Gaining access to the school wasn’t difficult. It was still summer break, and the building was all but deserted. Alex pried the door open with ease, and they slipped inside unnoticed.
Ellie motioned for him to follow her. “Come on. We should leave before anyone realizes we’re here.” They were in luck. The chemistry lab was also abandoned. Ellie slid on a pair of latex gloves and grabbed a large flask which she placed inside the fume hood. It’s a good thing I took Advanced Chemistry.
Alex watched over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Putting my theory to the test.” Ellie poured concentrated nitric acid into a beaker and sealed the top before doing the same with a flask of hydrochloric acid. After adding the two beakers to her bag, she prepared a separate mixture of both compounds in the fume hood. The resulting reaction produced intense heat. “It’s called aqua regia. It means ‘royal water’ in Latin because it’s strong enough to dissolve gold.”
“Interesting, but I’m not sure what you intend it to do.”
“Let’s find out. Hold out your hand.” Ellie filled a medicine dropper with a small amount of the acid. The liquid smoked on contact with Alex and burned a hole through his finger, which quickly healed.
He winced, clearly uncomfortable. “What did I tell you?”
“I’m not done yet.” When Ellie removed a small piece of silver from her backpack and dropped it into the mixture. The metal dissolved before their eyes. “Now the acid contains silver ions. Hold out that finger again.”
She carefully applied a few drops to Alex’s finger. He screamed involuntarily and clutched his raw and bloody hand. “It’s not healing. What did you do?”
“I thought the silver ions would make it harder to heal the wounds. It looks like I was right.”
Alex wore the hint of a smile. “Aristae won’t know what hit her.”
“We can’t make the rest here.” Ellie zipped up her backpack and switched off the fume hood. “The mixture loses its effectiveness soon after the reaction is complete. It has to be made just before it’s used.”
“Then we’d better make it count. Good work, Ellie. You’re as clever as your mother.” Alex regarded her with a peculiar expression almost akin to pride.
Ellie frowned. It wasn’t that long ago she’d been falling for him. Now the memory repulsed her. She wasn’t sure what she felt for him anymore. Having seen what hatred had done to Alex and Aristae, Ellie chose pity instead. Whatever humanity remained within him, he’d lost the better part of it. “What happens when this is all over?”
Alex held her gaze. “I don’t mean for you to take this the wrong way, but this was never about you—at least not at first. It was about Samantha. It’s always been about her. When I saw her again…”
Ellie wasn’t sure what was worse—the idea she had dated someone her mother’s age or the fact someone who outwardly looked like a teenager was in love with her mother.
Alex took a step toward her. “I meant what I said in the hospital. I do care about you. If things had turned out differently, you could have been my daughter.” He reached out and stroked her cheek.
Ellie cringed. “Don’t touch me.” Alex certainly sounded as if he believed the things he said, but Ellie had a feeling there was something he wasn’t telling her. “Why are you really helping me?”
He took his hand away but remained close to her. “I never wanted this life. Aristae turned me against my will. I never loved her. This is my chance to finally be free of her.”
They met at the cabin before noon.
Matt handed them two-way radios—more reliable than cell phones in case of poor reception in rural areas. He’d filled two bags with weapons and ammunition before leaving the station. There was no news of Ellie’s mother at the station, but he had learned that Sarah had appeared at her house the previous day.
When they reached Sarah’s house, Alex remained behind while Ellie and Matt waited at the door.
“Ellie?” Sarah’s mother looked surprised to see her. “And Deputy Simmons? What brings you here?”
Matt did the talking. “I heard Sarah showed up yesterday. What happened?”
“My baby came home. Walked right inside like nothing had happened. When I tried to talk to her, she said she was feeling sick but refused to go to the hospital. She sounded like she was in a fog.”
Ellie tried to process the information. “How did she arrive?”
Sarah’s mother shrugged. “I assumed a friend dropped her off. I didn’t see a car, come to think of it. Then a few hours before dark, she got up and walked out of the door. I thought she would be back soon, but she hasn’t returned.” Her voice broke. “I’m worried sick! What’s happening?”
Ellie’s eyes stung. I’m so sorry I got you into this, Sarah.
Matt laid a hand on her shoulder. “Mrs. Preston, we’re doing everything we can. I promise.”
“Well?” Alex asked when the returned. “What did you learn?”
“Sarah appeared at her doorstep yesterday afternoon, suffering from some kind of sickness.”
“Her body was being altered to accommodate the change.”
“Mrs. Preston said her daughter acted like she was in a fog.”
“Sarah must have woken up when Aristae was away. She likely had no memory of the night before. Without Aristae there to control her, Sarah found her way home.”
“You mean she walked home?” Ellie looked at him with disbelief. “You expect me to believe she just walked all the way back to Aristae on foot?”
“That’s exactly what she did. Sarah has greatly enhanced speed, even in her human form. She could cover that distance with ease if Aristae summoned her.”
“When we arrived the night Ellie was attacked, we found the house in the woods empty,” Matt said. “Winston and Sarah weren’t there. Wherever Aristae went, she took Sarah and Winston with her. If Sarah walked here on her own, Aristae’s hideout has to be within walking distance. We don’t know how long Sarah was wandering before she came home, but I’d wager she’s within a five-mile radius.”
“You can cross off anywhere closer to town,” Alex said. “Aristae will have hidden Samantha somewhere far removed from prying eyes. Probably a farm—one with woods.”
“We have work to do,” Matt said. “Let’s start with the biggest farms. We’ll ask the owners if they’ve seen anything strange.”
“I may be able to track her if we get close enough.”
“Let’s go.” Ellie stared up at the blazing sun. “We still have time. We can do this.”
I’m coming for you, Mom.
Chapter Nineteen
Aristae still remembered the night she was turned, though it was almost four hundred years ago. She remembered the cold, unusual cold for southern France. She remembered her loneliness, despite the servants who had surrounded her. She remembered her husband’s absence…
But she had always been glad of his absence. How different he was from Henri, her childhood sweetheart. The thought of him stirred a familiar ache. They had been happy once, until her father betrothed her to a knight she had never met before. She and Henri ran away together to elope but were caught, and Henri was beaten and imprisoned. A fortnight after Aristae was married to the Chevalier—sold like a piece of property—she learned that Henri had died alone from starvation.
Her husband’s cruelty knew no limits. He treated his wife and servants savagely. He came close to killing her once after she gave Bouvier, an old hunter and friend, medicine for his dying wife. Fortunately, the Chevalier was often gone on campaigns, leaving her to her loneliness.
On the night she was turned, Aristae found herself outside, staring up at the full moon from a balcony. Caught up in memories, she barely noticed the howl. In the shadows, something stirred. A shape detached itself from the trees, and Aristae’s eyes widened as a monstrous beast seemingly spawned from the pits of Hell emerged.
In her panic, she lost her footing, slipped, and landed in the soft snow. When Aristae s
tumbled to her feet, her clothes matted with snow, the creature had vanished. Cold rendered her breath visible. The howl sounded again, closer this time. She backed away, toward the house, and waited. For a moment, there was nothing. Then she heard heavy breathing at her back and started to tremble. When Aristae dared cast a glance over her shoulder, the wolf-like monster sank its fangs into her shoulder. She landed on her back, faintly aware of her blood streaking the white snow with red as the monster bit and clawed at her. Shock and cold numbed her to the pain, and she waited for death.
A musket fired, and the monster fled into the darkness. Aristae turned to face her rescuer. It was Bouvier. The hunter’s shot brought the servants. Aristae felt a blanket being wrapped around her as a pair of strong arms carried her to safety.
She lay on the verge of death for three days until she woke. When Aristae looked in the mirror, she appeared healthier than ever. Strands of red ran through her black hair, as if it was permanently stained by blood. Try as she might, she could never get the color out.
She noticed changes in her personality almost immediately. Aristae grew short with the servants and prone to fits of anger. She spoke her mind more freely. Her unease with these changes was mingled with pleasure in discovering that her senses of vision, smell, and taste were stronger than before. For the first time in her life, she felt powerful.
After the first change, Aristae woke with her dress in tatters and no memory of the previous night. The blackouts occurred with each full moon. Occasionally, a peasant many miles away would be found dead, and there were unspoken rumors of a monster living in the forests.
Then Aristae’s husband returned home without warning. The Chevalier was in exceptionally bad spirits after suffering defeat in his latest campaign. This time, however, Aristae did not allow her husband’s cruelty to go unanswered. When the full moon rose again, she gave in to all the anger and rage that had built up inside her since Henri’s death and fled the estate walls with her slain husband’s blood on her hands.
Shouting cut short her foray into the past. Aristae made her way to Samantha, now awake.
“Who are you? Why are you doing this?”
Light peeked into the abandoned barn from gaps between the wooden planks. Aristae studied Samantha’s face. Alexander was right. She looked like her daughter. She had aged since the last time Aristae laid eyes on her. That was twenty years ago, on her wedding day, the day Alexander fully became hers—at least until Samantha’s daughter had tried to take him away from her.
She bent down and traced Samantha’s face with a fingernail. “I was just thinking about your wedding day. Alexander and I were there, watching. You were so happy. My own wedding was full of sorrow. Now both of our husbands are dead—or at least yours will be soon enough.”
“Where’s Michael?” Samantha struggled against the ropes holding her in place. “What have you done with Ellie?”
Aristae gripped her chin and held her head in place. “Do not worry. You will all be reunited soon enough.”
“Whatever you want with me, leave Ellie out of this. She’s done nothing to you.”
“If only that were true.” Aristae crouched beside her. “I marked Alexander. I chose him as my companion. I offered him the world, and still he returned to you. Your rejection should have bound him to me forever, until your daughter ruined everything. Now she must pay. As you must.” Aristae cast a glance over her shoulder at Sarah and Winston, passed out nearby. “Get up, you two. We have work to do.”
Sarah’s eyes blinked open. She glanced around the barn, confused, until her gaze settled on Samantha. “Mrs. Sullivan? What are you doing here? Where are we?”
Aristae watched with amusement as Sarah attempted to rouse Winston before stumbling to Samantha’s side. “That’s enough.”
Sarah, preoccupied with Samantha’s restraints, froze and turned to face her. “Who are you?”
“Sarah, get out of here!” Samantha shouted. “Get help!”
Sarah’s voice sharpened, as if coming out of a fog. “I know you. You attacked me.” Her hand went to her scar, where she’d been marked. “What did you do to me?” She tried to run, but Aristae closed the gap between them in an instant and intercepted her. Sarah kicked and lashed out as Aristae held her in place.
“You’ve got spirit, girl, but I am much stronger than you.” Aristae tightened her grip. “Serve me well, and perhaps there’ll be a place for you at my side after all.”
“Let her go!” Winston hit her on the back of the head with a block of wood.
Aristae hardly noticed, but her brow furrowed in displeasure. She threw Sarah to the ground and hurled Winston into a wall, where they landed side by side.
Sarah turned over on her back and let out a deep breath. “That was brave.”
Winston crawled next to her. “I’m sorry I got you into this, Sarah. This is all my fault. I just—I just wanted someone to notice me.”
Sarah took his hand and held it. “You’re not so bad, you know. I’m sorry I teased you.”
“Enough.” Aristae set her will upon them. “You belong to me. You have no will of your own.” The force of her mental command drove them to their knees, and when they rose again, their expressions were empty.
Aristae dragged Samantha toward the barn doors, kicking and screaming.
“Come on.” Ellie approached the secluded farmhouse. The others, scanning the trees for any sign of danger, followed closely behind until they reached the building. Ellie knocked on the door and waited. “I don’t think there’s anyone inside.”
“There’s no sign of a struggle here.” Alex sniffed the air. “Or the smell of death.”
“Great.” Ellie bit back mounting frustration. Time was slipping away. They’d been searching for her mother for hours, and the same scenario had played out several times already. No one had seen or heard anything suspicious, and Alex had yet to pick up Aristae’s trail. “We should go. We’re losing the light.”
“Not so fast.” Matt peered through a window. “This farm belongs to the Johnston family. Mac Johnston’s mother suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. They moved her to the university hospital in Louisville. He’s spent a lot of time visiting her.”
Alex inspected the property. “He’s right. The place is deserted. How much land is on the property?”
“At least five hundred acres.”
“More than enough for Aristae’s purposes.”
Matt glanced at a map. “Do you want to move on, Ellie? We have three more properties left on our list.”
Ellie surveyed the edge of the forest. Although the Johnston farm was relatively removed from town—it was on the outer limit of their search radius—Sarah could have found her way home from there. “We’ll look a little longer, just in case.”
Matt nodded. “Let’s spread out.”
While Matt inspected a silo and Alex entered a shed, Ellie wandered inside a small barn. A dull scraping noise emanating from farther inside sent a chill down her spine, and a sudden blur of movement caused her to jump. Ellie relaxed when she realized the movement had come from one of the horses in the stalls.
It appeared the horses had been watered fairly recently. If there are horses here, Mac Johnston either has someone looking after them or is only visiting his mother for a short time. Ellie sighed, disheartened. Aristae wouldn’t have chosen to hide nearby, not with the horses so close—given how they reacted to the werewolves’ presence.
She returned to Matt, who emerged from the silo. “Find anything?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Ellie bit her lip. This is exactly what Aristae wants. To keep us looking in the wrong direction until night comes. “What about you, Alex?”
He started to shake his head when the wind shifted, and a strange expression came over his face. “Samantha.”
“Are you sure?”
Alex inhaled sharply through his nose. “It’s faint, but I’d know her scent anywhere.” He stalked toward a barn apart from the others.
Ellie outpaced him, pushed open the doors, and peered inside. “There’s nothing here.” I’m sorry, Mom. She lowered her head. “Wait. I found something.” Ellie scooped her mother’s cross necklace off the ground and put it around her neck. “Mom must have left it here for me to find.”
Alex sniffed the air. “They were here—and recently, too. What if Aristae left that necklace to lure us into a trap?”
“If it’s a trap, we’ve already walked into it,” Matt said. “There’s a lot of land to cover. They could be anywhere, and that’s if they haven’t moved on again.”
Ellie’s mind raced. “Maybe we should set a trap of our own. I have an idea.” After telling them her plan, she continued alone. The Johnston farm went on for miles. Ellie passed through an open field surrounded by forested land on either side. It wasn’t long before she had the feeling of being watched. She forced herself to continue as if she hadn’t noticed. The pistol and tranquilizers in her backpack gave her a sense of confidence. Matt had even given her a few flares before they parted ways.
A cornfield bordered a clearing where heavy machinery lay unattended. It looked like a logging operation. Ellie noticed a figure near a wood splitter and crouched low to avoid being seen. Winston. He was clearly looking for her. He probably sensed her presence, but unlike Alex, he was too new a werewolf to properly hone his enhanced senses. Ellie slipped under a worn-down rail fence and crept along the cornstalks until she was close behind him.
Ellie reached for her handgun and switched off the safety. Remember, he’s not himself. Although she knew Winston could heal in his werewolf form, she wasn’t certain what would happen if she shot him in human form. She hoped she wouldn’t have to find out.
Ellie emerged from hiding and trained the gun on him. “Where’s my mother?”
Winston turned around. “Would you really shoot me like this, Ellie?”
“I mean it, Winston. Take me to her.”
“Do you think I’m afraid?” He drew nearer despite the threat of the gun. “That gun can’t kill me.”
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