by LM DeWalt
“What do you mean you don’t know how to drive? Everybody drives,” Fiore said, looking at Aloysius with shock.
“I have the ability to disappear and materialize anywhere I want. Why would I need to drive?” Everyone laughed.
“I guess I just assumed,” Fiore shrugged and smiled at him, her eyes shining. “Okay, then. You’ll ride with me and Aaron can follow us.”
We loaded the luggage into the two vehicles and settled in for the scary ride. I grasped Christian’s hand in the third row and tried to focus my attention on the conversation, happy I wasn’t asked to drive.
~ Thirty-Two ~
“So these are all the weapons we have?” Aaron asked as he rummaged through the boxes. He had pulled the boxes from the hallway into the living room and was kneeling in front of one, examining the contents and placing them on the floor.
“Between all of us, we shouldn’t need much more than our combined powers. The weapons are merely an added sense of security,” Aloysius explained. “Besides, we have Pierce and his magic with us now.”
Pierce started going through the contents of another box. “I will think of something that will help. We also have Raul’s expertise to aid us. He’s fought hunters before,” he said as he looked at the array of knives and swords Carmela had delivered. He felt the tip of each blade as he also lined them up on the floor.
Raul sat on an armchair, paying no attention to the display of weapons. His brow furrowed like he was deep in thought, but his mind was shielded by a concrete wall, completely impenetrable. Riley’s green eyes fixed on him for a moment and she sighed. She turned her gaze back to the rest of the group.
“My poor Maia,” Kalia said. All eyes turned to her, even Raul’s. “Ian dragged her into this mess and now he’s gone. She should have been left alone.” My stomach turned.
“Kalia, we will solve this problem. I promise,” I said and took her hand. She turned her trusting gaze on me and forced a smile, nodding.
“We’ve dealt with hunters before. They should be easy enough to beat, or at least subdue. It’s the vampires and witches that are more of a concern. We don’t know any of them and don’t know their powers.” Beth walked over to examine the blades Pierce had set out. She took one in her hands and slashed through the air with it, testing it out. “Any idea how many we’re dealing with?”
“No, and I don’t think they’re all Peruvian, either. I think the Irish are here too,” Aloysius explained.
“We’re dealing with vampires, hunters, witches, and possibly a shapeshifter?” Riley asked.
“It looks that way,” I said. “If that’s what Christian and I saw last night, then that makes things more difficult, right?”
“Not necessarily. If it is a shapeshifter as you described, it’s a bird. What is a bird going to do against a bunch of vampires? Besides, the shift would take too much energy for whomever it is to shift back to vampire and be effective in a battle. It will need to feed and recover right after. It won’t have much time or privacy to do that. That’s something we will have to make sure of. We’ll do whatever we have to do to get Maia back in one piece,” Aaron said, squeezing Kalia to his side to reassure her.
“And Jose Luis,” I added. Aaron narrowed his eyes and a lump formed in my throat.
“Do you think Aaron has a problem with Jose Luis?” Christian asked once we were in the privacy of our own room.
“I think it’s just that he probably thinks I want to make him a vampire or something.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Do you?”
I spun to face him. “Of course not! I just want a better life for him; however I can help.”
“Are you sure that’s really it?” He patted the mattress next to him, inviting me to sit.
Setting down the clothes I was mindlessly folding, I sat next to him and turned to look into his eyes. “I just want something better for him. He’s too young to be wrapped up in all the craziness. He deserves a chance to be a kid, a chance to have friends, a chance to go to school, and fall in love, like any other kid his age. Is that so wrong?”
“No, but do you think we can offer him that, being what we are?” he asked, his tone gentle.
“It’s not like he doesn’t know what we are, but I’m not sure. I just know anything has to be better than how he’s living now. You didn’t see the way the hunters treated him, the way they shoved him into that car like he was just a piece of property. They don’t care one bit about him.” Jose Luis was an innocent orphan who was trapped in the life of a vampire hunter with the promise of not starving to death. It wasn’t fair. They were using him.
“And you do?”
“What?” I asked, though I knew what he meant.
“You care about him?” he asked.
“I guess I do. It’s not fair that he has to submit to being used just to have food in his belly and clothes on his back, a roof over his head. None of what happened to him was his fault. He didn’t become an orphan by choice.”
“Speaking of orphans, did you know Ian was one?”
“Yes, I did. He never gave away too many details about his past but I did know that much. That’s one of the reasons I want a better life for Jose Luis. Look what it did to Ian.”
“So true,” Christian said.
“And if that Arturo guy is any indication of how the rest of the hunters act, that’s not very reassuring. He was really mean.”
Christian laughed. “Well, it’s not me you have to worry about. I have complete confidence in your judgment. As long as we can get him out of Peru, and if he’s willing, I am all for taking care of him, trying to give him the kind of life he deserves.” He smiled. I threw my arms around him and buried my face in the crook of his neck.
“Thank you so much! I promise you won’t regret it,” I kissed his lips before getting to my feet. “I will take full responsibility for him.”
“Lily, he’s not a pet. We will take care of him together. Besides, at his age, he needs a male influence around; you know, a strong masculine role model such as myself.” He winked. “There will be things he’ll be more comfortable discussing with me than with you, if you know what I mean.”
I rolled my eyes. “We need to be ready to leave at nightfall.”
“Right,” Christian said as he stood and went to the dresser. “It’s a good thing we’re doing this at night, when it’s less likely there will be tourists on the mountain. I guess it’s a good idea to wear black, right?”
“It’s a good idea to blend, for whatever that’s worth,” I said and pulled a black shirt over my head.
“You sound a bit worried. Are you?” Christian zipped his black jeans and looked through his drawer for a shirt.
“A little,” I admitted. “I don’t know what’s really happening with Maia. I have no idea how to deal with a shifter, and no idea what kind of powers Melinda possesses.”
“Oh, good, because I thought you were worried about having to protect me,” he said. I paused and looked at him, trying to smile. He lifted my face with his fingers to look at my eyes. “Please tell me that’s not it.”
I tried to look at the floor but he wouldn’t release my chin. “Well, you are new to this whole thing. I just think maybe it would be best if…”
“Lily, please don’t. You are not going to leave me waiting on the sidelines again. I am not human anymore. I have powers of my own. I can fight this time.” His eyes bore into mine.
I swallowed hard before answering. “I can’t help it. I love you and I’m afraid.”
“What exactly are you afraid of?”
“I’m afraid to lose you.”
“You will never lose me. Don’t waste a single moment thinking like that. I’m not even a little bit scared or worried that we won’t succeed. I believe in us, all of us. Doesn’t that count for something?”
I nodded. He wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned his chin on my head. “I guess it does,” I said.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ve learned a lot from
you. Trust me to fight at your side from this day forward.”
“You’re right. But at the first sign of…”
“Oh, no you don’t.” He held his index finger up to my lips to stop me. “Let’s just leave it at I’m right.”
I laughed and nodded. I hoped he was right. Things would be much easier if I didn’t have to watch his back the whole time and could actually use my powers to try put an end to this mess. A soft knock on the door pulled us apart. “Are you ready?” Fiore called from the other side.
“We’ll be right out,” I called. I laced my black hiking boots and looked at Christian. His eyes showed the fear he said he did not feel but his smile tried to convince me otherwise. “Let’s do this.” He nodded.
The ride to the base of the mountain was quiet and uneventful, except for the loading of guns and strapping of sheaths for the assorted knives we’d be carrying. No one spoke but everyone seemed busy with something. I’m not sure who Aloysius’ connections were but they were definitely into some heavy stuff. I was grateful that it had been so easy to get what we needed. I armed myself with a gun and a short sword, but Christian wanted to wait until everyone had what they wanted before choosing his weapons.
“What good does a bullet do with a vampire?” he asked as we pulled the car over to the side of the road at the base of the mountain. We planned to walk the rest of the way under the cloak of night so we wouldn’t alert them of our arrival with the roaring motors – at least, that was our hope.
“They’re loaded with wooden bullets,” Fiore answered from the front seat.
“That’s ingenious. What about the hunters then? They’re human.” He placed a gun in the holster at his side and tried the swords on for size. He decided on a long one, much like the one we had used in the cabin to kill Ian. “Who took the bow and arrows?”
“That would be Aloysius’ weapon of choice,” Aaron said as he approached the back our vehicle, already armed.
“To answer your other question, I don’t think it will much matter what kind of bullets the humans get hit with as long as they go down,” I explained. “It will hurt just as much.”
When the ten of us had gathered at the car, checked our weapons, and wished each other luck, Aaron said, “Get Maia and the kid, if possible, and get out. Do not engage them if they don’t attack first. The last thing we need is for innocent humans to be hurt in all this, or even learn of our existence. We should be able to avoid the woman and the children who live here. I’m pretty sure the hunters would protect them, not harm them.”
We nodded in agreement and after a lot of hugging and back-patting, split into pairs to start our climb to the top. It was likely they were using this mountain as a gathering place and would be somewhere near the ruins where I’d fought Melinda previously.
Christian took my hand as we rounded a corner and found a somewhat clear path up the mountain. We communicated mentally when we needed to but kept as quiet as possible, cloaking ourselves and trying to blend with the shadows in the night. The element of surprise would hopefully work to our advantage.
Trust me, Lily. I’m not helpless anymore. Please remember that. Christian reassured me one last time. I squeezed his hand to show him I understood. He was my equal now, not my responsibility. He smiled broadly as he heard my silent thought.
I want to check the ruins first…
Straight ahead if I remember correctly.
I nodded. We continued up the path, the wind blowing dirt in our faces. Our steps displaced stones, sending them rolling down the hill, making us cringe. As we neared, I listened for any signs of movement or beating hearts, but heard nothing except the wind and the distant crash of the waves below. It was way too quiet up here, eerily quiet.
Christian pulled me to a stop as a dark shadow crossed our path and disappeared. What the hell was that?
I have no idea but it went that way. I pointed toward the darkened shell of what once might have been a lovely home, or maybe an office. Now it looked like an eerie skeleton looming from the ground. We drew our knives and held them, ready to defend ourselves. The sky was moonless again tonight but our eyes had adjusted to the darkness as we sidled to the opening of the ruins. I held my breath and listened. Someone was humming softly.
“Maia, is that you? Are you here?” I asked, still in a hushed voice. If that was her, she was close enough to hear me. Christian squinted in the darkness, trying to make some sense of the shapes flickering in the candlelight just inside the entrance.
“Why don’t you come closer and see?” she taunted, her voice squeaky and childish.
Christian looked at me and it was clear he was restraining a laugh. Maia wasn’t very good at disguising her voice. “I don’t think so. You come out and face me,” I demanded, the blade clutched tightly in my hand. Christian released my other hand and pulled his gun out, a soft click telling me he cocked it. “Stop being a coward for once and show yourself!”
She appeared in front of us so fast, had I not heard the rustling of dry weeds, I would’ve thought she possessed Aloysius’s abilities. Her eye was completely healed and the bruises had disappeared, leaving her skin as white and unmarred as porcelain.
“You’re not a prisoner at all. I knew it,” I said as I scowled at her. “What kind of game are you playing?”
“It’s no game, sis. It’s called revenge.” She bared her fangs at us, trying to look menacing. Neither of us moved. “You took Ian away from me. You need to pay for that.” She made no attempt to move yet so I held my hand up to stop Christian, who aimed his gun at her head and seemed prepared to shoot. I wasn’t ready for that yet.
“I did no such thing. He came to me, remember? And besides, Ian didn’t love you,” I growled. “He didn’t love me either. He didn’t even love Fiore. He was only ever in love with himself.”
“That is not true! He loved me. He told me so,” she said as she backed away a few steps.
“Okay, but even if he did, it doesn’t matter. He’s gone now. He is not coming back. Ever! Think of how much you’ll hurt Aaron and Kalia if you do this.” I hoped the mention of the vampires she considered her parents would make her snap back to her senses. Instead, she threw her head back and laughed.
~ Thirty-Three ~
“I doubt Kalia will care who Christian is with, me or you. I think it’s only fair you give me what I want.”
“What makes you think I’d even consider that?” I asked, too shocked to even raise my voice.
“And what makes you think I’d even have anything to do with you?” Christian asked.
“Oh, please. Don’t act like you don’t find me attractive. I know you were admiring me at your own wedding, drooling over how I looked in that dress.”
Christian advanced toward her, aiming the gun straight at her forehead with a steady hand.
“Christian, please,” I urged.
“I’ve had just about all I can take of her, Lily,” He turned his face back to her. “You are nothing but a spoiled, rotten little brat. You’re a child. You’ll never even be half the woman Lily is. The only reason I have ever been civil toward you was to make her and your parents happy.”
“That’s bullshit,” Maia said, but the look in her eyes showed that she wasn’t too sure. “I could make you just as happy, even happier, if you’d let me.”
“Read my lips, Maia. I do not want you, not now, not ever!”
“Then you need to die with her, since you love her so much. That’s the least you can do.”
I stepped forward a few steps now. “Don’t you care at all about what you’re doing to your parents? They honestly believe you’re innocent in all of this. They believe you were really kidnapped.”
“I do feel a little bad for Kalia. Her big heart will one day be the end of her,” Maia said, her arms crossed over her chest. “Mark my words.”
“What are you talking about, Maia?” I stood next to Christian now.
“How do you think it was that I came to live with them? You don’t honest
ly think she turned a perfectly normal and happy girl into a vampire, do you? No, Aaron and Kalia are too noble for that. Too perfect. They are the perfect models of what a self-respecting vampire should be like. Don’t make other vampires, don’t kill poor innocent people, and don’t harm a hair on a human’s head, please! Pretty damn boring, if you ask me.”
“I still have no idea what you’re talking about and you’re really starting to piss me off. Get to the point already or I’ll just have to give my husband permission to blast your head off!”
Both Christian and Maia’s eyes grew with shock.
“Kalia thought she was saving a terminally ill girl from an untimely death: leukemia. That’s what I told her when we met in the grocery store. I even cried, real tears and slobber and all that. Shaving my head was easy. I knew it would grow back as soon as I was reborn.” She smiled but didn’t move.
“Why would you do that to Kalia?”
“Because stupid Ian wouldn’t do it, why else? Something about not feeling right about turning a minor. That’s why I had to convince Kalia to do it.”
“Eighteen doesn’t exactly qualify you as a minor,” I explained.
“You’re right, but I’m pretty sure sixteen does.” She smiled, satisfied with herself.
“You lied to them?”
“I had to. It was the only way I could be with Ian, the only way to make him really love me…until you interfered.”
Christian aimed the gun at her chest now, but I shook my head. I wasn’t done with her yet. “So you knew Ian before that trip to Europe? You lied to everybody about that too?”
“I met him about three years before that. He took care of me when I left home. I was only thirteen then. He was all I had.” She stuck out her bottom lip and pouted. I laughed and Christian grabbed my hand, signaling me to calm down this time.
“Thirteen?” I didn’t even try to hide my shock.
She nodded. “I loved him from the first time I set eyes on him.”
I certainly remembered what that had felt like. “He wouldn’t turn you so you tricked Kalia and Aaron into doing it?” Though I understood better now, my mind wasn’t quite grasping the immensity of her deception.