by Lana Melyan
“Amanda, what is it?”
“Give me a minute, please.”
Her heart trembled. She was absolutely sure the house in the picture was the one from her dreams. The right thing to do was to call Craig, but what happened yesterday was horrible, and she wouldn’t put them in such danger again. She needed to do what all of them wanted her to do and put everybody out of their misery.
“Alec, I need to go to that place. Can you take me there?”
“Sure. When?”
Tomorrow she would have to go to school, and after school Hanna, or one of them, would follow her everywhere. But nobody would expect her to go somewhere alone at this hour. Melinda said that there was a protection around this house, so there were no vampires nearby.
“Now.”
“Now? Amanda, it’s in the woods. It’s getting dark. Are you sure?”
“How far into the woods?”
“Five hundred yards or so.”
“We can still make it. Alec, please. It’s very important.” She looked at him with pleading eyes.
“Are you going to tell me why?”
“I can’t. Maybe after, one day.”
“All right. Let’s go,” said Alec, and he stood up.
“Wait. Melinda won’t let me leave. Let’s go downstairs,” she said, putting on a sweater. “I’ll see what I can do.”
But when Amanda and Alec walked into the kitchen, Melinda wasn’t there. Amanda heard noises coming from the laundry room.
Her heart sank. For a second, she felt unsure about her plan. What if something happened to her? They had all tried so hard to protect her, to keep her safe. But then, the images of Hanna twisted in pain and Craig’s and Ruben’s torn, bloody shirts flashed in front of her eyes again. What if something happened to them? What if they got killed? The vampires didn’t need them. She wouldn’t let it happen.
“Let’s go,” she whispered to Alec, carefully opening the front door.
Melinda heard a slam of a car door and then the start of an engine. Alec must be leaving, she thought. She turned on the washing machine and went up the stairs.
Craig went to the kitchen, where Riley and Hanna, were having coffee.
“What did Melinda say?” Hanna asked. “Is Amanda all right?”
“She’s fine,” Craig said grimly. “She’s waiting for Alec. I hope they don’t plan new adventures for us.”
“God! I hate that guy!” said Hanna. She put her cup down with a thud. Hot coffee jumped out and plopped on the table.
Craig’s phone rang. It was Samson.
“Craig, I found out a couple of things. That house you’re looking for is about twenty miles east. Did you look in that area?”
“Really? That’s exactly where I was going to check.”
“You’d better do it right now because the Book is already there.”
“I knew it!” said Craig. “I knew she saw something today.”
“Saw what?” asked Riley impatiently.
“Wait a minute, Melinda’s calling.” Craig put Samson on hold. “Melinda, what is it?”
His blood ran cold.
“Dammit, Melinda, how on earth . . . we’re coming.” He switched to Samson. “She’s gone. She just ran away.” He hung up and looked at Hanna and Riley. “Let’s go, Melinda wants us to look at something.”
The three of them stared at the screen of Amanda’s laptop, which still showed the picture of the old house in the middle of the woods.
“Craig, this is . . .” Hanna gasped.
“Eleanor’s house,” muttered Craig. “This is her husband Richard’s house, where Samson turned her.” His voice was low, like he was talking to himself.
“Why would he do that?” Riley asked.
“To hurt me? I don’t know.”
“How does she know where to go?” Hanna asked.
“She doesn’t,” said Craig, and he clicked on the screen. “This is Alec’s website. If he took this picture, then he knows where it is. We don’t have time, we all— He looked around. “Where’s Ruben?”
“On the beach. With Kimberly.” Hanna bit her lip.
“Wonderful. Call him,” said Craig sharply. “Riley, let Samson know.”
“I’ll come with you,” Melinda said.
“No,” said Riley, “you should stay here in case she comes back.”
“She’s not coming back,” said Craig, and he stormed out.
They sat snugly on top of a hill watching the waves beat against the shore.
“You think it will rain?” asked Kimberly.
“No.” Ruben glanced at the gray clouds. “They’re drifting away.” He kissed her ginger hair. “Maybe we should go. You didn’t sleep enough.”
“No,” said Kimberly, cuddling tighter, “I have the whole night for that.” She closed her eyes. “Ruben, I don’t want you to leave.”
His heart sank. He kissed her again.
“Have you heard about Eternity Road?” he asked.
“You mean the legend about the invisible wall? Everybody in Green Hill knows that story. They say the road is not too far from here.”
“What else do they say?” Ruben asked, fixing his eyes on the horizon.
“Eternity Road leads to the invisible wall. Anyone who manages to cross it becomes immortal. A hunter who fights supernatural evil. But nobody’s ever found the wall, or even the road. It’s just some old story.”
“Imagine that the wall exists,” Ruben whispered into her ear. “Imagine that you’re standing right in front of it. Would you try to cross it?”
Kimberly looked at him.
“Would you?” she asked.
Ruben’s cellphone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out.
“Hanna, what’s wrong?” He slowly rose, drawing Kimberly along. “Eleanor’s? I’m on my way.”
“What is it?” asked Kimberly.
“It’s Amanda. She ran away. I have to take you home.” Ruben looked at her, thinking out loud. “No, I don’t have time. It’s closer from here. Kimberly—”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m coming with you.”
“Kimberly, you can’t. It’s too . . .”
“Don’t tell me it’s dangerous. I can’t just sit alone and go crazy worrying. I’m coming with you,” she said and headed to the car.
27
YEAR 1852 July
Two days had passed since Gabriella’s death and, dressed in her new blue gown, they buried her under a big oak beside her garden.
During those two days everybody plotted the best way to punish Fray for what he’d done, for taking away from them someone so dear, someone who had been the heart and the soul of their family.
They also needed a plan to get the Book back. They all sat in the library waiting for Samson to tell them his final decision.
Meanwhile, Samson stood in his study in front of the window and absently stared into the yard.
Gabriella was gone. Fray had killed her. Gabriella was gone, and there was nothing Samson could do to bring her back. He had buried her, and it wasn’t just a horrible dream. Everything around him lost its color, its meaning.
He couldn’t imagine his morning without her, that when he woke up, she wouldn’t be beside him, that they would never again watch the sun rise above the ocean together. The thought that he would never hear her voice and her laughter again choked him, and he gulped for air.
The castle would never be the same without his Gabriella. Nothing would be the same. For the first time in his entire life, he felt so empty and so tired that he wanted to fall asleep and never wake up.
But he wouldn’t die, even if he could, because Fray was out there, and he, Samson, would find a way to rip his heart out as he had promised. It would take time—maybe years, maybe centuries. But he would not rest until he did it.
First he had to find the Book. Gabriella gave her life trying to protect it. She knew that Fray’s ambitions were against the mission, and she died trying to stop him. He had to do whatever it took to des
troy Fray’s plan. He had his decision ready, but only one person could know the real meaning of it.
He took the Map and went downstairs.
As Samson walked into the library, he laid the Map on the table and opened it. Everybody stepped closer.
“As you know,” started Samson, “we already used half of Fray’s blood trying to track him down. And I’m sure he’s counting on that because he knows how hurt and distraught we are.
“Realizing that he left his blood behind, he’s been moving from place to place. His stops took just long enough to make the line on the Map disappear, knowing we’d have to use the blood again and again until we used the whole supply. That’s why yesterday morning I decided to take a break. Besides, I’m sure those vampires we killed weren’t the only trap he prepared to distract us, and his moves were probably leading us to new once.
“We marked all the places where he stopped. The first time we checked, he was heading east, and then he turned north.” Samson said, moving his finger from mark to mark. “The next time we looked, he was going east again. A few hours later, he made his longest stop here. Then he moved again, taking unexpected turns to confuse us. I checked on him an hour ago. He was back at the same place—the place where he made his first long stop.” His finger made a circle on the spot. “And he’s still here. This place is about five hours from us.”
“You mean that’s where the church is?” asked Ruben. “The place the vampire was talking about?”
“Yes. Otherwise, why would he go to the same place twenty-four hours later? Something’s going on there. And we have to find out what it is.”
“What if he cleans up the place before we get there?” Edmond asked.
“We’ll follow him. We still have some blood. He’s using the Book, I can feel it. Our mission is to see how much damage he has already done, find the Book, and bring it back.”
“What kind of damage?” asked Craig.
“Using it how?” asked Riley.
Samson turned around and walked a few steps away. No one had asked him about the Book during the past two days. They were all in deep mourning, and all they thought about was finding Fray.
“Samson,” said Hanna. “What is he going to do with it?”
He looked at them. “He can turn people.”
“What?” Riley burst out.
“That bastard,” Craig shouted furiously.
“Samson.” Ruben stared at him. “After six hundred years, suddenly he can . . . ”
“He always could,” said Samson. “He just didn’t know it.”
“How did he find out?” Craig asked.
“When he was here last, he brought someone and asked me to turn the man for him. Right from the beginning I realized the man was a killer, but I stopped the transition only on the fourth day, to show Fray I didn’t have a choice. But he got mad anyway. Gabriella—” Samson took a deep breath. “She went to talk to him, to calm him down. He was shouting at her, telling her that he never cared about the family, that he hates us all. He said that, as a First, he has rights, too, that he wanted to build his own kingdom. He said he knew I was keeping secrets from him, that there are things in the Book about Firsts that I wasn’t telling him.
“He was right. I have secrets. Not just from him—from all of you. There are some things that I can’t tell you. What is written on the golden pages is meant only for me, for the Keeper of the Book. I told you as much as I could, and I should have kept it that way. But he was so desperate and so angry that it alarmed me. I was afraid one day he would just try to turn someone himself, or still the Book just to punish me. And I told Gabriella the truth.”
“She knew,” Hanna sighed.
“Is that the conversation he overheard? The conversation Henry was talking about?” Riley asked.
“Yes. I told her the Book doesn’t say only the Keeper can turn people. It says that only the First has enough power to do it and, if there are other First Ones, then it’s the Keeper’s choice to tell them about it or not. Gabriella . . .” The pain in Samson’s chest made him stop for a moment. Everything blurred in front of his eyes. He was having a meeting with his family, and Gabriella wasn’t there. Saying her name and speaking about her in past tense made her death so real that he wanted to scream. He swallowed, and when he blinked and his vision became clearer, he saw that everybody was looking down.
“She said she’d keep an eye on him. When I warned her about the dagger and asked her to be careful,” his voice became even lower, “she said that Fray would never do such a thing.”
Hanna’s eyes filled with tears.
“Now listen to me carefully.” Samson’s tone changed. It was sharp, and his eyes moved from one to another. “I know that you all are in a fury and you want revenge. Nobody wants to pay him back as much as I do. But you have to remember that he has both daggers, and I am not losing anybody else. Nobody moves, nobody gets near him without my order. Riley.” Samson turned to him. “Do you hear me?”
They stared at each other.
“Yes,” Riley said finally.
“We’re leaving. Hanna and Eleanor, go change, pack your weapons and the things you need, it might be a long trip. The rest of you, prepare the horses.”
Samson took the Map and went to his study. He walked in, put the Map down and listened, making sure that all the men had gone.
“Eleanor,” he said as soon as Craig stepped out the front door, “I need to talk to you.”
The ride took longer than expected. Finding the church wasn’t that easy. They had to stop in a couple of villages to ask the inhabitants for help. People cursed the place and warned them to stay away from it, but in the end, they all pointed in the same direction.
Like dark shadows, they flashed across the field silver from moonlight, and then up the small hill. As they reached its top, they stopped behind the young trees.
The other side of the hill was much steeper. It sheltered a small village. Most of its houses were burned down.
“I think we’re at the right place,” said Samson.
“Yes.” Riley sighed heavily.
At the edge of the woods surrounding the village, they saw the church. Before it was a small cemetery. A couple dozen men stood between the gravestones. On one side of the church was a large barn, on the other side stood horses and covered wagons.
Samson listened.
“Is he here?” Craig asked.
“Yes. He’s in the church,” said Samson.
“How many do you think there are?” Ruben asked.
“Many,” said Samson. “I want to see what’s in that barn. Let’s go.”
They rode along the crest of the hill and then dismounted. Leaving their horses behind, they went down into the thick woods.
When they got closer, Samson stopped them. The big windows of the old church were boarded up. From the small one above the entrance came a faint light.
“Are the people inside, too?” Hanna asked.
“What people?”
“You said he’s using the Book.”
Samson could feel Eleanor’s stare on him.
“He is,” said Samson.
“Then what are we waiting for?” shouted Riley.
“Be quiet.” Samson gazed at him.
“Is there somebody in the barn?” asked Craig.
“I don’t hear anything. But there’s something in there. Let’s get closer.”
But as they took their first steps, Samson stopped them again. Two men came out from the church. They carried someone toward the barn, holding the limp, unconscious body by hands and legs.
“Vampires,” said Craig.
They waited for a moment.
“Now,” said Samson as soon as the vampires walked inside.
Riley and Craig snuck into the barn before the others. They grabbed the vampires and, clamping their mouths, staked them.
All of them looked around and gasped. Except Samson. He was looking at Eleanor, who stared back at him, terrified.
&n
bsp; Nearly fifty bodies lay side by side on several lines of long wooden benches.
“That son of a bitch,” said Riley.
“Samson,” said Ruben, gazing at the pale faces of transforming young men and women, “these are not humans.”
Astonished, Hanna looked from one to another. “What is this? How is it even possible?”
“It’s much worse than I expected,” said Samson.
Edmond stepped to one of the vampires, swung his sword and jabbed the vampire’s throat. The sword went through half way and stuck. As he pulled the sword out, the wound began healing.
“It’s not going to work,” said Samson. “Only the dagger can break the enchantment, you know that. Their bones are like stone right now.”
“Excellent,” roared Riley.
“What do we do now?” Ruben asked.
“We’ll get rid of the ones in the cemetery. When we go inside, all of you will try to clear the way to the Book. Don’t underestimate their power. Those vampires are about to get something they couldn’t dream of, and they will fight for it until the end. I’ll deal with Fray. Eleanor, you will be the one who has to take the Book.”
“Why Eleanor?” Craig asked. “I can do it.”
“No,” said Samson. “Fray will be near the Book. He hates you and Riley most of all. He won’t miss the slightest chance to kill you, so stay away from it.”
“Samson,” called Eleanor when everybody went to the door. “May I have a second with Craig?”
Samson nodded.
“We’ll wait outside,” he said, then turned to Riley. “Make sure the church doesn’t have a backdoor.”
Samson walked out last and closed the barn door behind him.
“What is it, my love?” Craig asked, hugging Eleanor. “You’re not scared, are you?”
“I am,” Eleanor whispered.
“I’ll be beside you. You are my life. I’ll never let anything happen to you, you know that.”
“I am scared for you.” She looked deep into Craig’s eyes.
There was so much she wanted to tell him. But there was no time for that.