17. A Plan

SEVENTEEN

a plan

I'm in the French Quarter within minutes. I slow down, matching the speed of the humans around me. I could kill ten of them before anyone was aware of my movement. Hell, probably before anyone noticed the bodies. Why would I think something so horrible? What's wrong with you, Elsie? Amelia's right. You have a ginormous chip on your shoulder. It's time to figure out why.

The fight with Amelia and the revelation of Kragen's reasoning for taking me weigh heavily on my mind. Through the years, I've speculated why he took me. I've imagined every scenario possible, but this? This wasn't anything I could've ever imagined.

Amelia's wrong. I'm not stronger than I should be. Even if I am, there's no way Kragen could've known. Questions flow through my mind, as I continue moving, finally stopping on Bourbon Street and in front of a familiar door.

I take a deep breath before entering the dark tavern. Without question, I move toward a private booth in the corner, looking for the British vampire who owns the bar.

Erick stands as I approach. "Good afternoon, Elsbeth Abernathy. What brings you to my humble establishment?" He looks behind me, searching for other members of my party.

"I'm not sure," I answer honestly.

He motions to the empty bench in front of him. "Please, join me." I follow directions, sliding into the seat across from him.

"Would you care for something to drink?" He raises a slim hand in the air.

"No, thank you." I slide to my escape. "I'm sorry. To be honest, I don't know why I came here."

Erick places a hand on top of mine. "Stay for a bit, love."

I nod, sliding back into the seat. "I had to get away."

He laughs. "I have days like that. Particularly with Phillipe. He…how do the young ones say it? …gets on my nerves, occasionally."

His words make me smile. "Yeah, I get that."

"What have your friends done to warrant your escape?" He lifts a slim wineglass to his lips, taking a small sip of the red contents.

"They didn't do anything. It's me. "

Erick smiles. "What did you do to warrant your escape?"

I sigh before answering. "Amelia and Fran think I'm special ."

"In what way?"

"Like Alex. They say I'm stronger than I should be." I find a small piece of fuzz on the table to play with while talking.

"What gave them that idea?"

I shrug. "Amelia attacked me in wolf form, and I was able to fight her off and get the upper hand."

"I see. Why did she attack you?" he asks, taking another sip from his glass.

"To prove a point."

He leans back, resting his rigid back against the seat. "Amelia attacked you to prove that you were strong?"

"Aye."

"I'm gathering, she was correct?"

"Aye," I repeat.

A deep chuckle leaves his lips. "In the few years I've known Amelia, I've never known her to do anything without purpose. She is wise beyond her years and very well respected in our community."

"You think I'm special, too?"

"I've had no opportunity to judge your strength, however, I sense something in you."

"Have you met others that you sensed something in? "

"Throughout the years, yes, on occasion."

I look up at his words. "Recently?"

"Other than you and the child, no."

"He's special."

Erick nods in agreement. "Is this why you came to visit today?"

I copy his movement, resting my back on the seat. "I had to get away from Patrice, Kragen, and generally everything."

"I met him many years ago."

I sit up straight. "You didn't mention that before."

"It wasn't relevant to our conversation at the time."

"When?"

Erick shrugs. "Five or six decades ago. He came through looking for someone."

"Me?" I scoff.

"He didn't tell me a name, and I didn't ask." He sits straighter, taking another sip. "He's special, too."

I stare at the vampire in front of me. "What are you saying?"

"I sensed something in your maker, too. I believe it's what helped him to discover you in the first place. You know what they say, birds of a feather…"

"How do you know this?"

He takes another sip from his glass. "Call it a hunch."

"Is he like me?"

"That, I don't know, my dear. When you discover what his ability is, feel free to share. "

"Patrice?"

"I've never met her, however, if the boy was her creation, she's connected to your pirate somehow, whether through shared interests or innate talent." Erick smiles as he speaks. "It was a pleasure to visit with you again, love. I do hope you'll have a brilliant evening." His words are a dismissal as he toasts the empty air in front of him with his glass. "Please tell Amelia I miss her company and expect a visit soon."

I stand. "Thank you, Erick Chapman." I don't know what I'm thanking him for. All he did was confirm everyone's suspicions and raise a few more questions.

"My pleasure, Elsbeth Abernathy."

I leave the bar, not sure what the hell just happened. Erick oozes of charm, but I feel like I was just put in my place without a finger lifted or his tone raised.

I'm back on the busy street in minutes, mixing with the unsuspecting humans. I feel the twinge of familiar energy not far from the bar. "Alex?" I ask through my mind. "Are you following me?" I'm met with silence. I continue moving when the sensation hits me again. "Alex, I feel you." I stop, searching for his energy. "There's no point in staying quiet, I know you're here. I'm okay."

"I'm sorry, Elsie," he says a few seconds later.

"It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault." I sigh through our connection. "I'll wait here for you."

Seconds later, bright blue eyes are in front of me. He doesn't speak, just wraps his arms around my waist. "Don't leave me."

I pull away from his embrace. "I'm not leaving you, Alex. What makes you think that?"

He shrugs, wiping a tear. "You left everyone."

"I needed to get away for a minute. I'll never leave you or Thorne." I pull him close again, hugging him tight.

"Good, because I'm not far behind Alex," Thorne's words echo through my mind, making me laugh out loud.

"You can't get rid of us," Alex says, smiling.

"I don't want to."

Thorne is in front of us in a blink of an eye. "Are you okay, acushla?"

"Aye. I'm sorry I left."

"Don't be." He laces his fingers through mine.

"I talked with Erick." I mindlessly rub my thumb across his. "He met Kragen decades ago, and thinks Kragen is special."

"Like us special?" Alex asks.

"Aye, like us ." Adding me to that feels foreign to my thoughts.

"I knew it. That's why he wanted you," Thorne fills in the blank.

"That leaves me with the question of why all the games? Why pretend he wanted me to kill him? Why pretend you killed his wife? Why let me escape and run for two hundred years? What the hell is he doing? "

"I don't feel like the whole Eudora and Marnie thing was a lie." He looks around the area. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised neither of them has popped up during all of this."

My stomach knots, thinking about all of the drama going on in our lives right now.

"Alex? When you said you could feel Patrice earlier in the water, do you think she was actually in the water?"

His tiny shoulders raise. "I don't know. I could just feel her."

"Then I should go to them," I answer with resolve. "It's me that Kragen wants. If Amelia is right, I'm the only one who can defeat him."

"What if she's wrong?" Thorne asks. "What if this is all part of Kragen's games? Hell, he had you on his ship not long ago. If he wanted you for anything other than to torture or kill, he would've done something then. None of this makes sense."

"Kragen thrives off of doing the unexpected. He's a sick bastard, and I'm tired of playing his games."

"I won't let you go in there alone, acushla. Don't ask me to let you go to him twice. I made that mistake once, I won't make it again." Anger pours off Thorne.

"I'm not asking for your permission." My words are harsh, and I immediately regret speaking them out loud.

Alex moves between us. "No."

"Alex, I have to do this. "

"We're not going to let you do this alone," Alex continues. "Thorne may not be saying it out loud, but he's thinking it."

"Aye," Thorne agrees. "I love you, acushla. Allow me to help you. You don't have to be everyone's savior."

"I'm coming, too." Alex laces his fingers through mine.

I can't prevent the tears from flowing. "What if something happens to either of you?"

"It won't," Alex says simply. "Besides, we're going to have help." He slides over, revealing a small horde of lycan and two vampires. The group that has quickly become my friends.

"Don't say what you're thinking," Alex warns. "Let us help."

"Thank you," I whisper, fighting my inner demons.

"We have a plan," Amelia answers for the group as they approach.

We follow her to a narrow door and up a narrow spiral staircase into a beautifully decorated loft apartment.

"This is nice," Luna announces. "Vampires have the best digs." She sits on the floor next to the oversized television. Micah slides next to her.

"Thank you," Amelia answers. "This is where Topher and I fell in love." Everyone stands awkwardly quiet after her admission.

"Well, then," Fran interrupts the silence. "Why don't we get a plan together and figure out how to defeat this pirate and Patrice?"

Amelia sits on the large sectional sofa with a spiral-bound notebook in her hand. "I find it easier to take notes." She draws a line down the center of the page. "What do we know about Patrice?"

"She collects special children," Alex answers. "And she used me to get rid of the ones that weren't."

"She dresses like a modern-day soccer mom, and we're pretty sure she's in cahoots with Kragen," I add to the list.

"Do we know how old she is?" Fran asks.

"No. Elijah said she was turned into a vampire while visiting Ghana. He didn't know how it happened." Amelia speaks while writing.

"Elijah also said their makers were friends, and they paired them together," Micah speaks for the first time.

"Yes!" Amelia adds his words to the list.

"We know her maker wasn't Kragen." I look around the room. "Any ideas on who her maker might be?"

"Honestly, I don't think it matters." Fran shifts in her seat. "What matters is her connection to Kragen." She turns to Alex. "Did Patrice take you with her often?"

He shakes his small head. "Only to find new children or food."

"The question is, what is the connection between Kragen and Patrice, and are they working together?" Fran continues .

"Erick thinks Kragen has abilities." I turn my focus to Amelia. "He wanted me to let you know that he misses your company, and he expects a visit soon."

Amelia laughs. "Erick thinks Kragen has an ability?"

"Aye," I answer.

Alex's energy changes instantly. He stands, moving toward a window overlooking the street. His breathing picks up as he spots something outside.

"What is it, Alex?" I ask, moving to his side.

"There's someone outside. Someone like us."

"A vampire?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Someone with abilities?" Amelia asks, joining us at the window.

"There." He points at a boy around his age, standing next to what I assume are his parents. "He's human."

"There are humans with special abilities. That's been proven for many years." Fran joins us.

Alex turns toward me. "Patrice is following him."

"She's outside? Are you sure?" I ask.

"No, but she's nearby."

I move to the door at vampire speed, only to run into a petite hybrid. "We need to follow her, not kill her." Amelia stops me. "She'll sense you and run. She needs to continue to think she's smarter than us. The only way to find the girls and stop Kragen is by you and Alex staying away from her."

"We can't let her get that boy. You know what she'll do to him," I retort .

"I'll go," Fran says. "She won't recognize my energy. To her, I'll appear as an aging, useless, New Orleans vampire." She moves through the door. "I'll report back soon."