What can I tell you about this chapter? It's going to resolve some issues, it's darker than some of the other chapters, and it's paving the way to happier things...I hope you'll be pleased with how it turns out by the end of it!
Thanks as always for the continued support and reviews!
Chapter Twenty-one
Meredith crosses the grass quickly, hands jammed in her jacket pockets, her breath making little puffs of steam in the chill morning air. It feels good to be outside, the sun shining, even though the air is cool. The burnt timbers stand starkly against the blue sky, the smell of smoke and stench of dead Renegades assaulting her. She wanders around the perimeter of the boathouse, unable to find anything that might be helpful to find Lukos. There is still a haze of heat emanating from the blackened rubble, and she realizes there is no way she can get any closer.
Closer to the lake, she finds a hidden stairway down to the water. Mist rises off the water, adding to the pervasive feel of mystery. While there are a few birds trilling in the massive spruce trees along the edge of the lake, it's otherworldly quiet, and a little shiver edges her spine.
For a few minutes, she sits at the bottom step, wishing she could figure out what to do. Lukos has been so strong, she can't imagine Zorayas getting the upper hand with him – but a vampire of his strength and hatred could have taken them both away. They could be anywhere in the world, or just a few miles away, and she sighs in frustration. It had been silly of her to think she could come out here and find some indication of what happened. But it had all happened so fast, there were so many things that could have occurred that they missed.
Brushing her jeans off, Meredith gets up and wanders along the edge of the water. Something glitters in the sand, where the water laps gently against it. With a small gasp, she picks it up, recognizing the shape as Lukos's pendant. The ruby stone feels warm in her fingers and she shock of seeing it brings tears to her eyes. Does this mean he's really dead? Was it ripped away from him during a fight? The stone gives no indication, but the cord doesn't look ripped, or burnt, and it gives her a shred of hope.
Walking further, she finds a scrap of black fabric, then an embossed button she recognizes from the jacket Lukos had worn last night. Her steps quicken along the shoreline, remembering something Lukos said about his brother. "Gone to ground…" What did that mean, exactly?
As she walks, the cold water smoothes the sand, her footsteps swallowed up as soon as she moves. A lone dingy is moored along the dock, banging eerily against the edge of the pier. Her heart pounding, Meredith tries to calm her jumpy nerves. It's daytime, no way any of the vampires are out, not even the eldest ones who can stand some of the sun would be able to be here. The trees behind her rustle suddenly, and she jumps, swearing at herself for being nervous. There is a snap of a branch, and she stifles a scream, before she sees a fox darting through the edge of the trees. "Damn…" she murmurs, watching the small creature slink away, just as scared of her.
But then she frowns, seeing a small clearing in the trees, another black scrap of material caught in the branches. Gone to ground…is that a literal comment? Lukos must have mentioned that at some point during his teachings, something about the ancient way of restoring strength, wasn't it?
Meredith pushes through the branches, her eyes searching the ground, intent on finding out if her hunch is right. The sunlight is weaker here, filtered through the trees, the air cooler. Maybe this was a bad idea, she thinks, not finding anything else to indicate Lukos may have been here. For a moment, she stops, listening to her heart pounding, her breathing heavy. Maybe she should just turn around and go back…but a movement in the trees catches her eye then, and the fox appears once more. He cocks his head, as if catching her scent, before he turns and disappears.
She debates following him, finally deciding to go just a little further, before heading home. As she crosses the ground, her foot snags a fallen branch, and she tumbles head first down into a hole, landing with a little scream of surprise, her vision blurred and the world spinning. Trying to stand, her knees buckle, and she slumps down to the ground…
As the sun disappears, Derek is immediately awake, aware of the stillness of the bedroom, the absence of Meredith's presence. He shoves the sheets away, and reaches out with his thoughts, but he only senses Veronique and Mark, no mortal in the house. Raking a hand through his hair, he stands and stalks towards the window, ripping the curtains open. His dark eyes take in the quiet landscape, a fine mist now cloaking the shapes outside. "Damn, Meredith…where have you gone now?" he murmurs, before turning away to grab some clothes from the closet. Dressing swiftly in his leather gear, he is intent on heading outside when he finds Mark striding towards him down the corridor.
"Mark…" he acknowledges, his voice clipped. "Meredith is gone…"
"Gone?"
"I think to search for Lukos, damnit…"
"Lukos? What's going on?" Mark asks, unaware of the events of the night before.
"Try to keep up, Sloan," Derek snaps in irritation. "Fire last night…" He walks away without waiting, and Mark hurries after him.
"I thought I smelt smoke, but it was too close to dawn, and I needed to rest."
"Lukos is missing…there was an explosion at the boathouse," Derek calls out, moving towards the stairs. Letting Mark into his thoughts, letting him see what happened.
"Damn…and now Meredith thinks she can find him?"
"I'm afraid so," Derek growls.
Veronique appears as well then, her expression concerned. Her lavender eyes are guarded as she looks at them. "She's gone out alone, hasn't she?"
Derek nods, as they all move quickly towards the main foyer. "Stubborn mortal…" he mutters, thinking of her determination, of her calling him an arrogant immortal in response to that comment. Thinking of her courage and her strength, but afraid for her just the same. She's no match for Zorayas.
The three of them cover the distance to the boathouse easily, and Mark whistles at the scene. Shoving his fists in his jacket, he kicks at the charred timbers. "Zorayas doesn't fuck around, does he?"
"You should know…"
Mark grimaces, looking at Derek. "I didn't choose that black place…" he protests.
"And Meredith saved you…" Derek growls, whirling around. "So let's find her now, she needs us…" His anger is making him snap at Mark, and he tries to control himself, but his lip curls, showing his fangs.
"Boys…fighting amongst yourselves is not going to help," Veronique speaks up, touching Derek's arm. "I know how you feel, cheri, but calm yourself. You must concentrate on her essence now, in order to find her."
Derek nods grimly, before closing his eyes, letting his senses take in the night air, but the mist hangs heavily here, and it feels like everything is swaddled in cotton. He thinks he can feel something, however, and he turns to the old stairway, clearing the steps in a bound, landing on the sand. "Meredith!" he shouts, his ears tuned to every little sound. There is a weak cry, and he takes off along the shoreline, heading for the trees. Veronique and Mark are soon behind him, until he stops short, holding his arms out. They fall silent, listening for what he hears. "Over there…" he mutters, honing in on the sound.
He stops short of the hole, it's edge concealed by branches, and Mark nearly barrels into him. "Hold on…" He catches his balance, looking down at Meredith, crumpled on the bottom of the pit. "Meredith…are you all right?" he calls out, kneeling down. He senses now her fear, and he swears under his breath.
"I…yes…"
"Hold on honey, I'll be right there." Instantly, he jumps in with her, landing easily on the packed dirt.
"Derek…thank god…" Meredith falls into his arms, suppressing a little whimper of pain that shoots through her arm. "I'm so sorry I left without telling you…I just wanted…"
"I understand," Derek assures her, holding her tightly. "Are you hurt?"
Meredith nods, holding her arm. "I think I sprained it when I fell. I passed out off and on, and then I finally heard you. I found these…" She holds out the ruby pendant, and the button and scrap of material. "He was here somewhere…I thought maybe he had gone into the ground…"
"It's possible," Derek agrees, gathering her into his arms. "But there's no indication of that. We need to help you right now, sweetheart, and then Mark and I will come back and look." Meredith rests against him, closing her eyes. He looks up at the other two still looking down at them. "I'm taking her back to the house – we can regroup then…" And he is gone, leaving them to follow.
A short time later, Meredith has bandaged her wrist, taken a couple of aspirin, and is sipping a cup of tea that Derek insisted she needed. She is curled in the wing chair by the fire in the library, as Derek and Mark pace restlessly along the windows. They have checked the wooded area thoroughly, and it yielded nothing but frayed tempers. If Lukos had been there at all, there's no trace of him or Zorayas. Suddenly, Meredith gasps, dropping the fragile teacup and it shatters against the tile floor.
"What is it?" Derek demands, springing closer to the chair, looking into her eyes that have gone wide.
"I'm…oh god…" Meredith murmurs, pressing her fingers to her temple. "I can…feel something, it's painful…it's Lukos…" She rocks back and forth, feeling a sudden chill invade her.
"Are you sure?"
Meredith can only nod, and Veronique rushes in, to take Meredith's face in her hands. "Ma petite, you can feel his essence, it's close to the change…that's why you feel him strongly now…it will help find him…"
"Is that a good idea?" Derek asks. "She will begin the change at midnight…I don't care to have her in the line of danger when that happens. She needs to be somewhere we can watch over her…"
Before Veronique can answer, Meredith speaks up. "I can see him…I know where he is, and I won't stay here alone while you go rescue him. I want to bring him home for my change, and I want all of you here as well…" she whispers, her gaze taking in the group around her. "But we don't have much time…"
Derek and Mark exchange glances. "You should stay here…we'll get the weapons, and Alexei, and…."
"No…" Meredith replies firmly, getting to her feet, standing with her hands at her hips. "I lost my mother to this bastard, and two months ago I discovered my father, and you…by some twist of fate I fell in love with you, Derek." She touches his cheek, warmed by the love in his expression. "So I'm not going to sit back like a weak female, and let you both get killed. I'm not losing either of you, no matter what it takes. And if something does happen, I want to be there with you." She leans closer and brushes a small kiss over his lips, feeling the tingle of heat between them as always. "I'm going with you…"
"Have I ever told you that you're a stubborn mortal?" Derek asks, a slow grin on his lips, despite himself.
"Once or twice, my arrogant immortal…" Meredith replies dryly. "Now, let's get going, shall we?"
Derek shrugs in defeat. "But if things are not under control by midnight, I'm bringing you back here. Lukos would want that..."
"Agreed," Meredith says earnestly, as he leads the way to gather up daggers, throwing stars, and dark combat jackets. Silently, Veronique joins them, just as determined to go along for this mission. Meredith's thoughts are filled with images of Lukos, in a house, strapped to a chair facing a wall of windows. There is no time to waste…for both their sakes…
"This is it…" Meredith hisses, as the SUV rolls to a stop outside a normal looking house, set in a quiet affluent neighborhood. The oak timber and stone manor is dark, quiet, but Meredith feels a hot spike of pain as they near the house.
"Are you sure?" It looks too peaceful, the tidy yard, the aging BMW sedan parked in the driveway, all look mortal, not vampire. Curtains stir in one of the windows on the second floor, but otherwise it's all calm.
"Very sure…" she murmurs, as they move outside, sliding like shadows along the sidewalk, where a child's bicycle lays abandoned. She has a bad feeling about this, as they move around to the back of the house, finding the French doors leading to the patio standing open.
"Renegades…" Mark murmurs, picking up the scent of the minions inside. "Several, I think…"
Derek nods, focusing on the inside of the house. The scent of blood and death hangs in the air, and they see a figure laying on the floor beside the doors, a male, blood trickling out of a gash on his throat. Obviously, Zorayas let his Renegades loose on the occupants of the house, taking it over for their own purposes, killing everyone inside. Derek gestures for them to follow, and they slip inside, all of them on alert. Meredith's heart is beating furiously, as she follows Derek, Mark behind her, and Veronique bringing up the rear. There is a sudden muffled curse, as Derek throws a dagger at a Renegade, catching it before it could make any further noise. Dust shimmers and disappears in an instant.
They make their way up the stairs, finding another dead body at the top, a female this time. Meredith shudders at the thought of an innocent family being taken by the Renegades. So many lives touched by this madness…it has to stop. Derek touches her shoulder, his eyes questioning whether she is all right. She nods, determined to see this through.
Then they come to an open door, the bedroom, and she can feel the sudden sharp pain again, and hears the low murmur of voices. Mark darts to the opposite side of the door, holding a dagger in one hand, and with a nod, he and Derek barrel into the room. They take out two of the Renegades guarding the door, as Meredith and Veronique follow in their wake.
"Oh my god…" Meredith murmurs, taking in the sight that greets them. Veronique hisses a string of French curses under her breath behind her. Lukos is strapped to a chair, his long silver hair hanging over his face, his body bruised and battered from a recent beating, recovering too slowly. His black eyes meet hers, almost unfocused, and he grimaces. "He's been drugged," Meredith murmurs, taking his wrist, worried at the vacant light in his eyes. It was the only way that Zorayas could have done this. Veronique nods in agreement, laying her cool hand on Lukos's forehead.
Derek joins them, grasping one of the shackles and wrenching it open. "We don't have much time..." Mark keeps watch as the other shackle is torn off, and the two women help Lukos stand. He sways between them, his legs wobbly.
"Watch it!" Mark shouts, sending another Renegade into dust. There is a sudden flurry as more of the minions pour into the room, and Derek deflects more blows as they make a path to the door. Meredith ducks a blade whistling past her head, pulling Lukos to the floor with her. She unsheathes her dagger, throwing almost without thought, taking down one of them as he headed towards them. Derek gives her a look of approval, before swinging out with his own dagger.
"Merde, I hate these creatures..." Veronique snarls, as the dust swirls around them.
"Meredith...this is not what I wanted for you..." Lukos manages to say, his voice weak.
"I know..." Meredith starts to say, but then Zorayas appears in a flash of icy air.
"Ah, the tearful family reunion. Forgive me if I'm not all misty..."
"It's time to end this, brother," Lukos growls. He rises to his knees, his protective rage fueling his strength.
Zorayas pulls out a pistol, waving it towards Derek and Mark. "You two...get over there with the others...I have no more patience for this. Veronique, what a pleasure to see you here as well. I should have known you would be involved...now I can be rid of you as well. The bullets are titanium, tipped with pure silver, so there is no way out of this." He looks at Lukos. "Ah, it's been fun, brother, too bad you won't be around to see me take over..."
"I'd just as soon be dead," Lukos spits.
"Very well..." Zorayas says with a nonchalant shrug, raising the pistol and taking aim. Meredith takes a shaky breath, looking at Derek. Moments seem to tick by inexorably slowly, as the gun is cocked. This can't be ending, not like this, she thinks desperately. Her body feels tightly wound, as if already beginning to transform, and she blinks away a sudden dampness in her eyes.
Then there is a blur of movement, and Alexei charges Zorayas, knocking him to the floor, and sending the pistol skittering across the tiles. Meredith looks at it for all of a second, before snatching it up and firing at Zorayas, who has scrambled to his feet. For a moment, there is no sound, no movement, as if they are all frozen in time. Then Zorayas puts his hand to his chest, where the blood begins to ooze. His eyes are wide in shock and disbelief, as his body succumbs to the instantaneous damage, and he falls to his knees. He hisses one last vicious curse, before the life disappears from his eyes.
"Mon dieu..." Veronique whispers.
"Oh god, Derek...what have I done?" Meredith whispers, as he takes the pistol from her suddenly weak fingers.
He pulls her closer, feeling her heart accelerating, her body shaking in relief that it was over. "You did what you had to, to save all of us, sweetheart," he murmurs, stroking her hair as she hides her face against his chest.
Lukos reaches over, to embrace them both as well. "It was meant to be, my child." He coughs weakly, his strength still badly drained. "Do not mourn what he had become, mourn the man that he was before he became lost to the bitterness."
Mark looks over at Alexei, still standing beside the spot where Zorayas had been a moment before. Only a smear of blood remains on the floor, the dust dispersing. "What took you so long?" he demands, raising one eyebrow.
"Hey, looks like I was just in time..." Alexei shrugs, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket casually.
"Nice of you to show up, now let's get out of here," Derek says, glancing at his watch. "It's getting close to midnight..."