"No, dear. I can imagine the reception I would receive from your parents," she chuckled. "My place is here. This is your time." Gabby went to open her mouth to protest further but she was interrupted. "To save the star you must look deep inside yourself, child. You'll find what you're looking for there."
They hugged tightly for what felt like an age, but Gabby soon pulled herself away, knowing that Aya's fate was still in her hands. She had to go back to Ashburton and find out where the vampire had been taken. Her fate depended on everything.
After leaving Sophia's, they went straight back to the manor. It had been more than a day already since Gabby and Alex had slept. Liz could go without sleep for a few days if needed, so she was still bright, doing the honors of driving them home so they could doze for a little while on the way.
When they pulled up out the front, Sam was waiting for them.
"Nice to see Zac's car is back in one piece," he grinned.
"Our pleasure!" Liz chirped as Alex and Gabby dragged themselves inside.
He shook his head and followed them into the parlor where Zac was waiting, still as agitated as when they'd left.
Gabby placed several things on the coffee table, the grimore, several folded maps and an atlas. One of the United States and one of the entire earth. Beside them, she carefully placed a crystal pendant with a long silver chain.
"How are you?" Sam asked, making Zac almost explode at the delay.
"I'm okay," she smiled as Alex and Liz sat beside her. "Better than okay, actually."
"Can you find her or not?" Zac interrupted.
Gabby nodded, ignoring his impatience. "I need something of Aya's so I can scry for her. I should be strong enough now to get a read on her." And she hoped desperately that she was alive, otherwise it could only mean one thing. If she couldn’t find her, then it would be extremely likely that Aya was dead.
"Aya doesn't have anything," Sam said, remembering the day she moved into the manor. The same day they found out who she was. "She only has her clothes."
"I don't know if that'll work."
"I'll see what I can find." Zac was already half way out of the room.
Opening the door to the room that had become Aya's, he felt like a trespasser, even though this had been his when he was human. As they had thought, the room was bare, apart from some clothes in the closet and dresser. He pulled the pillows from the bed and saw a red leather bound book hidden underneath.
It was his father's copy of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. There was a slip of paper in the pages like she had been reading it. Flipping through the pages, he scowled, knowing she'd taken it without him knowing. Irritated, he snapped the book shut. He'd repeatedly asked her not to go into the study, but she had ignored him. It would be ironic if this small, insignificant defiance was the thing that helped them find her.
Returning to the parlor, he noticed Sam's frown as he saw the book in his hands. He knew who's it was. "This is all she had," he said. "It was our father's, but she's been reading it. Will it work?"
"I'm not sure," Gabby said, raising an eyebrow. "Give it here." She took the red leather bound book in her hands and closed her eyes before saying, "Yes. This will do."
Zac groaned. Of course it would.
"Why the two maps?" Sam asked as Gabby spread out the map of the United Sates.
"I'm starting small," she said. "If nothing comes up on this, then we go bigger. She was summoned, so she could be anywhere."
Gabby closed her eyes and held the book in one hand and the crystal in the other. The pendant swung back and forth across the map for almost a minute before it shot to a location and stuck there as if it were magnetised. She heaved a sigh of relief; wherever she was, Aya was still alive. They all peered at the map, seeing where it had landed. It was in the middle of nowhere, but reassuringly close and still in the US.
"It's too vague," Gabby said, reaching for the atlas. Laying it open at a page that showed Memphis, and the surrounding area, she let the pendant swing again. This time it landed on a more distinct location.
"She's in fucking Tennessee?" Zac exclaimed like it was the most horrifying place in the world.
"Technically, it's Mississippi," Alex said, looking at the map. "Off route 61."
"Well, lets fucking go."
"Wait," Alex said as he got out his cell. "Let me look it up. See what you're walking into."
Zac sighed, and sat down again.
"It looks like a factory or a silo of some kind," Alex said after a moment. "It's not marked, but it's on the satellite image." He gave the cell to Zac, who handed it to Sam.
"It could be abandoned," Sam said, grateful for the technology.
"Good bet," Alex said.
"Right," Zac declared. "Tabitha, you're with Sam and me. C'mon."
"Wait," Liz began to protest, obviously wanting to go along with them.
"No," Zac sat her back down. "We're walking into a fight, Liz. It's not a Sunday picnic."
"He's right," Sam kissed her. "It's safer here. Leave this to us. We'll be okay, I promise."
Alex nodded his agreement, "I'll stay here with you, if you want. They can let us know the moment they're on their way back."
Zac was already gone, having pulled Gabby out the front door with him. Sam followed, glad that Alex was there to keep Liz with him. There was no way that he'd willingly let her come along when there was a chance that none of them might come back. If he lost her... Then he would know how Zac felt.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Memphis was an eight-hour drive away across state lines and to Zac, it felt like the other side of the world. As soon as Gabby pulled up a map on her cell they got into the car and were on the highway. Alex and Liz remained at the manor as promised. The sooner they left, the sooner they got there.
Zac hardly said a word to Gabby, still angry that she had allowed the grimore to be taken. But, he hardly gave it more than a brief thought. He was focused on Aya. If she'd been hurt, or worse, dead, he didn't know what he'd do. It was partially his fault that she was in this mess. After all, he'd been the one to convince Gabby to summon her in the first place, alerting Katrin to her whereabouts. It was the first time in a very long time that he felt responsible for something other than what happened to their family all that time ago. He couldn't help Sam more than he had, but he could at least attempt to get Aya out of this, whatever condition she was in.
"What do you propose we do once we get there?" Sam asked, breaking the silence, his eyes on the road.
"There would have to be witches and vampires there," Gabby said. "I think we should just grab her and go."
Sam glanced to Zac, who sat in the passenger seat beside him. He hadn't said anything since they got into the car. "What do you think, Zac?"
He was looking out into the dark night as it flashed past, seemingly deep in thought. Sighing he said, "First we case the joint, buildings, entrances, exits. Gabby should sense out any witches and vampires who might be hidden by their magic and what their locations are. Keep an eye out for any traps, magical or otherwise. Determine where Aya is being held. Only then can we devise a plan."
"Well, there you have it," Sam laughed, wryly.
"What if they find us out?" Gabby sounded worried.
"If there's anything hostile, kill it," Zac said, looking back out the window. There wasn't much they could do until they got there and he settled down for the long haul.
Gabby had been awake for a long time, having been through a great deal since leaving the manor the day before. When she fell asleep, the brothers left her, content to wake her once they arrived.
It was past midnight before they reached the site of the factory. They left the car off the side of the main road, hidden behind some trees and walked the rest of the way, keeping off the service lane. The chain link fence that had once surrounded the property had half fallen down, so they had no issue trying to get Gabby in.
Once they reached the edges of the yard, the surrounding plant life began to th
in, exposing them more than Zac liked. Circling round the property they found a rise close to the main entrance and he made them crawl on their stomachs so they could peer over the edge. From here they had a good view of the factory, which turned out to be the site of an abandoned silo and storage yards. Train tracks still ran through the remains of buildings that would have, at one time, stored a great deal of grain for export.
In the centre was a large yard, clear except for a few old shipping containers to the left side, flanking a half fallen down warehouse. The roof was badly rusted, most of the sheet metal fallen down or missing completely. To the right, on the opposite side of the yard, was the silo, it's roof linked to the warehouse by some kind of walkway and chutes that once fed grain into waiting trucks and train cars. Old foundations of other buildings remained around the rear of the property, having been knocked down haphazardly. It was like someone had run out of money before they could complete the job.
At the outside edge of the warehouse was another service lane, where two black jeeps were parked side by side. Someone had left them there in preparation for a quick getaway if needed.
Because the warehouse was only partially standing, Zac could see through to the rear inside wall, where a room still appeared to be intact, a green metal door closed over its entrance. There was no other exit other than gaps where windows once were. He assumed there was another exit through the room and this was inhabited.
Zac passed this information to Sam and Gabby. "There's movement somewhere, but I can't tell who or what it is."
"There are witches," Gabby whispered. "Two or three, I think. The silo is spelled. It's a good bet that that's where Aya is being held."
"Can you disable the spell?" Sam whispered back.
She was silent for a moment. "No," she shook her head. "We have to either render the witches unconscious or kill them to break it."
"Then we kill them," Zac snorted.
"I can't kill another witch, Zac," Gabby protested.
"What do you think Aya would do? They're obviously corrupted and well past saving. Do the world a favor," he said sharply.
"Are there any vampires?" asked Sam, pulling her attention off his brother.
"One," Gabby said. "In the warehouse."
"Where are the witches?" Zac asked.
"Behind the silo."
"Let's go," he grabbed Gabby's arm and pulled her down the rise and into the yard and as if on cue, three female witches came out into the open to meet them.
The light breeze around them began to pick up and Zac glanced to Gabby who said, "They're controlling the wind."
The three witches were advancing on them, the wind swirling fast, the dust from the yard creating a miniature tornado around them. Gabby had to take control of the wind from them or they would be overwhelmed.
Zac and Sam flanked her as she let her earth sense wash over the yard. They wouldn't be able to do much to help her, but their presence reassured her; at least a little. Immediately, she felt the power of the three witches combined into two spells. The one controlling the wind and the other sealing the silo. She could easily overpower them and wrest control over the wind from their grasp. It would be simpler than when she had called the grimore back to her, even without her Grams' help.
The tornado that whipped around them was designed to detain. For what or who, Gabby wasn't sure. There was only one vampire here. Unless... The vampire was as old as Aya or Katrin was being summoned. Either way, she had to overpower the witches and fast.
Gabby felt the power flow from her, even before she meant to release it. As the tornado sped up, she knew it was too much, but could do nothing to stop it. Her intent had been unleashed and it had to run its course. The witches fear echoed through her open earth sense, making her bones ache. They were afraid of her.
Crying out in pain, she felt their life forces ripped away into the tornado, whipping around her. Suddenly, the wind dropped, the trash and plant life that had been picked up, dropping abruptly. They were left standing in a clearing, surrounded by a barrier of chaos. The brothers glanced at her nervously, having seen what had become of the witches, their bodies disintegrating before their eyes.
She knew that the pain that had ripped through her was her power tearing them apart. There was nothing left of them to say that they had ever been there in the first place. Gabby was numb with shock and fell to her knees. She was more powerful than the three of them combined and it terrified her.
The moment the witches disintegrated, the vampire was revealed.
Cursing, Zac swung around to find a male vampire directly behind him. Ducking just in time to miss being punched in the face, he kicked the vampires legs from under him, pulling out a stake he had hidden in the back of his jeans.
Sam pulled Gabby out of harms way and ran forward to help his brother, who had been knocked across the yard, the stake falling harmlessly to the side. The vampire turned on Sam as he advanced slowly, sizing up his opponent, who hadn't said a word since he'd appeared. He knew they had to end this quickly; otherwise it would end very badly. He made a grab for the stake, aiming it directly at the sweet spot. The heart.
Fortunately, Zac had the same idea and came up from behind, grasping the vampire around the neck, disorienting him for a split second. It was more than enough time.
Sam drove the stake into the vampire's heart at the same moment Zac snapped his neck.
"Can't be too careful," he shrugged when Sam raised his eyebrows. He let the corpse fall to the ground as they moved off towards the silo.
"That was way too easy," Sam said, looking around the now silent yard.
"Gabby," Zac called, frowning.
Gabby came up behind them and pointed to the door. "The spell is gone. Aya is in there. I can sense her."
"I don't like it," Zac said, agreeing with Sam's observation. "Let's get her and get the hell out of here."
Before they could try the door, a loud gasp drew their attention back to the yard behind. Looking back, Sam cursed as the vampire he had just killed stirred, sitting up and wrenching the stake from his chest. Muscled arms reached up and twisted his head to the side, correcting the haphazardly fused bones with an audible crack. "That feels better," he snarled, looking up at the three of them. "Who wants to die first?"
"How the hell did he come back to life?" Sam said in shock, pulling Gabby behind him.
"I'm one of the first," the vampire spat, advancing on them. "I can't be killed by the likes of you."
Sam balked and held his arm out to keep Gabby behind him. A founding vampire? They had to do something to distract him long enough so they could find Aya and get the hell out of there. There was no way to kill this vampire. He was a true immortal.
Gabby pushed past Sam in a moment of bravery and stood in front of them, her eyes narrowed in challenge. The vampire laughed at her as if she was nothing but an annoyance. The smile wiped right off his face when he fell to the ground clutching his head, roaring in pain. "Go!" Gabby yelled at them wildly. "I can't hold him long."
Zac grabbed Sam's arm, realizing she was restraining the vampire, and pulled him towards the silo. They had to free Aya before it was too late.
Aya didn't know how long she had been hanging in the silo, her blood slowly draining from the wounds in her wrists and ankles. She felt it trickling down her arms, staining her clothes, sticking her shirt to her skin. She had become used to the smell hours ago when she had lost track of time. If she lost enough blood, she would desiccate and then she could sleep. Sleep seemed like bliss compared to the delirium that was setting in.
She was vaguely aware of a dark form standing in front of her. Sluggishly, she lifted her head an inch and blinked, trying to clear her vision. Everything was blurred, nothing was making sense, she wasn't sure if anyone was there. She drew a ragged breath as she heard her name. But, no one alive knew her true name. Not even... She forgot who. Wasn't she helping someone?
The figure was still hovering in front of her, whispering her name
, calling out to her through the darkness. Then she saw his face, shimmering skin and blue eyes. Her brother! How she had longed to see her brother again.
"I couldn't save you," she muttered through the haze, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm sorry, brother..."
He hesitated when she spoke and she didn't understand. Her brother was dead, wasn't he? The figure reached up and wiped her tears away with a stroke of a thumb. Suddenly, she was dropping to the ground, the chains that held her giving way. The figure grasped her around the waist, supporting her limp body as she slumped over their shoulder.
It's not your bother, it's not your brother... she kept telling herself as she was lowered to the ground. It's a hallucination. And that could only mean it was Caius, come to hurt her again. Then she realized that there was two of them, the other one had let her down. If she didn't attack now, she wouldn't have any hope of escape.
Ignoring the searing pain in her wrists and ankles, she lunged for the nearest form, the chains dragging through the dirt. Before her fists could connect, she was pulled up short. Falling backwards, she screamed with pain as her arms were wrenched over her head.
"She's weak, go!" she heard someone yell.
On her feet in a flash, she made for the source of the sound, but suddenly there was a vice grip around her, pinning her arms to her sides. Struggling, she couldn't free herself from the iron hold of her assailant. Crying out in fury, she felt the chains wrap around her. She wouldn't be imprisoned again, not by anyone. Struggling, she tried to break her bonds, but couldn't move. Her wrists felt like they were on fire, the hooks dragging against torn flesh.
The more she struggled, the quicker she weakened, finally falling to the ground. Her legs curled to the side, the hooks still protruding from either ankle, hands behind her back. Taking heaving breaths, her head hung exhausted, tangled black hair falling about her face. Whatever you're going to do to me, bring it on, she thought.
She felt hands on her face, tilting her head up. She shook her head to knock them away, but they held firm. Blinking hard, she tried to focus on the face before her. Through the heavy fog that clouded her mind she realized someone was speaking to her.