Chronicles of the Uprising (Trilogy 1): Trilogy 1 (20 page)

“I belong to no one’s world,” Mira replied. “But I do seek the council of those like me. Will you take me, or will I have to find this sanctuary myself?”

“Well said, vampire.” And for the first time, the wolfman gave her a true smile, one not filled with cocky arrogance or self-importance. The light of his grin reached all the way up to his amber eyes. “Yes. I’ll show you the way.”

“Go then. But do not be too long.” Lucian’s face did not betray any emotion, but Mira could hear the worry in his voice.

Curtis held tight to his wife. They said nothing, but the fear in their eyes was apparent. Lucian might be able to survive on his own out here in the badlands, but these two? Their skills were not useful for survival. They needed refuge just as much as Mira.

She’d not leave them stranded, not after all they had risked; she had to at least try to make a case for them to join her in sanctuary. “I’ll be back soon. I promise you.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Lucian’s mossy green eyes glistened with emotion. Mira understood. At first, it had been Lucian looking to gain her trust; now it was her turn to earn the same from him. And she would not let him down.

“Lead on,” she said to her guide. “Let’s be quick about it.”

Chapter 4

Mira followed the wolfman in silence for many miles before they stopped for a break. The sun was beginning to rise and the deep blue sky was beginning to turn gray. Pale as it was, the light creeping up over the horizon began to burn her eyes. She wouldn’t last long, and it appeared the wolfman had noticed. He scrambled up to the top of some large boulders and indicated for her to follow as well.

“We’ll settle in these caves so you can wait out the day,” the wolfman shouted down to her from his perch on the jagged rocks.

Finding her footing was proving to be more difficult than she’d thought; her broken sandals were not meant to be worn for long-distance journeys. She tossed them aside, deciding to go barefoot if they were going to continue rock climbing. “Thanks… er… what do I call you?”

He lowered a hand to help her up the last few feet. “Stryker Wyatt of the Long Fang pack.”

She took the offered hand and even allowed him to pull her up to her feet. Whether her exhaustion was from the trip, scaling the side of a mountain, or some combination of them all, Mira was feeling dead on her feet. She welcomed the opportunity to rest for a little bit. “That’s quite a mouthful, Stryker Wyatt Long Fang.”

“Stryker is fine. And you?”

“Just call me Mira.”

“What, no last name?” His face contorted in confusion. “No clan designation?”

Mira shrugged. What was in a last name anyway? “I’ve spent the better part of the last thirty years being called ‘slave.’ Mira is all I can remember of who I used to be before I was taken by the humans.”

Stryker hefted a few rocks, tossing them away from a small cave opening just big enough for a few people to take shelter in. “And how is it you came to be taken by them?”

“My sire and the rest of my group were ambushed while trying to find Sanctuary.” Over thirty years had passed, and still the memory of that night stung as fresh as a new wound. Theo had promised her forever when he turned her, and the humans had stolen their happily ever after. If he hadn’t been so noble, trying to save her and the rest of their group, he might have made it.

A tear streamed down Mira’s cheek. She turned away hoping Stryker had not seen her momentary weakness.

If he had, she couldn’t tell. His tone remained just as matter of fact as before. “Many try, and fail, to reach our lands. Not just vampires. You’re lucky to be seeing them now.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” she whispered under her breath. Something about that last phrase caught her off guard. What exactly did he mean, ‘not just vampires’? Werewolves she now knew were still in existence, but was there more? He’d used the word ‘Otherkin’ earlier on as well. 

“And these humans.” Stryker’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Why do you cling so closely to them? What does it matter if they survive?” He pushed one final boulder near the mouth of the small cave, using it as a doorway and then indicated to Mira to enter.

“They are my…” Again she found it difficult to complete that sentence. “They helped me against all odds to escape. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

“So now that they have served their purpose, they can die in peace.”

She had every right to be cold and unfeeling towards humans, after all she’d gone through, but Mira hadn’t expected such cold indifference from a wolf. “How can you say such things?”

“Mira, you know what they’re capable of. There are horror stories of what happens to our kind when the humans get a hold of us. You have lived it. Sure, there might be one or two good ones out there, but humanity as a whole is evil. They cannot be trusted. They’ll turn on you as they have in the past.”

“I refuse to believe that. Not all humans are bad.”

“It’s that kind of thinking that started this whole mess. When the vampires first showed themselves to the humans, they thought they could be trusted. Why do you think the wolves and the rest of the Otherkin never made that mistake? We learned from what happened to you.”

Otherkin. There was that word again, but what or whom did it really refer to? She guessed the answers would come from Sanctuary. “You also never stepped up to help us, either. Countless vampire lives could have been saved if we’d had some kind of help from the rest of our kind.”

“And risk exposure and persecution for all of us? No. There would be no Sanctuary today if we’d done that.”

 “Is this the kind of single-minded thinking I’m going to run into when we reach Sanctuary?”

“This is the only way it can be, Mira.” The finality on his tone said it better than the words had.

Exasperated, Mira blew out a long breath. “Why am I bothering, then?”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“It’s no wonder we can’t live in peace. No one is willing to try.”

“After all that has been done to you, how can you want peace?”

“Because I’m done killing. I am sick and tired of it. In the human world I’m a slave, told to kill whomever they want me to kill. I’m good at it, sure, but I hate it. You know the worst part? I had never killed a man before I was taken by the humans. I lived in peace as a vampire with my sire, taking only what I needed and leaving my donors happy and healthy.”

“You can have that again inside of the sanctuary. We have donation clinics for our vampire brethren. You don’t have to worry about killing anymore.”

“And that sounds like heaven, but I have the small matter of my frien… my companions to worry about.” She’d almost let the word slip out but caught herself.

“We’re talking in circles. Let’s drop the issue. You can plead your case to the council, but they will not allow it. And once you see how we live, you won’t want to go back to your old way of life.”

“Speaking of your way of life, tell me… What am I to expect there?”

“That is for you to find out.”

“Now you’re being elusive.”

“I just don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Must be a real utopia, then.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but compared to what you must have come from, I’d say paradise.”

“And you, what do you think of it?”

“It is home.”

“Then why are you so far away from home?”

“Fishing for more information, are we?”

“Just curious.”

“Wolves are happiest in the open. We are best suited for patrols and sentry duty. My pack is on patrol this week. We go out for miles, running the trails, looking for any sign of human encroachment.”

“And what do you do when they do encroach?”

“That’s best left unsaid right now.”

Mira didn’t like the sound of that and suddenly worried about her companions. She’d sent them out alone on Stryker’s direction.

“I need to know. We left my companions out there.”

“They’ll be fine. The caves they were heading for were off our patrol route.”

He’d better be telling the truth. If so much as a single hair was out of place on Lucian’s head when she returned, there would be hell to pay. As much as she hated killing, she’d make an exception if necessary.

Stryker must have picked up on her dark thoughts. He patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Relax. They’ll be fine while we are in Sanctuary. I’m heading out to run with my pack. I’ll make sure they know about our… guests.”

That actually did make her feel better. “Thank you.”

“Rest. When the sun sets, we’ll have a bit of a climb ahead of us.”

Reluctantly, Mira settled her herself against a rock. The down side to being a vampire was the pesky aversion to light. Instead of making good time and heading toward their destination, she was stuck inside, hiding in this dark dusty cave – still better accommodation than her former cell.

Stryker stood and stretched. “I’ll be back to get you at sunset.” He walked outside and pushed the large boulder in front of the mouth of the cave.

Mira waved behind her without looking. “See you then.” The day promised to be a long one, alone with her thoughts. 

Chapter 5

She hadn’t expected to actually fall asleep, as on edge as she had been, but sheer exhaustion took over. Mira was so startled by Stryker’s return she nearly took his head off with a wild swing of her arm.

“Easy there, warrior.” He caught her by the wrist with surprising strength.

“What happened?” Head fuzzy with sleep, Mira tried to blink it away, but her body fought to cling to that peaceful resting state.  

“I’m here to take you the rest of the way home, remember?”

“Home? What?” So foreign, that word: home. Why had he used it? Sanctuary. That was how she knew it. Home was… a dank, dark prison cell. No, that wasn’t home either. Not anymore.

“Are you okay, Mira?” He dropped a small rucksack on the ground and squatted down in front of her, meeting her eyes with concern.

“So… tired. Just give me a moment or two.” She must have needed that bit of sleep more than she realized. Never before had she had such trouble waking. Back in the prison, she’d been routinely jarred into consciousness and had snapped straight to attention. Why now was she fighting the fog to gain her foothold in reality?

“When was the last time you fed?”

“It’s been a bit.” Mira couldn’t actually remember when she’d fed last. Had she fed since saving Curtis’s life? That had to be it.

“C’mon. You can take some from me if you need. We’ve got a little bit of a climb tonight to get the rest of the way there.”

Stryker unsnapped a leather bracer around his wrist. It was covered with strange, beautiful swirling symbols. It was then that she noticed he was wearing clothes. When he’d left earlier that morning, he’d still been stark naked. A sight she could certainly get used to seeing – but it wasn’t practical for their trek. Now, however, he looked as if he were ready for a rough hike, though she found herself missing the eye candy. She made a mental note to ask him about the bracer later. He held out his bare wrist to her as if he’d done it many times before. Mira wondered if he was one of the donors he’d mentioned they had in Sanctuary. “Take only what you need, please. We both need our strength.”

Not about to pass up an offer like that, she immediately seized his arm and bit down like a viper into the soft flesh of his wrist.

Stryker didn’t flinch or utter a single sound as she drank.

He was strong. His blood tasted like pure energy and heat. Unlike anything else she’d tasted before. Even feeding from her own kind on a win did not produce the same surge of power that the wolf’s blood had given her. After only a few gulps Mira was sated and ready to go. She pulled away and wiped her mouth.

“That was… amazing.”

“Never had a wolf, have you?” Stryker flashed her a cocky smile. Mira noticed that even as a human, his teeth were sharp. Not enough to raise suspicion, but certainly noticeable to her. 

“Honestly, I’d heard your kind all died out.”

“And that’s what we want the human folk to think, too.”

“I’m not saying I agree with you, but I do see your reason.”

“We’re not going to get back into that conversation again.” Stryker clamped the bracer back onto his wrist, then dug out a pair of shoes from his rucksack. “Wear these.” He tossed them at her. “You’ll need them for the climb.”

Much better than her broken sandals, these shoes were lightweight and had a soft flexible sole with a good bit of grip on the bottom.

“Thank you,” she said earnestly.

“Hurry up and get ready.”

Mira quickly tossed the shoes on, dusted herself off, and took a few quick steps toward the entrance to the cave, testing the traction on the new footwear. “I’m ready. It’s not like I have anything to pack. Let’s go.”

With Stryker leading the way, the next couple of hours were spent hiking and scrambling up through the rocky terrain to another cave.

“In here,” Stryker called, and set down his rucksack.

Mira followed close, not expecting to run face to face with another person the moment she entered the mouth of the cave. “Shit, sorry.” She stumbled, catching herself before falling to the ground.

“State your name, kind, and purpose here,” the man, a very short one, barked at her.

A guard, Mira assumed, but not armed; at least, not in the conventional sense. She stole a quick glance at his teeth as he talked. They were not sharp at all. Not a vampire or a wolf. What kind was he? she wondered. Human, maybe? No. Not here. He was short, even by human standards. If she didn’t know better, she’d call him a dwarf. But those didn’t exist outside of stories...  or did they? He wore a funny little feathered hat and cloak. An odd uniform, Mira thought, for a sentry.

“Name and purpose,” the funny little man ordered again.

Whatever he was, he was an ass. “Mira, vampire, sanctuary.” If he wanted to be rude, she’d play that game too. She gave him no more than exactly what he asked for.

His yellow-green eyes narrowed on her, scrutinizing every inch of her person.

“She checks out, Remy. Just let her pass.” Stryker grasped Mira by the arm and nodded his head for her to follow.

Unwelcome touching brought up feelings of rage. Mira had only just left man-handlers like this, and she was not about to let anyone else get away with it.

The guard known as Remy reached out and grasped Mira’s other arm, pulling her back. “Not so fast.”

She sized up the little man grasping her right arm, noting all of his weak points, and tensed, ready to strike.

“Both of you better take your hands off of me before I rip your arms from their sockets.” Sanctuary or not, Mira was not about to be manhandled by these strangers. And, fueled by the fresh blood she’d ingested, she was ready for a fight.

“Mira, relax.” Stryker spoke softly, releasing her arm. “I’m the one helping you here.”

Mira snarled at Remy who still held tightly to her arm. “That was your last warning.” She swung her arm in a wide arc, hooking the guard’s arm as she came full circle, and pulled it behind his back. “You going to let me in? Or am I going to have to re arrange your body parts?”

“Okay, okay. Just doing my job.” Remy’s attempt to sound angry was thwarted by the crack in his voice. Mira had been on the receiving end of that same tone on many occasions. No man liked being beaten by a girl. Still, he tried to play tough to save face. “I have to call your info in before I can let you pass. Let me go.” 

“You could have just said that instead of trying to take the macho route.” Mira released his arm and took a step back. “What kind are you, anyway? You’re obviously not a vampire… too slow. And you’re not a wolf like Stryker here.”

“It’s rude to ask such a question.” Remy’s tone had become spiteful.

“You’re going to school me on what is rude?” Mira had to suppress her laughter.

“I’m Otherkin. That’s all you need know.” The way he spoke sounded as if she’d insulted more than just his pride.

So touchy for one who was standing guard. Mira wondered how someone with such a weak nature could be in charge of watching the front gates.

“Well… Otherkin or whatever, for a guard you’re pretty weak,” Mira replied with equal snark.

Remy turned to Stryker. “I have to call this in. You will wait with her here.” Talking to one of his own, Remy’s voice regained its authoritative tone.

Stryker looked as if he wanted to slap the smirk off of Remy’s face, but held back. “Do what you have to.”

Remy pulled an electronic device from his pocket. Long and rectangular, completely made up of screen, like a flat version of the com-link bracers the Elites back in New Haven wore. It shouldn’t, but seeing others with such technology seemed odd. She’d assumed Sanctuary wouldn’t be as technologically advanced. Remy began to tap the screen, humming a soft melody as he worked.

She couldn’t quite place it, but the tune was familiar to her: soft, like a lullaby. The comforting notes helped to ease Mira’s tension. Her shoulders relaxed. Annoyance melted away and she sighed, releasing all the pressure she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in.

Remy continued to hum while tapping away at the device in his hand, but Mira no longer felt rushed to get past him. She leaned against the cave wall, enjoying the cool stone against her skin.

Something about that melody. It sounded familiar, yet she couldn’t recall the song. Something about being outside, yes. It was a song about the beauty of the night. A sudden urge hit her – the cave walls were too dark and constricting. She should step outside and enjoy that beautiful mountain scenery. Take a look at the stars she had so long missed.

Yes, this issue with Remy will take a while longer. Stepping outside and walking in the moonlight would be a better use of time.

Much calmer, Mira decided to take a peek outside and get the lay of the land.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Stryker asked.

“Out,” Mira replied as she began to retrace her steps back down the rocky slope.

“Get back here,” Stryker yelled. “And you… Remy, stop that this instant!”

Remy’s humming stopped, and he glanced up innocently. “She called me weak. I could have walked her straight off the Cliffside.”

The melody left her, taking with it all the calm feelings it had brought. Mira suddenly found herself outside, wondering how the hell she had gotten there. “Someone want to tell me what is going on?”

Stryker shot a heated glare back towards the guard. “Behave, Remy, she’s requested sanctuary.”

“OK. Fine. She’s cleared to go in.” Remy held up the small device and smiled.

“Mira, get back in here. Let’s go inside,” Stryker shouted.

Confused and a little more annoyed, Mira scrambled back up the rocky slope into the cave. She sneered at Remy, knowing he must have had something to do with her heading back the way she’d came, but couldn’t quite figure out what.

“So, are we going to leave me in the dark, or are you going to tell me what just happened?” Mira grumbled as she reached Stryker.

“Best you don’t know for now.” Stryker winked and held his hand out pointing the way. “Ladies first.”

Secrets were not among Mira’s favorite things. Remy had done something, of that she was sure, but the what and how being kept from her set her on edge. Sanctuary was starting to look just as bad as where she’d come from. She hoped it wouldn’t be the case. Otherkin he called himself. Stryker had used that term before too. So they must be part human but not entirely so. How many Otherkin were there? And what were they capable of doing?

Uneasy about what else she’d find, Mira headed deeper into the cave, in the direction Stryker had pointed.

The cave was dark and smelled of mold. Even though it was night, ahead Mira expected to see light or some sign, a torch or something similar, that they were heading for an exit, but there was only darkness. Thankfully having enhanced senses, she was not walking blind. The path was murky, but she could see enough to avoid stumbling.

“How much further?” Mira asked, wondering how he was able to see where they were going. Were wolves as gifted with senses as vampires?

“Just around this last wall, and we should reach the exit.”

The cave floor leveled and the passage turned sharply left, then right, then left again. After all the twisting and turning, Mira finally saw the lights she had been expecting to see. A vast city of lights lay ahead of her in a small valley below.

The sight was beyond words. Beautiful twinkling lights of blues, greens, and yellows came from small adobe-style homes. Trees and flowers and gardens were everywhere, their natural perfumes filling the air, welcoming her. In the center of the sleepy city were larger buildings with huge glass windows and domed roofs. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before in either her mortal or immortal life.

“Welcome to Caldera Grove,” Stryker said proudly. “Home of the Otherkin… a refuge to all immortal kind.”

The cave ended in a set of natural rock stairs that wound around the valley walls leading downward to the city below. In her excitement, Mira took them two at a time.

“Your excitement is showing. Be careful, people might think you like the place,” Stryker teased.

“It’s magnificent. I didn’t expect to see…” Admittedly, she hadn’t expected anything. Sanctuary was a myth. Even after meeting Stryker, and that horrible guard Remy, she’d still had her doubts about actually finding something other than a small settlement. This was beyond her wildest dreams, and she’d yet to step foot into the city.

“We have a thriving community here, one that has been kept secret from humans since the great cataclysm.” The way he said it came across as a warning. But Mira was not going to be deterred from her task. She needed to plead her case for her friends.

“And it will remain a secret from the Iron Gate humans. Let’s get moving.” Mira took the lead, not knowing where she was going, and not caring either. She’d let herself get lost, if only to give her time to explore this strange and new city.

Stryker didn’t attempt to alter her direction, either. Maybe he too wanted her to explore and learn about the city firsthand.

Unlike the city she’d just left, this one was not a concrete jungle. The road was hard-packed dirt, tamped down by regular foot traffic, but that was the only bit of plain dirt to be seen. Everything else was green and full of life. Like something she remembered from her own human childhood spent in the apple orchards of Pomme Meadow, but infinitely more beautiful, this place was attuned to nature. Houses lined the streets, each one having its own yard filled with trees and grass. Many of the houses were covered in lush green vines of ivy. Flowerbeds, small gardens, and pens for animals gave the outlying edges of the city a rustic and homey feel. It roused memories she’d long forgotten: memories of a simpler time without the Iron Gate breathing down her neck. Living in a farming community outside of a primary city, Mira had avoided much of the tyranny on the Iron Gate government. She’d grown up in peace and relative serenity.