Chapter 316 - True Colors

Russ panted as he forced his body to shift back into human form. "It's no use. They're using some kind of chemical to mask their scent."

Ry grunted as he pushed open the thick steel door leading from one of the tunnels. Several of the guards followed behind them dragging their heads in equal frustration. "Here..." He said slapping Russ in the ċhėst with the clothes he'd discarded earlier.

"You're safe!!!"

Russ had bȧrėly gotten his pants pulled up when the familiar voice and excited words caught him off guard. "Jos?!" He was more than a little surprised as her body slammed into him in a tight embrace. Some of his frustrations lessened as he returned her hug. "What are you doing here?" He murmured over the fading beeping of her watch.

"We just got here." She pushed away from him to examine him. Blood streaked his face, ċhėst, and arms. "You're not hurt, are you?" She wiped away one of the streaks but didn't find an injury under it.

"No, I'm alright." His warm smile at seeing her shifted to a frown. "It's not my blood..." His hand lifted to her tear-streaked face. He ċȧrėssed her damp cheek with the pad of his thumb. Feeling the pull of her curse, he quickly gave himself a mental shake and shifted his gaze away from her worried aqua eyes. He glanced past her to see Arei and Poseidon both approaching Ry. The massive, tattooed man was topless, only wearing loose pajama pants. His eyes widened as he finally took her in as well. "Are you alright?! What's going on?"

"Someone tried to burn down our house with us in it..." Arei growled.

"You didn't try to put it out with water magic?" Ry asked.

Arei shook his head. "Didn't have time. By the time Jos's dream woke her up- Wait... your dream it woke us up just in the nick of time... like a warning..." His eyes moved to Poseidon before darting back to Jos. "I think I know why you can't remember the dreams... I think I know who is behind them..." His eyes moved back to Poseidon. "The question is why would he be trying to help us... try to help Jos?"

Poseidon stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hum... I wonder... unfortunately though, there weren't any warnings here tonight... How bad are things?" He asked.

Russ swallowed hard, emotions building in his throat. Ry stepped forward, patting Russ's shoulder as he did. "All three girls from the hospital and some of the staff, four of the girls staying here, and a few of their guys are dead. Seven of our guards are injured as were the remaining girls, but they've all shifted and recovered now. We searched the tunnel to no avail. Whoever was behind the attacks knew the palace better than we did, and they were able to use masking chemicals to prevent the wolves from tracking... Based on the targets I'd guess it was-"

"Vampires..." Jos whispered the word, putting together the pieces.

Arei frowned in confusion. "But why burn down our house?"

Poseidon narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Good question... unless it was either not linked or a distraction from something else..." He clasped Jos and Russ on the back and guided them toward the palace entrance. "Let's go check on the others before we try to work out this confounding puzzle."

Poseidon watched as the guards carried out the last of the tiny body bags, his focus returning to the small crawlspace the ȧssassins had used to access the rooms of the second floor. He bent and peeked inside, ignoring the movement around him. "Hum..." He ġrȯȧnėd thoughtfully as he set back on his heels and stroked his lightly stumbled chin.

"Well? What do you think?" Arei asked, squatting down beside him.

Poseidon let out a heavy sigh. "I think the best and only way to guarantee these tunnels can't be used like this again would be to flood them... but then it would only open the palace up for other aquatic threats... not to mention it would remove a possible escape route for the nonaquatic occupants of the palace."

Arei's brows tented thoughtfully. "What if we only flooded it partially? The kid can swim exceptionally well, so as long as it didn't require too long of a breath-hold..."

"The breath-hold won't be an issue. Let's flood the whole of it." Ry said walking into the room and interrupting their conversation.

Arei lifted a brow. "I agree, the kid is a strong swimmer but-"

"He's had Poseidon's kiss." Ry said flatly.

Poseidon held up his hands. "Wait I didn't... Oh..." His eyes widened seeing his son in another light, a smirk curved his lips. "You must have really fallen hard for the kid to give him such a gift."

Ry shrugged. "He's under your protection, isn't he? Besides you know how much I hate flying. It was just easier that way."

Poseidon chuckled. "Sure, whatever you say son."

"It is what I say." Ry bit out.

Russ popped his head into the room. "Housekeeping is moving the last of everyone on the second floor's belongings now. What do you want to do now?"

"So... flood it all?" Arei asked.

"Flood what?" Russ asked.

"We're going to flood the tunnels and position a more suitable guard within their watery labyrinth." Poseidon said as he pushed himself up from the floor. "Where is Joslyn?"

"She's helping with the girls, why?" Russ asked.

"Because she may want to apply for the job. What better monster to keep in your basement than the Kraken."

Arei shot up beside his dad. "I don't think that's a good idea. She bȧrėly has control of her powers right now."

He sent his son a smirk. "What better way of working out some of that murderous rage than giving her a few shifts a week in a place where kill first ask questions later are encouraged?"

Arei's brows shot up in surprise before he chuckled and shrugged it off. "Fair point. Still, let's run it by her first."

"Of course, son." Poseidon said as he patted his son's shoulder.

They headed to the dining room where everyone was gathered. Some of the younger guests were being treated to warm milk and cookies while the remaining three girls and Jaden were nursing mugs of tea in trembling hands. Mia and April clung closely to Jaden while the third girl seemed to hang to the corner of the room. As soon as Russ entered the room his seeking eyes landed on Jaden. He walked directly over and lowered into a squat in front of her. He plucked the mug from her hands and pressed both her hands to his cheeks. "It's almost over, I promise." He had just moved her hands to his lips and was pressing a kiss to her knuckles when warm, sticky liquid splattered across his face. The intense pounding in his ears drowned out the shocked screams that reverberated throughout the room as it broke out into chaos. Everything around him seemed to be happening in slow motion as he remained frozen only able to watch the horrors play out around him. The blank eyes of the quiet girl stayed focused on some distant point as she tugged the blade she'd plunge into Mia's back out and moved forward toward Jaden.

"NO!" April called out as she darted forward pushing Jaden into Russ sending them both crashing to the ground. The sharp blade came down into her mid-back, puncturing her lung. With strangled gasps, she rolled to the side as the girl with the blank stare moved toward Russ and Jaden.

Russ forced his body to react, letting the hybrid alpha form take control as he rolled to the side bringing his body protectively over Jaden's. He let out a loud, pained howl as the blade cut into his arm. The breeze of sudden movement ruffled his hair. He rolled back enough to look around the room. A tentacle had the girl pinned to the wall, but it was no use. No one would be saved here tonight. Russ squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he held Jaden's face against his ċhėst so she couldn't watch as the girl in the tight grip of the tentacle ran the blade of the knife through the soft, delicate flesh where neck met jaw.

Jos swallowed hard as she slowly lowered the lifeless body to the floor. She'd recognized the same look on the girl's face as Shelly had had over a year ago when she'd attacked Jos. {Vampire mind control, no doubt.} She watched helplessly as everyone quickly scurried over to help Russ, Jaden, April, and Mia. She grasped her wrist over her ċhėst as she fought for control. The deafening buzz of the watch only sightly drowned out the screams echoing around the room. It was like the day Cam had died replaying all over again. She blinked rapidly as her vision adjusted, sharpening with each rapid beat of her heart. She'd nearly backed all the way to the main doors of the dining hall when they burst open.

Drake panted as he held the doors wide. "Gotta get out... not safe..." He panted breathlessly.

The overwhelming fear and pain vanished as Jos's eyes focused on the young vampire. His beautiful, familiar emerald eyes met hers. {Vampire mind control...} The words reverberated in her mind, screaming out to the monster within. "You..." Jos whispered.

A hush fell over the room as all the lights faded leaving only the bright blue luminesces radiating from Jos. An eerie breeze swept through the windowless room. Mia and April huddled together in wolf form under the long banquette table accompanied by several other younger wolves. Russ sat up pushing Jaden protectively behind him.

Jos didn't say a word as Drake swallowed hard and began backing out of the room. A wide, toothy smile curved her lips as a seductive melody began echoing around the silent room.

"Fuck!" Ry and Arei called out in unison as they darted for the doors to stop the men in the room as they began to stand.

"Come on!" Poseidon called out as he caught hold of both boys' arms. He teleported them onto the other side of the door and quickly produced a large metal pipe to bar the doors. "The watch, we have to stop her!"

Angry waves crashed over the cliffs lining the outer walls of the palace gates. Storm clouds rolled in and large raindrops fell from the dark sky. Arei didn't hesitate as he ran forward toward the beautiful monster standing center of the storm.

Jos's voice stayed calm and calculating as she squeezed one tentacle tightly around Drake's neck. "You will take me to Vivian DeMarco... and once she ceases to breath, so will you and any other vampiric trash harboring ties with the DeMarco clan." A devilish smile curved her lips. "Come to think of if Draco may not have had such a bad idea with the genocide of a species... The elimination of all vampires is seeming like a terrific idea at the moment, wouldn't you agree?" Her long tongue licked the side of his face as a lone tear streamed down it.

"Jos stop! Release him!" Arei called out as he neared her.

"No, this is gone on long enough. Enough people have suffered because of them." She didn't take her eyes off Drake as she replied matter-of-factly.

"It doesn't mean you should lower yourself to their level." He caught her hand and tugged her around to face him. "This isn't who you are." He pleaded with her.

A wide smile exposed several rows of sharp teeth as her dancing eyes glittered back at him. "Oh but my love... it is... This is exactly who I am, regardless of how hard I fight against it..." Her smile flattened out as she turned her white-slitted eyes back to Drake. "As long as trash like this roams the earth, I'll never be freed of the drive to kill. I'll always have to fight against my own dėsɨrės until I eliminate them once and for all."

"You don't mean that." He pleaded as he tightened his hold on her.

Jos nodded as her eyes held Drakes. "Oh but I do..." She drew the young vampire closer with the tentacle that held him. With one rapid jerk of her head, she bit down into his neck then just as quickly withdrew. Her head tilted side to side as she watched the poison of her bite begin to spread in black inky streaks across his neck and face. She traced the sharp curve of his handsome face with the bent tip of one tentacle. "Beauty is wasted on such veil creatures... wouldn't you agree?" Her smile returned. "But not for much longer." Her expression became cold and serious. "You have one hour to take me to your mother."

Arei struggled to remove the cap from the tranquilizer he'd carefully pulled from his pocket. He gritted his teeth and stiffened when the cap popped off and clattered against the ground. Jos's eyes snapped around to him just as he was about the plunge the beveled end of the long needle into her arm. The betrayal reflecting in her eyes tore at his heart. But before he could get it injected a heavy tentacle came crashing down against him, knocking him to the ground with enough force to crumble the hard pavement below.

Understanding what he had to do, Ry charged forward. He dove for the syringe before it could shatter against the pavement as well. He dodged one well-aimed blow of a tentacle just in time to catch the hard barbs of another across the back. He clung to the trank as he pushed up from the ground, flipping it in his grip ready to plunge it into the next tentacle that came at him. "Arei, get her under control!" He spat out as he was bested by another powerful plow combination.

"Jos, kitten, you have to stop this. You have to trust us." Arei pleaded as he struggled against the tentacle that kept him pinned to the ground.

"I've left it to everyone else for far too long and look at all who have died senselessly because of it. No... it's time I did something of my own, something within my own power." She held them back as she made her way toward the cliffs and the raging waters below, Drake still squeezed tightly in one tentacle.

"I know you're upset, for good reason, but you can't do this. You will be the one punished."

"Then so be it..." Jos muttered, not looking back.

Poseidon saw his opportunity as she continued forward with her back to them. He held his hand out toward the trank as he quickly teleported behind her. As soon as the plunger of the syringe was fully pushed down, he grabbed ahold of Drake and zapped them safely across the driveway.

As soon as the tentacle restraining him began to lose strength, Arei quickly pushed it aside and ran to Jos. He pulled her into his arms and watched her wide, worried eyes normalize as the paralysis spread through her body. "I'm so sorry, kitten, but I can't have you sacrifice anything else for other people. You are the most important thing to me." He pulled her tightly against his ċhėst as tears streamed down her paralyzed face.

Poseidon handed Drake's limp body over to Ry. "Get him to the hospital, tell them he was bitten by a blue-ringed octopus." His irritated gaze locked on a caped figure moving away from the heavily veiled garden path.. "Get her inside, I have some business to deal with."