“Yes. Also known as the pure one,” said Maximus.
I scratched the back of my head. This didn't make sense. I didn't even know the creator had a child. Hell, I didn't even know if the creator was male or female. Those events were way before my time. The only reason Maximus knew of it was because of his former status in the King’s guard. Maximus was entitled to certain information the rest of the vampire world didn't know.
No matter what the girl is, I knew she was strong, and I was willing to use her until her true death to get my beloved back.
“It doesn't matter. The girl can help us get it all back!” I told my brother with fierce determination.
Maximus just laughed an actual laugh.
“Silly brother. You really think some two-year old female vamp is going to storm the palace and take down the King and his army?!” Maximus asked, still laughing.
My jaw hardened. “Then your dumber now than you were three hundred years ago.”
Marcos shook his head.
Why did I come here? This was a complete waste. Maximus would never agree to help find her anyway. The only reason I asked for my brother’s help was because Maximus was one of best trackers in the vampire world. I thought if I offered him his old life and Cassandra back, he would agree. Guess I was wrong.
“So you came all the way to England to ask me to join your silly plan?” Maximus asked, taunting me.
“No, the girl escaped. I needed a good tracker, but I can see you won't be extending your services.” I said with my voice hard because of the failure of my long trip.
“You would be right, brother. Now, take your pet and get the hell out of my house before I change my mind about killing you.” Maximus commanded with power.
I walked to the destroyed entry of the room but turned before exiting.
“Cassandra is right under your nose. She's in Paris. Beautiful girl, she is.” I added with a smirk.
Maximus’ fangs erupted. “If I ever find out you touched her, I will destroy you.” Maximus stated with absolute conviction.
I thought over the numerous sexual encounters I had with Cassandra since she hyped out and fled from Maximus.
“I would never touch what is yours brother.” I lied easily as I made my way to the main area of the house.
Talon was in the center of a circle, smirking while at least ten guards surrounded him with guns aimed at every inch of his body.
“Still causing trouble I see,” I said in a teasing tone.
“You know me. Can't keep my hands to myself.” Talon responded, slowly exiting the circle to follow me out. Whatever the reason they had Talon at gunpoint, I was sure he deserved it.
On the way out, I spotted the guard I made a certain promise to earlier. Before the man could blink, I used my sharp nails to rip his head off his neck. I tossed the decapitated head to a laughing Talon who punted it across the yard when we exited the house.
Rounds of gunfire went off, but Talon and I fled the property faster than the bullets could be fired. Now, it was time to go home and find out what Seb had been hiding by any means necessary.
***
Seb
I knew Marcos was at his wits end. The last few days, he had guards searching night and day for Ana. I was proud that they kept coming up empty. The problem was now Marcos was getting desperate.
Marcos had left to see his brother.
I had no clue about the dynamics of Marcos' relationship with his brother. Only, that it was strained to say the least which was why I felt in my gut tonight was the night to get Marie out.
I felt Marcos was too edgy and unstable. Marcos had been savagely feeding off of the slaves, even killing two by completing draining them. I wouldn't let that happen to my sister.
Marie entered my room panting. She tossed a duffel bag on my bed.
“Okay, I packed everything you said as fast as I could. Now what?” she said breathlessly.
I opened my own bag and went into my closet. I opened up a hidden side door inside that contained multiple weapons and money. For at least fifteen years, I'd been slowly gathering items bits at a time for this moment.
I started strapping as many knives and guns to my body as I could. Then I turned to Marie and did the same for her. She stood nervously as I put the gun loaded with platinum rounds into her pocket. Marie didn't like guns, but I forced her to learn to shoot when I trained with Ana.
Out of all the guns, only three were loaded with platinum. It was not easy to get away with stealing platinum rounds from vampires because they could die from it.
After they were all set, they stared at each other, just mentally preparing.
“You ready?” I gently asked my brave little sister.
She nodded eagerly and flashed a bright smile at me.
“Yes. Let’s get the hell out of here and find our Ana,” Marie said with a strong voice.
I offered a small smile to the tiny girl, feeling so proud of her. She was right. It was past time to go and find our Ana. I didn't know what I was going to do once I saw her, but I knew an apology was first in order. Then, if she forgave me, I could figure out the rest later. I took Marie's tiny hand in mine and gave it an encouraging squeeze.
“No matter what happens, I’ll always protect you, even if I have to die trying.” I firmly stated to Marie.
Then, I quickly led her out the room and into the too-quiet halls.
Chapter 17
Fact or Fiction
Ana
Ana, you’re not my daughter.
The words just kept repeating in my head over and over again
Ana, you’re not my daughter.
It was like when you scratch a CD and one line kept jumping back, repeating itself.
Repeating itself... Repeating itself....
My mind was spinning out of control. It was as if the ground from underneath my feet had been ripped away.
I was falling.
Words refused to leave my mouth. I had questions for this strange woman that pretended to be my mother, but I couldn't say them. I gazed up Lucy Walker, taking in all her features that didn't resemble mine in any way. It was as if I was looking at her yet seeing right through her.
“Ana?” She whispered in a soft voice. For some reason, that bothered me. This woman lied to me my whole life and she only felt bad now? I jumped up from the bed and peered down at her.
“Tell me everything.” I snapped.
Tears fell from her eyes. I could tell she was genuinely upset. She should be. How could she do this to me? Is this why Kim was able to get away with giving me shit all these years?! That was a question I wasn't ready to hear the answer to.
“Oh, Annie, honey, I'm so sorry, but I love you so much.” Lucy blabbered on, wiping her tears. I hated seeing her this way. However, my still stunned mental state wouldn't allow me to console her.
“I guess I'll start from the beginning. Twenty years ago, before I was married, I worked at a library in a small town named Chance Harbor,” she said, sniffing.
Chance Harbor? That was the place Verna sent me to die. There had to be some connection here.
My mother continued. “One day, an older woman came in, asking to see our archives. She was a fair-skinned woman with white hair. She reminded me of a sweet old grandmother. I didn't think much of it and simply showed her the old records. The woman began asking me for anything related to the earth and moon. Still, I didn't think much of it, and I gave her all the information we had. Every day, for a month, this woman came in, sat in the same seat and read. Then, she stopped coming.”
Her story was pissing me off, mainly because I didn't see how any of it was relevant to me.
“Mo… I mean, Lucy, what's this have to do with me?”
A look of hurt flashed her face when I called her by her name. She failed miserably as she tried to cover it up.
“I'm getting there honey,” she said before taking a deep breath and continuing. “Time passed as always, and I met Frank, got married and pregna
nt with Kim all in the following year. My pregnancy was unbearable. After I had Kim, the doctor said I wouldn't be able to carry another child. Frank was angry. He wanted a son. I was afraid he would leave me if I didn't give him another child. So, I pretended to be pregnant. It was a horrible thing to do, but I was desperate. Losing my husband was too great a fear for me. For months, I padded my stomach and refused to let anyone touch me. Frank was happy. He thought he was getting a son. As time passed, I began to panic. Then, the old woman came in again. She was more frantic this time. She kept talking to herself about “the rising” and the black moon and the infant. The woman flipped through books like mad, trying to find the location of where the baby would “rise”. My desperate state made me latch onto her words. I became overly curious about what she was on about. The look in her eyes was fierce and knowing. Sometimes, she would look at me, and I felt like she knew my whole life story. That night, after closing, I looked up her address and went to her home. I had a hunch, and I wanted to follow it. She lived in the middle of the woods in a small cottage. I watched from behind the trees as she exited the house in a cloak carrying a candle. The woman walked for a few miles. I'd almost given up following her until she ended up in a clearing. There were two others there dressed in the same way with candles. They formed a wide circle and began chanting. I hid behind the shadows of the forest and watched. One by one, they sliced the palm of their hands. The blood hit dry earth and sizzled. I was so puzzled by that. Then suddenly, a strong wind picked up. It blew the candles out and was strong enough to knock me over. I had to hold on to the tree for safety. Out of nowhere, a huge lightning bolt struck the center of the field. After that, everything stilled. Not a bird chirped. Not even a cricket sounded. The black sky was unmoving, and the wind no longer howled. My heart pounded against my chest. A roaring boom sounded all around. The earth jumped and cracked open, and a blinding blue light sprang from the split. The power of it blasted everyone a few feet away. Luckily, I was far enough not to be harmed. When I stood up, everyone was still unconscious. That's when I heard it: the small whimpers of a baby. Slowly, I made my way to the center, following the sounds. And, there, you were; such a tiny thing. You were lying there, making coos and small whimpers. I gazed around at everyone else, not sure what to do, but they were all still knocked out. When I looked down at you, those bright blue eyes stole my next breath. At that moment, I fell in love with the beautiful baby lying on the ground. I took you in my arms and never looked back.”
She ended her story staring at me with hopeful eyes. What did she expect me to say? “Oh, mom, what a great story.”? No way! I threw my hands and a roared dry laugh. I held my head to the ceiling and laughed until it became hysterical.
“You expect me to believe you kidnapped me from some creepy cult that raised me from the earth in a lightning storm?!” I asked incredulously. Was this woman crazy?! She basically said I was a freaking zombie or something. Okay, so I may have been a little judgmental, considering I was a vampire, but geez, that story seemed as far-fetched as they come.
“It's true. I tried to find the woman weeks later, but her home was empty. I checked missing persons for weeks and no one reported a baby missing.” My mother explained as she reached for my hands.
I jerked back, ignoring her tearful gaze.
“How did you pass me off as yours? You went to work pregnant and came home with a baby?” I asked, finding holes in her story
“Your father was out on business for the week and Kim was with my mother. I left town after I took you to figure out a plan. When I came home, people assumed I had complications and didn't want anyone with me during the birth.” Lucy said, watching me closely.
This was so unbelievable! My whole life was a lie. Not that I was buying her story, but I did believe one part: she stole me.
“You selfish woman!” I yelled. “You kidnapped me to cover up your own lies! You continued to lie to everyone! You claim to love me, but for years, you did nothing but stand by while your cheating husband neglected me and your bitch daughter abused me!” I accused, my voice beyond uncontrollable.
The windows in the room began to shake. I knew the storm wasn’t the cause of it. I could feel the power coursing through my body. I fought hard to contain it, but my heightened emotional state was making it difficult.
“I'm sorry, honey. I wanted to defend you, but I just didn't have the courage,” she said as she wiped her tears.
I closed my eyes tightly. I was certain they were glowing.
“Tell me the truth. Where did you really take me from? Was it a hospital or an orphanage?” I questioned, barely keeping the disgust out of my voice.
“I promise I told you the truth…”
“Don't. Just get out,” I said, cutting her off. I just couldn't look at her for another minute.
“I can't change the past, but even if I could, I wouldn't. You were and will always be the light of my life. I love you, Ana, honey.” She stood and moved slowly towards the door.
I wanted to shout. I still loved her too, but the funny thing about anger was it didn't allow you to see reason.
“Wait,” I said as she touched the door handle. “You never said how you knew I was here and recognized me.”
That was the first thing I wanted answered until I became distracted by her announcement of me not being her child. The woman I called mother turned to face me, looking utterly sad. She reached into her purse, pulled out a scrap of folded paper, and handed it to me.
“The old woman that I hadn't seen since the day I found you showed up three days ago and told me I would find you here. In this room. When you walked in, I was stunned by your beauty, but when I saw those blue eyes, I knew, without a doubt, it was you.” Lucy replied with a small smile.
I opened the paper and read the name and address. Ms. Helia was all it said. No surname. I gazed back at my mother, confused.
“Helia said when you were ready to know more, you should find her. I don't know what you've been through the last two years, but you’re always welcome to come home, Ana.” She ended, and her words only brought back my anger
“You’re right. You don't know what I've been through.” I snapped.
Her eyes widened at my harsh tone. Other than that, she didn't comment. She just shook her head and left the room quietly.
The door closing broke my resolve. I lost the control I had been fighting overtime to contain. I screamed. I could feel the burn in my throat from the force of it. Blue Sparks ignited on my skin. I loved the feel of it.
My anger was consuming me.
How could she do that to me? That crazy woman kidnapped me! Not to mention, her story was just preposterous.
A flash back of my life, my pain, and my struggles zipped through my mind. Everything I’d been through, she'd seen but never helped. If she loved me so much, how could she not care?
A surge of energy shot from my core and expanded like large rings. The power I’d accidentally tapped into had my head spinning. The last thing I heard was the shattering of glass.
Then everything went black…
Chapter 18
First Party
After Jace dropped Simon off last night, he hadn't heard from his odd friend. All night, he stayed up thinking. What did that girl say to him? It must have been bad. Simon wouldn't have fainted for any reason. Besides, Simon was perfectly healthy aside from being on the skinny side.
Jace leaned against his locker and checked his phone again. There was still no response from Simon.
“Hey, babe.” He heard directly in front of him. He didn't need to look up to know who the voice belonged to. It was still in his nightmares.
“Go away, Kim,” he said through clenched teeth. He will never forgive himself for being a coward with her.
“Aww, that's no way to talk to a lady.” She purred, stepping closer. He could smell the alcohol on her breath. Damn, first classes haven't even started, yet she was already wasted. Jace shook his head, stepping back from her.
“What do you want?” He asked, slightly annoyed by her presence. He broke up with her the day Ana ran away and had been trying his hardest not to even be in the same room as the bitch that blackmailed him into a relationship all those years ago.
“You going to the party tonight? Maybe we could rekindle our old flame,” Kim said with what she thought was a sexy smile. It only succeeded to turn his stomach.
“I heard you and Bobby have been creating flames of your own.” Jace replied with a smirk.
Kim's demeanor changed. The sexy crap was gone, and the bitch was back. An ugly snarl covered her face.
“How do you know about that?” She whispered, looking around at the passing students. She was most likely looking for her supposed best friend whose boyfriend she was banging.
She was such a whore.
Jace faked-laugh as he began to walk away.
“Everyone knows Kim!” he said as he walked backwards “Soon enough, she'll know too, and you'll look even more pathetic than you do now when you lose your only friend.”
Jace finished, satisfied with the pissed off look on her face. He chuckled to himself as he turned around and entered his first class.
He was a little early, but he was hoping to catch Simon. To his surprise, he wasn't there. Well, Simon was starting bad habits. He skipped class yesterday and was most likely skipping today as well. Oh well, he would just stop by his house after school to see what was up.
Jace plopped down in his seat and casually waited for class to begin. Maybe he would stop by that party later to grab a beer and catch up with his football buddies.
While Jace was staring out the window, he heard footsteps entering the empty room. He slowly turned his head to see which other student decided to be early too. When his eyes landed on the beautiful girl in front, all the air rushed out of his lungs. It was like being punched in the chest… in a good way, if that made any sense, he thought. Her bright blue orbs locked on him, and his world tilted. The sparks between them were so intense it could have ignited a flame. Jace couldn't help but gawk at her perfect figure in casual jeans and a tight tee. Her long dark hair was piled on top with wisps falling around her face. She looked windblown but still the most perfect thing he'd ever seen. He hadn't felt this type of attraction since Ana. Jace tried to shake it off, but his eyes refused to leave her, afraid that if he blinked, she would disappear. He didn’t even realize he already stood and was taking cautious steps towards the stunning girl’s direction. Her eyes widened and then narrowed as if she remembered something. She began to retreat to the door.
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 16