Chapter Sixteen

As the sparse town lights of Paxton spread out before Helena, an idea flashed through her mind. She could tell the events of that night to the Bradford siblings and their mates. After all, she had succeeded in what she had set out to do. Still, the three hours that had gone by, since she and Kate had left New York, had not been enough time for her to feel any better. Helena was clearly in no condition to narrate anything, let alone the story between her and Cliff. More than that, she would have to deal with Julia’s nasty remarks. Every once in a while, she did appreciate them, but that morning was not one of those times. She didn’t need to hear any crude jokes about him or her. All she wanted was some solitude, some time to herself, in order to gather her thoughts. Besides, exposure by the FBI was not the only threat they were facing. The Redfield clan was still unaccounted for, and she had yet to receive word from her agents. Helena had to contact them, see if they had discovered anything in her absence. By doing so, she knew it in her heart, that she would feel somewhat relieved. Why? Because she would be in her all-familiar, black cloak, wielding her staff like the true protector of Paxton. She had no desire to flaunt her immense power; for her, such demonstrations were infantile. However, roaming around in the forest would remind her of the fact that she was still a vital part of this world, one that many people depended upon.

A drizzle in the air welcomed her that night as she left Roman’s sanctuary behind. This time, Helena would not go to Paxton. Guarding it was assigned to the pack; they didn’t need her in their way. Instead, she chose to go northeast, parallel to the hill on which Shandaken was built. It had been a while since she last visited the neighboring town. Sadly for her, though, she couldn’t enjoy walking around in its streets like she had done on her last visit. Her agents were birds and beasts, not the locals, and they would probably laugh at a woman with a staff and her attire.

Helena made her way through the undergrowth, stealing glances down at the dense forest, keeping a watchful eye out for any enemies. But, just when she thought that she would patrol the area alone, a plume of yellow smoke shot straight down to the ground, on the edge of the woods, just beside a towering balsam fir tree. The smiling figure that emerged was no stranger to her. It was none other than her friend, Kate.

“Yes!” cheered Kate, raising her right fist up in the air: “nailed it, baby!”

“Impressive,” Helena commented, admiration written all over her face, as she looked down at her. “Was that your first?”

“Yep,” Kate said with a firm nod. “Come on down,” she beckoned. “I know you said you wanted to be alone, but I haven’t seen you this sad since we thought Ray had been murdered.”

“Please, don’t mention Ray or Cliff,” Helena requested, moving around a jagged rock, as she headed towards her. “I couldn’t lie to him anymore. I did what I had to do: period.”

“Alright,” Kate agreed, as a small smile burst upon her lips. “We can talk about what we’re doing here.”

“Looking for trouble; and that’s putting it mildly,” Helena replied, hopping onto the forest’s surface. “How did you find me, anyway?”

“I’d been staring at the gate of Roman’s sanctuary for hours,” Kate confessed, as she averted her gaze from her friend to look up ahead. “Barging in crossed my mind, but I had a feeling you’d kick me out. Why did you say we’re looking for trouble?”

“Yes, I would have,” Helena smiled up at her, as they strolled past a massive elm tree. “Shandaken is on the top of the hill. It’s a long shot, but a curious local could see us. We must be careful.”

“Don’t tell me you’re worried about locals,” Kate urged, a touch of annoyance in her tone. “It’s freezing. I doubt anybody would want to be outside, plus the vegetation is way too thick for them to sneak a peek. Come on, Helena. Give it to me straight. What is it that’s really making you afraid?”

“Well, vampires,” Helena assumed a firm tone, as she clenched her jaw. “I’m not scared, per say. I can handle them; but I still can’t figure out why they left Paxton like that.”

“Raul gave me a list of Redfield’s lieutenants and their powers,” Kate informed her, the calmness in her voice somewhat surprising her friend. “Don Greer, 6’1”, short, brown hair: he’s the pack’s mind controller. Darren McGee, 6’3”, long, blond hair: he’s a mind reader. The weaker they are, the easier it is for him. Bill Carpenter, 5’11, short, black hair: he can bend water to his will.”

“Well d…” Helena didn’t have time to finish her sentence. A sound she had been longing to hear for days ripped through the air, forcing her to tip her head back, and look up into the sky. Her beloved bald eagle’s call echoed in the wilderness that surrounded them. The massive bird was circling overhead, above the treetops, with his mate just behind him. Helena held out her arm, her palm facing up, as her heart fluttered with hope. One more, louder, call filled the air, as the eagle swooped down towards her. Flapping his wings, he aligned himself with her, as he slowed down. The bird opened them wide, just before he landed on her shoulder, maintaining eye contact with her.

“Vampire: Clearing: More, Vampires. Wolf Mountain: Shandaken.” He sent to her. In an instant, the eagle’s message made their adversaries’ plan crystal clear to Helena. She and the pack, alike, had been misled into thinking that their town would be subject to an attack. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Moreover, Wolf Mountain was considered “holy ground.” Legend had it that wolf and man first merged there, centuries ago. This was not just trespassing. It was sacrilege of the worst kind. The witch had to alert her loved ones, but first, she had to dismiss her agent.

“Thank you. Keep searching.” She responded to him, as she focused her attention on Kate.

“Redfield’s clan is up on Wolf Mountain,” Helena declared, her voice thick with tension and fear. “He was never going to attack Paxton. It’s the humans in Shandaken he’s after. They’re going to kill them all.”

“Oh, crap,” Kate sighed in despair, lifting her hands up to cover her mouth. “What do you want me to do?”

“Get out of here. Go tell the Bradford’s,” Helena ordered, pressing her lips together, as she felt her blood boiling in her veins and pounding in her temples. “I’ll join you guys later.”

“Helena…”

“Don’t argue with me, Kate,” she groaned, narrowing her eyes at her. “Just do it.” Grabbing her staff with both hands, she watched, as her friend vanished in a cloud of yellow smoke. A burning desire spread within her, a longing to destroy whoever she came across that night, regardless of skills or power. Nobody was allowed to touch the humans, let alone feast on them, like Redfield currently had plans to do. The mere notion of his plan made her stomach churn. After snuffing out the life of every Shandaken resident, they would be reborn as vampires. In a matter of weeks, the vampire Alpha would not just be leading a clan. He would have an army of four thousand at his call. Helena charged forward, picturing the terror the vampires were about to unleash: stacks of bodies; ravaged homes; screams of terror; and the scenic town of Shandaken in ruins. There wouldn’t be anything left of the sweet place where everybody was friendly to one another. The witch’s quick footsteps forged a path through the trees, as she sped past elm, oak and balsam fir, desperate to find the clearing her trusted eagle had mentioned. Now, she wasn’t just the protector of her birthplace. The threat that loomed over the neighboring town had instantly transformed her into a fierce, vigilant warrior, who had no intention of stopping for anything or anyone. She would lay down her own life to keep the people of Shandaken out of the deadly clutches of the wretched creatures that threatened them.

Helena jumped over a small pile of brush, while also noticing that the vegetation around her had thinned. Trees were few and far between, as she spotted an opening a few yards across from her and slightly to the left. Small twigs gave way beneath her feet, as she neared her destination. The witch tried to control her laboring breath, as she halted inches away from the last tree. A sizeable clearing stretched out before her, as a horrifying sound filled her ears. Once more, Helena had run into a vampire as he feasted on a dead deer. This time, though, the unfortunate animal lay on its back, facing her, with its killer on top of it, greedily sucking the blood out of his prey. A powerful gust of wind rustled through the trees and the tall grass in front of her, as she let out a furious grunt. The sight of his long, blond strands, covered in the deer’s blood fueled her anger even further, as he slowly looked up at her. Kate’s description left her with no doubt; she was looking at Darren McGee.

“A human…” he smirked, his voice coming out deep and lazy. “It must be my lucky day.”

“I’m no mere human, you filth,” she grumbled, taking her right hand off her staff. In a quick move, Helena raised it up to her shoulder. A blinding red glow shot down her head, encircling her entire body, as she pulled her cloak to the side. The color in her eyes darkened, as she pointed her staff down at him. “Read my mind. I dare you,” her voice had lowered into a deep, vicious sneer, her desire to destroy him right there and then growing by the second, as she tossed a fierce glare down at him. But, her opponent was not at all intimidated. His smirk stayed in place. Before she knew it, he blurred in closely, much too close for comfort. Still, Helena knew vampires like the back of her hand. She had anticipated this move. Before he could reach her, she gripped her staff once more, and pointed it up at him. The vampire was sent sailing back across the clearing, over the dead body of the deer, as her face twisted in an expression of pure rage. Helena’s gaze followed him, as Darryl’s body flattened the grass where he landed.

“This is my realm, you son of a bitch,” she snarled, as she started off towards him. “You have to obey my orders.”

“Is it now?” He asked, his sarcastic smile reappearing, as he bounced right back up. “My Alpha doesn’t think so.”

“Tell me, Darren…” Helena urged, her lips curving into an evil smirk, as she set her staff down onto the muddy soil. “Are you ready to die a second time?”

At that, she tapped her index and middle fingers onto the top end of her stick as she let out a malicious grunt, filled with all the anger and the frustration that had been building up within her. McGee thrust both of his arms up to his neck, opening his mouth wide, as he squeezed his eyes shut. A choked out whisper left his mouth, as he staggered backwards. Helena’s rival tripped over a large rock, as she picked her staff up. His eyes glimmered with a faint, yellow shade, as he tumbled to the ground, flattening more tall grass. With a sense of contentment spreading within her, the witch swung her staff over her head. The red glow that surrounded her body grew brighter, as the top end of her stick neared its target. Hundreds of tiny shards of ice were tossed across the clearing, as Darren’s head was ripped off his body.

The redness that had engulfed her began to fade, as she stared down at her fallen adversary. Helena was swelling with pride. She had defeated one of Redfield’s lieutenants with relative ease. Still, she quickly realized that his body could not stay there. His kind would be looking for him. Should they discover his fate, there would be swift retribution, and the pack was still not ready for war. Therefore, she gathered Darren’s remains, and then pictured the Bradford’s estate. They had to be made aware of this development, as soon as possible.