Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
Blake
Only one other cabin was occupied, and it was nearer the office, so if shit went bad, at least we only had a few people to deal with.
I hoped it didn’t come to that, and everything turned out better than I expected it to.
I got out of the truck and stood there a moment.
Marlon was on the other side of the truck with Elias, who looked a little better, but I knew he wasn’t completely healed yet.
“Help me carry them into the woods,” Marlon said.
He took the unknown vampire, leaving me to carry Josiah.
I hefted him over my shoulder and tried not to think about how easy it would be to end him in this state.
But then we’d never find out how he was involved in this shit, or what the witches really wanted.
“Everything okay?” Elias asked from where he walked next to me.
“Yeah, just having murderous thoughts,” I said.
“Love, you can do what you want with that one. We only need one of them to tell us what we need to know,” Marlon said as he crashed a path through the thick woods and ferns not even trying to be quiet or careful.
“I’ll wait,” I said. I didn’t really want to destroy Josiah; I just wanted to hurt him as badly as he’d hurt Marlon. What he did to me—well, it brought me Marlon.
“Let’s get this over with,” he said as he dropped the vampire to the ground without a care for how hard he landed. We checked the ropes we’d restrained them with and when Marlon thought it might not be enough, we tied both of them to a tree with extra rope from my truck.
“I like to be prepared,” I said.
“Good thing,” Marlon said, and the three of us stood back and looked at them.
They appeared so weak and fragile, but after what I’d seen Marlon do with just a little blood I knew we needed to be careful.
Once we were as certain as we could be that they wouldn’t be able to attack us, Elias stepped closer to the one we did not know and tore his wrist open, guiding just enough blood into the vampire’s mouth until he came awake the way Elias had.
“More, I need more,” he begged.
“You’ll get more when we get some information from you,” Marlon said and knelt closer to him while Elias sealed his wound and stepped back to my side. “What do the witches want and why were you with them?”
The vampire was young. If I had to guess I would say he was a few years younger than me, and barely old enough to be out of his teens. His eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back showing his fangs. “Why should I tell you anything?” he sneered and reminded me of Josiah.
Marlon leaned in close enough to be a threat but not so close the vampire would have a chance of harming him. “Do you know what it feels like when your flesh burns in the sun?”
The vampire’s eyes widened and his head snapped back. “I don’t know anything. They used something to stop us when we were crossing to Canada. They kept talking about how our blood would keep them strong and young, and if we let them have some, they’d give us even more power than we had.”
“How would that work?” I asked.
“They didn’t explain it. But they said if we gave them as much as they needed for their spell then they’d make sure we were stronger than any other vampire.” His eyes darted between us until he realized Josiah was next to him and still hadn’t awakened. “Josiah. Is he dead?”
“No, he needs blood,” Marlon said.
“Give him mine. Without Josiah I’m nothing,” he blubbered and struggled with the ropes. “Please help him.”
“What is your name?” Marlon asked.
“Mark. I’m Mark Smith. Please help him.”
“They’re mated,” Marlon said and looked at Elias who nodded.
“I will help your mate but know he owes me a debt and if he tries to harm my mate, I will end him,” Marlon said.
“We’ll do whatever you want, just please,” Mark begged.
Marlon started to open his wrist, but I stopped him. “He will not have more of your blood,” I said and tore open my wrist.
Same as the others he was slow to react but wanted more as soon as he came to. “Josiah, are you okay?” Mark asked.
“What happened, why are we here? You!” he shouted and struggled as soon as he realized who now held him.
“It seems you got yourself in trouble with some witches,” Marlon said. “Care to explain why they captured you?”
“I told you—” Mark’s words were cut off when Marlon slapped his face. “Hey!”
“I asked you a question.” Marlon leaned in close and glared at Josiah. “I could destroy you and your mate simply by leaving you here for the sun. Just like you left me to rot underground.”
His eyes widened before he looked at his mate. “I would never do that to you,” he said to Mark.
“Josiah, what have you done?” Mark asked, his face a mask of confusion and fear.
Marlon grabbed Josiah by the throat, and I knew he could destroy him if he chose.
“Tell him,” Marlon said.
“I never wanted you to know. I swear I would never hurt you.” Josiah’s eyes pleaded with his mate for understanding but Mark tried to move away from him despite being tied next to him.
“I was desperate to be more than I was as a human. When I met Marlon, I knew what he was but once I befriended him, I knew he’d never willingly change me. ”
“He tricked Marlon and drained him of his blood before throwing him into a grave. Then him and his buddy used that blood to become vampires,” I said. “He left him buried there for almost a century, starving and alone.”
“But you saved me,” Marlon said.
“Then you saved me when Josiah tore my throat out,” I said and met Mark’s eyes. “He may be your mate, but I only know him as a cruel, murderous animal.”
“Josiah?”
“Mark, I swear I would never hurt you,” Josiah pleaded.
“Tell us what we want to know about the witches,” Marlon said.
Josiah’s eyes narrowed and his lip twitched.
“One among us on the wagon train was a witch. She gave me a potion to drink so when you fed from me it would weaken you enough for me to take your blood. She said drinking your blood would not turn me and told me exactly what we’d need to do.
She also taught me a symbol that I drew on the back of your hand that would make you heal more slowly so you couldn’t escape the grave. ”
A deep growl filled the air, and I didn’t realize it was me until Marlon cupped my face in his hands. “Love, I promise you there will be time to make Josiah pay for all he’s done. But we need to destroy the witch, or she’ll keep using our kind.”
My focus was once again on Josiah. “Tell us how to destroy the witch.”