Accepting Fate - (Slums to Riches, Book one)

Chapter 20

Though the woman had the same white hair as Angelique and Cook, she had the sharp incisors and red eyes of vampires. She also had the facial features of someone Angelique recently saw in a photograph.

"Move, Eve. I can't see passed your fat ass," Logan said.

"As charming as ever, I see, Logan," she said, gathering her dress around her legs, and then she sniffed the air. Her eyes darted to Michael and her fangs grew an inch longer. "He's bleeding."

"Which is why you need to get off this truck and we need to get to the other side of the mountain," Angelique said, staring straight out the back window at the entrance.

"Stop the truck. I can get you there faster, but I'll need Angelique's help."

Angelique nodded over her shoulder. "If she can help us get Mickey home sooner, let's hear her out. If she tries anything, I'll blast her to hell."

Logan stopped a meter away from the first turn. If she didn't like Eve's plan, they would need to back up or end up part of the wall. However, other visions played through her mind.

Angelique turned to face the windscreen. "Let's hear it."

"If you go straight through, you will get out quicker, without expending unnecessary energy on the turns. We melt the rock and create our own tunnel."

"So, what you're suggesting is melting rocks outside of the truck, where Luther can smell her?" Logan asked.

"Logan, I can use a protection spell. He won't even know I'm here, unless she already told him. Either way, he won't be able to touch me with the spell wrapped around me. If he tries to hurt any of my siblings, I'll bring the sun inside the cave."

"Do you remember how?" he asked.

"No, but I trust the mothers will protect us. They wouldn't have suggested the passages if they worried about a threat."

He still looked unconvinced, but nodded. Angelique jumped from the truck and immediately did the protection spell, wrapping the shimmer around her like a cloak.

"So, what do we do? Whatever it is, needs to be done fast. Thomas will be here any minute."

Eve closed her eyes for a few seconds and then nodded. "Thanks, honey." She grinned at Angelique. "The boys already saw him. He won't disturb us." She turned to the cave wall and said, "What we need to do is melt the rock to create a passage large enough for that... monstrosity." Her eyes held a glint of mischief when she looked back at the truck.

Logan just rolled his eyes.

According to Ben's story about the mothers, all the vampires lost the ability to use magic, and sought witches to steal their powers, so Angelique kept up her guard.

"How are you going to help me if the mothers stripped your powers?"

"Of course, Ben never told you. He never mentions me. I've heard him tell that story so many times and I'm always forgotten."

"How could you have heard Ben if the mothers banished you all to this mountain?"

"They were, not me. Like a simple-minded, love sick puppy, I followed Luther until I realized what we were doing to the world. I begged for forgiveness, but accepted my punishment. We deserved it as much as the shifters did. I tried to convince the others to see reason, to see that we deserved to be punished for disobeying the rules, but they wouldn't listen to me. The mothers acknowledged my efforts by allowing me to keep my powers on the condition that I help the innocent. Riley's parents sold him to Luther. When I found him..." She shook her head and cleared her throat. "The others would have given him a quick death, but I couldn't do it. I nurtured him back to health, and now he's my only feeder. From blood bags. I had to drink from him once to create our mental link, but it made me sick. I'm afraid he remembers that experience and now fancies himself in love with me. That boy is too stubborn to listen to reason."