“River!” Lalia screamed.
I positioned my claws over Lloyd’s chest, above his heart.
“Let her go,” I growled.
I looked from Michael to Jeramiah. While Michael’s expression was nothing but vindictive, Jeramiah barely looked fazed at all. It was almost as if he had expected me to do this.
“Let the half-blood go,” I repeated.
“Take him down, Jeramiah,” Michael said, tightening his grip on River, who was beginning to groan.
I was expecting Jeramiah to lurch forward… or at least do something, but he did nothing. He just stood rooted to the spot, looking at me. Michael’s claws were inching dangerously close to River’s heart. I was about to shove Lloyd aside and dive for her myself when Jeramiah spoke.
“Let her go, Michael,” he said, his voice steady.
Michael looked as shocked as I felt.
“What?” He gaped at his companion.
“I said let the girl go.”
Jeramiah eyed Michael as he loosened his grip on her and stepped back, dumbstruck. Clutching her throat, River staggered across the sand toward her sister.
Then my cousin returned his gaze toward me.
“I thought you were grateful for us having taken you in,” he said slowly. “Seems I was mistaken.” He let his last words linger before continuing. “Well, I don’t want to keep you here against your will, Joseph. So go on, take the half-blood and the humans… You’re free to leave.”
He spoke the last sentence louder, and the burning of my tattoo stopped. It was as if it had never hurt to begin with.
Jeramiah had an odd glint in his eye as he turned his back on me and headed back toward the boundary. Just before he reached it, he muttered beneath his breath: “Although something tells me you will be returning…”
I let go of Lloyd, whom Michael took hold of and dragged through the boundary behind Jeramiah, after shooting me a dirty look.
I wasn’t sure what Jeramiah Novak meant by those last words. Perhaps he just thought that I wouldn’t be able to survive the hunters outside and would come back begging to return, or perhaps one of the witches had put a binding spell on me, similar to the one my parents had once endured at the hands of Annora.
But something about the look in Jeramiah’s eye as he turned his back on me told me that it was neither of those things.
Something told me that after my weeks trapped in The Oasis, I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what really went on here.
Chapter 22: River
As I stood in the desert, rubbing my throat and watching the three vampires disappear through the boundary, I was overwhelmed by a mixture of confusion and relief. I had not the slightest clue why Jeramiah had let us go so easily, but I felt nothing but gratitude to finally be beyond the boundary of that terrifying place. And the fact that my brand had stopped burning only added to my euphoria.
I clutched my sister close to my chest, kissing the top of her head and holding her tight. Hassan returned my backpack, which I strapped on my back again. Joseph was still staring at the spot where the three vampires had left us.
Until now, we had been so focused on just how we were going to escape The Oasis, we hadn’t talked about what we would do once we actually got out.
Now that we found ourselves free, so suddenly and so unexpectedly, I wasn’t sure what our next step was.
For one, I wasn’t the same person I had been on entering The Oasis. While I practically trembled with excitement at the thought of reuniting with my family again, I wondered what my life would be like now as this bizarre… creature. I guessed it was almost like being a human. I could still eat regular food, and be in the sun, at least for short periods. There were also perks I still hadn’t quite wrapped my head around—like my superhuman speed and strength, and my heightened senses. I’d just have to find a way to cope with the aching cold…
I wasn’t sure if my grandfather had told my mother yet that Lalia and I had gone missing—I assumed by now that he would have since days had passed. It made me ache inside to imagine how much pain she’d be in. She’d be worried sick. I couldn’t wait to see the relief on her face.
But I was getting ahead of myself. We were still in the middle of the desert. One thing was for sure: I wanted to get as far away from this area as possible, in case Jeramiah changed his mind.
I approached Joseph and placed a hand on his arm. He looked down at me, his expression serious.
“What now?” I asked.
“Now…” He looked around the area, and his eyes fixed on a point in the far distance. “Now you need to reach the nearest town with your sister, Morgan and Hassan, and contact the police to take you back to your families. If you make your way to the hunters”—he pointed toward the area he was staring at, and I could make out the outline of tanks in a row—“they should help you get there. You are a half-blood, so they have no reason to harm you. You have no claws, no fangs, and are no threat to them or any humans whatsoever. Also, you have those gold coins, in case you need money.”
My throat had tightened as he spoke. “What about you?” I asked.
“I must leave. It’s not safe for a vampire to hang around here.”
My mouth dried out.
There had been so much build-up to our escape, and then it had happened so quickly, the idea of parting ways and never seeing him again came as a shock. I hadn’t had time to prepare myself for it.
Although we’d known each other for only a short time, it felt like I’d formed a stronger bond with him than I had with friends I’d known my entire life. He had been there during the most traumatic and darkest time of my life. For us to be torn apart so suddenly, so unceremoniously… it was hard to swallow.