I feel sorry for your friend. Especially because she is a young woman. She is going to have the worst of it, if they decide she is valid.
What did he mean? Why did they treat young women differently, or have another purpose for them?
He stared around the compound again. There were women in here, as well as men. But were there any young women? His heart started racing when he realised that he couldn’t see a single one. Most were older; middle-aged and there were three who were at least sixty. But there were no young women in here.
Why?
The vision of Old Fairley, the man who had been chewed up here and spat out, rose in front of him. The man had been ranting, and it was difficult to remember everything he had claimed. But hadn’t he said something about young women, too? His heart sank as he remembered. He had grown frantic, as soon as he had realised that Keeley was there. He had begged him to take her away.
They like to take young women as well. And you don’t want to know what they do to them…Do you hear me? Get her as far away from here as you can!
Thad’s heart was racing like a freight train now. He had to know. He turned to the man, gripping his arm tighter.
“I have a friend,” he whispered urgently. “A woman. A young woman. She was with me when they took us, but I haven’t seen her since. She’s not in here. Please, if you have any idea of where they have taken her or what they are doing to her, you must tell me.”
The man’s eyes widened. “Oh, no,” he muttered, gazing at Thad with sympathy. “Your poor friend. I have often thought that the young women have it the worst of anyone who is being kept here, and that is saying something.”
“Please,” whispered Thad again. “Tell me.”
The man breathed raggedly. “This will not be easy to hear,” he said slowly. “But your friend has probably been put with the Blessed Mothers.”
“What?” Thad thought he had misheard. “The Blessed Mothers? What are they?”
“They are the mothers of the future rulers,” the man whispered slowly. “They take them and impregnate them. Or the leader impregnates them. Brother Damon, he is called. He keeps the women for that purpose.” His face twisted. “He already has a nursery full of them. The children of his unions. And they are fearful.”
Thad’s head started spinning, and he suddenly like he was going to be sick. Rage tore through him. To think that Keeley was being kept somewhere, for such a foul purpose…he could feel his fists clenching in impotent fury.
He took three deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He needed to know more. If he was going to save her, he must keep it together.
“What happens to the women?” he whispered with difficulty, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “Once they have given birth?”
The man blinked again. “They are put back into the harem, to breed again. But only if they have produced a healthy specimen. If not, they are deemed invalid and put to death.” He paused. “And it happens more than you think. Sometimes, the child can be monstrous. Or more monstrous than they even want. And of course they blame the woman. It couldn’t possibly be any fault of theirs.”
“Why?” His fists clenched tighter. “Why are they doing this?”
The man shrugged. “They aren’t human. I’ve seen their true form.” He shrugged again. “Are they alien? Who knows? But they want to interbreed with humans, that’s for sure. They want to create a new race, but I don’t know why.” He took a long, gulping breath. “One thing’s for certain—these children aren’t fully human. They are a mix of them and of us.”
Thad stared at the sky, trying to contain his rage. What were they doing to her at this moment? Had this leader, Brother Damon, already slated her for entry into his exclusive mother’s club?
He was going to destroy him. He would destroy him for everything he was doing here and intended to do. But most of all, he was going to destroy him for what he was intending to do to Keeley.
His heart ached for her so badly it was almost a physical pain. Was she scared, or in pain? What was that demon doing to her?
***
Brother Damon padded down the hallway towards the Blessed Mothers’ compound. It was unusual for him to go there after hours; if an event was required, the woman was usually sent to his rooms. But he hadn’t been able to stop thinking of the woman who they had found wandering the desert and presented to him like a gift. The most precious gift of all.
She was truly magnificent. A splendid example of their kind. Her beauty was spellbinding. He knew that many of his race weren’t attracted to their women, but he had developed a taste for them. Their soft skin, which bruised like a peach. The strands of their flowing hair. She was a perfect specimen.
His breath quickened in anticipation, thinking of her. She would be his very soon. On the night of the Glorious Happening he would impregnate her, and the child conceived would be special. So special that it would probably be the leader of the world someday.
He breathed deeply. The universe had spoken. The prophecy was being fulfilled. She was the Majesty—the human woman who was destined to bear his children. A perfect mix of demon and human. Their offspring would have higher status than the rest. And the woman would be by his side, ruling along with him, until the children were old enough.
Almost there. He just wanted to gaze on her, without her knowledge. No more. He knew that he couldn’t take her yet, as much as he longed to. Their first union must occur on the night of the Glorious Happening. It was ceremonial, and the child conceived must have the power of that night. If he usurped that, then it would not play out as it must.
He entered the small room silently. There was a peep hole in the wall from which he could view them in the common room. He pressed his eye against it.
He spotted her immediately, from amongst the rest. His human women. They were on the sofas, watching a required presentation on proper techniques during childbirth. She was sitting separately from the others. He could see that she wasn’t watching. Her blue eyes were wandering the room anxiously.
His blood pounded. She was as beautiful as he remembered. Small but perfect; slim, but with an hour glass figure. Ample bosom, small waist, wider hips. What did the humans call it? He smiled. That’s right. Childbearing hips. Absolutely perfect.
Her golden hair hung down her back in shimmering waves, and her skin was as pale as alabaster. He could almost feel it’s softness beneath his touch. Even though the first time they joined must be ceremonial, he wouldn’t be able to hide his ardour.
His hands itched to touch her. Could he circumvent it and tell Sister Katya to send her to his rooms now? They would be displeased, but they would do it. He could invent some excuse as to why he had to take her before the Glorious Happening. He was the leader, after all.
His eyes rested on her, contemplating it. No. He would exercise control. He would have her many times after the ceremony, after all. A whole lifetime to look forward to. The Majesty by his side, in his bed, and when not, bearing his children.
He gazed at her for a moment longer, then turned away decisively. Doctor Helga had told him that she was prime. In perfect health and ready for child bearing. They had given her the injection to make sure that she would ovulate on the night of the ceremony. It was imperative that she conceive during it. The perfect culmination of everything. The Vilgath would have the power at last to take over the world. Their army was ready and waiting. The invalids were being prepared for the sacrifice; the blood that the Glorious Happening demanded.
He took a deep breath and turned away. He would gaze on her no longer; the mere sight of her was arousing him beyond what he was used to controlling. Besides, he had other things to do. Things to prepare. Everything must be perfect.
He frowned, thinking of the invalids. The shapeshifter was among them. He had been found with the Majesty in the desert. Then the frown slowly turned into a smile. This was perfect, too. The Vilgath’s mortal enemy would play a starring role in the ceremony just as much as hi
s female companion would.
He had waited a long, long time for this. An eternity. As had his race. The sacred text told them that their wait was almost over. He could almost taste it.
The stage was set. Now all that was needed was for the stars to slot perfectly into place.
***
At last. It was over. Keeley stood up impatiently. She didn’t know if she could last another five minutes of that awful presentation. Even though she had consciously tried not to look at the screen, she still knew more about what positions to use during childbirth than she had ever wanted to know.
They were retiring. The women drifted away to their rooms. Sister Valeria and Sister Katya were packing up. They looked tired as well.
She glanced at Abbey. The red-haired woman rubbed the small of her back ruefully. For the first time, Keeley was aware of how straining it must be to be carrying something that heavy inside. A whole other creature.
Her blood ran cold. There was no way that was going to happen to her. She would kill Brother Damon before he laid a hand on her. Or she would kill herself.
She knew that the door to her room would be locked, as usual. But she had managed to swipe one of Sister Valeria’s hairpins that had somehow worked itself loose from her fierce bun and fallen to the floor. A fortuitous find. Hopefully it would do its job and pick the lock. She had done it once before with her mother’s jewellery box and it had worked a charm.
She took a deep breath. She was going to pick that lock, then find Abbey. And she was going to get some answers as to what exactly was going on here. She knew enough already, but she had a sinking suspicion it was probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Chapter Eighteen
Covenester
Evan walked slowly down the street, appalled at what was in front of him. He could barely see through the smoke of the tear gas as the police tried in vain to restrain the unruly gang rioting around him. He quickly ducked down an alleyway and ran through it, his heart pounding.
It was absurd. It had to stop. Why on earth couldn’t Thad see that he was needed here, and that the Wild Keepers must be reformed? It wasn’t safe to walk on the streets at all anymore. Maya wanted them to leave immediately, and he hardly blamed her. His other former Wild Keeper brothers were making moves to pack up their wives and girlfriends and leave the city, too. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to. He had protected these streets once, and a part of his heart would always belong to them. How could he desert it in its time of need, even though he couldn’t do anything?
And that was when he saw the graffiti, tagged on the alley wall.
A stencil of a wolf in black spray paint. And scrawled underneath it a desperate call.
Where are the wolves?
Tears sprang into his eyes as he gazed at it. The people knew. They knew that the wolves were gone, and that they had controlled the city somehow. They were screaming out for protection, but their cries were not being heard.
He took a deep breath. Enough was enough. He whipped out his cell phone and called Thad’s number, his frustration almost bubbling over.
It rang out. He tried again. Still, nothing. He was so angry he wanted to throw the phone against the wall. Why wasn’t he answering? That excuse about there being patchy reception in the mountains was wearing a bit thin. While Thad brooded and sulked, the city was burning. He had to understand that there was a bigger picture here, and that he was a part of it.
Suddenly, a text message appeared. Relieved, he pressed on it. Thad mightn’t want to talk to him, but at least he was willing to communicate.
Except it wasn’t from Thad. He frowned. It was his mother, telling him that Mrs. Walters in Coyote River was worried about her daughter, Keeley. His mom had met the Walters years ago when they had stayed at the cabin once or twice when he had been young, and they had obviously kept in contact. His mother left the Walters landline number, asking him to call the woman.
Evan took a deep breath. Why his mother thought that he would still play private detective was beyond him, but he guessed that he should be polite and see what was happening. They were friends of his mom, after all.
Mrs. Walters picked up after two rings. Her voice sounded breathless.
“Mrs. Walters?” Evan put a hand to his other ear to block out the noise of the riot. “It’s Evan Watts. My mom asked me to call you about Keeley.”
“Oh, yes.” She sounded relieved. “Evan, your mom told me you might be able to help! Keeley left a few days ago, abruptly, and I haven’t been able to contact her. She isn’t answering her phone.”
Evan frowned. “Do you know where she was going?”
He could hear the swift intake of breath on the line. “Farrow Valley, of all places,” she said breathlessly. “It’s in the desert, over two hundred miles from here. She left suddenly saying she needed a break, but it’s unlike her, and now that she isn’t answering…”
“Take a deep breath, Mrs. Walters,” said Evan, his frown deepening. “Did she travel alone?”
“Yes.” He heard a suppressed sob. “She’d been trying to get that friend of yours in the cabin to translate her father’s book. He came over on the Saturday before she left, and she was happy…then it all changed. She seemed disturbed.”
“Thad?” Evan’s eyes widened. “She knows Thad?”
“Yes.” It was a whisper. “And it is the strangest thing. Old Robbie Calhoun dropped by the cabin yesterday to see if he could fish on that section of the lake and said that he’s gone as well. The cabin is packed up. Looks like he’s been gone for days.”
Evan’s heart dropped. Thad was gone from the cabin? Did it have some connection with Keeley’s sudden trip to the desert?
And that was when he turned to the other side of the alley and saw it. Another piece of graffiti. But where the stencil and the message about the wolves had brought tears to his eyes, this made his blood run cold.
It was a mural of a building. An oval building shimmering like glass. It sat on red and golden sand. And underneath was a cryptic message, scrawled in black paint.
They are coming.
He approached the mural slowly, holding his breath. There was another message painted underneath, in tiny script. He squinted, trying to make it out.
The Glory. It cometh when the stars align.
His head started pounding slightly. Where had he heard that expression before? It nagged at him like a toothache for a moment, but he couldn’t place it.
“Mrs. Walters,” he said, clutching the phone. “Don’t go anywhere. I’m on my way.”
Heart pounding, he raced back to his car. He wouldn’t have time to go home and tell Maya. He had to get to Coyote River and find out what the hell was going on.
Thad was in danger. He knew it in his bones. And it had something to do with the desert, and a place called the Glory.
***
Keeley sighed, trying to dampen down her impatience. Picking locks wasn’t an exact science; it was trial and error. She needed to stop trying to force it.
At last. There was a soft click, and the handle yielded in her hand. She was free, at least for the moment.
She padded down the darkened hallway, stopping at the room that she had seen the head Sisters go into. There wasn’t a sound. Valeria and Katya were asleep.
She kept creeping down the corridor, until she was outside the room that she had seen Abbey go into. She knocked softly, praying that it hadn’t been locked like hers was. She held her breath. If Abbey refused to let her in, what would she do?
But then she heard soft footsteps approaching, and the door opened a crack. Abbey stared at her as if she was seeing a ghost.
“What are you doing?” she whispered fiercely. “They will punish you if they know that you are wandering at night.”
Keeley took a deep breath. “Abbey, I have to talk to you.” She paused. “Please.”
Abbey looked frightened but opened the door wider, pulling her inside. Then she shut it firmly and turned to her. “What do you
want?”
Keeley stared at the woman. She was dressed in the requisite white shift nightgown that she was also wearing. Her tiny bump protruded in front of her. It was in contrast to her painfully thin arms and legs; almost like something stuck on her haphazardly.
Keeley averted her eyes from it. There was something so sad about it. Abbey didn’t look like a glowing expectant mother. She looked like whatever was inside her was draining the lifeforce from her, almost as if she were a husk.
“I want to know everything,” she said fiercely. “What is going on here, and how we can escape.”
Abbey sighed. “Sit down. I’ll try to explain it to you quickly, then you have to go.” Her eyes drifted down to her belly. “They’ll punish me as well if they find you here, and I can’t let that happen now.”
They both sat on the rumpled bed. Keeley felt a stab of guilt. Had she woken Abbey up? But the other woman looked calm now, at least.
“You have been chosen,” she said quickly, as if by rote, staring at Keeley. “You are part of the Blessed Mothers now. We are all expected to bear children to Brother Damon. That is why he keeps us here and why we aren’t put with all the others.”
Keeley took a deep breath. “It is just Brother Damon who does this to the women? No other men?”
Abbey shook her head. “Just him. He is the revered leader, so they think it right that he is the father of the new generation.” She took a deep breath. “The new order.”
Keeley frowned. “Why are these children the new order?”
Abbey sighed. “It is difficult to explain, and I don’t know everything about what they are.” She took a deep breath. “They are different than us, Keeley. They aren’t…human.”
“What?” Keeley’s eyes widened in alarm.
“I know.” The woman laid a hand on her arm. “It was difficult for me to understand at first, too. I refused to believe it…until I saw it with my own eyes. They aren’t human, but I don’t know what they are.” She took another deep breath. “That is why our children are special. They are a mix of whatever they are and us. A new race. A new order.”
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