After I get cozied up on the couch, Briston sits down by my feet, placing them in his lap. Silence fills the big house once again. I want to say something to Briston but I don’t know what. How exactly does one face the fact that beings of Heaven and Hell exist and walk on the earth?
Briston picks up my feet to start massaging them. The kind gesture is one that Briston always provides me when I’m upset. When my brother pulled his Houdini trick on mom and dad’s account, followed up by mine, Briston sat up with me all night, messaging my feet as I cried over his betrayal.
“Okay, you wanted to talk, so let’s talk.” And that’s exactly what we do for the next few hours. We talk about what we used to believe in, what could be possible, and what others would think if they knew the truth—as I now know it. I bust out laughing when Briston starts imitating Braylee.
“Shut up! How flipping cool is this? Where do we sign up for teams?” Briston clears his throat, erasing his girly voice, as he chuckles.
“You know she would say more than that.”
“Yeah, she would probably try to hook up with one of them.” Briston shakes his head.
“No doubt about that.” I say with a smile. Briston’s heavy stare draws me away from thoughts of Braylee’s response. His gaze is intent as he looks at me.
Unable to sit still under that pressure, I scoot up and bring my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them for support.
“What’s wrong, B?”
Briston turns away, shaking his head. “Nothing.”
“You’re lying. I know something’s wrong.” Briston doesn’t reply, he just shakes his head. Lowering my legs, I scoot over beside him and place my hand on his. “Tell me.”
When Briston turns to look at me, my breath catches. He has never looked at me like this before. It is a look of unconditional love and care. I have seen my dad give my mother that look when she cries over him leaving.
“I just miss you, Em,” he says. “I miss being around you.”
“I know. I miss you too.” I place my head on his shoulder, feeling the weight of this day. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?” I yawn, muffling my question just a bit.
“Yeah, I just wanted to see you.” My eyes grow heavy and just before the sandman takes me under, it registers through my mind that Briston is lying.
~
I sit up with a jolt just before a jawful of razor-sharp teeth grab me by the throat. My heart does the mambo as I try to calm myself from the nightmare I’ve just escaped. In the nightmare, hell hounds were ripping and tearing a crowd of humans apart in order to get through to the line of angels behind them. Sabrina, who was still protecting Kayson, was on the defensive against Falon. I jumped in to intervene and stop them but that didn’t stop the hound from lunging at me.
I glance at the clock to see it’s two in the morning. Briston is sound asleep in the recliner. His soft snores fill the dark room, bringing me comfort of knowing I’m not alone. Throwing off the heavy blanket Briston put over me, I stand up and peek out the front windows. All is quiet. The neighborhood is in a blanket of quiet sleep just like it should be. There’s no sign of the devil or his minions lurking around outside. I wonder if the same can be said for the backyard.
I navigate through the clutter in the living room and head into the kitchen. A quick look out the back window tells me the same story. A small sliver of light escapes through the side wall of the shed, telling me that Kayson and Sabrina are awake. Well, of course Sabrina is awake. She’s a freaking vampire after all.
I grab my jacket hanging on the peg by the door and follow the stepping-stones that end at the shed’s door. The chill of the night air tickles my bones as an eerie feeling grates on my nerves. I scan the yard to see if anyone is watching me. With the high privacy fence I don’t see how anyone could, but I still have that feeling. I raise my hand to knock, but stop. Oh now I decide to grow a conscience and think. Nice timing, considering I’m already outside in the creepy dark of night with nothing separating me from the crazies but a wooden door. Nice, Emma, real nice. I probably shouldn’t disturb them right now. Or ever. Maybe they’ll just go away.
As I’m backing away, the door swings open. Sabrina is standing there looking pissed off. What a surprise. I continue to slowly back away as Sabrina advances on me.
Chapter Eleven
Sabrina
I keep watch for any movement made by Falon to come find us. If he decides to tear down the human girl’s house to find us, we are in some hot danger. The few makeshift weapons I’ve constructed gives us little hope against such a powerful hound, but it would have to do. Kayson is right; there’s no way we can escape without leaving a scent trail for them to follow.
A deep chill, one that leaves me shuddering in my cold skin, runs through my body when I see movement on the front lawn. A slight shadow that creeps through the night stalks across the grounds until its owner reveals himself. Falon. My chill deepens as he stops in the driveway, cutting his gaze to the backyard.
Falon stands there with his hands deep in his pockets as a menacing smile spreads across his face. Does he know I’m watching? Panic surges through my body, causing me to take a step back in fear.
“What’s wrong, Sabrina?”
After struggling to get up in order to get a glimpse at Falon, Kayson had become weak and shaky. After almost falling to the floor, I helped him back to the bed, ignoring his protests that he was fine. Seeing my panic, Kayson is trying to get up again.
“I’m fine, lie back down.” I don’t mention Falon because I know the panic I feel would also be felt by Kayson, driving him into action. What that action might be, I wasn’t sure.
“I can tell something’s wrong. Did you see something?” Kayson moves again but doesn’t make it far before a wince vibrates through his throat.
“Lay down, you need to save your energy. Honestly, it was nothing. A dog jumped out of the shadows. That’s all.” The comparison is close enough to be considered the truth.
“A dog? Since when does your snack food terrify you?” Kayson has an easy smile but I can tell he’s trying to mask the pain he’s feeling.
“Very funny, I’m just a little jumpy. Hounds will do that to their potential victims.” Taking another look out into the yard, I’m surprised to see Falon is gone. If he even thought we were back here, why didn’t he attack us? I search the yard and the surrounding area the best that I can from this angle but see nothing. Where did he go?
I hold my position by the wall for what seems like hours, watching for Falon and his men to return. Kayson dozes periodically during the night. The few times he does wake up, he asks if there are any signs of Falon. But with no way to tell for sure if he’s gone or not, the only thing I can do is check things out for myself.
“Falon’s gone. I’m going to scope out the neighborhood and then search for a new place to stay. We need to get out of here.”
“Absolutely not, you are not leaving with Falon so close.” Kayson’s outburst fills the small space with an echo of demand.
Aggravated, I turn and face him. “What would you like us to do? Sit here and wait for the fangs of Hell to rip us apart? You know we have to leave. Falon must know we are here. Why he didn’t attack tonight is beyond me, but we must take the opportunity to leave. We probably only have a short window of opportunity before he comes back.”
Kayson’s breathing picks up as he becomes more agitated. “I know that, Sabrina. I just—” Kayson cuts himself off with a shake of his head. “I can’t let you keep putting yourself in danger for me. If you’re going to leave, then you need to leave now and not come back. I’m going to tell Emma the same thing.”
Here we go again. “Then what, Kayson?” I throw my hands up in aggravation, “Are you going to just sit here and wait for your death? If death is what you want, then why did you ask for my help in the first place?”
“It’s not what I want. I want to prove my point—the one that caused my fall—and be granted back int
o Heaven, but I will not do that at the cost of your death, or anyone else’s.” Kayson balls the blanket up in his fists and closes his eyes. “I won’t allow it, Sabrina.”
“And you’re going to stop me?” Without giving him time to protest, I unbolt the door and swing it open to make a quick getaway, only to find the human girl, Emma, on the other side. She’s backing away from the door, like she’s deciding against something she set out to do.
Shutting the door on Kayson’s disapproval, I advance on her. At least I can get some answer.
“What did Falon want?”
Emma takes a few more steps away from me. I can see her hands are trembling as she places them in her coat pockets.
“He was looking for a friend of his. I’m pretty sure you know what friend he’s talking about.”
Involuntarily, I look back at the shed. So Falon does know we are here.
I turn back to Emma, “What did you tell him?” My voice carries more menace than I had intended, causing her to take another frightened step back.
“I didn’t tell him anything.” Emma swallows hard and I can hear her heart slamming in her chest. But in a second’s decision, she steps forward and seems to be taking a stand for herself as she straightens her back.
“And what if I did tell him something? What if I told him exactly where you are? That would solve my problem of hiding you.”
I take a step toward the girl and find myself surprised when she doesn’t back away. “That’s where you’re wrong. Falon will not stop with our deaths. He will eliminate anyone who bore witness to who he is, and what he has done.” I hold Emma’s gaze and watch as she drops her charade of bravery. “The best solution is for us to leave. Then the hounds will be focused on the hunt, rather than covering their tracks.”
Leaving the girl to dwell on that thought, I stalk past her and make my way through the yard, ignoring her. I’m guessing she will eventually make her way into the shed to check on Kayson, once the immediacy of her own danger subsides.
I keep to the shadows of Sterling Hollow, opening my senses to watch for any threats. The town is quiet, and cloaked in a blanket of dreams. How nice it must be to live in a world that is unseeing and peaceful. Days filled with sunshine and petty human worries. Nights filled with laughter and dreams. That is my wish. To live without fear in a world of mundane-minded views and peace-filled nights.
I continue to scout around the neighborhood to look for signs of the hounds. I can smell their stink all over the place, with no real track of where they are. My body urges me to run. But running isn’t going to be an option for me. At least, not tonight.
After searching the neighborhood, I widen my search through the town, but no matter how hard I look, nothing looks secure. The only option I have is to broaden my search for a new shelter.
Leaving town, I stick to the wood line and follow the highway to the next town. The first thing I notice as I’m running through the forest in a blur is the eerie, deafening silence. Even though it is nighttime, there should be plenty of nocturnal animals scurrying through the forest looking for food and water. It didn’t seem like that is the case tonight. Animals have a keen sense when it comes to danger, and hell hounds are as dangerous as you can get—next to a natural disaster.
I pass by a few farm houses in the rural area of the mountains, but none of them offer a good hiding spot. I need to find somewhere that is cut off from humans and towns. If I am going to leave Kayson behind, I’m not going to leave without making sure he is in a secure spot. I have a plan in my mind to get Kayson to the new location without my help, while I run in a different direction, in order to throw off the hounds. I just don’t know how I’m going to do it. It’s a shame I can’t use Emma, but I need someone the hounds haven’t scented. First things first, find a safe place.
Running through the edge of the tree line I get lost in the feel of speed, of forgetting about my worries. The air rushing past my body tickles my skin, and a smile breaks out across my face. I love this feeling. The feeling of utter freedom. At top speed, legs pumping, and a wide span of nothingness, I am finally free to be me.
And just like every other time before now, that feeling of freedom is stolen from me. My legs dig into the earth as I come to a sudden stop. The sharp sound of a branch snapping breaks through the still night. I spin, trying to find the source of the noise. Kayson’s blood has not only provided me with speed and sharp sight that once was an everyday state of being for me, it has also provided me with my sense of smell again.
Hell hound.
I run. I can move so quickly that I am unseen to the human eye, but the hounds can be just as quick. I’ve escaped them a few times, but just barely. I keep my hearing sharp, listening as twigs snap and leaves rustle behind me, and keep running.
But running isn’t going to cut it. Nor do I have any weapons to help me fend off the beast. I am going to have to outsmart this hound. I’ve only done that once, and that time was pure luck. I can only hope that luck will visit me again tonight.
I dart through the forest, searching for any signs of water. Water is the only defense any being can use to confuse a hound from his hunt. As with their canine counterparts, water masks the scent creatures carry, making it possible to escape from the hounds.
Panic electrifies my body as the hound increases his speed, closing in on me. I urge my legs to pump faster, but I’m at my maximum. I start a zigzag course through the forest, hoping the hound’s massive body won’t be able to make the tight turns. A hound’s body is built for destruction, speed, and death. Its massive body does have one flaw, size.
Then the smell of hope crosses my path. A clean mist lingers in the air, its smell crisp and pure. I keep my path tangled with turns as I make my way toward that sweet freedom. I can hear the hound smashing into trees, which slows him down, but he’s still close.
As I get close to the source of the water, the forest opens up. This is not good. The open space hinders my attempt at keeping the hound at bay. He has more room to maneuver, and no obstructions. I will also be in plain view. Panic grips me as my muscles begin to become weaker. I haven’t used my body this way in decades. Even charged by Kayson’s blood, the sudden use is overwhelming and my body begs with me to stop. But I can’t, I only have a small distance until my destination is reached.
The small stream isn’t very wide but I can tell it is deep. The rocks that line the bed disappear from sight a few feet away from the bank’s edge. I’m already preparing my body to jump in when the hound breaks through the tree line, its growling echoing through the still calm of night.
I crouch down and leap forward. I hear the hound growl again and feel the earth shudder as he leaves the ground. It is only a matter of a few seconds before I reach the water, but with my speed, I have time to steal a quick glance back while in mid-air to see his ten-foot-long frame stretched forward, and his claws extended, about to swipe at me. Just before my body reaches the water, the hounds’ claw rips into the skin on my leg, tearing down to the bone.
I’m jerked back with incredible force, landing on the creek’s edge with a thud. The hound leers down at me, jaws snapping. I wiggle my way under his body as he tries to get a hold on me with his claws. I flip over onto my stomach, and thrust my body up, knocking the hound back. He lands only a few feet away, but it’s enough for me to get away.
I dive into the water, diving down deep. The hound dives in after me, but I’m faster. I stay down under the water’s surface, right along the bottom of the creek’s bed. With no need to breathe, I stay hidden below the water’s surface. The hound has no choice but to go up for air. Unlike me, the hounds need air to stay alive.
I smile up through the water with satisfaction as the hound runs back and forth along the edge of the creek, growling in anger. He knows that I’ve won. His chase now over. I scale along the bottom of the creek, grabbing rock after rock to stay along the bottom. One of the advantages of being a vampire is not having to breathe. After making my way downstrea
m underwater for a few miles, it finally becomes shallow. Once I see the twinkle of stars through the waters shimmer, I ascend to its surface. I keep my body hidden beneath the surface, only raising my face out of the water so I can check the forest surrounding the quiet stream.
I search around for signs of the hound, but don’t see or hear anything. As I’m surveying the area, I’m surprised to see a small cabin nestled beside the creeks path. A large water wheel sits near the creek, along with a long table set up for sifting through the hidden treasures of the creek.
Satisfied that no hound is around, I climb out of the creek. After wringing my clothes out a little and checking the now healed wound the hound left on my leg, I survey the cabin. It’s a quiet area, and well away from humans and towns. I make my way away from the creek and peek through the small window in the back. The cabin seems to be unoccupied, and from the looks of it, has been for years.
I creep my way up the porch and go inside for a better look. The living room is bare, save for a lone picture on the mantle above the fireplace. It’s the only sign that anyone ever resided here. The dusty old photo is of a woman and man, smiling, out front of the cabin. Each are holding a sifting pan, used when looking for gold.
I walk on down the hallway. Boards creak with every step I take. Cobwebs line the walls and doorframes. I survey the two rooms at the end of the hall. They look identical. A bed, cedar dresser, and night table is the only furniture. When I turn back toward the kitchen, screeches of two different spirits have me covering my ears. After they’ve tired themselves out a bit, I respond in kind. “Do you not know what you are yelling at? Remember what we can do to you.”
Blood children, even the halfs, can trap a spirit that is left on earth and take the defenseless soul to Hell. I would never do this, but threatening is fun, especially when they are being obnoxious like this.
A wicked smile crosses over my face. No doubt crosses my mind as I walk back toward the front door. I’ll bring Kayson here.
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