It would be several weeks and many treatments before Janus was feeling close to a hundred percent. But he was much improved, so that raised a huge weight off both Snowhawk and Adian’s shoulders.
Or so it seemed.
Adian’s jealousy had not lessened any during the weeks of his brother’s treatments. If anything, the monster inside of him had grown. He finally broke down and called Jerome, hoping perhaps the Guardian could give him some advice. The two agreed to meet to discuss things face to face.
“So,” Jerome began as the two sat down at a table in Ginia’s bar some hours later, “what’s bothering you?”
“Well, I guess the easiest answer is Snowhawk.”
“Aah. She has that effect, doesn’t she?”
The wolf sighed. “Yes. I’m not sure what to do.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m jealous of my brother being the one in her heart. And not me. I went so far as to move out of the main estate building to try and distance myself from her. And I’m still not happy with the out come.”
“This is complicated, my young friend.”
“Tell me about it…”
“And I’m sure you don’t want to go too far because of who seems to keep stalking her.”
“Right. I think I worry more now that I’m moved than I did before.”
“And moving back in wouldn’t help you any.”
“No.”
Jerome sighed, then gave a small smile and laugh. “That mare is just trouble. But she never means it.”
“I know. And I think she does too.”
“Well, lets keep talking, and we might figure something out.”
*********
Elsewhere in the city, Valerian again paced in his room. The young man had barely heard from his mother over the past few months, and was beginning to worry something had happened to her. Again.
He again picked up his phone and dialed her number, hopeful for an answer. Her sleepy voice answered this time. “Oh, sorry to wake you up,” he apologized.
He heard a yawn from her end, then she replied with “Don’t worry, son. What’s up?”
“I was just worried about you. I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“Everything is fine. I’ve just been… distracted with Janus going through the treatments to try and remove the remaining Avizon venom.”
“How’s that been going?”
“Quite well. There’ve been a few minor setbacks, but overall, quite well.”
His mother had a tendency to repeat herself when she was nervous. “Are you sure everything is okay?”
“Yes, just fine. How are your brothers?”
“Busy. But they’ve been showing me how to track and all kids of cool stuff when they can.”
“Good to hear.” He could picture her smile over the phone.
“So, when can I come over next?”
She paused and sighed. “Well, today if you’d like. We’d all love to see you.”
“Okay! I’ll get ready and be on my way!”
“Valerian…”
“Yes, Mom?”
“Have someone drive you. There have been reports of a certain vampire in the area and I don’t want him to hurt you.”
“Will do, Mom.”
Within two hours, a familiar truck pulled in front of the Sininensusi estate and three brothers hopped out. Snowhawk had been waiting anxiously for the youngest to arrive, but was not expecting to see her older sons.
“Jesse, Cody, how wonderful to see you again,” she smiled as she embraced each of the brothers in turn.
“When Valerian said you wanted someone to drive him, we thought we’d just make a family outing of it,” Jesse responded.
“I appreciate that.”
“Do you mind if we stay a while?” Cody asked.
“Not at all,” their mother replied.
*********
Four days later, Snowhawk semi-collapsed onto her bed, then looked at Janus. “Well, that was a pleasant visit.”
“Indeed,” he replied as he sat down on the opposite side. “Uneventful too, thankfully.”
“Very thankfully. Especially with the reports of Kione creeping around.”
“I’d say I wonder what he’s up to, but it’s not like we don’t know.”
As the wolf lay down next to his equine love, she wrapped an arm around him and cuddled close. “I’m terrified to think he’s close again.”
“I know, love, but we’ll protect you.”
“‘We?'”
“My brother and me. Neither of us want to see Kione take you away again.”
“I hate to ask anything of Adian, especially now.”
“Don’t worry, love.”
She nodded as a blanket was pulled around her, and her wolf embraced her once again. Soon after, she drifted into a restless sleep.
*********
“Can’t I at least go with you?” Janus pleaded to Snowhawk.
“I’m just going to the back of the property.” she replied as she gathered a bundle of flowers in her arms. “I’ll be gone less than an hour. I just,” she paused, looking at the flowers, “I just need to do this alone. Its been some thirteen years. I never let him know I understood. He didn’t have to do what he did to get his point across. Now he’s dead. Because of me.”
Legacy had been buried on the grounds. No one claimed his body, so Adian had taken it upon himself to give the Delphin a resting place. Janus wished he had picked a different spot, but time was at a premium. “I’m just worried about you.”
“Worry if I don’t come back in an hour, love. I’ll be fine.”
“You’ve said that before and were wrong.”
“Janus…”
“Okay, okay. I’ll worry if you’re more than an hour gone.”
She game him a small smile and left the study. Moments later, she left the relative safety of the estate and the gardens, entering into a small field. She crossed this place quickly, remembering her past here, and trotted into the wooded area behind the estate. Adian had Legacy buried near the pond she so loved. Not at, but near. Snowhawk didn’t even know about this until Adian had let it slip just a day earlier while he was talking to her older boys.
She soon found the spot where Legacy had been buried. Marked with a simple, rounded headstone, the plot would have been easy to miss. “Oh Legacy…” She whispered as she crouched down and began to remove weeds and the forest’s debris from the grave site. She talked to him as she worked, as if he could hear her, telling him about their child and how he’d grown into a handsome young man. About the turmoil that had been left in the wake of his passing and the subsequent scramble to find a new head of security, which ultimately fell to Nytehawk’s Guardian. She told him of becoming a vampire and of Kione. Of her connection with Emerald. Everything since he had died.
Then, she felt a presence near her. But before she could think, she was tackled and pinned to the ground, atop the newly cleared grave. “I should turn you right now,” Kione’s voice growled. “There’s no reason not to. And its not like anyone can save you out here.”
“What are you doing back here?” she gasped, finding it hard to breathe with the vampire’s weight on her.
“I’ve been waiting on you to fuck up. And, oh boy, did you ever this time. Its like you knew I was watching and you just wanted to deliver yourself to me.”
“Give it up, vampire. You’ll never get her back.”
“Oh, I will. But for now, you need to sleep,” he grinned, and watched as she fought his command for a moment, then passed out on the dirt below her.
He hefted her onto his shoulder, then vanished into the shadows.
*********
Back in the estate, Janus paced nervously. It had been nearly an hour since Snowhawk had left. Though the brick and iron fence surrounded the property, it had long been neglected back in the woods. Not that a fence would keep out a vampire such as Kione. Once the full hour had passed, Janus went to track down his brother.
But he was met by the very wolf he meant to search for. “Janus,” Adian began, “I think we may have a problem.”
“Snowhawk is missing. Of course we have a problem!”
“Wait, what?”
“She heard you when you let slip where Legacy was buried, so she went to ‘talk’ to him.”
“Fuck. That’s why he’s been creeping around here.”
“Please don’t tell me you mean the vampire.”
“Who else? He abandoned the cottage in the northern forest, and I think he may be gearing up to try and get Emerald back again.”
“This can’t keep happening,” Janus moaned, stumbling to a chair to sit.
“I know, brother.”
“So what now?”
“I’ve got to track him down. Find where he’s hiding this time.”
Janus just nodded, then dropped his head into his hands. His brother just walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get her back.”
*********
Elsewhere in the world, near the city of Di’aru, the elder vampire gloated over his latest capture. She would be turned soon, and then he could better work to get his love back. But first, for being such a pain in his rear, he’d toy with her.
Once she was secured, he said to her “Wake up, mare!”
She slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times. She tried to stretch, but found her arms secured behind her, and her legs tied together. “What the hell…” she began, but was soon cut off by the vampire’s hand around her muzzle.
“I said wake up, not speak.”
She grumbled at this. He was treating her like a damned slave. Again. She shook her head, trying to free herself from his hand, but was unsuccessful.
“You are mine now, mare. And I will tell you when to speak.” He released her muzzle.
She glared at him. “Fuck off. I belong to no one.”
His hand was quickly on her again, this time at her throat. “Don’t think I won’t seriously harm you.”
“What are you gonna do?” she choked out. “Any mark you put on me will harm your precious Emerald.”
The vampire growled. She was correct, as the scars on her body stayed when she had transformed into Emerald. He couldn’t really hurt her, not with a blade’s edge anyway. “There are other ways to take you down a few notches.”
“Try me, vampire.”
“Oh I will, mare.”