Chapter 17
Wood
BANG!
BOOM!
BOOM!
I jolted awake at the sound. The sheet falling from my skin, I shivered, remembering last night. The lusting. The marking. His bite. But … this wasn’t about then. It was dark.
“We have to go. Here.” Ethan was beside me, handing me something.
A shirt. My shirt? I was partly undressed. I pulled it on in the darkness, trying to spy Ethan’s reaction; it was too dark to take in.
What is going on?
“They found us.”
BOOM!
Another wave of explosions erupted outside.
Silence lingered for several seconds before another boom came, closer. Something smashed through the window and smoke filled the room. Ethan had me around the waist, carrying me out of the room we’d shared in a lusting. NO. I wanted to stay. To not be interrupted. To wake in the morning in his arms, with his kiss … Why were they here? How did they find us?
Boom!
Boom!
More objects came hurtling through the lounge windows. Ethan moved with ease to escape to the front door and outside. To my amazement, the storm was gone, but thunder was rumbling. Lots of thunder and disturbingly bright. Not thunder or lightning.
Bikers? A dozen of them. All reeving their motors and shining their lights on us.
Laughter broke through the thunder. They were enjoying this. Ethan held me tight; as the beams shined on us. I understood how a deer felt with the headlights pointed at it. The glare was so bright; I didn’t know how close it was. There was movement, a figure walked in front of the beams. Breaking the light’s glare and creating a silhouette—three figures.
“Go on, give us a chase,” said one voice.
Ethan ran. Everything blurred around me. Fast. That’s what it was.
Faster than fast.
Darkness and the touch of Ethan holding me, told me all was going to be okay. He was running like the wind. Nothing could get us. Nothing could stop us. We had made it. We were free. Something painful entered into my chest. It wasn’t something I understood. Just that one moment I was in Ethan’s embrace; his arm around me. Then, I was thrown from him, as to was Ethan. We were caught and separated without warning; falling hard to the soil. Ethan had turned and grabbed me up in his arms an instant later, to have a figure slam into him. He was knocked several feet from me. His body still. No, that’s not right. Ethan’s a vampire, he can’t die. I watched in the haze of the moonlight as the figure took shape.
There stood Tristan, black leather, his dark locks messed, and a mark on his neck looked fresh. A wound? In his arms, he held a log as thick as him and just as tall. He tossed it aside. “Well, that was fun.” An evil smile was visible in the moon’s shadows. He lifted me to my feet in a single tug. Four more voice’s joined him.
“You got her Tristan.”
“Yeah, sure do.”
“What bout her boy.”
“Bring him with us; I want to have some fun.” Tristan wicked, as his hand came to my cheek. “Shhhhh. I won’t hurt you. I have a gift for you.” His voice was calm, it wasn’t velvet soft like Ethan’s. He wasn’t anything like Ethan, brother or not. He pulled a ring from his jacket and shoved it onto my finger, holding it to his view and mine—he kissed it. Not an ordinary ring I would choose; gold with a black stone. “There, that will stop your Fae powers affecting any of us. The Master will be pleased I have done as he asked.”
He kissed me on the lips, forcefully. I pulled away with strength. He didn’t stop for several painful seconds, with a devilish grin in place as he palmed my cheek roughly.
“There, now that was sweet, time to go boys.”
Laughter erupted as they grabbed Ethan by his ankles and dragged him across the hard earth, laughing. Tristan pushed me along, forcing me to walk.
I tried to fight him, shoving him off me. I was nothing but a human girl. Fae or not. It was no use, he was stronger. With one swift movement, he lifted his arm into view.
Whack.
It was a starch white blotch of pain for a fleeting second before I lapsed into darkness.
Soil heaved into my lungs as I tried to breathe. “Get your hands off her.” Ethan’s voice brought me to reality.
Ethan! I called.
“Oh, how lovely Tristan you brought her to me.” This voice was airy and flaky.
I rolled on the ground, coughing, I forced myself to take in my surroundings. A cave. Why was I in a cave? My hair tangled and fell across my face; clawed fingers grabbed me and brushed the hair away with speedy wipes.
A tall man stood before me. No. Vampire. Thin, bony, pale and pasty. His red eyes stared, and for a fleeting second he didn’t move or blink that I thought he was frozen. His pure white hair blew. Horror festered inside of me … familiar was there. Why was he familiar? A nasty purple scar was above his left brow.
“Oh, she is hurt, look at what you did Tristan,” said the vampire—must be the Master.
He jerked my head to the side where I could see Ethan on the ground, held by three other vampires. Fury and worry on his face. Tristan stood in front, his smile showed no fear, only amusement.
“I’ll have to clean her up,” said the Master. He turned to him, his mouth opened. His tongue; red and possibly poisonous—stuck out—like a dog, ready to lap my cheek. Cringing away from it. Ethan hissed.
“Don’t touch her, you bastard. I’ll kill you.” He struggled under his attackers.
The smack of them hitting him had me cry in silence. Several loud thumps echoed as they punched him. I wished it was Ethan hitting them. It didn’t stop the thin man’s tongue from licking up the side of my face. The pain in my jaw, and the swelling of my cheek were going, I hated that he was doing it. It was rough and coarse. I pulled away with all my strength until he finally let me go.
“Oh, now, that wasn’t nice. I was only trying to help,” he cooed, as though he was helping a child. He stared for a length without moving and again I was thinking he was frozen. Was he in some kind of trance?
I was calling to Ethan. He wouldn’t answer me, and he wouldn’t say anything if he could, he was a wake, hurt and wanting to fight.
“Oh, yes. You two can’t be chatting to each other. No, no.” The Master waved his hands around as though he was in a mystical swirl of fog swaying from side to side, he grabbed my hand, which made Ethan fight. The three who held him down were struggling, but keeping a hold on him.
“This is a powerful ring,” he said, holding my hand up to his view. “It’s the only thing that can stop your thoughts, and your powers little Fae.” His red eyes lingered on it. “I want you to talk to me … To undo what you have done. It’s been such a long time.”
I shrank back. Who was he? I didn’t know him. Done? What did I do?
“Oh, so scared little Fae. I don’t know why. I am nice, kind, and easy to get along with. And you look at me as though I am a stranger. Oh, the problems with trancing a Fae.” He made a sad face. “I am Master Alastair, and you are my keeper of freedom.”
He dropped my hand and floated away in that airy dance movement he was doing. He looked at the others holding Ethan, Alastair’s grabbed Ethan’s head pulling it up.
“If you had not been so quick with your lusting I would have remained hidden forever. So I should thank you, dear boy.” He dropped Ethan’s head pushing it into the ground.
Noooo! I screamed, but no voice was heard. It wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I made him do it. I made him bite me … to mark me as his. Leave him alone. I screamed.
“Oh, did I frighten you my dear,” said Alastair, his airy voice held no concerned. “Oh, it’s okay. Shhhhhh … There, there.” He came towards me, bending over me trying to comfort me. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt him anymore, I promise.”
Tears pricked at my eyes. I gasped for breath as I pleaded with Ethan. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I cried to him.
“Now, now. No talking. There, there.” The Master was soothing me. “I
won’t hurt him, but Tristan will,” said Alastair, with a side glance.
Tristan hauled him to his feet with three others holding him still and with one swing—
Crunch!
The pressure of his hit knocked all four of them stumbling. They held their ground. Ethan didn’t call out—his head jarred to the side forcefully and blood sprayed in all directions. I screamed at the sound it made. Tristan laughed with the pain he was causing his brother.
Noooo …! I breathed. It was no use.
Alastair nodded at Tristan who paused in a second swing.
“All I want is to be free. Hmmmm. If you can just undo your spell, all will be as it needs.” He waited a beat.
Spell? I barely know how to light a candle.
“Oh, I see.” His clawed fingers shifted my hair from my neck, touching the mark; running bony fingers over the area. I hated he touched it. It was mine and Ethan’s. Our mark. And when I get fangs, I will mark him as mine.
“Hmm … such a commitment, and after a few hours of running away.” He leaned closer. “So. Will you do it? Remove my curse, let me leave, so I can be free, and you and your boy can go home and make more lusting.” His long boned fingers tapped along my cheek. “I need you to talk to me, and only me. If you don’t, well.”
He clicked his fingers.
Tristan pulled a wooden stake from his jacket. I frowned. Ethan had said they couldn’t die; why was there a stake?
“Oh, he won’t die dear,” said Alastair, “He will feel the pain of what wood does to us, you know the new age vampire’s think they are invincible. But the wood can still hurt us, can even wound us to the point we can’t heal.” He clicked his fingers and Tristan thrust the wood into his brother’s stomach.
“Grahhh!” Ethan cried out, doubling over. “Tristan. Please. Stop. Don’t do this.”
“Begging one of my men are you.” Alastair laughed. “Tristan is under my control dear boy. Pleading for your life isn’t going to change that. He’s mind is mine the moment I bit him. But, I need real blood and he fetched … Mmmm …”
Tristan wriggled the wood inside Ethan, making him gasp and shake violently.
Nooo. Ssttooooooooopppppp!” I yelled. Wishing my voice worked.
“Oh, it’s okay, he will be fine. Right as rain in a few days.” He mused as my screams matched Ethan’s.
Fresh tears poured as Ethan struggled to stand, staggering towards me. Tristan placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from making those few steps. The Master shrugged and turned to me, grabbing my face with his bony fingers.
“So now you know what I want. You will only talk to me, little Fae.”
Lost in my pain, crying, gasping and seeing Ethan bleeding, pale—twice pale to what he usually is. He didn’t want me to say yes to this, but I couldn’t let them hurt him. I nodded.
“Excellent, how wonderful.” He clicked his hands once more.
The stake was withdrawn from Ethan twice as slow. “Grahhfff!” Making the moment ten times more unbearable than before. “Grahhhfff!” He gritted his teeth and dropped to the dirt, panting for air, for the release of pain he was suffering. Weak, bleeding and defiant; he crawled towards me, but the three vampires placed a foot on his back, pushing him to the ground; stopping him in his escape attempt.
“Now, remember, once this comes off you will only talk to me. Or you will see him scream again.” Alastair grabbed my hand and pulled the ring free, shoving it into his deep robes.
Trying to calm myself and not to talk to Ethan was near impossible. Was he okay. Will he be okay? Is it … too much? I closed my eyes and focused on Alastair.
“Good, now—” His eyes darted to Ethan as though to confirm I didn’t talk to him. “Let’s begin shall we. I want to know what you did to me?”
I don’t know you; I don’t know who you are?
“Oh how interesting, just like you said Tristan. She has no memory of that night.”
How does he know anything about me?
“Oh. It is I, who ask the questions, dear, but yes. I should tell you. Tristan was my look out. I have been stuck in a slumber, until two days ago. I woke up, and I had no idea why I couldn’t leave this cave. And I was very thirsty.
“Tristan here found me. Mmm. Vampire blood does have a taste about it. But, I needed real blood. So, I took enough to claim power over his mind, to control him at my will. So, I told him that a Fae had tricked me, and once I described you to him, he followed you.
“All he had to do was bring you here, seems your boy wanted to keep you hidden. But he was a fool to do a lusting. It is power dear boy. To bite with love, and Fae at that. Oh, I felt how strong it was from here. That was why we were able to track you. You and your lover broke some of the hold on me, but not all of it. I can’t leave and not to mention you are mouth watering.”
Ethan struggled, and managed three paces towards me, but his bodyguards stopped him.
“Oh, don’t worry, Ethan. I wouldn’t want to bring down the cave, after all your love for her would ignite a war, and we can’t have that, now can we?” Alastair turned his smile to a sneer of amusement. “Shall I tell you what happens when a vampire loses his love?” He was going to tell me regardless if I wanted to hear it or not. “Did he tell you what a heartbroken vampire could do? Has he described the pain, and how if a vampire looses his love to death, he will become the most darkest force anyone has ever seen. He will destroy this town and everyone in it.”
He will not hurt anyone, Ethan is good.
“Oh, he is. Yes. But when you die, well all that goodness will just pop.” His fingers came together and snapped back to show the power of that event. “But not to worry. You will tell me all I need to know and I won’t even have to hurt you.”
He tilted his head to the cave ceiling, four orbs floating at the top, they bobbed and danced, but that was all. They were the light that shined down on us.
“Oh, do you like my lights.” His hand gestured to the four floating orbs; they moved towards me, spinning and gaining speed. “Hush now my little keepers.” His voice was for the orbs. They stopped spinning and hovered, whispers lingered. “Another of my talents. To control the ones who seem not ready to leave.” His smirk made my skin crawl. “Oh well, I guess there’s nothing to do now but to get what I need from you.” He moved towards me. Bending his thin form to look into my eyes.
I didn’t want to look into those blood red eyes.
“Yes, you are interesting. Did you know that the kind of power that is inside of you; is almost as strong as a vampire. Almost like a fallen angel? I have met a few of them. The blood of the Fae started with the angel line. That is something to think about. You an angel in love with a demon.” His eyes searched my face, turning me this way and that.
“Oh, your mind is so strong. You are blocking me and that is not a good thing. I need to get out of this cave; I need to see the world above. Ironic that you cursed me here after all I am a demon of sorts.” He stared with unblinking eyes. “Now I want you to relax.”
I stiffened. I knew what was coming. I didn’t want him to trance me.
“Tuh, tuh, tuh. You don’t want poor Ethan to scream out do you?”
As his voice made my blood boil, I heard the struggle, but it was short lived.
“Now relax.” His head tilted to one side, his hand raised as though counting off time in a snap of movement; his face became the monster. Twice as hideous than Ethan. The nose was rotting off, lips too. His fangs, long and pointed extended down from his top jaw, past his lower lip and even longer than I thought possible. His red eyes turned yellow, pushing the crimson hue to the rims as his pinpoint pupils glowed.
“Oh, but don’t worry dear, I won’t bite—yet.” His voice was contorted from the fangs. The orbs around me buzzed, the one on my right was having a fit. “Hush now little ones. You will have her with you soon enough.” He spoke to the orb.
It did not like that. It screamed in a high pitched whistle. He rolled his eyes with a wave of his
hand, sending them all to the top of the ceiling. His pose was no longer the swaying old man, but an angry monster, a vampire ready to pounce. “Look into my eyes dear.”
I shook my head and closed my eyes immediately. His hands found my face, the claws scratching at my neck and cheeks. I didn’t care; I would not open my eyes.
“You can’t fight it my dear.” His clawed finger scratched my cheek. Something was happening. “Mmmm … to taste your blood—now. Open your eyes.”
I did.
Against every fibre of my body, my eyes were forced open. He was controlling me. I was unable to look away. His hands on my face, his eyes inches away from mine. It was all I could see, the yellow eyes of hunger. These were nothing like Ethan’s. Watery lime yellow tainted with crimson.
“Look deep into my eyes, sleep. I want to take you on a journey. A journey only you and I can live together. Sleep my little Fae. Sleep.”
Falling into the haze of sleep.
“Remember … Remember the rain … the rainy night. Remember …” His voice echoed on, and on … And on.