Ordained (33 page)

“The only way to stop it is to stop the cells from completing cell death.”

“You mean infect me for real?”

She hesitated. Emily knew Abby was dead set against the idea. She felt she would be damning the person to a life of regret.

“Yes.”

“You’d do that?” Emily asked, her spirits lifting. “You said you wouldn’t wish your life on your worst enemy.”

“Of course not. Then my enemy would never die either.”

“When can we do it?” Emily asked eagerly.

“We need to get you home first. We can’t do this under the Order’s roof.”

Home? Was she nuts?
I’m dying here!
Anxiously, she asked, “Can I wait that long?”

“Don’t worry. Noel and I only took so long getting here to keep up appearances. We’ve got a quicker means of travel at our disposal. We’ll be home by tomorrow.”

Emily nodded in agreement. Before Abby could turn to leave, she asked something that confused her. “If the mutated line of vampires descended from the same bats as you, why are they dead and you’re alive?”

“The mutations began with the cannibal and continued from there. The first elders weren’t dead either, but like I said before, we wiped out the elders when this all began. When those they feasted on turned, it was only after they died from blood loss. That was their very first mutation.

“At first they wanted the raw meat, so they developed sharper incisors to rip the flesh. Then they just wanted the blood, so the incisors grew longer to pierce the veins. Next they started hunting at night to keep from being seen. That caused them to become sensitive to sunlight.”

“Can they actually be burned to death by sunlight?”

“I’ve never seen it happen. Legend has it the vampires were wreaking havoc on the population. In order to control them a little, the gods cursed them with sensitive skin that burns and blisters easily to keep them from feasting twenty-four seven.”

“So the mural in the lobby of the manor isn’t quite right?”

“Are you really surprised?” Abby grunted.

“No, not really. But you would think that we of all people would have that right.” Emily tried to rub and soothe the wrinkles folding across her forehead. “One more question, since we’re somewhat on the subject again. Eraticus.” Abby looked at her curiously. “Why did he abandon you? Your aura must have been so strong. Devouring it would have kept him satisfied for a much longer period of time.”

Abby pressed her lips hard, thinking. “I believe he had every intention of returning for it once I finally died. He was a little ticked off at me for getting in that shot. Apparently, even demons have egos. But he was willing to wait as long as it took for me to die. I suppose the longer it took, the better in his mind. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t there when he returned and had no interest in a rematch. We used a spell to keep him from finding us again.”

“But you found the sword. Why didn’t you lift it? You spent a hundred and fifty years looking for him.”

“We did lift it. But Eraticus wasn’t stupid enough to seek me out. How he found me the first time is a mystery. I had been a vampire for awhile, yet he found me on the day I actually would have turned twenty-five. When he didn’t come, we figured we’d never get close enough without him realizing it, so we cast the spell again and sought him out in secret.”

Abby left her in peace to deal with the ten million thoughts flying through her mind. It was all too much information for her to process. She was literally, in a sense, dying. Tomorrow she would become something else, something strange, something she still didn’t fully understand. How many mores secrets had Abby and Noel kept from her? How many of those would concern her, possibly endanger her more than expected?

A month ago, she wanted this so badly, even though she thought the life involved a constant night life and a new fear of the sun. The idea was alluring. Immortality at a ripe age, an increase in power, a newfound importance with the work that she did, being included in secrets and missions that so few knew about. But now this new life scared her and it was approaching faster than the speed of light. There was no changing her mind or going back. Her future was set. Either this new life of the unknown, or death. There was so much she didn’t know or even understand.

Was this how Abby felt when she was tossed out of the manor? Thrown into a world she didn’t know how to live in? Abby at least had Noel to keep her in good company, to love her. How could Emily possibly find that now? A relationship was hard enough to keep just being a hunter. How could she have one now, knowing that her age would officially freeze within one day?

Questions and doubts continued to fill her head. She sat alone in the conservatory for several hours, camped out next to the largest fountain, trying desperately to drown out her thoughts with the loud splashing of water on rock.

Once Emily regained her composure, she made her way to the Chancellor’s office. She wasn’t interested in talking with Ethan, or the Chancellor, but she knew she had to speak to one of them. She stood at the door, unnoticed. Chancellor Moore was engrossed in his journal.

“I’m leaving,” she finally said.

He didn’t even bother to look up. “Be sure to be back by sundown. Curfew is still in effect while you’re here.”

“No.” That drew his attention. “I’m leaving with Abby and Noel.”

He leaned back in his chair and twiddled his thumb in his hands. “Emily, I’m sure whatever the problem is, we can come to a reasonable negotiation. You don’t have to completely leave the organization.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. “I’ve made my decision.”

“May I inquire as to why?”

The ‘why not’ list would be far shorter
. “You betrayed me. Plain and simple. You sent me off to die. Did you even care or were you too busy training my replacement?” His silence spoke louder than words. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

She had turned to leave before he spoke, “We have been trained not to become attached to our subjects.” He actually sounded sorry about that. Still, she had no remorse left to give.

“Lesson learned,” she said sadly. “Your duty here is done. Noel will be advising me from now on, not the Order.”

Emily had never seen him jump so fast. “You can’t be serious!” he bellowed. “He’s proven to be deficient with the care of a huntress! Abigail may be an incredible fighter, but she is completely out of control!”

Emily huffed in surprise. “You can kid yourself all you want about Abby and the way the Order raised her. Noel not only tamed the nightmare you created but he kept her alive for more than two hundred years.” She added coolly, “And I trust him with my life. Which is far more than I can say about you.”

Chapter Forty-Four

Abby burst through the antique wooden doors and slammed them back against the wall. Noel caught them on the rebound and stood guard behind Abby. Long, tired faces sat quietly around the table. The new advisor, Carmichael Flores, was startled by her action, but the rest of the Order had gotten used to Abby’s loud and unexpected behaviors. Her presence still frightened them though; she felt the twinge down her spine and couldn’t contain the smirk within.

Ethan had been addressing the Order, most likely discussing Emily’s new replacement. He sat down as she approached the end of the table, right where Jayden used to sit. Staring down the Chancellor, she said forcefully, “You’ve taken something from me that wasn’t yours to take. I want it back. Now.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Chancellor replied convincingly.

Abby placed her hands on the table and released a long, drawn out sigh. Boldly, she said with a dark, even tone, “Sometime during the past few days, one of you removed Valerie’s amulet from our room. Either you return the amulet to me or every one of you will leave this room by body bag.”

Several members of the Order fidgeted uncomfortably in their seats. As they mulled over her request, she visually scanned the walls of the conference room. “Odd,” she said. “I don’t see any weapons in this room, seeing how they’re on every other wall in this place. I figured they were there for your protection in case of emergency.”

A few of the advisors beseeched Chancellor Moore with their troubled expressions, their eyes practically bulging from their sockets in terror. No doubt the past murders were flashing in his mind.

Abby looked to her hands and watched as they slowly turned the bright, illuminating shades of red, orange and yellow. Smoke began to smolder as hand-shaped molds in the table slowly sank into the wood. Several advisors jumped. They had never witnessed anything magical from her before. For all they knew, her abilities were endless.

“Has she refreshed your memory yet?” Noel asked impatiently.

Hesitant, the Chancellor replied, “Roger, would you kindly return the amulet to Abigail?”

Roger slowly got up and hugged the wall to pass Abby.

“Noel, please go with him to prevent any further memory lapses.”

Noel followed him out. Abby removed her hands from the table and the handprints forever left behind. No way they wouldn’t replace it.

The blistering colors faded. It still amazed her that she felt no pain from that. “Let’s end this clearly, shall we? Don’t ever call for us again. Should I see any one of the bodies in this room within city limits of the three of us, I will snap you in half without hesitation. I won’t ask questions first. Got it?”

Her senses once again spiked. Their wide-eyes didn’t even blink as she left the room.

That evening the three of them made one last stop at the cemetery. The sun was about to set across the horizon. Abby kneeled next to Valerie’s grave and left a handful of daisies. Emily did the same for Constance and Calley.

“Three more huntresses down in their prime. Are we all destined to die young?”

“Maybe it’ll end here.” As she rose, Valerie’s amulet fell out of her shirt.

“Are you still getting visions?”

“No, thank God. They’re too deceptive for my taste. What you see isn’t always what you get. I’d rather just not know.”

“Can I borrow that for a second?”

As soon as Emily latched the amulet in place, she stared into nothing and blurted, “Ooh! Vision! I see it. Yes, I’m sure of it. You’re healin’ my arm!” With a large grin, she held out her broken arm in anticipation.

Abby was exuberant. Like a childish goof-ball, she jumped up and down and clapped her hands. “Yeah, I had that vision too!” Her face soured and she mockingly added, “But in my vision, Alcatraz was in the background.”

“Seriously?” she moped.

“Sorry.” Abby wrapped her arm around Emily and led her out of the cemetery. “That’s always the last power to return. It’ll be a few more weeks before I can help you out with that.”

Whining, Emily replied, “In a few weeks I won’t need you to heal it.”

Abby shrugged. “Que sera, sera.”

“It’s alright,” Emily moaned, “I’ll live.”

They approached the car down the lane. Noel opened the front passenger door for Abby and the back door for Emily. With one last scowl at the manor, Abby climbed into the car and they drove down to Twindel’s, for they had one last package to pick up.

Metamorphosis

The Immortal Archives

Book Two