In Love With A Vampire

by M. J. Stevens

  Dove had already risen about ten feet above the ground, the tangles of black swirling around her face like black snakes. Her eyes were still hollow black, filled treacherous darkness beyond those sockets. Her hands had a glaring white glow, electric-like white sparkles radiating from them, as though she was going to release some kind of electrical energy from her hands. Dove tilted her head backward in such a steep angle that it looked as though the bones in her neck were going to crack. Her eyes faced the sky above her, and she raised her hands higher, as if drawing power from the universe. The white sparkles in her hands crackled and danced, looking like high-voltage electric currents. The sparkles in each of her hands swelled to a ball of white lights, glowing brighter and brighter to the point that they almost looked like a miniature burning sun.

  “What are we going to do?!” Kalista cried ferociously against the strong wind that was threatening to drown her voice.

  “I don’t know!” Jesse cried back, wrapping her arms as tight as she could around Kalista as the gale slammed against them with such ferocity that they almost tumbled onto the floor. “I can’t think in this kind of windy situation! It’s literally blowing my brain away!”

  Jesse mustered all her strength to cling onto Kalista, their bodies merging like glue. She swiveled her gaze upward again, panic and fear reverberating through chest in massive waves. She watched as Dove clasped both hands together, binding each ball of white lights into a bigger burning ball, which swelled from her hands like a giant balloon. Dove craned her neck forward, the black hollows of her eyes illuminated by the ball of lights, making her eyes look like cream white beads. Jesse could see the corners of her mouth curved into a satisfactory evil grin, as though Dove was thoroughly pleased with what she was doing.

  “This shall be it!” Dove finally spoke in an omniscient voice. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long … to destroy the Maze of Doom! To destroy the home of one of the most powerful vampires that has ever lived in our history! Let the destruction begin!” And with those words, Dove unclasped her hands, stretching them outward in front of her, unleashing the accumulating energies of the ball of lights from her hands. The burning ball erupted with a loud thunderous sound, sending massive waves of white lights like white rockets into the air. The explosion of lights swallowed up the whole place with so much glaring intensity that it almost blinded everyone.

  Jesse closed her eyes against the glaring white light, feeling as though her eyes were burning. The impact of the exploding lights had slammed against her body, ripping her off from Kalista’s body and causing her to barrel uncontrollably in the air. Eyes tightly closed, she could hear the sound of destruction around her, like the sound of collapsing buildings that had been struck by a heavy explosion. The deafening sound of the explosion almost ruptured her eardrums, and she could feel her body being stabbed by the debris like sharp daggers. She dared not open her eyes yet as she could feel the intense light still burning onto her face. She felt as though she could black out at any moment, but she willed herself to remain as strong as possible, using her last remaining strength.

  Then, all of a sudden, the blaring sound was gone in a flash, and her body felt so light as though she had turned into a feather. The burning sensation she had felt in her eyes and on her face had quelled down, and it dawned upon Jesse that she could now open her eyes for the intense light had dissipated. Jesse slowly opened her eyes, her heart pounding in fear for what she was about to witness. She gasped when she realized that she was floating in the air akimbo, a few feet above a green meadow which stretched over the hills. She tilted her head around, scanning her surroundings. She wasn’t the only one floating in the air. It appeared that the Sigma men were also hovering around, their bodies dangling helplessly in the air as Henson whipped his head around, trying to figure out what had happened. Jesse turned her head to the other side and spotted Kalista floating in the air as well, shock etched on her face. Catan’s seemingness lifeless body was drifting a few feet away from Kalista, and he looked as good as dead, even though Jesse didn’t believe that Catan would die that easily given that he was an immortal vampire … but wait … was Catan still immortal? Given that Dove had annihilated Catan’s Maze of Doom, which afforded Catan a shelf of protection from the power-stripping Great Darkness, Catan might have lost his supernatural gift to be immortal. Jesse realized, with a squeeze of her heart, that Catan might already be dead since he didn’t have the Maze of Doom anymore.

  “Are you guys OK?” Jesse croaked, her throat feeling dry. Jesse shifted around in the air, trying to settle into a comfortable position, and she watched as all her friends were also doing the same thing. Jesse’s eyes flicked around frantically, searching for the amazingly powerful Enchantress who had destroyed the Maze of Doom minutes ago. Where was Dove? Then, from the corner of her eyes, Jesse thought she saw something emerge from the skies above. She cast her glance upward and saw that Dove was slowly descending from the clouds like some kind of an angel, her long glossy white hair reinstated. The blue in her eyes had returned, and Dove looked more like an angel than a dark, evil Enchantress who had completely destroyed Catan’s lair.

  “I’ve done it!” Dove announced triumphantly, descending slowly and gracefully like a queen from the clouds. She finally stopped mid-air when she was leveled with the rest of them. “I’ve destroyed the Maze of Doom!” She flicked her glance at Catan with a smirk on her face. “Catan has no powers left anymore! He’s probably dead by now!” With that, Dove broke into evil-sounding laughter.

  “Where are we?” Jesse asked, her voice slightly hoarse. “Why are we all floating like this in the air?”

  “Well, once I destroyed the Maze of Doom moments ago with my great powers, the whole place was torn apart, and all of you went barreling down from the skies toward the ground like plunging missiles. I had to use my magic to keep all of you afloat in the air, or else all of you would have fallen to your death.”

  “But why are you keeping us alive?” Jesse asked, puzzled. “I thought you wanted all of us dead.”

  Dove snorted. “Of course I wanted all of you dead. But then, I realized something … I may have use for all of you after all. After all, I plan to create a new army on this earth. I have the powers to make you bend your will in my favor. I can make all of you commit dark deeds for me. Yes, I need dark soldiers to carry out my deeds. Therefore, I’m keeping you alive to turn you into my dark soldiers.” Then, Dove gave a quick glance at Catan. “Except him, of course. I hate him to the core of my very being. There’s no way I would let such a filth serve me, or become my dark soldier. I’d rather see him rot in hell!” Catan didn’t respond, floating in the air with his back facing the ground. Everyone presumed that he was already dead.

  “Is Catan … finally dead?” Kalista murmured, staring at Catan’s lifeless body.

  “Of course he is!” Dove spat out. “I’ve destroyed his Maze of Doom, and he has nothing left to give him power or to protect him anymore. After all the torture I’ve put him through, his body can’t take it anymore and he has eventually succumbed.” With those last words, Dove let out a shrill of laughter, which sent goosebumps rippling through Jesse’s skin. She couldn’t believe that Catan had finally met the real death. It had been almost impossible to kill him in the past, and now, he was finally dead. Jesse should feel relieved that he was dead, but there was a stabbing pain in her heart.

  A sudden image flashed across her mind, and Jesse let out a heart-wrenching howl. “Noooooo!!!!!!!!” Tears streamed down her cheeks when the realization hit her full-force, sending her into a state of hysteria. “No!!!! Lipton!!!!!!” Now that Catan was dead, Lipton would be dead too. They were bound by the wretched curse, and whatever happened to Catan would naturally happen to Lipton.

  Kalista burst into sobs, her chest heaving agonizingly, knowing that she’d never see Lipton’s face again. The face of her blood brother. She knew that she would always love him, no matter what, for he was like a brother to her, who shared the sa
me Urukan ancestry as she did. If it wasn’t a love bred out of romantic tendencies, then it would be a love bred out of familial ties, and Kalista had no problem loving Lipton like her own brother.

  Dove’s face creased into such a heinous expression that it drew a crooked grin on her lips. “I shot two birds with one stone! Isn’t that brilliant? I actually killed two powerful men! Haha! Now that Catan is gone, I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone stealing my throne anymore! I can rule with a peace of mind!” Dove’s eyes swiveled from the Sigma men to Kalista and Jesse, and she shook her head slightly. “I guess I’ve kept you guys in the air long enough.” She waved her hand at them, and instantly, everyone of them plunged a few feet down onto the ground with a loud thud, drawing a burst of groans. Dove eventually descended all the way to the ground, her feet crushing on a patch of yellow lilies.

  Jesse strained against the throbbing pain that seared her body, as she scrabbled to her feet. She helped Kalista up to her feet as well, and watched as the Sigma men huddled close to one another, silent as a ghost. She knew that the Sigma men had completely lost their powers due to the Great Darkness, and Henson wouldn’t be able to teleport them out of this dire situation now, as the Maze of Doom had been destroyed, making all of them vulnerable and powerless. Jesse guessed that the moment the circle of the Great Darkness had been completed, Dove instantly killed Rellie to amass all the powers of the Dark Pole, and then rushed over immediately to the Maze of Doom to finish off her arch-nemesis. Jesse had no idea how to kill Dove, for she was now the Supreme Ruler of the world, reigning over each and everyone of them. Nobody in the world had any powers anymore to fight against her. Jesse realized, heart-wrenchingly, that the Great Apocalypse had now begun, and Dove would no doubt use all her newly amassed powers to wipe out those who dared oppose her, or any race of beings whom she despised the most. Jesse sensed that Dove had a deep hatred for vampires, and Dove would likely make it her mission to destroy the vampire race, and she wouldn’t have any problem of executing that since she was now the Supreme Ruler, the most powerful in the entire world.

  “All of you, rise up to serve me!” Dove commanded, raising her hands. Instantly, as if by magic, Jesse, Kalista and the Sigma men lost control of their willpower, and each and everyone of them squared their shoulders, marching around Dove like a small army of soldiers and forming a circle around her. The moment Dove let her hands fall to her sides, the magic that controlled all of them vanished, and Jesse felt like she could breathe again, holding onto the last vestiges of the willpower she had left.

  “We don’t want to serve you, Dove!” Jesse cried defiantly, her face flushed red. “We will never serve someone as evil as you!” Jesse couldn’t help but notice that Catan’s dead body was lying about ten feet away from Dove. Jesse tore her gaze away, seared with deep pain by the reminder that Lipton had already died. She knew that Lipton had died for the greater good, and she tried to be stoical about it, but it was too overwhelming that her heart almost shattered into pieces knowing that she had lost her love forever.

  “I shall make all of you serve me!” Dove insisted in a threatening tone. “Like I said, I can bend all your willpowers, and there is nothing you can all do about it!” Dove burst into her signature evil laughter again, evil consuming every fiber of her being.

  “Run!” Jesse cried, knowing that it was a futile attempt but it was the only option that they all had. Jesse started to sprint, trying to run as far as her legs could carry her, but the instant Dove waved her hand in the air, Jesse was flung across the air, crashing against Kalista, causing both of them to roll across the meadow.

  Jesse could hear Dove’s laughter slice the air like daggers, evil and ominous. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. They were all trapped here at the mercy of Dove Havens, and Jesse knew that all hope was lost. Nobody could save them now. Nobody.

  Henson dashed over to Jesse and Kalista, helping both of them get back to their feet.

  “Are you guys OK?” Henson asked, the deep concern in his voice touching Jesse’s heart.

  “Honestly?” Jesse shook her head dejectedly. “No, I am not OK. We’re all doomed. You have been utterly quiet moments ago, Henson. Why have you suddenly decide to speak to me?” Jesse stole a glance a Dove, who was still in her state of laughter, but when she saw Henson huddling close to Jesse and Kalista, it didn’t bother her that much. After all, what could they do to her now that she was the Supreme Ruler? They were completely powerless against her.

  “There’s something I need to show you,” Henson whispered fiercely, and Jesse could sense the intensity in his tone. Henson whipped out something from his chest pocket. It was a folded piece of paper, which looked dog-eared and very ancient. Henson kept his back facing Dove so she wouldn’t be able to see the seemingly important piece of ancient-looking paper.

  “What’s that?” Jesse asked, wondering what Henson was up to.

  “It’s the torn page from the Enchanted Bible,” Henson explained, swiveling his head from Jesse to Kalista. “I stole this from Maggie’s Enchanted Bible a very long time ago. Many people thought that this page had been burned to ashes, but truth be told, it wasn’t. Maggie was afraid that the page would be one day discovered by evil beings like Catan and Dove, so she entrusted me to keep this page safe, hidden away from the clutches of evil.”

  Jesse gasped. “You knew Maggie?”

  Henson nodded. “Yes, I did. She was like a dear friend to me. We’ve known each other since we were little kids. But fearing for the safety of the Sigma race, I had to make the ultimate decision to isolate my own people from the community, drifting apart from Maggie as the years went by. And one day, knowing that the world would be at stake, Maggie sought me out, and handed me the ripped page from her Enchanted Bible. She told me that she’d somewhat foreseen the future, the Great Apocalypse, and that some evil people intended to unlock the Keys to access great powers to rule the world. The Page contained the Code which would unlock the Keys, and whoever stumbled upon that Page would have ultimate access to the Keys. Maggie needed me to keep it safe and hidden away, since I was aways moving from place to place, alienating myself from the world. She knew that I was the perfect person to keep it safe, so she entrusted the Page to me.”

  “What are you guys talking about?” Dove called out, her laughter quelling down by now. “Are you guys talking about serving me? About how hopeless your lives are and how better it would be if you were to serve me? Be my dark soldiers?” Dove laughed, her voice oozing with condescension.

  But Henson ignored her, and continued to speak to Jesse. “I didn’t understand at first, but now I do …”

  “What are you talking about?” Jesse demanded, her eyes still watery at the thought of her beloved one who had been perished by Dove’s evil hands.

  Henson shoved the paper at Jesse, and Jesse unfolded the paper, staring right into it. On the top of the paper, it read The Ultimate Code to Unlock the Poles. Below those words were four ancient-looking symbols, which looked like the crescent of a moon, the wing of a bid, an eye inside a star, and a water-like droplet. All these symbols were actually the Code, and they were all embossed across the page, as though they were meant to be filled up in ink. Below the symbols at the lowest part of the page were the words Nothing is stronger in the universe than the strongest blood in the world. Jesse couldn’t comprehend what those words really meant, and what she was supposed to do with them. Kalista tilted her head over Jesse’s shoulder, a puzzled look printed on her face as she gazed into the page.

  “Don’t you see, Kalista?” Henson said, turning his gaze to Kalista. “The strongest blood in the world. Urukan blood. Your blood is the strongest in the world. It has been mentioned in the supernatural scriptures from generation to generation that Urukan blood is the most powerful blood in the entire world, and that is why vampires crave for Urukan blood. You know why is that so? Because there is inexplicable power in Urukan blood, drawing vampires to the blood like a magnet. I’ve never understood why vam
pires have always been so drawn to Urukan blood … but now I know. There is so much power in the blood that it translates as being extremely tasty to them. Can you see it now, Kalista?” Henson paused for a moment, holding his breath. “Your blood is the only thing that can save us now.”

  26. Floodgate

  Jesse gasped when the realization dawned upon her, and she shot Kalista a hard stare. “Henson’s right, Kalista. Did you see what your blood has done to the walls in the Maze of Doom? It destroyed them. It destroyed the most powerful walls of his lair. What if you can use your blood … to destroy Dove?”

  Kalista’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I can’t possibly do that. Dove’s so powerful. I don’t think I stand a chance. No … it’s impossible. My blood alone can’t defeat someone as powerful and invincible as Dove.

  “It’s our only shot, Kalista. We have no other alternatives.” Jesse’s eyes pleaded with her, looking like they were about to pop out of her sockets.

  “And do you know that it’s your blood that can actually unlock both the Good and Dark Poles?” Henson said, holding out the page right in front of Kalista’s face. “See the embossed symbols on the page? I’ve been thinking and thinking earlier, and I finally figured it out. Your blood is meant to trace those symbols on the page, and once those symbols have been inked with your Urukan blood, both Keys of the Poles shall be unlocked. Maggie knew that your blood was able to complete the Code to unlock both Poles, and she knew how deadly bearing that knowledge could be. So she decided to spell herself, making herself forget about all of that in case someone evil uses sheer force to threaten her to reveal that secret against her own will. I now remember what Maggie once told me, and it’s all slowly coming back to me. Yes, Kalista. See how powerful your blood is? It’s another alternative to unlock the Poles without the need to destroy the Keys assigned by the universe.”