Authors: Brittany White
They travelled for what seemed like a month to Colleen before he would allow them to stop. “This should be far enough.” He said one day.
She looked around the town, it wasn’t big, but not too small. “So where will we stay?” She asked him.
“I’ll get you a room in the inn. You can freshen up and relax a bit. I’ll see about finding a permanent house for us.” Kaiden stated.
She watched him walk out of the room after he had helped her get settled. She smiled thinking about him. He was such a good man. She hadn’t told yet, but she was almost certain she had a child on the way.
Colleen hadn’t wanted to tell him while they were travelling she feared he wouldn’t push to the end of their trip had he known. Now once they were in their own house, she could safely inform him about what she thought.
Kaiden came back quickly and there was a smile on his face. She looked up at him. “Good news?” She asked.
“We have a place! Let’s go I want to show it to you.” Kaiden grabbed her hand and pulled her up. “It’s perfect there is a nursery and everything already!” He heard her gasp.
“Did you hear those thoughts too?” She asked him.
He stopped and turned around. “Yes I did dear! Plus I can hear our child’s heart beat.” He smiled at her widely.
Colleen smiled broadly.
He pulled her up to a two story house. It was on the outskirts of the little town. She hadn’t realized it was quite that small at first. However, maybe that would be better. The less people around she still felt the better off they would be. Colleen had pleaded her case to be out in the woods somewhere instead. But he had told her that would have to wait until later. “I will have to find a good piece of land and buy it, then build our home. So we are looking at a few months for sure.”
She hadn’t been happy at that point. However, she understood his plan.
“We are still going to go to the woods eventually right? I mean not wait for too long? How much did this cost? How did we afford it?” She asked him.
“We will move to the woods yes, don’t worry. There are only around 100 people at the most in this town. Don’t worry about the money, I had it. Please Colleen you need to think of the baby.” Kaiden told her, trying to calm all of her fears at once.
“I just think we would be better off without anyone around us.” Colleen looked out the window her fear apparent.
“Look at any sign of someone knowing who either of us are, I can do a spell. It is a hard one to do, but I believe I have enough magic skill to do it.” Kaiden explained.
Colleen looked at him, she studied him deeply. She saw no sign of betrayal in his eyes. He did love her, she could tell that so she felt safe.
“You will do this spell if anyone notices either of us?” Colleen questioned again.
“Yes I promise you that I will do the forget spell if anyone says a word to us that we have to wonder if we have been discovered or not. I will not make us run, not while you are pregnant. I also promise you that within the next few months I’ll start looking for a place in the woods for us to build.” Kaiden said, putting his hands on top of hers. “Please just trust me. I won’t let a single thing happen to you or our little child.”
She smiled up at him. Her fears seemed to be something that would drive her crazy. “Let’s go out and get some goods for our new home then. We will see if anyone recognizes me. I stand out a bit more than you do anyway!” She commented.
It was true the Queen would have a bounty on her head for sure by now. If they weren’t far enough from home, or if someone around here was from out of town, they might notice her.
“Alright, let’s go.” Kaiden said and walked with her outside.
He helped her get into the wagon. Heading into town, Colleen had a dreadful feeling cross over her body. She wasn’t sure why, but she had a feeling that something might take place. She hoped that Kaiden was ready with this spell. In fact as she thought about it maybe they should have just done the spell without going to get the goods.
She turned to him about ready to ask him what he thought.
“I don’t know if that would be a good idea. What if no one notices you? If I use this spell I don’t know how long it will take to recover. We use it now, and in a month or two someone notices you, I may not be able to do anything. That will mean we will have to flee while you are pregnant, and much more so at that point.” Kaiden commented.
“Aye, you are right.” She admitted.
He pulled up to the front of the store that looked very small from the outside. “ I don’t know how much stock they have on hand, but hopefully enough to start with!” He stated.
They walked in and the shop keeper looked up.
“Hello, new to town?” He asked them. He seemed like a friendly sort.
“Yes we just move down from up north.” Kaiden stated, not giving the correct direction they had come to town from.
The man looked at Colleen. “You look very familiar, do I know you from somewhere?” He asked her. His eyes got a far off look as if trying to place her face.
“No I don’t think so sir.” She answered, but felt the thrill of fear shot throughout her body.
Kaiden squeezed her hand to calm her down.
“The eyes they remind me of someone I once knew I think.” He finally commented and looked away from the couple.
They bought their goods and left the store.
“Did he know me?” Colleen asked almost before they were out the door.
“I’m not sure he had too many questions going around in his head. But I will do the spell once we get home if you want. Or we can wait to see if he says anything to anyone. He didn’t have a direct link to who you might be set in his mind though. So we might be safe.” Kaiden explained.
“That mind reading ability you have is very helpful.” Colleen commented.
“I love it.” Kaiden admitted.
“Let’s wait to see if he says anything to anyone before you use the spell. But we might have to be very careful about it. All it takes is one person thinking the wrong thing, and I don’t know if they will kill me or simply turn me over.” Colleen stated.
“I can tell you he had nothing in his mind about killing you for now!” Kaiden commented. “If he had he wouldn’t be alive still.”
Colleen looked at him no doubt that he was telling the truth.
“Is there a way you can try and focus on the whole town’s thoughts?” Colleen asked.
“It would take a lot out of me too, and trying to keep them all separate would be impossible for now.” He stated.
“But if you hear someone think something well you can do the spell, right?” Colleen said.
“Alright let me do it when we get home. I’ll see if I hear anything.”
When they got back to their new home, Colleen put the things away and Kaiden sat down to focus.
Colleen watched him from the other side of the room. The whole time she couldn’t get away from the feeling of fear in her mind. She watched as his brow furrowed.
“I’m sorry dear I’m going to have to do the spell. I hear far too many whispers about an heiress being in the kingdom. Someone the Queen is searching for. I don’t know who brought in the rumors or anything. But I know we need to stop them now.” Kaiden explained.
“I had a feeling this whole time.” Colleen admitted.
Kaiden focused and chanted the words for the spell. Colleen watched intently as he looked as if he aged years in front of her.
“I don’t know if I’m strong enough. I might be able to do it.” Kaiden stated.
She walked over behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. “Use some of my energy if you need too.”
“I can’t it may hurt the baby. This has to be all me.” Kaiden admitted.
As she watched she saw a few of his hairs turn gray on the sides of his head. The moments passed and more hairs turned color. Colleen began to worry wondering if he was going to survive this spell.
Finally, he fell to the ground. “It is done, we are safe. But I’m sorry baby we will have to stay in town for a while. Please help me to bed.” Kaiden whispered.
Colleen looked at him. “Will you be okay?” She asked, worried.
“Yes I just need sleep.” Kaiden said.
Colleen helped him lie down on the bed and curled up beside him. He placed a hand on her stomach. “It is safe for us now. But I don’t know how long this spell will last on them. I also placed a barrier up around the town to not allow new news into this town. It is what really took the power out of me. However, we can be safe here for a long time now. I hope anyway.” Kaiden said and closed his eyes.
There was a chill in the air and a light, wet haze covered everything I could see in the pale moonlight. My senses guided me through the trees as I clutched my rifle close to me. For once, the field was quiet, but I knew that was only because we hadn’t been spotted yet. As soon as me or one of my men made the wrong move the whole land would come alive with an uproar of bullets and blood.
Thankfully, I was the only one still in human form. I usually was, but only because my job was the most precious. As soon as we neared the base I had to take the sentry out while my brothers, still in wolf form, took the base. This time, however, I knew it wouldn’t be so easy. Vampires are never easy. Then again, taking out the cold-blooded freaks would be even harder to do for a ‘normal’ person.
Normal people… Do they even really exist?
The entire reason my unit was made was to take out those leeches. In some ways, I could be grateful to the men who made it possible, but for my boys and I, something about the whole thing was just…unsettling. Night after night we’d stalk the fallen remains of battlegrounds long after the winners and losers were decided.
Do they think we’re cowards?
I wondered, eyeing a wolf’s tail and then another on my opposite side.
We’re wolves, not vultures.
I growled, feeling my wolf stirring and clawing at my heart. Just a few feet ahead, I could see a dim light coming out from a short structure in the distance. As we neared the clearing, I slowed down and then stopped completely. I held a hand up to tell the others to stop and all at once, the air was still. Very faintly, I could hear my pack’s breaths. The slow, controlled breaths we had to do in order to keep the vampires off our tracks.
Where are you…?
I wondered as I scoped out the base with my night vision binoculars, looking for a trace of movement. Perched atop a tower overseeing the whole base, I could make out subtle movements. I raised my rifle and took aim, but as I slid my finger onto the trigger and peculiar scent graced my nose. After giving my head a firm shake, nearly knocking my helmet off, I readjusted my hold on the weapon only for it to falter again. Out of frustration, I growled and tried to pin the scent to a memory. The sweet, Earthy scent reminded me of something, but I couldn’t remember what.
My ear twitched on upon reflex as someone shifted back into human form and walked up behind me. I could tell it was Jack based on his heavy, musky scent now covering the old scent’s. Growing more frustrated, I snarled at him, but he put one of his heavy hands on my shoulder.
“Hey, what’s the hold up?” he asked in a whisper right into my ear.
I tapped his hand twice, signaling him to let go. As his hand slipped off, I replied, “There’s something weird about that guy up there. He doesn’t smell like a normal vampire.”
Jack coughed up a dry laugh. “So? Take him out.”
A part of me wanted to reach back there and punch Jack right in the shoulder. No matter what we did, he always had to be so short sighted.
No, there has to be more to it than that.
“I want to investigate,” I stated, taking a step forward. I turned around as the other wolves walked up beside Jack. “I’m going up there to check it out for myself. I’ll give a signal when it’s safe to go in, all right? If you don’t see the signal for a while, well then…”
Jack crossed his arms, glaring at me. “I hope your hunch is right, Ross.”
I smirked and said, “Hasn’t steered me wrong yet.”
The soldier wearing only a few weapon belts and a large backpack nodded to me and the wolves around him scattered into various sections of the forest—surrounding the base. I took a deep breath and turned to the structure. Just the size of it made my heart skip a beat, but I was determined to see why I couldn’t pull the trigger.
In the back of my mind, I didn’t truly know whether this was the right choice or not, but as I ascended the tower, I felt surer in my decision. It was easy to convince the others that I was confident, but much harder to convince myself. I climbed up the tall, thinly built structure with one hand since the other was holding my rifle, but eventually I made it to the top.