by N. R. Larry
Stars exploded in my vision. I writhed on the ground, helpless against the pain. In the distance, Mo laughed, and it sounded like rusty bells. A scream I had been trying to hold back ripped out of my throat. The pain bit into my very bones. Then, for the first time in a long time, I began to wish that I was easier to kill.
Chapter Fourteen
The last vampire finished feeding and pulled away from my wrist, wiped his misshapen mouth, and let my arm plop to the floor. Unable to move, I turned to stare at my hand. The wounds were already closing up, and my skin was glowing with that golden light again. I blinked and tried to think past the sludge clogging my thoughts.
Then, I was being dragged into another room. I felt like a popped balloon as someone tucked their hands under my armpits and flung me on the bed. I let out a pained groan and turned onto my side just as the door slammed shut and the lock clicked, leaving me alone in the darkness. I blinked into the blackness and lifted my hand toward the door. Almost against my will, my arm flopped down, a useless limb.
“Ugh.” My throat felt dry and scratchy. I blinked again, and that’s when I noticed it. My skin had started to glow, lighting up the space around me. Like the larger room, the bedroom was almost bare. There was blood streaked on the walls, and a few rusty garden tools piled in the corners. I took in a deep breath and forced myself to sit up, using my elbows to prop myself against.
I stayed that way for several moments. My head began to clear, and the pain started to leave my muscles. After a small eternity, I was able to sit up and examine myself. There were no wounds. It was like the vamps had never touched me. There was still a faint glow under my skin, but it was starting to flicker out. Moving slowly, I planted one foot on the floor, took in a few breaths, and followed it with the other foot.
Outside the door, voices buzzed and things banged around, like they were being moved. I took in another deep breath and stepped closer to the door. Under my feet, the wooden boards creaked.
I winced. “Shit.” Hurrying back to the bed, I laid down and turned my back to the door. Seconds later it opened. There was a loud sniff followed by a chuckle. Footsteps trailed toward me.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. I closed my eyes. The bed I was on lowered and someone lowered their face against my neck and sniffed. Rough stubble ran down the length of my neck. A deep whimper rattled out of him. “Mm, mm,” he huffed.
Vomit rushed up my throat. I dug my fingernails into the palm of my hands and will myself not to turn and rip the vamp’s head off.
“Edgar!” Mo’s voice called out. “Get back in here!”
Edgar laughed again and took in another breath. I clenched my jaw but managed to stay still even though every muscle in my body screamed at me to put his ass through a wall. He remained lowered over me for what felt like hours, before finally backing away. The door closed and latched again.
As soon as I figured out how, I was going to rip all their heads from their bodies. But, I knew I couldn’t go at them alone, at least, not without a plan. They were stronger than any vamps I’d ever faced, and it seemed as if my blood only worked to make them stronger. I needed to get away so they couldn’t feed on me anymore.
Several minutes drained away. I became confident that no one was coming back in to check on me, so I floated off the bed, once again happy that I could fly. At least creaky floorboards are easy to overcome. I turned my head toward the opposite wall. There was a small, box shaped window set near the ceiling. With a frown, I floated up to it and peered outside.
I was surrounded by woods. If I had to guess, they had taken me somewhere close, and the only wooded area near The Heights was Discovery Park, which used to be a hunting grounds, but was now used mostly by high school kids getting into shit they didn’t need to be getting into.
It was the perfect spot for a vampire nest to hid.
Careful to be as silent as possible, I tried the latch on the window, but it didn’t budge. I frowned and planted my hands on my hips. Even if it had been unlocked, no way was I squeezing my ass through that window. A slow smile turned my lips up. I might now be able to fit through the window, but anything could fit through the wall.
I turned my head and held my breath. The banging was still echoing from the other room. I had to make my move while they were busy doing whatever it was they were doing. I backed away from the window, and then pressed myself against the door on the opposite side of the room. Taking in a breath, I charged at the wall. The wood gave away easily, leaving a Mal size hole in the back of the cabin.
I didn’t turn around to see if they’d heard the crash. I knew they did. There was a chorus of growls at my back. I threw my arms out in front of me and flew up, gaining momentum the higher up I flew. There was a low hiss at my right. I didn’t turn. I knew it was one of them. So not only were they stronger than most vamps, they could jump higher. I changed course slightly, elbowed the vampire in the face, and then kicked my feet to gain altitude, hoping that these things were like regular vamps in that they couldn’t fly.
The monster grunted a complaint and crashed back to the ground.
I kept going, flying higher and higher.
Soon, the world was a series of glowing dots and doll houses at my feet. The moon seemed close enough to reach out and touch. There was a low whistle, and I squinted through the night. A golden light shot toward me. With a grin, I smiled and reached out to catch my knife.
When I was sure I’d put enough distance between myself and the vamps, I tried to get some idea of where I was. I patted my pockets for my phone. Of course they had taken it.
I sighed and peered up at the stars. I wasn’t a ship captain, but I knew enough about the stars to guide myself back to the Heights.
I needed to know that Ryland wasn’t dead. I needed to make sure my kids were safe. And most of all, I needed a frickin’ plan.
IT ONLY TOOK FIVE MINUTES to get back to The Heights, which let me know that I was right about them taking me to Discovery Park. I soared above our home and listened, trying to make sure there were no vamps on my trail. I started to relax when a crash echoed from below, followed by a pained howl.
My heart hitched and I swooped down, landed in the front yard, and tore through the door.
“What?” I asked, rushing into the living room.
The kids were in a huddle in the middle of the floor.
“What is it?” I asked over my pounding heart.
Fiona glanced back at me and then moved over to the side.
I moved forward as if some slow-motion mode had been activated inside of me. Darnell was piled on the floor in werewolf form. He gazed up at me with bright yellow eyes. Even though they weren’t human eyes, all I saw was the eight-year old boy I’d raised since he was a year old. All four of his legs were bent at unnatural angles, and his tongue was draped over his teeth, dripping drool all over the carpet.
I lowered myself beside him. “What happened?”
No one said anything.
Darnell whimpered.
I closed my eyes to hold back tears. “What. Happened?”
Amir cleared his throat. “It was Bao.”
I whipped my head around and narrowed my eyes. “What?”
He nodded. “Bao. She took off the necklace and went to find you. She wanted to... She was scared. We all were.”
Anger began to rise inside of me. I swallowed it down. “Why would she be worried?” I stood. “Unless someone told her something to be worried about?”
No one said anything.
My thoughts began to scream at me. There was too much going on. I’d failed to protect my kids. I needed to stay and help Darnell. I needed to go after Bao, and there was only one of me.
I pressed my fingers to my temples and began to count to keep myself calm.
“Bao will be fine,” Fiona whispered.
I opened my eyes and peered at her.
She averted her gaze. “Ryland went with her.”
Chapter Fifteen
The only thing that ke
pt me from losing my shit was the fact that my baby might be dying on the living room floor. Vampire venom was lethal to werewolves, and Bao’s venom was potentially even worse now that she’d started to change.
I bent over Darnell and focused only on him. “Did she bite him?”
“I don’t know,” Sergio answered. “She went to leave, and Darnell tried to stop her. Then, we all kind of got into it.” He swallowed. “She broke his legs. That’s all I know for sure.
I nodded. “I need to get him back into human form. It’ll be easier to check for bites.” I glanced over at Fiona. “For now, get some fairy dust. Take it to Ada Anne’s. Tell her what happened and ask if she has anything she’s willing to trade for it.”
Fiona nodded and hurried out the door.
“What can the rest of us do?” Sergio asked.
I bit my lip and looked to Amir. “I’m going to have to set his bones so they heal faster. It’s going to hurt.”
Amir nodded, removed his headwrap, and snapped the right horn, the one he could work light magic with, off his head. “It’s still going to hurt, but this will help,” he said as he fashioned it into a crude looking flute.
I nodded. The seconds seemed to crawl by. Finally, Amir finished, raised the instrument toward his mouth, and began a tune the rest of us couldn’t hear. I peered down at Darnell. He stopped writhing, and soon, his yellow eyes shut halfway. I rubbed the top of his head and tried to calm my pounding heart.
“You’ll want to hurry,” Amir said in a gentle voice. “The trance doesn’t last long on liminal creatures. Once he’s human again, you won’t have long to work on him.”
I nodded again, in other words, because Darnell was a werewolf, part animal, part human, or something that existed in two worlds, the magic would lessen once he changed form. I shook my hands out, and then felt along one of his legs, located the break, and paused as a tremble rocked my body.
Sergio reached out and rubbed my shoulder. “I can do it if you want, Mal.”
I shook my head. I didn’t trust anyone to fix him but me. Taking in another deep breath, I snapped the bone forward and winced at the howl that tore out of his throat.
Tears burned my eyes. “It’s okay, D.” I patted his head again. “I got you.” I looked over at Sergio. “Get me something to set the leg with.”
Right away, Sergio handed me a splint and an ace bandage. I smiled across at him. The kid was always ready. I set the bone and wrapped the bandage around Darnell’s leg, and then moved on to the other one. Every snap of his bones was like a knife through my heart. By the time I got to his last leg, I was shaking, and tears were falling freely down my face.
I hated it. I wanted to be strong for them, but enough was enough. When I finished, I sat back on my heels and wiped the tears from my cheeks. Amir and Serg stared down at Darnell. He remained in wolf form and was breathing evenly. The only reason I knew he wasn’t asleep was because his yellow eyes were wide open.
I forced myself to smile. “You’re a tough kid, D.” A cracking noise echoed in the air, and I knew then that his bones were starting to fuse back together. His body started to shake, and a howl filled the house.
Amir laughed. “Can’t keep this kid down.”
Darnell started to shake so fast he became a blur of movement. There was a series of loud snaps, and then he hopped up on his hind legs so fast I tumbled backward. A roar echoed out of him as he peered down at me. I slammed my heart over my chest. In werewolf form, the kid was damn near big enough to reach the ceiling. He tilted his head and huffed, an animalistic purr rattling in his throat.
I spotted Amir and Sergio backing away from the corner of my vision. Darnell lowered himself so that he was on all fours, and then his back caved in. I winced and looked away. I’d seen Darnell turn into a werewolf more times than I could count, but for some reason, it never got any easier.
Each time one of his bones snapped and reformed, I jumped and rolled my eyes at myself. Fiona came bursting through the door holding a jar of what looked like fireflies. She paused in the entrance to the living room and clapped.
“Oh, I love this part!” she said.
There was another howl that blended into a human scream. I risked looking back at him. Darnell was laid out on the floor, this time, with only two legs. The only werewolf parts that remained were his head, which began to shake violently on top of his shoulders until the fur vanished, leaving behind a huge afro and large, muddy brown eyes. I turned around to give him privacy.
“I’ll get him some clothes.” Amir rushed upstairs, and then back down. There was some rustling around, and then Amir cleared his throat. “Alright, he’s decent.”
“D.” I crawled forward and pulled him into my arms. He leaned into me, breathing hard. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers through his hair. “You’ve gotta be worn out, kiddo,” I muttered. “Changing during the waning moon? That’s hardcore.” I patted his back.
His shoulders shrugged. “I did what I had to do.”
I pulled away from him and cupped his face. “D, I need to know if Bao bit you.”
His mouth screwed up. “Hell nah, and the only reason she got the drop on me was because she faked me out.”
I smiled, so relived he was okay that I didn’t get on to him about his language. “Are you sure?” I studied each inch of his face and then ran my hands along his neck and down his arms.
Darnell swatted at me. “I’m fine, Mal! You can’t be treating me like a baby.” He squared his shoulders. “What if the ladies found out?”
I snorted. “Well, I need to check the rest of you, so...”
He slid out of my arms and stood up, shaking his head. “Nope! No way. I’m eight now, man. You can’t be looking at my—”
I held my hand up so he wouldn’t finish his sentence. With a sigh, I glanced up at Sergio and Amir. Serg held his hand out to Darnell. “Alright, come on little man. Gotta make sure you don’t have any vamp bites.”
Darnell stomped his foot. “I feel fine! I’d know if something bit me.”
I gave him a look. For a few seconds, he matched my expression. Finally, he rolled his eyes “Fine.” He stepped past me, then followed Amir and Sergio up the stairs. With a sigh, I scooted back against the couch and raked my hands through my hair.
I smiled up at Fiona and nodded at the jar she was still holding. “What cha got in there, babe?”
She crept toward me in that graceful way she had and sat on the floor next to me. Handing over the jar, she said, “Mrs. Anne called them wisps.”
I tilted my head. “What do they do?”
She leaned her head against my shoulder. “Not sure exactly. She said that when people like us eat one, they travel through the bloodstream, and I guess, force the body to do what it does... Only better.”
I nodded. “Okay, well, let’s hope we don’t have to find out if they work.”
“Are you mad at us?”
I blinked and moved to the side, forcing her to lift her head. “Mad at you for what?”
She frowned. “For telling Bao.”
I could have kicked myself for getting so distracted with Darnell, that I forgot about Bao. “No, I’m not mad.” With a sigh, I added, “I’m just glad D is okay.”
“Are you mad at Ryland?”
Despite the worry rolling around in my gut, I managed a slight smile. “Don’t worry about that.” I planted a hand against the thin carpet and pushed to my feet. “Hey, guys!” I called up the stairs. “How’s it going up there?” The sound of feet stomping met my ears. I lifted an eyebrow. Their voices were heated, as if they were arguing, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
I was about to go upstairs, when Amir called out, “He’s fine! No bite marks.”
I closed my eyes and placed a hand over my heart. “Thank, God.” I handed the jar back to Fiona. “Why don’t you put that away. I have to go after Bao and Ryland.”
Feet pounded against the stairs.
“Not without us, you’re not
.” Sergio leaned against the banister.
I snorted. “Please. Don’t give me a hard time about this.” I pointed at him, and then at Amir, who was on the stairs behind him. “You’ve made me worry about you enough today. I can’t take anymore.” I narrowed my eyes and then turned my attention to Fiona. “Do you all understand me?”
They didn’t answer right away. I opened my eyes wider and shot them each a look.
Fiona glanced toward the stairs, and then back at me. Shaking her head, she said, “No, we don’t understand.” Something like hesitation crossed her face, but then she squared her shoulders and went to stand in front of Sergio. It should have been a proud parenting moment: my kids, standing up to me for something to believe in.
The only problem was, I wasn’t in the mood for them to be individuals. I was in the mood for them to shut the fuck up and do what the fuck I told them to do. My head started to pound. Then, Ryland’s words from earlier that day hissed through my thoughts. Then, I gave them each a second look. I forced myself to really look at them. Ryland was right about one thing, they weren’t just kids. Not really. And, they never had been. That didn’t change the fact that they were my responsibility.
“Fine,” I said in a strained voice. “You really want to help? Then stay here,” I said, backing away. “And take care of Darnell.”
“And if they come here looking for you?” Amir asked.
I paused with my hand on the door. “Then, give them hell. Can you do that?”
Fiona nodded. Her bright green eyes flashed, then black oozed into her irises, like ink bleeding across paper. “Oh yeah.” She smiled, but it was savage and it didn’t reach her eyes. “We can do that.”
I TOOK TO THE SKIES, allowing the wind that rushed past my face and through my hair to clear my thoughts. Discovery park stretched out below me. I swooped down and landed at the top of a large oak tree. Holding on to the thickest branch I could find, I leaned out and peered into the distance. Everything snapped into focus. There was a small wooden house in the distance. Smoke was spiraling out of the chimney and toward the night sky. That must have been where they were keeping me. From my position, I couldn’t detect any movement inside, so I scanned the trail that led from the front door, down through the woods.
