A Cursed Bloodline
Page 62
I slumped to the floor. “Good…good thinking, Michael.”
Tye shoved the cage away from me. I couldn’t look at him. The last thing I needed was his sanctimonious needling. “I thought he was getting better,” I mumbled. “His eyes weren’t green anymore.”
Tye sat next to me. “A cursed were’s eyes won’t persistently stay green.”
“Okay.” I avoided his gaze.
Tye continued. “When a vampire has bloodlust, he constantly needs to feed to suppress his insatiable hunger. When a were is cursed with bloodlust, he’s compelled to kill to combat his pain.” He sighed. “Aric’s violence will continue to escalate…and so will his hurting. You have to accept that he’s getting worse, Celia.”
I listened to Tye, really I did. And I wasn’t stupid. Aric was growing sicker—I could see and scent it. But that didn’t mean I’d admit defeat. I stood and made like I was dusting off. Now that was a joke. My clothes lay in shreds and nothing short of a thorough Clorox soaking would remove all the blood, dirt, and vampire ash. “Well, then. I guess we’d better get him cured quick.”
Michael’s normally composed demeanor collapsed like the Mayan ruin. In his alarm, I realized he, too, had begun to doubt my sanity. I was done with everyone thinking I was unstable and felt compelled to defend my actions. “Aric managed his first change at less than two months of age—an incredible feat, considering that even the strongest weres can’t change before six months. He’s from a long line of pures that have saved the world time and time again—overcoming astronomical odds. Aric isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met. He can fight this, I know he can.”
Tye dug his fingers into his chin-length hair. “Celia, no one doubts Aric’s strength. That first hex Lucinda struck him with was a death curse meant for you. It would have killed you if he hadn’t shielded you from it—hell, it would have killed most anyone I know.”
“See, this is what I mean. Aric’s might is unparalleled….”
My voice trailed off as Tye shook his head. He ambled toward me and took my hands in his. “Celia, when a witch launches a death curse she instantly knows if it works. She knew it had failed, so she hit him with the only other hex that would seal his fate. Lucinda is crazy and evil, but she’s also smart. She knew we’d have to kill him—” I jerked away from Tye and walked to the opposite end of the plane, but it wasn’t far enough to keep from hearing his next words. “Sweetheart, don’t you think if there was a cure we would have discovered it by now?”
I ignored his question. “Why didn’t Lucinda die when I stabbed her?”
Tye watched me for a while before answering. He didn’t want to stop hounding me about Aric, but he also realized it wasn’t getting him anywhere. “Lucinda is powerful. If you had stabbed her with any other blade, all you would have done was piss her off.”
I recalled the creepy dagger. “The hilt had skulls on it.”
“The skulls signify death. It’s likely the weapon she used to kill her sacrifices. If so, dark magic is attached to it.”
“Celia used her own magic against her,” Michael said.
Tye nodded. “If the Alliance is smart they’ll finish her now that she’s weakened.”
Michael rolled onto his knees. “She won’t die on her own?”
“She will, eventually, considering what Celia did to her. Problem is, ‘eventually’ could be a long damn time. That nutcase is still dangerous on her deathbed. She has to be destroyed.”
Aric stirred, causing us to tense and forcing Michael to his feet. He leveled his gun at him. Thank God, Aric slumped back to the floor. I looked to Michael. “How much longer to Tahoe?”
He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Two hours. Celia…we only have eight darts left.”
Two hours of flying and another forty minutes to the Den. “Michael, can you see if the pilots can arrange for a moving truck when we arrive—something with metal walls and a full tank of gas?” He nodded and hurried to speak to the pilots. Aric stirred again, lifting his paw. “And Michael…can you see if they can fly any faster?”
Chapter Twenty-five
We ran out of tranquilizers an hour later. Michael was forced to beat Aric with giant bolt cutters any time he stirred. I covered my ears to muffle Aric’s growls and yelps. It didn’t help, and I became faint more than once. The only reason I didn’t pass out was out of fear Tye would try to kill Aric. He hadn’t spoken to me, and I worried he was plotting against us.
A rental truck was waiting when we landed in Tahoe. Tye helped me position the cage so the door rested against a metal wall. It was a tight fit, and one that served to better contain Aric. Michael influenced the memories of the landing crew and set to work on creating a diversion. A loud explosion signaled he’d completed his task. He’d set fire to one of the plane’s engines, making our emergency landing appear believable. It was the distraction we needed to tear out of the airport.
Michael and his giant bolt cutter rode in the back with Aric. Tye sat in front with me. He still wouldn’t talk and continued to watch me carefully. The damn truck wouldn’t go faster than seventy and it slowed considerably once we started to ascend Granite Chief Peak.
As eager as I’d been to reach the Den, my entire body trembled the closer we drew. Tye finally spoke as we reached the main gates. “I’ll take care of you.” It wasn’t a threat. His voice held a great deal of compassion. Yet I didn’t welcome his offer nor the words that followed. “With your mate bond severed, there’s a good chance you’ll survive no matter what happens to him.”
“I can take care of myself. And nothing is going to happen to him!” I tried to growl, but didn’t manage. Terror licked my skin and pulsed hot through my veins.
Heidi stepped out of the guard station, ready to tear heads until she saw us. She smiled, until she caught the traces of my fear. “Celia—”
I reached out my hand to her. “Aric is in the back. He’s hurt. I need my sisters and the Elders right away.”
Her lips parted. She was likely shocked that anything could hurt Aric enough to keep him down. “Your sisters are at their jobs. Go to the main building—I’ll summon the Elders.”
Tye shoved the cage away from me. I couldn’t look at him. The last thing I needed was his sanctimonious needling. “I thought he was getting better,” I mumbled. “His eyes weren’t green anymore.”
Tye sat next to me. “A cursed were’s eyes won’t persistently stay green.”
“Okay.” I avoided his gaze.
Tye continued. “When a vampire has bloodlust, he constantly needs to feed to suppress his insatiable hunger. When a were is cursed with bloodlust, he’s compelled to kill to combat his pain.” He sighed. “Aric’s violence will continue to escalate…and so will his hurting. You have to accept that he’s getting worse, Celia.”
I listened to Tye, really I did. And I wasn’t stupid. Aric was growing sicker—I could see and scent it. But that didn’t mean I’d admit defeat. I stood and made like I was dusting off. Now that was a joke. My clothes lay in shreds and nothing short of a thorough Clorox soaking would remove all the blood, dirt, and vampire ash. “Well, then. I guess we’d better get him cured quick.”
Michael’s normally composed demeanor collapsed like the Mayan ruin. In his alarm, I realized he, too, had begun to doubt my sanity. I was done with everyone thinking I was unstable and felt compelled to defend my actions. “Aric managed his first change at less than two months of age—an incredible feat, considering that even the strongest weres can’t change before six months. He’s from a long line of pures that have saved the world time and time again—overcoming astronomical odds. Aric isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met. He can fight this, I know he can.”
Tye dug his fingers into his chin-length hair. “Celia, no one doubts Aric’s strength. That first hex Lucinda struck him with was a death curse meant for you. It would have killed you if he hadn’t shielded you from it—hell, it would have killed most anyone I know.”
“See, this is what I mean. Aric’s might is unparalleled….”
My voice trailed off as Tye shook his head. He ambled toward me and took my hands in his. “Celia, when a witch launches a death curse she instantly knows if it works. She knew it had failed, so she hit him with the only other hex that would seal his fate. Lucinda is crazy and evil, but she’s also smart. She knew we’d have to kill him—” I jerked away from Tye and walked to the opposite end of the plane, but it wasn’t far enough to keep from hearing his next words. “Sweetheart, don’t you think if there was a cure we would have discovered it by now?”
I ignored his question. “Why didn’t Lucinda die when I stabbed her?”
Tye watched me for a while before answering. He didn’t want to stop hounding me about Aric, but he also realized it wasn’t getting him anywhere. “Lucinda is powerful. If you had stabbed her with any other blade, all you would have done was piss her off.”
I recalled the creepy dagger. “The hilt had skulls on it.”
“The skulls signify death. It’s likely the weapon she used to kill her sacrifices. If so, dark magic is attached to it.”
“Celia used her own magic against her,” Michael said.
Tye nodded. “If the Alliance is smart they’ll finish her now that she’s weakened.”
Michael rolled onto his knees. “She won’t die on her own?”
“She will, eventually, considering what Celia did to her. Problem is, ‘eventually’ could be a long damn time. That nutcase is still dangerous on her deathbed. She has to be destroyed.”
Aric stirred, causing us to tense and forcing Michael to his feet. He leveled his gun at him. Thank God, Aric slumped back to the floor. I looked to Michael. “How much longer to Tahoe?”
He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Two hours. Celia…we only have eight darts left.”
Two hours of flying and another forty minutes to the Den. “Michael, can you see if the pilots can arrange for a moving truck when we arrive—something with metal walls and a full tank of gas?” He nodded and hurried to speak to the pilots. Aric stirred again, lifting his paw. “And Michael…can you see if they can fly any faster?”
Chapter Twenty-five
We ran out of tranquilizers an hour later. Michael was forced to beat Aric with giant bolt cutters any time he stirred. I covered my ears to muffle Aric’s growls and yelps. It didn’t help, and I became faint more than once. The only reason I didn’t pass out was out of fear Tye would try to kill Aric. He hadn’t spoken to me, and I worried he was plotting against us.
A rental truck was waiting when we landed in Tahoe. Tye helped me position the cage so the door rested against a metal wall. It was a tight fit, and one that served to better contain Aric. Michael influenced the memories of the landing crew and set to work on creating a diversion. A loud explosion signaled he’d completed his task. He’d set fire to one of the plane’s engines, making our emergency landing appear believable. It was the distraction we needed to tear out of the airport.
Michael and his giant bolt cutter rode in the back with Aric. Tye sat in front with me. He still wouldn’t talk and continued to watch me carefully. The damn truck wouldn’t go faster than seventy and it slowed considerably once we started to ascend Granite Chief Peak.
As eager as I’d been to reach the Den, my entire body trembled the closer we drew. Tye finally spoke as we reached the main gates. “I’ll take care of you.” It wasn’t a threat. His voice held a great deal of compassion. Yet I didn’t welcome his offer nor the words that followed. “With your mate bond severed, there’s a good chance you’ll survive no matter what happens to him.”
“I can take care of myself. And nothing is going to happen to him!” I tried to growl, but didn’t manage. Terror licked my skin and pulsed hot through my veins.
Heidi stepped out of the guard station, ready to tear heads until she saw us. She smiled, until she caught the traces of my fear. “Celia—”
I reached out my hand to her. “Aric is in the back. He’s hurt. I need my sisters and the Elders right away.”
Her lips parted. She was likely shocked that anything could hurt Aric enough to keep him down. “Your sisters are at their jobs. Go to the main building—I’ll summon the Elders.”
