Authors: Jade M. Phillips
“She’s unconscious,” Orie said. “But the witch believes
she’ll heal in time. She’s resting now.”
Pandora glanced my way but said nothing more on the matter.
She sighed and rubbed her fingers over her temples. Apparently, Orie and I weren’t
the only ones who had a problem with Horus’ actions. But what could we do until
Cloe woke up? For all we knew it would be days from now until she opened her
eyes. In the mean time I needed to find out who the soldier was.
It suddenly dawned on me… Pandora was head of job placement
and probably the one who gave Cloe the job of seeing to the human prisoner. And
now that my friend proved unable to fulfil that job, a position was left to
fill, and I knew just the vampire to do it.
“Now that I know Cloe is being taken care of, I must go. I
have a meeting to oversee.” Pandora turned to leave, but I couldn’t let her. Now
was my chance.
“What about Cloe’s duties at the jail? Who will be taking
over for her?”
Pandora stopped and cast her green gaze at me. “Honestly I
hadn’t even thought that far ahead,” she admitted. “I suppose I will have to
fill in for her.”
I stuck my hands in the pockets of my long skirt. “I can
help out. Now that I’m trained, my blood slave duty doesn’t take very long.”
I studied Pandora’s expression as she mulled over my
suggestion, my heart pounding in my chest. If she allowed me to fill in for
Cloe, I would finally detect if Guy was the soldier in the jail. And if he was,
I would then erect a plan to get him out.
“I’m not so sure if—” Pandora started.
“I know how busy you are,” I cut in. “And it can’t be much
different from feeding the blood slaves. I really don’t mind the extra work. I
like to be kept busy.”
She considered me for a long moment and just when I was
certain she’d disagree, she sighed. “I suppose that could work. It would definitely
be a big help to me.” My heart swelled, and I found myself thinking this was an
even better plan than dragging Cloe into the middle of my dirty work.
Pandora shifted her weight, pausing for a moment. “I will
inform the guards you will be coming. There is only one prisoner right now, and
all you need to do is take them a plate and some water just after sunset.”
“Great.” My face turned up with a smile, but Pandora spiked
a brow at my happy continence. I quickly wiped the smile from my face, changing
the subject. “Um, so how did the vote go for the blood slaves’ new living
quarters?”
Pandora rolled her eyes. She wasn’t too keen on the idea,
but I still had hope it just might work. She exhaled slowly. “I’m on my way to
oversee the voting right now. Don’t get your hopes up. Things have been this
way for many years and the legion doesn’t take kindly to change.”
I nodded and Pandora disappeared in a blur.
“I’m going down to the Crystal Palace,” Orie stated, and I’d
almost forgot he was still standing there. “I need to get my mind off this for
a while. Do you want to join me?”
I smiled at Orie’s gesture, but was too anxious to get to
the jail. I explained I had a lot of work to do and asked for a rain check.
Orie understood and we made plans to meet back at the infirmary the next night
to check on Cloe.
In no time flat, I rushed off to pick up the prisoner’s
food, my heart beating furiously in my chest. My faith had been tested so many
times recently I didn’t know what to believe anymore. But regardless of my
confused state, I prayed harder than ever before. And as strange as it sounded,
I prayed the face I would see inside of that jail would not be Guy’s.
I left Big Nose Kate’s with a plate of food in my hands and
a canteen of water strapped to my hip. Unfortunates crowded the streets beneath
the glow of the lanterns and a cool breeze rushed through signaling the
beginning of autumn. The town was just starting to liven up, music from various
Saloons caressing my ears. But their jolly mood was lost on me, I was too
overcome with debilitating fear. Fear of who I would find within the jail cell.
Fear that it would be Captain Guy Stone chained to the wall.
I was unable to ignore the ache in my gut as I rounded the
corner to see the large courthouse slumping over, the front steps crumbling
into the great rift in the road. I didn’t know what I would do if I found my
love imprisoned within. If it was him inside, it would be surreal, for I wanted
more than anything to see his storm cloud eyes sparkle when they saw me. But
this was not how I pictured our reunion happening, him being locked within the
confines of enemy territory. And if he was in fact inside, who knows what they
might’ve done to him.
I jumped the crack in the road and climbed the steps, the
werewolf guard in front of the grand doors eyeing me. The same guard that
caught me snooping around the night before— Humpty. I breathed in deeply steeling
myself for what was to come.
“I’m taking over for Cloe for a few days,” I said.
He nodded, handing me a key.
“Pandora already informed me,” he said. “The prisoner is in
cell B.”
He moved aside from the door and let me pass through and I
couldn’t help but think that was way too easy. I followed the lamp-lit halls
and weaved down to the end of the courthouse where I remembered the jail cells
being. As I approached the barred doors to my right, my pulse quickened. I
stopped in front of the one marked with a ‘B,’ surprised there were no guards
outside like there’d been for me. Maybe because the man was human and they knew
he couldn’t escape.
Please don’t be him. Please don’t be him
.
Through the bars, the darkness veiled the form inside, but I
did not attempt to use my vampire vision to see him yet, fear preventing me
from doing so. I slid the key in the lock and turned it with a metallic click.
I reached above me to pluck a torch from the wall and opened the door.
Please don’t be him. Please don’t be him.
I stepped inside, closing the bars behind me, and hung the
torch on the wall. I turned and, in an instant, knew I could’ve never mentally
prepared myself for what I saw next. Gasping, I nearly dropped the plate I
carried at seeing his face— the face I prayed so desperately not to see.
Bruises and swelling marred Guy’s skin beyond recognition,
but I knew it was him for his scent; leather, musk, and new-fallen leaves. But
the vibrant aroma of life I usually sensed within him was nearly gone, only
hanging by a thin tendril of his soul.
My legs trembled and it took all I had not to drop to my
knees. My eyes wavered and broke with a rush of tears. I didn’t want to believe
it. I didn’t want to even entertain the idea of it being him. But there he was,
broken; the man who’d sacrificed everything to protect me. A sworn enemy of the
Unfortunate Souls no less, a soldier that had gone out of his way for a
vampire. For me. I whimpered, my voice barely above a breath.
“God, what have they done to you?”
Guy lay on a bench near the corner of the cell, his legs
chained to the bottom of the wall. His chocolate brown hair looked crimson for
being so matted with sticky blood. Shades of red, blue, and purple colored his
skin from the obvious beatings he’d received. His clothes hung in shreds,
barely covering his thrashed skin.
I laid the plate of food on the floor with trembling hands and
carefully sat on the edge of the bench. I reached down and gently took his
hand, bringing it to my lips. I softly kissed his fingers, the only spot on his
body not damaged. My heart had never felt so much pain and I didn’t know what
to do or say. Could he hear me? Sense I was there? My breathing came in ragged spurts
as I placed my head to his chest. The faintest of heartbeats pulsed within him
and I knew he rested on the edge of death. I released a mournful cry.
For the many times I died or came close to death, seeing Guy
like this was worse. I wanted to die right along with him. I wanted it to be a
dream, a terrifying nightmare even, but it wasn’t. The scars on his body were
as real as the ones forming on my heart. I was shattering from the inside out,
my heart nearly breaking in two. I had to do something.
Without thinking, I immediately released my fangs and sank
them into my wrist. I brought my bleeding flesh to his cracked lips like back
at the old Mission when he was attacked. But he was conscious then and not, in
any way, as bad as this. I hoped he would be able to drink.
After a few moments of letting my lifeblood pool into his
mouth, he instinctively swallowed. I sighed, realizing how relieved Orie
must’ve been when Cloe swallowed his blood for the first time. But Guy’s
condition was considerably worse than Cloe’s. His chest didn’t even rise and
fall with breath. I wasn’t sure my blood would heal him. But I didn’t have much
time to ponder the what-ifs. The werewolf guard outside the jail would notice I
was taking too long and come to check on me.
But even so, I kept feeding Guy. Every time my wrist would
close with my body’s own fast healing reaction, I would create a new puncture,
letting the blood drop into his mouth. Again and again he swallowed, each time
more hungrily. His body twitched beside me and his eyes shifted beneath his
lids. I grazed my fingers down the side of his face and leaned over, placing a
gentle kiss upon his mouth. His lips were as cold as mine, but I could feel
warmth coming from his breath now. I began feeling a glimpse of hope that this
wasn’t the end for him, and that he would survive after all. But I needed a
bigger and better plan than just bringing him back from the dead. I needed to
free him and get him far away from this God-forsaken place. And I also knew
now, that I would not be able to stay here, either, especially after devising
an escape plan for Guy. My time in Tombstone would soon be up.
My ears perked as the door at the front of the courthouse
opened. I quickly wiped away the blood dribbling down Guy’s chin and stood up. He
still lay unconscious, his pale skin grey and ashen. My heart squeezed in my
chest. I couldn’t bear leaving him like this. It broke my heart. Yet I could
not chance being caught caring for him this way, either. If they knew my feelings
for him we would both be killed.
There had to be a way we could escape together, I just
needed to find out how. I also needed to make sure Guy did not lose the will to
live, for I would require his help in freeing us both. I gazed down at his limp
body, thinking I needed to give him a sign that all would be well and I would
return.
I reached up with shaky hands and removed the beaded chain
from my neck and balled it up. I opened his hand and tucked the rosary in his
palm, closing his fingers around it. I pulled the blanket over him, making sure
his arm and hand were covered. I hoped he would find it when he awoke before
anyone else did. I hoped it would give him the will to keep fighting.
I wiped the tears from my cheeks and breathed in deeply, forcing
a calm and unaffected expression onto my face. I reluctantly approached the
cell door.
I glanced back at my love one more time, the swelling in his
face depleting and his chest now visibly moving with breath.
“Don’t worry,” I whispered. “I will get you out of here. Or
die trying.”
I hoped my promise wasn’t in vain and I would indeed save
him from this misery. But how I would go about doing that was a mystery within
itself.
Sleep did not come easy for me that day, images of Guy
chained up and desecrated washing through my mind over and over again. Even the
few short times my body finally gave way to fatigue, fading in and out of
consciousness, Guy still haunted my dreams. The ache inside of me was
immeasurable, all-consuming. The scent of him lingered on my clothes and I
couldn’t stop breathing him in. I finally succumbed to the idea that lying in
bed was as helpful to me as a stick in the eye.
I rose in the early evening and readied myself in the
basement while it was still light outside. The werewolf brothers had left early
again and I impatiently waited inside the front door for my chance to leave.
The second the sun fell below the mountains, casting its shadows across the
land, I bolted. I flew through town to finish my blood slave duty first, giving
only a few extra minutes to converse with my human friend Earl. He didn’t
mention waiting on a vote from the legion, but I saw the hope in his eyes that his
life could amount to more than just living in a cage. And even though I was the
one who put that hope there in the first place, I, myself, was empty of it.
Not only was the man I loved being tortured and held
prisoner in the jail, my best friend had been rendered unconscious by Horus as
well. My whole world had turned upside down in the matter of a few days, and the
optimism I’d somehow found before in that dark place now bled from me, turning
into ice-cold doubt.
I needed a plan that would allow me to safely free Guy Stone
from jail and let us escape from this place unharmed. But I couldn’t do it
alone, knowing I would only cause more harm than good. I needed help, and the
only person I trusted enough to confide my secret in was Cloe. Unfortunately,
she was no help to me in her current state.
I thought about going to Pandora with the information, but
despite her connection to Wilson, she still held loyal to the vampires. I had
little confidence she would sympathize with my situation. In her opinion I
would be a traitor by not only killing one of our own to protect a human’s
life, but falling in love with the enemy in the first place. Despite my
desperation, I rushed toward the Crystal Palace Saloon to meet Orie. I still
needed to go with him to the infirmary before visiting Guy in the jail once
again.
I walked through the wooden swinging doors to find him, head
hanging, sitting at the crowded bar. His usually slick and shiny pony tail,
hung matted and un-brushed. He swirled a glass of what looked to be whisky in
front of him, his eyes searching the bottom.
The noise in the bar increased as more patrons filtered in
and I could barely hear myself think for the werewolves who bantered loudly
over a game of poker. I quickly grabbed the last vacant seat next to Orie and
sat down. I placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
“You okay?”
“What do you think?” he scoffed. “Of course I’m not okay.”
I retreated in response to his shockingly abrasive manner.
Orie was kind and gentle, not cold and distant.
This
was not Orie.
Realizing his brashness, he looked up at me and sighed. “I’m
sorry, Ruby. I didn’t mean that. It’s just…”
“I know,” I said in understanding, thinking I hadn’t been myself
lately, either. We sat together in silence, Orie spinning his bar glass and me
staring blankly into space.
“I know how much you are hurting,” I finally said.
Orie looked up, his gaze searching mine. “Do you though?” he
asked. “Have you ever loved someone so much it was painful to look at them?
Because no matter what, you will never be together, and no matter how hard you
try, you cannot protect them.”
My heart sank heavily with his words and I ran my fingers
mindlessly over the bar top, knowing exactly how he felt.
“Yes,” I replied. “I know how it feels. I live it every
day.”
He spun the bar stool to face me directly, his brows lifting
in curiosity. “You do?”
I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself as though to warm
the chill inside. But no matter how much I related to him, I could not tell
Orie about Guy. I could not let anyone know the torment I held inside.
“Yes,” I answered. “But it is something I can’t speak about.
Just know you’re not alone in this, Orie. I understand. And if there’s anything
I can do to help…”
“Tell me,” Orie stated flatly, surprising me. The
desperation in his eyes was deep and pleading. “Tell me how you know. Your secret
is safe with me.”
Living with Jax and Orie had brought us closer together over
the last few weeks. I thought of them as my family now, assuming Orie felt the
same about me. I wanted more than anything to confide in him, but couldn’t. His
brother Jax, was the head of security and I could not put Orie in such a
dangerous position.
“If I told you…” I kneaded my fingers together, my gut
clenching tightly. “If you knew, your life would be in danger. I just… I can’t
do that to you.”
He considered me for a moment and opened his mouth to speak,
but not before a violent gush of wind blew in through the doors. Horus stood at
the front of the Saloon, his eyes flashing angrily and his fists clenched
tightly at his sides.
Upon the sight of the vampire, Orie’s demeanor changed
instantly. He turned from lax and sad, to tense and defensive. I squeezed his
hand as if asking him not to confront Horus. It was no mystery he hated the
vampire, but angering him would not solve anything. Yet I glanced at the two,
realizing my gesture meant nothing. It wasn’t Orie I would have to worry about.
It was Horus.
The vampire leader flashed through the horde of bodies,
halting directly in front of us. He leaned over combatively and I knew this conversation
wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Which one of you did it?” he hissed, indicating he knew
very well that Cloe was healing more rapidly now and someone was feeding her
blood. He looked between me and Orie, madder than the fires of hell. “Which one
of you fed my creation their blood?”
I glanced to my werewolf friend, noting his face bulging in
anger, the veins in his neck strained. Orie looked Horus directly in the eye,
his teeth gritted. “What does it matter?” Claws slid from his fingers in
defiance. “Whoever it was, they did you a favor. You nearly killed her you blood-sucking
son of a bitch!”
Orie’s shout caused the Saloon to fall silent and I cringed.
All eyes were now on us.
“Orie.” I reached over and grabbed his wrist, fearing I
could not stop the inevitable. And like I suspected, the young wolf beside me
began to transform, his skin stretching and face morphing into that of a
wolf’s. His body grew from beneath his clothes, ripping sounds pulling at the
seams. Yet, Horus was unfazed by this, his inky gaze blazing fire.
“It was you, wasn’t it Wolfboy?”
Orie’s face started sprouting hair and his nose extended
into the long shape of a muzzle. Sharp teeth sprang from his mouth as he stood,
throwing back his chair. “What if it was? What are you going to do about it?”
Horus and Orie were at a stand-off, the tension in the air
thick and heavy. My heart pounded against my ribcage.
“You are going to die, you low-life mutt,” Horus seethed.
In a flash, Horus went for Orie’s neck with his fangs bared,
and I quickly screeched my barstool back to avoid contact. The two fell to the
floor, Orie now having completely transformed into his wolf body, black and
grey, and larger than the vampire. His torn clothes laid in a heap on the
floor. Screaming erupted from the crowd as the two writhed on the ground
together, clawing and biting, gnashing and hissing. Horus flipped Orie on his
back and the wolf yelped in pain. Just before the vampire went to sink his
teeth into the werewolf’s neck, a loud booming voice stopped him in the
process.
“What the hell is going on in here?”
Jax stood at the front of the Saloon with Pandora and Morin
at his sides.
Horus stopped immediately and rose to standing, his thin chest
heaving. Orie was still on the floor, his large wolf body bulging with muscle,
sharp teeth snarling from behind his lips. Under normal circumstances I
imagined Horus, the most powerful vampire ever, would have no problem killing
Orie. But I glanced around at the concerned patrons muttering beneath their
breaths. Horus was in werewolf territory and would be greatly outnumbered.
“He went against my wishes and fed my creation his blood,”
Horus shrieked, his long finger pointing at Orie. “Werewolves are not to meddle
in the business of vampires. He must be punished.”
Jax’s face melted into a deeper frown than normal. Pandora
stood indifferently. And Morin twiddled her fingers nervously.
“Is this true?” the werewolf leader asked his younger
brother. “Did you feed a vampire your blood against the wishes of her maker?” The
bar fell silent except for a cough somewhere in the back. Everyone sat on the
edge of their seats waiting for Orie’s reply. He opened his mouth, but before I
knew what I was doing, I stood up.
“It was me,” I announced, stepping forward, then almost
immediately regretted my decision.
Horus’ dark gaze shot to me, but I ignored him, keeping my
head held high. He already hated me, so what was a little more hatred in
exchange for a friend’s life? I couldn’t let Orie take the blame.
“Orie was just trying to protect me,” I explained. “But he
lied. It wasn’t him. It was me.”
This time, Pandora spoke up. She held a neutral stance, but
fire blazed in her expression.
“Ruby. Is it true you went against the vampire leader’s
wishes?”
“I didn’t know,” I lied. “I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to
feed her my blood.”
“Bullshit!” Horus snapped. He spun to Morin. “I left you
under strict instruction not to allow anyone to feed her. No matter what.”
“She didn’t know,” I repeated, holding up my hands in
supplication. Not only was I now trying to protect Orie, but Morin as well. The
witch looked terrified, her old eyes crinkled at the sides. I flashed her a
look that said ‘it’s okay’ before continuing. “I ran through so fast no one saw
me. And when I saw Cloe was hurt I immediately gave her my blood.”
“Liar!” Horus hissed, and came at me in a flash, pinning me
to the ground before I knew what was happening. His sharp claws dug into my
neck, his death-breath filling my nostrils.
My fangs descended in defense, my heart pumping blood
rapidly through my veins. Uncontrollable anger welled within me. It took over
my being, my body reacting to its fierce pull. I craved the vampire leader’s
blood, my hunger growing at the rate of my rage. And from my training with
Wilson, I knew I was exceptionally strong and faster than most. In that moment,
I could give Horus the fight of his life.
Yet it was due to my love for Guy that I laid still while
Horus breathed onto my neck, seconds away from sinking his fangs into my flesh.
If I made one wrong move it could jeopardize any chance I had of being able to
free my savior. It took all I had to hold back my need to kill the spiteful
vampire and drain him dry.
“Enough, Horus,” Pandora heaved. “You heard her, it was a
mistake. There is nothing you can do.”
“I can kill the baby vampire,” Horus rasped. “That’s what I
can do.”
To my relief Pandora spoke up again, defending me. “The
decision for her to live has already been made, and you know as well as anyone
the Patriarch is an iron fist when it comes to rules. If you kill her unjustly
you will be demoted from your position in the legion. You don’t want that do
you?”
Horus clenched his jaw, his fingernails barely breaking open
my skin. Drops of blood ran down my tense neck. Horus leaned over me, his voice
murderously low.
“This is the second time you have been saved. Next time I
will see to it you are all alone with no one there to stop me. And I will rip
your heart out and feed it to you one bite at a time.” He slammed my head into
the ground and my mind spun dizzily. He then stood over me, huffing.
“Come Horus,” Morin, the witch said, eyeing me sideways. I
couldn’t tell if she was grateful for my actions or not. Either way, she shooed
Horus on. “It is time for the legion to vote on the blood slave proposition.”
Horus glared at me, though he slithered backward toward the
legion. “Yes,” he smiled deviously. “Let us decide the fate of the humans.”
The tone of his words scared me deeply. He was aware of my
connection to the humans and might use that against me. But I put my faith in
Jax and Morin that they would outvote him two to one.
As soon as the group left us, Orie helped me to my feet. He
was back to his human form, and already dressed in clothes I was sure they had
on hand at the bar for instances like this. His topaz eyes still blazed as he
leaned into my ear.
“Why did you do that? Why did you take the blame?”
I looked around us. The bar had gone back to normal and no
one in particular paid attention to us anymore. Even so, I whispered in reply
with a wide smile.
“Because you’d have done the same for me.”