Vengeance (The Captive Series, Book 6) (17 page)

“Do you think it was the children?” she whispered. “Those fires?”

“No,” he answered honestly. “These vampires know it will be more upsetting to those who might come to this town after they leave, if the children are left to become mad with hunger, or if they discover their dead bodies.”

He knew her tremor had nothing to do with the wind blowing down from the mountain peaks. He took hold of her hand as he glanced at the lake again. “We have to move,” he told her.

Keeping hold of her hand, he led her down the small trail they’d traversed to the mountaintop. His boots slid in the snow, but he managed to keep his balance by leaning against the rock wall beside him. Years of living in these mountains made Tempest far more adept at traversing the trails. Her feet were more nimble than his were as she walked with far more assurance than he did.

After a few hundred feet, she tugged his hand, pulling him to a stop. He leaned against the mountain as he turned to face her. She pointed by his feet and pulling down on his hand, she knelt against the mountainside. He crouched down next to her and turned his head toward hers.

“There’s a cave here,” she told him. “We’ll have to crawl into it, but it opens up once we’re inside, and it winds down into the mountain. It will save us from having to climb down the cliff for at least part of the way.”

William watched as she flattened her stomach on the rocky trail. She squiggled through the snow on her stomach until her feet vanished within a hole he never would have known was there. He didn’t want to know how she’d managed to discover its existence, but getting onto his stomach, he followed behind her. Rising up on the other side, he tried to see anything before him but the blackness was so absolute even his vampire vision couldn’t detect enough light to pick out any details.

“Stay close to me,” Tempest whispered from his right. “It’s only like this for half a mile or so, after that we’ll be able to see again.”

“You’re going to be able to find your way out of this area?”

“We may walk into a few walls in between here and there,” she said with a small chuckle. “But I’d prefer not to light another torch if we don’t have to; we need to conserve the rags.”

“Walking into walls is better than climbing down the face of the mountain,” he replied.

He’d spent a lot of time in caves, and trees, but he’d never done any mountain climbing. The climb up had been bad enough. His fingers still ached from gripping the rocks so tight, but at least he’d been able to see where he was putting his hands and feet; going back down would be nothing but a search mission for footholds.

Her hand slid into his, taking firm possession of it. William squeezed her hand tenderly before bringing it up and pressing a kiss against her delicate flesh. She moved closer to him, her arm brushing against his as they walked deeper into the blackness. He could feel the walls closing in on them as they moved; feel the space becoming more confining. The walls didn’t brush against him, not yet, but their steps became more muffled by the encroaching rocks. He could feel the chill of them against his sides, but he didn’t touch them.

William kept her close to his side as his senses strained to pick up any noise or smell out of the ordinary amongst the damp, mossy smelling rocks. He took a step to the side when the wall brushed against his right shoulder. “It doesn’t get any narrower,” Tempest said from beside him.

He nodded before he realized she couldn’t see it. Before he could speak, he began to detect little pinpoints of light ahead of them. After a few more feet, light burst into his eyes, dilating his pupils as he finally took in the world surrounding them. The light came from a crevice in the wall above them; a single sliver that allowed the rays of the moon to filter in.

He stopped, his eyebrows raising when he spotted the wall across from him. Unlike the other caves they’d been through, this one had paintings and drawings done in reds, browns, yellows, oranges and greens on the walls. He was able to make out bears, deer and what he assumed were horses in the faded depictions. The people in the drawings were crude but he could tell the difference between the men and the women. Mountains towered high behind the people and animals; the tips of them brushed against the clouds on the wall. He cast a questioning glance at Tempest.

She smiled back at him. “They’ve been here for longer than vampires have been in this land, I think. I used to come here and wonder about the people who had painted them; what they’d been trying to say with these pictures, what their lives had been like. It was a great distraction from the orphanage.”

“I bet,” he replied as his eyes continued to run over the figures who had years ago left this world.

She tugged on his hand and pointed toward another tunnel. It didn’t become completely black again when he stepped into the constricted tunnel. A human probably wouldn’t be able to see, but enough light filtered in from somewhere in front of him that he could. Before they made it to the end of the cave, Tempest pulled him back, stopping him before he could exit.

“This is going to come out near where I pushed that man off the cliff.” Her eyes darted away from him; a small shiver ran through her before she focused on him again. “There may be more guards out there somewhere.”

William’s fangs tingled.
No
one would harm her. About a hundred feet ahead of them, he could see the light increasing as they neared the exit of the cave. “Stay in here,” he told her as he rested his fingers against her cheek. “I’ll check it out.”

“You can’t go out there alone,” she protested.

“I’m just going to look around, I’ll be fine,” he assured her.

Bending, he kissed her full mouth before straightening away from her. Pulling his bow from his back, he nocked an arrow against it and carefully approached the entrance to the cave. Turning sideways, he cautiously slid in between the rocks, careful not to touch anything and accidentally alert someone to his presence.

He stopped before stepping outside; he leaned his head against the wall as he strained to hear anything over the howling wind. Silently, he counted to sixty while he listened for a footstep or voices before poking his head out. He saw and heard nothing, but he wasn’t about to call Tempest out before he made sure. Glancing behind him and then ahead again, he stepped out of the cave and walked up the hill.

When William disappeared from view, Tempest stepped away from the wall and followed him toward the mouth of the cave. She didn’t make a sound as she moved toward the exit. Sticking her head out, she blinked away the blowing snow sticking to her lashes.

She spotted William up ahead; searching to make sure no one was around. The wind blew over her hood, causing it to flap against her ears. She pushed it back in order to hear better. Glancing down the hill, she narrowed her eyes against the snow before stepping out.

William glanced back, his jaw clenched when he spotted her, but he continued onward with his bow and arrow at the ready. He took a few more steps before lowering his bow and sliding the arrow back into his quiver. He slipped the bow over his back and turned toward her again. Resting his hand against the wall, he stared down the hill at her before waving his hand in a gesture meant to tell her to get back in the cave.

Tempest frowned at him before shaking her head no. She refused to return to the cave, especially when she couldn’t understand why he wanted her to. Before she knew what was happening, he took four rapid steps forward, reached into a crevice and jerked someone from inside the slot she knew only went four feet into the mountain.

Tempest gawked at him as he unleashed a series of punches upon the figure in the white cloak. The crack of bone was so distinct she heard it above the wind, but she didn’t know what had broken, the vampire’s cheekbone, nose or jaw. Maybe all three crumpled beneath the forceful blows William continued to unleash with ruthless savagery.

Her hand flew to her mouth; her stomach twisted as his eyes shone with red fire. Before she knew what he intended, William grabbed hold of the cloak and spun the man around. He tore the cloth from him in one violent jerk. The man teetered on the edge of the walkway, his arms spinning as he fought to maintain his balance.

In a move so fast she barely registered it, William reached into his own cloak, pulled out a stake and drove it into the man’s chest. The startled cry the man released was caught up and whipped away by the wind. Lifting his leg, William leaned against the rock wall and shoved his foot into the man’s stomach. Tempest caught a glimpse of the vampire’s bulging eyes and wide-open mouth before he flipped over and tumbled out of sight.

She stood, staring at the lake as the body splashed into it. So focused on the ripples flowing across the normally pristine surface, she didn’t hear William approach until he stood beside her. “Put this on,” he instructed.

Tempest turned and focused on him. She blinked at the cloak he held out toward her. She was happy her hand didn’t shake when she took it from him. His hands were steady when he unclasped the brooch of her cloak. She forced herself not to grab hold of his hand to examine the blood staining the backs of his knuckles, or the bruises and cuts marring his skin. She didn’t think he’d appreciate her concern right now. He wasn’t in the mood to be babied; he was in the mood to do what had to be done.

He’s a fighter
, she reminded herself. A warrior who has waged many battles over the years. This was what he’d been born into and trained to do his entire life. He was lethal, she’d already known that, but the brutality of what had just occurred still had her rattled.

Tugging the cloak from her shoulders, he wadded it up and threw it over the side of the mountain into the lake below. The cool breeze blowing over her slipped through her clothes and froze her already numb skin. He fitted the white cloak over her and pinned it against her throat. With a tenderness she hadn’t expected after what had just unfolded, he tugged the hood over her head and tucked her hair into it.

“You’re bleeding,” she whispered.

“Not mine,” he muttered before wiping the blood off in the snow at their feet.

Tempest swallowed at his response, when he rose over her again his face had softened, and she saw the hesitation in his gaze. He was afraid she would reject him; instead, she took hold of his hand. She ran her hand over the back of his already healed knuckles before pressing them against her cheek.

“Did you know he was there the whole time?” she asked.

“Not the whole time,” he replied. “Tempest, what you saw…”

“I understand,” she assured him. “It’s not something I’m used to, but I understand. Things are going to get worse, aren’t they?”

“Most likely,” he replied honestly.

Tempest huddled deeper into the thick white cloak. It was of far better quality than the one Pallas had pieced together. “We have to get you one.”

“We will.” The gravelly, no nonsense tone of his voice made her realize she’d only seen a glimpse of what he was capable of. “Where do we go now?”

Tempest pointed down the face of the mountain. “Now there’s only one way down.”

He may be fearless about most things, but some of the color drained from his face when he leaned over to look down the side of the cliff. “Fun,” he murmured.

“I’ll lead the way,” she said.

“No, if there’s someone hiding down there, I’m not going to take the chance they could grab you.”

“There’s only footholds and shelves down this way. There are no caves or places for anyone to hide. I know the way better; it will be easier for you to follow me.”

He looked down the side of the mountain. “Are you sure there’s no way someone could be hiding down there?”

“Yes.”

A muscle next to his eye twitched, but he finally stepped away and gestured for her to go. Crouching down, she slid her foot over the side of the mountain until she found the first hold. She slipped over the side with William following behind her. Tempest easily found footholds and handholds amongst the rock face. William wasn’t having as easy of a time as his hands and feet searched over the rock.

“It’s only another fifty feet,” she told him, keeping her voice low so it wouldn’t carry.

He glanced at her before looking down. “Can they be down there?” he inquired.

“Yes.”

“Stay here.”

“William…”

“Stay here, Tempest. If something happens to me, get out of here and find Aria, Daniel, Braith or Jack. And actually
stay
here this time; I don’t want you to see it again if someone is down there, and I have to kill them.”

Before he could climb away, she grabbed hold of his hand. “I don’t want to see it either, but I understand it, and I can help you. Don’t shut me out.”

He rose back up so he was eye level with her. His eyes searched her face before he squeezed her hand. “I’m not shutting you out.”

“You gave me training; I’ll be returning to Badwin with you. You can’t protect me from everything. It’s impossible to do so.”

He continued to stare at her before finally giving a brisk nod. “When we get down there, don’t get off of this wall,” he told her. “Ok?”

“Ok.” He squeezed her hand before releasing it. They climbed down until they were only seven feet away from the ledge running along the side of the mountain. He placed his hand on her back before she could let go of the mountain. ‘Stay,’ he mouthed.

She bit her tongue to keep from arguing with him and kept her grip on the wall. She stayed where she was as he stepped onto the ledge. He walked underneath her, moving further down the trail before turning and heading up it. He strode beneath her again and further up the mountain before returning. Waving his hand, he gestured for her to come down.

He took hold of her hand when she climbed down. “Lead the way,” he told her.

***

William stood in the mouth of the cave, peering cautiously out at the town beyond. Tempest stood by his side, the cloak pulled securely over her head. He didn’t see anyone moving out there, but vampires patrolled high in the mountains across the way, keeping watch over the town. He couldn’t see the mountains above them, but he knew there would be more guards up there too.

If they had another white cloak, they would be able to slip out of the cave, but he would stick out like blood on snow if he stepped out there now. He wasn’t about to take Tempest’s cloak and go out there to try and find another one; he wouldn’t take the chance of leaving her alone for any amount of time.

The rattling clink of a stone hitting against the rock walls resonated through the cave system. His body stiffened as he turned in the direction the sound had come from. Taking hold of Tempest’s arm, he stepped away from the mouth of the cave. Her eyes were turbulent when she glanced up at him; her skin nearly matched the snow outside.

“We have to move,” he whispered in her ear.

She grabbed his hand and led him ten feet back to a small inlet carved into the cave. They slipped inside as a splash of flickering light spilled over the ground. Tempest stood before him, her back against the wall. He pressed close to her, sheltering her body with his own, as the light grew closer. He rested his hands on the wall beside her head.

“So then I told her she was getting a little too attached, and I kicked her out of my bed.”

This statement was followed by laughter from inside the main part of the cave. “Stupid bitch,” another man said.

“Aren’t they all?” the original speaker retorted and more laughter ensued.

Tempest’s nostrils flared as she turned toward the voices. A little worried she may go after the speakers, William pressed his knee against the wall beside her to keep her restrained. The glow from the men’s torches spilled the first three feet into their hiding spot as the men drew closer. Two men stepped into view, each of them carrying a torch and wearing a white cloak. His eyes latched onto those cloaks, his fingers dug into the wall beside Tempest’s head as he watched them.

The space was too confining for him to be able to pull his bow free. He could use his crossbow, but the cloaks would be useless to him if they had blood on them and a hole torn through them. He could take out one with a stake, before the other one knew he was dead. Lowering his mouth, he pressed it against her ear, “I need you to stay here.” His voice was so low he wasn’t sure she heard him until her fingers curled into his cloak.

Her lips pressed against his ear, “Don’t.”

“We need one of those cloaks.”

She held onto him for a minute more before her hands reluctantly slid away from him. He kept his mouth close to her ear, before placing a tender kiss against her temple. Stepping to the side to separate himself from her, he pulled two stakes from inside his cloak as he slid carefully in between the rock walls.

He stopped at the end of the small crevice and watched the two men continue forward. One of the cloaks would have to be ruined, but he’d do everything he could to keep the other one pristine and useable. Stepping from the interior, he rushed at the back of one of the men. He didn’t like the idea of stabbing someone in the back, not after what had happened to him, but he’d meant it when he’d told Tempest he would do whatever it took to win a fight and keep her safe.

The man released another cackling laugh just before William drove the stake through his back and straight into his heart. The man jerked, a startled cry escaped him as he took a couple of stumbling steps forward. The other one turned toward him, but before he knew what was going on, William drove his fist straight into his nose.

Staggering backward, the man’s hand flew up to his nose to stifle the blood flowing forth.
No blood on the cloak,
he repeated in his head as he lunged at the man. He grabbed hold of the cloak at the man’s neck and jerked it backward. The metal of the brooch groaned as it twisted and bent before popping open. Tossing the cloak free of any bloodshed, he wrapped his hand around the man’s throat, lifted him up and propelled him backward into the rock wall.

The man beat at his arms; he kicked out wildly in an attempt to dislodge William’s grasp on his neck. William twisted the stake in his hand and drove it toward the man’s chest, but the vamp dodged to the side and smashed his fist down on William’s forearm at the last second. Knocked from his grasp, the stake clattered against the rock floor as it spun away into the shadows.

The man’s teeth skimmed back before he lunged at William. Spinning to the side, he barely avoided the vampire’s grasping fingers. He’d expected the vamp to come at him again, instead he changed course and ran toward the cave exit. William snarled, he raced forward and leapt onto the man’s back, bringing him down within feet of where the rocks narrowed in on each other.

The vampire’s hands and feet kicked against the floor. Grabbing hold of a handful of his blond hair, William lifted his head up and smashed it into the floor with a savagery that caused bone to crack and blood to spill from the broken skin of his forehead.

The man released a low wail; William stifled it by wrapping his arm around his neck and jerking it up. A gurgled choking sound escaped him. His hands flailed uselessly at William over his back. He continued to pull back until the rending of the vamp’s skull tearing from his spine echoed throughout the cave.

The man’s hands fell limply to his side; he was still alive, but the snapping of his spine had left him paralyzed. He would stay that way as William wouldn’t give him a chance to heal. Climbing off him, William pulled another stake from the inside of his cloak and bent over the man who continued to make strange noises from his crushed windpipe.