“Henry is different.” Bridgette’s tone had taken on a motherly reassurance. “Henry is a Knight, not a Whitmore. Though his mother had bonded with Charlie and Corrine’s father, she was seduced by an outsider who planted his seed in her. Henry’s father was from the Old World and so his abilities are much more concentrated than his siblings’. His will is stronger and he does not easily conform to the crazed beliefs and desires of his sister, and he is not so easily distracted by the call of a Siren. It’s likely that Henry’s feelings for you are genuine and not a façade created simply to lure you to your death.”
She narrowed her eyes at her niece, as if she was scolding her. “That is not to say it is safe for you to be with him. Henry’s father also had a dark soul and that was surely passed onto his son.”
The need to run back into his arms became overwhelming.
“How do you know all of this? Why haven’t the Whitmores killed you?”
“I’m well versed in our family history, Echo, and I prefer to have the same knowledge of our enemies. The Whitmores allow me to live as a reminder that I am not a threat. I do not possess control of the fire that kills them. My gifts are passive and therefore I pose no danger to their precious coven.”
“And Paige? How does Paige fit into all of this?”
Bridgette swallowed back the little bit that was left in her glass before refilling them both, her brow turned down in a disapproving glare.
“Oh, little Miss Paige is just a brat. She’s a Dark Witch, power hungry. Her coven has been after our family’s gift for centuries.”
Echo took a long drink from her glass and savored the burn as the whiskey flowed down her throat.
“If her family is after out gift, why have you let us be friends?”
Bridgette laughed. “The word friend can only be used loosely when it comes to Paige, my dear. There is a part of that girl that does love you, though she’ll never own it. Rather she will sell you out faster than you can blink if it means she’ll get your gift. You need to be watchful of her at all times.”
“But she’s the one who told me about Henry. Why should I fault her for her family’s missteps? She can’t be that bad if she tried to save me.”
“She may love you, Echo, but you also have everything that she desires. Her motives are never pure and she shared Henry’s secret with you for a reason. It would be in your best interest to find out the reason and put a stop to whatever game she is playing.”
She felt like it was all a bad dream and begged herself to wake up. She swallowed back the rest of the glass. Yeah, she was definitely becoming a full-time drunk. There was no other way she could imagine surviving all of this shit unless she did it fully inebriated.
Bridgette eyed her for a long time before setting down her glass and taking Echo’s hand in hers.
“I loved your mother and I miss her every day, but she blessed me with you and I wouldn’t wish my life to be any different for fear of not having you in it. You are better for me than any daughter I could have birthed myself.” Her eyes glistened with tears. “I know you, Echo—you have a lot of your mother in you. When you run back to Henry, just promise me that you will only do so with an open heart and open mind. You need to be willing to see every side of him before you give yourself over.
“Guard your gift with your life. Don’t willingly give it up and when you are forced to choose between Henry and yourself, please choose yourself. I will never forgive you if I outlive you.”
Bridgette kissed her niece’s cheek, wiped the tears from her eyes, and went inside, shutting the lights off and locking the door behind her.
Echo pulled out her phone and took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she sent Henry a text.
“I’m ready.”
Chapter Eighteen
It took all of fifteen minutes before Henry slid his Charger up along the curb in front of Bridgette’s. He climbed out and rushed up to the deck, uncertainty and trepidation on his face as he stopped at the bottom step and waited for a cue from Echo. Watching his liquid movement was like staring up into the night sky at the billion stars that speckled it—utterly mesmerizing.
“Shall we?” Echo stood and approached him, her heartbeat speeding up with each step she took.
Without a word Henry stepped aside and motioned with his hand for her to lead the way to his car. He followed closely behind her as they went, and Echo could feel his breath brush against the back of her hair. She forced herself to climb into the car but she really wanted to turn and throw herself into his arms, to beg him to never leave her side again, but before they could have their happily ever after there was the small matter of Corrine. The time had come to place her trust in Henry.
They drove for a long while in silence, slipping in and out of traffic with ease, As they made their way to the east side of Bend and the Butte came into view, Echo was immediately thankful she was not wearing heels. When she was a kid, driving up the winding road of the Butte was as normal as breathing, but nowadays the road was more suited for the dedicated walkers and runners who used it as their daily exercise routine. Henry parked the car and quickly slipped out, reaching her door before she could open it. He held out his hand and helped her climb down before lacing his fingers with hers, leading her toward the starting path at the base of the Butte.
The night air had a chill to it, but it wasn’t unbearable, so as they made their way up the path, Echo savored the feel of her hand in Henry’s and absorbed the view. Clear night skies in Central Oregon were breathtaking with a dark midnight hue and a billion sparkling stars that shimmered like diamonds. It was like being in the heart of the universe. There was no end in sight to the beauty, and every way she turned, Echo was able to take in the shimmering sky.
It took about twenty minutes to get to the top and as the view of the city came into focus, Echo remembered why she’d always loved this place. One of her favorite features of the area was the mountains. She stood in the center of a vast circle of mountain ranges, each peak etched out along the skyline, not a single flatland in sight. It was visually stunning regardless of which direction she faced.
“I’ve always loved it up here.” Henry breathed. “It’s so peaceful.”
“Is that why you chose this place? To give me a final moment of peace before we walk into the pits of hell?”
She turned and looked up into Henry’s baby-blue eyes. They had a glimmer of life to them and she wondered if he’d gone out for a quick hunt while she was with Bridgette.
“I hope so.” He pulled her hands up to his chest and pressed them to his heart.
“Did you get what you needed from Bridgette?”
“Yes.” She looked away from his eyes and back out into the sky. “I think I have more questions now than answers, though.”
His fingers gently touched the side of her chin and turned her back toward him.
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, but I do have a question for you.”
He nodded for her to ask, but she hesitated, fearful that he wouldn’t give her the answer she hoped for.
“Echo, now is not the time for doubt. You either trust me or you don’t. What do you need to know?”
“Do you forgive me…for killing Charlie?”
Henry released her hands and stepped out a little closer to the edge of the Butte, his back to her. She waited and wondered if she should have just let it rest.
“Charlie’s death was unfortunate. When I first heard the news, yes, I was ready to join Corrine’s cause and avenge his death.” When Henry turned back around to face her, his eyes glistened with what she could only assume were the closest thing to tears he had. “We were close when we were children even though I was an unwelcome member of the family. Corrine had the hardest time with it, knowing that her mother had betrayed her father, but Charlie was happy to have a brother. It wasn’t until later in life that we drifted apart. He walked a darker path than I wanted and we often fought over responsibilities and morals.
/>
“It was ironic really. My father had closely resembled the Devil himself in his actions while Corrine and Charlie’s father was a puritan, never hurting the innocent and often seeking out alternatives to the lifestyle. I’d guess it was the bonds that the men had with our mother, or lack thereof, that determined who we would mature into.
“There is no need for forgiveness, Echo. You didn’t murder my brother. Your gift saved your life and he was simply a casualty.”
A casualty. He made it sound like war raged around them. Perhaps it did.
“I see. “So, what’s the plan, Henry? Where do we go from here?”
He stepped up to her and Echo’s breath caught in her throat.
“You tell me. Is there anything else you need to know?”
Hell. Staring into the face of the man who could kill her before she had time to turn and run, her heart fluttered.
“Are you going to kill me?”
A twisted smile curled up on his lips and he continued to close the gap between them. He reached up and dragged a finger down her cheek, his touch igniting need in her. Even as death threatened on the horizon, she still burned with desire..
“Not tonight.” His voice had taken on the sultry tone that weakened her knees, and he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he held out a small vial in his hand.
“I need you to drink this.”
His smile faded and had become eerily stoic in his expression.
“What is it?”
“An elixir. It will help against the pain.”
Fear curdled in her stomach. What in the hell had she agreed to?
“Think of it as mystical Vicodin in liquid form.”
Echo scrunched her nose at the vial.
“I don’t want it. I trust you to do the right thing.”
Henry pulled the cork from the vial and pushed into her hand, his eyes narrowed in a way that told her she was not going to win this fight.
“Drink it. I can only promise that I will try not to hurt you, but I can’t guarantee anything.” With trembling hands and a knot of raging nerves in her gut, Echo dumped the contents of the vial into her mouth.
* * * *
The drive up to the caves seemed to take forever and Echo’s nerves were slow to respond to the tonic. Her hands quivered, her breath was short and labored, and she could feel the fear hovering in the back of her heart. Henry had been right, there was no other way around it. No matter what she did, no matter where she ran to, Corrine would always hunt her. She could let her gift complete its cycle and then kill Corrine, but then what? She didn’t have the drive or desire in her that her ancestors had. She wouldn’t spend the rest of her life being a Vampire Hunter setting aflame every creature of the night that crossed her path, Henry included. She’d already killed Charlie, even though it was unintentional. She refused to walk around with any more blood on her hands.
As Henry pulled the Charger down a long, winding dirt road, she watched out the window and soaked in the scenery. There was no other place on earth like it. It was true what they said. It was like a piece of heaven had fallen to the earth, and with it, Central Oregon had been created.
When the car came to a stop, Echo fought back the urge to throw up. She stepped out of the car, took a deep breath, and steeled herself to her decision. Bridgette would understand, someday.
Henry came up behind her and gently guided her hands behind her back, wrapping nylon rope tight enough around her wrists to keep her from pulling free.
“How are you feeling?”
“Scared,” she admitted, “and a little numb.”
“Okay good. The tonic is working.”
Once her hands were secured, Henry placed his hand on her lower back and guided her to the cave entrance.
As they descended down into the opening, memories flashed in her mind. She’d spent a lot of time as a kid within these caves. She and Paige came here often to escape the hassles of teenage life and of course on more than one occasion they brought their drama with them in the form of boyfriends. She’d nearly lost her virginity there and was pretty sure that Paige actually had but had lied about it. Pain twinged in her heart at the thought of Paige. She’d been her best friend for all of Echo’s life and she struggled to believe it had all been a façade.
Henry’s lantern gave off little light, but it was enough to keep Echo from tripping and falling on her face. As they approached the ritual site, the lantern became unnecessary. Corrine had enough candles lit down there to light up a runway.
The site was eerie. In the center sat a large oblong-shaped rock with a flat surface, and circling the rock were a dozen or so Vampires, each clothed in ridiculous ritual robes. Echo struggled to stifle a laugh and wondered how they could possibly take themselves seriously. It was their faces that kept her grounded to the reality of the situation. Each one had blazing red eyes, furrowed brows, and fangs that glistened with venom, not to mention a lust for her blood. Shivers ran down her spine and she mentally thanked Henry for the tonic. Without the numbing effect she would have quite possibly pissed herself upon seeing a circle of predators, waiting with hunger in their eyes for her.
Near the stone, Corrine stood, a smirk turned up on her lips as she eyed Echo, her blood-red eyes burning with satisfaction that Henry had followed through and brought her the prize.
“Welcome, brother. I’m so pleased to see you.” She stepped up to Henry and kissed his cheek before handing him his own robe.
Without a word, or even a look in Echo’s direction, Henry nodded to Corrine, removed his hand from Echo’s back, and slid effortlessly into his ritual attire. The ridiculous robes were over-the-top with gold brocade accenting the thick black material, and the large billowing sleeves were comical in size, enveloping even Henry’s large frame in a mess of fabric.
From behind, two men stepped up behind her and when she turned to see them, Echo started. She recognized them from that night at the bar. The shorter one still looked tweaked out and paranoid as his eyes darted around the circle and the taller one had the unmistakable smirk etched into his face. It irked her to no end to think that this douche bag was getting satisfaction from her predicament.
With little effort the two Vampires lifted Echo up just enough so that her feet dangled about an inch from the ground as they carried her over to the stone. She didn’t fight them. Henry had told her what to expect and that it was best to just comply. The mystical Vicodin helped keep her from freaking out and to stay focused on what was expected from her.
As she stood beside the stone, her two guides meticulously removing her clothing and revealing her bared body, Echo stared at Henry. He no longer hid his true self from her. His red eyes burned bright as he dragged his tongue across the sharp points of his fangs. Like the others, they glistened with venom and she could see his hunger for her twitch in his face, but there was also a familiar desire there as her clothes fell to the floor and she wondered if his robe was capable of concealing the growing length of his dick.
Anticipation boiled up inside of her and despite the audience, Echo could feel her pussy moisten with need.
After she was laid onto the stone and her hands were tied down, the taller Vampire ran his hands down the length of her body down to her ankles, gripping her left ankle in his hands, his nails digging into her flesh. On the other side, his shorter companion grabbed her right ankle but thankfully refused to touch any other part of her body. Enduring the tall one’s touch was enough to make her throw up. The two spread her legs wide, revealing her dripping pussy, and anchored her feet. Humiliation flushed her as each set of eyes fell upon her and Echo cringed at being so vulnerable and exposed to a coven of her enemies.
Once secured, the two stepped back into their places in the circle, the taller one looking at her like a piece of meat. It made her skin crawl.
This had better work. If not, Echo feared she’d just signed up for some twisted Vampire gang bang.
Chapter Nineteen
The beginning of the ritual was boring and it made Echo impatient. Corrine rambled on about the history of the feud, their hatred for the Abbotts, and fell into a speech not unlike a corrupt politician about how she had single-handedly set Echo’s demise into motion. God, she was full of herself. If Echo had been better at reading a Vampire’s expression she would have sworn she’d seen a few of the onlookers rolling their eyes or shifting impatiently, ready for her to shut up.
When her eyes settled on Henry, her heart jumped. Even lost in his robes, red eyes blazing, he was still gorgeous. He didn’t look at her, but kept his eyes focused on Corrine as she droned on. Worry flickered in her and she wondered if his will really was strong enough to save her.
“Henry,” Corrine announced, “will be the one to take her.”
There were a few groans of disapproval from the audience, but when she held up her hand, the groans ceased.
“He has spent the last several years of his life dedicated to the hunt and it is only right and fair that he be the one to do the honors. Henry,” she addressed him, “please prepare.”
Without hesitation Henry removed his robe then proceeded to remove his clothing. Echo had never been one for public exhibition, but at seeing his arousal she didn’t care. The cave could have been flooded with onlookers and Echo would have still welcomed him.
He walked over and stood above her. She could see drops of pre-cum glistening at the head of his shaft and instinctively she licked her lips, the idea of tasting him overwhelming her senses.
After further ramblings from Corrine, Henry finally looked into her eyes. He had a darkness hidden there, an animal lust that she feared yet craved, and she could feel her pussy juices drip down between her legs.
He walked down to the end of the rock, standing fully erect in front of her, staring down at her opened pussy. Kneeling down, Henry ran his hands up her thighs and stopped just before he reached her moist lips. Echo pulled on the ropes that held her in place. She wanted to grab him, plant his face between her legs, and tangle her fingers into his hair while he consumed her, but she couldn’t move and it made her lust for him unbearable. She heard a whimper echo throughout the cave and realized it was her need spilling from her mouth.
Echo in the Night [Echo's Song] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 14