A Time To Kill (Elemental Rage Book 1) (17 page)

The beast’s hunger
chewed on her from the inside out. She wanted to be free. The sunlight trapped
her, a cage that knew no end. Sunlight that made her skin itch.  She dug
deeper, her brown hair clumped with mud and dirt under her fingernails. The
deeper she went into the darkness, the stronger the relief. 

Jade stopped
digging.

The beast roared
inside.

Burn it out.

The words
whispered from inside, from outside. She heard them as clearly as if they were
spoken.

Jade crawled
backwards and almost pushed the cover of pine branches and detritus out of the
way to meet the sun and let it destroy her. The beast poured fear and loathing
into Jade’s mind until she couldn’t think straight.

But the words kept
playing like a song inside her head,
Burn it out.

Another sound
overwhelmed the words, a thousand voices rising in her mind. “We are strong. We
are powerful. We will overcome.”

She was linked
telepathically to hundreds of vampires.  Jade didn’t know if it was every
vampire in the world or those nearby, but they all spoke the same words.  It reminded
her of a school rally with the cheerleading squad leading the kids in the
bleachers in a cheer.

Jade struggled to
overcome the tide of thought that threatened to drown her singular voice.  She
spoke again and again, “I am an individual. I think my own thoughts.  I am
human.”

A few of the other
voices faltered. She heard a question in her mind, “Who are you?”

“Jade. I am not
one of you.” Jade pushed the beast down.  It reared back and forth in her mind,
searching for weakness with a surprising intelligence. Jade said to the beast,
This
is my mind. I’m in charge.

A single thread
separated itself from the throng, “Jade, this is Gladys. Come to us tonight. We
will join forces.”

“And together we
will rule the universe.” Jade joked. She forced herself to turn in the hole.
She almost poked her hand out to see if she would burn.

Gladys spoke in
her mind, “A vampire can not live alone. You’ll need a place to rest, a safe
place to wait out the sun. Give me your oath of loyalty and all this you will
have.”

Jade remembered
the sheds.  With the beast roaring in her mind, she knew now what happened. 
The people inside those bodies were weak.  Their souls had gone away as hers
had or maybe they stayed, but couldn’t control the thing that shared their
blood. The beast wouldn’t stay silent. It wouldn’t go away. She had to be
strong.

Jade said, “No. I
belong to no one.”

“My poor daughter.
We are family. Tell me how I can help.”  

“How do I get rid
of it?”

Jade didn’t expect
an answer.  Gladys was old, even for a vampire. Jade could feel her power
overwhelming the many voices in her head.

It wasn’t Gladys
who answered.

Some other voice,
inside, outside—Jade didn’t know.  Another voice answered,
Burn it out.

~~ Amy ~~

Amy felt herself
carried up the stairs, her mind a sudden blank.  She knew she should fight, but
didn’t know why or even how.  Tony tossed her on the bed. It was a gentle drop.
Lawrence had done exactly the same thing once.  But Tony wasn’t someone she
trusted and with the drugs, the fall felt sudden and shocking.

Tony wrapped his
fingers around her neck.

“Please don’t. I
can’t leave my daughters,” Amy slurred the words, hating herself for the
begging tone.

Tony’s breath
smelled like rosemary and chicken. He was so close. Amy felt claustrophobic. She
closed her eyes and waited for the end. Her arms longed to hold Mindy one more
time, her little angel.

“I need to look
out for Mindy. She’s so fragile,” Amy fought to keep her eyes open, but the
drug claimed her. 

When Amy woke up
in the same bed in her beautiful prison, she realized immediately what was
missing.  She touched her throat. The sharp feeling of loss threatened to
overwhelm her.

The necklace was
gone.

She scrambled out
of bed, falling to the floor when her legs refused to believe that she could
actually walk and dumped her to the ground.  The world seemed to have a
permanent tilt.  Pushing up from the lush peach carpet, she wobbled her way to
the door.

She held herself
up with one hand on the wall while she walked barefoot down along the hall. Her
feet felt cold against the smooth wood. When she reached the stairs, she
faltered on the second step.  Grabbing the rail, she half-fell, half-skidded
down to the bottom. 

Groaning, Amy held
her knee. Her cheeks felt too warm, her eyes scratchy. Silent tears flooded her
eyes.  She reached for the necklace.

Somehow the
necklace had come to be a security blanket of sorts for Amy.  It was the first
Christmas gift Lawrence had given her, a year before they were married. She
wore it every day since. A bit flashy, Amy loved the intricate design and the
tiny gems that sparkled like flowers among the delicately carved leaves. 

Whenever she felt
lonely or afraid, she touched the necklace. 

Now it was gone.

Amy limped
carefully down the second set of stairs, holding firmly to the rail and moving
at a slug’s pace.  Tony hadn’t killed her. He’d stolen her most cherished
possession, a gift that meant more than her wedding ring. Her mind was still
muddled. She tried to think of what to do next.

She tried to
imagine why he would take it. The only thing she could come up with….
He
thinks I won’t leave without it.

There were no bars
on the windows, no gates in front of the property.  Even if the prisoners were
watched, it didn’t seem that they were watched closely.  The Keepers would need
a way to hold her there.

Amy loved the
necklace, but it was only a thing. The loss hurt, a sharp pain that hung in her
heart, but it was the reminder of losing Lawrence that caused that sharp pain,
not the actual loss of the necklace itself.

Amy thought about
finding the other women that were kept here, asking if they wanted to escape
with her, but in the end, she walked out the front door alone. When she stepped
onto the front porch, she expected an alarm to go off or for a group of goons
or maybe Tony to come running. 

The house was
surprisingly silent.

As Amy ran with a
lurching gait across the front lawn, seeking the cover of the woods, she
couldn’t help but feel that this escape had been too easy.  Surely someone was
watching.  Surely someone would come for her.

Chapter 14

~~ Claire ~~

Claire would have
attacked her dinner with a vengeance except she wanted to be graceful and proper
in front of Wayne.  The food was exquisite. If only Mindy weren’t acting like
such a weirdo.  She hid under her chair and hardly ate anything. Not even Raven
could coax her out.

The worst was that
Mindy kept saying, “Vampire. Jade. Vampire.”

The last time,
even Raven said, “Shhh…” and added a Mom-glare that Claire didn’t know Raven
had.

Wayne took it all
in stride.  He passed Claire more potatoes and even asked if she’d like him to
butter a roll for her.  She felt fluttery inside when she said, “Yes.”

Mindy said, “Jade.
Vampire.”

 Cindy and Raven
exchanged a glance.

Wayne wiped his
mouth with a cloth napkin, “Your sister sure likes vampires.  Is that a movie?”

“Is what a movie?”
Claire asked.

“Jade Vampire?”

Claire felt her
face redden.  How to explain her younger sister’s upset because her older
sister had turned into a vampire. There was just no way. Instead, Claire said, “No.
She’s just mental.”

“Ah.” Wayne said. 
He picked up his steak knife and cut a slice of beef on his plate, “Because if
there were vampires nearby, the Keepers would be able to help. If needed…”

Mindy crawled from
beneath the chair to under the table, piping up, “No vampires.”

Raven leaned down
to watch Mindy. Somewhere Mindy had gotten a roll and was chewing on it while
she knelt under the table, carefully circling, like a caged tiger.  “Mindy, can
you come out now and eat?”

Mindy shook her
head.

Sometimes dealing
with Mindy was a lose-lose situation.  Mom said that they couldn’t always give
in to her.  If they did, Mindy would learn that throwing a tantrum would get
her what she wanted.  On the other hand, at this moment, surrounded by enemies
and with Jade and Mom missing, maybe letting Mindy crawl under the tables
wasn’t that big of a deal, even if it made Claire feel by turns mortified and
homicidal.

They sat in
awkward silence, only the sound of forks and knives scraping on plates to ease
the quiet. Claire could tell that Wayne knew she was lying.  She couldn’t keep
the warmth from her face.  She was relieved when he winked at her and said, “I
could tell you tales of vampires.  Did you know that vampirism is reversible? 
Until a new vampire gives an oath of loyalty to its master, the creature
tainting the blood can be removed.”

Claire and Raven
sat stock still, like a pair of rabbits pausing while an eagle circles
overhead.  Raven forced a laugh, “How would you reverse something like that…if
it’s not too late?”

Wayne’s half smile
fell on Claire like a miniature sun.  She couldn’t help but smile back. He
said, “I have no idea.  Only that they say it can be.”

“Who is
they
?”
Raven asked.  She picked that one up from Mom.

Waving his hands,
he said, “Other Keepers.  Those who’ve dealt with the darkness.”

“Do you fight a
lot of different monsters?” Claire felt a sense of awe. Mom had hidden
everything.  Sure, she’d told the girls that there were dangerous people out
there, but nothing like vampires. That’s something a mother should tell her
daughters. 

Wayne broke a
roll, buttering it, the edges of his lips quirking up when he saw both girls
sitting on the tip of their chairs waiting for his answer.  He teased, “Are you
sure you want to know?  Once you know, you’ll never look into the night the
same.”

Claire gulped and
nodded.

Raven said,
“Please just tell us.”

“Let’s put it this
way.  If you’ve heard a myth about it, there’s a version of it walking or flying
out in the world. The most vicious monsters you’ve ever watched on television
exist somewhere, in some dimension.  The Keepers walk into worlds where
everything has teeth as long as a man is tall.” Wayne leaned forward and
lowered his voice, “It’s best not to go out at night. In any dimension.”

Claire shivered.

Raven put her
napkin down and pushed back her chair, “You’re right.  There are monsters
everywhere, but we still have to go out. Thanks for dinner.”

“Wait, but I’m not
done.” Claire protested.  She couldn’t believe Raven would end the dinner right
there in the middle of the most interesting conversation of her life.

“You haven’t taken
a bite in half an hour. It will be getting dark soon, and we need to go.”

Claire whispered,
“I’m sorry,” to Wayne.  Both of her sisters were embarrassing.

He put his hand
over Claire’s.  It was so large and warm. He said, “Don’t worry about it.  Be
careful out there.  I’ll give you my business card.  Call day or night. I know
you girls are into something big, and I won’t keep you.  Just know that I’m
here if you need me. ”

Claire fell a
little bit more in love. As he handed her his business card, she looked at him
with adoring eyes and said, “Thank you.” 

~~ Raven ~~

Raven checked the
speedometer and immediately let up on the gas.  Even though Claire wasn’t
talking to her or Mindy, Raven’s relief at finally getting out of that chapel
was palpable, a physical thing.

She had no idea
where to go next. They stopped at a grocery store and shopped for snacks. Raven
started in the fruits and veggie aisle, grabbing plastic bags and filling them
with apples, pears, and bananas.  She also grabbed a bag of carrots.

Claire wore a
frown on her face as Raven reached for yet another healthy food, “Uh, Raven.
What are you doing?”

“Shopping,” Raven
tossed the bag of carrots in the shopping cart.

“We can eat
whatever we want.  Let’s get potato chips and soda,” Claire picked the bag of
apples up, “I’ll put these back.”

Raven held her
hand out, “If you want potato chips, get them, but I’m keeping the apples.”

Shaking her head,
Claire dropped the bag back in the cart, ignoring Raven’s outstretched hand.
Grabbing both of Raven’s shoulders and staring her in the eye, Claire joked, “Who
are you and what have you done with my sister?”

Raven pushed
Claire off playfully, “Get out of my aura, will you?”

Mindy tugged on
Claire’s jacket. She said, “Water.”

“Argh! Fine, we’ll
get water,” Claire said.

Raven stopped at
the garlic.  She filled a plastic bag with handfuls of cloves. Tossing it in
the cart, she said, “For tonight. Just in case.”

They gathered
chips, cheese and cracker snacks, jerky, soda, and lots of water.  No matter
how many bottles of water they grabbed, Mindy wanted more.  Sometimes she would
say, “Wrong water,” and Raven would pick a different brand.  After fifteen
minutes in the beverage aisle, Raven was exasperated.  She lifted her hands and
said, “Mindy, do we have to get the kind of water you want here?”  

“No.”

“Good, let’s go.”

There was a tense
moment in the checkout line.  Raven handed her mother’s credit card to the
cashier. She prayed that the card would be accepted.  She’d never shopped
without her own money.

Loading the van
with groceries, Raven shivered in the chill breeze.  The sun was going to set
soon. The vampires would be out. She said, “Should we try to check into a motel
or stay with the van?”

Water nudged
Claire, droplets shimmering on her arm.

“We need to camp.
I think I know what Mindy has been trying to tell us,” Claire touched the water
on her arm, a thoughtful look on her face.

“Care to share?”
Raven asked.

“Let’s hit the
road. I’ll explain on the way,” Claire said.  She tousled Mindy’s hair as Mindy
climbed in back, a huge smile on her face.  The wind flirted with Claire’s hair
and for a moment, Raven felt jealous.  Air was happy, too.  What had Claire
come up with?

Raven didn’t waste
a moment.  After everyone was buckled in, she started the van.  She shushed
Claire until they were back on the highway, “Okay, I’m ready. Tell me.”

“Holy water!  Jade
must have pure water untouched by man and born of starlight, held in Earth, and
open to Air. If she drinks the water, she will be cured,” Claire leaned her
head back, soaking up the moment of triumph. “Piece of cake.”

“Where do we get
water born of starlight?  It doesn’t sound that easy to me,” Raven turned on
the headlights.  She drove slower than the speed limit, not wanting to risk
getting pulled over.  She wanted to find a place to rest, but it needed to be
away from civilization.

Claire shrugged,
“Water knows a few places.  There’s the arctic. People don’t really go there or
the tops of mountains. We just need a single bottle of pure water. Mindy knew
all along.  Earth told her, and she told Water.”

Raven sought
Mindy’s eyes in the rear view mirror, “How long have you been able to talk to
the Elements?”

Mindy put a finger
on her lips in thought.  She looked genuinely confused.  She said, “Jade.”  

“There’s a reason
the water not touched by man hasn’t been touched by man,” Raven said. She was
starting to get a headache.  The tension of the past few days and lack of sleep
was getting to her.

“Water can carry
me to the arctic with the bottle. I’ll fill it and come back.” Claire had the
enthusiasm and excitement of youth. Also the innocence.

“You’ll die of
exposure before you’d get halfway there,” Raven said. She ran her hand through
her hair, “Can Water bring it to you here?”

Claire closed her
eyes and communed with water.  A little grumpy, she said, “Yes.”

“Fine, that’s
settled then.” Seeing a rest stop, Raven said, “We’ll stop here for the night.”

“Bathroom,” Mindy
said.

Claire twisted her
finger around a strand of dark hair. Joking, she said, “Finally! Things are
getting back to normal around here.”

They all laughed,
even Mindy.

With new hope and
purpose, Raven parked the car, and they all got out to stretch their legs.  The
sun was sinking behind the trees.  Little did they realize that an army of
vampires was heading their way, and they would soon be fighting for their
lives.