Unraveling Soren by Marisa Maichel (books under 200 pages txt) 📕

Using our noses, we headed out.

“Spencer’s scent is kind of musky,” I said. “Almost like pine.” I received a grunt in return.

We reached a bloodbath about a mile in. I gasped, and I heard my uncle suck in an unneeded breath of air.

Spencer was laying in the middle of the forest floor, a stake sticking out of his stomach. Isaiah, the teen vampire in Bartimaeus’ clan, was applying pressure. I noticed that his leg was broken.

“You little whelp,” Bartimaeus himself said. “Clan traitor!”

“This is wrong,” Isaiah said.

“Bartimaeus!” My uncle shouted. Bartimaeus jerked his head up and glared at us. Then he reached forward, grabbed Isaiah’s head, and started to tear it off. I ran forward, much to my uncle’s protests, and kicked Bartimaeus in the groin. He dropped like a hot potato, and then I went to Spencer and took my shirt off. I put it around the wound.

Uncle Soren picked Spencer up and started heading home. I was knocked down by someone jumping on my back. I rolled over and punched Bartimaeus. He wrapped his hands around my throat, squeezing hard. Isaiah jumped on Bartimaeus back, and the evil vampire rolled around and kicked him hard in the chest. I heard ribs breaking.

“All right, I’ve had enough,” Uncle Soren said. He set Spencer down and reached around and tore off Bartimaeus’ head as smoothly as he’d ever torn off a head. Bartimaeus opened his mouth, but no noise or words came out. Isaiah was already digging a hole with his sharp nails.

We buried his head and I tore off the rest of his limbs. We buried them about six feet apart from each other. Any information, we could get out of Isaiah.

Uncle Soren put Spencer over his shoulder again. I grabbed my bloody shirt.

“I’m taking him to the hospital,” Uncle Soren said. “Reese, go home. Take Isaiah. Question him.”

I grabbed Isaiah by the shirt and dragged him home, where Mitra informed me that Ethan had taken Toby to the hospital. She looked around me.

“Where’s Soren?”

“Hospital,” I answered. She gasped. “Not for him. For Spencer. I’m supposed to take this trash into the dungeon and question him.”

“Mind if I tag along?”

“Not at all.”

I had Isaiah tied up in a chair, and Mitra was holding the button that would shock him if I didn’t like his answers. I’d even installed a cat flap in the dungeon door so that the cats could watch if they wanted to. Shadowfang was kicking himself for not helping, but I told him that everyone was fine. Or would be.

Isaiah was nervous, looking afraid.

“What were you planning to do today?” I asked, trying to look fierce. Isaiah burst into tears.

“I tried to stop it,” he said. “Bram said that if we took your two most important guards out, that he’d have a clear field. The clan is run by Bram, not Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is his second-in-command. He said he’d do anything for him; they’re brothers.”

“You mean good friends?”

“No, they’re literally brothers. Bram is older than Bartimaeus by ten minutes. Twins, actually. Bartimaeus made some kind of mistake years ago, and he’s trying to redeem himself by helping Bram destroy your coven so he can rule the vampire race.”

“That was fast,” Mitra said.

“Hang on,” I said, “How do you know all this?”

“I’m Bartimaeus’ fledgling. He came to Arizona, found me, and changed me. He knew where your house in America was. Spencer and Toby sort of knew what was going on, so they came to stop us. But Bartimaeus attacked Toby, then Spencer. He forced me to watch, trying to teach me to become a killer. I’m so sorry.”

“Did Spencer follow him after Toby was attacked?”

“Yes. He wanted to lead Spencer away, so he could hide his body easier in the forest.”

“More easily.”

“What?”

“The correct grammatical term is “more easily.””

“Does it matter, Reese?” Mitra reminded me.

“Everything matters. I almost lost one of my best friends today, and his mate. Not to mention a fantastic bodyguard. Okay, let him go.”

Mitra untied Isaiah, getting a brief shock herself. She rubbed her hand, and we released Isaiah. I gave him Ambrose’s contact, and gave him some money for a plane trip to Germany.

Uncle Soren came back a few hours later, looking grave.

“Toby’s asleep, now. He’s going to survive, but it doesn’t look so good for Spencer. I didn’t get to him in time. What did you find out?”

I told him what I’d found out and what I’d done.

“Better call Ambrose,” he reminded me.

I did. Ambrose said he’d be delighted to have Isaiah, and promised to call me as soon as he found him. I told him what Isaiah looked like and his age.

“He’s a new fledgling, so be nice,” I told him.

“Aren’t I always?” he teased. “I’ll watch over him and teach him as best I can.”

“Thank you. Where do you live now?”

“In a house out in the country. I still own the castle, but it’s far too large for me now. I even have a car and several jobs. I work from home.”

“That’s good. I have to thank you for taking him in. We just can’t right now.”

“I need the company. Lord knows I like my boys.”

“Ambrose, control yourself,” I warned.

“Nothing will ever compare to you, Reese. But I know you’re in love with that girl. The one with the round breasts and the wide, round hips and the curly hair and the bright green eyes. What’s her name? Samantha?”

“It’s Sarah,” I reminded him, realizing that he was purposely trying to aggravate me. “Goodbye, Ambrose.”

“Goodbye, my beautiful boy.”

Now I had to call Father. I shot him a text.

Father: Soren already told me everything. I can’t leave, and neither can Father, but we’re sending guards over there.

I took a long shower, threw my bloody clothes into the wash, then went to bed. I sank into the sheets, exhausted. I knew that Uncle Soren was, too, and probably Mitra. Uncle Soren locked up the house, leaving the cat flap open, and I heard him groaning in the bedroom next to mine. He’d

“Stay with me tonight, my love,” he said.

“I want to, but I have to get back to the reservation.”

“Nonsense. Stay with me. The reservation will be fine. I promise.”

“I neglected it once, and lost my best friend. Don’t ask me again.”

“Please, Mitra. I can’t follow you; someone has to stay here with Reese.”

“Oh, all right. Do you have an old shirt that I can sleep in?”

I stopped listening at that point.

I awoke late the next day, which was a Sunday. It was almost noon when I woke up. I had a headache, my brain still fuzzy from the previous day. I felt both hungry and nauseous, and I ran to the bathroom and threw up.

When my stomach was empty, I brushed my teeth for five minutes and took another warm shower. I went downstairs in some clean boxers, before I remembered that a girl was staying here, and rushed back up to put on a pair of basketball shorts.

The blood felt rough going down my throat, and I coughed, spraying blood everywhere, before I was able to regain control and it went down smoothly after that. Mitra was already sitting in front of the television, watching The Golden Girls.

“I remember when this show came on,” she said. “Nana said it was one of the funniest shows she’d ever seen. These women are middle-aged, and they act like teenagers sometimes.”

“I know of at least two grown vampires who act like teenagers,” I said, thinking of Louis and Kieran. She grinned, then switched it to YouTube, and started watching Ed Edd n’ Eddy.

“What about the reservation?” I asked.

“I called. Everyone’s fine. Except for my pseudo-sister, she got dumped by her boyfriend for the fifth time. I keep telling her he’s a loser to and to forget about him, but I know that’s hard. By the way, your girlfriend called your cell phone earlier. She freaked out when you didn’t answer and called the home phone. She was worried when I answered, but I told her that you were just sleeping, and you’d talk to her when you got a chance.”

I went up and checked my cell phone. Sure enough, three missed calls, two from Sarah, one from Selena. I checked my voice mails, and was amused when Selena threatened to slice my “manhood” off if I didn’t call Sarah back within the hour.

I dialed Sarah’s number.

“Oh, thank God!” she screeched when I answered.

“Relax, I was just sleeping. Sorry I had to rush off, but we had an emergency. Both Toby and Spencer were attacked.”

“Attacked? By who?”

I ran her through the previous day’s events.

“Oh, geez,” she said. “I hope they’re okay.”

“Toby will recover physically, but Spencer might not. We didn’t get to him in time. If he dies, Toby will be devastated.”

“I would be, too, if it was you or my sister or someone I cared about. I’ll be praying for them.”

“Thank you, sugar. You’re too kind for your own good.”

“Thanks-SPUNK! NO PEEING MY ROOM! Sorry, Spunk’s been doing his business in my room lately. My best shoes were ruined the other day when I stepped in his poop on my carpet. I think Zie hates Spunk now.”

“I’ll be praying for him,” I told her. “How old is he now?”

“Six, I think. Dad actually got him for Sabine five years ago, but he likes me better. Coffee’s technically my dog, but she won’t hang around if Spunk is around, because he picks on her.”

“What a jerkface. Why does he pick on her?”

“It’s the hunting instinct. It would be like if a cat lived here. Spunk wants a Coffee-sandwich. Oh, that sounds good.”

“Spunk’s not a hunting dog, though. He’s a golden retriever.”

“I know, but dogs and wolves share the same DNA and all that good stuff. When can I see you again?”

“I can come over as soon as I’m dressed.”

“Just come over. Don’t bother getting dressed.”

“Sounds tempting, but I’m not running the risk of having either of our sisters seeing me in my boxers.”

I told a groggy Uncle Soren where I was going. He told me to be back by ten, and I quickly got dressed.

“I looked it up,” Sarah said. “Golden retrievers are actually hunting dogs. They hunt birds, mostly, and small animals.”

She was sitting on her bed.

“That is interesting,” I said. Spunk himself came into the room and jumped up on me. He proceeded to lick me.

“I’m still in shock,” she said. “Daddy’s dead. Why would he need to come back as a zombie?”

“Lots of people who have passed on check on their loved ones who are still living.”

I thought of my grandmother, whose ghost I had seen once before. I had never known her, but Louis had, briefly. Her ghost was beautiful, with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She’d been a great love of Grandfather. His true soulmate. Life without her was hard for him.

I thought about my own true love, and sidled next to her on the bed. I wrapped my arms around her, then noticed something.

“What happened to your chest?” I asked.

She turned away from me. “I don’t know what you mean?”

I looked down her shirt and took part of her bra off. “Oh, Sarah. Did you do this?”

She had marks, wounds, on her breasts.

“Okay, yes. I cut myself. My breasts, specifically.”

“Honey, these look infected. How do you know something won’t go wrong, and you lose both of them?”

She blushed. “I didn’t think about that.”

“I want you to stop right now. And tell Mother. Or I’ll tell her myself, if I need to.”

“Please don’t. You know how she worries.”

“She should at least look at them. Or have Louis look at them.”

“I’ve applied hydrogen peroxide to them.”

“That’s a start, but I think we should get some ointment or cream for them. Mother!”

“Reese, don’t.”

“Sorry, but I have to,” I said.

“What is it?” Mother asked, coming into the room.

“Mom, you need to see these.”

I pulled Sarah’s bra down, and Mother gasped.

“Oh, honey….”

“They look infected,” I continued.

“What did you use?” Mother asked