The Vampire Touch 3: A New Dawn

by Sarah J. Stone

She glanced to the floor. “I can't do anything,” she said. “Not well.”

  “You are capable of so much more,” Desmond reminded her. “And it's not a surprise that more than just the Academy knows about you.”

  “We should tag their bodies,” Sybil said. “Bring them back. I can ask around on the streets to see if anyone knows them.”

  “This isn't Reynolds' work?” Kierry spoke up.

  “No,” Sybil was quick to recognize that. “It certainly is not. These aliens…I've never seen them around. I suspect there's another force at work here, one that we don't recognize yet.”

  “Wait!” Devon, ever observant, neared them. He recognized a symbol tattooed on their arms, all of the marks identical on their right shoulders. “Look, Laura.”

  She tore her eyes away from Nathaniel long enough to glance at her Tiro. Her eyes narrowed. “That's Black Caesar's mark.”

  “What?” Sybil went over right away. Nathaniel wavered, and Sienna gasped. Desmond moved forward, wrapping his arm around his former Tiro's waist.

  “Fine, eh?”

  “Black Caesar is dead,” Nathaniel said, his voice cracking. He cleared it, watching intently. “There's no way people still work for him. That was one-hundred years ago.”

  “And yet, that is his mark,” Devon crouched by one of their bodies. “Without a doubt. We learned about it a few years ago. Kierry, you should have just taken that course?”

  “Oh yeah,” Kierry replied as she looked closer.

  “Who’s Black Caesar?” Sienna asked, a stark reminder of the school she wasn't attending.

  “He's a bounty hunter,” Desmond spoke up. “One of the most famous, and the most...interesting. He believed that witches were the scum of the universe and that he was cleaning up the planet by getting rid of them, starting with the most powerful. He was funded by groups who believed similar things.”

  “They killed witches just for the sake of it?”

  “Because they had beliefs of a universe that is obviously very different from ours,” Desmond reminded her, forever trying to teach her a world without evil. “But he is most certainly dead. And Reynolds' beliefs are very different from Black Caesar's, so I don't think for a moment that they would be working together, if Black Caesar was even alive.”

  “Well, things just got more complicated,” Sybil answered. “Come on, Nathaniel. Let's get you some help.”

  “Uh huh,” Nathaniel said, and Desmond raised his eyebrow.

  “I may carry Sienna here and again, but you're a bit big, my Tiro.”

  “I was hoping for old times' sake,” Nathaniel answered, but he managed the steps by himself.

  “Can you make it?” Sybil teased him as they got back, opening the door.

  “Getting lazy in my old age?” Nathaniel answered, as Sybil went to get the medical kit.

  “Are you all right?” Devon asked Sienna quietly as they drew back from the chaos.

  “Me?” she asked in surprise.

  “Well, if I found out I was being hunted by a team of international bounty hunters, I'd probably be pretty shaken up. It'd also be an ego boost,” Devon tried to smile.

  She shrugged. “I just….” She sighed. “I'm used to things like that. Not bounty hunters, but being different. Being studied. Being watched and looked at.”

  “Of course, you're used to being looked at,” Devon's voice was so low that no one else could hear it. “You're beautiful.”

  Her head swiveled toward his, and he smiled, squeezing her hand. She let him keep her fingers wrapped in his, and her mind whirled.

  That night, when she was supposed to be sleeping, she crept into Devon's room, closing the door with a click.

  He jerked up with a start, his eyes flying open.

  “What the…? Sienna?” he said. “Are you all right?” He was stunned that she had escaped the watchful gaze of her Maestros. The one that was supposed to be watching her at night, Devon realized, was likely out cold.

  “This is my fault, though,” she said, and he paused.

  “What is your fault?”

  “Nathaniel being captured. They wanted me. He was bait. It's my fault.”

  “Oh, Sienna,” Devon said as he sat up. “They want you for something you can't control. That's not your fault. And Nathaniel knew exactly what he was doing when he took you on.”

  “Except, he didn't,” she sat at the edge of his bed. “Desmond made him.”

  Devon reached out to brush her hair back. “Everything you are saying is true,” he replied. “But that doesn't make it your fault. It makes you amazing–so amazing and so strong. Creator, if I had a tenth of the power you have….”

  “It doesn't make it better,” she answered. “It won't make you better.”

  “No,” he managed a smile. “But I would have so much fun while I had it.”

  She smirked at that. “You always make me smile.”

  “The greatest reward,” he said, as he reached for a sweater. “Are you tired?”

  “No,” she said, watching him. “Why?”

  “You can see the stars here like no other place,” he replied. “It's like the planet is positioned perfectly. It's beautiful; you should see it.”

  “Right now?” she asked, in surprise. “Outside?”

  “Usually the place where you see the stars,” Devon answered sarcastically as his feet hit the floor. “Come on.”

  “Devon, Nathaniel just got kidnapped, and they are after me. And Reynolds–”

  “Sienna,” he grabbed her hand, “all those things are true as well. But you and I…we don't have a lot of time to wait for the safe moments, do we?”

  She was taken by his eyes, his smile, and it was all he needed to pull her through the maze of hallways.

  It was just as beautiful as he had described. She gasped as she looked up, thousands of stars twinkling above them. She had never seen anything like it–so clear. She was sure that she could see at least three galaxies shining above her.

  “Wow,” she said, leaning against Devon as they stood in silence. The door was open, and they were barely outside. It was as dangerous as she was willing to get, and yet, it was worth it.

  “What gets me,” he said, putting an arm around her as she shivered, “is seeing all these stars, planets, space, all those worlds out there–so many possibilities. So much life.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

  “There are millions of lifeforms up there,” he said. “And each of them living a different life, doing a different thing. There are so many paths, you can't count them. They are anything they want to be.”

  It sunk in as she leaned against him.

  “And we can't.”

  “Not really,” he said softly. “We were born witches so that's what we must be. Unless….”

  Her head whipped toward him. “Devon, you aren't thinking about Reynolds' path.”

  “No!” he said quickly. She didn't actually think that was the case, but she had to be sure. “No, not at all. Just that there are different paths out there. Where medical treatments aren't timed with missions; where classes aren't streamed into the med bay. And where your Maestro isn't your only family. Can you imagine?”

  She couldn't. But staring into his eyes, she saw a glimmer of what could be.

  “Maybe,” she said. It was easy to say that, standing just a few meters from her sleeping Maestros, their safe magic still feeding her veins, and Devon's arm around her. She didn't have to imagine being alone, nor did she want to.

  “Maybe,” he said with a smile. “Maybe is good enough for me.”

  She lay her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as they stood under the stars for another few moments. Soon, her shivering grew intense, and he brought her back inside, both of their thoughts a million miles away.

  “I'm just going to get something to eat,” Sienna said, and Devon kissed her on the cheek as he went to his room. She paused in kitchen, searching through the sack left on the table. She was tempted by the f
ruit on the table, but knew it would likely end badly.

  It was while she was reading the ingredients on a bag of processed food that she saw the communication screen flicker.

  A message had come through, and from what she could tell, it wasn't coded. Her fingers paused at opening the bag, knowing that she really shouldn't access a message without her maestros. But curiosity got the better of her, and she hit the screen.

  A man's shape filled the screen, his face hidden, and his voice technologically blurred.

  I hear that Desmond is in your camp. Bring him to me, for we have much to say. You will be rewarded. His Tiro's strength is too dangerous for him. His best interests are in my heart.

  The message cut off, and Sienna felt her heart rate go through the roof. Was that Reynolds, reaching out to Sybil?

  She felt her hand start to tremble as she replayed the message. It was too blurred to figure out who it was.

  But whoever it was, it was clearly coming from Reynolds' intentions. She would go with Desmond, she knew, and she instantly felt guilty about it.

  Would Reynolds want Desmond if she wasn't at his side? Was this going to be a repeat of today? First, one Maestro, and then the other?

  Chapter 11

  “It is Reynolds,” Sybil said the next morning at the crack of dawn. The first thing she did when she got up was check for messages. “He's afraid of people knowing his identity, but those on the inside know exactly who the messages come from.”

  “So, it's time,” Desmond said as he leaned against the small breakfast table. Nathaniel, looking pale, but alert, beside him, leaned forward. “Don't even think about it,” Desmond answered, without looking at his former Tiro. “You can't protect us if you come with us, and you know it right now.”

  Nathaniel traded a glance with Sienna who was watching him across the room. She was picking at her food, her anxiety through the roof. Yesterday had clearly shaken her up, and being separated from Nathaniel for an unknown period of time was throwing all those feelings back through her. It had taken her so long to feel useful, to feel wanted and strong as she found her place in the world, especially beside her younger Maestro.

  “Besides,” Desmond went on, “if Reynolds sees you, he'll know that something is not right. You are devoted to the magic, Nathaniel. Everyone knows that.”

  “And you're not?” Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. Sybil tensed, but said nothing. She felt Desmond's pain every time he mentioned Reynolds. But now, she also felt him longing for times that were past, filled with regret in the way the situation was handled.

  “Of course, he is,” Sybil spoke up. “He just doesn't wear it on his sleeve as you do, Nathaniel.”

  Nathaniel glanced to her, but dismissed the thought, turning to Sienna. “And you, Tiro? Can you play the part?” he asked evenly.

  She cleared her throat. “Yes.”

  “And if Reynolds asks?” Desmond said. “What will your reason be?”

  “That I no longer wish to be a burden,” she answered. “Acheronian Magic does not require a Maestro-Tiro system, and is fueled by desire, not the burden of protecting the universe.”

  A silence fell over the room. Both Nathaniel and Desmond were well aware that Sienna's vocabulary wasn't quite good enough to spontaneously make such a powerful sentence. She had to have been rehearsing it beforehand. And while she could have been preparing for the mission last night, it wasn't like her to be so quick to spout out an answer.

  “I see,” Desmond said. “It is a good answer.”

  “He will believe it?” she asked, and Desmond nodded.

  “Oh yes,” he said. “Reynolds will believe that wholeheartedly.”

  Devon was watching her intently, his breath coming short as her words rang true in his heart. Did she mean that? Was she thinking of such a thing?

  Because he had the same thoughts, and often. He didn't want to walk another path of magic; it wasn't about the fork in the road. It was about the fact that Laura would be left Tiro-less one day, and the older he got, the closer it would be to the tests. He didn't think he'd make it to the tests, and he didn't want to leave Laura so emptyhanded just days before. Somehow, with the luck he had, he thought that it might be the case.

  “Sienna…” Nathaniel opened his arms, and she went forward, giving him a brief hug. But even as she did, she glanced over her shoulder at Devon who raised an eyebrow at her.

  Laura nudged her Tiro. ‘What's up?’ she asked through the bond.

  ‘Nothing,’ Devon managed. ‘Just tired today.’

  ‘Well, we aren't to present ourselves to Reynolds and swear loyalty today, so relax.’ She was so used to his energy levels and his feelings, so protective of him. It wasn't supposed to be that way. He was supposed to be a support to her, learning and growing.

  ‘Sure,’ he said, as Desmond summoned Sienna to him.

  “Be careful, then,” Nathaniel said, trying not to show his anxiety at the situation. His fingers drummed the table, and Sybil put a hand on his shoulder.

  “Have some faith in your Maestro,” Sybil said softly, feeling the tension in the air.

  “Of course,” Nathaniel answered as he watched them head to the door.

  Sienna gave one last look at Devon, and then followed her Maestro onto the busy street that was already full of noise.

  “So many people,” she said as she hurried to keep up with him. He was lost in his own thoughts, and barely remembered to slow his pace for her. “So early.”

  “This is a busy planet,” Desmond said. “People here don't have much, and they are struggling to survive.”

  She could see that it was true in the clothes and in their hungry faces. She realized she had never wanted for those things, despite all her shortcomings. She may be sick, but she was never hungry, never searching for a place to sleep. She felt guilty for getting so much, when she was so useless to the magical cause.

  “Sienna,” Desmond snapped her back to attention, “Reynolds will be relentless in this. His passion is undeniable, and he does not give up, ever. Perhaps if he had given up, perhaps if he had been just a little weaker, we wouldn't be here now.”

  “Would he have passed the tests?” Sienna asked.

  “Yes, of course,” Desmond replied. “He is very strong. He would have passed with flying colors.”

  “Oh,” she said, quietly. “At least there is that.”

  Desmond fell quiet again as they walked.

  “You always take different ones,” Sienna said. “Christa, Nathaniel, me, Reynolds.”

  “I suppose I do that,” Desmond said. “Perhaps I am quicker to see potential in those that others don't.”

  “Desmond,” Sienna said, suddenly, stopping in the street. “It hurt you that Reynolds did not take the tests. After all the work.”

  “It's not the work, Sienna,” he said quietly. “It's the loss of….” he met her eyes. “It's all right. It was a long time ago.”

  “But with me, it will happen again.”

  He put hands on both her shoulders.

  She expected him to say that it wouldn't, that he would stay with her, and that he wasn't going anywhere until she took those tests. But the words that came out of his mouth were much different.

  “But for you, it will be for a different reason–an acceptable reason, that no one will dishonor you for. There is no dishonor in death, nor in the loss of magic outside your control.”

  Her heart sunk into her stomach at those words. He saw her eyes widen, and started to move again.

  “But any one of us could die tomorrow, Tiro. None of that matters in the moment.”

  “It's not just the moment, Desmond. It's the past five years,” she replied, and he raised an eyebrow.

  “Tiro, can you handle this?”

  “Yes,” she assured him, not wanting to let him down. “Yes.”

  “All right,” he said, and they fell into silence as they walked.

  Sybil had given them instructions as to where Reynolds would be, but Sienna had a
feeling that he wasn't following them. Desmond's mind was closed off, and he was accessing his former bond with Reynolds.

  Before she knew it, they came upon a darkened building. Everything about it made Sienna's stomach drop as they drew closer. It felt cold and dead. She had met this kind of magic before, but never in such strong doses.

  She drew closer to Desmond as they rang the bell. The buzzer was answered, but no voice came from the other side.

  “Maestro Desmond,” he gave his own name, “and his Tiro, Sienna…former Tiro. Former Maestro. Searching for redemption.”

  There was a pause, and then the gate buzzed open.

  She flickered her wrist, trying to conjure up a protection spell, but Desmond blocked her.

  “There will be no more of that kind of magic, Sienna,” he said, and she felt her stomach sink. The way he said the words sounded so real and so final.

  The courtyard was dark and cold. Even though it was spring, everything inside was dead. It was as if all nature had been sucked from the surrounding areas. She could hear sounds; people in the buildings around them, but they were alone in the darkness.

  The gates closed with a clatter and double locked. She jumped, leaning closer to Desmond.

  “It's all right,” he said, as much for her benefit as for those around them, surely listening. “It's all right. We're safe now.”

  “Maestro Desmond,” came a voice, and they both spun to the right.

  A figure emerged from the shadows, and she squinted into the semi-darkness.

  “Terrian,” Desmond answered, facing the young man who was about Nathaniel's age. “I should have known I would find you here. I remember your training, Terrian, you showed such promise.”

  “And I should have known you'd come around eventually,” Terrian answered. “The grey line you walk.”

  “Is that so?” Desmond answered.

  “But such a special Tiro you've brought with you,” Terrian said, turning to Sienna. He surprised her by speaking in Jeffro to her. “We've heard so much about you.”

  Desmond instantly put an arm across her, pushing her back. “How did you know to speak to her in Jeffro?” he asked.

  Terrian smiled. “We do much research on those coming to us,” he said. “Or those we think we can sway. Come, Reynolds awaits you.”