by Flynn, Mac
I cringed and leaned toward my partner. "Remind me to wash my hands when we get out of this," I whispered to Vince. Field chuckled, and I whipped my head to our captor. "What are you laughing at, Chuckles? We're going to kick your guys' asses when we get to your boss' place."
"False bravado will accomplish nothing," he countered.
"Who said anything about false? If I'm going to die I might as well take you guys with me," I quipped. I leaned forward towards Field and studied him. "I was wondering, do you wear the same suit every day? I mean, that's the only outfit I've ever seen you in. How did you get the sewer stains off after the last time I kicked your ass?"
The smile slipped from Field's lips. "If you-"
"Bleh bleh bleh. That's all you bad guys do is talk this, threaten that. Get over yourselves. We're not afraid of you, are we, Vince?" I turned to my partner and winked at him. "Come on, you know you're not afraid of a little itty biddy wizard man here."
"Sorcerer," Field corrected me.
"Suck-up, more like it. How do you manage to talk when your lips are permanently sealed to Ruthven's ass?" I asked him.
Field's hands tightly gripped the cover and if it hadn't been magical I imagined he would have torn the tome in two. "You are irritating me. Shut up," he demanded.
I snorted. "Uh-huh. Vince, care to tell him how likely it is I'm going to shut up?" I requested of my partner.
"Not likely," he assured Field.
Field raised his hand and his fingers glowed with that dark wizard light of his. I felt my lips press together against my bidding, and Field's sly smile slipped onto his pale lips. "That will do until we reach Lord Ruthven's home."
I tried to open my mouth, but my lips wouldn't budge. He'd glued them shut with magic. I scowled at our captor, but he only continued to smile. Oh hell no. If I was going to get driven to an evil guy's home with his main henchman staring at us the whole way, I wasn't going to go quietly. I lifted my feet and slammed my heels on the controls that covered the door to my left. They were locked, but the force of the blow meant my feet sank deep into the controls. Sparks flew from the panel and the window inched down a few inches.
"Stop that!" Field ordered me.
Field stood, but so did Vince. Vince pushed off our seat and rammed his shoulder into Field's chest. The lackey was shoved into the back of his seat and pinned there by Vince's body. The book clattered to the floor and I felt my lips freed of their incantation. "Dibs!" I yelled as I dove for the book.
Field managed to get a hand between himself and Vince, and a pulsing light erupted from his palm. Vince flew back and collided with me as I lunged for the book. The pair of us toppled into our seat in a mess of flailing limbs and complaints. "You need less pointy shoes!" I scolded my partner as he jabbed me in the gut with his footwear.
"That is quite enough!" Field commanded. He snatched the book from the floor and stood over us. If he'd been a demon fire would have shot out of his ears and nostrils. Instead he was a sorcerer, and the mad sorcerer's hands blazed with his dark power. He pointed his free palm at us and his eyes blazed with fury. "You-"
"They will not be harmed," a voice spoke up.
Field winced and dropped his hand to his side. I looked around the small space, and my eyes fell on the window to my left. There was a dark void instead of the reflection of the interior, and inside the void was the image of Ruthven. He smiled at us and bowed his head. "A pleasure to see you again, and we will meet soon. Field, restrain them and no more." Ruthven's face disappeared.
Field pursed his lips, but raised his free hand and waved it in the air. I felt myself float off the floor and land comfortably on the seat. Vince's body did the same. Tight ropes of magic appeared out of thin air and wrapped themselves around our torsos, pinning our manacles arms to our sides. The bands also wound around our mouths, cutting me off from my fun. Field smiled, seated himself on his seat, and sat quietly with the book safely in his lap.
The rest of the car ride was uneventful and took only a few minutes. The car coasted to a stop and the door to my left opened to reveal a zombie manservant complete with monkey suit. He stepped back and Field exited. Field's hand trailed behind him, and I felt the bonds around me lift me from my seat. I was turned upside down, and the same was done to Vince. We floated through the open door and caught our first glimpse of Lair Ruthven.
His home was a large Victorian mansion on one of the taller crests of hills that surrounded the city. Its tall, peaked gables cut through the sky and, rather than wood, the siding was made of sturdy rocks scavenged from the local area. Paned-glass windows glared down at us as we walked the cement path to the double-doors hewn from oak. The home was surrounded on all sides by large, ancient oak trees, and a green, lush yard lay at their roots. Bushes leaned against the side of the house beneath the lowest of the paned-glass windows. The entire perimeter was surrounded by a ten-foot tall fence made from the same rocks as the house. In the shadows of the bushes and trees dozens of werewolves and doppelgangers lay in wait for intruders to snack on.
Vince and I floated up the path and through the front doors. The inside was lavishly decorated in early-medieval torture chamber. Weapons hung from the walls, everything from axes to ninja stars, and suits of armor and iron maidens lined the walls between lavish wooden, Renaissance-era tables. I thought perhaps he was compensating for something.
Field guided us across the carpeted wood floor and to the rear-left part of the house. A door opened on our left and we entered a double-floor study. The room reached into the second floor, and the balcony up there was lined with bookcases. The lower floor was much the same except the bookcases were interrupted by a large stone fireplace and the entrance. A desk sat at the back of the room, and behind the desk was a window that stretched nearly to the ceiling. Seated at the desk was our host and prime captor, Lord Ruthven.
He smiled and stood as we entered, but a look at our floating and his eyes flickered to Field. "Release them. They are our guests," he snapped at his servant. Field bowed his head, and with his fingers he righted us and released us from his hold. The lackey moved over to his master and handed him the book. Ruthven's smile returned as he swept a hand over the cover. "What an interesting adventure this has been, and such a nuisance. Tim had a great deal of courage and stupidity to steal this tome from me."
"I'd say the first one," I spoke up.
Ruthven looked up from his book and at me. "You, in particular, have surprised me, Miss Stokes. I would never have fathomed a novice such as yourself would be such a nuisance, but you managed my manservant quite well." Field, who stood off to one side, frowned, but said nothing.
I shrugged. "I have a gift for being a nuisance. Just ask Vince."
Ruthven chuckled. "'Vince?' Have you become as cozy as that so quickly?"
"It's either that or do a murder-suicide," I quipped.
Ruthven opened the book to the final page. "As amusing as this conversation is, I'm afraid we must get down to business. You see, I've been working on my own set of rings like those you wear. It's taken me quite a few centuries to figure out how Batholomew achieved the success that he did, and I'm afraid I've utterly failed to duplicate the process. My blood is not as energized with magic as was Batholomew's."
"Have you tried draining it all?" I asked him.
He slammed the book shut, tossed the tome onto the desk and turned his attention to us. "No, but on the subject, I'd been meaning to have a personal interview with the gentleman, but my doppelganger who followed you tells me he's dead. Is this true?"
"'fraid so," I told him.
"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?" he mused.
"We're the good guys, remember? We don't lie," I reminded him.
He chuckled. "I see. Well, no matter. I have a pair of rings here which I can use to achieve the power and longevity I seek. The only problem remains on how to convince you to grant me custody of 'Vince.'"
I glared at him. "You're babbling. What the hell do you want from us, an
d can we get it over with?" I questioned him.
Ruthven smiled and bowed his head to me. "You're quite right. I'll be frank. What I'm proposing is that you pass your ring to me and grant me full custody over Vincent. I'm sure it can't be comfortable for you to be chained to someone of such a temperament. He is rather old and, from what Field tells me, rather unfriendly. Then I will have the power I seek, and you can go on with your life." He held his palm out to me. "What do you say? Will you reclaim your life?"
Chapter 10
I had to admit the idea was tempting, but there was one problem. "Nice try, but I can't get it off," I told him.
Ruthven raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, I'm sorry I asked for your permission. It seems we'll have to remove it the old-fashioned way. This will be messy, but won't kill you to ensure Vincent survives." He snapped his fingers and Field stepped forward.
The sorcerer waved his hand, and from the hall flew one of the axes that graced the walls along with a chopping block. Ruthven stepped back, and the block was set down between him and us. My manacles were loosed and fell to the floor with a clank, but Field's power wrapped around my left wrist and yanked me forward. My hand was slapped palm-down onto the block and my fingers were splayed out. The ax hovered over me and my eyes widened as it tilted back for a downward swing.
"This will not work," Vince spoke up.
Ruthven held his hand towards Fields, and the sorcerer stopped the proceeding pinching of my finger and ring. Our host turned to Vince with a raised eyebrow. "What won't work?"
"You may be able to remove her finger, but the ring won't be in your power. It must be passed on by choice or the magic dies," Vince warned him.
"And why should you warn me of this? You would be free if I cut her finger off. Unless-" Ruthven's eyes fell on me and his lips twisted into a terrible grin. "Unless you have a deeper bond than I imagined. Is that it? Do you care for this pathetic human, Vincent the Vampire?" Vince said nothing, but I noticed he was stiff. "I see. I will take that as a 'yes.' Unfortunately, that means we are at an impasse. I need that ring and its powers, and she is unable to remove it."
My eyes widened as a crazy, suicidal idea hit me. If I was right then we'd be saved, and if I was wrong then we'd be dead. Or if I was half right we'd be all-dead. Not great odds, but I really wanted to keep all my fingers.
"Maybe. . .maybe I can," I spoke up.
Ruthven returned his attention to me. "Can what?"
"Maybe I can pull the ring off. Maybe I was-um, lying. Bluffing, but you caught my bluff." I let out a not-very-convincing chuckle. "I didn't want to get rid of this-um, this hold I have over Vince, but I kind of want to keep my fingers, so why don't you tell your magic man to let me go so I can take it off?"
Ruthven raised an eyebrow. "You're a terrible liar. It seems I must take my chances with your finger." He snapped his fingers and Field raised the ax again.
"Wait! I'm not joking!" I looked Ruthven straight in the eyes. "I can take the ring off and hand it to you. I swear it."
Ruthven frowned, but I breathed out when he waved his hand at Field's. "Very well, but do it quickly."
I was released from Field's control and stood. I felt Vince watch me from behind his sunglasses, and I smiled at him. "You'd better kick some ass if these guys kill me for this," I told him.
Ruthven's eyes widened. "What are you-"
I yanked on the ring. It slipped off my finger and I tossed it to Vince. "Crush it!" I yelled at him.
Vince turned around and the ring landed in a manacled hand. His fingers wrapped around the ring and crushed the gold and diamond. Blood from the diamond poured from his fingers and onto the floor. "No!" Ruthven screamed. He snatched the floating ax from the air and swung it at me. "You bitch! You'll pay for that!"
I ducked and dove beneath his desk. My position gave me a full view of the room, and my eyes fell on Vince. He had his back turned to me, and he stood as still as a statue. Ruthven turned his attention to his lackey. "Destroy that vampire!" he ordered Field.
Field smiled and raised both his hands. They glowed with his dark magic and above himself he formed a giant energy ball. Still Vince did nothing. "Vince, run!" I yelled at my partner, but he didn't move.
Field threw the ball at Vince, and it collided with the vampire's back. I expected the blast to make Vince into a donut, but the energy slammed into him and-well, dissipated. The front flattened on impact, but it flowed around my partner like he was an untouchable barrier and faded into the air beyond Vince. The blast caught on the front of his glasses, however, and they clattered to the ground in front of his feet. The energy blast obscured Vince from view for a few seconds, and when I could see him again my mouth dropped open. His body was surrounded by a blue energy that pulsed with power. It flowed over him like a dark, rippling river and covered him completely.
Vince half-turned to us and his eyes blazed with a bright red color. He curled his lips back in a grin that showed off his long, sharp fangs. Ruthven gasped and stumbled back. All his bravado was gone and he whipped his head to Field. "Destroy him!" he ordered his minion.
In a moment Field prepared another energy blast, smaller than the first, and threw it at Vince. Vince quickly broke his manacles and raised his hand so the palm was turned towards the attack. The ball hit his palm, and his fingers wrapped around the ball. The energy was extinguished, and a small puff of dark smoke rose from between his fingers. Field's eyes grew as wide as saucers and the sorcerer stumbled back. Vince moved too fast for any of us to see. One moment he stood near the door, and the next he was across the room and his teeth were deep in Field's throat. The sorcerer let out a garbled scream that told me he wasn't enjoying Vince's hickey.
I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see Ruthven dive for the spot Vince had just occupied. He shoved his face into the carpet and licked at the drops of blood among the crumpled remains of my ring. Ruthven licked it all up and raised his head. His face scrunched up in pain and he clutched at his stomach. My eyes widened when I beheld a dark energy arise from his body and swirl around him.
"Vince!" I yelled at my partner.
Vince dropped the dead weight of Field's body and turned to Ruthven. Our adversary struggled to his feet and held his hands out in front of him as he turned to us. The dark energy pulsed around his form and a wide, wild grin slipped onto his face. His eyes were wide with insanity and their color was now pure black, no pupils. Ruthven tilted his head back and laughed.
"Finally! Finally I have it!" he cried out. Vince clenched his teeth and disappeared in a flash of speed. Ruthven whipped out his arm with his hand outstretched and Vince came back into my view with his neck caught in the vice of Ruthven's fingers. "You think you can stop me, vampire? This is the very power that sealed you to that ring!"
Ruthven lifted Vince off the ground and threw him across the room. Vince's back slammed against the bookcases and he fell face-forward onto the floor. Dozens of books toppled onto him and he shook his head as Ruthven strode toward him. Ruthven raised his hands and each formed a small ball of energy. "This is what it means to have power, true power, immortal power."
Vince struggled to his feet and leaned one hand against the broken shelves behind him. A sly smile slipped onto his face and he shook his head. "Nothing is immortal. The power you hold will slip from your fingers and you will turn to dust like all others before you."
Ruthven's eyes narrowed and his grin slipped from his lips. "I will prove you wrong, vampire, by destroying you and finally taking this city for myself."
The balls of energy flew from his hands and struck Vince in the chest. Blood flew from the impact points and splattered the floor and furniture. Vince's eyes widened and he fell forward onto the carpet. He lay still, and a pool of blood grew beneath him.
"Vince!" I screamed.
Ruthven whipped his head around and his black eyes fell on me. The crooked grin reappeared and he strode toward me. "What a terrible host I am. I'd completely forgotten abou
t you, Miss Stokes. I will remedy that by letting you follow your partner into death."
I scrambled backward and popped out at the rear of the desk so that stood between me and Ruthven. The glowing alchemist walked up to the other side of the desk and held a hand out towards me. A new energy ball appeared on his palm, and I backed up further until my back hit the towering window. "Give my regards to Vincent and Batholomew."
My eyes noticed movement behind Ruthven. "Um, I think you forgot something."
He frowned and raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"When a vampire dies, they turn to dust."
Ruthven's eyes widened and he turned in time to let the front of his face collide with Vince's fist. The alchemist flew across the room and slammed into the untouched bookcases. The piles of books fell from the shelves and covered him completely in their pages. I returned my attention to my partner. Vince clutched his chest over his heart where blood poured from a large hole made by one of the energy balls. His sharp teeth ground together and he stood unsteadily on his feet.
I raced around the far side of the desk and grabbed his free arm. "We have to get out of here!" I ordered him.
He shrugged me off and shook his head. "No. He must. . .be destroyed," he wheezed.
Ruthven burst from the books, and the tomes flew in all directions. The books flew as fast as bullets and penetrated walls, chairs, and the floor like daggers. Vince whipped his hand out in front of us, and a dark blue barrier appeared before us and blocked the books from slicing into us. Ruthven's blazing eyes fell on us and the energy around him flared up like someone threw gasoline on a fire. A lot of gasoline. We're talking about a truckload.
"Vampire!" Ruthven screamed. Vince cut the air with his hand and our barrier transformed into the familiar ice daggers. They flew forward at Ruthven, but the mad alchemist raised up the remaining books and the tomes took the hit. Ruthven parted his barrier and grinned. "Feeling weak, vampire? A little thirsty?"