Fate of the Blood Moon's Path (29 page)

“What the hell is going on?” James skidded to a stop when he saw who was laying there. “I heard yelling…and now I see why.”

“What’s that doing here?” Chris asked stepping up beside James.

“Can we torture it for answers?” James asked with malice.

“No you can’t torture ‘it’.” I said. I didn’t mean to cause the commotion and bring everyone out from their homes this late. I ran my hands through my wet hair trying to figure out what to do.

“Is this another one of your dirty little secrets Angel?” James asked me, crossing his arms.

I turned to him, “Go and get Huyanna.” I glared. “GO!”

James smacked Tobey in the arm, “You heard her, go get Huyanna.”

“She just told you to.” He said.

“Just do it!” He yelled like I did.

“Fine.” He said and took off back towards the village.

The rain was letting up a little now. Too much rain lately.

“What is a human doing out here? Has one ever come out here before?” Scarlet asked looking at the human laying there.

“Just the cops.” Micah responded. “And there’s been humans on the trails, other than that, no. I mean, they’ve never tried to come this close.”

Rayna and I exchanged looks. She is the only one who knows my secret about Draven.

“He ain’t no cop.” Aden took a few steps forward putting his arm around Scarlet and pulling her back away from the human. He was still laying there unconscious.

“How did you sense him out there? We didn’t…” Kane asked.

“Yea Angel.” Scarlet raised an eyebrow. “How did you know?”

“The lightning showed me a figure outside and I smelled him. Then I took off…”
“Maybe he got lost…” Scarlet said innocently.

“No. He definitely did not get lost.” Rayna spoke up.

“Rayna is right.” I said looking down at the human again.

All of Lazarus’ words were coming back to me about the humans and how they were merely puppets on strings for the greater evil that was supposed to come. Had he know this? Did he send this human here? Part of me wants to believe that he isn’t capable of something like this. But the other part of me, knows better.

“Oh dear.” Huyanna’s familiar voice came closer to us. She stopped next to me holding an umbrella, dressed in a long white linen nightgown, with bare feet out here in the mud.

“What?” I asked.

“Boys, get this human over to the cabin and tie him up.” She said not taking her eyes off of me.

James stepped forward and stopped suddenly crouching down ready to turn. His eyes were glowing amber. The others followed his gaze and all started growling. I didn’t have to turn around to see who they were all looking at. I could smell him.

Draven.

“Angel. I came to warn you!” Draven said in a hurry limping his way out of the woods. He didn’t seem to care that there were so many of us around. He just kept limping forward holding tight to his stomach.

“What the hell are you doing here? How did a Vampyre get across the borders?’ Kent yelled.

“I’m pretty hungry…I think I’ll tear this border crossin’ fool into a pulled Vampyre sandwich.” James cracked his knuckles onto the ground. He was still crouching down, but took a few steps forward.

“Stop!” I stepped in front of James.

“Angel how does this blood sucker know you?” Kane asked. He seemed very worried.

“Angel?” Scarlet stepped towards me. Her look was almost full of disappointment.

I didn’t answer, and all eyes were on me.

“I’m only here to speak with Angel. I don’t want any trouble.” Draven spoke up.

“You don’t want any trouble? Just being here on our lands is big trouble. How about I give you a five second head start, because then I’m going shift and chase you down and…”

“James.” Huyanna started and was quite forceful with her words.

“Would you just knock it off?” I said to him, and walked over towards Draven.

“Stop! Angel, please.” Scarlet yelled out, her voice in obvious panic.

I turned around quickly, “You all have to trust me. I know I have said that before, and I’m beginning to hate sounding like a broken record. Stop treating me like I’m some fragile little child who doesn’t know right from wrong. Times have changed, and so should all of you.” I paused, “He isn’t like the rest of them.”

“To hell he isn’t.” I heard James whisper.

I turned to Draven, “Are you hurt?”

He had a split lip and blood dripping from his forehead. He was holding his sides with his arms and his hair was messed up and matted down with the rain. His clothes were stuck to him and when I looked into his eyes I noticed that they were almost lifeless.

“I’ll live.” He said.

“When was the last time you fed?” I asked him.

“It doesn’t matter, look, I have to tell you something.” He winced.

“Why did you come here?” I asked, “Do you have some sort of a death wish?”

“Of course he does.” James said taking a step forward.

I turned just in time to see Huyanna step in front of him. “That is enough James. This may be a Vampyre but he means well. Even I can see that much. He’d never harm Angel. He came with a message.”

“I don’t care about some damn message Huyanna, and he won’t harm Angel? If he cared a god damn thing about her he would have never showed his face to her. And what about the rest of us? He’s on our territory and he knows the rules.”

“Who the hell do you think you are? The Chief? You’re just a Werewolf boy with a bad temper and a jealousy problem! If Angel is sticking up for this Vampyre and you are just jealous because it isn’t you she is sticking up for. And she’s not letting you go after him.” Rayna yelled and pointed to Draven. Which was a surprise to us all because until now she had remained pretty quiet.

“Rayna…” Micah said quietly putting his hand on her shoulder to calm her.

Her breathing slowed down. “It’s time to grow up James.”

James didn’t have anything to say. He stood with an almost pout mixed with an anger and a stance ready to pounce.

“How about we stop fighting amongst ourselves and listen to what this Vampyre has to say.” Kane suggested. The peace keeper in him was surfacing.

“Listen you peace keeping moron, you can’t come here thinking that this is your clan and you’re going to make everything alright. Because you’re not going to fix anything here.” Kent spoke up. The others behind him nodded in agreement.

“Angel, please.” Draven pleaded, almost collapsing to the ground. I caught him and held him up.

“Alright…tell me what’s going on…” I said.

“I had to see one last time. I snuck out of the mansion to get here.”

“And this blood and broken bones?” I asked.

“The punishment I took.” He coughed then winced from the pain. “It’ll heal fully in a few days. Don’t worry about it.”

The rain had finally stopped and the tree frogs started singing out into the warm night.

“They’re bringing Dracula here. I know it sounds crazy, it’s true. Lazarus and Akuma have sent there ship out to fetch him. Well, his pieces.”

“Pieces?” I heard Scarlet whisper.

“Yes.” Draven responded. “When Dracula was killed he was torn into pieces and his parts were scattered all over the world, so that he wouldn’t be able to resurrect in the future.”

“This concerns us why?” Rayna asked.

“Because he wants you.” He said in a very low tone so that only I could hear him. Everyone else stood silently trying to hear him. “And there are more things to come Angel. Darker magick. More dark creatures.”

“Is this parasite done talking yet? Because I’m starting to feel a lot of pain right here.” James motioned to his ribs. He wanted to shift. He wanted to change and leap all over Draven.

“James…”

“Yes, dog. Almost.” Draven gave him a grin. James growled. Draven moved closer to me. “You have to promise me that you won’t leave this village and you will be safe.”

I could see Kane from the corner of my eye. He was getting a little antsy.

“I can’t promise anything Draven, and you know that.”

“Angel. Please.” He was begging.

“Angel, this is something that I have to agree with.” Kane spoke up. “Keeping the first born hybrid alive is something that important we have to do.”

“I’ll keep myself alive. I don’t need anyone to watch over me.” I said in a kind of snotty tone.

“Boys, get this human to the cabin and tie him up.” Huyanna demanded grabbing James’ arm pulling him back into reality and pushing him towards the body.

I watched James and Tobey pick up the human by his arms and legs and start off up the hill with the others in tow.

Rayna, Micah, Scarlet, Aden and Kane were still watching me.

“Come.” I started to walk him back towards the shore where the border was weak for him to pass through. “Stay.” I turned and said to everyone. They still could all see me and him from where they were on the road. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

“I know. I should have waited till you were alone. But with him around you would never be alone.” He meant Kane.

“Draven…”

“I’m not even supposed to be here. The mansion is on lock down.” He said.

“Did this all happen because I showed up there?” I asked tightening my arm around him as he almost fell. “How did you sneak out in this condition anyways?” I laughed.

He smiled. “I’m going to hold onto that laughter.” He stopped and grabbed my hand. “What’s with the human anyways?” He asked.

“I’m not sure yet.” I didn’t want to look him in the eyes, so I looked out at the water instead.

“Angel…Dracula is powerful and he will do anything to get his hands you.”

“Me?” I finally looked up at him.

“Yes.”

“Thanks for the warning Draven. But you better get going. I’ve got a lot of explaining to do and you can’t get caught, being out here, by Lazarus.”

“You understand that I had to come see you.” He grabbed my arms limping towards the tree’s where no one would be able to see us.

“I know.”

“Please be careful.” He leaned down and kissed me with a passion like he never has before. “In case we never see each other again.” And he turned around and took off into the dark towards the mansion.

Now to the human,
I thought.

Angel.

31.

In the Darkness.

Present Time.

“What are we supposed to do with the human?” Aden asked as he held tight to Scarlet in front of him.

“Torture him.” James said, grinning.

“Kill him.” Kent suggested.

“Let him go and we can hunt him.”

“Leave him tied up to a tree out there and let the wolves play with him.” Chris said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Use him as a punching bag.” Aden threw in a suggestion.

All these suggestions starting flying around the room about this human that I had knocked out.

“Do you think he’s ever going to wake up?” Kent asked.

“At some point.” Micah said.

“Could you have hit him a little harder Angel?” James asked me with his asshole tone.

“I didn’t hit him
that
hard.” I grinned.

The human was laying against a pole that was in the middle of the cabin. I could see him better now with the light of the sun coming up and shining in the window.

I crouched down to get a better look at him. He was young and quite handsome. Even though he was covered in mud still, it wasn’t hard to see what he looked like. He appeared to be tall, even sitting down. Blonde shaggy hair, and dressed in all black, wearing hiking boots. And he had a tattoo on his neck of what looked like an ancient symbol for something dark. It was hard to make out with the dirt over it.

“So what do we do now?” Scarlet asked.

“Nothing. We wait for him to wake. For now, everyone needs to leave.” Huyanna said.

“You’re not the boss.” James snapped his mouth like a wolf.

“You’re right James. I’m not. Leave please.” Huyanna was trying to be nice. I could see through it, she was ready to lose her patience with him.

“I’m staying.”

“No one is staying except Angel.” Huyanna continued.

“She’s not in charge either.” James spat. He looked like he was a ravenous dog.

“Why don’t you, for once, do what you’re told?” Aden said as he stood by the door waiting for everyone to leave.

“For once in my life…you don’t even know me you freak. Don’t talk to me like you do.”

“You’re right I don’t know you. But I know your kind. How you are putting up a front like this to keep everyone from getting to know the real you and to know what you’re hiding. Now get out or I will force you out.”

“This is bull.” James said as he exited, walking into Aden on purpose.

“Aden, just relax. He’s not worth it.” Scarlet said. She was rubbing his face to try and calm him down. I’m pretty sure he’s got a pretty good temper.

“Now,” Huyanna started and paused, “Angel. May I have a word with you outside?”

“Anything you have to say can be said in front of us.” Aden spoke up.

“Yes, it can. But I would rather speak to her alone please.”

“I’ll be right back.” I gave a reassuring look to the others and walked out closing the door. Only the hybrids were left inside.

“Something dark is going on.” She started.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Show me what happened at the mansion. I know that they are your thoughts and memories. You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to.”

“I will.”

I took a few steps closer to her and reached up with my fingertips. The tips touched her temples slightly and her hands came up grabbing my wrists holding them there.

Except I didn’t start with what had happened at the mansion. I started to show her everything that had happened since I had first met Draven up till he kissed me goodbye not too long ago. She saw
everything.

“Angelica…” She whispered. My hands fell away from her face, but she still had my wrists in her grasp.

“Huyanna,” I took a deep breath. “I know you’re disappointed in me. I should not have let a Vampyre get this close to me.”

“I am not disappointed my dear child. Not at all. It takes guts to do what you have done in your life. And it takes courage to be your own person doing what you think is right. Your father would be proud of you.”