With a heavy heart, he pushed through the pain, using every ounce of his supernatural speed to move away from the attackers and leaving Barb’s broken body lying face-down in the grass. Elijah felt the breeze of bullets flying past him as several more shots resounded through the early evening air. The location of his car was well within the range of the gunman, and thus far too vulnerable, forcing Elijah to abandon it as he rushed away, saying a silent prayer for his fallen friends.
Running until his lungs felt as if they would burst, Elijah slowed and ducked into a dark alley. Typically, any vampire could have covered the same distance, exerting no more energy than a human enjoying a casual stroll but, with the extensive burns that covered his body, his system was directing nearly all of its resources to healing. His chest heaved as he dragged another ragged breath into his lungs and pulled the phone from his pocket. Miraculously, the slim device had survived the blast and appeared to be working properly. He looked down to survey his injuries and stumbled back as a sudden thirst for blood set his throat on fire. It had been a great many years since Elijah had felt the heavy pull of bloodlust and he slumped against the wall under the force of its weight. As much as it hurt, his thirst would have to wait.
Swallowing hard, Elijah tapped a few buttons on the screen, dialing the home his new in-laws were renting on the outskirts of the city. He leaned back, letting the brick wall hold him upright while he prayed that his family was safe.
After two rings, Rebecca Ryan answered, her voice cheery. “Hello, Elijah, how are —”
“Where is Chloe?” he rushed out; cutting her off.
“She’s right here playing with William and Jared. Is everything all right?” she asked with concern.
“No, Rebecca; I’m sorry; please put William on the phone.”
“Elijah, what’s happened?” William asked instantly; taking the phone from his wife.
“My clinic was attacked, and there’s no time to explain now. You need to leave immediately, get Chloe to The Elite in Boston. Barb is gone… she’s dead.”
“Oh, my God,” William said with shock. “I understand.” he said, knowing full well the implications of Barb’s passing. With her gone, all of her spells were broken, including the blocking charm which hung around Chloe’s neck and covered the bodies of Elijah’s entire family. “Where are you Elijah? Are you injured? I’ll send someone for you.”
“There’s no time, just take care of our granddaughter; I’ll be fine. Josephine will call you shortly and we will meet you if we can manage it, but do not wait for us, just get Chloe out of here,” he said; hanging up and directly dialing Ethan.
When he heard the click of his son picking up the phone, he didn’t wait for a greeting. “Son, you need to get back immediately. We were ambushed at the clinic; everyone is dead,” he paused; choking back his grief. “Barb is dead, we are all exposed. I have called the High Commander; they are moving Chloe to The Elite’s compound. I must call your mother,” he said in one labored breath.
“I have her on the other line. She had a vision; she already knows, but she needs to hear your voice. We will leave immediately for the compound; just let her know.” Ethan responded quickly.
“Be safe, son,” Elijah said; as Ethan ended the call.
Josephine picked up before the phone even rang on Elijah’s end. “Mí vida! Gracias a Dios!” Josephine exclaimed with relief.
“My love, I am all right, but Barb—”
“I know, I have seen. Do not worry about that now, please just get home to me,” she begged before he heard Cami demanding to speak to him in the background.
A second later her voice came over the line, calm and collected; the trained soldier in her taking charge. “Father, tell me what you remember. How many were there? What kinds of weapons did they use? How many bodies are in the building?”
As quickly as possible, Elijah recalled the details of the attack.
“Is there any evidence which could expose our people onsite?” Cami asked; already formulating a plan of action.
“No, I don’t think so. Barb and I had already cleared out all of the patient records, which would raise questions. Everything else is probably ash by now.”
“Okay; I’ll contact the Indianapolis base and get a team to the scene as a precaution, but it sounds like there isn’t much we can do. The humans will want to question you, but we’ll be long gone before they get the chance. We’ve got much bigger problems now,” she said; looking at her mother whose condition seemed much improved from the way it had been before she received the comfort of hearing her beloved mate’s voice. “Be safe, Dad; I’ll see you soon,” Cami said; before she gave the phone back to her mother and rushed from the room.
“I want you to wait for me in the tunnel. Call the Ryans as soon as we hang up and then go there. Seal the door; do not open it under any circumstances and, if anything happens or I’m not there within fifteen minutes, I want you to leave and go to the Ryans’. Do not wait for me. Promise me this, my love.”
“Te prometo, mí vida. Te amo.”
“I love you, too. I’ll be with you soon.”
As satisfied as he could be that his family was safe given the circumstances, Elijah turned his focus to the problem at hand. As much as he loathed the idea of attacking an innocent human, after years of only drinking bagged blood or from the vein of his wife, he didn’t have the time or the willpower to be so humanitarian. If he didn’t take blood while he still had some semblance of control over the craving, he risked putting the entire race at risk of exposure.
He could hear several steady heartbeats nearby, people going about their business, enjoying a beautiful summer evening in the city. Hidden in the shadows of the alley, he didn’t have to wait long before a young man wandered by, alone and vulnerable, stopping just beyond the entrance of the alley to watch as two fire trucks sped by with sirens blaring, no doubt on their way to combat the fire at the clinic. Elijah took advantage of the distraction, silently pulling the unsuspecting man back into the darkness behind a dumpster, his hand covering his mouth and effectively muffling the scream which ripped from his throat. Elijah soothed the man’s overwhelming fear with his ability to influence emotions and, within seconds, the man ceased struggling while Elijah continued to whisper reassuring words into his ear.
Elijah’s fangs dropped instinctually when his eyes found the steady strum of his victim’s pulse at the base of his throat. He struck quickly and efficiently, taking only what he needed before smoothing his tongue over the puncture marks and gently laying the man on the ground, with his body propped up against the wall. Kneeling down in front of him, Elijah looked into his hazy eyes, completely wiping away the memory of him and the regrettable attack. It had been years since Elijah had employed memory manipulation on a human, an ability that was inherent in all mature vampires, so he lingered a moment longer than was necessary to ensure that the process was completely effective.
Satisfied, Elijah wiped his mouth on what was left of his sleeve and stepped to the edge of the alley. He peered around the red bricks of the building, sighting an escape path before he sped off down the street, moving with so much speed that he was invisible to the eyes of the humans, his passing only registering as a brisk summer breeze as he made his way home.
✧
Josephine stood anxiously just inside the doorway to the secret tunnel, which ran beneath the home she had shared with Elijah for the last fifty years. Though its secluded location and beautiful landscape were what first attracted them to the property, it was the secret which lay beneath that sold them on it. Used as part of the Underground Railroad back in the late 1800s, the small tunnel, with its entrance concealed behind a large cabinet of shelves which housed canned fruits and vegetables from Josephine’s garden, originally led back nearly one hundred yards to the edge of the property.
Shortly after moving in, Elijah secured the exit there and began systematically extending the tunnel until after several years, it linked up with Indianapolis�
�� underground sewer network, providing access to a variety of exit points around the city. Enlisting the help of Barb and several other witches from a local coven, Elijah had concealed and secured the connecting exit, ensuring that no city employee, or enemy, would happen upon its location.
Sensing Elijah’s approach through their blood bond, she reached for the handle, intending to open the silver-plated door for him, only to stop short with a startled scream when a voice cut through the still air from behind her. “I thought I told you not to open that door, my love,” Elijah chided gently from a few yards away.
Josephine flashed across the short distance into his waiting arms. “Dios mío, you scared me,” she whispered; as she buried her face against his chest and inhaled deeply. Even polluted with the smell of smoke and blood, his spicy masculine scent comforted her. “Why did you not tell me you were using the tunnels? I could have met you.” she asked; as he hugged her close.
“When I spoke with you, I was not sure if I could get to the entrance downtown without being detected. The men at the clinic were human, but they were no doubt sent by Lucias. I feared they may have been accompanied by one of our kind and I couldn’t risk leading them to you, so I traveled above ground until I reached the entrance in the forest,” Elijah explained.
“Are you hurt?” Josephine asked; pulling back enough to look at Elijah’s tattered clothes, though she already knew he was healed; she’d felt the force of his pain during the explosion and sensed the undercurrent of grief now pulling on him despite his calm demeanor.
As Elijah looked into her concerned eyes, his restraint snapped. He fell to his knees and began to weep without restraint or shame as he clung desperately to Josephine’s waist. He cried for Barb, his dear old friend taken so abruptly, and for Wendy and Dr. Jameson. But more than that, he cried for his people as the full reality of the fate they had feared for so long, the fate he could no longer deny was upon them, engulfed him.
In that moment, Elijah’s pain was consuming and Josephine could have easily drowned in it as it poured over her through their bond, but instead she chose to fight it, swallowing her pain and blocking it from her husband, not wanting to compound his despair with her own. For several minutes she stood there, murmuring words of comfort as Elijah sagged against her.
“Mi vida, there is not much time,” she said gently; as his crying ebbed. “We are to meet with the Ryans at this address in twenty minutes,” she said, passing him a slip of paper. Elijah stood and wiped his eyes with what was left of his sleeve. Though the tunnel was almost entirely dark, he was able to read it perfectly with his preternatural vision.
“I know this place; Barb took me there once. The witches who live there helped us save a human child whose illness was beyond the capabilities of science.”
“There was no time for details. William only mentioned that they are connected with The Elite and that we will be safe there until our escort arrives to transport us to the compound,” Josephine said; as she pulled a clean set of clothes from the bag she had packed.
“Before you ask,” she began; as she tossed the clothes to him, “I have had no visions of Chloe, yet I can see everyone else with perfect clarity. I’ve seen Cami at the clinic with some of the local Elite and the human authorities. Their investigation will not turn up anything of consequence and she will meet us at the home of the witches. Ethan and Alexa will board a plane for Boston, but beyond that I cannot see.”
“What does that mean?” Elijah questioned; swiftly shedding his burned clothing before he pulled the fresh shirt over his head.
“It means the witches have already begun preparing blocking charms for us and I will not feel easy until they are in place. There is no doubt that Asana is already focused on us.” Josephine cringed at the thought of Lucias’s seer tracking her family’s every move. Without the protection of Barb’s magic, it would not be long before Asana discovered their location.
Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Elijah nodded to his wife, preparing to leave when a terrible realization dawned.
“Is it possible Barb was their target all along? Her death exposed us all to Asana’s sight, but how could they have known she was the key?”
“Yo no sé, mi vida; but perhaps we will find answers with the witches.”
CHAPTER 2 - The Witches' Home
“Doctor Kline, such a pleasure to see you again; though I wish our meeting could be under more pleasant circumstances,” the tall witch said from the open doorway. Though her face was shrouded in a thin black veil, a symbol of mourning for the loss of a sister witch, her beauty was evident.
“Yes, Ariel; I am sorry for the circumstances as well, but it is always good to see an old friend,” he replied; extending his hand. She shook it warmly, reaching up to push back a stray purple highlight which had fallen from the chignon of her mostly-black hair.
“And this must be the lovely Mrs. Kline. Barb spoke of you often,” she said; regarding Josephine as she lifted the veil from her face.
“I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the hospitality you are showing our family. We all know the danger and will not soon forget your service, truly,” Josephine said earnestly; while gripping both of Ariel’s hands.
“Please, there is no need for such words amongst friends. Barb was our sister and thought of you as her own; we would not dishonor her memory or her sacrifice by refusing you in your time of need,” Ariel responded, as she stepped away and stuck her head out the door. “Can I get either of you boys anything?” she asked two of the High Commander’s guards, who were posted on the front porch. When both men declined with silent shakes of their heads, she closed the door and her eyes as she bowed her head.
With both hands raised and palms facing the door, she began to chant the words to a powerful protection spell. Elijah and Josephine watched with rapt attention as the air visibly began to swirl around her, slightly lifting the stylishly tattered black skirt which hung just below her knees. A soft white glow emanated from her palms as her voice grew louder and papers flew off a nearby desk. The glow from her hands flowed through the air and poured over the door, coming to rest around its seam as Ariel’s voice fell silent.
“Now that that’s taken care of, I’m guessing you are eager to reunite with our other guests. There is one in particular who I suspect will be quite thrilled to see you,” Ariel said with a smile; as she led them down a dark, narrow hallway.
Josephine squeezed Elijah’s hand as they followed Ariel through the old Victorian home. Despite the darkness of the day, neither she nor Elijah could help the smiles which lit their faces at the prospect of seeing their granddaughter. Though it had only been a few days since she’d left them, there was no doubt she would be much changed in that short time, given the accelerated rate of her growth.
Reaching the door to the parlor, Ariel stepped aside, allowing them to enter first.
No sooner had the brass hinges let out a low creak, than Chloe sped into Elijah’s arms, her increased strength and speed surprising him and nearly knocking him into his wife.
“Grandpa, Grandma!” she exclaimed; as he wrapped his arms around her. Josephine joined in, immediately wrapping her arms around them both. Even knowing that Chloe would be bigger, the change in her appearance shocked them as they held on to the little girl who could easily pass for a seven-year-old.
Her enthusiastic greeting was succeeded by that of her living shadow, Tilly, who bounded up to the trio, with her long tail wagging hard enough to shake her entire body. The haphazard appendage swept across the coffee table in the center of the room as she walked by, sending a delicate porcelain statue flying. Mere inches from shattering on the floor, the tiny figurine featuring a mother and baby hung suspended in the air. Ariel swept her elegant hand across the space in front of her, safely returning the knick-knack to its rightful place.
Redemption of Fate (Fate Series Book 2) Page 2