The Allies of Old: Book Two Renewal: Chapter Two "Three Days to Wait"

Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul

If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn

Chapter Two

In the living room of Michael’s London house, Jenna sat with Harri and Anna, slowly recounting the details of her and Jess’s abduction. The firm grip of her aunt’s hand lent her strength, but when she came to the point where Terrina had slit her sister’s throat she choked on the words. After a moment she managed to continue, telling them how Paulo had taken Jess from the house immediately after.

“So you’re saying you didn’t see her die?” Harri squeezed her hand a bit harder.

Jenna shook her head, “But it’s not as if he would take her to a hospital and her throat was cut! The only thing he could’ve done was attempt to turn her into a vampire, but we all know that the odds of her becoming anything but a rabid animal are slim to none!” Her eyes began filling up again and Anna moved to the other side of her on the couch and took her free hand.

Harriet sat back with a thoughtful look then shook her head sadly. “I do know she is alive, but as for the rest I can’t say. Have you been concentrating on your inner voice, honey?”

Jenna nodded slowly. “I also feel….as if she’s still alive…but I think I’d rather she die than have to go through the agony Anna suffered only to become a monster!”

“We have to find her,” Anna stated, coming to her feet. Her eyes were swollen and her insides felt compressed. She was filled with the need to do something, anything.

The males of the house had left the room shortly after they’d ushered in Harriet, but they filed back in now.

Mathias spoke, his voice filled with resolve. “We’re going out to look for this Paulo. If Jess is alive, we’ll get her back.” He strode over to Jenna and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. “Okay?”

Jenna looked up at his earnest face and nodded weakly. She wanted to insist on going with them but she knew she would be more of a hindrance than a help. She watched the males leave, their combined looks of determination lending her a measure of peace. She settled onto the couch next to Anna to wait for word.

It was near dawn when the males returned. Mathias drew them into the large family room and Michael spoke first. “The body of Paulo is at the London City Morgue. He was drained of blood and his fangs were broken off, which is how we generally dispose of one of our own kind if we're not in a position to burn the body. We did a thorough search of the hospitals and Jess is nowhere to be found.” His lips thinned out, indicating his frustration.

“Does any of you know whether Tyros drank from her?” Mathias asked.

Anna stared at him for a startled moment and jumped up, berating herself inwardly for her absentmindedness. She grabbed her purse off the table and dug out the envelope Jess had given her and held it out to Jenna. “Jess gave this to me to give to Tyros before you guys left, I forgot all about it!”

Jenna took it gingerly, holding it as if it might contain something poisonous. She took a deep breath and ripped it open then scanned the letter’s contents and frowned. She handed it back to Anna who did the same.

“Well?” Mathias prompted.

“It doesn’t say anything specific. It’s basically an apology for her behavior as well as an expression of understanding for the way he reacted,” Jenna sighed.

Mathias crossed the room and put a hand on her shoulder. “Well I believe he did drink from her, and if I’m right then it would mean he could track her. Our theory is that he’s the one who killed Paulo and has her now.”

“And this is a good thing?” Jenna looked up at him searchingly.

His tongue slipped out of his mouth and depressed the titanium ring that decorated his lip as he thought of how to respond. “Look, you believe she’s alive, if you’re right then it’s very likely that Paulo gave her his blood and right now she’s going through transition. If Tyros does have her then he’ll do everything he can to bring her through it. Since he isn’t one of the fallen his blood might help. Not to mention the aid of her Faerian blood…we’ve been over and over what might have brought Anna through unscathed and decided the likely reasons were the combination of blood from an unturned male along with her Faerian blood. If that’s true then….I don’t know anything for sure, but there’s definitely hope.”

“Then why doesn’t he call?” Jenna demanded. “Does he have a phone?”

The males exchanged looks before Michael answered. “We tried to call him but it’s disconnected.”

“What does that mean? Why doesn’t he CALL!”

Mathias gripped her elbows and she tried to pull away but he held her firmly. “I don’t know why he hasn’t called. None of us knows anything about Tyros’s past or where to look for him. I can only say that he didn’t smell of human blood at anytime during the course of the years he fought with us, but I have the feeling that he was once involved in that screwed up world. However I don’t believe he would harm Jess, at least not in any crucial way. The worst I can imagine is the fucker deciding to keep her for himself.”

Jenna yanked from his grip and this time he let her. She crossed the room running her hands through her hair in exasperation. Anna watched Jenna’s movements, feeling the same frustration, but she couldn’t think of what else could be done.

Harriet went to her niece and put an arm around her shoulders. “She is alive honey, I may not remember the details of my dream but I do not get the sense she will die anytime soon.”

“So she’ll be like me,” Anna spoke up. She was suddenly filled with a sense of wonder and felt a little guilty for it. But she couldn’t help it, the idea that her friend would join her in immortality was almost exciting, would be exciting if only she knew for certain Jess was okay.

“It took me five days to transition,” she said, “so if he lets her call us than we only have three days to wait.”

Jenna gave her a long look. “Yeah, IF. IF he’s even the one that has her. IF she makes it through. And IF he does have her and she makes it and calls us, I am going to KILL him.” She clenched her fists at her sides, her face red with anger. How dare he let them worry? She raged. How dare he not bring her back here where she’d be safe and with the ones who love her? Motherfucker!

“I think we all need to get some sleep,” Harriet announced rubbing her niece’s shoulder. “If he should bring her back to us we’ll be of no use to her exhausted.”

Jenna looked at her aunt questioningly. “Do you think Tyros has her?”

Harriet took a deep breath. “I…don’t know.”

Jenna sighed heavily and started for the stairs, Harriet and Anna trailing behind.

**

Jared sat in a tree and observed the people in the small community which was a throwback from another time period.

Children worked and played underfoot of the women who spent the day skinning the animals the men brought home and washing laundry in large metal basins. There was singing and incessant chatter, bantering between couples, the overall atmosphere causing him to feel an acute longing for a far distant past. He had no choice but to admit the humans who lived here were indeed different than the general population he loathed so deeply.

But they were in no need of his protection, they had plenty of their own. As far as he could detect every adult male in the village was a shifter.

He never saw the wizened old woman from his dream. There were several elderly women, but not that particular one. He told himself his subconscious had conjured the image, but while he should have felt relief, a faint disappointment was there instead.

He spent the full seventy-two hours of his deep dim watching the simple people, taking breaks only to hunt or sleep, and when he could no longer stay in hiding he went back to his structure feeling hollowed out.

You have a destiny that will not be denied. The words of the old woman floated in his head, haunting him. He slammed his fist against the wall of his shelter causing it to shake precariously then blurred to the edge of the swirling foam. Staring out at the churning water he cursed the law that kept him from hyberstasis.

Fifty years suddenly seemed an eternity to wait.

Continue to Chapter Three

Generously created for me by @son-of-satire