One of the vampires asked him, “If we are not Damned, does that mean we can return to the earth?”
Rathe shrugged his shoulders. “I would have to say yes. If you are able to touch silver and a cross, you should be able to go to ground as well.”
The man held his hand out, his face scrunched as he concentrated. Snow, frozen dirt peeled back, creating a grave. “Ten years I’ve lived in hell. Ten years sleeping in a wooden coffin because my parents told me I had lost my soul when I accidently killed a woman I’d fed on. The guilt I carried around, her death, always in my nightmares.”
Walker put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s alright now, Jim. We’re free.”
“Dawn,” Mina said quietly. As one, they looked to the east and saw the break in the dark line of the horizon. “Mariah, can Kai can sleep with me? I can monitor her and make sure she shuts down completely.”
“Rathe?”
Soothing Mariah’s apprehension, he assured her, “Kai will be fine. Won’t you?” he asked Kai, who nodded.
“Yep, I’ll be fine. Mina’s with me in here.” Kai tapped her temple. She smiled at Walker. “Thanks for saving me. The wolf nearly had me.”
They stared at Walker, who reddened at their perusal. “I swore to your grandmother that I would protect you and your mother. I’ve never broken my word,” he said last to Mariah, whose eyes glistened with unshed tears as she smiled at him.
Simon walked Lydia into the house. Returning moments later, he stood beside Faeroes and Anya. Rathe made a grave for the girls, who floated down into it. Ensuring Kai's body had shut down and was sleeping the sleep of the vampires, Rathe covered them.
Walker opened a grave. “It’s been two hundred years since I lay in the earth. Amazing.” His green eyes glowed as he turned and floated down into his grave.
After the dirt covered Walker, Rathe made one for him and Mariah. Taking her hands in his, he drew in a deep breath, letting it out shakily. “Back at the cabin, I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
“No dhampir should fear they will be hunted because of the Law.”
“The Borne Laws need to be changed.”
“Aye, and those falsely accused will have justice. I swear it.”
“I’ll hold you to it, Slayer.” She slipped her arms around his neck, kissing him. Crushing her to him, he held her as they floated down to the welcoming soil.
✝✝✝
After sunset, Rathe ‘willed’ the dirt off them as he opened their grave. Mariah leapt out, he followed her. Kai and Mina’s grave opened, and the girls leapt out. Sighing in relief, Kai’s first time in the ground had gone without mishap.
Kai grinned impishly as she ran into her mother’s arms. “I’m an official vampire!”
“Yes, honey, you are.” Mariah rolled her eyes at her daughter’s enthusiasm.
After Alexander ordered his men to search the woods for any vamps or ghouls come looking for Jarrod or them, Rathe asked him, “Did Jarrod share his plans, operations, who he employed, with you?”
“Yes, I was privy to his so-called kingdom, the ends and outs. Why?”
“I want to call a meeting, an invite to those who could possibly have souls amongst the Damned. Have you a suggestion how it can be accomplished without rousing the demon vamps and the Elders’ suspicions?”
“I might have a way to spread the word through a network of confidants. Where do you want to meet?”
“Santa Cruz, California. In four day. We can discuss the future there.”
“Do you want my men to stand guard over you and your family while you travel?”
“Thanks, but we’d best keep our groups small, avoiding detection that way.”
Faeroes approached them. “Rathe, what you’re planning can get us hunted down by our own kind.”
“I know. We have to risk it. There are others out there like Alexander. Others like us, who are on the run because we don’t agree with the Elders. Faeroes, I understand if you don’t want—”
“Rathe, you know better. I’ve been ready to take on the Elders for a long time. Anya and I are in.”
“Yeah, I can imagine Anya’s in for a little payback since the Elders told her she was not worthy to be a Slayer.”
She gave him an arched glare. “Their actual words were ‘a woman wasn’t strong enough to hunt demons and could be easily turned’.”
Faeroes snorted. “If only they’d seen my Anya in action. None of their so-called ‘best’ hunters can match her skills as a Slayer.”
Anya’s defensiveness eased and her silver eyes glistened. “You and your father stood by me when the Elders tried to execute me for hunting without their consent. Their blindness toward the Damned has not changed since then. It’s time we opened their eyes to the carnage done to the innocent.”
Taking her hand in his, Faeroes kissed it. “Yes, my love, for those lost, we will see the Laws changed.”
“Better than changed,” Rathe said gruffly. “I plan to make the Elders held accountable for their actions, or lack of.”
Alexander’s men returned, reporting the woods cleared for ten miles in every direction. “Rathe, I plan to keep Jarrod’s death quiet for the time being. If the Damned knew they were leaderless, it would be chaos.”
“Do you have an actual number of the Damned?” Mariah asked, concerned.
“Last count had our ranks at two hundred thousand.”
“Two hundred thousand demon vamps?” Rathe repeated, stunned at the news.
“Gets worse. On Jarrod’s orders, the Damned have been killing the Borne vampires, not turning them. Your kind — our kind,” he amended, “are severely outnumbered.”
“Is that why you and your men rebelled?”
“Partly.” Alexander’s features hardened as he glanced at Kai. “Jarrod gave the order to turn human teenagers two weeks ago. I could not allow it.” He and his men disappeared.
“Children were never turned before?”
Rathe shook his head. “No. It was an unspoken rule for both sides never to cross. Never feed on a child. The Damned seemed to embrace it, killing their own if an attack had left a child compromised.”
“Wow, honor amongst demons.”
“In a way.” Rathe scratched his chin. “Faeroes, should we leave now?”
“Aye, let’s head out.”
“You heard him. Let’s get going.”
Flying back to her house, he smiled when he saw the black, brand-new SUV parked in her driveway. Mariah landed beside it.
“Where did the car come from?”
He shrugged. “I owed you a car since yours was destroyed when we first met.”
“Thank-you.” She curled her hand around his neck, kissing him. The spell was broken when he heard the girls giggling.
“Hmmm,” he said, “I guess we’d better loaded the SUV and hit the road.”
Laughing, she agreed. “Yeah, we’d better.” She opened the back of the SUV. “Kai, run upstairs and get my clothes, please? Rathe, should I have Rona and David meet us in California, or is it safe for them to return to their home?”
“Tell them to head home. Have her call her brother, too. It’s safe for them, too.”
She reached for her cell phone and stopped, staring past him. Turning, he saw Mina kneeling beside their mother’s grave. He and his brothers went to stand beside her. Mina rose to her feet. When she looked at him, he saw the dark resolve in her eyes. Exchanging a worried look with Faeroes, they were lost how to help her.
Listening to Mariah talk to Rona, he saw she was trying not to cry as she asked her friend to keep her dogs until after the meeting. Would she and Kai leave afterwards, returning to their home and build a new life without him in it? A pang of sadness struck his heart. He did not want her to leave him, powerless to stop her if she did.
Anya and Faeroes had their car ready. “Simon, are you and Lydia coming with us?”
“No, we’re gonna rent a car of our own.”
No one asked why,
but by Lydia’s blush, they had a pretty good idea what they were about. Rathe grasped Simon in a hug. “Don’t take any risks or speed. Stay under the radar. We don’t want any attention brought upon us. If the Elders catch wind what we’re doing, they could recall the Slayers and send them hunting us.”
“We’ll be careful. See you in a couple of days.” He lifted Lydia in his arms and flew away.
Anya surprised him when she hugged Mariah. Never in his life had he seen his sister-in-law like any other woman outside the Romulas clan. Winking at him, Anya walked back to the car and gracefully slid in. Faeroes grinned at him.
“See you in California.”
Suitcases loaded in the SUV, he waited until everyone had their seatbelts on before he drove back to the highway. How was he going to convince the Borne vampires what they’d been taught was wrong?
“Rathe, I need to ask you something.”
“Yes?”
“When Anya gave me a sword, I-I just knew how to use it. Hell, having my gun on me is-is natural.” She frowned. “How did I know how to fight with a sword when I’ve never touched one before? Do you think I attained the knowledge when I exchanged blood with you? Are memories and instinct traded with the blood exchange from vampire to human? Is that what the Elders are afraid of? Or is it because the Borne genetic gene pool would be diluted, if they had children with the humans?”
Rathe looked as her sharply. “I never thought of it that way before. Since you are the first human I’ve seen converted without turning Damned, I haven’t an answer.”
“You know, Rathe, there might be a way to find others like us, on the internet.”
“Why don’t you search and see?” He glanced back at his sister. “Mina, can you grab Mariah’s computer for her? It’s in the back.” To Mariah, he said, “I knew you’d need it for when this is over. You could go back to writing.” There it was, out in the open. Before she could reply, Mina held out the computer satchel.
“Here you go.” Mina handed it to her.
“Th-thank you.” She pulled out the laptop and opened the lid.
Keeping one eye on the road, he observed her as she browsed through hundreds of vampire sites. Most were humans pretending to be vampires. Rathe glanced down at the bright screen, feeling a strange compulsion.
“Click on that one.” Rathe concentrated on the road as they waited for the website to download. When she nudged him, he read it and chuckled. “Well, I'll be damned. Someone’s looking for us!”
A message box popped up, requesting to talk with her. “What do you want to say?”
“Tell them about the meeting.”
She typed in the box, a secretive smile on her lips. The answer to her typing was happy faces across her screen. Shutting down her computer, she put it back in the bag and set it aside. Lying down on the bench seat, she used his thigh as a pillow. Smiling, he put his arm around her, holding her.
“What did they say?” Rathe tried to think of other things other than her head in his lap.
Chuckling at his discomfort, she answered, “They said it was about time someone organized them.”
“They did, did they? I can't wait to meet them.”
“Well, there is something you need to know about them first. They've ignored the Elders’ orders and have been hunting the Damned on their own. They told me to tell you they would be honored to serve you.”
“Honored to serve me? What the hell did you say to them?”
Yawning, she shifted, getting comfortable. “The Slayers are back in business.”
✝✝✝
Three nights driving, cooped up in the car, she and the girls were ready to mutiny. They collectively sighed in relief when Rathe parked in front of the mansion. Simon and Lydia met them as they climbed out.
“Lydia, you are vampire!”
Bashful, she smiled at Simon, who drew her into his arms. “Yes, I converted for Simon.”
Simon asked Rathe, “Have you heard from Faeroes and Alexander yet?”
“No. Have you?”
He shook his head. “Nothing so far.”
“Mariah found a group on the internet claiming to be Slayers. They’re coming. I'm ashamed to admit the young have been left to fend for themselves. Not anymore. We’ll have their backs.”
Simon wholeheartedly agreed. “Damn right!” Peering closer at him, he said, “Rathe, you haven't fed enough. Why don’t you and Mariah head down to the Boardwalk?”
“Yeah, I’m on the negative side of blood.” Rathe gruffly ordered, “Come, woman, we need to feed.” He laughed at the cool expression she gave him.
Shaking her head at him, she told the girls, “Stay out of trouble. We won’t be gone long.”
“Okay, Mom.” They went inside with Simon and Lydia.
Shifting into a sea eagle, she extended her wings and pushed upward, flying to the Boardwalk. Rathe had shifted into a bird, too, and took the lead. Elated and relishing the freedom after the long trip, she was disappointed when the flight was cut short when they approached the beach close to the Boardwalk. As she shifted back to her human form, she felt lightheaded, collapsing on her knees.
Kneeling beside her, he demanded angrily, “Why did you hide your hunger from me?” As he checked her eyes, she saw he was scared. “Dammit, your eyes are faded and your skin is white.”
“The girls needed the nourishment,” she whispered, barely able to hold onto him.
“There’s a surfer coming out of the water. I’ll feed and be right back.” He propped her against a boulder.
When he finished feeding, he hurried back to her and offered her his arm. “Come on, baby. Feed.”
Pushing his arm away, she nuzzled his neck and sank her fangs into him. He trembled as he placed his hand on the back of her head, holding her as she fed. When she had enough to make her feel better, she rested her head wearily against his chest, feeling his blood course through her veins, reviving her.
“You scared the hell out of me!”
“I’m sorry. Lesson learned the hard way. I won’t let myself get that low on blood ever again, I promise.”
“We have few weaknesses; blood is right at the top of the list. We cannot ignore our bodies’ needs or the consequences can be dire. Are you sure you've had enough?”
“I could use some more.”
“I’ll locate another donor.” He made to rise, but she stopped him.
“Can you take me to the Boardwalk? I’d like to watch the people while I wait for you.”
“Sure.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her there. Setting her down on her feet, he said, “Stay here. I won’t be long.” Giving her a quick kiss, Rathe left her.
Easing her tired body onto the wooden bench, she sighed, happy to be sitting on something that wasn’t moving. As she watched people walk past her, it clicked they were dressed in costumes.
Halloween? How the heck had she forgotten Halloween?
Easy actually, considering that she’s turned vampire, was running for her life, fighting the Damned, finding Alexander, her life had been one helluva roller coaster. Sadly, the ride wasn’t over yet.
Since it was Halloween, she had a crazy idea. What would the people around her think if she dropped her fangs? Probably cheer her on. Not wanting to risk scaring them, she kept normal.
Suddenly, she felt the same sensation in her mind when Anya had tried to read her. Careful not to spook the person, she subtly tried to trace the psyche wave back to them. That failed. Switching to visually searching for them, she found a motley group of teens leaning against the side of the Haunted House. They were staring at her. Unable to read them, she realized they were blocking her on purpose. Studying them, she saw the blurred outline of their weapons — knives, guns. Several had swords.
Their eyes glowed fiercely in the myriad of lights. She smiled, knowing exactly who they were.
Slayers!
Chapter Sixteen
Well, this should be interesting.
She pushed to her feet and wa
lked over to them. “Hi, I’m Mariah Jordan. I’m the one who sent you the message online.”
Eyeing her suspiciously, she decided the only way to prove who she was this … she dropped her fangs. By the way the others kept glancing at him, she figured the red-haired, young man, was their leader. She held out her hand to him, and he warily shook it.
They were on guard and very nervous.
“Is something wrong?” Casting out, she found no sign of the Damned or their ghouls.
“There is a bounty on our heads. The Elders want us dead,” the redhead replied quietly.
“Why?”
A girl with short, spiky blue hair told her, “Because we won’t stop hunting the Damned. We’ve had to defend ourselves twice this week alone against their new enforcers!”
“You were attacked by Slayers?”
“They were once Slayers. Now, they’re called Enforcers of the Laws.”
The pressure in the air shifted, the vampires snarled, drawing their weapons when Rathe strode forth out of the shadows, appearing confident in the incredible strength and power of an experienced Slayer. She felt the vampires staring at her when she smiled at him as he enclosed her under his powerful arm, drawing her to his side.
The redhead lowered his gun. “Are you Rathe Romulas?”
Rathe grinned as he bowed his head in acknowledgement. “One and only. If I may inquire as to your name?”
“I am Rand, elected leader of our band.” His demeanor was proud and defiant.
“Good to meet you, Rand.” Rathe extended his hand out to Rand, who blinked, then slowly accepted it.
She told him what they had told her.
“Son-of-a-bitch.” Flames rippled in the centers of Rathe’s dark eyes, causing the young ones to retreat. She nudged him, silently telling him to cool it.
Visibly, he struggled to rein in his anger. “Rand, have you heard from others who were also ordered to stand down?”
“Yes. We keep in contact using the internet. Something we found the Elders will not touch. They fear contamination of humans,” he sneered. “Elders won’t use technology, except for Julius Adams. He’s at least willing to live in the 21st Century.”
Whisper to Me (Borne Vampires Book 1) Page 26