by Lenore Wolfe
He turned to her, his face pensive. “I’d been meaning to talk to you, too, Jes. I mean, I had been meaning to find out how things went for you, you know, after you snuck off the compound,” and he gestured toward the road, then stopped and ran a hand through his hair in a purely frustrated fashion. “I’ve just been as busy as you have been. But I need you to talk to him, Jes.”
Jes winced and nodded. “I know, Jared. And you know I will try. I’m not sure how much good it will do. But I will try.”
He nodded. “That’s good enough for me.”
They talked for a few more minutes, but it was getting late and they both knew they had to head back before it started to get dark.
They both knew what terrors really could lurk in the dark.
Jared walked with her until they were almost to the manor, and then they went their separate ways. Jared returned to where he had parked his car, and Jes walked toward the back gate of the manor, where the guards let her in. She had told them she was going for a walk. They didn’t like it when she took these walks, but it wasn’t as if it were the first time she had done so.
She turned and looked out toward the woods just before she went into the manor. She had sworn she had felt Justice right before she’d reached the back gate.
No. That wasn’t right.
She had been feeling as if he was nearby for some time, and she hadn’t been able to shake the feeling.
And, once again, Jes wasn’t one for ignoring her gut feelings.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Justice
Justice moved through the shadows of the trees. He had known that Jes frequently took walks in the woods, but this had been the first time he’d followed her. Since training with her sisters, she had become much more adept at keeping her thoughts to herself—and he hadn’t minded that—was, in fact, impressed at how quickly she had become adept as shielding her thoughts.
But he hadn’t missed the difference in her behavior as she gone into the woods this day. It had been purely instinctual to follow her.
He hadn’t approached her when he’d seen her meet the human, because he was afraid he’d kill him if he did. He could think of no reason why she would need to sneak out to see him. He hadn’t stopped the human from coming to the manor, after all. He would never do so. He’d simply allowed the human to choose to go and do his own thing. It had worked out well—for both of them.
Justice had to admit—he’d been relieved with his choice. But now here was Jes—sneaking into the woods to meet him.
And Justice had never felt such a murderous rage in his heart.
He spent some time in the woods before he felt like he could return to the manor—to confront Jes.
He’d had spent most of that time trying not to change into his more primal form—and deal with the human as he would like.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so out of control.
When he found Jes in their room—he nearly did so again.
Jes saw the rage and hurt in his eyes. Fortunately for her, he was an adult, and as bad as he felt, he actually waited to hear what she had to say.
Not what he wanted her to say in order to fit his own version of what he had already decided was the truth—as she had known other men whom she had dated in the past to do —but he actually waited to hear the truth—from her own lips.
“Justice,” she said quietly, because his patience, in spite of his rage, allowed her to think and to allow her clamoring heart to calm and her thoughts to remain quiet. “I asked to meet Jared.”
He nodded. “Why not at the manor?”
“I was following an instinct. I cannot explain it, but I had a feeling that I needed to talk to Jared. And I had an equally strong feeling—that someone, here, shouldn’t know that I had done so.”
His eyes narrowed. “Me?” he asked calmly—far too calmly.
“No. I mean yes, but no.” She breathed a frustrated sigh. This was quickly getting out of control. How could something she tried to do, which seemed right—come out so wrong?
“No, Justice,” she said, giving him a steady look. “I had a feeling someone at the manor shouldn’t know about it. But I still haven’t uncovered why it was so important that I talk to him.”
He watched her intently. She wished he would let up.
“And why didn’t you want me to know?”
She let out a harsh breath. “Because I had the stupid idea that I could protect you at the same time,” she said and looked at him. “Jared seems to irritate you.”
He gave a stiff nod, though she could see that it was difficult to admit so. “Okay, fair enough.” He turned toward the door. “But you will let me know—when you figure out why you felt it was so important to talk with him?”
She nodded. She had never been so relieved to have someone give her the benefit of the doubt. No—he wasn’t just someone.
He was everything that was important to her.
She was relieved that he had chosen to believe in her. But now she had another problem. Why had she felt this urge to see Jared in the first place?
She knew that something about this was important. She just couldn’t figure out how to put it to use. She asked the Goddess to guide her—to help her to understand how they could use this to win against a monster who would rule the planet Earth—and make them all into slaves.
Nanna, whom Jes had known for as long as she could remember as Grandmother, came to see her that afternoon. Jes felt so confused about how she was supposed to view her, now that she knew Nanna was really her mother. She figured she would continue to call her Nanna—and told her that now.
Nanna inclined her head. “That’s understandable, Jes. I’m sorry for your confusion, child.”
Jes felt horrible. “I just don’t know how to feel about all of this. We’re in a war, and I haven’t had time to sort it all out.” She got up from the overstuffed chair and went to the window. “I thought you were my grandmother,” she whispered. “And now, I find that Amar is my grandmother. That the woman I thought was my mother—was actually my sister—and she’s dead, now, so I can’t decide how to mourn her…,” she turned, with pleading eyes, “as my mother—or my sister.” She winced when she saw the pain in Nanna’s eyes.
“And now, you also find you had sisters of which you had no memory…,” Nanna said with sympathy. “It must be a lot for you to take on—and now with Constantine…”
Jes turned. “Do you know how my father plays in this? Do you know if he is aligned with Constantine?”
Nanna shook her head. “I wish I did know, child.” A shadow passed through her eyes that made Jes frown.
She went to sit down beside her. “Do you know anyone who might know? Think, Nanna. Was there anyone who she used to hang out with—anyone he began to hang out with—before they all disappeared?”
She was talking like a cop now. But she couldn’t help it. She needed to know. She needed to find answers.
Nanna seemed reflective, like she was thinking about the months that had led up to her daughter’s disappearance. “As a matter of fact….” She looked up at Jes, excited now. “Yes. I did see someone. I never thought anything of it, but looking back on it, he did appear right before Sandra started acting distant—and then,” she frowned, “it was a long time before they disappeared. I never thought….” She frowned. “I doubt it means anything, but….”
Jes frowned. “Still—it’s something. Do you remember his name?”
Nanna’s brow furrowed. “It was… Jason… Jason…” Then her eyes cleared as she seemed to remember. “Jason Loch.”
Jes didn’t recognize the name, but she hugged Nanna. She was going to get right on this. She needed to know if her father was helping Constantine. Because if he was—she would bring him down herself….”
“Do you have any idea who he was, Nanna?”
Nanna shook her head. “No. But he wasn’t one of the Jaguar People. Nor was he human.” She looked at Jes with seriousness in her de
ep-gray eyes. “He was a vamp.”
That nagging, tugging feeling was back—but this time it was different—and yet, somehow, it was stronger than ever.
When Nanna left, Jes thought about the journal that she and Justice had picked up outside of Colorado Springs. She almost bent double when she thought about it. The feeling within her was almost more than she could take.
She had been so busy—and the journal was so thick. She hadn’t given it much thought since the last time they had read it. Perhaps part of her had blocked it out, too.
She had found it painful to read.
But, now, she couldn’t imagine what either of them had been thinking not to have read it immediately—not to immediately devour it completely.
Justice didn’t seem interested in reading it at all. She knew he thought he had figured out why their parents had disappeared that night—that it had to do with her father killing her mother. And they both knew that her father was against the Alliance.
Now, Jes had more than just a strong feeling that they had missed something by not taking the time to read it.
She quickly went to her room to retrieve the journal.
She didn’t stop reading it until she had finished every last page—though it took her several hours to do so—and when she did—once again, she couldn’t imagine what she and Justice had been thinking in not reading it immediately.
She stared in horror at the journal. She couldn’t move for several moments—had not, in fact, moved from her chair since she had started reading it.
She couldn’t think past the prevailing sense of panic that had flooded her body ever since she had reached a certain part, about three-quarters of the way through the journal—a part that had made her skin crawl and the hair stand up on the back of her neck.
Her father wanted to rule like a god—no doubt of that now. Nor was there any doubt as to why he had betrayed his best friend—and worked so hard to stop the prophecy.
But it was much, much worse than they had believed.
Jes knew what Constantine was after now—and it wasn’t just to stop the prophecy. He and her father had so much more invested in this whole uprising than that.
She couldn’t believe they’d had the answer right in front of them this whole time.
Constantine and her father were after something bigger. Oh—so much bigger. And that something could make the difference between subduing, or even nearly destroying, the vampires who were infected—the race of vampires who infected others as a way to make new vampires—or making them so powerful that they’d be virtually impossible to stop
It was a biological weapon.
A weapon that would ensure that he had complete control over the world.
A weapon that would give him the power he sought—and make him seem like a god.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Second Chances
Dracon was waiting for Justice when he came in.
“He’s here—,” was all he said.
Justice didn’t have to ask who he was.
He was, as a matter of fact, waiting at the bar.
Conrad served him a drink, all the while not taking his eyes from him. The guards were standing at either end of the bar.
None of this seemed to bother the old vamp.
He’d come in alone. Oh, they were all pretty sure that he had an army of vamps standing right outside, but he’d come inside alone just the same.
They didn’t know if he was really brave—or simply that certain of how much damage he could inflict, even against such odds.
He had come to this tavern, in the suburbs of the city, as a way of telling them that they couldn’t stop him. He had come straight there, as a way of saying they were going to pay for what they had done.
They had received his message loud and clear—though he didn’t say a word. He finished his drink. Justice was sure that Dracon was wondering how he was able to do such a thing.
He had the bartender pour him one more drink. And then, as casually as he had come—he left.
Dracon was right behind him.
Dracon followed him into the city.
He knew that Constantine was aware that he was being followed. He led him to where an army of at least one hundred vampires awaited him. He turned then and smiled at Dracon, and disappeared amongst his men.
Dracon returned to Second Chances within the hour. Once again the men left early that night to plan. This time Caesar and his men were brought back to watch the tavern, and Conrad went with them for the planning session. It had come time to fight the war.
When they were back at the manor, they called in both sets of sisters to join the talks. They had each one of them speak out and let everyone else know everything they knew, as well as everything they thought, and any thoughts they had on the strengths and weaknesses of their common enemy.
Jes wasn’t there. She had begged out of it, saying she needed to finish something. Justice knew she was reading the journal, but he didn’t give it too much thought. She had become pretty adept at closing him out of her thoughts, now, when she wanted to. And right now, she obviously wanted to.
He figured it had to do with her grief, and left her alone.
Dracon talked at length about the differences between the old races of vamps and most of the new. He talked about the strengths and weaknesses of fledgling vamps. And he talked about all the best ways to kill them—which included puncturing their heart and beheading them.
He also talked about the power one vamp could receive from another, when they were extinguished. If the vamp who died was in possession of powers when he died, then those powers could be passed to the one who killed him—or her, whichever the case may be.
He also discussed the best times during the day to kill them, but he was sure Constantine would make sure they would not get the opportunity to get near his armies during the daylight hours.
When Dara spoke, she pointed out the need to try to separate the different groups of vamps, a fact that had everyone there nodding in agreement.
Mira reminded them of her ability to bring bright light to the scene, which would temporarily disable some—but not all—of their enemies.
Mia asked them if they thought she and her sisters would be able to get away with using their powers of invisibility. Dracon said to try, but to stay aware that they could be stripped clear of that cloak at any moment.
They were all told to meditate on the impending war, and to come forward if they were to receive any idea at all that might benefit them all.
These discussions went on until the wee hours of the morning.
It was then that Jes stumbled in—bleary eyed from hours of reading—and nearly to the point of complete panic.
They all stared at her in alarm.
Justice came to his feet. “What is it?” he demanded crossing the room to her.
Jes stared at him. She couldn’t even form the words needed to tell him for several long seconds, and when she did, it all came tumbling out.
“The man, Jason Loch, who came to see my father some months before, was a vamp. He had gone to your father first. But your father wouldn’t be swayed by the power this thing would bring. But my father….”
Justice guided her to a chair. They all gathered around her—listening intently—all knowing they weren’t going to like what they were about to hear.
“This Jason… he had a vaccine.” She looked at Justice. “You see he was one of the Alliance—one of the many who worked in the lab—when they discovered this… virus.”
She stared into Justice’s eyes.
“Your father was head of that department. So he knew about this virus. They had stumbled upon it by accident—some time ago—while looking for a better vaccine against the vampires’ ability to turn the Jaguar People—because the inoculation against the vampire bite—has not always worked on—us.”
She looked, then, from her sisters, to Dracon—and back to Justice.
“They had realized, then,
that they could help—some of the vamps. Anyway, he turned my father into a vamp. And my father began to see a way to control the world—because this vaccine didn’t stop the virus—it made them stronger—more invincible than they—already were.” She stopped. “It made them—immune to their previous weaknesses—like sunlight—food… and cravings for blood.”
Dracon nodded. “I’ve—known about that for some time now.”
She looked at Dracon then—and she realized why Dracon could be out during the day—though he still avoided it. “But when they found that out—I guess they panicked. Likely because the vampire is already much too powerful—and if they no longer had their weaknesses… they might be impossible to stop. So they made another vaccine—an antidote.”