Page 42 of Anger

Lanie did so with distaste and gasped. They were Hunter children who’d been left alive after the adults had been murdered.

“There’s so many,” she murmured.

“Over half of those killed were done so by offspring that Legends left alive. The temple has several levels. I shall take you to a Saviour one,” Mac said.

Lanie followed him down a couple of flights of stairs and into a corridor. They entered the first door and discovered a marble and gold room. “There are many like this, each room dedicated to a family. Come, Lanie. I’ll explain,” Mac ordered, walking to the far wall. “This was the person who began the first Saviour family. And these are his children and descendants. If their name is in blue, they died a natural death. If their name is in gold, they helped a Legend. Red means Hunters murdered them.”

Lanie looked around and hissed. Too many names were lit up in red. Loads were in gold with a red edging. Lanie touched one. An image appeared of a person and a Legend. A voice told how the person had aided a Legend and then had been killed for doing so. Lanie shook her head in disbelief. Lots of deaths.

The family tree covered the far wall and then branched out onto the adjacent walls, where it abruptly stopped. All names were in red.

“There’s nobody left?” Lanie whispered. Hundreds of names were written on the walls, and over half were in red or gold and red.

“No. And there are too many rooms like this,” Mac said, bitterness in his voice. He waved Lanie out and showed her the next five rooms. Each family ended as abruptly. At the seventh room, he stopped and hesitated but opened the door.

Lanie studied the names, and her eyes widened as she gaped at him. “This is yours and Ranson’s family tree!”

“Yes. We are the only two left out of hundreds. This is our maternal line. You can see highlighted where they joined with our fathers. This is repeated in my paternal line room.”

“I am so sorry,” Lanie gasped, staring at the red names. There was far more red here than any other colour.

“My family was a militant line. We seem to risk our neck more,” Mac said. “That’s why Tisi values Ranson and I so much. Our family did not just help Legends, we helped Saviours. We are leaders. The Hunters would love to get their dirty, murdering hands on us.”

“None of my family knows about any of this,” Lanie replied.

“I didn’t expect you to. There are still Saviour families out there we’re hunting down. Emmaline and Willow were two of them. But the majority are now here. Those outside Refuge are single families, orphans, or families who’ve lost their past. We seek them out and, inform them of their history, and give them a choice. If they choose to join us, they are welcome. If they refuse, we secure them a new life so Hunters don’t kill them,” Mac explained further.

“I have no words. This is so much to take in,” Lanie said.

“I shall leave you if you wish. You can wander the Hall of Memories and recall your fallen brothers and sisters. Know this, though: there is a statue for every single one of you, even those who are alive. At Refuge, we know how many remain living,” Mac stated.

“You do?” Lanie gasped, spinning on him.

“Yes. You have Lilith, we have Tisiphone. The Erinyes were as powerful as Lilith. And when Alecto and Megaera died, their magic went into Tisiphone. I would wager she is the most powerful being on this planet,” Mac elaborated.

“Please stay, I don’t wish to be alone,” Lanie asked.

“As you wish,” Mac said and allowed Lanie to lead him where she wanted. She headed back upstairs and took her time studying each and every statue on this level. There was seventy-five. The next two levels also held Legends, and then they descended into the Saviour rooms.

McIntyre.

To his surprise, Lanie lingered as long in the Saviour rooms as she did in the three Legend Halls. Lanie genuinely wanted to pay her respects to each family and would take a candle from a box outside each room and light it in remembrance.

Lanie knelt in every room and repeated The Lord’s Prayer for the families, too. Hours ticked past, but Lanie refused to stop until she’d visited them all.

“We owe them so much. We should be bowing at Emmaline and Willow’s feet,” she muttered.

“Vampire and Poseidon’s soul mates. Yeah, we’re aware of them. That took us all by surprise,” Mac said. His eyes twinkled. “As did the children!”

“You know?”

“Yes. Lanie, we watched over you, of course, we knew. Each of you has been protected by a family for many years now. Once we organised and began to grow, we started sending people out to keep an eye on those left. At one point, we were about to bring you all in, but then Lilith, Baba Yaga, and Pandora pulled off that miraculous spell,” Mac explained. “Tisiphone decided to leave you alone.”

“If she’d reached out, we probably would have accepted her help!” Lanie said.

“A tip. Don’t piss her off. Tisi’s temper is legendary and for all the wrong reasons,” Mac replied with a smirk.

“Why do I think you’ve been on the end of that?” Lanie laughed as they headed towards the top floor.

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