Empath (Book 1 of The Empath Trilogy)

  Ch. 52

  When I woke, I was once again tied to a chair. I was in a house; I couldn’t hear well enough to tell if it was in the city or country. My eyes couldn’t make sense of what they were seeing. I heard the buzzing of nearby voices, fuzzy and difficult to discern. I was reminded of previous episodes becoming all to frequent. Fortunately, the confusion was limited to external stimuli, leaving me with internal clarity of mind. Why was that?

  It had happened the first time at the wedding in a crowd of people I knew; the rest of the times were in Scotland. All of those times were in crowds of people and the last was with vampires, so I knew type of being didn’t matter. Thirst! James was thirsty when I had all of my episodes. When he was weak, I was weak and when he was strong, I was strong. That was what Miranda had said. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought of breaking the brunette’s nose. That had to be from him, as had been the ability to think clearly even when my life was in danger.

  That was it. I had to think clearly right now. James was probably going to need to feed to get his strength up, however, he wouldn’t take the time because he would be looking for me. I remembered what he’d said about when I’d “called him” in Duluth and I wondered if I could do it again.

  Forgetting everything outside my head, I went into my mind and concentrated only on James. Not just his appearance or voice, but him. Everyone has an essence or feel to them and James was no different. I focused my mind completely on who he was and I felt that fuzzy dizziness like before only it was different than the other times because this was controlled. It felt like the back of my head had expanded, reminding me of a painkiller I was given once for a sprained wrist. It was trippy and I considered it progress. Hell, I was trying to exploit a psychic link with a vampire I was bonded with for life. It didn’t get any trippier than that.

  Digging down deeper, I refocused my energy and concentrated on James until I felt like I could smell him. I saw him pacing in his living room. Henry and Troy were standing nearby speaking to Stephen. They all looked tense and upset, I could almost hear their voices rumbling as they argued. I thought as hard as I could about eating. Not like a human thinks of hunger where the belly growls and maybe there’s a side pain or two; I thought of the feeling I had at the wedding, the burning in my throat, the intensity of it. I combined it with my own human sense of hunger and thirst, hoping it would be enough to convey my message to him. It was exhausting and the image faded after a while. Stopping for a few minutes, I brought it up again, faster this time and I continued trying to send the message through my marks.

  I had lost track of time when I heard someone shout from the other room. An angry reply came, muffled, through the wall to my left. I glanced up as the doorknob turned and my fear wiped away all of my focus in a flash. Bradley himself stood looking down at me, flawless in a dark, double-breasted suit complete with handkerchief in the breast pocket. His short, slicked back blonde hair was perfectly groomed, his neatness contrasted with the haphazard appearance of the well-muscled, hairy individual standing beside him.

  His companion looked to be about five foot nine, stocky and barrel chested with spiky, black hair that came from a bottle. His black cargo pants were tucked into gouged and worn combat boots, dark chest hair stuck out through his open flannel shirt that had lost its sleeves at some point in its lifetime. The face looking at me was handsome in a vampire way, but the nose was a bit too bulbous and lips too thick for true beauty. In his human life, he had most likely been an unattractive bruiser. Maybe it was my time around soldiers, but I knew without question he was just that by the way he entered the room and automatically scanned it. I knew this was the one we had been searching for, the one from Chicago who had massacred William’s coven in Milwaukee. Henry was right; they were here.

  “Gaston,” Bradley addressed the bruiser in his clipped, manner of speech. “Have you met Claire yet? She belongs to James and Henry. You remember Henry, don’t you? He is the bastard you’ve come here to help me kill.”

  My blood ran cold and I tried to fight the impulse to scream. From somewhere in my racing thoughts came the realization that I could focus again. Had my efforts worked? Had I gotten through to James? If I had, that meant I could send them what I could of Bradley’s plan to kill Henry. I had to get them to talk, to find out what I could before I fled.

  “Why would you want to kill Henry? He’s not dangerous, he doesn’t even hunt humans.” Though I no longer saw Henry as the gentle fatherly type, he was far from being lumped into the same level of depravity as Gina or Bradley. It didn’t make sense that they were so intent upon his destruction.

  Bradley snorted at my remark. “Not dangerous? How well do you know Henry? I have known him for over two hundred years. I have seen your dear Henry, awash in blood, remove a woman’s head from her body while she screamed for mercy. You should ask him about it sometime; it is a fascinating story.” The sarcasm dripped from Bradley’s tongue. James said Bradley blamed Henry for the death of his mate. Could that be the woman he was talking about?

  “What woman Bradley?” I asked hoping to keep him talking.

  He stared right through me. “Gaston, would you let the others know it is time to move the weapon? I won’t be long here.” The brute nodded and opened the door, turning to leave when Bradley spoke quietly, “Oh, and let Gina know she can have her prize as soon as I am done.”

  My stomach twisted, anticipating what was coming. I had less than no time left. I was hoping he would want to gloat or maybe I could delay him with some good information. Maybe buy freedom. If the marks had proved effective, I’d like to think I could call for James, though I wasn’t sure. Because of the fact that my head cleared from my earlier efforts, I was willing to gamble everything I had on it. “Bradley,” I tried again, “my hands are numb, I wonder if you could come loosen them just a little.”

  Bradley didn’t even blink, it was clear that he was ignoring my requests. Then, when he did turn his attention on me I felt my heart stop. “What were you doing in Edinburgh, little pet?” His voice slid over me like a snake, leaving me feeling unclean in its wake. My tongue felt too thick for my mouth. I couldn’t have answered him if I wanted to. “Were you meeting with the Court? Are those bleeding hearts trying to rally support against me again?”

  When Gaston had opened the door to leave, I had a clear view down a long hallway and through a window. I was in an upper floor room of what had to be an older farmhouse. Turning to my right, I saw a wooden desk, an older computer on it with a neat stack of papers piled on top. Judging from the sounds I was hearing now, we were out of the city. There was some machinery running somewhere nearby, men speaking outside the window behind me. Nothing gave me any indication of location, though. My eyes desperately searched the window, the walls, anything to tie this house to an address.

  Gaston walked out and when he closed the door, a piece of paper fluttered off the desk landing beside it facing me. Squinting, I noticed my eyesight was much improved. The address at the top of the letter was legible if I concentrated really hard. As soon as I memorized it, I snapped my eyes shut and, using my meditation experience, I calmed myself enough to focus and tune Bradley out.

  I pulled up my ability and the marks like they were tangible objects from my mind. Picturing the house and address, I closed out everything else and projected as clearly as I could. A nuisance, a sound like a buzzing fly; I heard my name at the periphery of my awareness and ignored it. The buzzing annoyance continued, growing more insistent and finally grew impatient enough that I felt my eye explode in searing pain and my chair sailed backward.

  “When I speak to you, I expect an answer.” He looked at his hand and I saw his brow furrow in consternation as he righted my chair and studied my face. “You should be bleeding.” Just a few seconds more and I watched it dawn on him. “He marked you, that bastard.” A fury I was soon to understand flooded his
face and he raised his voice. “Yet another weak, pathetic human to distract us from our true destiny. It’s becoming an epidemic.” He directed his tirade at me. Once again the master of his demeanor, he ran his hand over his hair to smooth it. “Do you have any idea what Henry is doing to our society, keeping you humans around? It’s unconscionable.”

  The longer I kept him talking the better my chances of living and finding out more about what he was going to have Gaston do to Henry. “Henry said you hate humans and you want to start a war to get rid of us. But you killed other vampires, others of your kind. Why would you do that if you want to save your kind?”

  He smiled and sighed as though he were speaking to a child. “Humans have caused more damage to mine than you could ever fully understand, Claire. And sadly, some of our kind are unwilling to see that, they are sympathetic to humans. If we are to unite, these sympathizers need to be eradicated. They are as much a barrier to our success as the humans themselves. Social cleansing is a necessary part of any well conducted coup.” Shaking his head and putting his hands out as though to encompass the room, he looked out the window behind me. “What I would like to know is if you understand your specific involvement.”

  Deliberately, I shook my head no. There was no way I was going to mention that I knew Henry had killed Bradley’s mate. A trickle of doubt entered my head asking why Henry had killed his mate. What if Bradley had a point? Not that it justified ethnic cleansing, but it would go a long way toward explaining why he hated my family and me.

  “Henry is a sympathizer like William. He has a weakness for your kind; I heard it has something to do with making amends. I don’t care. It is a weakness he shares with his associate, James.” My body stiffened automatically at the mention of his name. Bradley noticed and smiled coldly. “Yes, I know you are his pet and that is why you are here, my dear. You see, where I come from, we believe that turnabout is fair play.”

  My instincts were correct. That cleared up that little piece of the puzzle.

  “Let me share with you something you do not know about Henry. It might change how you feel about his ‘peaceful tendencies’. Your friend Henry and I have always disagreed about the role of humans in this world. Time and again, he has gone to the Court about my methods and each time I have been able to argue the merits of my case. But he has no valid justifications for his requests for censure and he knows it.” Bradley waved a hand and shrugged, the picture of persecuted innocent. Again, his mood shifted and hate flowed back into his eyes. “Where he went beyond the point of no return was when his associate was changed. Have you heard the story of when your Master became a vampire?”

  I sat frozen, afraid to speak.

  Grinning shrewdly, Bradley gave a small shake of his head. “Certainly not the whole of it. James was never supposed to be turned, he was attacked by an associate of mine and my associate got sloppy. Sometimes that happens to the very old among us. They go a bit mad; no matter.” Smiling absently he waved a hand. “A dead human is not a loss but a victory for our side. This is war and it has been going on for millennia.”

  I realized then that Bradley was not starting a war, he thought we were already in one and that justified everything he did to destroy humankind.

  “Coincidentally, Henry had been in the area spying on my ally and myself, once again trying to convince the Court of our wrongdoing, when he heard about the humans being attacked and he interfered. He pretended to help at the scene so that he could check for survivors and saw them drag James out of the building, put him on a wagon and take him away. Apparently, there was still a faint heartbeat and the boy who had been pronounced dead was left unattended on the doctor’s doorstep, while the town fought the fire before it could burn down their village.” He snorted, putting a hand to his nose as if he were coyly hiding his smirk. “That would have been a real tragedy.”

  My jaw was clenched tight as I fought the urge to kill this crazy monster as he spoke so dismissively of James’ harrowing death. These were the kind of vampires James meant when he said that they could lose their humanity. I was instantly glad of our bond if it would keep him from ever being this cruel, though I doubted he had the capacity.

  “No surprise to you,” Bradley continued on, drawing me back, “the boy did not die because your dear Henry found him and turned him. He fed him a small amount of his own blood, but he was discovered and had to abandon the boy. He was not there when he rose. By the time he arrived, young James had already drained the good doctor and his wife. From there, he had no choice but to guide the boy. Henry took James away, helping him to elude his pursuers who declared him guilty of all three murders.”

  Bradley paced up and down the room, becoming agitated. “Henry was able to keep James from the humans, but not my associate. You see, my friend enlisted my help and that of my mate to take care of the boy. He had taken offense at Henry’s interference and we did not want the fool corrupting a young vampire with his ideals. When we caught up with them, your dear peaceful Henry killed my friend,” he paused and I saw the blank facade crack for a second, “and my mate.” His black eyes raised and I saw the tips of fangs beginning to stick out, “And as I said, I believe in an eye for an eye. Henry has not taken a mate for some time, but I have been waiting patiently and now James finally has. To my way of thinking, you owe me no less than two eyes, one for my associate and one for my mate.”

  My stomach flipped over and I tasted the bile at the back of my throat. I sat there, staring at the loathing in Bradley’s eyes and knew there was nothing I could say or do that might help me. I had nothing. Bradley watched the color fade from my face and smiled, calling over his shoulder, “Gina, you may come in now.”

  She had been waiting outside the door and her long stride swept her to his side in two steps. Gina rested her white hand on my shoulder and I looked over and saw purple polish on her short nails. It matched the color streaks in her hair. Funny what catches your eye when you know you’re going to die.

  Speaking to Gina, Bradley continued to look at me and calmly gave his instruction. “Do what you want to the rest of her, but I want the eyes.” Turning to her he asked, “Have they readied the weapon? We are moving on Minneapolis tonight. We can take the entire coven as peacefully as we did in Milwaukee.” He turned to face me and explained with an infuriating smirk. “It is a wonderful thing to understand one’s political system. No matter his suspicions, by the laws of our kind he cannot refuse my request to meet. To sweeten the pot I will tell him I will bring you. James will be sure to attend as well. The rest are of no real interest, I’ve been able to deter most of the locals from siding with what are soon to be enemies of the Court.”

  Gina’s enthusiastic smile sickened me. They were talking about wiping out two people whom I cared for like it was nothing. And my friends would go like lambs to the slaughter with no acceptable means of refusing. What about the Andrews clan, would they be bound to follow Henry into this trap?

  His business with me finished, Bradley left and closed the door behind him leaving just Gina and I in the room, which now felt infinitely more restrictive.

  Thinking fast, I remembered why James said Gina hated humans and tried to reason with her. “Gina,” I struggled to make my voice soothing like James did. “I know what it’s like to feel like you’re going crazy; I know what you’re hearing all the time. It’s a special ability you have, it isn’t madness. James and Henry can help you to control it. They can teach you to block people from getting into your head. They helped me. If you can help me get to them, we can teach you. You don’t have to suffer.” I hoped James had heard my call for help and was coming although I didn’t know how far away I was or even if my call had been successful.

  Her eyes were black and eager, fangs out. Gina didn’t even flinch at the sound of my voice. “You would say anything to save your skin, humans never speak the truth. Bradley showed me that.”


  He had poisoned her against my kind. That explained the direction for the hatred; how many others had he turned and twisted for his own purposes, creating his own band of supporters.

  “Humans don’t have any control over their minds, you’re too simple. But we can. Those who have abilities can serve our cause, that is the only way to redeem the evils your kind has done to us in the past. Like the boy. He is a weapon, and once enough vampires see what he can do, they will flock to the cause and finally put humans in their place forever.” Her eyes held all the fever of a religious fanatic.

  “What boy?” I felt the fear coiling into a cold ball in my chest.

  Proud to know something and enjoying her power, she gloated. “Gaston found the boy living on the streets. He has an ability that works on vampires, but not special ones like me. He can make vampires do anything we tell him to do. Did you hear what happened in Milwaukee? We did that with him.” She smiled, showing off now. “He turned them against each other while we just watched. We didn’t have to do a thing. He will do the same tonight with your beloved Henry. Who do you think will win, Henry or your James? Which one will have the honor of being executed by my Master?”

  My head was spinning and I could barely hear over the blood in my ears. James had an ability, that they knew, but not Henry; at least not one they knew about, or me either for that matter. The boy wouldn’t affect James but he would be able to manipulate Henry into going after James and, guessing from Henry’s age, I was assuming he was very powerful. My heart was in my throat.

  Trying to distract Gina and buy time, I tried to throw her a curve. “What about Henry’s werecats? Can your boy turn them against each other? They are neither human nor vampire. Maybe they will kill your boy. Or you.” I hoped I was doing the right thing mentioning the clan.

  As I had hoped, doubt flowed across Gina’s face casting it in shadows. She aimed a nasty look at me. “Bradley has thought of that; he thinks of everything.”

  I wondered what Bradley’s relationship with Gina was. She was clearly enamored with him. Even though she professed complete confidence in her idolized leader, I saw the doubt flicker again in her eyes. Without another word she strode from the room. I presumed she went to speak to Bradley. That didn’t give me much time.

  As soon as she left, I started working my wrists, only they were bound too tight to budge. I hadn’t been kidding about not being able to feel my hands. If I could get a hand free, I figured there had to be scissors or something in there I could use. My legs were tied at the ankles to the chair legs, but I could hop the chair, I bet. Giving it a test, I hopped a tiny bit and the chair moved, noisily, a few inches toward the desk. I only had to move it a few feet, and I decided sound was less important than speed, hopping hurriedly over to the desk. It was less than a minute and I held my tied right hand to the drawer. I could reach if I balanced on my feet and held the chair cocked with my hips turned. It was awkward but it allowed me to use my hands at the right level.

  Luck was with me and I found scissors in the top drawer. Working the blades against the rope, I was concentrating on my task so intently that when she came back in the room and slammed the door behind her, I jumped. And dropped the scissors.

  I watched her face change when she saw the scissors on the floor. She crossed the room in less than a second and her hand flew to strike me, as promised, across the nose. It brought tears to my eyes and I felt a few drops run down my lip, then it stopped.

  Judging from the look on her face, Gina wasn’t getting the desired response. She had been hoping for more of a human reaction. Maybe she remembered how much I’d bled the last time. Bradley must not have told her I was marked. She roared with rage and grabbed the scissors from the floor. Before I could register what was happening, she stuck them into my left thigh.

  I felt the metal scrape bone and I screamed. The pain was intense. I wished I could pass out, although I could feel it wasn’t going to happen. The blood was pouring out of my leg and I wondered if she’d struck something vital. Now that she got what she was looking for, her lips pulled back from her fangs, smiling with sick pleasure. She liked to see blood. She pulled the scissors out, licking them languidly and I saw her raise them again. I screamed before they went in my left shoulder.

  My mind didn’t let me pass out until she had stabbed me for the third time; the scissors were still sticking out of the last one, low on my left side. She had nicked an artery somewhere given the amount of blood pouring out onto the floor. The last thing I saw before fainting was Gina dragging her fingers across the steady trickle and sucking my blood from her fingers.

  While I was out, I dreamed of James. He was driving on a country road in the late afternoon, the sun low on the horizon. I was frustrated that I couldn’t see the blue of his eyes one last time behind his black shades. I wished I had the strength to send him a warning about Bradley’s trap. We were both going to die today. I heard his engine rev higher as I thought of our impending deaths.

  I was still dreaming of James when a bone jarring blow struck the back of my neck, sending my chair crashing forward. My head and left side hit the wood floor hard, knocking my shoulder out of socket again and smearing my face and side in the blood on the floor. I’d regained consciousness, I noted sadly. I would rather dream of better things as I bled to death.

  Gina pulled my chair up as if it weighed nothing and righted it. As she reached down and pulled at the scissors again, apparently her weapon of choice today, I heard a commotion outside in the yard. Gina did as well and glided over to the window to see. She roared and opened the window to yell out.

  I was lightheaded from pain and blood loss, wondering vaguely what she had seen as I sat in the chair, blood dripping from my body and adding to the growing pool on the floor.

  Their weapon maybe? I wondered how old he was or if he knew what he was doing when he made vampires kill each other for Bradley’s amusement. The noise from below floated up through the open window and I listened to it as I faded into unconsciousness.

  There was a fight between two barn cats, I could hear them hissing and growling. The other sounds weren’t as easily recognized. Tearing fabric maybe, metal bending and wood breaking. Once or twice I thought I heard yelling or screaming. Then, it was quiet.

  All of a sudden my hands were loose and I was floating. My left arm hung uselessly at my side. I heard myself whimper as I was shifted gently into a seated position. Hearing an engine, I tried to focus. Who was moving me and to where? “Can’t you just let me die in peace?” I grumbled at my captor. I knew it was going to happen, and then I thought about the family I’d come to love and how I had failed them. I felt the fight go out of me as I acknowledged my family was going to die. It made it easier to bear, knowing that I was going to die too. Faintly, I was aware of a car’s engine revving higher as I mumbled about death and traps and weapons, and somewhere in the car, something growled over the engine.

  I can’t say I was awake during my trip to the hospital, although I never completely passed out. During the drive, I was aware of cool hands stroking my face as I lay against the seat. Upon arriving at the hospital, I was picked up again and carried into the building. The bright lights above me were disorienting, then I saw a flash of the side of James’ face as he carried me. Trying to speak wasn’t working, but I made enough of a squeak that he looked down at me. He didn’t look very much like himself though, I wasn’t sure why. Maybe he was sick. Could vampires get sick? That was when I finally faded out.