The Pariah Child & the Ever-Giving Stone

by Natasha D Lane

With unimaginable speed she knocked the witch into the nearest wall. Serwa shrieked in pain as her spine connected with the hard stone.

  Her breathing was rigid and stiff. She gazed at Isabella. “I didn’t do anything. You and William chose your sons’ fates.”

  “No!” Isabella charged toward her. When she was within a few feet, Serwa grabbed the woman by her long hair and slammed her knee into her jaw. Once again that bone crushing feeling ignited eruptions of pure pleasure in the witch. She wanted to kill the old hag so badly.

  Isabella swiped Serwa’s leg, leaving long bleeding gashes. The witch released the old vampire and tossed her away as her laughter came out in bloody speckles from her chest.

  “I loved Abel and when he left... I met Alexander.”

  Isabella lugged herself from the floor. She was having trouble standing as well, exhaustion getting to her.

  “It’s time to end this.” Isabella stood straight up and showed her fangs again. The white in her eyes faded, replaced by a light red. Her body pulled and stretched in every direction, bones breaking and repositioning. Leathery wings sprouted from her back. Her once pale skin had darkened to an ugly gray.

  Serwa groaned in anticipation. This was it. She was going to kill her. Just as the white had faded from the old vampire’s eyes, Serwa’s lost their color, too, replaced by an abysmal black. Magic rippled through her. Isabella spread her wings and released a low growl. She threw herself at the witch. Serwa opened her arms and accepted her. Together they soared into the air, the vampire’s wings enclosing the witch like a cocoon. The wings’ pointed edges punctured Serwa’s flesh as she clasped her hands tightly around the monster’s face.

  Isabella stared down at her. “You we’re never good enough for my sons.” She slammed Serwa into the closest wall and sunk her fangs into the witch’s neck.

  Serwa beamed. “No, you were never good enough for your sons.” With those words, her fingers elongated, and she thrust her hand through Isabella’s chest and ripped out her heart. The draining came to an immediate halt. The vampire’s body began to decompose as she and the witch fell to the stone floor. Serwa squeezed the old queen’s heart until it burst, the blood and veins gushing from her hands.

  And then she fell into Alex’s arms. They were strong and familiar. He pulled her close.

  She clung to him and buried her face into his chest.

  “Please. Please, don’t let it escape. Please,” she said. Her voice faded in and out.

  Alexander kissed her forehead and said, “I won’t. I won’t let her out. Hold on, Serwa.”

  Chapter 20

  Charles held tightly onto the sword as Alexander walked beside him, down to the dungeons where the boy’s father was being kept. He was going to finally get his revenge for both his mother and himself. He couldn’t help her before, but now he had the power.

  Loud rattling could be heard from one of the cells. Charles gulped knowing his father was the source of the noise. The pair stopped in front of the cell and momentarily looked at the creature inside it.

  His father struggled against his chains like a wild animal. His fangs were fully extended, clothes torn and tattered, eyes void of any humanity. For a second, Charles wondered if this thing could really be his father. The man he had once loved so much and admired as if he could do no wrong. That was the problem though. He had done wrong. He had done a great wrong.

  Alexander placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Charles looked up at him. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I have to.”

  Alexander nodded as well and opened the cell door. Charles approached the chained monster and took in a gulp of air.

  “Do you know who I am?” At the sound of his son’s voice, the man stopped wrestling against the chains and gave a low growl. Charles went on. “I am your son Charles. Do you remember me?”

  Nothing. No glint of recognition in his eyes, no nod of approval. It was as if he were a stranger. Anger rose in Charles as his last bit of hope disappeared.

  “Has the vampire blood messed with your mind so much you no longer recognize me?”

  “I know who you are,” the man said. His voice wasn’t deep, strong and warm like Charles remembered. No, it was much more eerie and strange with a disconcerting rasp to it.

  Charles was surprised his father had answered. His determination faltered for a minute, and he stepped back.

  “Don’t be scared,” Alexander ordered, standing faithfully at the cell door.

  Charles took a deep breath. He approached his father once more. “Then, you know why I must kill you.”

  “Because I killed your mother,” the man answered without hesitation.

  “You killed your wife, too,” Charles corrected him.

  The man shrugged. “What of it?”

  “Do you even care?” the boy asked, tears ready to roll down his red cheeks.

  “No, I don’t. It was my choice. I chose to kill your mother.”

  “Your wife,” Charles shouted.

  “Your mother,” the man retorted. “Are you going to cry now? Is the little boy going to cry?”

  He wanted to. Charles wanted to cry so badly, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t cry in front of this thing he had once called father.

  “I’m going to kill you now,” Charles said.

  “If you can manage it, fine. I don’t care about dying. I’ve taken so many lives I already know how it feels to die. It’s just like a walk on a cold night. So go ahead. Kill me.”

  “You were my father!” Charles screamed, slamming the sword against the floor.

  The man sighed. “So, what? Listen to me when I tell you this. I killed your mother. My wife. It wasn’t the vampire blood that made me do it. I was hungry, so I ate. I didn’t care where the blood came from. I just wanted it. I didn’t care that she was my wife or your mother. I just wanted to feed. God, I thought of going after you a few times. You’re too scrawny though. Maybe, I should have killed you, too. A late night snack wouldn’t have been bad.”

  The words flew out of his mouth like daggers, each striking Charles in the heart. The emotional pain was almost unbearable. Whatever this thing was in front of him, the boy knew it wasn’t his father any longer. It was anything but that.

  “Goodbye,” Charles said. He lifted the sword and swung. The man turned to Alexander, looked him straight in the eyes and smiled.

  The monster’s head fell to the ground along with the sword as Charles ran into his king’s comforting arms and cried.

  Alexander sat in his room at his desk with Charles sleeping in his bed, tossing and whimpering. The boy was orphaned. It seemed he had felt that way for some time, but after killing his father, he had cried in Alexander’s arms and refused to leave his side.

  Alexander could not deny the child, and as he sat at his desk, quill in hand, parchment laid out for him to write a farewell letter to his people, he found himself glancing over at the young boy, the orphan.

  Charles had suffered through many tragedies. He watched his father murder his mother then lived through the debauchery and chaos of William and Isabella, and ended his father’s life by his own hand. What child, what person, should go through that?

  No one.

  But Charles was not the only one and Alexander knew that. Many of the young vampires were parentless, some having to kill their parents out of self-defense, some having to watch their parents’ murder and others watching the clan fall into such a state of madness their parents took their own lives. They were young, naive, and lacked skill in both control and hunting. Most importantly, they were yearning for something to fill the void, someone.

  Once again, Alexander put quill to parchment and his hand paused. He cursed and threw the quill to the ground before raking his hands through his hair. Almost everything in him told him to stay. Almost.

  Everything else told him to leave. He had made a promise to Sarah, be it a forced promise, he was still a man of his word. And Serwa.

  Would the t
ime ever be right for them?

  She had been his heart for so long, and now the perfect opportunity had presented itself. They both had laid their weapons aside, as well as false pretense. All he had to do was go.

  Charles groaned loudly and whimpered causing Alexander to jolt out of his chair and rush over to him. He placed a hand on the boy’s back and shushed him. Charles turned on his side and wrapped himself around Alexander’s arm. Suddenly, Alex’s chest felt ripped open and with it rushed out a torrent of emotion. His eyes stung, and the tears were sliding down his face in rapid succession. It took everything in him not to cry out because as he gazed down at Charles he saw Abel.

  Serwa gently combed her wild hair while looking in the mirror. It had been so long since she had taken a good bath. The water from the hot springs had felt nice on her skin. She ran her hands slowly through her kinky curls and with the use of a clip, she tied it all back into a bun. She was in need of a good trim; her hair had grown a little too long for her liking. She looked in the mirror once more to assure she was presentable and smiled with approval at the ankle-length, long-sleeved, red dress she wore. She had black leather boots and a tight black corset that hid a thin sheet of metal.

  “It’s time to leave this damn mountain,” she said nodding at her reflection.

  With those words Serwa exited the room and headed down the corridor then down the stairs into the main hall. As vampires passed her, they all smiled and nodded. Serwa did the same but watched them warily.

  The witch was no fool. She may have earned their respect by killing Isabella and aiding in their rebellion, but she still wasn’t one of them. She was still not vampire.

  “Hello, Lady Serwa,” a man said as the witch entered the main room.

  She smiled at him, before cringing when he passed by. She was a witch, not a lady.

  Many vampires were cleaning up the mess left over from the battle. There were still many bodies to burn, and the room had more than a few cracks that needed repair. However, it seemed everyone was more than willing to help. The vampires wanted a new beginning. They wanted to leave the past behind, and Serwa didn’t mind that. She even respected their perseverance as long as they left Alexander out of their plans.

  As she moved across the room, Sarah appeared from a nearby cave with Solar by her side. The redhead waved enthusiastically. Her wild curls were brushed back and hanging loosely behind her. Her deep blue eyes had brightened a little, and the dark mask that had settled on her face was gone. She had become a child again.

  “Serwa, I was just about to come to your room. I thought maybe you had over-slept,” Sarah said, wearing an outfit similar to her friend’s.

  The witch rolled her eyes. “Trust me; I wouldn’t be late for our departure. I want to leave as soon as possible. Actually, where is Jacob with that saddle?”

  Solar shook her head. “I still don’t see why that is necessary.”

  “I told you. It helps us carry more supplies.” Serwa sighed. “It’s nothing personal.”

  “That doesn’t stop it from being any less degrading,” Solar replied. Sarah rubbed the dragon’s side to comfort her.

  Serwa shook her head and turned to a passing servant girl. “Excuse me, have you seen Jacob or Alexander?”

  “Oh,” the girl said with a fangy smile. “Yes, I’ve seen Lord Jacob down in the supply room with some others. I haven’t seen King Alexander at all this night, though.”

  “Thank you,” Serwa said and the girl went on her way. She looked at Solar and Sarah. “Have either of you seen Alexander?”

  They both shook their heads.

  “Guys!” Jacob led a group of three men carrying the saddle and a pair of reins. He wore nearly knee-high black boots, red trousers, and a long-sleeved shirt that fell past his waist in the middle with thigh high slits on the side. Across his front was an iron spiked chest guard.

  Sarah quickly covered her mouth as her lips turned up into a smile.

  “What?” Jacob looked down at his outfit. “It was the only thing they had.”

  A wide grin spread across his face.

  “I didn’t say anything.” Sarah waved her hands and covered her smile.

  Serwa stepped toward the three men and examined the saddle. “Was it hard to find?”

  Jacob nodded. “They say it’s been ages since vampires have ridden dragons, so, they don’t have many saddles. This was the only one in somewhat decent shape.”

  “It’s been ages for a reason, may I add,” said Solar. “I did not think I would ever be part of the repeating history.”

  “It’ll do,” Serwa said, ignoring the dragon.

  “Yes, my Lady,” the men all said in unison.

  They attached the saddle to Solar and the reins to the saddle. Serwa checked the supplies.

  We have weapons, water, food, covering and extra clothing. Good. The extra weapons and clothing can be sold.

  Everything was ready; all they needed now was Alexander.

  She looked at the men who had carried the saddle in. “Have any of you –”

  As if he knew he was being talked about, the vampire appeared in the main hall wearing a similar outfit to Jacob’s, except in a larger size. Serwa could feel the nerves leave her body as she exhaled.

  “Alexander, are you ready to go?” Sarah asked.

  He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s go down to the entrance to take off.”

  Serwa watched him. The group followed Alexander down through several caves until they reached an opening large enough for Solar to fly through.

  It was a beautiful night with a full moon and a star lit sky. There was a nice breeze, and Serwa couldn’t help but think of the dark gray sky they had entered this land under. The atmosphere was so different. It was as if Isabella and William had placed a curse on the land and now it had been lifted.

  Alexander had been walking ahead of his friends. As they approached the opening he came to an immediate halt. He turned to face them.

  “What’s wrong?” Sarah asked. He didn’t respond. His eyes drifted to Serwa. Immediately, a raging fire lit inside the witch. She gritted her teeth and walked toward Solar.

  “Come on, Alexander. Let’s go.”

  “I’m not going,” he said.

  “Yes, you are,” she retorted.

  “I can’t.”

  “And why not?” She whirled around to glare at him.

  He took a long breath. “My people need me. You see how they are. The state of this domain... I can’t rightfully leave it like this.”

  “Oh, so they need you,” she said. “What about us? We need you, too, Alexander. Aren’t we your people as well or is it a requirement to be vampire for that title?”

  “Serwa, please.” He stepped in her direction, and she stepped away.

  “You promised,” she said. “You promised you wouldn’t become their king.”

  “This is only temporary,” he offered. “Just until they find a more suitable leader.”

  “Oh, of course,” she said sarcastically. “That makes me feel much better. Thank you for that information.”

  She started to pace, shaking her head the entire time. “You already know they want you as king, Alexander. You know this.”

  Alexander reached into his pocket. From it he pulled out a small change purse and offered it to Serwa. She cringed.

  “Do you think that’s what I want? Really?”

  “You’ll need the money,” he said, tossing her the purse. She caught the small pouch and stared down at it, water filling her eyes. She looked at him, the anger on her face beyond obvious.

  “What about, Sarah? You promised her, too!” She threw the pouch back at him, spilling out the coins. They made light dinging sounds as they hit the stone floor. Alexander stepped over them and pulled Serwa into his arms.

  “Listen to me,” he said bitterly in her ear. “I am not leaving you... any of you. I will find you. We will be together. This time, I’m promising.”

  “Stop lying t
o me. It gets old after a while.”

  He held onto her and placed his cheek against her own. “How can I lie to someone as beautiful as you?”

  She stared at him. He cupped her face in his hand and leaned toward her. Immediately, she turned away.

  Alexander chuckled. “No kiss for the journey?”

  She shook her head. “If I kiss you, it makes this all real. If I kiss you now, it’ll feel like a kiss goodbye.” She shoved Alexander away and climbed on the saddle.

  “Sarah, get on,” she ordered.

  The girl looked at Serwa. “But what about Alex?”

  “He doesn’t want us,” she said, her voice aching.

  “That’s not true,” the vampire responded. He turned to Sarah and opened his arms to her. She ran into them.

  “I’ll see you again, Sarah. I promise. Here.” He picked up the loose change and handed it to her. “Take this with you.”

  Sarah’s hands were trembling. “Alex, I don’t know if I can do this without you. I... can’t you come? Please, you did promise. The spirit said –”

  “You can do this,” he stated and grasped her hands under his own. “You’re strong, Sarah. Don’t forget that. If I was not meant to be here, I’m sure that force or spirit would have stopped me. You know, as well as I, this is the way it has to be right now.”

  Sarah frowned. “I don’t think I ever got a chance to tell you. I’m sorry about before... holding you back. I knew that it was something... personal and I knew Serwa had to –”

  “Sarah, get on now,” the witch shouted.

  Alexander gave Sarah a longing kiss on the forehead before releasing her. Jacob offered his hand and helped Sarah board the dragon. She stared back at Alexander. He waved to her.

  “Goodbye,” she said as Solar got a running start from the cave. Slowly, Alexander faded into the shadows. Solar jumped from the edge of the cave and cascaded down before spreading her wings and soaring up through the clouds. She blew a burst of fire as they departed from the Alclian’s domain, happy to be free in the sky again.

  Alexander watched the spiraling flames fill the night sky. As the sparkling stars turned into balls of fire, he closed his eyes and prayed.