The Chariot: Brothers at Arms

by Desiree Lee

  François leveled a dark expression at his brother, but gave a curt nod of assent. “I agree to your terms. We are at truce for the mourning period."

  The vampires began to file toward the door. Each one gave Julio a genuinely contrite look and offered verbal penitence. He barely heard them. Two vampires made sure the coast was clear for a pair of others to collect Grady's body and carry it to the car.

  "I need...” Julio trailed off. He didn't know what to do. He had blood all over his living room floor, a dead mother on his sofa and too much confusion overriding his thought process. “I need to call the cops."

  "That would be hasty and unwise,” François said. “To draw undue attention to our kind brings danger to all of us, you included Julio. We vampires are expert at dealing with death. Let us help you find a way to respectfully put your mother to rest without arousing suspicion."

  Michelle had been quiet since Julio's mother had died. She had met the woman briefly in the days before the Houses arrived, but had not gotten to know her very well. Still, she was grief stricken at the woman's passing. It pained her to see Julio so distraught. Why wouldn't he be though? Michelle remembered how horrible it was when her own mother died and that was well over 100 years ago. She had also been shocked by the violent revenge that Julio had enacted upon Grady. She knew Julio was a strong, capable man, for a mortal, but she had not expected him to be able to kill a vampire bare-handed. She suspected that François must have used his power to subdue Grady so that Julio could have his revenge. She knew that Julio was within his rights to take Grady's life and she would not have stood in his way. For him to be able to decimate the vampire as harshly as he did came as a surprise to both Houses. The vampires had all underestimated this new Keeper. That mistake would not be made again. She walked slowly over to Julio, not touching him. “Let me help you Julio.” Her voice was soft, comforting. “François will take care of your mother. Tell me, did she have any medical conditions?"

  Julio nodded blandly, still standing there with blood on his hands. “She was on heart medicine. She tried to make me think it wasn't that bad but I always worried about her."

  "Do you think her doctor would believe that her heart simply gave out?"

  "Maybe."

  "Let's try that way then. We'll take her back to her house and lay her in her bed. You'll just have to say that you came over and found her that way. It will look like she just went to sleep and that was that."

  "I know differently though. He did ... something to her."

  "Grady is, er, was a telekinetic. He could use his mind to move matter or energy. He hit her with a strong bolt of energy. If it is any comfort, it was quick for her. She did not suffer."

  "That doesn't really help,” Julio whispered. Deep inside, he knew that it did. He would have been much worse off if he she had suffered. “Nothing will right now."

  "I know. We all know Julio. We've all lost people close to us, parents, siblings, some even lost their children. We're sorry that this happened. This was a terrible, terrible thing.” Michelle dared to slip her arms around him, hugging him softly.

  François and Pierre both watched as Michelle took the Keeper in hand. Her gentle demeanor seemed to be helping so neither interfered with her.

  Julio stiffened at her hug but he didn't pull away. Even though her body was cool in his arms, he still felt the comfort of another person. He wouldn't admit that he needed it badly.

  Michelle gave a sidelong glance to François and he returned her unspoken question with a nearly imperceptible nod. She then pulled away slowly. “Let's get you in to the bathroom and get you cleaned up.” She took him tenderly by the wrist and led him in that direction.

  Once they had left the room together, François instructed one of the vampires who'd come with him to clean the floor up quickly. Grady's blood had spread wide across the terrazzo, plus there was blood in other places from the fight.

  Michelle came back out for a brief moment to give François the address of Lenore's house, along with directions, then she returned to helping Julio. She knew that he would not be in a good state of mind all night and she did not plan to leave him alone. She knew that François would take care of Julio's mother and make proper arrangements. Julio would still have to deal with funeral preparations and whatnot. She wasn't sure what the laws were in Florida regarding deaths. Someone in the house would have already researched that though as soon as she had told them that the card was in Florida. She'd leave those details to François to delegate.

  After cleaning Julio up and getting him in fresh clothes, Michelle drove them over to Lenore's house. François and the house already had her in bed and looking as if she had passed peacefully. On the way over, she coached Julio on what cover story to use.

  Julio made the obligatory 9-1-1 call, as if he had come over to see his mother and found her dead. The police officers who responded investigated the house and noted her heart medications. They did not find the circumstances to be suspicious so they told Julio he'd have to notify a funeral home to pick up Lenore's body.

  "She has it all arranged. She has paperwork on that. She picked all that out when my father died because she wanted to be buried with him eventually.” Julio made himself busy by looking for the paperwork; anything to get his mind active and not dwell on the fact that his mother was murdered by a telekinetic blast from a vampire and they were covering it up as if nothing unusual had happened. The call was placed to the funeral home and the answering service dispatched removal personnel. The police stayed until the funeral home driver came and removed Lenore's body, then they offered their condolences to Julio and left. Case closed.

  Julio locked up his mother's house and walked absently with Michelle back to the truck. She drove them back to his house and helped him to the bedroom to change. Dawn was coming soon and they both needed sleep. It had been a long, exhausting night.

  Julio stood at the foot of the bed. “Do you mind if I sleep in here tonight too?” The thought of asking to sleep in his own bed being a strange request didn't even cross his weary mind.

  "I don't mind,” Michelle replied, gesturing for him to join her. Once they were both under the blanket, she cuddled up to him, holding him close. Their bodies were pressed together but it was not sexual at all to either of them. It was just a simple need for companionship. Neither of them wanted to be alone.

  Julio felt her cool skin next to his, though he noted that she did not breathe. Of course, she didn't have to but it was still odd that the only sound was that of his own breath. He laid there as she slept, his thoughts keeping him awake.

  She had helped him so much tonight. She had been there for him while he dealt with the police. She had taken direction to help him in the aftermath of the fight. She'd really done far beyond what he could have asked her to do.

  It made what he had to do next so much more difficult.

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  Chapter Eight

  As agreed, the vampires observed a truce for the week following the fight in Julio's house. It gave Julio time to have Lenore's funeral. At François’ request, Julio had the service at sundown. Members of both Houses arrived to pay their respects to the Keeper. Julio had chosen to have a simple graveside ceremony. He knew his mother would not want anything lavish. Many of her clients were in attendance. The vampires maintained their stoic resolve. None of them made an inkling of trouble.

  After the service, Julio told Michelle that he needed to take some time alone to clear his head. She reluctantly agreed and went with François back to his new home.

  Julio drove around the city aimlessly. He stopped only to fill up the tank, then drove some more. He backtracked a few times to make sure he hadn't been followed. Once he was certain that he had no vampires on his tail, he headed to the last place Michelle would expect him to be.

  His nerves were jangled as he drew closer to his destination. So many options played out in his head, but he kept coming back to this. None of his choices seemed to be g
ood. It was a matter of picking the lesser of evils.

  He drummed his fingertips on the steering wheel as he waited for the light to turn green. The delay only added to his already mounting apprehension. This decision was not a light one. He only hoped that Michelle would understand.

  Why? Why did he hope she would understand? He did not want to admit that she had worked her way in. She'd managed to slide under his armor. She'd really gone the extra mile for him with her tender care in the days following his mother's death. Julio was heartsick at the thought of what he had to do. Still, he felt he had no other real choice. In 1880, General William T. Sherman gave a speech in which he made the statement “War is Hell.” Right now Julio would agree that no truer words had ever been spoken.

  He pulled over to the curb and put his truck in park. He had arrived. He stared at the expanse of the house and took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, trying to rid himself of the negative energy, he turned the ignition off. It was time. No turning back.

  He got out of the truck and strode up the sidewalk with purpose. He rang the doorbell and stood there, hands crossed behind his back. A brief notion of doorbell ditching crossed his mind and he almost chuckled, but his amusement was cut short when the door opened.

  "Yes?” Luke stated. If he was surprised to see Julio, he did not show it outwardly.

  "I need to speak with Pierre."

  Luke gave the Keeper a scrutinizing look, then stepped backward. “Come in."

  Julio stepped inside and looked around. The house was decorated opulently. The furnishings appeared antique, from the emerald green velvet divan to the crystal chandelier hanging overhead. From the outside, Julio would never have guessed that it was done so lavishly. Obviously Pierre had a penchant for old world style. The aroma of sandalwood pervaded his nostrils. Julio couldn't help but think that his mother would have loved this. She'd have thought it was beautiful. He wished she could have seen it.

  Luke left Julio in the living room, disappearing up the stairs. A few other vampires peeked in to the room, curious. A young woman Julio had not met at the funeral came in, approaching him tentatively.

  "Would you care for something to drink or eat?” she offered.

  "No, thank you,” Julio shook his head. He noticed her rosy complexion. She was mortal. He wondered if she was one of the donors, but did not feel right to ask. “But..."

  She had turned to leave when he declined her offer but instead turned around. “Yes?"

  "May I ask your name? I don't believe we have met."

  "No, we have not. I am Rebecca. I already know who you are.” She gave a soft smile.

  "Nice to meet you,” he replied. He wasn't sure why he was making pleasantries with her, but it seemed the polite thing to do in the very least.

  "The honor of a Keeper's visit is all ours."

  "Some honor,” he chuckled. “I'm just some schmuck who happened to get a card in the mail."

  "You still don't realize how powerful you are,” she whispered. “When you pulled up out front, everybody knew it."

  "That will be all, Rebecca.” Both Julio and Rebecca were startled by the sound of Luke's voice coming from the stairwell, tearing them from their conversation. “Pierre will speak with you momentarily,” he said, turning his attention back to the Keeper.

  Julio watched the petite woman nod her head deferentially to Luke and leave without another word. Luke descended the stairs quickly, crossing the floor toward the Keeper soundlessly.

  "Is she...” Julio trailed off, still unable to pose the question.

  "A donor?” Luke finished it for him. “Yes, and more. You live in a much different time than most of us in this house did. Servants are not an oddity to us."

  "Servant? Or slave?"

  "Nobody is kept against their will. The situation does admittedly hearken back to a much different era."

  "Is she happy?” Despite the comparison Michelle had drawn for him, Julio still had difficulty grasping the concept of blood thralls.

  "Yes, I believe she is. If she were not, she'd say so."

  "Would she? Really?"

  "She has no reason to fear us, Keeper. Neither do you."

  "I know. I have immunity due to my position."

  "Exactly. We can hear your pulse quicken, Julio. We can smell the fear in mortals. What must we do to assuage your troubled mind?"

  "Tell me that I am doing the right thing,” Julio entreated. “Tell me this isn't a mistake, even though part of me wants nothing more than to turn around and walk right out that door."

  "Perhaps I can give you that assurance.” Julio turned at the sound of a different voice. He found himself face to face with Pierre. “I am pleased you are here, Julio."

  "I guess you know why I am here?"

  "You've chosen to support my House in this city, I assume."

  "Tell me how you're going to do it, Pierre. Tell me how it works. I don't understand how my choice can sway the balance of power in the city."

  "It is magic, Julio."

  "I know that much, but how does the spell work? What sort of magic is it? I want to understand this. Help me."

  Pierre stood silent for a moment, then waved a dismissal to Luke. The blond man showed a moment of consternation at being so callously waved away, but he obeyed and left the room. “Come, sit,” Pierre beckoned the Keeper as he walked toward a pair of antique wing chairs. He sat in one and Julio sat in the other, sitting at an angle so he could face the vampire. “The card itself is imbued with magic. I think you know this much already."

  "I know it is imbued with a scent that the Seekers can track. That is how they found me."

  "Yes, that is true. There is more to the spell than just the scent. The spell itself acts vampiric. It draws from those around it."

  "Draws what?"

  "It is a beacon, drawing upon the power that mortals do not even realize they possess. The Keeper families were chosen carefully. Each of the original Keepers had one or more family members that were strong in the paranormal realm. Take your mother for example, rest her soul."

  "She was a psychic, with the cards at least. Her tarot predictions were always so accurate. That is why she had such a loyal clientele. She helped them. Even if it was bad news, it still helped them to prepare for what was coming. I don't know if she was able to see her own fate though."

  "Each of the original Keepers was equally as talented in some paranormal practice. The first Keeper was a necromancer."

  "Are you serious?"

  "I am serious. It is possible Julio. Necromancy is a very rare art these days. I do not know if that Keeper ever passed his gift along to an heir. That family has not been chosen to Keep the card since his time."

  "Who chose the families? Who found them all?"

  "The ones who created the spell for the card made the choices. They insisted that François and I were not to know the identities of all the families. It was meant as a measure of protection for them. We did not like it but we understood it."

  "If either of you influenced a Keeper family, it could turn the tide of your war."

  "Yes, that is the reason they were kept secret. We could only learn who a Keeper was once they held the card. Even then, sometimes it was not clear which side of their family was the Keeper side. With you it was rather obvious."

  "So how exactly does this beacon draw power?"

  "Every mortal has untapped potential within them. Every human possesses a life force. The spell borrows a little bit of that. It feeds upon them."

  "It doesn't hurt them, does it?"

  "If it were to draw upon only one mortal, it could be fatal to them. The spell was designed to be spread over a large area. It draws from the entire city, or at least a very large portion of the city. Larger cities are nice because the power base is greater. You know that vampires require blood to feed upon. It would be too taxing on one mortal to continually feed a vampire, but not so taxing upon a thousand mortals, or ten-thousand, fifty-thousand. Do you see?"

  "Ye
s. In a city this size, they wouldn't even notice a bit missing."

  "Yes, that is the point. Maybe they'll yawn a bit, feel a twinge of fatigue but most will chalk it up to having a long day, not sleeping well enough the night before, being hungry. The Keeper families had to be strong of will and spirit to be able to diffuse the effects of the card being in such close proximity to them. That is why they were chosen for their specific abilities."

  "I'm not special. My mom was the powerful one. I'm just an average guy."

  "You carry your bloodline inside you Julio. Even if you do not believe in your power, it is there or you would not have been chosen as the Keeper."

  "Michelle told me that the old Keeper chooses the new one. Mom said—” Julio stopped short, not wanting to tell the vampire about the list. “Mom said the same sort of thing,” he covered as if the idea had just dawned on him.

  If Pierre knew he was hiding the truth, the vampire gave no indication of it. “In fifty years, you will know who the new Keeper is to be. I hope that will not be necessary. I want this to end Julio. I am weary of fighting my brother."

  "Who created the spell in the first place?"

  "It was more than one person, but each one was a strong practitioner of magic. One was a Voudoun priest. One was a witch. One was a druid. One was a thaumaturgist. There were more with different abilities, nine people total. They crafted a new spell, something that combined all of their talents. There is nothing else like this in the world. I was pleased with the outcome of the spell. I believe François was too."

  "What about forgiveness? Can you find it in your heart to forgive him?"

  Pierre averted his gaze. “I fear we are too far past that stage. Our enmity runs deep. I believe it plagues us both."

  "It is like a cancer upon both your houses,” Julio said. “You fight year after year, people from your Houses die. Nothing is ever solved. Two and a half centuries, Pierre. Two and a half freaking centuries! That's a hell of a grudge match."