Part 2: Chapter 4

We reached the outskirts of the Marcus territory later than excepted. The sun had risen by the time we had arrived and we were forced to park inches away from the door of the cottage, and pile my coat as well as William's coats over Shani, so she wouldn't be burned by the sunlight. She dashed into the cottage, which was pretty much non-inhabitable, and rushed to the darkest area, her eyes flickering with sleepiness.

The window's of the cottage were all boarded up, the inside had no furniture, the electricity didn't work, and no water came out of any of the faucets.

When I entered the cottage the first thing I did was walk around, learning the layout of the cottage. William unloaded our luggage, and unpacked his gadgets. He had brought tiny microphones, which he and I would pin on ourselves. He also brought along tiny camera's, this way Shani would be able to see and hear everything that was happening. Because of the plan we had made, which was that William and I would trespass the Marcus territory, and head straight to the Corrective Palace, a.k.a the place where prisoners are held, and retrieve Aiden, Shani would be talking to us through head pieces, and telling us who was Aiden, hopefully she would be recognizable to him.

" We still doing this even though we're about an hour behind." William asked getting the things we'd need ready.

I looked over at Shani who stood at a dark corner of the cottage. " If you are." she said.

" Okay then let's do this. We're just going to have to move a little faster, and I guess the mental preparation is out the door." I spoke.

William quickly hooked on small devices of odd looking technology, sadly I had yet to acquaint myself with the latest technology of this era. He however, set everything up in meer seconds. The laptop, which he had set on the floor, where Shani was sitting, was showing her everything I could see, since my tiny camera was placed on my winter hat.

William also gave her an earpiece and a tiny microphone, which I also had so we both could communicate. William went over to his bag, quickly unpacked a bag of chips and a bottle of juice. They were both gone with one big swallow. He strapped on guns, knives, and all other kinds of weapons.

I followed his lead, and got weapons of my own. For a moment I registered everything that was happening, and couldn't believe how fast we were moving. We'd planned everything out in a matter of days, and now we where going to go through with this, and I didn't even have a moment to sit down and take a breath, but I guess that would ruin all the excitement.

" Okay, let's go." William said heading outside, not opening the door all the way, but slightly so the light wouldn't reach Shani. I nodded following his lead before Shani's voice stopped me.

" Thank you." she said quickly, " For helping me, when no one else would." she spoke. Her eyes filled with gratitude.

I smiled, " Just pray we make it back, before you start thanking us." I said walking out the door.

William was leaning next to the side of the cottage. I could tell he was in his "serious mood", which he switched into every time he was going to deal with vampires.

" You know we could get there faster if you'd just let me carry you." I commented.

William's eyes gazed over at mine, " you know I don't like heights. Now come on we have 5 miles to cover, it's nothing."

I smiled, as he lead the way. I'd never understood how William could be afraid of heights, but still drive when he's feet from the ground, maybe it has to do with the fact that he's protected by a barrier of metal.

We walked, and walked, and it seemed like at first 5 miles would be nothing, but in this weather it really burned you out. The snow reached three inches past my ankle's, and the wind was literally blowing me off balance. Luckily there were trees everywhere for me to grab a hold of. My lips quivered, and I couldn't feel my toes anymore. But I kept going, not complaining just like William was.

After what seemed hours, I caught a glance of tall buildings. They all had the same medieval appearance, and no person was out and about. It was like a ghost town. William, and I walked around once we reached the town trying to locate the Corrective Palace, a building that we'd never seen. The sun was quickly sinking down, and it's rays disappearing. Which had me on edge, if only we'd arrived a little early.

It wasn't too hard to find the Corrective Palace, it just had an aura to it unlike any of the other buildings. It seemed to be encircled in it's own darkness. So wretched was the place that the sunlight even avoided contact with it. William looked over at me, for the first time in the years that I've known him with a hint of fear in his eyes.

I was about to reassure him, and remind him he didn't need to go through with the plan when he started for the main entrance of the building. I followed him. Stomping my way through the snow.

The door like expected was locked. William reached into a bag he had brought with him, and pulled out a container with red powder. I looked down at it with curiosity.

" Bought it off a witch, thought we'd need it."

He opened the container, and sprinkled the powder over the lock. In an instant the metal melted leaving the door creaking open. William grinned over at me as he put the container away with a little bit left over. " I knew I'd brought you along for some reason. " I mumbled heading into the building.

There was barely any light in the building, just barely enough to make you way through. It smelled horrific! It was a mixture of rotting corpses, dead fish, and other mixtures of ill odors. I rose my hand to cover my nose, and we made are away through the almost maze like layout of the building. Some of the creatures acknowledged our appearance with groans. Others laid on the floor of their cell in a dead like state, or maybe they were just dead. I wanted to run outside so badly, just get some fresh air, but I forced myself to keep going forward.

" William!" I whispered as I ran up next to him. He looked as if he were about to throw-up, which made me feel better, but only because I wasn't the only one here struggling to keep it together. " How are we going to find Aiden? The cells keep going on, and on." William dumbstruck as I shrugged.

As we walked on, I jumped when I heard a voice in my ear. " Just keep going straight." for a minute I thought we'd been caught or something, but then I remembered the earpiece and Shani.

" What." I whispered to myself feeling really weird.

" Turn left now." I nodded my head, and grabbed William's arm.

" This way I told him." he followed me without question.

" How do you know?" I whispered again.

I wait for a response from Shani, as she seemed to think of the right words for an explanation.

" I Just do." she said. I shrugged my shoulders, it was good enough for me it wasn't like I had a better clue on which way to go.

As we seemed to go farther in from where we had first started, the stench got more revolting. The confusing hallways and cells more alike. Twice Shani instructed me where to go, and I followed. It wasn't until she let out a joyous, " STOP ", that I, well, stopped. I looked to the cell at my right, and saw there what can be described as a corpse. The skin barely clung on the bones, and no movement came from it. I couldn't even tell if it was a man or woman. I could hear Shani crying, and becoming hysterical, which was driving me loca!

" Shani!" I spoke, " Shani, you're going to damage my eardrum."

However, I don't think she could hear me because of the state she was in, or maybe she didn't care, whatever the reason she didn't shut up. I tried my best to concentrate on the matter at hand, as I pulled out the powder William had used earlier from his bag, and started pouring it over the bars of the cell, they quickly melted away making a path for William and I to get through. William all ways the manly man, concerned for my safety, went in first, and insisted I wait until he was sure the corpse on the floor wasn't a danger to me. I waited outside of the cell, ticked mostly because I was starting to get nervous. The sun was about to set, like all vampire I could just tell when the sun was about to set and rise. Once William signaled for me I dashed in. We had to get this going, and fast before a flock of vampires figured out what we were doing, and came for us. I had no doubt they'd be able to sense me, being a Fallen and all.

I knelled beside it, and began to pull out plastic pouches of blood from William's bag. We excepted Aiden to need blood, since the only way to keep a vampire prisoner, and under control is to starve them of blood. I cut two holes in the pouches and proceeded to place the bag dripping blood on the mouth of the corpse, which I could now hear, being as close as I was, making some strange noises.

William had to turn the body over so that I could place the pouch near its mouth, and as the blood dripped into its mouth it swallowed, slowly taking in the liquid. William held the head tilted upwards, and I held the pouch pressing on it to get the blood to pour out. After the blood in that one was completely gone I moved onto the second one, by the third pouch he had grabbed hold of it, and had sunk his fangs into it. While the fourth bag was being emptied, I could see, to my amazement, the body of skin and bone forming into the shape of a healthy being. We had only two more pouches to go, and by the second to last one I could now see a man.

I didn't linger on how the transformation had taken place, and how crazy the whole thing was, because I would have gone crazy thinking about it. On the last pouch I could see the resemblance Aiden had with Eli. They had the same eyes, they were identical, same striking blue, shape, and piercing gaze, but other than that, that was it. As he threw the last pouch aside his eyes settled on me with a crazed haze in them. I slowly crouched on my heels ready for anything, and my hand near my thigh were one of my knives were hidden.

For a second we stood there, sizing each other up. I wasn't sure how to go about the situation, we had to get out of here, but Aiden looked insane, I wouldn't be surprised if he were. Anyone would, being trapped in this place. Luckily, and unfortunately I didn't have to say anything to Aiden, because like a bullet he flew passed me, and out the cell. I was taken back by his speed, as he went passed me, and out the cell. I could hear Shani instructing me to just get out of there, and not worry about Aiden. To which I thought, wasn't the whole point of this mission to rescue Aiden? Know she was just telling me to forget him?

This was when the unfortunate part occurs, I finally after precious moments, realized the sun had fully set. And I could literally sense the vampire's who surrounded this building, and all the other buildings of this vampire town start to rise, and I along with William were still in the cell. Plan was to be flying out by this point with William in my arms, whether he dislike heights or not.

I automatically went into survival mode, and dashed out of the cell dragging William along. We ran down the hallways, turned there, and here, me leading the way remembering perfectly how we had come in, and how to get back out. Turning a corner my sight landed on the entrance, so close, and yet so far. I was in a state of oblivion as I rushed out that door, I couldn't think past getting out of this place. I wasn't going to let William get caught, I couldn't have cared less if it were I, but I felt responsible for William.

As I crossed the threshold of the entrance I couldn't sense anyone, and a smile formed on my face. My wings were already out, the coat I had wore discarded during the process of finding the entrance, and escaping. My hand was tightly fitted around William's wrist ready to take off into the air with him, and I would have made it, but life doesn't always go as plan.

The next moment was totally unexpected as I found a knife flying towards my face. I swung my arm up protecting myself from the blow, and ended up with a knife going through my arm, and losing hold of William. I didn't duel on the pain, as I was suddenly being attack by a few vampires. I felt a kick to my stomach, then a punch to my face, all the while thinking of were William had gone off to. I noticed William himself was fighting off his own adversaries, and doing a much better job of it than I. I quickly refocused on my attackers realizing William was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. In a flash I had my weapons in hand, and was flying toward two the vampires in front of me. I dug one of my knives in a vampires throat, and the other in an eye. Blood splattered every on my right cheek from the blow to the next vampire as I sliced his head off with one powerful swing of my knife.

I had managed to take most of them down, when two more would just appear, and soon I found myself surrounded by all sides. I felt sweat going down my forehead for the fist time in years. There was just too many of them for only two people to fight off. I flew off the ground upwards trying to catch sight of William and scoop him up, and out of this mess.

I wasn't able to take a good look before a vampire traced onto my back, then another on my leg, and another one in front of me. The one behind me bit into my neck sinking his teeth in, and ripping my skin. The other two followed suit sinking in their fangs. I screamed in frustration, and agony. Unable to flap my wings with the vampire behind me I quickly crashed into the ground. I fought every second, stabbing the vampire on top of me in the neck and face, but as soon as I was on the ground the rest of the vampires jumped on me. Teeth sinking into any available area on my body. I last thing I remember was stabbing something, and curse them all to hell.

Jaxon, who was standing on top of a tree branch, held his cell phone to his ear, patiently waiting for Eli to pick up. He stared at the small cottage, surprised that he had tracked the Fallen all the way to the outskirts of the Marcus territory. He had to stop when dawn was approaching, but just as night fell he resumed his tracking of her down again, with the help of the feather he'd obtained from her. He knew she had been in that cottage, but he didn't scene her presence anymore. The Fallen had gone North towards the Marcus territory. That much he could tell by the visible footstep in the snow, she had also gone with someone else.

His eyes remained on the cottage, someone had stayed behind, someone with the aura of a Fallen mixed with an aura of a vampire. He'd never encountered anything like it, which halted him from trailing down Eli's Fallen.

" What." Eli's voice echoed, Jaxon snapped out of his thoughts.

" Where are you?" Jaxon questioned.

" In a cave," Eli replied, " within the Marcus territory!" he ended with anger, " Rin was brought here, this is how far I managed to track her until I had to seek shelter from the sun."

" What a coincidence, I happened to have tracked your Fallen to the Marcus territory as well, I'm starting to think something isn't quiet right here. Something's up."

There was a heavy silence as Jaxon waited for a response from Eli, with never came.

" Should we meet up." Jaxon asked.

" Yeah, I'll come to you, where are you."

" About 5 miles near the outskirt of the Marcus territory. I'm near a small cottage, which I'm about to go in, and have a conversation with what I imagine is going to be a very interesting person."

" Just prepare yourself for a fight, I have a feeling we'll be in one very soon. Or at least I will be once I find out who took Rin." With that Eli hung up.

Jaxon tucked the cell phone back into the pocket of his jeans. He jumped down from the tree branch, and headed for the cottage.