Kaleb laughed. “Kael, she won’t give. Seriously, it’s better just to do it her way. She’s stubborn.”
“Stubborn? More like a pain in the —”
Kaleb interrupted. “Now, now. We’ve got to stick together. I’m with her no matter what. You can stay with us, but only if you listen to what she says. She won’t lead us astray.”
Kael made a face, admitting defeat. We’d take the slower way and stick together even if it took us all night. Almost three hours later, we made it to the road leading to the beach. At least the rest of the way was downhill, making it easier for us to walk. We’d have to think up a way Kael could fly us both up to the top of the steep hill. Walking back up was going to be killer. We proceeded down the hill and ten minutes later, we were walking on the sand.
‘What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?’
I gasped, hearing the voice of my love, and tears came to my eyes, reminding me of what I was giving up.
‘I’m sorry, Jayce, but this is the only way. I can’t be held responsible for anything else more that happens or if anyone else gets hurt. It’s too much to bear. Please, I don’t want you to feel obligated to choose between the others and myself, it’s not fair and I see that it’s hurting you greatly. I’m going to find the vampires and get this all straightened out. I’ve made my choice and there’s no way to change my mind. It’s done.’
I hoped he understood what I was trying to do. Nope, opposite reaction, Jayce started yelling in my head and I couldn’t block him out. It was perfect. He was miles away from me and here we were, still fighting.
‘Jayce, I’m going to find Daray. I’m sorry. This was the only way to keep all of you safe. I didn’t want it to be like this.’
‘Find him for what?’ he growled.
‘So we can finally finish what was started. Everything’s gotten too complicated. I want my life back. If fate permits, my life will include you, but if it needs to be with him to get simplicity back, so everyone stays safe, so be it.’
‘You’re nothing like I thought. You think you’re going to get your happy ever after with that parasite? Ugh, I hope you enjoy your eternity of hell. You deserve it!’ Then, he left me.
My heart stopped beating as it broke into a thousand pieces. This was my doing, but he’d left without knowing the truth or without putting up much of a fight. He didn’t beg or plead, he just said his bit and that was that. It seemed so easy for him to leave. Didn’t I mean more to him?
“Oh, Kaleb,” I said reaching over for a hug. “What have I done?”
“You’re doing what you need to.” He embraced me tightly.
My blood began running cold. “Oh no. He’s here,” I whispered.
Kaleb let go of me and motioned Kael with his head. They both took their places on either side of me.
Shea suddenly flew in front of my face, her tiny wings fluttering furiously. “Shanntal, what are you doing? This isn’t safe. Get out of here!”
I waved my hand, trying to shoo her away. Cleary aggravated, she dove down into Kaleb’s pocket and turned on her dimmer. It was too late to react to her hastiness, we weren’t alone. Lakylee was in sight.
This was astonishing. I didn’t normally have this reaction around her, it had only happened before with Daray. I was quite surprised to learn that I could sense all vampires and even half-breeds. This was great; my own built-in radar for bloodsuckers.
She looked wilder than ever. Kaleb and Kael steadied themselves as she approached. Her strength wasn’t going to be underestimated or ignored, as it had been last time. Her long dark hair was a complete mess; pieces were sticking straight up and her clothes were dirty and torn. I assumed from her last meeting with Kael. She snarled, as she neared.
Kael shifted back into a big black wolf. He returned a vicious growl showing off his jagged fangs.
“Want some more?” she taunted.
He let out a raging growl.
“Kael, please. Don’t do this,” I pleaded.
Kaleb moved in front of the black wolf. He pressed his hand on Kael’s chest, reminding him that now wasn’t the time or place. Kael toned it down. Thankfully, Kaleb managed to calm him, for now.
“Lakylee, I’m surprised to see you down here. Where’s Daray?” I asked, taking a step forward.
“How would I know?” she hissed. “Ever since he found you again he’s turned his back on us. We’ve always stood beside him. You… you turned your back.”
“Lakylee, I need to see him. Tell me where he is.” I took another step towards her.
She hissed and clawed the air as I made my approach. Kael leaped forward and stood between the two of us. Kaleb also moved forward so he could close the gap if needed.
I took a few more steps until I stood beside Kael. “Lakylee, I’m trying to fix this. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” I told her a line that I knew would get to her.
It was obvious she had feelings for Daray. It was why she disapproved of me so much. I knew Daray also had feelings for her, because why else would he have kept her around so long? They shared a bond, which I disrupted by showing up. I needed to fix the mess I made between them and once that was done, I’d have my chance to be with Jayce and he wouldn’t need to choose between the elements or me. It was a perfect plan. All the pieces were here, I just needed to put them together again.
“How do you think you are going to fix anything?” She eyed me curiously.
“That’s between Daray and me,” I replied back sharply. I awaited her response. I wanted her as fired up as possible so she’d cooperate more when the time came.
She hissed and snarled, venom dripping down off her fangs. She licked away the poison, not wanting to waste a single drop. She readied herself, anticipating where she’d attack first.
She was exactly where I wanted. I took another couple steps towards her. “I know you care for Daray and want to be with him. I’m trying to make sure it happens. We’re not the same people as before. I don’t belong with him. I know this just as well as you do. I love Jayce with all my heart and I need to be with him. I want you to be with Daray because I can see how much he means to you.”
Lakylee stopped snarling and seemed to be listening to what I was saying. With her relaxed composure she had the same appealing look as the other vampires. I’d only really ever seen her when she was ready to attack. “You’d step aside? You think we could be together? Like he was, with you?”
Perfect! She was more in love than I’d ever imagined. I could easily wrap her around my little finger as long as she ended up with Daray.
“Yes, Lakylee, only better. It wasn’t right between us. I knew by the way he acted around me. His heart wasn’t in it. You have a piece of it… the bigger piece.”
Her smiled started off small and subtle, but continued growing until it stretched across her face. She was actually very attractive when smiling. She no longer appeared quite so wild.
“I don’t know where he is right now. It’s like he went into hiding or dropped off the face of the earth. I’ve been trying to track him.”
I shot a glance over at Kaleb. I was going to get us close enough so we could get a chance to convert the doomahorns and werewolves and show them that there was a better way to live. We’d teach them that they didn’t have to stay under the night curse if they changed their ways. They’d be free to live their lives the way they wanted, not as prisoners.
Secretly, I was also trying to get closer to Daray. I knew he was dangerous and evil, but something about him made me think there was another, better side to him. He was a key piece in my puzzle and I needed to find out where he fit. Everyone had said he’d killed my family, but he told me himself that he didn’t. Ginata’s spirit warned me that he was dangerous; however she had even said someone else was responsible for the deaths. I needed to get to the bottom of this. Who was behind this and how could I stop them before they found me or killed anyone else I cared about?
Kael remained in wolf
form; he didn’t trust Lakylee. I was thankful because right now, I still didn’t have much faith in her. She seemed calm as she told us everywhere she’d been in her quest to find Daray. She even mentioned how the entire coven split up when Daray vanished and how the others took off to the northern tip of the island to find more of their kind.
Driving from one end of the island to the other would’ve taken about thirteen hours. They even had the ability to fly and they’d split up two days ago. Surely, they would’ve been there by now.
“What happened to the werewolves and doomahorns?” I blurted out, not meaning for it to come out so directly.
“They’re locked up still. Ha — and they’re getting quite restless. I’ll let them loose soon enough.” She sounded like her typical evil self, but then caught it and dropped her head low. “Sorry.” She was trying so hard to refrain from the evil portion of her soul. She still had some goodness trapped beneath the surface; maybe there was help for her still.
Daylight was coming. Lakylee headed back to Daray’s house for shelter and we followed. Now was our time to get close to the others to see if we could help them and if they’d help us. We arrived back at the old run-down house. The place made my skin crawl as I thought about everything that went on inside it. I readied myself and walked through the door.
The stench of death almost knocked me over, it was far worse than my last visit. My nostrils stung from the salt of the blood and musky aroma. I pinched my nose closed and held my breath for as long as I could. I looked over at Kaleb and Kael for assistance and noticed that they too were trying to overcome the stench. I decided to breathe through my mouth, let go of my nose and motioned for them to do the same. We didn’t want to offend her.
Lakylee retreated to the back room, but before leaving us she said, “You can have the run of the house. If the others come back, you’re on your own. I never helped. Understand?”
“Got it,” I said.
She took one last look at us and closed the door. A minute later, rays of sunlight poked through some of the cracks in the boarded up windows. Another day had arrived.
Shea used the opportunity to fly out of Kaleb's pocket. “Are you CRAZY?” she squeaked at us. “We have to leave. This isn’t good. What are we even doing in here? Come on guys, let’s go!”
I looked at Kaleb and Kael, who now stood in his human form. They shook their heads no, the same as I did.
Shea crossed her tiny arms together. With a disapproving shake of her head, she popped herself back into Kaleb's pocket.
We headed down the same hallway that Daray had led me down the last time I was in the house. I felt along the wall until I found the panel. I opened the door carefully, took a deep breath and headed down the dark squeaking staircase with Kaleb and Kael following closely behind.
Once we reached the bottom of the stairs, I fumbled around in the darkness trying to find the light Daray had turned on before. I had to mind what I was doing as I remembered what lingered within the shadows. Shea flew out of Kaleb’s pocket and began glowing, and with her help I found the switch.
“Ready… set... go.” I pulled the string.
The lights flicked on and the beasts quickly reacted to our presence. Growls and snarls came from the three werewolves locked up in the big steel cages. Two doomahorns chained to the wall stomped around, trying to bust free. They were clearly starving and by being there we were teasing them as entrees.
“They’re not going to listen now.” I pointed. “Just look at them, they’re crazed with hunger. We’ve got to feed them first.”
“Like they’ve got food sitting around in a vampire house. Please. Now what? Tell me, what do you suppose we do?” Kaleb snapped.
“Kael, what’s the fastest you can go when you’re shifted?” I asked.
“Fast,” he said proudly.
“Good. Fast is good. How are your hunting skills?”
“Hunting? I suppose I’m okay. Why? What are you getting at?”
“I need you to go hunting right now and you need to be fast. Bring the kills back here, but only animals, okay? We aren’t feeding them any humans. They need to eat so they’ll listen to what we have to say.” I was sure this plan was going to work.
“Got it. I’m on it.” With a whoosh, Kael morphed into a large wildcat. He growled as he raced up the stairs. Kaleb and I heard the floors squeak above us until he left the house.
“It’s pretty handy having him around.” I was glad Kaleb had talked me into bringing Kael. Now I wasn’t sure we could’ve pulled this off without him.
Kaleb and I kept our distance from the prisoners. They were so hungry; they would’ve ripped us to shreds had we been close enough.
Kael was back and dragged a deer carcass down the stairs. With a flick of his head, he flung the corpse over to the prisoners. The werewolves stuck their claws through the cage bars, tearing off pieces of the dead deer. The doomahorns leaned their giant black heads down as they ate the meat right off the bones.
“Kael, we’re going to need more. Lots more,” I said. The blood red eyes staring at me suddenly had me feeling a bit nervous. What if this plan didn’t work? What if they couldn’t understand what I was saying? There was no other choice and we were running out of time.
Kael came and went. With each trip he dropped off loads of food for the prisoners. On his last trip, he shifted back into his human form. “Think they’ve had enough yet?” he asked, wiping sweat off his forehead.
I felt nervous and really was starting to doubt the plan. We were underground, trapped, and if they attacked, we didn’t stand a chance. These creatures were dark and evil. What if they didn’t listen? Was I prepared for this? Were any of us? I took a step back and glanced over at Kaleb and then Kael. They both waited for my directions.
Shea flew out of Kaleb’s pocket. Fluttering nearby she suggested, “Why don’t you try a werewolf first? Maybe if we can convince them one at a time, we might have a better chance.”
I liked her idea. One was going to be easier to deal with should it decide to attack. I nodded my head in approval. Kaleb started walking towards the closest cage.
“No, Kaleb,” I said pulling him back. “I’m doing it.” I didn’t want anything to happen to him. He’d done so much for me and I wanted to keep him safe, protect him for once.
“I don’t know.” He eyed me carefully.
“Kaleb, I can do this, just as well as you. If anything happens, well, you can say I told you so, after you rescue me. Okay?” I placed my hands on my hips, knowing how much he hated it.
“Fine, but be careful.”
I walked nervously towards the cage as I gulped down the lump of fear rising up in my throat. I couldn’t be afraid because if they sensed my fear, it would all be over. Another deep breath and another step forward. The werewolf watched me as it stayed pressed up against the back of the cage. About five feet away, my stomach flipped and my palms went sweaty. I was nervous, more doubts ran through my head. All I could think of was how dumb this idea seemed. What was I doing here? The werewolf paced back and forth, letting out low growls.
I took a deep breath and swallowed my fear. This is what had to be done and I was the one who could do it. I took another step forward. As I settled myself down, the werewolf mimicked me. We both cooled the adrenaline rush as we looked at one another straight in the eye. I placed my hand on the lock.
“I need a key. I can’t open the cage without it,” I said to Kaleb, taking my eyes off the beast.
His face changed into a horrible expression. “Shanntal move!” he yelled.
Instantaneously, I let go of the lock and moved away from the cage. I felt a breeze in my hair as the werewolf took a swipe. I turned to face the cage and watched as it shook the cage aggressively, trying to get out.
“Wow! That was way too close,” I said, realizing the danger I’d just put myself in. “This isn’t going to work. Not like this. We need to come up with something else.”
“Can we talk upstairs for
a minute?” Kael asked.
Disappointed, I followed my friends.
“Listen, if I shift into a werewolf, maybe you can show them the way through your actions with me. Perhaps they won’t know the difference. I am a pretty good actor, so it’s worth a shot.”
“What makes you think we can pull it off?” Kaleb asked.
“Give me a sec.” Kael glanced around the hallway before retreating outside. Kaleb and I stared blankly at each other, wondering what he was up to. A few seconds passed and he returned holding a thick chain in his hands.
“This oughta do the trick.” He wrapped the chain around his neck and handed me the end. Whoosh. Behold, I now held a werewolf in restraints. My prisoner looked at me, winked his purple eye and let out a ferocious snarl.
Escaped the Night Page 18