“Hello, Jamie,” said Gabriel. Serinda and Bianca stood behind him.
Chapter 7
“Come in,” said Nicholas, over the audible gasps of Bianca and Serinda, inviting the new arrivals inside and glancing around the perimeter, looking and listening for other signs of life. There were none except the children. Closing the door, he joined the others in the living room, sitting in an old, worn yellow chair. He motioned for everyone else to sit on the rest of the old furniture. Jamie stared at Serinda; Bianca had not stopped staring at Jamie; and Nicholas and Gabriel were eyeballing each other.
“So,” said Nicholas, one eyebrow raised in Gabriel’s direction, “what brings you three all the way to the middle of nowhere in Savannah?”
“We were just in the neighborhood conducting the census and wanted to ask you a few questions,” said Gabriel. “How long have you lived at this address?” Nicholas was not amused by Gabriel’s sarcasm. He stood, never taking his eyes off Gabriel, and motioned toward outside with his head. The latter got up and followed out the door. Jamie, Serinda, and Bianca continued sitting in the living room.
“So why are you guys here?” asked Jamie.
“We’re with Gabriel,” said Serinda, shortly.
“We don’t really know why we’re here,” answered Bianca. “We know that Gabriel got a phone call at Burghausen this morning and that’s about it. Serinda was coming anyway and I begged to tag along. Serinda and I never knew where we were going. I’m glad I’m here, though.”
“Me, too,” said Jamie, looking at Serinda.
“I don’t know why anybody would be glad to be here,” remarked Serinda. “This place is a dump.”
“Can we talk in private?” asked Bianca. Jamie stood, leading her down the hall to the kids’ room. She shut the door.
“So what’s up?” he asked.
“Look, I don’t care why you’re here, how Nicholas is alive, or why the kids are here. I care about getting you and them out. Come back with me. We’ll take the kids.
Maybe the Consuls will show some mercy if you bring Liam and Mara back, and we can get a reprieve for you at Burghausen.”
“Things are the way they are. This is where I belong.”
“You belong at home with Landon.”
“No, things are much better now than when I lived with him.”
“What do you mean? What was so bad about where you were?”
“Nothing.”
Nothing is what he said, but it wasn’t what he meant. He was tired, tired of being on the outside, always unable to move in. He knew part of it was his fault, constantly keeping people at an arm’s length out of self-protection. But then, as far as he was concerned, no one tried to get in, except for Nicholas. Landon, whether he tried or not, wasn’t about to breach the outer defenses.
All the lonely lunches, sitting in a corner of the cafeteria, eating what the government said was the healthiest food the youth of America could digest which, in truth, was probably a rung above prison food. In fact, he figured if he ever did go to prison, he’d eat better.
He thought that the long bus rides to and from school, and the countless times he read the rules posted at the front of the bus near the door, was exactly the kind of punishment the Consuls had in mind when they relegated him to living with Landon. No chewing gum; no eating; no drinking; no screaming; etc. At least that’s what the sign was supposed to say.
Instead, someone had taken a marker and changed the rules. It actually read No chewing cum; no eating pussy; no drinking semen; no screaming orgasms; etc. Jamie figured either the driver never noticed the changes or he liked reading the new rules as he looked in the mirror at the teen girls riding his bus. Jamie often sat in a particular seat, and he noticed that someone else had paid particular attention to that. Written in black, on the back of the worn, green leather seat in front of him, was Jamie sucks dick.
He thought about the bullying in the hallways and online. He thought about all the times he considered suicide, knowing it was useless because of LillyAnna’s experiences with the idea. No, there was nothing bad about his life before reconnecting with Nicholas.
Nothing at all.
Outside, Nicholas and Gabriel walked around the side of the old house, still listening to Mara and Liam playing on the tire swing. Behind the dwelling was an emerald and gold field of chest high grass and weeds. The Savannah River meandered in the distance. Nicholas stopped just at the entrance to the field.
“How was your trip?” he asked.
“Fine,” answered Gabriel. “What’s the …,” he began, but before he could finish the question, he felt the force of Nicholas’s hand strike him across the face, knocking him across the edge and into the field. Gabriel, surprised, jumped back up and approached Nicholas with grave intent.
“Do it,” said Nicholas, with a complete lack of facial expression. Gabriel stood his ground, but it was obvious between both that the confrontation was over.
“What the hell was that for?” asked Gabriel.
“What are they doing here?” responded Nicholas. “Serinda was not part of the plan, but, given who she is to you, I can look beyond her presence. Perhaps she could serve a purpose. Bianca, on the other hand, was definitely not part of the plan. She is merely a distraction. What were you thinking?”
“What kind of distraction can she be?”
“She’ll distract Jamie.”
“No, she won’t. He’s more distracted by Serinda than Bianca. He’s got a thing for her. I dare him to try something. Besides, she begged me to bring her. Why is he so important, anyway? So what if he’s Landon’s son—what’s his purpose here?”
“Don’t think for a minute that your life is more valuable to me than his,” said Nicholas, drawing closer to Gabriel. “You have your purpose and he has his. Do what you’re told, do exactly what you’re told, and there will be rewards.”
“What kind of rewards?”
“The only kind that matters—power.”
“So why am I here?” Gabriel asked.
“You are here as a kind of spokesperson, between us and vampires. Your role will become clear soon. For now, let’s return inside. I’ll forget this ever happened.”
“Okay, but, before we go, I have to ask—how are you alive?”
“Let’s just say, you’re backing a winning horse, one that can’t—lose.” As Nicholas and Gabriel made their way back to the front of the house, they noticed the darkened sky in the distance and the coming storm clouds. The wind began to pick up as Nicholas brought the children inside. It had an almost human, or nonhuman, quality to its howling—like a werewolf. When they entered the house, Jamie, Bianca, and Serinda were still sitting in their respective seats.
“Is there anything to drink?” asked Serinda, looking back toward the kitchen. “If you know what I mean.”
“No,” answered Nicholas. “And don’t ask about showering or anything like that.
We’re off the grid here. There’s no electricity and no running water.”
“What are we supposed to eat, then?” asked Serinda.
“What are the kids supposed to eat?” Bianca asked. Serinda shot her sister a perturbed look.
“Well, there is wildlife to be found in the immediate vicinity,” said Nicholas. “Or, if you desire something with a little more kick, Savannah is 5 miles to the north. There are no rules here as there are at Burghausen. Eat what you want, eat the locals for all I care. Do what’s in your nature.”
The rain began to fall softly against the windows and on the roof. In the distance, though, everyone could see the clouds grow evermore ominous. Where the treetops met the sky on the horizon, it was practically black. A bolt of lightning flashed from the clouds down to the ground, creating the illusion of a purple firmament. The children gasped in awe at the scenery, then jumped as the sky above crackled with the booming vibrations of rolling thunder.
“Everyone should know, we’re not staying in Savannah long,” said Nicholas.
“We
’ll be moving on soon.”
“To where,” asked Bianca.
“That is of no concern to you,” answered Nicholas, condescendingly. “Just know that we are staying here only as long as necessary.”
“Do the children know what we are—what they are?” she asked.
“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you? No, to both.” The house began to creak as the gathering storm drew closer. The shutters on the old, white, depression-era house began to rattle as the howling drew closer. Thunder boomed and echoed as lightning lit the darkened surrounding landscape like a flare. Liam edged nearer to his twin sister. Though he was the oldest by almost five minutes, he clearly followed in her footsteps.
“I’m scared,” he said.
“It’s okay,” she returned reassuringly. “Mommy’s watching over us from Heaven.
That’s what Jamie said.”
“I wish she was with us and not the angels. I wish I could see her.” He paused, looking down. “I want to go to Heaven, too.”
Thunder exploded over the house, sending the children screaming and running to the nearest person—Serinda. The vamp glanced toward her knees at the young werewolves embracing her legs. She did her best to shake them off, halfway attempting to hide her disgust, when Bianca noticed her sister’s disdain and led the kids to their bedroom.
“Hey, why don’t you guys stay in here until the storm passes? It won’t be long. I promise. Then maybe the three of us can go into town and get some ice cream.”
“But we don’t have a car,” said Mara.
“Yeah, I noticed that there wasn’t a car outside. How did you guys get here?” Bianca asked.
“A yellow car brought us,” Liam said.
“Well, tell ya what. I’ll let you in on a little secret if you promise not to tell.” The children leaned in closer, wide eyed and eager to hear anything that could take their minds off the severe weather. “I can run really fast. And I can carry both of you while doing it. What do you think of that?”
“Really?” asked Liam. “Can you show us?”
“I can, but we have to wait until the storm is over and when no one is watching.
Remember, it’s our secret. Okay?” The twins nodded in agreement. “Is there anything I can get you before I go back out to the other room?”
“I want to see mommy again,” said Liam, his eyes welling up.
“I know honey,” she said, running her hand through his hair. “Your mommy loves you and is protecting you right now. That’s why I’m here. Even though you can’t see her, she can still see you. Try not to worry. It’ll be okay. I’ll be in the living room if you need me, okay?”
Bianca ran her hands over both their heads and down their cheeks. She tried not to let them see the liquid horizons in her eyes. The door closed softly behind her as the twins lay together on their bed, watching with increasing trepidation out the bedroom window. The storm was now hitting the house with its full force. When Bianca had entered the living room, she joined a conversation already in progress.
“Why are they even here?” asked Serinda. “What’s really going on here?”
“I thought your sister asked too many questions,” said Nicholas. “At least she took a hint and knew when to shut up. You need not concern yourself with the children. I know how you feel about children in general; these two should be no different to you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“That much is obvious.”
“Nicholas,” said Jamie, “there’s no need to be rude.” Everyone turned and looked at Jamie as if he suddenly declared his candidacy for the White House. The silence inside the room was almost as deafening as the storm outside. Until Gabriel realized what Jamie was really saying.
“Hey, it’s not your place to come to her defense,” he snapped.
“I don’t need anyone to defend me at all.”
“I was only saying that there was no need to be rude. We can all be civil to each other,” said Jamie.
Nicholas took a couple of steps back, unnoticed, and watched as the scene unfolded and progressed. Jamie had suddenly become assertive with his peers and was continuing to stand his ground with one who clearly had more experience than he.
Finally, when the shouting had reached an uncomfortable level, Nicholas stepped back in.
“Jamie,” he said, “you are correct.”
Again, the room fell silent and Nicholas offered nothing more beyond that. No apology to Serinda. He simply acquiesced to Jamie. It was his way of letting the others know that Jamie was not to be touched.
Suddenly, Bianca realized that Nicholas was standing inches from her, breathing hotly into her ear. The heat sent shivers racing across her body. Then he spoke softly.
“How are the children?” he asked, knowing he was getting to her and enjoying it.
“They’re fine,” she whispered. She continued to face forward, not turning around to make eye contact. “I think I’ll go check on them again.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Bianca opened the bedroom door to a cold chill that ran through the room and quickly closed the door behind her. On the bed she saw Liam nestled under the blankets, staring blankly out the window—the open window. Bianca ran across the floor and, with the driving rain throwing large, cold drops against her upper torso, shut the window as fast as she could. She watched as tree limbs flew past and the tall grass in the field bowed to its master.
“Are you okay?” she asked, turning back around toward the bed. “Why was the window open? You’ll catch a cold, honey.” Then she realized she was talking only to Liam. They were the only two in the room. “Where’s Mara?” Liam didn’t speak. He didn’t move, didn’t even blink. There was an intense fear in his eyes. Bianca jumped on the bed and gently shook the boy.
“Liam, where’s Mara?” she begged—nothing. Then it hit her—the window. She leapt from the bed and starred out the glass. She scanned the area, as much as she could see, and saw no one. No trace; no tracks. Oh, God—the river! The window flew back up and out she jumped into the storm. Liam remained on the bed.
Sitting in the living room, Nicholas heard the sound of the bedroom window being thrust open. He approached the door and opened it to find the same scene that Bianca had only moments before. He quickly realized what was happening.
Saying nothing to Liam or the others in the kitchen, he dove out the window, rolling onto the grass, and came to a standing position. His keen senses and experience in tracking, second only to Landon, told him to head toward the river.
Within seconds he was standing on the bank as the flooded river swept past. The water had risen ten feet in a matter of minutes and was moving at an incredible rate.
Large limbs and other debris hurried downstream. Yet, there was no sign of life. The trail had ended here—at the river bank.
“Mara!” he yelled. “Bianca!” No answer. Only the sound of rushing water, falling rain, and distant thunder answered his calls. Streaks of purple lighting lit the black sky.
He tried to look further, with his enhanced eyesight, into the muddy river, but to no avail.
He removed his shoes and shirt. His breathing increased as he prepared his lungs to hold air for an unknown amount of time. Nicholas took one last deep inhale and bent over.
Suddenly, the sound of an incredible roar broke the crying sky as a large werewolf burst forth from the rushing river and sailed over Nicholas’ head. The beast landed twenty yards away, safe in the field. Nicholas ran over and found the creature cradling the lost child. Bianca lay Landon’s daughter in the tall, wet grass and began the change back to human form. Nicholas noticed immediately that Mara wasn’t breathing.
He did nothing.
Bianca, on her knees, her change not quite fully complete, began CPR. She gave two quick rescue breaths while lifting Mara’s chin and holding closed her nose, then counted in her head thirty chest compressions and gave two more rescue breaths. She repeated as she completed her change and moved closer. Afte
r giving another set of breaths, she again began chest compressions. After completing another set of thirty, she began another round.
“Come on, baby,” said Bianca. “Come on. Come back. It’s not your time, Mara.” Another set of compressions and breaths. Then, finally, a burst of water from the child’s mouth. She coughed and Bianca rolled the girl on her side. Tears streamed down Bianca’s face and mixed with the rain.
Nicholas picked Mara up and casually began the walk back to the house. He noticed, and thought it odd, when Bianca tried to hide certain parts of her nude body from him. Werewolves were used to being naked. Then he realized that she intentionally trailed behind as he carried Mara through the field. Now he understood, and he relished the unease he caused in her. His pleasure was suddenly cut short when Mara awoke and spoke.
“Am I there?” she asked. “Is she here?”
“Don’t talk now, baby,” said Bianca. “Let’s get you inside and warm you up.”
“This doesn’t look like it,” the girl continued.
“This doesn’t look like where?” Nicholas asked. “Where were you trying to go?
You caused a lot of trouble.”
“Heaven,” answered Mara.
“Heaven? Why were you trying to go to Heaven?” Bianca questioned. “Why did you think it was by the river?”
“Because mommy said that Heaven had a river and green fields,” she answered.
“I wanted mommy to come back with me and make Liam feel safe during the storm. Did I find her?”
“You went through all this trouble to find your mother for your brother?” asked Nicholas.
“Uh-huh.”
“You have more heart than most humans I’ve come across. Foolish, but a lot of heart and courage. I commend you for that.”
“Why didn’t you do something back there?” Bianca asked Nicholas.
“You were in complete control of the situation and were doing just fine without my interference.”
“That’s not why. You had another motive.”
“When there are only two of something in the entire world, then one becomes lost forever, the remainder becomes much more valuable. Invaluable, one could say.”
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