Ever After (37 page)

“You are in pain, I can smell it. The pain, the fear… you need not try to hide it child, all of us here can smell it in the air. You will not suffer long is all I will say to you now, sleep and eat I will send Sayann in to look after you.” I slowly opened my eyes, as Leo waved his hand and the others followed him out the door, not looking at me once.

I felt so sick, I wanted to throw up, but had nothing in my stomach. I lay back in the bed and began to cry. I would die here, it was so obvious when Leo knew Doc and the Followers were going to come here to get me back, he would get his wish and then kill me. I grimaced to think how, he would probably drain my body of every last drop of blood no doubt, or let that jackass Todd do it.

I did wish now I would die, maybe in my sleep, which would be better than letting Leo enjoy doing it at least. I wished so badly I was strong enough to try to escape but I knew that was not even remotely possible. I had no idea where I was and it had to be freezing outside. I would die in a matter of minutes even if I did get out and probably get ate by wolves or something. I closed my eyes, praying for sleep… no, I was praying for death now, it was my only way out and I knew it.

Chapter
21

“
William’s Point of View”

I woke up, Doc and Roth shaking me violently asking me a million questions. I couldn’t think at first, my head hurt and I had blood on myself. Roth helped me up and sat me on the couch, I saw it, then her bed, and she was not in it. I suddenly remembered all of it. I did not have to tell the story to Doc and Roth, when I saw it in my mind so did they.

This was my worst nightmare come true. The Dark Coven had my Corrine, and we had no idea where they took her or if she was even still alive. Doc quickly called a coven meeting after we got out of Corrine’s house. Doc stopped to tell Gran what had happened and they quickly devised a plan to Corrine’s father and stepmother. Gran was to call them the next morning and tell them Corrine had fallen ill again and needed to return to Maine to the treatment center.

Doc hoped they could get Corrine back in time so that no suspicions would be raised by her father. I could not think or even comprehend my life without Corrine, and I knew what severe danger she was in right now. Doc was not happy to hear Todd had joined the Dark coven, as he was dangerous and unpredictable, and now that he was a vampire, he would be worse.

I knew we had to get to her quickly, she was weak already, and this drastic change could cause her never to recover. Pratt was quiet, we had all been there when he told us what would happen if she missed doses of serum, or was not kept warm at a near steady body temperature. She could not regulate a body temperature of her own and it could be deadly.

I could do nothing. Doc refused to let me go look for her alone, as I was not at my strongest right now, but it did not matter. If I had to die trying to get her back to our coven alive, I would. She had sacrificed her humanity to save my life. I would not allow those animals in the Dark coven to take hers.

If I had to offer myself to them and return to their coven in exchange for her safe return I would do it as well. I was consumed by horrific images of what those animals might do to me sweet love. I knew Leo was sadistic and evil, I was not around him a great deal in the short time I was with the Dark ones, but I knew enough about him. The time I was there, Leo had been in Europe.

I only saw him once when he briefly returned to the coven in New Orleans. He had been angry with Vincent for creating a half blood, and letting me live. He told he should have killed me when I failed to change completely. Vincent would not do it, an open act of defiance against the chief elder. Somehow, Leo let him keep me, and he behaved as a father figure and he did protect me from hostile vamps that sensed I was a half blood.

I recall many times we would be confronted while out “hunting” in the seeder areas New Orleans late at night, by rouge vamps. They wanted to kill me. Half bloods to the Dark coven, and to rouge vampires were a special “hunt” much harder to catch but so enjoyable to kill and eat.

Vincent told me my blood to a vampire was like a fine wine, much stronger than a human’s blood. The life essence from the humans I killed in my past flowed in my veins, making my blood very desirable to other vampires. I wondered why, as I had killed very few humans, as I hated it from the very first day I was forced to do it.

I was concerned for Corrine, as her blood was like mine. Even though she was stuck in mid phase of the change, the blood units given to her while under Doc and Pratt’s care would make her blood a temptation to any one of the Dark coven. I hoped and prayed that Leo would be enforcing the fact he wanted her alive.

I knew he was using her to bait the Followers in for an all out war. I also knew my love was so very sick and weak, she could not take any stress, and this was the very last thing she needed. Doc and the other elders set a plan; we would go north and search for the Dark ones old house.

Long ago Leo and Doc as small children lived there with their parents; it was century’s old, but still standing. Doc knew Leo maintained it as it was extremely isolated and private. He was sure they would have taken her there. Leo wanted to have control of the situation and he knew every inch of the heavily wooded area around the old stone colonial house he and Doc had grown up in.

I worried how we would get to Corrine before they killed her. Doc had told me that was exactly what his brother would do when he knew we were getting close to the house. Leo would not ever negotiate Corrine’s safe return; he simply did not ever do such things. I was sick at the thought, it was all I could do not to go after her alone and steal her back.

Doc was quick to remind me if I did so, I would serve no purpose to Corrine. I would be killed the minute, they would know I was near the house even before I did. That was one thing I hated about being a half blood so much, was how much more skilled at detection of other vamps, full bloods were. I worked at it, but I simply did not have the ability a full blood did.

I was forced to wait until Doc and Pratt and the other elders were ready to go. I knew Doc had a plan set and he promised me we would get Corrine back safely. I hope he was right; losing her would be the very end of me. I could not fathom one more day without her it was ripping my heart out to think about it. I could only hope and pray she was strong enough to hold on until we go to her.

I also hoped the other evil vampires in that coven were kept away from her as well. Now began the wait to get to her and to save her and bring her back to where she belonged, in my arms.

Chapter 22

The
Plan

I lay listening to the wind howl all night, ice pelting the windows of this God only knows how old house. The ceilings had wooden beams, and the fireplace was an open-hearth kind of thing. It reminds me of the pictures of old colonial homes in my U.S. history class textbook, from high school. I could never have imagined then, I would be a prisoner in one of those homes, and at the mercy of vile barbaric, evil vampires.

The house despite being apparently so old was solid. The bitter cold wind did not seep into my room thankfully. I knew this kind of ice storm would paralyze the area, even though people were use to this crappy weather. It would cause William and Doc to have trouble finding me. It was just my luck. I could see long spear like icicles forming on the window, it made me shake just to think how bone chilling cold it was out there.

I had not seen Sayann since she told me her story and vowed to try to help me. I feared Leo and Todd might have hurt her, since she talked to me. I was surprised she told me so much, and openly admitted to hating the Dark coven. I knew she had to have known they could easily read her mind, and have seen her telling me all of that. If they did hurt her, or worse I was to out of luck and I knew it.

I had no other options; she was my one and only chance at getting out of here. I knew though, it was really a pipe dream for me now. The hours that had passed since she talked to me had been bad. I was now so weak, turning over in my bed was a major struggle. I had no idea even if she did think up a plan for us to run away, how I would physically be able to do it.

I thought of my William as I lay there also, as he was always on my mind. I worried the strain of me being kidnapped would aggravate his already weak body as well. Doc never said if mental strain would affect him, but really doesn’t it affect everyone? I knew he must have been going insane not knowing if I was ok or even alive.

I worried I wouldn’t be alive for very much longer. Pratt’s words right before he started me on the serum rolled around in my head over and over. I had to be kept warm. I could no longer regulate my own body temperature. I had to have every dose of serum, and not miss one.

He never went into detail about what would happen if I did not get each dose or if it was stopped. He did not have to, that day as he spoke, each and every one of us we all already knew the answer. I would in fact die. This was so brutal, just when my life actually seemed to be getting maybe half way normal, something crappy always happened. It sucked to say the least. I was trapped here alone cold, with no hope of ever seeing William again, it was a real life nightmare.

I drifted off to sleep a short time later and woke up as a stream of sunlight broke through the curtains. I looked at my watch it was now 8am, the house was quiet. I did not know the habits of the Dark vampires yet, so who knew if they were all asleep or not right now. I really hoped they slept all day, like the vampires I knew of from old movies and stuff.

I knew of course not all vampires were the same; they each seemed to have different habits. I watched the sun illuminate the many dust particles floating in the air. I worried Sayann would not ever come back, until I heard the door’s lock take in a key, and she appeared smiling at me.

“I see you’re up already.” She smiled as she walked over to my bed.

“Yeah, it was a long night. I thought they did something to you, for telling me about your past life and how much you hated them all.” I tried to scoot up, to a sitting position, but it was no use my body was to weak.

“No, they were mad but I always make them mad. Leo yelled at me as well as his stupid sides kick Todd. How did you ever date an ass like that anyway?” She giggled.

“Good question, I don’t even know why myself.” I hated thinking about Todd, especially with him in the next room more than likely. I watched Sayann, as she got some pills out of a bottle and a cup of water.

“Don’t worry; it’s just Tylenol nothing too strong. I did some research on line, and we have to keep your fever under control, and keep you warm.”

“On line, they have that info on the internet?” I was a bit shocked, how could that be.

“Oh it’s not easy to find, you look at vampire web sites, and humans think those sites are bogus, or for crazy people who think vamps aren’t really real.” She smiled giving me a wicked grin.

“If they only knew, we really are real!” I took the Tylenol as she wrapped me in another blanket. I was freezing and I couldn’t stop shaking. “I can’t give you anything stronger, or it might make you worse. I also brought you some blood; it’s in that Styrofoam cup, with the straw. I know you’re not use to drinking a lot of it, but you need it to get stronger.”

I made a face as I looked at the cup. I had of course been drinking blood already. I had to now that I was more vamp than human. Doc had the blood units too, but they were in foil like juice bags and did not look like anything weird.

“I can drink it.” I sighed taking a sip. I felt stronger minutes later.

“That’s it, now we get you stronger, and …” She leaned over and whispered in my ear. “We are out of here.” I looked up in shock, nearly choking. I covered my mouth.

“What?” I whispered

“We are leaving Corrine. I want to be a Follower, and I want to get you out of here and back to William. I have thought about it all night, and if we don’t do this we are both going to die here!”

“What, are you talking about? I might or well…I probably will, but not you?”

“Yes, they are angry with me and Kyle is tired of me. I argue with him all the time. I have heard him tell Todd and his other friends here, he wants a new mate.” I leaned back listening to her, amazed she was willing to take this risk.

“Can’t he just take another mate or whatever, and leave you alone?”

“No, it does not work that way here, if the male vamp in the Dark coven tires of the mate he has chosen, he kills her.” She looked down sadly at the Tylenol bottle in her hand.