Aaron's Revenge (5 page)

Amira reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Chavali’s. Her kindness and compassion flowed through to Chavali.

“
That was when I started running. It was several weeks before he caught up with me and I saw my death. One minute, I was in his claws and the next he was in a heap at my feet completely beheaded by Adara. She was stunning to look at but…she made me sick to my stomach. I only felt evil.”

Pulling her hand from Amira’s, she clasped them in front of her tightly. “Adara told me that she decided to spare my life, and that I owed her a debt I had to repay, making me swear an oath that when she returned I would, indeed, help her. I do not remember much after that. It seems that she drained me to the point of death. When I awoke, I was surrounded by grists.”

At seeing the puzzled look on Amira’s face, she smiled. “It seems that the yew that Dita hid me inside of was over one thousand years old and was indeed very magical. The grists are the caretakers of the ancient trees in Ireland and my protectors. Somehow, I became part of their family. I learned a lot by hanging with them for a time and even though I did not feel any different, they told me that I was half vampire and half human. According to them, I am the first half-breed. Honestly, almost eighty years have passed and I still do not know what that means, but I am sure over time, I will figure it out.”

“
I am sorry, Chavali.”

Tears were now streaming down Chavali’s face. “Adara came to get me over a year ago. So much time had passed that I had thought she forgot my oath. Of course, that was wishful thinking on my part. She took me to her lair.”

A shudder went through Chavali’s body. “It was horrible. There is no time there, and my days blended. I really thought I was going to go insane. I saw neither sun nor moon. Even my powers weakened. I asked to leave many times, but each time she said she was waiting for something. One day, an oracle arrived and I was again brought to her in his presence.

“
He spoke of Dragan and Aaron a lot, saying how Dragan had been serving the light for over one hundred fifty years and there was a chance that grace would be given to him if he overcame his sense of self and loved greater than any vampire ever had. He saw a woman in his prediction, and that she was the key to the soul being set free, making it impossible for Adara to harvest it. This made Adara furious.”

Amira was enthralled. “How do you harvest a soul?”

Chavali shrugged her shoulders. “From what I could gather, a vampire’s soul had to be secured for a certain amount of time before it could be claimed. There has never been a time since the beginning of the first vampire that a soul was lost to the light. She was counting on the two souls because when they come from twins, like Aaron and Dragan, they have special powers and strength. If she lost one of the souls, then there was no power to the other and whatever she was planning could not take place.

“
Needless to say, Adara was incredibly angry and tried to kill the oracle, as if he had anything to do with it, who in turn also got angry and left without finishing the prophecy. The strange thing is that before he left, he looked straight at me and told me that soon I would have to make a decision as to whether I would be part of the light or part of the darkness. I asked what he meant, but he only shook his head and told me I knew already.

“
After he left, Adara sent me to kill you—which was her first choice—and if that could not happen, then I was to kill Dragan. None of us realized that his redemption had already happened and he was once again human. I tried once to kill you, but Dragan pushed you aside before the bullet hit.”

“
Oh my God, that was you?” Amira paled at the thought that the person in front of her had tried to end her life. “That wasn’t Dragan; that was Aaron. How did you get away so fast?”

“
I am learning to shape shift—which can come in handy at times. I was there, but you just could not see me as I blended into the trees. I have to confess; I am not very good yet and was sure that I was seen by you both.”

Amira stared wide eyed at Chavali, her mind racing as she tried to put the wild story into perspective. She realized that she didn’t even question Dragan or had trouble believing him when he told her that he was a vampire, but Chavali’s story seemed even more far-fetched, to say the least.

Chavali’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “You don’t believe me.”

“
It’s not that I don’t believe you. I am just trying to absorb it, is all.”

A low guttural growl came from the corner of the room and both women turned to look at Shadow, who was staring at the door, with all the hair on his neck standing up.

Chavali jumped to her feet, quickly closing the top of the front door, while motioning for Amira to shut off the lights as she crept to the window, staring out into the darkness. Reaching behind her instinctively, she cursed, remembering that Aaron had taken her bow. Her eyes scanned the edge of the walkway.

“
Chavali?”

“
Shhhh.”

With piercing eyes, she stared out into the darkness until she caught the sluggish movement, and then another. Wishing they were not so far from the main house, she looked over at Amira. Adara would not be far behind the spartum. She had not figured that they would find her so quickly.

Motioning with her hand, she watched, relieved, as Amira scrambled over to one of the drawers, pulling out an array of knives. Giving her a thumbs-up, she kept her eye on Amira as they were placed in a towel. She pointed to the back room; both of them stayed along the wall out of the moonlight.

Leaning close to Amira, Chavali whispered, “Outside are some of Adara’s scouts. I was supposed to have reported in to her by now. We have to somehow get back to the manor and get help but I cannot leave you here by yourself or let you go by yourself in case there are more around.”

“
Send Shadow. He can bring them back.”

Looking to the wolf, Chavali was impressed that he seemed to stand at attention in front of the women, waiting for orders. “Do you think he will understand?”

Nodding her head, Amira knelt in front of the Shadow, putting both of her hands on his hairy face. “Okay, baby! You need to run and get Dragan and Aaron. Shadow, remember stealth. Not like what you do with me.”

Chavali watched a grin come over the wolf’s face, before looking serious again. It was uncanny to her that the wolf seemed to understand everything that was being said.

Sliding over to the window, Chavali glanced out before easing the pane up and barely had time to move away before the wolf leaped through the opening, heading in the direction of the manor.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“
Aaron, wake up!”

“
Five more minutes, Dragan, please.”

Dragan shoved his brother off the bed. “Aaron, I can’t find Amira and I think your prisoner is gone.”

Aaron immediately jumped off the bed, running into the adjoining room. The empty bed was the only confirmation he needed. He should have known that no rope could hold Chavali. “Dammit all to hell!”

“
Do you think she took Amira?”

“
I don’t know, Dragan, but I can track them easily enough.”

Both brothers ran down the stairs and out the front door. They had only reached the bottom of the stone stairs before catching sight of Shadow tearing out of the woods, skidding to a stop when he saw the two men.

“
Thank God! Shadow, where is Amira?”

Turning, Shadow looked to the woods. Aaron started to run, but Shadow grabbed his arm, pressing his teeth into his skin hard.

“
Shadow, let me go.”

Dragan watched the wolf, frowning. “Aaron, wait.” Seeing the wolf crouching low, he remembered the game that Amira and Shadow played all of the time. “You have to go in quietly. Something is seriously wrong, Aaron; whatever has happened, you can’t be detected.”

“
Got it. You two catch up when you can. Shadow, take care of Dragan.”

Aaron ran deep into the woods, straying from his normal running path. He knew the woods like the back of his hand. Within minutes, he caught a glimpse of the cottage. It was completely dark. If Amira and Chavali were in there, there should be some sort of light. Catching a movement near the lakeshore, he watched as a dark shadow seeming to walk on four legs then stand to two, and then back to four. He could not tell if it was animal or man.

Sniffing the air, he caught a strong foul order coming from its direction. Was this what Shadow saw? Closing his eyes, he listened for any noise coming from inside the home. It was several minutes but then he heard it. A bump, then a gasp, and then silence again. Unsure whether or not they were captured, he waited patiently for more movement, and was rewarded quickly by seeing another creature closer to the home. As far as he could tell, there were only two of them, and they seemed to be homing in on the structure.

With relief, he surmised that they still had not made a move on the two women inside and they did not seem to comprehend that they were even inside. Bending down, he picked up a small log, tossing it away from the house. It seemed to work as both creatures turned in the direction of the sound, ambling away slowly. Easing closer, he kept an eye on both figures as he made his way to the back. Catching a flash of white, he watched Shadow make his way to an open window, just as a body dropped hard to the ground, while a smaller figure followed right behind the first.

Shadow tugged on Amira’s arms in an attempt to drag her to the woods just as Dragan arrived. Moving quickly, Amira and Dragan reentered the tree line. Aaron expected Chavali to follow, but frowned as he watched her inch her way around the other side of the cottage. Running low to the ground, he attempted to catch up to her, but upon rounding the corner, he found that she had already disappeared.

His eyes scanned the property quickly, hoping to find her before the creatures returned. Smelling a foul odor, Aaron turned just in time before he was struck by a club. Kicking hard, he punched the creature in the stomach with his foot, shocked when it did not even flinch or seem affected. Seconds later, its head rolled by his feet, and Aaron was barely able to register this before Chavali grabbed his arm, pulling him to the other side of the cottage.

“
What?!??!”

Pressing her hand over his mouth, she shook her head and made a slicing motion near her neck before placing a very large butcher knife in his hand, while pointing to the front of the house. She seemed more irritated with him than afraid of what they were battling.

Together, they hovered back-to-back, looking for the second creature. Motioning for Aaron to stay, Chavali ran back around the house again. Aaron waited, trying to listen for her footsteps, but with reluctant admiration, he realized that she was very light and nimble on her feet. He could hear nothing.

Several more minutes passed; getting concerned, he eased back around the house in an attempt to find her. Smelling a foul odor again, he sped up, running towards her as she rolled around on the ground with the creature. It definitely had the upper hand. Waiting for the right moment, he drove the knife deep in its back. Again, it did not even seem to be fazed as the metal struck bone.

Turning its head, Aaron recoiled, getting a glimpse of its face. Its skin was shriveled as an old man’s would be and where the eyes were, there was nothing but dark holes. Its mouth gaped open, showing sharp, jagged teeth with a green ooze dripping from the inside. Gagging, he realized that the foul smell emanated from the being, as if the body were rotting away.

Leaving Chavali writhing on the ground, the creature turned its attention to its new prey. Lumbering towards Aaron, it reached out its gnarled hand, trying to get a grip. Again, Aaron watched as this creature’s head also fell at his feet. Encountering Chavali’s gaze, he watched as she staggered before dropping to her knees, groaning.

“
Chavali!”

“
Don’t touch me, Aaron. I have been bit.”

Feeling unsure, he hesitated. “Let me get you back to the manor. Dragan’s a doctor!”

Moaning in pain, Chavali looked over at Aaron with disdain. “He can’t help me with this.” Feeling the nausea set in, she doubled over, vomiting. When she finished retching, the effort caused her body to shake uncontrollably. Chavali groaned again before falling to her side, convulsing.

Aaron reached down to pick her up. “I told you not to touch me, Aaron! Their venom will attach itself to you if you touch me. You cannot get it on your skin or you will be lying down right next to me in the same condition I am.”

Lifting her head weakly, she nodded towards the two headless creatures. “You need to dig two deep holes, place the heads in one hole and the bodies in another and cover them up. I will seal the grave when I feel better.”

Aaron watched her body convulse again. Aaron never felt so helpless in his life. Regardless of how he felt about her, no one should be in the amount of pain that she obviously was in. “There has to be something I can do for you, Chavali?”

Shaking her head, her eyes caught his, and she was surprised to see genuine worry in their depths. “You can help me by not leaving me. I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Understanding, he hurried to the shed to get a shovel before walking a good distance from the cottage, always keeping her in his line of vision and began digging two graves as she asked him to. Aaron said nothing as he worked, only flinching whenever she let out a scream. Her agony, obviously, ran deep. He never wanted to hear that sound again.

“
Aaron!”

“
Dragan, don’t come over here right now. Where is Amira?”

“
I am here!”

Relieved, Aaron’s eyes linked with hers as he spoke to his brother.

“
Good. Take Amira back to the manor. Do not let anyone in until you see me.”

“
For God’s sake, Aaron, you have got to let me help the girl.”