was a brutal one she tried to focus on her mother’s face.

  She watched when her mother told him she was pregnant and how happy she was. How she danced around the room and laughed. She saw Rosa and Michael talking to her mother and she smiled up at Rosa through blurry tear filled eyes. Then the scene shifted and her mother was giving birth to her. Her mother was in pain but her father helped ease it. Vivi saw her father as he watched her start to come out and then she watched as her mother pulled her the rest of the way out on onto her chest. Her mother smiled and kissed her bloody head. She called her Vivian and told her she loved her. Vivi’s heart soared at the vision.

  Then crumpled just as fast as she watched her mother screamed as Vivi was ripped from her arms and taken away. She then watched as her father came back into the room and placed his hands on her mother. Then next thing she saw was her mother turn to ash and flowers. Vivi screamed a blood curdling wail and sobs wracked her body as she blocked the memories back out. Sobs wracked her body so hard she shook. The yelling of the half-bloods drowned out as pure utter rage surged through her veins. That was he mother the one and only time she had seen her mother was the last. He had taken her the moment after she had given birth and that was inexcusable in her mind. She wanted his death to happen from her hands just like he had done to her mother.

  Chapter 23

  Choices

  Christian watched in horror knowing he could do nothing to help the woman he loved. Vivi’s heart had just ripped into two and he was helpless. Rosa came over to him and explained that she believed she just saw her mother’s death and every bad thing her mother went through before that day. He knew she was right, Vivi had yelled out Mama. He still felt helpless though. He couldn’t take her heartbreaking sobs anymore and ran to her side. He crouched behind her and coursed his love through his hands to her although the wailing didn’t stop.

  Vivi’s cries affected everyone except for her siblings in the holes. They laughed at her and mocked her. All the females were in tears and silent sobs as they looked on. Leon watched for a while longer and then he pulled away. Vivi had her eyes closed and he knew she was blocking everything. His heart broke for her. He had seen everything and more than he wanted to see of what that monster did to her mother and many other women. Leon gently pulled her hands off of her father’s head and her heartbreak flowed through her hands into him and he screamed as he had never felt such heartbreak in all his life.

  Vivi pulled her hands back when the awful mournful scream hit her ears. Leon looked at her with tears streaming down his face. “Vivian I am so sorry sweet girl. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t know. I did not know you had never seen her.” Leon pleaded

  “Is he healable in your opinion? From all the horrible things I saw just glimpses of the horror. He has been a sadist since he was a teenager. He kidnapped a girl and then I blocked it. If what he did after was the same as the barn scene I think he is not!” Vivi screamed

  “He is not he is a sadist as his father before him. I have never seen anything as horrible as the images in his head done by his own hands. The one thing I am curious about is a journal. I am most interested in finding that.” Leon sobbed. He could not shake the heartbreak that was shoved into him when he touched Vivi.

  “Kaiden?” Vivi looked to him through her tears.

  “Vivi can you live with it, if we heal him can you stand to see his face every day?” Kaiden asked

  “No I cannot! You have no idea the things he has done to women. Not to mention as soon as my mother named me told me she loved me he killed HER! He took me from her and then came back and
killed her with his own hands!” Vivi screamed out another wail but through her tears she saw the nod.

  Christian immediately felt her intent and yelled “Hands OFF!” right before Vivi slammed her hands on his chest and then fell forward to the ground as Aldrich turned to ash. She heard the gasps of her siblings then and all the yelling stopped as she got up and strode over to them.

  Vivi had snapped and murder was in her eyes. She walked over to the first half-blood in the ground. “Marcus!” she yelled and he came right over to her. “Don’t touch me please I don’t want to hurt you. Now ask them who it was.” She demanded

  Marcus obliged and went down the line. “Did you try to capture a Pearl female in California?” he asked the first one and he shook his head no. Marcus knew Vivi’s ability and knew she would tell him if they lied. Marcus asked each one when he got to the fourth man he asked again. “Did you?” the man shook his head no. Vivi cringed as the pain shot to her head then she kicked the man in the face. Marcus looked back at his children they both nodded to him. “Who are the other two?” The man refused to talk and so he continued but the rest of the half-bloods all told the truth and that meant there was only one here.

  “Where are the other ones?” Marcus asked the man but the man stayed silent. Marcus looked to Vivi. She nodded and gently touched her brother’s hand and then he screamed in pain and crumpled forward.

  “They are all dead. She managed to kill one right there and the other one never came back this last time before he called us home.” The half-blood confessed