Southern Spirits (The Southern Series Book 3)

by Shelley Stringer

  “Ah, the first touch of tender flesh after such a long separation,” the voice I knew from the past sent revulsion through me. Lucien sucked his breath in as he raked his teeth down my bare shoulder.

  “It’s me you want, just take me and let her go,” I whispered, not taking my eyes from Claudia.

  Lucien laughed the deep, bone-chilling laugh that I hated. “No, not just you…and we’ve tried that bargain before. All I will promise is that if you cooperate, it might be painless for her and the others in the house,” he offered as Claudia shook her head furiously at me.

  Time stood still. I checked my peripheral vision to find two more Orcos creeping in on my right beside the vehicle, and one on my left beside the house…all of them slowly closing in on us. I was sadly outnumbered by two of them, much more so by five. It seemed hopeless. As badly as I wanted to help Claudia, my heart was torn into pieces wanting to retreat back to my children.

  Oh, God…help me! What can I do? I was paralyzed with fear and indecision. Without warning, tires screeching in the driveway alerted the Orcos to the arrival of more of our party, and as they reacted, I had just enough time to lunge at the Orco holding Claudia. Adrenalin pumped into every part of my body and I hit him hard in his face with my fist, loosening his grip enough on Claudia that she pulled away from him for a split second. I dove at him, knocking us both into the driveway as I heard Constance’s voice.

  “Chandler, wait!”

  A flash of turquoise fabric and red hair alerted me to Brie’s presence as well. As I continued to fight the Orco in the driveway, Brie and Constance took on the other two. Claudia dove into the back of her SUV and slammed the door, just as Lucien rammed the back, caving it in toward her as we heard her scream.

  As I listened to the melee around me, I could do nothing but strain against the Orco that held me down. His forearm crushed my throat as his teeth seemed to elongate, almost pulsing while they struggled to find my throat. Just when I thought he would cut my air supply, I managed to work my leg loose to knee him in the groin, buying enough time to push him off of me. I rammed his chin back with my hand, and as I heard it pop, another set of hands grabbed his arms and dragged him back away from me. Constance had managed to incapacitate the Orco that she’d been fighting, and had come to my aid. Evidently her working out with Ty had paid off, and I was wishing that I’d had a little more training. As I flipped over and held him down, she grabbed his arm and twisted, totally severing it at the shoulder and twisting the muscles and bone like a chicken leg. When he lay limp and lifeless, I realized that we’d snapped his neck. While I watched in horror and revulsion, the Orco’s eyes continued to glow intensely as he unremittingly jerked his head to the side, trying to bite me much like a snake’s head tries to bite after being severed.

  “He’s not dead, but he’s not going anywhere,” Constance breathed as she stood. We raced to the SUV where Claudia still huddled inside. Lucien had Brie pinned against the side of the garage, and just when we reached her to help, two more Orcos appeared and circled us and a third smashed the windshield out of Claudia’s car, gaining access to her.

  “Claudia!” Will screamed across the courtyard, running out the back door.

  “Will, don’t…NO!” I screamed in warning as he flew toward us. Before he could reach the car, the Orco pulled Claudia from the back like a ragdoll, dragging her out the window. Will flew at him when the Orco prepared to sink his teeth into Claudia’s neck. I could hear her desperate screams as William shrieked and clawed at her attacker.

  The hopelessness of the situation sank in. Although Constance and I managed to take two of them out, we were still sadly outnumbered. Constance dove head first into the two Orcos challenging us, and as I reached Brie to try and free her, I heard Julia’s screams inside the house.

  “Chandler, the kids!” Constance gasped in warning. I turned to run to the house. Bursting through the back door, I searched frantically through the main floor. Julia screamed again, alerting me to their location somewhere upstairs. I took the stairs two at a time, and then stopped cold. Julia sat against the wall at the end of the hallway with Matty clutched to her chest. Ava Grace lay at her feet in a ball, her hands covering her face as if she were trying to hide. My gaze rose to the Orco standing over them, his teeth hovering over Elly’s neck as she whimpered.

  “Oh, please, don’t…no,” I whispered, my heart beating out of my chest. “You can’t take her from me,” I shook my head frantically. He smiled at me, flashing his sharp fangs and preparing to drain the life from my daughter.

  My prayers were answered. Banton flew past me, ramming himself into the Orco just as the creature moved to bite. He released Elly, her little limp form rolling down his body to the floor, hitting the carpet when I sprang to catch her. I managed to cradle her head before it hit. I swept her under me as Banton and the Orco rolled over the top of us and down the staircase. No sooner than they’d reached the floor, John bounded into the hallway downstairs, followed closely by Brie. The three of them made short work of the Orco who had threatened Elly.

  Everything was eerily quiet. I took a deep breath and exhaled as Julia reached out to touch my shoulder. As I drew her into my side, Ava raised her little head. Upon seeing me, she ran and threw her arms around me, clinging as if her life depended on it. Julia sobbed into my shoulder as I checked both the twins for injuries.

  “Julia, are you all right?” I asked, taking her chin in my hand to look at her face. She nodded as I sensed Banton coming up the stairs behind me.

  “Chandler… are you hurt? Are the kids,” he asked breathlessly.

  “We’re all okay up here. What about Claudia and the others?” I asked.

  “Claudia is in shock. You stay here with Julia and the kids. We’ve got a mess outside. I’ll be back,” he cautioned as he kissed me on the forehead. He pulled away and studied my eyes before he rose. Hurriedly checking all the rooms upstairs, he then ran back down the staircase.

  I could hear low voices attempting comfort as Claudia sobbed. After checking all the rooms upstairs as Banton had, I determined there were no other Orcos lurking in the house. I pulled Julia into the first bedroom by the top of the stairs and sat her down on the bed, placing the twins beside her.

  “Ava, Sweetheart, you’ve been a brave little girl. Can you do Aunt Chandler a favor, and watch the babies for me?” I asked as she jumped up on the bed beside them. She wiped her chubby little arm across her eyes and nodded furiously. I kissed her forehead and then descended the staircase.

  I found Claudia crumpled on the kitchen floor in Brie’s arms. I shot Brie a questioning look. She shifted her eyes toward the window, warning me of the reason for Claudia’s distress. Everett rose from the ground with William’s lifeless form in his arms. He walked slowly toward the patio and placed Will’s limp, broken body on a chaise lounge. Several Aldon were present, I assumed called there by Everett. As I watched, two of them twisted the head of one of the disabled Orcos to still him, and then hoisted his body into the back of a black SUV.

  As swiftly as it had begun, it was over, and all that remained in the yard was Orco blood. Banton crossed the yard with Ty and Constance, placing his hand on Everett’s shoulder as they reached him. Everett turned and looked at Banton and shook his head. Banton pushed around him to kneel beside Will, taking his limp hand in his as he touched his fingers to Will’s neck, checking for a pulse.

  I felt weak, shaking from the extreme adrenalin flow I’d experienced. I pushed the back door open silently, and moved toward Banton.

  “It’s no use, Banton. I’ve done CPR on him for over ten minutes. There isn’t any blood left in his system,” Everett whispered, his voice quivering. I’d never heard Everett like that. He sounded like a stranger. He raised his tear-filled eyes, burning with the fiery green rage of an Aldon in battle. His gaze was one of tormented remorse.

  “I tried, Bebe…I promise, I tried,” he ground desperately through his teeth. My heart broke for him. I could tell he blamed hims
elf for not getting to Will sooner.

  I pulled him into my arms. “Shhh. I know you did, Everett. Shhh,” I tried to soothe him as he sobbed into my shoulder.

  Banton rose after a few minutes and grasped Everett by the shoulders.

  “Ev, who do we call? How do we handle this?” He released a deep breath as he grudgingly tried to take charge of the impossible situation.

  Ev finally managed to gain some control. “We have our Aldon friends with the NOPD. I’ll give them a call,” he whispered in a resigned voice as he pulled his cell out.

  Banton nodded and pulled me back into the house. He gave my hand a quick squeeze before he released it.

  “Claudia, Sweetheart, come here,” Banton urged as he pulled her up from the floor into his arms. As he slid his arm up under her legs and pulled her into his chest, she broke into loud sobs.

  “Banton, please…do something for him! You can’t just leave him! You can’t let him die! Will…William!” she screamed, pushing against Banton’s chest. “Please, Banton, don’t let them take him,” she begged. My shoulders shook and my chest heaved as I tried to swallow a sob. I relived the moment in my own foyer, when I’d begged Banton not to leave me after the Navy had brought me the awful news that day in July.

  Ty and John helped Constance into the house. She had multiple wounds on her arms and face. Ty pulled her over to the kitchen sink and wet a rag to start cleaning her up.

  “Here, Ty…let me take her upstairs to the bathroom,” Brie urged.

  “Brie, baby, are you in control? Can you handle the blood?” John asked softly from the doorway.

  “I’ve got this. I’m fine. It doesn’t bother me I promise.”

  I followed them up the staircase, and as I entered the bedroom to check on the kids, Ava met me at the door.

  “An Andler, what’s wrong wif my Mommy?”

  My heart sank. How do I tell her? She lost her birth mommy – Mommy Jess. She settled with us, transferred to Claudia and Will, and then thought she’d lost her beloved Uncle Banton. Now she’d lost her daddy Will. I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat and still my aching heart.

  I sank down into the floor beside her, drawing her up into my lap as I stilled my voice.

  “Oh, sweet girl, Mommy Claudia is so scared and tired from the attack, but Uncle Banton is taking care of her. She will be fine, but right now Aunt Julia and I need for you to be our big, brave little girl. You can help me feed the twins, and then you and I will lay down with them for a nap.”

  Ava smiled her wide, little girl smile and nodded enthusiastically at me. I fought the tears again. I had no idea how we would tell her Daddy Will was dead and wasn’t coming back. I didn’t want to do it right now. I wanted to wait for Claudia to make that decision. I kissed her hair and pulled her in tighter to my body as I heard Claudia’s weeping down the hallway.

  Meeting Julia’s eyes over the top of Ava’s head, I could tell Julia suspected the worst. As her own eyes filled with tears, she rose and offered, “Why don’t I go down and fix the babies’ bottles? I know how,” she whispered I rose from the floor with Ava clinging to me and placed her on the bed beside the babies, drawing them in to me. Ava mimicked my actions with Elly as I played with Matty’s dark curls.

  A few minutes later, Julia returned with red-rimmed eyes, clutching the babies’ bottles and two blankets. I pushed up on the pillows and took a bottle from her for Matty as she helped Ava Grace pull Elly up between them. After Matty was nursing contentedly, I glanced over and met Julia’s eyes. Tears slid silently down her cheeks as she confirmed that she knew about William.

  “Are we going to tell her?” she mouthed silently to me. I shook my head and we both turned toward the doorway. Banton stood watching us silently, and when my eyes met his, new tears threatened. I knew he’d been just down the hallway with Claudia, but such a sense of relief enveloped me at the sight of him. He crossed the bedroom in two steps and sank down on the bed beside me to pull me into his arms.

  “You are all safe now, shhhh.” His breath blew into my hair as he held me close, stroking my shoulders and arms as I shuddered. He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Matty’s head and reached over to touch Elly’s cheek. Elly continued to nurse contentedly in Ava’s arms, oblivious to the danger from which we’d all just escaped.

  Ava looked inquiringly at Banton, and then released her hold on Elly when Julia moved the baby completely into her lap. Ava scrambled over my legs onto Banton’s lap as he released his hold on me. As she gazed up at him, she asked, “Unca Banin, why is my Mommy Cwadia cwying? Where is my Daddy Will?”

  Banton closed his eyes to mask the pain I saw there. Placing his lips on top of her head, he paused, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes as he looked to me for strength. I felt Claudia would want Banton to tell her, so I nodded at him.

  “Oh, Doodle-Bug…come with Uncle Banton, I need to talk with you, sweetheart.”

  He rose, cradling her on his hip as he left the room to talk quietly with her. The minute they were out of range, Julia sobbed out loud.

  “Come here,” I murmured as I pulled her over to my shoulder. We lay for what seemed like hours, the babies sleeping, curled up in their little baby balls on our shoulders. She cried as we both relived the awful scene in our heads.

  “God, Chandler. Will was like my own brother,” she whispered, her voice faltering. “I don’t have a single childhood memory without him in it!” She sobbed as I stroked her hair. “Did you know he taught me to ride a bicycle? He drove me to my first high school dance! The first time I had to pull a tooth, he tricked me and tied my tooth to my Barbie car, and then hit the remote,” she smiled through her tears, remembering the sweet moments she’d shared with him. “I didn’t realize he’d pulled it until it raced back in front of me, dragging my bloody tooth on the string behind it.” She laughed through her tears, and then broke into sobs again. “Oh, Will…”

  Wails reached us from down the hallway. “No Unca Banin, pweese? Wet me see my Daddy Will! No! DaddyWill will come back ‘cause my Uncle Bannin came back! Daddy Will will come back too,” she insisted in a high pitched wail. It was almost more than my heart could take. I heard hushed voices, and then Mrs. Elaine’s voice rose above the others. Banton’s parents had arrived, and I could tell by the tone of their voices that Mrs. Elaine had taken charge and was carrying Ava down to Claudia’s room.

  Banton strode back into the bedroom and took Elly from Julia.

  “Ju-Bean, I’ll take her. Chandler, let’s get them down,” he murmured, motioning to me. I rose with Matty, already stiff from my fight earlier with the Orcos. My side and hip had stiffened and ached terribly. I frowned as I followed Banton down the hallway to the nursery; I didn’t remember being injured that badly.

  As soon as we placed the twins in their cribs, they were fast asleep. Banton turned to me.

  “Chandler, let’s get you in the tub,” he urged, placing his lips in my hair.

  “Banton, I need to see about Claudia and see how Constance is doing,” I protested.

  He shook his head sternly at me. “Brie has Constance all fixed up, and Ty is taking good care of her. Claudia is with Momma and Daddy; they’re helping her with Ava. We need to see about you.”

  “I’m fine,” I argued. He shook his head. We entered our bedroom and he pointed to my face as we stepped in front of the floor length mirror.

  “Oh, gosh,” I whispered as I took in the bruise that was beginning to darken on my cheek.

  “And I noticed you wincing when you rose with Matty just now,” he continued, reaching out and slipping my blouse up. Another bruise was darkening on my ribs.

  “Andie, you’re hurt. Come in here.”

  He pulled me into the bathroom. As he leaned over to start the water flowing in the tub, I slid out of my pants and realized my injuries were more extensive than I’d first thought.

  Banton drew his breath in sharply when he turned back to me.

  “Damn,” he growled, reachin
g out to touch my hip. There was another large purplish-gray bruise forming up my thigh and around my hip.

  “I’m so, so sorry,” he murmured as he ran his thumb over the spot. And like a cold blast of air into the room, his mood shifted before my eyes. Raising his eyes back to meet my gaze, his eyes grew dark with rage as he scolded me.

  “Why the hell didn’t you lock yourself in the house with the twins and Julia? What were you thinking?”

  His rant took me by surprise. “Banton, please don’t. I had to go back out there. Claudia was by herself. I had to try to do something, and I knew Julia would lock herself away with the twins and Ava. I didn’t have a choice.”

  “You always have a choice. By your going out there, you could have been killed …”

  I pulled away from him and shook my head. “Stop it, Banton. I’ve been bitten. Claudia hasn’t. I knew I could at least hold one of them off her. I had to try!”

  “Chandler, don’t you understand? It’s not about just being bitten. Just because you’ve transformed doesn’t mean one of them can’t drink enough of your blood to kill you in a few minutes. You aren’t immune to death!” He bellowed, and I was sure everyone downstairs could hear him.

  I shook my head at him again in disbelief. He was yelling at me for trying to protect his sister.

  As I slipped the straps down to my bra, Banton reached up silently and unhooked it for me. I dropped it to the floor as he traced the outline of another sore spot on my shoulder.

  “They weren’t trying to kill me. They want me alive. But that’s not the case with everyone around me. We found out the hard way with Brie, and now Will,” I whispered, my voice breaking on the words. “I had to protect your sister,” I repeated as he shook his head stubbornly.