Queen Ecatera

Chapter 21: Into Hiding

                         It is dawn now. The vampires will be hunting for me soon. Lucan came back earlier with some things. He got some human blood from one of his connections that I gladly drank with pleasure, a few heated blankets, and lots of fluffy coats. He said that the carpathian mountains we will be heading to can get very cold at night. Most of the lycans live there now so most vampires stir clear of the area. Now, we wait for Daimon. He left to go back to Darcy's. Before he went he gave me my mothers pin back like he promised. He's so stupid! I told him it wouldn't be safe to go back there! That is the first place the vampires will look. I hope he hasn't gotten caught. It has been nearly two and a half hours! Lucan is even starting to worry. I think the babies have finally fallen to sleep but my worries have not. I can hear they're soft little heart beats but not a single movement. I finally have a break but the little things still drain all of my energy. My coughing has stopped that's good but I'm running a fever again. These things drive me nuts when it comes to temperature or my diet.
                    Lucan wouldn't stop going on about how my father would be proud of me today and happy he is to be a grandfather even though I'm pretty sure he's the father of all lycans. I guess he means by actual blood relation. I know he gets on Daimons nerves but that's totally different. He's now starting to get on my nerves. I mean not in a bad way but I kind of wish he would stop obsessing over the whole thing. I still don't even know if they can survive this despite the fact I have a greater chance of living for a few more months, I hope. Daimon is really starting to worry me. I hope he didn't get stuck with trouble. That's the last thing we need, more trouble than we're already in. Huddling in the warm fluffy coat Lucan has still allowed me to borrow, it feels like a small oven. It's cold outside and I'm running a fever but I know that if I take the coat off my babies might not be that warm, though clearly they are mini heaters.
               " I think I see him coming up." Lucan told me as he stood peering out of the cave. It was Daimon. Thank Gosh he is ok! "It's a six hour walk. We'll set up camp after three hours. Catie, do you think you can hold up that long?" Lucan looked over at me for an answer ready to leave. The question plagued my thought for a bit. Concentrating with a fever tends to be hard. "Um...as long as Daimon is carrying me...I don't know how to bring out my wolf yet." I shrugged my shoulders, snuggling in the coat, breaking a sweat. Daimon walked back into the cave gleeful to spot me from afar He was pouring sweat down his shirt and back. It looks like he just ran a long marathon. Glad, I'm not the only one that looks like shit.
            " here. I grabbed some medicinal herbs I thought would prove useful on the trip. Darcy said they were good for vampires and werewolves." He handed Lucan the herbs to put in the small bag with the little bit of clothes we all had. We were all already wearing the thick fluffy coats Lucan managed to get. Daimon walked over to me and sat down to face me. "Daimon your sweating like a dog." I made a puny joke. "Haha. Real funny. Are you ready?" He leaned over and kissed me. He went to go touch my tummy again but I slowly moved it away giggling. He was really confused. "They're sleeping. " I told him grinning. He smiled and backed up. "You are already being a good mother." Ha! He doesn't know that I just want them to stay asleep so I don't have to put with they're crap. I laugh to myself. "Mm..if you say so." I stare at him in amusement. "No really you are." He made that serious face of his. He felt my hot sweaty hands.  I smiled at him. I didn't want to tell him how I really felt like I didn't know what I was doing. This whole mom issue is so new. I've never even met my real mom. I don't know what a mom is really like. "Did you tell Darcy anything?" I asked him seriously. I know she can't keep things form happening. That's why I was captured but she could have prevented Daimon from getting injured. I still don't trust her. She probably knows many things about this prophecy that I don't. I wonder if I was supposed to get pregnant but she did say prophecies don't always go how they're told. " I told her I was going to search for you until I found you before coming back to her place. I didn't say anything else. She's the one that told me about the massacre after your change. If I wasn't caged up for my turn maybe I could have found you after you escaped but oh well. So uh, have you thought of names yet?" He poked my nose. He just stole my signature flirt move! Weve already gone over this tough. I guess I should stop being so pessimistic but he knows how I feel about this. He can be really persistent when it comes to certain things. "Daimon...I thought we went over this..." I tilted my head back slightly annoyed. Although I have thought of some names but we don't even know the genders of the babies. I hope they're both boys. They'd be easier to deal with than girls. Girls cause so much drama. "I know but can we please..." He begged like a child, kissing my neck. "Ok, let us get going. Are you both ready?" Lucan grabbed our attention interrupting our baby talk. He carried the bags and blankets. Daimon swooped me up carefully. My purple hair touched his chin. Between the babies, the fur coat, and Daimon it feels like a thousand rays of sun are targeting me without turning me to ashes. It's so hot!
         We head out of the cave and into the dark forests. Lucan used his lycan senses to guide the way as Daimon carried me over roots and rotting branches. By the time we reached half way there, we set up camp. Daimon and me shared a blanket while Lucan kept watch for danger nearby. We were only going to sleep for few hours so that we could get to the mountains before the sun rises. Luckily, the heat of the fever made me weary enough to actually sleep while Daimon spooned me.
             There were rustles through trees and bushes. Something sped at the speed of light making the autumn leaves float up in to the air. Lucan tried looking for what was causing this so suddenly, Using his scent tracking skills he realized what it was. Lucan being the protective dark hearted man he can be, growled at the obscure being. It approached us at a high speed while me and Daimon lay sleeping on the forest floor. Everything is dark and the being cant be seen until it chooses to be. It stopped and walked towards the aggressive Lucan of brute strength. It stopped a few feet away from him with knowledge that if he approached any further he would be turned into ash. " I am not here to harm you or anyone else. I have come to warn Catie, Lucan. You know I want my father as good as dead and you know I am the only vampire stupid enough to cross your path." Fane tried to calm Lucan down. Lucan smirked with an untrusting laugh but willing to hear what he had to say. " you need to get Catie out of here as quickly as you can. My father knows that the mountains are a lycan safe haven. he will not hesitate to look there for her. When he does look there many of your kind had better be in hiding because he will not show any mercy towards them when he rips their throats out. I had a feeling I would find you here so I knew I had to stop you."  Fane stayed away from the immortal lycan Lucan as he spoke. He heard this and looked down at the ground for a minute to think of other places we could go. However, he thought he should still go to the mountains to warn his people as king of the lycans. "Where else do you expect us to go vampire Prince?" He spoke sternly. He doesn't really trust or like fane. He knows fane has always been the one not to choose a side unless necessary. Fane is intelligent like that. He stays to himself but with several plots to get what he wants. " I know of a place not far from where we are. It is still close to Brasov but my father would never think to look there. It would save you all time. You were probably here after the lady of the lake sent you when it was built. It is open to tourists but not all of it. There are some closed off areas, a few bedrooms. Tell me, do you remember the pales castle?" He asked Lucan as he paced around. He knew this was the perfect place to hide. It has electricity, heat, and the vampires never use it. "Yes I do. If memory serves correctly that is where I spilled the blood of Vladimir Dracula proving the tales of his death and burial a myth. It's to bad, I could be known for killing him all over the world but those damned humans would never believe such a thing. You are right but I must warn my people to get away from the mountains. Show me how I can trust you so I can leave them in your care. If that is alright with you." Lucan wanted to test him. He wanted to know why fane was siding with the lycans this time. Fane usually stays out of affairs involving both vampires and werewolves fighting. He wondered what fane would want in return. He pushed waiting for an answer from the Royal vampire. "I am the one that helped Catie escape. And the one that told her of her pregnancy. I'm the one really behind the massacre of my own kind. I will do anything to break away from my fathers rule and his coven." Lucan knew he wanted something he just didn't know how bad he wanted it. He decided it was ok to trust him. If he wants something like this so badly there is a likely chance no harm will come to Catie and Daimon. " alright. I trust you but if you lay a finger on either of them I will spill your blood like I did your grandfather's, vampire." Lucan gave a strong threatening impression. He did not like being taken lightly when it came to agreements with vampires. "I will have to wake them now. My father knows nothing of my whereabouts and I have a limousine ready to transport them. We can not walk if we wish to get there in time before sun rise. Go to your people I will take care of everything here." Fane was grateful to the domineering lycan. Lucan gave one glance over at us, then fane before running off in the night to warn the others. 
               Fane walked up to us and tapped me on the shoulder. He didn't want to wake me but he didn't exactly want to wake up Daimon either after what happened at Darcy's. He knew he had no choice but to wake me while I slept in Daimons arms. He gazed at me for a few seconds to mezmorize over my beauty. Oh, how he wished I was his but he knew I was bound to Daimon. He thought of Daimon as a lucky man for being with me. He only got to know me for a few hours and half the time he had to be cold and harsh. Daimon got to know me more than he ever will. "Catie..." He poked at me until one of my eyes opened. It's still really hot...this whole fever issue is getting old. "Fane...what are you?...where's Lucan?!" Waking up and realizing what was happening. I freaked out to think the vampires were on to us. "Shhhh...." Fane hushed me. Oh, there aren't any vampires, just him. But why is he?...Daimon rolled over groaning like a bear, still asleep. Fane faced me now. " come with me and bring your lover along. I'll explain everything, later."