Bound (Legacy Series Book 4)

by Ellendale, Max

  "Hey, that's mine. My mother knitted that." Mal pointed at her.

  "I like it."

  "Where'd you find it?"

  "In Xany's room."

  "Do you ladies own any of your own clothing?" Mal looked between us.

  "I do, she doesn't." I laughed at the dumbfounded look on Mal's face.

  "Is Ana coming?" Vanessa asked as she slipped her arm around my middle.

  "She said she'll meet us there later on," I said.

  "Let's get going before it's midnight there." Mal linked his arm with mine.

  Vanessa tore us through the inbetween. Again, I kept my eyes open, watching the spinning shadows as they passed. As we got closer to Ireland, the indigo and blues cooled, leveling out as if I gazed over the land of Middle America. Shadows shot by, some glided, one figure paused to look at me, or what I perceived as looking at me. It was a complete blob of blackness.

  "Stop looking," Vanessa said as our feet hit the marble floor of Kat's entryway.

  "They look like people. Why can't I look?" We let go of each other and Mal blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright light.

  "It draws them closer." Vanessa adjusted her sweater over her hips and I got the distinct impression she was trying to conceal her belly.

  "What happens if they get closer?"

  "They can cross to the inbetween and latch on," said Vanessa, glancing to Mal.

  "You never told me that before."

  "You never tried luring them before," she said.

  "I'm not luring them, I'm just looking." I huffed then reminded myself that Xany was here somewhere. "Let's go find the others."

  "Don't look at the shadows on the way, love." Mal chuckled and I offered him a sharp elbow to the side.

  Pride members packed Kat's house to the breaking point. Buffet tables replaced the dining room furniture and chairs lined the walls of the living room. Doorstops propped open the parlor doors and the cellar door sat ajar. Cheers and frivolity echoed up the basement stairs where I imagined a bunch of people sat around drinking. Someone played the fiddle and others clapped, or danced, along.

  I found Xany, Caden, and Gavin in the living room surrounded by a group of guys crowded around a giant television. They cheered someone on, then a hush fell over the room.

  "On the right, look out!" Gavin shouted and simulated gunshots followed. Video games, of course.

  I walked up behind Xany and gave her hair a playful tug. Mal followed me in but Vanessa hadn't.

  "Nee!" She spun around and hugged me. "I knew you'd show up."

  "Merry Christmas." I laughed at her enthusiasm and returned her hug. "I think I figured out Ileana's riddle. One of them at least."

  "Let's get out of here so you can tell me. Caden and Gavin haven't looked at me for an hour. Stupid games." Xany grabbed my arm and tugged me back toward the kitchen. Mal faded past me and joined the guys, his gazed fixed on the big TV. "Zombies, I swear."

  "Tell me about it. Did this huge party split between guys and girls, too?" I asked once we moved into the quieter kitchen. Vanessa pushed herself up sitting on the island counter. Her discomfort evident in her silence and through the tendrils she sent me along our connection. I patted her knee and Xany glanced over at her.

  "Between guys, girls, drinkers, and kids. Kat brought the younger ones upstairs about an hour ago. There's a billion people here." Xany gestured wildly.

  "And you love it. Does it mess up your empathy gift?" I asked.

  "Nah. It makes it a little easier, everything is all blurred up so I don't get pukeish over it. Everyone is really happy here now, not like…" She glanced at Vanessa again. "Not like before. And really naked. More than me." Xany giggled, glancing down at her mini-skirt and halter.

  "That's good at least."

  "Yeah. So what did you figure out?"

  "Oliver's death is the key," I said, and explained to her the meaning of the other deaths or attacks. "The removal of his heart. There wasn't a single piece left behind. It was precise."

  "Voodoo can do that? Remove a leech heart and keep them living?"

  "Vanessa thinks so."

  Kat entered the kitchen with my mother beside her, followed by Maeve and a few other unfamiliar faces that continued toward the food. On their way by, they tucked their heads lower when they crossed Vanessa's field of vision. Maeve bounced over to us, pausing in front of Vanessa.

  "Caroline's looking for you," she said, caressing Vanessa's cheek affectionately. Vanessa remained steadfast though offered a slight nod. Maeve offered me a sweet smile before joining the others in the dining room.

  "If Vanessa is correct, we will need supplies. Adia is crafting protective totems and repellents specifically for Ileana and those who carry her blood," my mother said. "And a way to locate this missing heart."

  "She has probably given you clues to where it is or even told you directly," added Kat.

  "Boy you two don't miss a trick." Xany huffed at our elders.

  "More clues…" I leaned against Vanessa's legs and she ran her fingers through my hair.

  "Shawnee, you know her best. My assumption is she spoke these words directly to you." Kat moved closer to Vanessa, pressing the palm of her hand to her cheek. It seemed everyone was continually trying to reach my mate with the face touching. She didn't respond to Kat either, not externally anyway. Our mate bond gave a sharp tug at the emotions she held back.

  "That's not saying much about me as someone who knows a leech best." I smirked and Vanessa flicked my elbow.

  "It is a good thing you know her best, Dodi. You will remember all she has said," my mother said, her thin lips curling into a knowing smile.

  "How do you know that?" I playfully narrowed my eyes at her.

  "You remember all. When I would bring you to a Clash, you would recite back all that was said. You were three." A proud grin replaced her smile.

  "Funny. She forgets everything now," Xany said rather dramatically. Vanessa and I laughed.

  "Forgetting is an option," said Mom.

  "Kat, can I use Coaghan’s library? I think I might know where to start," I said.

  "Of course," she said, gesturing toward the hall in a welcoming manner.

  "Thanks."

  "A library on Christmas? We're supposed to be partying." Xany huffed and grumbled.

  "Vanessa will help me. You can go party," I said, laughing at her reaction.

  "Okay but if you find anything tell me before anyone else." Xany narrowed her eyes at me. "And don't eat any poison candy."

  "Oh stop it now." I nearly cracked up. "Caden warns me not to get kidnapped and you with the candy, c'mon now."

  "Suit yourself." Xany giggled and skipped off.

  My mother and Kat continued to chatter on. Eventually Eliseth, Coaghan, and some of the other elders joined them in the kitchen. Jarleth entered just as Vanessa and I planned our exit. He offered us a warm smile, clapping me on the shoulder followed by a respectful nod to Vanessa. Her return was similar.

  We weaved our way through the crowd as I held Vanessa's hand tightly in mine. Most of the pride members either looked on with interest, offered a barely-noticeable gesture of submission, or greeted us warmly. Once safely inside of Coaghan’s empty office, Vanessa relaxed a bit.

  "You're really bothered by being here," I said as she leaned against her father's desk.

  "Everything's changed."

  "I know, baby. Isn't that what everyone wanted? Their freedom back? Didn't you want that?" I stepped in front of her and she placed her hands on my hips. "We can leave right now if you want to."

  "They treat me differently."

  "Of course they do. You killed Dugan and turned down leadership. You're also mated now and I imagine that stops some of the guys from, well, you know." I ran my hands up and down her arms. She seemed to calm at both the touch and explanation.

  "And pregnant."

  "That too. They treat you differently because things are different, baby. You're different. And that's
okay. You've gained so much this year."

  "Like you." A smile finally broke the stony expression she had held since our arrival.

  "Mhmm. Just what you always wanted, right?" I teased, but she continued to smile.

  "You're everything I've always wanted," she said as pink tinged her cheeks. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her softly. She relaxed into the kiss and embraced me after. Her posture relaxed as if she could breathe again.

  "You're everything I never knew I wanted. Does that sound bad?"

  "Do you feel the same about Mal?"

  "Yes I do."

  "Then it's not bad," she said, her brows flicking upward.

  "Good." I laughed softly. "Now, help me find some history books in here about the Byzantine Empire or the Eastern Roman Empire."

  "That sounds boring," she said as we broke away to search the shelves.

  "I love your enthusiasm, baby." I grinned and started my search in the back of the library.

  A few months ago, Xany, Gavin, and I sifted through Coaghan’s collection of medical books in search of something that could help cure Jarleth from his Dugan-induced ailment. Our newest struggle had us searching yet again.

  "Why don't we just look it up on the internet? It's faster." Vanessa handed me down a dusty book from the top shelf.

  "We'll do that too but we need information to be as old as possible. Thanks." I took it and placed it with the one I found.

  After about half an hour of scanning bookshelves, I emerged from the stacks holding three fat books only to find Vanessa lounging on the large windowsill. The stained-glass window appeared odd and monotonous without light streaming in from the outside.

  "All helped out, are you?" I laughed at her and she offered me a sleepy smile. "Uh huh, I see how it is."

  "Mhmm. Hungry."

  "Hungry, sleepy, horny. Any other dwarves living in you?" I set the books on the desk and poked her. "Go get something, baby. It's your house."

  "Mopey and angry," she said.

  "So you have five dwarves, huh."

  "Mhmm."

  "Go get food." I gave her leg a shove.

  I sat down at Coaghan’s desk and slipped on a pair of the required white gloves in order to begin reading. I chose the oldest book first, published in 1878, which chronicled European history up until that time. It had a whole section on the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire. As the images formed in my mind, I imagined what Ileana would've been like back in 330 A.D. when Constantine chose the new location for the Roman capital. Constantinople, so aptly named, and its lengthy survival as the Eastern Roman Empire. Ileana didn't give me an exact year of her birth or origin, but I had to admit, the Byzantine Empire stretched for what seemed like a million years. Or a thousand, realistically. How was I going to find anything significant about one person and one heart buried in all of this information? Changing leaders, the Crusades, the religions, languages. I might as well be searching for a single neon plankton in the entirety of the world's oceans.

  "Oh, hello there," Coaghan’s cheerful voice broke me from my thoughts. "Katherine told me of your search. Have you found much?"

  "Hi, um... yes. I think so. Maybe too much." I gestured toward the books. Coaghan glanced them over and nodded.

  "Those are the best choices for what you're looking for. Can I be of help, lass?"

  "Maybe." For some reason, I had a difficult time making eye contact with Vanessa's father. Was it that he was still a stranger to me for the most part? Or the fact that I hadn't experienced a father figure in my life that was actually helpful and caring? "What are some of the high and low points of the Byzantine Empire that comes to mind?"

  "Ah." He paused, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. His thin frame and tuft of ginger on his chin spoke heavily of his slight nature. Coaghan was a scholar in language, medicine, and history. As a Breeder in a giant pride, I wondered how else he filled his time. Did he work? How long had he and Kat been mates? "A thousand years is a story in itself. I suppose the best answer is just that, its length of survival. The Crusades and the Christian influence, languages, art. Most notably, the seemingly vibrant invincible Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The Ottomans stormed Constantinople, killed the emperor, and that was the fall. It all ended there. The art and literature lived on in other ways but the Empire as they knew it was gone."

  "Are you a teacher?"

  "Pardon?"

  "Do you teach? School or something."

  "Oh, yes, lass. At university. Though not as much as I used to. Ah, hello, princess." Coaghan smiled at Vanessa when she returned with a plate of food. She nuzzled his cheek in greeting and sat in my lap at the desk, setting the dish in front of us.

  "Your father knows way too much about history," I told her.

  "Where would you keep a still-alive heart?" Vanessa looked up at her father.

  "Does this heart belong to me?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  "And I'm removing it so that no one else will find it?" he continued.

  "Yes."

  "If I were to take out my own still-alive heart, I would hide it in a place that had meaning for me." He paused, stroking his thin beard. "I would keep mine in a hollowed out book buried at the site of the First Fires."

  "Why would you keep it there?" I asked. From what I understood of the First Fires, some unknown force warred with the Pride and set fire to their territory, killing dozens. It wasn't all that long ago either. Some orphans remained from the battles. Like Gavin.

  "Well, my life changed there. I met Katherine during the battles. Lost my parents. Our Pride was formed from the ruins. It has meaning to me. And some others I'm sure," Coaghan said, a soft smile met his pale lips. "Where would you keep yours, princess?"

  "At the beach." Vanessa glanced at me. I knew why she'd keep it there, the place of our mate bond. Where we finally connected.

  "And you?" Coaghan turned his gaze to me.

  "In a mason jar under the Willow tree at home," I said. The first place I ever felt truly safe in Mal's arms. Where our mate bond formed which would eventually lead to the formation of my bond with Vanessa. That moment with him paved the way for everything that followed. Including reconnecting with my mother. Coaghan was right. We would all leave our hearts in a place with meaning.

  "I'm guess ancestry websites don't date back to 400 A.D.," I said.

  "No, but alas, it may not be necessary if the ancestor is still living." Coaghan stood from the desk, a thoughtful expression remained on his features, wrinkling his brow as he exited the library.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Our visit to Ireland was brief and by the next morning, I stood in my own clinic removing ancient vampire blood from a stalking mystical vessel dagger. In the early hours of daylight, while my mates and pack slept, I conjured. It seemed less safe, to be handling chemicals and taboo blood so close to where my loved ones slept. At least in the hospital or the makeshift lab in Ireland, I was able to distance myself from the dangerous nature of the work. Money wasn't something I cared about for anything beyond basic survival, but now, eternal gratitude gripped me as I worked on my own equipment. State of the art and filling the corners of my own clinic, I could perform nearly all the functions of a larger lab. Of course, Caden and the others hadn't a clue what I'd purchased or the thousands of dollars I'd spent on it. All they knew was that when a large delivery arrived, I oversaw its setup. At first, Caden questioned my request for false-bottomed cabinets and slide-away panels in the walls. But he came through and created a relatively secure way for me to conceal stuff. Along with the portable incinerator, I had almost everything I needed.

  Ileana's DNA wasn't all that different from Changer DNA. The variations in the genetic code remained in similar positioning. A predisposition to rely on blood as a source of nutrition wouldn't show up directly, but the mutation of the chromosomes persisted. What remained unexplained, at least to me, was the means of filtering and pumping her blood. If she had no heart, how had she chan
ged physically? Magic or not, blood needs to move. If we managed to exterminate her, maybe I would consider examining her corpse before they burned it.

  From what I could tell, no serum or chemical cocktail was going to curtail Ileana the same way it could a Changer. For leeches, there's no chemical reaction caused by a fever, no physical changes besides the extended canines. And the evolved healing tongue. Maybe I could examine her tongue or saliva glands if it came to it.

  "What the heck are you thinking about? Didn't you hear me call you?" Xany shook me from my stupor by waving her hand in front of my face.

  "What? Sorry, Xee." I leaned away from the computer.

  "I was asking if you wanted breakfast." Xany huffed as she looked over my shoulder. "What's that?"

  "DNA stuff. What are you making?"

  "Don't distract me. Whose DNA? And pancakes." Xany gave my shoulder a shove.

  "Ileana's. Let's go eat." I closed down the program and turned to face her, leaning against the countertop.

  "When do we get to go back to work?" Xany's eyes brightened at the potential for more mischief.

  "We don't, Xee. At least you don't. We got what we needed," I said.

  "Well that's not fair and no one's gonna let you go back by yourself. Especially not Vanessa. Why didn't she want to come to Ireland on Christmas Eve? It was a blast."

  "She has her reasons."

  "What'd you three do instead?" She lifted an eyebrow at me.

  "We watched a terrible movie that Mal picked out about robots that turn into cars."

  "Uh huh…"

  "And ate popcorn."

  "Uh huh…"

  "And that's it. What'd you do at Kat's?"

  "Ate tons of food, danced, sang, played games. All sorts of stuff like that, only with a whole lot of people. Everyone's a lot happier than they were last time. No one's scared anymore. They all talk about Vanessa like she's some sort of mythical creature." Hearing Xany speak so highly of the Pride ignited anger in me that I hadn't considered since Vanessa told me how she felt. She mattered.

  "She is a mythical creature. She's stronger than any one of us, and not just physically either. They didn't even consider her complaints about Dugan until he was out of control. She left there and came all the way here, to the middle of nowhere America, just to get away from him. Didn't they think that was a big deal? Didn't they see how badly he hurt her?" Words spilled out of me like a hell-bound spirit.