Vengeance

Epilogue II: Isabella

Epilogue II

Five miles south of El Paso – Isabella.

I’d been there for twenty years—twenty years longer than I’d anticipated.  I was only supposed to relay the message and then go on my merry way. Little did I know, Maria’s second in command had been killed shortly after she had made the trek to Alaska, and her newborns were in serious need of structure. The moment I had stepped onto her lands, they had tried to kill me. Even with the words Maria had given to me, the phrase that was supposed to stay her legion of vampires, they still chased me all over Texas.

It was only after I took down one of the biggest vampires that they listened to what I was there for.  I didn’t want to care about what had happened to Maria’s coven, but I couldn’t help it. After everything she had done for me, getting things in order was the least I could do. So, I had decided to stick around and find someone to run things. Little did I know that person would be me.

I sighed as I glanced out the broken window, cringing at the way my skin glittered in the sunlight, and growled when I saw what I was looking for. My scouts had informed me that there were two strangers on the edge of our lands, asking to be let in. It was with great hesitation that I agreed, but I would not welcome them idly. In the past, I had learned the price for being too trusting of people.

This is why I was waiting three miles away from the house where we all dwelled. The strangers were being brought there for inspection, and when I knew it was safe, I would join them. A few minutes passed and I recognized the band of vampires I’d sent to gather the strangers. They were followed by two oddly dressed individuals. While my newborns traveled without hiding their luminescence, these creatures were covered from head to toe. They even had goggles on.

They all disappeared into the main house, and I knew there would be one of two outcomes. The newborns would either decide that they were a threat and destroy them, or they would send me the signal. I breathed out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through my hair, wondering which would be more beneficial. Being in the company of newborn vampires for the past twenty years had definitely taken its toll on me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand it. It would’ve been nice to see someone new, someone who wasn’t out of their mind with bloodlust.

A few minutes later, one of the newborns appeared in the backdoor of the main house and waved his arms.

The signal.

I left my place in the old, decrepit barn and headed towards the equally decaying house. Although it appeared to be just a rickety, rundown shack, there was so much more to it.  The mansion was the main command center, the central hive, of my six territories, and every southern vampire knew what dwelled within.  There was a massive hole in the basement, leading to a series of tunnels and caverns that were reserved for training new recruits. At any time, there were between thirty and fifty vampires within the four walls and under the surrounding earth.

Jack was waiting by the back door and crossed to meet me when I approached the house. He was one of my oldest, most trusted vampires and had been put in charge of the others. He had appeared on the outlands—the end of our territories—a year after I had come to Texas, and had meshed really well with the lifestyle. He had also made my transition to human blood more bearable. All in all, he’d become my best friend in the world.

“Isabella,” he sighed and my breath caught as his crimson irises glistened like his skin. “They say they know you.”

“Do they?” I quirked an eyebrow and chuckled darkly, remembering all the previous visitors who had claimed to know me. That’s probably what got them through the other checkpoints…my scouts know how much I enjoy destroying liars. “I guess we’ll see about that.”