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  “What’s going on, honey? It isn’t like you to call me when you are training.” My father’s voice was even; something told me he expected what I was about to say.

  “I need you to bring Wesley to the creek in the back of the property. Something awful has happened,” I replied, keeping my voice calm. If the person who did this was standing nearby, we didn’t need to tip them off.

  “Ok, honey. I will be back there in a second. I just have to get the boy,” he said, and we hung up.

  “He’s coming,” I mentioned, looking at the dead boy again.

  It was sad he was so young. Of all the time that I spent in the prison camp, I had never once seen someone die. Even when I was in the hospital surrounded by the smell of death, I did not let a single one of them pass from this world. Instead, I prolonged their life so that another could take it just a few days later. Miranda was ruthless, but she took care of her people. Not the prisoners so much, but even then, none died while I was there.

  My father was there in no time, Wesley panting at his heels. I had to fight the urge to laugh at the boy. I shouldn’t have even thought of doing such a thing due to the circumstances.

  “For an old man, you move fast,” Wesley shouted as he leaned against a tree, catching his breath.

  “For such a young man, I would think you able to keep up. Especially with some of that blood in your system. I suppose I will need to work with you on that.” My father didn’t sound pleased to acknowledge he was going to be a tutor.

  “I don’t even know what blood you are talking about,” Wesley huffed.

  I watched as Wesley’s eyes fell on the boy, and he winced. Something was happening. He pulled a small stenographer’s pad from his back pocket, and blindly, his hands began to move over the sheet with a piece of coal from the barbecue. How could I not have seen this before when we were together?

  “Can you tell the girl to move?” His voice was hollow, no feeling in the words.

  Minerva put the boy down and stepped away from the body, taking her place next to me and hooking her shaking hand in mine.

  We watched Wesley stare blankly at the area, his fingers moving in odd repetition until his focus cleared, and he handed the paper to my father. I guess he was still pissed at me after all.

  “Oh shit,” my father stated, tossing the pad at me and racing to the boy. “He’s been gone too long. He’s already where he is supposed to be. There is no bringing him back.” My father frowned as he touched the boy’s forehead.

  I looked down at the paper and wanted to burn it instantly. The drawing was intricately done. There was no denying the image on the paper showing our beloved Prophet with his hands around the throat of the young Blessed One. My heart skipped a beat as I realized he had been murdered.

  “How is this possible?” I asked, my hands burning. Minerva pulled away and went to stand next to Shawn for a good reason. If I burst into flames, it would charge her to do the same. With all the foliage in the area, that would not be a smart idea.

  “I’m done with the secrecy. I want all Wardens in my office in ten minutes. Lieutenants, I suggest you get back to the Fire field. I will make sure the others stay where they are supposed to. To hell with what Mona wants. This boy has killed one of us.” My father was pissed.

  “Rose and Helen won’t listen to me,” I said as he reached down and pulled the boy into his arms. I knew the moment he touched him; the gory details would unfold.

  “Tell them if they don’t, I will send them straight to Purgatory,” he seethed at me as he took off with the body.

  “Want me to tell them?” Wesley asked, taking the pad from me and putting it back in his pocket.

  “If you don’t mind.” Both of them had seemed enamored with the boy when they met him. There was a better chance they would listen to him instead of me.

  “Not a problem. I will meet you back at the house in just a few then.” He took off at a sprint toward the Water field.

  “We will head back and relieve Kelly. You just get Krista,” Shawn said, hugging me. “This will all be ok.”

  “I can’t believe this. Not even back a day.” I glanced back at the water. I couldn’t believe Nick had the power to kill such a young boy.

  “What’s this all about, Damien?” Helen asked as we were seated around the conference table in my father’s office.

  “We have a spy and murder on our hands,” my father stated, glaring at her. He looked at the wall for a second, then back at her. “You know, your tone is so much like your father’s, I have to fight the urge to smack you when you speak.”

  Helen looked at him, dumbstruck, surprised my father had an issue with her nasty attitude.

  “What does that have to do with us?” Rose asked, just as stubbornly.

  “Ok, both of you listen to me and listen good. I don’t know what shit Nick has been telling you about us. A month ago, I wouldn’t have cared in the least. Now it seems intel has made itself clear. What we thought was nothing more than a sick joke has turned out to be true.” My father glared back at them, his eyes burning. For a moment, I thought I saw the demon he was under all the human flesh and bone.

  “She thinks she -” Rose started to gripe about me, but my father shut her up with a snap.

  “This isn’t about Dawn anymore, Rose. This is about your pissy attitude. You know damn well; Dawn finds herself no more powerful than you. She honestly believes her power is equal to yours, that all Wardens’ powers are one and the same. Do you want to know something? She’s unlocked the power you have yet even to tap. So, unless you can clear Nick’s name for the murder of a Blessed One, I suggest you just shut the hell up,” he screamed at her, and Rose’s eyes shot toward me.

  “You mean, Nick is the spy? He murdered a Blessed One?” she stammered.

  It’s one thing to believe everything you are told. Quite another when you are informed of the true nature behind the lies. It was most likely a shock to Rose; nobody wanted to believe Nick had it in him.

  “That’s impossible. Nick doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He’s the one that brought us together,” Helen interjected, though her tone had changed.

  “Sometimes, the weakest person you know is the most sinister,” my father stated. “I’m tired of you girls not getting along. You are Wardens, damn it!” His fist came down hard on the table, and all four of us jumped.

  I heard Wesley laugh from the corner of the room. If it had been allowed, I would have set him on fire for the pure spectacle of it. This was not the time, or the place, for his ego to get the best of him. If he knew something, he needed to come out and say it before we jumped to our own conclusions.

  “What are we going to do?” Rose asked, twisting her hands together.

  “We are going to act as if nothing happened. Nick already has a court-martial this afternoon with the higher courts. If they lean in our favor, Nick will be stripped by the end of the day. No more harm will come to anyone, and we can allow the boy’s parents to mourn.” My father frowned. “I don’t want to do this, but I think it is in the best interest of the camp if we just complete one task at a time.”

  “Miranda has been talking about Nick for weeks,” Wesley said slowly. “Well, I suppose I’m assuming it is Nick. Dark prophecies are what she called it. Don’t worry, when all this started, he was clean. It didn’t happen until he went after the redhead.”

  “Are you trying to say this is my fault?” Rose turned her head toward him; her lips pressed together in a tight line. If she could have, I was convinced she would strike him dead right there. For once, our emotions were in sync.

  “Not in the least. It was going to happen one way or another. When you brought Krista back from Purgatory, finding you was a piece of cake.” Wesley didn’t sound empathetic for saying what he did. In fact, he brushed it off thoroughly. The boy I had known, would have flinched, and latched his mouth shut. Then again, eight months ago, he was being haunted in his own dreams. He had no fear of Rose, almost as much as he didn’t
fear me.

  “Piece of cake?” Rose didn’t appear happy with his response. She clenched her fists together tightly and glared at Wesley. I sat there in awe and watched as the Water Warden began to show her defenses.

  “Well, yes. The only way to track a Warden is to bring them together. Look, Nick knew what he was doing. If you had been the third and Krista the fourth, it would have happened with her.” Wesley’s eyes began to change rapidly as he glanced at me with a burning intensity.

  “What happened?” I asked him, trying to take the pressure off Rose. If he was going to stare at me while he spoke, I might as well be the one having the conversation.

  “He showed up at the camp bound and gagged. Miranda told him if he didn’t find a way to tear apart the Wardens, she was going to kill his family. The same tactic she used on me to get me to leave Midvale.” I had forgotten he was going to be full of information on the operation in New Mexico. Of all the people that had returned with us, he knew Miranda the best.

  “That’s why he sent me to get Rose,” I muttered, looking at Krista. “He couldn’t do it.”

  It all began to become clear. Nick was scared to find Rose. Maybe he hadn’t forced her to run; he could very well have been putting the idea in her head. He needed time, the longer it took to get Rose to the compound the more time he had to figure out a plan. As much as I hated to admit it, I would have done the same to save my family.

  “How did he get past Angie?” Helen asked as her face paled.

  “He’s avoided direct contact with her for months. All these sabbaticals he’s taken in search of new people kept him off the radar.” My father ran his fingers through his hair. She never suspected he was compromised.

  “He’s been telling me for weeks this Priestess was going to be the end of us.” Rose put her head on the table. “How could I be so stupid?”

  “Well, unless you are inherently stupid, I wouldn’t go that far. Let’s not forget I fell for the same song and dance.” Wesley was sitting at the end of the table now, his tennis shoes resting comfortably on the lip. I looked at my father, who was about to have a fit. “Now the reason for the murder? I cannot answer that. I did not kill a single being while Miranda held me. I had an opportunity as well as motivation, but I never once harmed a single person.”

  “We all assumed because he was the Prophet, he would know when things were going to go one direction or the other,” I said simply, motioning for him to get his feet off the table.

  “The Blessed One knew what was happening. He probably stumbled on Nick having a conversation with Miranda and threatened to oust him,” Wesley conveyed, looking at my father. I already knew he had the truth all figured out. He wasn’t going to tell us. Not now, at least. He knew he was valuable, and he was going to make sure we understood just how much we needed him.

  “Solid thinking.” My father smiled uncomfortably at Wesley. “I may grow to like you after all.”

  “Well, if you plan on being my father-in-law one day. That might be something good to have on my side,” Wesley said without hesitation.

  My father’s jaw started to grind, and all eyes were on me as I blushed a deep red and tried to hide my face from view. Leave it to Wesley to end a perfectly pleasant conversation on an awkward note.

  “All right, ladies, back to your posts. The court-martial starts in half an hour, and I need you guys out of here. The deal I made with the court was the four of you would not be involved.” My father ushered us out of the room and into the hallway.

  I stared at the closed door for a few minutes before heading toward the kitchen. I grabbed a jug of water and took off toward my practice field, intending to fix the thirst of my fire-vamps. I wasn’t going to be the next one let go because I didn’t keep my troops adequately hydrated.

  Chapter Eight

  Blood Water

  “Paul!” I yelled, running up behind Shawn and Minerva.

  The fire-vamp put down his weapon just as his partner went up for a swing. Paul’s reflexes were quick even through his thirst. He grabbed the weapon and looked at his partner with a disturbing glare. His face swung back toward me, and he looked confused, dropping the weapon and his partner on the ground.

  “Yes, Madam?” he answered as sweetly as possible. His expression changed from disgust to respect in a matter of mere seconds.

  “Come with me.” I held up the water jug. I knew he would have no idea why I would be offering him something he could not digest.

  He looked at me oddly before stepping away from the group and following me several feet away.

  “What can I do for you? You know that isn’t going to help me much,” he said, pointing at the jug.

  I eyed him humorously. He had no idea what I was about to do. I knew I would be overstepping my boundaries as the Fire Warden. This was something Rose should be able to do. I had no other option then, I had to sustain his strength before he broke into a frenzy and killed half his comrades in hunger.

  “Just hush and watch. If this works for you, it could work for the whole lot of you.” I put the jug down on the ground.

  Squatting, I put both hands on the jug and closed my eyes. It took several attempts to get the incantation correct. Paul gasped, and my eyes shot open.

  “How the hell did you do that?” He dropped to the ground next to me and grabbed the jug, spinning it in circles between his fingers.

  “Go ahead, take a sip,” I said as he eagerly ripped the top off. “You know I’m surprised Rose hasn’t done this for you guys.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, putting his lips to the top of the container.

  “Nothing. How does it taste?” I requested softly as he started to drink faster, his eyes decreasing in color.

  “Amazing. Is it real?” he asked, wiping his lips, putting the empty jug on the ground, and smiling satisfied.

  “I’m not quite sure of the sources. All I know is that if it helps you stay hydrated, maybe it will keep your thirst saturated as well.” I took the plastic bottle and carried it back toward the troops. I would throw it away when we got back to the house later.

  “Yes. Yes, I think it will. How did you do it?” he asked again. There was color in his cheeks and a new bounce to his step. While creating the blood water was easy, I had no idea how long it would hold him over. It could take twice as much to keep the vampire fed. However, I was pleased to have a solution.

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged. “It is something I picked up from my mother.”

  “That explains a lot,” Paul declared as we approached the rest of the group.

  Of all the creatures in my troops, Paul was one of the few fire-vamps. Most likely, the only one if I looked further into it. That would make him a rare breed, seeing as how fire can cause a vampire’s demise. To have it shoot from his own fingertips must make him an enemy even to himself.

  “Really?” I asked, returning from my moment of thought.

  “Prior to her having to go to New Mexico, your mother would bring us coolers full of blood bags.” Paul smiled at me and put out his hand. “Thank you, Fire girl.”

  “We will bring you more tonight, Paul. We don’t need anyone getting sick.” I gave his hand a pat.

  “Again, thank you.” He turned and ran off back toward his partner.

  “What was that all about?” Shawn asked quietly so the others could not hear.

  “The whole water to blood thing,” I said nonchalantly. “What do you say, big brother, you want to spar?”

  I hadn’t touched my sword in what felt like forever. Gripping the hilt of my old friend brought back memories of my time before Prudence. I still felt her inside of me, wishing to come out again. Her sense of style, the way she talked. She was everything I had wanted to be when I was a little girl. I found myself longing for her to be real.

  “Of course.” With no warning, he swung his sword, our blades clashing together as my reflexes took over.

  “How was training today?” My mother asked as I helped her
make dinner for the masses. We were going through food so quickly that Helen had to help take over the fields to keep the crops coming.

  “It was nice to be back on the meadow again. Not that I was out of practice or anything, but still,” I shrugged.

  “Hand me the lettuce, please.” My mother pointed at the box of lettuce heads on the table. “It’s good to know you felt better out there. I have been worried about you.”

  “It’s only been a day, Mom,” I laughed, placing the box next to her.

  “True, but I know what happened at Gran’s,” she said casually.

  “Good Lord, does Wesley know?”

  “Who knows what that boy thinks? Your father has him following everywhere he goes.” My mother sighed. “I’m not saying it was a good idea to jump so quickly with Aaron. However, I know how seductive Incubus blood is.”

  “Do we have to talk about this now?” I groaned. The last thing I wanted was to get into detail about my time with Aaron. It was bad enough she already knew what had happened. I didn’t need to relive every detail with my mother. It was awkward enough she knew in the first place.

  “You are an adult, Dawn. We should be able to discuss everything. Like your birthday tomorrow.” She snuck that in to make me cringe.

  “It’s Wesley’s birthday too, you know,” I said, grabbing a knife and assisting her in cutting the stalks out of the lettuce heads.

  “I am aware of that,” Mom sighed.

  “I don’t see the point in celebrating,” I grumbled as my knife slid through the lettuce.

  “You will only be nineteen once. No matter how you look at it.” She grabbed the large tub, set it down on the floor, and began tearing the lettuce before dropping it into the bin.

  “What about Wesley? He was supposed to have this long life ahead of him. Now he’s just frozen in time,” I mentioned, putting my knife in the sink and helping her. Tearing the lettuce was soothing, as it calmed the anger accumulating in my core.