Everlasting Bond (33 page)

“Working as a teacher in your school was my idea,” Ms. Stevenson smugly added.

“It was quite brilliant really,” Donovan boasted.

“When Nikolas came to class that first day posing as ‘Cole’, I knew I was on the right track. Watching the way he looked at you only confirmed my suspicions. I had to be very sneaky to not give them any reason to be suspicious. One wrong move and Nikolas would take you away and ruin everything we’ve worked so hard to build,” Ms. Stevenson continued.

“When I took the truck,” Donovan angrily recalled, “I was hoping it would give me the opportunity to get to you first, but I was wrong. My parasite of a brother and irritating ass of a cousin were guarding both you and your brother so car
efully I couldn’t get through.”

“That was you?” Katrina felt anger building inside her. “I suppose you were responsible for lighting it on fire too.”

“You should be thanking me. I did you a favor, that car was a pile of shit,” he leered at her. “We needed to get rid of my family, so I could have my time with you. I knew if Nikolas saw Farkas he would run home to daddy. I was on my way to your house when I hit this white station wagon.”

“My mother!”

“In my defense she ran into me. It’s not my fault she doesn’t pay attention. She did have better reflexes than your father though.”

“You son of a bitch! That was you?”

“Actually, that one was my fault,” Ms. Stevenson interrupted once more. “That was the first time I found you. I was so anxious to tell the others I guess I didn’t realize he was coming down the road. If it makes you feel any better, he didn’t suffer. It happened so fast, I don’t think he knew what hit him.”

“It was an unfortunate casualty, but with every good war a little blood must be shed,” Donovan cocked his head. He was about to continue his nauseating speech, when he w
as interrupted by a deep voice.

“Adronis,” a male voice said from the doorway.

“What is it Deacon?” Donovan asked, irritated.

“It’s almost time. Sundown is in a few minutes,” echoed the anxious male voice. Katrina knew she recognized the voice, but couldn’t think of where she heard it before. Exhausted and weak she couldn’t even lift herself to look.

“Time for what?” Katrina’s nervous voice croaked, her back numbing from the pain of the rocks intrusion.

“Leave us,” Donovan ordered waving a hand in Ms. Stevenson’s and the unknown man’s direction. Katrina watched in horror, as they obediently complied and shut the door behind them without another word.

“Answer me, Donovan!”

“You know you’re really hot when you’re angry,” he devilishly grinned. “Haven’t you been paying attention? It’s al
most time for your new future—to change you.”

“No,” Katrina’s weak voice whispered, fighting back tears.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Your fate was decided the moment my family found you.”

“Andrew knows you have me. They’ll come for me.”

“My brothers lap dog? He’ll have a nasty headache when he finally does wake up. We’re in the middle of nowhere; by the time they find you it’ll be too late. It was almost too easy this time.” He forced his lips on top of Katrina’s.

She attempted to move away, but it was pointless. His iron firm hands had her face locked into place and he knew it. Katrina just laid still and waited for the agonizing moment to end. After what seemed like hours, though only seconds, she felt D
onovan loosen his hold on her.

“A pity I have so much to do or we could play a little longer,” he teased. “I have to go tend to some last minute details. Can I trust you to behave yourself until I get back?” Donovan’s cold face glared back at Katrina’s waiting for a response. Instead of giving him the satisfaction, Katrina remained quiet, unwilling to dignify his question with an answer. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he laughed leaving Katrina alone in the cold space.

A brief surge of relief washed over her, as she heard the door shut behind Donovan. She was happy to be free of his vile hands for a brief while, but when she heard Donovan turn the lock her heart quickly sank into despair. Being trapped inside that horrid place at the mercy of these lunatics made her stomach turn.

Katrina laid in defeat on the bitter dirt floor and shivering. With the lights off, it was becoming more like a freezer in her dark prison. Soon, her jaw started to clench from the cold. The chattering of her teeth began to
echo off the walls. Streams of tears trickled down, burning against her cold cheeks. She was frightened, alone, and knew what was coming was inevitable. Wherever Cole, Jake, or Andrew were it was hopeless. No one knew where she was and help wasn’t coming this time.

Katrina found herself running alone in the fog. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she knew she had to get away. Everywhere she turned the thickness of the fog consumed her. It was a like a clouded plague trying to force itself upon her. Eventually the overbearing sheet of white swallowed her.

Images of her loved ones danced around, making her heart ache. Their faces were a bittersweet reminder of the price she was paying. Then just as quickly as they appeared they were gone, leaving her alone once more.

The thick covering surrounding her dissipated, revealing an old farmhouse covered with grassy fields of green. Becoming lost in the beauty, Katrina’s pain became a forgotten memory. The warmth of the sun was a welcomed invasion against her skin.

As the smell of grass invaded her senses, Katrina’s mind was flooded with many childhood memories. She remembered playing for hours on end with Jake in that very field. It was a place that held so many of her happiest memories. Things were much simpler for her then. It was before things had changed, before her father’s accident, when her family was still whole.

Just as she was starting to feel at ease, everything disappeared. Katrina was left alone, encased in the heavy colorless shroud once more. Panic began to set in, as she felt blinded by the wall of white. Katrina tried to find a sign she wasn’t alone, but found nothing. Her body was suffocating from the emptiness. Before she could let out a scream of terror, Cole’s angelic face broke through, easing her tension. From the moment she’d met him, he could make her feel like no one else. He was her own personal lullaby that could rock her to sleep with a melody only she could hear.

Suddenly a gentle breeze blew past, making her feel so alive and child like again. The sweet flowery scent of Cole’s body invigorated her senses. It awakened every part of her body. His pallid hands reached for her, but pulled away every time she came near. She missed the way it felt when he touched her. His hands were like icy droplets of rain gently caressing her tender flesh. Warmth of pleasure welled up inside her, as thoughts of his soft lips appreciating her body filled her mind. The desire to taste his pleasure once more burned deep inside her. She felt the inviting escape beckon to her. If this was heaven she could die rig
ht now and be at peace forever.

“Caroline,” his adoring voice beckoned to her.

“Cole.”

The perfect contours of his face captivated her, as she moved closer to him. She wanted to be near him and touch his flawless skin, but she felt another emotion breaking the surface. Her moment of pure joy was becoming tainted with resentment and anger.

“Why did you leave me?” she cried.

“I’ve never left you. I’ve always been with you.”

“Yes, you did. You all did. And now I’m stuck here.”

“Hold on, Caroline,” his voice
pleaded, sounding more distant.

“No, it’s much better here.” She watched as the fog slowly rolled its way in. It started to creep its way up his body like a white serpent of death. In a panic, she reached for Cole, but it was too late. The fog had consumed him and he vanished. Katrina screamed in protest, but it was no use. She was alone and vulnerable.

“Kat, don’t you give in that easily. Fight, damn it!” Jake’s angry voice broke through.

“Jake!” Katrina’s frantic eyes searched for him, but found nothing. Disappointment consumed her. She wanted to scream back in protest, but stopped herself. Something wasn’t right. Everything had gone quiet. The wall of fog that had been holding her hostage suddenly disappeared. And her eyes became fixed on the shadow rising in its place. It was dark and cold. Katrina didn’t know why, but it frightened her. She wanted to run the other way,
but it compelled her to stay.

Then his face appeared from the blackness, sending her heart racing. Those chocolate eyes were filled with hatred as they dissected her. He didn’t say a word, which made him even more frightening. Giving her a sinister smile, he slowly pulled his lips back. Staring at his daggers, Katrina became terrified. She felt as if all of the oxygen had been sucked out of her. She went to move, but nothing happened. Her body was stuck in this nightmare and she couldn’t get away. Giving her one last glance, he went in for the kill and lunged for her throat.

Katrina screamed, gasping for air. Trembling, she tried to calm her throbbing heartbeat. It was beating so fast, she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. Taking slow deep breaths, Katrina looked around and noticed she was still trapped in Donovan’s prison.

Part of her was relieved the Donovan she had just seen was only a dream, the other realized she was still stuck in her own personal hell. Looking down at her bound hands, she knew it was just a matter of time before her nightmare became a horrible reality.

Feeling the moist tears trickle down her frozen cheeks, she lay still refusing to move.
What’s the point?
She was never getting out of there alive and she knew it. Huddling against the floor for warmth, she prayed for a quick and painless death. It would be fast and simple compared to the plans Donovan was making for her.

The scraping of footsteps soon interrupted her silence. Katrina noticed these steps were different than Donovan’s. They weren’t heavy stomps, but more gentle. Each step was very graceful and carefully taken. Even as they stopped in front of her door, they never lost that poised qu
ality.

Hearing the lock slowly turn, Katrina didn’t move an inch. She didn’t care enough to turn around. At that point it didn’t matter who had come in. Her only wish was for them to take pity on her and end her suffering now.

“Here, I thought you might be hungry,” a voice uttered from behind her.

“I’m not,” Katrina said, her voice sounding lifeless and cold.

“I don’t believe that.”

“I don’t care what you believe,” Katrina snapped.

Turning herself to face the annoying voice, Katrina’s eyes caught sight of a small tray of food. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how long it had been since she’d last eaten. Too preoccupied in her misery, Katrina hadn’t paid much attention to her hunger pangs. Seeing the tray filled with so much food sent her body into a wild fit of hunger.

Reaching her bound hands for the sandwich, her mouth began to water in anticipation. As she bit down, the meat filled bread felt like heaven in her mouth. With each bite, Katrina felt her body tingle in anticipation. She had to stop herself from swallowing the t
hing whole, like a wild animal.

“You know, Caroline. You’re very lucky,” the voice continued, as her bod
y made its way into the light.

Watching Ms. Stevenson’s face glow in the dimness, Katrina could see why Donovan easily took to her as a mother figure. Just her mere presence made you stop and pay attention. Speaking, her voice carried a very tender and soothing tone. It reminded Katrina of her own mother and
how close the two of them were.

“He loves you very much. We were told to watch you, but keep a safe distance. He warned every single
one of us of the consequences had we decided to take it upon ourselves to intervene.”

Unsure what she was getting at, Katrina sat in the distance. Gazing at the unusually tall woman, Katrina was taken back. She was used to seeing Ms. Stevenson in an authoritative role, but this one sent chills up her spine. At school, Katrina had known her to be the serene levelheaded spectator. She was thought of more as a pacifist, which Katrina now found ironic given the circumstances. Finishing the last bit of her sandwich, Katrina continued to listen to her speech, wondering what the point of it all
was.

“I never could have any children of my own. I tried many times, but it always ended in disappointment. I was heartbroken. I wanted nothing more in this world than to be a mother. That’s partially why I felt the need to act. When he came to me, I could tell he was in a great deal of pain and the mother in me took over. I wanted to save him. This poor anguish-ridden creature. I could see the torment in his eyes and I wanted to help ease his suffering. When I learned who he was I knew it was fate.” Her
eyes were cast over in a haze.

The pain reflected in her eyes told Katrina more than words ever could. She had seen the same look in her mother
’s face when anything horrible happened to her or Jake. It was the look only a mother could give feeling the pain of her children.

“I told him the rest of the prophecy. It had to be someone of royal blood to change you. We needed him on our side. With him we could rule this world. The two of you were born with the Powers, but it only took one to create our perfect utopia. Caroline, I offered him a second chance at being with you forever and he took i
t,” her serene voice explained.

“You used him?”

“No, it was just the opposite—I saved him. I taught him the ways of our kind and he learned very fast. He was my best student.”

“But I died. How did you know I would come back?”

“At first I was a bit disappointed to learn that we’d missed our chance at that time. But Donovan told me you and your brother would continue to be reborn in this world waiting for us to find you until you were both changed.”

“Both of us?” Katrina asked, confused. Her homicidal teacher’s ramblings weren’t making any sense. “Jake knew he had been turned into a vampire before, so why was he reborn with me. That doesn’t make sense.”

“The two of you share a spiritual bond that goes deeper than the normal human birth. You’re connected in ways even our kind can’t explain. When you died, so did your brother. Once a side is chosen and the two of you are changed, the bond that ties you together will be severed and you will be free to live your own separate lives.

“Free?”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“Shouldn’t it be my choice?”

“And why wouldn’t this be the right choice?” she angrily snapped. “Adronis has gone through a great deal to find you and this is the thanks he gets, you stupid witch?” Intense rage began to fill her golden amber eyes.

Before Katrina could have time to react, she was struck down by a painful blow to her face. The pain was excruciating, but nothing compared to the hell she found herself in at the current moment. Katrina fought back her tears of anger and the rage building inside of her. She wanted nothing more than to rip the lanky teacher’s throat out, but something happened she couldn’t quite explain.

As Ms. Stevenson stood hovering over her with a devilish smirk, Katrina felt the sudden pulse of electricity run rampant through her blood. It was the same overwhelming urge of power she felt the night Donovan first attacked her. She couldn’t understand it, but she knew it was there, ready to do her bidding. All she had to do was call on it.

In one quick motion, she raised her tied hands and forced all of the rage and despair she felt to the surface. It took every ounce of energy she had, but Katrina compelled herself to finish what her bo
dy was telling her she started.

Ms. Stevenson’s face became a distant blur, as she was knocked backwards. Letting out an agonizing scream, her eyes faded into pools of blackness as she was thrown back onto one of the silver pipes sticking out of the floor.

Katrina couldn’t move. She was still in shock by what just happened. Her mind needed a moment to process it all. She had never known she was capable of anything like that. The power she held inside had been buried for so long, she never knew it existed. She always sensed she was different from other girls in Morgan Springs and here was her proof. Having finally found the missing piece of her puzzle, she felt whole at last. For the first time since her capture, she felt there might be some light at the end of her dim tunnel.

Walking towards the now limp and lifeless body of her former teacher, Katrina couldn’t believe what she had done. The power that surged through her was quite a rush.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out what you could do,” Donovan’s approving voice echoed from behind her.

Hearing his voice, Katrina turned to face him. She took a deep breath and raised her hands. She only had one shot and needed to make it count. Something went wrong. When she trie
d this time nothing happened.

“Lucky for me, you don’t know how to use it yet,” Donovan taunted, as he grabbed he
r. He turned away from him and Ms. Stevenson’s body. “It’s her own fault really. I told her not to provoke you, but she didn’t listen.”

Feeling his hot breath against her neck, Katrina became nauseous at having him so close. She struggled to face him, but it did little good. He held her hands against her sides and maneuvered her backwards away from the c
orpse. “Sit over here.”

The force of his body dragged her to a far corner of the room. Katrina tried to fight, but she couldn’t move her arms. He was too strong. She thought about biting him, but kne
w he’d enjoy that way too much.

As he raised her arms above her head, Katrina heard the clasp of metal and felt something cold around her arms. She instinctively yanked them forward and felt a slight tug. The chain was extremely thick. She was stuck against the wall and couldn’t move.

“It’s for your own good. And by the looks of it,” he cocked an eyebrow at her, “Mine as well!”