Ever After (59 page)

I was thinking falling off however many feet from that bridge might just qualify as a trauma. I laid there awhile afraid to move and terrified to look. I could hear the river still, and it was very close. I began to think that maybe I wasn’t dead now and decided I had to get up despite the pain.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked up into the thin willow tree branches. I turned my head and saw the riverbank, tons of driftwood and limbs were washed up in piles around me. I wrinkled my nose at the heavy musty smell of the river. I was in fact barley a foot from the river and the water seemed to be rising.

I was wet, muddy, and freezing and as I tried to sit up my head hurt so badly I cried out in pain. I curled my arm up to my chest quickly. It felt like it might be broken. I knew I had to somehow scoot away from the river. I was too close to the water, and it could be dangerous.

I crawled up the bank as far as I could and leaned up next to one of the ancient weeping willow trees. I could barley sit up, and each breath seemed to hurt. I had probably broken a rib or something to top it all off. I couldn’t do anything but lay here now. I didn’t know if half bloods could get hypothermia, but it sure as heck felt like it right now.

My mind raced, I worried the Dark coven might have hurt some of the Followers when they broke in the house. I worried Will might not actually be ok, even though I saw him standing up at the bridge. I also worried I was going to die here, all alone and never see William, my dad or Gran again.

I could hear all kinds of strange sounds all around me. I knew I was in danger if one of the Dark coven members found me here, or some kind of animal. I did smile briefly an animal and a Dark coven member were basically the same thing in my book.

Chapter 46

“
William’s Point of View”

It was nearing dawn and we had been searching for her for over two hours and not one sign. I was sick inside. I had seen the terror in her eyes as Todd held her. I could do nothing to help. Pratt and Riley wouldn’t let me go. Pratt warned me I would be no match for Todd, as I was too weak to fight.

I wasn’t now, with each hour I regained my strength, my speed and a deeper hatred of Todd Downs and the Dark coven. Doc and Pratt said Corrine would likely survive the fall from the bridge. It was only the fact that she had phased into a half blood merely days before that saved her.

The problem she was going to have as Pratt explained to us was that she had not had any blood in many hours. It was critical for new vamps even half bloods to have a steady diet of blood to make their system strong. Pratt worried she was going to be too weak to handle being out in the cold and rain, not to mention her injuries from Todd and the fall.
I couldn’t bare to think of my sweet Corrine all alone and hurt in this hellish swamp. The weather was acting strange as another freakish cold front settled in on the New Orleans area. Doc worried Corrine might get hypothermia being out here. The sooner we got to her the better.

Doc had the coven house secured, we were lucky Leo had not come with Todd and Kyle to kidnap me. None of our coven had been hurt in the break in; it was only me that they wanted. Doc was still trying to negotiate with Leo on settling this mess between them.

Pratt was anxious though. The elders of the Irish coven had arrived in New Orleans just an hour ago and were heading to Doc’s plantation house as we searched for Corrine. They were irate with Leo and what he was doing to us. I knew they were also still raging about the murder of their own half bloods in London.

The elders of the McClain coven were very good friend’s with Doc and Pratt and would help us in any way they could. The thing Pratt worried about was the fact the McClain’s had very bad tempers, and if Leo pushed them or us, they might snap and just go after him. They had very little patience for the Dark Coven.

I had heard that many of the Irish covens were hot tempered. Honestly, I hoped they did snap and go after Leo and the entire Dark coven and kill them all. I had not met any of them, and from what I heard, about ten more of their coven were coming from Ireland later next week.

It was planned to set up in teams to search for Corrine. Pratt, Roth, and I made up one party. Andrew, Riley, and Sam made up party number two. The last party was Doc, and two of the elders James and Seth. It was a heavy swamp area we had to search, so we had to spread out and search the area carefully.

The rain still fell as we walked the banks of the river. I walked slowly as I thought of Todd escaping us. Roth and Taylor had jumped for him after he threw Corrine over the bridge. The thing they had not expected was that he too jumped over the bridge before they could get a hand on him. Kyle did not get away though at least. Roth and Taylor drug Kyle off into the woods, and they did not come back for a good twenty minutes. Kyle was no longer an issue after that.

Doc gave us all his permission to kill Todd Downs; he was not to be allowed to live under any circumstances. We all knew he was definitely still alive, being a full-blooded vamp the fall, and the cold wouldn’t kill him.
I
was what would kill him, somehow some way I was going to get him out of Corrine’s life for the last time.

I was not going to have her worry about him hunting her down anymore. I just hoped she was still alive, and that Todd didn’t find her before we did. They were probably in the same area, since they went off the bridge within minutes of each other.

It was so cold and wet as we traveled deeper into the swamp. Doc had called Pratt on his cell phone and warned us the river was set to flood even more as heavy rain was moving in. Time was not on our side, as if it ever was anyway. It was also possible Leo sent some of his vamps out into the swamp to look for Todd or even worse Corrine.

Doc and Pratt begged me to go back to the coven house and rest, but I refused. There was no way in hell I was leaving Corrine out here; I would die searching for her if I had to. I would never stop until she was back safely with me and in my arms. She was my world my purpose for living and nothing was going to stop me from getting to her, not Todd, Leo or this dammed swamp.

Chapter 47

(Continued: Back to Corrine’s Point of View)

Lost

I drifted in and out of sleep as the river roared louder and woke me up. I slowly raised my head despite the searing pain in my temple. The water was higher now and the sun was rising. The sky was masked with heavy rain promising clouds. I sighed and laid my head on the tree trunk. If it rained, more that damned river would flood the lower swamp and I would never get out of here alive.

I knew I couldn’t swim. I was just too tired and weak. I heard an ear-splitting crack of thunder in the distance and shuttered as a chill went through me. I curled my legs up to my chest, put my head down on my knees, and cried. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take.

I coughed and my skin felt like it was on fire, no doubt the effects of not “
eating
” coming down on me. I knew I needed blood to keep my system from shutting down, but there was no way I could get any here. I would have to catch a rabbit or something. I had heard Roth say he did that when he had to in his early days.

I couldn’t catch a dammed turtle in the shape I was in right now. The tears came heavier as I thought of William and my family. I had only wanted to share my life with William, but it always seemed things got in the way for us. I close my eyes in defeat. I had cheated death many times this year, and it surly seemed it was going to win this go around.

I stiffened as I heard someone or something walking along the bank of the river not far from me. I had to be quiet, as it could be one of the Dark covens or some big animal wanting to eat me. It moved closer and I tried desperately not to shake or I might be seen. I had enough mud on me to blend in with the underbrush, I hoped anyway.

“Well what have we here?” A voice too familiar to me broke the silence. It was Todd, and now I knew my luck and defiantly run out this time. I looked up at him slowly as I forced myself to sit up against the base of the tree.

“Where’s William? Don’t tell me pretty boy left you all alone out here to die?” He laughed, knowing I was alone. I swallowed hard, my throat burning. I couldn’t imagine how he got out here and, why hadn’t Roth and Taylor killed him at the bridge.

“I took a little swim like you did; Will’s little cousins didn’t expect that! I can see you’re shocked to see me out here. Are you afraid Corrine? All alone with me out here? Nobody to rescue you this time.” I blinked hard trying to keep my eyes open. Something in my neck hurt as I tried to look up and see him better. I knew I was in bad shape, I just didn’t know how much damage had been done yet.

“If you want to kill me just do it Todd. I don’t care anymore. I’m dying anyway.” The words I said hurt me to say aloud, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew I was going to die soon. I could feel it in my bones and there was no denying it. Todd stepped back and gave me a confused look.

“What, no begging for mercy?” He leaned down next to me and got it my face. I tried to pull away but had now where to go. I closed my eyes as he pushed my muddy hair off my face. He sat there silently just staring at me as I shook and took shallow breaths. I could hear my heart racing in my chest, that was a death sentence to a vampire and I knew it.

“What the hell’s wrong with you anyway?” He took my pale limp wrist in his own dirty hands. His eyes narrowed as he felt my pulse going dangerously fast. “Your pulse is going crazy, you know you’re going to die don’t you?” I turned my head away as tears streamed down my face.

“Well this just takes all the fun out of killing you. It’s like killing a half dead animal or something.” I could tell he was ticked off that I was not going to be a
challenge
for him to kill.

“Just leave me alone.” I whispered. I hoped he would just let me lay her and die, and not torture me. He ran his hand through his wet hair and looked around nervously. I hadn’t heard anything, and couldn’t figure out why he was so nervous suddenly.

I gasped in pain as he suddenly grabbed my arm and jerked me to my feet. I slid in the mud barley able to stand.

“Oh no Corrine, I have waited so long to kill you. I get a chance and somebody always sweeps in and messes it up. This time nobody is going to mess my plans up to end your miserable life.”

I stood there unable to speak. I took a step towards the tree as Todd let me go, he knew I could not fight him or run. Everything was spinning around me uncontrollably.

“Go on and run, now Corrine. You are boring me to
death
.” He laughed in my face. “Pardon the pun since you are going to be lucky to avoid yours today.”

“I can’t.” I coughed out as I put my hands to my eyes, trying to stop the spinning.

“You better try or I will just begin to torture you now. If you run I may not make your death as painful.”

I winced as he reached a hand towards me and grabbed me by the shoulder and shoved me towards the wooded area of the swamp. I stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground.

“I just can’t do it.” I begged.

I thought for a minute he was going to give me a break, and give up this sick game he was playing with me. I was dead wrong, as he kicked me in the stomach as hard as he could. I cried out in pain and curled up into a ball onto the ground. I had no time to react as he grabbed my hair again and pulled me back up on my feet.

“Run now or you’re dead!” He yelled.

I took off using up the last bit of strength I had left to run for my life. I ran into the woods, grabbing onto the tree limbs to pull myself along. Todd was right behind me laughing and enjoying my struggle. I paused to long for Todd’s liking at an inlet next to the river where a logjam had piled up.

I looked around but couldn’t see anything, the fog was so thick it didn’t even seem like it was daytime. Todd grabbed me from behind and shoved me into another tree nearby. I could feel blood running down the side of my face as I struggled to get up. This was a game of cat and mouse to him.

“Hmm, I’m a bit hungry maybe I will have a little snack and that will be you!” I knew he wasn’t kidding as he eyed the blood on my face with hungry eyes.

“This fog is making my little game of cat and mouse with you all the more fun.” He knelt down and looked into my eyes. “I can see it in your eyes; you’re trying to think of how to get away from me. It’s that annoying little will to live thing you still have in you, because you’re a half blood isn’t it. Too bad you’re so prone to injury from full bloods, and let us not forget the ever popular death.”

“You’re sick I wish I had never met you!” I snapped as I wiped the blood from my head.

“It’s too bad for you that I’m now tired of playing around. I have things to do and I’ve become bored with you.” I could see the color of his eyes get darker, he was angry and ready to kill me. I raised my arm to cover my face as his fist came straight at me, hitting me right on the side of the head. I held my face and cried.