A man and a woman dressed in Victorian finery tilted their heads and smiled with empty dark eyes as they stared at Cato.
“You are supposed to be the smart one of the bunch,” said the woman.
Her pale purple bustled skirts bounced around her as she strode toward him. The man, wearing a Victorian-era three-piece suit, had a cane in his gloved hand and a derby hat on his head.
“His blood should be delicious,” said the man.
“I’ve always wanted to taste a dragon,” the woman said, licking her lips.
Cato shot at them repeatedly, but his lasers had no effect. The laser bullets burned holes in the vampires clothing, and blood oozed from the wounds, but it did not stop their slow and steady pace toward him.
“Calm down little dragon,” the woman said, bearing her teeth.
Cato backed up, but the vampires moved with breakneck speed, flitting like shadows across the dried brittle grass. They reappeared right in front of him. They grabbed him by the arms, smiling with those dark, empty eyes and lunged into his neck. He transformed into his full dragon, knocking them off his body as he launched into the air.
“We need to get out of here,” Aiden said. “We’re outmatched.”
“Not without the girl. I promised Penelope.”
“I know you want to help your mate,” Dax said through their mental link. “But we can’t beat them. The ancients are too strong. Even for me.”
Now there was complete agreement between Aiden and Dax. Cato felt defeated.
“Go then,” Cato said, flying higher above the compound. He dropped under his invisibility cloak and transformed back into half dragon form. I will find her myself.”
“We can’t let you do that,” Aiden said. “I owe you a favor, and I will pay you back now.”
“I will too,” Dax said.
“Dax. Go find Penelope and protect her. Aiden, come with me.”
Under their invisibility cloaks in half shift form, Aiden and Cato hovered above the compound. Cato scanned the entire premises with his wrist device, searching for Flora. He had no idea what he would do when he found her, how he would get her back to the dragons’ compound, or how to help her when they did. All he knew was that he had to try.
“I found her,” Cato said over the mental link. “She’s in a tunnel underground.”
“How do we get inside?” Aiden said.
“There’s an opening a mile away, beyond the property line.”
“How many are with her?”
“From what I can tell, it’s only Marco.”
“Let’s go.”
Aiden and Cato flew on silent wings toward the opening of the tunnel and waited under their invisibility shields for Marco and Flora to appear. Only moments later, a door opened from underground and the two stepped out into the dim light of the overcast day.
“What now?” Aiden asked through their mental link.
“You take Marco,” Cato said. “I’ll get the girl.”
Marco and Flora walked hand-in-hand through the forest toward the waiting town car at the edge of the tree line. Aiden popped out of invisibility and attacked Marco, shoving his laser sword into the vampire’s back. Flora turned, screaming with anger. Marco fell, too young to overcome the power of Aria’s song. As Aiden burned the body of the vampire, Cato created a containment chamber with his wrist device and threw it over Flora. She screamed against the bars of the prison, unable to break free.
Cato stepped out of invisibility and turned to Aiden who continued to scorch the body of Marco. He was one of the leaders of the vampire coven that had given them so much trouble since awakening.
“I’ll kill you,” Flora screamed. “He was my love.”
“He was a murderous psychopath who manipulated you into accepting his transformation,” Cato reasoned.
“I wanted to become a vampire,” Flora insisted.
“I know your sister. If you’re anything like her, you would never want this. Not if you had a choice.”
“You know nothing about me,” Flora screamed, shaking the bars of her prison.
“I promised your sister I would save you. I don’t know if I can, but I have to try.”
“Don’t you dare change me back,” she screamed. “Don’t you dare.”
Aiden and Cato activated their stealth shields, grabbed the top of the laser prison, and flew to where Dax and Penelope were waiting in the forest. He asked Dax to carry Penelope, not wanting her to see Flora in this state. Part of him feared that perhaps this woman really did want to be a vampire. And she would resent Penelope forever for taking that away from her. Vampires were immortal, strong, and powerful. The lure of their magic could not be denied. Part of him thought that maybe he should have just left her to her own devices. Perhaps she had made the choice to be transformed of her own free will and they were now taking that away from her.
These dark thoughts swirled in his mind as they made the long journey home. When they finally arrived at the dragon compound and settled down on the back lawn, it was already nighttime. They dropped their invisibility shields and Penelope slipped from Dax’s arms, running toward him and Flora’s prison.
“You stupid bitch,” Flora bit out. “What gives you the right to interfere with my life?”
“Flora…” Penelope said.
“You don’t want to see this,” Cato said. “She’s not who she used to be.”
“She still inside there,” Penelope said. “I can feel it.”
“This is my life. How dare you take me from my home and kill my mate.”
“Flora, was it your choice to go with them or did they kidnap you?” Penelope asked.
“They took me from the parking lot at school one night. At first, I resisted. But after many bloodlettings, I realized the futility and stupidity of this mortal life. It is pointless and weak. In the end, they offered me the choice to be a vampire, and I took it. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. And now you want to take it away from me. I was always the strong one. You’re weak, Penelope. You can’t see beyond your stupid mortal desires.”
“Taker her to the lab,” Cato said, seeing the shocked and despaired look on Penelope face. “She doesn’t need to hear any more of this.”
“Did we make a mistake, Cato? Do you think she was happy?”
“Happy? Like that? I don’t think so.”
“Do you think there’s really hope to bring her back?” she asked, wringing her hands.
“Bethi has run many simulations and has concluded there is a fifteen percent chance we can bring her back. It will require a full blood transfusion from her twin’s blood.”
“How can I give her my blood?”
“We can take a sample and then create a synthetic match. I still have much work to do. It would be best if you retired and got some rest.”
“No. I want to help.”
“Very well then,” he said. “We’re going to need a lot of coffee.”
Chapter 17
Penelope followed Cato into the basement, her heart pounding with anxiety. She couldn’t accept that her sister was gone, transformed into this evil creature. She would stop at nothing to bring her sweet Flora back. Yes, the two of them always had a competition between them, but that only drove them both to be better. Flora was her best friend and greatest ally. Penelope would never give up on her.
In the basement, Flora screamed from behind her laser bars, her teeth bared and her eyes black and wild. Penelope could barely look at her. It was as if there was nothing left of the Flora she had known. But she knew there must be something left. She could feel it in her gut. Dax and Aiden were waiting in the basement, keeping guard over the newly-turned vampire.
“What are you going to do?” Aiden asked.
“Going to try to save her,” Cato said.
“Is there anything we can do?” Dax asked.
“Penelope and I will work on this, I’ll let you know if we need anything.”
Aiden and Dax nodded and left the basement. Penelope
turned to Cato, desperate for reassurance. The look on his face didn’t give her much to go on. Flora screamed, her piercing cries echoing off the walls. Cato flicked his wrist device and soundproofed the prison, cutting the sound of Flora’s shrieking. Penelope exhaled, relaxing her shoulders at the silence. Cato sat at the computer, and she sat beside him.
Cato slid his fingers over the clear glass dashboard as holograms played across the screen before them.
“We’ll need a sample of your blood to begin synthesizing the volume required for a transfusion. I have never heard of a vampire coming back after a transformation. The probability of success is, again, quite low,” he said, not to meeting her eyes. “But I know you want to try. So, we will.”
“What will happen to her if we fail?”
“According to the simulations, depending on the variables, there are equal chances that she will either remain a vampire or die.”
“Maybe we should let her go live out her life as this creature.”
“Do you think the old Flora would have wanted that?”
Penelope searched her heart, thinking of everything she knew about her sister. The woman who was so full of life and laughter and love. The girl she had grown up with, closer than any two people could ever be. Sharing each other’s clothes, secrets, and hearts. They could feel each other as if they were still one being.
Penelope let out a shuddering breath, clenching her fists and pressing her eyes tightly shut. She blinked several times and wiped away a tear on her cheek.
“I know Flora. I know she wouldn’t want to live like this. Her personality is completely different now. It’s as if my sweet, accomplished, intelligent, kind sister has been replaced by a psychopath. I honestly believe Flora would rather die.”
“That’s our answer then,” Cato said running his fingers over the dashboard, as the holograms spun in three-dimensional patterns before them.
A syringe popped up from inside the dashboard. He took it in his hand, turning to Penelope with a questioning look in his eye.
"Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes," she said, exhaling a ragged breath.
He pressed the tip of the syringe into the crook of her elbow, and she sucked air through her teeth as the prick of pain bit her flesh. He drew back the syringe, filling the chamber with her blood. When he was done, he rubbed it with a healing lotion and deposited the blood into an analysis chamber in the dashboard of the computer.
"How long will it take to synthesize her blood?”
"Several hours," he said.
"I can't stand seeing her like this," she said.
The sounds of Flora’s screaming were muffled by the shields, but Penelope could still see her banging her clenched fists against the walls of her prison. Her eyes were black, and her mouth was gaping and bloodied. She bared her sharp teeth at Penelope, growling when their eyes met.
Penelope's heart gripped in her chest. It was the most disturbing thing she’d ever experienced. She looked away, wiping a tear from her eye.
"I don't know what else to do," Penelope muttered.
"I honestly believe this is what is best. I wouldn't want to live my life as one of them."
"Even if it meant more power and an eternal life?"
"What use is eternal life if you become a creature like that?"
"Do you think she's really still there?" Penelope asked.
"Bethi's analysis suggests that the early transformation state is still malleable. And you yourself said you still feel she’s inside there. Don't doubt your connection to your twin. You will need it more now than ever."
“I could feel something changing last night. When we were together. I didn't want to face it, so I let myself stop thinking about her. And then we… I feel so guilty."
"I'm sure your sister would not want you to deny yourself pleasure," Cato said reaching out to her.
"I know she wouldn't either. But that doesn't mean I feel any less guilty. I should have been out looking for her last night. Maybe I could've prevented this. Maybe we all could have."
“There was nothing any of us could have done. We barely got out during the daytime. The vampires are stronger at night. And the elders they brought out of their extended slumber are some of the most powerful we have encountered."
"I know, Cato. I understand your decision not to attack at night. And we did find her. If not completely in one piece. I just have to hope that we can save her."
Penelope stood, turning away from Cato and heading toward the stairs. He caught her arm and turned her around to face him.
"You don't regret what happened last night, do you?" he asked.
"I don't know. Maybe I do. I let my guard down for one minute and then this happened. I knew something had changed this morning. And as illogical as it is to believe that it had anything to do with us, I can't help but feeling like it did."
He reached out to her and she pulled away. She couldn't accept his touch or his tenderness. She felt like a failure. On her way up the stairs, leaving Cato alone in the basement with her wild, raving sister, she wondered what Flora would do if in her position. Would she have insisted they attack last night? Would she have left Penelope to her new life as a vampire?
She didn't know. And it only made matters worse.
On the main floor of the house, she found Aiden playing his guitar while Aria sang, and Dax and Winnifred watched them. Winnifred was playing with Ember on a blanket on the floor, showing her how to use crayons. The energy of Aria’s music accompanied by Aiden's skillful playing filled Penelope with a sharp sense of right and wrong. Regardless of what Flora would have done, she knew that she and the dragons had made the right decision. The right decision for everyone's safety, the right decision for Flora’s soul.
Seeing all these happy people together so close, as close as any family could be, she wished that she and Flora could be part of it. After they'd lost their parents and then their aunt, they had been alone with only each other. Now that she and Cato were together, his family could be hers. And they were all such good people, she knew that after the mission with Dax and Aiden. The ladies of the House of Flames were just as good and kind. They had been nothing but welcoming to her since she had arrived yesterday.
She wanted to give something back to them. But right now, she had nothing to give, only a deep yearning chasm of need. Need for her sister. Need for resolution. Need for peace and belonging.
"Are you hungry?" Everly asked Penelope, walking out of the kitchen while she rubbed her hands on a kitchen towel. "Dinner is almost ready. Kian is making barbecue out on the patio near the pool. We thought it would be nice to relax outside for a while, with everything happening down in the basement."
"I don't know if I can relax," Penelope said. "This is the worst thing that is ever happened to me."
"Oh hon," Everly said, walking forward and grasping her arm. "I didn't mean to be insensitive. We are just trying to help you feel even a little bit better."
"You don't have to apologize. You've all been so welcoming and helpful. I don't know what I would have done without Cato and the guys. I never would've found her. And if I had, I would either be a corpse or exactly like her right now."
"Our mission in this world is to protect humans and Dragon Souls from the scourge of the vampires," Kian said joining Everly. "We have offered treaties numerous times, suggesting the vampires choose to use the blood of animals or of volunteers. But they have refused every time. We will not rest, and we will not stop fighting until they have either complied or have been eradicated from this planet."
"Cato told me about your mission. It's so honorable of you to put yourself on the line like that. With all your dragon gold and treasure, your big mansion and advanced technology, you could all just live a life of pleasure and forget about us barbaric mortals. But you didn't. You chose to protect us."
"And we will. We will share our mission with every new house that awakens. The more dragons who are present in this world, the stronger our stand will be
against the vampires."
"We still haven't heard anything from any other houses," Everly said, putting her hand on Kian's shoulder. "Does it worry you?"
"I do not fear," Kian said. "I believe in the destiny of the Dragonians. More houses will awaken soon. We must remain faithful and vigilant."
Everly looked up at Kian with loving eyes, showing her adoration and respect for her mate and the leader of the House of Flames. Cato and Penelope had known each other for a short time, but in that time, she'd come to feel the same.
She respected Cato more every day. It was mixed together with this deep inexplicable desire and understanding. He made her heart beat just a little faster, her mouth smile just a little wider, and her eyes twinkle every time he was near. She wanted to tell him all this, but with her sister suffering in the basement, it felt selfish to be falling in love.
She had been so lucky while Flora had suffered so much. In the scheme of life, it wasn't supposed to be that way. When they were younger, they used to wear the same clothes. When they were older they went to the same college. They lived together and shared each other’s secrets. They approved or disapproved of each other's boyfriends. How could their lives have diverged so much? It wasn't right. Penelope prayed with every ounce of faith in her heart that her sister would have what she had with Cato.
"Dinner is ready everyone," Everly said addressing the group as the last notes of Aiden and Aria’s song echoed through the living room. "Kian has prepared a barbecue feast on the back patio."
"Barbecue," Dax groaned, rubbing his stomach.
Penelope had to chuckle because in that very moment, Dax reminded her of Homer Simpson. Aria took his hand and they started outside to the patio. Winnifred picked up Ember and carried her with Aiden walking beside her.
"You've come a long way with your playlist," Winnifred said. "You should be ready to record your album really soon."
"All in good time," Aiden said. "We want it to be just perfect."
"Those songs are amazing. Better than most of what I hear on the radio. If you put it out there, it's sure to be a hit."