All I Ever Needed

Chapter 27

"We found her hanging there." Reed pointed up towards the tree.

I raised my hand to block the sun and looked up. There was indeed a broken piece of rope hanging from a limp. The thought of what had happened made my stomach twist and a sense of dread. I took a step forward to look at the tree and paused, something began to drench my boots. Looking down I nearly fainted, "Chase!"

Chase was instantly at my side with a protective arm around my torso, What's wrong."

My hands were shaking as I covered my mouth my my hand. My other hand I used to point at the ground where a pool of blood was soaking into my boots. Chase followed my finger and growled, picking me up and acing me on his other side, "Reed, why is there a pool of voids here?"

Reed was instantly by our side with another vampire that had an eyebrow ring and an odd lip ring, and dressed like he was in the 1700's. Reed looked at the pool of blood and curiosity set his features, "I didn't notice that."

I cleared my throat and tried finding my blood, "If hung herself and broke her neck," I whimpered at the thought, "Why would there be a massive pool if blood under her?"

The vampire with spectacles bent down and stared at the pool of blood. Reed cleared his throat, "By touching things, Thomas can see what that object had been through. He can see it clearly in his head, he says it looks like a twenty-second slideshow in his mind." Reed boasted for the vampire knelt at his feet. Thomas placed a surgical glove on his hand and placed his index finger in the blood. He closed his eyes and titled his head back, towards the sun.

"Can he control it?" Chase asked, staring down at the vampire.

Reed nodded, "He's had practice. It's like he has an off and on switch in his brain." Reed shook his head and grinned, "He gets in a lot of trouble with the Clave for using his powers in unnecessary circumstances."

Thomas stood to his feet and looked directly at me, "A man covered in black with many tattoos on his face. He fought with her here, she used a power on him that caused this pool of blood. He is severely injured."

I suddenly felt nauseous and had to grab onto Chase's arm for support. I knew exactly who the man was: Ussicore. Chase's face looked like stone as he glared off into the distance, his jaw bones tightening and loosening. His eyes quickly shot to Thomas, "Who was the woman that was hanging here?"

Reed cleared his throat and stood in front of Thomas, he had an odd protectiveness over him that I noticed, "She was a wanderer. You may know her...Lola Vagabondo."

I gasped, my hands flying over my mouth. Chase wrapped his arms around me as I sobbed into his chest. Although she was working with Ussicore-against her will or not-she still helped me with many thing dealing with my parents.

Chase growled at Reed who took a step towards me with a hand outstretched. Reed instantly dropped his hand and took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest, "We thought you might have known what was happening in her life to cause this."

Chase shook his head as I wiped my remaining tears, my head still lying on his chest. All I felt like doing was crawling back into bed in Chase's warm arms.

Once I got myself together I looked up at Reed, "She didn't kill herself. That man that Thomas saw killed her. I don't know how-but I know it's true. He killed her."

Reed raised an eyebrow, "Do you know who this man is, Annora?"

Oh, so now he's mocking me.

I stepped away from Chase and crossed my own arms around my chest, raising an eyebrow, "Yes. He's the one that had me kept in a cell for the past month."

Reeds smirk and amusement disappeared from his face, "I am sorry. Do you happen to know his name so we can try and identify him?"

"His names Ussicore."

Reed nodded his head and turned his attention to Chase, "Sorry for the bother. You may leave if you'd like, I know this must be hard for Annora."

Chase nodded his head but said nothing. He looked in the direction of multiple vampires who were hovering over a body bag. He quickly put an arm around my waist and turned me around, walking me towards the car that Reed was already climbing into.

Chase gripped my hand and pulled me towards him, he grabbed my chin with his big hands, "I sense something bad is going to happen soon. As soon as we get home you are to go straight to our room and to not leave without Luke or I. Do you understand?"