Chapter 26
Mikael had brought several things with him, including the telescope. He had a lit candle carefully shielded within a tin lantern. He also had brought a bow and some arrows. Patience was one of his virtues and he waited, watching through his spyglass. All he could see was tiny points of light wherever candle light shown from a window and through the little holes in the barrier. He could easily guess when only the kitchen was lit. He also saw when at least twice a candle moved to what he figured was the outhouse. That was likely when the women made the necessary little journey.
Eventually, a light appeared higher up, in a bedroom. Then another upstairs. Mikael smiled. He waited. Finally, the last of the lights disappeared. By that time, the father had learned several things by patient use of the telescope. He had found out that the holes in the barrier were larger higher up than those down low. He had seen three bats fly right through the larger holes and go inside, likely to hunt night insects. He had also seen a bird, perhaps an owl, fly into the barrier and then drop down to the ground, dead. The bats obviously had some advantage.
He stood up and stretched his stiff body. Then he gathered up the things he had brought, the spyglass, the candle in the lantern and the weapon – a good Indian bow and the arrows that went with it. He had practiced with it, not having used a bow in several hundred years. He was fairly confident that he could carry out his plan. Instead of riding down toward the house, he left his horse where it was. The animal was wearing hobbles and was content to graze without wandering off . There was a half moon overhead, which gave some light, so the vampire didn't want to chance riding and being spotted. Although the candles were extinguished in the house, that did not mean all the occupants were now in bed.
He stopped at a chosen distance from the barrier and set his items down. The candle in the metal lantern was well-shielded, although it had enough air to stay lit. Again, he used the telescope to find the bigger holes. He was almost too close, but he managed. Then he took one of the arrows, which had a tip wrapped in oiled cloth. He lit it from the candle, placed arrow to bow and let it fly. His hope was that the flaming arrow would pass through a hole and land on the wood-shingled roof, setting the place on fire. He was sure his sons would escape, rather than burn to death, but maybe not. As for the human women, he didn't care about them.
His first try successfully let the arrow in through one of the larger holes higher up the wall, almost level with the roof eaves, but it did not land on the roof. It sailed right through an open bedroom window. Not sure that was enough to burn the house down, he grabbed another arrow and lit it.
Inside the bedroom, Rebekah woke to flaming curtains and let out a scream. She jumped out of bed and ran to the window, grabbing the edge of the flimsy fabric and hauling it down to the floor. Her scream brought an immediate response from the others and they all came running into her room. Kol, nude, had the imagination to put out the fire by urinating on the burning curtains as Rebekah pulled them away from the wall and to the floor.
Freya glanced at the arrow lying on the floor and setting a rug ablaze and she felt a sudden hatred and fury. How dare he do this? she thought, assuming it was Mikael who had fired the arrow. When she saw Elijah grab the rug and arrow and throw them in the fireplace, she went to the window. She grabbed Kol's hand for added strength and sent forth the strongest blast of power that she could conjure from her rage.
The energy hit the barrier, making it vibrate and hum and spark. Some of it went right through the holes, but more of it came right back at the house, breaking windows and knocking Freya and Kol to the floor. Rebekah and Elijah were just to the side and did not fall.
Outside, the second arrow that Mikael had fired had not gone through a hole, but had fallen back down and into the grass on his side. Before he could fire again, the blast of energy that went through the holes, knocked him backward several feet. He hit the ground on his back and lay there, stunned, but awake. He realized that someone in the house, one of the women, must be a powerful witch. Unless the woman had not created the barrier herself, why did Elijah claim they were trapped in there, when surely she could eliminate it?
In a moment, Mikael realized that the tall grass was on fire and he needed to retreat. Groaning, he struggled to his feet and leaving the lantern and bow and arrows behind, he grabbed the telescope and ran across the field and up the hill. He slowed before approaching his horse, not wanting to scare it. Even hobbled, it could bolt and get away if frightened. Before riding away, he stood for a minute and looked back at the barrier. He saw no sign of fire inside, although he saw smoke rising through the top of the barrier dome. He suspected it was coming from a fireplace chimney. His attempt to burn the house down had failed.
Elijah and Rebekah helped their siblings get up.
"Are you alright?" Elijah asked Freya.
"I think so. Did I get him?"
"I doubt he was badly hurt. Probably knocked down like you and Kol. The fire is out in here. Kol, run downstairs and make sure nothing is burning down there."
Although slightly dazed, the younger brother left and went down the stairs. A quick look around told him there was no fire inside, but the eastern windows were broken. He went back upstairs and into his own room. He went to the southern window, which was not broken and looked out, checking to see if anything else inside the barrier had been set afire. He saw no sign of any. Pulling on his jeans, he went back into Rebekah's room.
"It's all clear downstairs. Freya, love, you broke a bunch of windows. Let's hope it doesn't rain."
"I'm sorry. I was so angry I didn't even think about the backlash of the energy spell." The older sister, in one of Mrs. Anderson's nightgowns, looked around the room in dismay. "He tried to burn the house down!"
"Yes, he did," Elijah growled. He was angry too, but not as dangerous as Freya's anger spell. "The field outside is afire. I do hope it will not set our inside grass afire. If the house is alright, we must get buckets of water and check the perimeter for any fire getting inside the barrier." He was in his underwear and he hurried to his room to put on his pants and shoes.
Outside, they soon found that the grass fire was heading southeast, pushed by a gentle night breeze. Only a small patch of fire came to the barrier by the horse pasture and it didn't come through. The fire jumped the small creek and continued south. It would likely miss the town, but there was no telling how far this prairie fire would burn.
With the smell of burned grass thick in the air, the four people gathered again in Rebekah's room. Freya, in fact, was lying on the bed, her energy seriously depleted.
"That took a lot out of me," she admitted. "But I was so angry, I barely thought of what I was doing or the consequences."
"You did a right good job of it," Kol told her. "He might not come back."
"Let us hope this is so," Elijah agreed.
"What are we going to do about the windows?" Rebekah asked.
"All the windows have storm shutters," the old sister told the group. "If it rains, we can shut them over the broken windows. Somehow, we will have to repair them before winter comes."
"My room stinks," the younger sister said, grimacing. "It's bad enough that the curtains burned and that rug is smoldering, but now the room smells of pee. Did you have to do that, Kol?"
"It worked, didn't it?" he said defensively.
"It did, I admit." They were standing in very dim light, having lit no candles. There was no longer any light from the outside fire.
"Freya," Elijah said, "why don't I carry you back to your room? Rebekah, you can lie on her bed, too. There is no sense in anyone trying to sleep in here. There is still a few hours to rest until dawn."
"I can walk." The woman struggled to sit up unsuccessfully.
"No. I will carry you," the older brother insisted, and he picked her up, maneuvered her through the doorway, walked around the head of the stairs and went through the doorway into her own room. This was the second time he had carried her and this time he was more aware of the warmth of her human body as it nestled against his bare chest. Humans were so warm compared to vampires. Soft and warm. And full of wonderful human blood. Then he berated himself for thinking these thoughts and laid her down on her bed.
Rebekah was right behind him. "I don't need to lie on the bed, Freya," she said. "I'll sit in the chair and snooze."
"No you won't. Come lie down. There's room," the older sister said, patting the bedding beside her.
The younger sister gave in to the request and joined Freya, while Elijah left the room, closing the door behind him. Lying in the darkness, the two women discussed both what Mikael had done and what the witch had done.
The younger sister gave in to the request and joined Freya, while Elijah left the room, closing the door behind him. Lying in the darkness, the two women discussed both what Mikael had done and what the witch had done. After a few minutes, they each grew silent, thinking their own private thoughts.
"Elijah is so strong," Freya finally said. "Such hard muscles."
"You noticed."
"How could I not? Half the time he is without his shirt."
"He isn't the only one. Our brother Kol has a great body. Slender, but just right." Rebekah smiled in the darkness.
"I noticed that, too. You two have always been close, I assume. Even in age."
"That's true. He's barely two years older than me. We grew up close, although he loved to tease me and point out that he was older and a boy. He would flaunt that little fact."
"It's not so little now."
"Obviously. But as a little boy… We sort of explored. Looked and touched each other. But nothing really sexual, you understand. Just curious kids."
"Oh, really?"
"It was nothing. It was a while before it occurred to me that my other brothers were like that. Boys, I mean. But they were all older and didn't display themselves in from of me."
"Except for little Finn, it was years before I ever saw male genitalia. Aunt Dahlia sort of made me lead a protected life."
"Surely you are not still a virgin?"
"No." Freya chucked softly, remembering. Still, she felt weak and exhausted, and in no time drifted off to sleep.
Eventually, Rebekah let herself fall into a restful sleep.
A/N I hope you all liked this chapter. I'll write more soon. Thanks you to those of you who read and follow and favorite me. Love you.