Chapter 2: Rose
Caleb and I both took turns using the shower before leaving our hotel room. Neither of us knew how long it would be before we reached running water again. After I’d dressed, I slipped on a pair of old sandals Caleb had found beneath the bed. They were almost a size too large, but they were better than nothing.
Once ready, we descended the stairs to the reception desk and handed in the key. Sun blazed through the glass-doored entrance as we approached it. We stopped as we reached the last patch of shadowed floor. I looked up at Caleb.
“We’re going to have to find something to cover you or you won’t last long,” I said. “We should have brought a sheet down with us, or maybe we could ask the woman for one.”
Not waiting for Caleb’s answer, I walked back up to the reception desk and placed my hands on the counter.
“Um, excuse me.”
The woman peered up at me through her spectacles.
“Do you have a sheet you could spare?”
“Eh?”
“Uh, a sheet. You know…” I began making a rectangular motion with my arms, which only seemed to confuse her further. Apparently she didn’t get many English-speaking tourists here. Either that, or she refused to learn English.
Caleb gripped my arm. “Forget it,” he muttered. “A sheet wouldn’t be thick enough anyway.”
“What about a blanket?”
“We need something that’s fitted or it’s going to keep coming off.” He pulled me away from the woman, who looked happy to get back to her newspaper, and returned to the entrance. “We’re better off looking for some kind of long… raincoat. I’m sure they sell something like that in the market to tourists who come trekking here in the Amazon.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go to the market and get it for you. Give me the wallet.”
He looked annoyed with himself as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the wallet. “There weren’t any raincoats around when I walked around the market earlier this morning or I would have swiped one then. You should get yourself another bottle of water and something to eat while you’re out.”
I opened the wallet and ran my thumb along the notes. There weren’t many left, but I hoped that there would be enough.
I motioned to leave but Caleb held me back. He looked down at me seriously. “Be careful. And don’t be longer than ten minutes. I’ll be waiting here in the lounge. A minute longer, and I’ll come looking for you.”
I nodded and checked the clock on the wall. “I’ll hurry.”
I tried to leave again, but again he held me back. He slipped a hand into his shorts pocket and drew out a sheathed knife. He gripped my hand and placed it into my palm, closing my fingers over it.
“What? Where did you get—”
“Just take it with you,” he whispered.
I looked around the lobby, hoping nobody had seen what Caleb just handed me. We were the only ones in reception other than the woman, who was busy reading. I exhaled, hiking up my dress and fastening the knife to my underwear as best I could. I dropped my dress and straightened it out. “Okay.”
Finally, Caleb let me go. I rushed through the main entrance and down the steps to the street below. The sun blinded me as the heat hit my skin, and I could already feel myself beginning to sweat. The street bustled with life. Market stands were set up on either side of the road. I held the wallet closer against me as I scanned the stalls. I couldn’t afford to have anyone pickpocket me.
I passed a fruit stand and eyed the ripe papayas hungrily. They also sold cold drinks. But my priority was the raincoat. Once I was sure I had enough money for that, I could spend the rest on food for myself. Without the raincoat, we weren’t going anywhere.
I was beginning to notice a pattern in the types of stands I was passing. During my first minute of jogging along the sidewalk, it was mostly food stands, but now I was approaching more souvenirs, and soon clothes. I stopped at what seemed like the largest garment stall and began sifting through the racks.
“Posso ajudar?”
I looked up to see a young man with deep tan skin peering over one of the racks.
“I’m sorry, I don’t speak Portuguese.”
He smiled. “Oh, I speak English. No problem. Can I help with anything?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “I’m looking for a raincoat. The longest one you have.”
“Planning to go trekking through the rainforest?” He flashed me another grin.
“Uh, yeah.”
He walked over to the opposite end of the stall and sifted through the hangers. He pulled out a long black suit and handed it to me. It was clearly designed for exploring a jungle. It was long and made of canvas rather than plastic, which meant it was breathable. It also had a large hood and a flap that fell across the face, with thin mesh around the eye, mouth and nose area to allow for breathing. It was more of a bee suit than a raincoat, designed for heavy-duty excursions. Perfect.
“My uncle runs a tour company, if you’re in search of a guide…”
I barely heard him. My heart dropped as I looked at the price. I opened the wallet and fingered through the notes.
“Something wrong?”
“Do you have anything similar to this but cheaper?” I asked.
He frowned and walked back over to the rack.
“Hm. No, I’m sorry. That’s the cheapest we have.”
I cursed beneath my breath.
“Okay. I’m afraid I can’t afford it, but thanks for your time.”
I walked away from the stall and moved on to the next one. Not all of them spoke English, which made my search even harder. But that seemed to be the only stall that sold what we needed. I was also sure that ten minutes had passed already. I couldn’t find a clock anywhere to check the time. I didn’t want Caleb to have to put himself through the agony of the sun to come chasing after me. But I also knew that I couldn’t return without a coat.
My thoughts drifted back to the suit I’d seen earlier at the friendly young man’s stall.
As much as it grated against my conscience, I did the only thing I could think of. I walked back over toward the stall and stopped behind a tree opposite it. Peering round the trunk, I spotted the man. He had his back turned as he chatted with a pretty woman who looked after the stall next to him. I left my hiding place and drew nearer, crossing the road quickly. I hurried over to the rack and, reaching out for the suit, unhooked it from the rail. Casting aside the hanger, I rolled the coat into a bundle and tucked it under my arm.
A pang of guilt hit me as I hurried away. That was the first time I’d stolen anything in my life. And that man had been so friendly. I felt tainted, dirty, for doing it. But my desperation had overcome my values.
As it turned out, I didn’t have long to feel bad about it. Guilt soon turned to panic as a hoarse voice shouted out from my left.
“Oi!”
My heart leapt into my throat.
I caught a glimpse of another tan man—perhaps a relative—glaring at me about five feet away from where I stood. I hadn’t noticed him in my rush to grab the coat. I lurched forward, snaking in and out of the crowd, trying to speed up. Footsteps thudded behind me, followed by more shouts in Portuguese. People in the crowd were beginning to respond to the commotion, turning their heads as I rushed past them. A woman lurched for my midriff in front of me. I swerved to the side just in time to miss her. The knife Caleb had given me slid out from my underwear and dropped to the ground. My heart pounding, my parched throat stinging, I couldn’t afford to slow down.
I dared to shoot a glance over my shoulder only once I’d reached the top of the stairs leading to the glass doors of the hostel. Three men were chasing me now—including the young stall holder. I ran through the doors and cast my eyes about the foyer. My heart sank to my stomach.
“Caleb?” I gasped.
I ran to the woman at the reception desk. “The boy I was with,” I mumbled, even though I knew she barely understood me. Her eyes widened
as the front door swung open and the men lunged for me.
I stumbled back and ran deeper into the reception area. I swung open the doors of the dining area in the adjoining room, praying that I wouldn’t meet with a dead end. I didn’t know how long I could keep up this pace. I was already heaving from exhaustion. If there wasn’t an easy exit at the back of the kitchens somewhere, I’d be screwed.
The two men hot on my heels, I barged into the kitchen area.
A hollow feeling gripped my chest. Where’s Caleb? I could only assume that I’d been gone longer than ten minutes and he had indeed gone looking for me. We must have just missed each other.
Two bewildered cooks looked up at me as I skidded across the floor followed by three burly Brazilians. There was a door right at the end. I gripped it and swung it open. It led onto a tiny balcony. I hurried out onto it and slammed the door shut behind me, thanking the gods that there was a bolt on the outside. I pulled it shut and leaned against it, trying to steady my palpitating heart. I looked around me. Not far beneath the balcony was the bank of a river. If I could jump off the balcony and wade into the river, maybe they wouldn’t bother following me, but then what? How will I find Caleb again? Damn it. Where is that stupid boy?
The door shuddered as the three men barged against it. I wasn’t sure how much longer the rusty bolt would hold up.
I swung a leg over the balcony railing and was about to leap off when a familiar voice cut through the shouts and crashing.
“Gentlemen, please.”
I held my breath as the banging stopped. Without warning, there was a mighty crack and the door flew off its hinges. I found myself staring into Caleb’s face. He stood a foot in front of the other three men. Their faces were red and sweaty. Their angry eyes fell on me. I could tell from Caleb’s skin that he’d been out in the sun. His face was much redder than normal and his arms had painful blotches on them.
Caleb’s eyes roamed me briefly, then he turned to address the men. “I’m sorry for my wife’s behavior,” he said.
I stared dumbstruck at the vampire. My stomach fluttered a little hearing Caleb refer to me as his wife.
“I hope you’ll forgive her. She has a mental illness, you see.”
Whatever thrill I’d experienced evaporated. Gee, thanks.
The young shopkeeper glared at me over Caleb’s shoulder. “Give back the suit,” he demanded.
“Of course.” Caleb turned to me, his expression reproachful. “Now, Rose,” he began, talking to me like I was a child. “You know what I’ve told you about stealing. Hand over the suit, darling…”
As he closed the distance between us, he grabbed the suit from my hands and pulled it over himself. Hurling me over his shoulder, he leapt off the balcony and began racing along the bank.
Shouts erupted from the men again as they glared down at us. As Caleb began wading into the river, it was obvious that they weren’t going to bother following us. Instead they hurled insults at us as we drifted down the river.
As Caleb swam deeper, I suddenly remembered the wallet I had still clutched in my right hand. I’d been so panicked about running away from those men, I’d forgotten I was still holding it.
“Oh, no,” I said, lifting the wallet into the air. It was filled with water. I hoped that the notes would dry out and be usable again, but they were already starting to disintegrate and I’d lost several as Caleb had splashed with me into the water.
“There’s nothing we can do,” Caleb grunted. “If we need more money, we’ll just have to find some more.”
Feeling frustrated that we might have to rob yet another innocent person and overwhelmed by the crime I’d just committed, I took my frustration out on Caleb, even though I knew it wasn’t fair.
“Where the hell were you?”
“Why didn’t you pay for the jacket?”
“I asked you a question first.”
“I told you I’d come searching for you after ten minutes. I waited thirteen before I left the lobby.” His breathing was heavy as he swam upstream against the current.
“I would have paid for the jacket,” I said through gritted teeth. “But there wasn’t enough money.” I paused, trying to calm myself. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“I wasn’t out in the sun for long…”
He stopped swimming and groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“My eyes. The sun is blazing into them.”
It was terribly bright. The sun’s rays were reflecting on the waters, casting harsh glares on us. Having nothing else I could use, I placed a hand against his forehead like the brim of a baseball cap. I doubted its effectiveness, but Caleb kept moving, albeit slower than before.
We both drifted off into our own thoughts as Caleb continued swimming up the river. Buildings surrounded us, and we seemed to be in a more urban area. I hoped there weren’t as many leeches in these waters. Or alligators, for that matter.
Chapter 3: Rhys
I’d become convinced that the wolf was deliberately slowing us down. I didn’t know whether he had actually formed some attraction for Rose before I stole him away from The Shade, but as we arrived through the gate, he began moving through the rainforest at an excruciatingly slow pace.
I’d given him whiffs of both samples before we’d leapt through the crater. He knew exactly what the vampire and human girl smelled like. And I knew better than anyone that werewolves’ ability to smell was unparalleled. Even vampires’ ability to smell paled in comparison.
Werewolves could detect a scent for up to twenty-four hours after the target had left their location. It didn’t matter how briefly Caleb and Rose might have traveled through a place. If they’d been there, this wolf would know it. This also meant that we should never be more than a day behind the couple. After twenty-four hours, the scent would become weaker in an outdoor location, and after forty-eight, it would vanish completely. Indoor locations, of course, were a different matter. In any case, my plan was to catch up with them well before twelve hours had passed, while their trail was freshest.
But if we kept going at this speed, we might lose track of them altogether. I’d even fed Micah precious human meat before we left, knowing it would sharpen his senses and fuel him for the journey.
“Ungrateful beast,” I snarled, kicking his hind legs.
He growled at me and gnashed his teeth. He thought now that he was in his wolf form, he’d be stronger in defending himself against me.
He was in for a rude awakening.
Manifesting a knife, I caught hold of his tail and sliced it off in one swift motion. Blood gushed from the wound as he fell to the ground, howling and writhing like a dog.
Although his tail was of no particular use for my purposes, I regretted injuring the animal. I’d hoped that my first attempt at taming him might be enough, because I hadn’t wanted to do anything that might eat into his strength. I needed him to be swift and alert for the journey. I was dependent on him.
I grimaced at the thought.
A warlock dependent on a dumb brute.
Such a notion would have been sacrilege only a few thousand years ago. It just showed how much our own kind had brought us to ruin, and so quickly. I had suffered from the complacency of our authorities in The Sanctuary. I had been one of the later generations born after the Ancients had already passed on… except for the most tenacious of them.
If it hadn’t been for my aunt, Isolde, I never would have seen the light. I never would have had eyes to see the destruction we were causing ourselves by following The Sanctuary’s so-called leaders.
I scowled. It was thanks to them that I hadn’t yet mastered the ability to pinpoint a person’s location just by will alone, along with countless other powers the witches of our Ancients’ time simply took for granted. Powers that would have seemed elementary back then. It was painful to imagine how easy this task would have been if I hadn’t been brought up in such a pathetic, spineless society. One of the many reasons our mission was so important.
Our leaders in The Sanctuary were bringing us to ruin, creating shadows of our former selves. My blood boiled just thinking about all the propaganda they’d spread about the culture of our Ancients. They’d turned away potential revivalists before they’d had a chance to discover for themselves what the way of our Ancients truly was. The very Ancients who gave them life. Their own ancestors. It made me sick to my stomach.
I breathed deeply, trying to calm down and bring myself back to the present moment.
The time will come when our powers will rise above all others, when we will need nothing and no one. And it will be soon. Very soon.
Now I just need to focus on the task at hand… One step leads to another.
I looked down at the werewolf still whining on the ground. Pathetic creature. I tugged on his leash, forcing him to stand up.
“Move, dog.”
Chapter 4: Rose
Caleb swam for another half hour before drifting back toward the bank. When we got out of the water, we climbed up a sandy slope, through a thicket of bushes, and found ourselves standing at the side of a busy highway. Vehicles whizzed past, leaving trails of dust and smoke.
I looked up at Caleb, who was still wearing the flap over his face. I could just about make out his eyes, squinting behind the thin mesh.
“Now what?” I said.
He took the wallet from me and sifted through its soggy contents. As much as I’d tried to keep it above water, the notes had deteriorated beyond recovery. We had some coins left, but not many. He didn’t seem to be concerned about the notes. He pulled out the leaflet that had been tucked into the wallet and unfolded it. That too was falling apart.
“More important than money now is a map. A road map…” His voice trailed off as he looked left and right, scanning the highway. His gaze fixed on a wooden hut in the distance. I climbed onto his back, replaced my hands over his brows to form a cover, and he raced along the road. It took longer than I’d expected to reach it. Due to the sun, Caleb wasn’t traveling at his usual speed.