The Transformed Box Set: Books 1, 2, 3, 3.5

by Stacy Claflin

"We'll have to go through the wall."

  "We can't take people with us through objects."

  "I think it'll work since they're not alive. We're able to take inanimate objects when we pass through a wall."

  The voices were getting louder. It sounded as though they would be entering any moment. "That sounds as good as we're going to get unless we want a fight."

  "Ladies first."

  "No. We go at the same time."

  "Even better."

  The conversation was getting closer. I looked at the stone wall. Cliff needed to be right with his theory. Otherwise, we were going to have to kill humans. That was something I hated to do, and I just wanted to get my parents to Natalie as soon as possible. I stared at the wall for a moment. I clutched my mom tighter and then went through the wall, hoping she would come with me.

  I breathed a sigh of relief as I slid through to the other side. She had come through with me as though I had been carrying a backpack, as I had so many times when I was younger. Cliff came through with my dad only a moment later.

  He looked at me. "That was close. We need to get out of here."

  "This way." I burst into a run toward Delphic Cove. At our speed, we made it there almost immediately.

  I stopped when the city walls were within sight.

  "Have they always had guards posted?" Cliff asked.

  I stared at the armed guards. Two large men stood at the gate with a gun in each hand and more weapons strapped around them. "They used to, but it looks like they've returned. Maybe things have gotten worse all around since the fieldings began."

  "Are you up for going through another wall?"

  "Looks like I'm going to have to be. Natalie lives—"

  "In the neighborhood with all the mansions. I remember. Let's hurry."

  We changed our course while we were still too far away to be seen by human eyes. A commotion could be heard behind us.

  Cliff picked up his speed. "It sounds like they've figured out their latest fielding victims aren't there."

  "We should be close to Natalie's neighborhood." I picked up my speed too, trying to figure out where we were based on what little I could see over the top of the wall.

  "There's another entrance up ahead. It's guarded too."

  "That doesn't surprise me. They've always had someone standing at that one since it's so close to the rich area. We can't get around unseen. Should we go through the wall again?"

  "Yes. Unless you have a better idea."

  I looked around, and then imagined where we would end up after going through the wall. "It's probably our best option now. I'm not sure what kind of communication technology they have, but if they have a way to communicate, the officials within town could already be on alert, looking for my parents."

  He nodded. "This looks like a good spot."

  "It's going to have to be." I prepared myself for anything on the other side. I was emotionally exhausted, but had to be ready for a deadly fight if it came down to it. The government leaders were responsible for the deaths of my parents. I wouldn't hesitate to remove them all from the earth.

  When we got to the other side, we were standing in a park, which was empty due to it being so close to dusk on a weekday. Though the war had decimated so much of the world, Delphic Cove had remained largely untouched, and they still had a regular school and work schedule. We had spent some time with Natalie and her kids until one of them noticed that I wasn't aging. That's when she wouldn't allow us into her life again.

  After Francine had kidnapped her, taking her into battle, she hated vampires with a passion. She tried to pretend that Cliff and I weren't vampires, but when her kids started asking questions, she was done. I had seen the pain in her eyes—we were sisters, despite being born of different parents—but she let me go and didn't want me to contact her or her kids again.

  As much as it had pained me, I followed her wishes. Hopefully, she would understand. I couldn't just leave our parents out in the elements another moment. They deserved to have a proper burial.

  Voices could be heard from our right. Cliff looked at me, and I nodded. We headed left, which was the direction of Natalie's neighborhood. We managed to get to her house without anyone spotting us. We had to duck down some alleys and hide behind buildings. I was surprised how many people were out. Apparently, the town had lifted the curfew that had been punishable by death for so long.

  "Is that their house?" Cliff asked, as it came into view.

  "Yes. Now to find out if they're still living there."

  "Isn't that her car in the driveway?"

  I narrowed my eyes. "Yes. That's a good sign." We walked up to the door. My stomach twisted in knots. The last time I had seen her, she told me never to return.

  Cliff knocked, and then we waited. We couldn't hear anything.

  "Maybe they're not home."

  "Or they might not want to answer the door because her parents were sent away to die," I snapped. "Sorry. I know it's not your fault."

  He knocked again, and that time, we heard footsteps. The door opened, and Natalie and Braydon appeared in the doorway, both with lines on their face and gray streaking their hair. They stared at us, both looking confused.

  "Are you Alexis and Cliff's kids?" Braydon asked. "You look just like they did."

  "We are," I lied. "We heard about what happened to uh…Mom's parents, and we wanted to bring them to you. Now you can have a proper burial for them."

  Both of their eyes widened. Natalie's face softened.

  "How did you get them in here? In the walls, I mean?" Braydon asked.

  Natalie looked at him. "Honey, can you grab them something to drink? I'm sure they're thirsty after whatever they've just gone through."

  "Sure." He kissed the top of her head, and then disappeared into the house.

  Natalie came onto the porch, closing the door behind her. "What's going on?" Tears filled her eyes.

  I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "I know you don't want to see us, but I got word about Mom and Dad's fielding. I couldn't get there in time to save them." Tears filled my own eyes. "But they deserve to be able to be laid to rest here in town, surrounded by friends and family."

  She looked at our parents, tears spilling down her face. "I never thought I would get to say goodbye."

  "Now you can. Should we leave them here or take them to the funeral home?"

  "No! I mean, don't take them anywhere. The authorities will get rid of them. We'll have to bury them secretly."

  "Do you want us to? We can get it done in no time. I'd be happy to help."

  Natalie shook her head. "We'll do it, but thank you. I want my kids to be able to attend."

  "Should we just leave them here?"

  "Yes." Natalie wiped her tears away. "They'll be hidden. I'll call my kids, and we'll take care of this tonight."

  "Are you sure you don't want any help?"

  "No. I don't want to lie and tell everyone you're your own children." She looked me in the eyes. "Thank you, Alexis, for bringing them here. You didn't have to."

  "Of course I did."

  She gave me a hug, surprising me. "Thank you again. I hear Braydon coming. Please go."

  I nodded. Cliff took my hand, and we ran away as tears flew off my face. "She was really happy you came by."

  "No. She was glad that I brought our parents to her."

  "She was relieved to see you alive and well. I can tell." He squeezed my hand.

  We ran the rest of the way to the castle in silence. When we arrived, Mattie already had our kids asleep. She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so sorry about your parents, Alexis."

  I nodded, blinking back more tears. "Now I don't have any parents remaining. Except that you're like a parent. Thank you for everything."

  "Of course, my child. Why don't you two get cleaned up? You smell like…well, death. I'll bring some food in, and you two can eat in here."

  "Thank you."

  Mattie nodded and then left.

 
I looked at Cliff. "Why don't you go first? I need some time to collect myself."

  "Sure." He wrapped me in a hug. "Even though things aren't as you wish, just remember that you helped your parents and your sister today."

  Hot tears spilled onto my cheeks. I nodded, not wanting to speak. He gave me a quick kiss before going into the bathroom. I paced around the room, thinking about my parents' fielding. How dare those wretched humans kill them like that? What gave them the right? Had the human race begun to de-evolve?

  I wiped more tears away. I needed to avenge my parents. Not only that, I needed to make sure that no one else ever died in a fielding. It wasn't just my parents that didn't deserve it. No one did.

  Stopping, I listened. Cliff had just turned off the shower. If I was going to get revenge, I needed to leave right then. There was no way Cliff would let me leave to kill a bunch of human leaders, and that's what I needed to do if I was going to eradicate the barbaric practice. If he even thought I was considering it, he would have me put on babysitting duty—not allowing me to be by myself for even a moment.

  I scribbled a quick note on his desk, letting him know that I had an errand to take care of. That way, he wouldn't worry or send anyone after me. I opened the door and looked up and down the hallway. No one was within sight or hearing. I closed the door quietly, and then ran down the hall to a spot I knew wasn't reinforced with solid steel, meaning that I could slip through the wall in that one spot.

  Listening outside, I didn't hear anything. The coast was clear on both sides, so I slid through and ran back into the woods. I made it back to Delphic Cove in record time. I needed to find Gessilyn. She was my go-to person when I needed help with all things supernatural. She would probably be willing to help me figure out whom to go after, even though I wasn't looking for anything beyond humans.

  She had a condo in town. Hopefully, she would still be there. Otherwise, I would have to figure it all out on my own.

  When I got to the condo, her last name was still on the list, so I buzzed her number.

  "Hello?"

  "Gessilyn, this is—"

  "Alexis. Come up."

  The gate in front of me buzzed, and I went in, and then up the familiar path to her place. The door was already open and waiting for me. She gave me a hug. "I'm so sorry about your parents."

  I nodded, giving her a weak hug in return. "Thank you for sending word. I wasn't able to save them, but I was able to get them to my sister. They're going to have a funeral."

  "Good. Would you like to come in?"

  "Sure." I stepped in and looked around. Most everything was still the same.

  "Can I get you anything?"

  "No. I just need information."

  "Anything. What are you looking for?"

  "Let's sit."

  She led the way to the living room, even though I knew where it was. We sat on the couch. "What can I help you with, your majesty?"

  "No formalities, please. Not with our history. You helped me out when I was a lost, transforming teenager."

  Gessilyn smiled. "It's not every day I have a queen in my home, you know."

  I noticed she wasn't wearing her typical workout clothes. "Are you still a fitness instructor?"

  "I'm taking a bit of a break, but I'll get back to it. It's not really a booming season for that business. So, what can I help you with, my dear?"

  "You know what happened with my parents. I need to know who was responsible for it."

  She nodded, looking thoughtful. "What's your plan?"

  "Do you really need to ask?"

  "No, I suppose I don't. I can get you their names and addresses."

  "You have them on hand?"

  "Trust me. You're not the first one to come to me about any of them. I've cast several spells in their direction over the last several years."

  My eyes flashed red. "I'm not looking for a spell."

  "No. I don't suppose you are." She rose and went into another room.

  I looked around, anger burning deep within me. I wasn't going to only go after the ones directly responsible for my parents' fielding, but everyone responsible for the practice.

  Gessilyn returned. She handed me a list of about ten names.

  "That's it?"

  "The first two are the ones who called for your parents to go to the field. The others are prominent leaders who support the practice."

  "That can't be it, can it? Fieldings happen all over the country."

  She raised an eyebrow. "You want to travel the country killing everyone responsible?"

  I nodded. "That I do."

  "How about you focus on these guys first? We'll see what happens after they're gone. It could be enough to scare the others into dropping the practice."

  "If it's not, I'm going to find more names one way or another."

  "I understand. But trust me when I say the men on this list are most influential. If they're taken out, others will take note. I promise. They don't want to get killed. The fieldings aren't worth their own lives being risked."

  Folding up the paper, I nodded. "I believe you, Gessilyn. You live here, dealing with all of this on a daily basis. I appreciate you giving me this list."

  She gave a wry smile. "I'm glad to. Believe me."

  "Thanks again. I'm sorry I don't have time to sit and catch up. I'd love some of your signature tea."

  "Next time, my dear. You should get going while it's still dark."

  We said our goodbyes, and soon I was heading for the first address. One of the men directly responsible for my parents' deaths. I found myself back in Natalie's neighborhood. How could they be so cruel as to send the parents of a neighbor to a fielding? I clenched my fists and headed for the house.

  Soon, it was within sight. I didn't care who saw me at that point. All I wanted was blood, and I didn't care about the taste. I walked around to the side of the mansion. I slid through a wall and listened for heartbeats. Several were upstairs, so I followed the sounds.

  My mouth watered as the scent of blood reached my nose. My body already knew why I was there. I reached a hallway with closed doors. I could hear two hearts behind one door.

  I opened the door and walked toward the bed. I saw the man and walked over to his side of the bed. I put my face next to his ear. I whispered his name. He rolled over, asking what.

  That was all I needed to know I had the right guy. How could he sleep after ordering murders of innocent people? My mouth watered more as my fangs extended. I bit into his neck with such force that his neck snapped. That didn't stop the blood, and I eagerly drank him dry.

  I wiped my mouth and looked at the next name on the list. He was at the other end of the neighborhood. When I got to his bed, I snapped his neck without bothering to drink his blood. The sky was starting to get lighter, and I still had eight more names.

  The next three were in a town about thirty miles away. If I ran, I could get there and take them all out before the sky was lit up with the morning sun. When I got to the town, I found the first house easily enough. I sneaked and snapped his neck as I had with the previous one. The sky was getting brighter, though still technically dark.

  In the next house, I ran into a teenage girl as I was heading for her parents' room. What was a teenager doing up at such an early hour? She stared at me wide-eyed. I looked into her eyes, causing her pupils to shrink. "You never saw me, and you're going to go back into your room for the next twenty minutes."

  She nodded and then obeyed, going into a room, closing the door behind her. I ran to the master bedroom, found the adults sleeping, and once again snapped the neck of the man. It was for all the innocent people he had sent to the fields.

  When I got to the next house, I listened for breathing as well as heartbeats. All of the breathing was deep, indicating that everyone inside was asleep. I found my way to the master bedroom easily, because the layout of the house was similar to the last one. My mouth watered, begging me to drink his blood.

  I looked at the window, seeing light
shining through the shades. I would have to hurry. I bit down, drinking the sweet, warm blood. When he was dry, I looked up to see woman next to him staring at me. She was as pale as a vampire. I leaned over her dead husband, staring into her eyes, waiting for the pupils to shrink. "You never saw me. Go back to sleep."

  She stared at me for another minute before she complied. I heard bickering in the hallway, and it sounded as though it was headed for the room. Someone was calling for their mom.

  I had no choice. I was going to have to go through the wall and jump to the ground. The voices were even closer, and then I heard the door knob twist.

  Without even taking the time to think, I ran for the nearest wall, jumped through it, and prepared to land on the solid ground. What I wasn't expecting was to see a pool beneath me. Forgetting to hold my nose, I soon found myself submerged in water with chlorine burning my eyes, throat, and nose.

  I swam to the edge and pulled myself out, dripping wet for the second time in less than half a day. My clothes were so heavy. I was tempted to take them off. They were going to slow me down without a doubt. But I couldn't leave them behind as evidence, and it also wouldn't be proper for the queen to run around in her underwear.

  Needing to get out of their yard, I ran out front. I wrung out my clothes as best as I could. Should I bother with the fifth name on the list? I really didn't want to have to come back. Once they discovered two dead officials, the town would be on the lookout for intruders.

  No. If I was going to take him out, I had to do it then, wet or not. I pulled out the soaking wet paper. The ink hadn't run, so I could still read all the addresses. Jerk number five was only a few blocks away. I could still take him out and get back to the castle before it was fully light.

  I put the paper back into my pocket and burst into a run. As I approached the next house, a man was walking to his car. Was I going to have to kill him out where his neighbors could see? I couldn't risk that. I walked up to him, acting natural, despite the fact that that I was dripping chlorinated water on the ground around me.

  "Matthew?"

  The man looked up and a look of surprise washed over his face. "No. He's inside. He has a late meeting today. Can I help you?"

  "No. I'll just talk to Matt later."