Blood, Fangs, and Psychopaths

Chapter 16

Carefully we make our way up to the front door, I didn't know whether or not I would be welcome, whether they would trust me, whether it was even them that had turned the lights on within the mansion. Terror courses through me as my heart beats in my throat, nothing I could do could calm the incessant beating.

"What is this place?" Morgana mutters beneath her breath as she stares up at the enormity of the house that looms above us.

"That would be my house." The growling voice comes from behind us and I curse myself for letting my guard down for even a moment. I carefully turn around, as if coming face to face with a wild animal, to face Ronan as he looms over Morgana and I.

"Hey." I squeak the words through my tight throat. I want to throw my arms around him and bury my face in his chest. To tell him that Emmett is alive, to tell him about everything I had seen within William's compound. Before I know it Morgana has started spilling her life story to Ronan, not leaving a single bloody detail out as she tells him of the compound, of Markus, of Emmett and finally of our assigned mission of death. He stares at the young girl, his face void of emotion as he continues to listen to her before reaching out carefully and patting her shoulder awkwardly. Ronan looked older, even though I know he hasn't aged a day, his eyes seem exhausted and his skin sunken in hard lines around his mouth. He pushes the front door open without a word and I step back into the familiar hall I had left behind what seems like centuries ago. Nothing has changed, the air still smells of vanilla and sandalwood, somewhere in the maze of rooms a haunting melody echoes from a piano. I feel the tears resurfacing as I stare at the wall infront of me, anger and fear swirling within my soul. The music stops with a loud crash, wood scraping across wood, footsteps echoing down the hallway towards us.

"Adeline." I can barely bring myself to face the anger that swirls around Annabella like a hostile thunderstorm, I feel Morgana shrink away from my side and I brace myself for impact, an impact that never hits. Rather I feel soft, cold arms wrap around my shoulders and soon enough violent sobbing wreaks havoc through my body as I finally give in to the emotions that had been haunting me since I left their sides. Annabella holds me as I tell her everything, as I show her the things I had seen and done, the things I fear I will go through before this is over. More footsteps sound and I can hear Alexander and Lauren speaking in hushed tones; Lauren's voice is pleading, her father's is stern and disapproving. By the time I have the energy to raise my head from her shoulder they have all gathered around us, Lauren and Morgana eyeing each other curiously across the room. Hopefully the girls would have time to be just girls when all of this is over, they could maybe even find friendship in their strange lives.

"I'm so sorry." I rub my hands across my face before looking at Annabella and Ronan as they stand side by side.

"I would have done the same." Annabella shrugs slightly and glances at Ronan, when he remains silent she drives her elbow into his ribcage sharply, a puff of breath escaping his lips before he regains composure to glare down at her. "What Ronan is struggling to say is that you were right about Ophelia, about them hiding something, or actually a lot of somethings." Ronan huffs loudly, crossing his arms across his chest, his eyes resting anywhere but mine.

"I failed you." His voice is rough, disappointment seething through every syllable, his eyes continuing to avoid my gaze. "I was under a spell, a strong spell, one that Ophelia would never have been able to cook up herself, not even with the help of every witch in the coven. William had gotten to the coven before us, he had bribed them with 'safety', promising to return the witch he had taken from them months prior if they cooperated with his demands. Annabella had found an altar, an altar built to complete the binding spell and when she destroyed it I was released. Ophelia confessed to everything, although her begging fell upon deaf ears." Finally, his eyes meet mine and I see the pain that swirls within them, pain and anger. He blamed himself for what had happened when we were with the coven. Without a word I walk over to him and wrap myself around him, pressing my face into his hard chest and holding onto him until the tension eases from his muscles. "You don't hate me?" His words are soft, his voice practically breathless and I can only imagine the thoughts that flit through his head.

"Of course I don't hate you!" I sigh softly and step back from him. "You couldn't have beaten the spell on your own, and I know that for a fact. William has the strongest witches and demons under his command, captured and caged within his compound." I take another step back and I feel something rush through me that I hadn't felt in months, that I hadn't really felt complete without it. Determination, a drive to complete what had to be done, forces its way through my veins and I feel a new level of focus settle over me.

"We have to make a plan. A plan to break the others out." Morgana's voice seems small, distant and worried as she steps closer to me once more. "I don't know much, but I know William's compound, both the cages where we were kept and the house in which he lives above. He used to let his demon lover babysit me when I was younger." Her shoulders shudder at his name and the mention of Lilith's presence in her life.

"I have an idea." I rub my hands together as the plan rolls back and forth within my mind, it wasn't perfect and I would need Annabella and Ronan to pull allot of strings to get it underway. "We plan a jailbreak. We're going to need help and a lot of it but I think we'll be able to pull it off if we plan it right." I look up at the others as a murmur shivers through the group; Ronan is nodding but Annabella and Alexander are speaking in hushed voices off to the side.

"I can draw a map of the compound, and then when we get there I'll be able to disable.." Before Morgana can finish her sentence Ronan steps forward intrupting her. Anger flashes in her eyes, bright as lightning at the interruption from the man who was still a stranger.

"There's no way we're taking her back there, she is just a child." I wish he had kept his mouth shut, it may have saved him the pain that was about to hit him as Morgana reaches towards him with her hand. From her outstretched fingers I can see the electricity arching back and forth and in split seconds Ronan is on the ground twitching silently for a moment before becoming completely still.

"You didn't kill him did you?" I stare at her in shock, I had never before seen her use her powers on anything other than inanimate objects.

"He's fine. But I am not a child, I won't let people treat me like a child. I'm just a few years younger than you and you seem to be able to handle yourself well." Her voice is soft, but the anger is evidently bubbling beneath the surface. It was evident that she regretted her choice to show Ronan exactly how powerful she was, but I know that it was the only way she knew to get someone's attention.

"Hell, kid you pack a punch." Ronan practically croaks as he sits up from the floor, his hair sizzling with static as he runs his hand through it roughly. Annabella chuckles softly behind her hand, earning a glare from her ruffled brother on the floor. 

"Now that we've established that everyone can play a part in the jailbreak, I have an idea of how to pull this off. But we're going to need help. And a lot of it." I rub my eyes roughly, exhaustion tugs at my mind, pulling my body in all different directions as I try to keep my thoughts straight.

"Tell us your plan so you can lie down, you don't look too good." Annabella is by my side in an instant, I didn't want to admit it but I leaned on her a great deal as we made our way into the elaborate living room and over to the ornate couch.

"We gather everyone we know. Every being we know has been affected by William and if they think they haven't they do not know the people who are forced to live beneath his compound. He has one of each of us, he forces them to play his games, holding the people they love as hostages, making them do as he pleases for they fear he will kill them all." I sag back against the couch as the last bit of energy seeps into my words. "Ronan talk to the Blackwater Pack, tell them of Markus and Emmett, tell them what is being done to their brothers. Alexander? Speak to your kin, the ancients must have anger towards the monster who has ensnared and bred their sisters with demons against their will. Annabella? Talk to the witches, to the mother of the covens, tell her of the atrocities her daughters have faced beneath William's rampage and slaughter. We have to put a stop to this, I have to make sure he hurts no one else. Never again." Exhaustion shreds through me, I feel my eyes roll back in my head but I do not care, for I feel the peace of sleep pull me away from reality and towards the darkness. I feel myself smile as I see Emmett reaching out for me, but is suddenly replaced with a scream of terror as a knife is dragged across his throat, blood running down his bare chest.