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“If something happens to any of them…” Topher doesn’t finish his statement directed toward the immortal child. He follows Micah and Fynn to the awaiting SUV. They speed out of the driveway, heading toward the abandoned church.
We sit in silence, waiting for the second hand to move slowly on the clock. Exactly ten minutes later, Alexander moves toward the door. “Are you ready?”
“Is no, an acceptable answer?” Luna says, with an awkward laugh.
“You will be safe,” he says, as Luna approaches.
“No offense, but you’re half my size. Are you sure you can carry me?”
He lifts her and throws her over his shoulder like she weighs nothing. “Are we ready?”
“After you.” I motion to the stairs, and the rest of us follow the boy down the stairs. Once we’re on the road, we begin moving at vampire speed, heading toward the worst plan ever.
Several miles away from the church, Alexander stops in the middle of the tree-lined road. “This is as far as you can go,” he warns Amelia and Thorne. “She’ll sense you if you come any closer.”
“Oh, dear God, I feel sick. Is this how you people move all the time?” Luna dry heaves from Alexander’s shoulder. “Set me down, please.” He follows her request, and Luna falls to the ground. She sits cross-legged on the grass, lowering her head to her ankles. “If the immortal children don’t kill me, the mode of transportation will.”
“We must go,” he reminds everyone. “There is no time to waste.”
Luna stands, wobbling slightly. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Alexander pulls a piece of rope from his coat pocket, wrapping it around the lycanthrope’s wrists, along with a piece of fabric, covering her eyes before picking her back up and moving quickly to the church. “She knows we’re here,” he announces. “Stay by my side. Act scared,” he whispers to Luna.
“That won’t be a stretch,” Luna whispers back.
He opens the door to an empty room. “Where is everyone?” I ask.
“In their rooms.” We move through the remnants of the sanctuary to the hallway door. Patrice is standing at the end of the hallway.
“What took so long?” she asks with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Hello, Mother. The one we found got away,” Alexander answers. “We found this one in his place.”
Patrice sniffs the air. “It’s not a human.”
“I know.” He smiles.
“We thought you might enjoy the blood of a lycanthrope,” I answer for him.
Patrice smiles. “It’s been ages since I’ve tasted lycan blood. Where did you find this one?” She moves closer.
“At the beach,” he answers. “It took a while to catch her.”
“She smellswonderful.”
I can feel Luna’s fear from here.
“You know where to put her.” Patrice claps her hands. “She’ll marinate well. I’ll forgive you for yourindiscretion, Alexander.”
“Thank you, Mother.” He opens a door to our right. The smell of rotting flesh and mold slaps me in the face. He begins moving down a set of stairs with Luna still thrown over his shoulder.“Alexander!”I scream through my mind. He stops, turning toward me.“We can’t leave her down here.”He nods and continues moving, ignoring my words. Damp soil makes up the floor of the basement. Four freshly dug mounds of dirt are in the back corner. No doubt, they hold the bodies of previous victims.
He moves to the corner on the opposite side, setting Luna on the only dry ground in the basement.“She won’t have to be here long,”he speaks through my mind like it’s something we’ve done all along.
“One minute is too long.”Tears stream down Luna’s cheeks, and I fight the urge to free her.
Alexander moves to a shelf, pulling out an antique lantern and lighting it. He sets it next to Luna anddraws a line in the soil surrounding her.“Take her blindfold off,”he demands.
I follow directions and move in front of her. “Don’t react,” I whisper into her ear. She takes a deep breath and nods. Lifting the blindfold, I make sure she sees my face before anything else in the basement. I mouth the words in silence that I whispered seconds earlier. Her eyes close as tears drip from them. Slowly, I step away from my lycan friend, allowing her to see the horror of the space she’s in.
