Amongst the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  “Is that what this is about? Too bad, because you’re already as good as dead.”

  “You dare threaten me?” Her laughter was short-lived. “Take it off or I will kill your sister.” She paused, waiting for my reply and shook me when my eyes fluttered. “Wake up. What do you mean as good as dead?”

  The world spun. I saw double—a two-headed dragoness atop its prey. I fought for consciousness. With no possible way out, I slapped my right hand over the left. My fingers fumbled with the dial. Her eyes widened in anticipation as I groped for the bracelet. Let the bitch think I was giving in to her wishes.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare!” she cried.

  A loud crack tore across the sky overhead. The convergence of two universes hurled her onto the beach ten feet away. Whipping sand blew into her face. She shielded her eyes and screamed as she tried to cover her bare skin. “You will pay for such insolence!” Abyss spat. “You’re the prophecy Farian warned us about. But why? What danger are you to me?” Abyss cowered at my feet as a fine mist enveloped her and carried her upward.

  Sprawled on the towel barely conscious, I released the dial to disengage the portal. Heavy lids drooped as my gaze drifted to the sun. The red arc sank below the horizon. My body grew numb and cold as darkness encroached.

  Seconds, minutes, or hours could have passed for all I cared as I stargazed at the twinkling sky. It didn’t matter if time stood still. The hunger within me ignited every nerve, my entire being aware of the burning desire to refuel. Above the sound of the waves lapping the shore, the soft spray of footfalls trudging through sand approached.

  “Señor Colton? Would you like another margarita?”

  Enough twilight lighted the sky. I recognized the barmaid. Above all, the bouquet of lilac and copper drove my senses into a chaotic frenzy.

  “Señor, are you all right?”

  I reached for her ankle and yanked her off her feet. Her tray of margaritas crashed beside us as my fangs plunged into her tender flesh.

  45

  BLOODY MARIA

  A dusty Jag sped through the desert plains of Mexico. Inside the air-conditioned vehicle, Sabree drove with eyes focused ahead. The tunnel vision of his blood-tie with the twins acted as his GPS. Sabree’s white knuckles gripped the wheel. His thumbs clicked furiously as if he were sending Morse code—an SOS Brian would desperately need once he was finished with him.

  During the long drive, Sabree fantasized about the clever and torturous ways he would punish Brian. Ariane, however, would take considerable thought. Misting into the small village was out of the question in his anemic state. Until his inevitable feast on Brian’s blood, he had to resort to feeding on an occasional mortal to sustain him for the long drive.

  The Jag slowed as its high beams illuminated the road sign welcoming travelers to Cueva Oscura. Sabree shifted into lower gear and cruised until he sensed the blood-tie increase to full potency. He parked next to the quaint hotel and stood outside door number four, waiting for Ariane to answer his persistent knocks. “Open the door or Eric is as good as dead.” Sabree did not mind the white lie.

  “Go away.” Ariane peeked out the door with the security chain attached. “Brian will kill you if you hurt me.”

  Her sweet scent triggered an inner battle that raged within Sabree. His taste buds savored the honeyed blood in the air, making his eyeteeth extend. A finger encircled the chain and tore it off the hinge as if it were a wilted flower. “Unfortunately,” he snarled, “I will be the only one doing the killing.” The topic of death made him mindful of his own decaying state. Her creased brow and curled upper lip revealed revulsion, well aware he looked like a wraithlike zombie. “Where’s the flash drive?” It took all his willpower not to devour her where she stood. He relished the thought of her flirtatious glances once again, as soon as his handsomeness returned to normal. No, he’d avenge her bastard brother instead.

  “We were so worried about you stealing the drive, we forgot about Wayde. Did you tell him we were here?”

  “I don’t have time to bicker. Where’s your brother?”

  “Stay away from him,” she cried, pounding her fists against his chest.

  He could smell his own breath reflected off her face. Decay. He grabbed her arms and drew her close, whispering in her ear. “You had better leave now, before I change my mind and avenge you along with your brother.”

  “Please don’t kill him. Take my blood instead.”

  “Don’t be foolish.” Her whimpers softened the rigidity of his two hearts. How could one woman have such an effect on his emotions? “I suffer from a double whammy: crave nothing more than to kill you both but need the two of you alive to survive. I will bring your brother home.”

  Sabree leaned inside to grab her luggage and tossed the bags into the backseat of the rental. “Drive straight home. No stops.” When she refused to budge, Sabree shoved her onto the driver’s seat. She flashed him a hateful glance before she drove away. He waited until the rental disappeared down the main road.

  Sea air filled his lungs. The ghoul’s blood had turned to dust and floated on the wind. The delicacy enticed the tip of his tongue. Worried Brian might be in trouble, Sabree sprinted toward the beach. He slowed at the sight of a man kneeling beside a woman’s body. When he reached them, his gaze met reddened eyes blinded by tears.

  “Should I be grateful or terrified that you’re here?” Brian swallowed in an attempt to stifle his sobs as he stroked the victim’s arm. He stared at Sabree. “My God, you look terrible.”

  “Not a nice way to greet your dearest fiend.” Sabree spat the word and then glanced up and down the shore. “I’ve come to bring you home where you belong.”

  “Fock you.” Brian moved his fingers toward the amulet to demonstrate his defiance.

  “Don’t do anything rash. I sent Ariane home, unharmed. However, the Caderen are waiting for my order to dispose of Eric.” Again, he lied. “You refuse and he’s dead. We made a pact, you and I. You will never escape my wrath.”

  “I don’t care what you do to Eric.”

  Brian spoke the truth. In his hearts, Sabree knew the ghoul held a high regard for life and would never really mean those words. Then he noticed the signs of shock, perhaps brought on by the woman’s body sprinkled in sand. “What have we here?”

  “Maria.” Brian whimpered as he spoke her name. “She works here.”

  On the other side of the dying barmaid, a tray and a pile of margarita glasses lay in the sand. Sabree eyed Brian’s pale complexion, spied the maroon dust on his neck, and the human blood trickling down his chin. “Are you inebriated from the margaritas or Bloody Maria?” he asked. The edge of sadness clinging to his voice surprised even him despite his attempt to make light of the grotesque situation. Sabree shook the large towel free of sand. “Let me help.”

  “Abyss attacked me.” Brian stroked her dark hair. “Maria came to the rescue. I lost control and drank her blood. I killed her.” Tears streaked down his cheeks. “Bury me somewhere deep, somewhere forever.”

  Sabree inhaled the night air. A familiar honeysuckle bouquet sparked with a touch of lemon filled his lungs. The honeysuckle came from Brian, the sugary citrus from his ex-lover. He hissed displeasure, his mind in a tailspin. He grabbed Brian by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet. “What did Abyss want? Tell me. The drive?” He shook Brian until he lost his footing and stumbled. Sabree caught him and wrapped the towel around his shoulders to keep him warm. Fourteen days of mending, stewing anger, and retribution would have to wait. He made Brian sit while he examined the barmaid.

  “I’m a monster.” Brian’s voice was full of self-loathing. “A danger to humans as well as to my own kind.”

  “Poor girl,” Sabree whispered. Her blue lips and gray skin reminded him of his own horrid visage. He needed to feed on Brian and soon. His eyes widened. Realization struck his two hearts as if they collided into an eighteen-wheeler. As much as he despised Abyss, he still found a place in one of his hearts for
her. Like him, Brian’s blood now infected hers, the difference being, Sabree had to consume Brian’s blood to stay healthy. Never in a millennium would he share Brian or Ariane with Abyss. He gazed into Maria’s lifeless eyes. Reacting to a chill, he brushed his fingers over the windows to her soul, now vacant. “We must dispose of her body,” he said coldly.

  Brian shook his head in denial. “She’s still alive. Call an ambulance! Please, I couldn’t bear to have her death on my conscience. Save her, Sabree.”

  When it came to innocent mortals, Sabree would never allow such neglect. He bit his lip and smeared his blood over the marks on her neck. The wound healed fast, hiding the obvious cause of death. He ignored Brian’s insistent pleas as he carried her body to the ocean, letting the tide wash her out to sea. Sabree didn’t have the heart to tell him that the young woman died minutes ago. Instead, he eased Brian’s conscience by making it look like he had condemned the woman to death by drowning.

  “It’s all for the best.” Sabree uttered a prayer in French as her body drifted out to sea. Curious, as to why the night fell silent, he turned slowly and relaxed. Brian had collapsed, weakened from both grief and misery. The turn of events canceled his vengeance. Sabree heaved the unconscious ghoul over his shoulder. “Time to go home, mon ami.”

  46

  TIM E. TRAVELER

  T he trip to Mexico had not turned out the way Ariane and I had expected. We lost more than the flash drive: hope, faith in each other, trust in Eric, and Sabree’s trust in us. Ariane had sent a text to let me know she rushed home only to find Eric unharmed, still visiting his folks. Sabree’s threats were phony. My sister informed me she was staying at Jesse’s condo. Her reasons sound, I returned to an empty house full of regret, caring less if Sabree followed me inside.

  During the past few weeks, I spoke to no one, not even Sabree. Found it too easy to ignore the phone, text messages, or the persistent knocks on the front door. Eventually the intrusions ceased. Maria’s death overshadowed the angst of losing the drive to Wayde. Worst of all, Sabree moved in. To punish myself, I refused to replenish the blood he had drained from me on the return trip. Day by day, my body grew weaker as I ignored the hunger that plagued my being.

  Despite my impaired state, I researched the ancient scrolls until perseverance paid off. Found several references to the amulet’s coded sequences. One setting generated the wings without activating the portal. Dial the symbol that resembled a single wing, and I could fly anywhere on Earth. However, the trivial matter of how to fly worried me.

  The scroll warned that clicking three times on the dual-bolts symbol set the self-destruct mode. I vowed to leave that one alone. The scroll also revealed two other sequences I had discovered on my own. the wavy lines created a disturbance and the star opened the portal along with my wings. The disturbance mode had worked its magic more than once.

  A bit more research under my belt, craving adventure, I decided to revisit the portal. Since time stood still on Earth during each visit, I could travel the portal for days, and no one would be the wiser. The time for another visit seemed right. I didn’t have to worry about Sabree prying into my business. He had been preoccupied with the idea of cloning our blood. Involved with research, neck deep in scientific jargon, Sabree would never know I stepped out for a quick visit, unless of course, I crash-landed on the roof again.

  I wanted to check out a particular world that beckoned me on the last expedition—a place other than the Blood Sea planet. I left the music blaring so prying ears wouldn’t be able to hear the portal universe open between worlds. I snuck outside to the rear of the house. The wings had singed the back of my shirt last time, so I pulled it off, scuffed my feet in the sand, and set the lever on the bracelet. At once, the dark wings sprang outward and flapped several times as if to rid themselves from the dust of neglect. Right behind them, the portal opened wide enough for me to enter. I admired the dark wings before I leapt inside. I still didn’t understand the significance of four wings, two on each side.

  Keen awareness displaced the confusion I usually experienced when I entered the portal universes too fast. Did a slower method of transference exist? Repeat visits helped me adapt to the wings with ease. I flew in the direction I’d taken on my last visit. Before long, recognition rewarded me as I flew near a specific route, more sixth sense than visual association. My gaze narrowed on the unknown beyond. My spiritual gut sparked with apprehension as distant memories urged me into this realm. Pressing forward, I vowed to turn away the minute the crimson sea or tall trees appeared.

  Sparks ignited around me as I entered the wormhole, the result of my spiritual body entering the barrier into a new dimension. The tunnel narrowed. I spiraled deeper into the tube much like a water slide. No turning back as the suction pulled me inward. The closer I got, the stronger the pull, the more I fought to maintain equilibrium. To enhance my aerodynamics and reduce the unsteady descent, I drew the wings against my back. In doing so, my speed of entry increased. Panic smothered reason. All I could envision was cannonballing into the red sea of blood. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath.

  3 3 3

  Tim E. Traveler (time traveler Brian) appeared in Julia’s yard without the use of wings or the portal. Out of habit, his palm buffed the broach adorning his shoulder. The red-plaid scarf the broach fastened, blew upward. An unearthly turbulence rippled across the clothesline loaded with linen sheets. Along with the laundry, energy stirred the calm desert air. He noticed a woman staring off in the distance, unafraid as if she had witnessed this disturbance on many occasions. He stepped up to greet her and stopped when she spoke to someone else.

  “Time is an oddity I will never understand, dearest Turian,” she said. “I’m happy to leave the science to the winged-ones.”

  Tim cringed when she spoke Turian’s name, perhaps the reason this world always beckoned him. The name Julia Barry embraced his soul. He studied her with great care, from her golden hair, amber eyes, and tanned skin. She almost looked like a blonde Ariane. His heart beat against his chest in anticipation of meeting the woman he believed to be his mother.

  The billowing sheets sagged as the wind shifted toward the garden. Several hand-woven baskets blew off the front porch. Shielding her eyes, she stepped closer to the clothesline only feet away from where Tim hid. Similar to sizzling heat, the recognizable pattern of unstable atmosphere shimmered near the garden. The grass singed from the transference. Was Turian paying a visit?

  Thunder roared overhead until a tear in space materialized. A man with black wings, two on each side, leapt out. The fourteen-foot wingspan collapsed and tucked under the man’s shoulder blades before his body became solid matter. In its inert physical form, the wings formed thin, wispy layers unlike bird feathers.

  The radiant white light that haloed his body dimmed. In time, the turbulence generated by his violent entry settled, and the boom typical of a jet breaking the sound barrier thundered overhead. Residual sparks flickered around his dark hair. The angelic being had transformed into a man—at least from outward appearances. He emerged in his true physical form, naked from the waist up, his pale skin unblemished.

  The transference overwhelmed Tim. His throat tightened until he choked, visualizing himself from what seemed so long ago.

  Julia took a step closer before she sank to her knees. She whispered his name, “Brian.”

  As soon as she spoke, Tim E. Traveler felt his body dissolve. An unknown force drew his molecules into the new arrival as though a black hole had devoured him.

  3 3 3

  An awareness flooded my mind as if a missing link had magically joined with me. I dropped to my knees, dazed by the transference onto a world other than my own. The fog-webs in my mind cleared as I scanned the perimeter. The earthlike atmosphere, the handsome woman, and desert climate eased me somewhat but not enough to relax. After the exhilaration faded, I frowned, realizing she had called me by my name. I shuddered all over when her hand caressed my chin. I gazed into her eye
s as if we had already met in another time or place. This type of déjà vu happened too often of late. But why?

  “I was expecting you,” she said. “My name is Julia Barry. Come inside and wait. Turian will arrive at dusk, but he can only stay long enough to meet you.”

  I glanced behind to confirm I was alone. Then I pointed at my chest. “You must have me confused with another. I’ve never been here before—this is my first visit.” When she waved me inside, I regarded her with mistrust. My wings-and-all entrance into her world should’ve frightened her away, but she seemed to be expecting me. Panic set in. I jumped to my feet and scanned the horizon again. Seeing only sand and rock, I turned to the woman. To my amazement, she giggled.

  “Don’t worry, you have nothing to fear. Turian expected as much.” Julia nodded approval when I repeated the name, stuttering on the pronunciation. She led me by the hand into her home and made me feel welcome by offering a dish of sweet confectionery shells filled with honey and pink frosting.

  Her eyes glistened as she watched me nibble the first piece with vigilance.

  “Delicious,” I mumbled as I popped the rest into my mouth, almost swallowing them whole. “I know someone back home who would love these.” If only Sabree could see me now, the expression on his face alone would be unforgettable.

  47

  ANGELS WHO DRINK BLOOD

  A n hour dragged on. When the sun set, I began to fear the worst. If Turian intended to pay a visit, then he was late. How did he survive the attempts on his life thousands of years ago, especially if Duncan collected DNA from his crypt? Something was amiss. Julia’s excuses for keeping quiet grated on my nerves. My fingers tapped the table. They should’ve realized I was doing them a favor by waiting.