“I want to come with you.” Cassandra hugged her caregiver. “There’s nothing here for me. Since my mother died before I could know her and father left me here, I have nothing. I have no one.”
“You have me.” Elissa hesitated before continuing. “For as long as you want me.” The immortal received a pleasant kiss upon her cheek. “For now, I have to seek shelter. Daylight is not so forgiving to my kind.”
Without another word, Elissa made her way to the open window. With the grace of a panther, she leapt with her charge in her arms. The flip in midair was a bit of showing off. The way Cassandra delighted in the movement caused Elissa to take note of it and to do it more in the future.
Cassandra could swear she only blinked three or four times when she found herself in an old woodshed. She was placed gently on her feet.
“I don’t have anything for you to eat.” Elissa could tell Cassandra was off balance. It had to be because of the speed with which the immortal had moved. “I will gather something as soon as the sun has set. I’m sorry. And I’m sorry if I upset you by moving too fast.”
A shake of a blonde head managed to clear it. Cassandra began grinning. “It was fun!” She couldn’t help giggling. It was ended at the thought of no food for nearly twelve hours. “I’ve gone days without eating. I can wait a few hours.”
Anger flowed through Elissa. She knew times were hard. She’d lived through worse as a mortal. She had watched as mortals over the last century had taken out the hard times on their offspring. People who could not tend their children should not have any.
The anger faded when Elissa remembered the giggling her charge had emitted at how fast they had been moving. “Thank you. And I promise when we travel at night, we will move with the same amount of speed.”
“I can’t wait.” Cassandra didn’t wait. She made her way to a corner where an old burlap feed sack was strewn. She covered herself and settled in for the day.
Elissa watched as her charge drifted off to sleep. She looked so innocent. Yet, there was also this worldly air about her. It was something Andrea had possessed as well.
Not truly needing sleep, Elissa settled herself near Cassandra. If she could give the child warmth, she would take her in her lap. But she was cold to the touch. At least that was what Andrea had said about her.
As if seeking her out, Cassandra was suddenly in Elissa’s lap. The blonde head rested against a broad shoulder. For the first time since she had become immortal, Elissa felt a sort of peace wash over her.
The immortal leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Contentment was not something she was accustomed to. In fact, it could be downright dangerous.
Her mind raced with where to take her charge. There was talk of a war between The States. It would be fought here along the coast and perhaps further south. Up north or out west were two options. Returning to the old country was another.
No. Elissa didn’t want to look back. She wanted to look forward. Before she took Cassandra on the perilous journey, she would have to take care of Devlyn. At the very least, she needed to cripple the clan so they could do little harm. That could wait until night was to fall. Just like feeding the slumbering bundle she held tightly to her chest.
Chapter 5
Elissa could hear the footsteps. They were nearly a quarter of a mile away. They didn’t belong to any of her kind. Even the youngest of immortals could mask their footfalls until they were two thousand feet away. Either way, enough time for Elissa to make plans.
To Elissa’s surprise, her young charge remained asleep. It had been nearly eight hours since Cassandra had curled up in her lap and fallen asleep. That wasn’t exactly true. Elissa had made certain her charge was snuggled in her arms.
Moving with caution, Elissa gently placed Cassandra on the floor. She tucked the burlap sack around the young girl. How she wished it was a blanket. That, and many things, would be rectified.
For now, Elissa had to see who was hunting in the forest. Luckily, she was able to be in the daylight. Just not for extended periods of time. Plus, her speed was nearly faster than that of the sun’s rays when she chose to be.
A murmur caught Elissa’s attention. A small hand was rubbing against an emerald eye. “Where are you going?” The most adorable yawn the vampire had witnessed accompanied the question.
Elissa was instantly kneeling before her charge. “I heard footsteps. They are quite a distance but I have to check on them. It might be your kind searching for you. It might be your kind hunting my kind. I won’t know until I find them and deal with them. You need to remain hidden here. I’ll bring supplies back. If you are good, I might even bring a treat back.”
It was a lot of words for the young, sleepy mind to take in. Cassandra yawned. Her stomach rumbled. It wasn’t unusual. The other children often teased her. Even having three meals a day her stomach would often become distracting with its noise.
“I promise to be good.” Cassandra glanced around the woodshed. She pointed to a corner. There was a pile of wood she could hide behind. “I’ll hide behind there. I think I’ll try to sleep some more. I’m tired.”
Before Elissa could respond, Cassandra was hugging her. Whole. Once again the overwhelming sensation hit the vampire in her soul. If she had one that was.
“You sleep. In a few hours, we’ll begin our journey.” Elissa did something she never thought she would ever do to a child. She kissed the top of Cassandra’s head.
A beaming smile was Elissa’s reward. No more words were shared as the vampire watched Cassandra settle in the corner. She was well hidden. It comforted the immortal.
Elissa made her way to the door. She would have to use her speed and any kind of cover she could find along the way. Perhaps taking to the treetops would be for the best.
Leaping from branch to branch took longer, but the shade kept Elissa hidden from the damning rays of the sun. It was only ten minutes until she discovered the hunting party.
The vampire had been right. This was a hunting party. In the lead was the master of the orphanage. A man who Elissa had hated the moment she had laid eyes upon him. They were after her charge. If they found Cassandra, they would severely punish her. That would not happen as long as Elissa existed.
Elissa wondered how they had come as close as they were. She had left no trail a mortal could follow. Most young immortals couldn’t discover her trail.
“The damn girl has to be around here somewhere.” The treacherous man from the orphanage was in charge of the small group of four men. “If we don’t find her, the money will stop coming. We won’t be able to help The South when finally we have someone in charge that will fight for our rights.”
Money? Elissa was now more intrigued than ever. According to Cassandra, her mother was dead and her father had left her. To her knowledge, there were no other relatives. If the orphanage, or more specifically the man in charge, was receiving money it would prove there was someone out there connected to her young charge.
“I’m telling you. There used to be an old cabin. It was barely large enough for one person.” The next male voice sounded frustrated. They must have been searching since sun up.
Cabin? Elissa had always thought the building was a woodshed. No matter. What did was someone in the group knew where she had left Cassandra unattended. She had to take care of these four. And she had to provide food and warmth for her charge.
Without waiting for more information, Elissa dropped from the tree. The gunshot didn’t startle her. The fact it nearly grazed her right shoulder did. Normally she reacted before a weapon was fired. Cassandra must be distracting her. This wasn’t a good thing.
Not giving them another chance at firing at her, Elissa moved in the blink of the eye. She squeezed upon their necks until all four of them were unconscious. They would wake up with one Tartarus of a headache, but they would wake up.
The sun’s rays were no longer an issue. Elissa took the time to search each man. The leather bag at the leader’s feet felt
like discovering a pot of gold. There were blankets, food, water and money. Not that the vampire had need of money. But still, it would be a nest egg for Cassandra.
The only thing missing was clothes that would fit young Cassandra. They could swing by the orphanage before making their way into the unknown world.
Being in the unknown world was exciting Elissa. She hadn’t felt this kind of excitement since Devlyn had chosen to uproot the clan to The New World.
Using her natural speed, Elissa was halfway to what turned out to be a small cabin. A scent in the air caused the vampire to stop in her tracks. It was one she loathed.
Instead of lackeys, Devlyn herself stood in her path. She was flanked on either side by four vampires. Nine on one. Those odds didn’t phase Elissa in the least.
“What do you think you are doing?” Devlyn stood with her arms across her chest. “You have left the clan. You prevented my orders for torching the orphanage to the ground. Now, you are helping a young mortal.”
“Do you have a point?” Elissa saw how twitchy the two closest to Devlyn were. She realized why. The one on her right was Devlyn’s favorite female playmate. The one Elissa had scarred. The other was Devlyn’s favorite male playmate.
“You either return to the clan or I end you now.” Devlyn felt the ranks close in on Elissa. She held up her hands. They waited for her command.
That was Devlyn’s mistake. Elissa reacted without thought. The leather bag was left where she had been standing while a dagger was produced from her back. It had been tucked into the waist of her leather trousers.
Before any of the vampires, including Devlyn, could react, Elissa had taken the dagger and cut a gash five inches deep in all but the head of the clan.
The vampires would heal. It would take months and a lot of blood, but they would survive. And have scars to remind them of the power and speed Elissa had been gifted with.
Devlyn hadn’t gone unscathed. She was sporting cuts to each of her cheeks. An unbelieving hand went to her right cheek. The blood upon it caused her to growl. “You’ve signed your death warrant. Not that you hadn’t already.”
Elissa laughed. It was partly animalistic. She stared into the eyes of her sire. “I haven’t signed anything. You are lucky I didn’t execute you and your underlings. I’ll say this once again. Stay away from the orphanage. Stay away from the village. And don’t follow me. I’m no longer part of the clan.”
Brown eyes bore into azure eyes. “You are more powerful than me, at least when it comes to speed and strength. But you are not more powerful than me in the clan. I will send word. You and the girl will forever be hunted. Unless you come with me now.”
A few dangerous steps were taken toward Devlyn. Elissa smirked at the good sense her sire had in maintaining the distance by matching her steps in reverse. “Be careful. There’s an old saying. It goes back to the old country. Be careful of hunting the hunter. An animal who feels threatened will strike back. With deadly force.”
Devlyn swallowed hard. It was becoming clear that she wasn’t even on Elissa’s level when it came to intelligence. Without a word, she disappeared in a blur of dust and leaves.
Elissa didn’t remain. She retrieved the leather bag and was off in her own blur. When she arrived at the cabin, it seemed all quiet. Until she could hear the faint soft cries.
Cautiously, Elissa opened the door. There was no sign of Cassandra, at least out in the open. Her scent assaulted the vampire immediately. “Cassandra?”
It took a moment for Cassandra to rise from her hiding place. She angrily wiped her eyes. She had thought Elissa wasn’t returning. To her, it had seemed like hours since her friend had left.
“What’s the matter?” Elissa closed the distance between them. She placed the leather bag on the floor. Without waiting for an answer, she scooped up her young charge.
“I…” Cassandra felt silly. “I thought you weren’t coming back.” She had become so upset she hiccupped a few times before regaining control of her breathing once again.
Elissa could have been angry with Cassandra for not believing her. But with Cassandra’s early experiences in life, she understood on some level her fears.
“I know you haven’t had many to count on in your young life, but you have me now.” Keeping a firm grip on Cassandra, Elissa leaned down. She searched in the leather bag. She discovered the canteen. Before handing it to her young charge, she smelled it. Water.
“Take a few sips. I know you’ve not had water for several hours. Slow is best.” Elissa held Cassandra in her left arm. She didn’t want to let the girl go.
Finally, Cassandra seemed relaxed in her arms. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I know you said it was ok, but I am sorry. I’m just afraid they will find me before we are able to leave.”
“They nearly did.” Cassandra stiffened in Elissa’s grasp. “I took care of the humans. They will have a headache when they awaken. Sadly, there are eight less vampires to search for us. At least for a few months. I left them to exist as well.”
Why it had been so important to allow them to live was beyond Elissa. At one time, anything or anyone that was in her way would no longer exist. But since being touched by Cassandra, she would no longer kill unless it was absolutely necessary.
Reluctantly, Elissa placed Cassandra on the floor. She felt a longing at the loss of contact. She rummaged in the bag once again. There was only dried meat and bread but it would do. “You eat your fill and we’ll be on our way. We have to stop at the orphanage for some clothes for you.”
When Cassandra stiffened, Elissa hastily continued. “I will enter the building alone. You will hide in the barn. Then we’ll be off.”
It didn’t take long for a smiling Cassandra to consume the small offering she had. She was still hungry but wouldn’t complain. She knew Elissa would take care of her.
Just like before, it was dizzying being held in Elissa’s arms. It wasn’t merely the speed in which her friend moved. It was the contact. The emotional connection she now had with the vampire was intoxicating.
When they arrived at the orphanage, Elissa’s growl could not be contained. The building was inflamed. The only consolation she had was the fact it appeared the children had escaped as they were running into the orchard.
Elissa glanced down at her charge who held her hand. “We have to put off our travels for a day. I need to teach someone a lesson. And I need to provide more for you. I’m sorry we’re not leaving now.”
At the screams of her fellow orphans, Cassandra didn’t care. She was safer than any of them ever would be as long as she was with Elissa. “Take me with you.”
Chapter 6
Azure eyes closed. Elissa had wanted to gather clothing and possibly food from the orphanage before she took Cassandra with her. She had wanted to leave her in the loft of the barn. Now, she had little choice.
Elissa’s mind raced with where she could hide Cassandra until she was able to return. It was in the opposite direction, but the stables in the village was a perfect place to stash the young mortal. It wouldn’t help with food and clothing, but it would keep her safe.
“I can’t take you with me while I do what I must.” Elissa knelt before her charge. She knew Cassandra was terrified. It wasn’t the fire that was blazing not far from where they stood. It was being left behind.
Cassandra felt all of ten-years-old at the moment. Normally, she felt like she was an adult trapped in a child’s body. But real terror at being left behind, especially since men had come looking for her, was causing tears to form in the corners of her eyes.
“I’m taking you to the village. The loft in the stables will keep you warm tonight. We’ll worry about food and clothing once I return.” Elissa saw the tears slowly trickling down slightly flushed cheeks.
Without thought, Elissa gently wiped them away with her thumb. Being tender and caring was not a part of the vampire. At least not since Andrea was taken from her.
The tears still flowed. “I promise I’ll return. I wo
n’t be harmed. You can count on me.” Elissa leaned down and kissed Cassandra on the forehead.
Cassandra took a deep breath. No one had shown her even this simple kind of affection. She stared into azure eyes. Elissa was telling the truth. “I believe you.”
Elissa relaxed, at least when it came with dealing with Cassandra. Her body and emotions would remain rigid until she had dealt with Devlyn. Would she leave her sire alive this time?
“Come here.” Elissa once again held her young charge tightly to her chest as she used her natural speed to bring them the short distance to the stables.
The village stables weren’t much larger than the barn beside the orphanage, but it was cleaner and better maintained. With one flip in the air, Elissa had them in the loft.
It was nearly prefect. There was a horse blanket draped over one of the bales of hay. “Remain here. I promise I won’t be gone all night. Be safe.”
Cassandra reached for Elissa’s hand. She gave it a firm squeeze before retrieving the horse blanket. Once again, she hid herself well in the corner behind the bales of hay.
Elissa watched her charge for a moment. What she had to do was dangerous. But with wanting, no needing, to be there for Cassandra, she would survive. She would be there for the young girl as long as she could be.
With a wave of her hand, Elissa dropped from the loft to the floor. The dirt and hay barely even moved. Taking a breath, she used her speed and knowledge of the area to find the fastest route to the clan.
The guards had been quadrupled. Elissa couldn’t help chuckling. They were all the ones she hadn’t trained. It meant they were more likely to be loyal to Devlyn, but they were no match for the elder.
The dagger was in her hand. Did Elissa kill? Or did she maim like she did those eight who had accompanied Devlyn. She took a moment to decide.
In some ways, these guards were innocents. It wasn’t their fault they had been taught by Devlyn. It wasn’t their fault an elder was chosen, not by ability, but because they had managed to survive the longest.
Bonded Souls Page 3