In Love With A Vampire

by M. J. Stevens

  “Then how is Catan able to visit you?” Lipton questioned.

  “He’s able to walk through the wall. After all, the walls in this maze are all magically constructed by him.”

  Lipton slumped against the wall, his shoulders sagged. He had never felt so defeated in his entire life. He couldn’t just leave Kalista there. He didn’t care if it took the whole night as long as he could get Kalista out, safe and sound.

  “Wait!” Jesse said all of a sudden, startling Lipton. “Didn’t Kalista mention something about Urukan blood moments ago?”

  “Yes, she did.” Lipton looked up at Jesse with a puzzled look on his face. “What does that have to do with the current predicament we are going through?”

  “Isn’t Urukan blood one of the most powerful bloods in the world, just like what Kalista has mentioned? She did mention that Catan wasn’t able to hypnotize her into loving him because she was protected by the love essence of her Urukan blood, right? And that protective magic in her blood rejected the advances of Catan’s dark magic, right? What if Kalista used her blood on the wall? After all, the walls in this maze are created by dark magic? What if Kalista is able to strip away the wall with her blood? Would that work? That’s the only solution I have in my mind at the moment.”

  Lipton’s face lit up, as if they had all hit jackpot. “You’re right, Jesse. But is her blood powerful enough to strip away this wall?” Then, Lipton sprang to his feet and turned to look at the wall. “Kalista, did you just hear what we just said? Do you think your blood would do the job of bringing down this wall?”

  “It’s worth a try,” Kalista responded, her voice filled with hope. “I’ve never actually thought of that. It sounds like a good idea right about now. I’ve been so consumed with hatred for Catan that this idea actually slipped my mind. Thanks for bringing this up …”

  “Jesse,” Jesse finished for her. “I’m Jesse. Nice to meet you, Kalista.” Jesse started to warm up to Kalista, whom she had never met. Jesse had a feeling that she was a nice person, and she didn’t allow her mind to venture to the part where there was a possibility there might have been an affair between Kalista and Lipton. Maybe there was never ever any affair, so Jesse didn’t want to jump to any conclusions just yet.

  “That’s a great idea, Jesse. My blood may be able to tear this wall down. After all, this wall is built with hatred and dark magic. The love essence of my blood may be able to just fight against the dark energies that were used to construct this wall.”

  “So what do have to do now?” Lipton asked.

  “I’d have to shed some blood and use my blood against the wall.”

  On the other side of the wall, Kalista took a deep breath, facing the wall which she intended to tear down with her blood, if that would ever work. But she just had to give it a try. That was her last shot of getting out of this place.

  Kalista brought her right shoulder toward her mouth, and closing her eyes as tight as she could, she bit into her shoulder, and let out a cry of pain. Blood streamed out from her shoulder, but the sight of her own blood drew a look of satisfaction on her face. Her blood was the only hope now for getting her out of this cold and deserted room. She began smearing her blood on the wall in front of her, drawing streaks of red all over, praying fervently that this plan would work. She could hear Lipton and Jesse talking to each other on the other side of the wall, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying because her mind was focused on the blood-stained wall in front of her.

  She retreated a few steps backward to look at her handiwork on the wall. Smudges of blood painted the wall, and as she waited and waited, nothing happened.

  Let something happen, please, Kalista mentally pleaded. Please let this work. This is our only last chance.

  “Kalista, how’s everything there?” Kalista heard Lipton saying. “Is it working?”

  Kalista didn’t respond. Instead, her eyes were pinned on the scarlet streaks on the wall. Her heart pounded as she stared at the wall, counting down the minutes for a miracle to happen … but it didn’t. Nothing happened at all.

  She jerked her eyes close, feeling as though the last rays of hope were slipping away. There was no way out of here anymore. She was going to be stuck in this room for eternity, at the mercy of Catan. She couldn’t live like this anymore. She wanted to just drop dead at that moment, but it seemed as though she couldn’t die no matter how hard she tried. Catan wouldn’t allow that.

  All of a sudden, she heard a fizzle. Her eyes immediately flitted open to where the sound was coming from. What she saw drew a gasp from her mouth.

  The streaks of blood on the wall started shimmering, as though there were sparkles in them. The blood started foaming and bubbling, shimmering with a glow which Kalista had never seen before in her entire life. And as the blood bubbled, it spread across the wall in bigger streaks, creating tree branch-like patterns on the wall, completely covering one side of the wall. The streaks shimmered and fizzled at the same time, and Kalista could see that her blood was slowly chipping away at the wall, as it trying to tear it down.

  Kalista's face lit up, relief flooding through her chest. It was working! Her blood was tearing down the wall, and soon enough, she would be able to get through.

  “Kalista!” Lipton cried from the other side. “Th-the wall! I can see that it’s slowly crumbling apart! I can see your blood seeping through the wall, weakening it, tearing it with this red shimmer …”

  Kalista watched in awe as the wall started disintegrating, melting away into nothingness as her blood swallowed it up, layer by layer. She could see Lipton’s face through the gap of the disintegrating wall, and behind him was a woman whom she guessed must be Jesse.

  “Lipton!” Kalista cried, staring at him, relief flooding through her chest.

  “Kalista!” Lipton cried back, his face lighting up at the sight of her face. “I’m so glad to see you! I hope you’re OK!”

  When the last traces of the wall dissipated into thin air, the shimmery glow of the blood faded away, and vanished as well. The wall, which once separated Kalista and both Lipton and Jesse, was now completely gone, leaving a large gap between them.

  Unable to contain her emotions anymore, Kalista sprang toward Lipton and enveloped him in a tight hug. Lipton wasn’t sure if Kalista still had feelings for him, but he didn't resist, as he was relieved to see that Kalista was alright.

  Jesse’s heart constricted at the sight of Lipton and Kalista tangled in a tight embrace, but she tried not to let any feelings of jealousy get in the way. After all, the two of them could be just friends, and Kalista had every right to hug anybody she chose after the ordeal she had gone through.

  Kalista finally disentangled herself, and tilted her head backward to take a good gander at Lipton’s face. Lipton’s face was still as charming as ever, raw male beauty etched on every part of his face. When she realized that Jesse was staring at both of them, she began to feel slightly awkward, and retreated a few steps backward. Who was Jesse anyway? And what role did she have to play in this picture? Maybe Lipton and Jesse were just … friends?

  Before Kalista could inquire further about this new face she had just seen, Lipton said with a sense of urgency in his voice, “We need to make a move now. I can feel Catan fighting hard inside, trying to manifest, but I’m suppressing him with all my might. We need to find the source of his dark powers and destroy it. Do you have any idea where it might be, Kalista?”

  “It has to be in one of the chambers inside the Maze of Doom,” Kalista replied tentatively.

  “But the Maze of Doom is gargantuan. We can’t possibly search every room in this place. And there could be a possibility that some of the rooms here don’t have any doors, just like the one you were locked up in. We can’t keep using your blood to tear down the walls. It would take ages!”

  For a moment, the three of them were as silent as a ghost. All of them were deep in thought, trying to figure the quickest way to locate Catan’s source of dark powers.

>   “Wait!” Lipton cried, breaking the momentary silence. He closed his eyes hard, so hard that the veins popped out on his forehead.

  “What are you doing, Lipton?” Jesse asked, a worried look on her face.

  “I’m trying to see in my mind where the source of dark powers are,” Lipton grunted, his eyes still closed, as if he was thinking hard about something.

  “You mean you’ve seen the room before?”

  “No, I’ve not personally seen it.” Lipton opened his eyes, flicking a glance at Jesse. “But Catan and I share the same body. And there are times I can see his dark and evil thoughts, but not so clearly that I can tell what they are exactly. Our minds are linked together, and if I can access the deeper parts of his mind, I may be able to have some memory of where this secret chamber might be, the place where he keeps his source of dark powers. I’ve never tried going deep into his thoughts before because to be honest … it isn’t an easy task. My mind will be filled be excruciating pain just trying to enter his mind, because his mind is consumed with evil darkness. But I have to try this time. There’s no other choice. And since Catan is clearly fighting to manifest, the links between our minds are stronger, and I can use that window of opportunity to access his mind, to see the deepest part of his memories …”

  “OK, we’re with you on this,” Jesse said, glancing at Kalista, who was nodding her head in agreement. “As long as we’re able to find that secret chamber, it’s worth a shot.”

  “OK, I need some space,” Lipton admitted, and both Jesse and Kalista retreated a few steps away from him.

  Lipton shut his eyes again, trembling as he tried to access the dark corners of Catan’s mind. His temples throbbed, and veins streaked across his forehead again as beads of sweat dotted his face and neck.

  “Ahhhhh!!!!!!” Lipton screamed in agony as he ventured into Catan’s mind. “I need to get into your mind, Catan!” Lipton grunted, clenching his fists hard against the excruciating mental pain that was slicing through his mind. The pain was so extreme that Lipton collapsed onto the ground on his knees, tugging hard at his head with his hands.

  “Lipton!” both Jesse and Kalista cried with deep concern in their voices, trying to get near to him.

  But Lipton could sense that they were trying to approach him, and he threw his right hand up, gesturing them to stop. He couldn’t let them interfere with what he was doing at that moment. He was so close to getting into Catan’s mind. Catan was clearly fighting back, refusing to let Lipton access his mind, but Lipton kept pressing on with his willpower.

  Lipton howled in pain again, convulsing on the ground as though he was consumed by madness.

  Jesse could only stand there helplessly, praying that Lipton would get through this ordeal as soon as possible. She couldn’t bear to watch her man suffer like this. She would do everything in her power to ease his pain, but she knew that there was nothing she could do, but prayed for his ordeal to end.

  “I see it!” Lipton declared, bursting out in screams in between his sentences. “I can see the chamber! It has no doors! It’s near to … the Peak!”

  Kalista gasped. The Peak was where the entrance to the Maze of Doom was.

  Lipton finally stopped crying in pain, and tumbled onto the ground, panting excessively. He had successfully accessed Catan’s mind and discovered where the secret chamber was. Now, he just need some moments to regain his strength again after the agonizing pain he had gone through.

  “Are you OK?” both the women cried anxiously as they knelt on the ground beside him.

  Jesse was stabbed with a pang of envy when she saw how physically close Kalista was to Lipton, but she tried not to let those envious thoughts poison her mind. After all, the three of them were in a dire situation at that moment, and she wasn’t going to entertain those thoughts, which seemed trivial at that point of time. They needed to ensure that Lipton was alright, and then they would have to search for the secret chamber, which Lipton had said was near the Peak.

  Jesse helped Lipton get back to his feet, and planted a kiss on his lips. When Kalista saw that, she let out a gasp. Jesse heard the gasp and turned to look at Kalista, who had a look of shock on her face. The shock on her face morphed into disappointment, and Jesse was able to detect some feelings of jealousy emanating from her. Jesse turned her gaze away, trying to suppress any feelings of animosity that were slowly invading her emotions, and looked at Lipton. Lipton looked slightly fatigued, but Jesse knew that he would recover soon enough. He always did, and that was what Jesse liked about him. He was a strong warrior, who was resilient as much as he was courageous. Those traits were part of the reason why Jesse had fallen in love with him in the first place. There was just nobody like him.

  “I’m feeling much better now,” Lipton finally said, squaring his shoulders, ready to march on into whatever obstacles that might come his way. “I know where the Peak is … but I need some time to find it through this humongous maze. Shall we make a move now?”

  Lipton bent forward, arching his wings, ready to be ridden on. Before Kalista had a chance to climb onto Lipton’s back, Jesse dashed forward and eased herself onto Lipton’s back, like it was the most natural thing to do, as though she had done it aplenty times. Seeing that frayed Kalista’s nerves, and she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of how close Lipton and Jesse seemed to be … together. Kalista stood frozen there for a moment, feeling awkward, not knowing whether to climb onto Lipton’s back or not.

  When Lipton realized what was going on, he said, “I forgot I had two ladies with me. I can carry one person, but two persons? Well, it may be a little hard … but Kalista, you can try squeezing in with Jesse.” Lipton arched his wings higher to allow some space on his back, and catching Lipton’s drift, Jesse shifted sideways so there would be space for Kalista to climb onto.

  “The space on my back may be a little cramped with the two on you, but I think I’ll manage,” Lipton confessed, glancing backward at Jesse and then at Kalista.

  Kalista hesitated, wondering if she should just reject the offer and walked all the way to the Peak by foot, wherever that was. But she knew that Lipton wouldn’t allow that, as Kalista might take ages to locate the Peak by foot. A sense of dread washed over Kalista, as she realized that she had to share that cramped space on Lipton’s back with … Jesse. She was beginning to feel slight feelings of animosity for Jesse, and she didn’t even know her that well. It seemed as though there was some kind of a deep connection between Lipton and her, and she didn’t like what she was sensing about them. Kalista’s heart shattered at the sight of the two of them together, as though they were a couple. But Kalista also knew that there was no reason to be so uptight about all this, because after all, she had probably never loved Lipton with the pure feelings of true love. She had suspected that she had feelings of attraction toward Lipton because of the Urukan Tingle. She had better forget about Lipton and set aside all her emotions for him. Maybe it was better for Lipton and Jesse to be together … they looked so picture perfect. After Kalista had made peace with her mind, she marched over toward Lipton, and squeezed onto his back, her body slightly pressed against Jesse, who looked uncomfortable in the position she was in, but Kalista felt the same way too. It was very cramped on Lipton’s back, but they would have to make do with it.

  Jesse was almost over the edge of Lipton’s back, but she held onto Lipton’s right wing for support. Kalista was also in the same position, and she had no choice but to grab onto Lipton’s neck and left wing to prevent herself from slipping and falling during the flight.

  Lipton swiveled his head around again. “Are you ladies good to go?”

  Both Jesse and Kalista nodded their heads, giving the thumbs-up sign, even though they were feeling very uncomfortable in their positions.

  “OK, I’m about to take off now,” Lipton announced, grunting hard as he flapped as wings, his body tensing up with the weight of the women on his back, but he would be able to manage them using all the strength he had left wi
thin him. He launched up into the air, his wings flapping ferociously, building the momentum needed for the flight. He took a deep breath, and zoomed across the air with as much speed as he could muster, drawing slight cries from both Kalista and Jesse. The women clung tight onto Lipton, their hands wrapped around his neck and shoulders for extra support.

  Pumping with an adrenaline rush, Lipton sailed across the maze, turning left and right with ease at every corner he stumbled upon. He took many left turns, then right, and then left again, maneuvering his way through the maze in a kamikaze fashion. He went through the maze in circles, trying to catch if there was anything familiar in his sight, something that would lead him to the Peak. He had been to the Peak before, and he was familiar with the area where the Peak was. The ground was oddly shaped in a circle, with white cloud columns dotted around it. The Peak was just above that ground, high above the ceiling. If he could locate that area, then they would have a chance to find the secret chamber, and also make an escape from the Maze of Doom.

  “Ahh!!!” Kalista cried, slipping off from Lipton’s back when he made a sharp right turn. Instinctively, Jesse sprang sideways and quickly grabbed Kalista’s shoulders, preventing her from falling. She grunted as she hauled Kalista with all her might, and helped her settle on the cramped space of Lipton’s back.

  “Are you OK?” Lipton asked anxiously, turning around momentarily, his face etched with worry and concern. He slowed down a bit, trying to make sure that Kalista was alright.

  “I’m OK,” Kalista replied, relief in her voice, glancing at Jesse with a grateful look on her face. Her muscles in her face relaxed, giving way to a smile. “Thanks to Jesse.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Jesse said with a relieved. “As long as you’re OK.”

  “I’m sorry about that sudden swerve, Kalista,” Lipton apologized. “I’ll try to ease my speed this time, and to slow down at every sharp turn.” He gave a nervous chuckle.