laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Lisa's dreams were haunted with death and the desire to bathe in blood that she could soak through her pores and rid herself of the hunger that had been plaguing her now for almost two months. Time had escaped her also, it may only have been a few days. Not alone, the other girls laying in the darkened room with her had relayed stories of torture and abuse that she had only heard about in the past. Whomever their new owner was, he had been clever as Raymond had collected female vampires from three empires and two other kingdoms. Aleana had become her closest friend and apparently the one that had been his first. She had used him in return to keep herself alive longer than most. Two had died in his care already, their remains taken up the stairway and thrown into the sunlight. Lisa only wished that she could die and be free of this deprivation.

All of a sudden, she felt her life slowly coming back as she drank hungrily. Reveling in the ecstasy of the moment, she didn't care what or who it was, she was coming back to life. As the cool wash rejuvenated her veins and skin, the numbness and ache ebbed away together. She soon realized the others were with her in this moment as she could feel two others beside her, their arms over hers as long claws gripped the subject of their desires. Afterwards, she drifted into her first deep sleep that was too long in coming.

Her pale green eyes opened as she felt herself being lifted into someone's arms. Within the fog, she began to pick out dim features as he cried.

"Kailee, forgive us for not finding you sooner." She thought she recognized the voice but her strength and energy was still slowly returning. His touch almost hurt her and she soon could feel how her own bones and thin muscles painfully pressed against his thigh as she rested along his lap. Other females joined him as they wept and kissed her on the forehead, cradling it in their hands and against their breast.

"We're going to take care of you, that I promise, my love," another female stated. She wanted to respond, but found that her throat hurt too much. With the exertion, she fell back to sleep.

Soft breathing awoke her to the softness of a large bed. Opening her eyes, she viewed the gorgeous blonde that rested beside her, staring at the ceiling, then turn to her.

"Evening, love," she turned and gently wrapped her arms around Lisa who felt the tingle course through her body. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," her croaking voice pushed out quietly. "Where are we?"

Bianka retreated some and eyed her directly. "Still in Gorredik where you and the others have been held. We wanted to wait until you were able to go home with us before we left."

Lisa looked deep into the blue eyes as she smiled and finally recognized her mother. Tears streamed as a flood of memories came back to her. Bianka again held her closely. "He's dead now and you're safe, baby. I promise," she informed as she began to weep also. Lisa couldn't relay the horrible captivity to the one that bore her and wasn't sure that she ever wanted to recall those days again.

"How are the others," she finally asked, regaining her composure.

"Fine. Desperate to see you," Bianka sniffed, then backed as she gently wiped Lisa's cheeks. As Lisa reached up to touch her mother's face, she noticed the thin hands, veins and bones poking through her thinly stretched skin. Horror in her eyes softened her mother's smile as Lisa studied her hand and arm. Hunger did terrible damage to the once gorgeous young woman.

"This will go back, right?" Lisa asked.

Bianka nodded as tears resumed. "You'll be as beautiful as you were. It's just going to take some time."

Lisa's hand reached up to her head and she felt the red hair that now had grown to an inch long. "I don't want them to see me like this."

Bianka nodded. "Not until you're ready."

"What of the other girls?"

"They're recovering also. William is still trying to figure out what to do with them once they're ready to leave. We've tossed around taking them back to Stolberg with us."

Lisa nodded. "They're all dead to their families and have nowhere to go. Most have been vampires now for over ten years, but with the war going on, they have no safe place to live."

"We'll take care of them. We have plenty of room."

She turned suddenly to see Anita, Nellina, Sarah, Catherine and Tasha step up to the foot of the bed, smiling. "How's our daughter feeling tonight," Anita queried as she rounded the bed to stand behind Bianka.

"Fine. How are you?"

Anita nodded as she smiled, her brown eyes glossed as she bit back her own tears. "You get better so we can take you home, get you out of this hole finally. William will visit later, he's healing old wounds with your friends. So, hopefully we won't have to worry about them any longer."

"Where are we," Lisa asked, eyeing her mother.

"In the Cumberland Range. They sit between the lands to the north, orc kingdoms and the Sauqiran desert to the south beyond a large prairie. Anita and William brought Sarah to the shores in the east when they first met her," she glanced to the brunette.

"That was a long time ago," Sarah agreed. "I wonder what happened to that ship," she asked as hazel-brown eyes turned to Anita.

"No telling," appreciating the diversion. "Probably in the fleet of some pirate by now."

* * *

Lisa awoke some time later and fed on the cow that was herded into the master bedroom while another went down to her fellow survivors. As she fed along with her mothers and William, she felt her strength returning slowly, like a healing rain to a parched desert, and hopefully soon as the room had been the center of most of their nightmares. She knew that Aleana and those who had been here longer would've wished to watch Llandielo's body burn, but the news was a blessing in itself. Lericanin and the others stayed within the old palace also that once belonged to an elven king and his family, long ago.
As they finished, she pushed herself up on weak knees and felt her muscles building slowly. Another day or so and she would be able to walk again, she thought as William finally approached and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead lovingly. She rested in his embrace, laying her head on his chest.

"Lericanin and the others have asked about you, darling. We've reached an undestanding and I think we may even be able to visit you more often when you return to them," he chuckled. "I know that once you're healthy enough that you'll want to rejoin them."

"They've become part of this larger family that seems to be growing every year."

"What do you mean?"

"My grandparents are traveling with Alister's family now."

"I see. Getting through to them may take a bit more diplomacy for me."

Lisa agreed. "Don't worry yourself about that now." She enjoyed the moment as her eyes scanned the women that had joined the one that called himself her father. She realized that her biological father was none at all, nor wanted to be as far as she was concerned. Comfort in the arms of this man who looked younger than she was had become her home.

"There is someone who's been sleeping outside the door for some nights that wishes to see you, if you're ready."

Lisa eyed her right arm that lay across his to notice the soft tan and muscles had thickened enough. Bone and veins now retreated somewhat, she felt less self conscious and nodded. "Alright." William picked her up and helped her to the foot of the bed where she sat down and was soon joined by Bianka as William nodded to Catherine. Moving to the door, the redhead unlocked it and opened it as she looked out into the broad hallway and motioned.

She watched as Alandria quickly walked in and desperately searched for her teacher as Lisa smiled. The tall brunette began crying as she ran to Lisa and sat beside her then wrapped herself around the still recovering patient. Lisa held her in return as tightly as she could.

"It's good to see you again," Lisa finally greeted and listened to the flood of thoughts within her weeping student. Her love, the long journey here that nearly claimed her life fighting two-legged beasts that spit poisonous venom, orcs and giants as well as the men that defended this city and her captor. She watched as Alandria fired two arrows into the mage, then ran to the room as Anita kicked the door in. The remaining visuals she resisted. "I'm alright."

"I'm not leaving you again," Alandria pushed out between sobs.

Lisa smiled. "There are sometimes things that are beyond our wants or desires that keep us from fulfilling vows. But, I love you too. Nothing will ever change that."