Chronicles of the Uprising (Trilogy 1): Trilogy 1 (22 page)

His words caught her off guard. What could he possibly mean, ‘no investment?’ What did it matter to him either way? Before she could put voice to her thoughts, the elevator reached the top floor.

Chapter 7

On the ninth floor Stryker and Mira exited into a glass-domed lobby that overlooked the entire valley. The sight of it took Mira’s breath away. Twinkling lights above and below her from the unobstructed sky and bustling city were a pleasant distraction.

“Wait right here,” Stryker said.

Mira grunted in agreement, but didn’t turn to see him ducking into a set of double doors opposite of the elevator. She could hardly take her eyes off of the beauty before her. Mira could see why they chose to stay here, apart from the humans. Not just to avoid the subjugation of her race – though why they had never gone back and fought for the survivors was an angering mystery to her – but for the human’s lack of attachment to nature. It had been said that the great cataclysm was the Earth’s way of fighting back against the pollution caused by her inhabitants. Never did that seem more apparent than now. Her kind, the Otherkin, remained close to Mother Earth. Living in the valley of a volcano, they managed to make a beautiful home that coexisted rather than destroyed. The humans, even all these years later, had yet to learn how to do this. Mira hoped against all hope that she could plead her case so that she would not have to leave this beautiful place. And maybe, just maybe she could find a way to bring her friend George back to experience it as well.

“Okay Mira, you’re up. Good luck.” Stryker spoke like a man with no hope.

And that sad fact seemed to be confirmed without words as she was ushered into a large conference room with six very official-looking sour-faced individuals.

“Allow me to introduce you to the council,” Stryker said, breaking the ominous silence.

 “Natasha and Michael represent the hybrid clans.” Stryker indicated with his hand the pair of pale figures seated on the right side of the dais at the end of the room.

Mira acknowledged the female first. Alabaster skin and long dark hair made her look more like a doll than a living, breathing creature. She sat unnaturally still and stared back at Mira with her charcoal black eyes. She spoke no words but nodded to Mira in acknowledgement.

The male of the pair, Michael, appeared to be a little friendlier. At least his lips weren’t shut tighter than a coin purse. He offered a half smile, obviously more polite than genuine. Unlike his partner, whose raven hair set off her pale skin, he was albino – platinum-blond locks straight to his shoulders, pale blue-gray eyes, and milky skin. If it weren’t for the occasional rise and fall of his chest, she’d have mistaken him for a statue.

Stryker waited for Michael to acknowledge them, and after an almost imperceptible nod of his head, he continued with introductions. “Niko and Katerina represent the shifters.”

Niko gazed down an unusually long and sharp nose at Mira. The way he scrutinized her, narrowing his eyes as he met hers, said he’d not be easy to win over. She matched the intensity of his stare with her own show of silent strength.

“Greetings,” Katerina said, breaking the silent tension. She was a fiery redhead with streaks of sooty black in her tresses. Her smile appeared genuine and showed a mouth full of perfectly white teeth, some of which, Mira noted were quite sharp. Whatever this woman shifted into was definitely predatory in nature.

“And finally,” Stryker said, indicating the last two sitting at the dais, “this is Alec and Roseanna. They represent the rest of the Otherkin.”

Mira noticed immediately that Alec was shorter than the others. Dwarfish in size, but no less intimidating. He waved a dismissive hand at her and turned to his partner who was his opposite in every way. Long and slender, elfish in looks, like something Mira remembered from a fairy story when she was a child. Pixie short golden blonde hair, long pointed ears, and an air of grace that was apparent even in the way she perched on her chair. Her face held no animosity; she was peace, calm, and serene.

“A pleasure to welcome you, wayward kin,” Roseanna said, her voice light and soft like the tinkling of a bell. “Not many ever make it our way, and even fewer still come from an Iron City.”

“I’ve been told I’m the first.”

“No, my dear. That would be me,” Roseanna said.

Mira remembered the mural from the lobby below. There had been a tall blonde waif. Had that been Roseanna? Had she been one to make the decision to turn her back on the rest of the vampires? Rage welled within her, but Mira tried her best to rein it in.

“You were there? In the beginning, that is.” Mira struggled to keep her tone conversational.

“It was I who found this place.” Pride turned up Roseanna’s voice.

“So then you know about the atrocities of the human city and what my kind endure.”

“I know not of your plight. We were at war with the humans when I and a few refugees fled to safety.”

“Excuse my ignorance, but what I know of the history speaks of no war and no Otherkin.”

“History is written by the winners, my dear. When we fled, the war was over.”

“Why?” Mira fisted her hands, nails biting into her flesh in an effort to keep herself calm. “Why did you flee?”

“Why does anyone flee from a fight?”

“I don’t know. I never have.”

“I understand you are a warrior. I am not.”

That’s no excuse.
Mira fought hard not to let those words slip from her lips.

Roseanna’s expression turned cold. “Do not judge without understanding. We were being killed by the dozens. Those humans learned every one of our weaknesses. They flaunted their knowledge of our people and our ways. They poisoned us with deadly iron and silver. For no reason at all. We had been their friends. Their allies. We helped them to survive, and this was their repayment. We had no choice but to leave.”

“I’m trying to understand why you left vampires behind. If you knew what the humans would do. What they had done.”

“Yours and the other vampires behind the Iron Gate bear a terrible burden. Theirs is a fate we regret, but one we cannot take blame for.”

“I did not say.”

“You did not have to. The truth is plainly visible in your eyes.”

“I just want to understand. My people have suffered — ”

“Your people’s suffering is grievous, but not the reason for your presence in our city.” Natasha’s tone was a sharp contrast to Roseanna’s, but Mira appreciated the down-to-business attitude. “State your case so we can move on to more important things.”

Mira squared her shoulders and met Natasha’s midnight black eyes without hesitation. She explained where she’d come from, how she’d managed to escape – thanks to Lucian, Curtis, and Sarah. No detail was spared as she made every bloody detail known.

Everyone in the room sat respectfully engaged in the story as if they were hanging on her every word. Mira had no doubt that they were. The atrocities of what she’d endured at the hands of the humans would be quite the tale for any who’d never had to live through it, especially the light box and the Magistrate’s plot to create more of her kind just to slaughter in the arena.

When Mira finished, she took a breath and ended with, “I’m not asking much. Just sanctuary for me and my three human companions.”

“Seems you have been through quite the ordeal.” Natasha’s tone, however, said she couldn’t care less about the plight of anyone but herself. “But our rules are clear: No humans may be allowed inside Caldera Grove, for the protection of all.”

Mira had expected as much, but wasn’t about to give up. “I cannot leave them to fend for themselves, and they cannot return to New Haven City. They’re fugitives.”

“Might I present a solution?” the Otherkin representative, Alec, responded. He met Mira’s gaze without hesitation and offered, to her surprise, a sincere smile. “Why not just turn them and be done with it? Then they would be free to join us here in our beautiful sanctuary without breaking any laws.” Like Roseanna’s, Alec’s voice had a softness to it. Calming, soothing, easy to listen to. And despite her instinct to reject any answer other than yes, she found his suggestion held weight.

She nodded respectfully, wondering why she hadn’t thought of it herself. Then, a small voice in the back of her mind pushed that thought aside and reality reared its ugly head. “But if it is not their wish, I cannot turn them against their will. That would not be the honorable thing to do.”

Alec met her eyes, gazing deeply into them. His smile widened and when he spoke, his voice took on a melodic tone. “You will find, Mira, that if given the choice between life and death, a human – any creature really – will choose whatever option continues their existence.”

The small fading voice of reason tried to point out the patronizing nature of his words. She herself
had been forced to end a whole bunch of lives over the past
thirty
years
in the name of survival. How could he dream of
lecturing her on what creatures might do to stay alive?

But that thought, the reason and truth, was carried away
on the sweet stream of
Alec’s hypnotic
voice.

Her mind filled with warmth and acceptance. Alec was right. It really was the right option to give everyone what they wanted. In a matter of a day, they could all be happy here in Sanctuary. Why not just do it?

She found herself nodding.

Natasha’s sharp tone cut through the haze in her mind. “This is our decision. If you wish them to join you, this is the only way.”

Michael added, “You of course may stay here as long as you would like. But no human will cross into our borders.” The tone of Michael’s voice said more than his words could. This was a final decision. One not to be argued.

Both of the shifters, who’d remained silent, staring at Mira, looked to each other and nodded. “You have but one choice now. Go. Take care of business,” Niko said to Mira, but his eyes were having a whole different conversation with Stryker, who’d been standing as a silent sentry next to her. She wondered what they were thinking.

“We’ll be waiting to welcome you all when you return with your new fledglings.” Alec’s soft voice cut through the rising worry.

Yes. They’d all find their happy ending here in Sanctuary. Not the choice she’d been expected to be given, of course, but Mira had to take some small comfort in the fact they’d offered her a second option, rather than just saying no. How nice of them – Alec in particular – to offer her that alternative.

She broke eye contact with Alec and took a breath, nodding more to herself than to anyone else. A small voice whispered through the warm hazy feeling of contentment that had washed over her. Almost too low to hear, it raised some concerns. Forcing this on her companions was not going to bring about a true happy ending. Doubt began to creep back in. The alternative, though, meant they would all be left to live out their days in the badlands – a place not fit for anyone to try and survive.

“Wait, before you go,” Michael said. “A word of caution. Our home has been human-free since its beginning. Should you attempt to bring them here, or divulge the location of our home, you will be held accountable and meet your final death.”

His threat did not surprise her. Mira expected no less. If they did not want to turn, then she would just have to stay in the wild badlands with them. She hoped it would not come to that. “Understood,” Mira said, not letting the doubt seep into her voice. She turned to leave the room without looking back.

Stryker began to follow.

“A moment please, Stryker,” Niko called after him.

“Of course.” Stryker turned to Mira. “Just wait outside for me, please.”

Mira exited the room into the large lobby. Two towering hulks of men who hadn’t been there before she entered were now standing by the door acting as sentries, preventing Mira from putting her ear to the heavy wood and hearing what was being said inside.

The warm, hazy feeling of contentment Alec’s soft voice had brought now left, and all that remained was crushing emptiness, knowing what she had to do if she ever wanted to come back to this beautiful place. One more wayward glance outside to the twinkling lights made her heart ache. She didn’t want to have to give this up. She’d spent so long hoping and praying to find this place, and now that she had, she might just as quickly lose it. She doubted that Lucian was going to be agreeable to turning vampire.

The moon’s light gave the city an ethereal glow. Beautiful, enchanting, like something from a fairy tale. Blue-green streetlights twinkled like stars. There was magic here, no doubt about that. More than she could discover in the short while she’d been here. She could see herself enjoying living in a quaint and picturesque place like this, learning all that it had to offer. And the bonus of being around free people of her own kind was nothing short of a miracle.

The idea of turning her companions, despite their aversion, felt like it was the right choice. Once they saw this place and all of its beauty, they would think so too. And they’d have an eternity to enjoy it. Yes. They had to agree to this. They’d thank her for it in the end.

Chapter 8

“Leaving so soon?” Remy teased Mira, tipping his hat as they reached the mouth of the cave.

Mira snarled at the skinny man, still wondering how the hell he could be the so-called ‘guard’ of the gate. She could snap him like a twig. In fact, the idea of doing just that was quite appealing. “Don’t celebrate. You haven’t gotten rid of me yet.”

He tipped his hat again and waved her toward the mouth of the cave with enthusiasm. “Well then, let me send you off with a traveling song and wish you a merry voyage.”

Before doing something she’d regret, Mira turned to Stryker. “Is there something wrong with this guy? He’s on my last nerve.”

“That’s enough, Remy,” Stryker’s warning glare said more than his tone.

“Not even close,” Remy replied with equal amounts of mischief in his voice. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”

“You do realize she’s a warrior and could snap you in two before you could whistle your happy tune?” Stryker might have been joking, but his words were so close to the truth it brought a smirk to Mira’s lips. She tried her best to force the errant expression away. She’d hate to give the wrong impression that she might find some entertainment in any of this.

“I could be a warrior too, ya know. Don’t let this tight physique fool you. Muscles don’t have to be bulky to do the job.” Remy puffed out his chest and stood tall, but all it did was make him look like a crooked stick rather than a formidable foe.

“You looking for a fight, string bean?” Mira popped her knuckles and cracked her neck, loosening herself up for what was to come. “Bring it, bard.”

Stryker stepped in between the two, ushering Mira out of the cave. “He’s a good man, Mira. Quirky and annoying at times, but a good one to have in your corner. Let his little jokes slide, and let’s get on the road to finding your friends.”

“Fine. If you say so.” Mira had known vampires back in the Iron Gate prison who made stupid jokes and pissed off the wrong people. They didn’t last long. This Remy guy was just like them: full of attitude, but probably lacking the balls to back it up. And he was actively picking at her last nerve. He either assumed she was just some weak female, or he had a death wish. “That guy’s not playing with a full deck. Perhaps too much time spent in the cave?”

“Don’t be so quick to judge. Remember, to him, you are the strange one. He’s usually a friendly guy. Not really sure why you two are rubbing each other the wrong way.”

She scowled at Stryker. How could he put it all on her? Remy’s first action toward her had been to manhandle her. Not exactly rolling out the welcome mat. “I’m not the one offering to sing a traveling song. What kind of crap is that?”

“Singing is his thing, not yours. Remember, we’re all kinds of different around here. Otherkin. The name alone tells you we’re not like everyone else. Try not to be so judgmental. You do want to make a life here, right?”

Yeah, very much so. Not that she’d admit her enthusiasm about it to him, but she desperately wanted to live in peace and harmony. Caldera Grove was just that. A place where her wounded soul might find peace. She sighed and let go of her annoyance at the singing fool. This was not prison. She needed to remind herself of that. There was no need to constantly intimidate those around her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult…”

“It’s fine. Just remember that before you make any judgments.” Stryker led the way down a steep rocky path.

Their descent was slow going. The terrain was unforgiving and filled with sharp dagger-like rocks just waiting to be tripped over. Mira appreciated that Caldera Grove was so well hidden. Accessible only by foot, no war machines or transports should be able to bring humans here. It was no wonder they had remained hidden for so long. Stryker bounded over large rocks and scrambled through the brush with the ease of one who’d done it many times. She guessed he could do it blindfolded. She, however, was not as nimble on the rocky terrain. Used to the flat dusty arena, she continually stubbed her toes and scraped herself along the jagged rocks.

“So, what exactly are Otherkin?” Mira asked to break the silence between them.

“I was wondering when you’d ask that. We’re all gifted in some ways. Most of us are born this way, vampires and werewolves being the exception to the rule.”

They reached the ground and Mira stopped to stretch. “Why is that?”

“Your kind are supernaturally gifted, but cannot pass your genes on through childbirth. You are a product of some kind of ancient magic. Shifters, muses, sirens, and all the rest of the Otherkin are born with their abilities and longevity.” Stryker cautiously scanned the trees and path ahead.

The way he sniffed at the air and then bent to feel the ground reminded her of just how much an animal he was.

“So, which one are you? Werewolf or shifter?”

He shot her a look that bordered on dangerous. “Kind of a personal question, don’t you think?”

Mira opened her mouth, not really knowing how to respond. She hadn’t thought the question was personal; but then again, she hadn’t been around other gifted people before, so she didn’t really know what was considered personal. “Back in the prison, asking what fighter class a fellow gladiator belonged to was a way to brag… or in some cases intimidate.” Not something to get bent out of shape over.

The scowl on Stryker’s face faded. “It’s okay. I was only joking. I’m a shifter. Wolf specifically. There are many kinds of shifters: wolf, bird, fish. We’re able to take on one other form aside from our natural human one.”

She wanted to ask what it felt like to alter your shape and become something so small and compact, but knew it might be pushing the boundaries of their tenuous companionship. Instead she smiled and started walking down a path she spotted. “That’s pretty cool.”

“Don’t go that way.” Stryker gripped her arm before the words reached Mira’s ears.

Hating to be manhandled, Mira wrenched herself out of his grip. “What the hell?”

“That path is a trap.”

Anger faded with understanding. “Sorry.”

“We don’t want anyone finding us; why would we leave a path to our door? Think about it.”

“Do I want to know what perils might lie in wait down that path?”

“No human would make it alive. Let’s leave it at that…”

“And what about other creatures looking for Sanctuary?” Mira wondered how many died on the road there.

“They would hopefully be found by our patrols before they stepped foot down that path.”

She’d forgotten about the pack patrolling around the borders. Stryker had said he’d send them word about the humans, her companions, camping in the caves. Hopefully they were keeping a watch out.

“Lead on then.” Mira waved her hand forward.

Stryker took them through the gnarliest patch of trees she’d ever seen. Her clothes, which had not been in the best of shape to begin with, wouldn’t take much more. Branches were shredding her shirt to ribbons.

 They walked together in silence, Stryker leading her down a path of his own. She’d never have made it alone. That was for sure. “So… do you get all the perks of your other form, too?”

“You mean smell, sight, and so on? Yeah. Even in my human form I can tell you need a bath.”

Mira playfully swatted him. “Thanks.”

“Look at that, a smile. I was beginning to wonder if you could do it.”

“Give me a break. I haven’t had much to smile about in more than thirty years.”

“Understood, but now things are changing. You’ll turn your friends, and they’ll enjoy sanctuary in Caldera Grove with you. All will be well.”

Mira stopped in her tracks. She’d left certain that turning her human companions was the right choice, but now, having given the thought time to really sink in, she wasn’t so sure. “Yeah… right.”

“Not having second thoughts, are you?”

Was he reading her mind, or was she that transparent? She didn’t want to admit it out loud. Friendly as Stryker was, he was one of
them
, and it was in
their
best interest to keep things simple. Turning the humans was the easiest answer, not necessarily the right one. “Just hoping Lucian, Curtis, and Sarah are okay. We’ve been gone from them for so long.”

“It’s not been that long. I’m sure they’re fine.”

“They’re not really equipped to rough it in the woods.”

“When we reach the cave, I’ll leave you to rest for the day and find my pack. We can all escort you back to them and protect you while you do what needs to be done. Don’t worry. All will work out. You’ll see. C’mon now, we’re nearly there.”

Stryker sounded so sincere Mira almost believed him. But something nagged at the back of her mind – that small voice of reason. She remembered he’d been held back at the Council chambers, and wondered what instructions he might have been given. There was something suspicious about the whole thing, something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. The way Alec’s suggestion seemed so perfect and the way she’d been compelled to agree. And then she remembered Remy’s song, and how she had felt the same numbness and eager willingness to just walk away.

“Tell me something…”

Stryker scrambled up the side of a boulder the size of a house. “Isn’t that what I’ve been doing this whole time?”

“I know. I’m just full of questions,” Mira asked innocently. “These Otherkin. They all have special gifts, right?”

From his lofty perch he surveyed their surroundings. “Yeah, sure… talents.”

“So there are shifters. And they get nifty animal abilities. Then you said sirens. What do they do?”

“They… uh… use their voices to bring people close or send them away.”

“Like singing, right?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Mira remembered a story she’d read as a child: an ancient classic full of strange and beguiling creatures, one of which was able to draw a person to them with only the sound of their voice. Sirens, they were called. Though in the story they were all female. After learning of the Otherkin, she had to assume that those strange creatures she’d thought were myth had to be real. She was one after all. “Is Remy a… Siren?”

“Finally putting two and two together, eh?” Stryker laughed and hopped back down to the ground. “He makes a great gate guard. No violence needed. He can send intruders away with a song.”

“I wondered about that. And Alec… what manner of creature is he?”

“It’s really not polite to divulge an Otherkin’s ability to a stranger.”

That confirmed that they were all varied in abilities, and that Alec wasn’t a siren. He didn’t sing, though his voice did have unusually calming qualities. “Why is that? What harm is there in knowing what special ability he has?”

“Because… it’s just up to them to tell you. That’s how it works.” He started on again, through the trees. “We’re nearly there. Just a little bit further.”

Mira sprinted to catch up to him. Even after all their walking, he was still keeping a brisk pace. “But you told me about Remy.”

“No. Actually, you figured that out on your own. I had no part in that other than confirming your suspicion.”

“Details, details.”

“Those are the most important things. The details. If you pay attention, you’ll learn much more than if you ask to have the answers handed to you.”

“A philosopher and a wolf,” Mira laughed.

“What can I say? I’m an old dog.”

“Am I allowed to ask how old, or is that personal?”

Stryker paused for a moment, thoughtfully looking up at the moon. “I’m young enough to make mistakes, but old enough to learn from them.”

Never a straight answer. “I see.” She didn’t bother to press the matter. Age was not something that mattered to an immortal.

They reached the cave just before the sun began to rise. Stryker left Mira inside and said he would return later.

Though she was tired, Mira found it hard to settle in for the day of sleep. Her mind raced with all that had happened. She’d gone from slave to free. She’d found the sanctuary she’d always dreamed of, and in so short a time come close to losing it. The amount of new information she’d learned in the last days had her head spinning. Mira’s whole world had expanded by leaps and bounds. No more was she a ward of the government living in her dirty dingy cell, fighting for her life. Now she belonged to a new world filled with creatures she had not even known existed. She desperately wanted to remain in Caldera Grove, but worried for her human companions. Their decision would shape the future for all of them. Despite what had been said before, she would not force the decision on them. The fact that Stryker would bring his entire pack with them to help guard, more like witness, was disconcerting. She’d never fought a wolf, but prepared herself that she might have to if they pressed the matter. Honor demanded that she do anything to protect the people who had risked their lives to protect her. And, more than that, she cared about their wellbeing.

A lot was riding on the next evening, and Mira was not looking forward to it.