And so, at age eight, she had broken free from the confines the orphanage with two other girls and one boy. They lived on the streets and begged for food and coin. Many were kind and generous towards them, but others were not. Mr. Fowler, the baker, and his wife were the kindest of them of all. They had fed the children every day with three square meals for a whole year until a most unfortunate happenstance had befallen the goodly couple. Their business had burned to the ground, and the couple had lost everything. They had relocated. Luckily, Sasha and her friends were survivors. Tragically, a few months later after the fire, one of her friends had been abducted, and the other two had died of a lung infection. Sasha had truly been alone for the first time in her life. But the gods would look upon her with favor.
A goodly merchant had seen Sasha begging for food, one day, and had immediately taken to liking her. He made it a habit of providing her with food and clean clothes every time he came to the market. After a month, he had asked her to tell him her story. Sasha did, and the merchant was deeply moved. He was not scheduled to return for another three days, but he had returned the following day with a proposition for the girl.
“I have been telling my wife and children about you,” he had said. “And when I returned home the last time I was here, I asked them if they would not mind adding one more person to the family.”
Sasha thought the gods was playing tricks with her.
“So, if it is alright with you,” he had continued, “we would like for you to become a part of our family.”
Sasha had collapsed. The merchant feared he had hurt Sasha in some way. But after he had revived her, Sasha could do nothing but shed tears of joy. The merchant had shed a few tears himself that day. He had immediately taken Sasha to his home. Sasha now had a new, loving family.
After the stranger had saved her life in the forest, Sasha had returned every single day to the forest. She had searched for him for the next two months without success. But Sasha would not give up. She had even ventured further into the forest. At times, she would feel as if someone was watching her but she could not find anyone. And then one day, he just seemed to appear behind her out of nowhere. She had been as unfearful of him then as she had been the day he had saved her.
“Why have you been seeking me, milady?” he had asked firmly but without intimidating her. “What is it you want?”
“I- I do not know, sir!” she had stuttered. “I- I just wanted to say thank you…” she lied.
“You already did, milady,” his tone was softer.
“You are right, sir,” she had lowered her head to hide her blush. “I do not know why I seek you.”
“What is your name?” he had asked.
“Sasha!”
“I am Yehuda!”
“Pleased to meet you, Yehuda,” she had said. “You are not from the area, are you, sir?”
“No, I am not, Sasha,” he replied and started walking away. “And you should not be wandering in these woods like this. It could be very dangerous.”
“But thank the gods you are here to watch over me, right?” she had called after him.
He had stopped and turned slightly before resuming his walk. Sasha could have sworn she had detected a faint smile beneath his thick, unshaved beard.
And so, it came to pass that over the next few months, Sasha and Yehuda had forged a new friendship. The heatless fire in his eyes grew warmer, and a new form of life seemed to take hold of him. He had cleaned himself up and even before Sasha became attracted to his physique, she was already attracted to the person behind the wall he had built for himself. The pair had eventually fallen in love, but they kept their love a secret for the mean time. Sasha could tell there was something off-center about Yehuda. However, she was too love-struck to inquire.
Alas, as the gods and their cheap shots would have it, her fate had taken a tragic turn when her village had been attacked. It was just a little after sundown, and she was returning from her visit in the forest when she heard a scream. It was her mother. Sasha ran as fast as she could, screaming for her family. When she was close to their home and beheld the unholy sight that was the cause of her mother’s scream, she was too petrified to do anything. A creature that looked like human, but with the heart of a devil, dropped her sister’s head to the ground as it drank the blood that flowed from her sister’s headless neck.
A movement to the right caught Sasha’s attention. People were getting decimated, dismembered and disemboweled everywhere. It was chaos and mayhem, and Sasha was transfixed to immobility. She slowly turned her head and searched within the chaos brewing in front of her. She saw her mother pinned to the ground by a creature that looked like a giant dog standing on its hind legs. Sasha’s mother’s bloodied mouth curled. Sasha could see the pleading in her mother’s eyes, begging Sasha to run away. But instead, Sasha sank to her knees, and silent tears traced wet paths down her cheeks. With brute strength and bestial savagery, the creature tore her mother apart limb-by-limb. The creature then flipped her mother over and buried its snout into the fresh, bloody and dead remains of her mother.
There was a man, a human, who seemed to be in charge of the carnage. Maybe this man was the devil himself, and these creatures were his soldiers, demons maybe! The devil had locked eyes with her. The devil had lifted his left hand and had pointed a finger at her. The creature that had taken her mother’s life had turned its attention towards Sasha and had started walking towards her. Sasha stared into the glowing eyes of the beast, and suddenly, she felt a calm sweep across her body. Her body went limp. In a final act of desperation and surrender, Sasha had unconsciously called out to her lover for help.
Yehuda’s response had been immediate. He had zipped in her direction, using her telepathic voice as a locator. But he had been half a micro second too late. He had arrived just in time to see a luper sink its fangs into Sasha’s neck and zip away with her. Yehuda’s world had suddenly gone black. An evil darkness had replaced the last ember of humanity the love of his life had fanned in him, and vengeance now resided where his heart used to be. A man, who appeared to be the leader of these creatures of darkness, looked in his direction and raised his hand. The remaining creatures with their bright, glowing eyes turned their attention towards Yehuda and charged.
The man noticed Yehuda’s eyes turn bright as well. What followed would have been a blur to the average human eye but to The Scientist, everything was moving in slow motion. He had least expected to meet Yehuda in this part of the realm, but he was grateful for this chance meeting. In three heartbeats, six lupers and seven chupers had been turned to ashes. Yehuda zipped towards The Scientist and slashed. But Yehuda’s blade slashed through nothing but air.
“I admire your skills, young man,” The Scientist said, with all the calm in the world.
Yehuda’s fury burned hotter than the fires that ravaged and consumed the village. But that fury summed up to naught. The Scientist turned around and headed for the forest.
“Don’t you worry,” he added mockingly, “I’ll take good care of her for you.”
Before Yehuda could zip again towards him, The Scientist had vanished into the night, leaving Yehuda alone with burning houses and barns, and decimated and dismembered corpses strewn all over, like an eerie, ungodly offering of death and destruction. It would take almost a decade before he would find Sasha again, only this time, she had been turned to a luper.
Sasha had found a way to blame Yehuda for her family’s unfortunate demise. She attributed the attack on her village to the fact that the Bright Eyes were attracted to one of their own, Yehuda. She was even more furious that he had chosen not to reveal his little-big secret to her. It would take several years before Sasha would cease her unfair transferred aggression towards Yehuda until finally, she had become his once again. She still did not know exactly which luper had killed her family and turned her because she never got the chance to witness his or her transformation back to human form.
She had simply awoken in a lair of Brigh
t Eyes and had
realized that she was a part of them; a part of soulless creatures spawned from the Devil’s loins. She hated them and herself with an unrivaled passion. But she had been wise to keep this hatred a secret. One day, she would have her vengeance; her family’s killer would suffer a similar fate, the luper who turned her would suffer, and the rest of the Bright Eyes would see the sun and burn to ashes. Should she perish in the process, then so be it.
But Yehuda had helped her redirect her energies. Sasha moved from lover to apprentice. One day, Yehuda had finally told her his story, and she had felt so much pity for him. It was a shocker to Sasha, at first, that Yehuda was the one the world referred to as Judas Iscariot. The world and his brothers vilified him, the Bright Eyes wanted him, preferably alive, Shi’mon, his archenemy, and The Order wanted him dead, and he was the epitome of betrayal. He certainly was the most wanted man in the underworld, and Sasha was probably the only person who truly loved him. From then on, she had sworn to work with him and take out the Bright Eyes, even though she still blamed him for her family’s massacre and her becoming a Bright Eye.
***
Sasha curled into a comfortable position as Yehuda’s body materialized behind her. She missed him so much, and she needed him now, especially now that her cover had been blown. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the peace of being held in his strong, protective arms. She gently held his left cheek in her right hand as their lips and tongues met. The most wanted man in the underworld caressed and kissed the crown of the head of the most wanted woman in the underworld.
“So, what is the plan?” she asked with her eye closed.
“We are working on it.,” he replied, still stroking her long black hair. “We have a bigger problem though. They can now multiply their numbers beyond the threshold.”
Sasha bolted upright and stared at Yehuda’s in the eyes.
“That is not good at all!” she remarked.
“Understatement!” he confirmed. “Andrew just told us. As soon as you left, a Bright Eye brought in a new convert. Said she had just turned the other, but she was still alive.”
“There are seven-plus billion humans in the realm, Yehuda!” Sasha exclaimed. “Seven-plus billion people who could be turned into day-walking Bright Eyes! This could be-”
“The end of humanity,” he completed her sentence for her. “Not unless we do something to stop it!”
“Oh my God, Yehuda!” she was nearly sobbing now. “We have to act now.”
“You think we don’t know that Sasha!” he exploded and then calmed himself down. “I’m sorry, my love,” he apologized.
“Yehuda, are you there?” Shi’mon asked telepathically.
“Yes, I am!”
“We have a new development. Meet me at Gethsemane! Midnight local time!”
“Alright, what is it?”
“The Twins just made contact. They have a proposition for us!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
“So, how do we build the army, your highnesses?” Andrew asked.
“Easy!” Danka replied. “Capture and convert!”
“As you wish, your highness,” Andrew agreed. “And are we to be covert about it? And when do we start? I apologize for asking so many questions, your highnesses.”
“No need for apologies, Andrew,” Dreyko replied. “You have proven yourself trustworthy, yet again.” Andrew was genuinely surprised but kept a poker face. “But no, we will not be covert about this,” Dreyko added.
“Thank you, your highness,” Andrew said and added cautiously. “But I fear we may be overlooking something.”
“Speak, Andrew!” Danka commanded, faking sternness.
“I believe The Scientist will agree with me on this one,” Andrew said, tactfully including The Scientist in his scheme. “Granted, we have evidence that it is possible for us to extend our numbers beyond the threshold. But I would like to suggest we observe this new convert for a few days before we strike.”
He noticed The Scientist narrowed his eyes as the wheels in his head were spinning. The Twins slowly nodded their understanding as well.
“Keep talking, brother,” Shi’mon said telepathically.
“Will you just shut up!” Andrew screamed telepathically. “I need to concentrate here!”
“Okay, okay!” Shi’mon replied telepathically. “I’ll let you work your charms.”
“No time for jokes, brother,” Andrew scolded.
Andrew summoned the luper who brought the news. When she arrived a few minutes later, she stood by the door and waited. Andrew bid her come closer.
“How long ago was the conversion?” he asked the lady.
“Less than an hour, sir,” she replied timidly, fearing that she may be in trouble after all.
“Doctor?” Andrew asked in a friendly manner.
“I’m afraid I must agree with Andrew, your highnesses,” The Scientist said, shifting his eyes between Dreyko and Danka. “We can observe them for a few more days.”
“I agree with them, brother,” Danka concurred. “Just a few days.”
Dreyko remained silent. He preferred not to wait, but he did not want to go against his sister’s suggestion in public, especially if she was siding with Andrew.
“How about we proceed with the ‘capture’ phase and hold off on the ‘conversion’ phase during the observation, your highnesses?” Andrew offered, noticing that Dreyko was still adamant. “If nothing happens to the new convert after that, then we could proceed with the conversion phase.”
“What in Yahweh’s name are you doing, brother?!” Shi’mon screamed telepathically.
“Buying us time without giving up my position,” Andrew replied calmly. “I can’t launch an attack on The Twins by myself right now, and The Anomaly is here. We must be smart about this!”
“Alright, then!” Dreyko finally agreed. “We will hold off on the conversion phase for a few more days, but initiate the capture phase immediately. Start with full grown humans only! No babies or children, at least for now!”
“I’ll lead the mission myself, your highnesses,” Andrew offered. “If it pleases your highnesses, that is.”
“You are a true soldier, Andrew,” Danka said with a smile. “But Bischoff can handle the mission just fine. Besides, you also have Sasha to hunt, do you not?”
She then turned her attention towards Bischoff.
“You may begin now!”
“Your highnesses!” Bischoff half-jumped, half-stood up from his seat.
He rallied the rest of the members at the meeting. They zipped out of the room, leaving Andrew with The Twins and The Scientist. There was an awkward moment of silence before Dreyko finally spoke.
“I must admit, that was smart thinking, Andrew,” Dreyko complimented.
“You give me too much honor, your highness,” Andrew averted his eyes slightly to the ground as he replied.
“Very well deserved,” Dreyko continued. “My sister was right about you all along.”
The last part was meant to be a serious warning to Andrew, which he fully understood. Danka could not hide her smile. She might have just won a bet against her brother.
“See! I told you not to sleep with the bitch!” Shi’mon scolded him telepathically but Andrew ignored him.
“There is one small situation that I think we ought to address, your highnesses,” Andrew proceeded cautiously.
“The Order,” Danka finished it for him.
“What about the Order?” Dreyko asked.
“Well, your highnesses, they have been our nemesis for the longest time now,” Andrew said. “I say we lure them into a trap and get rid of them once and for all.”
“That would require an irresistible bait,” The Scientist interjected.
“What if we told them about our recent turn of events?” Andrew proposed.
There was a look of confusion on the faces of The Twins and The Scientist.
“Think about it,” Andrew explained. “What better w
ay to create a sense of urgency than to let them know that the one thing that has been making them feel secure was gone? They would certainly want to make a deal than to let the world bathe in the blood of their kind.”
“I am going to choke you, brother!” Shi’mon could not believe his telepathic ears.
“Will you just shut up!” Andrew wished he could just punch his brother right in the nose.
“Besides, from what I hear,” Andrew continued, “their present leader is one hell of an egomaniac. I say we feed that ego till it leads to his demise.”
“Really? Is that what people say about me now?” Shi’mon asked rhetorically.
“You’ve given sermons about yourself before, haven’t you?” Andrew replied. “I’m just using your exact words.”
“So, what you’re saying,” The Scientist said rhetorically, leaning forward and clasping his hands in front of him, “is that we inform them of our intention for worldwide conversion.”
“Worldwide conversion,” Danka said with a broad grin, “I like the sound of that.”
“Convert or die!” Dreyko mused with the words.
“The end of humanity and the rise of a new, dominant species!” The Scientist said.
“A new world with your highnesses as their leaders!” Andrew added.
“Their new gods!” The Twins chorused together and looked at each other.
“I don’t hear you running your mouth now,” Andrew’s telepathic sarcasm was sharp. Shi’mon was still silent. “You’re welcome, by the way,” Andrew added.
“Call the order,” Dreyko ordered, and Andrew obliged.
“You better not be speechless when you pick up the phone,” Andrew warned Shi’mon telepathically.
The phone rang twice, and someone picked it up.
“Museo delle Maschere di Milano, come posso auitarla?” a charming male voice said in Italian over the line.
“May I speak with your boss?” Dreyko spoke calmly.
“Of course, sir. And with whom am I speaking, please?” the voice asked.
The Bright Eyes (The Soulless Ones Book 1) Page 27