"Why is your—Celestia requesting a meeting and when?" Rebecca asked, trying to move this meeting along. The sooner they got rid of this unpleasant version of Savvy, the sooner they could get back to working on bringing back the sunshine version of Savannah.
"The when is tomorrow, two hours before the council meeting. The why, you’ll have to wait and see." Savannah spoke with a level of authority she didn’t have in Rebecca’s house.
"I thought you were the official liaison." Rebecca countered, frost clipped her words. She hated going to meetings when she didn’t know what would be discussed and Savannah knew this pet peeve of hers.
"I am." She tilted her head to the side and examined Rebecca with new eyes—cold eyes.
Rebecca shivered inward. "So why can't you tell me the purpose of this meeting?"
"Because I choose not to." She started toward the door and Gabriel stood in front of her, blocking her from the exit. Savannah tilted her head, examining Gabriel closely. "Are you asking for another kiss?" she inquired of Gabriel with a mocking tone, looking at Rebecca the whole time, wanting to see a reaction and smiling when she got it.
"Give her an acceptable answer," he grumbled. His arms firmly crossed his chest, creating a barrier that would be difficult to pass. Difficult but not impossible.
"Or what, you’ll keep me here against my will? Use me to get my sister's attention?" She fake yawned. “Been there, done that. News flash, that was already done, remember? I think I have the t-shirt somewhere, the gods know I earned it.” She hissed.
Rebecca didn't have to see her face to know Savannah was lashing out because she was in pain. She heard it in Savvy’s voice and saw it in Gabriel's demeanor. Her words cut into him too but not enough to make him shirk his duty. He did, however, have the good sense to look sorry for what happened to her.
Savvy sighed heavily again. It was something she would never do as the human sister Rebecca grew up with. She never lost patience with her family. "Okay, she wants to prepare you for the information she’ll be revealing at the council meeting tomorrow night. You know where to find us. May I go now?"
It was actually an absurd question. In truth vampires had a natural defense against werewolves just as wolves had a natural defense against them. Survival of the fittest evened the score between the two warring species long ago. Vampires were stronger than werewolves in human form but enforcers evened out the stakes. Rebecca and Gabriel both had the ability to transform outside of the full moon, and the two of them would easily take Savannah out. But Savannah was not their enemy. Rebecca may have to remind herself this fact every time she saw her, and deep down Rebecca knew Gabriel would’ve let her pass before causing her any harm.
Gabriel looked at Rebecca for confirmation. Rebecca nodded. "We’ll be there, sister. Have a good day."
Chapter Three
Savannah
Savannah managed to stop shaking when she was out of ear shot of her sister and her so called ‘pack.’ It took everything she had not to smack her and her friends around for a bit of play, but Mother would be disappointed and that wasn’t a smart move for anyone, with half a brain, to do.
Disappointing Mother was not something you walked away from without a few broken bones and other pains. Sure, as a vampire, the injuries healed quickly. But you still felt the initial pain and the intensity was far worse than what you’d feel as a human. Downside to everything being enhanced, Savannah supposed. In the few weeks since Savvy’s resurrection she’d seen firsthand the damage Celestia did when she was disappointed. Rebecca would be smart to recognize that, but she wouldn't get that advice from Savvy.
Savannah wasn't sure if she’d ever get over the fact Rebecca was the reason why she was a member of the living dead. She wanted to forgive. Everything she’d learned as a human was to forgive, learn from the lesson, and move forward with your life. The past was filled with lessons and as long as you learned from those lessons you’dbe better for it in the future. But her life wasn’t her own anymore and for that, she’d never forgive Rebecca. Holding onto the anger made her stronger and the only way she was going to survive this new life was to be strong.
Instead of leaving, Savvy had another mission to take on, which involved taking a small detour. She slipped off her heels and headed down toward the basement of the compound. According to Mother, Tomas had hidden a powerful book of alchemy under the basement floor. It was just a matter of pulling up some floor boards to get access to it, that and avoiding the smelly dogs that roamed the halls of this compound on her mission to get the book.
Felicity had shown her a blueprint of the compound so finding it was easy. She put all of her senses on high alert as she made her way down the wooden halls, slipping into hiding places whenever she sensed one of the wolves nearby.
As she rounded the last turn and caught sight of the door she was looking for she was almost spotted by one of the wolves. Werewolf hearing was just as advanced as vampires’ so she was thankful she was smart enough to remove her heels. It reassured her that she most likely went unnoticed.
When the gothic looking female wolf turned the opposite direction Savannah let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and used her super speed to get through the door to the basement. Thankfully the room was empty. It made things less messy. She really didn’t want to overstay her welcome or hurt one of Rebecca’s pack members. It was Rebecca who deserved her wrath, not her puppies.
Savannah wasn't evil—yet—but if she spent more time under Celestia's tutelage and the ancient vampire got her way, Savvy would become more than a pawn. She’d become a weapon. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, being a weapon meant power, being a pawn weakness.
The basement was typical, except for the wood flooring. Most basements were either concrete or carpet. The wood only made things easier on her. There were rows and rows of metal racks that held medical supplies. From what Celestia had told her, Tomas was a bit of a paranoid control freak. There was a time that Savvy worried Rebecca would become the same way, but that didn’t concern her anymore. The fact that the alpha sharing Rebecca’s mind and body was the same one that had occupied Tomas while he was alive meant nothing to her. Taking care of Rebecca was no longer her concern. She continued her assessment of the large underground room, the walls were cinderblock and cold which made the cozy wood planks on the floor look completely out of place. Could Tomas be any more obvious?
Savvy tip-toed to the northwest side of the basement, the location Celestia said the book was hidden and ran her fingers over the wood seems. She easily found a crevice that would allow her to pry the board up from the ground. She took a moment to admire her perfect nails once again, knowing they’d be demolished when she was done with her task. She needed no crowbar just her fingers and the superhuman strength that came along with being a vampire. Aside from breaking a nail or two the board easily gave way and once the first one was removed she was able to pull up several more, all revealing the same thing—nothing.
Apparently Celestia was wrong, or the intel Katarina gave her was false, or maybe the book was already discovered or moved. Wherever it was, she knew it was important to find it. Katarina had risked her life last month for the book because they all knew it was necessary for the takeover. The alchemy book would put enough power in Celestia’s hands to take down the entire Phoenix vampire nest if need be and Celestia was counting on Savannah to get it.
Frustrated, she pulled up a few more floor boards, not paying attention to the noise she made in the process. She came up empty handed again. Anger boiled in her veins and it took all her willpower not to throw the wood pieces in her hand across the room. In fact, she wanted to wreak havoc on the entire basement. Tossing down a few shelves would greatly reduce their medical supplies, not that they had a doctor to use them. The attack on Rebecca's pack last month left them devastated, and according to Celestia the only surviving member was her sister—only because she hadn’t turned yet. Had the attack been a week later, Rebecca would have died
with the rest of them and Savannah would’ve mourned the loss of her sister as a human. Instead, she was mourning that loss as a vampire. It’s true vampires have very few emotions. It isn’t a choice it’s a necessity to keep a vampire from going crazy. Being dead seems to deaden the humanity, and the longer she survived the worse it would get.
"What are you doing?" A young girl with dark auburn hair and green eyes examined Savvy from the top of the stairs. A beat up rag doll dangled from tiny candy coated fingers.
Savannah offered a fake smile as she approached the child slowly. "And who might you be?"
"Willow...you look a lot like Rebecca." The girl observed. Her voice was as fragile as she looked. “Only your hair is shorter.” One of the first things Celestia did when Savannah woke up was cut her hair to a more manageable length, now it settled nicely on her shoulders.
Savvy took a step closer to get a better view of the child she guessed was about seven years old.
Savvy continued to approach her, like a cat cornering a mouse. The child was such easy prey it was almost sad. "Well, Willow, I’m looking for a very special book. It’s very valuable and probably ancient looking. Do you know where such a thing would be located?"
The girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously and took a careful step back. "Probably not in the floor." She pointed at the mess Savvy left behind her. “Are you going to clean that up?”
Savvy forced another smile to her cold, brittle lips, a side effect of being undead and hungry. The longer a vampire goes without blood, the colder and harder the body gets. Celestia explained it to her when she first woke up. Her mother made it clear that blood didn't just nourish her stomach but it fed every cell in her body. Without it, a vampire would literally dry up like a raisin does from a grape. A quick whiff of the air told Savvy the little girl was not a wolf, so her blood would not be poisonous to her.
Granted drinking from her would be like eating an appetizer but at least then she wouldn't be able to rat on her. The girl would simply go to sleep and wake up in a few hours with massive hangover like symptoms. By then, Savannah would be long gone from this wolf nest. Each step toward Willow was calculating and slow. Savvy was a predator now and the girl was the prey. She reminded herself of this with each step she took up the stairs. The hunger was unlike anything a mere human ever felt. Every part of her body ached for Willow’s blood. Savvy licked her lips in anticipation. Only a few steps to go before she could snatch her body into her savage embrace.
Willow turned and ran, giving chase was never a smart thing prey could do while being stalked by a predator. Savannah couldn't hold back any longer even if she wanted to. The thrill of the chase was on and the predator inside her didn’t like to lose. She tossed the floor board she’d been holding back down the stairs and chased Willow down the hallway. The smell of fear thick on the air drove her on like a racer sprinting for the finish line in the Olympics. All common sense was lost at this point. Now the girl was simply a steak dinner for a starving monster.
Willow sprinted down the hall and took a fast right turn. Just as she was inches from Savvy’s grasp, Savannah felt something hard smash into her face, which sent her flying backward. The wall was the only thing that stopped Savannah’s short trip, cracking her back at the same time. Pain blossomed from the core of her being. She wanted to cry out, but instead when she opened her mouth she was swallowing blood from her face.
The pain killed Savvy's desire to eat. "What the hell!" she screamed and choked past the blood oozing into her mouth from her nose.
"I was about to ask you the same thing, Savvy." Gabriel's smooth voice worked its way through the haze of pain. "Why were you chasing my sister?"
Savvy scrunched up her face, which only caused more pain. Celestia warned her to eat before she came over and now she understood why. Not only were the hunger pains difficult to overcome but the quick healing was slowed. When the pain began to subside, confusion took over. "Your sister?" Savannah squinted her tearing eyes toward him and saw the little girl clinging to his leg. "I was just looking for a snack."
"No, you were digging up our basement floor." The little girl told on her. She was awfully brave for her age, which made Savannah strangely respect her.
Savvy pushed back the twinge of guilt. "Yes, Mother asked me to find a book."
Rebecca came out of the office. Somehow the girl had lead Savvy on a trail back to where she’d started. "You mean this book?" She held up an ancient looking leather bound book.
As the super healing began to strengthen, Savannah was able to focus and knew that could very well be the book she was looking for. She recognized it as the book Hunter was reading when she first came in to meet Rebecca. She really needed to be more observant. Savannah rolled her eyes and stood up on unsteady legs. "Yes, that book. May I borrow it?"
"If you had asked, I would’ve let you read it, here." Rebecca pulled the book close to her chest. She indicated Hunter behind her. "Hunter has been reading it for the last week. Not that you’d be able to understand it. Apparently it’s written in some kind of witch’s code. You and I cannot decipher it."
"Well, I’ve made some progress." Hunter pointed out from behind Rebecca.
Becks turned to Savvy. "What I’d really like to know is why you were chasing my little friend through the halls of my home?" She held up a finger before Savannah could speak. "Be careful, sister, Gabriel is very protective of Willow and River."
Savvy shook her head. "I’m sorry." It was all she could say. Guilt and hunger were eating her up inside. She was turning into a monster and she had Rebecca to blame for it. She needed to leave before she did more damage. Savvy shook her head, turned and sped out of the building. There was nothing more to be said. She needed to find something to eat and go home to her mother’s evil embrace.
Rebecca
Gabriel got Willow settled and Rebecca went back into her office after sending everyone on their way. She ordered Persephone to make sure Savannah got off wolf territory without any more incidences. When she entered her office, alone, she let the tears spill over her eyes and down her cheeks. Her sister was becoming a monster and there was very little she could do about it.
'Your sister is lost to you, Rebecca,’ her wolf spoke softly in her mind. ‘She’s one of the enemies now.’
Rebecca shook her head, knowing full well the gesture was useless. The wolf wasn’t in front of her, it was in her mind. Constantly giving unsolicited advice. She couldn’t do anything but ignore the alter ego. But the alpha wolf knew Savvy was off limits so she didn’t understand why the wolf, who she learned recently wanted to be called Siren, even attempted to try at this point.
‘Because you’re being looked at as a weak leader for not doing what’s necessary.’
‘Your way isn’t always the right way, Siren!’ Rebecca snapped in her mind. ‘If that was the case, I wouldn’t be the alpha host now.’
There was a soft knock on the door so Rebecca moved to the bookshelf which allowed her to turn her back from the door so no one could see the tears or her puffy eyes. “Come in.” Her voice was weak and raspy.
Gabriel came up behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Rebecca wiped the tears away and chuckled. No I’m not okay. She thought sarcastically in her mind, then turned with a smile on her face and said, “Sure.”
He placed both hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Becks, this is me you’re talking to. I can hear your thoughts. Remember?”
The look of concern in his eyes made her resolve crumble, which only added to her guilt. She should be asking how Willow was, not bursting into tears on his shoulder. But the latter option felt better. Sometimes tears were therapeutic and in this moment it was the best therapy she had at her fingertips. She allowed the tears to fall again. It was like his concern and eyes turned on a faucet and the tears just flowed.
He pulled her close and wrapped her into a tender embrace. She felt so safe against his strong body. So secure
. Deep down she knew he was the man for her, but she wasn’t ready to admit that realization to anyone yet. Not even to him. Not truly even to herself.
Instead, she let the tears fall and he held her silently. He didn’t even intrude into her thoughts. He simply let her grieve. When she was finally out of tears she sat down on the couch. Gabe followed her. She was thankful. Having him close to her was the most comforting thing she had ever felt. He was like a comfortable pair of shoes that simply slipped around her and kept her safe and content.
He passed her a handkerchief, which seemed something odd for his biker persona to be carrying around. “I had a feeling you were going to need it,” he answered her unspoken thoughts.
Rebecca offered a weak smile and took the cloth. She wiped her face and noted how odd it was to cry. The action made her feel better at the moment, but afterward it hurt. Her eyes stung, she was dehydrated which made her head throb, and her pride was damaged. She was too strong to cry, or so she thought, but lately since her sister was made into a vampire, tears were falling in abundance. It was frustrating.
“Is Willow okay?” she asked in a meek voice, feeling a twinge of guilt for not asking sooner.
Gabriel nodded. “Sure, she’s tough. She’s seen a lot for the few years she’s lived.”
Yeah, like the massacre of her entire pack. Rebecca sighed heavily as she kept that thought to herself. “I wish there was something we could do to better protect them until we find out if the wolf gene is dominant or recessive.”
Gabriel lifted her chin with his index finger so they were staring into each other’s eyes. “You know I love you, right?”
The word love stopped her heart for a moment. “I’m sure you think you love me what with the whole mating thing, but you can’t know you love me yet.”
“I know how I feel,” he growled deeply, his chest vibrating enough that she could feel it from where she sat. “I need you to know how I feel because what I’m about to say is going to be upsetting.”
Vampire Princess Rising (Winters Saga Series Book 2) Page 2