Chapter 89

Francium looked resigned, but he didn’t say much else. He got up and led me out of the house. Francia followed close behind. We walked beyond the tree line into the woods. I kept close, knowing how easy it would be for him to lose me and start the chase again. The trees rustled and seemed to change around us, but Francium didn’t disappear.

“You have powers?” I asked. “Illusion?”

“Not yet,” he said. “I haven’t… I’m not done turning yet, I guess you could say.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “And what are you planning to do when you are? You know they’re making plans to take over the werewolf world.”

He stopped and looked back at me. “Tell me what favors the werewolf world has done for me.”

Francia hurried and stepped between us. “I don’t think right now is the time to debate such a thing.”

I considered telling her that it was the perfect time, but I wasn’t in the mood. My head was pounding. There was still blood trickling out of my nose. I wiped it off on my sleeve and kept going after Francium started walking again. Francia looked left and right as we walked through the trees, clearly keeping an eye out for something as were headed further into the forest and away from the town.

I heard nothing but an eerie quiet. Like nothing lived in the woods around the town and where we were headed. Had the vampires killed everything or was this a part of the illusion that protected the town?

Slowly, the trees thinned out, and another building started to appear. It was a wooden building it looked like it should be abandoned, but it wasn’t falling apart. It looked like people did just enough work to keep it together, but didn’t bother with making it pretty. I smelled blood and metal like there was a butcher’s site inside or steel beams holding it up. There might have also been the scent of stone on the wind but I couldn’t be sure.

I stopped just inside the tree line, taking in the area. The building was massive. It wasn’t a house. If anything, it reminded me of a large barn of some sort. Were they keeping Claire in chains? In a stall like an animal?

“Why does it smell like blood?”

“How else do you feed a vampire?” Francium asked with a sigh. “I know all of this… seems terrible, but I promise I didn’t kill her. I promise there’s a reason for all of this.”

I glared at him. The Francium I had helped so long ago wasn’t the same one that was standing in front of me no matter what he might want me to believe. He was a vampire. He wasn’t helpless. He’d killed probably more times than I knew of. There was no way I could trust him.

“Claire trusted you,” I said. “Even after I told you to stay away from her.”

He nodded. “She told me.”

“Don’t expect me to do the same.” I set my jaw. “At the first sign that you’ve betrayed me, I’m going to do everything I can to kill you.”

Francium nodded stiffly before leading us into the building. The scent of blood and metal grew stronger as we walked through the building. He led us down several hallways. The building was too far away from the town to be a public building. Despite the scent of fresh blood, it looked hardly ever used on the outside. The inside was dark but mostly clean with crystals mounted on the walls. They were the same glowing crystals that were in the cave.

I stopped to look at one.

“Moon crystals,” Francia said. “They’re mined in New Moon territory. We use them in the theaters too.”

I looked back at her as we kept walking towards what felt like the back of the building. I heard people in other rooms, but no one came out.

“Why is it so quiet?”

“People are sleeping off their meals,” Francia said. “The cells only open from the outside.”

“Cells?” I flinched. “This is a prison?”

“It’s a necessary holding place,” Francia said. “New vampires… young vampires, struggle to keep their sense about them around lots of people. The sights and smells drive them crazy. Even the faintest scent of blood could send someone into a frenzy.”

One of the doors thumped and shook. A pale face appeared in the small hole in the door, hissing and peering out at me. Francia gestured to the door.

“Much like that.”

I swallowed. “Why did you turn her?”

Francium said nothing, but as we kept walking, I heard someone screaming.

“Someone help me! Get me out of here!” It was Claire’s voice. I hurried to follow the sound. I shoved Francium aside and hurried forward and around the corner.

“Claire?” I called. “Claire, can you hear me?”

“Hedy?” She screamed. “Hedy! I’m in here!”

I rushed down the hall and into the hallway where she was screaming. Her face was barely visible through the small hole in the door. Joy filled me and disbelief. She was there and alive, just the same way she had been in the photo that the Blue Moon leader had given me. Paler and her eyes had changed, but every expression on her face was just the way it was.

“Claire, I’m so glad to see you. I heard you. I was there. I got your call—"

“I’m scared,” she said softly. “I’m scared, and I want to go home. Hedy, please get me out. I want to go home. Is Francium there? Is he there? Are you there?”

“I’m here,” he said softly. She sniffled.

“Why won’t you let me out?”

Francium shook his head, stepping into the view of the window. “I’m sorry. I can’t just yet.”

She banged on the door. The door dented out, and my eyes widened. My heart lurched, and a bit of my hope deflated. She was still Claire, but she was forever changed. I thought back to when I thumped Francium in the chest and how it hadn’t seemed to hurt him.

Claire was no longer like me or anyone in Full Moon. Was it safe for her to come back? Was it safe for us? She’d never forgive herself if she hurt someone.

My stomach lurched as I smelled blood coming out of her cell. Had she already hurt someone? How did people even get fed? Why would it smell like blood like this if they weren’t feeding them live people? I felt sick at the thought.

“Oh… Oh, I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t… I can’t. What’s happening to me?”

“You’re turning,” Francium said softly. “And it’s my fault, but I… I couldn’t.”

I heard something further down the hallway and turned. I wasn’t the only one that heard it. Claire let out a frightened little gasp. Francia crept down the hallway, tense and silent, and disappeared around the hallway back the way we came. I lost the sound of her footsteps for a few moments before they came back just as soft as they were but faster. She came back quickly with wide, fearful eyes. She glanced at me, then Claire’s door then back to Francium.

Francium grew tense and leaned against the door. “Claire, just keep calm.”

She sobbed. “Is it him? Why won’t he leave me alone? I’m so tired.”

Who were they talking about? Before I could speak, Francium whirled on me and pressed his hand to my mouth. He lifted a single finger to his lips and we waited. I couldn’t hear any footsteps, but slowly, they started to get louder. They had to be around a corner or two. They weren’t near, but they were getting closer.

“Francium?” the vampire called in that same voice. “Are you here?”

My eyes widened, glaring at him as he removed his hand. Had all of this been a ruse? He led me here to stall until the vampire came here to get me. I knew it but I couldn’t focus on that. I couldn’t even think about how to get Claire out. I didn’t have the key to the room or anything else. There had only seemingly been one exit and no windows in the entire building. How was I going to escape? How was I going to get Claire out without running into him either?

“I am,” he called back, staring at me pointedly.

“Francium,” Claire whispered with a soft whimper. “Please let me out.”

She let out a low pained moan. I didn’t know what to think of it. Was it real? An act? Was he doing something to her? I didn’t know, and I had no way to tell.

The vampire chuckled. “Of course, you are. Is your girlfriend still sane?”

He laughed as if it was the funniest thing. “She’s quite resilient.”

I wanted to fight Francium, but my heart was racing, and I knew that I didn’t have the time. If he caught me here everything was going to be over.