Jar of Souls

by Bradford Bates

  Adam released some of the power he had pulled in. “Britta, tell me what happened,” he said.

  “We went to meet Lestat.”

  “Wait, the one from the movies?” I said, interrupting her.

  “Not the one from the movies,” she said, smiling for a second as she laid a hand on my chest. “You do realize the movies are just based off a book, right?”

  “Yeah, but it’s easy to forget with all of this going on.” I waved my arms around. “Makes me wonder if some of those authors were writing about things that really happened.”

  “Guys, time to focus,” Marcus said.

  Britta and I tended to go off and get lost when we talked sometimes. I forgot just how hard it was for other people to follow our wandering talks. “Sorry, babe, didn’t mean to sidetrack you.” I hugged her again. “Tell us what happened to April.”

  She turned to me, and tears started streaming down her face again. “They took her, Jackson. They took her, and there was nothing I could do.”

  I could feel the rage bubbling up inside of me. It wanted to be released; it wanted me to walk into that club and kill everything I found there. I turned my gaze on Adam, and he took a step back. “We have to go get her, and we have to do it now.”

  He stepped forward again, reasserting control. “Britta, tell us what else happened while we get ready to depart.”

  “Everything was going fine. We got to the club ok, and they took us straight to Lestat when we asked. We were meeting with him, and he said that he had received instructions from someone to deliver April to them. They tried to grab me too, but I ran. I’m not even sure how I made it out. As soon as I did, I came back here.”

  Marcus spoke. “How could you just leave April there?”

  I felt her sob again against my chest. I shot Marcus a look that I hoped said dude, what the hell are you thinking?

  Adam spoke. “You did the right thing, Britta. If you had attacked him there, you both would be dead.”

  “Dead? I thought you said we could trust them!” I shouted.

  “It appears I was wrong,” he said while collecting a bag that he slung over his shoulder and a staff from the wall. “It’s time for us to show them just what happens when they take one of ours.”

  “Britta, you should stay here,” I said.

  “If you think I am staying here, you are out of your mind. I left her there, Jackson. I am sure as hell going to be there when we bring her back.”

  I could see the determination in her eyes, and I knew when to shut up. I looked over at Marcus. “Ready to roll?” I held my fist out.

  “You know it!” he said, bumping my fist back. We both let out a nervous laugh as we moved our hands up in the air as our fist-bomb exploded. “Falalalala,” he said. This time all three of us laughed.

  “Big Hero Marcus, let’s go,” I said, pushing him out the door.

  We followed Adam into the corridor, and three steps through a magic door later and we were standing on the windy street, facing the entrance to the Grotto. The all-black building rolled with darkness; it was almost as if it had an aura of its own. I was shocked to see people waiting to get inside, real people, human people. The man working the black velvet rope saw Adam coming and moved to intercept him.

  He was fast, really freaking fast. From the way he moved, I would have said he was about two to three times as fast as a normal human. Against Adam, he lasted about three seconds. He started to run toward us, and then he vanished into a cloud of ash. The doors to the club were ripped from the hinges and blown inward. Four more vamps dared to show their faces, and before they could do so much as run outside, the wind was blowing their still-cooling ashes away.

  The music from inside the club washed over us as we followed Adam into the building. If I hadn’t been here to rescue my friend from a horde of pissed-off vampires, then I would have asked what they were spinning. The beat was awesome, reminded me of Tiesto. People started streaming past us, running from the club into the wet daylight. We weren’t going to have a lot of time. Someone had probably already called the police.

  Three of the Fallen ran at us from different directions. Adam wasted them all with the same efficiency. The man guarding the door moved aside. Adam let this one live, so I wasn’t sure if he was human or not. As soon as we were past him, I heard Marcus say a word, and I turned to see one of the Fallen burst into ashes. I raised an eyebrow to him.

  “Trust me, it never pays to leave one standing behind you.”

  I decided to take his word for it; apparently my buddy Marcus was a badass vampire slayer already.

  It seemed like word had already spread through most of the club. As we descended the next three flights of stairs, we didn’t encounter a single vampire. We moved through the bottom floor of the Grotto until we reached a large set of doors. The light down here was minimal; Marcus and Britta had each cast a light around us, making it easier for us to see. I pulled on the sources of my power, getting ready to lay waste to whatever was waiting for us inside the door.

  Adam burst through the door, and I came in right behind him. As the dust cleared and our lights penetrated the gloom, I found myself staring at one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She was professional-athlete skinny, not that supermodel thin where you’re not sure if they haven’t eaten in a month. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, making her already exotic features stand out even more. The slant of her eyes and slight olive tint to her skin was amazing. I tore my gaze away with reluctance to look at the person sitting next to her.

  April was no slouch either, and she looked amazing in her clubbing outfit. Her red hair stood out from the all-black ensemble. It was complemented by her pale skin, almost making her look ethereal in the candlelight. She smiled when she saw me, and I was more than willing to give her a huge grin back. It was easy for me to forget just how beautiful April was. She worked out almost as much as I did and trained harder than anyone I knew. She probably did three hours of yoga a day, and it kept her muscles lean and flexible.

  She bounced up from her seat on the couch, and before Adam could stop me, I rushed across the room and embraced her. A male vampire stepped forward behind the couch, and I pulled April behind me, ready to incinerate him.

  She placed a hand on my arm and said, “Wait.”

  I turned to look at her.

  “It’s ok. We were just talking. I was just about to leave when you showed up.”

  “So they weren’t holding you against your will?” I shot Britta a quick look. She just shrugged her shoulders back to me. Her look clearly told me she had no idea what was going on.

  “I wouldn’t go so far as to say I was being held against my will. It just happened that my method of delivery to this meeting was a little bit overhanded.”

  Adam hadn’t taken his eyes off the woman on the couch except to shoot daggers at Lestat for a second. “Sarafina, care to explain yourself?”

  “I could say the same, old friend,” she said, standing up.

  To all of our surprise, she moved up and gave Adam a hug before returning to her seat. “Charles, would you be a dear and bring me a glass of red?”

  “Is that some kind of joke?” I said before Adam could address her again. April placed a hand on my arm, drawing my attention back to her. She shook her head and mouthed that she would explain later.

  “Are you asking if by a joke that when I say red, I mean blood?” Sarafina intoned, her fangs sliding down.

  “Uh, I guess.” Not my most graceful moment, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her mouth.

  “Oh, I’m not joking. I love a good glass of red wine.”

  “I see.” Yep, another instant winner. I swear, one day I was going to have to learn how to keep a conversation going. I mean, that was why all the ladies loved me. My ability to drop witty lines like I see and uh, I guess. Adam shot me a look, and I could see he was still worked into a rage, but a small tick at the corner of his mouth let me know he had enjoyed my struggle a little too much
.

  “What in the hell were you thinking, Sarafina?” Adam asked.

  “I was having problems getting a response to my calls, Adam, so I took matters into my own hands.”

  “To be fair I have had a lot on my plate lately, with the council pulling its support from the West Coast. Not all of your kind have been so reserved. In fact, some have taken our lack of manpower to kill humans indiscriminately.”

  “You should know better than to expect that from me. I have pulled most of my people back, but we have a much larger problem on our hands. Technically you have a bigger problem. I’ll let your associate explain it to you after you get the hell out of my club.”

  “I’ll take a look at what you have given her, but may I suggest we get together personally to discuss a few things later? I have some things that we need to talk about that transcends our normal relationship.”

  “Adam, if I didn’t know you any better, I would say you were hitting on me.”

  “I’m not sure I could handle a woman of your caliber.”

  “I’m sure you would find a way. Give me just a little something to wet my whistle.”

  Adam stepped forward and held out his arm. Sarafina moved forward so fast she blurred, sinking her fangs into Adam’s exposed arm. When Marcus shouted out, Adam waved us away with his other arm. She sucked greedily at his arm for a second and then pulled back, licking the blood from her fangs. She licked Adam’s arm once, and the holes made by her teeth sealed themselves. A small look of doubt creased her features when she looked up.

  “It seems we do have a lot to talk about. If what you say is true, then you will have my full support.” Lestat appeared and handed her a glass of wine. She swirled it once and took a sip. A smile creased her features. “Charles, please show our guests out.”

  We followed Lestat, or Charles, depending on who addressed him, out of the Grotto. The police were on the scene when we left, talking to the club’s management. They looked briefly at us and then waved us through the tape outside. It seemed the vampires were quick to get the disturbance outside resolved. As we walked down the block, I heard one of the cops say, “Damn, I wish I had been here to see the show.” So not only had she found a way to get her information to Adam, our entrance was going to generate a huge amount of publicity for her club.

  We turned down an alley, and a few moments later, we were back at the base. It’s funny how fast you can get used to things. A year ago I wouldn’t have believed magic existed, and now I was walking through doors that transport you wherever you want without blinking an eye.

  Adam turned to us. “Go and get cleaned up and rest. We will talk in the morning. April, I believe you have something for me.”

  She reached out and placed a small thumb drive into his hand.

  “Let’s plan on an early meeting, say 7:00 a.m.” Adam turned and walked away.

  Everyone turned and looked to me. I was not sure how I became the de facto leader, but it happened. “Let’s all go get showered and changed and meet back at my room in, say, thirty minutes.”

  “Sounds good, bro,” Marcus said, wiping some of the dust and ash off his shoulder.

  April smiled and gave me a huge hug and then did the same to Britta. “See you guys soon.”

  Britta looked at me and said, “Is it ok if I just bring some things over to your place and shower there?”

  “Yeah, of course.” Yep, still king of the great lines. I pulled her into a hug and gave her a quick kiss. “See you soon.” She kissed me again and headed off to her room. I watched her walk down the hall in her little black dress and thought, how in the hell did she end up with a guy like me?

  As soon as I got back to my room, I stripped off my clothes and headed for the shower. I wanted to make sure it would be available for Britta right when she showed up. I was in the shower for about five minutes when the door to the bathroom opened. “I’m almost done,” I shouted over the sound of the water.

  I stumbled back a step when the door opened, not sure exactly what to do. Seeing Britta’s face made the decision easier. I stepped forward and pulled her into the shower. I hugged her close as the warm water fell around us. She started to cry against my shoulder, and I put one hand on the back of her head, holding her close.

  She pulled back, her lips quivering. “I was so scared she was dead.”

  I gave her a kiss. “It’s ok. Everything is ok.”

  “It is now, but I could have died today.”

  “I know exactly how you feel.”

  Her lip stopped quivering, and she smiled up at me. “You do, don’t you?”

  I didn’t know what else to say so I kissed her again, and for the first time, my brain started to process that I was in the shower naked with a girl. There was no way to cover up what was happening below my waist now, so I just pretended nothing was going on. Britta and I continued to kiss in the shower until I heard Marcus shout that he was here. We broke apart and looked into each other’s eyes. I could see a hunger there that I hadn’t seen before. I smiled at Britta and gave her one more kiss before sliding out of the shower.

  I got dressed quickly and headed out into the living room. Marcus, as usual, had found a way to get us some food. I started to think that maybe he had a thing going with one of the workers. I wouldn’t put it past Marcus to have a secret girlfriend or two. “Man, I’m glad you got food. I was thinking all that I have stocked up is frozen pizza.”

  “Well, there isn’t anything wrong with that, but I had alfredo on the brain. Toss this bread into the oven; that way it will be ready when the girls get here.”

  I put the bread into the oven, making sure to avoid his eye when I said, “Actually, Britta is already here.”

  He gave me a quick look and then moved into the hall where he could hear the water running. A huge smile broke out on his face. “You sly dog.”

  I couldn’t help but smile back. “It’s not what you think.”

  “So you are telling me that when I got here, you weren’t in the shower with that super-hot hottie?”

  “Ok, so maybe it is what you think, but nothing happened.”

  “Man, don’t you think it’s time for you to seal the deal? You guys have been together for a while, and she is giving you all the go-ahead signals.”

  “I know, man. I’m just working up to it.”

  “Jackson, there isn’t anything to work up to. You kinda just do or you don’t. Do not make it out to be some kind of super-secret ritual. Our life expectancy isn’t that great. I say when you find someone you care about, go for it.”

  “After today I’m starting to get what you mean. It can’t be like this all the time, can it?”

  “Pretty much. It gets easier the longer you do it.”

  “Hey, you’ve been here just as long as me.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve been on about thirty hunting trips back home and all of them could have been deadly.”

  “I noticed you didn’t have any love lost for the Fallen.”

  “Well, you see the kind of destruction they can cause when they roam unchecked. You learn to kill first and worry about their intentions later.”

  “True that.”

  Britta walked out of my room with her hair wrapped in a towel. Marcus looked at her and then gave me the biggest grin I had ever seen. He held his hand up for a high five. I looked over at Britta and she shrugged, so I gave Marcus the high five.

  “Jackson, you might be the luckiest man in the world,” he said, still grinning.

  “Of that there can be no doubt, my friend.”

  “Hey, what about me? Am I not lucky to have him?” Britta asked.

  “Definitely not,” Marcus said with that dopey grin still in place.

  “Asshole,” I said.

  “You know it, brother.” He held his hand out for a fist bump. I had to give it to him, he set me up, and well I couldn’t leave him hanging, he was my best friend.

  I was pulling out the bread when April walked in. I got it to the counter and ran over t
o give her a hug. “I’m so happy you’re safe.”

  She smiled up at me. “Me too.”

  I stepped away to go help Marcus get the table set while the girls finally got a chance to catch up. I didn’t catch most of what they said, but I know a few tears leaked out and there was a lot of hugging. We sat down at the table and started to fill up. While we ate, April filled us in on what happened, and Britta told her part of the tale. When it was done, I got the chance to tell everyone what I had been doing with the inspector. Marcus just watched the discussion. I felt kind of bad for him. He missed out on all the action.

  “So let me get this straight, Jackson. You fought an undead Lycan, and the inspector possibly took out the guy who raised it from the dead.”

  “Yeah, that’s about it, except it was way more creepy and I was much more heroic than you made it sound.” He snorted, and April hit me in the shoulder. Britta just gave my leg a squeeze under the table and a wink.

  “And April, Sarafina told you about the undead attacking Fallen strongholds?”

  “She did, and minus the being knocked unconscious and bound to a couch, she was very polite.” Marcus made a face, and April stuck her tongue out at him.

  “I know this might not sound like much, but I would say given the sources, that has to mean necromancy is real.”

  “Come on, Marcus, no one has ever proved that,” April said.

  “That’s like something out of one of your comics, right?” Britta asked.

  Marcus just looked at me. “You sure that Lycan was dead?”

  “Very sure, and for some time too. Its eyes had already turned milky white.”

  “So, April, you think Jackson and Sarafina are just pulling our legs?”

  April gave me a furtive glance before she responded. “I don’t think they would do that, but there has to be some other explanation.”

  “I really don’t think there is, April. The undead are among us,” Marcus said while raising his hands in the air and making spooky noises. Both of the girls laughed.

  “I’m pretty sure the inspector and Adam both know more than they are saying. I know you guys grew up thinking this wasn’t possible, but I know what I saw. I bet tomorrow you are going to learn more than you expect to.”