Redemption (The Extinct Race Series Book 4) (2 page)

Chapter 2

Sickness and Savior

The next two years are even harder than the previous three. Ulrich works late into the night and sometimes doesn’t even come home. But Ada would much rather him stay out all night than come home with his anger. He has started to beat both her and Aldrich. If the stew is cold she gets hit. If the bread is too dry she gets hit. If his clothes are not soft she gets hit. If Aldrich leaves a toy out of place he gets hit. If Aldrich does not get an answer correct on his school work he gets hit.

Life is hard on them both and Ada cannot wait for the day her soul mate shows up and takes her away. It was amazing to her how much her prayers had shifted to wanting her soul mate in just two short years.

She has come to terms with leaving this life behind. As much as she loves Aldrich, she can no longer stay and take the beatings. She longs for a better life. She finished her schooling a few years ago and now spends her days cooking and cleaning. She has to walk Aldrich to his classes and then pick him up when it is over. She has turned into the wife of the house and does not like it one bit.

She no longer wants children of her own. She feels it will be better to just be her soul mate and herself with no children to tie them down. She definitely does not want a future like the life she leads now. Ulrich refuses to get her any new clothing or anything new for that matter. He treats her as a slave and she feels every ounce of that.

Aldrich’s birthday was coming up in the next couple weeks and everyone dreaded that day, even Aldrich. He never got a gift or a cake instead he got blamed for his mother’s death. It wasn’t really his fault but he carried the weight of it on his shoulders. On the day that should be special for him he always hides in the closet and avoids everyone and everything.

He had turned from a happy boy to sullen and withdrawn. He had no friends and the kids at school made fun of the clothing he wore. Seeing as neither of them ever got any new clothing or even cloth to make new clothing. Both were dressed in rags and the good clothing had patches from where Ada had tried her best to cover holes. Ada did her best to shield him from this but she couldn’t sit at school with him and get the cooking done at the same time.

Since their mother’s death on his birthday the sicknesses always hit the town hard. It seemed everyone in town was sick except them. It was not just a common cold or flu, this was worse and everyone seemed to have something different. Within a month everyone in the town was dead. They moved to another small town and that following year on Aldrich’s birthday the town died. They moved again and she noticed that the sicknesses no longer waited until that fateful day. They now overcame towns as soon as her family moved to them.

When Ada was twenty two they had moved seven times and seven towns had died. When they moved to this town she felt the Pull of her soul mate. He was near and now she was afraid. Aldrich was seven now and he had turned into a mean little boy. He was now the healthy kid surrounded by weak and sickly kids and he took advantage of the weaknesses of the human kids. He ridiculed them and hit them. He was taking after their father in bad way. This made Ulrich proud and Ada sick. She would scold him and tell him that is not the way to treat another. She had decided that when her mate came she would sneak Aldrich away with her. Try and change him back into the sweet boy that she knew he was. It was the only thing she could think to do to bring the sweet boy she once knew back to her.

One day about a month after they moved to this new town she snuck out and followed the Pull. It took her to a larger town nearby. Her soul mate was standing in the middle of town and looked like he was waiting for her to appear. He just stood there looking in the direction that she had come from.

“Hello.” Ada whispered

“Hello to you too, what took you so long?” he asked a smile playing at his lips.

“My father and brother, I am Ada by the way.”

“I am Leon. Why would your father stop you from finding me?” Leon asked confused that a father would keep her from searching for him.

“He doesn’t know I felt you. I haven’t told him you were near. I don’t think he will let me leave now.” Ada replies

“That is our way. Your father should know that. Take me to him and I will tell him we have found each other and I intend to take you home with me. I have been looking for you for two years. But with all the small towns dying, it is kind of hard to get information.” Leon says

“I can’t take you to him. You don’t understand what he is like.” Ada trembled

“I will just follow you then. Now that I have found you, I cannot leave you.” Leon explains

“I must get back. Meet me here tomorrow same time?” Ada asks hope filling her veins. Maybe she could keep her soul mate a secret and just meet him here daily. It could work and now that she actually found him the thought of leaving scares her to the core.

“I will be here.” Leon responds with a smirk.

Ada turns around with a wave and runs back home. She thought the whole run home about how she could do this. She was so lost in thought she did not notice that Leon had followed her. When she entered the house she was surprised to see her father sitting at the table. It was still early afternoon and she had yet to start their evening meal.

“Where have you been?” Ulrich seethed

“I went to the market.” Ada stammered realizing she had nothing in her hands. “They were all out of onions though.”

“What is wrong with the onions over there on the counter?”

“Oh I needed purple ones for tonight.” Ada tries to quickly cover up her lie.

“Where were you Ada?” Ulrich sneers once more.

“Papa I went to the market. I need to go get Aldrich. I will be back soon.” Ada says as she turns to go.

“He is old enough to walk home alone. Tell me Ada, why do I feel another Dragon here?” Ulrich demanded

At that moment Ada turned to the door and saw Leon standing there. Her eyes grew wide with fear. The fear of her father had drowned out the Pull of her mate so she didn’t even feel him standing there.

“Papa this is Leon, my soul mate.” Ada whispers to her father even though she is still staring wide eyed at her soul mate.

“You will not leave us now and he is not welcome here.” Ulrich hissed as he surges to his feet.

“Papa he is my mate you cannot separate us now, you know that.” Ada quaked knowing what she said was true but knew her father was not listening.

“Sir, please let me introduce myself. I am Leon.” Leon stated as he stood a little taller in the doorframe and stretched his hand out to her father.

“I don’t care who you are you cannot have her!” Ulrich seethed as he made his way towards Ada. He slammed his fist in her face. Leon gasped at what he just witnessed and went to move in front of her. Ulrich was faster though and pushed him out of the house slamming the door shut.

Ulrich locked the door and then stalked towards Ada once more. Ada saw him coming and ran to her room closing the door and locking it. She was trying to get out the window when Ulrich broke the door open and grabbed her feet. He pulled hard and slung her by her feet across the room.

Ada slammed into the wall then fell to the ground hard feeling a little dizzy. She got up and tried to run out of the room even though her head was on fire. Ulrich surged forward and snagged her by her long black hair. He flung her across the room again sending her flying towards the wall with the one window in the room. She slammed into the window breaking the glass. The glass shards cut into her face and neck.

Ada felt the burn and sting of the cuts but all she saw on the other side of the window was Leon’s worried face. With the window shattered she heard him yelling for her. Her voice would not work however and she wanted to yell at him to go, to leave her to die knowing that this was the end for her.

Ulrich stomped over to the bloody mess of her. He grabbed a jagged shard of broken glass and stabbed her with it in the stomach. He then threw her lifeless body out the window. Tossing out the remains of the only woman left who wanted to leave him. When he was done he went back out to the table and sat there in wait for his son to come home. Things had changed and he needed to let the boy know. They would also be packing up and moving now that the town would be dying in just a few days. He was only home early because he had infected the last one earlier than expected today.

Chapter 3

Sleeping Giants

The nightmare Kaiden had envisioned and spoke of earlier was now a real thing, just with a different person. In one conversation a woman who he thought of as family and trusted, had twisted that trust into an uncomfortable thing. The nightmare had just become a living thing.

Kaiden lay in bed worried about this new twist that fate has brought them. Leon had pulled the soul mate bond away from Ada and it latched on to Sarah all by itself, like it was meant to be there in the first place. Ada had moved out into the barracks and Kaiden had made sure to take some precautions before he went to bed. But the worry would not leave him. He had a gut feeling that something more needed to be done about the situation he just didn’t know what that was.

“Kaiden, why are you tossing so much? What is bothering you?” Zoe asked groggily

“I feel like there is something more we need to do and I just don’t know what that is. But what I said at dinner about how I would feel if Aldrich was living in this house. Well now I feel that way only it’s because of his sister and not him. It doesn’t feel right.” He explained

“Then you need to do something about that. You know what your ability is right?”

“No I haven’t really figured it out yet.” He responded and little confused at why she would ask that.

“Honey you are a natural leader with a strong intuition. Marsali told me that you are mostly never wrong, if you just listen to yourself.” Zoe told him and she sat up in bed and turned towards him. She was fully awake now.

“Well then I need to go wake Alexi and Gosha and speak with them about what I am thinking. Angel I don’t want you to think wrong of me but I do not feel safe with her here now. She knows exactly what we have and where the traps are. What if she manages to escape and she finds a way to him and tells him everything? I am thinking we need to banish her but first I need to know if we can erase her time here and possibly implant that Leon pulled the soul mate bond a while ago.” He mused aloud

“Well go wake them and I will be down shortly. I just need to brush my teeth and stuff.” Zoe said as she twisted in the bed throwing the sheets aside so she could get out of bed.

“You don’t think I am being too harsh?” he asked worried that she might think he was.

“Kaiden I trust you completely and honestly I agree with you. I was not wrong that there was an elephant in the room but I think that elephant grew into a wooly mammoth and we only made it worse.” She shrugged. “This might just be what we need and if your intuition is telling you that is what you need then I agree completely.”

“Alright I will see you in a few moments. Can you please call one of the girls to come listen for Lily? I do not want you to bring her if this works out the way I want it to.” He asked

“Actually I don’t want to disturb them. I will bring her with me to Vivi’s suite and if we have to leave from there to go to the barracks then I will leave her with Vivi.”

“Sounds good, I will see you in a few moments.” Kaiden kissed her on the cheek and then got up to go to Vivi’s suite.

When he arrived at the suite the door was open and he knocked gently before he walked in. Vivi and Christian were on one couch and his parents were on the other. They were deep in discussion.

“Kaiden thank god you are here! We were just talking about everything that happened tonight and well I just don’t feel comfortable with her down there.” Vivi said as soon as she noticed Kaiden walking in the room.

“That is actually why I am here. I don’t either and well to be blunt I want to banish her, tonight. But I need to ask a question first.” Kaiden explained

“Kaiden I think I love you more right now!” Christian smiled at him.

“What is the question?” Gosha asked

“Well is there a way for you guys to mess with the mind? Before you answer that let me explain why I am asking. Ada knows us. She has been watching us for weeks and knows our strengths and weaknesses. She knows what we have here and all the traps we placed. She also has access to the border. I can banish her no problem but she will still know everything. So I was thinking we could like erase her time here and make her think Leon pulled the bond a while ago or something. I just need us to be erased from her mind and her time here. In fact she saw the website so that needs to be gone too.” Kaiden grumbled realizing exactly how hard it was going to be if they could do this.

“I can do that.” Leon said from the doorway

“Leon!” The five of them said all at once a little nervous.

“I am sorry I didn’t mean to scare you. Actually I went up to your suite and Zoe told me I could find you here. I was actually thinking along the same lines you all are. I can’t sleep because I just feel like she is going to sneak in the window and kill me.” Leon admitted with a little worried smile.

“So you know how to do this mind thing?” Alexi asked

“Yes and I can teach you if you wish. I never taught Ada, it was something my parents also told me to keep quiet with. The mind and the soul mate tether were the only two things they taught me in secret. They didn’t really feel comfortable with Ada knowing them. They were great teachers and I miss them dearly. This is the first place I have truly felt safe at.”

“Look, I know it is my fault I no longer feel safe but it was something I had to do. Ada has always held on to the past. She has never gotten over leaving him and has always wanted to go back. When we found out it was indeed her brother doing all this killing she actually wanted to go to him and scold him or something. I never understood it and a part of me was always closed off to her, I felt like I had to build a safe in my head. That part is where I keep all my secrets from her.” Leon hung his head

“If you can and are willing to do this then I would like to get it done now.” Kaiden said

“I will need another willing Blood Dragon to help. One has to open the mind while the other finds the memories and then… well deletes them or changes them.” Leon explains

“Teach me! I want to be the one to do this.” Vivi said

“Would the rest of you like to learn too?” Leon asked. The Blood Dragons nodded and Leon began to teach them. He didn’t show them he just told them the how of it.

Zoe made it to the suite and knew right away that they would be leaving the suite. She put Lily in one of the empty cribs in the room with all the other toddlers. She then went and sat next to Kaiden while they waited for Vivi to change and Leon to finish his lesson. It was one in the morning by the time Leon was done teaching them. Kaiden and Leon led the way as Vivi and Zoe followed. Justine was on her watch and she noticed them leaving the house. She flew down to them and it took a minute for her to shift.

“Where are you guys going in such a rush?” Justine asked confused

“We are going to banish the mammoth and delete her memories.” Vivi replied with a smile on her face.

“Oh the elephant that grew into a mammoth? I understand completely. Can I come with you guys and watch since we don’t have to watch for her sneaking away now? I mean you are going to escort her out right?” Justine asked

“We will we are going to have to put her to sleep and then drag her to the border and do the mind wipe there. Banish her then push her through and she will get confused and go away from it.” Zoe answered “So yes you may come and that man of yours watching us up there from the roof can come too. We might need him.”

“Come on Baby!” Justine whistled and then followed the small group to the barracks.

When they arrived at the barracks Justine and Gabe grabbed robes that were hanging just inside the door. As soon as they walked in a little further they felt something wrong in the air. It was quiet but they could hear a quiet argument taking place inside one of the rooms. Just as they were about to walk in Alex came around the corner from the entrance to the barracks.

“I need to block you guys. Something is going on in there and you need to not be felt. Sorry I just felt a need to be out here.” Alex explains shyly

“Good thinking Alex. Here hold my hand and only block us ok? No one else.” Zoe says as Alex grabbed her hand and they walked farther into the hall. They followed the sound of the quiet arguing and found it got louder the closer they got to Levi’s room. Once they were outside the wall they could hear clearly what was going on inside and Ada was in his room.

“You are his son and you need to take me to him. He needs to know what they are planning and I need to tell him!” Ada whispered harshly

“Lady I don’t give a crap who he is and what I am to him. You have no idea what that man is capable of and what he will do to you once you do find him. Now let go of her and wake her back up!” Levi sneered

“Your little soul mate bitch here is going to die if you don’t get me to my brother! My father was always right! The soul mate bond makes you weak and a prisoner to that bond. Leon taking that from me was the best thing he could have done. He will pay for the pain it caused me when he took it though.” She bit out

“Just let Bronwyn go and I will tell you how to get there but I am not leaving. I will never be his slave again!” Levi said with a bit more confidence. He had noticed Vivi stick her head around the wall and knew they had a plan. “You have no idea how good it is here compared to how it is with him. You don’t know anything. Let her go NOW!” he yelled which made Ada jump and she let go of Bronwyn. The girl fell to the floor as Gabe rushed into the room and punched Ada in the side of the head knocking her out.

“Thank god! Please wake her up? Ada did something to her and she won’t wake up no matter what I do.” Levi pleaded with Vivi.

“I knew you had goodness in you Levi and right now I am proud of you. Any of the other ones would have led her out with no looking back.” Vivi beamed at him as she leaned down and then placed her hands on Bronwyn. She sought out why she wouldn’t wake and gasped when she did find it. She looked to Levi as tears welled in her eyes. “Levi honey, if I wake her up she won’t be Bronwyn again. Her brain is completely dead.”

“WHAT!” Levi and Leon yelled at the same time.

“Let me see!” Leon kneeled next to the young girl and placed his hand on her head. He found exactly what Ada had done. Ada had caused a bleed in the brain that caused her brain to swell so much it stopped. But it wasn’t a move that would kill her. The girl wouldn’t turn to ash until someone stopped her heart.

“You can’t fix it?” Levi sobbed

“I am sorry but we can’t. How long ago did she do this to Bronwyn?” Leon asked

“About an hour ago, she stormed in and grabbed her out of the bed and then started demanding that I take her to Aldrich.” He sobbed “I wasn’t going to take her I was trying to hold off until someone heard us and I don’t know!” he wailed.

“Do we let her live after this? I mean this is beyond cruel. She killed the girl without actually killing her. This is just wrong!” Vivi yelled and went to try and console her brother. She was not close with him but she was proud of him a moment ago and now he has lost his one and only mate. There were no more Blood half-bloods for a soul mate for him. The ones alive were all his sisters.

Kaiden and Zoe stood there in shock. They were unsure what to do. This was something they were not expecting to come across. This elephant had definitely turned into a wooly mammoth. And this mammoth had just taken a fragile man’s soul mate from him.