B005EMAYWS EBOK (15 page)

Kathrina was a little surprised, but she wasn’t as shocked as she might have been. She’d felt the approach of her immortal sisters long before they arrived, bringing with them the key to her destiny.

* * *

The shackles on her ankles rubbed against her skin until it was raw and bleeding. Marius had taken her back to the basement, but this time he’d made sure that she would not escape by chaining her to the wall. Though her will to live was still strong, she could feel the fire within her getting dimmer with each passing hour. She could think of no way to escape her fate.

Summer passed the long hours by slipping into fitful sleep whenever she could manage it. In her dreams she was in a sun-drenched field with Anton, she the cat and he the wolf. Though they were an unlikely pair, they fit together as naturally as the night and moonlight. To be without him was to be without water or air.

Summer had always known that her heart belonged to Anton, but now that it was a real possibility that she would never see him again, she realized that it was much deeper than love. He was a part of who she was and always had been. He was her soul mate and her destiny. Without him she was no more than a shell, and it didn’t really matter what happened to her.

She was pulled from her desolate thoughts when she heard the deep moaning of rusty hinges as the door to her gloomy prison was pushed open. She could see a thick shadow within the darkness, but couldn’t make out any details. There was no need to see him - she knew it was Marius.

With no warning the room was filled with blinding light. The thought crossed her mind that she had just been killed and was now passing into the world of the dead. But that couldn’t be right, she could still feel the pain in her ankles.

When her eyes adjusted to the light she saw that Marius held a lantern in one hand. He’d waited to light it until entering the room because he could see without it. She was the one that needed the light. Without saying a word to her, he set the lantern on a small wooden table that was tucked away in a corner of the tiny room.

Retreating back through the door, he returned with some clothes flung over one arm. “I will bring you some water so you can bathe. When you are done you can dress in these clothes.”

Summer stared at him, her eyes as empty as her heart. She no longer felt anything, not fear - not relief that he obviously had no intention of killing her right away, not even anger for what he was doing to her. She was simply numb.

“Did you hear what I said?”

She nodded but said nothing.

“We will leave for New Orleans as soon as you are ready to travel.” Marius turned to leave, but the sound of her voice stopped him.

“Why are you taking me there?”

When he turned back to face her, his lips were tilted in an icy smile. “I am going to take back what your wolf stole from me. He took the woman I loved, so I will take his.”

“We will go through the rite of eternity that will bind us, and then I will turn you. You will be mine to do with what I choose.” His voice held a note of cold satisfaction, but she heard something else in his voice too - desire.

“You are crazy! Why don’t you just kill me like you did the others and get it over with?”

“I think revenge would be so much sweeter if I took the woman he loved in other ways. For him to know that you still existed, but were forever out of his reach … would be the sweetest revenge of all. ” Marius started out the door. As far as he was concerned the conversation was over.

“If you turn me I could destroy you,” she called after him.

There was no answer. The vampire Marius was too lost in his quest for revenge to be concerned about any danger to himself.

Summer sat back and waited for him to return with the water. At the very least she would have the opportunity to wash the dirt and grime from her body.

* * *

Standing guard on both sides of him were wolves. They were so close that he could sense their savagery, and their fury. If it had not been for Justin Gray Eagle, Dash was sure he’d be dead, or at least as dead as a vampire could be. He had no idea if there was an afterlife for the damned souls of the immortal, but what he was sure of is that he wouldn’t be looking as pretty as he was now.

He faced Gray Eagle and a group of 12 council elders that were looking at him with curiosity and expectation. They were waiting to hear why he’d invaded their gathering.

Dash shrugged and cocked his head to one side. “Well … there is the matter of the vampire. I was just wondering if the answers to our curse could be found in
Outerlands
? I know there is a vampire over there.”

“That’s true,” Justin looked away from Dash. “Cato,” he called to someone that was standing away from the fire.

The man that walked into the light of the bonfire was a vampire, but he was not like most. Like Ethan, Cato would look more at home in an office than among his own kind.

“So you come to find out our secrets?” he smiled coldly.

Dash nodded, hoping that at last he would learn the truth that he’d been searching for since he’d been brought into the world of darkness decades before.

Cato scowled. “The truth you search for is forbidden, except to those born vampires. Surely you must realize this.”

“My friends are born vampires. Why can’t they know what those secrets are?”

“If you are speaking of my nieces, the fact is that their existence is also forbidden. They are the first to be born vampires in thousands of years.” Cato stepped closer. “Before they would be given that information, they would have to be accepted by the ancients. At this point the only ones that might do this would be myself and their father.”

The same elder that had spoken before stepped forward. “I still believe that we need to talk with these ancients and avoid a war.”

“I can take you to Donavan,” Dash offered. “He might listen, but he doesn’t have much control over what Omar does.”

“But he could be an ally.” Justin was thoughtful.

“I cannot accompany you,” Cato told them. “The others must never know the identity of the one that lives in
Outerlands
.” He glared at Dash. “Am I making myself clear?”

“Yeah … sure.” Dash wasn’t about to ruin his chances of returning to the Place of Light by revealing secrets.

“But what about this bit that you are the only vampire that can be there?” Dash wanted to know.

“When there was peace, I agreed to live among the wolves. It was their guarantee that the ancients would honor their treaty. The realm of the wolf was never meant to be for the vampires. It belongs to the wolf spirits.”

* * *

Kathrina’s dark eyes were impassive, revealing none of the turmoil that she was feeling. The four of them convened in a small storage room at the back of the trading post. The only light source was a single bulb that dangled from the ceiling. From the front of the store she could hear the murmur of voices as Uncle Jimmy talked with one of their regular customers.

It was a good thing that he was preoccupied. He wouldn’t like the idea that Lex was talking with Kathrina before she was eighteen, or the fact that Laura’s daughter was missing. Laura and Jimmy had been friends since they were children and he thought of Summer as his niece. If he discovered what had happened to her, there was no doubt he’d go straight to Justin and Laura. Then there would be a war.

At that very moment Kathrina didn’t know what she felt beyond the rage that was now consuming her. Not only did she just discover that she had two sisters, but she also found out that her cousin had been taken and possibly murdered by some psychotic vampire. Summer was the only person she’d ever felt close too. She’d always taken the time to include Kathrina in everything so she would not feel left out. Her cousin was one of the few among the wolves that didn’t make her feel like she was a freak.

“I’m ready,” she told them. “I will kill this vampire myself.”

Lex held up his hand. “Not so fast. None of you are yet ready to take on this vampire, but you will go to your father and ask his help. Together you will be strong, but you will need to become apprentices to a slayer.”

“We don’t have time for that,” Kathrina frowned.

“She’s right. Summer will be dead if we wait,” Sarah put in, her worry evident in her shimmering green eyes.

“It’s possible we can convince Donavan to help you go after her, but to hunt down Omar you will need training. It is time for that to begin.” Lex’s told them, his eyes scanned over the three sisters.

Through the tinted windows of the black stretch limo, Summer viewed the city of New Orleans for the first time. It was a city of color, and of history. Despite the late hour, there were still many people out and about. She was sure New Orleans was a city that she would have loved to visit under different circumstances.

Trying to ignore Marius’ watchful eyes, she lost herself in the sights. When they crossed the Mississippi, she could make out the darkened riverboats anchored in the water. They would be there until daybreak when the riverfront came to life.

Though they’d flown into New Orleans, it was not their final destination. Marius had been kind enough to tell her that they would be going to place near Lafayette. It was not until they’d arrive at the airport in Salt Lake City that she’d even been aware of where Marius had taken her after abducting her from the motel in Wyoming. How he’d gotten her that far was a mystery. Of course he’d use a narcotic to keep her out so that she wouldn’t give him any trouble.

Thankfully this time he’d allowed her to remain awake, though he probably wouldn’t have had a lot of choice. Getting her a hundred mile from Wyoming to Utah wouldn’t have been so difficult, but to New Orleans they’d need a commercial flight.

Soon the lights of the city retreated and they drove through the dead of night. She was sure that it wouldn’t be a long drive because they would have to arrive before daybreak. She was right, within the hour they pulled off of the main highway and onto a long tree-lined driveway.

Although it had to be at least 4AM, the house was ablaze with light. It was a magnificent home, like something you’d see in a Civil War movie. The scent of roses and jasmine drifted in through the cracked window. The air was warm and humid, despite the absence of the sun.

Their limo came to a stop in front of the massive porch adorned with majestic white columns. Marius opened the door. Grasping her arm, he pulled her out with him as he exited the vehicle. In the beginning, his touch had been so cold that it left her chilled, but she was becoming accustomed to his lack of body heat. Now it only annoyed her.

They climbed the wide porch stairs and entered through the double doors that were standing open for them. Inside was even more elegant than outside. The chandeliers and antique furniture appeared to be original to the home. Standing in the entry hall was like taking a trip to the past - to gentler time - an era when women were fine ladies and the men were magnificently male.

That was what she saw on the surface, but sensed a darker side to the beauty of Cypress Hall. She’d seen the name on the wooden plaque that hung from a post at the beginning of the driveway.

Marius handed her off to a girl with wide blue eyes and ash blond hair so curly that it hung in tight ringlets around her head. She looked innocent enough, but she put a grip on Summer’s arm and squeezed tightly. When Summer winced, the girl smiled as if she were enjoying her pain.

“Wait a minute!” Summer tried unsuccessfully to pull away from her. The girl was too strong - she had to be a vampire.

“Go with her and you won’t be harmed,” Marius told her.

She let the girl lead her up a long spiral staircase to the second floor. It was a gallery that looked out over a ballroom on the main floor. Summer stole a glance at the room below and instantly wished that she hadn’t. Lying on the floor was a woman that could have been in her fifties. Her lifeless eyes were open and staring at the ceiling. A vampire kneeled over her, blood still dripping from his fangs.

The vampire glared at her - his eyes radiant after his feeding frenzy. She still saw hunger in those eyes, and for just a second Summer was glad for Marius’ protection.

At the end of a long hall she was shoved into a room and heard a click as the door was locked. Sighing in defeat, Summer turned to look at the room that would become her new prison. She had to admit that it was far better than the last one she’d been locked in. It was clean and contained a canopy bed and dressing table. The lamp had already been turned on so they had to have been expecting her.

She wondered why there was so much light in the house if its only occupants were vampires. But there were feeders too. She’d heard of those people that would willingly become feeders for their vampire lovers. Eventually they would die, and the one they had given their heart and life for would go on the prowl for another human lover - another feeder.