Tiny Bites Read online

  "We are," I lied. "We heard about what happened to uh… Mom's parents, and we wanted to bring them to you. Now you can have a proper burial for them."

  Both of their eyes widened. Natalie's face softened.

  "How did you get them in here? In the walls, I mean?" Braydon asked.

  Natalie looked at him. "Honey, can you grab them something to drink? I'm sure they're thirsty after whatever they've just gone through."

  "Sure." He kissed the top of her head, and then disappeared into the house.

  Natalie came onto the porch, closing the door behind her. "What's going on?" Tears filled her eyes.

  I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "I know you don't want to see us, but I got word about Mom and Dad's fielding. I couldn't get there in time to save them." Tears filled my own eyes. "But they deserve to be able to be laid to rest here in town, surrounded by friends and family."

  She looked at our parents, tears spilling down her face. "I never thought I would get to say goodbye."

  "Now you can. Should we leave them here or take them to the funeral home?"

  "No! I mean, don't take them anywhere. The authorities will get rid of them. We'll have to bury them secretly."

  "Do you want us to? We can get it done in no time. I'd be happy to help."

  Natalie shook her head. "We'll do it, but thank you. I want my kids to be able to attend."

  "Should we just leave them here?"

  "Yes." Natalie wiped her tears away. "They'll be hidden from the authorities. I'll call my kids, and we'll take care of this tonight."

  "Are you sure you don't want any help?" Cliff asked.

  "No. I don't want to lie and tell everyone you're your own children." She looked me in the eyes. "Thank you, Alexis, for bringing them here. You didn't have to."

  "Of course I did."

  She gave me a hug, surprising me. "Thank you again. I hear Braydon coming. Please go."

  I nodded. Cliff took my hand, and we ran away as tears flew off my face.

  He squeezed my hand. "She was really happy you came by."

  "No. She was glad that I brought our parents to her."

  "She was relieved to see you alive and well. I can tell."

  We ran the rest of the way to the castle in silence. When we arrived, Mattie already had our kids asleep. She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so sorry about your parents, Alexis."

  I nodded, blinking back more tears. "Now I don't have any parents remaining. Except that you're like a parent. Thank you for everything."

  "Of course, my child. Why don't you two get cleaned up? You smell like… well, death. I'll bring some food in, and you two can eat in here."

  "Thank you."

  Mattie nodded and then left.

  I looked at Cliff. "Why don't you go first? I need some time to collect myself."

  "Sure." He wrapped me in a hug. "Even though things aren't as you wish, just remember that you helped your parents and your sister today."

  Hot, salty tears spilled onto my cheeks. I nodded, not wanting to speak. He gave me a quick kiss before going into the bathroom. I paced around the room, thinking about my parents' fielding.

  How dare those wretched humans kill them like that? What gave them the right? Had the human race begun to de-evolve?

  I wiped more tears away. I needed to avenge my parents. Not only that, I needed to make sure no one else ever died in a fielding. It wasn't just my parents that didn't deserve it. No one did.

  Stopping, I listened. Cliff had just turned off the shower. If I was going to get revenge, I needed to leave right now.

  There was no way Cliff would let me leave to kill a bunch of human leaders—and that's what I needed to do if I was going to eradicate the barbaric practice. If he even thought I was considering it, he would have me put on babysitting duty—not allowing me to be by myself for even a moment.

  I scribbled a quick note on his desk, letting him know that I had an errand to take care of. That way, he wouldn't worry or send anyone after me. I opened the door and looked up and down the hallway. No one was within sight or hearing. I closed the door quietly, and then ran down the hall to a spot I knew wasn't reinforced with solid steel, meaning that I could slip through the wall in that one spot and make my escape.

  The Fielding

  Chapter Three

  Listening outside, I didn't hear anything. The coast was clear on both sides, so I slid through and ran back into the woods. I made it back to Delphic Cove in record time. I needed to find Gessilyn. She was my go-to person—witch—when I needed help with all things supernatural. She would probably be willing to help me figure out whom to go after, even though I wasn't looking for anything beyond humans.

  She had a condo in town. Hopefully, she would still be there. Otherwise, I would have to figure it all out on my own.

  When I got to the condo, her last name was still on the list. I breathed a sigh of relief and then buzzed her number.

  "Hello?" asked her cheerful voice.

  "Gessilyn, this is—"

  "Alexis. Come up."

  The gate in front of me buzzed and then opened, and I went in, up the familiar path to her place. The door was already open and waiting for me.

  Gessilyn gave me a hug. "I'm so sorry about your parents."

  I nodded, giving her a weak hug in return. "Thank you for sending word. I wasn't able to save them, but I was able to get them to my sister. They're going to have a small, private funeral."

  "Good. Would you like to come in?"

  "Sure." I stepped in and looked around. Most everything was still the same.

  "Can I get you anything?" she asked.

  "No. I just need information."

  "Anything. What are you looking for?"

  "Let's sit." I frowned.

  She led the way to the living room, even though I knew where it was. We sat on the couch. "What can I help you with, your majesty?"

  "No formalities, please. Not with our history. You helped me out when I was a lost, transforming teenager."

  Gessilyn smiled. "It's not every day I have a queen in my home, you know."

  I noticed she wasn't wearing her typical workout clothes. "Are you still a fitness instructor?"

  "I'm taking a bit of a break, but I'll get back to it. It's not really a booming season for that business. So, what can I help you with, my dear?"

  "You know what happened with my parents," I said. "I need to know who was responsible for it."

  She nodded, looking thoughtful. "What's your plan?"

  "Do you really need to ask?" I asked.

  "No, I suppose I don't. I can get you their names and addresses."

  "You have them on hand?" I asked.

  "Trust me. You're not the first one to come to me about any of them. I've cast several spells in their direction over the last several years."

  My eyes flashed red. "I'm not looking for a spell."

  "No. I don't suppose you are." She rose and went into another room.

  I looked around, anger burning deep within me. I wasn't only going to go after the ones directly responsible for my parents' fielding, but everyone responsible for the practice.

  Gessilyn returned. She handed me a list of about ten names.

  "That's it?"

  "The first two are the ones who called for your parents to go to the field. The others are prominent leaders who support the practice."

  "That can't be it, can it?" I asked. "Fieldings happen all over the country."

  She raised an eyebrow. "You want to travel the country killing everyone responsible?"

  I nodded. "That I do."

  "How about you focus on these guys first? We'll see what happens after they're gone. It could be enough to scare the others into dropping the practice."

  My eyes reddened further. "If it's not, I'm going to find more names one way or another."

  "I understand. But trust me when I say the men on this list are the most influential. If they're taken out, others will take note. I promis
e. They don't want to get killed—the fieldings aren't worth their own lives being risked."

  Folding up the paper, I nodded. "I believe you, Gessilyn. You live here, dealing with all of this on a daily basis. I appreciate you giving me this list."

  She gave a wry smile. "I'm glad to. Believe me."

  "Thanks again. I'm sorry I don't have time to sit and catch up. I'd love some of your signature tea."

  "Next time, my dear. You should get going while it's still dark."

  We said our goodbyes, and soon I was heading for the first address.

  One of the men directly responsible for my parents' deaths.

  I found myself back in Natalie's neighborhood. How could they be so cruel as to send the parents of a neighbor to a fielding? I clenched my fists and headed for the house.

  Soon, it was within sight. I didn't care who saw me at that point. All I wanted was blood, and I didn't care about the taste. Only that it was spilled.

  I walked around to the side of the mansion. I slid through a wall and listened for heartbeats. Several were upstairs, so I followed the sounds. My mouth watered as the scent of blood reached my nose. My body already knew why I was there. I reached a hallway with closed doors. I could hear two hearts beating at a restful pace behind one door.

  I opened the door and walked toward the bed. I saw the man and walked over to his side of the bed. I put my mouth against his ear. I whispered his name.

  He rolled over. "Yes?" he mumbled, not opening his eyes.

  That was all I needed to know I had the right guy. How could he sleep so easily after ordering murders of innocent people? My mouth watered more as my fangs extended. I bit into his neck with such force that his neck snapped. That didn't stop the blood, and I eagerly drank him dry, quickly and silently without waking his partner.

  I wiped my mouth and looked at the next name on the list. He was at the other end of the neighborhood. I made my way outside and over to the house.

  When I got to his bed, I snapped his neck without bothering to drink his blood. The sky was starting to get lighter, and I still had eight more names on my list.

  The following three were in a town about thirty miles away. If I ran, I could get there and take them all out before the sky lit with the morning sun. When I arrived, I found the first place easily enough.

  I sneaked in and snapped his neck as I had with the previous one. The sky grew brighter, though it was still technically dark.

  At the next residence, I ran into a teenage girl as I was heading for her parents' room. What was a teenager doing up at such an early hour? She stared at me wide-eyed. I looked into her eyes, causing her pupils to shrink. "You never saw me, and you're going to go back into your room for twenty minutes."

  She nodded and then obeyed, going into a room, closing the door behind her. I ran to the master bedroom, found the adults sleeping, and once again snapped the neck of the man.

  I hated killing humans, but it was for all the innocent people he had sent to the fields. These men deserved it.

  When I got to the next house, I listened for breathing as well as heartbeats. All of the breathing was deep, indicating everyone inside was asleep. I found my way to the master bedroom easily, because the layout of the house was similar to the last one. My mouth watered, begging me to drink his blood.

  I looked at the window, seeing light shining through the shades. I would have to hurry. I bit down, drinking the sweet, warm blood.

  After he was dry, I looked up to see woman next to him staring at me. She was as pale as a vampire. I leaned over her dead husband, staring into her eyes, waiting for the pupils to shrink. "You never saw me. Go back to sleep."

  She stared at me for another minute before she complied. I heard bickering in the hallway, and it sounded as though it was headed for the room. Someone called for her mom.

  I had no choice. I was going to have to go through the wall and jump to the ground. The voices grew even closer, and then I heard the door knob twist.

  Without even taking the time to think, I ran for the nearest wall, jumped through it, and prepared to land on the solid ground. What I wasn't expecting was to see a pool beneath me. Forgetting to hold my nose, I soon found myself submerged in water—chlorine burning my eyes, throat, and nose.

  I swam to the edge and pulled myself out, dripping wet for the second time since finding out about my parents' fielding. First the downpour of rain, and now this.

  My clothes were so heavy I was tempted to take them off. Without a doubt, they were going to slow me down. But I couldn't leave them behind as evidence, and it also wouldn't be proper for the queen to run around in underwear.

  Needing to get out of the backyard, I ran out front. I wrung out my clothes as best as I could.

  I wondered if I should I bother with the fifth name on the list. Time was short, but I really didn't want to have to come back. Once the dead officials were discovered, the town would be on the lookout for intruders, putting me at further risk for discovery.

  No. If I was going to take him out, I had to do it now, wet or not. I pulled out the soaking wet paper. The ink hadn't run, so I could still read all the addresses. Jerk number five was only a few blocks away. I could still take him out and get back to the castle before it was fully light.

  I put the paper back into my pocket and burst into a run. As I approached the next house, a man was walking to his car. Was I going to have to kill him out where his neighbors could see? I couldn't risk that.

  I walked up to him, acting natural, despite the fact that that I was dripping chlorinated water on the ground around me.

  "Matthew?" I asked.

  The man looked up and a look of surprise washed over his face. "No. He's inside. He has a late meeting today. Can I help you?"

  "No. I'll just talk to Matt later."

  He furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you sure everything is all right? Why are you wet?"

  "Oh, I'm fine. Have a great day." I rushed by him.

  "Do you want me to let him know you're here?" he asked.

  I shook my head. "No." I needed to control his mind, but he wouldn't actually make eye contact with me. He needed to forget what I looked like. "I think I have something in my eye. Can you look?"

  He looked up toward one of the windows on the second floor. "Matt, darling!" he yelled. "Come out here!"

  This wasn't going well. "Can you look at my eye?"

  "Matt, honey! Get out here!"

  It wasn't worth it. He was going to draw attention from the entire neighborhood. It was actually a good thing I was drenched, because I looked a lot different from normal. "I need to go."

  "Are you sure?" he asked. "You seem to really need help."

  "Nope. I'm fine. Thanks for your help." I stepped away.

  "Matt, sweetie!" he yelled again, probably waking the entire town.

  I took a deep breath, and ran toward the house at top speed. I turned around to look at the guy hollering, and he looked thoroughly confused. As far as he could tell, I had disappeared into thin air.

  I slid through the wall and heard Matthew heading my way. I stepped in front of him.

  "What?" Matthew asked. "How did you get in here? Did—?"

  "Oh, shut up." I ran at him, biting into his neck.

  He let out a scream, but stopped as my venom reached his system. I was full and didn't want any more blood. He was still alive, so I snapped his neck. I threw him to the ground, disgusted. I had let him and the other cowards off too easy. The next ones would die in a fielding, letting the elements get to them. Or maybe I would call some werewolves for help. Getting ripped to shreds by wolves would be fitting for them.

  The lock clicked and the first guy came in. He looked at Matt lying at my feet. He put his hands over his mouth. "Did you do this to him?"

  Finally, eye contact.

  I narrowed my eyes, staring him down until his pupils shrank. "You never saw me. I was never here."

  "I never saw you."

  "Good. Now have a seat. Call the
authorities in about an hour. Got it?"

  He sat without a word. That would have to be good enough. I ran out the door, closing it behind me. I ran toward the enchanted forest at top speed.

  When I got back to the castle, Cliff and Alrekur both waited for me, looking irritated.

  Alrekur stood taller. He was clearly pissed. "Where have you been? And why the bloody hell are you soaking wet? Is that chlorine?"

  I ignored him and looked at Cliff. "Didn't you get my note? I had an errand that I needed to attend."

  "What did you do?" he exclaimed. "We keep getting calls about the human rulers. Three of the key leaders in the fieldings have been found dead. Do you know anything about that?"

  I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? They haven't found the other ones yet, I take it."

  Cliff and Alrekur stared at me.

  Alrekur shook his head. "They're already talking about putting an end to the fieldings. The human leaders are all freaking out. You made your message loud and clear."

  "Good. Now I might not have to take care of the remaining leaders. My parents have been avenged, and no one else will have to endure another fielding."

  Cliff wrapped an arm around me. "Let's get you cleaned up. We have no reason to worry about you taking off again?"

  "Not if they're calling off the fieldings."

  The Volunteer

  One

  Have you ever heard the expression, be careful what you wish for, you might just get it?

  I have, and I wish would have listened.

  But, wait. Let me back up a bit. My name is Emily Voss-Vega. Yeah, I know. A hyphenated last name. It's a long story, and this one is a short story, so there's no time to get into that.

  Can I ask you to stop and picture something for a moment? Picture a medium-sized town in the suburbs in the Pacific Northwest. Got it? Okay, now look around until you see the two-story high school. Stop there, and zoom in. Go toward the football field. The bleachers, actually. Not the couple making out under the seats. No look over to the left side, on the top row.

  Yeah, that girl with the dark clothes and nose ring. Yep, that's me. Bored and alone at lunch time, not eating anything. Actually, I only look blasé. I'm not. In reality, I'm planning on running away.