“Come, tie the boat here,” Jacob said, then they turned and started walking off.
“How will we know where to go?” Brandon asked.
“The earth will show us the way and they know this,” Garvin explained.
“Oh yeah, just like when we use to hunt,” Derek whispered. “Wait…I don’t think I like that.”
“Like what?” Tammy asked.
“You know, the whole thing about hunting, them with guns, us and the whole following the indented weeds. That happens to be how we use to find game, only this time I have a feeling that we might be the prey.”
“So you think once we go in there they will use our tracks and kill us?” Sydney asked, wrinkling his forehead by bringing in his brows.
“It could happen,” Derek replied as he stepped out of the boat.
“Why didn’t they just kill us when they had the chance?” Sydney asked, smiling as he pulled the boat up onto the reeds. “We were just sitting ducks all lined up in a boat.”
“Maybe, just maybe, they’re like the rest of the hunting world and like the thrill of the hunt.”
“They’re normals, Derek. We could bleed them before they took their next breath,” I added as I started in the direction that Jacob had gone.
“Well, there is that,” he laughed. “Does make me feel better.”
“What? Did you forget?” Brandon came around him slapping him on the back of the head.
“No! Shut up, Brandon.”
We all tried and failed miserably, to control the laughter from slipping past our lips. I know it echoed through the dense growth and impenetrable amount of trees that towered around us and all I could think about was the disgusted look on Jacob’s face, which in turn made me smile even wider. I smelled the wood burning in the campfire well before I could see the light from its blaze. Jacob and the five men stood around the fire, as if they had been waiting for nothing else but for us to hurry and show up. He looked at me and my smile turned upside down.
“Forgive our outburst, Master Jacob. We meant no disrespect,” I quickly said then bowed my head.
“Thought she was your leader?” the man standing closet to him asked.
“I’m a new breed in leaders, boy. Haven’t you heard? I love my people and anyone who steps out of line with one of them answers to me. As you can see, Jacob is the one I have handed the keys to my kingdom, as it is said in the good book, and even I hold that on high. Any more stupid questions?”
Jacob looked at me with the slightest grin gracing his face. Then the rest of my people stepped up and made a half moon shape around me. The five men took a knee, with all facing me. They then stood and walked over to me one at a time. The one who had spoken stepped up and extended his neck, as he leaned his upper body toward me. I looked over at Jacob who nodded sharply, while I shook my head just as swiftly.
“I wish to ask you a question, before I make this pack.”
“You wish to question my loyalty?”
“In away…yes.”
“I give you my neck, knowing you could take my life. Is that not loyal enough for you?”
“I would just once like the sincere loyalty of true friends without the release of ones fluids.”
“My Lady,” he said going to his knees. “I give not only my word as the leader of the River Clan people, but I give you the life and loyalty of their families as well. To have one of your kind, standing for us against the ones who wish to take our homes is worth all the blood that runs in my veins.”
“Please, get up.”
“Take it, it is yours.”
“Get up!”
“I beg you. The others have taken our children and killed our pregnant wives, removing their un…” Then he grasped my waist.
I knew now where Cortez found the baby that he had placed in the wooden chest, and my heart fell. I gripped his shoulders and lifted the two hundred plus man to his feet with ease. “I will do it with pleasure.” His body began to quiver and his eyes filled to the brim, dangerously close to spilling onto his cheeks.
“My Lilly was taken a month ago. She was seven months on. She is my oldest daughter.”
“Mine as well. Beth were only nine when she be taken last year.”
“And me Bobby too! She were also with child,” yet another one said.
My head was spinning as my face showed the red stains that was the obvious emotion pouring from my eyes. I heard all the stories that the five men had to tell. They had lived on this river since the time their father’s fathers had come to this land. In the last fifty or so years, more and more of their weakest started coming up missing. It wasn’t until a woman was found gutted and her unborn child gone, that the suspicion became more of a fact that it was the one who had made their home not thirty miles from the place they had always called, The River Clan’s land. Jamous, the first man to speak, told us that he ventured to take a closer look and wandered as close as he dared one night, several years back. It was then that he found out that those who lived in the place that was being worked on around the clock came to life after the sun had set.
For several days, he said he lived in the bush watching their every move, until the night he saw the large man for the second time, who he thought might be the owner of the estate, or that was what he claimed it had become. He told us that he watched as three young girls were brought up in front of the man while he stood on the steps, looking them over like they were some sort of livestock, which shook me to the core. The next thing he said I believe chilled each of us new breeders to the bone. He said the man reached out, grabbing one of the girls and tore her throat out with his teeth, then threw her to the side like a bone you would toss to a dog.
“If you can’t bring better stock then I’ll pay someone else.” Jamous’s eyes grew as he spoke what the man had said.
Jamous’s face was stark white when he froze after speaking the last statement, and we all knew why. We had seen very much the same thing for ourselves. He went on to say that he moved at the sight of the girl’s body being tossed to the side and then after, thought one of the strange men was looking in his direction. He said he never returned and had since kept his people in after the setting of the sun.
“I was one of his slaves. His name is Cortez, and you’re right, he did and will continue to take from you until he is stopped, or you have nothing left to take. He killed my mother with me watching, because I wouldn’t freely let him touch me. It was my punishment. He took me back to my home, the one his men had taken me from the previous summer, and he cut her up right before my eyes. I’m very ashamed to have to say this, but if I don’t it’s going to kill me,” Tammy divulged with a shaky voice.
“Tammy, you don’t have to do this now,” I said wiping the tears off her face.
“Yes, Renee, I do,” she replied grabbing my hand.
“I laid with him as his lover and wife for the next thirty five years, to save my own life. So many times I wanted to run, get away, but I knew he would find me and do worse to me than what he did to my mother. I’m a coward and I stood back and watched while he killed a large amount of those women.”
“Tammy…”
“I watched and did nothing!” she yelled. “I should be one of the ones that you all kill.”
“You were a victim,” Brandon said pulling her around. “Anyone would have done the same thing.”
“Renee didn’t, she fought back.”
“Yeah, well, that’s different. You’ve met her right?” Derek said and coaxed her into a little smile.
“Yes. I have met the wonderful creature that I too would give every last drop of my blood to serve, even though I know she wouldn’t take it.”
“Why would I? I already have it,” I explained as I wrapped my arms around her.
“I want to make my own promise to you and your people, Jamous,” Tammy said pulling away from me and bravely walking up to him. “I will personally bring you the remains of his ash heart, after I watch the life leave his dying eyes.”
“I ask you to not put yourself in harm’s way for my people. You my sweet lady have served enough time in that man’s hell. I forgave you the moment we shared tears.”
Tammy lost all composure and started to turn when Jamous took her under the arm and gave her a slight hug. She nodded then looked up at him, shaking her head as she came back over to the boys. Brandon was the first to take her hand, but it was Derek that gave her a small hug and a little kiss on the cheek, whispering to her that we’d get the bastard. As soon as he said it she grabbed him, wrapping her arms around his body and began weeping harder. Derek gasped looking over at me. I gave him a wide eyed stare and he wrapped his arms around her back. But, the strange expression on his face never wavered.
“We will return tomorrow night as soon as the sun sets. Be ready for much blood to be shed,” Jacob said, shaking Jamous’s hand.
“We are more than ready my fanged friend. The word will spread throughout this night and the coming days. You will have safe passage with no need for concern.” Then he turned to me. “Bloodbreeders you may be, but live by the word bond of our blood are we.” He pulled out a blade that was hooked to his belt. It took everything I had to keep from reaching for mine. It was the sweet smell of his blood that sent the chills up my spine and not the gaping slash on his palm. He held the blade out. “Do not take from my vein, but honor me as the leader of the River Clan by becoming one forever and always.” I took the wooden handled, silver blade which shocked me with the weight that it held, and began laying it across my hand.
“Can you swear the allegiance of your people? You need only look behind me for the answers you might seek about mine.”
“I can assure you by the beating of my own heart!”
The four men yelled in unison, “Haw!” when Jamous spoke those words, I pulled the extremely sharp blade across my flesh. I held my breath but the flinching in my face showed the sting behind the pain. Why I thought it wouldn’t hurt baffles me. I knew I’d be listening better the next time Jacob told me that your opponent comes in many shapes and sizes. I went to hand him the knife, but before he took it he placed his palm in mine and our blood become one. His hand was twice the size of mine and ten times warmer. I hadn’t noticed until then. I never asked, but often wondered what he thought when his warm flesh touched mine.
Jamous gave Jacob several different forms of direction, one being a small map carved on the handle of a sheath. It now held the blade that cut into our hands. It had to be a very important part of his clan and something that must have been hard to let go of. Jacob pulled his alabaster white bone handled from underneath his shirt and handed it to Jamous, whose mouth fell open slightly as he slid the beautiful, shiny, black blade out. It must have been his first time to see one also. Afterwards we headed back to our ship where we fed well, then sat down to create a plan to go in and do what was needed.
“Tell us what you know of the grounds,” Jacob asked sitting across the long mahogany table from Tammy.
“Now that he’s scared he’ll have men out as soon as the sun goes down. There’s four ways to get into the estate. Two at the back, one at the front, and one that he thinks no living being knows about, it’s hidden behind two large oak trees on the left side. It looks just like the wall, but I know exactly where it is.”
“We could take them from the inside. They think something’s coming from the woods,” Derek said, causing everyone at the table to look at him.
“You my friend just took the words right out of my mouth,” Jacob grinned, nodding his head toward him.
“I wasn’t joking. I really think it would work.”
“Derek, bro, he was giving you a complement. It’s brilliant,” Brandon added putting his hand on his back.
“There is our plan of attack then. Now, we must know as much as you can tell us about the inside. You must be exact.” Jacob took a seat in his chair and waited.
Johnny and Shyanna played with the little piglet on the floor while the rest of us sat and listened intently to Tammy’s every word. Jacob broke in every so often to give out instructions, and then she would go on. The main part of the plan was to keep Tanda and Johnny back on the ship with Shyanna. The rest would take both of our boats onto shore as soon as we woke. The last few hours of our precious star light that we had left was used to practice our new skills, and that we did. The blades that Jacob had given us carried an altogether different feel, one that my sore palm wielded with pride. The sky was turning its amazing purple hue when we all made our way below, everyone getting in their place of rest as soon as they walked through the doors. All except, for Jacob and myself.
CHAPTER SIX
A storm had hit while we slept. Jacob was standing at a window with one of the wooden slats cracked open. I knew it was early enough for the sun to be bright, yet what came through the opening which he was looking through was like that of the rising dawn, maybe darker. I walked over, but stood back fearing the memory of the story of the old man in the tunnels of London, bringing about vivid thoughts of the night that Martin had told it to me, along with the way he sat me up on the encasement of Doc Hills’ dead wife. I could almost feel his hand running down my thigh as he pulled away.
“The sun is at our backs, it will not harm you to look out.”
“What?” I choked.
“You were far away just now.”
“Oh, I was just…”
“Are you blushing?”
“Move over,” I replied pushing past him.
It was the first time that my eyes had seen the wonderments of the passing day since the night Martin had changed me. My eyes began to sting the longer I stared, but I couldn’t look away. Lightning streaked through the sky, and I saw the smallest break in the clouds. The blue was hypnotic, yet poison, as I grabbed my face to the searing heat that it brought with it. Jacob pushed the slat back in place and took me to the end of the bed.
“Let me see. Move your hands.”
“No, I think my face melted off.”
“Nonsense child, now let me have a look,” he said while gently pulling my hands apart.
“Oh the god’s!” he burst out.
“What!” I cried.
“You are fine,” he snickered.
“You ass, that wasn’t funny,” I smiled pushing him back.
“Yet you already feel better. Do you not?”
“My eyes are blurry, but my skin doesn’t burn like it did,” I replied putting my fingers lightly over my face.
“See it is all there. A little red, but still your face is there none the less.”
“How red?”
“It will be gone soon enough.”
“How red, Jacob?”
“I never thought you to be the type of female to care for her looks. Your flesh is as ripe as a rosy red apple,” he replied raising one corner of his mouth in a sheepish grin.
“I’m not. I’m to country to care about such things.” I squinted to focus on him. “As red as a rosy apple?”
“Red is better than no flesh at all.”
“I can hear it now. Everyone’s going to have something to say.”
And sure enough, they did. I stayed acting like I was going over the layout of the estate that Jacob and Tammy had drawn up the night before, as they all begin stirring about. I never once thought it would be my Shyanna that would be the first to give me away. “Pretty.” I heard her and looked down where she was squatting by my chair. She did her little head tilt and batted her big black eyes at me and said it again.
“What’s pretty, Shyanna?” Tammy asked coming across the room.
I put my elbow up on the table and laid my chin in my hand acting like I wasn’t paying attention to anything but what was in front of me. I felt Tammy at my back, as Shyanna hopped around the table and pointed a talon finger at me. “Pretty…yes…pretty.” Tammy asked her what she was looking at, while also getting several other’s attention and bringing them right into the act. I let out a breath and looked over my fingers, seeing
Jacob sit back with his arms crossed, smiling like he had just swallowed the bright yellow bird.
“Fine,” I said, as I stood and turned around.
At first everyone just stared at me. Derek broke the silence with a full blown belly laugh, followed by the slow building of several sounds of joy at my expense. When I was asked why I had painted myself I thought of a great idea that would put everyone in my position. A huge smile spread across my face. Cortez had said that I was a demon, well he was about to get a whole herd of us, right in the middle of his big, demented, little world. By the time an hour had passed I was laughing as hard as they had at me, because even Jacob now sat covered in red paint.
“Can you explain one more time why you find this to be of an importance?” Jacob asked sourly.
“My ma would call it, ‘putting the fear of God in them’. In our case it would be putting out that ‘the fear of death is coming’.”
“I think it’s great,” Derek interrupted rubbing the red stain into his hands. “Time to pay the devil his due.”
“With that said, I believe it is time for us to board the boats,” Garvin said stepping back into the room.
Jacob, Garvin, and Sydney took the small dingy, while Brandon, Derek, Tammy, Jessie, and myself took the larger. We went through the same small opening that we had come through the night before, only this time we had our way lit with torches that were spread out. We followed the river deeper than we had before, and came upon a small community of homes built from the very earth on which they stood on. Cabin like homes stood in a circle around a group of several burning fires that had numerous amounts of people waiting on us.
Women, children, and men of all ages had their eyes on us as we pulled our boats up to the dock. Jamous was the first there to greet us. We stood looking back at the first village of normals that any of our bloodbreeder eyes had ever seen, other than Jacob. I was totally amazed that no one’s eyes showed fear, but rather it was more like the look given by those who carried admiration, and quite frankly I found that to be stranger than the fear.
Bloodbreeders: Seeking Others Page 5