“Actually, now that we’re united I was thinking of tracking down the Hunters who hunt us,” Mary Anne said. “They’ve made us a target for some reason. Let’s eliminate the threat.”
Matthew made a face. “I would rather take care of Tyrell and Rome’s group. There are too many unknowns with the Hunters. Doing some spying on them without Julia around might be good, but confronting them without more information is unwise.”
“I’m with Matthew. I’m in no hurry to find those Hunters again,” I said.
Samuel studied all of us. “He has a valid point. Rome’s group might be easier to deal with. Taking the city can give us good strategic position.”
Mary Anne and Jeffrey shared a concerned look. “Their group is quite large and if Valentino sent more of his followers to deal with Lane, we don’t have an accurate count anymore,” she cautioned.
I frowned, but Matthew’s eyes lit up. “You’re hoping Lane has already decimated their numbers, aren’t you?”
Samuel smiled. “I’m counting on it.”
That seemed to appease the rest of the ka-tet. Jeffrey murmured an apology to Stephen as he got up. Stephen waved him off. “No offense taken. It’s almost time for bed anyway. Someone has to give this place an illusion of normalcy.”
I stood and looked down at Kali. “Are you staying here?”
She shrugged. “I’ll be around.”
I glanced at the others. They all rolled their eyes and headed for the door. It was not unusual for Kali to lurk somewhere nearby, seemingly unnoticed by anyone else. Although she is human, we tended to worry less about her than Stephen because of her abilities.
***
The five of us headed toward the northwest edge of the city. “Doesn’t this seem like old times?” Matthew asked.
“I cannot remember the last time Julia came with us on a scouting mission,” Jeffrey replied.
Samuel sighed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Touchy, aren’t you Samuel?” Mary Anne said with a smile.
He scowled. “Don’t you start too, Mary Anne.”
“We can sing a happy song,” Matthew retorted.
“I think that would defeat the purpose of our mission.” Samuel glanced at me with a slight frown.
I could sense the undercurrent of tension in the group as we walked. Jeffrey had been correct. This was the first time in years I had been included in one of their missions. Matthew was the only one who seemed at ease with the situation, making jokes and wisecracks like his former self. Of course, he was the only one who had fought alongside me in combat recently. Lane had been my unexpected ally against Rome’s group, and Samuel had cleverly avoided a confrontation against the Hunters. That last thought made me wonder. Did he create the diversion because he couldn’t reach me in time or because he didn’t trust me?
“You’re quiet, Julia. Are you all right?” Mary Anne questioned.
“Yes. Not much to say.”
We advanced to the edge of the woods that surrounded the city. “Samuel –” I started.
He abruptly stopped and his eyes narrowed. “Eight vampires up ahead,” he said calmly.
“Rome’s group, I assume,” I said.
“Why is their group all the way out here?” Matthew whispered.
“A secret meeting?” Jeffrey offered.
Mary Anne shook her head. “They’re in the woods. They may be searching for Lane.”
“Anyone feel like crashing the party?” Matthew asked with a grin.
I nodded and looked at Samuel. He had already started into the woods. “Apparently Samuel agrees with me.”
“Someone must mark this on a calendar. Samuel and Julia agree on something,” Mary Anne said with a smile.
He looked back at us. “Are you coming? Let’s go if you are. I want to send the Council members my sincerest greetings.”
We glanced at each other and followed. “Yes, well, we’ve seen how you ‘welcome’ members of the High Council, Samuel,” Mary Anne said drily.
A faint smile touched his lips as he cloaked then, the same instant I did.
Mary Anne and Matthew shared an amused look.
Samuel glared at him. I bit back a smile as we crept toward the edge of a clearing.
As I glimpsed the scene, I felt a jolt go through my system. I identified four of the eight vampires from Rome’s group from a few nights ago, but I also recognized the vampire we hadn’t been able to sense. It was Lane. Rome’s group was fighting against him.
Matthew looked at us in shock. “They’re all attacking him?”
Mary Anne nodded. “What do you want to do, Samuel?” she asked, sounding uncertain. “Should we get involved or leave?”
“It’s Lane they’re fighting,” I whispered, feeling that I should get involved. After all, he had saved my life. Even as I spoke, I watched as three of the eight attacked Lane at the same time. He knocked one of the vampires down and spun toward another, blocking their thrust with a short sword. The third vampire came up behind him and swung with a large piece of wood, connecting with the back of his head. Lane staggered a step, wincing. I recognized the assailant as Tyrell.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Samuel move.
“Julia, stop him!” Jeffrey hissed. “What is he doing?”
Within seconds, he was beyond the tree line. “Lane, Tyrell’s mine!” Samuel hollered and tackled Tyrell a second later, knocking the wood from his hand. Lane looked up in bewilderment, which then turned to surprised understanding when he saw Samuel on top of Tyrell. He focused on the seven other attackers.
Matthew rolled his eyes. “I guess Samuel made the decision for us. Let’s go join the fun.”
Jeffrey smiled. “All right.” He and Mary Anne moved forward, then glanced back. “You are coming, right, Matthew?”
He nodded as I pointed to Patrizia. “Leave her to me,” I said. I heard murmured acknowledgement as they also entered the clearing. Mary Anne slammed into a vampire Lane had just thrown back, knocking the other man to the ground. Jeffrey attacked another vampire next to her. Matthew followed, grabbed a third vampire, and spun him closer to the trees.
I joined them a second later. Patrizia had her back to me and was lunging for Lane. I threw her to the ground next to her intended target. “Remember me?” I asked.
Lane looked toward me as the number of opponents he was fighting was reduced to three. Amita swung at him but he caught her wrist, sending her to the ground. He immediately whirled toward one of the others.
“You’re making a big mistake, Julia,” Patrizia hissed.
“It wouldn’t be the first time in my life,” I replied and hit her in the face. She leapt back to her feet and charged me, knocking me backward. I saw her look of surprise when I grabbed her wrists and let myself fall. As I did so, I flipped her over my head and jumped back to my feet.
I looked to my left and saw Samuel and Tyrell fighting. Tyrell backed away from Samuel a bit and wiped blood from his mouth. “Are you completely out of your mind, Samuel?! I know you’re not fond of Valentino but to aid the rogue?”
Samuel struck him in the arm. “No, I think I’m fighting the right person,” he replied, hitting him again in the chest.
Tyrell punched him. “You’re not fighting Lane.”
Samue
l smiled. “No, I’m killing you,” he answered cheerfully.
“Why? He’s just going to kill you next.”
Samuel angrily hit him in the face. “Lane has never hurt me or anyone else I care about. You, however, attacked one of us the other night. Besides, you’ve been a thorn in my side for decades.”
“I can say the same about you,” Tyrell said, spitting up blood. “I thought you wanted her dead?”
Samuel’s reply was lost as the vampire struggling against Lane screamed and Patrizia tried to sweep my legs out from where she was on the ground. I dodged and moved behind her. She turned but was too slow as I put my hands around her neck. “Vengeance is fun,” I said and twisted her neck all the way around.
I looked up as Lane sunk his fangs into an attacker’s throat. I stared at him in disbelief as he drank from her. Apparently, there was some truth to all the stories. I had started to think they were just fables that had grown out of the truth.
Amita was now fighting Mary Anne, and the last vampire Lane had been fighting was lying on the ground, bleeding and looking dazed. I shook my head and ran toward the two women. My mind doesn’t work the way Lane’s did; I did not see my opponents as food. They were just rival vampires to be killed.
“Matthew! Johnathan says hello!” Amita shouted as she shoved Mary Anne away. “He misses your company! He enjoyed hearing your screams.”
Matthew staked the vampire he was fighting, then glared at her. A glint of hatred appeared in his eyes, but a tiny tremor went through him as well. “Tell him to go to hell, Amita.” He looked around. “Fire. Damnit, I need some fire.”
I closed in and tackled Amita, who had Mary Anne cornered on the ground. We fell, the stake dropping from her hand. Amita knocked me off and got to her feet, but wasn’t interested in me anymore. She ran to her left as Tyrell collided with a tree, trying to reach him before Samuel did. He was on Tyrell in an instant, stake in hand. A moment later, Samuel brushed himself off, glancing toward Amita. “Next?” he asked casually.
Amita stopped as I stood. Her eyes flickered from Samuel, to me, and finally to Lane who had dropped the vampire he had been feeding from. “Damn!” she swore, before she and the other two survivors broke away from us and fled into the woods.
“Is everyone all right?” Matthew asked.
“I’m good,” Jeffrey called with a smile.
“Just wonderful,” Mary Anne answered, sitting up and massaging her neck. She winced. Samuel was staring after the three vampires. He seemed to be debating on going after them.
I looked at Lane. “Are you all right?”
Lane looked from me to the others. Slowly, he nodded and backed away from us. He looked ready to bolt at any second. I realized how strange it must seem to him that several vampires came to his aid, especially since he didn’t see me at first. After all, he had said most attacked him on sight. I smiled at him, trying to calm his unease.
Samuel walked back to us and leaned against a tree. He looked at Mary Anne. “We could go after them.”
“We could,” Mary Anne answered cautiously. “If there are no witnesses, there’s nobody to report to Valentino.”
Matthew scowled. “I bet Amita has already said something to whoever she could by now. We’re going to get reported one way or another. Are you all that eager to repeat the events from five years ago? I’m certainly not.”
Samuel shrugged. “Not particularly at this time. But I don’t think he’s eager for a rematch now either. We wrecked only half of England the last time.” He looked directly at Lane, who I was surprised to see was still standing a few feet away.
Lane stared at him as if he couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. He still said nothing.
Matthew glanced at me. “Um, Julia, does he ever talk?”
“When he wants to. From what you’ve told me, I doubt he’s used to company.”
Samuel was about to speak again when someone else stepped out of the woods. The only thing that gave this person’s presence away was the sound of a stick snapping. I checked behind me and saw Kali. She stepped over a broken tree limb and surveyed us.
“Kali? What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, turning my attention to her.
She shrugged. “I told you I’ll be around. Besides, I figured I would see how you made out.” She gazed at the lone vampire and something like recognition crossed her face. It wasn’t that she recognized him exactly; it was more akin to a soul recognizing another similar soul. “Well, this is interesting,” she stated.
“What?” Samuel asked, looking puzzled.
She smiled, amused. “Lane, do you have any idea what you are?”
He shook his head.
“A rogue?” Matthew offered, looking at Kali in exasperation.
Kali slanted a glare in his direction. Matthew stepped back as her shields cloaking her power slipped the tiniest bit. “Not just a rogue. He’s without what you refer to as ka.”
“He has no destiny?!” Samuel spit out in surprise.
She glanced from Samuel to Lane. “Exactly,” she replied. “You don’t have a predestined future, Lane. You make your own.”
“Oh, bloody hell,” Mary Anne cursed under her breath. “I don’t believe this.”
The human girl glanced at me and turned away. “That’s all.”
“Kali,” I said warningly. “That’s not all and we both know it.”
She turned back to me. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“You’re not going to just dump this on us and leave. Tell us. All of it,” I said sharply. “Now.”
She tilted her head to the side and regarded us. “Oh, very well. Souls without predestined futures change the destinies of everyone they come in contact with.”
“You’re one of them too, aren’t you?” Samuel asked with a sigh.
Kali shrugged but I saw a knowing smile cross her face. “And what happens if two souls without destinies meet?” I asked.
An amused smile touched her lips. “I’ve never heard of it happening. Those souls are so rare to begin with that the chances of two meeting are nearly impossible.”
“Impossible? Nothing is impossible! It’s happening right now!” Mary Anne exploded.
Kali shrugged again. “There’s always a first time for everything.”
“What about us?” Jeffrey questioned.
“I do not know.”
“Excuse me, what do you mean I have no destiny?” Lane suddenly asked.
Everyone looked toward him startled. “It speaks,” Matthew muttered. Lane glared at him.
“Matthew, be quiet,” Samuel snapped. “Do you really want to anger someone who’s eluded Valentino’s assassins for decades?”
Matthew frowned. “No, not really. Sorry Lane.”
Kali looked at Lane. “Some souls don’t have destinies. You’re one of them. You create your own.”
Lane nodded, although confusion still darkened his normally light-gray eyes. I smiled to myself. At least I wasn’t the only one who found Kali disconcerting at times.
“I think we’re scaring him,” Matthew mumbled.
Mary Anne walked over and slapped him. “You don’t learn, do you?”
“Ow, damnit, that hurt.”
“Good,” Samuel replied and turned his attention to Lane, ignoring us. “Do you always feed off vampires?”
He looked taken aback by the topic change. “No, I also feed off murderers, crooks . . .” he replied, his voice trailing off.
Samuel nodded. “Why is it you can cloak yourself so well?”
Lane shrugged. The movement caused the folds of his coat to sway slightly. From my angle it revealed he still held the short blade he had earlier, carefully concealed during our conversation. I was starting to understand why Valentino had such difficulty eliminating him. It seemed as if he was constantly on guard for the next attack– except for the night that I had accidently run into him. I might have suspected our meeting was predestined, but he apparently didn’t have a destiny.
“I don’t know,” Lane answered. As he spoke, he raised his shields until we couldn’t sense him anymore. My group looked over to be sure he was still there. “I just do it,” he finished.
“Is it true that you actually hypnotize other vampires?” Samuel asked. I looked from him to Lane in curiosity. I hadn’t expected Lane to be so willing to answer questions.
“Does anyone want to volunteer?” he questioned, looking around.
The five of us exchanged glances. “No, thank you. I’ll just take that as a ‘yes,’” Samuel said, staring at me. His meaning was evident. Now look what you did.
He nodded at me. “Was there any particular reason for rescuing my fledgling from Rome’s group a few days ago?”
“I was repaying a favor.” Lane’s gaze drifted from one person to another before settling on me. “Who the bloody hell are you people? And why are you fighting them?”
“Valentino and I go back a long way,” Samuel replied. “We’re Resistance.”
“They hate each other,” Mary Anne said. “Feud is probably too mild of a word.”
“We fight them because we want to,” Matthew replied.
Lane seemed perplexed. “Why?”
“Some of us have personal reasons,” Mary Anne said, glaring at Matthew.
Now I felt Samuel raise his shields, blocking us out, especially me. His eyes frosted over. “Don’t remind me,” he snapped. “This has been entertaining, but it’s time to call it a night.” He spun and headed back into the trees.
Matthew looked at Mary Anne. “You had to bring that up,” he said with a sigh. He turned and followed Samuel. Jeffrey followed right behind him without a word.
Mary Anne shrugged at us. “Oops,” she said. “I did not want Lane to think we fight Valentino’s followers simply for sport. Samuel?” she called, disappearing after them.
Lane frowned at the group’s abrupt change of mood. I bit my lip for a second. “We fought Valentino a few years back. The encounter did not go very well, and some members are still recovering.” I glanced at Kali, whom I had almost forgotten was still standing behind me. “Are you coming?”
She carefully walked through the brush and joined me. “We need to talk again soon, Lane.”
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