Captive: A Graced Novella (The Graced Series), page 9
He brushed tears she’d missed from her cheeks. “I know. We’ll make it work.”
Epilogue
A year later …
“If you keep moving, I won’t be able to cut it straight. Or I might lop off your ear.” Laney tried to keep her voice stern as she spoke to Clay, but the were kept wriggling around. He was so adorable with his puppy-dog eyes and his floppy hair that she didn’t really want to give him a haircut, but it had to be done.
He was too cute for his own good.
As Odo had taken off and left his son behind, Laney had worried about the boy’s mental stability. But he’d taken to clan life like a duck to water, and Wolf had been a huge part of his nephew’s attitude. And it was stupid of her, thinking of him as a boy. Clay was only six years younger than herself, but weres aged differently, and while Clay had seen horrors, he still had an innocence to him that Laney had long lost. She hoped he managed to keep it forever.
“Just do it with your telekinesis, no scissors needed then.”
Laney snorted.
Just as Laney was about to cut a rather large chunk of hair, Jane strode into the lab with a loud, “Okay!”
Putting the scissors down, Laney eyed her sister. She seemed strangely cheerful. “I have now inoculated every were we could track down. There will be more, but if they breed with those who have had the vaccine, then the vaccine-altered genes should pass down to the offspring.”
Jane hadn’t personally injected every were on the continent, but they had spread the vaccine as far and wide as possible. Quin, who had returned after his six-month absence, had also helped. He’d also started stalking vampires, and using his Gray abilities to inject them from afar with darts. So far, they’d probably managed to vaccinate over half the remaining vampire population. It was only so easy because there were only thousands left of each. If it had been pre-Civil War, then their vaccine would never have stood a chance.
Clay turned to Laney. “So what will you do now?”
“What do you mean?” Laney put the scissors away in a drawer, his hair still long and shaggy.
“Now your life’s purpose has been obtained?”
Laney’s hands came to a stop. It had been a year since Wolf had had to eat human flesh. Eight months since everyone else in the clan had had to, either. Three months since she’d agreed to be Bitten. Her fears hadn’t been remiss – she hadn’t come out of the change a complete were. Her Gray eye was still Gray, her Brown eye now yellow. And she couldn’t shift; her animal was trapped within. It clawed at her, but she was getting used to the pain. Maybe her next goal could be working out how to enable her wolf to be free.
“That is something she needs to work out, you nosy brat.” Jane patted Clay affectionately on the head.
It was strange, seeing her sister with Clay. Jane still largely ignored most of the weres, except for the lad. They’d bonded, over what, Laney couldn’t guess. But Clay seemed to have an irresistible charm that she knew was going to cause problems. She’d even seen Marcus quizzing the youth on what he’d done to get Jane to smile at him.
Although, as Jane’s work was largely completed, Laney had seen her looking around for a new task. Jane had to be busy. Laney had the sneaking suspicion Marcus may just become her sister’s new project. Not that he’d be much of a challenge, not when he was already head over heels. Laney might have to tell him to play hard to get for a while. It’d confuse Jane, and that was never a bad thing.
Wolf entered the lab then, Quin close on his heels. Laney gave them both a bright smile.
“Did Jane give you the news? We’re done!” Wolf picked Laney up and spun her round, planting a searing and too quick kiss on her lips.
“Almost,” Laney and Quin said.
“Almost?” Wolf frowned.
Laney looked at Quin, who met her gaze with his steady Gray eyes. They’d talked about it, argued about it for months. But there wasn’t any other solution they could see, and even Jane agreed. And if there was anything Jane was protective about, it was memory and knowledge. Plus, the others had already decided.
Laney looked at the floor. “We managed to save your race, the vampires, and the humans, but there’s still the Graced.”
“They aren’t food anymore, either,” Clay protested.
“No, but they’re still hunted,” Quin said. “We’re going extinct.”
Wolf shook his head. “We have a deal. We leave your people alone.”
“You may, but not everyone has the same deal. We can’t afford to be hunted anymore, not for our abilities, not for our breeding capacity. We’re going to start saving ourselves.” Quin took a deep breath. “It’s a two-pronged attack. We’re going to erase the memories that Graceds even exist. There are a few Greens left who are strong enough to do it. We’ve talked about it, and agreed. Any were, human or vampire will have all knowledge of the Graced wiped from their mind. They’ll just become regular humans to them. Any who escape the wipe will receive due warning: choose to forget us, or die.”
“No!” Clay stood. “I don’t want to forget anything about Laney or Jane!”
Quin looked over at Clay, and her brother’s gaze was ancient. Quin was only six years older than Laney, but he seemed centuries wearier in that instant.
Wolf put a hand on Clay’s shoulder. “Can the boy be spared?”
“I’ll vouch for him, Quin,” Laney said softly.
“Your memory-thing won’t happen overnight,” Wolf warned. “This won’t result in instant protection.”
“You’d be surprised how quickly it can be done. The Greens can do it remotely, since it’s only one memory they’re taking. I’m not going to watch my people die out while everyone else gets the chance to finally thrive.” Quin’s voice was hard.
Wolf looked at her. “You agreed to this madness?”
“I’m half-Graced.” She touched the skin just below the lower eyelid of her right eye. “If it wasn’t for my ability, we’d have never been able to make the vaccine, because the technology is almost gone. In another ten years, we’ll probably have lost the last computer. I’m not going to let my people go extinct.”
Wolf hung his head. “We don’t have a choice, do we?”
“Some of your people will escape the memory wipe because of natural shields. I know you and Trace have them. This was more of a courtesy call than a request for permission.” Turning slowly, Quin headed from the room. “I understand if you want our alliance to end.”
“No,” Wolf said, hand still on his nephew’s shoulder. “We still stand together. For those who will remember.” He paused. “What was the other ‘prong’ of your attack?”
“We’re going to destroy the compounds and fortresses. All of them.”
Wolf sputtered, a growl rising from deep within his chest.
“New beginnings for everyone,” Laney said softly. “Everyone starts again, so that technology is no longer a weapon that can be used against anyone.”
Wolf exploded across the room, pacing furiously. “But this is our home!”
“Because of our deal, you get a reprieve,” Quin said. “I will spare you and your clan as long as I can, but eventually, all of this will fall.” He waved a hand around the room.
Laney didn’t doubt her brother. She’d heard about the devastation he’d wrought once Laney and Jane had made it out of the Raven Clan’s compound. She’d never realized how strong he was.
Quin turned back and came to stand in front of Laney. Pride was in his gaze, as was sorrow. “I want you to know that there are some Graceds who are planning on hunting all half-breeds down. Not Hazels, but those who are half-Graced, half-vampire or were. Stay hidden as long as you can. I will protect you for as long as I live, but now that isn’t going to be long enough. I love you, no matter what species you are. Keep safe.”
Tears streamed down Laney’s cheeks and her heart swelled.
As Quin turned to leave the room, he met Laney’s and Jane’s gaze. “I love you both, even though I’m more absent than present.”
“We love you too,” Laney said, voice clogged with tears. Jane nodded, seeming lost for words. Tears tracked unnoticed down her sister’s cheeks. Why did this feel like a good-bye?
When Quin reached the doorjamb, Laney met Clay’s troubled gaze. “What about Clay’s memory?” He was only a child, in the scheme of things.
Quin’s expression was sad as he looked at them, standing clustered together in the lab that had changed the fate of the world. “The boy must have a strong natural shield, otherwise he’d have already forgotten.”
Turning away, Quin walked out of the room. Quietly, so quietly he probably didn’t think they’d heard, he said, “But that may be more of a curse than a blessing.”
*
Humanity created three of the four races that now call this world home; yet they couldn’t control what they made.
But we can.
And we will not tolerate disobedience. Let the vampires and weres build their compounds, to once again enslave the remaining humans.
I’ll just destroy anyone who dares to try.
~ Quin Kirkman, Journal
Acknowledgements
Captive was inspired by my friends and readers. So many people reached out and asked about Clay’s history, so I wanted to give readers a snapshot of what the world was like when he was a youth. So firstly, I want to thank those of you who read Graced, and liked it enough to contact me! Also, I’d like to thank my husband Tom, and my wonderful beta readers: Liz Grzyb and Joanne Matthewman. All your thoughts and comments made this book better.
I also want to send out a huge thanks to my amazing agent, Jenny Darling, and the team at Momentum: Haylee Nash, Michelle Cameron, Julia Knapman, and Ashley Thomson: you have been an absolute delight to work with.
More by Amanda Pillar
GRACED
Vampires suck.
Well, that's the nicest thing city guard Elle Brown can say about them. Her opinions of shifters aren't much better, either. And her second full time job – keeping her special little sister safe from either race – has just gotten harder, now that the vampire Dante Kipling, has taken an interest in Elle’s life.
Dante is a scientist fascinated by human anatomy. Despite his last two experiments failing, he is convinced that the answers to his questions lie within Elle Brown. Though he’s been told to stop his experiments, he’s convinced that humans with special eye colors are different, and he’s determined to find the proof – even if it means risking his and Elle’s lives.
BITTEN
Being the coroner has suddenly become the toughest job in town.
Doctor Alice Reive has more bodies and fewer answers than normal, so she’s determined to find the murderer responsible before another vampire ends up dead. With the help of the vampire Dante Kipling and city guard Elle Brown, she races to track down the killer.
Hannah Romanov has spent hundreds of years living on an isolated mountain. One of the only Graced vampires in existence, her quiet life is thrown into chaos after she discovers a baby left in the wilds to die. Hannah will do anything to ensure the infant’s survival, even if it means travelling to a city plagued by murderers and filled with vampires who’d want her dead.
SURVIVOR
Too stubborn to die.
Billie Young is a human city guard with a troubled past – she was kidnapped, tortured and almost killed by vampires. Though she survived, it’s left her scarred and damaged. Now, she trusts no one, and is focused on finding her attackers.
Vere Radcliffe is a vampire spy who answers directly to the king. Recently returned home from a year abroad, he’s at loose ends, waiting for his next mission. But trouble is brewing in the city, and Vere is asked to investigate the abduction of a city guard and the murder of several other humans. But as the hunt closes in, the killer takes someone close to Vere’s heart.
About Amanda
Amanda Pillar is an award-winning editor and author who lives in Victoria, Australia, with her husband and two cats, Saxon and Lilith.
Amanda has had numerous short stories published and has co-edited the fiction anthologies Voices (2008), Grants Pass (2009), The Phantom Queen Awakes (2010), Scenes from the Second Storey (2010), Ishtar (2011) and Damnation and Dames (2012). Her first solo anthology, Bloodstones, was published by Ticonderoga Publications in 2012. The award-winning sequel, Bloodlines, was published in October 2015.
Amanda's first novel, Graced, was published by Momentum in 2015. The novellas Captive and Survivor were also released in 2016, with the second full-length novel, Bitten, released in 2017.
In her day job, she works as an archaeologist.
You can go here to sign up to Amanda’s mailing list for future news and free reads or visit www.amandapillar.com for regular writing updates.
Cover Design: Amanda Pillar © 2016
Internal Layout: Amanda Pillar © 2017
Edited by: Julia Knapman
First Published February 2016
The moral rights of the author has been asserted.
All characters in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any forms by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recoding or any information retrieval system, without prior permission, in writing, from the publisher.
The book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Table of Contents
About Captive
Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
More by Amanda Pillar
About Amanda
Amanda Pillar, Captive: A Graced Novella (The Graced Series)
