They fell, tumbling down into the flames. Hitting the dance floor on her side, the wind knocked out of her. Gasping for air, drawing smoke into her lungs, she started coughing. Jarrod stood a few feet away, screaming, trying to pat out the fire caught hold his clothes. The ends of his hair crackled and burned. Rathe swept her into his arms.
Simon held the door open for them. “Rathe, run!”
As he bolted for the exit, she looked over Rathe’s shoulder. She watched in horror as Jarrod’s skin caught fire, melting like wax under the flames. Jarrod’s pain struck her like a physical blow as he opened his mind to her, sharing with her his destruction. She felt the fire burn his flesh, destroying the shell of evil he’d become.
“For every soul you took, for every life you stole, you are hereby judged,” she whispered to him.
“Mariah!” Jarrod cried out as the flames engulfed him.
Outside the club, Rathe stumbled and fell to his knees, holding her tight to him as she clung to him. Sounds of sirens wailing warned them the police and fire trucks weren’t far away. Rathe was on his feet, setting her on her own. Faeroes held Tereza in his arms. Blood soaked her clothes and his. Her face was white, her skull bones prominent, cheeks sunken in, as she bled out from her wounds.
Rathe ordered, “Back to Mariah’s!”
She grabbed Kai, Simon took Lydia, Anya and Mina jetted into the sky, flying as fast as they could back to her house. Landing ungracefully, they hurried to Faeroes, who gently laid Tereza on the ground. Rathe was beside them, checking the wounds on her neck and shoulders.
“We need to get her to ground!” Furious when no one would obey, Rathe demanded, “What the hell is wrong with you? Do as I command!”
Faeroes dropped his head, his bloodied hands braced on his knees. “It won’t save her.”
Mariah saw the festering bite marks, knew it was only minutes before Tereza would turn and lose her soul.
“Bullshit, we have to try.” Rathe made to lift Tereza in his arms when his mother gave a small shake of her head, stopping him.
She lifted her hand to caress his cheek, her voice barely audible, “I feel the poison contaminating my blood. You must not let me turn.”
“Mother, do not ask me this.”
“My son, I must tell you … the truth. Demetri did meet the sun. He left us.” She gasped, crying.
“Mother, I don’t understand?”
“Demetri learned the young were … being judged falsely. Signs false! When bloodlust hit is not a sign turning. Our … our nature … the darkness in … our souls, it is part of us.”
“God be merciful.” Faeroes leaned closer to her. “How many were judged before Father disbanded the Slayers?”
“Too many … for your father’s soul … to bear.”
Rathe and Faeroes exchanged shocked expressions, lost and sickened at the youth murdered because of a misunderstanding of the laws.
Tereza smiled wistfully at Mina, who angrily wiped her tears away. To Mariah’s surprise, Tereza waved her closer. “Mariah, promise me you will raise Aramina as ... your own? Help her find love like ... we did.” Her pain-filled eyes pleaded with her.
Kneeling beside Tereza, she took her hand in both of hers, scared at how hot they felt, not cold like it should be. “I-I promise.”
“Thank you.” Tereza whispered to Rathe, “Son, you must ensure I do not rise. You must, my son. Must not," with a little sighed, she went still.
He cradled his mother to him, his grief so great and painful it physically shook him. Mariah reached out to comfort him, startled when he shook her off. Mina and Kai hugged her, taking the sting out of his rejection.
“Anya,” he asked, “I need Holy water and lighter fluid.”
Mina sniffed, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. “Rathe, we must … we have to make it so Mother does not rise.”
“I’ll not desecrate her body!” He gently placed Tereza on the ground and went to his SUV when Anya did not move.
She saw the grimness in Mina’s expression as she stared at her mother’s lifeless body. Kai jumped to her feet and yanked Mariah backward when Tereza took a deep breath and her eyes flew open, glowing red. Before Faeroes or Simon could react, Mina took Rathe’s sword he’d laid on the ground and cut off her mother’s head. Stunned, she watched as Kai slowly reach out and took the sword out of Mina’s hand, handing it to her. Together, the girls left, holding onto each other.
Rathe stood there, disbelief on his face. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Anya sank to her knees beside Faeroes, holding him as he held her. Numb, Mariah walked past Rathe and retrieved the blanket out the SUV and brought it back to cover Tereza’s body with it. With the wave of her hand, she ‘willed’ the earth to open a grave. Faeroes and Simon helped her place Tereza in the ground. Trying not to flinch, she picked up Tereza’s head and placed it under the blanket. Rathe liberally squirted the can of lighter fluid over the blanket covering his mother.
Setting the can on the ground, he flicked the lighter and the flame held steady. “Mother, I—” Rathe bowed his head. “Rest in peace. May Father find you in the next life.” He tossed the lighter into the grave.
Mariah felt Mina and Kai beside her. Taking their hands, she looked down and saw the hatred contorting Mina’s angelic features. “Rathe, I want to take the girls to the cabin I was shown.”
“No. We stay here.”
“No, we aren’t.” She sensed Faeroes and Anya’s surprise as she met his savage glare. Refusing to cower or back down, she faced his anger. “I’m taking the girls to the mountains, like I was told to.”
“Are you saying Mother’s death is my fault?”
“No, that is not what I’m saying.”
“Then what is your meaning?”
“Mina has endured enough tonight. She and Kai need a place to process what’s happened. He said it was a safe house. They need it.”
Eyes narrowing at her, he shot back accusingly, “You want to know if he’s there, waiting for you!”
“Yes, I need to find him. I need to know who he is, and why he didn’t fight with us against Jarrod. Most importantly, I’m thinking of the girls.”
Faeroes agreed as he and Anya rose to their feet. “We should go to the cabin. Mariah needs to find out who the vampire who speaks to her is. Only family and blood-bonded can speak with each other. It concerns me that he would warn her, but not help us in the fight.”
Kai spoke up behind them, “But he did help us.”
Surprised, Mariah asked her, “He did?”
“He called off his men, the ones with the machine guns.”
“How do you know?”
“It had to be him. Why else would the vampires abandon Jarrod?”
“Do you think he is still close by?” Rathe asked Kai.
“I think so. He’s hard to read. Only when he wants to make contact, can I talk to him.”
Faeroes held Anya’s hand in his. “We’ve nine hours before dawn. Plenty of time to scout the area, check if it’s a trap.”
Appearing defeated, Rathe gave in. “Fine. Mina, you fly with me.”
Mina came out of her trance. “I can fly with Kai.”
“Are you sure?”
Determination stiffened Mina’s resolve. “I am.”
“Everyone gather only what you need for tonight.” Rathe went to the SUV and pulled out his black duffle bag.
Faeroes and Anya went to their car and pulled out a duffle bag similar to Rathe’s. Anya handed her a gun and several clips of ammo. Since Kai and Lydia’s suitcases were in the sports car, there really wasn’t anything for them to bring with them.
“We ready?” They nodded. Flying into the air, she sped toward the mountains where the vampire showed her was the cabin.
Half an hour later, she found the log cabin nestled in a small clearing, overlooking the valley below the mountain it was built on. No roads led into the cabin. There weren’t any signs of humans or vamps around. Landing, she released her daughter, who went to Mina. Ha
ving the odd feeling she had been here before, she kept it to herself when Rathe and his brothers left to scout the area.
“Mariah,” Anya motioned with her head at the cabin, “let’s check it out.”
Cautious, guns in hand, they went inside. Flipping the light switch, Mariah was relieved the lights came on. Surprised to find firewood had been placed in the fireplace, more stacked in the wood box set on the other side of the mantle. Searching the kitchen, she checked the enclosed back porch and found a generator filled with gasoline in it and cans beside it to run it. Returning to the kitchen, she opened the fridge. It was well-stocked. The cabinets were, too.
“He prepared the cabin for us.” Walking back into the living room, she stumbled when flashes of her as a child blinded her.
“Mom?” Kai came around and put her arm around her waist, steadying her.
Rathe, his brothers, Mina, and Lydia entered the house when Anya came down the stairs. “All clear.”
“Good.” He gave her a quizzical look. “Mariah, what’s wrong?”
“Rathe, I’ve been here before.”
“You have?”
“Yes,” she said slowly as she and Kai walked toward the fireplace. “When I was little girl. He sat in that chair, watching me as I played before the fireplace. He was kind and gentle, but there was always sadness in his eyes.”
“The spell must have bound your memories of him, as well as your nature.”
Taking the medallion out under her shirt, she smiled. “This was his. He kept it in a small box. Sometimes, when I was scared, he would let me wear it.”
Rubbing his face, Faeroes placed his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I think we’re going to ground early.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Mina, do you want to sleep with Faeroes and Anya, or me and Mariah?”
“I’ll make my own grave.”
Simon offered, “You can share with me, if you’d like.”
“No,” she said firmly. “I’m not a baby. I can sleep on my own.”
Rathe made to argue, Mariah stopped him as Mina stormed out the door. “Rathe, I’m going to make dinner for Lydia and Kai. Can you build a fire to warm the house?”
His dark eyes met hers, narrowing as he frowned at her. But he didn’t argue. “Sure.”
Making sandwiches seemed the fastest course to feed Kai and Lydia, who devoured them and several cans of soda. After they’d finished, they went upstairs to check out the bedrooms. Mariah was drying off the last of the dishes when Simon entered the kitchen.
“Hey, where’s Lydia?”
“She’s upstairs.” He made to leave, halting when she asked, “Simon, how are you doing?”
He gave her a grimace of a smile. “If I didn’t have Lydia, I-I’d not be in a good place right now. Not after Mother. Seeing her turn … Mina having to—” He stopped, running a trembling hand across his mouth.
“You love Lydia, don’t you?”
Self-conscious, he shrugged his broad shoulders. “I’m not sure if it’s love or what. I do know that when I saw her held by the Damned, I felt a rage I’d not thought me capable of. I killed them, to protect her. Is that love?”
“Oh, it’s the right path for it.” She pushed him gently out the kitchen. “Go on and say your goodnights.”
Grinning, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad Rathe found you. Sister.” Simon left her.
“I am, too.” Rathe said behind her. He pulled her into his arms. “You saved me again, you know that?”
“Saved you?”
“You dragged my ass to safety when Jarrod tried to infect me with his blood.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “Forgive me earlier. I-I….”
“No, there’s no need to apologize for.”
“I can’t believe she’s gone.” Closing his eyes briefly, he opened them, tears glistening in the dark depths. “Why didn’t I do like Mother asked? Dammit, Mariah, Mina had to kill her! How the hell is she to move past that?”
“Mina has Kai and us. She knows we love her and we will always be there for her.” She leaned back against the counter. “Will the Elders order us dead since we killed Jarrod?”
“Yes.” He placed his hands on the countertop and leaned into her. “I promise you and Kai will be safe.”
“I’ll hold you to it, Slayer.”
“Oh, I’m sure you will.” He kissed her slow, tenderly.
Simon coughed. “Sorry to interrupt, but Kai says she’s ready to crash.”
Smiling at him, she nodded. “I’m on my way.”
“We are on our way,” Rathe corrected her.
“Night, Simon,” she said as he went out the door.
“Night.” Simon stopped and came back, embracing his brother. “It’s not your fault. Mother was a tough and loving woman. She gave all as should we, for what is right.”
Tears glistened in Rathe’s eyes. “Thank you, Simon. I love you.”
Surprise lit the young man’s eyes. “I love you, too.” Simon went outside.
Taking Rathe’s hand in hers, they went upstairs and found Kai already asleep. Kissing her daughter’s forehead, she made sure her daughter would be warm enough with the down comforter.
“Come, we need to sleep, too.”
“Will she and Lydia be safe here?”
“I will leave this for her.” Rathe laid his gun on the night stand, next to Kai.
“She doesn’t know how to use a gun.” Worrying at her lower lip, Mariah allowed him to pull her out of the room.
“Kai knows a lot more than you give her credit. Forgive me, but she’s not a baby anymore. Just like Mina isn’t. They’ve got a lot to learn still, and we will teach them. They will survive.”
“Yes, together, they will survive.”
Outside, she gazed at Lake Coeur d’Alene and the lights of the city. “It makes me sad.”
“What does?”
“Jarrod dying the way he did. I can still feel his pain, as he burned to death.”
“Do not waste your pity on the likes of him. The evil he’s done to innocent people, vampire and human alike, is unforgivable,” Rathe gruffly said as he opened a grave for them.
“Still, the pain he suffered, separated from his brother, was like an open wound, never healing, grieving endlessly … right to the very end.”
Rathe took her into his arms. “It’s over now. Jarrod is at peace. Our battle is done.”
As they floated down into the grave, she had the terrible feeling their battles had only just begun.
✝✝✝
Crying, she wanted to call out to Mommy, but something warned her to stay quiet. The bad dream she had left her afraid. Climbing out of bed, she clutched her teddy bear tight as she shuffled across the wood floor to find Mommy and Daddy. Downstairs, in the living room, she heard Mommy crying. Quiet as a mouse, she sat on the step and peered through the wooden rails. Daddy was lying on the floor.
Where was his head?
A man shouted, “Where is the abomination?” He had Mommy’s hair bunched in his hand, a knife held to her throat.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The girl! Where is the dhampir?”
“I don’t know what you mean!”
“Enough,” another man said, sounding bored. “Kill the bitch. We’ll torch the place. If the kid’s hiding, we’ll find her that way.”
With a swipe of his blade, the man cut her mother’s head off.
Pressing her teddy bear to her mouth to still her scream, she watched as the men made a fire. Silently, she went back to her room and hid under her bed. Crying, she hugged her teddy bear as the smoke crept upstairs. Terrified, she prayed he’d come and rescue her. Shouts downstairs made her jump. Through the smoky haze, she saw a man emerged. His green eyes beacons in the darkness.
“Mariah? Where are you?”
Relieved, she scrambled out from under the bed. “Uncle Alex!” She ran to him and he picked her up, hugging her tight in his strong arms.
Sniffing, she told him what they’d done to Mommy and Daddy.
“I know, sweetie. We’ve got to get you out of here.” Behind Uncle Alex, a woman tapped him on the shoulder.
“Master, the fire is out of control. We cannot return down the stairs.” She had long black hair, green eyes, but not like Uncle Alex’s. She looked really scared, too.
“Take her. I’ll hold back the fire for us to escape.” He handed her to the lady.
Her perfume smelt familiar. Mariah touched her hair, saw into her mind. The woman smiled at her. “Yes, child, you know me. I was the one whom Master trusted to care for you when you were a wee babe.”
“I remember you, Relle. Why didn’t Mommy take care of me when I was born?”
“Another time, sweet Mariah. First, we must survive the fires the Slayers set.”
Flames ate at the walls below. Scared, she wrapped her arms around Relle’s neck. “It will be fine, little one. Master will protect us.”
They followed Uncle Alex. He held out his hands, and she could feel the power as he pushed back the flames. “Go, Relle,” he ordered, clenching his teeth as he fought to hold back the fire.
Relle ran down the stairs, shielding her when they went past Mommy and Daddy. Uncle Alex was behind them.
Outside. Safe!
“Relle, I want you to put the spell on her. She needs to become human.”
“Master, I know you want to protect her, but to contain her nature is a prison for the child. She will suffer.”
“Not any more than she already has. To protect her, she needs to forget.” Tears were in his eyes as he withdrew a flat box out of his pocket and took off the lid. Inside was his necklace. “Mariah, take it.” When she held it in her little hand, he smiled. “It’s yours now. A part of me will always be with you when you wear it.” Uncle Alex laid his hand against her hair.” Forgive me, Mariah. It’s the only way I have left to protect you from him.”
“Uncle, please don’t leave me!” she tried to pull him to her, but he stepped back, shaking his head.
“Mariah, you won’t remember this, but I love you.”
“No! Please don’t go, Uncle. Don’t leave me, too!”
Whisper to Me (Borne Vampires Book 1) Page 23