by L. A. A. Law
Worried looks flash between them before their eyes move to the computer. I join them. “There are only five estates in that area large enough to meet that criterion.”
“Get the information to the others, we need to split up and cover the territory quickly.” Even Reginald’s voice is now strained.
Moving me back into the circle, Reginald seems to be taking charge of the situation. “Mia, I need you and Damian to get another message to the children.” From the change in his features, something has struck him.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so worried?”
“They are hunters who have had their food source compromised. They are going to be very agitated and are probably still be hungry. From the sounds of Gabriel’s description, they live for the hunt and the fear that they instill in their prey. Their preoccupation and Nicholas and Kayla’s proximity to Nicole and Jacob may have masked that they are human, but if they begin to focus on the children ...”
My hand thrusts forward, inadvertently punching his mouth in my rush to stop his words. The images bombarding my mind overwhelm my senses, my body shakes violently considering what they could now face. Shaking me, he locks me into place. “Mia, you need to concentrate on connecting with the children as I am instructing Damian, we can’t let them detect that Nicholas and Kayla are not part vampires.”
Andrew’s hands replace his on my shoulder; his voice is at my ear. “Mia, focus on the children and how much you love them and want to connect with them! Don’t let your fear interfere with what you need to do!” He can’t hide the utter fear in his voice, compelling me to move past my own. Grasping their picture, I place it in the middle and stare at their faces as I grab Emma and Damian’s hand. Reginald is instructing Damian, but I tune them out. I must reach the children quickly. As their angelic faces float through my mind, I soon hear the pounding of an overactive heart and feel the heat consuming my body as fear overtakes my mind.
The words I hear alert me that we are too late to send instructions. I drop Damian’s hand hoping to alert the others that we are too late and concentrate on what is happening in the dungeon.
The man’s voice is rough and fast. “Let me take them now. You had your fill. I only got one before having to run off after the werewolf.”
“Brother, you are as good as dead. You made the fatal mistake of allowing the werewolf close to you and now you will pay with your life.” He replies coldly. “It will not take long. Go upstairs and have a drink off of Sarah.”
“She will not taste as good as these young, untouched morsels. Obviously they are not his and cannot be used in your plan to torture him. Would you deny me this one last treat before my impending demise?”
“Brother, Sarah is a tasty treat for the dying and you may drain her, but these young things must be used in the hunt. Although two of them are not his, I detect something special about them, I can see that their aura is strong, besides we still have the problem of the werewolf, I can allow Lucas to hear their screams as we use them for bate to capture and kill the creature. Now go, I have plans.”
“But what if the werewolf gets them first, then no one will have a tasty treat.”
“If the wolf gets them first, it will be poetic justice. The plague that came back to kill our sister infects our land once more and maybe I will let it kill the loved ones of that which protected it and nurtured it so that it could come back to harm us. Either way brother, I win. Maybe I will even throw the werewolf in the dungeon with his real children and let him hear as his children are being ripped apart by the descendant of the one he saved. We must capture the creature first and see his method of killing, if it is too quick, it will not serve my purpose, but this is not your concern, go and have your last meal.”
Jacob screams. “Take me! They can do nothing for you.” Then he quickly mouths the repellant spell.
“Enough! You think that your little spells will work on me? I have had stronger forces than you come after me and no one has been able to touch me for thousands of years. You are my prisoner young one; you will not escape and will not be used until I want you.” His menacing voice is right at Jacob’s ear. “Kristen take them and release them a half of mile from the estate, take Alex with you and stay close to them, as they run, I am sure the werewolf will catch their scent, capture him and after they have served their purpose, you may feast.”
Kayla and Nicholas scream and thrash about as Nicole and Jacob call for the vampires to take them instead.
I want to stay with the children, but have to let the others know what is happening. Opening my eyes, all the St. Clouds have returned. Gabriel is dragging Lucas to the map. “Lucas there is an estate where you must have visited or been...” Gabriel must have seen what I did.
I interrupt before he can finish. “Lucas where is the estate of the family that transformed you!”
His features turn stunned. “I don’t understand.”
“The ones who changed you have the children. They are hunting Nicholas and Kayla and using them as bait for a werewolf which they said you protected!” Hysteria laces my cracking voice as Lucas points to an area on the map. Andrew lifts me from the floor and I can feel his tension, he is going to snap and so am I. Gabriel moves to him, whispers something I cannot hear and Andrew begins rubbing my back, probably in hopes of calming my hysteria so that I can focus to tell them what is happening.
“I never protected a werewolf, though, are you sure it is them?”
I nod and see Gabriel and Andrew’s eyes shift to the map. We are running to the cars as Reginald has me reiterate what I heard, including the names that were mentioned. From the dead look engulfing Lucas’ frozen features, I am correct.
As I slide into the passenger seat, Andrew thrusts the keys into Lucas’ hands while speaking quickly in an authoritative and determined voice. “Get her out there.” Turning to me, “Mia, I can travel faster with Gabriel on foot and will start with some of the others searching for the children. Try to connect with Nicole and Jacob.” His features shift as if something hit him. “Damian get in the car with her! Instruct them on how to turn themselves into animals, preferably some type of bird, have them follow Nicholas and Kayla and circle the area to make it easier for us to find them. Tell them to fly high once they find them.” Returning his focus to me, “I love you. Concentrate and we will find them before it is too late! Get them the message.” He flashes across the lot before the car even departs from its spot.
Damian, Emma, Reginald, Victor and I are in the car with Lucas racing through the streets. We are being followed by some of the other witches Reginald contacted to help us. He is barking instructions for when we reach the estate, as the car travels faster than possible.
Throwing myself in the back seat to make it easier to channel with Damian, I make a connection to Kayla immediately. She is being dragged over the deadened hard ground, quickly passing large trees and shrubs, while Nicholas is being dragged by a burly vampire right behind her. Fear and despair envelop her as tears veil her vision. My heart aches knowing I can’t stay with her, but I have to reach Jacob and Nicole. If they can somehow hone in on their cousins, it would make it easier for the others to find them quicker and every second counts. If they take flight, they will also be out of the dungeon and may stand a better chance of surviving this ordeal!
Sobs echo in my ears as I connect to Nicole. Jacob is trying to calm her down as he struggles pulling at his chains. I struggle to keep my connection while trying to simultaneously communicate back what I see and hear. With every second counting, I do not want to break my connection, but they need to know what is going on and I am hoping that if we can do it like this, Damian can be alerted and give them any additional information they need. Hopefully, he is not limited to sending information through his apparition that is decided only before he channeled. Everything is happening too quickly and I realize that for as much as we have learned since the children were born, there is still so much we don’t understand.
Damian’s c
ommanding voice halts Jacob’s struggles. “Jacob, stop and listen to me. I need you and Nicole to concentrate. I need you to close your eyes and picture a small little field mouse like the ones that you saw running through the fields at Sanctuary. Picture their small frame, their soft brown hair, little ears, their eyes, and their long tail. Picture yourself as the small mouse. You need to picture each detail of the mouse over and over again and have a strong desire to be that mouse, to run like that mouse, to squeak like the mouse to have each cell in your being become that mouse. Concentrate very hard on becoming the mouse. Concentrate harder, if you become the mouse you can escape, but you have to want to be that mouse, that little tiny, furry creature that can run fast and scurry through the smallest of cracks. You want to be that mouse; you want to run like a little field mouse out of the dungeon.”
After what seems like an eternity with Damian describing and coaxing the children, I hear a shackle hit the ground with a thud and Kayla screams. “Watch out!” A high pitched squeak responds and I feel Kayla’s elation. Jacob turned. Damian’s voice beckons to Kayla and I feel the change just before her shackle thuds.
Damian continues directing them. “Smell Nicholas and Kayla’s shackles and then use your sense of smell to find them, follow them. When you get close or hear them, concentrate on a hawk or eagle and take flight over your cousins. Circle around them, but do not attack their captures. We know the estate that you are on and are almost there. Remember, circle around them but do not attack, you will not be strong enough, especially in this state. No matter what, just keep circling them. Your father will be there shortly and so will we.”
My connection to them is severed as Damian shakes me violently. “Mia, I’m sorry, but you can’t stay with them. They are too new to this that is why I had them concentrate on becoming field mice first. It is an easier state to transform to and maintain because they have less functions and less brain activity than when they are and animal in flight.
“How do you know this and why would my staying with them be dangerous?”
“When we first learned what we could change to, we all found that it was easier to become the least complicated animal. As they run and become more comfortable within the field mouse, it will make them more accepting and then they can work on becoming the bird. However, as far as you staying with them, you need to understand that in this state, they are more aware or their surroundings and what is with them because they are using strictly animal instincts, your channeling with them may interfere with their concentration and they may involuntarily transform back into their human form somewhere they shouldn’t if they become distracted by feeling your presence. It’s just too dangerous.”
Although I didn’t think they could feel me, he’s right, we can’t take the risk. Calling Andrew, I hear the wind whipping in the background. “Nicole and Jacob are field mice and are chasing Nicolas and Kayla, they will circle over them if they can become birds, but you have to get to them quickly, I could see Nicholas being dragged and I could smell their surroundings, it reeks of death and decay!”
“We are hitting the perimeter now. We will get to them Mia and bring them home!” The telephone goes dead and I stare out at the quick moving road before us.
As Lucas races through the countryside, pushing the needle beyond its limits and forcing the engine beyond its capabilities, Reginald chants probably ensuring that the vehicle moves beyond capacity. Lucas interrupts my reverie. “Mia, I don’t know what to say. I never thought that when we came here there could be any danger to you or the children. I haven’t been back here since that day. I never imagined that they could have held this type of grudge because I left Andrea. I don’t even know how they knew that I was back here. They hardly ever left the estate. Besides, it doesn’t make sense, why hurt your children to get back at me?”
“Lucas, I don’t know how they found you, but they think that the children are yours and they are not seeking revenge because you left Andrea. I heard one of them say that you unleashed a werewolf plague upon them by saving someone and that the werewolf killed her.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. I was only involved with one hunt, the one where I hid Elizabeth and ran. I didn’t save any werewolf. I only saved her. She was only a frightened little girl.” He inhales and errantly, I wonder if he remembers her scent to this day. “I didn’t unleash anything upon them. All I wanted to do was escape with Elizabeth and make sure that we were never found.”
“Well the one who spoke blames you for a werewolf attack which killed Andrea and for whatever reason, this David thinks that our children are your children and is seeking revenge...”
Before I finish, Catherine’s ring tone fills the car. She went with Andrew, how did we get her phone? Lucas brings the telephone next to his ear.
“David, yes it has been a very long time.”
Reginald’s face freezes as he draws nearer to the telephone, probably wanting to catch every word uttered on the other end of the line.
“David please leave the children out of this, I’m sorry that Andrea got attacked by a werewolf, but I assure you that when I left that day I did not rescue a werewolf. I just couldn’t live the lifestyle that you had chosen.” Despite straining to speak diplomatically, his desperation rings through his tone. He is silent.
“I am not passing judgment on your hunting habits, it just wasn’t for me, but I assure you that when I left, I never meant you any harm, nor did I rescue anything that would come back and hunt her down.”
He inhales deeply, probably fighting to calm himself. “David, yes I will admit that I took a child with me, but I assure you that she was no werewolf. She was just a frightened little girl who didn’t want to die and I couldn’t feed upon her. Please David, let the children go, they are not...”
Before he could finish, Reginald clamps his hand hard over Lucas’ mouth, frantically moving around searching for something. Emma rips a piece of paper out of her purse and hand it to him with a pen. Quickly scrawling something on it, I read it as he holds it before Lucas - Don’t tell him they are not yours. He will have no reason to keep them alive and will kill them immediately. As the words register, my body goes numb and my breathing turns to hyperventilating. Emma clamps her hand over my mouth, probably so David cannot hear my reaction.
“David, please don’t hurt the children, they have done nothing to you, if you want to take this out on someone, I will come to you, just tell me where you are and you can have your revenge upon me. Please David, I swear to you Elizabeth was not a werewolf and I did nothing to hurt your family, so I am begging you, please let the children go.”
Reginald and Lucas’ features harden in anger. Then Lucas’ tone turns cold. I had never heard his voice sound so devoid of life before. “Yes I can hear them scream. I’m sorry that your sister sounded like that when the wolf was ripping at her. I’m sorry that you had to hear and witness that, but David, it was not the little girl that I rescued that did that to her, she...was...human. I left her with her new human family and then I left so that she could try to piece together a normal existence. I did nothing to hurt your family. I mean you no harm, the children mean you no harm and I am willing to turn myself over to you if you will just please let the children go!”
I can’t stand not knowing what is happening to the children any longer. Knowing what Damian said about channeling with Jacob and Nicole, I instead focus on Nicholas and Kayla. Maybe if I can see their surroundings I can help Andrew find them even if Nicole and Jacob could not transform themselves into birds. Concentrating only on Nicholas and Kayla, I force myself to tune out the conversation between David and Lucas because the fear and anger that the conversation is evoking within every cell of my being is interfering with my connecting to the children. I am more aware at how quickly my body is moving and at first I am unsure of whether it is the car or the children, but then I see Kayla being thrown to the ground. Nicholas’ heart rate spikes as his panic at the situation unfolding around them overtakes him. The col
d hard ground meets my falling body as pain radiates throughout my being. Choking on the dust caught in my throat, I hear a woman screaming. “I’m sure you can see that we are faster and much stronger than you. If you move from this spot, we will crack your spine and feast upon your dying corpse while the other one remains bate for the werewolf. Fear cripples his senses and as he shuts down, he casts me out. As my eyes flutter open, I see Reginald is driving. Lucas is gone.
“Where’s Lucas?”
For the first time since I’ve known him, Reginald’s voice is livid and strained as he forces the words past his taught lips. “He jumped out of the car. He is probably crossing the outer grounds now and we will be there momentarily. What did you see or hear?”
Unfettered sobs rip through my chest as my dejected and dead voice recounts the woman’s words. “They threatened to snap the children’s necks if they move and feed off of their bodies. We need to find them, they are terrified and in the hands of monsters, worse than any demon or creature that we have ever encountered. Reginald please you need to hurry, we have to get to them; they are running out of time, I can feel it!” My tone turns into a hysterical, pleading, squeal.
“Mia, I need you to calm down. Did you see anything that could help us? We are entering the forest surrounding the grounds now.”
“They were surrounded by trees and in the middle of cold ground, but there was nothing special about the area.”
“Mia, you need to reconnect with them and look around for anything that may give us a clue as to where they are. Give Emma your telephone so that she can call Andrew and see if he found anything. From the looks of the surrounding grounds, we are not going to be able to drive much further, we may have to ditch the cars and begin traveling on foot. We don’t want them knowing we are here and hasten their plans. Try to connect with them one more time, see if there is anything at all that can give us a clue. See if Nicole and Jacob have been able to find them while Emma calls Andrew to see if Jacob and Nicole took flight.”