by J. N. Baker
Baldric threw me down and grabbed Josh by the throat, picking him up off the ground. The bloody bullet pushed its way back out of the general’s skull with a sickening, wet pop. It landed on the rooftop, rolling to a stop beside my leg. Baldric scanned Josh’s face and a crazed smile spread across his thin lips. “Well, well, well,” he mused. “It appears fate is on my side after all. What is it the humans say—two birds, one stone?” He dropped Josh to the ground beside me with a laugh that made my skin crawl.
“Now,” Baldric continued, turning his attention to the others, “to get down to business. I have a proposition for you, my fellow warriors. Whoever of you decides to join me, I will forgive you of your past transgressions and will give you positions of great power. After all, our kind was always meant to work together, was it not?
“You will be loved and adored by all those in my kingdom. They will worship you as they have me and we will make a new world—a better world. Etcetera, etcetera.” His black eyes shifted to William and they narrowed. “Except for you, William. There is nothing for you except death. Give up and I will make sure that your death is quicker than you deserve.”
“And what are we supposed to get out of this ‘proposition’?” Jade sneered.
Baldric locked eyes with her and, for the first time, I thought I glimpsed fear on Jade’s face. “I will spare you and this pathetic excuse of an army you have. No one will die.”
“Never,” William growled. Alec nodded stiffly beside him.
“Then you have just made the biggest mistake of your long lives. These people’s blood will be on your hands. There will be a war and I will win. I am everywhere and I know everything. My power is unending. Do not underestimate me, warriors. My people are all around you.” Baldric grinned as something caught his eye. “Speaking of my people.”
I turned my head to where he was looking to find Tiffany hiding behind Jade, trying to keep her eyes low to the ground. But it was too late, he’d already spotted her. Baldric’s boots scratched the dirt-covered rooftop as he took a step toward her.
“Come,” he ordered.
Tiffany practically flew forward, falling to her knees at his feet. She cowered before him, her face on the ground. She placed trembling hands on his leather boots. “I-I’m sorry, master.”
“Well, well, William. It looks as if you are getting weak in your old age. You have a traitor in your midst. Maybe I should take care of her for you.”
Everyone was shocked stiff. No one dared to go to Tiffany’s aid, not even Josh. He was too busy catching flies, staring at his girlfriend with wide eyes.
“No, please!” she cried.
Baldric’s fangs extended as he bent down, his face inching closer to hers. Tiffany scurried back until she collided with the stone wall bordering the tower’s edge. She pressed herself into the stone, looking up at Baldric with terror in her eyes.
“You begged me for eternal youth, pleaded with me to change you every day. And what did I tell you? I never turn the weak. But, against my better judgment, I turned you in exchange for one very simple task that you swore to me you and your breasts could handle.” The venom in his voice rose and she cringed. “Your assignment was clear, was it not? I told you to seduce him and then bring him to me. But, what have you done? Played house? Joined their ranks?”
“N-no, I would n-never leave your side,” she sobbed, trying to reach out to touch his leg. Baldric kicked her hand away and she cried out again, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. “I-I tried!”
“This is your definition of trying?” Baldric threw a gloved finger at Josh, still sitting on the ground beside me.
“He won’t leave her,” she cried.
“Then you make him,” he growled. “He is nothing but a mere human! You are a vampire! There is no excuse!”
“I—”
“I do not tolerate failure. It is a sign of weakness. My people will not be weak.” He pulled the thick blade from his hip and raised it over his head.
“P-please don’t kill me!” she begged. “I’ll do anything you ask. I’ll do anything!”
Baldric paused, the sword a foot away from her neck. “Anything?” He smirked, sheathing his blade and kneeling in front of her. He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear.
Without warning, Tiffany flew through the air, fangs extended. I was on my feet before she could reach me. The sword ripped through her body, protruding out her back. She pulled herself farther onto my blade, inching her way toward me. Her fangs grazed my neck and I twisted the sword. She howled, latching on to both of my shoulders, her long nails digging into me, breaking skin. Her eyes were dark, her beautiful face twisted. She screamed.
“Please, Zoe. Don’t do this. I-I can change,” she choked, blood spilling from the corners of her lips. “I’m s-sorry. I’ll do a-anything. Y-you can even have him if you want. Just don’t kill me! I don’t want to die.”
Alec stepped forward, wrapping a hand around Tiffany’s throat. She shrieked, trying to pull away from him. “The bloodsucker lies,” he spat. “She must die.”
I looked deep into her eyes. She didn’t look like she was ready to die. In fact, she looked like someone who wanted nothing more than to live. Even if it meant begging for mercy from the one person she hated most in this world. I held her life in my hands. Baldric’s laughter surrounded me and my fingers tightened around the sword’s hilt. Tiffany cried out, the sharp edge of my blade slicing farther into her body.
“Zoe,” William snapped, “kill her!”
“I—”
“Remember who you are,” William hissed. “Kill her! Now!”
Josh’s eyes met mine, glassy with unshed tears.
“I-I can’t,” I breathed.
I’d waited too long. Baldric snapped his fingers and Tiffany lunged for my throat. She was fast but William was faster. In one swift motion, he ripped her body from my blade, threw her to the ground and swung his sword. It was all over in a matter of seconds. Tiffany’s head rolled across the watchtower, a pool of blood trailing after it.
Both Josh and Annie doubled over, throwing up. I’d seen enough decapitations to not be sick anymore. Hell, I was usually the one doing the decapitating. Still, looking at my best friend’s girlfriend’s disembodied head staring up at me made my stomach roll a little.
Josh tried to climb to his feet, slipping in a mixture of Tiffany’s blood and his own vomit. He collapsed back to his knees. I wanted nothing more than to run to him, but I couldn’t move. Tiffany’s blood dripped from my fingertips and, even though I wasn’t the one to take her last breath, I felt like I’d killed her.
If Josh didn’t hate me before, he fucking would now.
“You can try to find good help these days,” Baldric said, “but in this time period, good is just not quite good enough. A shame really, I had high hopes for that one. She was quite beautiful. Oh well, there are plenty more where she came from,” Baldric sneered, his eyes dancing over me. He stepped over Tiffany’s body—it was still twitching—and his eyes dropped to Josh.
“Now, as for you,” he started, bending over and hoisting Josh up off the ground by his arm. “You are coming with me.”
“The hell I am,” Josh growled, trying to pull away.
“Leave him alone,” I snarled, fingers flexing on my sword’s hilt as I pointed the bloody tip in Baldric’s direction.
Baldric laughed, tightening his grip on Josh until Josh’s face contorted. Behind the three of us, the four Baldrics returned, forming a protective barrier to keep the others back. “I have a better idea. How about you come along with us and I promise not to hurt him?”
I took a step forward and Baldric smirked.
“Don’t even think about it, Zoe,” Alec called out.
“That’s right,” Baldric purred, ignoring him. “I know how much the human means to you. If you come with me now, you have my word that no harm will come to him.”
“Your word?” I spat. “Your word means shit to me.”
That seemed to wipe the smirk clean off his face. “Like I said before,” he growled, “I will have you. You should know, I always get exactly what I want. It is just a matter of time. You will come for him. I know you will. And then I will have everything I want.”
He yanked Josh toward the edge of the tower and I took another step forward, panic rising within me. “Take me instead,” I blurted.
“Zoe, no!” both Alec and Josh shouted at the same time.
Baldric tsked. “Sorry, my dear, but this is no longer a negotiation. So, what will it be? Are you going to come with us now to keep your precious human safe, or will you seek us out later and hope he is still alive?”
A rage swelled within me and a fire raced through my veins until it felt like my hands were burning. “Neither,” I growled, throwing my hands out at him.
The lightning shot through the air and coiled around Baldric’s throat and he roared, releasing Josh as he stumbled back. His duplicates faded around me as he clawed at the bright light wrapped tightly around his neck. I could smell his skin burning. The others rushed forward, weapons drawn as the string of white fire burnt out and I collapsed to my knees.
“Without my help, you stand no chance in my world. Do not forget that, warriors,” he warned, his voice gravelly. “Enjoy the time you have left on this Earth, for you too will soon meet the final death.”
With that he leapt from the side of the tower, sailing into the darkness on the back of one of his winged beasts.
“Woo! Hot damn!” Markus’s deep baritone voice boomed up the spiral stairwell, echoing off stone walls around us as we made our way down from the watchtower. He came rushing around the corner at us with a wide grin, flashing that one missing tooth with pride. He had blood trickling down the side of his face, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. Glad to see someone was having a good time. “What a wild ride! Buckle up, buttercups, shit’s about to get real up in here!”
William simply nodded. He was remarkably patient with the big military man. “Markus is right. It will not be long now. Knowing Baldric, he will not take long to regroup—hours, days if we are so lucky. This attack was likely meant to be a test of our forces.”
Markus shoved William out of the way—literally shoved him. He stepped up to me and grabbed hold of my shoulders, giving me a solid squeeze. “Little lady, that was some fancy shit you pulled up there! If you ever get sick of that young pup of yours and want a shift with experience, you just let me know and I’m fucking yours.”
Cody growled from somewhere behind me.
“What?” William said calmly. “Tired of me already?”
“Wait, you belong to William?” I choked.
Markus barked a laugh. “I belong to no one. But, yeah, I stick with this old coot. He’s got a stick up his ass most days, but he ain’t too bad. Hell, the guy gave me purpose again after Baldric took everything from me.”
Jade rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, that’s nice and all, but there’s a little matter of impending doom headed our way. Could we wrap up this little walk down memory lane?”
“Ryuu,” William called and Ryuu shuffled around Jade to stand by his side. “Go with Jade to the medical chamber. Destroy Litharo’s remains. I do not want a repeat of what happened earlier so make sure it is done properly. When you are done, wait for us in the great hall.”
Ryuu nodded and took off down the narrow stairwell with Jade close on his heels, grumbling the whole way about not wanting to touch the mutant demon spawn.
William turned his attention to Markus who was standing at the ready, awaiting his orders. “Alert our troops, make sure they know that this is far from over. Tell them to gather whatever weapons they can find. We will need all we can get.”
“This ‘young pup’ will go with you to help prep the shifts,” Cody grumbled, stepping up to Markus. “Pretty sure I can handle that much with my lack of experience and all. Don’t kill any other beasties without me, Fido,” he called over his shoulder at me. I wasn’t sure if he was referring to the Sythen or Tiffany. Though, technically one of those things I didn’t kill.
Markus saluted William and then turned toward Cody and ruffled his hair as if he were nothing more than a child. In their world he was. “All right, greenhorn, let’s roll.” Markus barreled down the stairs, some extra pep in his step. He was a little too excited about the prospect of war if you asked me.
Cody threw a quick look up the stairs and then his eyes met mine. We’d left Josh at the top of the stairwell at his request. He said he needed to be alone. I gave Cody a silent nod of understanding, though I wasn’t sure I was the person that Josh wanted to have checking on him if he didn’t come down. Cody flashed me a sad smile and then trotted off after Markus.
“I’ll see if I can find one of the shadow people,” Alec announced. “Find out if they have any other information for us.” Before William could respond, Alec vanished. He never was one to need William’s stamp of approval.
“What would you have me do, William?” Annie’s bell-like voice chimed. William’s eyes swept over her and I saw a mix of longing and sadness in those deep blues.
“When the general attacks, you will gather all of the children and take them down to the newly made cellar. It will be your job to keep them safe. Go find Godfrey, he will show you where the hidden entrance is so you know when the time comes. Then meet the rest of us in the great hall.”
Annie looked confused, if not a little hurt, but she nodded. With a flash of her red hair, she spun around and tiptoed down the remaining stairs without a second look. Though, I noticed how tightly she clung to the hand railing, her knuckles almost glowing white as she rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.
“What are you doing?” I snapped at him when I knew Annie was out of earshot. I grabbed hold of his forearm, preventing him from walking away from me, though I knew damn well he could pull away if he really wanted.
William shot me a warning look. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re sheltering her,” I accused.
“I am protecting her,” he said, baring his teeth. “That is what we do, we protect each other. Just as I protected you only moments ago when you were too weak to do what you were called to do.” Of course, he would throw that at me. Just like William to make sure I knew my place while telling me how much of a disappointment I was.
“You’re making her weak,” I retorted, letting my anger fuel me. “You’re going to end up getting her killed.” The irony was not lost on me that I was throwing the same words at him that he’d recently given to Josh. The flash of understanding on William’s face said it was not lost on him either.
“That is entirely different,” he whispered. “I am trying to protect you.”
“And I’m trying to protect Annie,” I almost shouted. “What is our weakness, William?”
“Stop.”
“Tell me what our weakness is,” I growled. I was finding that I didn’t much like to repeat myself either. My grip on his arm tightened until I thought I saw him wince. Impossible.
“Pain,” he finally said, his eyes falling away from mine.
“Exactly. By sheltering Annie from the pain—from our world—you’re only signing her death certificate. As much as you don’t want to see her in pain—hell, as much as I don’t—you need to do her training so she learns how to handle it. So she can push past it and heal faster. You know it needs to be done. Or was Baldric right? Have you grown soft, William?”
“I will not lose her again!” he roared, ripping his arm from my grip. His voice echoed against stone walls. There was an intense sadness in his eyes when they met mine.
“She isn’t Gwen,” I said more softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. He flinched under my touch. “She will never be her.”
“Do you not think I know that?” he breathed. “She is so much like her. Everything about her…the way she laughs, the smell of her hair, the sparkle in her eyes, the gentle nature of her soul. It all reminds me of my Gwen. Just as y
ou remind me so much of Sera.”
“Annie is her own person,” I reminded him. “Just as I am. She is no different from the rest of us. She should receive the same treatment we do and go through the same training we all have had to. If you care for her as you say you do, William, you will show her what it really is to be one of the Chosen. If you don’t, then I will.”
William just nodded.
“Why is it that Annie and I resemble Gwen and Sera so much, anyway?”
“I am not certain. I am sure that you know by now that our kind cannot bear children like humans can, so an ancestor is out of the question. I suppose it is a coincidence. Though, I have found that God has a reason for everything. I would like to think the reason with Annie is a second chance.”
I thought over his words for a moment. There were a number of questions I had for God, but I feared I’d never get to ask Him on account of my going to Hell and all. That was, of course, if I ever finally died.
“Why didn’t he just kill me when he had the chance?” I finally asked. “If Baldric wants us out of the picture, then why didn’t he cut off my head right then and there?”
Josh stumbled down the stairs, keeping his head down as he passed us. He looked like the walking dead.
William sighed. “He wants you for his own, Zoe. So, he will never actually kill you. Despite what he might have told you, you remind him of the woman he could never have. And now you possess a power that is beyond his reach, whether you know how to use it or not. Therefore, he must and will have you. It is only a matter of time.”
“He will never have me,” I snapped. “I won’t go with him.”
“Believe you me, Baldric is not one to accept defeat. He will find a way. There is no doubt in my mind. If he wants you, one day, he will have you. It is what you do when you get there that matters most.”
William started down the stairs, leaving me to digest his heavy words. “Why does he want Josh?” I called after him, but he kept going. With the way his shoulders tightened, I knew he’d heard me.