Daughter of Anat Read online

The last Elf-vamp screamed a death cry of agony shaking the walls but not falling. That is until...the wall actually cracked like bacon and as if we were all frozen in time, we watched it fall down where it stood in a heap. Unluckily though, the last undead Elf stood before me aiming his sword edged teeth straight at me. I backed away a step, but the visual caught me off guard. Calum barely budged when the demon Elf pushed past him and practically flew over the rubble attacking me with its clawed fingers. I backed away another step uncharacteristically and put both my hands to block its teeth but not missing the nasty scrap he made across my forearm.

  I felt myself falling and expected the floor to bang into my head soon. I closed my eyes, another uncharacteristic-like maneuver I typically avoided. The floor never came. Cord had my head cradled in his hand while Calum caught my body with one hand and held a long edged sword in the center of the demon Elf’s chest where his heart would have began to stop beating by now. Suspended in air, I still didn’t come to grips with the fact that I’d just lost my cool. Guess we really needed each other.

  Righted to standing, I was forced to face my saviors. Cord was eye length, so I half hugged him and was then expected to do the same with Calum. He still incensed with a throbbing heat like he might snap the neck of anyone else who came near. And since all of this took less than a minute and a half to take place, I had no choice but to appreciate them quietly and move back to what was more important. After all said I left both their faces and returned to the raging growls of the man being held back by a twin brother I knew well.

  Cas lost his balance and seemingly fell over more than he was before.

  “I need... blood,” Cas rasped from looking down.

  "Hair of the dog remedies shouldn't solve this one," I countered frantic to help him faster.

  "I need human blood."

  I wagered now he wasn’t as weak as I thought. He was hiding his face. I tried to bring up all the courage I had to accept whatever I saw and not judge. He never once judged me.

  “Cassius Cross. I don’t care what you look like right now. I doesn’t scare me. Where do we get the blood?” I asked anyone who would answer.

  Calum then shot an arm out, snaking it around my waist and pulled me from him. Like a shot in the arm, Calum’s hands dug into my hip. I feared for the briefest second that miscellaneous blood might be exposed and clawed to remove his hands. Cas must have misinterpreted my actions, because his reaction was to come after my distress call though it wasn’t as he thought.

  Joy! Boys were so...

  “I’m fine, both of you. I am just tired of the group of you telling me what to do. I thought you were cutting me or something Calum. Now let me help. I am not scared of you Cas.”

  “Tell that to the emotions flowing off you like a siren,” he hissed through his teeth. The hiss I knew now meant his fangs were out.

  “Just because I have fear doesn’t mean it’s toward you. I’m scared for you. I don’t want you hurt.”

  “SZAR!” he screamed.

  “On it.” Szar disappeared. A second later, he was back.

  He addressed us both. “All the recently turned have be vanquished. Cord is quicker with blood banks. It will take him ten minutes tops. He is already in route.”

  Kissa. Please.

  “No. I’ll stand right here and wait if that’s what it takes, but I’m not taking my eyes off you. Don’t do this to me.”

  “Don’t do this to me,” he growled. All figured out.

  “What is it you think I’m doing?”

  “Don’t tempt me?” Cas begged me.

  Szar was a silent wallflower until now.

  “Stace. He bit the three Elves. That’s how he kept them away. That’s why they went mad. And that’s why he’s stuck in the position he’s in. After he’s had the human blood, he’ll be stabilized. Right now, he’s liable to bite either one of us. A little creepy on the biting me part, but still.”

  Only Szar adds his wisecracks in the worst situations.

  “How long now,” I didn’t take my eyes away from Cas. He was so still.

  “It’s been two minutes.”

  We stayed where we were in silence. I wondered briefly where Cord was and if he was safe. “Everyone is okay?” I asked Szar through my teeth.

  “Yes. Cord is fine.”

  Stupid ass brother.

  Minutes. Finally I heard commotion. Cord emerged through the door and walked right up to Cas. Why does he get to?

  Cas’ arms were still tied to the chair.

  “What do you want me to do, man? Untie you or open the bag?”

  “The bag. I don’t trust myself with Stace in the room.”

  If I doubted any of them before in loyalty, I didn’t now.

  Turn around, Kissa.

  “NO!” I said aloud.

  Please. He pleaded. I can’t do this.

  With every bone in my body protesting, I did as he asked. Cas’ face was stony, sunken in like. His hair hid most of his face, but I’d seen it before I turned.

  Szar disappeared from my peripheral.

  “Szar. Tell me what you’re doing?” I would burst if the energy flowing through me didn’t release soon.

  “He will be fine, Stace,” a warm voice sounded beside my ear. I struck my knife in the direction only because all my instincts were off with Cas in pain.

  Calum’s arm caught it and held on. He planted his body across the back of mine and wrapped both hands around my forearms. Electricity jolted higher with the second hand touching me. We both startled upward like we’d lift off making the current grow. The buzz of it was painful, yet it made me strong. Weird. The last time we’d held each other this close involved kissing. No, we never kissed long for the pain grew unbearable. Now I wondered if the pain shifted into something else.

  When I looked down at where his hands held me, I flopped back against the better part of Calum freaked out at what I saw. The rings.

  They glowed. Mine on my arm dangling down, his on his hand. Bright enough to glow in the dark.

  “I’ll take her,” Cas’ voice was closer pulling us both out of the shock.

  I pulled out of Calum’s grasp and jumped fiercely into Cas’ arms. His face was above me. Still covered in blood, his fangs were there, his eyes were bright with something unlike I’ve seen before.

  You’re okay? I asked him.

  Not completely. But enough. If I told you to not do this again you would just defy me, right?

  I nodded into him. Damn straight. I folded up in his arms shuddering from the release of knowing he was safe.

  I can handle this.

  Maybe later. For now, it will take time. Your safety is all that matters.

  My safety means nothing if you are gone.

  He pulled me closer crushing me. I’m sorry.

  I don’t know how long we stood there holding each other, but the room was empty when I peeked over his shoulder and saw the crumbles of broken desk and chairs across the room and no live bodies.

  “They are in the next room waiting.”

  Oh!

  A shot of embarrassment at my rash need for Cas broadcasting to the people who could read me the most made me blush as I walked over broken glass to get to the front room. The shack was small and stunk like death. I wanted to burn it to the ground, but right smack in the middle of the city made it not a wise thing to do.

  We all walked out the front door expecting to get in cars and head somewhere to clean up and “talk” about what happened. No, it was never decided, but it was all in our eyes and gestures. We’d developed some kind of sixth sense for each other and as odd as it was, it gave me strength. So when we all neglected to sense the bodies lurking outside the door, I freaked like a crazed monkey.

  “Watch out for the knife from the left,” I yelped at Szar as he dodged it and ended the shorter rather weak Elf attacker. From the alley’s corner another one behind it shifted telling me they were pure Elves by the look of them. Long faces and deadly poised.

 
All of us went straight into action like a second wave of a tsunami had come at us. I checked on Cas to my left and saw him attacking without any tiresome reflexes. I guess human blood was also his Vitamin C.

  I couldn’t resist a comment, “You sure you can do this without bifocals or something, bro?” I didn’t hide the grin.

  “I make do. It’s just the daggers, arrows, and other miscellaneous sharp objects I can’t predict. Besides, I have you to save my sorry ass, sis.”

  “You better believe it. You just better hope I decide to do just that,” I shoved a knife in the shoulder of the Elf hopping in front of me and far from dangerous looking. I wasn’t aiming to kill, just maim and injure.

  I was back in action. Cas was safe. And Borgon or Granite or someone who orchestrated this wouldn’t be far. It was time to go after the source.

  I wanted to kill them all for taking Cas. Was this how he felt about me and that’s why he went bat crazy sometimes at the possibility of me getting hurt?

  Yes!

  I saw the current leader of the pack. Just an Elf. He was holding back behind his supposed front line warriors waiting for them to take care of business. When his face surveyed our party and noted who we had in our possession, he drew up with anger and started backing away.

  “Sorry for the disappointment,” I muttered aloud to myself.

  For the smallest inkling I regarded to tear down the freaking center of all of them and jump on the evil eyed Elf leader’s back like a crazed, loony psycho just to get my frustrations out, yet that wouldn’t take back what happened to Cas. But I’d feel a whole lot better.

  They were all dead in less time it took to rescue Cas.

  All finished and no bad guys left, we moved all the bodies inside the shack and started for the vehicles. Borgon could clean up his own mess.

  I still hadn’t said one word about the rings and neither did Calum, but he watched me like he was waiting for me to mention it. I am still surprised enough at choosing to where it knowing I needed to hear Cas all the time now. It rarely touched my skin because of the weight.

  “You will not win this if you keep on the same path,” a suave male voice spoke clearly and with precision from just outside the door. I, with the others, turned hesitantly knowing before that it would be an Elf.

  He was...different. Regal and taller than the others, educated and wise. He gave off all this just by the one spoken message and for the way he carried himself. Dressed in regular clothes, meaning jeans and a t-shirt, he didn’t mimic the others of his kind with the usual bum-like appearance they preferred.

  “Do you wish to enlighten us?” I offered since all else were speechless.

  He dropped a slow smile. “The shadows don’t lie. You really are every bit the feisty female they say.”

  I didn’t rightly know what to say to that.

  “However, you are young. I am Elf, but you knew this. Borgon intends to take all of my people from me. I can’t let them sit by and just die. They think he has their best interest. To destroy you means to gain control again. But they are misguided and weak without a real leader. Ruthless and merciless, Borgon will end my people. I will help you Anastacia Hathown. You will need me in the end.”

  He bowed to me and walked away in the sunlight like a cowboy movie. What in the freaking world just happened?

  “Anyone know him?” I asked.

  “Know of him, but I thought he was dead if that’s who I think it is,” Cord offered.

  “And?” I waited.

  “Lord Jetten. Exiled and run out by his people long ago because they didn’t—

  “Think they need a leader. Yeah, I know the stories. Huh!” How about that. He has returned.

  We drove talking ninety to nothing. When most of the details were out in the open including me going to a Vampire bar, Cas’ head brandished a hard stare into the back of Szar’s total avoidance.

  I didn’t want a fight in the car now, so I thought fast and said, “I’m anxious to get Cas somewhere and clean him up. Or...I mean him clean up. I wouldn’t do the cleaning. Uh...the bathing part.” God, I needed to shut up.

  I was so lucky I was one less male in the car, but Cord snorted laughter that assured me he was very alert and listening. Calum had brought his car and Szar with it. So now, we were taking Cord to the warehouse where his car was since we took the Hummer. Szar rode with us.

  “Well, by all means. Punch the peddle to the meddle, Szar. Our girl here has shower plans with our friend here.”

  I glared at him not at all embarrassed by the fact that I wanted to knock him silly.

  “Enough craphead. She’s been through hell today.” That’s my brother. The Three Stooges one minute, loving kind brother the next.

  Cord returned his gaze to the front window pane. Cas let me lay my head on his shoulder. I didn’t even care that Pat B was blaring through the speaker on CD with Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I felt like I’d been shot at enough.

  Chapter Nine

  The power we hold lies in the how we portray it, not how it actually sounds in our head.

  “What do you mean he’s gone?”

  I heard, but not clearly through the phone. It was an unknown number. My guess, Lee. Who else, from the sound of the voices, would know my number?

  A voice I knew well muffled and then sharpened. She complained about Granite calling him a Vampire traitor, foolish, and in her opinion, stupid to think Borgon would ever let him rule anything. Her goal was clear—end that female slut who stole him away. She meant that as ME! And then she mumbled something that sounded like, “The god girl showed up earlier than we thought. They found him faster than they should have.”

  A timbre I knew to be Borgon screamed like a wailing beacon, “Not good enough. It’s time we step up the game. I’m going after Hathown.”

  Borgon spit or something, then cursed nastily.

  “Do you not think we should just raid the Vampire house and take her that way?” she said like it was easy.

  “Can’t. Too guarded. I can’t beat them anyway. If taking him didn’t work, I’ll have to go after her father. He needs to go anyway.”

  The Vamp boy laughed manically standing close to her though they had just insulted him. It was fake though. I don’t think Granite has the balls to kill any of these people.

  “What do you want me to do with the Were camp? The other one.”

  “Hold on to it. Just watch and know how to take it out.”

  Nara walked away from the nasty man vowing to take my father out right after she ripped "god girl’s" heart out. Or, that's what she verbally promised before the phone went dead.

  ℓℓℓℓℓ

  The Elf Lord dude was a mystery. Not even my father knew who he was. Everyone thought the previous one, Lord Jetten, was dead long ago. Maybe they were wrong, but why did he abandon his people.

  I refused to let Cas out of my sight so after three days of holed up in the house, he disappeared to get food and was gone more than five minutes. I freaked and ran to the kitchen. He was drinking from the fridge and looked stark raving mad at my frantic face.

  “That’s it, Stace. Operation Fear Removal is officially in tow.”

  What the heck does that mean?

  “You think it’s going to happen again. I told you it wasn’t a mistake on my part, Liam’s, or any of my other guards. Granite was sold out for a price. He did this. You heard it yourself from his own lips. It was on the inside.” He wrapped me in a hug, shaking me. “I’m not going to disappear.”

  “How do you know?”

  “If you must know, I submitted my guys to several tests that I will leave unnamed but they volunteered. They are all clean.”

  It helped. A little.

  “What is Operation Fear Removal?”

  This.

  He led me to the Sun room and sat me on the sofa. “Stay there and watch a movie till I come back in five minutes to join you.”

  “This is your intervention?”

  “Ah, you see it f
rom my perspective. At least I know you’re seeing reason. Yes. This will all make sense in a little while.”

  He kissed my forehead and took his cell phone into the office across the hall. I watched him pad his bare feet all the way to the thick-glassed windows on the opposite wall to keep me from hearing. I pouted. Those eyes had a power all their own. He knew just the right look to get him out of anything and get me unfocused on being angry or perturbed at him. He mimicked my mouth formed into a pout where he stood and continued his conversation. His pout seemed sexy on him and for a second I let myself relax.

  He returned like he promised. The previews ended and my favorite movie graced the screen. I believe in something too, Neo. I believe I can’t live without this man beside me. I shuddered feeling the emotion welling up inside me. I didn’t want to lose him.

  He pulled me into his lap and held me while Neo dodged bullets and conquered the world. If only he’d share his luck with me.

  The front door chimed through the walls and Claire was swishing down the stairwell towards it. Cas sat me up on his lap making my face next to his.

  “Kissa. I love you. Do you know this?”

  He was saying it out loud and so...so...like it was a norm. I waited to see what would happen next. He was never like this.

  Like a bomb going off, a shrill bubbly one, I jumped right off Cas’ lap into a standing position to see Maze standing beside me with her arms out like an erratic grasshopper. It was the domino effect of being near her I guessed.

  “Um, he said I could,” she pointed to Cas who had that forgive me look in his eyes that couldn’t be denied. “Thank you again, Lord Cross. I am forever grateful.” Maze was always the charming, bubbly one.

  Cas stood up beside me, kissed the top of my head, and laughed that sexy laugh like no other, “Enjoy your intervention. She will be here for the remainder of the week.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Thank you. But I still want you close.

  I won’t leave the house without you knowing. I assure you Kissa, you are in my thoughts every second of every day. We are safe.

  I turned the door he took up all the space in, “And guards?”