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  Cliff rose, also. "We'll leave at once."

  "No. I need to do this myself." I narrowed my eyes.

  Alrekur jumped from his chair. "You can't do that. I won't allow it."

  I showed him my fangs. "You won't allow it?"

  "No." He stood.

  "I don't recall asking your permission. Last I checked, I'm still the queen."

  "And last I checked," Alrekur said, "I'm still the king. You're not walking into that alone. That would be a suicide mission."

  My eyes flashed red. Did he really think he could order me around?

  Cliff stepped forward. "I'll go with her."

  "Even the two of you going against all those humans wouldn't be wise. They guard those fieldings with all kinds of weaponry. It's the military."

  I clenched my fists. "The military? You're worried about the human leadership? They've destroyed everything. I don't know if you've been outside the enchanted forest the last few decades, but things have changed—and not for the better. Whatever they have, I can deal with it. We're wasting valuable time discussing this. My parents are probably starving, if not worse. Wild animals walk the broken streets. They rule areas like fields."

  "The other Fyrsturae are discussing our options. We all support you going to save them, but we—"

  "Great. I have your support. I'm going now." I walked for the door.

  Alrekur ran in front of me, blocking it. "You're not going anywhere by yourself."

  "They're my family, despite the long absence. I'm handling this myself. The Fyrsturae are welcome to provide backup, but I'm not arriving with my own troops."

  Cliff walked up to us, and then took my hand. "Let me go with you."

  I shook my head. "You need to stay with the kids."

  "They're with Mattie. They couldn't be in better hands."

  "You need to stay with them," I insisted. "They'll take my absence better if you're here. If we're both gone without warning, it'll be too much for them."

  "Most of them are plenty old enough to understand. They'll probably enjoy a break from us."

  "When will I ever be able to make decisions myself? I'm the queen, and yet, no one trusts me."

  Alrekur stared at me. "It's not that we don't trust you. We want to make sure you're safe. I don't know what you're walking into. Most of us have been avoiding human contact, except to feed, for decades. We can't do a thing to help them."

  I could feel my eyes become redder. "This isn't up for debate. I'm leaving. Move aside."

  They didn't budge.

  "Could you two be more stubborn?" I asked, seething.

  "You're the stubborn one, my Sonnast."

  Cliff narrowed his eyes. "Stop calling her that. She's your nothing."

  Alrekur laughed. "She's my Sonnast. Once you two are done building her line, I'll win her over, and the prophecies will come to be at long last."

  Cliff's eyes reddened. "You keep telling yourself that."

  Alrekur appeared amused.

  I took advantage of them arguing to run to the back corner of the building where there was another door. I didn't even bother opening it, I just ran through. Then I picked up speed once outside, changing my course often. With their vampire sense of smell, they would be able to track me too easily. I had to do what I could to throw them off.

  I ran the opposite direction of Delphic Cove, so I would have to keep changing course anyway. It was probably for the best that I was going the wrong direction. They would know I would go straight there. I picked up my speed, knowing Cliff and Alrekur wouldn't be far behind. Alrekur was over three thousand years old, so he was bound to be faster than I was.

  My only advantage was having had a head start.

  Soon, I would be out of the forest. I came near a group of unicorns. One recognized me and stayed put. The others ran off in various directions. I jumped on the back of the unicorn I had ridden many times. I tapped my heel, and then he took off. Riding him would not only help me to save my energy, but to confuse anyone tracking me as my scent mingled with the animal's.

  As we sped through the woods, I listened for Cliff and Alrekur. I couldn't hear them.

  Had I already lost them? Or had they decided to let me go, knowing I wouldn't let them stop me? That was unlikely. I had to assume they would be on my trail, eager to stop me from trying to save my parents.

  Maybe this was my chance to explain to them why I had left and never returned. I knew I had hurt them deeply. Having had kids of my own, I couldn't imagine what I would go through if one of them disappeared, never to give me an explanation. Perhaps I could even bring my parents back to the castle to live out their last days in peace. They certainly weren't safe in the human world.

  I tapped my heel against the unicorn again, hoping he would go faster. I had to get to my parents before the elements did. The sounds of a thunderstorm could be heard several miles away. Delphic Cove was further than that, but a storm could cover miles of land. It could even be worse closer to where they were.

  We were nearing the edge of the forest, so I tugged on the mane, indicating for the beast to slow down. He came to a stop, and then I hopped off and rubbed the mane over me to cover my scent. Then I ran out of the woods.

  I didn't know where the field was, but it wouldn't be too far from Delphic Cove, which was one of the few remaining towns.

  My understanding of the fieldings was that they happened regularly, and most every town had their own. Some smaller ones did share fields, so it was possible that Delphic Cove didn't have their own. I ran into the pouring rain, ignoring the loud claps of thunder. I pushed through, keeping my parents' faces in mind.

  I had to get to them.

  Before long, I was close to town. I saw the wall that surrounded the town. It had been built shortly after the human war had been started. Delphic Cove had been one of the first places hit, and they had acted fast to protect themselves. That was one reason the town still stood, when many had been leveled over the course of the war.

  The rain slowed to a sprinkle, and I focused my attention, listening for any clue. I saw a sign that had something painted on it. When I got closer, I saw that it had an arrow and the word "Fieldings" on it.

  I went in the direction the sign indicated. My senses were on high alert. Not only was I on the lookout for Cliff and Alrekur, but for humans as well. I could easily take on several of them, armed or not, but if there was a significant group, I might have trouble.

  Should I have let them come with me? No. I needed to do this on my own. Cliff needed to stay with our kids, and Alrekur needed to rule the castle. I could take some humans.

  As I followed the mangled road, there were more painted signs leading the way. The rain stopped, and water dripped from me, splashing onto the ground. I could hear every drop land, but didn't have to worry about people hearing anything.

  Everything was quiet. Too quiet.

  If there was a fielding going on nearby, I would have expected some noise. Even if it was just some bored officials, forced to watch, waiting for the pitiful old couple to die. Although, I doubted that to be the case. From what I had heard, the human authorities took great pride in their fieldings. They would likely watch them as people had once watched sporting events, cheering and making bets.

  It made my stomach turn to think of people doing that while my parents suffered.

  I came to a sign marked "Entrance" that matched the pitiful paintings of the other signs pointing toward the fieldings. My stomach twisted in knots. I wasn't too late, was I? Or had I actually gotten there before them? I had no idea how much time there was between the announcement of one and it actually beginning.

  Looking around, I saw no one. I couldn't smell anyone nearby, either. I came to the door, and the scent of death surrounded me. How many had been sent to die there? Even if their bodies had been removed, their deaths would linger. When someone died in such a horrible way, remnants had a way of staying around, as though crying out for justice.

  Humans could sense it
too, but they often interpreted it as ghostly activity. They didn't understand that the dead didn't stay around to haunt. Supernatural creatures, like vampires, could sense the death and understand it.

  I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for whatever I was about to encounter. I opened the door leading to the field. The sense of the many unjustified killings grew stronger, nearly choking me.

  Something had to be done. Someone had to avenge those people, and put an end to the horrific practice.

  The door closed behind me, and I looked around, still dripping from the rain. Each drop that hit the ground brought the death scent to life all the more. If my parents were there, I couldn't see them. Had they already died and been removed? Or had they yet to arrive? If I heard anyone approaching, I would have to find a place to hide.

  The only sound I could hear was that of the water drops falling from my long, thick hair and my clothes. And with that came the reminders of every death in the field. There had been thousands. Maybe many thousands.

  Something in the far corner of the field caught my attention. There was something at the bottom of a bush that didn't belong. I walked over, not sure what I would see. All I could make out was a jumbled mess.

  As I neared, I could tell there was at least one person, maybe two. It was hard to tell. I could have run over in a split-second, but I couldn't bring myself to. If my parents were dead, I wanted to hold onto the hope of them still being alive as long as possible.

  Please, let those be two other people, I begged silently.

  I took another deep breath, and slowed my pace even more. What would I do if those two people were my parents? I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. I would deal with it if I had to, but only when I knew for sure.

  I reached the people and couldn't tell who they were. They were wearing nondescript, dirty rags. My parents were used to many of the finer things in life, which had been why my sister had been given a new BMW at sixteen, and I had been given a new Lexus at seventeen.

  How humiliating for them it would have been if these people at my feet were my parents.

  The two were wrapped in each other's arms, their faces buried into each other's necks. Whoever they had been, they had held onto each other until the bitter end. What had finally killed them?

  I didn't want to move them, but knew I had to. I pulled the woman away, and both of them rolled onto their backs.

  Though gray sprinkled their hair and wrinkles covered their faces, I recognized my parents right away.

  Tears filled my eyes, and I collapsed to my knees. I covered my mouth to muffle the sobs I couldn't control.

  Why couldn't I have heard about this sooner? I could have saved them, if only I had known. I bent over, resting my head on my mom's shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

  My tears soaked her dirty rag of a shirt. Finally, I stopped crying and sat up. I needed to do something with their bodies. They at least deserved a proper burial.

  I could either bury them myself or sneak them into the walls of Delphic Cove so that they could have a funeral in their hometown. I couldn't leave them, and let the so-called leaders decide what to do. They had already done enough damage.

  I stood, bumping into something behind me. I froze. There should have been nothing behind me for me to hit. Were my parents' killers watching me grieve?

  My fangs extended, and then I whipped around, my damp hair stinging my face as it hit.

  The Fielding

  Chapter Two

  A deep voice sounded behind me. "I'm so sorry, Alexis."

  I threw myself into Cliff's arms, and he held me tight. "What do you want me to do?"

  "We need to move them. I want to take them back to Delphic Cove."

  He rubbed my back. "It's getting dark. We should start before anyone comes back for them."

  Anger ran through me. "They're not touching my parents."

  "Then we need to get going. I don't see any other bodies, which tells me that they don't just leave them out here."

  "Let's go." I bent down and picked my mom up. Cliff got my dad, and then we headed for the entrance. Before we had taken a dozen steps, I stopped. "Do you hear that?"

  I could hear footsteps. It sounded like several people were headed toward the field.

  "Someone's coming. Let's find another way out."

  We both scanned the area. Cliff tilted his head, indicating for us to head toward the back. I wasn't sure what he saw, but I readjusted my mom's weight in my arms and head in that direction. He followed me, and after a few moments, voices could be heard. They were getting closer to the field.

  When we got to the back, we faced with another wall.

  "How are we supposed to get out of here?" I asked.

  "We'll have to go through the wall."

  Fear tore through me. "We can't take people with us through walls."

  "I think it'll work since they're not alive," Cliff said. "We're able to take inanimate objects when we pass through a wall. Clothes, for instance."

  The voices were getting louder. They would be entering any moment.

  "It's at least worth a try," I said.

  "Ladies first."

  My eyes widened. "No. We go at the same time."

  "Even better."

  The conversation was getting closer. I looked at the stone wall. Cliff needed to be right with his theory. Otherwise, we were going to have to kill the humans. That was something I hated to do, and I just wanted to get my parents to Natalie as soon as possible.

  I stared at the wall for a moment. I clutched my mom tighter and then went through the wall, hoping she would come with me. I breathed a sigh of relief as I slid through to the other side. She had come through with me as though I had been carrying a backpack. Cliff came through with my dad only a moment later.

  He glanced at me. "That was close. We need to get out of here."

  "This way." I burst into a run toward Delphic Cove. At our speed, we made it there almost immediately.

  I stopped when the city walls were within sight.

  "Have they always had guards posted?" Cliff asked, indicating toward the human guards near the city entrance.

  I stared at the armed guards. Two large men stood at the gate with a gun in each hand, and more weapons strapped around them.

  "They used to, and it looks like they've returned. Maybe things have gotten worse all around since the fieldings began."

  "Are you up for going through another wall?" he asked.

  "Looks like I'm going to have to be. Natalie lives—"

  "In the neighborhood with all the mansions. I remember. Let's hurry."

  We changed our course while we were still too far away to be seen by human eyes. A commotion sounded behind us.

  Cliff picked up his speed. "I think they've figured out their latest fielding victims aren't there."

  "We should be close to Natalie's neighborhood." I picked up my speed, too, trying to figure out where we were based on what little I could see over the top of the wall.

  "There's another entrance up ahead. It's guarded too."

  "That doesn't surprise me. They've always had someone standing at that one since it's so close to the rich area. We can't get around unseen. Should we go through the wall again?"

  "Yes. Unless you have a better idea."

  I looked around, and then imagined where we would end up after going through the wall. "It's probably our best option now. I'm not sure what kind of communication technology they have, but if they have a way to communicate, the officials within town could already be on alert, looking for my parents."

  He nodded. "This looks like a good spot."

  "It's going to have to be." I prepared myself for anything on the other side. I was emotionally exhausted, but had to be ready for a deadly fight if it came down to it. The government leaders were responsible for the deaths of my parents. I wouldn't hesitate to remove them all from the earth.

  When we got to the other side, we were standing in a park, which was empty due
to it being so close to dusk on a weekday. Though the war had decimated so much of the world, Delphic Cove had remained largely untouched, and they still had a regular school and work schedule. We had spent some time with Natalie and her kids until one of them noticed I wasn't aging. That's when she wouldn't allow us into her life again.

  After Francine had kidnapped Natalie, taking her into battle, she hated vampires with a passion. She tried to pretend Cliff and I weren't vampires, but when her kids started asking questions, she was done. I had seen the pain in her eyes—we were sisters, despite being born of different parents—but she let me go and didn't want me to contact her or her kids again.

  As much as it had pained me, I followed her wishes. Hopefully, she would understand. I couldn't just leave our parents out in the elements another moment. They deserved to have a proper burial.

  Voices could be heard from our right. Cliff looked at me, and I nodded. We headed left, which was the direction of Natalie's neighborhood. We managed to get to her house without anyone spotting us. We had to duck down some alleys and hide behind buildings. I was surprised how many people were out. Apparently, the town had lifted the curfew that had been punishable by death for so long.

  "Is that their house?" Cliff asked, as it came into view.

  "Yes. Now to find out if they're still living there."

  "Isn't that her car in the driveway?"

  I narrowed my eyes. "Yes. That's a good sign." We walked up to the door. My stomach twisted in knots. The last time I had seen her, she told me never to return.

  Cliff knocked, and then we waited. We couldn't hear anything.

  "Maybe they're not home."

  "Or they might not want to answer the door because her parents were sent away to die," I snapped. "Sorry. I know it's not your fault."

  He knocked again, and that time, we heard footsteps. The door opened, and Natalie and Braydon appeared in the doorway, both with lines on their face and gray streaking their hair. They stared at us, both looking confused.

  "Are you Alexis and Cliff's kids?" Braydon asked. "You look just like they did."