Authors: Shirlee Lewis
Chapter Sixtee
n
“Jess?” Tony called from below.
I peered over the edge and he said, “Let’s blow this forest, sweetie.”
I threw my pack down to him and climbed down. “Do you know the way out?” I asked.
“A hundred yards to the west is a road.”
Tony took my hand and led me through the thick forest to a dirt road. Stopping at the edge of the road, he grabbed my waist, slightly placing me behind him. He looked up and down the road before we crossed. Crossing to the other side, we continued another two hundred yards until Tony stopped short of a clearing. Tony whispered, “Wait here.”
I stood behind a tree and watched as Tony disappeared into the clearing. Shortly he came back, took my hand and we headed into the clearing. “Aah,” I gasped.
In the middle of the clearing sat a two-seater airplane.
Tony opened the door and we climbed in. “Do you know how to fly?”
Tony smiled his crooked smile and said, “I’m a quick learner.”
The engine spit and sputtered, but he finally got it going. “Buckle your seatbelt.”
After buckling my seatbelt, I placed my hand on Tony’s. We stared into each other’s eyes for a long minute before he said, “You’re an amazing woman.”
“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Tony winked at me, pushed the throttle forward and the plane took off. We were airborne.
I was proud of Tony flying the plane and getting us safely to Rio de Janeiro. Tony stayed at the plane. I went to a local shop to purchase him an outfit until we could get back to Modena to our luggage. Tony left the loin cloth on the plane. At the ticket counter, I purchased tickets for Modena, Italy.
“Why are we going to Modena?” Tony asked.
“Our luggage,” was all I said.
“Aah.”
Our flight wasn’t due to leave for a couple of hours. I rented a motel room so we could get ourselves showered and ready for our five hour flight. The pond was refreshing, but we needed a real shower and definitely a change of clothes. Tony was the worst of us.
Showered and rested it was time to board our flight. Taking our seats, I heaved a huge sigh of relief. Tony leaned to me and said, “I want to thank you for rescuing me…..Thank you sweetie.”
“It’s my pleasure,” I grinned. “There was no way I was going to live without you. For better or worse, I vowed and I believe I’ve been through worse.”
“Without a doubt it will get better now,” Tony said.
“Without a doubt,” I agreed.
We had made it to the airport without looking back at the forest and vowed to never see it again. Ever.
Our plane took off and I saw Tony’s face relax. I have to say, mine did as well. The first solid meal I’d had in over a month was on the flight. Tony insisted I eat for two and ordered a meal.
Our plane landed in Modena late in the evening. I checked the car back to the rental and bought tickets for London. Tony and I toted the luggage inside the terminal to wait for the boarding call.
Taking our seats Tony asked, “You were prepared, weren’t you?”
“I sure was.”
“Tell me, how did you know what to prepare for?”
“Actually
, I didn’t. I knew I was going to the Amazon Forest so I packed lightly. What I didn’t think of was food.”
“You are looking thin. I could tell the night in the pond you had lost a considerable amount of weight. ”
“I’m sure I’ll put it back on in no time.”
Tony and I both laughed.
Our boarding call was announced. Tony and I were first in line. Taking our seats on the plane, I knew London wasn’t far in sight. Two hours.
“So tell me, Jess. How did you come to Mortensin Castle to visit Thorment?”
“I remembered your meeting outside of Parma. A witch woman told me how to find the mountain. Thorment welcomed me and I explained the kidnapping. Carl (whose real name is Melian) was the face I recognized from the hotel. He, of course, denied knowing anything, but Thorment wasn’t fooled.”
“It’s hard to get anything past Thorment,” Tony interrupted.
“Anyway, a note was passed to me saying Jayde and Stefan had information on your whereabouts’. They told me you were with Freda.”
“The dwarf’s inThorment’s brood?” Tony looked surprised.
“Yes the dwarfs. So—Count Darwin Vandersteed saw you and Freda board the plane to the Amazon.”
“Count who?” Tony asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“A bat which transforms into a human and visa versa at Mortensin Castle.”
Tony raised his eyebrows unbelieving. “Okay.”
“I packed everything I needed in this backpack,” I said patting the pack. “Including money to get us home and the only thing on my mind was getting you back.”
“I’d say you succeeded, Jess.”
“Without a doubt,” I said and leaned over to kiss Tony.
We arrived in London around three in the morning. Tony called Jason to pick us up without mentioning to Abigail we were in London. Jason loaded our luggage and drove us to the mansion. All was quiet when we arrived. Opening the double doors, Victor came out of his study. Jason took our luggage to the third floor.
“How was the honeymoon?” Victor asked stopping in the hallway.
“It’s one we won’t forget,” Tony said.
“At least you had
a nice time. Welcome…..”
“Father,” Tony interrupted. “Jess and I need to visit with you.”
“Please, come into my study,” Victor said.
Victor had turned the den into a study while we were gone. The Victorian furniture was replaced with an ov
ersized desk, two floor lamps at each end, and two wingback chairs facing the desk. The paintings were still in the room.
“Before we talk, I need a couple of bags. It’s been over a month since I’ve had a decent taste,” Tony stated.
“Why so long?” Victor asked taking a seat.
“That’s what we need to talk to you about,” I said.
Victor picked up the phone, dialed a number and pushed speaker.
“Mr. Mureaux,” Jason said.
“Bring me several bags to my study?”
“Yes sir.”
Victor hung up the phone.
“Now, what’s going on?” he asked placing his hands on
the desk leaning forward. “What’s with your eyes? They have a red tint.”
Tony looked away from Victor. I looked toward Tony placing my hand on his.
“Tell him, honey,” I whispered.
Tony looked at me, cleared his throat and said, “I’ve drank a mixture of human and animal blood.”
Victor furrowed his eyebrows. “Together!”
A knock on the door startled me. I turned around to see because I forgot about Jason bringing the bags.
“Enter,” Victor said.
Jason entered the room with a tray holding six bags of blood. Placing them on the desk, he left without a word. Tony grabbed a bag and down
ed it before he continued.
“Yes, but let me explain. I had no choice. I was…was…deep in the Amazon forest and the only resource was…was…human and animal blood.
“Go on,” Victor snapped.
“I was kidnapped.”
“You were what and by whom?” Victor said in a rage. His vampire face appeared quickly as he got up and paced the floor.
Victor’s outburst scared me. I sank into the chair as the two continued with my eyes wide watching Victor. A vampire rage soared in Victor’s eyes.
“Freda, Leviathan’s mate,” Tony continued.
“Just wait until I have a few words with Thorment. He’ll hunt her down like the scoundrel she is and burn
her,” Victor thundered loudly.
“Father,” Tony said quietly.
Victor looked at Tony with fire burning in his eyes.
“She decided to start a clan of her own and chose me as her mate….”
“She cannot make you her mate. You have your mate.” Victor pointed at me.
What does he mean, mate?
Tony is my husband.
“She thought she could turn me and bind our blood, but
she was surprised when her fangs couldn’t penetrate my skin.”
“It’s the only thing that saved you,” Victor said in a calmer voice.
“She took me from Modena to the Amazon forest to start a clan. She recruited humans, turning them into vampires. I refused to drink animal blood so Gidion mixed it with human blood hoping I’d adapt.”
“And who is Gidion?” Victor asked.
“Freda’s brother. He’s one of her guards.”
“Thorment will be interested, without a doubt.”
The room was silent. Victor sat in his chair. Tony grabbed another bag.
The sun was appearing on the horizon. I got up to leave.
“Jess, where are you going?” Tony asked.
“To bed,” I said.
Tony stood up, grabbed me in his arms and hugged me tight. Pulling back holding onto my waist, he looked into my eyes and said, “Thank you for getting me out of that hell. I love you more than life itself,” crashing into my lips with a low growl starting.
Victor cleared his throat.
Tony ended the kiss and I left the room and went to the third floor.
“She’s one amazing woman,” Tony said taking a seat.
“How amazing is she?” Victor asked.
Tony finished his bag and grabbed another one. “She rescued me from Freda.”
Victor raised his eyebrows, “Explain.”
“Three weeks into my capture, Freda held an initiation for a captured villager. I had no clue Jess was close until I saw her head appear from between two trees.”
“She witnessed a turning?” Victor asked astounded.
“She sure did. I had her go back to a waterfall and wait for me until I could gain Freda’s trust to allow me to be gone for a couple of days. Two weeks later, here we are.”
“She is truly your mate.”
“She truly is,” Tony said with excitement. “What gets me, she’s never asked questions about it nor has she acted like it’s bothered her. It must have been hard for her in the jungle alone to find me, but she’s never mentioned a word. Oh! The look on her face the night I spent with her in the cave, I’ll cherish forever.”
“Freda let you?”
“Freda didn’t know,” Tony said smugly. “I made sure Jess’s beautiful rose scent was washed clean before I returned to the clan. The last thing I wanted was for that….” Tony sounded disgusted. Clearing his throat he continued, “Freda finding her.”
“I’ll visit with Thorment in reference to Freda. I am worried about Jessica though. She looks thin,” Victor said grabbing a bag from the tray.
“Her diet has been fruits that I left for her at the cave entrance. It wasn’t much and I didn’t want her drinking blood.”
“She will in time, my son. But, I’ll have Jason make her a hearty meal when she wakes.”
Tony and Victor grinned.
Victor pushed speaker on his phone and called Thorment.
“Mortensin Castle, Carmina,” she answered professionally.
“Victor Mureaux. Thorment please,” Victor announced.
“Hold please,” Carmina said.
“Ah Victor, my dear friend, what brings you to calling. I hope all is well?”
“Yes and no Thorment.”
“What seems to be troubling you, my friend?”
“Freda.”
“Have you found the lost soul who departed my clan?”
“I have knowledge of her whereabouts. I’m sure you’ll be interested.”
“Please, inform me?” Thorment said calmly.
“My son, Tony, was kidnapped by her over a month ago. He has escaped and is here with me. He tells me….”
“Tell him hello for me Victor,” Thorment interrupted.
“Hello, Thorment,” Tony said.
“Ah, we are on speaker. Please continue with the information about Freda.”
“Father, May I?” Tony asked.
Victor nodded.
“Thorment, as my father said, I was kidnapped while on my honeymoon with my mate. Freda chose to start a clan in the Amazon forest north of Manaus-Amazonas, Brazil and took me for her mate. She’s in the process of recruiting humans for her clan. Her brother, Gidion and one other are her only guards.”