The Hunted

Chapter 77

Multiple POVs

Thaddeus POV

I slammed down the phone receiver. I was livid. This was the final straw. I don't give a fuck if the council takes the whole damn throne away, I am sick of my sister's obscene obsession with harming Calista. When Axel told me of their suspicions, I knew he was right. I'd never realized Lisette's plaything was connected to the werewolves, let alone the long-lost sister to my flower.

"Maddox, get in here!" I roared as my second-in-command came charging into the room. "I need every available vampire looking for my sister. Spare no expense. We need to find her and that blonde plaything of hers immediately!"

His eyes widened, "Uh, sir, I may know where to start."

"Explain," I hissed as he trembled.

"T..the girl, she, uh, well," he stammered.

"Oh for fucks sake, spit it out, Maddox!" I roared.

"She told some of us they were headed to England. Said your sister had a project to finish there." He gulped, "What should I do?"

"See if she used the royal jet and reach out to your contacts in England now!" He scampered out of the room like his ass was on fire and I reached for the phone. It only rang once.

"What did you find?" Axel growled on the other end.

"No confirmation yet, but I have a lead in England," I told him. I heard voices in the background and Axel grunted.

"Nate and Brandon are on their way to you now. Let us know if any other leads show up. There are enough of us to divide and look everywhere. We have to find her, Thad," his voice cracked and I could hear the tears in his voice.

"We will, Axel, and I swear I'll kill my fucking sister this time with my own damn hands."

By the time Nate and Brandon reached my offices, we had a better idea of where they might be and we were airborne within the hour.

Brandon's POV

My ears were still ringing from the flashbang that caught us all unaware. We'd arrived at an airstrip just outside London and found the apartment complex quickly. In our haste to rescue them all, we were caught off guard when two of Thaddeus's own soldiers turned on us. They'd tranqed Nate first, then both Thaddeus and I were down. The lights in the room were scorching bright and I squinted, trying to clear my vision from whatever they'd dosed us with. Nate was slumped in a chair, bound in silver, while Thaddeus was also bound, but with some type of heavy, odd-smelling rope. I pulled at my own binds to find a mix of silver and hemlock holding me.

"Brandon?" I heard her voice call out to me and looked up to see Callie's terrified eyes searching my face. "No, no, no, not you too," she whimpered and nodded to Kota's slumped form. I saw an IV in his arm like the one North and Raven had in their arms last time. Fuck. My gaze shifted back to Nate and Thaddeus. I cringed when I realized Nate also had an IV in his arm, but not Thaddeus. There was nothing in my arm either. "Are..are the others here too?" she asked, drawing my focus back to her.

I shook my head, "We are the only three. Thaddeus had a lead and we came with him. His own men turned on us, apparently, they're loyal to Lisette." I felt a wave of nausea hit me and realized it was hers. "Callie, baby, just hang on. The others know where we are. They'll come soon."

She nodded through her tears and looked back down at the girls in the crib next to her. I could feel them, but it was heavily muted. I'm assuming the silver was part of it. I knew the hemlock was a natural elemental suppressant. Turning back, I tried to call out to Nate and Kota, but they didn't stir.

"Might want to save your energy, Brandon," Sang said icily as she walked in, her cold green eyes landing on me then Nate. "Thank you for bringing Nathan to me. I'm sure Ronan will find it comforting to have Finn with him."

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to stall until I could think of something.

She chuckled, then her eyes hardened as she saw my neck and their claim marks. "Well, isn't that interesting," she hummed. "I never realized they would consider an outsider as their equal. How quaint..." Her fingernails dug at my marks, "I'll take great pleasure in severing that bond, Brandon. By the time I'm done with them, Ronan and Finn will be my little lapdogs and you will just be a memory."

"What the fuck happened to you, Sang, or should I say Zilla?" I asked. "What could have possibly happened to make you so bitter?"

She growled, "You know nothing of my suffering, elemental. When our parents died, Zia had the world handed to her while I suffered. I hated her and still do." I saw Lisette come in out of the corner of my eye. She stopped and checked on both Nate and Kota, slapping their faces until they both woke.

"Who's Zia, pet?" Lisette asked Sang as she neared us. I saw her cast a worried glance at her brother.

Sang gave a frustrated sigh, but Callie spoke first. "I am, or at least I once was. Sang and I were once Zia and Zilla - twin sisters. But you're wrong, Sang. Our human parents died, but not our real parents."

"What are you talking about? Our parents died, Zia. Then you got everything I ever wanted, while I was ruined by a soldier and left to die. If Helen hadn't found me and taught me the ways of Hecate, I'd be dead. Just another pathetic human lost to the ages, but not now. Now, I'm strong. I'm a powerful witch with the ability to manipulate time. You may have forgotten your past lives, but I remember all of mine. I have savored each death you suffered, each child that was ripped from your body. I watched in glee as Avroclayth did my bidding and stripped your existence from life after life."

Lisette sputtered, "Wh..what are you talking about, Sang? I don't understand. You were human when I saved you from those mongrels...when I turned you."

Sang cackled, "I was human by choice, but I've always been a powerful witch. The teachings of Hecate have blessed me with many skills, Lisette. You passed them off as vampire gifts, but they have been there all along. Care to see one?" She flicked her wrist and Callie screamed out in pain as a gash appeared across her chest. Droplets of blood fell down her breasts and the girls began to cry.

Callie panted, "You're wrong. We weren't born human. We were turned, our true nature locked away. We are the daughters of Lilith and Samael, Zilla. We are not meant to hate one another. We are meant to be sisters, to guide and protect each other."

Sang's face contorted in rage and she let out a howling scream. Windows burst as Lisette cowered. "That makes it even worse, you pathetic fool. To know that I was cast away, scorned by gods no less. How dare they sit by and idly watch my suffering and do nothing!" She stalked closer to Callie, waved her hands wildly, and suddenly we were all sitting in a semicircle in front of Sang, her own personal audience. "But no matter, I'm going to get what I want this time. I took your child once in this lifetime, now I'm going to do it again," she sneered.  

Author's Notes:  another cliffhanger...