Redemption of Fate (Fate Series Book 2) (16 page)

“This is no place for you to be right now,” Erikson said with a touch of irritation and something akin to awe as he materialized beside her.
 

Please let me in; I need to see her,
she said directly to William, ignoring Erikson.

Little one, you should not be here. Return to your room; I will come and find you later.
He ordered; his sadness evident despite his efforts to conceal it.

Grandpa, please; I can help,
she sent, but sensing his resolve on the matter, she did the only thing she could to convince him.

Concentrating on the vision she had received so many times over the last few nights, she pushed the images into his mind. In an instant, the door swung open.
 

“My lord, I tried to stop her,” Erikson stated apologetically, as William pulled his granddaughter into a warm embrace, not bothering to acknowledge the captain as Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck.

“You are truly the most remarkable little vampire,” William stated with wonder, a relieved smile on his face despite the tears still staining his cheeks.
 

“William, no. She, she…you can’t let her see this,” Rebecca sobbed from her knees, still clinging to Alexa’s lifeless hand.

“Come, my love; it’s all right,” William said taking his wife’s hand. “Let us give Chloe a moment alone with her mother,” he added, regarding everyone else in the room. Knowing better than to challenge him, they all lowered their heads in deference and moved towards the door. Elijah, Josephine, and Rebecca each paused, hugging Chloe briefly before they exited. Commander Claesson was the last to leave, patting Chloe’s shoulder uncomfortably as he walked through the door and pulled it closed behind him.

Chloe slowly walked to Alexa’s side, her eyes falling to the injury on her neck not completely covered by the sheet draping her body. She thought of her father as she pulled the white cloth back, hoping someday he could forgive himself for what he’d done.

Leaning down she placed a soft kiss on Alexa’s cheek. “I love you, Mommy,” she whispered as she pulled the sheet off, revealing a lovely pale pink gown. Placing one hand over Alexa’s neck and the other on her wounded wrist, Chloe closed her eyes. A slow smile spread across her face as she began to hum her favorite song, ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’.

CHAPTER 13 -
Giving In

Cami looked up at Jared, her eyes clouded with confusion.

“How did you know?” she asked a moment before the truth hit her like a blow to the stomach. “You’re a telepath.”

When he didn’t immediately respond, she took a step back. “That explains a lot. You’ve been digging around in my head all this time, that’s why you wouldn’t give up. No matter what I said or did, you just kept at it!” she stated, her voice growing louder, angrier with each word. “And I was stupid enough to think we had some ridiculous connection for you to be so persistent; when it was just you playing me, knowing what to do and say to break me down,” she said, the anger giving over to disappointment.

“No, Cami. I wasn’t playing you; we do have a connection. One that I can’t begin to explain and is stronger than anything I’ve ever imagined two people could have. Yes; at first, I listened because you intrigued me and I wanted to get closer to you, but then I could barely control it when I was around you. Something about you calls out to me, breaks down my shields, even when I don’t want it to,” he said, his voice almost pleading for her to believe him. He could feel her pulling away, trying to rebuild the wall which had only just fallen between them.
 

“Damn it, Cami! Just fucking stop and look at us; at what’s happening right now! I’m here fighting for you when my only sister is dead!” he yelled, his own anger starting to flare. “I should be with my family. I should be grieving, consoling them, but I can’t make myself take a single step away from you!” Jared stopped and took a deep breath. “For one time in your life, stop trying to control everything; stop fighting, stop hiding, stop being afraid of what’s between us. Please.”

He stepped towards her, grabbing her shoulders as she tried to move away. “Look at me,” he pleaded. When she kept her eyes glued to the floor, he leaned his head down into her field of vision. “Please, Cami. Just look at me.”

There was a pain in his voice, a longing she couldn’t refuse. Lifting her eyes, she knew the battle was lost the instant she saw the tears freely flowing down his handsome face.

“I love you, Cami. And you fucking love me. Maybe you think I’m weak, or I’m too young, but you feel this as much as I do. It doesn’t make sense; it’s not the path you saw for your life, but so what? Paths change, people change and you have changed me as much as I’ve changed you. So just stop. Be with me. I need you and I’m not ever going to give up. If it takes a hundred fucking years, a thousand, I don’t care. I will follow you around forever like a pathetic lost puppy if I have to. I don’t give a shit about my pride or my position if you’re not by my side.”

Cami stood there silently, perhaps just shocked by everything he’d said. She knew he was right; as hard as it was for her to admit, she loved this man. She loved a vampire nearly one-hundred-and- seventy-five years her junior. Somehow he’d managed to steal her heart despite her best efforts to keep it hidden.

Not giving her the chance to respond as he saw the shift in her eyes, Jared crushed his mouth to hers; greedily drinking in everything she reluctantly gave. And then something miraculous happened. She gave in, letting herself melt into his kiss, her body saying everything he needed to hear. Perhaps it was the fresh declaration of love, maybe it was the much-needed distraction from the inevitable grief; neither of them knew, but that kiss drowned out everything else in the world. For one blissful, soul-changing moment, nothing else mattered.

Reluctantly pulling away, Jared reached out and wiped a single tear from Cami’s cheek; placing a brief kiss in its place.
 

“Well, then,” she said breathlessly.

“Yeah,” Jared replied as he took her hand and led her down the hall. “Time to go and face reality,” he whispered sadly.

✧

Commander Claesson leaned against the wall, feeling awkward and intrusive standing amongst the grieving family. A glance at Captain Erikson revealed a similar level of discomfort, though his demeanor seemed more interested than anything.
 

The Commander couldn’t fault him for being curious, given the situation, but he still didn’t trust him or the other guards.

Seeing the sadness around him, he realized it had been a millennium since he’d last shed a tear, despite suffering immeasurable losses and enduring his fair share of heartache. The closest he’d come in all those year was the day his daughter, Ella, was born. His heart warmed as he thought of the little girl who had grabbed ahold of his pinkie, her tiny hand barely able to wrap around it, and turned his whole world upside down.
 

No; instead of tears, Alek Claesson clung to his need for vengeance. Witnessing the grief in the people he was charged with protecting, seeing Alexa, a girl younger than his Ella, laying lifeless on a cold table, he vowed to make the one responsible pay.
 

The sound of Jared and Cami’s approach pulled his focus giving him a much-needed reprieve. An expression of confusion covered his face, quickly followed by a wide smile as the pair came into view, holding hands.
 

Well, I’ll be damned.
He never imagined he’d see the day his most dedicated, and stubborn, soldier would finally let her hair down, so to speak.

His eyes wandered over to Cami’s parents and, even in their sadness, he saw the surprise on their faces as well.

“Where’s Alexa?” Jared asked solemnly.
 

“Inside,” William replied, grabbing Jared’s arm and stepping in front of him. “You need to wait out here, my son.”

“I want to see my sister. I already know what happened,” he responded flatly.

“Chloe is with her now; she needs time.”

“What?! Why the hell would you let her see Alexa like that? She’s just a little girl; she’ll never recover!” Jared yelled yanking away from his father’s grip and reaching for the door, still squeezing Cami’s fingers tightly in his other hand.
 

Before he made contact, the handle turned and the door slowly slid open.
 

“Hey, Uncle Jared!” Chloe said brightly, much to the surprise of everyone in the hallway, with the exception of William, who smiled proudly.

Jared released Cami’s hand and dropped to his knees in front of her. “Are you all right, squirt? I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t have left you.” He said pulling her close as he looked passed her to Alexa. The sight was nothing like the gruesome image he’d seen in Cami’s mind. If he hadn’t known better, he would have believed his sister was merely asleep.

“Son,” William said aloud before pushing the images Chloe had shared with him into Jared’s mind.

Jared saw Chloe standing next to her mother, the injuries he’d expected still covering her neck and wrist. Chloe laid her hands over them and, miraculously, the wounds began to heal, closing completely in a matter of seconds.

His eyes shot to Chloe, then his father, and finally came to rest on Alexa as he focused his senses. The slow, steady beat of her heart flowed to his ears and he watched in stunned amazement as her chest rose and fell with each intake of breath.

“How can this be?” he asked of no one in particular. Rebecca stepped up behind her son, still unaware of the miracle which had occurred.
 

“She’s only asleep now,” Chloe said softly drawing the confused stares of the remaining adults.
 

Without a word, Rebecca leapt over the two in the doorway, reaching her daughter’s side in an instant. Her hand shot to her mouth and she dropped to her knees as her eyes filled with tears of joy. She reached up and took Alexa’s hand, feeling the warmth returning as she looked at Chloe. “This is a miracle. Truly you are our savior.”

Chloe moved the short distance between them and put her arms around her grandmother. Though she kept the smile on her face, in her mind she prayed Rebecca’s words were true, knowing that if she wasn’t their savior, she was certain to lead them to their damnation.

✧

“Tell me, Kaleb; how is it The Elite managed to retrieve the body and disappear without a trace with our men waiting at every entrance? They were seen going in, yet somehow were able to slip out undetected,” Lucias stated from behind his desk, his voice eerily calm.

“Sire, my apologies; I have no excuse. I failed you,” Kaleb replied, his head bowed low.

“Failure is not acceptable, my son. Perhaps I allow you too much freedom,” Lucias said, his lips lifting into a smirk. “Yes; I think it may be time for you to fall in with the rest of my ranks. As it stands, I cannot be certain if they bested you, or if you merely decided not to follow my instructions implicitly.”

“Sire, your orders were carried out exactly as you commanded,” Kaleb began carefully. “If I am to be infected, there will be none left but you who can face the sun. It’s too great a risk for you to travel alone, yet there will always be a need for someone you can trust to move around in the daylight. Will you leave it to the humans?” Kaleb replied quickly, trying to keep the quiver of fear from his voice. To him, there was no greater punishment than his father’s virus and he was determined to take his own life before he would fall victim to such a fate.
 

“Yes, I suppose you are correct in that respect. However, there is still the issue of your failure. How do you propose we rectify the situation?” Lucias asked expectantly.

Kaleb was prepared for this; he’d thought long and hard as he drove back to his father’s facility.
 

“The girl’s mate has family amongst The Elite; perhaps he can explain how they could have managed such a feat.” he responded, hoping it was enough to distract his ruthless father.

“Indeed; I have questioned him about the location of the compound to no avail. It is protected by a spell and no one, outside of The Elite themselves, who has seen it, can return. Perhaps he knows more; I need simply to ask the right questions,” Lucias said his voice trailing off as if he was lost in thought. “Yes; retrieve Ethan. You will find him training with Mason downstairs.”

“Where would you have me take him, Sire?” Kaleb asked as his eyes fell on the sunlight streaking across the floor. Ethan wouldn’t be able to enter the office for some time.

“Take him to Molly’s quarters. I could use a snack,” he said standing.

“Of course.” Kaleb bowed and quickly exited.

✧

Entering the training area of his father’s headquarters, Kaleb paused briefly to observe human soldiers sparring in one of the rooms. Given the fact that the infected couldn’t go out in the sun for extended periods of time, Lucias had begun recruiting humans to carry out daytime missions.
 

Reaching his destination, Kaleb looked through the glass at what he had to admit was an impressive sight. Ten infected vampires surrounded Ethan, sporting a variety of close-combat weapons; short swords, daggers, nunchuks, etc. Strewn out on the mat beyond the circle were the seven vampires already bested by Ethan, each crawling away as their bodies attempted to heal.
 

Remaining perfectly still in the center of the circle, Ethan closed his eyes and awaited the next attack. The vampires still standing looked hesitantly as Mason, one of Lucias’s generals, ordered them to engage. In a blur of motion, three men lunged towards Ethan, who didn’t so much as flinch until the instant he caught one of them by the throat. Breaking the assailant’s wrist and catching the short sword as it fell from his hand, Ethan spun in a circle; a loud pop resounding from the dislocated shoulder as Ethan swung the vampire’s body, sending it careening into one of the others.
 

Bringing the short sword down across the thigh of the next man, Ethan leapt over him, coming down behind his back before he slammed the hilt of the weapon into the base of his skull with a crack, knocking him out cold. After flinging his partner’s weight off, the remaining vampire approached Ethan tentatively.