Authors: Jade M. Phillips
Despair blackened my heart, and fear claimed my mind. We’d been
caught.
Orie and Cloe sat huddled together on a bench in the empty
holding cell of the jail. They had the fear of God in their eyes. I sat on the
floor across from them, my back against the concrete wall. My body trembled and
my heart slammed against the wall of my ribcage. Cloe and I exchanged worried
glances and Orie fidgeted with his uniform.
Jax didn’t say a word but strode back and forth inside of
the cell, rubbing his temples, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew about
our escape plan or if it was mere coincidence that he’d caught us. Regardless, he
was madder than a wet hen, and I wasn’t too happy with him either, now knowing
that he voted against the humans.
Jax finally stopped and snatched our pack of supplies from
the ground.
“Would someone like to explain this to me?” He turned the
bag upside down and dumped the items to clatter to the floor. He kicked each
one with his foot. “A loaf of bread. Flasks of blood. Knives. Weapons. A first
aid kit. A map. Money.”
None of us spoke.
“This doesn’t look like the usual contents of a woman’s
handbag. If I didn’t know better, I’d think someone was going on a journey.”
I bit my lower lip and wrung my hands together, casting my
gaze downward. I didn’t want to look in Jax’s eyes for my emotions would betray
me, anger and fear combined.
“And you,” he growled. I looked up to see Jax pointedly
staring at Cloe. “What were you doing lurking in the bushes? Aren’t you
supposed to be in the infirmary?”
Cloe opened her mouth, but Orie stood and cut her off.
“It was my idea.”
Jax’s glowing eyes drilled into his younger brother, but he
said nothing.
“After Cloe… after Horus…” Orie stuttered. “I couldn’t stand
it anymore. I can’t bear to see her ravaged by that beast any longer so I
planned an escape. I wanted to take her away from here. Away from him so he
couldn’t hurt her anymore.”
Jax’s attention turned to Cloe. She wrapped herself tighter
within her cloak.
“Is this true?”
I squirmed uncomfortably, guilt burning my insides. I
couldn’t let Orie take the blame. I guess he felt the need to repay me for
having his back before. But it was me who pulled all of them into this mess and
my conscious got the better of me.
“No,” I said, standing up like Orie. “I’m the one who
planned this whole thing.”
Jax spun to me, a mix of emotions on his face. I braced
myself for the truth I was about to tell. There was no other option at this
point.
“Yes it is true that if we don’t sever Cloe’s ties with
Horus she will likely die. And it is true that your brother loves her so much he
would risk his life for her. But it is much more complicated than that.”
I clasped my hands together, readying myself for what I had
to do. I needed to confess everything to Jax. I needed to try and make him
understand our motives and why it was for the best. All I could do after that
was hope the glimmer of compassion I’d seen in Jax still remained there. I held
onto the small chance he would understand.
Cloe stood up next to Orie, their mouths wide open in shock as
I recalled every detail to Jax. Not only did I reveal our escape plans, but I
revealed my entire journey as a vampire thus far. I told him how I’d died as a
human and how my biological father saved me by turning me. I then told him
about Guy. I spoke of his honor and bravery in saving my life that night long
ago at the Bisbee battle. I told him how Guy betrayed his brothers for me. I
said that Guy would never cause harm to the Unfortunates of Tombstone because
of his love for me.
That led to Tombstone and its unjust segregation. How the
elite vampires had anything they wanted but the rest of us were made to live
under such scrutiny and harsh rules. We were merely slaves like the humans. I
mentioned how Horus killed Earl for merely being associated with me. I told Jax
of his people’s hope and their desperation for something better, something
more. But I held back the urge to scold him for his voting decisions like I
wanted, thinking that would probably make matters worse.
To my surprise Jax did not cut in or interrupt me. He just
listened.
I finished my speech with the details of our plan. How we
would break the captain free as well as the humans and escape to a better
place. How we hoped to find true happiness.
When I finished, silence hung thick in the room and Jax’s chest
rose and fell with slow breath. The glow in his angry eyes subsided as he
studied the three of us.
“Sit down!” he growled, causing us all to flinch. “All of
you.”
Orie, Cloe and I quickly sank back down, fear crashing
through me. Maybe I hadn’t gotten through to Jax after all. Maybe this was the
end for me. For all of us.
Jax took a deep breath and scrubbed his face with his hands.
He paced the floor.
“This is never what I wanted,” he said, his voice
surprisingly calm and even. He gazed far off as though deep in a memory. “When
I heard of a safe haven, one where we could be free to be ourselves, I thought
we’d finally found true happiness. I thought that my brother and I would
finally be free from the judgment of humans who wanted us dead because we were
different. I dreamed of a place where I would someday raise a family of my own
and they would be safe and happy. Like when we were young and our father was
still alive.”
If I wasn’t mistaken, I could’ve sworn I saw a glisten in
Jax’s eyes, but he continued on, his voice low and rumbling.
“At first, Tombstone was great. We all worked together to
build up what had been lost. We worked on trying to reconstruct the broken
city, the dream of something better. A true sanctuary was on the tip of
everyone’s tongue, but as time lapsed, I began to see the shift and our groups
slowly separated. Certain vampires rose to elite status and no longer cared
about the rest of us, deeming us lower than themselves. We were moved to
different parts of the city to be with our own kind and that’s when everything
changed. That’s when I saw the division. But I’d been striving for something
better for so long, I couldn’t give up. I couldn’t brush aside the idea of
happiness and freedom. And now I find myself, years later, seeing my people
suffer. And not just werewolves. Others are suffering, the witches, the humans,
and even some of the vampires.” His gaze flickered to Cloe. “I’ve tried to
ignore it, but I see that is no longer possible.”
I turned to my two friends and watched as they clasped each
other’s hands tightly. Their faces melted into understanding at hearing Jax’s
words and warmth spread through me at Jax’s admittance, now knowing we weren’t
the only ones that felt this way.
Sadness and morose covered Jax’s features. He turned to
Orie.
“Is this what you want little brother?” he asked, his brows
drawn into a hard line. “You wish to leave the place we have worked so hard
for?”
“Only if it is with her.” Orie gestured to Cloe.
Jax turned his head away. “I will never leave Tombstone. It
is my home and a place I will strive every day to make better. But against my
better judgement, I won’t stand in your way.”
The three of us let out audible sounds of relief, but Jax
spun to us, pointing a finger.
“Only on one condition.”
A long moment of silence passed as we waited with baited
breath for Jax’s condition. Jax looked at his brother firmly.
“Orie. You must find Mother and Sister. Make sure they are
safe and well taken care of.”
Orie nodded stoically, but his golden eyes brimmed with
tears. Jax went to the window and peered out at the moonlight. “If you are
going to do this, you’d better get a move on. You don’t have much time.”
At his words, none of us made a move. We were still
processing what Jax said. Was he really letting us go? Would it be that easy? The
werewolf leader stared out the window of the holding cell, his broad back stiff
and unmoving. After some hesitation and a collective sadness, we all stood to
leave. But Orie stopped Cloe with a hand on her arm.
“Give me a minute?” he asked, wanting a moment with his
brother.
She glanced over at a forlorn Jax, knowing what this meant. This
was goodbye.
“Of course,” she whispered.
Cloe and I went into the hall to give the two brothers some
privacy to say their farewells. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I looked over
to see Cloe in the same predicament. We exchanged a glance and laughed, swiping
away the wetness from our faces. Moments later, the four of us stood in the
hall.
Jax smiled down at Cloe. He leaned over and whispered
something in her ear bringing a smile to her lips. He then turned to me, a
serious expression on his face.
“This is a good thing,” he said. “I see that now. And just
so you know, I wanted to vote for the humans, but Horus threatened me. He
threatened to hurt my brother.”
I smiled, not because Horus would hurt Orie, of course. I
smiled because I knew Jax wouldn’t have voted to keep the humans caged without
a reason behind it. The fact that Horus blackmailed Jax infuriated me, but it
didn’t matter anymore. Orie, Cloe, and the humans would no longer be in danger
after this night. Jax came to me, surprising me with a large hug that squeezed
the breath from my lungs.
“You take care little vampire,” he grinned, placing me back
down on my feet. “And don’t ever stop seeing the good in people. It will do you
well on your journey.”
I nodded, trying to keep the tears at bay. I had grown to
love Jax not only as a friend but as a pseudo older brother. I would miss
watching him scarf down the pancakes I made while talking at the dinner table.
I would miss his growls and snarls and frowns. But most of all I would miss his
rare smiles.
“And you don’t have to worry about the watchtower guards,”
he said to me with a wink. “I’ll take care of them.”
I sighed with relief. Maybe our luck hadn’t run out after
all. “Thank you Jax. For everything.”
We all stole glances at one another, knowing this was it, our
last steps before freedom. Jax started for the front of the Courthouse, but
stopped and turned.
“One more thing,” he smiled awkwardly. “If anything should
happen, you never saw me.”
Orie held his hand up in a security salute. “I vow it on my
life.”
We all nodded our agreement and Jax disappeared into the
darkness of the hall.
Orie turned to me. “You have the cell key?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “We’ll stand guard until you two come out.”
I shook my head. “No. There’s not enough time. Go get the
humans and we’ll meet you at the watchtower.”
Orie and Cloe exchanged glances but after a long moment, nodded.
“Go,” Cloe smiled at me. “Go get your Captain.”
I grasped my friend’s arm gently and returned her smile.
“I’ll see you on the other side.”
Ruby had done it. She’d made Jax see the truth and made him
remember what the true meaning of happiness was. It wasn’t status, nor money, nor
any of those materialistic things Tombstone gave so much heed to. Happiness was
love and freedom and peace of mind. She’d done for Jax what she’d done for me,
made him see possibility. She’d made us all realize hope remained even in the
bleakest of times, a light in the dark.
Jax wasn’t a fan of Orie’s feelings for me, but deep down I
knew he wanted what we had. He loved his brother dearly and wanted the best for
him and I was so glad he’d finally came to terms that leaving Tombstone was
best for Orie and me.
I’d always wished for a sister, maybe one like Ruby, or a
brother like Jax, someone who would’ve looked out for me in my human life, someone
to share the happiness with, but most of all, understand the pain. If I’d had a
brother or sister, would I still have ended up leaving with Horus that night?
Would I have ever become a vampire at all? Maybe not.
I thought of my mother, wondering if she’d ever cleaned up
her life since I’d left years ago. Though there was a slim chance of that, I
still liked to pretend she had. I imagined her somewhere on a beach, maybe in
California, reading a book and enjoying the sun. She’d have a man by her side,
one who was good and brave and treated her the way she deserved. Though she
was a terrible mother, I still wanted the best for her.
But when I left my old life to become an immortal, I adopted
a new family. Jax, Orie— and now Ruby— being a large part of that. I couldn’t
have asked for a better group of friends. I was luckier today than ever before.
But now our family was parting, Jax being left behind to
cover our tracks. It made my heart swell in thinking he was a good man and
deserved the best. I just hoped when we left, he would finally have what he
always wished for, a safe sanctuary and a family of his own.
When we parted, tears flooded my eyes. The words he
whispered in my ear rang through my head and warmed my soul.
“I always knew you were a good person, Cloe. I know you
will take care of my brother as he will take care of you.”
And now, I still saw the sadness in Orie’s face over leaving
his older brother. He puffed up his chest with breath as he took my hand in
his. We stood on the crumbling steps outside the Courthouse while Ruby remained
in the jail with Guy. I gave my handsome werewolf a knowing smile before flashing
us off to The Shelter. Our job wasn’t over yet.
Broken glass glittered the sidewalk in the moonlight in
front of The Shelter. From what Ruby told me, Horus had broken the doors in a
fit of rage. I pushed aside the thought of him, wanting to get this night over
with, quickly and safely. No more negativity. No more Horus. No more fear.
I unlocked the door with the keys Ruby gave me. Orie and I
entered the back room to see the blood slaves dressed in lavish old-style
Victorian Clothing. I snickered at seeing familiar pieces, some Horus’ and some
Natalia’s adorning the humans. They now looked like dashing noblemen and women,
instead of weakened animals. I took confidence that our plan would work after
all. We walked down the long hall, unlocking one cage at a time.
After all of the humans were out, they formed into three
groups. A woman in a gold dress and bustle approached me. She was thin and pale
—as all of them were— but held an expression of determination. I knew her face,
though not her name. Guilt washed over me at the fact that I’d never known any
of their names while I was the blood slave attendant. I should have.
“I’m Kate. I will help with anything you ask of me. Just
give me the word.”
All of the humans stood behind her, nodding. Their frail hands
shook, but their eyes glimmered with hope and excitement. I could tell Kate was
the strongest, an obvious choice for their leader.
“Okay,” I said. “Have everyone roll up their sleeves and
pant legs. Ladies will hold up their skirts.” She nodded and made busy instructing
the different groups. I dropped to my knees and rummaged through the pack of
supplies. Once finding what I needed I stood and held it out to Orie.
“Cut me.”
“What?” he exclaimed, his voice cracking. He eyed the knife
in my hand. “No!”
I shoved the weapon into his grip.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. I pulled up my left sleeve and
held out my forearm. “Just long and deep enough to produce a good rush of
blood.”
Again, he considered the knife in his hands and then met my
gaze. “Are you crazy? Why?”
“The humans may
look
like vampires, but they do not
smell
like vampires. This will ensure a higher chance of us all getting out
unnoticed.”
Orie’s jaw clenched and he shook his head slowly.
“Fine,” I said swiping at the knife in his hand, ready to
cut myself. But he dodged my efforts, causing me to roll my eyes. “Give it to
me, Orie.”
“No.” His brows drew together sternly. “What about the
suppressant? You still have it in your system. You will bleed too much.”
I breathed loudly my frustration. This was no time for
chivalry.
“I’m fine,” I explained. “It’s mostly gone now. I’m feeling
a lot better.”
He eyed me dubiously, holding the knife out of arm’s reach.
“Do you want to make it out of here alive?” I asked. “Or
chance getting caught because of some stupid notion I might not heal fast
enough?”
Orie paused for one long moment, letting my words sink in.
He huffed. “Fine, but we must bandage your arm afterwards.”
“Yes, Dr. Orie.” I replied, with a flirtatious smile. His
frown turned into a grin as he steadied the knife against my flesh.
He slid me one last questioning glance, but I nodded with
reassurance. He dropped his gaze to my arm and took a deep breath, slicing into
my skin slowly, the blood pooling to the surface. I barely winced because of
the adrenaline coursing through me.
“Help me rub it on their arms and legs,” I instructed. “Saturate
them as much as possible.”
We worked quickly, smearing the sticky substance over the
human’s limbs. Orie only had to reopen the wound once, signifying I was indeed
getting back to my old self, but still a bit slow to heal.
Once done, Orie wrapped my arm with some bandages we had in
the first-aid kit. I gave him a quick kiss on the mouth, causing him to blush.
Kate had the groups roll back down their sleeves and cover
their legs. They looked as normal as possible, if not slightly withered. I
stood back and scanned the deep-set eyes studying me.
“Everybody ready?”
Excited murmurs of agreement fanned through the place.
“Good. Let’s do this.”
Orie, Kate and I split up into three groups, each taking
with us a group of humans. We took to different sides of the streets and
varying lengths apart, but stayed where we could all see each other. A few
smaller groups would be easier to herd through town than one large one.
The streets stood dark and empty as we made our way east
toward the gates. We were in a sparsely populated area of town, and with any
luck at all we would make it out unseen. I glanced across the street at Orie,
his golden eyes catching the light of the moon as he met my gaze. I looked over
my shoulder. Kate was about fifteen feet behind me with her group, her golden
dress swaying as she walked.
I let an excited breath escape from my lips and moved on,
keeping my gaze straight ahead. We all walked in silence, the heels of our
boots clicking softly down the sidewalks. I could almost hear a collective
prayer between us all.
Please let us make it. Please let us make it
.
Once close enough, I signaled for our groups to merge. Orie
came to stand beside me as the clustered humans followed behind. I sensed their
nervousness, their fear rushing off them in waves, and it took all I had to
keep my hunger for their blood at bay. It surprised me at such a crucial time,
something as trivial as my thirst for human blood would arise. I did my best to
ignore it.
Our destination, the tall watch tower, hovered above the
buildings a few blocks away. According to Jax, there would be no guards there.
But as we turned the corner onto the main stretch of the road, my heart
plummeted.
A couple of vampires strode our way on the opposite side of
the street. A male and female. Horus and Natalia snapped to mind, but my senses
told me I was wrong. Horus wasn’t that close.
The female wore the fancy clothes of an elite, the ivory
buttons on her dress shining in the moonlight. The male was less fancy, the
faded state of his clothes marking him as lower-level society. I didn’t recognize
the two. Though odd to meet a stranger in Tombstone, it wasn’t as uncommon as
one might think. The vampire population was overwhelming to say the least.
The couple held hands affectionately and the female giggled
as the male nipped at her neck. Apparently, they’d snuck away from the function
at The Birdcage Theater for some alone time. My mind spun, grasping for a good
excuse if they stopped us. A group as large as ours would be seen as strange
when approaching the gates. I held a palm over my shoulder, signaling to Kate everything
was alright and to continue. The vampires neared us, considering our group
cautiously and like I feared, the female called out to us.
“What are you all doing this far in the city?”
My pulse raced and my breathing quickened, but I puffed up
my chest with confidence and returned her question.
“I should be asking the same of you two.”
The female’s pale face flushed, but anger replaced her embarrassment.
“That is none of your business.”
The vamps were only a few feet away now. It looked as though
they would change their minds and ignore us, when the female’s eyes suddenly
flashed and she stopped cold.
“Aren’t you Horus’ creation?” Her lips parted and fangs
extended with a sharp twang. Orie shifted his gaze to me and I swallowed hard.
“Horus? The Legion Leader? No.” I forced a mocking laugh
from my mouth. “Don’t I wish?”
The woman turned her head to the side as though sniffing
the air. She stepped into the road toward us.
“I swear I’ve seen you—” she started, suspicion in her
voice.
I cut in with a laugh. “You must be mistaken. I have a very
familiar face.”
She looked at me doubtfully and I knew she didn’t believe
me. Fear crawled through me like spiders.
“No… I know you,” she hissed. “You’re Cloe, Horus’ little
bitch.”
I stifled my anger at her insult and kept a calm face. I
wanted to give her a piece of my mind, and opened my mouth to do so, but my
words were muted by a piercing overhead sound. The humans dropped to their
knees and covered their ears as it echoed for miles. We all froze, even the two
lovers, before the next sound blared. And the next.
Realization washed over me, bringing a smile to my face. A
lockdown alarm had been triggered.
The two lovers panicked, as though the alarm might call
attention to their taboo rendezvous. The female shot us one last glare before
grabbing the male’s hand a zipping off in a blur. I audibly exhaled, Orie and I
exchanging relieved smiles. We didn’t have to speculate who sounded the alarm. We
knew it was Jax.
Orie and I knelt down in front of the scared humans and
urged them to rise with comforting words. Words of confidence, safety, and
escape. Freedom was only a few steps away and we couldn’t stop now. They
reluctantly followed us, our pace picking up speed as we approached the tower.
We stopped before the large gate, the watch tower flanking
its right side and rising just above. It must’ve been twenty feet tall and I
shivered at its looming height, remembering the night years ago when Horus brought
me through these gates, never to return. But I had returned, this time to break
free. The thought rushed through me like a drug and I grabbed Orie’s hand. He
turned to me, his golden eyes drawing me in.
“Are you ready to spend the rest of your life with me?” he
asked with a crooked grin.
“Forever,” I replied with a smile.
“Then let’s get this over with.”
As Orie pulled out his set of keys to unlock the tower door,
the incessant warning-bell yawned throughout the city. All inhabitants of
Tombstone would be making their way to the nearest destination for lockdown
until further notice. Thanks to Jax, there would be no one to stop us now.