broke off as a figure
raced through the woods and hit both men full force. All three of them tumbled
to the ground, slamming against the earth so hard that the branches above
rattled. Thane. The thud of fists hitting flesh interrupted the quiet evening.
A glob of dark forms that twisted and turned merging in and out of shadows. I
grabbed the dagger from the sheath at my thigh and swung my arm wide, catching
the blood drinker closest to me across the back of his neck.
It didn’t kill him, but it was
enough to anger the monster. He spun around, leaving his friend to deal with
Thane. I shoved my dagger forward as he leapt toward me. His fingers caught my
wrist, his grip so tight that the dagger flew through the air. His body hit
mine and we fell to the ground. My head throbbed, the world around me spinning.
He straddled me, his face only a foot or so from mine. When he grinned, those
long, pointed fangs, gleamed. “How cute, it wants to fight.”
That night Sally died came
thundering back to mind, her face…the blood sucker’s face…back and forth so I
wasn’t sure which reality I resided in. His grip grew tighter and he pulled me
upward against his chest, his arms wrapping around almost as if he comforted
me.
“Poor, poor girl.” He bent my
arm back painfully. Whimpering, I fell into him, trying to lessen the ache.
“What will you do now, weak one?”
Thane loomed suddenly behind the
vampire. Before the blood drinker sensed him, Thane wrapped his arm around the
man’s neck, jerking him back. The blood drinker’s glowing eyes went wide and at
the same time he released his hold, letting me fall to the ground.
The blood drinker desperately clawed
at Thane’s arm. “Say goodbye to Jane.”
With a quick twist, the man’s
head was torn from his body. I cried out, raising my arms to cover my face just
as the blood splattered through the air. Everything went silent. No more
screams, no stomp of feet, no diabolical laughter.
Firm fingers gripped my arm and jerked
me to my feet. “Let’s go before more arrive.”
Thane didn’t wait for me but
spun around and started toward the deer path. It was over. I’d survived again,
and yet I’d needed help again.
“Thane,” I called out, my voice
trembling. He paused, his back to me. I hesitated, not fully sure what I wanted
to say to him, but settled on, “Thank you.”
For one long moment he didn’t
speak, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. “That’s twice I’ve
saved your life.” Slowly he turned to face me. I could read nothing in his
glowing eyes, the darkness hid his emotions. “You owe me, Jane, and I always
collect my debts.”
His words startled, then angered
me. I scooped up my dagger from the ground and shoved it into the sheath at my
thigh. Really, the man was much too arrogant. “What do you want?”
He shrugged. “You can pay off
your first debt by returning to the camp and Will.”
Easy enough, but I wasn’t buying
it. Nothing was that simple, and certainly not where Thane was concerned. I
crossed my arms over my chest and waited. “And the second debt?”
“I’ll save that one for later.”
With that, he turned and started
down the trail.
I forced my shoulders to relax
on a sigh. Wonderful. I wouldn’t know where or when, but I knew for sure he
would collect on his debt, most likely to his great advantage and my utter
humiliation. Gritting my teeth and biting back a curse, I forced myself to
follow him.
Chapter
7
The children never arrived.
For two days we’d been sitting near
the river, waiting at the specified meeting point, yet no one came. Kelly told
me not to worry, that it took longer to travel with a group of kids. I knew the
truth. And I could tell, when I looked into her clouded gaze, she was worried
as well.
Everyone was on edge, unable to
sleep at night, eating little, and me…I had to bite back the comment that I
wanted to make. I had known, hadn’t I? I had
raced through the woods and hit both men full force. All three of them tumbled
to the ground, slamming against the earth so hard that the branches above
rattled. Thane. The thud of fists hitting flesh interrupted the quiet evening.
A glob of dark forms that twisted and turned merging in and out of shadows. I
grabbed the dagger from the sheath at my thigh and swung my arm wide, catching
the blood drinker closest to me across the back of his neck.
It didn’t kill him, but it was
enough to anger the monster. He spun around, leaving his friend to deal with
Thane. I shoved my dagger forward as he leapt toward me. His fingers caught my
wrist, his grip so tight that the dagger flew through the air. His body hit
mine and we fell to the ground. My head throbbed, the world around me spinning.
He straddled me, his face only a foot or so from mine. When he grinned, those
long, pointed fangs, gleamed. “How cute, it wants to fight.”
That night Sally died came
thundering back to mind, her face…the blood sucker’s face…back and forth so I
wasn’t sure which reality I resided in. His grip grew tighter and he pulled me
upward against his chest, his arms wrapping around almost as if he comforted
me.
“Poor, poor girl.” He bent my
arm back painfully. Whimpering, I fell into him, trying to lessen the ache.
“What will you do now, weak one?”
Thane loomed suddenly behind the
vampire. Before the blood drinker sensed him, Thane wrapped his arm around the
man’s neck, jerking him back. The blood drinker’s glowing eyes went wide and at
the same time he released his hold, letting me fall to the ground.
The blood drinker desperately clawed
at Thane’s arm. “Say goodbye to Jane.”
With a quick twist, the man’s
head was torn from his body. I cried out, raising my arms to cover my face just
as the blood splattered through the air. Everything went silent. No more
screams, no stomp of feet, no diabolical laughter.
Firm fingers gripped my arm and jerked
me to my feet. “Let’s go before more arrive.”
Thane didn’t wait for me but
spun around and started toward the deer path. It was over. I’d survived again,
and yet I’d needed help again.
“Thane,” I called out, my voice
trembling. He paused, his back to me. I hesitated, not fully sure what I wanted
to say to him, but settled on, “Thank you.”
For one long moment he didn’t
speak, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. “That’s twice I’ve
saved your life.” Slowly he turned to face me. I could read nothing in his
glowing eyes, the darkness hid his emotions. “You owe me, Jane, and I always
collect my debts.”
His words startled, then angered
me. I scooped up my dagger from the ground and shoved it into the sheath at my
thigh. Really, the man was much too arrogant. “What do you want?”
He shrugged. “You can pay off
your first debt by returning to the camp and Will.”
Easy enough, but I wasn’t buying
it. Nothing was that simple, and certainly not where Thane was concerned. I
crossed my arms over my chest and waited. “And the second debt?”
“I’ll save that one for later.”
With that, he turned and started
down the trail.
I forced my shoulders to relax
on a sigh. Wonderful. I wouldn’t know where or when, but I knew for sure he
would collect on his debt, most likely to his great advantage and my utter
humiliation. Gritting my teeth and biting back a curse, I forced myself to
follow him.
Chapter
7
The children never arrived.
For two days we’d been sitting near
the river, waiting at the specified meeting point, yet no one came. Kelly told
me not to worry, that it took longer to travel with a group of kids. I knew the
truth. And I could tell, when I looked into her clouded gaze, she was worried
as well.
Everyone was on edge, unable to
sleep at night, eating little, and me…I had to bite back the comment that I
wanted to make. I had known, hadn’t I? I had
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