Vengeance (The Captive #6)(19)
Turning toward the children, she walked over to them. “Nora, take the children upstairs.”
“Oh,” Nora moaned, but she rose to her feet with the other kids.
Tempest closed the doors behind them before hurrying back to the window. “Now might be my chance to escape,” she murmured.
Pallas glanced at her before focusing on the street again. “If you’re caught…”
“We can’t stay here and do nothing,” she whispered. “I think they’re going to kill those of us who don’t join them no matter what. I’m more concerned about what will happen to all of you when they realize I’m gone.”
“We’ll be fine,” Abbott replied. “There’s no reason to worry about us.”
“They may throw you in jail because of me.”
“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
“Abbott…”
“You’re right, Tempest. They’re either going to integrate us, or they’re going to kill us, and I refuse to stand here and take it. I’ll go if you don’t. We have the cloak,” he reminded her. “It will help one of us to blend in with them.”
“You’re not fully matured yet,” she reminded him.
Throwing back his shoulders, his green eyes burned with determination when they met hers. “I don’t care. I’m not going down without a fight, not like those other saps out there.” He waved his hand at the window and the vampires walking by. “It’s like they’re brainwashed or something. Besides that’s a big part of the point, I’m not mature yet, and neither are the other children here. I know you’ve noticed that there were no children with them when they entered this town.”
She had, she’d just been hoping the children hadn’t noticed. She should have known that detail wouldn’t have slipped by them; they were far too astute not to have noticed. Whatever was going on out there, it didn’t include anyone who wasn’t strong enough to fight.
She liked to believe the children in the towns the invading group had already passed through were all safe and sound, but she couldn’t bring herself to buy that lie. These vampires were ruthless. They were also trying to work under the radar and not draw attention to themselves until they were ready for their presence to be known.
They wouldn’t be recruiting in her little town, in the middle of nowhere, if they were ready to reveal themselves yet. They definitely wouldn’t take the chance of leaving behind any survivors who could tell the tale of what they’d seen.
“The people in town are scared,” Pallas whispered. “That’s why they’re joining them.”
“They’re not even putting up a fight,” Abbott protested hotly.
Tempest rested her hands on his shoulders to calm him. “No one understands what is going on. They don’t know what to do or where to turn.”
“I know, but we can’t stand by and do nothing, like they are.”
She focused on the few straggling vampires still moving down the road. “There may be others trying to do something. That’s most certainly the reason why some of them are in the stocks and in jail, but we can’t talk to each other about it.”
Down the road, she saw the doors of the hotel open. She couldn’t see what was going on over the sea of heads, but the murmuring voices of the crowd ceased abruptly. Tempest’s hands fell from Abbott’s shoulders as they all stepped closer to the window. She fought the urge to press her nose against the glass in order to get a better look, but it wouldn’t do anything to help her view.
“Hello everyone.” A man’s clear voice traveled down the street and carried with it an air of confidence and authority. She placed her hands against the window and craned her head to try and see better. “Thank you all for joining us here tonight and for your unwavering support toward our mission. For helping to fix the wrongs this new regime has placed upon vampires by forcing us to deny our true nature. When the one true queen is restored to the throne, vampires will once again know their rightful position in this world.”
Abbott glanced at her, but she didn’t look at him as the mob pushed closer to the hotel. The excitement of the crowd pulsated out in waves so fierce she could feel the vibrations of it against her skin.
“Good evening everyone!”
A woman’s sweet and melodic voice flowed over the crowd. Even if Tempest hadn’t already heard the power and self-confidence resonating in the woman’s voice, she would have known the supposed queen was speaking when all the gathered vampires bowed as one. It was like watching a flock of birds following their leader and moving with the same rhythmic flow. The sight of it made her stomach turn. Her hands fell away from the window as the woman continued to speak.
“I am so happy to see so many new faces amongst us today. So many who know our proper place is at the top, above the human vermin we’ve been forced to coincide with and treat as our equals.”
The sick feeling in her stomach grew. Judging by the vast crowd out there, and their growing enthusiasm, there were many who believed this woman’s twisted words.
“We will take back what is rightfully ours!” The woman’s zealous tone caused the crowd to erupt into applause.
The woman waited until the cheers died down before speaking again. “We will be the top of the food chain again; vampires will no longer have to pretend to give equal rights to a species far inferior to ours!” The woman’s voice rose with her ardent words. “As you can see, our numbers are swelling to encompass more and more who realize being ruled by a king weak enough to fall in love with a human, a former blood slave, is no king at all. We are vampires who refuse to be led by a turned human, a woman weaker than us in every way. We will not be kept down. We will not be forced to accept a race who kept us locked away for thousands of years, and who would do so again if given the opportunity! We will be number one again!”