Encounters (The Elder Origins #3) by Bre Faucheux Page A

for the better to end us all. We were a danger to everyone. If I killed your sister and Jayden, then Caspar and myself, the world would be ride of the beast those savages created.”
    Mahkah stepped forth, clearly insulted as were the others.
    “How noble, Lyndon,” said Jamison sarcastically, “and might I add that those ‘savages’ are now the key to your survival. Now where are they?”
    Akecheta and Nayati took Lyndon from behind and held him up, taking his arms behind his back and squeezing at his wounded wrist, not allowing it to heal so easily.
    Lyndon groaned in pain, but his face remained stern.
    “Swear to me,” he said, looking at Jamison directly in the eyes. “You must heal me as they did you. You cannot let me live like this knowing that there are others who can so easily.”
    “I am not swearing anything, Lyndon. Unless you tell us where they are immediately.”
    Lyndon hesitated. Madison knew that he had no other options. He couldn’t expect more by walking in on them and demanding their help.
    “The villag es already did away with Jayden. I am not certain of where he is,” he said in a hushed tone.
    “Did away with him?” said Madison. She stood before Lyndon and she knew th at he could feel her rage.
    Akecheta and Nayati let go of Lyndon, sensing what was to come. Madison threw her arms in front of her and thrust him backward. He flew up into the shallow roof above them with a thunder that nearly made the entire hillside shake. Timbers of wood and stone began to crack all around them.
    Jamison feared what she had done would bring down the entire cavern. As stable as it was, it wasn’t up to withstanding Madison’s fragile temper.
    Madison walked forward through the rocks falling from the ceiling. She clutched Lyndon’s tunic from within the pile of rubble and lifted him with a single arm. Flinging him back the other way, he collided with the bodies at the other end of the room, sending them flying about as though they weighed nothing.
    “They buried him alive. Somewhere just outside the outer rim of the village!” he yelled. “I don’t know where exactly. They have been doing so with all the vampyrs they could capture. No easy feat, so at least give them credit for that.”
    Madison did n’t find his sarcasm amusing. Ready to grab for him again, he made no intent to fight back. His desperation for being healed of his thirst was far greater than his current need to withstand Madison’s blows.
    “Caspar is with the other vampyrs. That was why I came here. He sees that he cannot overcome all of you, especially now. So he is using them to his best advantage. I came here to warn you! They are coming this way.”
    Madison stepped back and peered behind at Jamison.
    “He is telling the truth,” said Jamison looking at her with certainty.
    “How did Caspar manage to convince a bunch of rabid and starving vampyrs to combine forces and combat against us?” said Madison, still not thoroughly convinced.
    “It’s not that difficult, really,” said Lyndon, his hand in front of his chest, urging for his ribs to heal as they snapped back together from Madison’s destructive anger. “Just point them in the direction of food. It is getting too dangerous for them to hunt near the village. The people here have become adept at protecting themselves. Caspar simply told them that there were unarmed people living in this cavern.”
    Akecheta left instantly to peer outside the tunnel’s opening and extended his hearing as far as it could go. The others waited in silence to verify if this was so.
    It didn’ t take long for him to hear the commotion. These newly created vampyrs were hardly subtle. Trees broke from their unwavering speed. The ground shivered as they drew closer.
    Night had fallen. Their only advantage would be if they gained high ground at the foundations of the fortress above them.
    Akecheta quickly ran back into the cavern where the others waited.
    “We must leave, now,” he