I tried to focus, but every thought brought me to the same place: this was the night I was going to die. Nerves shot through me like ice water, but a grim resignation settled on me. I was going to meet the fate I should have met on that lake. This time, no one would die for me. Everything was on me. I don’t know why, but this thought banished the fear and doubt that stabbed into me like knives. I never wanted anyone hurt because of me, and it had happened to both Mom and Laurie. That ended tonight. No matter what, it would all come down to me. I could handle this.
I hope.
“I think they’re waiting for you in the auditorium,” Aidan said, breaking the icy silence of the car.
“What makes you say that?”
Aidan pointed outside the SUV at a dark announcement board. A few minutes later, the sign erupted in light. Spotlights shone high into the air, swirling like a conductor’s baton. Brilliant lights flashed on the sign, strobing like they were announcing a Broadway musical. A bright yellow light illuminated the event on the board, and I gulped in fear the second I read the words.
Tonight! One showing only! The Death of Kacey Alexander!
“I’ll say one thing about the bad guys,” I quipped, struggling to control the pounding of my heart. “They have some great showmanship.”
“Don’t let them get to you,” dad said, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“It’s too late for that.”
The car rolled to a stop, scraping against the loose gravel of the driveway. I stepped out as a chill ran down my back. I pulled my coat in close to me and concentrated on the building. Each time my abilities slipped through my fingers. I had no magic, no weapons other than Aidan’s sword. I was a scared little girl, freezing in the cold.
“What do you have, Kacey?” Kat asked, murmuring so low I struggled to hear her.
“Nothing,” I admitted, beginning to panic as I tried, again and again, to tap into my powers.
“You’re freaking out, Kacey. That’s why. You need to calm down.”
“You’re not the one who had a marquee announcing your death,” I spat back at her. Icy talons of dread squeezed hard around my heart.
“They’re trying to get in your head.”
“News flash, they succeeded!”
“Kacey Marie Alexander,” my dad said in a scolding voice. “You have never once in your life backed down from a challenge, so don’t start. Remember what your mother would say.”
I groaned, letting the memories flow over me. Mom never let anything slow her down let alone stop her. Whenever I complained, she’d always say the same words to me.
When life closes a door on you, don’t take that. Kick the door down, step in, and take what you want. Master your fears…
“Don’t let them master you,” I said to myself. The fear and dread subsided, and a burning light seemed to push.
I closed my eyes, and the world came into stark focus. The sounds and smells created a vivid portrait of the world around me. I smelled the calm, soothing scent of the pine trees and the squirrels that burrowed deep in their trunks. The storm took on a new light as I sensed it washing away the old world, readying the new one for spring’s rebirth. I focused on the school and heard the frantic and frenzied pumping of hundreds of hearts. Their owners huddled together, whispering prayers and shouting at their captors. The faint, metallic taste of blood hovered in the air, and I scowled as my senses returned to normal.
“They’re in the gym. They’re hurt and frightened,” I announced, burning rage banishing the terror that plagued me.
“Burned?” Kat asked.
“I can’t smell anything burning. If I had to guess, I’d say someone took a chunk out of them.”
“Any guards?”
I focused on the gym again and narrowed my eyes in frustration. I couldn’t hear any guards or signs of life around the hostages. All I could make out was the faint scraping of claws against the walls and concrete. I was about to give up when I focused on the auditorium. A heartbeat pounded like the beat of a drum. The booming echoes from the noise reverberated through the school.
“Somebody is patrolling the halls, but I can't say who or what they are. They've also got some guy in the auditorium, waiting for me.”
“How many guards?”
“I can't get an exact number. They don't have a heartbeat, whatever they are.”
“Good work, Kacey!” Kat beamed at me. “Laurie, you’re up.”
Laurie handed me a small, plastic item, motioning for me to put it in my ear.
“Can you hear me,” a dull, static-filled voice said.
“Yeah.”
“We’re going to be with you every step of the way, Kacey,” Kat said. “Say the word and we’ll be right there to back you up.”
“Don’t. Not until we disarm the bombs.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. We’re ending this tonight. No one else is dying because of me.”
“Alright, good luck,” Kat said as I trudged through the snow toward the auditorium. Cameras whirred on their platform, spinning in gradual arcs that caught everything. Gray, metallic bolts sealed every door. A large fence stretched toward the sky, making the building look like a prison. I hopped the fence and scowled at the grim sight of the school. I remembered my friends outside in the warm of spring, playing hacky-sack and laughing about the latest gossip. Today the school seemed desolate, a cold, bleak aura settling over the abandoned structure.
I glared at one of the cameras, and it slowed to a stop, staring at me like a single, plastic eye. The front door unlocked, and I stepped inside. The abandoned halls were silent save for the soft tick of claws raking against the floor. I could hear a soft hiss everywhere I turned. I took several deep breaths and searched, scanning for a less visible means of travel than the halls.
“Do it, guys. Kill the power.” A few seconds later the lights flickered and went out, covering the world in a curtain of inky blackness. I focused, and soon the curtains lifted, letting me see as if the halls were well lit. All color left the world with everything turning various shades of gray and black like I was on an old TV show.
“Alright, I’m going to assume that walking down the halls is suicide. Laurie, I need another route.”
“The school has maintenance hatches in the roof. They’ll support your weight and lead you to the catwalks above the auditorium.”
I ducked into an abandoned classroom. I stacked a chair on a desk, stepping with care onto the makeshift tower. I lifted the panel in the ceiling, revealing a jungle of cables, fluorescent lights, and steel. I grunted with effort as I hauled myself onto the ventilation shaft. I placed my feet on the narrow, steel catwalk and felt my powers correcting my balance. Soon I moved across the steel mesh like a jungle cat stalking its prey. I watched every step, anxious not to make a single sound. I heard the low rumbling of vampires beneath me as they searched for their prey. I followed the path to the school’s AV room and scaled the ladder that led to the mesh above it. Thin, skeletal, steel lay under my feet, with lights arranged at random intervals. The warm, orange light of fire caught my attention, and I glanced down, concerned.
“Kat, what’s going on?”
“Aidan led us into the security room. I’m impressed; he managed to sneak up to a room filled with vampires and take them all out. He might not be the villain I thought he was.”
“Good for him, but I’m not worried about that at the moment. What can kill a vampire?”
“Good question. Decapitation, Holy water, garlic, anything wooden piercing their heart, and fire. Why?”
“Fire? You’re sure about that?”
�
��Yes, why?”
“Then something weird is going on.” I slipped across the catwalk to get a better vantage point, and concern flowed over me at the sight. Vampires lined the hallways, gray-skinned monstrosities with oversized, bulging muscles. Wings wrapped around them like a makeshift cloak, and long, razor sharp fangs protruded from their jaw. The creatures’ voices filled the room in a flat, rhythmic, singing. Each one had a gleaming gold brazier they held in front of them. Flame raged in the container, flickering an inch from their face. The vampires lined down every hall leading to the stage. They wound up and down the halls; their heads bowed toward the stage.
They assembled into a circle near a golden throne, and a bear of a man sat on it. He ran his fingers through one of the torches, the flame streaming between his fingers. The man was old, and his wild hair and beard were a pale silver. The worst thing about him was his eyes. He had the gaze of a predator, missing nothing as he watched his makeshift kingdom. Cold, cruel violence lay beneath its surface, and his Kevlar vest held a small armory. Knives, Tonfa, and ammo were everywhere, and grenades lay strapped on his bandolier. A gleaming sword leaned against his throne, ready for action with the flick of his wrist.
“You may as well come out,” he said, his voice booming and reverberating against the stage. “I’ve known you were there for some time.”
I grimaced and leaped down, landing on my feet in front of him. He chuckled, tapping his fingertips as I faced him.
“I’m impressed. It must have taken great skill and cunning to evade my men as long as you have. Well done,” he said, an approving tone in his voice as he watched me march toward him.
“Nope, your ‘men’ suck,” I spat back.
“That they do. You made me a great deal of money, little girl. My employer bet me a significant amount of money that you wouldn’t show up. It appears he was wrong. Well done.”
“Grand. Should I be flattered?”
“You should. I don’t hunt anyone, girl. I track down the most elusive, cunning, and deadliest prey. When he offered me this job, I almost turned it down. An eighteen-year-old girl is not worthy of my time and effort. Then I saw your pictures-”
“I already have a boyfriend, thanks, and I don’t want to know what you did with my pictures.”
The man scoffed, a cold, dismissive sound as he watched me. “I saw the steel in your eyes, girl. The cold stare of a killer that has yet to wet her beak. A warrior who could make this world burn if she would give into the blood lust.”
“I haven’t killed anyone. Yet. Who knows, you could be the first.”
A laugh seemed to erupt from the man’s chest, booming and echoing through the room.
“That would be an honor, but I doubt it will play out that way.”
“What do you want from me? Why send a vampire to kill me? Why did you blow up a gas station, hell why do any of this?”
“The gas station was not my doing. Mindless brutality is not honorable.”
“None of this is honorable.”
“The world has no greater honor than seeking out the strongest warriors and crushing them beneath your feet. There is no greater thrill than feeling their life’s blood ooze into your hands.”
“You’re insane,” I spat back.
“You would not be the first to say so. I have been rude. I am Pyrus. It is my job to bring you into the fold. If you refuse, you die.”
“Why?”
“Your mother commands it.”
“My mother’s dead, you sick fuck.”
He smirked. The expression was slow and cruel and made his eyes burn with fire.
“You know nothing, young one. To business then,” he rose from his throne, towering over me.
“My employer wants to make you an offer.”
“What offer?”
“You have the attention of a powerful woman. She’s invited you to join her.”
“Is that so?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course. Say the word and I will take you straight to her. You will have riches beyond imagining, power beyond your comprehension. You will become the greatest killer this world has ever seen. You will see the putrid, worthless masses kneeling at your feet.”
“I think we both know that’s not going to happen.”
“I assumed that. This can still end without bloodshed. Hand me the Bloodstone, and I’ll be on my way.”
“I have no idea what that is.”
Pyrus scoffed, leveling a smoldering glare at me.
“Do not test me, girl.”
“I’m not testing you. I've never heard of anything called a bloodstone."
“Do not make me kill you. A half-trained Mage makes for a pitiful trophy.”
“That’s not going to happen. I’m ending this today. You’re not killing anyone, ever again.”
“I’ve heard that before,” he said, hefting his sword and setting it in his hand. The vampires set their braziers down at the cue, and the droning music ended. They turned to look at Pyrus, who nodded.
“It is time for you to die, little girl.”
Chapter 9
“Rhineholt, Shen, take her,” Pyrus shouted. Two of the slavering, twisted monstrosities shambled toward me.
The creatures lunged at me, fanged mouths wide in anticipation of their meal. I’d been preparing for this ever since the attack. They’d made me a victim once. It wouldn’t happen again.
Fangs and claws lashed out, but each strike went wide. I was too fast, too careful for them to pin down. In a flash, my sword was out, slicing through the wires supporting the curtain. It fell on top of one of the creatures as it squawked and squealed in frustration. A single swipe of my blade sent its head rolling across the stage. Pyrus raised an eyebrow at the victory, and the other vampire swarmed over me. Claws snapped as I held the creature at bay, each bite missing my face by a hair’s breadth. We tumbled through the stage, rolling across the floor as chairs snapped and flew out of our way.
I kicked the beast off me, standing across from him while the crowd of monsters jeered. I snatched the brazier from one of the vampire's claws. We circled each other, weighing our options before the next attack. It lunged right as I jabbed it at the monster’s heart. Brilliant orange and blue flame erupted as the container touched his skin. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burned and ruined flesh. It tumbled away, desperate to extinguish the flames. I rushed over to it, and with another swipe of my blade, took the second head in as many minutes.
“Impressive,” Pyrus rumbled. “Kill her.”
My heart fell as all the creatures lifted off, dozens of them swarming as they surged toward me. The horde surged past me, clawing and biting as I bled from a dozen wounds. Energy flowed through me like an inferno. I leaped to the catwalk, power surging through me as I landed. The great distance felt like a minor hop, and I saw Pyrus blink as he cocked his head.
I raced over, grabbing one of the rods. I surged down the aisle, hurling each of the braziers into the mess of plush chairs. The room erupted into flames, and I threw the foul smelling liquid onto the curtains. The vampires hovered in the air, a hungry gaze on their face as they lapped up my blood from their claws.
“Come on,” I whispered to myself. “Come on, come on, fall for it.” Howling cries filled the air as the vampires surged toward me. I ran up the stairs and dove behind the curtain as their bulk slammed into it. The dense covering collapsed on top of them, trapping the vampires underneath. I grinned and hurled the last burning brazier into it. They howled in agony as the fire consumed them, their limbs melting into an inky black goo.
I beamed in triumph as I watched my handiwork. The
air was scorching hot as the fire raged across the once tranquil stage. Flames moved like hungry animals, consuming everything in sight. The streams of orange and blue turned into angry claws, desperate to reach out and grab me. Smoke filled the air, rising to the ceiling in a foreboding black cloud.
I heard the whistling of a sword and dove out of the way as it swung where my head used to be. I grabbed Aidan’s sword and stood, glaring as Pyrus stalked toward me, weapon in hand.
“I knew you were a killer,” he shouted over the inferno.
“Nope, a drama dork. Those curtains are heavy, you know.”
“I hope you have more tricks than that, girl.”
“A few,” I reassured him, as his bulk crashed into me.
The wind drove from my lungs as he rammed me into the wall. I struggled to get up, but his knee slammed into me, knocking me to the ground as a series of blows fell on my chest. Each time I tried to rise Pyrus would slam me to the ground, as a white haze of pain filled my vision.
“Is that it?” he howled, laughing as a trail of blood ran down my mouth. “Had I known you were this pathetic, I would have crushed your skull to begin with.” He inched over until he was towering over my collapsed body. “You have nothing left, infant.”
“I still have this,” I countered as I drove my sword into his leg.
The weapon barely pierced his skin, and it felt like I was driving my blade through concrete. I pulled it out as I leaped to my feet, disappointed to see a mere trickle of blood run down his calf. He descended on me, and steel clashed against steel. I parried and dodged, but he moved with incredible speed. Slice after slice of his sword dug into me as he batted away my strikes with no effort. He cut thin red lines into my chest, arms and legs until my clothes soaked with blood and sweat.
My vision faded at the loss, but I refused to back down. Not while everyone was counting on me. I howled, a scream that overpowered the roar of the flames, coming out like the cries of a wounded animal. I leaped at him; blade raised as I drove it into his shoulder, digging deep into his flesh. He grinned, pulling the stuck weapon out and sending it clattering to the ground. I stared in disbelief and desperation as his fists began ramming into me. The pain dulled into faded impact as I crawled away.
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