Requiem of Humanity

by Catherine Stovall

  He seemed to have faded out while ranting about God and all his faults. Then, in a moment of clarity, Andras turned back to Soborgne and the story of her creation. “All my worries disappeared when the vampire Belle took you. I knew you were destined to be my daughter. Her transformations didn’t need to be so painful, but it gave you endurance. Your change was remarkable. The vampire blood awoke your mother’s, and that of the demons. Now you have returned to us, and you shall be to me what your mother never was. You will be the mother of us all.”

  Terror held Soborgne in a cold grip. This demon meant to condemn her to an eternity of hell by his side. She could see it in her mind’s eye. Imprisoned and raped by thousands, she would bleed to death as she lay savagely broken by the demon offspring they would have her bear. She could not contain her anguish any longer. She opened her mouth to scream and the world fell away.

  Everything around her, including Andras, began to melt as if it were liquid. The world went deathly quiet, and in a blink of an eye, she was somewhere else. The pain was gone, her body was healed, and she was safe from Andras.

  Soborgne looked around her in a daze. It took a few minutes for her to realize she was dreaming. The craziness of the hellish reincarnation and Andras himself scared her so badly she wasn’t aware of it before. She felt the fear ease from her, but Soborgne stayed aware. The dreams of her Romeo had taught her that the line between reality and illusion sometimes blurred.

  Soborgne found herself in the middle of a green grassy field underneath a blazing sun and clear blue sky. Birds whistled and sang in the forest just beyond her, and she could hear the babbling of running water not far off. She couldn’t remember seeing a more beautiful place. She wasn’t your typical nature girl, but she appreciated the peaceful enchantment more now than ever. She was a long way from the tormented nightmare she had been in only moments before.

  With nothing really left to do, she began walking. Her mind did not seem too active, and it was content to let her walk through the endless beauty of a summer day without any scary or strange dream stuff popping up. She pictured a dancing leprechaun or magical pixie fairies for just a second, and then laughed at herself for trying to make herself dream up such silly things. Lucid dreams were kind of fun when you weren’t in the arms of a horrid and hellish demon.

  Soon, she discovered where the sound of moving water was coming from. A small brook gently bubbled through the field. The bright sun cast rainbows of light through the clear water as it flowed gently to pool in a little pond. She felt as if she were standing in an image straight from the paintings of Kincaid. All vibrant color and astounding light—a sight that Soborgne thought she would never see again. She never wanted to leave this place. She desperately wanted to stay here in its safety and warmth forever.

  So captivated by the splendor of her surroundings, Soborgne allowed herself to relax. She could not sense demons or shadows in this place. She walked to the stream and sat by its edge. She leaned over, wanting only to splash some cool water on her cheeks, and saw Andras’ face reflecting in the pool behind her own. Startled, she leapt up, almost landing in the water. When her eyes flew up towards the man behind her, she saw that it wasn’t Andras at all.

  Something snapped, like a small firecracker exploding in her brain, and she saw the history of her clan throughout the dawn of time. Each time Andras had tried to claim a daughter of Lilith and begin the apocalypse, he had failed. It began with Lamashtu, who killed Asmodeus, the King of Demons, and escaped the rings of hell. She hid in the protective circle of the Order of Dracul. Her protection from the demons forced Andras to focus his efforts elsewhere. Yet, he never forgot her, and kept her essence in a bottle that he enclosed inside the hilt of his battle sword.

  Lamashtu remained with the Dracul for many years. Through her love and dedication, she found all the surviving members of Lilith and Cain’s family. A single hub joined all the born vampires in the world together, and that hub was Lamashtu. She warned them about Andras, and of his intentions to fulfill a prophecy that would end God’s reign and be the end of vampires and humans alike. If Andras ever managed to locate the two women depicted in the prophecy, it would be disastrous for them all.

  With the help of the Coven and the Dracul, Lamashtu created a powerful spell, which bound the Dracul to the true Children of Lilith for all eternity. Every daughter of Lilith would have a protector, a Dracul male who would fight for her and keep her from Andras at the cost of his own life. The bond drew them together, just like Lilith and Cain in the beginning.

  The irreversible bond remained even after the Dracul became obsessed with using the prophecy to claim the world for their own. The leaders of the Dracul wished to fulfill the sacred divination that would allow them to knock God from his throne and drink the blood of angels.. They wanted to house humans as livestock and control the world. Their greed and blood thirst grew, just as their power in the vampire world grew. Even as they became the law, they plotted to undo everything in the name of conquering. Greed and lust propelled them towards their goals with ruthless devotion. Once she discovered their tainted ideas, Lamashtu chose to disappear rather than assist a corrupt and insane cult of vampires.

  The Dracul warrior would always protect his vampire princess. Soborgne’s warrior had come to her. He was the man from her dreams. He was her Romeo. Something inside of her told her that his name was Augustine, and he had truly awaited her since her rebirth because he knew her destiny even before she knew. All the things he said to her were true. She was destined to be his, and he was destined to die for her.

  Soborgne shuddered as her mind slowed and her vision cleared. She was the key to the gates of heaven and hell for demons and vampires alike. Augustine saw the recognition in her eyes. He prepared himself for the torrent that would come afterward. Soborgne sat stunned, dizzy from the whirlwind of knowledge that tore through her. She buried her face in her hands, trying to make it stop. She could not find comfort herself, so she reached out to him.

  “Augustine.” His name was a whisper, but it made him feel as if he were finally alive again when it came from her lips.

  “You know me at last.” He went to her and took her into his arms. He held her close and let her fight the inner battle. They sat silently beside the pool in the lushness of summer, knowing only that they loved each other completely.

  She knew she should ask him about what was to come next. She needed to know what would become of her now. She wondered what she was. Was she ever human at all before the change? Were there enough human genes there to make a difference? Where was Lamashtu? Did she know that Andras had used her essence to create a mix between-demon and vampire? She worried about Augustine as well. He was part of the Order of Dracul. Would he expect from her the same things they wanted of Lamashtu? She had so many questions, but she was in too much pain. Soborgne couldn’t form the words.

  The only thing Soborgne knew for sure was that Jenda was the Daughter of Light. The two were finally born in the same era and on the same path. Now was the time for the prophecy. Trying to block out the terror she felt when she thought of Jenda, Soborgne let herself feel Augustine’s arms around her, solid and strong. She focused on the way his breath tickled her tender flesh and the way his green eyes were the same color as the grass where they sat.

  When she finally knew she must ask, it was too late. The shadows had begun to creep in. She knew that it meant that she would wake up alone in her room. She knew the familiar ache of being without him would tear at her heart and leave her feeling as if a piece of her soul was gone. She would weep when she reached out to find the emptiness in the real world engulfing her.

  She pleaded with him, “Please, don’t let me wake up. I want to stay here with you. Please, don’t leave me again.”

  Augustine gripped her tightly to him. “You must wake up, darling. The time has come and the battle must begin. Wake up, my little love, and take your rightful place by my side.”

  13

  The world around h
er faded black and Soborgne awoke in her bed at the Castle Vajdahunyad. Her body physically ached for Augustine’s presence. The only thing that eased the longing was the comforting fact that she finally knew his name. Soborgne slowly climbed out of bed and went to pull the blinders off the windows. She wanted to let some of the world into her little room so that maybe it wouldn’t seem so empty anymore.

  She had so much to think about, but she refused to let it come to her. On that night, she wasn’t the daughter of a demon-vampire union, she was not the darkling that would destroy humanity, and she was not the vampire’s trump card. She was just lonely and sad Soborgne, sitting all alone in a castle far from home. She was a girl who had lost her way and was a victim to another’s brutality.

  She stared out the window down into the courtyard below. The sun had just barely slipped behind the horizon and the light still hurt her eyes. Tourist and natives still milled around the park. She did not considered it much, but she knew from her conversations with Jenda that one wing of the castle actually held some type of human museum. People lingered in small groups to take pictures of the ice-covered lake, and strange statues littered across the grounds. Some even took pictures of the castle itself. The floodlights made it seem like something from a storybook at night.

  Soborgne watched the last of the humans leave the grounds, and the night became dark and cold. She realized that watching the happy families and groups of friends embrace each other made her loneliness that much more acute. The warmth of Augustine’s embrace was still fresh in her mind. She could almost feel his hands on the flesh of her arms. The taste of his kiss still on her lips made her want to cry. For the first time in her life, she felt utterly alone. Trapped in a world not meant for love, she longed to have someone hold her as he did in her dreams.

  Soborgne heard a whisper of movement in the room. A shadow caught in the corner of her eye. She spun around, searching. The nightmare was still fresh within her. Her mind was still raw and aching with the image of Andras and his claim of being her creator. Her sharp nails dug into the palm of her clenched hands. She could smell a scent in the air that was slightly familiar, but not one she could name. It seared itself into her brain and her thoughts were racing to find a recollection.

  The silence of the room was deafening. Her eyes searched every corner. Then, he stepped out of the darkest shadows into the light from the window. The shock hit her full force and she nearly crumpled. He was always beautiful in her dreams. His presence always brought that small electrical buzz that made her skin tingle. Outside her dreams, the vibrations were overpowering her. Fear, longing, hope, hate, and love swirled through her like a torrent of confusion.

  He wore black and his skin shone brightly in comparison. When he smiled at her, it was as dazzling as staring at a row of polished pearls. Except for the two sharp fangs that reflected the light as if they were ethereal daggers, he could have been human. She could see his power. It seethed off him in rolling waves. He looked fierce and enchanting, an Arch Angel in jeans and leather. She whispered his name as if she were praying to the catholic saints that her mother forced her to learn as a child. “Augustine.”

  He reached out his hand to her. “It is time, my love, time to have our beginning.”

  Soborgne hesitated. She knew what making this choice would mean. If she did not choose him, it would not change anything. She would still be in the center of the hellish rivalry of demons and vampires. Nothing she did would stop the battle from coming. She thought of her chances of survival without his help and without his love. The tug of war between betrayal of her best friend and staying alive long enough to find a way to stop the prophecy from becoming reality caught her off guard.

  Soborgne shook her head. The gesture was small, but it was enough so that he knew she was refusing. Her spiked hair was gone and the color had faded overnight. The ebony waves were lustrous and full. It framed her face and slim shoulders like a covering made of black silk. Standing silhouetted in the light of the window she looked to him like a mere spirit.

  The light blurred the edges of her appearance. Her face was dark, but he knew the look he would see there. The confusion and fear would darken her eyes. Her bottom lip would tremble with the words she could not bring herself to speak. Her weakness was one of her greatest strengths when it came to him. He wondered how he could save her when he was causing her such pain. They stood mutely in the darkness of the room, both wanting the other but neither of them giving in.

  He waited. He wanted her to choose. If Soborgne made the choice, it would be easier. Yet, he knew there wasn’t much time. The others would be there soon. The sacred ground of Vajdahunyad would host the first battle in the bloody war. If she didn’t come willingly, the Dracul would force her to come. They had granted him this moment as a reward for his loyal services. They knew he would not betray them. He wouldn’t stop them from taking her by force. He would stand aside because the grand scheme was bigger than his love for her. The fate of the order was more important than one life, one love, or one soul.

  He took a small step forward, testing her. She didn’t back up, she didn’t move at all. She just stood there in uncertainty. He could hear the others now. He could hear them through the walls and fifty feet below in the courtyard. He had to act fast. If he failed here tonight, he failed her as well. He couldn’t face that failure. The bond would not allow it. The bond would not protect her from the Dracul, so he must succeed.

  His voice was low and full of sincerity when he spoke. “Soborgne, mi amour. Do you know that I love you? Do you know that? These people here were your friends once, but now they fear you. They fear your power. You know this. You have felt it. They will learn soon enough about your blood, and then they will not only fear you, they will destroy you.

  “I will never fear you or abandon you. That’s what will happen, you know. It has already begun. Matteo, The Lady, and even Jenda mistrust you. They will all turn their backs on you or watch as you burn on the pyre. Come with me, ma Cherie. Va t’aime pour l’éternité, I will love you for eternity.”

  The truth in his words hit her like a slap to her face. She reeled back at first, wanting to escape the harshness, wanting to deny what he had said, but she could not. Jenda was becoming more and more distant. She was obsessed with her status amongst the vampires here. Soborgne could feel the others’ stares on her whenever she passed them. Then those like the witches were openly hostile. They all knew she was the personification of evil, and they did not even know the truths she had learned tonight.

  She thought of Patrick and it jolted her a little. He was hot and cold with her. Painfully cruel when she crossed the line, but then seductively light hearted when they trained together. She felt desire for him for a brief moment. He did not let her words touch him. He was arrogant and funny. He could have been a boy she liked before she changed into a vampire. Before she learned she was the reincarnation of evil meant to destroy the world. That final thought did her in. It pushed her decision.

  Soborgne knew that she would never belong anywhere now, unless she was with Augustine or Andras. Augustine was her only choice, because she would never choose the demon. The life that he promised, without shame, was one of disgust, cruelty, and sin. She stepped forward and took Augustine’s hand. Relief spread across his face the moment she took her first step towards him, but when their skin touched a loud explosion split the night in two.

  Jenda was sitting in what she now considered her chair, talking with Celeste as they always did in the evenings. Today she had spent time learning about her magical bloodlines and trying to learn what Celeste deemed to be simple uses for that power. She was more mentally exhausted than she could remember ever being, and the hunger was starting to raise its ugly head.

  She could tell before the major signs began to show that she needed to feed. A stirring of irrational feeling in the back of her mind, sensitivity in her skin, and a slight feeling of rawness in her throat were the telltale signs. If she let it continue, it woul
d get much worse. She knew that starvation could turn her mad. It could drive her to do things she’d regret.

  Despite her fatigue, Jenda also felt a sense of accomplishment. Celeste had taught her more about the spells that created the runes in the castle, and about the protection found in each area. Even the massive onyx doors adorned with crystal lion heads that opened into Celeste’s parlor were there to protect. Each material held properties that warded against harm.

  They had moved on from simple protection to Jenda’s ability to access people’s emotions. This was difficult to test, but Celeste was able to teach her more in theory than in practice. If Jenda learned to control this sense, she could use it in negotiation and battle. Her opponent could hide his thoughts, but his emotions would foretell his intentions. Her gift was a valuable resource for someone in Jenda’s position.

  The most keenly interesting thing they did was concentrate on Jenda’s ability to pass into the astral plane. Celeste was not strong in this psychic area, but she reassured Jenda that Matteo was correct when he spoke of the abilities that Celeste’s grandmother had once possessed. The old woman often walked and talked with spirits, using the astral planes as a middle ground. Right now, Celeste did not want Jenda to actual travel there, because if Matteo somehow got through, then someone else might too.

  No one could quite grasp that one detail about the whole thing. Matteo did not have the sight, and he had never used the astral planes before. Yet, something somehow managed to pull him into the astral plane with her. Celeste thought that perhaps it was simply fate running its course. After all, they were vampires—couldn’t anything be possible?