Secrets In The Bones: The Curse of Blood Bay

Thirty one

"Get up, you lazy sod. No time for sleeping,"

My heavy eyelids responded to a persistent voice. Not the first time, and certainly not the last. A bloody habit I didn't appreciate. Memories of what happened flooded back—my hand to the wound in my lower stomach. Vampire fingers gone; I was naked—a downside of a full shift. Sickness, black poison through my veins, and a blackout.

I checked my arm; vision was still blurry, but clear enough. No visible signs of the vamp's toxin. Pointy stones dug into my back, still where I'd landed. A pile of fresh clothes beside me. About to breathe a sigh of relief when panic struck. If Michael was here, where on earth was fake Ellena?

"Is everyone alright?" My throat ached. The inner pain started as I relived every punch, rip, and shred of flesh. Not a violent man by nature, but since Scotland, I have dished out more punches in a few days than in my entire life.

"Are you fucking crazy? You've just obliterated over forty vampires, stopped us from becoming the next danger delicacy, and then fell a hundred feet, being penetrated by the last bloodsucker. How was that, by the way? It looked like you accommodated well. When you're ready, get some bloody clothes on."

"Piss off, you sick fuck; how can you be so goddam cheery after what you saw?"

Michael, his usual 'sick-minded' self. I feared how he'd be after seeing me change into a full werewolf and then go on a blood-filled rampage. Euphoric in the heat of the moment, a feeling I didn't want to get used to.

"Matey, it was flipping awesome. Fleas aside, of course. But, if that's what happened when you got shot, it's amazing, and we need all the power we can get right now. Oh, FYI, my abilities felt ramped up when you were like that. I mean, it ramped far more than ever. Princess struggled with the heights which hindered our progress." I sat up, peering around, first the blood bath, scattered limbs, and then the cave entrance before seeking fake Ellena.

"Talk of the devil, where is she?" Keep her on a leash until we reach the bottom; finding 'little lamb' was our next priority. Even if it meant a lack of sleep. It was already 2 a.m. Sunrises around 6-6.30 a.m. Details that mattered because the later it got, the lighter it got, and the moon would slip away. Reducing our strength. If we were still on the go, McNally's clan was as well.

"I locked her in the car, played it cool for her safety. We need to find our girl fast. Suppose the whole blood thing is true. It could already be too late." Michael was right, but looking for a needle in a giant haystack would be like looking for a needle. Although the prominent places could be worked through enough, the quarry and other similar rat holes worried me the most.

Busy reminiscing about Ellena's smooth, pale skin, her warming smile, and the smell of coconut from her blonde locks, I nearly forgot. Truly horrifying.

"We need to be careful; I glimpsed what lies below her facade, and it bloody scares me—burns, disfigurement and then some. I couldn't even guess whether it was a man or a woman. Whatever this imposter is, they're wearing Ellena's face for a reason. Even to do that would take a lot of power."

I didn't know what I was discussing; it was the details. Ruth mentioned the nemeton and its natural power. If someone could call on that and had the know-how, anything may be possible.

Being the over-thinker, after recalling that, I connected some 'dots' until proven otherwise. Michael was busy digesting what I'd said as he fished a crumpled cigarette box from his pocket—the last one barely classes. I stared at Michael's tired face, looking through him more than anything; the only person capable, conniving enough, had to be Ruth.

The bitch had quietly manoeuvred her chess pieces to suit her narrative. Ruth needed access to the caves and the nemeton. I couldn't believe I was thinking it, but her goal wasn't some dream of bringing back a lost love. Ruth wanted the ability to look normal, to be whoever or whatever he-she had been before and anything she fancied. Perhaps her plan was far greater than I surmised as Michael hoisted me off the floor.