“Have you encountered her?”
“Her?” Lake swallowed, looking uncomfortable. “Are you talking about Syria?”
“Yes. Since we couldn’t help, but overhear your conversation with the soldier, what really happened to Syria?”
The woman was hiding something and Jonas prayed that she hadn’t done something to Syria. He wouldn’t wish the wrath of Tahlia on the blonde. After Syria had drained Lake as part of her ploy to get closer to Copernicus, the blonde had struggled to adapt to her new life. It was only after he had offered to train her that Lake had begun to show some interest. She was an avid student, who worked hard and was just as hard on herself to succeed. To find her here, the same place as Syria, didn’t take much to connect the dots. Lake was harboring ideas of revenge towards Syria. Or was it Copernicus? Or both of them?
“It’s true what I told them. I left out that during our battle with the creatures, Syria got injured. I gave her some of my blood, but she needed more and didn’t trust herself around the men.”
Jonas turned to the others. “Shall we go find our errant sister? Since you are already here, Lake, we would appreciate your assistance in tracking her down.”
The same hesitancy appeared. He needed to have a talk with the woman, but not now. They needed to find Syria and fast.
“Yes, of course. I know where we’re going.”
They filled the canoes. Jonas and Lake shared one and led the way. When they reached the opposite bank, Jonas frowned. There was definitely an ominous aura about the place. What had Syria gotten herself into this time? Knowing the woman’s acute aversion to Copernicus, it had always been his fear that the only danger in the two of them being thrown together, would come from Syria attempting to kill Copernicus.
“Can you tell me what happened and why Syria is here?”
Lake nodded. “I overheard part of Copernicus’ conversation with the shaman. He’s here to get something to use against Tahlia. In turn, the shaman had asked for Syria as payment.”
Jonas grimaced in distaste. “Let me guess. He sold her out, did he not?”
“That, he did. As well as the soldiers. The villagers are cannibalistic lizard people.”
Lake’s presence here might be shrouded in mystery, but her knowledge and experience with the creatures as well as the village, was invaluable.
“Lead the way.”
XIII
Tahlia was struggling.
She was fighting to keep herself from exploding. Her beast was pacing restlessly and would paw her insides furiously at close intervals, demanding to be let out. She stiffened when a soft hand was placed on the small of her back.
“You need to rest, my love. You haven’t slept much lately.” Jemima look tired herself, but she was holding onto a sleeping Aria with a sense of desperation. Tahlia wanted to brush off Jemima’s concern, but looking in the haunted eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to add to her wife’s anguish. Instead, she nodded and reclined on her seat. A few hours’ sleep might help to settle the beast. She felt Jemima’s hand on her stomach, reveling in the heat. A human Jemima would be quite an adjustment for her after all this time. The hand on her stomach began to rub in soothing circles and it surprised Tahlia to find her beast beginning to settle. Thinking back, Jemima could always relax it with a few placating words and kisses. She opened her eyes, suddenly extremely eager to see her wife’s face. Jemima looked at her, her eyebrow rising questioningly.
She saw the blue eyes widen slightly. Their telepathic channel was still intact.
Their eyes held in a long, searching look and it was only broken when they both felt the soft, hesitant presence of another. Tahlia saw the alarm on Jemima’s face. A telepathic link between couples was private, almost sacred. Tahlia held up her hand and gently lifted the blanket covering Aria. The blue eyes were wide open.
“Hello, there. Are you trying to tell us something, my angel?” Aria gave Tahlia a small smile. “The moment you can talk, be sure that we’ll be listening.” She caught the swinging fist in her hand and kissed it.
Jemima looked at Tahlia. “How do you know it was her?”
“I didn’t. Just a hunch. I’m sure we will find out soon enough.”
“Ok.” She brushed a lock of hair behind Tahlia’s ear. “Now you both have to sleep.” She gently pressed Tahlia back until she was lying flat on her back. Tahlia closed her eyes.
She kept her eyes closed so as not to alert Jemima.
Tahlia felt her beast stir again.
Tahlia inhaled deeply, to suppress her anger. She hadn’t been sure about Lake from the beginning, but Paloma had convinced her that saving the woman or at the least turning her, would assuage some of Syria’s guilt. Now, that same woman was planning on destroying the operation from the inside out.
Tahlia severed the link and reached for Jemima. She laid her hand on the denim-clad thigh and felt a soft hand cover hers. She had so much to fight for. With the greatest happiness came the biggest responsibilities. And she wasn’t planning on shirking her duties.
She would kill anyone who stood in her way, first.
†
The village was quiet. Too quiet. That was incredibly unsettling. They were in the middle of the jungle, but it was as if the village was locked in a soundless bubble. Copernicus raked his hands over his face. What the hell was he thinking? Had he not been so eager, he could’ve negotiated a better deal. Maybe tried to offer Mopi’helma money. He was rich enough, even a billion dollars wouldn’t have made a dent in his fortune. Had he employed the shrewdness he was known for, he wouldn’t have found himself in a dusty hut, cowering in fear. He would most probably be in the same location, but better protected. Syria would be here with him. He shook his head in self-disgust. She was the best bodyguard he had ever had. There might’ve not been love or even respect between them, but she was thorough and reliable.
The drape before the hut was yanked away and Copernicus almost wet himself at the sudden movement. Mopi’helma entered the hut, his face pulled in a tight mask and his eyes glittering with an eerily light. He took a seat on the other side of the fire pit.
“One of my men returned. Your bodyguard and another of her kind have foiled my plans to capture her. The soldiers are also gone. My people will go hungry, while the feast I had promised them had been paraded before their eyes.” His voice climbed a little higher and his words began to slur. Copernicus felt the hair on his nape rise. This was not good. “You have made a liar out of me, senõr. My people will not forgive me easily.”
Copernicus swallowed hard. “I had no control over her. She turned against me.”
“I heard so. My son is injured and one of my men dead. The villagers want revenge.” As he looked on, Copernicus realized that the man’s eyes had changed. The pupils had split. “Or at the very least, a meal.”
“You…you can’t be…Is this a joke?” Copernicus gaped at the man. “You can’t just eat me. Do you have an
y idea of the kind of trouble you would bring to your village? The American government will burn the village to the ground.”
The shaman grinned, his teeth were sharp and pointy. “You might be right. But at least, my people will be fed when the gringos come looking for you.” He stood and Copernicus held out his hand.
“Now, you wait a minute. I can give you money. Lots of it. You can move your whole village somewhere else, if you want.” The blank expression on the shaman’s face didn’t change. “How does a hundred million dollars sound to you? I’m sure you know that that is a lot of money. It…it can buy you anything you want.”
“Humans?”
Copernicus blinked. Was it a good idea to give such freedom to a cannibal and his followers? They could cause real damage were they to relocate to more populated areas. But that was not his problem. His problem was not getting spit roasted and devoured.
“Yes, yes. You can buy many humans with that kind of money.” He wasn’t sure, but was that a look of disdain that came over the shaman’s face. Had he overstepped somehow? He was just saying what the man wanted to hear.
“I’ll think about it and give you an answer in an hour.” He left the hut without a backward glance, his disdain still lingering in the air. Copernicus shuddered as he hid his face behind his hands. What was he doing wrong? He had offered money and it had been well received. Then how come he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just been weighed and found to be lacking greatly. What did an oily-haired barbarian, who lived in a jungle, have that could make him feel this way? He wasn’t a good person and he didn’t care what people thought about him. He, who had lived for centuries. He was immortal and when that mongrel was turning to dust in his grave, he would still be alive.
Unless…
No, he wasn’t going to go there.
No one was going to eat him. Not if he could help it.
†
Syria touched her side and found the wound was healing. Lake’s blood had helped some, but she needed more to speed up the process. She cleared her mind and focused on the hunt. A tapir was crashing through the woods. She moved in the direction, silent as a ghost, until she was a few feet away from it. It was a great specimen, a male. He would make a great meal. Just as she was about to pounce, she became aware that she wasn’t alone. Six lizards came out of the foliage, all charging at once.
†
The silence in the plane was pierced by the simultaneous screams of the babies. Paloma surged into a sitting position, her eyes seeking out her daughter. What she saw made her curse as she reached for Isis. Inger held the baby to her. Isis’ blouse was stained by the sudden appearance of bloody claw marks all over her body. She had to gently wrestle the baby from Inger’s anxious hold. Isis was screeching loudly, her body taut with pain. Paloma opened her vein and dripped a few drops of her blood into the baby’s mouth. Isis immediately stopped crying, her small body still strung tight like a bow. She glanced at Inger and found her staring, transfixed, at her bloodied hands.
“Inger.”
The blonde’s face was pale and her eyes wide in horror. “This…this…” She closed her eyes and immediately tears began to seep from between her eyelashes. “I can’t stand this, Paloma.” She opened her eyes again. They were filled with pain. “She’s so little. Too little for such pain. It needs to stop.” She held up her hands. “This needs to stop.”
Paloma kissed her whimpering daughter’s head tenderly. She met Inger’s gaze over Isis’ head. “And it will. I will make whoever is responsible pay with their blood for hurting our daughter. I promise you.” She stood and held her hand out. “Come. Let me help you clean up.” On their way to the back of the plane they were met with the same agonizing looks from the other couples. Tahlia was pacing in the bedroom, the vertebra in her spine alarmingly well-defined. Paloma let Inger pass her as the distraught woman walked to the bathroom to clean up. She cradled Isis’ head gently as she approached Tahlia. This was not good. With Tahlia in this state, she couldn’t be reasoned with.
“You granddaughter wanted to greet you,” she said softly and Tahlia spun around, her eyes were sunken in her gaunt face and they were glowing an unholy red. They moved from her to the baby in her arms and for a moment, Paloma thought she would turn away. But Tahlia reached out for the baby. No matter in what mood she was, Tahlia adored children. She constantly doted on the babies. The baby didn’t seem to be fazed by the chilling look of the vampire. Instead, she pushed her thumb in her mouth and leaned her small head against Tahlia’s chest, completely at ease in her grandmother’s arms. With great relief, Paloma noticed how Tahlia’s face gradually began to change, until her features were back to normal. With infinite tenderness she cradled Isis to her, a wondrous look on her face.
“I will make this all stop, my love. It will all be right again.” She kissed the blonde fluff on the baby’s head. “When I’m done, the world will be smoldering.” She looked up and opened her other arm for Inger. She cradled both to her chest for a moment, before she pressed a kiss to Inger’s temple. “I want you to do me favor.”
“Anything, Mother.”
“Take care of your mother while I see to business. Things might get worse before they get better. She’ll need you in my absence.”
“I will.”
“Thank you, my darling.” With another kiss, she handed the dozing baby to Inger. “I need to talk to Paloma for a moment.”
Paloma accepted the kiss from her wife, wondering if she would have the same relationship with Isis one day. She would love to have the same love, trust and frankness with her daughter that she had witnessed just now. Isis already showed that she adored and trusted her grandma.
“Any news from the others?”
“I didn’t check again.”
Tahlia closed her eyes. “This is taking an incredible toll on all of us, Paloma.” She turned away and Paloma saw Tahlia’s vertebra began to bulge under her shirt. “I need you close when I find who is responsible for this.”
Paloma knew exactly what Tahlia was asking. She wanted Paloma to help her maintain her control. She was too close to a transformation. No one, except she, Pierre and Jonas had seen Tahlia in full transformation. The wolf was the stealthy, persistent hunter. But Tahlia’s beast had only been released once and it had taken almost a century for the world to recover from the devastation. She had destroyed three cities after its inhabitants both conspired to and attacked a coven of Royal vampire scholars. The group, whose strict doctrines prohibited them from drinking human blood and survived only on animal blood, was brutally slaughtered and their bodies desecrated. Some were very old friends whom they had been recruited with. Tahlia had been unstoppable. When the three of them had stepped in to hold her down, she had shrugged them off effortlessly. A late night and very persuasive visit to the historians of those cities had guaranteed that the historical accounts were narratives motivated by Pierre and herself. Much later, Tahlia had promised them that they would never have to be subjected to her beast again. But she was sure that Pierre and Jonas would understand that seeing your child crying out in pain and bleeding profusely was not something a mother could experience and come out unscathed on the other side. She placed her hand on Tahlia’s shoulder, shocked to find more bones that anything else under her hand. Tahlia’s body was going through the change already.
“I’ll be by your side, my friend,” she said quietly and left the bedroom, making a beeline for Jemima. The blonde looked up, her eyes registering a deep sadness.
“Tahlia needs you right now. I could take Aria for a moment.” She appreciated the that Jemima didn’t ask a lot of questions, she immediately came to her feet and with a kiss to her sleeping baby’s cheek, handed her over to Paloma and briskly walked in the direction of the bedroom to find her wife.
†
Leo cocked her head to the side and held up her hand. Everyone came to an abrupt stop. To their left, they could make out the sounds of a skirmish. The sounds of bodies crashing into the tre
es and bushes, was unmistakable. The vegetation was too dense to see through, so they moved closer, silently. They were a few yards away when the scent of blood hit them.
“That’s the lizard creatures. The shaman must’ve sent out new ones. They aren’t easy to kill.”
Leo didn’t wait around for the others to make up their minds. Something was wrong with her soul mate and the only person who could shed some light on that, was locked in a mortal combat with reptilians. She burst through the greenery and, for a moment, was shocked by the scene before her. Six large lizards were attacking Syria as she valiantly fought them off. She was bleeding profusely, but the vampire stood tall and fearless as she punched and kicked at the creatures. Leo immediately surged into action and threw herself at the closest one. Her sudden appearance surprised the reptile and for a second, it froze. Leo used that single moment to establish the weakness in the lizard’s scaly armor. When it lifted its head to address the new threat, she pushed her claws into its neck. The lizard shuddered and fell flat on its belly. The others had joined them and she noticed with awe as Jonas effortlessly incapacitated one of the beings. He simply brought his hand down hard on the creature’s back, shattering its spine. Then he moved to the head and snapped it back hard. It took incredible power to be able to do that. She saw Pierre use the same tactic and thought it was less messy and quite easy. She went for the next target. Beside her, Lake was engaging another one. She tried the Royals’ technique and found that she was much stronger than she had given herself credit for. The two last lizards realized they were grossly outnumbered and skittered off into the surrounding greenery. As Leo approached an exhausted Syria, she found the other vampire kneeling in the dirt, her body shaking uncontrollably. She knelt next to the woman and cautiously reached out to touch her. She was burning up!
“Lord Bedreynoff. Jonas, I think we might have problem.”
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