by Cheree Alsop
James patted her on the shoulder. “We know, Mom, and I’m going to bring her back.”
“Nope. I’m going to,” Alia said.
“What are we shooting at?” James asked with a shake of his head at his sister’s stubbornness.
I scanned the yard, then pointed to the mailbox at the corner. “You see the knot in the log that’s holding your mailbox? Whoever shoots it can go.” I glanced at Mrs. Willard. “Even though I think both of them should stay.”
She shook her head. “I’d feel better knowing you aren’t going after Aspen alone. There were at least six werewolves that came in after her. You can’t handle them by yourself.”
I lifted an eyebrow.
She gave me a little smile. “Even you have weaknesses, Zev. It doesn’t hurt to have backup.”
I let out a breath and nodded. I could see the sense of it, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.
Alia lifted her gun, let out a small breath, and fired. The bullet hit just below the knot and to the left. James sighted the target and pulled the trigger. His bullet hit it dead on. He let out a whoop.
“I knew I was a better shot than you! What did I tell you?”
Alia glared at him. “That was a fluke.”
He shook his head. “That was a good shot and you know it. Admit it. I’m going with them.”
Alia was busy reloading her gun with bullets from the box. She glanced at him and said, “That was a good shot, but you’re not going.”
“Of course I am,” James replied. “I won.”
“You won, but you’re not going,” she replied.
Before anyone could react, Alia pulled a different gun from the box and shot. A dart sunk into James’ shoulder. Everyone stared as he pulled the dart out. He gave a gasp of disbelief.
“Alia, don’t shoot your brother!” Mrs. Willard said. She shook her head with exasperation and turned to Mrs. Stein. “The things you never thought you’d say as a mother.”
“Tell me about it,” she replied. “I don’t know how many times I’ve had to scold Virgie and Jemmy for feeding chocolate dust to the woodland fairies.” She rolled her eyes. “Nobody likes a fairy with a tummy ache.”
Mrs. Willard gave a small, strained laugh.
James stumbled back and was caught by Jemmy.
“A tranquilizer?” James said. “That’s not fair!” His words slurred slightly.
Alia gave him a triumphant smile. “You may be a good shot, but I’m smarter than you. Zev’s going to need both.”
James leaned heavily against Jemmy, who didn’t appear at all sorry for him to do so. “That’s…not…fair,” he slurred. “Mom!”
Mrs. Willard ducked under his other arm. “I don’t condone what Alia did, but she has a point. You can’t go with Zev if you can’t walk. Come on.”
“I’ve got a tincture that’ll help the tranquilizer let up sooner,” Mrs. Stein said. “Come to the kitchen, Jemmy. I’ll teach you how to make it.”
“Coming, Mom,” Jemmy said. She smiled up at James. “At least I can help take care of you.”
James grumbled something about stubborn sisters, but he looked a little less mad about Alia’s tactics.
“Let’s go,” I told the others. “I don’t want Aspen at the Lair any longer than she has to be.”
“Be safe, all of you,” Mrs. Willard said. “Bring my little girl home.”
“We will,” Alia promised.
Chapter Eleven
We took the car to the place where Ian had hit me. I could feel the eyes on us the moment we entered the tree line. I had expected it, but hoped Alia and Virgo didn’t notice. The fact that my friends were following me willingly to the Lair didn’t sit well with me at all.
I pointed to a line barely visible as I stepped over it. “That’s what kept the werewolves here the first night.”
“I was wondering why they didn’t follow you and take care of you when you were weak,” Virgo said. He crouched near the line and flicked dirt from it. “What is it?”
“A trigger of sorts.” Just being near it made my muscles tense. “When the Masters are sleeping during the day, they prefer their werewolf guardians to remain near home on patrols. But young werewolves are obstinate and like to test the rules.”
Virgo rose and he and Alia hurried to catch up with me.
“So what does it trigger?” Alia asked.
“An explosive that the Masters implant in their werewolves when they’re pups,” I replied, my voice carefully neutral.
“Do you have one?” Virgo asked.
I nodded. “But I took care of it before I escaped. That’s how Ian wasn’t mauled to death by the wolves who chased me.”
“And why you were running so fast you hit his car,” Alia said with the dawn of understanding in her voice. “If you could reach the line, you’d be safe.”
“How did you take care of the explosive?” Virgo asked.
I stepped over a fallen log, then turned to help Alia over it.
“I electrocuted myself,” I said as casually as I could.
Both of them paused. Alia looked down at me from the top of the log.
“You electrocuted yourself?” she repeated, her tone unreadable.
I avoided her gaze as I lowered her from the log and replied, “Each of us takes a shift rotation in the kitchens. I was busy separating bones from meat in one of the sinks when I noticed that one of the grinders had a cord that was frayed. I was planning to escape, but knew that the trigger wire would stop me faster than any werewolf.” I turned and kept walking, aware of the silent glances the two shared behind me. “So when I was alone, I tore the cord in half, poured water on myself, and stuck the cord to my chest.”
The metallic taste that had filled my mouth when I awoke to find myself stretched out on the floor of the prep room tingled across my taste buds. It had taken a week for the ringing to leave my ears. I was barely back to feeling like myself when the Masters chose to pit me against the four werewolves who tore me apart in the ring. Eager for my rank, they were more than happy to oblige the Masters in the unfair fight. I still wondered if I could have taken them all if I had been at my full strength.
“How did you know you wouldn’t kill yourself?” Alia asked in a horrified whisper.
I glanced back at her. “Sometimes death isn’t the worst outcome.” I softened the bleakness of my expression with a small smile and said, “But you guys showed me that there’s far more to this world than the Lair. Life has so much more to it.”
“Yes, it does,” Virgo said. “And when we get Aspen back, there’s so much more to show you.”
I threw him a surprised look. “I thought you hated werewolves.”
“I do,” he agreed. “They’re nasty and they stink.”
“Virgo!” Alia said.
The warlock grinned. “But I’m beginning to think you’re not the average werewolf.”
I brushed off the comment and said, “They’ll pay for taking Aspie. They crossed their own trigger.” My hands clenched into fists. I felt as ready to explode as if the implant near my heart hadn’t been nullified. I would show them that four werewolves were nothing in the face of my truth wrath. Everyone would pay.
Virgo hurried to keep up. “Zev, there were at least six who came to get Aspie, and who knows how many more stayed behind. You can’t take them all.”
“Watch me,” I said, my voice nearly a growl.
The closer we got to the Lair, the more the wolf inside demanded to be set free. They had defied my territory and taken someone I cared about. I would kill all of them to save her if I had to. I would do anything it took to bring Aspen back home.
“But we can’t go in fighting; it’d be a death sentence,” Alia said.
“Fighting is the best way I know,” I replied. I was seeing red. The thought of Alia’s little sister held in the clutches of the Masters sent cold chills down my spine. She didn’t deserve what they did. She was a child and should have the chance to live her life. I was determ
ined to ensure that she lived far longer than this day.
“Zev, we need a plan,” Alia began.
“The longer she’s in there, the more scared she’s going to be,” I replied. “We need to get her out.”
“But they took her for a reason,” Virgo began.
“Yeah, to get me mad,” I shot back. “Mission accomplished.”
“So, what?” Alia asked. “You’re just going to go in there and tear werewolves apart, drag Aspen out, and call it good? They’ll kill you.”
“They might try,” I replied. I barely heard her words. The more I thought about Aspen with the Masters, the more tension flooded my body.
I was about to tear off my shirt and phase despite the light of day showing above the trees when Virgo called my name.
“Zev, catch.”
I turned and caught what he threw at me by instinct. The moment my hand closed around the small bag, I realized my mistake. Strength drained from my limbs and I stumbled. Alia caught me and held me up. I stared down at the amulet.
“Virgo, what on—”
“Hear me out,” the warlock said quickly. “I know you’re mad, and that’s the problem. You can’t possibly hope to go in there and kill everyone to save Aspie.”
“Are you sure about that?” I demanded in a growl.
“Yes!” he shot back. “Zev, I’m saving your life.”
I held up the amulet. “By taking away the only thing I have that could free Aspen?”
He shook his head. “By giving you your true strength.”
I was ready to punch him. He backed away several steps as if he read it in my face.
“Listen,” he said, his tone pleading. “I have more of these.” He pulled another one out of the bag he carried and handed it to Alia. “Now if we’re attacked, the werewolves will all be on the same ground as you, but you have experience fighting like a human and they don’t.”
I shook my head. “That’s a horrible plan.”
Virgo put a hand on my arm. I shrugged away from it and glared at him. “You just got Aspen killed.”
His face paled, but he said, “Zev, the Masters wanted you here for a reason, and they were desperate enough to kidnap Aspen and not kill any of us at the house to get your attention. Does that sound like they might be concerned about something bigger than just one werewolf?”
His words echoed Mitch’s fears. I hadn’t stopped to think about it. The rational side of me whispered that maybe I should listen to the warlock. I hated my rational side.
I let out a breath to calm the rage that roiled inside of me and said, “I’m listening.”
Virgo motioned to Alia. I realized she had been waiting for me to reach a rational state. That fact that it had taken so long made me cringe inwardly.
“Zev, I think you need to hear the Masters out. Maybe they’ll let Aspen leave if you do,” she said.
My first impulse was to tell her how ridiculous her suggestion was. But her expression was one of sincerity and I had to remind myself that it was her sister who was captive inside the Lair. She had even more right to go in guns blazing than I did. And she wore a gun. It was a small one I recognized from her father’s stash. The gun probably held six bullets at the most; but bullets couldn’t penetrate a vampire’s skin. As old and leathery as they looked, the Masters had a strength I could only marvel at. What she thought the gun would do was beyond me.
I shook my head and admitted, “I’ll never understand humans.”
Virgo gave me a wry smile and said, “Welcome to my world.”
I sighed and gave Alia my full attention. “You want me to walk into the Lair, go to the Masters,” I couldn’t keep from growling the last word, “And hear them out in the hopes that they’ll just hand your sister back over to us?”
She nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m asking you to do. And we’ll be there with you.”
I looked from her to Virgo. “That’s a death sentence. You know the Masters could flip on us in a heartbeat if they decide they’d rather me be dead, and your bodies will be drained just like mine. It’s a life for a life society in there.”
Both of their faces were pale, but Alia said, “We understand the risks, Zev. That’s why we came.”
“I don’t understand,” I admitted.
She gave me a small smile. “You said so yourself that you’re a horrible human, right?”
I nodded without speaking.
“Well, I’m hoping the same applies for the Masters and the werewolves in the Lair.”
“It does,” I told her with full sincerity. “Trust me.”
“I am,” she said with a deeper smile. “And I do.” She threaded her fingers through mine and pulled me closer to say, “Zev, I’m asking you to trust me this time.”
I blinked as I stared down at her upturned face. Despite everything, despite the fact that she had obvious feelings for Mitch, despite the fact that she was small and pathetically frail compared to the werewolves we would fight, and despite the fact that her arm trembled when I put my hand on it, I would follow her to the ends of the earth and beyond. Whatever she asked, no matter how ridiculous, I would do without question.
“I trust you,” I whispered.
She threw Virgo a smile and let go of my hand. Regret filled me when she stepped back.
“Our only hope against those that are stronger than us is the one thing we have that they don’t.” She raised her chin and said, “Our ability to think as humans. There’s a reason your Masters are down in their cold dark Lair while humans are living out bright and happy lives.”
“Why is that?” I asked, intrigued.
She turned and began walking in the same direction we had been going. She called over her shoulder, “Because we want more.”
Virgo followed behind her. I stared after the pair for a moment before catching up.
“What does that mean?” I asked him.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. He shook his head. “I’m just a warlock, remember?”
The crumbling castle walls that shielded the Lair came into view. Memories flooded me. Endless nights running patrols, battling dark creatures from worse than any nightmare, running, forever running, claws, pain, blood, and the smell of desperation filled my senses.
Weak sunlight filtered through the gray clouds that covered the sky. It was a moody dawn, the kind that didn’t let you know whether rain was about to pour down at any moment. It felt as though the entire world was on edge, waiting for what would happen in the Lair deep beneath the touch of the rays.
Alia’s steps slowed at the sight of the castle. I didn’t know what she had expected, but it was clear that the sight of the walls made of stones far bigger than any human could carve wasn’t it. Seeing it from the outside instead of being a part of it made me realize one thing. The castle hadn’t been built to protect the Lair as I had once thought; no, it had been built to keep what was in the Lair locked inside.
As I stared up at the crumbling walls, I noticed that the stones had fallen to the outside; that what I had thought was the normal disintegration of time had actually been caused by a massive force tearing through from the inside and casting the stones away. Someone had once found a way to lock the vampires away from the world. If it had been done once, perhaps it would be possible to do so again.
“The Masters will be close to sleeping,” I said. “They’ll be at their strongest having fed.” The thought that Aspen could have easily been that meal turned my stomach. I led the way forward, hoping we were in time.
Werewolves no longer slunk through the trees out of sight. A gasp behind me told me that Alia had finally noticed the forms that had flanked us from the moment we crossed the boundary. My brethren and sisters stalked us both in human and wolf form. The tattered clothes and musky scents of unwashed bodies made me embarrassed that I had once led their ranks. How was I one of these creatures that walked like a human but was obviously so much of an animal? How had just a few days in a civilized world changed me so greatly?
Ahead, werewolves stood on either side of the massive crack in the wall that was the only way inside the castle of stone.
“Zev?” Alia whispered.
Virgo crowded closer behind us.
“It’s alright,” I reassured them. “Don’t make eye contact. We’ll get through this.”
I hoped.
The feeling of the amulet in my hand was little comfort with all the glares that met my gaze. The reminder that I was the enemy came with another, lighter thought that I had escaped the invisible chains that were holding them back. In all rights, they should attack me and tear me apart the way they would any enemy. The irony that the very bonds I had broken were the ones that now kept us safe stayed with me as I led the way past the rubble to the Lair’s entrance.
Massive bricks that had fallen from the ceiling of the Lair’s enclosure lay haphazardly around as though they were a child’s play toys. I had seen the others in the forest far enough away that I now wondered what sort of force the Masters had used to break free of their prison. The thought that I was in over my head stayed with me when we reached the entrance.
“That’s it?” Alia asked. Fear colored her quiet voice.
Virgo crouched, his gaze shifting between the werewolves that watched us in silence and the hole in the ground I had led them to. It was a deep, lightless pit. A set of stairs carved into the stone that lined the entrance was the only way inside. Sounds and smells wafted out that brought back memories of my childhood. Fear, despair, unwashed werewolves, death, greed, blood, and longing combined with the moans, bat chirps, and wolf howls and growls that made up the tapestry of my youth. I had to admit that it made a pretty haunting impact.
“You expect us to go in there with these guys at our backs?” Virgo asked.
I lifted a shoulder. “You could stay out here.”
He gave a humorless chuckle and rose. “No, but thanks for the offer.” He pulled a little yellow ball from his bag. It looked like a half-sized tennis ball like the type I had seen advertised for dogs. He said a few quiet words and it began to glow. The werewolves around us backed off several feet.
“Huh,” I said. “I guess that’s why it’s handy to bring a warlock.”