The Veiled Monarch

by Shae Bryant

  Our origin stories were beautiful, and told with the same wonder that one would tell a fairy tale. Many say that the young world had some "mystery" that we had since lost. The Iron Oath believed it to be true. To think their alchemists somehow tapped into this ages ago was beyond my comprehension.

  Vince rubbed his chin, "I've seen enough to know there is more in this world than meets they eye."

  "You believe him?" I asked.

  "Could you make this up?" Vince raised his eyebrows at me, "Can you explain why he is standing here right now?"

  "No. No I can't."

  Anika turned to Faulkner, "Why can't you kill Jacob?"

  He pursed his lips, "I can't kill the one who has The Hook. I don't know why or how. I know I can't. Believe me, I have tried more than once."

  "What do you want from this, Faulkner?" Vince asked.

  "I want to be free. I was sent here to kill your son, Raina and your friends. Then, I was to kill you. I obviously don't feel like doing that anymore. I think we can end this."

  Vince leaned forward, "We?"

  "Yes. We." Faulkner reached for Vince's hand, "We can do this. Together. Once it is done, you can end me. I have a chance, and I am taking it, Vincenzo. Let me make amends."

  Vince took his hand. My instinct was to beg him to stop. Instead, I stared at him, "Vince...?"

  "We are going to need help,Raina." He closed his eyes, "Everyone's help. I still have contacts in Virginia. I will call them if you make some calls here."

  I was certain that no one believed me when I made those calls. Brian and Erin thought I was crazy. If it wasn't for Leo and Chloe insisting that they heard Faulkner, I don't think they would have come. We needed more than Werewolves. We needed Vampires and we needed Druids. Catherine and Louis would be no problem. I knew they would come. But, I could not go alone. There was one woman I knew who would be a boon to all of us. India.

  When I called to tell her the story, she also had a difficult time believing me. But, she agreed to come and meet us at Vince's house. It was about time that she met the others. India and I had agreed long ago that our community needed to play a larger part in the Non Human picture. What a way to begin.

  India arrived before the others did. It was a good opportunity to introduce her to Vince and Anika. I think they were quite surprised to see a tall blond woman who looked like she was in her early twenties. I assured them there was much more to India than met the eye. The soft-spoken lady who treated everyone with such kindness was a very formidable Druid.

  Soon after India, Brian and Erin arrived with Chloe and Leo. After the shock of seeing Faulkner wore off, the story was explained a second time. Quiet conversations took place while they all discussed whether they believed him. One thing was for certain, Faulkner was putting his life in our hands.

  Vince stood in the center of the room and called for everyone's attention, "It seems we are all taking a trip to Virginia."

  "I'm confused, Vince." India put up her hand, "Why are you asking us to come? You used to lead the Vampiric community in Virginia."

  He nodded, "I did. They have already agreed to help. I want people I know and trust with me. Along with the extra help from Virginia."

  When Vince looked towards him, Louis stepped forward, "Catherine and I mapped out things based on the information Faulkner gave us. I will stress this information came from Faulkner."

  Catherine handed each of us a print out. It was a map of some sort of facility. Nearby were a few street names I wasn't familiar with and a couple of spaces marked in red. The lines on the map were drawn in blue and green. According to the legend, blue was information from Faulkner and green was information they already had access to.

  "Either he's leading us into an elaborate trap, or we're taking care of the Iron Oath on the East Coast." Catherine stated.

  "Those are our options, yes." Louis nodded.

  "How do we know it isn't a trap?" Brian asked.

  Faulkner shrugged, "Do you think I'd lead every one of you in a trap? Along with Vince's friends in Virginia? I can't fight all of you and win. The Iron Oath certainly can't."

  Vince looked at all of us, "You all have a choice. You do not have to go."

  "I'm going." Leo looked at his map.

  "Leonardo, I'd really rather you..."

  "Vince, I am going." Leo stared at his Dad.

  Chloe smiled, "I'm with Leo."

  "Those two can't go without me." Brian chuckled.

  Erin took her husband's arm, "We are a package deal. We're all four going."

  Catherine grinned at them, "I'm with my friends. Louis?"

  He nodded, "Yes. I'm definitely going."

  Anika ran over to Louis and grabbed his hand, "I'm not being left out of this!"

  "I will help." India stepped forward, "It's high time we started doing this sort of thing with the rest. What do you think Raina?"

  I walked over beside Vince, slipping my arm around his waist, "I'll stick around."

  "That settles it." Vince leaned down to kiss me and whispered, "Thank you."

  "When do we leave,Vince?" Brian asked.

  "There is a flight chartered for us. We leave in two hours."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The Beginning

  We arrived in Virginia in the wee hours of the morning. A small group of cars waited to pick us up. Vince and Anika seemed to recognize everyone, and greeted them like old friends. All of us were introduced to the Non Human leaders in Virginia and taken to some houses to rest up for the day.

  Vince and I were given a guest room with an old friend of his. He fell asleep soon after we arrived, but my eyes would not close. My mind and heart were racing with the anxiety of what was to come. All of us could be going to our deaths.

  Vince placed a hand over my chest, giving it a gentle pat. He must have heard how fast my heart was beating, because he snuggled up next to me and kissed the top of my head, bidding me to get some rest.

  The sun's first rays were peeking through the metal shutters. I wanted to throw them open and greet the morning. Vince had the overwhelming desire to sleep. Once he relaxed, I found myself drifting off.

  That night, we met the same group who picked us up from the airport and drove to a small river dock. A group waited for us nearby. Some of them had dirt bikes and sports bikes parked on the narrow road. Others had their cars stashed on various dirt roads in the area. India and I were introduced to the other Druids. Brian, Erin, Chloe and Leo quickly made friends with the Werewolves while Vince greeted his old community.

  Once pleasantries were exchanged, Vince addressed us all, "It's good to see so many of you again. I don't want to go over the reasons why we are here again. You can all see Faulkner standing right here, and you have all been told the story. I will stress that any of you can leave now and no one will fault you."

  Not one person moved when Faulkner stepped forward with a map, "The entrance is marked here. What's important to all of us is the underground."

  "Druids..." Vince pointed to the map, "I'd like all of you to start in this corridor. You may find something useful there. Werewolves,. Here, and those of you on bikes should be outside to catch anyone who runs. The rest will go in this corridor with me. Do not destroy laptops, binders or books. We must save this research if we can."

  Faulkner pointed to a spot about a half a mile from us, "We will all meet here after. If anything goes wrong, Louis has given you all instructions to set your phone to a certain ringtone. When that signal comes. You are to run."

  Brian spoke up, "If this is a trap, who kills Faulkner?"

  "The closest person to him." Vince grinned at Faulkner, "I've already had the satisfaction."

  Faulkner smirked, "I deserved that."

  The group was completely still when Vince looked at us all, "If we are all ready, we will go."

  As I walked away with India and the other Druids, Vince grabbed me by the waist. He held me in a tight embrace, whispering to me, "Please be careful."

 
; "I will." I answered. I needed to hang on for just a moment longer before we separated. I was scared. So was he. "You be careful too."

  The entrance looked like nothing more than a large electrical box in the middle of nowhere. It opened to a staircase that descended into an underground bunker. Cold florescent lights lined the concrete ceiling. Condensation dripped from the walls, and large air vents circulated air from above.

  Our footsteps echoed through the corridor that went on forever. India squinted down the hall, "This is insane. How far does it go?"

  I looked at the map, "Pretty far. If this is right, we'll find the room marked out in a second."

  The map was correct. In less than a minute, we reached a metal door that was barely opened. The Iron Oath knew we were coming. This was no surprise. The moment we walked in, the cameras all pointed at us. According to Faulkner, fifteen people would be inside. Most of them would try to escape and find a very big Werewolf surprise on the other end. Others would try to fight. We'd be ready.

  The room confused us. The walls were brightly painted with colors of blue and yellow. A child's bed with a super hero blanket had been tucked against the wall. A cheerful yellow and green area rug had children's toys strewn about. There was a TV that was playing an animated movie and a small table had coloring books and activity kits on it.

  "What on Earth...?" I looked at the others who appeared to share my confusion.

  India flipped the light switch. The lights above blinked to life. Seconds later, a soft clang echoed through the corridors. The TV went blank, the corridors went dark, and the room was pitch black.

  "They cut the electricity." She said.

  "Flashlights." I smiled, flipping mine on.

  India and I both caught a shadow behind the child sized wardrobe. It was difficult to make out, but it most certainly looked like a person. We motioned to the others and quietly crept to the wall. I recognized the face illuminated by the flashlights. This was the woman who took James.

  She was crouched behind the wardrobe, holding a young boy who was fast asleep. "Don't shoot me!" She yelled, "I have a child!"

  "Is this your child?" India asked.

  "No. It isn't." I answered for her, "It's the child from the Everglades."

  Kristin struggled to stand, "Please, don't hit me. He's not harmed, I promise! Jacob did it. I made him stop before he hurt him. He wanted me to get rid of him, but I can't do it. He's just a child."

  "Jacob Stuart?" I held the light in her face.

  "Yes!" She shielded her eyes from me.

  "Give him to someone else." India ordered her.

  Kristin gingerly handed the child to one of the other Druids. He took the boy in his arms, inspecting him for any signs of harm. The boy was fine. He was obviously drugged to keep him sleeping, but they had not hurt him.

  The Druid took off running down the corridor. At least this little boy would be safe. Soon, we'd be able to reunite him with his family, and the Druids in South Florida would breathe a sigh of relief.

  Once he disappeared, India jerked her flashlight in the direction of the door, "Now you will walk out of here with one of us."

  "Me!?" Kristin looked between all the angry faces, "I...they'll kill me!"

  "You should have thought of that before kidnapping people." I pushed Kristin in front of me.

  "Please!" Kristin pleaded with us.

  A group of angry Druids surrounded Kristin. Her eyes darted between each of us, looking like a woman in front of a firing squad. Her fists clenched into tight balls, and she gulped. In a flash, Kristin grabbed one of the Druids by the arm, pulling them in front of her like a shield. She held a small pistol to their head, backing away slowly.

  "I'm sorry. I have to save my own life. I didn't want it to come to this."

  I wished I had my gun like I did when I was a Detective. Vince begged me not to bring it along on this trip. He was afraid that it would be taken and used against me. I suppose he was right. But, what do we do when they have guns, and we don't? We rely on our own abilities.

  "Raina..." India whispered my name. Her head jerked to one side, and she started to tip toe behind Kristin.

  I had to keep Kristin occupied. I pushed towards her, waving my arms and acting angry. It worked. She was focusing on me.

  "Let her go!" I demanded.

  "I'll kill her!" Kristin threatened.

  "No you won't." India yelled, "Raina! Catch!"

  My hands spread out to catch the small vial India threw at me. Pieces of dirt spilled from the open vial onto me and the floor. Beautiful, wonderful earth! There was life in every speck of dirt and sand in this world. A Druid like me could find it easily.

  I held the few specks of dirt in my hand, willing it to spring forward in a torrent of life. Leaves sprouted from the soil, growing into long and thin vines that reached towards Kristin. The other Earthquakes quickly caught on to what I was doing. They scooped up flecks of earth, creating a cage of plants around Kristin.

  India spilled a vial of water into her hand. Just a few drops remained in her palm. It was more than enough. All the condensation on the walls around us fed into the small droplet of water, creating a huge bubble suspended over Kristin's head. When India let it fall, Kristin choked under a deluge of water.

  Kristin screamed and struggled, trying to break the vines and grab the gun that was being carried away by a branch. Once again, India dropped water on her, disorienting Kristin, and keeping her further away from the weapon.

  "Raina go!" India shouted, "See if the others need your help! We'll take care of her!"

  The vines wound around Kristin's limbs and snaked around her neck. More water choked her while she continued to scream and threaten our lives. I had nothing more to do in here. Kristin was sunk. I took off running in the direction of the other corridor.

  The Werewolves crept through a passage just a few yards from me. Brian, Erin, Chloe and Leo walked with the others, looking around for rooms that held precious Iron Oath research. The few officers who saw them coming ran towards the escape route. No one gave chase. Those Iron Oath officers were now in the hands of some very angry Werewolves.

  Chloe put her arm out, "I hear something!"

  "Me too." Leo pointed in my direction, "That way!"

  Their voices were getting closer to me. I was certain they were waiting to jump whoever came through the dark hall. I put up my hands, and called their names, "It's Raina!"

  "Where are your Druids?" Erin called out to me.

  "We found the boy from the Everglades." I smiled, "India is busy drowning the lady from your video."

  "The one who took James?" Erin's eyes flashed with anger.

  "Yeah."

  She pointed down the corridor I came from, "That hall?"

  "That one."

  Brian took Erin's arm, "Erin...are you sure?"

  "She deserves this, Brian."

  Chloe was right behind her Mom, "She's right, Dad."

  "Yeah, she is." Brian agreed, "Stay with your Mother, Chloe. Be careful."

  As Erin and Chloe ran down the hall, I called after them, "Don't tear her to pieces too fast!"

  "Stick with us, Raina." Brian shined his light down the hall, "If we go much further, we'll be able to turn right and find Vince."

  While I joined the Werewolves in their hunt; Faulkner, Vince and Catherine moved through the final corridor. Room after room of dead monitors and abandoned offices greeted them. It was a shell of an Iron Oath operation.

  "Behind us!" Catherine yelled.

  Brian, Leo and I turned the corner. We waved our lights around to signal them that it was us and not the Iron Oath.

  "God!" Catherine sighed, "You guys couldn't have warned us a second ago?"

  "Ehh..." Leo shrugged, "Sorry."

  "Did you find anything yet?" I didn't want to admit how happy I was to see Vince.

  "Not yet." Faulkner pointed down the hall, "That bastard Stuart is in that room."

  The door to the room was wide open; inviti
ng all of us to come inside. Jacob sat down in his plush office chair, one leg crossed over the other and his hands folded over one knee. He had the strangest looking device sitting in his lap. Some sort of glass hook attached to coils and an old beaker. When Faulkner saw the device, he stepped backwards towards the door. I realized what it was Jacob had in his lap. The Hook.

  "Well. You brought everyone here, Faulkner." Jacob smiled, "Thank you."

  "They're here to kill you." Faulkner hissed.

  He chuckled, "Kill me? No, I don't think so. You know how this works, Faulkner. You die. I bring you back again and again until you beg me to stop."

  "That won't save you this time, Jacob."

  "Found your courage, have you?" Jacob smirked, "Yes it will. You gave me enough time to do what I needed to do. Your people have less than three minutes to run before the majority of this place blows up. Which halls are going to go? What a great question."

  "Oh God..." Catherine whipped out her phone, praying that Louis could get the message from underground.

  The next few seconds lasted for an eternity. Everything moved like an old film that was struggling to keep up with its projector. The emergency tone rang in our ears, warning all of us to run. Jacob took a few steps towards Faulkner, holding The Hook in one hand and a stake in the other.

  "Faulkner!" Vince yelled, "Move!"

  Vince rammed his shoulder into Faulkner, throwing him against the wall. Jacob's hand was hanging in the air. The stake pierced through Vince's back, sticking out of his chest. His entire body grew stiff. He gasped out bubbled of blood that spilled over his lips. Vince's face turned a ghastly white as his body disintegrated into ash.

  Leo's screamed echoed in our ears as he reached out to his Dad, "Vince! No! No!"

  A painful lump in my throat made it difficult to breathe. I couldn't speak. I couldn't scream. My body was too numb to move. I stood in place, staring at the pile of ash that was once the man I cared about.