by Quinn Loftis
"We will make them as safe as we can." Her mate’s voice came from directly behind her just before his hand caressed her neck. Vasile kneaded the tension that had gathered between her shoulders as she continued to stare out the window.
"We will," she agreed, just before taking another sip of the hot chocolate.
"Do you think Sally will be alright?" Vasile asked her.
Alina’s chest tightened as she thought about how the healer had come apart in her arms. She'd never witnessed anything like it before, and the frustration of not being able to fight tooth and claw against what it was that hurt Sally had been overwhelming. Alina may have been female with a stronger inclination to comfort than to fight, but she was every bit as much a wolf as her mate and the need to protect ran deep in her veins.
"I don't know, Alpha," she finally admitted. "Sally is strong, but how many times can silver be exposed to the flame before it begins to weaken?"
He made a thoughtful sound. She felt his hand leave her neck and then pull the tie that had held her hair up. Vasile ran his fingers through the loose locks, causing chills to run down her back.
"We will just need to keep an eye on her. Those girls aren't known for showing any sort of weakness." He took the cup from her hand and set it down on the table beside her. "Let's get some rest so we have the energy to worry some more tomorrow." Vasile smiled down at her as he held his hand out. Alina took it without hesitation, as she'd been doing for over two centuries, and let her mate lead them to their bed.
As her mate’s arms came around her, pulling her body close to his, Alina set the worries aside. She thanked the Great Luna for the strong arms that held her, for the new life growing in Jacque, and for getting them all out of the first day’s battles alive. Did those things cancel out the fears? No, but they did make facing the fears worth it.
"Sleep, Luna," Vasile murmured against her neck where he'd buried his face.
She smiled to herself. "I'm going to sleep, but not because you told me to."
Vasile’s breath tickled her skin as he chuckled. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, Mina."
Jen held her sleeping daughter in her arms as she sat in the dark nursery. The only sound was the whispered whooshing of the fan, which they ran to help Thia sleep. From the minute Peri had flashed them back to their home, Jen had picked Thia up and not put her down, except when Decebel made her take a shower. She'd needed the tangible proof that she was fine. Their daughter hadn't been snatched by the vampires. Their daughter hadn't been tortured and sucked dry. Their daughter was safe.
Jen didn't notice the tears on her cheeks as her arms shook. She didn’t hear her mate come into the room. Though he knelt in front of her, she didn't see him. All she saw was faceless bodies of children.
"Jennifer," Decebel’s deep voice rumbled through the quiet room. "Let me take her, love." He started to slip Thia from her arms but Jen snarled and jerked her back. Her stoic mate didn't react. He stared back at her with compassion and love.
"I have to hold her. I have to," Jen began, but her words faded as the tears flowed faster. "Why is our child safe and those children are not? Why did something so utterly horrific happen to them? How do I know she will continue to be safe and why can’t we keep the others safe?" Her voice broke and this time, when Decebel reached for Thia, she relinquished her.
Decebel stood and placed Thia in her crib. Her face was as beautiful as her mother’s, and he loved watching her sleep, just as he loved watching Jennifer sleep. He looked on as she turned her little body over onto her stomach, tucked her legs underneath her, and wiggled until she was comfortable. She was safe and he would make sure she stayed that way.
He turned back to his tired, hurting mate. She'd done a remarkable job of holding herself together, but seeing Thia after what they'd been through that day had just ripped something open inside of her. Decebel had let her have all the time she wanted with their daughter, and he'd hoped it would help, but it seemed to just be making her more upset.
"I don't know the answers to your questions. I wish I did," he admitted to her. He got back on his knees, pushing himself in between her legs and wrapping his arms around her. Their faces were close, and he could see the dark circles that marred her fair skin. "It's an ugly world, baby. We know that better than most."
"But children? It's not right." Jennifer shook her head and closed her eyes as if by closing them she could block out the revolting things in the world.
Decebel leaned forward, closing the small gap between them and pressed his forehead to hers. He flooded their bond with his love and comfort. He had no words, no solutions, no answers. He couldn't fix this. He couldn't tell his mate that everything would be okay because he didn't know if it would be.
"Come. You need rest," he told her as he pulled back from her and held out his hand to her.
Jennifer shook her head. "I'm not leaving her."
"Jennifer," Decebel started but her stern whisper cut him off.
"No, don't ask this of me, Dec. I'm sleeping in here until we have to leave in the morning."
He could tell in the stubborn set of her jaw that she wouldn't budge. And she needed this. This was something he could do.
"Okay," he said quietly. "Okay."
On the floor, in the dark of their infant’s nursery, Decebel wrapped his arms around his mate. He held her shaking form as though he could somehow keep her from falling to pieces.
Fane couldn't sleep. His wolf was restless, pacing inside of him. After taking out five covens, all of them fairly small, he didn’t see how they could possibly eliminate all of them on their own. Fane had overheard Peri mention to his father that the pixies had found at least thirty covens in Canada alone. How had they grown to such number without any other supernaturals noticing? Had they all truly become so self-absorbed, focusing on their own races problems, that nothing else mattered? It wasn't really a question that mattered anymore. All that mattered now was dealing with the evil that had unknowingly been festering.
Fane glanced down at his sleeping mate. She was curled up on her side. Her face was usually peaceful in sleep, but tonight, worry seemed to pinch her brow. He ran a thumb across her forehead, hoping his touch would ease some the tension that was still coursing through her. Jacquelyn moved closer to his touch and his lips tugged up in a small smile.
The smile didn't last, however, as his thoughts shifted to the memory of the fear on her face when they'd heard Sally’s screams. His mind was torn about having her with him. He wanted her by his side because then he could protect her. But having her by his side also meant deliberately putting her in harm’s way. His wolf wanted to tuck her as far away from the vampires as he could, but putting her in a cage wasn't the answer, no matter how appealing it was.
After another hour of sitting in the dark thinking too much, sleep finally saved him from himself.
Chapter 11
"They're coming. Those who have some twisted idea that they must be the ones to save the world. When will they realize that as long as free will exists, evil will exist? As long as a being can choose for itself whether they want the peace of the light or the power of the darkness, evil will always gain a foothold." ~Sincaro
1502 A.D. The Red War.
Sincaro pulled the fae blade from his chest with a trembling hand. Perizada’s aim had been true, but not deep enough. He’d seen the look of triumphant fury in her eyes. He was sure she thought him dead when he fell. He wouldn't give her any reason to believe otherwise. Sincaro stayed flat on the ground, pulling himself through the tall grass, further and further from the fighting that continued amongst those still standing. When he finally reached the cover of the forest, he pulled himself up until he was standing and turned back toward the sounds of the dying, the screaming, and those who were quickly overtaking what was left of his race. Their numbers had been depleted to less than two dozen. The fae had nearly accomplished their plan of wiping them out completely. Little did they know, they'd only steeled the vampires resolve
to survive. He would disappear with the vampires that were left and slowly they would regain their numbers. He would do whatever it took to build any army that could stand against the fae. His blood was powerful and he would make sure that those new vampires he created were empowered with his own blood. They could then pass it on to those they turned. Then he would seek out a food source that wasn't as easily broken as the humans. They would need something that could withstand their feeding and recover—a renewable food source. His eye narrowed as he zeroed in on the fae who so foolishly believed she'd killed him. They would need a supernatural food source.
With a plan brewing in his mind, Sincaro melted back into the forest. He would retreat to the cover of the underworld, the place where his kind was most at home. It would be the last time he would be aboveground for a very long time.
Jen leaned over with her hands on her knees, panting as she tried to fill her deprived lungs with air. The second day of operation vampire genocide had begun much like the first, and they’d just finished wiping out the first coven. She'd begged Decebel to let her fight. She'd fallen apart the night before and she was so raw inside that she just needed to stab something. He hadn't really liked her outburst of 'Just let me kill something already.' She'd realized that had been the wrong thing to say, but after another thirty minutes of pleading with her mate and Vasile, they'd agreed to let her go in.
The adrenaline running through her veins was like a drug to her. It kept the other emotions at bay and made her feel like she had some sort of control over the chaos into which they were running.
She'd let Decebel take the lead but she'd been right on his heels as they’d rushed into the cave like room. There had been no pause in her feet, no hesitation, as she began swinging the two blades Peri had given her—fae blades that seemed to know what she wanted before her arm was even moving. She couldn’t hear the sounds of the dying or fighting over the pounding of her heart. Her arms moved gracefully, the way her mate had shown her, and she barely even saw the bodies that dropped when she was done with her work. The only vampire she could remember had been a blonde who'd taunted her. 'Your males allowed a weak little dormant female to fight the big bad vampires? Why didn't they just put you on a platter like the others? Of course, you won't be as sweet as they are. Their blood isn't tainted yet. It's pure, clean, and goes down smooth.' Just remembering the sound of the woman’s voice grated on Jen’s nerves. The female vamp had pissed Jen off so royally that she'd tucked the blades down in the boots and phased her fingernails to the powerful claws of her wolf.
Jen knew the smile on her face probably looked a little sadistic, but the calmness of her voice when she responded to the vamp was even worse.
"You aren't worthy of a death by my wolf. But since I’m pissed, I’ll show you how us weak, little, dormant females fight." Jen moved with her wolf’s speed as she lunged forward and ran her claws across the woman’s face. She flipped around just as the woman passed her and Jen raked her claws across the woman’s back, leaving deep lacerations that stretched from shoulder to hip. The vamp screeched like a wounded cat and came at Jen as though she was possessed. Jen stood her ground as the woman ran full speed toward her. Just before she would have reached her, Jen held her hand up, claws extended and muscles locked. The stupid vamp ran herself through on the wolf’s claws. Jen didn’t think about the fact that her hand was imbedded in a vampire’s chest and wrapped around its heart. Instead, she allowed her wolf to lift the woman and slam her onto her back against the blood covered ground.
Jen leaned down over the female vampire, making sure the last thing she would see was the eyes of Jen’s wolf, and she whispered, "And that's how we dormants do it." And then she pulled the heart from the vampire’s chest. It wasn't near as easy as they made it look in movies.
The cold Philadelphia air burned her lungs as she continued to breathe it into her body. She shook her head and arms as though she was shaking off the memory of the fight. There were just some memories that had no business taking up space in her mental files.
"You okay?" Jacque asked.
Jen stood up and looked at her very pregnant friend. Everyone thought Jen was the tough one. They were clueless. Jacque was the beast in their little trio. She was one of the strongest people Jen knew, and she proved it as she stood outside a vampire coven about to pop out a baby.
"Or she’s just foolish," Decebel’s words filled her mind. Of course, he wouldn't think Jacque’s actions were a show of strength because like all male flea motels, he expected her to hide from danger like a mouse hides from a cat.
"Is it really foolish for the mouse, which is physically smaller and weaker than the cat, to hide in order to stay alive?"
Jen ignored him long enough to address Jacque. "I'm good. Not even a scratch on me."
"If you'd have gotten a scratch on you, Decebel would have flipped more than just his lid," Jacque quipped.
"True," Jen sighed. "Perhaps, I should allow the scratch just for that reason."
Jacque laughed. "You are unapologetically diabolical."
"Hey, I could be a lot worse things."
"Like a mouse hiding from a cat?" Decebel asked.
"Stay the hell out of my conversations you freaking hair ball," Jen growled out loud, not even giving him the luxury of the bond.
Everyone froze as they looked from Decebel to Jen. Jen thought their heads looked like they were at a tennis match.
Decebel was standing next to Vasile and Peri as he stared at Jen. She didn't see any anger in his gaze. In fact, she couldn't read his expression at all, and that just pissed her off more. He didn't get to say aggravating comments in regards to a conversation that he hadn't even been invited into and then stare at her blankly while she tried to keep from throwing her fae blades at him.
"There have been enough fae blades used to mark my skin, female. There's no need for you to add to them," he said in his cool, detached voice.
"Female?" Jen growled as she took a step towards him. "Female!"
A voice that wasn't hers or Decebel’s interrupted the massive ass chewing she was about to give her mate. "Everyone needs to calm down, take a breath, and think before they speak."
Jen's head turned slowly to look at Cypher. She was surprised that he was the one who was attempting to defuse the situation.
"I am calm," said Decebel as he looked at Cypher like he had suddenly sprouted horns.
Cypher met her mate’s eyes and gave a slight nod. "Then maybe you should focus on the thinking before you speak part of my suggestion."
"Burn," Jacque whispered to Jen.
"I'm liking this warlock king more and more," Jen chuckled.
"Jen, I'm speaking to all of you," Cypher scolded her.
Her mouth snapped shut, not because of her own choice. Her eyes shot to Peri, who gave her a shrug. “Damn, meddling fae,” she thought.
Cypher turned away from her and addressed the whole group. "I've been watching everyone since the third coven we took out yesterday. I’ve noticed your behavior changing. At first I didn't understand it. But this time I felt it."
"It's the magic," Alston spoke up.
Cypher nodded.
"What magic?" Costin asked.
"The magic that lived inside the vampires," Cypher answered. "We aren't all called supernatural beings for nothing. We each have magic in us. Vamps, trolls, warlocks, wolves, all of us. When the body that no longer contains that magic dies, some of the magic is released. Though it fades over time, the way we are killing these vampires in groups like this…"
"It's like walking into a sauna of dark vampire mojo," Jen finished for him.
"Exactly," Cypher agreed.
Jen nodded. "Okay then, B, I totally forgive your lapse in judgment because of the dark vampire mojo."
Decebel started to speak but Fane rested a hand on his shoulder. "Just go with it, man."
Jen winked at her mate, who didn't look like he just wanted to go with it.
"So that's number three today
," Jacque said as she took the offered water bottle from her mate. For being such a supernatural group, they sure didn't look too super. The wolves and faes’ clothes were clean, thanks to Peri’s handy dandy fae magic, but not even fae magic could wipe away the emotional filth that seemed to be collecting on them with every encounter.
"I think we can get four more in today," Peri said before taking a swig from her own bottle.
They were standing in a city park in the great city of Atlanta. And with Nissa’s assurance that she was using fae magic to glamour them into not looking like a group of supernatural killing machines, they'd all kicked back on a bench, tree, or the ground to rest.
"Four more?" Sally asked, looking slightly green.
Peri nodded. "One of the cities is in Colorado. So instead of us going there, I'm going to contact Dillon’s" —she glanced at Jacque— "mate, Tanya. Nissa is going to flash to them and lead them in an attack there. Then there is a coven in Missouri."
Jen groaned. "What the hell? I feel like we're chasing hordes of cockroaches all over the freaking nation with no end in sight."
"Alston will go to the Missouri pack," Peri continued, as though Jen hadn't just had a four-year-old moment, “and lead them in an attack on that coven while we are going to continue on to New York City and then to Dallas.”
Jacque leaned back against Fane who was leaning against a tree behind her. “How are we going to take out all of these covens?” she asked Peri and then looked at her father-in-law. “It will take us months to find them all, and they are probably going to start catching on, if they haven’t already. Who’s to say they don’t move or just start multiplying? Wait.” She narrowed her eyes. “How do vamps come into being? Are they born, made, or what?”
Alston was the one who answered her. “Actually vampirism is a disease caused by a virus. The human myth that a vampire must drain a human and then give them their blood in return is merely that—a myth, as are most of their ideas about supernaturals. The vampire does indeed have to bite the victim with an intent to infect them. They then inject the virus into the victim’s bloodstream. But biting to feed on them will not turn a person into a vampire.”
