Page 105 of Fallen Thorns
And then of course, it was not long before I found The Star.
When I foundhim, he was but a child. The Moon had no say in this discovery, he did not need to know anything yet. I thought to surprise him, instead.
I almost revealed myself to the boy too soon, my eagerness getting the better of me. But I waited and waited until that fateful night, many years later, whenshefound him and brought him intoherworld, unknowing of what she had done. They almost beat me to it of course, those stupid, stupid creatures. I should have expected us to have more in common, those of us who were not mortal, and had the power to control the simple mind, but even they would not be able to grasp what needed to be done.
Whenhis body breathed again for the first time, I was sickened to see him fall into their thorny hands, but I had managed just long enough to feed him The Star and then all I had to do was wait.
I do not entirely blame her, his sire. She was blinded by rage, furious about the death of her brother. And now that she realised she had finally led herself straight to the door of his killer, she grew unstoppable. I thought once that perhaps if time had been different, she would have made a perfect host over Michael. My mind changed though, once I witnessed hers.
I kept her from my Star as much as I could, she had done enough damage and I needed him safe in my arms. Bonding two immortal souls together proved a much heavier feat than I thought, but he managed. I fed him my blood and whispered into his mind until he was strong enough to take over. His body was stubborn, from time to time, but that was to be expected, knowing who he took after. In a way, it made me proud that both my Moon and my Star found themselves wound up in such unassailable vessels.
I could feel the end of the old time coming, sensed the desperation and frustration on both sides, knowing I needed not do anymore to aid it, my work was done, for it was only a matter of time.
I would have perhaps not chosenher ways in the end, but I had to remind myself of her lingering humanity, no matter how evil it seemed.
She tookthe black-haired boy in the middle of the night. Chose him at random, she told the others, but there was a method to her madness. She knew this one in particular would stir enough commotion so they would all have no choice but to come to her, begging on their hands and knees, and drag them from their hiding place to face her at long last.
She stole him from the alleyway meters from his house, his cigarette still alight on the cobbles as she dragged his unconscious body to the rotten church and bound him to a post until he roused.
Bait, that was all he was in the end. Innocent and helplessbait.
“Do you know why you are here?” she asks him, hands clasped behind her back. She flicks her head at the mindless guard, a reminder to remove the captive’s mouth rag.
“It’s you, isn’t it? Lucy. Your green hair.”
He seems so small, so fragile, and so afraid. The runt of the vampires. What a sorry excuse for their kind. I tut from the rafters, bored already, and she looks to me briefly, then to my wings dangling over the beams, but doesn’t acknowledge me entirely. Lucy doesn’t really know who I am or why I’m here, but I’m in her head enough for her to not care.
“Arlo really did remember me after all. Talked about me. I’d call that a successful date, wouldn’t you?” She winks at the boy, but he remains quiet.
“So this is how it’s going to work from here. You don’t have to speak if you don’t want to, I don’t need any information, I already know everything I require. I’m simply going to keep you here until they come looking for you. Perhaps tease them if it takes too long.” She leans in towards the boy, he in turn backs away as much as he can. “How long do you think they’ll take? Your precious Thorns,” she whispers with malice.
He says nothing, but I watch as he glances down to the chain at his neck. A cross, I observe. Hmm. Interesting.
“I tell you what, we’ll give them a head start. I’ve run out of patience,” she laughs maniacally, making me wonder just quite how unhinged she must have been in life. She reaches around to undo the boy’s bound hands and pulls them towards her. Her guard holds the boy’s body in place from behind and shoves his rag back between his teeth.
“Right. Let’s see. Which one will you miss the least?” She pulls his trembling, bony fingers close to her face for inspection, his own eyes widening in visceral fear at the realisation of what is about to happen.
I have no interest in her sadism, but I admire her methods. They will be sure to come for him in no time.
I fly away just as the first of the gagged screams rings out into the night.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Arlo
We were back in the city by noon the next morning, not even stopping to drop our bags before heading to the hideout. Marianne met us at the door and frantically shooed us in, slamming it behind us. We hurried into the main hall where a reasonable handful of The Thorns already stood. Some looked more shocked than others, with faces buried into hands. Prayers and mutterings of hope marked the silence.
I scanned the crowd for Casper, though he was nowhere to be seen.
The entire journey back, Mars wouldn’t stop speculating the worst; biting their nails until they were red raw, unable to sit still in their seat. Arlo sat on his knees in the back of my mind, banging his fists and begging to be let out to comfort and reassure them, so I tried my best to do as he asked, raising no suspicions. I patted their back, and they looked at me strangely. Maybe Arlo wouldn’t have done that. I forced a sympathetic smile saying, “I’m sure he will return.” Though that was very much a lie, since I truly had no idea if he was even still breathing.
“My Thorns,”Marianne didn’t even try to hide the hurt in her voice. Her makeup had run tremendously down her face; her eyes bloodshot and afraid.
“Ben wouldn’t just run off like that,” someone shouted.
“We’ve been out all night and he’s nowhere. He can’t have gone far, it’s not possible,” said another, heavily in denial.
“Ben would never leave without telling us, we all know that.” Everyone perked up as Lawrence entered the conversation. Francesca beside herself to his side — she’d been crying too.
