Unfamiliar (The Vandran Legacy Book 1)

by Anna-Louise Dann

  “At any time, you see a safe exit out of there with our baby, you take it, and get the fuck out,” Clara said, her voice full of emotion.

  “I promise,” she said as she gave Clara’s hand a squeeze, allowing her tears to spill over. They were really going to do this.

  She just prayed that this plan worked.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Clara and Emmie

  Closed eyes and joined hands, fingers entwined as one. “Goddess of the Earth hear me now. Bring forth the bonding of souls.”

  Steady your breathing, let our hearts beat in rhythm with each other until they match, let the calm flow over you. “Bond our souls, bond our hearts, bond our minds, bond our lives.”

  “Bond our souls, bond our hearts, bond our minds, bond our lives.”

  “Bond our souls, bond our hearts, bond our minds, bond our lives.”

  Embrace each other, feel our souls colliding, feel our hearts beating as one. A force pushes them both apart and they sit breathless and dazed. Clara is the first to break the silence.

  Clara “Are you ok, Emmie?”

  Emmie nods, looking dumbfounded.

  “I wonder if it worked,” Clara says, pushing herself up and dusting off her jeans.

  Emmie carries on sitting for a minute; her face loses colour. “I feel like I’ve been hit by a ten -tonne truck,” Emmie says, closing her eyes. “It’s difficult to exp- arghh!”

  “Emmie, what’s up? What’s going on?” Clara cries out, fear rising for her sister.

  Emmie is thrown onto her hands and knees, grasping at her stomach in agony. “Clara, it hurts, please, it hurts.” Emmie lets out a bloodcurdling scream and her bones start to crack. The sound turns Clara’s stomach, but she knows she has to let the spell run its course, no matter how bad it gets.

  “Emmie, oh my god it worked... Emmie, just try and relax, let the change happen, donargh!” Overbea ring heat shoots through Clara’s body, nearly knocking her off her feet. Her skin feels like it’s burning from the inside. The skin on her hands glow orange – she feels like she will burst into flames at any moment.

  Emmie “Clara!” Emmie cries, her voice strangled as the metamorphosis taking hold racks through her again. Emmie tries to crawl to Clara who is now frozen to the spot. The whites of her eyes are visible and she is swaying with her arms out, chanting something she can’t quite make out. Another wave of agonising pain rips through her body, cementing her to the spot. She feels her flesh tear; her cries of pain turn into a roar of animalistic power. The beast claws its way out of her skin, and roars again as the transformation is complete. Her beast waits for its companion’s bidding.

  A wave of calming air seems to develop around them. Clara stops swaying and they stare at each other for what feels like an eternity before they slowly make their way to each other.

  “ Panthera tigris,” Clara says falling to her knees. Emmie lays down with her head in Clara’s lap, both exhausted.

  “You are beautiful, Emmie, my white tiger, my Panthera tigris, my sister,” Clara says, running her fingers through Emmie’s soft fur.

  Emmie purrs her answer and nuzzles against Clara’s face. They are joined in mind, body, and soul. We are one now, Clara. “Holy fuck, it actually worked.” Colt’s voice brings Clara’s head up and out of her trance. “Jesus, she’s a white tiger. I could sense she was a strong familiar but a Panthera tigris – wow.” His voice is filled with awe and excitement. Clara smiles at him lovingly.

  “Hey handsome, can you get some clothes for Emmie before she changes back? Her clothes kind of ripped when we performed the spell,” Clara says, rubbing the palm of her hand between Emmie’s ears.

  Emmie makes an approving growling noise in her throat. “Of course. Are you ok, Clara? The noise you were making scared the shit out of me,” Colt says looking worried.

  The concern on Colt’s face melts her heart, he must have felt so helpless before with all the screaming they were doing. She smiles reassuringly at him. “I am more than ok, Colt.”

  He doesn’t say anything else but a look of understanding passes between them. He nods and disappears.

  Sarah makes an appearance a few moments later with a fresh change of clothes for Emmie. She takes one look at them both and stops in her tracks – her face is a picture.

  “Oh my god, Emmie you’re a...” “It’s alright Sarah, the spell worked, we were just waiting on some clothes before she changes back,” Clara says with a smile. “We kind of didn’t think it through before we started the spell.”

  Sarah hands the clothes to Clara who is still sitting on the ground with Emmie’s big head in her lap. “Are you ready to change back now? Then we can sort out our plans for taking that sadistic asshole down.”

  Emmie growls in agreement and picks herself up, pacing a few metres away from Clara.

  Sarah leaves, looking a little rattled.

  The transformation back into human looks so much easier and is over in a few seconds.

  Clara rushes over, removing her coat, and wraps it around Emmie’s shivering naked body. “We did it, Clara, it worked, we can get my baby back,” Emmie says through chattering teeth. Her voice is weak and strained.

  “Yeah, we can. Here, put these on, you’re freezing.” Clara hands Emmie the clothes. “I’ll go wait for you by the car so you can have some privacy while you get dressed. Are you going to be ok?”

  “Yeah, I just feel drained. It always happens with a change, this one was massive though. I’ll be alright, don’t worry,” Emmie says, but she looks worn out.

  “Ok, but if you need me just yell, I am not far away.”

  Clara walks to the small gap between the ship containers.

  “Hey Clara?” Emmie shouts from her kneeling position.

  Clara whips round. “Yeah?”

  “Love you, sis,” she says. There’s a light in her eyes that wasn’t there before. “Love you too, Tiger,” she replies, sending her a playful smile before she disappears through the gap to find Colt and Sarah.

  Her heart feels full and there’s a skip in her step as she approaches the car. Sarah and Colt look deep in a serious conversation.

  “Hey, what’s happened?” she asks, looking between them. It didn’t look like good news, judging by their expressions.

  “Hey beautiful, I just received a call off Iris. She’s not going to be meeting us later, unexpected guests have turned up. Danny is coming instead,” Colt said. His face told her he wasn’t too thrilled with the idea.

  “Unexpected guest? Colt, is it safe to go back to The Sanctuary?” Clara asks, feeling anxious all of a sudden.

  “Yeah, Iris knows them, she says they are trustworthy.” He doesn’t sound convinced.

  “But you’re not too sure?” “It’s not that, Clara, it’s just, with everything going on we need to be suspicious of everything and everyone.”

  She gets it, they can’t leave themselves open to being found before the plan is put in place.

  “So, what do you suggest we do when we dock back in Dublin?” Clara asks. “Heather is sorting us a safe house out but we can’t stay there long, two nights at the most and you’ll have to wear your disguise just in case we are seen – don’t look at me like that. I know you hate it but it’s better than getting recognised.”

  She pulls tongues at him, making him chuckle. “I know you’re right, Colt, I just can’t wait for this all to be over.”

  He pulls her into a hug and kisses her forehead.

  “I know, beautiful, me too,” he whispers against her hair. “Put my sister down, wolf boy!” Emmie shouts as she emerges from the gap between the containers. “I swear you two are gonna make me vomit.”

  “How are you feeling, Emmie?” Colt asks, keeping tight hold of Clara. “Like I’ve gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali,” Emmie says, the tiredness evident on her perfect features.

  “Yeah, it takes some getting used to. It’ll get easier the more you do it though, I always end up with a headache after but it will probably a
ffect you differently,” Colt says.

  “Yey!” Emmie exclaims, waving both her arms up in a mock celebration. “Can’t wait.” Colt chuckles at her sister’s sarcasm and shakes his head. The sound rumbles through his chest, vibrating against her cheek.

  “So, what happens now?” Sarah says, looking a little confused. “I mean the bonding worked, right?” Clara and Emmie look at each other.

  “Yeah it worked, better than we thought,” Clara says.

  “Should we tell them we can communicate like this too, Clara?” “Not yet, I want to see if it works while we are separated first, then I’ll tell Colt.”

  “Yeah, the least people know the better.”

  “This is so coo—”

  “Are you sure you guys are alright? You both looked deep in thought for a minute there,” Sarah says, looking a little concerned.

  “Think this whole thing has taken a lot out of us. We can rest later, right now we need to sort out getting Emmie reunited with Hope,” Clara says.

  “I think I know how I am going to do this,” Emmie says, opening the passenger door of the car and sitting sideways in the seat. “I’ll go home tomorrow, make out I have been away to get my head together, then I’ll go to the funeral and play the grieving sister. We need to use the fact that me and Will were separated to our advantage. I’ll make out to the neighbours and our friends that Hope is staying with her dad for a few days while I sort funeral arrangements. I’ll go to the funeral and wait for contact. If what you say is right, Colt, it won’t take long for this Dominus guy to approach me. As soon as I am in and have his trust I will find a way of letting you guys know. If I can make an escape with our baby I am out of there, Clara, I promise you,” she states, struggling to hold in her tears.

  “As long as yo u promise if it looks too dodgy or something doesn’t sit well, you find a way of contacting us and we’ll come and get you. Promise me, Emmie, I can’t lose you too.” Clara kneels, taking her sister’s shaking hands in her own.

  “I promise, Clara, if it looks off then I’ll get out of there.” She lifts her head to look at Colt. “Colt, look after our girl and make sure she stays out of trouble,” she says, squeezing Clara’s hands.

  “I will protect her with my life.”

  Clara feels Colt’s warm hand squeeze her shoulder, she’s close to breaking down again. “I can’t believe we are doing this,” Clara says, feeling tears blur her vision. Emmie pulls her into a hug and they stay like that for a while whispering words to each other only they could hear.

  “I love you past the stars, please be safe.”

  “Ditto, baby sis. Ditto.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jake

  Jake zipped up his coat and paced the dimly lit dock. The wind was cold and seeped right through the two layers he was wearing. He knew he should have put a t-shirt under his jumper like his mum had told him to.

  She was supposed to be with him but some new guests had checked into The Sanctuary this morning, so Danny had come with him instead and was sitting in the van keeping a lookout. He would have much preferred his mum with him. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Danny, it was just that he wasn’t sure how Danny would cope if any trouble went down. He had been taught to fight and could handle himself well, Colt and his mum had made sure of that from the moment he could walk. But Danny was only human and probably wouldn’t do well against an attack by one of their kind.

  He looked across the dark water and then down at his watch. It was a little past eight o’clock, he was sure they should be here by now.

  He headed back to the van to grab the phone, he had forgotten it before and Colt might have texted. They had parked behind some metal containers out of sight; he walked around the side of the container and walked straight into someone coming around the opposite way. Jake immediately grabbed the assailant’s jacket with both hands, ready for a fight. He only let go when he realised who it was.

  “Jeez, man, you scared the shit out of me. You shouldn’t be walking around in the dark... Lucky it was just me or you could have been killed,” he said breathlessly, his heart pounding. He was normally good at sensing when someone was coming, he was anxious and that was playing havoc with all his senses. He needed to give his fucking head a wobble; he was no good to Colt if he couldn’t even detect Danny coming around a fucking corner.

  “Sorry Jake, your phone has been blowing up with an unknown number,” he said. Danny passed the battered mobile phone over to him. Jake noticed the shake of his hands as he took the phone, the fright had rattled him as well.

  “Thanks man, it’s actually Colt’s spare phone. He told me not to answer numbers we don’t know, in case it’s a job. I was just heading back to grab it in case Colt or Sarah had text.”

  Danny’s eyes darted everywhere, as if he was expecting danger.

  “Hey man, are you alright?” Jake asked.

  “Yeah, just be glad when we’re back at The Sanctuary. I’ll go back to the van now, I am sure they won’t be much longer. Maybe give them a quick call, see if they’re close.”

  “Yeah, will do. Stay safe, man,” Jake said before heading back towards the dock.

  “You too, Jake,” Danny mumbled before disappearing back around the container. He felt sorry for the guy, but he had to get his head out of his ass if they were going to be doing shit like this together. They couldn’t afford any fuck-ups, and his nerves were already shot.

  He looked at his watch again – it was now 8.10. Why did it feel like he had been waiting here for hours? As if someone had heard his thoughts the phone in his hand buzzed with an incoming message.

  10 minutes. C He had time to head back to the van to let Danny know; he knew Danny would be relieved to know Sarah was nearly home. And if he was being honest with himself, he was excited to see Sarah again as well

  – he had missed her the last few days. They had become really close friends and had been pretty much inseparable the last few weeks.

  She was gorgeous, sassy, and could talk without coming up for air at times. He loved the way the excitement vibrated off her whenever they were fooling around and the little squeals she made when he made her jump... Who was he trying to kid? He fancied her like mad but as much as he wanted to, there were some lines he couldn’t cross and their friendship meant more to him than anything.

  His wandering mind was soon pushed back into focus as he neared the container. There was an uneasy feeling, something seemed off.

  Jake sniffed the air to see if he could pick up a scent of anything suspicious. He got nothing. Maybe he was just being paranoid, it had been a long couple of days and tensions were running high.

  He walked around the side of the container, eyes darting in every direction. The van came into view. Jake let out the breath he had been holding on to when he saw Danny sitting in the passenger seat. As he got closer he realised Danny wasn’t moving, there was something wrong. He sat, his eyes as wide as saucers, staring into the dock yard. Jake followed Danny’s line of vision but couldn’t see anything.

  He pulled the door of the van open.

  “Danny?” he half spoke, half shouted at him. No answer.

  “Danny. What’s going on, man?” he said, a bit louder this time.

  Still no answer.

  “Fuck, dude, you’re starting to scare me now, what are you looking at?”

  “You don’t see her?” Danny said, his voice trembled.

  “See who? I don’t see anyone.”

  “My Rebecca.” Who the fuck was Rebecca?

  Shit, did this mean they had company?

  He scanned the area again. Still nothing. He had to let Colt know.

  Jake took the phone out of his pocket and sent Colt a quick text.

  Not safe.

  He quickly pressed send and kept hold of it in his hand in case Colt called.

  What now? The air around him seemed so much heavier; he looked around again, using all his senses to try and detect something.

  Nothing. “Danny, you
need to get a grip, man. Sarah’s coming, you’re going to worry her.” Danny’s head snapped around like he had just been slapped.

  “Sarah’s here?” Danny was as white as a sheet. Fuck.

  The phone in his hand vibrated, making him jump. Colt’s name flashed across the screen.

  Jake answered on the second ring.

  “Hey Colt.”

  “Jake, are you ok? What’s going on?”

  “Danny saw someone, someone called Rebecca. There’s nobody here but he was in a trance and white as a sheet, he freaked me out. I thought we had company, but I can’t even pick up a scent,” Jake says, his nerves making him talk fast.

  “I don’t like this, Jake. Who the fuck’s Rebecca?” Colt growls.

  “Well I’ve never heard Sarah mention...” “She’s my daughter from my first marriage. She died before I met Sarah’s mum,” Danny interrupts his voice full of sadness.

  “You get that?” Jake said to Colt. “Yeah, still don’t like it, it could be one of the Master’s tricks. Are you sure you have you used all of your senses?”

  “Yeah, there’s nothing. The only thing that feels weird is how heavy the air is on this dock, like it’s going to rain but the sky is clear.”

  “Fucking Heather... It’s a cloaking spell, she must have timed it to work when you guys got there. It can make people without the spectral gene act weirdly and hallucinate. Good job, buddy, you’re learning to trust your gut. Come meet us and bring Danny, we’re about to dock.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Clara She tugged on the wig for what felt like the thousandth time, her own unruly hair beneath fighting to escape the itchy synthetic material.

  She knew she need to wear the blasted thing but it was seriously starting to piss her off, along with the dammed brown contact lenses she had been ‘advised’ to wear.

  Colt was busy on the phone talking to Jake; whatever they were discussing looked intense. Sarah was still in the sleeping quarters – she had been really quiet since they boarded. There was definitely something bothering her that she obviously wasn’t ready to talk about yet. If she had learned one thing about Sarah it was that if she had an issue, she wasn’t afraid to say what it was, but she normally had to work stuff out herself first. She would probably talk to Jake later about what was bothering her.