Follow the Bloodshed (The Executioner Trilogy Book 3) (12 page)

Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he did have a knack for research and had somehow put the dots together on his own. Maybe he had help. While he did have Beth here I knew for a fact she wasn’t a book worm, unless things had changed. She was the kind wanted to use her gift of divinity to get the answers, but it hadn’t been reliable in the past and I wasn’t about to start relying solely on it now. Possibly even not ever considering its track record. It was possible she had gotten much better since, but I wasn’t going to put all of my faith on an assumption. What could I say? I had a tendency to learn from my own mistakes.

Crossing my own arms I voiced, “Alright.” I cleared my throat and stood, unsure whether there would be more to this conversation now that Chase had decided he was done sharing. As far as I was concerned it was. “If you don’t want to talk about it then that’s fine, but I need you to know that keeping secrets won’t help us now. I don’t know why you and Beth think this is okay, but I can assure you it’s not and won’t be tolerated for much longer.” He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise so I turned my back to him and left with only these words. “We could all die because of your stupidity. I hope you realize it before it’s too late.”

Anger rose in me and caught in my throat, trying to force itself out in a sob of frustration. Why did they feel it was necessary to hide everything from me? Did they think I wouldn’t like the answers? Or was a change in me they noticed they didn’t think they could trust? Either way, I didn’t care much for secrets and all they were doing was making it harder for me to confide in them. That was one reason I had yet to talk to Beth about my own experience in Hell except for a few minor details. Like Escara. She had indeed been important to our escape, but with her death I knew no one could hurt her anymore. Death in Hell was final and nothing was left of her to harm. I still grieved over her. She had saved us, but now I could avenge her by killing Lilith and everything she stood for. Now if I only knew how to do just that.

“Robin,” Chase called form behind me, but I continued to walk out of the room and to the stairs. Someone had to check on Sam and I knew I couldn’t depend on Chase or Beth to do so. How in the world did we get to where we are now? Was it just the events that took place to cause us to drift apart?

I guess we’d never know.

Chapter 20:

Somewhere to Belong

Sam was still out cold when I walked into her room, leaving the door open to let the room breath. Chase, thankfully, agreed to let her have it when Gordon spoke to him about the new arrangement. I was now sitting in the chair across the room watching her silently as she slept. She was still breathing, but barely moved which caused me to worry.

Gordon came into the room with a bottle of water and a pack of saltine crackers, knowing that a good deal of the canned foods we had in the house made my stomach turn. This would do for now. At least until I felt like I could eat something else. Amazingly enough we had managed to find some saltines at the grocery store before we were run out by crawlers and they were still good. The miracle of preservatives. After he placed the water on the dresser he opened the pack, removing one square of bland, salty goodness and holding it to me, hovering just below my nostrils. I took it into my mouth and let the salt dissolve on my tongue while the crunch of it filled my mouth. It was just what I needed. He handed the pack to me and smiled.

“How is she?”

“No change yet, but hopefully she’ll wake up soon,” I answered. Looking back to her I stated, “We need her, Gordon. She’s the only other person who knows what this could turn into for everyone left. I’m not even sure if we can trust Chase and Beth anymore.”

“And why is that?” He gave me a sideways glace, eyebrow raised in genuine shock at my words. This begged the question, why was everyone I spoke to looking at me like that? Why were they so stunned by what I had to say?

“They’re hiding things. They didn’t tell us about the fact that we can’t keep people who have been bitten by a crawler from turning. Now,” I shook my head, “Chase found some information about Lilith and I’m a part of it, but refuses to even tell me how he knew where to look. We can’t keep secrets. Not if we want to survive this.”

Gordon knelt down in front of me and mirrored my own thoughts when he spoke. “Maybe they’re afraid. We were in Hell for six months and we haven’t been back for very long.” He sighed when he registered the sorrow on my face. “That place changes people, Robin. No one is meant to come back because people like you aren’t supposed to be there. The pit it is a failsafe, just in case. I’m sure Heaven has something like it so they can toss out those who don’t belong.”

I looked deep into his eyes and made a realization, which was one I didn’t want to admit. He was right. I sighed. I hated it when I couldn’t be right. It was unnerving.

“You’re right,” I said, letting my hands drop with a slap to my thighs. I was feeling so many things at that point. Anger, frustration, sadness, and anxiety. All of them were mixing into a cocktail that no one would understand. The words felt foreign coming from my mouth because I didn’t get to say them nearly as often as the opposite ones. For emphasis I said them again. “You’re right.”

“Was saying those words physically painful?” he asked, raising his eyebrows yet again as a smile spread over his perfect lips. The next person to do that was going to be missing their eyebrows.

“Oh, you have no idea,” I laughed in answer. A devilish grin spread over his face. It was a slow spread of lips, meant to entice and draw you in. It didn’t help that he had one of those adorably sexy crooked smiles that make your knees melt and your legs turn into Jell-O. I let that contagious warmth spread over me and flow through my veins as we sat there. He took my hands lightly in his and gave them an encouraging squeeze.

“Give them some time. I know it may not happen as fast as you want it to, but just because they don’t trust us fully yet doesn’t mean they’ll jump ship. They want her dead just as much as we do.” He took a deep breath in and continued. “They got to watch the world turn into something they don’t recognize. This is easier for us because we spent six months in a Hell that we didn’t have to watch make the shift. Give them some time.”

I bobbed my head, letting him know yet again that he was right. I knew it, he knew it, and I’m sure everyone else did. And the fact that Beth and Chase wanted Lilith dead as much as we did was also true. They got to witness the world change into a monster of her making, immersed in the middle of it all. While we were immersed in our own demons, we didn’t have to watch the change. We got thrown into that world and expected to deal, and we did. With Escara’s help we had made it to the pit and out of Hell and back into a newer version of the same thing. We had been thrown from one Hell into another. Only the setting had changed. That and the company we kept, but these changes were small compared to what they endured. So, could I blame them?

And then there was Sam. The wild card. The new kid on the block. I hadn’t known her long, but I trusted her. Was it because we had endured the same trial and made it out alive? Possibly. Did it change how I felt about her? It didn’t. Because of that Sam and I were even closer.

Stirring came from the bed behind Gordon, and then a pained moan. Gordon turned and I snapped up from the chair, almost knocking him down as I stood. Rushing to the bed I saw Sam move, but barely. She moaned again and moved her hand to cover her eyes. The little bit of light from the bedside lamp was too bright.

“Gordon, turn that off and light a candle,” I requested, knowing the candle light wouldn’t impact her nearly as much as the artificial light. After a few seconds we were immersed in darkness. I heard the snap of a lighter and the flare of the flame as it caught on the wick of a rose scented candle. It was one of those from Bath and Body Works that smelled just like a bed of roses. It was such a beautiful scent that complimented the jasmine already permeating the house.

Gordon moved to stand beside me and placed the flaming candle on the bedside table, while trying not to crowd us. I was beginning to wish we had the tools to check her out to know she was truly alright. I decided that asking her a few simple questions would have to do since the light was too painful.

“Can you tell me your name?” I quizzed. She moved her hand, groaning again.

She parted her lips and answered, “Samantha James.” I hadn’t known her last name so I took her word for it.

“What year is it?” I shook my head. That was a stupid question since I had no idea how long she had been in Hell. “Never mind that question. Who am I?” She moved her hand away from her eyes, squinting past the candle light at me.

“Robin. The Executioner.” Her voice was hoarse. Her answer was specific enough for me.

“Can you sit up?” Gordon asked her, scooting me away from the bedside to stand there with arms out, one lightly placed on her arm.

She nodded her head and began to sit up carefully, Gordon helping her as much as he could without being a hindrance. When she was finally sittin
g
I walked to the dresser, grabbing the bottle of water and pack of crackers and sat down in front of her. I held them out to her and she gave me a quizzical look.

“You’ve been out for a while and I want you to start small. Eat a few of these to settle your stomach and drink some of this,” I commanded. I tried to be as nice as possible, but I wasn’t taking any chances. If she had a concussion I needed her to take it as easy as possible until we could be sure she was good to go.

“How are you feeling?” Gordon asked her as she swallowed a cracker, taking a ginger sip of water once her mouth was clear.

It took her a moment to collect her thoughts before she could answer. She cleared her throat and swallowed again, her face turning a lovely shade of green. I leaned away from her as she swallowed one more time before opening her mouth to speak. I was beginning to think she had a concussion.

“I’m alright. Just have a headache and I’m a little nauseous.” She turned her face up to me, eyes a little glazed over as they met my own. “I’ll be okay, though. I’ve been through worse.” With a smile she said, “Much worse.”

“Well, if Hell isn’t worse than this I don’t know what is,” I replied.

Anything else we had been through or could go through was much worse than any concussion or injury we could sustain. Even with the impending eclipse that would launch us all into permanent dark. At least, as far as I knew it would be permanent. We still didn’t know much about what it meant and I was sure we wouldn’t until long after it took hold of the earth. I spied Gordon sporting a sly grin out of the corner of my eye and felt his warm and callused hand graze mine.

“Do you need anything?” Gordon was all about what other people needed tonight, wasn’t he? Sam requested some Tylenol and he shot a questioning look at me, a silent query of what I wanted or needed.

I cocked my head towards Sam and said, “I’ll share these crackers with Sam. All I need is another bottle of water.” I looked to her to see her chugging the bottle, then back to him. “Maybe two more.” I let the giggle erupt from me unbidden. It felt good to laugh no matter what the reason and it was exactly what I needed. While it felt great, the laughter felt foreign, like it shouldn’t be coming from me at all. It didn’t belong to me. At least, not anymore.

He slid off the bed and walked to the door, closing it behind him with a soft clicking sound. For a moment, we sat and listened to his heavy foot falls heading down the hall. Then all the way down the stairs and into the kitchen. I turned my attention back to Sam, who was staring off into space.

“Sam?” Her eyes flitted to my face, focused and intent on me. She looked tired, but I wanted to keep her awake for a while to make sure she would wake up.

“I can assure you I’m fine.” She sighed, chugged the last half of the bottle of water, and set it down on the bed after replacing the white cap.

“You sure?” I asked just one more time.

She smiled and replied, “Yes. You don’t have to worry. I’ll even let you wake me up every two hours if you feel it’s necessary.”

“You and I, Sam, great minds.” I let the laugh escape again when I felt it bubbling up into my throat, nearly choking me with giggles. This was the most relaxed I had felt in quite some time and I had a feeling it had a lot to do with her. We were both Executioners and we understood each other. It was a welcome relief.

Chapter 21:

Eclipse

There was a buzz in the air that made it hard to concentrate. The sun was out and shining, bleeding its warmth through the cracks of our home that seemed to be falling apart at the seams. All of us were huddled around the kitchen island, perched on bar stools. Since we only had four Chase took a spot on the counter behind Beth. Since the incident with the crawler he had been more protective over her than previously. I only wished I knew why. Maybe it was the lonely six months without Gordon and I that they had together. It gave them the chance to bond. And now that we were back he was just as antsy about who we may have turned into as Beth was.

As far as I was concerned the only things about me that had changed were the facts that I was more cautious, more grown up, and more powerful than ever. None of these were bad in my book. I wanted to let out a frustrated sigh but I held it in, the sound catching in my throat and begging to be set free. I swallowed it down as best as I could with a dry mouth. That  only made the sensation worse so I picked up my bottle of water and took a huge swig of the tepid liquid; swooshing it around in my mouth to coat the dry tissue as best as I could. It didn’t help.

The only noise I could hear was the clicking of an analogue clock coming from the living room, and it was beginning to grate on my nerves. I was on edge, panicky even, and the feeling was causing my right leg to bounce uncontrollably, making a soft tap from my shoes on the stool’s supports. I had put them on after getting cleaned up and never once took them off. I felt like, at any moment, I would need to run and who wanted to run through Los Angeles on bare feet? Definitely not me.

Before we circled around the kitchen island, I had spoken to Sam and asked her about how she had come to be in Hell. With her insistence on helping us take Lilith down I would’ve sworn it was because of her. But I knew Lilith hadn’t been released from her fiery crypt since the time of the Ancient Egyptians based on the deadly visions she had sent me. Sam had run into the wrong pack of vampires at the wrong time. While her defenses were down. Wasn’t that how it always happened? You’re walking around not suspecting a thing and then something horrible jumps out at you? Yes, and it was a fact that I had come to accept. It didn’t matter that now, with things as bad as you think they can get, that it just keeps getting worse and worse. That was also the way of things, and Sam was about to tell the others about her past. I could still see a little bit of a glassy look in her eyes, but she was so coherent you couldn’t really tell she had a concussion.

I figured I would start. “In the interest in being transparent  because I’m sure you guys,” I pointed to Beth and Chase, “are having a hard time with this whole thing, Sam is going to tell you about how she ended up in Hell She’s just told me about it and I know we need to have all of our cards out on the table.” Silence. When I stole a glance at Sam I could see her nervousness resting behind the surface. It was humming in the air, adding to the energy I could feel building and making it even that much more unbearable. I took her hand in mine and squeezed it. “It’s okay.”

She cleared her throat and took a swig of her own water, finally taking the two tablets of Tylenol I had given her.

“Based on how long Robin and Gordon had been down there, which you guys said was six months, I came to the conclusion that I had been there for at least three years. I would say I was prepared for what happened, but that would be a lie. I called Portland home back then. The pack of vampires was new in town so I had no clue   they were there because there had been no patterns indicating vampires in the string of murders that took place they did tell me they came because they had been told an Executioner lived within the city.” Her eyes began to fill with tears as she continued. “While I have the gift of near superhuman strength it’s not nearly as useful as some would think. It only matches the strength of the vampire and grows with each kill. At that time I hadn’t had many kills. They jumped me, took me to their nest, and tortured me until they decided to drain me. I’m still unsure of how I ended up in Hell. It could’ve had something to do with Lilith cooking up her plan while she was down there, but I can’t be sure. It seems obvious enough because of what happened recently, but there is no concrete evidence.”

Then the quiet came back and, as we sat, the crickets felt it was appropriate to sing their song. It was a soothing noise. Ever since we had returned the crickets had not made a noise, but for some reason tonight they did. I was thankful for it because finally there was something to fill the silence besides the screams and the sobs of death brought to our door once again. And that was all that seemed to follow me these days.

Apparently I had zoned out listening to the crickets because next thing I knew a warm and callused hand was resting on my own. Refocusing my eyes I looked down, seeing the coarse skin of Gordon whose skin had been worn by his time in Hell. It had once been so soft. It had hardened the both of us and it seemed like we were ghosts of our former selves. So much had changed without really changing at all and as I looked at our hands resting there on the counter together tears welled up in my eyes. I wouldn’t let them fall. I would not let them fall. I turned my face towards my companions, keeping my eyes wide to keep tears from cascading down my cheeks. All eyes were on me.  I didn’t like having the spot-light, but it had been pointed at me more times than I could count in the last year and it was becoming tiring.

“Are you alright?” Sam questioned, concern and fatigue in her eyes. She was as tired as I knew we all were. Sleeping during the day and being awake at night was messing with all of us. She placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed, letting me know that she understood without saying a word.

I nodded and managed to say yes, a small whisper squeezing out of my throat that seemed like it was closing with grief. Not of what had happened, but of what would happen. “I’m just going to go sit in the living room for a while.” Did it seem like a bad time to go sit in another room and leave the conversation? You bet it did, but it felt right somehow. All of them wore the same wary expression on their faces, but I couldn’t really look at any of them. I kept my eyes low at first, but I met Gordon’s as I slipped off of the stool.

There was something there I couldn’t interpret besides the unease and the questions flooding them, threatening to leak out and drown us all. I gave him a weak smile and went into the living room and to the crimson couch in front of the fire place. Since the sun was up I didn’t need the fire for light, but for the warmth. A chill of anxiety was rolling up and down my spine, causing goose bumps to pop up all over my skin. I rubbed my arms, trying to bring the heat back into them. It didn’t work and I knew exactly why. Sam’s death had reminded me of my own. I was sure each of our time in Hell played out a lot the same way as well. Some would say I had post-traumatic stress. I was inclined to agree.

Maybe a fire would be a good idea even though the sun was flowing through the blinds and warming my back. It did nothing to melt the ice that had formed in the pit of my stomach, sending shivers through my muscles. I slid off the couch and onto the floor, scooting across the floor to the fireplace. The DuraFlame logs that Beth and Chase had stolen from the store were stacked in a neat pile off to the side. I took one in my hands, feeling the weight of it as I placed it in the fire place. When I struck the match I knew I didn’t need one, but there was something about doing it this way that made me nostalgic for the old days. Before the vampires, before death, before the blood, and long before Lilith.  I touched the flame to the paper wrapped log and watched it catch the flame. Once the flames had devoured the log I backed away from the hearth until my back hit the couch, resting on it even though doing so was highly uncomfortable.

A voice I wasn’t expecting drifted into the room, causing me to jump with a start and look back to see Beth standing beside the couch, her fingers stroking the soft fabric.

“It’s amazing how everything’s changed, isn’t it?” She had a faraway look in her eyes; like she was remembering something from way back when. Her eyes were locked on the flames. The chill had left my body in that instant, the flames bathing my legs in warmth.

“Ummm,” I cleared my throat as a lump had formed at her words. “Yes. Yes, it is.” She didn’t look at me and her gaze never left the roiling flames that bellowed in the hearth behind me.

I could hear it crackling as it ate the log like a living, breathing thing. I dared not turn away from her. I wasn’t sure if she was in here to actually talk to me. I knew she didn’t trust me completely just yet and probably never would. I needed to at least make the effort it would take to be friends like we used to be. The time apart had changed things. You’d have to be blind to miss it.

She rounded the couch and sat on the floor next to me, her combat boots in extreme contrast with my old and worn Converse AllStars. The light was bouncing off the leather as we sat. I had to fight to keep my eyes off of her and staring in front of me. I wasn’t expecting the discussion and I wasn’t prepared. My heart was hammering in my chest and, the beast sensing my anxiety, was beginning to unfurl from its dark corner. I swallowed the feeling down taking deep breaths trying to suppress it. So far, so good. I was managing to keep the beast tucked away inside. It was getting angry at not achieving the release, but I didn’t care as long as I didn’t burn the house down with us inside. Hell, I didn’t want to burn the house down at all. I wanted to be able to raise our child in this house. My hand instinctively moved to rest on my belly, feeling the slight bump.

I stole a glance at Beth, spotting the tears filling her eyes as she stared at the fire. Actually, she was staring through it more than anything. There wasn’t anything I could say to her to change anything so I figured I may as well let her make the change in her own time. No need to rush it. We only had the end of the world to contend with. Yes, I was being a tad bit manic, but I didn’t care anymore. I wanted to give her the time she needed, but how long would that be? I didn’t even want to think about that anymore.

“Robin?” Beth murmured. Her voice was so low I almost couldn’t hear her and wasn’t even sure if she had truly said my name at all. I decided to take the chance of looking like an idiot with grace if she hadn’t. That was if I didn’t start crying from embarrassment first. Weren’t hormones just lovely?

“Yeah?” I mused. Everything she had done or said up to this point had caught me completely off guard so this made me nervous.

“Do you ever think of what life would’ve been like if we had never met?”

“Uh, well, not really. I mean, it never crossed my mind. Why do you ask?” My heart felt like it was going to beat into my throat and out of my mouth, running away screaming at her question. Why was this conversation making me so nervous?

“After you died I had thought about it a lot. I had wondered if you would still be alive if we hadn’t met, or if Lilith would’ve ever come into our lives.” She sighed, rubbing her palms on her jeans. I was sure they were coated in sweat from the nerves I now knew were racking her mind. I could feel the pulsating beat of her anxiety against my skin along with the constant buzz of the building energy around all of us. “I had wondered what would’ve happened if you hadn’t saved my life. Would you have met another person who would be sitting where I am now?”

I didn’t know what to say so I turned back to the flames and watched the shadows inside of the hearth being chased away by the flitting light. We both took a collective breath in and let it out and I would’ve laughed if it was even slightly funny. The gravity of our position was hitting us, and it was hitting hard. There was no denying it.

The energy around us changed drastically. It wasn’t a good change, by any means. It made my heart race and my breathing go shallow and I could tell Beth felt it took when her hand shot out to me and grasped mine so tight I thought she would break it. I suppressed a small cry and turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide with fear and the fine hairs on my arms were standing on end. We both shot up and out the front door, leaving it wide open. I called Gordon’s name and he was there in a flash, hand on the small of my back as he stood behind me.  Chase followed closely and I heard him gasp as he took in what was in front of us.

“What the…” were the only words that came out of my mouth, but they came in a whisper. I was sure no one heard me. 

The barrier between us and the outside world was shimmering and it looked like Christmas lights were flashing on and off in tandem. My breath caught in my throat and I looked to the sky even though I could barely see through the curtain of flashing lights hovering in the air around us. Our barrier was falling and I could see why as soon as my eyes met the sky. An orb of black was moving across the sky and slowly making its way towards the sun, blocking out each inch of it with magical precision.

It was like I was drawn to it and my legs began to take me down the front steps and onto the fresh lawn, which was now nearly a quarter way up my calf. Apparently someone had tried to keep up with the grass for those six months I was gone, but failed. Rain could make it through the barrier. See, this is why you always wear shoes. The beast began to writhe inside of me, begging to be set free as the evil poured itself out of that black orb to devour all of the sunlight. The black orb was closing in faster as I moved, one foot in front of the other, across the lawn, not even missing a step.

“Robin,” I heard multiple voices scream.

I felt unfocused and dazed, nearly tripping over my own feet as the darkness drew me to it. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I couldn’t   sense the terror I was supposed to be feeling. I felt nothing. Not even sadness or regret, which was one of the top five emotions I was capable of lately. My feet stopped mid-stride, planting themselves deep into the grass. It still had that squishy quality after the morning dew crept in. It was only around seven in the morning, but I knew that with the impending darkness it wouldn’t seem like it for long. A hand gripped my arm and the only reason I knew it was Gordon was because of the rough quality only Hell brings.