Annie Nicholas - Catch

My heart rate skyrocketed as adrenaline pumped into my veins. The muscles in my arms and legs tensed with anticipation. I heard a delicate sniff. A clumsy, crying burglar?

Sounded as if we were related.

As the thief stepped past the foot of the bed, I sprang. My shoulder connected to the back of their knees and we rolled head over heels. A high-pitched screech accompanied my attack and I wasn’t the one making it.

I twisted and sat on top of a petite body, fists ready. A warning bell clanged in my head and I hesitated enough to see the tear smudged face of Belatia.

She held her hands in front to ward off any blows.

“Bel?”

Peeking through her pale eyelashes, she glanced at me. A shudder shook her body as a sob racked her chest.

I got off her and she sat up.

Dirt stained tears streaked her cheeks. Her clear blue eyes shone like sapphires as she stared at me in earnest. “Connie, I’ve been trying to find you.” She wore a black t-shirt with a Guns and Roses emblem on the front. Not Bel’s usual, old fashion style. The left shoulder had a rip, the knees of her jeans bore mud stains, and her hands looked as if she’d been digging.

“What has Archios done to you?” I was going to kill him if it was the last thing I ever did.

His sweet, innocent wife broke into more tears and hugged me.

Patting her back, I tried to have patience. I tried to be sympathetic and comforting, but ended shaking her shoulders. “Bel, pull yourself together and talk to me.”

She retreated from my arms and spoke between sobs. “He’s done something terrible, Connie.”

No shit.

“R—Rurik and Tane, he’s got them. I woke in a strange place and heard a scream.”

I flinched.

“I went to go see where it came from and climbed the stairs. Luckard was there with my husband. At first, I thought we were prisoners, but then I saw Archios hurting Rurik.

My husband has lost his mind and is conspiring with the enemy.” She fell back into her tears.

“Where?”

She shook her head. “I was so scared. Luckard yelled at me and Archios yelled at him, so I ran and came to find you.” She took my hand. “I know I’m not smart and I get right and wrong confused sometimes. What they’re doing is wrong, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. Can you take me to where they are?”

She nodded. “It’s all Luckard’s fault, Connie. You have to explain to Tane so he doesn’t hurt Archios.” Her eyes pleaded for me to understand.

“I will.” The lie cost me a piece of my soul. Like Tane said, Luckard didn’t have the support or the brains to pull this off. Archios was the mastermind behind all of this. Bel would never understand; love was blind.

“I can lead you there, but we need to jump from the window.” She stood and crossed the room.

“Why can’t we use the door?” As soon as the question left my mouth, I knew the answer.

Bel rolled her eyes. “If someone recognizes me in my disguise I could get in trouble.

I’m sure someone is upset about Tane and Rurik missing.”

Yeah, silly me. “I can’t jump from this height and survive. I’ll meet you outside.” I got to my feet. “What direction are we going?”

“Over the mountain, through the jungle and into the city.”

My heart stopped. “Can’t we take a car instead?”

She stared at her shoes. “I don’t know how to get to the city by the roads. I always went this way.”

“Archios made you go through the jungle?”

“No.” She shook her head and glanced at me. “I’m not supposed to go to the city but…but sometimes I get lonely.”

I sighed with exasperation, not wanting to hear why Bel was confined to the mansion at the moment. “Fine, through the freaking jungle it is.” I spun around and exited the room. Walking at a brisk pace through the mansion, I called Colby. “I’ve got a lead.”

“How?”

“Archios’s wife.” I trotted down the stairs.

“Where are they being kept?”

“I don’t know yet. She’s a little simple and can’t give me directions. She’s going to lead me to them.”

“No, it sounds like a trap. Wait right there. Gwen will send some of her pack over.”

“She’s too frightened, Colby. They might make her bolt. I can’t take the chance.”

“How do you plan to rescue them all by yourself?” His voice rumbled with anger.

“I’m not. Once I get there, I’ll call again. It can’t be too far, Bel came by foot.”

Heavy breathing sounded through our connection then he whispered to someone on his end before returning to our conversation. “We’re scattered around the city at the moment, but when you call we’ll be ready.”

I hung up before he changed his mind. Not knowing if either of my vampires could hear me, I sent them a mental message. I’m coming.

My cell phone signal disappeared as we reached the summit of the small mountain behind Tane’s mansion. The vastness of my stupidity engulfed me. I stood in the middle of the jungle at night with a vampire. My only weapon, a flashlight Gwen handed me before she went with Colby.

If I screamed bloody murder in the middle on the jungle with no one to hear, did I really make a sound?

Bel stared at the blanket of stars overhead. “Do you think vampires can go to heaven?”

I swung my flashlight around to face her. “I don’t know.” Something flapped overhead and I ducked. “I can hardly see where we’re going. Don’t wander too far.”

She came to stand next to me as I stared down the path winding down the other side of the mountain. “I won’t, Connie. I’ll protect you from the Tree People if I have to.”

My heart stopped. “Tree People?” I faced her. “No one ever mentioned Tree People, Bel.” My grip on the flash light tightened.

“Archios told me about them. They live in these jungles and prey upon vampires. It’s why we’re not supposed to cross through here.”

I blinked, not sure how to respond. “You do it anyway?”

She shrugged and walked ahead of me. “They’ve never caught me. I can run real fast.”

“What do they look like?” I aimed my flashlight into the trees.

“I haven’t seen one. When I hear them coming, I run.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “You do realize I can’t run as fast as you?” I hoped Archios concocted this story of Tree People to keep Bel at home.

“I know, but they don’t eat humans.” After twenty minutes of hiking down the mountain, Bel dropped the pace. “Hold on,” she said, voice low, eyes wide. “I hear them talking." Standing still, she cocked her head as if listening. "Good Lord, it’s the Tree People.” She spun around to face me. “I just know it’s them. They’re coming to get me.”

I heard it too, except it sounded like the wind whistling through the branches.

Without another word, Bel took off into the jungle, running flat out away from me.

I ran after her, crashing through the underbrush, following her zigzag path around trees. She was fast and I barely kept her within the scope of my flashlight. “Bel! Wait for me.” There were no Tree People, there were no Tree People, I kept chanting this in my head, but my heart shouted, the Tree People are going to get me .

Something snagged my t-shirt’s collar from behind, yet I pulled loose. I never bothered to look over my shoulder. “Feet don’t fail me now.” I kicked it into a gear I didn’t know existed and flew through the brush at a ground eating pace.

“They’ve got me.” Bel shrieked. “Help. They’re going to eat me.”

I found Bel not far ahead, floundering against a tree trunk. What looked like thin vines wrapped around her torso. I squinted in the dark and reached out to her. “Grab my hand.”