The Gathering (73 page)

"What's going on?"

Sean pointed to two of his soldiers and motioned for them to also get their horses.
 
They ran off as he turned back around.

"Well, your sister informs me that Mr. Forrester and several others are on their way back due to injuries and need our help.
 
She wanted to go, but she's not allowed, so I'm going."

Jeb and Henry Forrester also walked up with their horses.

"We're coming, too."

Sean smiled and nodded.

"Glad to have you."

"You aren't leaving without me, are you, Gentlemen?"

Beverly rode up to the group on horseback, the staff by her side.
 

"Well, if they’re injured like Sara thinks, then they’ll need attention, so no, we are not leaving without you."

Sara's smile faded as she walked over to Beverly.
 
Beverly looked down at her and Sara saw the woman she had known for most of her life; that loving, good-natured soul she had always trusted.
 
She laid her hand on Beverly's leg.

"Fix him up good, Bev."

"Will do, Sweetie… I'll fix up both of 'em."

Kaley stepped forward.

"Who else is hurt, Bev?"

Beverly looked over at Kaley as the two soldiers came towards the gate, leading Sean's horse.
 
Sean nodded and the gate began to open.
 
He mounted his horse and they filed out of the village.

Kaley ran forward and yelled.

"Who else, Bev?"

Beverly stopped her horse and turned.

"He'll be fine, Sugar.
 
I'll make sure of it."

Kaley looked after them and turned around.
 
Sara was standing in front of her.

"They'll be ok, Kaley… "

Kaley bit the inside of her lip as she fought back the initial tears of worry and then grabbed Sara's hand.

The soldiers ushered them back into the village and the gate closed as the party left to search for Scott and Ian.

110

Rona sat quietly at the end of the bed with a sheet wrapped around her.
 
She smiled as she watched Blaylock.
 
He was staring at the ceiling, his arm behind his head.
 
He had a small smile on his face.

"Thinking about what you'd like to do to Coeli Stark?"

Blaylock grinned and looked down at Rona.

"You know me too well, Ro."

"It's not hard to figure you out, Tommy.
 
Umm, can I ask you something else?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"You can ask me whatever you want."

"What it is with you and Gary?"

Blaylock sat up and shook his head.

"Not sure what you mean."

Rona shrugged and played with her fingernails.

"I don't get it.
 
It's not like you need him.
 
He just follows you around like a puppy, waiting for orders.
 
Waiting for your scraps."

Blaylock smiled and cocked his head.
 
Rona felt cold for moment as his icy eyes stared through her.

"Exactly.
 
He does whatever I tell him.
 
If I told him to suck my cock, I'm sure he would.
 
That's what subordinates do…"

Blaylock dropped his legs over the edge of the bed.
 
Rona watched in awe as he stood up and stretched; every muscle in his body rippling and bulging.
 
Then he walked past her.
 
She looked down and then felt his hands around her throat, squeezing.

The air she drew in was thin and she remained perfectly still.
 
Blaylock's hands increased the pressure and then relaxed and moved down her chest under the sheet.
 
Rona drew sharp breaths as he squeezed her breast hard.
 
She felt her skin tingle under his touch.
 
She felt his breath against her ear.

"The real reason it's me and Gary… it's more fun to share it all with someone else… someone who gets it.
 
Like you, Baby… you get it."

Rona nodded.
 
She remembered the day they had come across Paul, Frank and Colleen.
 
She had held down Colleen as Blaylock and Brollen and their men took turns.
 
She had also ended Frank Stark's life after torturing him.
 
She had loved it, every second.

Suddenly, Blaylock removed his hands and walked to the window.
 
She looked over, disappointed that he hadn’t continued.

"What was that thing with Lantry back at the Fail?" she asked.

Blaylock stopped smiling and glared at her.

"What thing?"

"You were scared… maybe only for a second, but there was something about him that scared you… what?"

Blaylock looked back out the window and ran his hand over the top of his head, pushing back the black mane of hair from his face.

"The first woman I ever killed was this lawyer bitch.
 
I don't know why I picked her.
 
She was older than I like ‘em… twenty-five maybe, anyway, I followed her.
 
I studied her and one day when she was leaving work, I took her.
 
Made her drive out to a secluded area."

Blaylock got up and walked over to his Sporran and found several frayed blond hairs tied to the very edge of the ring.

"I did her over and over.
 
She was a fighter and taking her life was everything I thought it would be."

Rona shrugged.

"Ok, great, but what does that have to do with Lantry?"

Obviously irritated, Blaylock smiled through gritted teeth.

"I'm getting to that, Precious, so could you shut the fuck up?
 
Thanks.
 
So before they find her body, the family is all over the TV.
 
Her name was Grace… Grace Lantry, my first."

Rona's eyes grew wide.

"You did Sean Lantry's sister?
 
That's awesome!
 
But why were you afraid?
 
He didn't know it was you."

"I went to the funeral.
 
Saw them all sitting there, boo hooing and all that… anyway, there was this minute where he looked up and turned around.
 
He stared right at me, like he knew it was
me
, but he eventually turned back around and that was that.
 
It was like reliving that moment when he came charging at me.
 
First thing I thought about was, 'Oh, Christ!
 
The cops'll be here any minute’, then of course I remembered… oh, by the way, thanks for saving my ass out there."

Rona shrugged.

"Sure…"

"Hey, Ro?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you still walk?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Well, let's see if we can't fix that in the thirty minutes I've got left."

He grabbed her arm and wrenched it towards him and spun her around.
 
She smiled as she felt every inch of him in her and around her.
 
He wasn't hard to figure out, not hard to figure out at all.

111

"What do you want with us?"

The Shape moved silently between the two girls.
 
They were each strapped securely in a chair and they each had a needle and tubing siphoning their blood.

"Well, I thought that was obvious, My Dear… I need your blood."

Chelsea shook her head.

"Why?"

The Shape folded his arms in front of him and stared down at her.
 
Her heart began to beat wildly, but she stared back at him.

"A virgin's blood is very powerful.
 
I need it."

Hannah and Chelsea looked at each other.

"How did you know…?"

A grin came from under the hood.
 
Hannah felt herself shrink back into her chair.
 
The Shape moved forward and began to remove the needle from Chelsea's arm.

"It doesn't matter.
 
I'll be taking your blood whenever I need it, Ladies.
 
So, please make sure to drink all of your juice and eat those oranges."

He finished removing the needle from Hannah and two Horde guards entered the room.
 
He waved his hand and they moved forward and untied the girls, then escorted them out of the room.
 

The Shape took the blood over to the altar and set it down next to the jars of Ferage's blood.
 
Then he reached into a cupboard and brought out a small wooden box and lightly ran his fingers over the lid.

"You tried to hide it from me, but I found it.
 
You weren't as clever as you thought, Beloved."

The Shape placed the box on the table and opened the lid.
 
A bright golden light came from within.
 
He took the girls’ blood and dropped some in the box while chanting in an ancient language.
 
Then he took the unicorn blood and dropped that into the box.
 
As it fell in the box, black smoke ascended from the container.
 
Then he took several herbs and dropped those in the box, as well.
 
Finally, he picked up a vial of oil which he poured in and then lifted his hands.
 
The black smoke turned red and was sucked back into the box.
 
The Shape lowered his hands and smiled, that dark faceless smile, as he gazed into the box.

"Everything you wanted to deny me… everything I deserve, it will be mine."

The Shape laughed and closed the lid of the box as he carefully tucked it away on a shelf.
 
Then he turned, walked to the door of his altar room and opened it.
 
Anne was waiting for him in his bedroom.
 
She lifted her head and smiled.
 
He closed the door behind him and as he walked towards her, his lust rising.
 

"Perfect timing, My Dear."