That was until I heard a hushed laugh from the trees to my right. My eyes flew open and I saw a quick flash of red shoot by me and disappear. I got up and began to run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. I didn’t get very far before my bare foot caught a large root, and I fell flat on my face. Ignoring the pain in my foot and the blood pouring from my big toe, I rolled onto my back to see my attackers. Both were laughing as they walked casually from behind a group of trees.
“Jason!” Taddi said, still laughing. “I’m sorry, are you okay?” She ran to my side and helped me sit up.
“What is wrong with you?!” I screamed at them. “Do you even realize what’s going on here?!” They both stopped laughing instantly.
“Where’s Aderes?” they asked simultaneously.
“Falko told me that…”
“Falko!” Peter shouted louder than I had. “Where is he?! What did he do to Aderes?!”
“He’s occupied at the moment, but he told me that he tore Aderes’s head off. You have to do something; you have to help her!”
“Son of a…” Peter started to say under his breath, but he stopped and instead asked, “Do you know where?”
“If you run that way,” I pointed toward the clearing of ramsons, “you should find Falko, and a little farther on is a large field. As far as I know, she’s on the other side of the field.”
“Taddi, take Jason the rest of the way to the house. I’ll see if I can find Aderes.” Without waiting for Taddi to agree with his plan, he took off.
“I know this isn’t really the right time to ask, but how the hell did you stop Falko without Aderes?” Taddi asked as she picked me up and started to run in the opposite direction Peter had gone.
“Long story,” I said, and she quickly dropped the subject.
Even if she did want to know what had happened, I wouldn’t have been able to tell her; my thoughts were too focused on Aderes. She was hurt, maybe even dead, and it was my fault. I had never heard of a Dahmshed recovering from their head being entirely torn off, and that’s exactly what Falko had said he’d done. The only thing I could hope for was that he had lied to make me feel like I had no hope left.
Everything that had happened was obviously taking a toll on me, because ten minutes after we had left Peter, I was out cold, without a single dream in my head.
***
I didn’t sleep as long as I thought I would. I pictured myself waking up in a soft bed in a cozy room I didn’t recognize, just in time to be greeted by Aderes, but I didn’t. I woke up to a freezing cold burn that stung my face like hundreds of bees. Taddi still held me in a cradle position as she sped through trees that seemed to glow in the cloudy light of the afternoon. As my eyes adjusted, I could see a light powdering of fresh snow on the trees and ground that made the hazy day brighter. Eventually, we emerged onto a small, empty road surrounded by a thick tree line, and Taddi stopped.
“You missed a fun run,” she said, putting me on my feet.
“Maybe fun for you, but I’m freezing.”
“I’ll try and get a fire going for you once we get inside.” She began walking down the road, and I had to run to keep up.
“Where are we?” I looked around at the snowy trees that were blocking anything else from view.
“Simms Hill, Vermont.” Taddi smiled at me. “It looks exactly the same as it did the last time I was here.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Ten years,” she said, stopping short. “And that’s why you need to stay here for a minute. I need to check the house to see if anyone has been there since we left.”
“Okay, but hurry, please.” She gave me a wink and took off down the road. An eerie calm came over the area once she had left. There was no noise, no breeze, nothing but the feeling that someone was watching me. I turned my head, rapidly scanning the woods for whatever could have eyes on me, but I saw nothing, not even a small animal. I tried to calm myself, but I was drawn to the woods on my right. I walked over to the edge of the trees and peered deep into the thick brush. That’s when I saw something blended in with a group of thorn bushes. I waited for movement, but the bushes were as still as I had become.
Then, a hand grabbed my shoulder. I immediately jumped forward into the trees. I almost sprinted away from the road, but then I saw a deer jump from behind the thorn bushes, and I turned to see Taddi standing in the road.
“I’m sorry if I scared you, Jason,” she apologized. “What were you looking at?”
“Oh, it was nothing.” I gave the woods one last glance. “How’s the house?”
“Seems all right to me.” She gave me her hand and when I took it, she flung me over her back and flew down the road to a marvelous, Adirondack-style house. It was made of bright red oak wood and had a giant, half-oval window over the front door. As we walked up the front porch, I noticed a finely carved wolf head engraved on the front door.
“That looks amazing,” I complemented the carving.
“Elliot did it.” Taddi opened the door. “He actually built the entire house.” We walked into the large but simple home. To my left was the only closed-off room in the entire house. On my right was a kitchen that was only separated from the hall by a marble counter. The ceiling was high because there was a large loft on the other end of the house that hung over a sitting room with a stone fireplace. Large wooden beams spanned the ceiling. Aside from some basic furniture, a couch, two armchairs, and a few coffee tables, the house was almost empty. It smelled of dust that clogged my throat and made me cough. Even if Taddi hadn’t told me the house had been empty for over ten years, I would have known anyway.
She brought me over to the brown, leather couch and gave me a few blankets. Then, she pushed the couch close to the fireplace and left to get some firewood from the cellar. Sitting alone in the large room got me thinking about Aderes. Her “spell” had obviously not left me, because every time I pictured her lying dead in a pool of black blood, I almost threw up. I needed her with me.
Not long after she left, Taddi was back with a large stack of firewood. My mind was still focused on Aderes, even though I was trying my best to have a conversation with Taddi. She lit the fire and sat on the couch with me as we talked about what had stopped Falko from killing me. She was surprised to hear how weakened Falko had become when he got close to the ramsons, but she couldn’t explain any other reason for him to behave like that.
Right when I was repeating to her exactly what Falko had said, the door blasted open. Taddi flew over the couch and bolted to Peter. In his arms was Aderes, her beautiful face covered in her own blood. My stomach lurched at the sight, but at least her head was still attached to her body. They all disappeared into the other room before I could say anything. I jumped from the couch and walked over to the closed door with the blanket still tightly wrapped around my body.
Eventually, Peter emerged. He was drenched in blood, and he had rather large gashes on his arms and forehead. His black eyes stared into mine as he began to speak.
“She’s going to be okay,” was the first thing he said. I couldn’t help but smile.
“What happened?” I asked curiously.
“Falko lied to you. I suppose he thought it would make you give up if you thought you had no way of escaping.”
“What did he do to her, then? Why didn’t he kill her?”
“He probably thought she was going to be killed. I found her struggling against nine Jagers when I found her, and there were already about twelve dead. She was able to keep herself conscious until only two were left. I had some trouble with the double team, but I was able to kill them.”
“But why didn’t Falko stay and help them?” If Falko was as powerful as everyone made him out to be, he couldn’t have been that stupid.
“For two reasons. One is because he knows her limits. They were with each other for decades, and he would know how many regular Dahmshed she can take on at once. The second reason is because he doesn’t want to be seen by his own people. If t
hey knew Falko was the one leading them through Alexander, they would revolt. They all despise Sterk Dahmshed.”
“Would they actually be able to fight him?”
“All of them put together would kill him easily. Sterks are extremely powerful, but as you can see from Aderes, they aren’t invincible.” When he brought my attention back to Aderes, the sick feeling returned.
“How long will she be out?” I asked.
“A few hours, I would guess. She may not be invincible, but if she gets the time to heal, she does it a lot faster than a regular Dahmshed.”
“That’s good.” Peter gave me a wink and led me back over to the couch. I sat there for a while just staring into the blazing flame. Peter stood, watching the door for any sign that Aderes was up. “Hey Peter,” I said, breaking the long silence.
“What’s up?”
“What does voedsel mean?” It had been bothering me since Falko had said it.
“Where did you hear that?” he asked angrily.
“It’s what Falko called me.” Peter’s lip curled up, exposing his sharp teeth.
“That bastard. I don’t know where he gets off calling you that.”
“What do you mean me?”
“I think it’s time for you to learn about that, but Elliot or Aderes should tell you, not me.” I was very confused, but I didn’t say anything, and Peter kept talking. “What I can tell you is that voedsel is the Dutch word for food. It’s what Falko and the Jagers call humans.”
“That’s comforting,” I said sarcastically. “I probably didn’t need to know that.” Peter laughed, and we stopped talking again. It wasn’t quiet for long, though, because Taddi opened the door and signaled for us to enter.
When we entered the room, I saw Aderes lying in a bed with a white sheet pulled up to just below her neck. Her neck was wrapped in a bloody bandage, but I didn’t give it much notice because her face was exposed. The radiant beauty had caught my eye the second I stepped foot into the room. She seemed to be sleeping, even though Dahmshed don’t sleep, but when I walked closer, her full, black eyes flicked open. I smiled at her, and she smiled back.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” Aderes said weakly. “I was sure he would have killed you.”
“I was thinking the same thing about you,” I replied almost as quietly.
“Here, Jason.” Peter pushed a chair over. “Have a seat. Taddi said Aderes wants to talk to you alone. We’ll be in the loft.”
“All right, see you later.” I waved as he left the room. Now I was alone with the most beautiful creature on the entire planet. Her black eyes stared at me for the longest time, making me incapable of forming any sort of word. She eventually blinked and averted her gaze from me.
“I’m sorry about that, Jason,” she said.
“Sorry about what?”
“For hypnotizing you. I don’t mean to do it; it’s just part of being a Sterk Dahmshed.” She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head back and forth. “I’m also sorry for the conversation we are about to have. I’ve been avoiding it since I met you, but Elliot has instructed me to tell you.” Her eyes opened suddenly, and I could see a small drop of her black blood dripping from the corner.
“What’s wrong with your eye?” The drop of blood fell from her face and hit the pillow. A small smile crept onto her face as she turned toward me again.
“I’m crying, Jason.” She seemed to find it oddly funny. “I haven’t cried in decades.”
“Dahmshed can cry?” I asked curiously.
“Not like a human, but we can cry. It’s not often that we do, either, but this is a touchy subject for me. I feel like I’m going back on a promise I made to you.” I quickly racked my mind of memories of the last week, for something that would cause her to be in such distress. Just as the thought came to me, she spoke it. “We need to talk about you becoming a Dahmshed.” The sentence hit me like a load of bricks, and I almost fell from my chair.
“But…but you said…” I stuttered, unable to speak.
“I said I would not force you, and I still won’t. My dilemma is that I am seeing more and more that you are what we think you are. Most of the others believe you should become one of us, especially Elliot.” She closed her eyes again, appearing to choose her words carefully. “The last thing I want for you is to become a Dahmshed, but I just can’t see it any other way.” I still couldn’t speak. My mind was running in circles, trying to figure out why I was so important. I put my face in my hands, and Aderes continued. “I know this is harder on you than it is on anyone else, but I want you to know that I am a close second. The fact is, though, if we’re right, you could save the human race from a mass genocide.”
“But, what if you’re wrong?” I whipped my head up quickly. More blood was pouring down Aderes’s remarkable face. It was a horrific sight to see something so pure covered in something that looked so wretched.
“I think we should cross that path when it comes. If it comes,” she corrected herself.
“So, tell me this,” I started. “What exactly is so special about me that I’ll be able to do the things you say I’ll be able to do?”
“What Falko originally found out, and what we have discovered, is the answer to that question. But keep in mind that we are still not positive about this.”
“Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me!”
“We believe,” she said slowly, “that you are a descendant of Falko Van De Hemel.”
“I’m related to Falko?” I asked.
“Yes. His sister was married to a man named Jeremiah Hook around the early 1300’s. We believe they are your ancestors.”
“What are you saying, then?” I asked, knowing full well what the answer was. I just couldn’t believe it.
“If you become a Dahmshed, you should technically be a Sterk. But unlike me, you would have the full gene. You should, in theory, be just as powerful as Falko himself.”
“The key words there are ‘technically’ and ‘theory.’ Neither you nor Falko know this for sure.”
“We don’t, but there’s only one way to find out.” I stared at her bloody face. Aderes didn’t want to force me to become a Dahmshed, but like she said, there was no other way. I would have to chance myself, my humanity, for the rest of the world.
“This is not fair,” I said coldly.
“No, it’s not,” she agreed. “But it is what it is. You can’t change that, and neither can anyone else.”
“What are you basing all of this off of, anyway? Some old family tree?”
“It’s more complicated than that. We traced your family line as best we could, but we lost track every once in a while. Falko came to kill you just to make sure you wouldn’t be altered, but our more recent belief that you are part of Falko’s family began shortly after bringing you to the marina.”
“Why?”
“How can I put this?” she asked herself. “Falko comes from a very…divine family line. It’s what made him a Sterk when he was altered. You have shown some characteristics that lead us to believe you’re part of this family line.”
“Such as?”
“Your blood,” she said quickly. “During the initiation, when we poured your blood into the grail, the Dahmshed blood became as light and pure as any human blood you could find.”
“So, what’s the big deal about that? Wouldn’t any human blood do that?”
“You’re in denial about this, aren’t you? Human blood gets devoured by Dahmshed blood. If you put a drop of Dahmshed blood into a bucket of human blood, the human blood will get darker. Your blood is special, Jason, and we believe that makes you very special.”
“That still doesn’t prove that I’m Falko’s nephew.”
“Not necessarily. But it’s a step in the right direction.” At that moment, Peter flew into the room. He glided over to Aderes and whispered something into her ear. As he did, her eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open. “When?!” she shouted.
“He fell asleep when she
was carrying him, and since he lost his shoe, his foot was bare,” Peter said.
“Why didn’t she say anything before?!” Aderes blurted loudly.
“Things have been a bit hectic over the past couple of hours. She didn’t exactly have time.” Aderes just looked at him dumbfounded for a few seconds, and then she turned to me. She had a crazed look on her blood-drenched face, not that many blood-drenched faces don’t look crazy. She suddenly sat up and grabbed my ankle. I fell right off of my chair, and landed with a thud on the wooden floor.
“Ouch!” I yelled at her. She ignored me as she and Peter stared at my bare foot. “What is so interesting about my foot?”
“Holy…” Aderes said in awe. Then, she looked at me. “Have you ever seen the bottom of your foot?”
“Do most people give themselves routine foot inspections?” I asked her sarcastically.
“So, you didn’t know that you have a birthmark?”
“I knew that. What about it?” She returned to staring at my foot again. “Can I have my leg back, please?” I tugged on it twice before she finally dropped it. Immediately, I took a look at the bottom; on the ball of my foot, just like always, was my birthmark. It hadn’t changed too much since I last looked at it, but it definitely seemed more defined. The small mark looked like three interlocking ovals that formed a sort of triangle. It looked familiar, but I couldn’t place my finger on it.
“Trinity…” Peter whispered to Aderes, while still looking at me.
“What does it mean? Is it some kind of symbol?” I didn’t get any answer from either of them. They just kept staring at me. “Hey!” I yelled at them. “Say something!”
“We should alter him right now,” Peter said finally.
“It’s still his choice, Peter,” Aderes scolded him. “And Jason, that birthmark should be all the proof you need that you are special.”
“Would you please just tell me what the hell it is?” Before either could answer, Peter seemed to have an epiphany.
“Wait!” he shouted. “Jason, when you fell in the ramsons, was your bare foot facing Falko?”
Descendant: The Protector (The Descendant Series) Page 14