"It looks like you could use some help."
Snarling, my head whipped around and I protectively covered Stefan with more of my body. Fletcher stood behind me, averting his eyes from my nude flesh.
Still concerned about Stefan, my voice was ragged and defensive. "I'm fine. And I'm naked."
He snickered dryly. "I can see that. You're my sister. I could care less about your state of undress…or how it happened." He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. "You need help…and I can do that. Grab one side of him and I'll get the other."
Fletcher draped one of Stefan's massive arms around his neck and I followed suit. We were easily able to maneuver Stefan through the woods. Neither of us spoke as we trudged through the rain. It wasn't until we reached the backyard of Garrett's house that Fletcher came to a sudden stop, causing me to pitch forward.
"Garrett was your uncle?" He questioned softly. He looked over Stefan's back to meet my curious gaze.
"Yes. I didn't know that until recently though. I thought I was adopted by strangers until I met Kian and Nikolaus." I started walking again, hoisting Stefan up the deck steps. Fletcher followed inside and we carried Stefan through the house, carrying him into the bedroom and we dropped him on the mattress. Satisfied he was safe, I peered up at Fletcher. "I'm going to get dressed and I'll be out in a minute. Wait outside in the living room. You obviously were headed this way to talk. Give me a few and we’ll talk."
He gave a sharp nod and turned on his heel, closing the door behind him. I shrugged out of his jacket and hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans and one of Stefan's t-shirts. I kneeled down on the bed beside of him, smoothing his damp hair back from his face.
"It'll be ok, Stefan. I promise you," I murmured. I wasn’t sure if I was doing it to reassure myself or to comfort Stefan. I placed a kiss against his soft lips and was standing up to leave when his large hand wrapped around my forearm, pulling me back to the bed.
"Iosiphina?" Stefan’s question came out as a mumble and his weary blue eyes struggled to focus. "Du har kommit tillbaka till mig? Eller har min önskan går i uppfyllelse? Har du tagit mig till din värld?"
My mind struggled to translate his words. My Swedish was still shaky, even with the luxury of tapping into his mind to do quick translations. Long sentences were still difficult for me.
"Stefan? It's Josephine. Can you talk to me in English?" I smiled gently, continuing to smooth his hair with my fingers. “Do you know what and where you are?”
"I am confused, but I know what and who I am. I am a vampire. You were Iosiphina. Now you are Josephine." He gradually pushed himself up on one elbow. "A different time and a different life."
"Yes." I whispered breathlessly. He was remembering! My stomach leaped with excitement. My hands stroked his face, running the backs of my fingers over his cheek. He reached up and grabbed my hand, pulling it away to study my fingers intently.
“You touched me many times like this. When I was a human. Where did you go?”
My eyes welled up with tears. “I had to go away when you…changed. I’m back…we’re together again. Nothing can take me away from you.”
“You are like me now…a vampire.” Stefan’s voice sounded weak and hoarse. He looked tired, his handsome face drawn. Dark shadows smudged the skin under his eyes. He was still staring at my hand and I took it between both of mine, squeezing it tightly. “It took centuries to find you.”
“I never make anything easy, remember?” I joked lightly. My expression turned much more stern. “You need to rest. Fletcher is downstairs waiting to talk me. He helped me tonight.”
His brow furrowed. His blue eyes searched mine as he struggled to remember the night’s events.
“We glowed again. Only this time, you lost consciousness. Fletcher stumbled upon us and he assisted me in getting you back here safely.” I supplied. I saw recognition flicker on his face as my words jogged his memory.
He attempted to rise up again, his massive body collapsing against the bed. “I should go with you. Make sure you are safe.”
“Stefan! You barely have the strength to move. I think I can hold my own against a hybrid. I am stronger than him.” One of my eyebrows arched smugly. I didn’t need Stefan to fight my battles. I was fully capable of handling myself against a half human.
He relaxed into the pillow, his blond hair rumpled and messy. “Do nothing foolish. Promise me.”
“I promise.” Dropping a parting kiss on his lips, I stood and grabbed Fletcher’s jacket.
Hurrying down the steps, I found my brother by the French doors. He was a handsome man. He had rugged, angular features with a stubbly goatee and dark brown hair framed his tanned face. However, his deep emerald eyes were his most striking feature. They were clear and bright. They were the kind of eyes that could see right through you. I found that it was difficult not to stare at them. Of course, it was even harder to believe I had a brother that had not only survived Kian's torturous experiments, but also managed to escape. Thinking of those journals Kian kept made me nauseous. I shook my head and rubbed my forehead as if that action alone would clear my thoughts.
I tossed Fletcher his jacket and he caught it swiftly with little effort. He gestured up the stairs with his thumb. "Is he gonna be ok?"
I glanced up at Fletcher. His words were barely a grunt. His eyes shot around the inside of the house nervously, as if he was frightened something was going to jump out and grab him. Imagining what he’d been through, I couldn’t blame him.
Sighing deeply, I pulled my t-shirt tighter around me. "Yes...I hope. He's...confused and exhausted."
He scratched his chin and his clear green eyes narrowed to slits. "You hope? You better do more than hope. The man couldn't fucking walk. What did you do to him anyway?"
Looking away from his penetrating stare, if I was capable of blushing, my face would have been on fire. The last thing I wanted to do was confide about my sex life with my half-brother I barely knew.
"Fletcher, I don't think I'm ready to confide those kind of things to you." I shot back. "We'll save that for once we know each other better." Like never, I silently added.
"Like never, huh?" Fletcher smirked. He leaned against the doorframe and picked at his bitten down fingernails. "Can you read my mind too?"
Staring down at the floor, I smiled apologetically. "I haven't tried."
He stepped closer and squatted down in front of me. Those emerald eyes of his were impenetrable. "What're you waiting on? Anyone else would have tried already."
I huffed and closed my eyes, concentrating on Fletcher. My mind was instantly bombarded with a flurry of images I never wanted to see. Pools of blood as dark as motor oil, rusty chains, dank cells. Agonized faces and piles of discarded bodies...and finally, Kian's gleeful, maniacal face loomed. It was the stuff nightmares were made of.
The harder I struggled to pull myself out if his memories, the deeper I was sucked in. I was helpless to watch the horror and cruelty unfold, like a twisted string of paper clips unfolding unmercifully before my eyes.
And just as suddenly as the memories began, his mind closed off to me. Shaken and panting, I could only stare wide-eyed and slack jawed at my brother.
"I see you can. This is what I didn’t want. I don’t want to be looked at and pitied," he muttered, brushing his shaggy hair from his face. "I stayed hidden for more reasons than just our father, even though he killed my sister, brother and mother in front of me. I knew that once my past was revealed what the reaction would be. Even when Liev looks at me…I’m not sure if he pities me. Or maybe it’s contempt? Remorse? Love?” Fletcher paused reflectively. “My mother was simply a vessel, a means to an end. My siblings had no talent. I was valued and kept alive because I did. In fact, it’s similar to what you can do on a smaller scale. My shield shoots out in short bursts. It was a…"
"Blessing and a curse." I smoothly cut him off. I walked to stand on the opposite side of the doorway so only inches separated us. "I can’t answer
those questions for you. Kian loved my mother. For a while, she kept him entertained. But she grew tired of his power struggles and infidelities. She fell in love with another vampire and was going to leave him. I was only a baby when Kian killed her, so I have no memory of her. My brother…our brother was told she ran away. He knew better though. Nigel…the vampire that loved my mother took care of Nikolaus and Kian left me with Garrett and Meredith."
Fletcher listened intently, his eyes never leaving my face. I took a deep breath and kept going. "I can't begin to understand what you've gone through and I think I know you well enough to know you don't want my pity...at least if you're anything like me. In fact, I admire you. But I can offer you a safe place if you want it. You have a family if you want it, Fletcher. I know what it feels like to not fit in anywhere. But since I've been with Stefan, I found my place. I have a family…now I have people that would lay down their life to assure the safety of any one of us."
He frowned and picked at his nails again. "I don’t feel like a survivor. I hid for years. That’s not to be admired. I trusted Liev, and he betrayed me. He knew you were my sister. He kept that a secret from me and you were on your own for years. So you gotta understand why I'm having trouble believing anybody."
Nodding, I put my hand over his. His hand stilled and he looked up at me with a mixture of sadness and curiosity. "There’s so much you don’t know. I was a recluse and I ran from place to place after Garrett died. Liev thought he was doing what was right. I can't say I'm happy with him or the way he handled things, but he was protecting you. I can’t blame him for that. In fact, I owe him a thank you. He saved you, Fletcher. “
We were both quiet. Fletcher chewed absently at his thumbnail and would shoot an anxious look up at the ceiling every few minutes.
“So, you gonna fill me in on what happened in the woods? You were glowing.”
Pursing my lips, I averted my gaze from his and admired his smooth subject change. “I think it has to do with our bond and what I am. Or was.”
He looked puzzled, his already narrow eyes becoming slits. “What were you? You were like me and I sure as hell don’t glow.”
“Before that…I was a Eudaemon. Stefan and I were together when he was still human.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and resumed talking. “Once he became a vampire, our tie was severed. For some reason, the time was right for us to be reunited and I was reborn.”
Fletcher stood and simply fixed his piercing green eyes on mine. “Go on.”
Chuckling at the matter of fact way he handled himself, I continued. “Out in the woods, I said some sort of incantation and we both started glowing. My mind was flooded with memories of things I haven’t even been able to process. And Stefan…well, you saw what happened to him.”
“You still love him though?” Fletcher asked, switching to nibbling on his fingernail.
I gave my brother a soft smile. “There aren’t words to describe how I feel about Stefan. Love…love isn’t a strong enough word. It doesn’t come close.”
No sooner than I’d spoken those words, I heard the familiar tread of Stefan's feet coming down the stairs. He was moving slower than usual, his footsteps sounding uneven and loud. When he wandered into the living room, he looked sleepy and rumpled, his blond hair sticking up in tufts all over his head.
“I only came to retrieve my wife. You are welcome to stay with us, Fletcher. For however long you need,” Stefan said, inclining his head. He beckoned to me and draped a heavy arm around my shoulders. “We can continue our talk tomorrow, yes?”
I nodded and smiled at Fletcher. “There are blankets in the closet. It’s not much, but the sofa is yours.”
“It’ll do. Night, Josie.”
I watched him for a moment as he ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. It wasn’t until I felt the gentle tug of Stefan’s arm that I left the room, leaving my brother to his own devices for the night.
Chapter 9 - Some Unholy War
The early morning light filtered in through the curtains. I'd considered curling up against the comfort of Stefan's body, but the soft chime of my cell phone interrupted my plans.
Inching off the bed, I found my phone in my bag. I was surprised to see the sender of the message.
Liev: "Please. Meet me in the clearing. I promise to explain everything.
I read his text with a roll of my eyes. I typed out a quick response. There is nothing to discuss, Liev. This is up to Fletcher now. He said he's moving on.
Liev: There is more at stake. Josie, I beg you.
Biting my lip, I peeked over at Stefan's prone body. I should wake him...but surely, I could handle myself against Liev, right? My shield had held him before; it could hold him again. Tapping out a reply, I huffed loudly. “Fine. I’ll be there soon.”
I grabbed my jeans, a Henley shirt and my boots. Dressing silently, I crept down the stairs and tiptoed past Fletcher who was sprawled across the sofa, sound asleep. Grabbing a piece of paper, I scrawled out a note. ‘Out to meet Liev in the clearing. Be back soon.’
Without a sound, I opened the French doors and hurried across the yard, breaking into a full speed run, streaking through the woods at breakneck speed. I made it to the clearing in no time and I anxiously watched for Liev to appear.
I didn't have to wait long. He stepped into the field with heavy feet, his face a mask of contrition. It was clear I'd make a huge mistake. I'd wandered into a trap, like a lamb to the slaughter.
Liev's eyes were glazed over in fear and regret. "I had no choice. Forgive me."
Alarm bells sounded in my head and I started to back away. "You bastard! What have you done?"
Before he could answer, the trees rustled and my mouth gaped as Amir stepped into the clearing, his dark hand wrapped around Lukas' throat. Lukas was not here willingly. He was here as collateral.
"Amir? What's going on?" I sputtered. Lukas had a nasty cut over his eyebrow that was already healing, but he looked petrified. This explained why Lukas had disappeared. Amir had taken him for reasons still unknown.
Amir's golden eyes gleamed as brightly as the amber tie around his neck. "Josephine. You have something I want. I have something you want. It's simple really."
Crossing my arms under my chest, I took on a defensive pose. "I have no idea what you want, Amir. I have nothing to offer you." I insisted vehemently. "Let Lukas go, Amir."
"The hybrid. Turn him over or Lukas dies." Amir's smooth voice had no inflection. He was almost robotic in his speech pattern and movement. Something inside of him had snapped, leaving behind this cruel, cold version of the man in front of me.
"Nikolaus?" I questioned innocently. Fighting back a smile, I was buying time, just as I had with Derek back in Bali. I had to keep Amir talking and hoped that Stefan would find my note.
He’d be angry with me for doing this alone. Hell, I was mad at myself for not thinking things through clearly.
Amir laughed loudly, but it lacked any depth or feeling. Amir had seemed strange at our last meeting, but now…now nothing remained of that man. Smooth and polished, he was like my father. Lukas' icy blue eyes bored into mine, imploring me to help him.
"Don't be foolish. You know which hybrid I mean. It is not Nikolaus I am after or we wouldn’t be bargaining." Amir advanced and shoved Lukas to the ground, inches away from my feet. "It does not have to be this way. Turn over Fletcher and this ends now."
"Fletcher?" I echoed innocently. My eyebrows furrowed as my mind desperately searched for a way out. I’d have to keep stalling as long as possible and hoped I’d be strong enough to kill Amir on my own.
I knelt down to check on Lukas. His breathing was ragged, and he was trembling as I gripped his shoulders. I wished we shared a mental link, so I could talk to him like Stefan and reassure him this would be over soon. This would make things so much easier.
Amir strode closer and pushed me backwards, away from Lukas. I tumbled back, falling backwards in the grass. "Enough of your fretting. Lukas is unharmed for now. T
urn over Fletcher in exchange for Lukas, Josephine. Do it for Lukas and Stefan."
As I got to my feet, I caught a glimpse of brown hair and black in the trees. Fletcher! I wasn't a praying person, but I was willing to pray to any god that if Fletcher was nearby, Stefan was as well, planning his attack.
Amir's presence had severed our bond. His ability managed to negate every one of our talents, leaving us to rely on brute strength and our ability to think quickly.
Amir towered over me, his hostile presence oppressive. He arranged his features into a smile, trying a new tactic with me. Kindness. "Kian only wants his children together. You, Nikolaus and Fletcher. You could be a family."
Hatred spiked deep within me, filling me with a rage that made everything around me take on a red tinge. This must be what bloodlust was like. Without thinking, I gave Amir a violent shove, sending him sprawling to the ground. I’d stunned him with my strength and I took advantage of his momentary weakness. "I have a family, Amir. A family that doesn't include Kian. You don't get it, do you? He'll kill you too. He talks the good talk, doesn't he? He's smooth, convinces you that you'll have a place with him. He'll give you a taste of power and then…and then Amir, when your usefulness is no longer needed, he'll destroy you. Just like the Board members. Just like Lenora and Adolfo. Just like all of his children. You're no different to him."
Amir's amber eyes burned through me, the hatred palpable. "I am different to him. He promised me power. I was given carte blanche to control the Council with an iron fist. Insubordination like this would mean a certain death."
Sneering, my lips turned up in an evil smile. “It’s too bad you chose the wrong side.”
I saw Stefan’s shoulders moving through the brush before I heard his battle cry, breaking the tense silence. He burst through the tree line and was a streak across the clearing, grabbing Amir and holding him to the ground by his throat. Stefan held him with an iron like grip. It was brother against brother. Good versus evil.
Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book #4) Page 15