A Hunger to Share ( Book One )

chapter 39

James    

James stumbled forward, almost falling on the hard concrete ground.

Jack cought his arm, and steadied him. "You Ok?"

"Yeah, I just hate this appearing, and disappearing shit. Makes me nauseous."

"I feel you bro."

Looking around, James realized the witch had sent them to some kind of dank, foul smelling, creepy basement. The walls were cracked, the paint peeling, and the ground covered with a tick layer of dust. It looked like no one had been here in a long time.

Steven hadn't told them much, just that the castle belonged to an Ancient vampire named Adrian, and they had to get Ada out of there at all costs, because these people were dangerous, and couldn't be trusted.

When James asked him why he wouldn't accompany them, he'd said Adrian, and him weren't on best terms. James had seen how much he wanted to come along, but had stayed behind to give his daughter a better chance at survival.

Steven had found a witch that had agreed to send them here, only because she owed him. She hadn't even came along. In her opinion they were nothing more than suicidal bastards.

It had taken her half an hour, a map of the world, a few drops of blood from a family member, Nora, and a personal item of Ada's, one of her T-shirts, to find the castle, and only because Adrian wanted them to find it.

In other words they were walking into a possible death trap. James didn't care. He had to find Ada. He couldn't let what had happened to Rose and Genevieve happen again.

Jack nudged James and motioned for him to follow Nora and Ben while he brought up the rear.

James focused his attention on the dark hallway and narrowed his eyes at the old, wooden doors, realizing they all had slits in the middle. They were cells. This was a prison.

As James walked further down the dark hallway, he couldn't help the shiver that snaked up his spine. He had been in a lot of dangerous and creepy places before, but there was something different about this castle. Something primitive that oozed power, that promised punishment if you crossed the line.

James approached one of the cells, fingers itching to hold his gun. But they'd come here with good intentions and barging into people's home with guns blazing wouldn't convey that massage.

He pushed his palm against one of the doors. It opened easily, creaking a bit.

"Don't bother. Ada's not down here. What kind of hosts do you think we are to put her in this out of date shithole?"

James looked up to see a brown haired woman leaning against the opposite wall, a scolding man standing beside her. He didn't look ancient enough to be Adrian, but they were probably here to escort them to him.

James looked inside anyway, and was surprised that it indeed was empty.

The woman snorted. "Hunters. Always paranoid."

"We want no trouble..." Nora started politely.

"Is that why you sneaked into our humble abode?" The woman smirked.

"The front door wasn't exactly open." Nora smiled sweetly.

The woman chuckled. "I like you. Nora, is it?"

"Yes, and I meant what I said. We're not here to cause any problems. We just want Ada back."

The woman made a face. "I have to warn you, she might not want to come back. She's not really...in a good place right now."

"Just let us see her..." Nora asked politely.

"All right. I'll take you to Adrian, and then bring her to you..."

"No you won't." The men standing next to her seethed, and fired a gun at the woma's chest.

She gasped, and moved aside, barely avoiding the bullet. The man fired again.

James wasn't sure who these people were or why their security system sucked, but if he managed to kill this woman, Adrian might think they had done it, and they chances of getting Ada back would be slim.

James was about to run towards him, but Jack yanked him back by his arm and Ben beat him to it, tackling the man to the ground.

They fell, a tangle of arms, and legs, making dust rise up around them. The gun fired again, and the bullet embeded itself in the ceiling instead of the woman's heart.

"You killed my friends. You all deserve to die..." The man was shouting as he tried to shove Ben off of himself.

They rolled away, kicking, and throwing punches. James saw Ben trying to shove his fingers in the man's chest. He was trying to do the same with his gun.

James glared at Jack and tried to yank his arm out of his tight grip but he just glared back and held onto him tighter.

"Let go of me. Can't you see he needs our help?"

The woman and Nora ran towards them. A muffled shot stopped them in their tracks momentarily. The dungeon plunged into an eerie silence.

Nora's agonized shout that broke it."No. No. No." She ripprd the man off Ben, and threw him across the hallway, then dropped to her knees by Ben's side.

He skidded to a stop at James's feet. James kicked the gun out of his hand and Jack shot him in the knee with his own.

The man screamed in pain, trying to stand up. James drew his gun, and shot him in the other knee which made him fell down again, and haul in pain, shouting curses at them.

Nora was holding Ben's limp body in her arms, crying silently into his hair. The bloody bullet layed beside him. A normal one to the heart wouldn't have killed him, it must have been silver.

James couldn't believe Ben had risked his life for Ada. He suddenly felt guilty for being judgmental towards him.

"I'm so sorry. This shouldn't have happened. I had no idea he was one of them. I owe you a blood debt..." The woman said in a low voice, putting a hand on Nora's shoulder.

Nora shrugged it off, and stood up after putting Ben's body gently on the ground. His eyes were closed, shirt soaked with blood. "I just want my sister back." Despite her tear stained face, her voice was firm.

"Follow me." The woman said sympathically.

"In a minute." Nora drew her long sword from her back, stalked towards them, and forced the whimpering man on his knees.

"Let me go you bitch..." He spat, and tried to get away from her.

Nora held onto his hair with one hand, and with the other plunged her sword in his heart. When he fell down on his face, she smiled.

"Now we can go." She drew her sword out of his limp body, sheathed it and gathered Ben's body up in her arms.

James was stunned by her practicality, and strength. By the look on Jack's face, so was he.

The woman turned on her heels, and Nora followed. If She was scared of Nora she didn't show it. Jack, and James brought up the rear.

"I can carry him if you want." Jack offered gently.

He had apologized to Nora, but they still didn't like each other.

"No."    

James didn't know how to feel about the current situation. The woman might seem nice, but it was no proof of her innocence. She could still kill them if she wanted.