by Heather Karn
"Then what's our plan?" Luella asked, arching a brow at Raven. "I didn't just almost lose my life for us to give up now."
"We aren't giving up," he corrected her. "We're just making a new plan. Unfortunately since I don't know where the entrance to Second House is, we can't show up at their doorstep. However, I do know where First House is."
"Didn't you just say your dad would kill you on sight?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat.
"Yup, which means that I need to avoid drawing his attention, but I do know some people who might be able to help us reach Gerald."
Avery groaned. "I guess this means more time in the truck. I'm beginning to hate that thing."
Jackson growled his agreement while Shannon ran her hands over his head to calm him. He set his head in her lap and closed his eyes. Of all of us, he really had the worst of it by being stuck at our feet with absolutely no room to move. And I wasn't sure how many times by now I'd accidentally kicked him. The back seat may have been squished, but they could at least adjust their positions.
"Well, we might as well keep going," Shannon murmured.
Luella stood and headed for the bathroom. "It's not like sitting around is going to make it any better. We'll still have to climb back in the truck no matter where we’re heading. Let's eat and hit the road."
Ten minutes later, we were all packed back into the truck like sardines. Raven turned the radio on as the sun fought to shine through a thin layer of clouds that had shown up since we'd entered the hotel. I was awfully glad they'd waited until after we'd ventured out of St. Louis before blocking any amount of sunlight.
The hours were beginning to drag as the miles on the odometer grew. Most of the truck's occupants were still too wide awake after our fight to sleep, and we hadn't done much but sit here, so there was no reason to really be that tired. Some catnapped, but with the new information in hand about my father, I wasn't even a bit sleepy. Plus, I always had a difficult time sleeping in vehicles, especially when squished.
"Please tell me we're almost there," Luella announced as we exited the highway in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields.
"We're almost there," Raven confirmed. Another ten miles and he pulled the truck over beside the road near an abandoned farmhouse. "Okay, here's what's going to happen. Luella and Shannon, you two have to stay out here. Jacks, it's up to you if you come or go. Whatever you do, don't do any magic. Lee and Avery, I'll bring the two of you along. They won't like a shifter being present, but they'll have to live with it. Oh, and Shannon, don't even open your door. Koda can come out my way."
Sure, sliding out his way wouldn't be impossible, but it was a pain. After climbing out, I searched the horizon on the opposite side of the road for any clues as to where the entrance to the vamlure First House was located, but all I could see were fields. That gave me little hope as I tucked the letter from Gerald into the same pocket as the letter from my dad.
With Lee and Avery at our sides, since Jackson chose to stay with the other two women, which wasn't surprising at all, Raven turned on his heel and headed toward the house. I wanted to face palm myself since it should've been obvious that the only plausible entrance would be inside the abandoned house.
The front porch steps creaked and sagged under my weight, and I prayed each one would hold me. Lee gave a soft moan as he crossed them and followed me inside. My first thought was that I was shocked this place was even still standing. A strong wind should've taken it down by now, especially out here where I was positive it saw plenty of raging windstorms. Every inch of the place was covered in a thick layer of dust, even the cloth covered furniture off to our right. Spiderwebs clung to every corner of the room and were so large they were easy to see without searching for them. It was a good thing spiders didn't bother me, but Lee was terrified of the creatures, and his panting behind me was loud enough to announce our arrival to anyone who hadn't already noticed it.
Deeper into the house we traveled until we stood in the entrance to a large, walk in pantry. Raven felt along one of the stone walls until he found what he was searching for and pressed in one of the stones. A soft click echoed off the rock and a narrow panel gave way when he pushed, revealing a set of stairs leading underground.
"We all realize there's a problem with this plan, right? Or is it just me realizing this?" Lee muttered as we stared at the opening.
For a brief second, I didn't know what he was talking about, but then Avery handed over a tiny flashlight. "Don't shine that in anyone's eyes. Keep it pointed toward the ground. Vamlure's eyes are as sensitive to light as Koda's were since most of them have never been above ground."
Really? Most had never been to the surface? I hadn't realized it. There was still so much that I didn't know. Too much.
Leading the way, Raven kept a steady pace, and the darkness soon surrounded us as the doorway closed with Avery's help. My senses weren't as good as his, yet I could still make out every detail of the stone and dirt surrounding us. It was amazing.
Then Lee flicked his flashlight on.
The added light did help to see color, but the details were still visible. We walked for what felt like almost a mile before the tiniest hint of sound echoed down the hall. A few tunnels had branched off from the one we walked down, which was wide enough for Raven and I to walk side by side with room to spare, but we hadn't seen anyone or any other signs of life.
Footsteps progressed down the hall until voices could be heard. When the only thing separating us from the speakers was a tight corner, Raven stopped, his body rigid. He took a half step in my direction, keeping his attention on the curve while individual words became legible.
"I'm telling you, the sensors picked up movement in the house and the door was opened."
"But how can that be?" a second man spoke to the first, his voice almost a complete duplicate of Raven's silky voice. "Even if kids vandalized the house again, they wouldn't know the touch combination to enter the tunnels."
"That's why I keep telling you that we need to install security cameras. We're asking for trouble if we're blind to what's coming our way."
More than two sets of footsteps were approaching, more like six, so the two speakers weren't alone. The others either had nothing to say, or these two were high enough in authority to make decisions and the others were brute strength. They rounded the corner and took three steps before noticing us, their eyes watering from the flashlight, even with the beam pointed at the ground. Raising hands to block the light, some tried to see past their tears and the light beam to make out who we were.
"What is this? Speak. Who are you?" the man with Raven's voice ordered with a growl.
"Lee, turn the light off," I directed over my shoulder, and the next second we were plunged into total darkness.
Avery chuckled as Lee let out a long breath. I'd hate to be him, in complete darkness and unable to see past his nose. I didn't envy him that, but we needed to make these people happy.
Taking a deep breath, Raven released it in a long sigh. "Dad, it's me. It's Raven."
Chapter 6
Silence surrounded us as a hush fell over both groups. So, the one man we'd hoped to avoid the whole time we were down here was the first man we came across. I didn't think, I reacted. Grabbing Raven's hand, I wrapped both of mine around it and stared at the man. He stared right back, first at Raven, then our hands, then me, and back to Raven.
"I told you never to come back here." Ice filled the man's voice as he took a deliberate step toward us, his upper lip pulling back from his teeth. "Yet, here you are."
"It's for me," I threw out. "He's here to help me. We didn't know where else to go for help."
His eyes narrowed on me, then again shifted back to Raven. "Your mate?"
Raven shook his head. "My friend, and trainee. Dad, we need to talk."
"No, you need to leave, and take the shifter and human with you. I can't believe you'd bring them down here."
"Fine," Raven bit out and turned, preparing to drag m
e along with him.
"The girl stays," his dad barked. "We won't allow you to corrupt one of our females. We'll keep her here and transport her to her House."
"Excuse me?" I shrieked. "I don't think so. First of all, I don't even know what House I belong to, and second, I was born and raised on the surface. It's only thanks to Raven that I even know what I am."
Okay, not all of that was true. I had a suspicion I knew which House I belonged to. However, I wasn't about to tell this man about it.
Gasps followed my admission, and I had no idea what I'd said that was so dramatic. A few of the men, and one woman, stepped closer to take a better look at me as Raven turned back around. Our grip hadn't slackened in the least. If anything, Raven held me tighter.
"What does she mean?" his dad asked, voice low and threatening.
"We won't discuss it out here," Raven told him. "Take us to your office, and bring Mama."
I could see the war raging in Raven's father's eyes. He wanted to know what was happening, but he didn't want Raven staying down here a second longer than was needful. Obviously, he already thought Raven had corrupted me, which was so far from the truth I wanted to laugh in the man's face. That wouldn't have helped us, though.
"Fine. Come with me, but your friends stay here."
"They come too," Raven barked.
"Hold it," I countered, raising my free hand to stop further arguments. "The human is my brother. I want him to come. And Avery's...my bodyguard." It didn't sound super convincing, and by the looks on the others faces, they didn't think so either, but not one of them argued with my explanation.
With a final glare at his son, the lead man turned and headed back the way he'd come and half of his entourage stayed behind, closing in behind us as we followed the first group. Avery took Lee's arm and led him along, guiding him through the tunnels and up and down stairs, and around the intersections we turned at. Even though I could see, I was lost within no time.
The further we walked, the more tunnels intersected, and not just two. Some had six branches leading off, and none were marked. Also, dim lights embedded into the tunnel walls gave off a hint of blue light, finally allowing me to see color. They also allowed Lee to walk on his own with minor help.
I leaned in close to Raven and whispered a question as we passed light after light. "Are those...stones?"
He leaned in close to respond, even though I was sure everyone could hear us. "Yes. Long ago, farther back than I know of our history, magic users and blood drinkers had a good relationship. They intermingled often and had peace. The magic users needed light to see, but our eyes are sensitive-."
"No kidding."
He ignored me and continued. "So, they gave us a gift of magic lit stones that could be placed in our homes so they could see. They will never darken, or they haven't over the last several hundred or thousand years."
"Wow, that's cool."
"Yeah, I guess it is. It gives us a bit more light to live by, which I enjoyed growing up."
"You grew up here?"
"Yes. I've only spent the last ten years on the surface."
"Wow. This is so amazing."
Raven chuckled and squeezed my hand. "I'm glad you think so. I thought the surface was pretty cool when I first saw it."
"You don't think it's cool anymore?"
He shrugged. "No, it still is, but I'm used to it now. The wonder and awe have diminished over time, just as it will for you if you stay here for a long period of time."
That was true.
"Shouldn't we see more people?" I whispered after a brief silence while changing directions again. This place was much larger than I'd first thought it was. It covered a huge area that I couldn't even begin to estimate mileage of tunnels or acreage it covered.
"Whenever the entry door is opened without warning, everyone hides."
I gave him a side eyed glance. "In other words, we just caused mass panic down here."
He grinned back, his tiny fangs peeking above his lips. "Something like that."
"You're hopeless." I could only shake my head at him. How he found anything funny at a time like this was ridiculous and beyond my imaginings. Being here also brought up the fact that we'd never actually talked about his family. I had no idea how many siblings he had or anything about his extended family. Then again, he only knew about Lee and my adoptive parents. My birth parents were still much of a mystery to both of us. This didn't seem like the right time to ask my questions, so I kept them to myself.
For the rest of the journey, and the next twenty minutes or more, silence reigned. The further into the underground we walked, the more noise I heard after a while. People began to stream down the halls. Babies cried and kids ran past us like they hadn't just had an emergency lock down. It either happened often, or they had more emergency drills than I'd had in high school.
A final turn dropped us at a wide wooden door. The first half of our escorts lined the walls outside the door as Raven's father unlocked it and entered, waving us to follow. The rest of our escorts joined the first half. Once Avery had crossed the room's threshold, Raven's dad closed the door and motioned to a group of chairs around a battered desk. The chairs didn't appear any newer. In fact, they were likely purchased brand new when the house we'd entered to get here was built. That had been well before my time.
"Sit," he ordered, like he was speaking to a pack of disobedient dogs. My blood pressure rose at the order, but I followed Raven to a seat, and Lee and Avery followed us. Since the office was lined with the blue lit stones, Lee could see fairly well. Or I hoped he could.
"What's your name?" I asked the man as he lifted a phone receiver to his ear and dialed the landline. I hadn't seen one of them since I was a little kid at my grandma's house.
"Edgar. Now quiet." He waited a second before speaking into the phone. "I need you in my office. Our renegade son has decided to make an unwelcome appearance and wishes to speak to us. Yes, Raven's here. Come quickly."
I hadn't wanted to listen in, so I'd been studying the drab office which was full of old, battered filing cabinets and little else, but when Raven stiffened, I felt it. It was about the time his mother would've spoken. Her voice had caused that reaction. I hoped when this was over that he wouldn't regret bringing me here.
It was mere minutes before the office door flew open and a woman entered in a whirlwind of activity, making everyone but Raven and Edgar jump. I would've been embarrassed by my reaction if Avery hadn't nearly leapt out of his chair as well. Raven didn't even budge, which could only mean this had happened more times than he could count. It wouldn't surprise me if the boy had been in constant trouble growing up.
"Raven," the woman breathed, and it was easy to tell he'd gotten more than just his voice from Edgar. She was by far much shorter than any of us, and she was thin. Both men were solid, and tall, though I almost matched them in height. Raven's nose was Edgar's, but I was happy to see he'd inherited his mother's lips. They were a bit fuller than his fathers were.
"Mama," Raven breathed, standing and taking the woman into his arms as tears fell from her eyes. She buried her face in his chest, the soft sounds of weeping echoing off the solid walls. Edgar appeared bored, so I chose to ignore him.
"Are you all right? What happened? Where have you been?" She stepped back, dabbing at her eyes with damp fingers. If anyone had a tissue or a handkerchief, they didn't offer it up for her to use.
"I've told you I'm an Elite-."
"Yes, you did the last time we spoke. How is that going?"
"It's going well. But we do have a dilemma." Raven stepped back to reveal the rest of us to his mom. "This is part of my team. Avery is my second in command. This is Lee, his trainee, and Koda. She's mine. They're siblings, though she's adopted. Team, this is Kayla, my mother."
"You said this is part of your team," Edgar mused, twisting a pen in his hands. "Where's the other part?"
"On the surface. Guarding our truck." It was obvious Raven didn't want to say anythi
ng about the rest of his team being magic users, which I was sure Edgar suspected when his eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here? What's wrong? I know you wouldn't come down here if you didn't feel you had any other choice," Kayla asked before Edgar could speak his mind.
Raven sat, pulling Kayla down on the chair beside him. "We're looking for a vamlure, a man named Gerald Vancovi. He has information about Koda's father, and this information is vital to find out."
"How so?" she asked, eyeing me.
I shrugged. "People are willing to kill for it."
Kayla's eyes widened as Edgar growled. "So, you decide to lead them here? To us? Is that it? Boy, you've made some stupid decisions, but this-."
"Will you stop already?" I interrupted, earning a glare from him. "I realize you're in charge of this place, and I'm likely being way out of line, but I don't care. I've only known I’m a vamlure for a short period of time and I'm still learning. If it wasn't for Raven, I would've started craving blood out of the blue and thought I was going insane. In more ways than one he's saved me, and I owe him a debt I can't even begin to repay."
"You don't owe me anything," Raven murmured. "Not a thing. I would've done it for anyone."
Somehow, I got the feeling that wasn't true.
"What do you need from us?" Kayla asked, giving Edgar a hard stare as if to tell him to calm down.
"We need to reach Gerald," Raven repeated.
"He's the only one with the answers that we need," I added.
"I don't understand why this is so important," Edgar drawled. "Just pick a House. It's what everyone's done since there were Houses."
Raven stiffened again. "You don't understand."
"Then explain it to us, Raven. Tell us so we do." Kayla gave him a gentle smile, and he rubbed his face before finally turning to me.
I thought he'd tell me to show them, but his response was worse than that. "It's up to you. If you want to tell them what this is about, you can. You don't have to."