by C.M. Owens
Her giggle turned into laughter as she managed the next three horizontal jumps more smoothly. Now she felt like shewasflying.
"Hey, that's not bad. Maybe you just needed to get some practice."
She stopped to catch her breath one pole away from him. "And I needed to switch to vampire vision." Their voices carried easily in the evening air.
"You really have to turn it on and off? Why not just leave it on all the time?"
"Because I can't see in daylight with my vampire vision and human vision gives me a longer viewing distance."
"It's better?" He reared back, obviously shocked at the concept.
"Not better – different." She took a bite of her apple while she thought about that. "The colors are stronger with vampire eyes and I have better peripheral vision with my human sight." She shrugged. "When I open them both at the same time, I see so much more."
"There's your answer then." He floated to the next pole. "Keep them both on all the time."
For the next hour, it took all of Tessa's energy to keep up with her father. He'd picked up the pace as they came to the end of the poles and moved cross country toward the mountains. Treetops to roofs to sheds to high voltage stations. That last one had made her gulp. Still, after watching him barely touch down before floating onward, she decided to not think about it and just followed his lead.
After another ten minutes, she glanced back, surprised to see that not only was the house long gone, but so was the town. They'd covered miles already. The air had chilled, too. Her jumping style had changed as well. Without realizing it, Tessa had started to copy yet another smooth move of her father's. He touched a bough, then slipped off to the next tree, landing without expending the energy needed for a full stop.
She couldn't ignore a sense of pride at his moves – or with her ability to keep up with him. She might not have his skills, gracefulness, or experience, however, she was making up for all three with sheer guts and determination. Her crab walk had developed into something that was similar to her father’s moves but with a style all her own. That had to count for something.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tessa had to admit that once again she'd misjudged her abilities. Fatigue had made her legs shake and her landings were no longer graceful. More like firewood hitting cement.
"Come on over here. We’ll take a quick break."
She couldn’t hide the relief on her face when she landed beside her dad. "How much further?"
"Not much. The house should be in the next half mile. I just wanted to make sure you understand that things could get dicey, depending on what we find when we get there."
"I didn't choose this, Dad, but once trouble came calling––"
"Don’t think that I don't appreciate the determination and the courage you’ve shown. I just wish the reason was different."
"Me too. Now shouldn't we finish this last half mile?"
He just stared at her and shook his head.
"What? You don't want Mom to beat us, do you?"
"Hell, no. She'd never let me live it down."
Tessa grinned. The competitiveness between her parents had provided many funny moments over the years.
"Then lead on."
He glared at her and took off in a smooth glide.
Alone, she allowed herself a moment of weakness. Just one. Then, digging deep, she followed at a slower pace. They reached their destination a short moment later. She landed on the roof of a huge house that sat in complete darkness, hidden by large trees. Sunlight would have a hard time reaching this place.
What a perfect vampire house. Many of her vampire relatives had similar places on the edge of town, only not as imposing or as large as this one.
"Quite the place." Tessa couldn't help admiring the sheer size of the mansion.
"Yeah. It's been in Moltere's family forever. I can't sense him here at all."
"Did he live alone? Have a family?" Tessa asked.
"He lost his partner over a century ago. To my knowledge, he never did find another one. As for children…there were some. I can't say I remember the details. I suppose I should have kept track. ‘Understand thy enemy’ and all that. We all just tried to forget that he'd even existed."
"Until now." Tessa walked across the large roof looking for vehicles or any sign of occupants. "I'm not sure anyone is here at all. Could Cody be anywhere else?"
"Possibly." Serus walked to the other end and stared off in the distance. "Those headlights should be your mother’s."
"S we did beat them."
"Of course." The two exchanged smirks. Triumphant partners.
Tessa's smirk dropped away. There'd been no triumphs for Jared yet. Or Cody. And Cody was here because he had helped her, believed in her when no one else did. She walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. "So now what? Go in through the front door?"
"How else?"
Tessa pointed. "Through the decks, maybe. An element of surprise, just in case."
He joined her at the edge, glanced at the deck she'd pointed out, and nodded in surprise. "Not bad."
They landed softly and tried the glass knobs on the French doors. Both opened easily.
"Guess no one’s worried about intruders, huh?" Tessa peered inside.
"They’re open because who is there for Moltere to be concerned about? He’s the one that used to cause all the trouble."
Serus had walked through what appeared to be an office and out into the main upstairs hallway while he spoke. Tessa followed, awestruck by the grandest house she’d ever been in. "Wow," she whispered at the size of the oil paintings covering the large walls. The ceilings were vaulted and covered with fancy scrolls.
The upper hallway was edged by a beautiful railing. When she looked over it, she could see all the way down. Magnificent, yet a little cold. The house was so vast it should have been filled with kids and staff. Laughter and conversation should echo throughout – instead, it felt empty. Unloved.
Her father walked through the upstairs hallway and opened four doors, checking for signs of life in each room. Nothing. She waited for him to join her. "Down a level?"
"Yes. I’d like to be on the main floor before the rest of the family gets here."
"Right."
They moved like clockwork, going from floor to floor, checking every room. Nothing. At the main floor there was a huge entranceway. Footprints in the dust shone in the moonlight. Tessa pointed them out. "Cody's energy is on those. So theyarehere somewhere."
"Let’s go." Leading the way into the kitchen, they checked every door and room they passed. Nothing. In the kitchen, there were many confusing footprints. Tessa pointed to one door on the side. "That probably leads to the basement."
"And the last place we have to check."
Tessa moved toward the door. "I don’t think we should both go down. Remember last time?" She turned the knob. "It’s locked."
"That’s likely where they’ll be then."
She tested the knob. "We need to open this. But quietly, in case anyone is here." She turned to face him. "Can I have your credit card? I want to try and use it to unlock the door."
"What? Why?"
The look he shot her would have been priceless under different circumstances. Most vampires had picked up the human monetary system as it was simple and effective. Now that so many vampires had turned to business, it was also convenient. He pulled out his wallet and handed her his gold Visa. She sighed, turning it over in her hand. Too bad they weren’t shopping. She could do some serious damage to this card.
She’d never tried this trick herself, but had overheard David telling Cody how to do it.
Bright lights swept through the living room and hallway.
Tessa froze.
"That’ll be your mom. I’ll go get her. When this is all over, we’re going to have a talk about you and locks, young lady."
"No problem. As long as David is part of the conversation."
Tessa bent over the lock. What had he said? Someth
ing about slipping the card between the door and wall, turning the handle ever so slightly and…snick.The door opened.
"Wow, double wow and triple wow," she whispered. Pocketing the precious card, she pulled the door open and flicked the light switch. She stared down at the incredibly long narrow staircase. She could hear her parents talking as they approached.
"Where’s Tessa?" her mom demanded.
"She’s trying to pick the lock on the basement door."
"She’s what?" Tessa cringed at the outrage in her mother’s voice. "How could she possible know how to do such a thing?"
"Oh, we’ll find out; don’t you worry."
"Like I'm going to wait for that," Tessa muttered. As her parents rounded the corner, Tessa stormed down the stairs. The stairs that went on forever.
"Hey, wait up." David raced down behind her. "What’s the rush?"
She didn’t bother turning around. "Them. Always thinking I’m a baby."
"Huh. I think you blew that out of the water a day ago when you insisted on going after your friend."
"What?" Tessa paused at a landing and waited for him to catch up with her. She couldn’t see anything below her but more steps. "They always act like I don’t know anything."
"I’m sure most parents think that their kids don’t know how to pick a lock." He paused to catch his breath. "By the way, how did you learn to do that?"
She smirked. "I overheard you and Cody talking about it." She raced down the stairs. "These steps need to end soon. We have to be hundreds of feet underground by now." She finally came to the last step. "Any news from Cody?"
"No. I haven’t heard back from any texts I sent. Either he can’t or… he can’t."
"If he’s here, we’ll find him. And if he's not here, we'll still find him…just somewhere else."
David jumped the last couple of steps to land beside her. "This place looks empty."
"Empty doesn’t mean empty anymore." She quickly filled him in on the floor from the other house that had dropped away and the stone wall that had lifted and let the water rush in. "I’m certainly learning that vampires are a devious lot."
"How do you think we stayed at the top of the food chain for so long?"
"Great." She grimaced. "Let’s check this level out."
Ten minutes later, they’d circled once, looking for obvious rooms, hallways, or any way forward. Nothing.
"They’re not here."
"Maybe and maybe not." Tessa focused, or maybe defocused was a better way to describe the blending of her two types of visions, to discern the energy patterns on the floor. Five minutes of searching high and low and …nothing. "You're right. There's nothing here."
"Let’s go tell Mom and Dad."
Tessa looked up the long set of stairs and sighed. "I’m going to jump if it’s all right with you."
"Go for it. I’ll run."
Tessa snorted. "Now that sounds like work." She took a jump and then another and another, going up more steps each time. She stopped on the landing where she’d waited for David earlier. She was gathering her energy for the next jump when something caught her eye. She spun around and crouched at the bottom of the back wall.
Energy. Pale, misty energy pooled at the bottom edge. From that position, she searched the stairs in both directions. Cody's energy had gone this far, but no further. "Someone was here."
David raced up to her. "What did you find?"
"Cody stopped here. There's another energy line mixed with his. Probably Jewel's."
"Here? Then where is he?"
Tessa ran her hands over the stone walls, searching for that telltale crevasse. Yes. The door ran the full length of the landing. "There’s a door here."
"What? Where?"
She grabbed David’s hand and showed him the cracks delineating the break in the stone pattern. "Somehow, this must move."
"You think Cody is behind it?"
"Someone is – or was, at least."
"Let’s get it open then."
They bent their heads, searching for any mechanism that could open the door.
"David? Tessa?" her father’s voice drifted down the long stairwell.
Tessa lifted her head. "Dad, we’re down here on the landing. Looks like another hidden door."
"We’re coming down."
"No, don’t do that. If we’re all stuck down here, we won’t be able to get out."
"Your mother is going to stay up here." A heavywhooshand Serus landed beside them. "So what did you find?" he asked.
Tessa frowned. "Not sure. The energy is at the bottom. We found a break in the walls as if there's a door, but again, there's no visible latch to open it."
***
Cody sat with his head bent over his knees. He hated any sensation of weakness – he was male after all. His dad said it was from all the growth spurts and getting his wings. He’d told Cody that his strength would come back bigger, better, and stronger. He hoped so. Felt like he sucked at everything right now.
Jewel lounged beside him. She'd probably dropped off to sleep. He wished he could. Worry wouldn't let him though. He could only hope David had gotten the text message. Otherwise, he had no idea how to get out of here. He closed his eyes and rested. A weird sound caught his attention.
What was that? He bolted to his feet and spun around. The stone room was empty, the same as it had been when they'd first entered. How could they have known that the door would shut behind them like that?
Was he hearing voices?
He nudged Jewel awake. "I think someone's here."
She shuddered. "Good guys or bad guys?"
He grinned at the joke they'd been tossing back and forth to keep themselves entertained. To keep the panic at bay. "No idea. Maybe we should be ready for either."
"Yeah." They stood side by side, both tense and aware of the stakes. With their eyes on the wall, they waited for the door to open.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Tessa, can't you open this door?" Her father pounded on the stone under his fist.
"I'd love to. But I haven’t found the mechanism yet. It's not the same as the one at the last house, and there's no knob or anything similar." Tessa glared at the wall. Her exhaustion dragged at her – she really wanted to be soaking in a hot bath with bubbles up to her chin.
Pissed, she lashed out and kicked the wall. Hard.
"Shit!" She hopped around on one foot while the two males watched her in amazement. The wall groaned and creaked before swinging open.
"Wow!" David shot her an odd look before racing inside. "Hello? Anyone here?"
"David? Oh thank heavens." Jewel ran up to him, gave him a quick hug, then tugged on his arm to drag him back out of the room.
Cody joined them, pushing everyone out of the room. "We have to get out of here. The door shuts on its own. Thank God you got my message." Cody smacked David's shoulder.
David grinned and flexed his biceps. "Yeah, you're not kidding."
"Hey, Tessa. Didn't think I'd see you here." Jewel smiled tentatively at Tessa.
David laughed and said proudly, "She's the one who figured out how to open the door."
"Yeah," Tessa snorted. "That took brains. I kicked it because I was angry that I couldn’t figure it out."
They all grinned at her.
"Where are Goran and Ian?" Serus looked at the empty room behind them. "Aren't they with you?"
Cody quickly filled them in. He told them the two men had not shown up at the arranged time. He and Jewel had gone into this room off the stairs while searching for his dad, only to have the door close behind them.
Uneasiness crept over Tessa. This place was bad news. And they'd left her mom upstairs. Alone. She turned to the dark stairwell. "Let’s go. Mom's waiting."
She jumped effortlessly, maybe driven by apprehension. Before she'd really understood how, she stood at the top of the stairs. She beamed.So cool.Though she might not have the techniques down pat yet, she would with a little practice. She strode into the kitchen. "Mom�
��?"
"Where is she?" Serus stepped into the kitchen behind Tessa. "Rhia?"
No answer.
They looked at each other in horror.
"Oh, no!" In unison, they raced to the front door and stopped outside. Her car was there.
"Mom?" Tessa cried out. "Where are you?"
"Rhia?"
David, Cody, and Jewel arrived a few minutes later. Tessa had already searched the area around the front door.
Jewel shook her head. "She could be anywhere inside the house. We shouldn't panic yet."
"Right." David raced back inside.
"Wait. David, don't go alone. We need to stay paired up." Tessa hated the thought of anyone else going missing.
He paused at the entrance, nodded once, then motioned to Cody. "Let's go."
"We'll take the outside." Tessa motioned to Jewel and her dad. "Sorry, I know you're tired, Jewel, but..."
Jewel shook her head, already heading to the outbuildings. "Forget about that. Let’s find your mom."
The other three fanned out across the yard and methodically went through each of the outbuildings. It brought back a horrible reminder of the previous property. "There's no sign of her."
They raced back to the front of the house. At the entrance, Tessa called out at the top of her lungs, "David? Cody?"
David answered. "We're here."
The two teens raced down the wide staircase toward Tessa. "She's not upstairs."
"Let's check out the main floor." As a large group, they swept through the house for a second time. Nothing.
Back at the car, Tessa’s stomach heaved. If there was any food in there, it would have come back out a long time ago. As it was, a sense of hopelessness and loss slammed into her. Where could her mother have gone?
"Her purse is missing and so is her jacket. Whoever took her might have taken those items as well. Or let her grab them?" Serus frowned as he studied the empty car.
"I suppose." David looked doubtful but strode over to the car to look for anything else that might be helpful.
"Dad, they can't be far ahead of us. They haven't had time."
"She's right. We came straight up here. If they've taken Rhia, they could also have Goran and Ian. We were supposed to meet them at the front door, but they never showed up." Jewel wrapped her arms around her chest tightly. "What if the same person or group kidnapped everyone?"
Everyone stopped to stare at her.
"I was just thinking that same thing, only why would they?" Tessa couldn't get that question out of her mind. "It's one thing to kidnap a few hapless humans that people may or may not miss. But to kidnap vampires, particularly high profile ones like mom and Goran? That's suicide."