The Elders motioned Ian over so I was left standing alone. I began to wander around the cemetery. Each grave was circled with lit candles and had a marker. I mentally calculated the age of the deceased as I passed them, my mind wandering to how the younger ones had died. I reached the end of the row and was about to make my way back when I noticed a gravesite that lacked candles. I scanned the cemetery, looking to see if there were others that were not graced with candles but every grave seemed to be alight except this one. There was no one to grieve over this grave and that just seemed sad.
I took a step closer, squinting to make out the name and dates in the darkened corner of the graveyard. The cross was aged and weather-beaten, unlike its well-groomed neighbors and I couldn’t quite make out the name but the dates were legible. Whoever this was had died young. A chill in the air had me crossing my arms over myself, rubbing some warmth into them as I contemplated the many reasons why this particular person had been left unhonored. Lost in my own thoughts, the sound of drums and ceremonial songs and dances faded into the background. I caught a wisp of a scent so putrid it stung the back of my throat. I knew this odor.
Death.
I suddenly realized the sounds of the celebration had not only faded, they’d stopped completely. I snapped my head up, noticing a flurry of people running toward the parking lot. I could see the expressions of horror, register the facial sobs and screams as everyone dashed across the field to their cars, but my ears registered nothing. I saw Ian cut through the crowd, his direction heading my way. His mouth moved but I could hear no words. I called out, yet my voice never reached my ears. Panic set in and I started to walk toward him. I’d made it two steps then stopped as if I’d hit an invisible wall. My feet were planted like blocks of cement and no matter how hard I willed them to move, I simply could not take another step. It was then I noticed the ground rolling underneath me. A small ridge of dirt bubbled up from the ground, then watched in terror as the ridge took the form of an arm, then a hand. Rotting flesh barely clung to the stark white contrast of bone beneath it.
“No!” I screamed in terror. “Stop!”
In that instant, the ground ceased shaking and I stumbled forward as my feet finally took the order from my brain to move.
Sound returned. Sobs mixed with nervous laughter as people slowed their gait, some turning to return to the gravesites and others gathering in small crowds.
Ian reached me and pulled me to his side, never breaking stride as he wheeled and steered me toward the parking lot.
“What the hell was that?”
“I need to get you out of here,” he said, pushing through the crowds.
My feet hit the loose gravel of the parking lot and I would have toppled to the ground had Ian not held me so tightly. We rounded a large SUV and I saw his RJ5; the doors rose like the wings of a great bird of prey just ready to take flight.
I slid into the passenger seat and had just latched my seatbelt when Ian joined me and the car growled to life. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and dialed his cell phone with the other.
“Who are you calling?” I asked, suddenly cold yet covered with sweat.
“I am calling Lucas to meet us at the house.”
“Lucas? I don’t need a doctor. What the hell is going on?” I stammered.
Ian dropped the phone and slid one finger under my eye. He pulled it into my line of sight and held it there. A red smear covered the tip of his finger.
I fumbled with the visor, desperately pulling it down to reveal the lighted mirror attached to the opposite side. I sucked in a breath at my own reflection. Blood flowed from my eyes like tears, leaving streaks of crimson down my cheeks.
Ian cast an apprehensive look my way. “I think you were raising the entire graveyard.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
“We need someone who specializes in necromancy, My Love,” Ian insisted for the umpteenth time since we’d returned home. Lucas had cleaned away the blood, only to find that there was no underlying injury. My vision was clear and I had no pain so he prescribed rest and an avoidance of cemeteries.
No shit!
“There has to be someone other than Sonya!” I insisted.
Ian had already explained that Sonya had been somewhat obsessed with the idea of necromancy even before she met Henri. She’d traveled to all corners of the world looking for one true necromancer. Never succeeding.
“No one that I trust,” Ian replied.
“Hah! She helped Joaquín kidnap me. How the hell can you trust her?”
“She also helped me find you when she discovered who you were. She would not have assisted him if…”
I cut him off with a string of obscenities. “What kind of person helps a guy kidnap someone, anyway?” I paced back and forth across the bedroom, my arms crossed in anger.
“Sonya thought she was rescuing a woman from a dangerous vampire.”
I made a disgusted sound.
“Do you not think that I am dangerous?” Ian arched one eyebrow with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
His attempt to lighten my mood worked.
A little.
I rolled my eyes at him. “How are we going to explain what happened back there?” I tried swaying the subject away from Sonya.
“It is already explained, My Love.” Ian rubbed the back of his neck.
I stopped and raised my fingers to ease the throbbing in my temples.
“Earthquake,” Ian said simply. “Humans will always find a rational reason for the supernatural. It is much simpler for the human mind to accept that a tremor rocked the earth. It would be irrational to even think a dead man had been clawing his way back from the underworld.” His eyes not only challenged, but mocked me as well.
I plopped down on the bed beside him. He stroked my hair gently.
“The sun will rise soon, My Love. We will take care of this tomorrow.” He brushed a kiss across my lips.
He may have let me drop the subject for tonight, but I knew it would come up again soon. What really pissed me off was that he was right. If I was a necromancer, I needed to learn to control it. In the meantime, I’d sure as hell stay away from cemeteries!
* * * *
I slept fitfully, the images of so many of the souls I’d seen and spoken to racing through my brain, ending with the fact I could not only reanimate, but also control the dead, including vampires.
I crept out of bed and tip-toed to the closet.
I threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, grabbed my shoes and headed downstairs. I was just about to congratulate myself for a stealthy exit when I heard, “Trying to make a run for it?”
I turned toward the voice and saw Shia round the corner from the kitchen.
“How did you…?” I shook my head. I knew I hadn’t made a sound. Not even a creak in the floorboards.
“I smelled you,” she replied.
I lifted each arm, one at a time and did the obligatory armpit sniff.
“No,” Shia chuckled, “you don’t stink. Actually,” she raised her face and I saw her nostrils flare, “you smell almost flowery.”
That got my attention. “Flowery?”
With an arch of her brow and a quirk of her lips hinting at the tiniest of smiles she added, “I know, so unlike your personality.”
“Ha ha.”
“I’m a mountain lion, Leah. My sense of smell is far stronger than a human’s.”
Duh. It was still hard for me to look a Shia, with her fawn-like eyes and pixie-cut blond hair, and see a mountain lion. Yet as a Therian, she was born animal with the ability to take human form. Why she chose one over the other, I still didn’t know.
“Were you about to take a walk?” Shia asked.
I sighed. “Having trouble sleeping, I thought some fresh air might help.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
We stepped out into the blinding afternoon sun. A slight mist shrouded the base of the mountains as the sun set the sky ablaze with shades of yellow, red and
orange as it crested the peak. There was a promise of an afternoon storm in the air.
“Do you think they miss it?” I asked, indicating the sun.
“Vampires?”
I started toward a nearby path, leading away from the glare of the sun. “Yeah, do you think Ian and the others miss not being able to see the sun?”
She gave me a “probably” look. “Like everything else, it’s a tradeoff, immortality and superhuman abilities for an eternity of darkness.”
“What do you trade off?” I asked.
“Being human?” She lifted her shoulder. “Mountain lions live a pretty solitary life. I’m more of a social creature. Therians have more of a social structure, mostly because we are more of a threat to humans than an ordinary mountain lion. I mean, no human in his right mind would willingly walk up to a lion. But…” she stretched her arms out, “I wouldn’t have a problem luring potential prey to a quiet spot for the kill.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“You hunt humans?” I hated to think I’d be put in a position to defend a human against Shia. I considered her a friend. I didn’t want to have to kill her. As cold-hearted as that sounds, I was a SINS agent and sworn to protect. I couldn’t let supernaturals go around killing indiscriminately, not even if they were my friends.
“Don’t worry,” she waved her hand casually, “I don’t kill humans. Hell, I was married to one.”
“So the boys are?” I couldn’t hide the surprise from my face.
She nodded. “Half-breeds. That’s why they can shift forms so young. I was a bit of an anomaly to our pride. Normally cubs can’t shift, only adults. I shifted when I was still a cub to defend myself against a pack of wolves.” She laughed. “They were so confused they ran off. Ever since then I could shift at will. I’m more powerful than the others, which is probably why they leave me alone.” She smiled. “Well, that and Ian. He made it very clear to them that I was under his domain and not to be tampered with. The pride hasn’t bothered me since.”
“And the boys?”
“Cody and Quinn were born as humans which is also a show of my strength. I was able to remain in human form throughout my pregnancy. Only rare females have that ability,” she proclaimed proudly. “It is also why they need to spend time with their grandfather, my father.” The words were bitter on her tongue. “They are part of the pride. They need to spend time with others of their kind, learn to fight, to hunt and to control the mountain lion that lives within them.”
She let out a sigh and I saw her deflate a little bit. “It kills me every time they leave.” Her voice cracked a little then she squared her shoulders. “But it’s best for the boys so…” She lifted a shoulder in acceptance.
While that information chased itself around my brain I heard the faint sound of gunfire. I bolted in the direction of the shot.
* * * *
Ian’s land stretched for hundreds of acres, even before you reached reservation territory. The only way onto the property was the dirt road that was barely visible. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never find your way in. Even that was fenced. The only people who should have been within hearing distance were the sleeping vamps and the guards in the house, no one who would be out taking target practice in the early morning hours.
We ran off the trail and through dense bush that had sprouted after the last heavy rainfall. All the while I tried not to think about the snakes that might be lurking there. It was fall, they were all hibernating by now I assured myself over and over again.
We’d rounded the edge of a small hill when I skidded to a halt. A small ribbon of black smoke rose into the pale blue sky beyond.
“Squatters,” Shia whispered.
I blinked at her.
“Every now and again we get campers, more likely than not kids, who stray into Ian’s dominion. They camp out in the desert; get drunk, high or both.” She shrugged. “I’ll shift and go scare them off. It’ll give them a hell of story to tell their friends.”
She started to walk away but I gripped her arm to stop her. “Does this happen often?”
She shook her head. “Not very, but it’s not uncommon either. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt them.”
“I’m worried about you. That was gunfire, not typical teenage behavior.”
“Common enough but I’ll try and make them leave the guns, keep them from accidentally shooting themselves or someone else later on. Okay?”
I nodded and she disappeared into the trees. I sat down on a rock and listened, ready to go help Shia if she needed it. A few minutes later I heard the high-pitched whine of a mountain lion, followed by the screams of humans. It seemed like Shia was right and it was merely a group of teenagers, out making trouble in the desert. A rustle behind me brought me away from the sounds of the teens retreating footfalls. I jumped to my feet and reached for my gun only to find my holster empty. Shit! The fact that I’d left my gun on the nightstand spoke volumes for my current state of mind.
Ivelisse stood a few feet behind me. When she saw my face she threw her hands up in surrender. “I just wanted to apologize,” she began. “The other day, that … that wasn’t really me,” she stammered.
I let out a long sigh. I knew Chaos had been controlling her when she attacked me, but how the hell did I know he wasn’t controlling her now?
I looked at her eyes. They weren’t wild and darting around like they had been the other night. I had a ton of questions about the bloodslave and mind control shit. Who better to ask than a bloodslave? Chaos would be as dead as Ian and the other vamps right now so I considered her reasonably safe.
I motioned for her to sit. “What’s it like? The mind control stuff?” I asked.
She drew nearer cautiously, like you’d approach an unfamiliar dog. “It’s kinda like a dream. I’m outside watching me do things I would never normally do. I know what I’m doing; I just can’t do anything to stop it.” Her eyes took on a faraway appearance like she was looking at something only she could see. “When it’s over it’s like waking from a dream.”
She described exactly how I felt the night I’d shot Ian and it offered me some small measure of comfort.
She jerked her shoulder and continued. “I guess I’m used to it now. He’s been doing it to me forever.”
“How old are you?” I knew the answer but wanted to see if she’d tell me the truth.
“Twenty-three,” she responded automatically.
I lifted my eyebrows to say “really?”
“Well, that’s how old I was when I met Chaos,” she clarified, “about sixty-five years ago. I stopped counting after that.”
“Will you live as long as he does?” I prodded, wanting her to continue.
“Maybe. No one really knows. Most vampires get bored with their bloodslaves.”
“Then?” I prompted.
She let out a short laugh. “Well let’s just say there is no one around to tell the stories.”
Shit. That’s what I thought.
“I love him, you know.” Ivelisse cast her eyes down. “I think he loves me too.”
I looked out across the desert. I didn’t know whether to pity her or congratulate her.
I caught the acrid scent of smoke drifting on the breeze and it took me a moment to remember that Shia had extinguished the campfire the teens had made. I scanned the sky and drew in a breath of alarm; when I saw where the smoke was coming from my heart thumped against my chest so hard I thought it might crack a rib.
Huge orange flames licked the sky over Ian’s house. I shot up and bolted toward the house, my feet pounding on the earth beneath me, my lungs burning with panic as I sucked in air through my mouth, tasting the bitter smoke.
As I approached the house I saw a white box van backing in so close to the front door that it had destroyed the courtyard, crumbling the gargoyle statues and crushing the cacti. I could see two men moving beneath the open bay doors of the van, heaving a body bag into it.
Ivelisse finally caught up to me, her breath heavy f
rom the exertion. I grabbed her arm to stop her from going any further. We wouldn’t be able to save anyone if were dead ourselves.
I looked for a path that would allow me to get to the back door without being seen. If I could get in the house, get to my gun, maybe I’d be able to kill the intruders and get everyone out of the house. There were only two of them I could see; I just needed a damn weapon!
My teeth were gritted so hard that my ears were ringing. I pulled in a breath when I saw a familiar silhouette near the back entrance.
Justice.
My heart filled with hope and determination. I motioned frantically for her to go inside. “Save them!” I mouthed over and over but she simply stood there, waving for me to come to her.
I told Ivelisse to stay hidden in the brush and dodged toward Justice.
“What the hell are you waiting for?” I growled as I rushed past Justice and into the house. I pulled my shirt over my mouth and nose to protect me from the still faint smoke filling the house.
“I need your help,” Justice cried, her voice stricken.
“Where are they?” I demanded and nearly tripped over the body of Mouse.
“They drugged them with something,” Justice explained.
I grabbed Mouse from under his arms and dragged him out the door away from view of the front of the house while Justice continued.
“They took Joaquín, Chaos and Cougar. The wrapped them in body bags and stuffed them in the back of a van. Bear is hurt but still alive.”
“Where’s Ian?”
“Follow me.” Justice darted through the hallway off the kitchen without another word.
The fire was on the other side of the house and the smoke became increasingly dense as we made our way through it. Ian was sprawled out over the floor near the atrium. The side of his face had a lump the size of a softball and a metal bat lay on the floor beside him. He was rising earlier every day now but someone had knocked him out.
The Order of Chaos Page 25