Ever After (38 page)

“Oh my God, that is so like mid evil or something!” I shook my head in disgust.

“Yes well I know, but it’s true. I either get out of here or die. This coven is so twisted the male vamps rule here, the women are just like slaves. I think sometimes I would rather be dead, than be trapped here with these creatures.” I was sick; I looked at this beautiful girl before me, trapped in this hellish coven.

“Corrine, I have something to tell you and I have been thinking weather I should or not. It’s totally gross and might make you feel worse.” She wrinkled up her nose.

Great I thought to myself, more bad news. I figured I was going to be the main course at dinner or something, since half bloods were apparently so tasty to other vampires.

“Ok well tell me, I am really getting use to bad news, it seems to be theme in my life.” I shrugged my shoulders in defeat.

“Ok, well after Leo berated me for telling you how much I hated it here, and how I got to be here. I heard him talking to Todd. They had left the room, but I heard them talking about you as they walked away. Leo it seems has taken a liking to you. He told Todd, Kyle, and some of the elders, he might choose you as his next mate. He has been without one for a decade now and he feels you are what he wants!” She looked at me wide eyed waiting for my response.

“Sick!” I gasped holding my hand to my neck. “I would never have anything to do with him! Hell he is old enough to be my like Great grandfather times five or something! This is just great; it doesn’t get much better than this.” I groaned closing my eyes.

“Well, now you see why we have to both get out of here and fast. Do you want to know how his last mate died?”

“Oh why not.” I shook my head. “I can only imagine.”

“He ripped her throat out for talking to another male coven member. I heard she only asked him if he had the time, nothing bad. Boom Leo grabbed her up drug her away and killed her. He never gave her a chance to explain, he is a total nut job.”

“Uh…ok no doubt, we do have to get out of here, and really fast!” The problem was I had no idea how to get out of here, or even where we were. I hoped Sayann had a good plan.

“Ok now look, we have to do this just right, we mess it up, and we are dead.” Sayann went on to tell me we had one shot at getting out of here alive. The Dark coven had called a meeting of the elders. It was during these meetings that we could possibly escape.

Chapter 23

Details

The dark vamps within a 100-mile radius would come and they all hated the Followers. They would have meetings and be totally engrossed for hours on end. I would be watched as usual, but with so many vamps in the house, it would be easier to sneak out. Sayann would drug the vampire on guard, probably Kyle. She would pack a bag with everything we would need to get me back to the Followers.

The only thing that was hard to protect me from was the cold. Sayann said we would bundle me up and we would move as fast as we could. She would try to call William as soon as she could get a signal. Huge trees and brush surrounded the stone house we were in now, cell phones were useless here. I was ready, I knew it might not work and I might die in the woods. A death like that was far better than becoming Leo’s “
mate
” it was a risk I was willing to take.

It all happened, just as Sayann said, the other Dark vamps in the area converged in the stone house, in groups. The hum of voices filled the air and seeped through the ancient paper-thin walls. I tried to block out the numerous conversations I heard. They all seemed to be curious about me.

I was the one Leo the head of all Dark vampires, had chosen. I heard them say I was still bate to get Doc and the Followers here. They still intended to kill every one of the Followers as soon as they sensed them in the area. I knew it was going to be a massacre, the Dark coven did not intend to let any Followers live. I could not allow this to happen, and I wouldn’t.

I ate Tylenol like candy, it barley dulled the pain but it was all I could have. I waited as I heard the icy rain now beating on the windows, it was wet and cold. I really doubted I would even make it one hour out there. Sayann swore she would get me back to the Followers.

I was to wait for her to come to get me. She was getting Kyle drugged, but in the mean time I had to behave normally around the other Dark vamps. It was critical she not let them see into her mind what she and I had planned. If they did, we were both going to be killed instantly for defying Leo.

Chapter
24

The
Escape

It happened so fast, it was nearing mid night, the height of the Dark ones meeting. I could hear music and chanting, it sounded like a demonic vampire frat party just outside my room. I curled up and figured Sayann was not able to drug Kyle away from outside my door. I just wanted to sleep and try to forget where I was and my impending fate.

The door to my room opened, it was dark so I couldn’t see. I heard Sayann's voice in a whisper, telling me to get up and put on the heavy down filled coat she had in her hand. I struggled to get up, but the adrenalin kicked in and I got to my feet. I followed her as she went to the window. She had the key to the barred gates of my prison. In an instant, she had them open and pulled up the window, bitterly cold wet air filled my lungs and I gasped.

“Here we go Corrine, be strong it’s really cold, but you can do this ok.” She squeezed my hand and encouraged me to go on. I was thankful the room I was in was on the first floor. Sayann helped me to the frozen wet ground just under the window. It was icy and I held onto her desperately trying not to slip.

If she had been human, I would have pulled her down. She was nearly the exact same size as me. The fact she was a full-blooded vamp made me hanging on her arm feel like nothing for her, as we moved along the narrow path into the massive thick woods. It felt like hours since we had broke out of my vampire prison. It had only been thirty minutes Sayann was quick to tell me.

I knew we had to get as far from the stone house as possible before the older vamps sensed we had escaped, or Kyle woke from his sudden nap. I lagged behind her as we darted through the woods, it was becoming too much. I could feel myself getting weaker and colder, my legs felt like lead weights. I started to slip and fall. Each time Sayann pulled me up begging me to go one, promising we only had a little further to go.

Finally she let us rest in a small thick ice covered thicket of opine tress. I was thankful they blocked the icy wind. I was numb all over. I couldn’t feel anything anymore and I was desperately tired. This plan wasn’t working out as well as we had hoped.

“Corrine we have to go another three miles, there is a main road there and my cell will pick up a signal.” She crouched down next to me as I sat on the pine needles, my legs pulled up to my chest shaking.

“I don’t know. I just want to rest for a little bit please.” I whispered. I had no energy left to use my voice. “Maybe you should go on ahead. I can hide here; you can come back for me and bring Doc and William.” I could see by her facial expression that she was not going to go for it.

“Corrine are you crazy? The Dark ones will be on our trail in no time, you have to go on we can’t stay here.” She rubbed my back trying to comfort me. “There is a river near here, we must cross it. If you can make it that far we can hide you. The dark ones rely on their strong sense of smell, the pungent river will mess them up. I have to get you across it, or they will find us both. I will carry you if I have to, please Corrine you must!” I took a deep breath and looked at her eyes pleading with me. She had risked so much; I owed it to her to try.

“Ok, I will try; I will go as far as I can.” That was all I could say.

Sayann helped me to my feet as I stumbled into her hard. It began again, we pushed through the woods. The branches were ice covered and whipped our faces and arms as we ran as fast as we could. Each step was hurting me, death was sounding pretty good right now. I tried to immerse my mind in the memories I had of William and I. I hoped it would make my death hurt less, and maybe I could forget what was happening.

Finally, we reached the river; we had to navigate the icy, muddy dangerous bank to find a safe area to cross. I did not protest as Sayann picked me up and we started to cross the freezing river. The rocks were slippery as Sayann stumbled trying to keep me dry. She of course, was oblivious to the icy water being a full-blooded vamp.

I felt her grasp at my waist as she tripped going up the other side of the muddy bank. The water stung as I fell into the edge of the river. Sayann quickly pulled me out, apologizing repeatedly. The damage was done as I felt like I could barley breath. My body was literally freezing and my heart slowing down.

“God Corrine we have to get you out of here. I'm so sorry I tripped, those damn rocks and mud got me!” We went on just far enough from the river, to where we thought the dark ones would not detect us if they got close. Sayann found a massive pine tree, with huge full limbs weighed down by a thick layer of ice. It created an almost cave like little nook.

“This will have to do; it will get the wind off of you at least.” She carried me next to the trunk of the tree and gently laid me down.

I curled up as my chest burned and my body felt like it was not even mine. I knew this was it, if anybody knew what being close to death felt like it had to be me. I hated to even recall all the times I got within minutes of dying. I laid my head down in the piles of pine needles in defeat. I had nothing left in me to go on.

“Go find them, please bring them back to me.” I whispered, and gave her Williams cell phone number. I could tell she did not want to leave me here. I was not a full blood but I could feel she knew when she did return with the Followers, I would probably be dead.

“Ok I will go the roads only over that hill. I know I can get a signal there, hang on Corrine please. I can get Doc and William here we can survive this ok, can you hear me?” She put a hand on my shoulder.

I only nodded and tried to muster up enough strength to speak.

“Go.” I whispered, and with that, she kissed my cheek and ran as fast as she could to the road.

I was alone now, and listened to the forest around me. I could still hear the river, flowing and crashing nearby. When we had arrived home for Thanksgiving, I had thought my world would be perfect. I was getting better, Will was getting better, life was supposed to be good now. I was now freezing, alone and dying.

I did not want to die alone, not here in these woods, not like this. If I had to go, I had hoped to have Will hold me. I was terrified. To my amazement, hot tears streamed down my ice-cold cheeks. If I could sleep and not wake, I figured that would be best. I had read about hikers and mountain climbers after getting lost or something fell asleep in the cold and just never woke up.

I accepted my fate now, no one was going to sweep in and save me, and I was alone and would stay that way. I tried to lose myself in memories I had of William. I hoped it would make me forget that I was dying cold and lonely. I tried to remember how happy we had been, and all the things we had wanted to do. He had been everything to me, it was hurting me to know I would never get to say goodbye.

Chapter
25

“William’s
Point of View
”

I waited as patiently as I could. Doc and the elders were taking forever tracking Leo, and the Dark vampires down. I knew we had to do this strategically or risk her life, and the Followers who came along to find Corinne. I paced the floors, watched the weather keep getting worse.

I hoped she did not try run away, in this weather. Doc was extremely concerned that she might, and with her loss of ability to keep her body temperature normal, it would be fatal. I knew Corrine was head strong, and if she got the chance to run, I knew she would. That was my greatest fear.

Doc finally after two days, came in to tell me that Taylor had located the Dark coven’s location. Doc had sent Taylor because he was a former navy seal, and highly trained in becoming invisible. Taylor had just returned with news that the coven was in the middle of some kind of meeting. The old stone house tucked back in the woods was full of Dark coven vampires.

Taylor had also over heard they were in an outrage, one of their own had escaped with Corrine, and they were nowhere to be found. I felt sick, at his news. I knew she would do it, I just knew it. I could not figure out who the dark vamp was with her. It made no sense; their kind never helped our kind, not ever. I felt my heart sink, my chest tighten. I could not help but think she was gone from me, forever.