by Raven Steele
Chapter 33
The remains of a setting sun left giant ribbons of reds and oranges pressed against the horizon. Lucien forgot how amazing an Irish sunset could be on a clear day. He watched it from the third floor of the library where he’d been sitting for the last ten hours. This gave him a bird’s eye view of the city of Dublin, specifically Clarion Street.
Throughout the day, he’d spotted several vampires pretending to be inconspicuous among the humans, but to Lucien, they stood out like wolves among sheep.
Lucien couldn’t help but think of Eve in the same city with these monsters. A rush of guilt hit him like a freight train. This was all his fault, but he would make it right. At least he knew Eve wouldn’t be a part of the fighting.
The night before, he had followed Eve to a typical Irish pub situated inside a hotel. Waiting for her was Alana, the female vampire. There were several others present he didn’t recognize but figured them to be employees of the Ireland Deific branch.
After dinner, many of them debated, including Charlie from a cell phone, about what Eve’s role should be at the upcoming meeting between Aiden and the other vampires. Eve insisted she would be more useful fighting on the inside, but a large man with bright red hair felt she was too valuable to have that close to the fighting. Instead, he insisted she remain a few blocks away to try to sense if any of the vampires got out. If they did, she could radio the outposts to go after the escapees. The others at the table, including Charlie, agreed with him, much to Eve’s dismay.
Lucien was staring out the library window, thinking of Eve, when someone said, “Hey! What are you doing here?”
Lucien turned around. There was Rick, orange hair and all, grinning like an idiot. Lucien turned back toward the window and closed his eyes, wishing him away.
“Great minds think alike, eh?” Rick nudged Lucien’s shoulder with his elbow and sat down across from him.
“What?” Lucien asked.
“You came up here to check out the competition.” Rick eyed the vampires below. “Doesn’t look too good. You’ll be fine.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You want The Dark Prince to pick you as one of his chosen ones, so you came up here to see who you’re up against,” Rick explained.
Lucien laughed hard and loud, enough that heads turned in their direction.
Rick looked nervous. “What’s so funny?”
Lucien’s expression turned to stone. “I would never become one of his chosen ones. I would rather shove a cactus down my throat.”
Rick’s jaw dropped. “How can you say that about the most powerful vampire ever?”
“Rick, how long have you been a vampire?”
“A few months.”
“Were you this gullible as a human?”
Rick squirmed in his seat. “I don’t understand.”
“Who told you he was the most powerful vampire ever?”
“Nobody. But did you see the show he put on the other night and how many bodyguards he had? And what about his brilliant plan to create a better world for us? He’s a genius!”
Lucien laughed again but not as loud as before. “You can’t be serious! He is a bottom-feeder, a disgrace to what a vampire can be. Do you really believe that killing thousands, if not millions, of humans is going to make a better world for us?”
“Maybe not, but at least we’ll be able to eat all we want for a long time and that’s worth it to me.”
“Do you have any family living?” Lucien asked.
“I have a dad and sister living in the states.”
“Where?”
“Hillsborough, California. Why?”
“Hillsborough,” Lucien repeated. “By San Francisco, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you know San Francisco is one of the fifty cities that are scheduled to be hit with this virus of the Dark Prince’s? But it won’t just be San Francisco. It will spread to every city around it. Millions are going to die, and there’s a good chance that will include your dad and sister.
“Am I supposed to care?” he asked, but his tone was genuine.
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“Because I’m a vampire. You know, evil, dark, child-of-Satan or something like that.”
Lucien groaned in frustration. “Just because you’ve become a vampire doesn’t mean you can’t feel. You’re feeding into the whole stereotypical description of vampires. You still have a choice. So I’ll ask the question again. Do you want your father and sister to die a slow and painful death only to possibly be fed on by a vampire?”
Rick rubbed his forehead and pursed his lips together. This much thinking seemed to be giving him a headache. “I guess not.”
“Of course you don’t, and I’m proud of you for admitting it.” Lucien removed a short pencil from a black cylinder. He opened a nearby library book and on the first page wrote the word: Deific. Underneath it, he scribbled the address. He tore the page out and handed it to Rick.
“Go to Seattle. To this address, and ask to speak to Charlie. Tell him you want to know more. These people will give you a key to a door you never knew existed. I’m not the one who should be talking to you about this stuff.”
Rick sneered. “Humans are going to help me?”
“They’re not all humans.”
Rick's eyes widened. “Have you talked to them?”
“Sort of. But the door they offer is not meant for me to pass through,” Lucien said, turning back toward the window.
“Why not?”
“Some sins are so great they can never be forgiven.”
“Who’s doing the forgiving?”
Lucien raised his eyebrows. It took him a moment to answer. “I guess I am.”
Rick folded the paper and put it in his pocket. “How’s that worked out for you?”
“It hasn’t.” Lucien stared through his reflection in the window
Rick left without saying goodbye. Lucien wasn’t sure what Rick would do, but he hoped he wouldn’t be there tonight, despite how annoying he could be.
One hour later, Lucien, alone in his hotel room, took a syringe and dipped it into a cup of human blood. He filled the syringe to its capacity and then with his left hand picked up a half-inch empty rubber ball. Plunging the needle into it, he injected the blood until the ball was full. He repeated this tedious process over and over until there was no more blood remaining in the bags he’d stolen from the nearest hospital.
After dropping the balls into a black metal case next to a sleek looking paintball gun, he left with a smile. Tonight was going to be a blood bath.
Chapter 34
The warehouse was packed with vampires, more so than the previous night. Lucien couldn’t understand why they had returned. But then he remembered what it was like when he had first been turned into a vampire. He had been reckless and full of blood lust, and even though he knew what he was doing was wrong, the primal vampire urges were simply too strong. No wonder all of them were here. Aiden’s plan was too easy and irresistible to pass up.
Lucien moved about the warehouse, taking it all in. Several fights were in progress as there was nothing else to do until the meeting began. He walked by a particularly violent scuffle just as a short male vampire shoved a small knife (it looked like a switchblade made out of hardwood) into a larger vampire’s back and into his heart. It took longer than usual, but eventually the big vampire collapsed to the floor, melting into a pile of grisly fat. The short one victoriously spat upon the dirt.
Lucien pushed his way toward the front to where he could see tables with many boxes piled on top. A pungent aroma stopped him. It was a strong chemical smell that stung his nose if he inhaled too deeply.
After telling himself not to breath, he continued forward until he reached the brown boxes. In small letters, the bottom of each one it read: Bodian Dynamics. He nudged the closest one; inside, glasses clinked as if they were hitting against each other.
“Is there a problem?” asked a gu
ard wearing a tight black t-shirt. His arms were crossed over his chest, exposing meaty biceps.
“Yeah. I want to sit here, but these boxes are in my way.” Lucien reached up to move a box, but the guard stopped him.
“Don’t touch that!”
“Why, what’s in them?”
“None of your business. Go find somewhere else to sit.” The guard took a threatening step toward him.
“Fine.” Lucien picked up the same box and turned to walk away. The box was heavy and full of glass. Lucien could feel liquid sloshing around inside.
The guard grabbed the back of Lucien’s jacket, stopping him cold. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Look around, man. There’s nowhere to sit!”
“Put the box down, or I’ll make you put it down.”
He dropped the box, hoping he broke some glass in the process. The bulky guard shoved him away. Lucien staggered off and smiled, his first mission accomplished.
Lucien walked to the north wall and jumped up to the ledge of a tall window, throwing down two vampires in the process. He needed a better view to see where Aiden might be. It took him only a moment to find out. In the far corner, several guards stood in front of a metal door.
Lucien scaled the long pipes that ran the length of the ceiling. When he was almost above the guards, he dropped to the floor.
In front of him stood a stocky vampire with spiked hair.
“I need to see Aiden,” Lucien demanded.
“There’s no one here by that name. Now turn around and go the other way,” the guard ordered with a voice much higher than Lucien expected.
“I’m not leaving until I speak to him.” Lucien let his fangs grow.
The vampire shifted nervously. Another guard stepped forward. “The little man said there’s no one here by that name.”
Lucien tried a different approach. “I need to speak to the man in charge, the one who so eloquently gave the inspiring speech the other night.”
“You mean the Dark Prince?” the short vampire squeaked.
“Right, the Dark Prince,” Lucien mocked.
“Too bad,” the taller guard said. “Nobody sees the Dark Prince unless the Dark Prince wants to see you.”
Lucien grabbed the guard by the collar and pulled him close. “Tell your ‘Dark Prince’ Lucien’s here to see him.”
He tossed him into the door. The guard looked him up and down, as though trying to decide whether he could take him. He glanced over to the shorter guard who shook his head.
“Wait here,” he mumbled. The guard turned around to the door and knocked softly. When nobody answered, he knocked harder and twisted the doorknob. Through a crack in the door, he cleared his throat and said, “Sorry to interrupt you, Dark Prince, but there’s someone here who insists on seeing you. He says his name is Lucien.”
There was a short pause, then, “Send him in. He is most welcome here!”
The guard opened the door and motioned Lucien into a small office with orange carpet, old filing cabinets, and a wooden desk. Behind the desk sat his older brother, Aiden. His hands were clasped together except for two forefingers that were playing with his small goatee. His nails had been painted black. His sandy-colored hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
Lucien spoke first. “The Dark Prince? Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic?”
“It’s all part of the show, brother.” Aiden rested his hands upon the desk and leaned forward. “You don’t seem surprised to see me.”
“When you live for hundreds of years, nothing surprises you.”
“Really? I wouldn’t know. Of course I should, but I didn’t get the chance. I was trapped for centuries, but you already knew that.”
“How did you get out?” Lucien asked.
“After you so traitorously lit me on fire and tossed me into that pit, I managed to squeeze myself into a tight hole, protecting the top half of my body. You can’t imagine the kind of pain I endured as the bottom half of me burned to a crisp.”
“You couldn’t have been in any more pain then the pain you caused your pets.”
Aiden’s left eye twitched once, but he maintained his composure. “So there I lay, for centuries, feeding on the occasional rat that happened to scurry into my hole. Ironic, isn’t it? I used rats to cause death, but in the end, it was the rats who gave me life.”
Lucien didn’t respond.
“I’d become quite accustomed to my dark hole until recently, when the Devil’s Soldier finally released me.”
Lucien flinched. He’d heard that phrase before but couldn’t place it.
He was about to ask whom the “Devil’s Soldier” was when Aiden said, “It’s strange seeing you here.”
“Why’s that?”
“I always thought the first thing I would do if I ever got out was rip you to shreds, but seeing you now, I feel nothing. You are meaningless to me. There are so many more important things to do.”
“Lucky me.”
Aiden waved his hand. “Don’t get me wrong. There will be consequences, but now is not the time. Speaking of time,” Aiden stood, “my public awaits.”
“You’ve got quite the following out there. You must tell me, how did you pull this off?”
“Me? I may be brilliant, but not even I could arrange something of this magnitude. I’m merely public relations.” Aiden grinned a cold, suspicious smile.
Lucien stiffened as Aiden walked past. His revulsion for him was just as strong as it had been centuries ago.
When Aiden reached the door, he turned around and added, “Lucien, I almost forgot. I don’t know why you are here, nor do I care, but if you try to stop this, we will kill you.”
Chapter 35
At the back of the warehouse, Lucien jumped onto a wooden crate just as the lights went out. The crowd surged forward like a giant wave, surrounding the center stage. A spotlight fell upon a shirtless Aiden, who stood alone, arms outstretched. The crowd erupted in cheers.
Lucien glanced around to the windows and doors. He wasn’t sure exactly how the Deific was going to make their entrance, but he wanted to make sure he made their job as easy as possible. He waited for Aiden to start speaking before making his move.
Up front, guards tried to silence the crowd, but there were too few of them to make an impact. Aiden, recognizing the electric moment, grabbed the microphone and, with fists in the air, let out a monstrous growl. His whole body shook, and his muscles rippled. The snake carved upon his chest looked almost alive as Aiden’s body arched back.
The vampire cheers took on a whole new fevered pitch. Lucien could tell by Aiden’s satisfied expression, lips curved up slightly at the corners and eyes blazing, that the crowd was entirely his and would obey every command.
But Lucien had other plans. From behind his back, he withdrew the Russian Legion paintball gun that he had so carefully filled with hundreds of blood-filled paintballs.
Aiden spoke again, but Lucien didn’t stop to hear the poison spewing from his mouth. Instead, he squeezed the trigger; several balls per second flew from the gun and into the crowd of vampires. Upon hitting their mark, they exploded human blood everywhere. He quickly reloaded when the cartridge was empty.
Several guards rushed Lucien, but, as Lucien expected, they stopped abruptly, the smell of blood reaching their senses. Then, as if nothing else existed, they attacked the other vampires. Pandemonium ensued everywhere. No one knew whom to attack so they attacked each other, anxious to partake of the blood that contaminated the room.
He could immediately tell which vampires were older for they were the ones that eyed him dangerously. They approached him slowly from both sides, not tempted by the blood. Lucien crouched low, ready to attack.
Over the top of the crowd, he caught sight of Aiden who was screaming, while pointing at Lucien, “Kill him! Kill him!”
Lucien grinned at Aiden before he leapt into the angry crowd, loosing himself in the battle.
Just then, an explosion fro
m the side of the warehouse blasted a gaping hole through the cinderblocks, showering the crowd with chunks of concrete and dust. Uniformed men dressed in black charged in.
Some of the vampires stopped momentarily, confused by what they saw, but others continued to fight each other, anxious to taste the splattered blood. The Deific opened fire on the crowd, their electrical blasts rendering the vampires temporarily disabled. Behind the first wave came men with long sharpened stakes who stabbed any vampire who fell.
As soon as the vampires realized their predicament, they didn’t waste any time turning on the Deific, and much quicker than anyone anticipated, the battle became ferocious and deadly.
Lucien fought whom he could, but his main goal was to make it to the front in order to destroy the boxes. He easily tossed aside anyone who crossed his path. The room was filled with cries of dying from both sides, and the smell of blood was everywhere. Lucien blocked it all out, focusing entirely on the boxes.
For a reason Lucien couldn’t explain, he glanced away for just a second to the hole in the side of the warehouse. Through the fighting vampires and humans, he saw the one and only thing that could deter him away from his objective—Eve.
She was dressed entirely in black with her long hair pulled back into a braid. She fought beautifully, mostly using her magic to mentally crack heads, break bones, anything to give those with stakes the chance to kill the vampires. When she had more than a second, she’d mumble something under her breath, then direct a blast of energy into the crowd, effectively knocking more than twenty vampires to the ground.
Something above her caught Lucien’s eye. Upside down, crawling along a metal pipe on the ceiling, scrambled a vampire, his eyes set on Eve. Lucien tried to warn her, but his voice was lost in the chaos. With all the strength and speed he had, he tried to make his way to her. He pushed and shoved, attempting to clear a path, but the many vampires were like an impenetrable wall. He moved forward but too slowly. It felt like he was walking in waist-deep water, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move forward at the pace he needed to. He yelled in frustration.