Awake 11

Landon sighed and lay next to Alissia. He touched each new, raw wound. He wanted to rip the woman and vampire apart, and yet the number told him so much. She held out for hours, from burns to breaking bones. The bones would have to be broken and reset, which he was not looking forward to, but necessary. He went to sleep, his body going around her protectively, so that should there be any attack, he would get the brunt of it.

The next night

Landon woke up and opened the earth. He didn't want to take her out of the earth, so he just left their resting place open. He knew he was safe because his father was not only close, but had warded them. He sat up and began taking a look at her mind to see how bad the damage was. He saw she received several burns and three bones that had broken before the conversion that had fused slightly off and needed fixed, but the worse was the attack on her mind. She was tough, but there was only so much one could take when the enemy attacks your mind, even for warriors. He returned to his body just as his father appeared.

“Tell me everything “ he said handing him the blood packs

"She has been burned," he said, "second degree at worse. Her left and right humerus bones have been broken and fused back during the conversion, as was her thigh bone. But the worse part is her mind. Before, during, and after the conversion, the vampire tortured her mind. She couldn't keep me out." He looked up at his father, looking like a lost child for a moment before utter, and relentless, conviction set in. "She will make it. But I believe this has hurt my chances at convincing her to choose me."

“Keep her sleeping while I retreat her bones so I can heal them properly “ he said jumping into the whole with her “let’s make this quick so she can be covered”

Landon reentered Alissia's mind and tried to talk nonsense to her to keep her asleep. But she shunned from him like she was scared of him

He knew his father made sure she felt no pain as he rebooked and mended her bones. When he was done he had a grave look on his face. One that told Landon he discovered something bad

"What is it?" Landon asked, holding Alissia to him.

“Closed the earth and let her rest, we can talk while we light some healing candles and try to cleanse the earth more for her” he said. He waited a moment after the started to light the candles to speak “she has signs of trauma to her womb, to put it plainly, it seemed she had a miscarriage recently” he said not looking at him out of respect, knowing he would not what him to see his reaction

"How long ago?" Landon asked.

“At least one the last 48 hours..my guess is right before the conversion or right as it started” he said

Landon growled, "My child... they never got the chance to live."

“But she might, so let’s do our best here” he said trying to give him something to focus on. But suddenly the chain that went into the ground started to move “she can’t be awake yet.. go see what ails her and I will finish here” Erik said

Landon entered her mind, What is it, little warrior? You need to rest more and waking will only hurt you.

The more he got into her mind the more he found she was in pain, he body was start to reject the conversion

Talk to me, Alissia! Landon said, letting her see his fear. Please! I can't lose you!

between the injuries she received and being converted by vampire blood and not being in the soil like she needed her body is not accepting the change, you need to calm yourself and do what you can to help her accept it, start the healing chant I will do what I can from up here his father said

Landon took a break and began the lesser healing chant. He grabbed onto her soul and held it to him, not letting her go. You will not die here.

-----

Next Night

A voice called to Scarlett. The voice was soft, telling her to come to a specific spot, to not let anyone know who she was meeting. If she did not come for her "all night training," she would be punished severely.

She was still in her wolf form when she arrived, she had tried to rest. Her fever was high and she had found a nice cool lake to sit in and try to bring it down, but now she was moving again and not willingly.

Raoul appeared in Scarlett's path and said, "We need to talk."

Make him leave, said the voice.

leave she growled but swayed on her feet

He put his arm around Scarlett and said, "You are far too warm. Whatever you have could be deadly. Carpathians, Lycans, and Guardians don't get ill like humans. We should take you to a healer."

he told me to make you leave so go... she said leaning into him despite her telling him to leave. When she spoke to him he immediately knew her mind was not her own, she felt hollow like a shell, this was not the warrior he knew and she felt sick, like she had not eaten in days

"Would he want you to starve yourself?" he asked. "Let's go hunt, little sister. You need your strength."

no I must go! I don’t want to be punished she said trying to fight his grip, he really started to worry then. As a guardian she should be a lot stronger then him. Yet she couldn’t even break his hold

"Scarlett, you must feed or you will not make it to him," said Raoul. "Being late is better than being dead." He made her look at him. "Wouldn't it make things worse if you were unable to move because you didn't hunt, never getting to him?"

i...I don’t want too..I don’t know why he eyes were blank, like he was looking into a doll with no soul

"If you don't, you will fail," Raoul pointed out. "You must feed or he will punish you more."

Suddenly her mind was her own and he saw the light go back into her eyes, she shifted to her human form, she was naked, to weak to dress herself “raoul....” she said looking around. She clung to him in a way that made it seem like she was to weak to stand, her lips were by his ear “don’t let me feed, if I do, I’ll be stronger then you or the others, I will not have him use me as a weapon to hurt my brothers and sisters. I can hold on for a few more days” she said in a low tone so only he could hear.

He put her in some clothes and said, "Scarlett, you can barely stand, you can't form clothes, and you are burning so hot that you are sweating blood. You cannot last even a minute. You need to feed, even if it is just enough to get your fever to lessen. I will follow you to find where you are going. Then, I will call for the prince." He began to carry her. "I'm taking you to a campsite. There is a young man there you can feed from. One feeding won't be enough to heal, but it will help you just enough for us to find the one who is controlling you."

When she didn’t answer he found she was sleeping in his arm ps and it made him wonder if she had been forcing herself to stay awake during the day as well. He then realized know one had seen her for three days.

"Damn it," he said, biting through his wrist. "You won't survive like this." He forced her to drink some of his blood so that she would survive. "You are going to Deseray. I don't care what happens, your lifemate will get through to you where no one else will."

She tugged at her clothes, he could see her skin was flushed and could feel her burning up threw her clothes “water...” she moaned “I need to be in water..”

He took her to a nearby river and slowly st her in the shallows. He made sure that as he laid her out so that her head was on a soft tuft of grass while her body was in the slow moving, spring fed water.

-----

Mr. Murphy released his class and began walking towards his office. It had been a long night. The sun would rise soon, and he would feel much safer once the light hit the school grounds.

When he walked into his office he noticed there was a note on his desk. If was a letter from the princes second saying that first thing tomorrow the prince wishes to speak with him and to meet him in his office.

Murphy sighed. He knew that the "wealthy benefactor" of the school was a "vampire" but so far, he found very little evidence to that. He knew about the blood bank, where food supplies was, but why? His Intel told him that there would thousands of students turned, so where was the evidence? His adopted daughter hadn't even told him of such events. He went into his office and sat down.

"Nothing seems to be right," he said aloud to himself. "Well, let's see what he as to say."

Next Night

Murphy finished his last class of the day and went to his office. He quickly tidied up. It wasn't the best but at least the school work was put up, as were his notes on the Carpathians at the school. Just as he put the last bit up, there was a knock.

"Come in, Mr. Dubrinsky," he said. "Would you care for a drink?"

The prince came in “no thank you” he said in a emotionless tone. He sat in the chair across from him , crossing his legs. His posture was flawless and professional “I’ve come to ask you for your assistance in a serious matter”

"What kind of serious matter?" said Mr. Murphy, all business.

“I need your help in luring out a man who has raped some of the woman at the school” he said in a serious tone “we believe his main target is Micheal’s lifemate scarlet “ he said holding his gaze with a stern and serious look “he is a human male and a powerful psychic, I want to have everyone beileve you are responsible for his crimes so I can lure him out, of course while you are in jail” he said in a tone that let him know he would not be “you will be helping me in the background, I need you to be my eyes and my ears during the day, I will provide you everything you will need to do it safely of course”

Mr. Murphy stiffened at Scarlett's name. Not my daughter. Not Scarlett. I will find this bastard and kill him! He clenched his fists.

"I will do whatever it takes to catch this man," said Mr. Murphy, sounding appropriately upset. "If I happen to find him, I can't guarantee I won't apprehend him myself, if not worse."

He had tried to keep his mind shielded, but Xavier was able to easily read it. Mr. Murphy, who's real name was Mordred, had raised Scarlett as a child after he found her alone and taught her many forms of martial arts. Scarlett never told him of her birth parents, but Mordred took up where they left off. He knew she lived off of blood, and that Scarlett's birth parents had given her all the knowledge they could before they were gone, allowing her to use her abilities. Yet, Mordred never judged Scarlett and loved her deeply, seeing her as his own child and raising her with his biological children. Mordred felt sick, angry, and ready to die to stop the assailant from getting Scarlett.

“From what I gathered it has been going on for years so whoever it is followed her here to the school, an outside source told me she has gone to a healer to get many abortions done. So either she is trying to protect the person or what she says is true, her mind has been corrupted which means he is a powerful psychic, there for I am ordering you not to engage, if you find the culprit in the day time call for me, I will awaken one of my hunters who can go out in the sun, but if you die you take his identity with you” he said sternly

Mordred stood up and put his arm on the window frame as he looked out. He was shaking with anger.

"I can make no promises," he said, trying to sound calm. "But you can bet, there is no way his identity would go with me. I always find a way to make monsters pay." He clicked his tongue, knowing he lightly slipped up. "I'm not good at letting people hurt others." He looked at Xavier. "Whomever this man is, I will make him pay for touching my... students and and this woman. That is a promise."

“Thank you I have a lot on my plate, now with the news that the woman who attacked and killed all of the children and woman works for the society I do t know who I can trust” he said with a heavy tone and he could tell he had a heavy weight on my shoulders “they call us monster yet all we want is to live in peace...in my years I have found humans are the biggest monsters.” He said looking at him “well not all” he said in a softer tone “you have children yes? As prince I am connected to everyone of my kind, imagine your children suffering and you feel it every day yet you can’t ease their pain, imagine feeling them die and knowing you can’t save them or that someone is hurting them but you can’t stop it” he stood up “I am a father to all my people.....yet I must be the worst father in history, those babies died in their mothers bellies and arms and I could do nothing to stop it...and for what? Tell me Murphy....were those children the monsters or was it the society who sent their killer?” He asked

"I would never...!" he said, turning to Xavier in anger before realizing what he said. "I guess there is no point in hiding it. You freely told all of us humans who you were when we took jobs here so we wouldn't panic in a crisis. My name is Mordred Murphy, and I am leader in a local society branch. But don't judge me for what the fanatics in the organization do. I have never ordered any unnecessary attack or abduction or anything." He sat down. "I do not attack children, or those who do not kill. My own brother has psychic powers, so I narrow down my targets to those who harm others." He squeezed his fists under his chin. "You should know that I raised Scarlett. I never saw a monster in her, nor in the children I teach. I see Scarlett as my daughter, and taught her many things, such as Tai Chi and Thai Kwan Do. For her to be the target, and for years..." He closed his eyes. "Someone under my has done this without my knowledge, Mr. Dubrinsky. If they hear I have been captured and sentenced to death, they will most likely rise up to take over. They could be this bastard targeting my daughter. If not, then they are being used by the monster."

When he didn’t look surprised or even angry it was clear he had already had suspicions or even knew who he truly was “I welcomed you here in hopes as leader you would see the truth, I knew who you were the second you walked in those gates mr Murphy” he said in a plain tone “I know you were the one that aided in the kidnappings” he said and the door suddenly bursted open. In walked Victoria, Thomas and Annabelle. Thomas was shirtless, revealing all of his scars, Victoria wore a dress that showed hers, and Annabelle was acting like a scared child, clinging to Victoria like her life depended on it “you call us monsters yet all we try to do is live a happy life with outer loved ones, at the end of the day we are just as human as you, we love, we die, we have passions and dreams, yet your society condemns us for being different, let me ask you something, did it ever dawn on you that my kind is almost extinct..that human serial killers, rapist, murders, out number my kids do entirely...yet...” and he walked towards him until he was in front of him. Everything about him was intimidating. His posture, his face, his tone “you use your resources to hurt good people instead of trying to make the world safer from real monsters, my kind has done more to help humans then the society ever has” he grabbed him by the neck and made him look at the kids “raped, tortured, broken, these three are the only survivors of hundred, the youngest was a baby that was cut from the mother’s stomach just for fun. This is what your society does, this was not done by my kind but yours, I wonder how scarlet would feel if she knew..”

"I would never order such a thing!" he said. "I was out there, with your people, trying to put out fires, and to find survivors in the rubble! The day I saw a class mate killed by my own father, I vowed to never kill like that, without real evidence! And I would never order harm to the innocent!"

He looked at Victoria and Annabelle. I can't let Scarlett suffer like them, he thought to himself. God, please, don't let her be broken.

"Xavier," he said, trying to level with the prince, "I never once told my men to rape and torture others, especially not children." He spoke to the three of them. "There are no words I could say that can take away what you have suffered. All I can do is allow the prince to look in my mind to see the truth. I never ordered the acts done to you and I would change it if I could. And if my own daughter has suffered like this for years, then someone was able to fool me and should not be taken lightly." He looked at Xavier. "I do not see monsters here, or among the students. I see children hurt beyond recognition before me. I see children living in a safe haven because the fanatics in the society just want to kill. I want to protect. My own brother is a psychic and my adopted daughter considered a vampire and both would be a target if she is found. I would be killed if the society knew I sheltered and gathered psychics who want to protect as I do."

“Yet it was your members who did this and one even turned vampire on purpose”he said “you were the one giving the orders yet you say those were not the orders you gave? How am I too believe you? And if you are telling the truth then someone changed your orders and if that is the case it’s more evidence pointing to how you are a incompetent leader. Even I check to make sure every order I make is followed through, and I sure would know if one of my children were being raped “ he said making a harsh point

"I have only three people who would have an opportunity to change the orders," Mordred said. "One is a teacher, but she wouldn't harm children. One is a student, a bright one, but my son would never harm his friends. The last is my brother, who works as the groundskeeper." His eyes darkened. "He is known to be more ruthless in his methods. He would be the only one who might change my orders."

“And maybe do some others things to hurt you as well, the blood were found in the semen on scarlet was similar to yours which means the person we are looking for is related to you, DNA does not lie” he said

"Have you heard of Chimera humans?" Murphy asked. "My brother is one. He will have two different outcomes on DNA tests. We have to get several samples from him to make sure we get the right one. My son wouldn't touch her in such a way, and he isn't even on the same continent, ruling him out. I don't want to suspect my brother, but if he has harmed my daughter..."

“That is why I came to you, you need to help me either catch your brother or rule him out as the culprit, you know him best, what are your ideas?” He said

"Allister is complicated," Mordred said. "He won't directly influence things in our group, instead letting others talk. But he is charismatic. Those who were placed under him seemed to almost worship him, the men always boasting about their boss and the women wanting to be with him. Yet, none of them exhibited signs of Allister using his powers on them." He looked at Xavier. "I suggest you make it more than just a public announcement. If he has targeted my daughter and others, I have no doubt he has also been wanting my position in our branch. You need to make a spectacle of my capture. Then, if he is the culprit, he will call all his victims and followers to him enmasse. They will go to his house. It is just outside the wall but still within the barriers you have set for safety."