Secrets Of Sanctuary Hospital Nightmare Of The Dark Shadows Read online

  Chapter Three - The Search Commences

  Andrew’s lips are moving. I fight through my deadening senses to hear him. “Don’t give up hope, Lucas is still looking and everyone here will assist in the search. Did you get anything more from connecting to them while I was gone?”

  I can’t stop the tears streaming down my cheeks. “They aren’t traveling by car any longer. They were being carried to some confinement place. Kayla and Nicholas are still unconscious. Jacob was coming out of the stupor but they knocked him unconscious again. I can’t tell how badly he is hurt because I went to concentrate on Nicole hoping to get some information about what was happening to him, to them, but she started shutting down and my connection was broken. What if he is really hurt! I left him in his darkness.” The sobs rip from my chest.

  Andrew wraps his arms tightly around me. “He is very strong. I’m sure that he’s fine. Please this is important, what else did you hear?” Although Andrew is trying to be strong for me, I can feel the anxiety radiating in his embrace at the thought of Jacob being hurt.

  Straining to speak, “I could hear the same woman and man fighting. There has to be two other people with them, but they never spoke. The man was threatening to stake Jacob because he was moving around and the woman knocked him down. They were going to confine the children and then go get David. Andrew, they seem to be all members of the same family and wherever they took them, the room they were traveling through is exceptionally cold, I could feel it through either Nicholas or Kayla and the air around them is dank and musty.”

  “What makes you think that they are part of the same family?” He inquires staring at me intensely.

  “When they were arguing, the woman was griping over not disposing of Catherine and Lucas sufficiently and that their taking the children could have gone unnoticed longer if they had help, but the man said that they could only trust family. I don’t understand. If Jonathan returned, could he have engaged a family of demons and vampires to grab them? How many families have all been turned?”

  His eyes dart to the anxious faces of his family and then back to me. “I don’t know how many families have been changed. Usually conversions happen in solitary incidents. Families are seen more with witches. Are you sure that the people who have the children are vampires and not witches or something else?”

  I am about to answer, when a rapid knock at the door draws my attention. Gabriel opens it revealing the concerned faces of Emma and Victor.

  “Are there any leads yet?” Emma inquires crossing the room towards us.

  “Lucas, Eva and Jackson are following our only lead on the car, but we have no identity on the individuals who took them other than Mia’s belief that they are a family of vampires.” Andrew replies.

  Emma interrupts. “Are you sure that it’s a family a vampires?”

  All eyes follow Emma and Andrew as they turn to me. “I know that it is a family because I heard them bickering and the man saying that they could only trust family. They are strong and know about how staking Catherine and Lucas would paralyze them and they can tell that the children’s hearts are beating. I heard them arguing that they were not full vampires like their father.”

  Emma kneels before me. “Mia, is there anything more that would have made you think that they were vampires? I’m only saying this because many witches are familiar with how to stop vampires.”

  “They seemed to be very strong and could witches hear the children’s heart?”

  “Are you sure that they heard the children’s hearts?”

  I consider what she is saying. “No, I guess that I just assumed that they did?”

  Emma places her hands upon mine, turns to Gabriel who nods before she turns back to me. “Mia, I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on everything that you have seen and heard since the children were taken. Maybe you heard something that you are not consciously aware of that is making you think they are vampires. Gabriel will go through this with you. Maybe he can offer a different perspective.”

  “Shouldn’t I be concentrating on getting another connection with the children? One of them hurt Jacob, he’s unconscious!”

  Emma hugs me gently and then sits back on her heels, taking my hands again. “Mia, I spoke to Reginald on my way here. He is on his way and believes that you can even get a message to the children with some help, but right now it is essential that we gather as much information so that we can find them. Do this for me and then I promise I will help you get a message to them.”

  My heart surges forward, beating against my chest at the thought of getting a message to them. I want to argue with her, but finding them is my first priority and if Gabriel can help in that, I need to concentrate and hopefully he can detach himself from the fear I can’t escape to see things that in my panic, I missed. Closing my eyes, I run through what I have seen, heard, and felt as Andrew wipes away my tears.

  When I open my eyes, Gabriel is opening a map and placing it on the table. “Andrew how fast would you say the car was traveling?”

  “About one hundred ten miles per hour, but I doubt they maintained that pace because it would have caught the attention of the police.”

  He is drawing circles from different points on the map as I approach. Lifting his head, his voice sounds confident. “Mia is right they are vampires because they talked about William bringing back a family and not wanting to miss a good meal.”

  As the meaning of his words sink in, my stomach lurches and I can feel the bile rise up my throat. My children are in the hands or barbaric vampires that feed off human beings! Forcing my thoughts away from the dark abyss threatening to engulf me and back to Gabriel, I know I cannot afford to be distracted from finding them.

  Looking at Emma, “How can I get a message to the children?”

  She moves toward me. “Do you remember when we channeled together, how we linked?”

  “Yes, but don’t we have to be together to channel? Are you telling me that I could channel with the children from here?”

  “No, that wouldn’t be possible.”

  Frustrated, my tone is clipped. “Then how do I get a message to them?”

  “Reginald believes that we may be able to utilize Damian’s special powers to compel his energy to send them a message.”

  Damian moves toward us. Taking my hand, he turns to Emma. “Tell me what I need to do.”

  Her features turn serious. “Before I tell you what you have to do, you need to know that it can be dangerous.”

  He interrupts her. “It can’t be any more dangerous than our not knowing where the children are and what they are facing, so just tell me what we need to do in order to get them the message.”

  Emma grips Damian’s shoulders. “You need to understand the risk first. When you channel with Mia and project yourself there, you utilize and set forth your energy to manifest an image. Although from what Mia heard and Gabriel confirmed, we have reason to believe they are vampires, we don’t know if they are linked with demons or black witches. When you manifest your image, your energy could be trapped wherever the children are depending upon who and what we are dealing with, whether they detect you, and if they have the ability to trap you, or at least part of your essence. Do you remember when the demon came back through Mia and we disposed of it?”

  “Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” Damian quips.

  “In order for you to project through channeling, you will not have full and immediate control over the energy you transfer to manifest the image. If you are detected and they are prepared to catch your energy, in the momentary delay, part of you could be captured and trapped there causing you to remain immobile and in a semiconscious state here.”

  “You have not told me anything that would deter my going, so we should get started.” He states confidently, but his eyes shift to Serena and I catch their brief, but very worried glances.

  Grasping his hand, “Are you sure you want to do this?”


  A determined stare overtakes his features. “You know how we feel about them. They are the children that we could never have, so just tell me what you want me to tell them and let’s get started.”

  I hug him fiercely and we head toward the circle. As we sit, Emma follows. “Would you mind if I channel with you? I may be able to detect if there is any danger and let Damian know before he can be taken.”

  I rearrange the circle before we join hands.

  “Mia, you concentrate on connecting with the children and I will concentrate on our channeling with you, this way your attention will not be split. Gabriel can you look on and see if you get anything that Mia may pick up through the connection.”

  Everyone is moving around us, but I block them out, concentrating only on the children’s picture which I hold in my hand before placing it in Damian’s. As their beautiful faces flow through my thoughts, the faint echo of their beating hearts surrounds me. Emma’s voice rings quietly through my consciousness. “Mia, concentrate on them but allow your mind to accept our presence so we can travel with you.”

  The children’s beating hearts become clearer. I feel the cold floor below them, their wrists feel weighted down by some sort of heavy metallic cuff, but I no longer feel the hood over their face. My heart quickens, if they don’t care about whether or not the children see their faces that could mean… I stop myself. I need to concentrate and not speculate! I force myself to focus on the coldness of the floor, until I remember that I am connecting to either Nicholas or Kayla who have yet to regain consciousness. I need to connect with Jacob or Nicole. The effects of the ether will dissipate with them quicker. Hopefully, they are awake and focusing on their surroundings so as to give us some clue as to where they are being held. Concentrating on the next heart, I am more aware of the shackles binding me and the roughness of the floor. I can feel their mind fighting its way through a sea of confusion as the last remnants of ether impair their systems.

  As I fight to get a stronger connection, I feel their encroaching fear as they finally regain consciousness. I must have connected to Nichole. As her eyes meet Jacob’s, I can feel a lump in her throat, strangling her words. “What do you think they will do to us?”

  “I don’t know, but we have to try to get out of here before we give them an opportunity to do anything. Can you break free from the chains?”

  My relief at hearing Jacob’s strong response is cut short as the terrifying thought of their being chained and trying to do anything that may put them in further danger overtakes me. Before my own fear severs our connection, I concentrate on Nicole’s strangled whisper.

  “My hands are bound too tight. They’re not budging. Do you think that mom and dad know we are missing by now?” Despite her hushed tone, I can hear her hysteria rising.

  “I’m not sure. Do you have any idea how long we’ve been out?”

  As I squeeze Damian’s hand, I feel Nicole’s shock as his faint reflection appears before them. “We know that you are missing. We are looking for you now. Your mother is with you and can feel you and see what you are seeing. Try to observe as much as you can, any information which you can send her way will help. We love you and we are all here, we are searching. Remember, the less information that you give to them and the more you can discern, the more it will help to keep you safe. We love you very much.”

  Approaching footsteps echo from a hallway. Grabbing Emma’s hand, I see Damian’s reflection vanish as Nicole and Jacob hang their heads feigning unconsciousness. Listening intently, the door creeks open, someone takes two more steps and then the door slams shut and the footsteps fade. Although their hearts are pounding wildly with fear, and Nichole’s eyes are veiled by tears, I can see hope lightening Jacob’s features knowing that we are looking for them and I am in some form with them. My heart aches to comfort my precious daughter as her tears stream down her face.

  Jacob’s features turn worrisome as he stares upon his sister. His voice turns soft and comforting like his fathers. “Nicole, please don’t cry, this is good news, they know that we are missing and they will find us.”

  “But we traveled a long time and the car was going so fast, what if we traveled too far for them to find us?”

  “Do you think that distance will stop them? They would go to the ends of the earth to get us back. We need to help them, if we can. If uncle Damian could reach us, we can’t be so far away. How far can he project anyway?”

  “I don’t know, but he said mom is with us, do you think…” Nichole chokes as if her windpipe is cut off and she strains to finish. “…that they got her too?”

  “No, he said she could see and feel us, I don’t think that she is physically with us. I think that she is with us the way they tried to explain to us before. Remember how she can feel us and hear or see what we are seeing when we are in trouble?”

  “Then what should we do?”

  Jacob looks deep in thought. “If we can’t get out of these chains, we should concentrate, and I mean really concentrate, on what is going on around us. This way, when mom is with us, maybe she will hear or see something that would help them find us.”

  Nicole’s eyes shift from Jacob’s and new panic grips her as she sees her cousins slumped and chained to the floor. “Kayla, Nicholas are you alright? Wake up. Kayla please wake up!” They blur as tears overwhelm her lids again.

  “Nicole, it’s alright. Please don’t cry, they are breathing, I can see their chest moving up and down, they must still be unconscious. It’s alright. Please, if you are crying and they come back, they will know that we are awake and that might not be our best move right now. We should pretend to be unconscious for as long as possible. Maybe uncle Damien will even come back and tell us what we should do.”

  Knowing that Damian doesn’t know what is happening, I break the connection to talk to him and let Andrew know that the kids did see Damian and are looking for instructions. My opening eyes meet their concerned faces.

  “Emma said that we made it through to the kids, did they see and hear me?” Damian inquires anxiously.

  “They did and it made them feel better but they are looking for us to send them some type of instructions. Nicole and Jacob are pretending to be unconscious and Nicholas and Kayla still haven’t come around. Damian, can you go back?”

  “Absolutely, just tell me what you want to tell them.”

  Andrew turns to Emma. “Is there anything that they can do to repel an attack from these vampires or demons, if it comes down to that?”

  There are spells that they can use, but they are very specific depending upon what type of creature is holding them. I hate to say this, but we should wait and see if we can confirm what they are so that we can give them the right type of spell. Otherwise, we can do them more harm than good.” By her hesitant features, I know she caught the skeptical look passing between Andrew and me. Turning toward me, “Mia, I’m not saying that we are not dealing with vampires, I’m just saying that we should make sure that we are not dealing with something more as well.”

  Andrew turns back to Damian. “Tell the children to try to observe as much as possible and not reveal the extent of the powers or that they have powers, if possible. Also,...”

  I put my hand on Andrew to stop him for a moment and turn to Emma. “Emma do you think that they are strong enough to do the protectionist spell upon each other, this way, if they get separated or if one of them gets taken away from the others, they would be able to keep track of each other?”

  “I think that they could do it. They are very strong, they just need to be careful because if their captures see the stars and know about witches, they will know immediately what is going on and that the children are more than just half-vampires.”

  “Can you walk Damian through the spell so that he can tell them about it? I need to talk to Andrew a minute.” Not wanting the others to hear, I get up, and he follows me to the balcony. Although I know Reginald sent them, I don’t want to
risk revealing anything they shouldn’t know.

  He shuts the doors behind him. “What are you thinking?”

  “Is it possible to use the powers to advance death in another way?” By his perplexed features, he doesn’t know where I am heading with this. “Can the powers to advance death be used to incapacitate any type of creature, even if it is only temporary?”

  I can tell by his deep concentration, he is seriously considering the possibility. “I don’t think it would work on vampires because we are already dead and demons do not have human physiology. I don’t think it works the way you are hoping. We could do them more harm than good by putting them in a position where they would be giving more information than there captures have.” From his hesitation, I know there is more.

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Gripping my hand, “Mia, I don’t want to frighten you more, but if they are using people as their food source, they may also be doing other things. I don’t want to place the children in a position where they are forced to use their powers to do anything for these creatures that could ...”

  Knowing where he is going, I thrust my hand up. I cannot allow my mind to venture there, my fear and the nightmarish facts already bombarding my thoughts are difficult enough to fight to bury so that I could continue functioning. Putting my fingertips up to his lips, I plead. “Please don’t say it out loud. If you confirm my worst fears, I won’t be able to concentrate.”

  He enfolds me in his embrace as tears escape my lids. “I’m afraid too, but you have to keep calm and believe that we are going to find them. Come on, let’s go back inside, I’m sure Emma has walked Damian through the spell. You should connect to the kids and give them this information. Don’t focus on anything but connecting with them. While you’re doing that, I’ll see if I can get any information from Lucas, Eva and Jackson.”

  Entering, Emma and Damian are already inside the circle so I join them. “Damian, tell them that we love them again and not to take any chances but to observe and think about anything that could give us a clue as to where they are. Tell them to do the protectionist spell but to be very careful. I know that Jacob’s hearing is the best so tell him to listen intently for any approaching footsteps and to break it off immediately if he hears anything at all.”

  “I promise I will tell them everything. I will make sure that they know again that we are looking for them and love them.”

  Closing my eyes, I’m surprised at how quickly I feel an onslaught of fear which is not my own. I have connected with Nicholas or Kayla who is now aware of their imprisonment. Their eyes are darting frantically around as they shudder from the damp, cold ground and air surrounding them. Pushing past their fear, I concentrate instead on what they are seeing. There is natural light streaming through the room, but I see no windows. Instead, they are surrounded by sand or concrete color walls aligned with chains while the attached rings rest on the floor. I feel myself gasp at the terrifying site and realization that these shackles are imprisoning my children. Nothing, but a few mice or maybe rats, occupy the room. I wish I could tell them to look toward the door and windows, but I can see Damian’s apparition forming and do not want to break our connection for this new request. All eyes are upon him as he whispers that we love them and will find them. Slowly and in hushed tones, he instructs them on the protectionist spell and tells Jacob to listen intently and be sure to break off if there is any indication that someone is approaching. Several frantic footsteps echo from the hallway and he is gone.

  As they come closer, Jacob whispers. “Hang your heads down and don’t move.” The room goes dark and I hear the creak of the door. Someone’s cool hand is on my chin, lifting either Kayla or Nicholas’ head. A momentary flash of relief floods through me as I realize they are good at feigning unconsciousness as their chin is released causing their head to drop.

  A male authoritative voice rings close to my ear. “Did they see you when you grabbed their children?”

  “No, I told you that we were very careful. We even took side roads out of the city. There is no way that anyone can trace this to us.” After a pause, the woman’s voice continues. “I don’t understand, if you want him to suffer, shouldn’t we have let him see us grab the children? Wouldn’t it have been better if he knew exactly who took them and could imagine what his children are going through, he knows what we were capable of, and I’m sure that he has not forgotten the terror in her eyes at what she saw. Wouldn’t it have been much more effective to let his imagination eat away at him as to what they will suffer at our hands before...”

  An angry growl fills the room and reverberates through the floor. Nicholas or Kayla shudders. A crash echoes off the walls, they are fighting, but I don’t hear any reaction from the children other than the locking into place of every muscle of whomever I am connected to. Please don’t let my children be caught in the cross-fire, I pray!

  His angry voice grows louder. “I told you, we will reveal ourselves to him in time. I want to do this in stages. First, let’s see if he can figure it out. In the meantime, we should enjoy the fact that he is suffering not knowing who has them or what is happening to them. Once I am satisfied that this torture is sufficient, we will reveal that we have them. I’m sure he remembers what we did before and fears that our power and love for carnage has only grown over the years, such thoughts will devastate him. Then...” He pauses and his voice sounds calmer, calculating. “I’m getting ahead of myself. How much ether did you give them, they have been out a long time?”

  “We knocked them out with it and then kept it on them in the car.” He grunts. “Have Ana come down in a few hours and see if they are up. Have her bring down water, food or blood. We don’t want them dying before their time. Come on, we should go and eat, I’m sure the family is ready for us now.” He chuckles menacingly.

  As the footsteps retreat, the overwhelming fear of all of the children overwhelms me and I have to fight to keep our connection.

  Nicholas’s voice is strained. “We need to stay calm.”

  “How can you say that? They want us dead!”

  “He didn’t say that.” Nicholas retorts.

  “They want dad to suffer, and won’t do anything to us, at least not know. Once they reveal themselves to dad, he’ll find us. Our family will find us.” Despite Jacob’s whispered tone, he sounds confident. “In the meantime, it doesn’t look like they want to do anything with us but keep us here. They are even sending down food or water, but we need to stay calm or we will get ourselves in trouble and maybe hurt.”

  I can’t believe how well Nicholas and Jacob are thinking. They sound wise beyond their years.

  “It sounds as if no one will be back down here for a few hours. Maybe we should try to do the spell that uncle Damian told us about.” Nicholas notes.

  Kayla interrupts. “You know how mom feels about spells. We aren’t supposed to use them unless we are in school.”

  Jacob’s responds confidently. “Mom wouldn’t mind, she probably even told uncle Damian to tell us about it. Otherwise, how would he know? He’s not a witch. Besides, he said it would help us keep track of each other in case they took one of us somewhere else.”

  Nicole interrupts him. “Even if we did it, what good would it do us if we can’t get out of these chains?”

  Nicholas replies. “We can’t think that way. From the look of this room, these are not very nice people and we need to do anything and everything we can to keep each other safe until someone can reach us.”

  “I don’t think I remember all of the words.” Kayla murmurs panicked.

  “I’m not sure if I remember either.” Nicole chimes in.

  “It’s alright, I think I remember what he said and I can tell you what to say.” Jacob utters calmly.

  Listening as Jacob instructs Kayla and Nicole in the spell, I’m amazed that he remembers it exactly considering his young age and the unbelievable stress and fear they are under. I feel Kayla and N
icole’s joy as they watch the stars fall upon them. Each breathes a sigh of relief as they complete the spell without getting caught.

  My senses bounce and I connect with Jacob as his eyes slowly scan the room taking in every detail. The windows are high up, almost touching the ceiling. They are not covered by glass, only rusted bars. The walls are actually huge concrete type blocks and the entrance way is secured by an ancient dungeon door that you would see in old movies. That’s it! They are being held in an old creepy dungeon.

  Opening my eyes, Andrew is next to me and we are alone. “Where did everyone go?”

  “They went to comb the area where we caught sight of the car. There are several estates in the immediate vicinity and they are seeing if they can catch the children’s scent. They know you felt the children traveling after the car passed there, but staying around here was making everyone nervous and they’re hoping we might get lucky.”

  “How will they know?”

  “Reginald’s friend took scents from the clothes the kids wore. Although they masked the room with ether to cover their trail, Catherine retrieved the kids’ clothes from the hospital. What did you learn?”

  “I think that the kids are being held in some kind of a dungeon.”

  Andrew interrupts me, probably to keep me focused and get as many details from what I saw as possible. “What did you see that made you think that?”

  “The windows are odd shapes with no glass. They have rusted bars across them and are up high, almost to the ceiling. Also, the oversized wooden door is ancient with a large metal ring and an old metal and bar window within it. The walls look sandy colored, like large cinder blocks and they have chains and shackles on them.” I stop talking as my anxiety increases at what I need to tell him next. I grab his shoulders. “I heard them fighting again. One of them couldn’t understand why he didn’t want you to see them grab the children so that you would suffer knowing who had them. Andrew, Jonathan is back!”

  “Are you sure?” In those three words, I could hear the tension of five hundred years straining against his vocal chords.

  “Whoever they are, they are working for him. Who else would want to see you suffer by grabbing the kids?”

  “Did you hear him say that?”

  “Yes! I heard a man’s voice, it may have even been him, but I’m not sure.”

  “Mia, are you sure they’re with Jonathan, because if it is him, remember Reginald put a trace on his energy.”

  “Andrew, we need to find out how to follow the energy because he said...” I can’t push the words past my lips as his words scream in my ears.

  Andrew’s face becomes more anxious by the second. “What did he say?”

  “He…He said that he didn’t… want the kids to… die before their time.” Forcing down a deep breath, my voice becomes slightly clearer. “He is planning on killing them!”

  “Mia, stop. I don’t think he will kill them. He may be only saying that to placate the vampires’ blood lust, they are more useful to him alive. What else did he say? Is there anything that he said that might clue us in to where they are or how long we have until he moves on to the next part of his plan?”

  “He said that he wanted you to suffer, first not knowing who had the children and then he was going to let you know that he had them because that would make you suffer more. Andrew, please we have to find them! I’m afraid of what he is going to do to them to make us suffer. He talked about how you know what he was capable of doing and that his love for carnage has only increased. He has things well planned out and the kids are going to get hurt or killed!” As hysteria rings through my words, Andrew lightly grasps my chin, ensuring that my eyes do not leave his.

  “Mia, we will find them. They will be alright, they are very strong, we just need to make sure who he has helping him so that we can get them the right spells. I’ll call Reginald and see if we can trace his energy or if we need to wait for Reginald to arrive. I know that he is about three hours out from the last time someone spoke to him.” The tension from his grip alerts me that Andrew too is becoming fearful for the fate of our children, despite his trying to speak in a reassuring manner.

  Taking the telephone from his pocket, his hand moves around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. He dials Reginald. “Reginald…” Waiting a moment so that he recognizes it’s Andrew, “Mia says Jonathan is holding the children, would you be able to walk Emma or Mia through tracing his energy so that we could find him?”

  Andrew’s features become more intense. If only I had his hearing, I would know what Reginald is saying.

  “From what she could hear, she is afraid that he is going to hurt them or kill them. The ones he is working with sound pretty unstable.”

  His features freeze, stilling my heart. After a beat, his deadpan tone sends my mind freefalling. “I will let her know.”

  As his eyes meet mine, he can no longer hide his fear and concern. “We can’t trace Jonathan’s energy anymore, can we?” I mutter.

  Releasing me and taking my hands, his response is barely a whisper. “It’s not that we can’t trace it anymore, it is just that Reginald got no indication that he is on this plane so if he is, someone must be blocking him. Reginald thinks that we should wait for him because he is older and has more tricks. If Jonathan is here and detects someone is trying to find him, he will use whatever tricks he has masking himself until finding him wouldn’t matter and...” He closes his eyes and stops talking.

  His sudden silence screams to me the information I cannot bear as the image of our children gone and trapped the way I had envisioned Andrew was all those years ago flashes violently through my mind like a nuclear explosion. Getting up, I can’t stop my wild pacing. A tidal wave of grief envelops me as I see our children being tortured behind a clear immovable wall while we are helpless to save them. My heart seizes, if we had only let Jonathan destroy us the many times he came for us or the night in the woods, Kayla and Nicholas would be safe in Stephan’s arms and Jacob and Nichole would not be suffering. Unaware that I voiced my thoughts out loud, I’m frozen as Andrew grabs my arms and my eyes meet his anguished expression.

  “Mia, you can’t think that it would have been better for you to be destroyed. Our children, all of our children are strong, wonderful and powerful. You need to remember that. Jonathan failed in all of his attempts over you when you were just human and did not even know about your powers. Our children’s souls are stronger that even ours. They will survive this. They will be back with us.”

  I interrupt him. “I know they are strong. That is why the darkness wants to claim them now, before they become so powerful that they cannot be held and manipulated. If I had only allowed Reginald to train them earlier, maybe they would be powerful enough now to at least escape or let us know where they are!”

  Andrew’s arms tighten around mine. “Mia, we did the right thing in not letting them use their powers when they were little. Each year, the light around them grows stronger and brighter. It was a good decision to make them work for what they want and to learn that there are consequences to everyday actions so that their understanding of the repercussions that could result from their utilizing their powers without thinking resulting in unwanted consequences is ingrained in them now. They would have been more susceptible to the temptations of the darkness if they were not developing into the wonderful and caring individuals that they are!”

  “But at least they would have been able to fight back, what if...”

  His fingertips touch my lips, silencing me. “Mia, I know that you are worried. I am too, but we have to have faith that their goodness and love will lead them home to us, the way it led you back to me all those years ago. If Jonathan is involved, he won’t kill them.”

  “What makes you so sure about that! He said he didn’t want them to die before their time.”

  “That may be what he said, but think about it, if he wants us to suffer most, he is going to want to turn them, not kill them
.” As he utters the words, his facial features twist in agony.

  Kissing his fingertips, tears cascade down my cheeks. “Andrew we just need to find them. If you are correct and he won’t kill them, hopefully that will give us enough time. I don’t care what it takes but I will not let him keep them or let them suffer for being our children! If you say we should wait for Reginald, fine, but in the meantime, we need to get Emma here and see if there is any type of protection that we can have them utilize until we can reach them.”

  As he reaches for his phone, the realization of the children’s souls being stronger than ours crashes over me like an avalanche. I can’t breathe. This situation is not as before when I could bargain my essence. What could we bargain with to save them? With our children, Jonathan has four young souls who, if he can manipulate, would be very strong and powerful forces, two of which have celestial powers that could be used to bring carnage to this plane throughout eternity. We have nothing he could want more than that not even our suffering alongside him in hell would be worth giving them up. Turning them over to him will ensure that his past follies are not held against him and he will not only advance in the ranks of his army, but will enjoy the icing on the cake. He could watch us suffer knowing that he was the one who converted our children to serve the darkness. Even if he fails to turn them, his consolation prize is allowing the darkness to destroy them over and over again.

  My head spins wildly as I cannot escape the horrific images of my children consumed in the fiery abyss. I’m falling and feel my head crash against the corner of the table. As I regain consciousness, I feel Andrew’s cool fingers taking my pulse and the couch below me. Emma voice rings through the silence, she is speaking with someone on the telephone.

  “How are you feeling?” Andrew helps me sit up.

  “I’m sorry. How long have I been out?”

  “Just a few minutes” He kisses me on the head before heading toward the minibar. Returning, he hands me some juice. “Mia, we will find them! Reginald will be here soon. When Damian returns, Reginald wants Emma to tell you about a spell that may help the children.”

  “What do you mean may help them?” My eyes dart between the two of them.

  Emma moves toward me. “Do you remember when we grabbed Abigail how Reginald kept the demons back?”

  “Yes, but wasn’t that because we were in some type of other realm.”

  “No, the alternate realm had nothing to do with his being able to use the shield.” She hesitates but then her features turn stoic and she continues. “However, I think that you should know that it only works on demons, it acts as a barrier to them.”

  “Where’s Damian, if we could get them to do that spell at least he would not be able to get to them and drag them anywhere or hurt them!” My heart leaps as a spark of hope lights within me that they will not be lost to him.

  Emma sits before Andrew and I and I can now see that her eyes are full of concern. “Before we do anything, you have to understand what I’m telling you.” She speaks slow and deliberate. “This spell only works on demons. You said that you thought vampires had the children, if they are not also demons, the spell won’t work and it will reveal that they have powers.”

  “But Jonathan knows that they have powers. I’m sure that he has told them.”

  “Mia, all I’m saying is maybe if you could just hold on for a little while longer and try to wait for Reginald, we could see if we find Jonathan and we wouldn’t have to put the children in a position where they would have to try and do this.”

  From her tone, there is more. “What is it that you’re not telling me?”

  Her eyes bore into mine. “Mia, please don’t take this wrong, but I have this feeling that it is not Jonathan that has the children. I know that you said it’s him, you are their mother and I am not doubting your talents, it is just a feeling I have and I can’t really explain it other than there is something telling me that things are not adding up to what we fear. I also know that because of Jonathan’s warning and Reginald’s affection for you and Andrew that Reginald put very powerful spells on Jonathan’s energy so that he would know immediately when Jonathan returned to this plane. It just seems strange that he would not have known Jonathan was back even if he could block his energy, I believe that Reginald would have detected traces because he would have to corporealize first.”

  Knowing how preconceived notions have influenced past situations in my life, I sit mute desperately trying to detach myself from the situation as I rerun each and every detail in my head from the perspective of an observer rather than a terrified mother. Is there anything that confirms that Jonathan has them or could this be something else, a demon Andrew crossed in the centuries he’s occupied this plane?

  “Mia, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to upset you more. Reginald made me promise to tell you about the spell and I will. It’s just that I can’t seem to shake this feeling that it might do us more harm than good at the moment.”

  “You’re not making me more upset, I was just thinking about what you said.” Turning to Andrew, how much longer until Damian returns?

  Getting out his phone, he calls him. “He’s five minutes out.”

  Turning back to Emma, “Will you channel with me again to protect Damian, he needs to tell the children…” Her jaw drops. “I’m not going to have him tell them the spell. I just want them to know that we are working very hard on finding them and to hold on to hope.” Her features relax slightly.

  As hard as waiting is, I know she’s right, any hasty decisions could cause them more harm. We strived to teach them that despite their fears, they always need to try and think calmly and make good decisions, I have to do the same and not let my fears of Jonathan returning for his revenge cloud what is happening now. What if I’m wrong and some other enemy has them who is not aware of their powers and worth to the underworld, I could be placing them in more danger if they reveal their hand. Andrew is right they are very strong, smart, and caring children. Closing my eyes waiting for Damian, I pray that their goodness, strength, and wisdom beyond their young years will be enough to give us time to get to them.

  The door creeks and my opening eyes meet the strained facial features of Damian and Serena, their search turned up nothing.

  “Was there any indication at all near the site?” Andrew’s anguished voice reveals he knows the answer even before voicing the question.

  Walking across the room, Serena places her hand upon his shoulder as defeat rings from her words. “There are several farms and estates in the immediate area. We left the others still checking, but so far there is no trace of the children or the car.” As Andrew’s features darken, she strains to make her voice sound hopeful. “Some of the locals were going to follow the road further up. Don’t get discouraged yet, we’ll find them.”

  Damian sits next to me. “Are you ready to go again?”

  “I am and I need you to get a message to them if you are still willing.”

  Grasping my hand, “like I told you before, they are our family and I am ready to go whenever you are.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, I’m as anxious as you are to have them safe and at home with us. They bring joy not only to your life, but to ours as well and I will do anything to make sure that they are back at Sanctuary soon being tucked in their beds.”

  After telling Damian what I need him to say, I close my eyes in concentration and am surprised that the connection is almost instantaneous and hope that it means that I am getting better and not that the one I connected to is in greater danger! I hear a voice, but it’s not one of the children. Squeezing Emma’s hand, I hope she knows not to let Damian appear.

  The children are still feigning unconsciousness as two female voices ring close to them.

  “Alexandra, what are you doing still standing out here, why haven’t you left the food and joined the hunt?” The woman’s voice doesn’t sound angry, just curious.

>   “I was going to leave it, but then I became afraid. What if they regain consciousness and attack me when I remove their shackles so they can eat?”

  Laughter echoes all around me. “They are just children. From what Kristen told me, they aren’t even full vampires. I’m sure with your abilities you could take them out instantly if one of them even moves.

  The girl interrupts. “Then David will kill me.”

  “Alright, if it makes you feel better, I’ll go in with you and then we can both join the hunt, if you promise to share.” She laughs again.

  “I promise”

  The door creaks loudly. “See, they haven’t even come out of their stupors yet. Put the food down with the water, while I remove one shackle from each of them and then we’ll go.”

  The tray hits the floor and so do the chains. After another moment, the woman’s impatient voice bellows. “Come on, let’s go, I’m starving. We can check on them later and tie up their free hands.” The door slams.

  I have connected to Kayla whose fluttering eyes meet Jacob’s, Nicole’s and Nicholas’. Her stomach churns. As the smell of blood overtakes her senses, vomit spews across the room.

  “It’s alright Kayla, stop breathing through your nose. Breathe through your mouth.” Nicholas murmurs calmly.

  “Kayla take this and take small sips of water, you’ll feel better soon.” Nicole hands her some water.

  “What if they poisoned it, should we really drink or eat anything?” Kayla’s voice is fearful.

  Jacob takes and examines the bottle. “The caps are sealed. They didn’t poison it. They want us alive. Besides, if they wanted us dead, I don’t think that they would bother with poison. If we don’t keep up our strength we will not be prepared for what might happen later or what we might have to do.”

  As she sips slowly, her stomach calms. “Thank you for covering the blood with the dish, it is much better now that I can’t really smell it anymore.” She says quietly.

  “I told you not to worry, we will be alright if we just do what we have always been taught and think before we let things get out of control around us. Can anyone loosen their remaining shackle?”

  The chains clink and bang against the hard floor before I hear a frustrated humph, which I know is Jacob before Nicholas’ frustrated tone overshadows the others grunts. “It’s no use, as old as they are, I can’t break it.”

  “Try to work on the ground connection, maybe we can get that lose.” Jacob replies.

  Nicole’s voice sounds extremely frustrated. “It won’t budge and inch, it has probably been wedged in here for centuries, why couldn’t it just be rusted through like some of the other ones.”

  “Nicole, it’s alright, we knew it probably wouldn’t work. Don’t waste all your strength on it. Eat and drink something. We just have to be patient and wait for our opportunity.” Jacob replies trying to calm her.

  Squeezing Emma’s hand to let her know to send Damian, I hear Kayla’s excited voice. “Uncle Damian your back!”

  “He can’t hear you Kayla, remember, he can only appear and give us messages.” I’m stunned that Nicole remembered.

  “Your mom is back and can feel and see what you do.” I hear him tell them about the spell to loosen the chains but when they try and fail, we know they have a spell that we are unable to decipher that is blocking our attempt. Squeezing Emma’s had twice, she alerts Damian to go into the alternative speech. “Although I can’t see you, I love you and we want you to know that we know you are being held in a dungeon. We are all looking very hard for you and have brought in some very powerful friends. Keep calm. You are doing such a good job at watching out for each other and thinking before you act. Listen as closely to everything around you as possible and try to remember as much as you can. Try not to reveal that you have powers, we are trying to find some spells that will help you. We are very proud of you for staying calm, we love you and I will try to let you know when your mother is with you.”