SCROLLS OF THE DEAD-3 Complete Vampire Novels-A Trilogy (82 page)

Upton won't win this personal war. Mentor defeated him—and so will I.

To while away the hours when awake, but groggy with the drugs they fed him, he sometimes thought dreamily of Danielle. She'd promised to wait for him. He'd called her when he returned home with Jeremy, but he hadn't been able to meet with her before he was following his mother to Mentor's house, joining the battle.

Danielle had been so happy to hear from him. They talked of her college courses and her family. She'd delicately refrained from asking questions about where he'd been. She said she loved him. She missed him terribly, and she loved him.

Now he was missing from her life once more, this time without any explanation or good-bye. How long would it be before he heard her voice again? He couldn't hope she would wait for him if his imprisonment stretched from months into years.

But, God, it couldn't last for years. He wouldn't think of that again.

The roof rattled above his head, and he looked up to see one of the guards lifting it and dropping onto him.

Here they came again to beat him. They knew his thoughts, they monitored his dreams. They beat him near to death when they thought he made too much sense, even in his own mind.

"Stop it," he yelled, holding up his arms to protect himself. "Stop it, stop it!"

They never listened, they never relented. He tried to give as good as he got, but all his supernatural strength had fled him. The chemicals filling his bloodstream had stolen everything.

When he was conscious again, his mouth tasted of dirt and he found himself face down in the pit. He sat up, dying of thirst, and lunged for the canteen. He drank deeply of the tainted water, gulping down the liquid until his belly expanded.

He sat back, his bones aching, and his bruises still evident. By tomorrow they would have faded and his body would be ready again to accept his captors' abuse. He even healed more slowly now.

He looked up at the night sky and saw it was nearing dawn. He'd been unconscious for hours. The moon, the yellow moon he called his own, was gone from sight. But not his hope. It was as vibrant and alive as the breath he drew and the slow beat of his dhampir heart.

He had hope for the future, knowing it awaited him. Hope that he'd see Danielle again, and his mother, and his father.

Hope he'd rise as a phoenix from the lowly pit.

They couldn't take that from him.

Chaper 12

Dell woke with the sound of her son's voice echoing in her mind. He was calling to her. He was in a . . . jungle.

She threw back the covers and swung her legs to the floor. Ryan woke and sat up in bed. "What's wrong?"

"Malachi called to me. He's being held in some kind of jungle."

Ryan remained speechless.

Dell hurriedly dressed. She put on jeans and a matching blouse. She slipped on hiking boots.

"Where are you going?" her husband asked.

"To find him. I can't wait any longer. I know he's alive now. I have to find him."

Ryan came from bed and put his arms around her. "Don't cry," he said. He held her tighter. "You'll find him, I know you will."

She pulled away, wiping her eyes. "It might take me a while. It might take a long time. There are so many jungles . . ."

"I'll be here when you get back, waiting for both of you."

She kissed him and hugged him close. "I love you," she said. "I'll call you. I'll call every day I can. Tell Mentor I've gone. If I need him, I'll let him know."

Outside the house, Dell took a deep breath. She had waited for just this kind of message. She had never despaired and thought Malachi dead. Now she knew for certain he lived and she'd find him, no matter how long it took.

A jungle. Somewhere in the world. They held him prisoner.

It had been the faintest of messages, but she knew it was Malachi. It hadn't been a dream, a wish fulfillment. He lived in a jungle and something kept him from contacting her until now. He was weak, his powers lessened. But he was alive.

Where should she look first?

The most famous jungle that occurred to her was the Amazon. She would go there, then. She'd contact other vampires, looking for clues. As fast as she could move, it would not take her years the way it might a mortal. She hoped it might only take months, if that long.

She looked around the ranch once more, sighing at the thought of leaving her home, her husband. She had planted the roses and four o'clocks. She had watched the trees grow and mature. She gazed out at the herd of cattle in the fields where they rested quietly.

She'd be back and her son with her.

Chapter 12

Dell woke with the sound of her son's voice echoing in her mind. He was calling to her. He was in a . . . jungle.

She threw back the covers and swung her legs to the floor. Ryan woke and sat up in bed. "What's wrong?"

"Malachi called to me. He's being held in some kind of jungle."

Ryan remained speechless.

Dell hurriedly dressed. She put on jeans and a matching blouse. She slipped on hiking boots.

"Where are you going?" her husband asked.

"To find him. I can't wait any longer. I know he's alive now. I have to find him."

Ryan came from bed and put his arms around her. "Don't cry," he said. He held her tighter. "You'll find him, I know you will."

She pulled away, wiping her eyes. "It might take me a while. It might take a long time. There are so many jungles . . ."

"I'll be here when you get back, waiting for both of you."

She kissed him and hugged him close. "I love you," she said. "I'll call you. I'll call every day I can. Tell Mentor I've gone. If I need him, I'll let him know."

Outside the house, Dell took a deep breath. She had waited for just this kind of message. She had never despaired and thought Malachi dead. Now she knew for certain he lived and she'd find him, no matter how long it took.

A jungle. Somewhere in the world. They held him prisoner.

It had been the faintest of messages, but she knew it was Malachi. It hadn't been a dream, a wish fulfillment. He lived in a jungle and something kept him from contacting her until now. He was weak, his powers lessened. But he was alive.

Where should she look first?

The most famous jungle that occurred to her was the Amazon. She would go there, then. She'd contact other vampires, looking for clues. As fast as she could move, it would not take her years the way it might a mortal. She hoped it might only take months, if that long.

She looked around the ranch once more, sighing at the thought of leaving her home, her husband. She had planted the roses and four o'clocks. She had watched the trees grow and mature. She gazed out at the herd of cattle in the fields where they rested quietly.

She'd be back and her son with her.

Chapter 13

It had been a year. A long, desperate year of searching. Dell fought the fatigue of endless and fruitless days and nights. She had never again gotten a mental message from Malachi. She wouldn't give up, however. He wasn't dead, any more than he'd been dead before his plea reached her on that long ago night in her sleep.

She ran into vampires who gave her bad information, wrong information, and deceptive information. She followed down every possible avenue until it led to a dead end. She met renegades who threatened her, Predators who hadn't time to waste on her plight, Cravens who whined about their own lost or dead loved ones. She went to Naturals and pleaded with them to set up a worldwide network to share information.

She had trudged through the Amazon, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and most of Asia. She used to call home to Ryan every day, but her treks took her into the interior of wild lands where she couldn't call. She sent messages to Mentor, instead, who relayed to Ryan where she was so he wouldn't worry. She almost went home a few times, but every time she thought she had to go back and give up this hopeless mission, she thought of her son's sad, broken voice echoing in her mind. How could she give up on her son and leave him a prisoner? She straightened her shoulders and went on.

Mentor told her to go to Egypt, to Cairo, and to see Vohra. He was an ancient and he might be able to help her. She was in the city now, depressed by the steady sunlight and the dry climate. She was directed to a grand palace of a building where Vohra lived. She asked at the door to see him. She hadn't been invited. She didn't know if he would turn her away.

The servant returned to the door after announcing her visit and allowed her inside. She was taken to a courtyard in the center of the building. She stepped outside and saw the great vampire sitting by a pool. He was dropping pellets into the water. He turned at her approach and she saw he was only a boy, a teen, younger than her own son.

"The body is deceptive," he said in English. "You look like a girl, yourself. Please sit."

She lowered herself to a cushion placed near the pond. She saw giant koi fish swimming in the dark depths. They swirled to the top and gulped the food before twisting and diving to the bottom.

"Your missing son is a dhampir?"

"Yes. He's been gone eighteen months."

"The one who has him has used the time well." She wondered what he meant.

He spoke again, reading her mind. "He has an army again. But he isn't ready to use it."

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Thailand."

She almost leaped to her feet. She'd been through Thailand and there had been no one there who knew of Upton or his people so she had moved on.

"Did you know before now?" she asked.

He shook his head. He fed the fish, walking around the edge of the pool. It was encircled with brilliant tiles that reflected the sun.

"I did not know. It is only recently a visitor came who knew of the boy and the imprisonment. He was a former captain under your son's kidnapper. He defected and feared reprisal. He came to me to ask for sanctuary."

Dell thought she would explode with newfound happiness. Malachi would come home with her. She'd find and rescue him.

"This is the man who knows where he is," Vohra said, pointing to a shadowy figure coming into the courtyard. He walked into the sunlight.

Dell rose and greeted him. "You know where he is? Malachi? Is he well? Is he strongly guarded?"

The vampire put up his hand to stop her questions. "Please," he said. "Sit down and I'll tell you everything." As the sun lowered and the courtyard grew cool and shady, Dell sat with the Predator and learned all that she could, every detail, leaving out nothing. Vohra had left them alone and not come back. When it was almost dark, servants came with lanterns, placing them all around the pond.

By full dark Dell possessed all the information she needed. This would not be another dead end, another lie. Malachi was not in good health, either physically or mentally. He was treated like a monkey. He was taunted, drugged, and mistreated daily. It was a wonder he had lasted this long, the Predator said. Her heart squeezed into a tight fist at that news. But he was alive. Alive.

The former captain told her he had once slipped her son extra food. He'd had a moment of weakness and felt pity for the youth. He'd been caught. Upton took him away and tortured him for days. When he let him go, he escaped and had come to Vohra for protection. There was no one who could save him from Upton except this ancient vampire in Cairo.

"You'll need help," the captain said to Dell. "The hills there are full of guards. They're brainwashed and loyal to the death. If they think Malachi is about to be rescued, they'll kill him before you get within a hundred yards."

Dell thanked the vampire and went to a servant asking about Vohra. She wanted to thank him. She was told the master had left the house and would not return tonight. He might not return for days. They would relay her message to him upon his return.

Dell left the building, feeling horrified at her son's torture and exhilarated at the thought she could free him.

She found a telephone and waited anxiously while she put in the overseas call. Ryan answered before the second ring.

"I've found him," she said simply. "Tell Mentor to come. Tell him to bring as many to help us as he can.”

“Where is he?" Ryan asked.

"Thailand. The place where Mentor had Upton imprisoned."

"I thought you went there."

"I did, but he was too well-hidden."

"So you're sure he's there, you're sure it's Malachi?"

She assured her husband, hung up, and stood in the lobby of the hotel where she'd made the call. The world now was so bright and new. She noticed the colors in the carpets, the satiny paint on the walls, the chandeliers overhead shining so brilliantly, holding back the dark. She would always love Cairo. She would never forget Vohra.

And soon, she would get back her son. She would save him.

Chapter 14

The dark, bulbous clouds covered the sun and another monsoon threatened. Malachi stared at the sky without blinking until his eyes burned and began to water.

From out of the sky, a chunk of bread fell, but he didn't want it. They couldn't hand him his food. They had to throw it into the pit, for the pig. He would not eat it.

He hadn't eaten in two days. They doubled the drugs in his water to compensate. It tasted like bitter oranges. He drank as little as possible.

"You should eat," the guard said. "You're only killing yourself slowly."

Malachi wouldn't answer. What did they care if the prisoner died of starvation? It was none of their affair. This was between him and his creator, whoever that was.

The rain began. It didn't start with a sprinkle or a shower. It came down in gunmetal sheets right from the start. Boom. Dark sky, black clouds, earsplitting thunder, and then boom—sheets of rain so heavy they might as well have been shovels of dirt filling the air. The rain slicked down Malachi's long, unruly hair. It sluiced over his body and began to fill the hole he stood in. The torn bit of bread floated, soaked up enough water to resemble pig fat, and sank.