Hendrick put a hand on his shoulder where she once was, “Goodbye.” He smiled the most uplifting joyous smile he had ever let stretch his face.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Cat said to Hendrick. She thought he was saying goodbye to her. Her eyes fluttered open. They were still a little swollen, making holding them open difficult.
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it ever so slightly, “Right ye are, lass.” Hendrick gazed into her eyes. “Ye better be careful though, I think ye down to ye seventh life now.”
“I’ll take that into consideration.” She rolled over on her knees trying to get up. As soon as her weight was on her wrist, her elbows buckled, “Ow.”
Hendrick was at her side, helping her stand, “Ye know it’s okay to ask for help.”
“So how do you propose we get out of here?” She looked at Hendrick. Those green depths pleaded for an answer and it hurt his pride a little to disappoint her.
She stepped over Lance’s corpse and spit on it.
“I have no idea, but whatever we do we need to do it fast,” he lifted his arm to Cat, showing her what the curse was doing to him. His arm was tan all around, and the color was still rising.
***
“Damn, can we get a break?” Cat grabbed his arm to inspect its tan surface. “How much time do you think we have?”
Until you are a mindless angry chomper who will want to chew on me. She didn’t say the last part, he knew what it meant to go fully tan.
“Maybe twenty minutes. I can feel myself getting confused for no reason.” Hendrick pushed them forward. They needed to get out of there somehow.
“How far do you think the curse reaches, can we outrun it or go to the cabin?” Cat was grateful Hendrick was holding on to her. She still was so weak. If it weren't for the adrenaline, she probably wouldn’t be able to stand.
“Nay, las. I don’t think I can.” His face was long and tan. She hadn’t even seen the curse rise. The virus snapped into place. He was looking at the ground like the hard-rocky surface was the comfiest bed he had ever seen.
“Well, let’s go get the documents first. Then, we can leave.” Cat’s face tightened into a smile, but it was fake. She needed to get him back to the cabin.
Crunch, crunch. Good thing they weren’t trying to be sneaky anymore because their steps were loud and clumsy. “Here they are,” white empty paper was scattered all over the ground. Her equilibrium was off, so she stumbled while she picked them up.
The tan curse was inside of her…
“What am I doing here? Why are there papers everywhere?” She saw Hendrick pushing against a tree like it was a door. “I don’t like it here,” Hendrick whispered.
Oh no. Goddess, how can I get out of this? I’m too weak to drag him around, and I’m not sure I could beat him if he attacks me. That gaping blackhole of sadness and doubt was sucking everything out of her.
The wind picked up, blowing dry leaves up in the air. They danced around her face.
Make a wish… a small whisper of a voice drifted in her mind. The wind carried the leaves high, most of them hitting Cat’s face. She huffed and stormed over to Hendrick with the papers rolled up in her hand. He was now sitting on the ground. His shaky fist hit the leaves that drifted in front of him.
She threw herself into his arms, wanting to feel his firm, reassuring touch on her one last time. She could feel the curse edging its way into her mind too, but she couldn’t leave him here.
He put his arms around her and patted her awkwardly on the back like a stranger comforting a person out of obligation. He didn’t know who she was anymore. The thought only made her close her eyes and cry harder, “Home. I want to be home.”
Wumpth.
A huge gust of wind smacked into their bodies toppling them over. “What the…” Her back thumped on something firm and soft. Not the rocky dirt.
She laid there breathing hard as she let the cold metaphorical waves wash over her. Her mind cleared as if the waves washed them away.
Meow.
A sweet purr followed as a large thing with soft fur jumped on Cat’s chest. You are strong and beautiful.
Cat’s eyes shot open. Her heart sped up its pace making her feel anxious. “Xena?” She looked down, her black cat was rubbing her face on her chest.
Cat whipped around. A brown loveseat was tucked in the corner. It was hers… She pushed out a raspy breath as she smiled. Everything was hers.
Her vision blurred, “I’m home,” Cat crawled to her loveseat to hug a pillow. In one arm was Xena and in the other, was the throw pillow. “The Goddess is good, I never thought I’d see you again.”
Hendrick cleared his throat from behind her, “So, what am I, chopped liver? Done with me are ye?” Hendrick was sitting against the wall, resting his head on it, with his knees up and his arms comfortably resting there.
Cat smiled at him as she rested her head on the cushion of the couch. With her eyes closed, she sighed through her nose, “Not quite yet.”
Epilogue
Cat understood now that no matter how hard a person works on sewing their life back together, it only takes one tug of a loose thread and everything unravels. But once the fabric is gone, and there is nothing left but a tangled mess of threads, what happens next?
Do they pick up the pieces and try to sew the threads back together? Or throw the threads away and make something new?
Her life was a tangled mess. She was now a mysterious vampire and Sapphire mixed being--which shouldn't exist. And she had been trying to stay away from everyone because whenever someone was near, she wanted to jump on their necks. Thankfully, Hendrick had blood bags in stock. So, Cat was doing okay restraining herself. But every time a person got near her, she still wanted to sink her teeth into their sweet flesh. Hendrick said it would get easier once the vampire beast got settled into her skin. Right now, all it knew was feeding; it was her job to teach the creature to behave.
Everyone made it back to Yvonne’s safe house and that’s where they had been for half a day, mourning the loss of the two fallen warriors.
Everyone took Maria’s and Marcus’s death hard. Cat could cut the air with the sorrow seeping off everyone who knew them. Yvonne had been working on them all nonstop.
Because Maria was the Dragonvires only adult blocker, they couldn’t have a proper funeral. The heat in the air was already bad enough with the seven Dragonvires in the house.
Only the closest relatives or friends were invited and that was due to Yvette, Maria’s kid cousin. Yvette could naturally block a little of the magic, but not enough to keep the Hunters away. So, all of them were on edge, waiting for an attack.
Hendrick walked up to her and sat down. “Cat, I am leaving. Maria’s cousin has one transport amulet. He has agreed to give it to you,” he paused, chewing the inside of his cheek when she glared at him. “I came back in respect of my fallen people, but my brother is still out there and needs me. Both Maria and Marcus would have wanted me to continue looking for him.”
Cat pushed against the cushion on the couch, her jaw clenching and pulsing, “I’m going with you,” her fist clenched into tight balls as she refused to back down. She would not quit the mission.
“Nay lass, you did your part, and I understand why the Gods brought you to me now. Thank you, but-” Cat slapped him on the cheek and cut him off.
“But nothing. I’m as much invested in this now as you. I wish you would stop these stupid speeches. There’s no way you are leaving me. It is all the Unnaturals being affected by this, Hendrick., not only your brother’s life being at stake.” She poked him when he grumbled something. “Do I have to tackle you to the ground again?”
Yvonne, eavesdropping from the hallway, laughed, and said, “Please do.”
Hendrick picked up one of the many throw pillows on the couch and threw the fluffy gold circle in her direction. “Hey, don’t throw things at her,” Cat slapped him on his shoulder and pushed him away from her.
At the s
ame time, Yvonne charged him. Her arms were going wild, “Not unless you are ready for war.” She grabbed one of the bigger pillows.
Hendrick looked confused until he got hit upside the head with a square pillow. “How dare you hit royalty.” Hendrick put a hand to his chest and lifted his chin. His lips were bunched together to keep from laughing.
“Oh, I am so sorry kind, sir, my mistake,” Yvonne jumped on Hendrick, smacking her body into his. Hitting him with little strokes to the head.
Before Cat knew it, she was under attack as well. Jake jumped on her, flinging a pillow at her head. “Haha, it’s time for a nuclear bomb attack,” Jake pushed out a rotten fart for the three to share. Before any of them retaliated, he dashed off.
“Good Goddess, you stink, Jake. When I said treat me like your sister, I didn’t mean fart on me.” Cat covered her nose and dove into Hendrick’s chest. As much as she wanted to pulverize Jake for doing that, the smile on his face warmed her heart.
Yvonne worked an hour on Jake before he would even crack a smile. So, she wouldn’t dampen his good mood for anything.
Hendrick covered his nose, “Betrayed by one of my own,” he fanned the air around them. Once the smell lessened, Hendrick reached for Yvonne’s tickle spots, pushing his fingers into them. She was like his sister, so annoying her was a duty. Yvonne hopped off the couch like the cushions had caught fire.
“Don’t do that. You know I hate it!” She moved her arm like it possessed a gun pointing at him. Her movements reminded Cat of a mother disciplining her kid.
“And I love being hit with pillows?” He crossed his arms.
“That’s different. Now, I’m going to finish dinner. If you want any, Cat is going with us.” Yvonne didn’t wait for Hendrick to answer, she left the room swinging her hips in a victory.
“I like her,” Cat slowly looked at Hendrick and she smiled at his beaten face. The way his line of sight drifted down, she knew she had won.
“Are ye sure, lass?” Hendrick grabbed her hand, rubbing circles into it with his thumb. The electricity between them vibrated up his arm. “Last time was awful; we were lucky we survived. Ye was turned into a vampire for bloody hell.” His eyes softened as guilt coated his insides.
Because of me. He couldn’t say the last part out loud, so he let his words drift into silence.
Cat squeezed his hand, smiling at him. She looked at him in the eyes without blinking to reassure him. “Yes, I’m sure.” She shoved him with her shoulder, “Besides, I already faced my biggest fear. Nothing could be as bad as that.”
Both their faces dropped then, turning into the same saddened scorn that everybody else had on their faces.
Could it?
THE END
About the Author
In addition to her writing career, Tosha Miller is a behavioral technician. She’s pretty sure all her clients are of the human variety. Or at least, she thinks they are.
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Acknowledgments
Finishing the first book in the Unnatural series is such a blessing. I am so excited about the future of this book series. I hope everyone else is, as well.
My first thank you goes to my boyfriend Todd Cardoza for supporting me. Even though my laptop was permanently glued to my lap, you never complained and still let me pick movies for us to watch.
I also want to thank all my beta readers, Danielle Jensen, Dami Miller, and Tiffany Murphey for all your arduous work. Also, a big thanks to my new friends on Fiverr, Christine Miller, Sarah Abiz-Strugala, Amy Vanhorn, and Marco Frediani for all your amazingly helpful work. You all helped make The Smokiest Grave possible.
A special thanks to my editor, Cindy Draughon, for helping me on this bumpy journey. With your help, I had the courage to finish and publish my bookbaby.
Also, I want to thank Kayci from Kreative covers and Les on germancreative for my fantastic book cover.
You are all awesome, thank you so much. I couldn’t have done it without all of you. This world is just beginning, and I hope everyone enjoys the brain candy I provided.
Stay Amazing!
Vocabulary
1) Blaigeard – Bastard, cunt
2) Doaber – Penis
3) Volant – Flying
4) Ignis – Fire
5) Congelare – Freeze
6) Auferat – Away
7) Aye – Yes
8) Hades – Hell, devil
9) Fired up – Being happy and joyous
10) Unnaturals – Magical people
11) Naturals – Humans
12) Hunters – Humans that have been trained to kill supernaturals
13) Science keepers – A group of human government that took everyone’s technology
The Smokiest Grave (The Unnatural Series Book 1) Page 22