Death Too Soon

by Celeste Walker

  “They’ll be here any minute now” she continued as she looked at the congregation that had just surrounded them.

  Connor looked at Marcus and shook his head.

  “Everyone to the tunnels” he ordered.

  The women hurried with their children and ran to the tunnels.

  The Araneas had created tunnels under ground to protect their children and women in case they were attacked. It had food and medicine to ensure they could stay safe over a long period of time. They also trained a group of fighters who would defend their kind in times of battle. There hadn’t been a battle on their camp in a very long time and this would prove to be a first after thirty years. The last battle had been between them and vampires before they came to a peace-pact that saw them having their territory and the Araneas couldn’t get on the vampire’s territory either.

  That’s where Connor met Marcus and they began their friendship. When Danton, the leader of the Reigns who was then dead wanted to take charge of all the vampires and the mortals, the vampires split into two groups where there was the Reigns and the Anti-reigns. The Araneas had vowed to defend their kind and now with Marcus there, they’d joined arms to fight the Reigns.

  Thomas helped the kids and mothers get into the tunnel and everyone ran hurriedly trying to take whatever they could. Marcus had instructed Nessa and Trina to get in the tunnel with Thomas and the rest as soon as everybody was in.

  Conner spoke to his trained Araneas and gave instructions. They were built and trained for battle. Most women drooled over them as they trained and although it was such a sight, it was time to put their training into action.

  Ariel helped Nessa and Thomas to get the kids into the tunnel and as she did, she looked across the compound and saw Trina and Jack.

  “Please be safe babe, I don’t know what I’d do without you” Trina said as she caressed Jacks face with the back of her hands.

  “I’ll be careful honey, I promise”

  Ariel felt a twinge of envy creep inside her. She’d never seen Jack like that, she knew he was in love. Although they’d never been more than friends, she didn’t understand why she felt as she did.

  In a split second, her thoughts were distracted by movement she heard from the forest, they were many footsteps and they were closing in on them.

  “They are here!!!!!” she yelled and Connor looked at her direction to see if the tunnels’ door was closed.

  He sprang in the air and rushed toward the gate to help carry some boys who were walking into the tunnel.

  Nessa had gone to get a little girl who sat on the ground playing with her doll, and as she picked her up a Reign jumped from the woods on top of her.

  “Nessa!!!!!” Ariel screamed as she jumped in the air on top on the vampire and sliced his throat with her fangs.

  Nessa rose up and ran with her extraordinary speed to the tunnel. Thomas had already gone inside the tunnel but when he saw the vampire attack her, he ran out to try and help her but Connor held him back.

  The Aranea army turned into spiders and formed a circle in readiness for attack. Nessa took the little girl inside the tunnel and when she called out for Thomas, she didn’t hear him. Looking out of the tunnel, she saw Thomas on the ground and a Reign on top of him.

  “Thomas!!!!!” she screamed as she went out of the tunnel before Connor pushed it shut.

  Before she could get to Thomas, Trina jumped on top of the vampire and ripped his head off. Nessa rushed to his side and pulled him up. The Reigns jumped out of the trees in twos and there must have been more than sixty of them.

  Nessa’s fangs came out and her eyes were a bloody red. She held Thomas behind her and fought any Reign that jumped on them. Connor and Jack turned into huge spiders and joined the rest of the soldiers.

  “Thomas, get in the center of the circle formed by the Araneas quickly” Marcus ordered, his eyes a burning red and his fangs out.

  Nessa looked over her shoulders to Thomas and nodded.

  “Run honey” she shouted.

  Thomas ran between the spiders huge legs and stood in the middle of the circle they’d formed.

  Trina went to Nessa’s side and together they stood in a defense position. When a Reign jumped on them, Trina held them down as Nessa ripped their heads off, turning them to dust. Marcus jumped in the air and formed a wave ball between his hands throwing it at the Reigns, pushing them back and crushing into the trees.

  The more Reigns they fought, the more they sprung up. The soldiers spat liquid silver at the Reigns turning them to dust, and just when they thought they were winning, a huge net fell on them, covering all of them and turning them into their human form.

  That net was covered in a green substance called copperas, a substance poisonous to the Araneas. It rendered them powerless and unable to turn. If the substance was ingested, an Aranea would die in less than a minute.

  Connor struggled to free himself from the net to no avail.

  “Do not let any of the green substance get into your mouth” he warned his troop.

  Marcus fought the Reigns with his wave ball and as he was about to throw one ball at a group that had surrounded him. One Reign jumped on him from the back, throwing him to the ground.

  “Marcus!!!!” Nessa shouted.

  Ariel looked down from the air and saw the Reigns overpower Marcus. Her eyes had turned white and wind blew her hair high above her head.

  “Close your ears” she yelled out to Nessa and Trina with the rest of their group following.

  She opened her mouth and a deafening scream filled the ground. The Reigns screamed and burst into dust. She opened her mouth some more and moments later, she looked down to see the Reigns flee in pain.

  She lowered herself gently to the ground and her eyes turned back to their normal blue. Everyone laid on the ground curled up with their hands on their ears.

  “Is everyone ok?” she asked as she pulled off the net that had covered the Araneas.

  “Damn Reigns” Connor cursed.

  “I will kill them all” he continued as he rose from the ground and dusted himself clean.

  Nessa helped Trina up and they rushed to Marcus’s side. Jack ran to Trina’s side and embraced her. Ariel looked away not understanding why it bothered her so much to see Jack getting cozy with Trina.

  “Thomas” Nessa called as she searched the grounds in search of her boyfriend.

  “Thomas” she yelled again when there was no response.

  “Where’s Thomas” she asked hysterically as the pushed the solders to see whether he was in the middle of where they stood.

  He was nowhere to be found. Nessa felt the world spin around her and suddenly, she couldn’t hear anything from what anyone said. All she heard where hisses in her ears. She moved around hysterically as tears filled her eyes.

  “Not again, please, please” she cried.

  Marcus headed to her side and held her by the shoulders then shook her.

  “Nessa, listen to me, we are going to find him honey ok?” he said.

  Trina rushed to her side and hugged her sister.

  “It’s going to be ok Nessa, please don’t cry” she said as she stroke Nessa’s hair.

  “How could this happen, did anybody see them take him?” she asked between sobs as she searched the soldiers faces.

  She covered her face with her hands and knelt down as she cried.

  “Why, why didn’t he get into the tunnels like I told him?” she cursed.

  “I’m going after him” she said as she got up from the ground and wiped her tears dry from her face.

  “You cannot go after them alone Nessa” Marcus said as he blocked her way.

  “I have speed Marcus, I’m sure I can catch up to them” she said in argument.

  “And do what, when you get to them huh?, fight them all alone?” Marcus asked with a domineering tone.

  “Well, I don’t care, all I know is I can’t sit here and do nothing. He is a human in the midst of vampires, I can only imagine the
worst if I don’t do this, they’re probably going to eat him alive after they suck all the blood out of him. He is the love of my life Marcus” she said with teary eyes.

  “Ok, Nessa, I understand how you feel, but you’re not going alone, we at least need a plan before we go after him” Marcus advised.

  “Do we even know where they’ve taken him?” Trina asked grimly.

  “I think I know where they took him, their castle is a few miles north of this camp. It’s on a cliff near the shore of this island” Marcus said.

  “We need to go in as quickly and quietly as possible” he continued.

  “These are vampires Marcus, I’m sure there are a couple among them with powers to detect any movements near their castle. I’ve also heard of those who can see the future, so they probably know we’re coming” Ariel said.

  “Well, I don’t give a damn if they see me coming, all I want is to know that Thomas is alive and well” Nessa said in an angered tone.

  “I’ll go with you” Ariel said as she went to Nessa’s side and pat her back.

  “Thank you Ariel, you are so kind” Nessa said as she looked at her and flashed a smile.

  “I’m coming too” Jack said as he moved forward to Nessa’s side.

  “Me too” Trina joined in.

  And Marcus joined them.

  “All of you have to consider that you are going into the Reigns territory, they have an army of followers and with the look of things, we definitely cannot do this on your own” Connor said as he looked behind him and nodded at his soldiers in signal that they join them.

  “Some of us have to stay and keep guard of the camp” Ryan said as he stepped forward from the group and stood at attention in front of Connor.

  Ryan had been the team’s captain and he’d always been in charge of the groups’ work-out sessions.

  “Ok, choose the members you feel confident to guard the camp and those you feel can join us to go after Thomas” Connor instructed.

  “Yes sir” Ryan answered and turned back to pick out the group that would stay, and the one that would accompany him and Connor in rescue of Thomas.

  When they were done and ready to head to the Reigns castle Marcus ran ahead in guidance of the group.

  Chapter 3

  Back at the Reigns castle, Thomas was held in a dark room and though he couldn’t see, he felt his hands and feet tied up with a secure rope. The events of what had happened still fresh in his mind. Although everything had happened so fast, he could remember how he’d been pulled from under the net by one Reign immediately after the net fell on them.

  All he’d felt was the wind blowing hard on his face as he hang on the shoulders of the Reign that had captured him. He struggled to free himself to no avail and in no time, he felt like they were flying up in the air, then everything else went dark.

  His thoughts were suddenly distracted by the squeaking sound of a door. He struggled so hard to see who came through it to no avail. He felt someone breathe heavily over him and sharp nails stroke his neck.

  “Please don’t hurt me” he begged as he struggled to see who was in the room with him.

  The breathing and stroking on his neck stopped and moments later he heard a flick of fingers then the lights came on, revealing a huge empty room with ancient paintings on its walls. A vampire stood inches from him and his eyes looked straight at him with burning remorse.

  His skin was so pale and his eyebrows thick and shapely cut. His nose was long and pointed with small pink lips. His ears were unusually long and they twitched when he pressed his teeth together to portray contemplation of what to do with him.

  “Your friends killed my father are you aware of that” he spoke as he move to Thomas’s face and sniffed his neck like he wanted to bite him.

  “I know you were there, I saw you” he continued.

  “You’re Caleb?” Thomas asked with a shaken voice.

  “So you know about me I see?” Caleb answered with a question as he held Thomas’s cheeks with one hand and squeezed them.

  His fangs sprung out and he took his tongue out and licked Thomas’s neck. It was unusually long and when it touched his skin, Thomas felt his skin become hot.

  “Your blood is calling out to me” he hissed.

  “But I’m not going to spoil the fun. I know your girlfriend is coming to save you, and I want her to watch as I devour myself with your blood before I kill her, just the way she killed my father” he continued as he looked into Thomas’s eyes and his eyes flickered.

  “Please don’t hurt her, I beg you” Thomas pleaded.

  “They’ll be here very soon so don’t you worry yourself, you’ll join her in hell very soon” he said with a cynical tone then tapped Thomas’s cheek before he strode across the room and closed the door.

  Thomas looked around and tried to think of what he could do to free himself. His hands and feet were tied apart on opposite ends and he felt so much anger knowing there was nothing he could do. He closed his eyes and thought of Nessa, how worried she must be and the thought made him hate himself.

  He knew she would come after him and the thought of her putting her life in danger so she could save him made him sick to the stomach.

  “I’m so sorry Nessa, I should have stayed in the tunnel” he muttered.

  The room’s walls went up high from the floor and there were some glass windows that joined the walls to the roof.

  Marcus and his group got to the castles in less than an hour and Marcus signaled them to keep their heads down. They hid in a huge ditch as Marcus scanned the area.

  “There’s about four of them chatting about two yards from here” Trina muttered.

  “I’ll take them” Ariel whispered as she looked at Marcus for approval.

  “I can cruise on top of the ground, I won’t make any footstep sounds that they can detect” she explained.

  “Ok, but be careful” Marcus said.

  “Please be careful” Jack said as he held her hand and looked into her eyes.

  Trina felt the familiar twinge of jealously flood her body.

  “I will” Ariel said as she looked back at Jack and smiled.

  She jumped from the ground and with her powers, cruised through the forest until she was on top of the four vampires. She spit out liquid silver and they turned to dust not knowing what had hit them.

  Ariel turned her eyes white to scan movement and voices around the area. She had power to hear people’s thoughts, hear sounds as little as they were over long distances. She could even hear a heartbeat from a long distance.

  She could make out a large number of Reigns in guard of the castle, and it was already dark meaning all of them were awake even those who couldn’t walk in daylight. As she scanned the area, she noticed Thomas’s thoughts.

  “Please don’t come for me Nessa” Thomas thought.

  Ariel turned back and descended in the ditch where her group was.

  “Ok, I know where Thomas is. He’s at the topmost floor. I think I’m the only one who can get in and out unnoticed” she explained.

  “How will you get in?” Trina asked as she looked up at the room looking for any passage way.

  “There’s glass joining the walls to the roof, if I can manage to cut through the glass I think I can fit in” she explained.

  “No, I think that’s too risky Ariel” Connor said as he shook his head.

  “I don’t know how I’d answer to your parents if anything were to happen to you” he continued.

  “I think it’s the only way Connor, if we decide to go in all together, we’ll surely be outnumbered” she explained.

  Ryan had chosen ten Araneas to join them and with Connor, Marcus, Nessa, Trina, Jack, Ariel and him they made a team of seventeen.

  “I think it’s the best shot we have without being detected” Marcus said as he looked at Connor.

  “Ok, but should anything happen to you, tell me, I can hear thoughts too, and so can Trina. If anything happens, we’re coming in is that cle
ar?” Connor said as he looked at Ariel.

  Ariel rose up and cruised to the top room where Thomas was held. When she got to the glass window, she used her index fingernail to cut through the glass. It had grown inches long with silver tips. Her hybrid nature allowed her to use vampire and Aranea powers whenever she wished. She’d used the Aranea silver secretion to turn her finger nail to silver.

  As she cut the glass window, the noise made Thomas look up to see her holding the circular piece of glass she’d cut and slid through the hole. She landed gently on the floor and Thomas looked at her in relief. Before she was settled on the ground, Thomas looked behind her and saw the door fly open and two Reigns went into the room.