The Chariot: Brothers at Arms

by Desiree Lee

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  Tease Publishing LLC

  www.teasepublishingllc.com

  Copyright ©2008 by Desiree Lee

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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

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  TEASE Dark Tarot

  Brothers at Arms

  Desiree lee

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  TEASE PUBLISHING

  www.teasepublishingllc.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Brothers at Arms-The Chariot Card

  A Tease Publishing Book/E book

  Copyright© 2008 Desiree Lee

  ISBN: 978-1-934678-89-3

  Cover Artist: Stella Price

  Interior text design: Stacee Sierra

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  Tease Publishing LLC

  www.teasepublishingllc.com

  PO BOX 234

  Swansboro, North Carolina 28584-0234

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  Tease Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

  Prologue

  The 100 Years War is accepted by many as having been the longest war in history. Despite its name, the war actually spanned 116 years. What history does not record however is another war that has persisted much longer. The Houses of François and Pierre Arcée have been in continuous conflict since 1758.

  Every five decades, the location is moved, with both sides scrambling to gain first foothold. This is the one stipulation that the elders of both Houses can agree on. If they stay in one place too long, they risk exposure to the mortal world at large. Such an event would prove disastrous for both vampire Houses.

  This year, the tide will turn once again. The symbol will be delivered and whichever House is the most adept at locating the sign will be in position to take control first.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter One

  Julio Mendoza held up the envelope, scrutinizing it. He did not recognize the tight, neat printing though it was addressed specifically to him. The postmark of Sacramento, California, 95814 was unfamiliar. There was no return address.

  "California?” he queried aloud. “I don't know anybody in California.” He looked closer at it. “It must be some sort of junk mail, but it is hand addressed. How weird.” He opened it up and peered inside. “What the heck?” Inside was only what appeared to be a tarot card. He checked the envelope once again but there was no note accompanying it.

  The card itself had a faint aroma of age, as if it had been in storage for a long time. He inspected the card closely. The Chariot. What was this supposed to mean to him? It was not like any of the tarot cards he had ever seen before. This did not come from any deck he recognized, and he had seen plenty. His mother was a tarot reader. He had grown up around the cards.

  He knew he should ask her about it, but he was afraid of alarming her. Another glance at the card changed his mind. If anybody could help him decipher the mystery of why he received this card, she could. He tucked it back in the envelope and kept firm hold of it as he headed to his car. It was a gray, windy day in St. Petersburg, Florida, smack dab in the middle of hurricane season. The darkened sky seemed more ominous than usual.

  He saw a car in the driveway at his mother's house and knew that meant she was giving a reading. He let himself in the backdoor, waiting patiently in the kitchen for her to finish. Her parlor was her place of business. The rest of the house was not. He grabbed the iced tea jug from the fridge and poured himself a tall glass, staring at that strange envelope as he sipped and waited.

  After she was done, his mother came in to the kitchen. “Julio, what are you doing here?” She walked over and kissed his cheek. “You seem troubled."

  "Perplexed is more like it, Mom. Do you know anything about this card?” He pushed the envelope across the countertop to her.

  Her reaction was not what he expected. He had assumed she would be interested in this unique card, but instead the color drained from her face. She viewed the envelope as if it were a cobra, poised to strike. She didn't even open it. “By the Gods, it's you,” she whispered. “It's you."

  "Mom what is this?” He implored.

  "This is your birthright, Julio."

  "My birthright? I don't understand."

  Lenore gave her son an intent, yet doleful look. “I should have told you sooner. Come sit with me. There is much for you to learn and not much time for you to learn it in. If the card has already been delivered, surely they will already be looking for it."

  "They? Who?"

  "Come,” she gripped his hand with a strength that he had not felt in her for many years. Tugging him to follow, she led him to the parlor, but locked the door to the outside and turned the sign in the window around to read that she was closed for the day.

  Julio settled in to the plush, blood red chair that was usually reserved for clients coming for a reading. He had grabbed the envelope from the counter and now placed it on the table, in between his mother and himself. He did not know why she was so spooked over this. Normally his mother wasn't ruffled by the paranormal at all. She was the most intuitive person he knew. She could deal with spirits and ghosts with perfect aplomb. Hardly anything ever raised her hackles. What was it about this solitary, plain envelope that reduced the most steadfast person he knew to quivering trembles?

  "Julio, I raised you to know certain things to be true, even when many people would not believe them to be,” she began. Her eyes did not reach his as she spoke. “I did not tell you everything. I thought that perhaps it would not be you, that this would not be necessary. I was wrong. I don't know why you specifically received this card, but I know why it was sent."

  "Why? What does it mean?"

  "It means that they have chosen here to be the next battleground."

  "They who? Battleground for what? This doesn't make any sense, Mom."

  Lenore took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her eyes raised to meet her son's piercing gaze. Julio looked so much like his father. In some ways it was a painful reminder of the husband she had lost so many years ago, but also a comfort that part of him still lives on and thrives. Now that Julio had received the card, his life hung in a tenuous balance and he did not even realize the level of danger he faced.

  "They are vampires, Julio. Two factions of vampires who have rivaled each other for,” she paused to think a moment on the chronology, “two-hundred fifty years."

  "What does this have to do with me or my birthright?"

  "Once upon a time, the Houses were united. They were brothers, but a terrible rift developed betw
een them. Loyalties were divided and the fighting continued. The brothers knew that keeping the battle in one place would leave them vulnerable to detection, so they move it every fifty years. This is a Turning Year. Where this card goes, so do the Houses and also the war."

  "Vampires? Like Count Dracula? I vant to zuck your blood!” He smirked as he faked the accent to exaggerate his words. “You're joking right?"

  "No, Julio, I am not. Vampires are very real. They tend to stick close to their own kind. The Arcée brothers are very old, very strong vampires. Their Houses are almost perfectly matched in size and strength. That is why this war endures. Battles take place, but neither of them has ever been able to truly best the other. When they move the war, it renews hope for each side that they can use the resources in the new city to help their side out. Some of us believe that the war will continue on for centuries to come. Who knows? Maybe it is here that they will make their final stand."

  Julio listened to his mother's voice in near disbelief. Could this be true? Vampires do exist? They are in a war and the war is coming here?

  "I still don't understand how I am involved. Why did I get this card?"

  "There are families all over the country that have been chosen. We remain neutral in the war until it comes to us. That is the rule. We abide by this for if we do not, then we would die. How the families were originally chosen, I do not know. I only know that my mother told me about this and now I am telling you. Each member of every chosen family is a potential Keeper."

  "Keeper? What do you mean by Keeper?"

  "The Keeper's job is to protect this card.” She pointed toward the envelope on the table between them. “Then in fifty years time, to send it on to the next chosen Keeper. It also means that the vampires will be searching for you. You are now a target, Julio.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I did not want this for you, my precious boy. I wanted so badly for this Turning Year to pass with you blissfully unaware. I was going to tell you eventually, so that whenever you father children that you could pass the information on to them. I hoped that it would not be you. I am sorry Julio. I am so sorry I did not prepare you for this.” She finally raised her glance to meet his. “Forgive me,” she whispered.

  "I forgive you,” he said softly. Julio was still skeptical of all this, but he saw that his mother spoke with absolute conviction. She truly believed what she was telling him. “What do I need to do now, Mom?"

  "Nothing. They will find you. The card is imbued with an essence, a scent that they will recognize. They will scour this country to find you."

  "What will they do when they find me?"

  "Whichever House finds you first gains foothold in the city. They establish themselves first and have the upper hand. They will try to protect you from the other side but that is not always a guarantee. Your life is in grave danger Julio. The war is coming to our doorstep. We cannot stop this."

  "This all sounds like something out of a book or a movie."

  "Julio, when did your mind become so narrow? When did you stop believing that there is more to this world than what meets the eye?"

  He sighed. “I haven't Mom. This just all seems very surreal. From what you are telling me, my life has spun out of control. I'm now in some sort of war that I didn't even know about and didn't volunteer for. I can't do shit about it except wait for some vampires to show up and claim me all because some pissant coward in California who doesn't even have the decency to put their own name on the envelope mailed me this fucking card!"

  "Watch your language!” She harshly admonished him.

  "Sorry,” he muttered.

  "It is my fault that you are not prepared for this Julio. I take the blame. What you should expect now is for someone to show up from one of the Houses. I don't know which one will get here first. They will have more information for you once they arrive."

  "Tell me more about these Houses of vampires. What does that mean?"

  "Houses is how they designate themselves. It is like a family of sorts, though it includes the vampires they've turned. It doesn't necessarily mean they are all related by birth. The Houses in this war are led by two brothers, François and Pierre Arcée. I do not know what it was that caused the rift between them originally but it was bad enough to leave them at odds for centuries. Their conflict went on so long that they had to establish rules for the war. Moving cities is one of these rules. Abiding by the Keeper's choice of a new city is another."

  "You'd think they would just work out their differences. I mean, what is the point of going to all this trouble to establish rules of engagement? Why not just end the conflict?"

  "That is something that each family of potential Keepers yearns for. We are pragmatic however. We do not meddle in the vampires’ affairs any more than we are required to. It helps to ensure our survival, as much as anything can that is."

  "OK, on the long term front, how do I know who to mail this on to fifty years from now? Is there a database of families or something?"

  "There is a list and you will receive it in due time. This must never, ever,” she raised her voice to emphasize her point, “fall in to the hands of the vampires. If either side knew the locations of all of the Keeper families, they could wipe us all out, or at the very least exert influence and turn the tide of the war. We must be neutral to them as long as possible."

  "So I just go on like nothing's changed until these vampires come knocking on the door?"

  "Yes, that is all you can do, I'm afraid."

  Julio sat there for a few minutes, silent. His mind reeled at the information his mother had just given him. Vampires were coming for him. There was a war and the next battleground would be here in his hometown, St. Petersburg. That just sounded so wrong.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Two

  "It is time. Gather everybody together by 4:00 a.m. I want to get started tonight.” François Arcée issued the order tersely. The young vampire at his side immediately jumped up and nodded to him. Everyone had been on edge for over a month, waiting for this day to arrive.

  At precisely 4:00, he stepped in to the living room and cast his gaze at the assemblage of vampires within. “The card has been sent. It is time for the Seekers. If I know that the card has moved, surely Pierre knows also. Time is of the essence. We must find it first. I will not allow my reign to be lost. I have kept Sacramento for fifty years. I will have the next city.” His tone was firm, brooking no argument.

  Five vampires stood and stepped before him, lining up. François looked at them with great contemplation. “Ikram will go northeast. Zelma will go southeast. Carmine will go northwest. Mallory will stay here in the southwest. Everybody else will make moving preparations. We will not rest a single waking moment until we are in the new city."

  The fifth Seeker standing before him blinked in disbelief. Her nose twitched, as it always did when she was upset. She was passed over again? “I am ready, François,” she stated, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. All eyes in the room cut to the tall woman. Her long, dark brown hair was pushed back over her shoulders. She had it cut in layers so that it laid back feather soft against her. Her green eyes were flecked with hazel and, under the low lighting of the room, appeared almost cat-like, minus the slits. Those striking green eyes now stared irascibly at the House leader.

  "I have made my choices,” François replied calmly. His subordinate's outburst did not seem to ruffle him.

  "If Luke were here—"

  "Luke is not here,” his voice raised as his patience was tried. “You would be wise to hold your tongue Michelle. I grow weary of your impertinence."

  "I want my chance.” She refused to back down. Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably. Normally Michelle was the voice of reason. She could maintain a cool demeanor in the face of most situations. To see her angry and standing up to François was a rare and unsettling sight.

  The man stepped closer to her. Michelle Bryson was a tall woman but François Arcée had at least six inche
s of height more than her. His steel blue eyes held a look of danger. Her protests were not pleasing him, but he could see that she was confident. Michelle's defiance was uncharacteristic. He knew that her conviction must be strong for her to put up such a strong display in front of the rest of the House. “Perhaps next time.” Without another word, he turned his back to her.

  Michelle gritted her teeth so hard that her fangs ached. She took a few seconds to regain her composure and walked out of the room. The four chosen Seekers immediately departed to their task. Nobody else stirred for a few minutes until a sharp look from François spurred them in to action. Everyone knew he had given his orders and expected them to be obeyed without question. Michelle did not comply right away. She walked up to her room and shut the door behind her. She was still angry. This was supposed to be her first year as a Seeker. This is what she had trained for since she had become a member of François’ House. Since the last Turning Year she'd pressed herself hard for this opportunity. She had the essence of the card ingrained in to her senses. Just as François had known when the card moved, so had she. Not even all of the chosen Seekers could boast that. If she had told François that, maybe he would have selected her instead. Why did she withhold that information? Why hadn't she thought to go to him as soon as she realized that the card had left Sacramento? She was upset with François for passing her over but she was even more upset with herself for not proving to him that she was ready for the task. She could hear the other household members packing and preparing for the move. They had a network of mortals in their thrall to do the actual transport once the packing was done. The vampires would ride in trucks, sealed to prevent light from entering. This year would be the easiest move yet. There were many more highways than there were during the last turning year, 1958. The trucks were far better now than they were then. With the mortal drivers taking turns behind the wheel, the trip could be made with minimal stops.

  She sat on her bed and looked over at the mirror atop the dresser. It was funny that so many vampire books and movies claimed that vampires did not cast reflections. She could see very well that this wasn't true. Neither were the tales of vampires sleeping in coffins. Michelle had never slept in a coffin since she had become a vampire, well over 100 years ago. A bed was far more comfortable and boarded up windows provided adequate darkness to protect her during daylight hours. She wondered what would happen if she left. It wasn't unheard of for a vampire to leave the House after some sort of a fight. Luke had left.