The Return of Constantine (The Blackest Knight Series, Book 2)

by Michael S. Melendez

  Vincent found Emilia lakeside throwing a series of daggers at a tree. There was a figure of a human carved into the tree. Her grouping was good. Three in the heart, two in the head, one in the neck, and the rest were targeted at joints. Any of those attacks can disable, and or kill her target. She was back in her black leather armor.

  “I suppose wearing a dress was very uncomfortable for you.” He said.

  “No. Despite what you may think about me, I do enjoy the occasional frilly dress. However, a dress does not provide much mobility.”

  “Why am I here?”

  Emilia tossed her last dagger at the tree. “I…Vincent, I told you that my mother and I were driven from our home.”

  “Yeah, I remember. A woman named Levi managed to manipulate your father, King Bastion, killed him and take complete control of Blackfire.”

  “Yeah. That woman. I told you when we saw each other that I would take back Blackfire. Well, that day has come.”

  “So, just the two of us, or will those six women who have following me be joining us?”

  Emilia smirked. “I suppose it was foolish of me to think that they can follow you without being notice.” Emilia put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Six women all dressed in the same black and red steel armor. “Vincent, meet the first and last line of defense for Blackfire. The Blood Knights!”

  “Blood Knights?” he repeated. “Never heard of them.”

  “Then that means we are doing our job.” One of them said.

  “Vincent, this is Cassandra. She is the leader of the Blood Knights.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.” She said with a bow. “I never thought I’d actually meet Avia’s former prince. You are much cuter in person. Are you with anyone?”

  “Afraid so.”

  “Ah, the good ones normal are. Oh, well.”

  “Can we please get back to business?” Emilia asked. She cleared her throat. “The Blood Knights are a secret police force in Blackfire. They answer to no one but royal family. As of late, Levi has been using them as…”

  “Animal farm.” Cassandra interrupted. “I swore my allegiance to Blackfire and the royal family. I did not sign up to become someones fuck toy!”

  Vincent glanced at the rest of them. Some tightly clenched their hands together, while others looked at the ground in shame. “All women, I assume?”

  “The men of Blackfire play politics or are farmers and blacksmiths. Women and revered as trained killers if you have the fortitude to survive the training. And those who far out pass the rest become us. Blood Knights!”

  “Is it just you six?”

  “There were more but…Levi. She has complete dominance over the men of Blackfire. I don’t know how she does it but they hang onto their every word like its gospel. No one speaks out. It's gotten so bad that no one would leave their homes. She’s even recently passed a law stating that all women will…be assigned to a man for reproduction.” Cassandra clenched her fist tightly just thinking about that.

  “Levi has to be stopped!” Emilia yelled out. “Vincent, I am not the type of person to beg for help, but I…”

  “I’ll do it.” He interrupted.

  Emilia was stunned. “You will?”

  “Of course. I have to pass through Blackfire anyway. I might as well make a stop on the way. Besides, if anything happened to you, I think your mother will kill me.”

  Everyone shuttered thinking about Liana.

  “When do we leave?”

  “Two days. It should give us enough time to formulate a plan and gather what supplies we’ll need.”

  “You think we can do it?” Cassandra asked. “I don’t mean to question you, it’s just…I’ve seen the state Blackfire is in. Our odds are…bleak.”

  “I’ve already sacked one kingdom, Cassandra. I can sack another and this time, it's personal!”

  Chapter 3

  Far across the Black Sea, in the continent of Illya, deep in the forest is an abandoned cabin. Or one might assume. Two women are lying in bed together. Their bodies enveloped one another. Their screams of pleasure echoing through the forest.

  “You’re loud!” Kristy said as she poked her head out of the covers.

  Piña looked at her. Sweat dripped from her face and down onto her chest. There was so much passion and lust in her eyes. She kissed Kristy and fell to her back breathing heavily. “Maybe…you shouldn’t lick me so well and I wouldn’t be so loud.”

  Kristy smiled. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

  The both laid in bed not saying a word. Just staying wrapped warmly in each other’s embrace. “I’m glad we decided to take this vacation.” Piña said. “We needed some time off. Although, for the life of me, I can’t remember why or how we got here.”

  Kristy pursed her lips and swallowed some spit. “It’ll come to you.” She said. “Besides, aren’t you happy that we did? We can just stay here. Without a care in the world. I wouldn’t have to hide anymore and we can just…be us.”

  Piña turned her head towards her. “Is it because you’re a witch? If only people knew you the way I did. I doubt you’d ever have to hide again. You’re kind, you’re caring, you’re…extremely generous. If I can see you like this, then why can’t others?”

  “Cause the world is ignorant. Humankind kills what it does not understand.”

  There was a knock at the door. “Are we expecting someone?” Piña asked.

  “No,” Kristy replied. She got from her bed and got dressed. Piña did the same. She opened the door and saw a copper-like skin woman with a blindfold around her eyes. “Mama Murphy…” she mumbled.

  “Lovely to see you, Kristy. You as well, your grace.”

  Piña looked around the room. “Are you talking to me?” she asked. “I think you might have me confused with someone else. I’m no royalty.”

  Mama Murphy looked at Kristy. Although she could not see her eyes, Kristy could feel her staring daggers into her very soul. “Forgive me,” she said. “I’m a blind old woman. You sounded like someone else for a moment. My apologies. Kristy, we need to have a word. I have news of your parents.”

  “I…I see. Piña, I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay. Don’t keep me waiting.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Kristy grabbed her staff and gave Piña a kiss on the cheek and left. She and Mama Murphy walked deep into the forest. They stopped as the reached a roaring river. Mama Murphy quickly swung her staff around and hit Kristy in the face—knocking her to the ground.

  “How stupid can you be?!” Mama Murphy barked. “You were ordered to kill both Zeke and Piña Maller. You complete half your mission but decided to fuck the other part!”

  Kristy clenched the side of her face. “She doesn’t remember! The council told me to remove Piña and Zeke from the equation. I’ve already done that. I used the memory slug extract to erase all her memories of Avia, of being a princess, and of Vincent.”

  “Memory slug…how stupid can you be?”

  “It worked on Vincent! Why can’t it work on her?”

  “Because Vincent was a special case! He wasn’t reminded of what he saw in that portal on a daily basis. People know her. They will recognize her. The indoctrination takes time to work. What will you do if she remembers?”

  Kristy got to her feet and brushed some dirt of her robe. “She won’t. Tell me, why was I ordered to kill them? Zeke and his father I understood, but why Piña? She was the only rational one out of the three.”

  “It's because you do not see what I see. There is a black glow surrounding her. It was the same way with Zeke and Rodrick. I’ve only seen two other people with that same black glow. Samantha and Vincent. Dark things happen to people with that glow. She needs to die.”

  Kristy pointed her staff at Mama Murphy. It began to glow with blue arcane power. “No! You will not take her from me as you did Vincent! You have any idea what it was like for him to look at me as if I was some complete stranger. Having to pretend not to know him! Yo
u maybe a high ranking member of the council, Mama Murphy, but your magical powers are that of an acolyte. You come near her and I will burn you from the inside out!”

  Mama Murphy shook her head. “Foolish child. You are allowing your emotions to dictate your actions. Regardless. When you see I was right you will wish you had listened to me. Anyway, I didn’t come here to discuss this. We found it.”

  Kristy lowered her staff. “That impossible. It was lost when Constantine fell.”

  Mama Murphy laughed. “Oh, child. How little you see. Just because you destroy someone’s home does not mean they cannot rebuild. The Dividing Line. Deep within that gigantic mountain range. We found it. Samantha’s tomb.” Mama Murphy handed Kristy a parchment. “You have your instruction. Now, complete your mission!”

  For the past two days, Vincent and Emilia moved with absolute stealth. Avoiding any guard they saw and especially Liana. She would not approve of this and would try and convince them otherwise. They prepared for the long trip to Blackfire’s capital. They gathered the resourced they need. Food for eight people, horses, medicine and bandages, and the Blood Knights needed their armor and weapons repaired. In the state they were currently in they would not be of any use in battle. It must’ve been a very fierce battle for them to escape the castle for their equipment to be in such a state.

  On the night of the third day, Vincent and Emilia made their move. They went to the stables to get the horses. Four in total for eight people. It was too easy. No one was stationed at the stables and they easily rode right out the front gate with four horses. Vincent made his concerns known to Emilia, but she just dismissed it as paranoia. Perhaps she was right. Vincent’s right arm has been forever changed. In the months he has been free, it has alerted him to dangerous situation through various forms of pain. Somethings it's a burning sensation and other times it feels like small needles were drilling into his bones. He has had none of those feels. Still, something wasn’t right. His arm didn’t have to tell him that.

  The met up with the Blood Knights at the rendezvous point. Cassandra eagerly jumped on the back of Vincent’s horse. She held onto his powerful chest tightly and smiled. Vincent didn’t think anything of it. Emilia, on the other hand, was trying to figure out a position in which she could decapitate them both with a single dagger throw. It would be hard but she was sure she could do it.

  With Avia’s capital city in the distance, they thought they were home free. Until a crow screeched overhead and landed on Vincent’s shoulder. He removed the note attached to its leg and it flew off as quickly as it arrived. Vincent read the note. He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

  “What did it say?” Emilia asked.

  Vincent handed her the note. “I knew it was too easy.”

  The note read:

  “If my daughter dies, Vincent Valentine, then I will show you and those six Blood Knights the true meaning of pain.”

  Sincerely, Liana Blackfire.

  Emilia's face turned pale as did the Blood Knights. “How did she know?” Emilia asked.

  “She’s your mother,” Vincent said. “She always knows.”

  The road off into the night. Made camp when the moon was high in the sky. Vincent gathered some wood for a fire. One by one everyone soon fell asleep on the makeshift beds of leaves and a cloth blanket. The only two who were awake were Cassandra and Vincent.

  “You can go to sleep,” Cassandra said. “I can take first watch.”

  “You aren’t tired?” Vincent asked.

  “I haven’t been sleeping much these past few weeks. I doubt I’ll get any rest now.”

  Vincent stared at the dancing flame. “I know what that’s like.” He mumbled. “A nightmare. No. A memory. One that stalks the corner of your mind. You try not to think about it, but it just creeps up on you when you least expect it. Every thought, every blink, and all you see is a memory of a bygone time that you know you can’t change. For me, mine is obvious, what keeps you up at night?”

  Cassandra clenched her hands together and rested her chin on her thumbs. “Blackfire has always held women in very high standing since its founding by Emilia’s ancestor, Empress Valery Blackfire. Unlike in Livia where women are treated no better than dogs. Force to clean and cook, can’t leave the house unless escorted by a man, and are told they are nothing more than pleasuring devices for men. When Levi took power, I thought I was in Livia.

  My sisters and other branching factions of the military and composed of mostly women. I’d say about ninety-three percent. It isn’t as if we don’t allow men to join it's just…rare, bit I digress. Vincent, I’ve trained with these people since before I had my first bleed. I know what they are capable of. Yet, in the months since Levi took control, I have seen these same battle harden soldiers on their knees begging to be pleasure like some brothel whore.”

  “Begging?” Vincent said with a shocked tone. “I thought you said they were being raped.”

  “I thought that too at first. Come to find out that not the case. It’s…consensual. However, I refuse to believe that. I don’t know how Levi does it but she has managed to manipulate them all to her will. Just because the mouth says yes does not mean that the mind is willing. Then, there are the children.”

  “What is she doing with the kids?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know. None of us do. They just vanished.”

  “How can that be? People don’t just vanish.”

  “I don’t know. And I intend to find out.”

  Silence soon fell. Vincent didn’t know what to make of it. Battle harden warriors acting like whores and listening to every word Levi says. Then there were the disappearing children. People don’t just disappear. They have to be somewhere. But where?

  Cassandra yawned and stretched. “You know, I saw an oak tree about a mile back. I think you and I can have some adult fun while they sleep.”

  Vincent began to chuckle. “Okay, I know you’re joking, but why have you been flirting with me since we met?”

  “Oh, no reason at all. I just love messing with Emilia. That’s right, I know. I think all of us know.” Cassandra moved in close and began to whisper in his ear. “I also know that she’s wide awake. We are trained to never sleep on our sides in case of enemy attacks. You never want your arm asleep when that happens.”

  Vincent glanced over at Emilia. She wasn’t moving. That’s when Vincent got a devious idea. “You know. There is a lake not to far from here. The water should be nice and cold this time of…”

  A dagger came whistling through the air and landing just between Vincent's legs. An inch higher and he would’ve had a second circumcision. Emilia still did not move.

  Chapter 4

  Everyone awoke the next morning at first light. Emilia seemed to be in a rather foul mood with Vincent and Cassandra. Everyone was wondering why, but Vincent and Cassandra knew. Emilia doesn’t like to be teased. Perhaps they should apologize but for now they road towards Blackfire.

  The road was nice and quiet. To quiet. Vincent hates the quite. Perhaps it was his paranoia getting the better of him, or perhaps it was because ever since they crossed into Blackfire’s border his arm has been causing him pain the further along they went down the road. Vincent whistled. Nothing. Every time he whistles a flock of birds would appear. Something was amiss. He rode up alongside Emilia.

  “Emilia, something is wrong.” He said.

  “What are you on about?” she asked with a scorn.

  “Isn’t it far too quiet here?”

  “Doesn’t seem unusual to…” Emilia pulled back hard on the reins. Everyone came to halt. “That’s not possible.” She muttered.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Exhale.”

  So they did. Now they saw what Emilia meant. They saw their own breath.

  “That’s not possible,” Cassandra said. “It’s still August.”

  “Something is definitely not right here.”

  They road up a mile further until they came across
a section of the forest that appeared to be glassed over. As the approached, the horses reared back on their hind legs. They tried to calm them down but were thrown off. The horse galloped back the way they came.

  “I guess we’re walking the rest of way,” Emilia said.

  “Something spooked those horses,” Vincent added. He approached the glass. He was one step away from walking into the area. He picked up a small rock on the floor and tossed it inside. Nothing happened. Then it froze and shattered. “This isn’t glass. This is ice. One step in here and you get flash frozen.”

  “Then how do we get through?” Cassandra asked.

  “Walking down to the coast would take to long,” Emilia added.

  While everyone was discussing a way through, Vincent continued to throw rocks into the frozen area. Each time he did it would land on the floor and freeze. He did this several times. He was missing something. Something obvious. Something that was looking at him in the face, but he just couldn’t see it.

  “Throw…land…freeze…throw…land…freeze…”

  That’s when it hit him. “I know how to get through.” They all turned to him. “Look at this.” He threw another rock. It landed and froze.

  “Vincent, we have established that if we walk through this we will freeze.”

  “No. Your seeing, but you aren’t seeing. Watch again.” Vincent threw yet again another rock. It landed and froze.

  “I’m still not seeing it.”

  “I do,” Cassandra said. “It freezes when it stops. Not when it touches the surface. The momentum is probably what keeps it from freezing. However, once it stops…dead.”

  “So what are you suggesting?” Emilia asked.

  “We run,” Vincent said. “It’s the quickest way through. The problem is I don’t know how far this goes. Could be a few hundred yards could be a few hundred miles. Once we start we can’t stop.”

  “Isn’t there another way?” one of the Blood Knights asked.

  Cassandra punched her in the diaphragm. The Blood Knight fell to her knee and spat up some blood. The others dropped to one knee, unsheathed their weapons, and firmly impaled it into the ground.