The Beast Within

by S. C. Stephens

  Olivia left the room and I started to follow her. Before I completely left, I turned and asked the room, “Where’s Halina?”

  Ben raised his eyebrows. I typically didn’t ask where my family members were. I usually didn’t need to. But I was still cut off from her, and I wanted to know if she was here or still where I’d last felt her—up north. Alanna smiled and pointed at the ground. “She came back right before dawn.”

  I nodded. Good. I didn’t want to waste any time getting her back with us before we returned to Hunter. And I was sure she wanted to know where he was. And if he was safe. I know I did.

  I GREW ANTSY waiting for the sun to set. It felt like it took a thousand years. I’d already asked Dad numerous times if we could leave before sunset. He’d repeatedly told me no, that we would wait for Halina to be able to go with us. I hated the idea of just what could happen during the time it took us to get down there. The thought of Hunter being attacked while he was alone gave me nightmarish daydreams that left me shaking.

  Restless, I discreetly slipped away from Olivia and headed downstairs to wait for Halina to wake up. She was awake when I ran into her, though. She was awake, and she was very, very angry.

  I was in the lowest level of the underground rooms. Not only was this entire floor soundproof from the rooms above it, but each bedroom was soundproof as well. I was heading to Halina’s bedroom, when I saw Starla and Jacen hanging around Gabriel’s lab with their heads down. I was a little surprised they were still here. I also wasn’t sure why they looked so glum. Especially Starla, who was never down about anything.

  “Hey,” I said, getting their attention. “Have you guys seen my grandma?”

  Starla looked up. She had bags under her eyes, but she brightened when she noticed me. “Nika!” Stepping forward, she tossed her arms around me. The familiar smell of perfume, gum, and hairspray assaulted me as I hugged her back. “I’m so glad you’re okay. We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Pulling back, I noticed how weary and disheveled she seemed; it was shocking, to say the least. “I haven’t slept in…ages, it seems like.”

  After her, I hugged Jacen. He was more reserved, but equally affectionate. “We’re glad you’re safe, Nika. Has your brother returned as well?”

  I nodded. “He’s upstairs, resting. He was shot.” Saying it out loud was strange to me, and I couldn’t keep the scowl from my face. We’d been shot at way too much recently.

  Starla and Jacen exchanged startled glances. Then Starla bit her lip and asked in a surprisingly timid voice, “And Hunter? Is he…with you?”

  Shaking my head, I swallowed the lump in my throat. “No, he…we were attacked by a group of hunters. I’m not sure he made it out.” My hollow voice resonated through the hallway.

  Starla’s eyes widened and filled with tears. Turning, she clutched Jacen’s hands. “Jace…if Hunter…”

  Her throat closed, and Jacen pulled her close. “It will be fine, darling. No matter what, it will be fine.”

  He rubbed her back while a shiver went down my spine. “What’s going on?”

  Jacen looked to the closed door on his left. “Your grandmother is in there with Gabriel. She’s…unhappy with his part in what happened to Hunter.”

  My eyes widened, and I moved toward the door. Jacen reached out for my arm. “I wouldn’t go in there.”

  I pulled away. “I have to tell her what I know.”

  Jacen sighed, then nodded. Rewrapping his arm around Starla, he gave me a sad smile. “Make sure to duck.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant, or why he and Starla were so upset, until I opened the door. The sound of shrieking immediately met my ear, followed by the sound of glass breaking. The smell of chemicals, acids, sulfur, and blood stung my nose. The tiled floor was littered with debris, shelves were overturned, the refrigerator was on its side. It looked like a hurricane had swept through the space. A hurricane named Halina.

  Throwing a beaker full of something blue against the wall, my grandmother yelled, “How dare you! How dare you, Gabriel! You had no right to break the bond! None!”

  Gabriel’s face was dark as he looked around his destroyed workspace. “I did not force it upon him. He asked. I gave. Do not blame me that he wanted freedom.”

  Bright red tears streamed down Halina’s face as she chucked a garbage can against the wall, just over Gabriel’s shoulder. He didn’t even flinch. “You didn’t have to give it to him! You should have told him no! You should have told me that he’d asked!”

  Gabriel cocked his head. “I don’t discuss all of my experiments with you.”

  Halina grabbed a beaker full of a yellow liquid and tossed it at his feet. “He was not an experiment! He was my child!”

  Gabriel took a small step backward when the liquid around his shoes started smoking. “He was a bonded child to you, Halina. Nothing more. But in case you haven’t noticed, your actual, blood child has returned.” He indicated where I was quietly standing behind her.

  Halina raised her chin, but didn’t look at me yet. “And what do you know about bonded children, since you’ve never created one? It felt as real to me as blood, Gabriel. And you took it away from me.” Before Gabriel could respond, Halina turned my way. Her momentary grief lessened when she finally noticed me. “Nika, thank God you’re all right.”

  Her cold arms swept around me, and I closed my eyes, blocking out the physical damage of her anguish. Pulling back, she cupped my cheeks; I shuddered under the chill. “Are you okay? Is your brother okay? Is…Hunter?” Her voice cracked on Hunter’s name. Gabriel sighed, but she ignored it.

  I nodded as I removed her fingers from my face. “I’m fine. Julian was hurt, but he’s okay now.” Alanna had numbed him earlier when she’d fixed his leg, so luckily, I hadn’t felt him being worked on. He was achy now, but feeling fine. “And Hunter…”

  Halina’s eyes bored into mine as she waited for my answer. I could feel the fragile hold she had on her control as she tightly gripped my fingers. “He’s safe,” I told her.

  Her relief was instant. A trace amount of guilt washed through me, but she was so distressed, I needed to ease her into the facts or she might snap. When she sagged against me, I flicked a glance at Gabriel. Brief guilt crossed his face, too, but he steadfastly held my gaze.

  When it seemed like Halina wouldn’t explode from any sort of bad news, I filled her in on Hunter’s true condition. “We went to Arizona to find Hunter’s father. A group of hunters found us. Julian and I got out with Arianna, but Hunter couldn’t leave the house because of the sun. The hunters burned the house to the ground, but we believe Hunter was able to dig into the dirt floor to protect himself.”

  She stood up straighter with every word I told her. When I finished, her jaw went slack. “My God…” she muttered. Her gaze snapped to Gabriel’s. “He was almost burned alive.”

  Gabriel pressed his lips together but remained silent. Halina started looking around the room. “We need to go get him. We need to make sure he’s safe.”

  I bobbed my head in agreement. “I know. As soon as the sun sets, we’ll go to him.”

  Halina met my eyes, frowning. “No, you and your brother should stay here. Those hunters could still be hanging around.”

  That was a fear of mine, too. One of many. Giving her my most stubborn expression, I replied, “I’m the only one who knows where he’s buried.”

  Halina sighed, then finally shrugged. “All right.” She looked around the room, impatience on her face. “That damn sun is not moving fast enough.” She twisted back to Gabriel. “This is all your fault.”

  Gabriel sighed as Halina tore into him again. Feeling very uncomfortable witnessing their mammoth fight, I slipped out the door to wait in the hallway with Starla and Jacen. Jacen gave me a small smile. “I warned you,” he whispered.

  Starla sniffled and hugged him tight. “She’s going to make him leave, isn’t she?”

  She looked over at me. I had no answer for her, and shrugged. “She’s pretty u
pset.”

  Starla nodded, burying her head in Jacen’s chest. “I never really felt close to anyone in the L.A. nest…I’m going to miss it here.” Reaching out, she touched my arm. “I might not show it often, but you and Julian are like the children I never had.” She frowned, her lips forming a perfect pout. “Or wanted.”

  Tears stung my eyes at the thought of Gabriel, Starla, and Jacen leaving. They’d been fixtures in my life since birth. They were odd, eccentric, aloof at times, but they were family. Starla had taught me how to put on makeup. Jacen had taught me to always be cautious of my surroundings, and never sit with my back to the door. Gabriel had given my family so many incredible gifts, and he’d always had a soft spot for Julian and me. I think we reminded him of his own children, scattered throughout the world.

  Not able to offer any wise words of encouragement, I simply gave her a hug. More emotional than I’d ever seen her, she eagerly accepted it. The sadness radiating from her only made me even more nervous. It filled my soul with trepidation.

  When that damn sun finally touched the horizon, Halina emerged from Gabriel’s ruined laboratory. She tossed a fierce glance at Starla and Jacen—Gabriel’s nestmates—then stormed past them on her way to the exit.

  I let out a tense breath and followed. When we reached the living room, my mother and father were waiting with Ben, Tracey, Imogen, Alanna, and Grandpa Jack; Tracey looked really nervous as she sat on the couch beside Ben. Her knee bobbed up and down so fast, it was almost vampiric. Imogen looked ready for travel, wearing jeans instead of her signature long skirt. Dad had filled her in once she’d woken up, and she’d immediately decided that she was coming with us. Upstairs, I could hear Olivia giggling and Julian sighing. Grandma Linda and Arianna were with them. Everything was set, except the sun.

  The last rays of sunshine streamed through the windows as we stepped into the middle of the room, but my grandmother was untouched by their harshness. She scowled at the sun, like it was purposely keeping her from Hunter. Gabriel stepped through the secret doorway leading downstairs after us. Halina pointed at him without even looking. “Do not be foolish enough to think that I am going to allow you to come with us.”

  “I can help,” was his calm response.

  Halina’s emotion sizzled as she snapped her head to glare at him. “Help? You have done quite enough.” She switched her finger from him to the backyard awash in golden rays. “You can ‘help’ by gathering your things and being gone by the time I return.”

  Gabriel stepped forward, arms outstretched. “Beloved—”

  Halina raised her palm to his face. “You betrayed me. I don’t want you anywhere near me, ever again. You and the rest of your damn nest need to get out of my home before I kill every last one of you.”

  I gaped at her coldness, and wondered if she really would kill them. I wasn’t sure. Neither was Gabriel. Despair broke over his usually unemotional face. He shook his head, “I only did what he asked, love. I did what he wanted.”

  Halina’s pale eyes hardened into stone. “No, you did what you wanted.”

  Gabriel was clearly at a loss, struggling with deep emotions he usually pushed aside. It broke my heart to watch his turmoil. It took him a minute, but he finally regained control. “My apologies. We’ll leave at once.” Blankness returning, he inclined his head to her in a polite nod, then headed back downstairs. Halina grit her teeth and turned away.

  Mom and Dad shared a glance with Alanna, while Imogen took a step forward. “Mother,” she began quietly.

  Ignoring her, Halina raised her chin. “We leave the second the sun sets. Nika will show us where Hunter is buried. We will find him, deal with any hunters we come across, then immediately return.” Her gaze turned to my honorary uncle. “Ben, if you wish to join us, I will carry you.”

  Tracey stood at hearing that news. “What! No, no way is he going with you. This is ridiculous.” Her icy blue eyes narrowed at her husband. “This entire fantasy you’ve delved up is ridiculous! Vampires are not real, and you’re all freaking crazy!”

  Halina blurred in front of Tracey, fangs lowered. Tracey immediately screamed. Halina silenced her with a word. “Quiet. I don’t have time for this. My child is being hunted, and I’m not there to protect him. Vampires are real. Your best friend is one of them. We’ve made your mind believe that she’s been aging, but she hasn’t been. She looks the same as she did when she left California years ago. As do we all. You will not be scared by this information, because I simply can’t abide smelling your fear right now.”

  Tracey was slack-jawed when Halina stepped away, but she did look calmer. Her eyes widened when she looked over at Mom, and I figured she was truly seeing her for the first time in a long time. Mom gave her an apologetic shrug, then glared at Halina. “Was that necessary?”

  Halina returned her attention to the window. “No, I could have wiped her clean, sent her home, told her any imaginary story I wanted. Comforting her was definitely not necessary.”

  Ben gave Halina an irritated look, then grabbed Tracey’s hand. “Honey, this is what we talked about. Vampires or not, the Adams are my family. If they need me, I’m there.”

  Tracey pulled her hand free. “Olivia and I are your family. We need you, too. And we need you alive.”

  Halina opened her mouth to speak, but Ben raised his hand. “I told you when we got back together that I was going to do whatever it took to keep us together, but, honey—”

  My mom stepped forward, silencing him. “It’s okay, Ben. It was sweet of you to rush out here and help us look for the children. We’re forever indebted to you for that. But we can handle this. Stay here with Tracey and Olivia.” She half-smiled. “You can keep an eye on Julian for us.”

  As Ben finally sighed and nodded, Tracey’s eyes locked on my mom. “Emma, we’re going to have a seriously long talk when you get back.”

  My mom gave her a quick hug. “I know.”

  Halina tensed as the sun dipped beyond the horizon; Imogen waited patiently beside her. The faint glow in the sky would follow quickly behind the glowing orb, then we could finally leave. My heartbeat raced, and Mom and Dad protectively flanked me. I could tell Dad wasn’t thrilled about me coming along, but I was the only one who knew where Hunter was. Or, knew where he should be. Hopefully he would stay put when he dug himself up.

  As the seconds ticked by, I heard my brother murmur, “Be safe, Nick.”

  Feeling his concern for me, I whispered back, “I will.”

  Dad looked over at Mom. “Em—”

  Mom cut him off with a glance. “I know what you’re going to say, but I’m coming too.”

  Her tone was final. Dad knew not to argue, so he merely nodded. His expression darkened though. I hated that once again my family was in upheaval, and it was my fault. The situation might not entirely be because of me, but I was definitely to blame for a large majority of it.

  As soon as darkness fell upon the Earth, my grandmother bolted out the door. The rest of us were a split-second behind her. We flew across the ranch, a mere gust of wind to human senses. My feet touched the arid dirt beneath me so lightly, it was almost like I was flying. Halina was the fastest, and streaked ahead of everyone. My parents kept pace with me at the end of the pack. I ran as hard as I could though. I’d never been more motivated to get somewhere quickly.

  Even though it just about killed me, I made the long journey for the second time today without resting. I was breathing hard when the group of us hovered outside the edges of the city. Easily remembering where Hunter’s hiding place was, I took off toward the direction of the cabin. I thought I might puke I was so tired, but I could still smell a lingering trace of freshly burned wood in the air, and I needed to get to Hunter.

  As I knew they would, my family followed me. When we arrived at the cabin, I was shocked at the devastation. The once quaint, two-story home in the woods was now a hodgepodge of fallen, blackened logs. The walls had crumbled in on themselves. The roof was ash. The stone chimney was t
he only structural support left intact. The land around the home was dark with moisture. Deep tire tracks were in the front yard, and heavy footprints surrounded the home, like someone had tried to save the cabin, but it had been too little, too late. My heart sank for the poor old man who had unknowingly lost everything when he’d given us a place to hide for the day.

  “Hunter!” I called out into the night. I tensed, waiting for him to emerge, or for one of our attackers to hear me and lash out. The night was silent, though, with only the sound of crickets answering me. I called out for him again, but no one responded. Desperate, I began to search the home we’d fled earlier today. “He must still be buried…”

  I had no idea how we would find Hunter in this rumble. I didn’t even know where to begin. Despair threatened to paralyze me, but Halina leapt into action, and started pulling gigantic logs from the pile. Her determination recharged mine. I picked a spot near her and started sorting through the debris. My parents and Imogen joined us. Getting to the bottom of the pile was all I cared about. Hunter was at the bottom.

  We all worked diligently, restlessly, tearing out logs, stones, destroyed remnants of furniture. My fingers were black with soot, but progress was being made. Within a short time, Halina was able to crawl inside the house and start lifting rubble up to us. When she finally leapt into a hole that I knew had once been the cellar, I jumped in after her.

  “Nika! It’s not safe for you down there!” my dad hissed.

  I ignored him and scanned the pitch-black ground with my grandmother. Using her glowing eyes for light, I looked for any section of ground that was unnaturally disturbed. There was crap everywhere, though, and seeing the ground, let alone searching it, was difficult. “Hunter! Where are you?” I yelled into the darkness. Was he still buried? Too weak to dislodge himself? Had he had time to cover himself before the burning cabin fell apart?