ReAwakened Page 21

  “What did they say?”

  “They didn’t want to tell me anything about Beth. They said they would be in contact with information about a trade tonight.”

  “Good. That will give me enough time to get the team over here,” I mused aloud.

  “The team?” Twitbrook regarded me with alarm. “That group of vampire outcasts?”

  “That group of smart, well-trained, capable vampires who already risked their lives once to protect this place and are now going to do everything in their power to save your daughter,” I corrected.

  That shut him up. “Of course,” he said sheepishly. “Whatever you need. We're at your disposal. Just bring her back to us, please.”

  By the time the team arrived at the Scarlet House, the last drop of sunlight had fallen from the sky. To our dismay, Twitbrook had not yet received a phone call from Beth’s captors.

  We waited in his office, anxiously indulging in small-talk.

  “Where’s Lena?” I asked.

  After all, it was a full house. Or rather, an overflowing house. Brooke, Sophie, Hunter, and Seth had dragged Razor along, who, despite agreeing to help me keep Sebastian out of harm’s way, had allowed him to join in as well.

  “She’s visiting her sister in New York,” Razor explained. “Their father flew in from Mexico to be with them for a few weeks. I think she plans to ask if she can extend her stay in Angel Creek for a little while longer.”

  “That would be nice.” Despite her feelings for Sebastian, I enjoyed having Lena around. I was also excited to learn more about fortas from her—particularly now that it was likely that I had one of my own. Most importantly, I needed her to keep Sebastian busy.

  I mulled over the idea of sharing the information I'd discovered about my mother’s power with the team, but Elisa’s warning rang through my thoughts. Telling anyone, at this point in time, might put them in danger. Sebastian had agreed to help Lena, and that had nearly killed him. In the hope of protecting them all—especially as we embarked on a mission—I resolved to keep what I'd learned to myself.

  I was about to ask another question about Lena, when Twitbrook’s office phone rang. His hand trembled as he reached for the device.

  “H-hello?” His voice was hoarse, unsteady. “Where’s my Beth?”

  I motioned for him to switch on the speaker. He did, then repeated his question.

  Silence followed on the other end. Finally, the caller took a deep breath and laughed. “Patience, Mr. President.”

  Twitbrook was anything but patient. “What have you done with my daughter? What did you do to my baby, you...filthy animal!” he exploded. Tiny droplets of saliva fled from his lips, coating the receiver.

  The caller laughed again. “Now, now...no need to get angry. She’s fine.”

  “I want her back.” The vein on Twitbrook’s forehead was ready to pop. “Unharmed.”

  “Enough chit-chat,” the voice on the other line said. “I'm bored.” I strained to decode the caller’s gender, grasping for clues, but the voice was distorted by an electronic device. “We want only one thing in exchange for Beth.”

  “Anything,” Twitbrook panted. “I’ll give you anything you want. You want money? I have money. Just don’t hurt her. Please! How much do you want?”

  The caller’s laugh grated on my nerves. “Hmm…a million dollars?”

  “Done!” Twitbrook exclaimed.

  “But what we really want is for Dawn Fairchild to deliver it,” the caller growled. “You give us Dawn, and you get Beth. We’ll be in touch with the time and the address. She comes alone. One mistake, one false move, and you’ll never see your little girl again.”

  Before Twitbrook could reply, the caller hung up.

  All eyes were on me.

  I smiled. “Don’t look so glum. You heard the caller. We have a way to get Beth.”

  “In exchange for you,” Sebastian spat.

  “And a good chunk of money.” I tried to lighten the mood, but no one laughed.

  “It’s a ludicrous idea, D,” Razor said.

  Sophie bit her lip. “You’re going to walk straight into the lion’s den.”

  “Or, more likely, a powerful, well-organized vampire lair,” Seth added.

  “That’s the point!” I exclaimed. “I’ll be able to get right to the center of it all.”

  Brooke nodded. “Yeah—and die.”

  I sighed. “Well, if I don’t do it, then Beth dies. We’re kind of experiencing a shortage of options here.”

  “We saw firsthand what they did to the other Born,” Sebastian said. “They’ll drain you, Dawn. It’s clear that they’re really after you. What’s a million dollars to the president? Nothing. It’s all a plan to lure you in.”

  “We have no other choice,” I told him, then turned to the rest of the group. “I’m not going to let a little girl die.”

  Sebastian fixed his eyes on mine. “If you're going, then I’m coming with you.”

  His voice was filled with so much conviction, it hurt tell him, “No.”

  “It's not up for discussion. I’m coming,” he repeated more firmly.

  “As am I,” Razor added.

  “Me too,” Sophie and Hunter said in unison.

  Seth raised his hand. “Me three. Or, you know, five.”

  Brooke sighed. “Obviously, I’m coming too. Just don't expect me to say anything cheesy like, ‘me six.’” She rolled her eyes at Seth.

  I bit my lip. Before I could find a firmer way to say no to them all, Sebastian pulled me aside. “I know I promised to never protect you again, and according to my brother, you want nothing to do with me, but think about how insane this mission is. You need us. All of us. Not because you’re weak, but because we’re stronger together.”

  He was right, of course. There was strength in numbers. And there was no weakness in allowing those I trusted the most in the world to help. My only concern was regarding the orders given by Beth's captors. I couldn’t put her life in danger.

  “Trust me, Dawn,” Sebastian continued intently, “if anyone has learned the lesson that we can't face these guys alone, it’s me. The rogues are brutal. They have no mercy. Even with your strength and power, it’s an extremely dangerous task to take on alone.”

  I glanced toward Twitbrook. He was a sweaty mess. “I’ll provide you with the money,” he said, gnawing on his thumbnail. “However you decide to carry out the mission is up to you. Just bring her back to me safe and sound,” he pleaded. “I’m done standing in your way.”

  The team looked over at me expectantly.

  “We do this together,” I said, and they cheered.

  I looked out the window at the darkness stretching out across the horizon, hoping that I wasn’t making a mistake; one that would hurt the team, or even worse, cost Beth her life.

  Within the hour, we were on our way to Lisbeth Grove, a small village nestled midway between the Scarlet House and Angel Creek. Twitbrook had received the address through an anonymous text, with further caution that I was to come alone. Not wishing to risk Beth’s well-being, I convinced the group to let me drive my car, and they followed behind in their own vehicles. Closer to the destination, I would forge ahead alone, while they waited for my signal to follow.

  I was surprised that Lisbeth Grove even garnered the title of village. It consisted of a tiny, burned-down general store with a broken gas pump, a rundown motel, and several barely-standing houses dispersed throughout the area. The directions to the house on Cedar Lake Road—where Beth was supposedly being held captive—led us through the township, past a few farms and dilapidated barns, and down to a small valley.

  At the foot of the valley, surrounded by hills and trees, was a beautiful, haunting, three-story farmhouse. It stood in solitude, completely cut off from the rest of the village. A mile from the house, I stopped the car and had the team take cover behind some overgrown shrubbery.

  “Wait for my signal. I’ll let you know when it’s clear.”

  As I near
ed the house, the road became narrower. The trees lining it closed in on my car. Their hostile branches whipped the sides of the vehicle, eliciting a shrill screeching sound of sharp wood against metal. The perfect alarm announcing my arrival. I cringed at the noise until my headlights fell upon the bright red door of the farmhouse. It beckoned me forward, so I increased my speed, rushing to meet it. Suddenly, my front tires encountered a line of hidden road spikes, their deadly edges concealed by the tall grass of the driveway. The sounds of mini-explosions ensued as rubber popped from underneath me. The rapid pressure decrease sent my car into a tailspin. I gripped the steering wheel with both hands, managing to rein in the vehicle just in time to avoid a violent collision with a tall oak tree. The car skidded to a stop, barely touching the tree, yet its soft hood folded up like an accordion. Silencing the engine, I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the steering wheel.

  My head snapped up at the sound of dry, crackling leaves resonating throughout the forest. A small group of rogue vampires appeared from behind the trees, emerging in unison to form a tight circle around me. Their guns poised and ready, they began to fire. I ducked under my seat just in time to avoid getting hit. Bullets—smelling of vampire blood poison—broke through the windshield, embedding deep into the leather of the driver and passenger seats, smearing the material dark red. The next wave of gunfire shattered the windshield completely, showering me with glass.

  I grabbed the crossbow lying across the passenger seat, then peered through the broken window. I would need a tank to defeat them all, I realized, looking down at the arrows in my quiver. More bullets flew into the car, one of them scraping my temple. Blood gushed out, staining my vision, but all of it was thankfully mine; the bullet hadn’t broken apart and unleashed its poison until after it passed by me.

  I wiped my face with the back of my hand and reached under the seat for heavier artillery, grabbing a smoke grenade and a flashbang. Shutting my eyes, I tossed both. The flash grenade was especially damaging as it impaired the vampires’ sensitive vision, rendering them blind just long enough for me to flee. I flung open the passenger door and darted into the woods.

  More bullets grazed by me as I took cover behind a nearby tree. The smoke subsided, and the vampires began to track me. The forest provided some shelter, though the bullets still followed closely. I drew the assailants toward me, isolating them as I swerved between trees, picking them off one-by-one. But while my arrows began to dwindle, the attackers appeared to multiply.

  I was facing the prospect of hand to hand combat with no end in sight when my salvation appeared in the form of a dark blue sweater, its owner’s bow and arrow poised and ready to fire.

  Hunter!

  He was followed closely by Seth, Sophie, and Brooke. Together, the foursome—each brandishing their weapon of choice—joined my side in the fight against the seemingly endless attackers. Seth sliced through our enemies, treating the battle like one of his video games, impressing me with his newly-honed swordsmanship skills.

  “Hundred points for me!” he yelled as his sword connected with his opponent’s torso.

  Hunter’s arrows matched mine in speed and precision. Sophie, the girl who had once been afraid to touch any kind of weapon, had found her calling with nunchucks. Her small frame allowed her to dart between the rogues easily, surprising them with her strikes. Brooke had—unbeknownst to me—borrowed a chainsaw from one of Mrs. Livingston’s grandsons.

  “Halloween Haunt, bitches!” she yelled over the loud buzz of the blade as she disarmed—literally disarmed—two of our attackers.

  We took on wave after wave of vamps, slowly making our way back to the road.

  “Where are Sebastian and Razor?!” I yelled as Hunter’s arrow flew by my head, taking out a vamp that had snuck up behind me.

  “They headed straight for your car!” Hunter called back. “There’s an entire swarm out there!” He looked away for a moment, failing to notice an attacker stepping out from behind a tree.

  “Hunter! Watch out!” Arrowless, I dropped my bow and lunged toward the large vampire. Just as he raised his knife at Hunter’s neck, I shot out my hand and blocked him. Wrapping my fingers around his wrist, I pulled him to me, jamming my knee into his groin. With a loud grunt, he bent over in agony, dropping the weapon as Sophie appeared, striking him over the head with her nunchucks.

  Gradually, we sliced, hit, and shot our way out of the forest. Once back on the driveway, we joined Sebastian and Razor in their fight against even more rogues. This time, mixed in with the vampires, were members of Quinoa's werewolf tribe. Sebastian skillfully stripped the assailants of their weapons using an array of impressive open-hand combat techniques, sending them soaring through the air with superhuman strength. The attackers landed in front of Razor, and he utilized his set of sharp blades, slicing away at the opponents with surgical precision. Two diagonal slashes across their torsos, followed by a vertical one down the center of their bodies left them looking like carved, bloodied snowflakes.

  In the moments that followed, grunts, growls, and yelps were replaced by a sudden eerie silence. The seven of us stood still, surveying the damage. I shuddered at the thought of the countless dead bodies on the forest floor, of all that blood staining the fallen leaves, painting them an even deeper shade of red.

  Sebastian’s arm found my waist as he pulled me to him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes gliding over the gash on the side of my head.

  “I’m fine. Thanks to you guys,” I told him, looking around at the team. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “Whoever called Twitbrook, planned on you coming alone,” Sophie said. “When we heard the gunfire, we figured that was enough of a signal to start heading your way.”

  “Whoever called Twitbrook is probably waiting for us inside,” I nodded toward the house. “And I’m done playing by their rules. We all go in.”

  We gathered more arrows, and began the short hike toward the house. Sebastian’s arm was still around my waist, both of us unsure of what to do next.

  “Thank you for forcing me to accept your help,” I whispered to him, trying to distract myself from his touch.

  “Anytime.” His fingers tightened around my side, instinctively pulling me closer. As our hips collided, my heart leapt out of my chest. A soft gasp escaped my lips, and Sebastian immediately released me.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, submerging his hand in his pocket. “And I'm really sorry about what happened at the pool.”

  I’m not! I wanted to scream.

  The warm sense of comfort his touch brought was quickly replaced by the caress of the cool wind. I shivered—though not because of the cold—and wrapped my sweater tightly around me. Sebastian’s arm twitched as he glanced over to me, but then he withdrew his gaze and sank his hand deeper into his pocket.

  “Stay alert,” I warned the team as we neared the front entrance of the farmhouse. “There could be more rogues hiding in the trees.”

  Sweeping the perimeter to ensure that we were alone, we quietly crept into the house. The ground floor was completely empty save for a locked room at the back of the house. I prepared to break down the door but was interrupted by muffled cries from above. We followed the sound, encountering a small band of attackers on the way up to the attic. Wielding swords and knives in place of blood bullet guns, they were no match for us even as we fought through our exhaustion.

  Save Beth, was the only mantra running through my mind as I shattered the attic door locks.

  Inside the cramped, dusty space, sitting underneath a tiny, round window, was Beth. Her arms and legs were bound tightly, the wire bindings cutting into her skin, forming deep, red gashes around her wrists and ankles. A dark blindfold covered her eyes. I rushed over to her, quickly freeing her of the restraints. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she collapsed into my arms. I carried her tiny body over to Sebastian and Razor.

  “You two should take her back to the car. Stay by her side and make sure t
hat she’s okay,” I told them, handing her over. “We’ll check the rest of the house.”

  Hunter and Seth inspected the top two floors, while Sophie, Brooke, and I headed back to the locked door downstairs. To our surprise, it was now wide open, exposing a makeshift library. Rows upon rows of books were stacked along the walls, displayed within unique wooden cases. A grand piano was resting next to a large bay window, its old, cracked keys covered by layers of dust.

  In the farthest corner of the room, on the decaying hardwood floor, lay a petite, blonde vampire. She was face-down and unmoving, her long, blonde ringlets spread out like a golden crown.

  “She’s bleeding!” Brooke gasped, pointing to the pools of bright red liquid below both of the girl’s wrists.

  I secured the room as she and Sophie rushed to the unconscious girl’s side. We carefully maneuvered her small body onto Sophie’s lap, gingerly wrapping her wrists with Brooke’s scarf. As I shifted her hair out of her face, her blue eyes fluttered open. Sophie let out an astonished gasp. A mix of raw emotions flashed across her face. Fear, surprise—even something that resembled a pained version of affection—all melted into one another. Then, her face stilled completely and her entire body turned to stone.

  “What’s wrong, Soph?” Brooke asked, gently nudging Sophie's shoulder. “She’s awake. It’s gonna be okay.”

  Sophie didn't respond. She and the blonde vampire were off in their own world—Sophie, frozen like a statue, the girl, on the other hand, suddenly coming to life. She raised her bandaged arm and placed her palm against Sophie’s cheek. Her porcelain fingers stroked Sophie’s skin, a contrast of light against dark.

  “Sophie,” the girl cooed. “I’ve missed you. So much.” Though her voice was soft, there was an edge of possessiveness to the way she said Sophie’s name.

  The sound brought Sophie out of her trance. She blinked, focusing her eyes back on the girl.

  “Charlotte?!”

  Charlotte Jacobs. The Charlotte. Sophie’s ex-best friend, who had turned Sophie the night of her eighteenth birthday then forsaken her for over a century, was now lying on the floor in front of us. Of all the abandoned houses in all the towns around the U.S., she had somehow walked into ours. Okay, perhaps she had been tied up and dragged into it, but what were the odds?