Blood Ties: The First (A Bane Pack Novel)

EPILOGUE

Elijah Bishop walked down a long, white hallway. The walls were full of pictures and drawings that looked like a child had done them. There were flyers as well and notices. He came to its end and was blocked by a metal door with a small, square window near its top. To his right was a receptionist behind a larger window. She looked up at him and smiled brightly.

“Hello, Mr. Bishop.”

“Good afternoon, Angela,” he replied kindly.

“You’ll find her at the window overlooking the east courtyard,” Angela said. She pressed a button next to her and the door buzzed loudly. There was a faint click. Elijah opened it and looked back at her.

“How is she today?” he asked, a touch of concern in his voice. “Has there been any progress?”

Angela looked a bit uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bishop, but no. She’s still catatonic and showing no signs of coming out of it.”

He nodded sadly and went through the door. The room beyond was nice. Nothing extraordinary, but it was full of comfortable furniture, tables, a piano in one corner, and a TV anchored high on the wall. Right now, it was showing the news.

He glanced around quickly. The room was crowded with men and women in white robes. Some of them shuffled back and forth like zombies. Others just sat and stared blankly at the walls. One man was rocking back and forth, his fingers incessantly moving, and he was talking to himself. An old woman started coming over to him when she saw him standing there. He met her openly, a broad grin on his face.

“Hell, Bill. Where have you been? I’ve spent ages in here waiting for you. It’s like you don’t even want to see your own mother,” she accused, her wrinkled face pulled down in a frown.

“Georgia, I’m Elijah. Remember?” he coaxed. She blinked at him, confused, and then walked away. He always felt sorry for the old woman. Every time he came here, she went through the same routine.

He resumed his trek across the room and found the woman he was looking for. She was a shell. Her face was slack and blank. Her once vibrant, full-of-life eyes were dull and listless. Her mouth hung slightly agape as she looked out the window onto a white, snow-covered world.

Elijah bent down so that he was next to her. He hated the way she looked nearly skeletal.

“Hello, Helen,” he said, laying his own hand on hers. He got absolutely no response from her.

He followed her gaze, looking out the window.

“Kendra has been turned,” he said, his voice grave. “I spent years trying to prevent it, but in the end, I couldn’t. Merle went against our agreement.”

There was no response from the woman. She continued staring out the window as if she’d never heard him.

“I don’t know what else I can do, but I will still be there for her, no matter what,” he told her. He kissed the woman’s cheek. It felt cold and clammy.

Before he got back up, he leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “I know I put you through a lot. I know why you left. But I never stopped loving you, Helen. And I promise you, I’ll make sure nothing happens to her. Kendra will be safe.”

He stood up to his full height and kissed the top of her head. Then he turned and left.

The woman sat placidly. Her face remained slack. Her eyes still held that glazed-over look. But one wasted, thin finger twitched slightly and a moan escaped her lips.

No one noticed.

This ends Blood Ties: The First.

Keep reading for a sneak peak of Blood Ties: The Second.

Now Available.