The Caitlin Chronicles Boxed Set

by Michael Anderle

  “Won’t he wonder where I’ve—”

  “Go,” Caitlin hissed. “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with him.”

  Mary-Anne smirked. “Oh, I bet you will.”

  Less than a second later, she was gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Sewers, The Broken City, Old Ontario

  “Nooobody knows the troubles I’ve seen.” Kain’s song echoed around the empty chamber he now found himself locked inside. “Nooobody knows my sorrows…”

  It all seemed incredibly familiar. He could close his eyes and imagine he was back in Silver Creek prison. Just as easily, he could close his eyes and imagine he was right back where he’d been a few weeks before when they had arrived in The Broken City. The bare, cold walls felt like home against his back, and the darkness cuddled him like an old friend.

  The only source of any light was in the small rectangular window secured with bars. At this point, Bryce hadn’t even assigned guards, stating as he’d locked the door how he knew how much Kain enjoyed talking to people, no matter what situation he was in. The last thing he wanted to do was to punish the guards by forcing them to listen.

  Kain scoffed and rested his head against the wall. His stomach rumbled. Irritated, he slapped a hand against his belly and sighed, closed his eyes, and drifted into a light slumber.

  He was roused a short time later by the sound of footsteps and cocked an ear. Sleepily, he stood, careful not to make any noise. When he looked through the corner bars, he could make out the end of the corridor where the tunnels split left and right. Three Weres had gathered, their heads huddled close to one another. Kain strained his ears and was able to make out their voices

  “What can the three of us do against hundreds of humans? Do you think they don’t have weapons? Because I’m telling you, they do,” a voice grumbled. “See this, here? A shotgun tore through the leg.”

  They all leaned in closer and recoiled in horror.

  “Oh, behave, Chad, it’s only a scar.”

  “We won’t face all the humans at once. What makes you think I’d come up with a plan as stupid as that?”

  Kain recognized that voice. He strained and identified Roger’s former sidekick, Frank, in the gloom.

  “Well, you were stupid enough to get your buddy boy killed, weren’t you? You didn’t protect him, did you? Or stop him from being stupid enough to go up against Bryce.” The woman’s voice sounded disdainful.

  “Rog’s choices were his own. They have nothing to do with me,” Frank continued. “And, besides, we’re not going up against Bryce. We’re helping Bryce, really. Let’s give the humans a nudge out of the ant’s nest and get this revolt going. I’m tired of living in this stinking darkness with nothing but time to kill. If we go out there, set a few buildings ablaze, then retreat, we can trigger the war and maybe take out a chunk of the competition along the way.”

  The three chuckled darkly, hid their mouths behind their hands, and looked sheepishly over each other’s shoulders to check that no one else had heard.

  “I’m telling you, by tomorrow night, we’ll bask in the sunlight and wear the skins of our enemies,” Frank added. “Now, who’s with me?”

  His challenge was met by a general murmur of agreement.

  “Good, now fetch me some reinforcements.”

  “But you said—”

  “I didn’t say tell everyone what we’re doing, did I? No. But there must be some others in this hellhole who will join us. What about you, Tara? Your female buddies must be up for a bit of fun.”

  “I can only ask.”

  “Good. Then it’s settled. Now, scram, before we’re caught.”

  They turned to leave until Frank added, “Oh, and don’t raise suspicion. If anything gets out about this, it’ll be our necks on the line. I want to help Bryce, but I don’t want to piss him off. On some level, I think he’s stronger than Geralt ever was.”

  And with that, they parted.

  Kain drew a deep inhalation of air. He had grown lightheaded from holding his breath to avoid being detected, but it had all been worth it. At some point, he knew something like this was bound to happen. If he led the charge to try to end things peacefully, the law of averages dictated that someone worked just as hard toward the opposite outcome.

  Although he had to admit, he had never expected it to be Frank.

  Kain held the bars and pulled as hard as he could, not really expecting them to budge. They obliged his assumption and remained steadfast in the window.

  “Shit,” he muttered and wracked his brain to think of a way to escape. Surely there had to be something around there that could help. A tool of some sort? A hammer? A drill?

  Kain chuckled and imagined a man in the dark corner with a coat full of tools he could use to escape.

  “For my first wish, I will have…” Kain trailed off as a mouse entered through a small crevice in the corner of the room. It sniffed the air, then scurried across the floor.

  As if fueled by nothing more than instinct, Kain dove forward and caught the animal in his hands. He cupped it tightly and felt the critter scurry against his palms. Carefully, he opened his hands and held the mouse by the tail as an idea popped into his head.

  The Broken City, Old Ontario

  Triston paused in a small area of the city which had once been a green space, an area where nature had been allowed a place in the heart of the manmade world of concrete.

  He waited patiently for Caitlin and Jaxon and shut a metal gate behind them both to enclose them in a forest of overgrown weeds. He watched a while through the railings without speaking before he finally confirmed that nothing had followed them there.

  “I love what you’ve done with the place.” Caitlin grinned.

  Triston looked confused. “Where is your strangely clothed friend?”

  “Oh, she’ll be fine.” She waved a hand. “She can take care of herself and has a habit of running off on her own and finding her way back to us hours later.”

  “But aren’t you worried the Mad will take her?”

  She looked at him in disbelief. When she remembered that he didn’t know of the vampire’s gifts, she softened. “That’s okay. You don’t know her. She’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

  He eyed her curiously before he led her through the garden.

  Although most of the fenced area was overgrown with foliage that reached almost to their chests, there was a small trail no more than a foot wide which had been flattened over time by the passage of feet.

  “Do the people of the city often walk this way?” Caitlin asked.

  Triston shook his head. “No. This is my handiwork. I come here sometimes to think. To lock myself in a quiet space and pretend the world hasn’t fallen to shit.”

  Caitlin stopped, her head cocked to one side. “You need time to escape the city, too?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I had you down as one of those strong, silent types who oozes courage and enjoys being needed by your city.”

  Triston smiled and found a seat on an old stone bench. “Who says I’m not? Just because I enjoy the responsibilities that being a leader brings doesn’t mean I can’t also retire to a quiet place to recharge once in a while.”

  She sat beside him. His scent carried on the wind and she cursed herself for enjoying it. Jaxon disappeared into the brush, and she could hear him pawing about.

  They stared into the weeds, listening to the shuffling sound of animals and insects going about their business. Caitlin wondered if there could be any Mad in the grass but judging by his calm demeanor decided that, if anything, this would be the one place that remained closed off and cleared of threats. Somewhere, she reasoned, where even the Mad could not penetrate.

  “How did you find us?”

  Triston seemed to consider his words. “I heard you both before I saw you—walking down the street and toward the Black Lake. You don’t make an effort to remain quiet when you’re with the other one, you know.”

 
Caitlin felt panic rise. If he had heard her conversation, did he know everything? Had he seen Caitlin and Mary-Anne leave the building which currently had Triston’s mother held securely away from the rest of the city? What had she been talking to Mary-Anne about when they had journeyed to the water’s edge?

  As if reading her thoughts, Triston said, “Don’t worry. You didn’t reveal any secrets. As far as I could tell, you were more preoccupied with some creek out in the forest. Is that where you’re from? What’s it like in there?”

  She relaxed and slipped easily into the memory of her old hometown as she described Silver Creek itself, the people, and the surrounding forest. He asked questions about her home life, about the governor, and about Caitlin’s journey toward the city. Time seemed to slip away as she opened herself up and spoke of the High Road, the governor’s map, and her mission to create a world in which the living were free.

  “It sounds like a mighty big task for one person,” Triston said. “You’re an admirable woman, Caitlin. Maybe you’ll be the one to finally bring this city to peace. Lord knows my mother tried.”

  Caitlin felt herself blush, dumbfounded by someone using her full name for the first time in Lord knew how long. She studied his face and saw sadness behind his eyes. A pang of guilt clenched her stomach as she thought once again of Alicia, currently stowed only a short distance away in one of the towering buildings.

  “You know, you don’t need me. You don’t need my people to save this city. I’ve met Weres before. I’ve met vampires.” Caitlin spoke slowly, afraid to give too much away. “And there’s always a way to make a truce and find a path that both parties can be happy with. It doesn’t always have to be us versus them.”

  To her surprise, Triston laughed. “Yeah, right. Clearly, the Weres you’ve met were very different. The scum who live below our city steal our children. They threaten our very existence and, in case you haven’t heard, they stole my mother.”

  “Even so—” Caitlin protested, but he was on his feet in a flash.

  “No. Those monsters stole my mother and have her shut up in a hole beneath the ground. I have had no sign or word that she’s still alive, and my good-for-nothing aunt sits on her ass and instructs others to do her work. I know you’re new around here, but please, don’t insult my honor by telling me that Weres have a good side or are capable of anything but savagery, torment, and death. I challenge you to find one good attribute in a Were. Find me one Were with a heart of gold, and I will set my opinions aside in favor of this lunacy.”

  Triston’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his expression a mixture of hurt and anger.

  “I didn’t mean to offend, it’s just—”

  “Just what?” he sat beside her and took her hand. She felt a stirring in her loins. “I’m sorry. I just... Living in this city is hard enough with the Mad. But our numbers are dwindling, and the Weres obstruct our development at every opportunity. There’s nothing you could say at this point to make me change my mind.”

  Caitlin shuffled her feet. “Oh, I think there is.”

  He grinned halfheartedly. “I knew you had a heart of fire from the moment I saw you in battle. Go on, then. Impress me.”

  Caitlin took a deep breath. “If it hadn’t been for the golden hearts of two Weres, I wouldn’t currently know where your mother is.”

  The Broken City, Old Ontario

  After almost an hour of trying, Kain heard the delicious sound of the lock clicking open.

  “Yes.”

  He tested the door, turned the handle, and heard the gentle squeaks of the hinges protesting. Smug, he glanced at the small piece of mouse bone he still held in his hand, used it to pick the several pieces of day-old meat stuck between his teeth, and tossed it to the side.

  “Mama, I’m coming.”

  Kain poked his nose through the gap and jumped quickly out of the cell. He had made it no more than a few meters when footsteps approached from farther down the tunnel.

  He looked from the cell door to the tunnel and back again as he weighed his chances. Freedom, or a ruse? Freedom to sprint down the tunnels until he either hid or escaped or shut himself back in the cell and pretend that nothing had happened.

  Kain rolled his eyes in defeat, moved back to the cell, and closed the door behind him. He took a seat against the wall and waited with his eyes closed.

  “You know you’re not fooling anyone, right?”

  He opened his eyes. Cynthia stared at him through the bars. “What do you mean? I was out cold.”

  “Your scent is all over this walkway,” she said, opened the door, and slipped inside.

  “Damn. I’m not as sneaky as I thought I was.”

  “You do all right.”

  To his surprise, she cupped his chin and kissed him deeply.

  “You know this doesn’t change anything?” he said. “We’re still casual.”

  “Are you saying you don’t appreciate a casual kiss?”

  Kain shook his head and kissed her back.

  “But you’re not only here to kiss me, right? So, tell me. How were they? How did it go?”

  “Better than here, it seems,” Cynthia said. “At least I wasn’t thrown into a jail cell…again.”

  He grinned, then sat back and listened as she spoke of her meeting with Caitlin and Mary-Anne. Kain wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear the resistance from all sides at the idea of using Alicia as a bargaining chip but smiled as Cynthia told them the deal was done.

  “And Kitty-Cat and Ma? What did you think of them?”

  Cynthia screwed up her face. “Why do you care what I think of them?”

  Kain stumbled over his words. “I don’t, not really. But...well... Y’know...they’ve been through a lot with me and—”

  “Oh. My. God,” she said and laid a hand on her chest. “Not only does the mighty Kain have friends that he actually cares about, he actually gives a shit what I think, too. This one will have to go in the scrapbook.”

  She mimed taking a picture, and he pawed her away. “You know cameras haven’t worked in centuries, right?”

  “Oh, come on. I’m joking.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Now, come on, let’s get you out of here.”

  He looked at Cynthia in surprise. “I thought you’d be the one to convince me to stay in here? Aren’t you normally the Goody Two Shoes who lives by the rules?”

  “You’ve seen what I’ve done for you—I mean, for the pack, right? Sometimes, rules need to be broken for the better goo—”

  “Hey, who’s there?”

  They both froze as footsteps approached the cell. In perfect unison, they rose and stood by the door. Kain was bold enough to stick his nose through the bars. “It is I, Kain Sudeikis,” he said mockingly. “Third son of Taryna the Brave. Heir to the throne—”

  “Why don’t you give that mouth a rest?” the Were growled as she approached. “I heard two voices. You think I’m stupid?”

  “Oh, that’s reassuring. I thought my impressions were getting worse.”

  The Were reached the door and glanced inside. As she pressed her hands against the wood, she felt the door give slightly. Kain winked, and a second later the door opened wide and she fell inwards. Cynthia was on her in a heartbeat.

  As they scrapped on the floor, Kain watched with a strange kind of amusement. One minute, Cynthia was on top, struggling with all her might to subdue the Were. In the next, they’d switched places.

  After a few minutes, she said, “If you want to participate at any point, feel free to help.”

  The Were screamed, and Kain’s eyes widened. He pushed into Cynthia’s place and used his bulk to gain the advantage, then stared as his friend tugged the material off her sleeve and bound it over their adversary’s mouth. She tore at the other sleeve and ended up ripping more than she’d planned to reveal a large strip of flesh at her chest and stomach.

  Cynthia rolled her eyes. “Mr. Sudeikis, can you listen to your head and not your cock for five minutes?”

  “I�
��m not the one stripping in the middle of a fight.” He tensed as the Were thrashed again, almost bucking him off in his distraction.

  Soon enough, Cynthia had the woman’s ankles and wrists bound.

  “You think they might notice that it’s not you?” his companion asked.

  Kain nodded. “Hold on.” He hunted on the floor and dragged a finger through a layer of dust and grime. He wrote I AM KAIN on the Were’s forehead, stepped back, and smiled. “There.”

  “Nice work.”

  “Thanks. Now let’s get out of here. There’s a lot to say and do—and we’re now on the clock.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Carter Manor, Silver Creek Forest, Old Ontario

  Mary-Anne drew a deep breath and entered the house that had once been her place of hibernation.

  She couldn’t resist it. Left alone to travel the forest and speak to Dylan on Caitlin’s behalf had brought her torturously close to her old home. At her vampire speed, she could afford the small detour to feast her eyes on her old life and remind herself what they were all fighting for.

  And, of course, to check that no Mad had now infested her living quarters.

  The vampire stood in the entrance hall and cocked her ear. The stairs were still strewn with bodies from the same intrusion that had introduced Caitlin into her life. The smell was heinous, although Mary-Anne combatted that by drawing the cloth of her hood over her nose and mouth.

  Satisfied that all the house was quiet, she nodded to herself and made a silent promise to herself to restore this old manor to its former glory. Once their purpose was done and the Madness gone, Mary-Anne would ensure that her family’s legacy lived on.

  With a final look, she turned and hurried through the hole that had once been the doorframe. She had encountered several Mad along her journey, but now, the forest was mostly clear—not that they would have had any chance against the vampire’s speed or posed much of a threat to her.

  She raced through the thick greens of the forest, slalomed around the great trees trunks, and skipped over fallen debris and finally, the walls of Silver Creek came into sight. Instinct stirred, and she slowed as she approached the front gate.