Blood Rite Saga, Season One Box Set

by Dylan Keefer

  Charlotte fell on top of the banshee-vampire and sank her fangs into the abomination’s neck. The abomination’s scream died in his throat. Prue got up.

  “Get her off! I don’t know what’s going to happen to her.” Clayton yelled and ran over.

  But Prue didn't move. She could see the light in Charlotte growing steady and her heartbeat slowing down. The light was still warm, but now it was no longer battling darkness. Prue's instincts calmed down. "I think it's fine." Prue smiled.

  The banshee’s face froze into his scream as Charlotte drained him completely, then got up, as if just realizing what she had done.

  “What the heck?” Charlotte stared at the dead abomination under her, then she scurried away.

  "You're okay; you're okay." Prue ran over and hugged Charlotte. "You killed him, and I think the blood helped you."

  “How do you mean?” Clayton asked.

  “Remember the flickering light I told you guys about?” Prue had explained the light to both of them before, so she could easily explain. “It’s steady now.”

  “I… can smell Philip.” Charlotte cut them off.

  “Come with me.” Prue grabbed Charlotte’s hand and helped her up. The cave was nearby, but the car was out of sight. Prue headed towards the wreck.

  Charlotte gasped when she saw the wreck and immediately ran into the cave. Prue knew why, Philip’s scent was still everywhere, but Prue could also smell the scent of rotten flesh.

  Charlotte sat next to Philip’s body, not touching him. She wasn’t crying even. When Prue walked in, Charlotte turned around and looked her in the eyes.

  “What do you need us to do?” Prue asked Charlotte.

  Charlotte cleared her throat. “We need to call the police and clean up the mess. We can talk later.”

  "I'll call John and Milo; they can help." Clayton dropped the crossbow.

  Prue sat down next to Charlotte. “Will you be okay eventually?”

  Charlotte smiled. “I’m glad ya didn’t ask me if I’m okay now. Yes, I will be, eventually. By the way, ya can tell me what you left out before.”

  “What do you mean?” Prue asked.

  “I can tell that ya saw something important in that vision. What was it?” Charlotte asked.

  “My name. Mei.” Prue said.

  “That’s a pretty name. Do ya want me to call ya like that from now on?”

  “Sure, though don’t feel bad if you don’t," Prue said. “I like the name Prue too. I don’t really know who Mei is yet, but Prue is the one that made friends here.”

  "Got it." Charlotte turned around. "I think we can leave this alone, but we can clean the other traces. The animal can vanish, and people can forget about it." Charlotte got up, turning into the practical person that cleaned up the EMT murder a few months ago. This time Prue helped, and by the time John and Milo came over with Rick, the cave was done. John, Milo, and Rick spent a moment silently staring at the body, paying their respects. Clayton burned the banshee-vampire's body and buried the remains. Prue helped.

  After that, Rick made a panicked call to animal control and described a vague story to the man who answered, while Prue and Clayton got Charlotte home. John stayed, armed to the teeth so that Rick wasn’t alone.

  Milo, Charlotte, Prue, and Clayton got into Milo’s car.

  “You found out your name?” Milo asked.

  "Yes, it's Mei." Prue sat next to Clayton in Milo's car. Charlotte was in the back. She had hugged Milo and didn't let him go. Clayton drove, and Prue was in the passenger seat.

  “So, you have another clue for Clayton," Milo said.

  Prue remembered what she said. Now that Philip was gone, she didn’t know if she could leave. She wanted to make sure Charlotte was okay. So, she turned to Clayton. “Are you planning to leave right away?”

  "I can wait for you." Clayton seemed to realize why she wanted to stay because he looked in the rear-view mirror. He was solemn but every time he looked at Prue the solemnness would lift a little.

  “Well, I know I want to leave this place after Philip’s funeral. Especially if the banshee blood actually helped me fix myself like Prue thinks.” Charlotte said. “Do ya want to come with me?” She turned to Milo.

  “Why do you want to leave?” Milo asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

  Charlotte looked at him like he was an idiot. “I need to clear my head. I need to go where someone won’t find me. I need to stop being attacked for one minute, so I can come to terms with everything that has happened, or I will go crazy. I need to grieve too. I need to learn how to deal with the strength I have and how to protect ya.”

  “I can get you an address.” Clayton offered. “Somewhere where the vampire casts will not be able to find you. At least not right away. And where there is a person that can train you.”

  “Thanks, Clay," Charlotte said. “You’re a good man.”

  As everyone got in the house, they collapsed in their respective beds. Charlotte still shackled herself to her bed, but Prue was confident enough to leave her alone in the room. She barely managed to get undressed. Clayton had to enter her room because he had left his other shirt here. He wound up crashing on her bed, one arm wrapped around Prue. It made Prue feel safe as she fell asleep. The smell of blood faded from her nose, and Prue felt as if her world was getting back to normal.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  It took several weeks for things to get settled, and Prue and Clayton stayed by the Davenports’ side all the time. Philip’s parents had died, he didn’t have any siblings, and was a big workaholic, so the funeral was filled with the friends he had met through Charlotte and his coworkers.

  Prue stayed next to Charlotte, holding her. It was raining, so Charlotte could actually go to the funeral. She hadn’t had an episode, so Clayton assumed that the abomination blood had fixed her completely, but he nevertheless explained to her how to find other abomination hunting grounds, in case she needed another dose. He told her that the person that could train her would explain how to identify them, and how to find which ones were a confused person and which ones were just a beast.

  It was odd for Prue, knowing that she needed to part with Charlotte. There was a part of Prue that wanted to stay as close as possible and help her. But then there was the rational part of Prue, the one that said she was heading into danger, so it was a good idea to part in order to keep Charlotte safe. They had already gotten hurt twice because of her.

  Clayton was extremely patient, and it was easier to explain to him how she felt about leaving. He hadn't pushed her to leave right away after the funeral; he had just stayed next to her, only leaving to answer some questions about vampires to Milo. Prue thought that it might have something to do with the fact that they started spending more time in his hotel room than the house. The first time they did that, Prue was the one that initiated something more.

  “I can sleep on the floor if you want," Clayton said after Prue left the bathroom, where she had changed.

  “No need.” Prue smiled as she sat down on the bed. “I don’t like the floor.”

  Clayton stared at her for a moment, processing what she had said, then his face split into a grin. Prue liked the fact that he always understood what she meant when she was vague.

  Charlotte and Milo slept in Philip’s house until they cleaned everything up and got the house back to normal, then moved to the Davenport house, where they did the same thing, packed everything and locked whatever they didn’t need. Before they left in Milo’s car, Charlotte surprised Prue by handing her a wallet.

  “I figured ya could keep both and see which one ya like better.” Charlotte watched Prue open the wallet. There was an identification card in it with the name Mei Davenport on it.

  “I kept the last name because ya don’t know yours yet. Plus, we’re more of a family than ever now.” Charlotte couldn’t speak more because Prue already hugged her so hard that she lifted Charlotte in the air.

  "We'll always be a family Charlotte. Milo too." Prue dropped Ch
arlotte down and shoved her hand into her pocket, pulling out a card. "This is Clayton's phone number. If you ever need anything, call, and I'll come over as soon as possible. Also, when you get a new phone, text me the number, so I know how to reach you. Are you okay to drive?"

  “Got ya.” Charlotte took the card and shoved it into her pocket. “It’s going to be weird driving only at night, but I can lie down in the back before the sunlight comes down. Milo made a separator thing that keeps the sunlight out of the back.”

  “Kind of sucks that the sunlight immunity didn’t transfer over huh?” Prue lightly elbowed Charlotte as they headed to the car.

  “I never liked the sun anyway. Nights are more fun.” Charlotte got in the car.

  “Hope you have a nice journey.” Prue walked over to Milo in the passenger seat.

  “Thanks, and you too. I hope you find something about that necklace.” Milo seemed incredibly comfortable with her now, though it was odd when they touched still.

  “If you ever need anything you know you can call me, right? We’ll always be friends and family no matter what happens.” Prue needed to say that, no matter how awkward it made her feel. She wanted him to know she would protect them.

  “I know, you always show up when we’re in trouble. Like a superhero," Milo smirked and hugged her through the car window while Rick and John greeted Charlotte on the other side.

  In the morning, Clayton and Prue were getting ready to leave, with Clayton packing everything in two bags that he shoved under the seat, where the helmets used to stay. Prue put the other backpack on her back.

  “I’ve never been on a motorbike before.”

  "It's okay, I'm a good driver, and we'll go slowly." Clayton got up. "Well, it was nice to meet you, John, Rick." He nodded in greeting to the two men who stood a few steps away.

  “Take care, Clayton. Prue, don’t forget to call and write.” Rick hugged Prue, while John just smirked and shook her hand.

  "I will." Prue got on the motorbike, and Clayton drove off. It was nice feeling the air whip around her face. It somehow reminded her of riding a horse, minus the movement. She didn't know why she knew what it's like to ride a horse; maybe she had some experience.

  When they stopped to get gas, Clayton turned to her. “Do you want anything to eat Prue? There is a place I can get your favorite in the next town.” He said, aware that there were people all around.

  “I’m fine.” Prue came closer and whispered. “And I’d like you to call me Mei now. I’d like to find out who she is.”

  “Okay Mei.” Clayton smiled.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she glanced up periodically to make sure that there were no indications she was no longer alone in that end of the building. Madison watched as several folders popped up and disappeared as her eyes searched for the key phrases that were necessary to locate the information that she needed.

  Dominion. Lao Che. The Fallen. Father Rickert. The words flowed through her mind as she squatted at the desk in the huge office in the west wing of the mansion.

  She normally didn't have issues with hacking and finding information on a computer, but the entire device was encrypted, and she couldn't access any other device for now. Madison stopped typing and stretched her fingers. The party going on in the opposite part of the house could faintly be heard through the empty hallways of the north-western wing. She was glad. It would be easy to hear if someone were to come in her direction.

  Dominion. Dominion. Lao Che. The Fal... Madison spotted it. One document. Filled with Bible verses.

  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after out likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the livestock and every creeping thing that creeps on the Earth. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and keep it.

  Madison groaned. Of course, it would be some sort of riddle or puzzle. She didn’t have one of her USB drives with her. She looked around the office and spied a printer. Hopefully, this computer was already connected to it. Madison hit the print option and when the sound of the machine started, she covered her tracks by closing out anything that would have proved that someone was on the computer.

  The sound of a door closing caught her attention. It was close. Someone was coming. Quickly she closed the computer top and ran over to the printer, her floor length dress preventing her from taking longer strides. Her bare feet padded the floor reminding her that she needed to grab her shoes by the desk, too. Snatching the paper from the printer, Madison ran back and grabbed the shoes. Scurrying under the desk, she made sure that all of her dress was hidden.

  Thank God, I'm small. She tried to control her breathing through her mouth as footsteps approached the office. There was a pause at the doorway. Madison swallowed hard and hoped that it didn't sound as loud as she felt it did. The footsteps approached and circled around the edge of the desk. Madison watched as the desk chair was pulled back and a man sat down and scooted forward. He was tall. If he stretched his legs out, he would kick her. Madison hiked up her dress to her waist as his feet extended and stretched out just under her upper thighs. She felt claustrophobia settle in, and mentally told herself that it wouldn’t be for long. Above her, she could hear a phone ringing.

  “It's me.” Pause. “Listen, I’ve done everything that you’ve wanted. You promised me that I’d get paid for delivering what you asked for, and—yes, he’s here. So, I will make sure that you get the work. Don’t send him.”

  Madison felt the tip of one shoe touch her bare leg and resisted the urge to let out any noise. She was starting to cramp up. Her body was starting to tremble in the tight space.

  “I’ve got my people on it,” the man said. The computer on the desk above her opened, and Madison could hear some typing. She closed her eyes and started to count in her head to keep her mind off her predicament. Finally, the laptop shut, and the man scooted away from the desk. He stood up and walked towards the door. Madison waited until the door closed, she couldn’t hear the footsteps anymore and pushed herself out from under the desk. She groaned as she lay on her back for a moment.

  “I hate them so much,” she muttered to herself.

  The party didn't look like it had missed her. Madison transitioned into the elegant figure that would fit in with the upscale audience that had attended this event. She hoped that her hair and makeup hadn't gotten too messed up.

  “Drink?” She turned to see a young guy smiling at her. “Trust me, it helps these fundraisers and showcases go by a lot quicker.”

  “I'm sure,” Madison said politely. “I don't drink though. I always prefer to have my wits about me. Besides, I’m supposed to be representing the school here so…”

  He nodded. “Well, I'm sure that no one here is going to say anything, and God isn't going to strike you down because of it.”

  “Well, I'm Catholic,” she replied. “So, I actually believe that he might.” She winked at him when he blushed. He tried to recover.

  “My name is Larent Smith.”

  Madi's eyes widened. “Oh. Wow. You're the millionaire tech mogul that's supposed to be speaking tonight.”

  “I'm guessing that my name isn't a common one,” he laughed.

  “Although, I’m not really a tech mogul. I’m just a guy who is trying to make the world a better place.”

  “Do you always use that line?” Madi laughed.

  “Only if it works,” he returned. “And you?”

  “Madison O'Henry.”

  “Irish ancestors, I assume with the name?”

  “The dark red hair didn't give it away?” She laughed.

  �
�The lack of pale skin kind of surprises me,” Larent said.

  “Aren't your descendants supposed to be allergic to the sun?”

  “I think you're talking about vampires, and we all know they don't exist.” They were both suddenly approached by a small group of educators, including the host and owner of the house, Dr. Grayson Boyle.

  “Larent,” Grayson said with approval. “I see you've already sought out one of our best and brightest. Madison here, is one of the minds I asked to be a part of the think tank for you while you’re here.”

  Larent looked impressed as he turned to her. “And how old are you?”

  “Twenty-four,” she said. “Not impressive. I just have no life, and Dr. Boyle likes to flatter his students.”

  “My favorite students,” he said. “Madison, you should tell Larent about your thesis from last year.”

  “It was on supernatural religious beliefs and their effect on the human psyche.”

  “Interesting,” Larent said. “And your conclusion?”

  “That humanity has no idea what is really out there or how it affects us without our knowing it.” Larent smiled.

  “Not influenced by your Catholic faith at all, are you?”

  “I said I was a Catholic, Mr. Smith. I never said anything about faith.”

  Dr. Boyle stepped in. “Larent, it’s about time for you to speak. We should go up to the front.”

  “Okay,” Larent raised his drink and started to follow Dr. Boyle. Madi watched as they walked away and smiled politely as the educators and philanthropists around her began their own conversations while the speaker was getting ready. She felt awkward. Because no one her age was even remotely interested in the things she was, Madi often found that she was the odd one out at these events. Although Larent wasn't an old man. She placed him in his early to mid-thirties. She honestly hadn't heard about him until Boyle had asked her to be a part of the think tank, and even then, she wasn't interested in him as much as she was about his study.