Living in Darkness (Bloodbreeders) (31 page)

I sat for a moment, rubbing my forehead as I took in what he was
saying.

“Do they know who did it?” I asked, though I already had suspects in
mind.

“Not for sure, just rumors, you know? The townsfolk are the ones who
burned the place, ‘cause they thought it was done by a bunch of witches. At
least, that’s what everyone we talked to said.”

“Well,” I nodded. “Thanks for finding out. Y’all did great,” I said,
nudging Brandon with my elbow. “And I really am sorry about earlier.”

“Sure, just be a little easier next time,” he said with a grin.

“That’s not everything,” Ashley chimed in, looking over at Brandon
through troubled eyes. “Brandon, tell her. She has a right to know.”

“What do you mean, Ashley?” I inquired.

“I-I-I can’t, Renee. It kills me to even think about it,” she stammered
shaking her head.

“Brandon?” I demanded, looking back at him.

“This is the tough part,” he said, shooting me an uneasy glance. “The
bodies were tore up so bad they had a hard time identifying them. It took
days.” He swallowed hard before continuing. “They found your pa hung upside in
the barn with his throat ripped out, and all his blood was drained out like
you’d do to a deer or something.”

I felt a wave of heat flushed through my body. “Rebecca,” I grumbled
knowingly.

“Is that the same woman you told us about?” Derek asked.

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “When I left with her that night, the men she was
with stayed behind for a while. Later when I asked her about it, she told me
that they were putting Johnny’s body back to bed, so my parents would think
he’d died in his sleep. Now I’m pretty sure her goons were the ones who killed
the rest of my family. It’s a pretty big coincidence if it wasn’t.” I sat there
for a moment, thinking to myself.

“Well, if it was them,” Derek contemplated. “Then, what’d they do with
your little brother’s body? Think maybe they hid it or something?”

“I just don’t know, but I damn well plan on finding out.” A burning
pang shot through my stomach, and I knew little ones or not, I was going to
have to feed. I absentmindedly grabbed my belly, and the kids noticed.

“You need to eat, don’t you?” Derek asked and I nodded.

“We thought about that,” Bo said, standing up. “Hold on, I’ll be right
back.”

He returned shortly with a small lamb in tow. He pulled a small blade
from his pocket, and said with a smile, “You drink your fill, and then we’ll
enjoy the rest. No need to waste.” He looked down at the lamb and continued,
“So, do you want a cup, or do you just...um, just...”

“A cup will do just fine, Bo,” I reassured. I stood up, wiping the dirt
off my backside. “But first, let’s find a place to stay and get settled in. It’s
lonely in that crypt all by
myself
,” I smiled. In all
actuality, I just didn’t want the kids out here by themselves again. I knew
they had taken care of themselves before I came along, but I had lost too much
to chance losing them too. Plus, I was ready to leave the place that had
nothing but memories, all which end in the very graveyard that we were standing
in.

We loaded back into the car, and headed to Cross Plains, to the same
house where that bitch Rebecca had taken me. As we pulled in behind the abandon
house, I told them what to expect.

“There’s a large basement, but it’s a mess. Grab your blankets, you’ll
need them.”

“Damn, it’s cold,”
Derek
said shivering. “Can
we build a fire down there?”

“Sure, if you want to burn the place down,” Bo replied sarcastically.

“Actually, there is a wood-burning stove,” I said. Derek smirked at Bo,
who rolled his eyes and went back to gathering things from the car.

“Derek, you and Ashley gather as much firewood as you can, and Brandon,
Bo, you can help me check the place out and get it ready.”

“Alright,” Derek said, instantly turning to do as he was told.

The other boys headed toward the house, but Ashley was too busy loving
on the lamb to hear what had been said. Derek looked back, and sighed.

“Ashley, you know better than to play with your food, so leave it
alone, and come help me, okay?”

Ashley’s jaw dropped open, and she sulked as she gave the lamb one last
pat.

“Okay, but you didn’t have to say it like that,” she said. Then under
her breath, she muttered, “Smart-ass.”

“What?” Derek asked.

“Nothing,” she said, as she bent down to pick up some sticks.

I smiled watching them, but it was short-lived as once again my mind
drifted to my family. I couldn’t help but think that they had died because of
me. Maybe not directly, but without a doubt, indirectly. The thought only added
fuel to the burning hate that I felt, and it made me want to protect these
children, whom I was growing to love, even more. They were depending on me more
than I would have thought possible, and if at all in my power, no harm would
ever come to them.

“We found the stove. Want us to fire it up?” Bo asked standing in the
doorway of the old abandon house.

“Sure,” I replied, following him inside.

Everyone made their way into the house, and before long, the fire was
roaring. Again, I felt the stabs of hunger.

“Can I borrow that blade, Bo?” I asked.

“Want me to do it? I am the prime hunter,” he proclaimed proudly,
causing the other three burst out laughing.

“Yeah, hunter of rabbits or caged critters,” Derek teased.

“Well, you eat, don’t
ya
?” Bo said, blood
rushing to his cheeks.

“Sure, Bo,” Brandon said, still chuckling. “Whatever, you say.”

They kept laughing, and I couldn’t help but join in. Bo looked at me,
and I held my hands up and shrugged. A grin crept onto his face, and he started
laughing too. When we calmed down I told him, “I can manage, I’m an old
farm-girl remember?” He handed over the blade, and I walked over to the lamb,
which had been tied over a bed of twigs and grass, in our meager attempt to
contain the mess that was likely to be made.

“I can’t watch,” Ashley said, standing up. “I have to pee anyway. I’ll
be right back,” she said heading to the door.

I stood over the lamb, holding its tiny body between my legs for
stability. I pulled its head back, stretching the neck long. I positioned the
blade against the side of the throat, and pulled back swiftly. The blood flowed
steadily, while I placed my hand as firmly as I could over the artery to keep
the animal from bleeding out too quickly.

“Hand me that cup, would you, Derek?”

“Sure,” he said, handing it over.

“Thanks.”

I held the cup beneath the wound, and filled it to the brim. Three cups
was all I needed to fill me up. I sat the cup down, and gently lowered the
lamb’s limp body to the floor. As I was walking toward the others, Derek was
walking away from them. He knelt down and picked up the cup. He lifted the
dying animals head, and filled the cup with the blood it had left, which was
only about a quarter’s fill of the cup.

“What the hell are you doing, Derek?” Bo asked.

“Trying it, want some?” he asked, holding the cup out toward Bo.

Bo grimaced, and shook his head. Derek shrugged, putting the cup to his
lips, and turned it up. He took several gulping drinks before putting the cup
back down. He stood there, saying nothing, with a silly smile graced by a thin
crimsoned line, but within minutes, his tender peach skin was turning a pale
lime green right before our eyes.

“I think I’m
gonna
be sick,” he said, and as
the last word exited his mouth, he heaved, throwing up every drop he had drank,
and then some. When he was done, he stood up, wiping his mouth with the back of
his hand. “Maybe it would be better if it wasn’t so... warm,” he said, gagging
a little at the thought.

“That was a very brave thing to do, Derek,” I walked over to him, and
rubbed his back. “Thanks for trying to make me feel normal.”

“Don’t get mad,” he said giving me a funny look. “But I wasn’t doing it
to try to be brave, or make you feel like anything... I was doing it so I could
be like you.”

“Well, baby, it’s not that easy,” I said affectionately. “You all have
your whole lives ahead of you. Trust me, you don’t want this.”

“Why, is everyone always telling me that? ‘No, Derek, you can’t do
that’ or ‘No, Derek, that’s not what you want to do.’” He crossed his arms over
his chest, and looked me square in the face. “I do, know what I want, and I
want what you have. Can’t you see that, Renee?” he pleaded.

“I think you may just see this as a different way of life, and it’s
not,” I explained, and then pointed down at the cup that lay on the ground.
“When you’re like me, that’s all you ever get. No more pie, fried chicken, or
soda... that’s all gone.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t need any of it,” he interrupted, pausing
for a second. “Besides, you’ll need our help in Cuba.”

I flinched a little at those words, mostly because I knew that in a
way, he was right.

“That’s not fair, Derek,” I retorted taking in a deep breath, and then
let it out slow. “Let’s just worry about one thing at a time.”

“Please, we want to talk about this,” Bo piped in from behind me.

“I don’t know how to make this any more clearly,” I said, becoming
frustrated. “I would have to kill you, and doing that would kill what little
life I have left in me.”

“But it won’t be like that for us,” Ashley interjected. In all the
commotion, I hadn’t even noticed she’d returned. “You’ll be like our Ma. We’ll
be a real family.”

I walked back over, sitting down in front of the fireplace, and once
again, all eyes were on me. “I’ve never tried it before,” I informed them. “What
if you don’t wake up? What if you have to be special to make it work?”

“Holy cow, so you mean you’re thinking about it?” Bo asked eyes wide.

“Just thinking,” I said. “What if I take one of your lives, like I did
Johnny? I sure can’t take much more, not like that.” I rested my head in my
hands, and closed my eyes. I was mentally exhausted, and this was not helping.

“Okay, guys, that’s enough for tonight,” Brandon said all the while
watching me. “Don’t you worry on anything right now
Renee.
We know you’ve just been through hell, and we’re here to help you through it,
so just kick back. We can start up tomorrow night where we left off.”

“You know, you’re all more than I could have ever hoped for. I really
appreciate everything.”

“We could say the same thing,” Bo added. “Adults always assume we’re
bad kids, and treat us that way. You’re the nicest person we’ve come across
since we broke out.”

“Ever,” Ashley added, “The nicest person ever.”

“Yeah Renee, the nicest, and sweetest, and did I mention…”

“I said, I’d think about it Derek,” I broke in before he could go on
any more. “Good night, keep an eye while I’m asleep will
ya
?”

“You bet
ya
,” Derek replied holding out his
chest. “I won’t sleep a wink.”

“Well, I’m headed down. After y’all are finished, come on down. We’ve
got a long trip tomorrow night,” I said, pulling myself to my feet. “That means
you too Derek.”

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay,” Ashley asked, “Because, I can
come on down with you now, if you want.”

“I’m fine, babe. Besides, you still need to eat, but thanks anyway.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” she said. “We all want to say thanks. You know,
no one can hurt us now. You wouldn’t let ‘
em
.”

“That’s right. I feel like we’re already family,” I said looking around
at the four.

“Damn straight,” Derek added with a strong nod, and the rest agreed
laughing.

We said our goodnights, and I headed down to the basement. Using the
blankets we had brought, I made beds for everyone as best as I could. I took
the far corner for myself, and
got
settled in. For the
longest time, I just laid there listening to my little one’s laughing and
joking with one another. They were without question mine now. What to do with
them however, was a different story altogether.

Chapter 25

I woke the next night to find all four children crowded next to me on
the hard floor. Tears welled up in my eyes, and for the first time for what
seemed like an eternity, I felt like I belonged. My heart filled with love,
because I knew that they, too, loved me. I didn’t move an inch, letting them
sleep until they woke up on their own. It was Ashley who awoke first.

“Hello, sleepy head,” I whispered. It was the same way I greeted little
Edna every morning.

“Hello,” she said groggily. “Sorry we all came over here, but we didn’t
want you to get cold.”

“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

It wasn’t long before the rest of them started to stir, and soon
everyone was awake but Derek.