by M. P. Taylor
We exchanged blows as he rolled past.
A flash of steel and the roaring of my handgun. Three solid hits in his chest. He gave as well as he took. The dragon touched blade slashed through my ward and managed a deep wound on my bicep.
Pain flared up but I manged to hold onto my gun, turned and kept firing at the vampiric menace. Round after round scored hits in the supernatural brute but the damage was minimal. Within seconds his wounds would heal up, the bullets forcing themselves out of his flesh as necrotic magic restored his being. You either killed a vampire wholesale or just slow it down – no middle ground.
I tossed the gun aside when I head the click of an empty magazine, and transferred my staff to a two-handed grip.
Erik took those few moment to stand up, recollect himself and began a terminator style deathmarch in my direction. The confidence in his eye shook me. He believe he would be able to kill me and I certainly didn't like my odds.
I went back to my old fallback and unleashed another ice lance. Erik struck it from the air with a swift slash of his blade. Once more and another slash. I didn't have time to make another effort like the ice storm. Nor did I have the raw energy required for an entropy spell, activating the circle and ripping the eater out of Ethan had ensured that. I could only stand there and unleash ice lance after ice lance as the vampire closed the distance with an ever increasing pace.
“What now wizard?” he laughed as I backpedaled to gain a few more seconds, “Perhaps if you beg I shall make it quick.”
“Somehow I don't think your merciful...” I muttered.
A blur of motion came from just outside of my vision. I laughed, “Besides. I'm not done yet.”
“I disagree, emphatically,” Erik leveled his blade, preparing to thrust it into me as I ran out of room to back up, and found myself colliding with a wall.
Ethan smacked the vampire aside with a heavy blow from his remaining hand. I actually winched from the brutality of the sound. Bones snapped, a wall was sundered, and pavement was sent flying upward. It felt like a car accident had happened right in front of me – couldn't have happened to a nicer person.
Monsterboy didn't stop.
Ethan jumped onto of Erik's limp body and dug his claws into the vampire's chest. I thought I heard a faint echo of a whimper but it must have been my imagination – there was no way Erik was still conscious.
That was probably for the better as he was soon disemboweled by the frenzied clawing. Blood flew up into the air, skin was shredded, and I couldn't help but look away else I was certain I was going to loose my stomach.
When I gathered the strength to look back at the bloody sight, I wish I hadn't.
Ethan brought a foot down on Erik's chest and tore the vampire's head cleanly from his shoulders. A vacant expression was on his face as though the immortal couldn't contemplate the end to his eternity.
Killing a vampire wasn't easy but I think that would do the trick.
“Ethan,” I said cautiously, not discounting the possibility that the spirit had taken hold once more. He turned to me and bared his bloody teeth, “Calm down. I'm not your enemy.”
He managed to nod his head which went a long was towards easing my fear. If he had been repossessed, I doubt the Eater would have taken any course of action other than killing me. Given the state of my ward, that being pierced by the swipe of Erik's blade, I doubt I would have been able to offer much of a defense.
I let out a deep breath, “Um, are you alright.”
Erik snorted, it sounded ugly coming from the mutated flesh he inhabited, “No. My body, it hurts. Jessica is in pain and I'm...god what am I now?”
That wasn't an easy question to answer, “Your mind is your own again, as is your body. The circle ripped out the spirit that was giving you trouble,” I paused a moment and shook my head, “Your body. It's changed.”
“I noticed,” he tossed Erik's head on the ground, “Will I change back.”
“No. At least, it isn't very likely. I'm sorry.”
Ethan turned toward me and I felt the terrible weight of his gaze. It wasn't harsh but there was so much confusion and sorrow. I recognized that look, I'd seen it in the mirror not so long ago.
It didn't help that he looked like some Hammer Horror monster. Now that I saw his body, fully in the light and not in motion, I shuddered. The matted full body hair, long lanky arms that possessed inhuman strength, and those damned eyes. There was more I hadn't noticed. His skin, under the loose hair, was covered in blisters and bruises. A dozen scars from bullets lurked in the flesh and his stump was still there, confirming that he didn't regrow limbs.
The pain must have been something close to hellish.
Faint surprise registered in his features, “Your arm...”
Dammit. I'd completely forgotten about the cut due to the surge of adrenaline mixed with a thousand other stray thoughts. Sure the pain still been there but it had been well hidden. His comment made me no longer able to ignore the wound. It hurt like hell. Worse than that, it looked like hell. My upper arm had been scored deeply, leaving a gash that had a steady stream of blood.
Stupidly I touched the gash, prodding it with my good hand. Why yes, it does hurt. Would you like to touch the bleeding wound again.
Ethan saw me stagger and surged forward. He brought his massive hand up and offered me support. I hesitated, but took it. Those arms of his had torn people apart in the last few days. It was only natural for me to be a bit weary of letting them near.
Besides, I still didn't know much about Ethan. Eaters didn't just choose people at random. They had to have an exploitable weakness and, normally, they had to do something terrible. Eaters of family had a habit of betraying those they love for gain.
That thought brought a question to my mind, “Where's Jessica?”
“I laid her down over there,” he pointed to a spot behind a shipping crate, “Here let me help you over.”
I grunted but ultimately allowed the helping hand. We limped over to the shipping crate and sure enough she was there.
Jessica looked far more at peace than I remembered. A day ago she'd looked utterly exhausted. That was still there. Red eyes, lines under them and a sort of pale skin that came from too long hidden away from the world. That was all undercut by the blissful expression that she wore as she curled up like a child on the ground in a fetal position.
“The spirit. It put her under after it grabbed her,” he shook his head, “I'm starting to get it back piece by piece. Feels like someone went through my head with an ice pick.”
“Not too far off from what happened. That thing possessed you. You'll be remembering things you'd forgotten for some time. Probably best that way,” I shivered, “You don't want to know what that thing did with your body.”
“The killings?” Ethan said with disgust, his words coming out a muted snarl “I...I didn't mind that part.”
I raised an eyebrow, “You enjoyed killing people? You were crying about it just a second ago.”
He turned away from me and looked to Jessica, “They deserved it.”
Anger overwhelmed me. My hand shot up, slapping the monster upside the head. Ethan didn't react at all. I doubted he felt more than a slight tap but that wasn't the point. I repeated his words with anger “They deserved it?”
“Yes,” he said in a low growl, “I'd do it again and I'd make it slower.”
“Bastard,” I spat, “You think a desire for revenge gives you justification to go around slaughtering others. Have you given no thoughts to the innocents that had been killed? Did the officers who tried to keep your wife safe deserve to die? How about Helen's husband?”
The monster stiffened a bit, “I-I forgot about them...”
“No you didn't,” I said, “It was just easier not to think about the cost of revenge.”
He was silent for a moment. So was I.
There were so many question I needed to ask him but my anger made it hard to think. It didn't help that I was also losing blood at
an uncomfortable rate. I sighed, stood up, and went to my car. Ethan asked me something but I ignored him and order monsterboy to stay put.
At my car, I reached into the glove box and pulled out my cell phone. A moment later I dialed up Gerald.
There was a certain dread in making the call. I'd just bothered him a few nights ago after having not talked to him in months. There was still a lot of bitterness between us. A lot of love as well, the sibling kind, but that didn't make it any easier to ask him for help.
The blood knights were heavily involved in this mess. That alone was almost enough for me to call in the cavalry. What had pushed me to the decision was Ethan's comments about a dark room. It sounded like someone had put him in horrible conditions prior to his possession. His unrepentant nature about the killings, those of the doctors, led me to believe they were behind it. He hadn't said as much, but I was willing to bet good money.
That there was a group of mortals going around torturing people until they gave into a dark spirit and became possessed, that was just bad news. Add in the blood knights, Erik in particular, being directly involved and we had nothing but an explosive keg. There was also the bit that Erik said, about Irena not knowing he was there. Had he been a rogue agent working for his own agenda?
Hell, that wasn't even counting the private military force that had cornered me outside of Nomia's glade. A bunch or mortals with guns who had admitted a connections. Maybe they were working with torturers.
The phone range for a few moments before it connected and a voice answered on the other end, “Hello?”
I froze.
The voice on the other end wasn't who I had expected. It was a feminine voice with a hint of an accent that was hard to pin down. Describing it to someone would be hard but recognizing it wasn't, “Natasha?”
“Mhm,” the voice on the other end said as confirmation, “Gerald is unable to answer right now, I'm taking his official calls for the moment. If this is a private call, just hang up.”
That made some sense. The number was to Gerald's office, he must have been busy.
I bit my lip, wondering if it was wise to tell her anything. I wasn't sure if Gerald's help the other day had been an 'official' effort or a personal favor. He might not have reported the attack for my benefit. If the inner circle knew I was throwing down with blood knights, well it might have raised some red flags. Again.
Those red flags would be all the more numerous if she learned what happened from someone who wasn't me. I took a deep breath and just said the words, “I killed a blood knight.”
There was silence on the line for a moment, then a sigh, “Damn.”
Chapter Fourteen
Natasha helped me out.
That was a bit of a pleasant surprise given our previous encounters. Ever since the incident in the Sanctuary she'd been firmly in the camp that had called for my execution. It wasn't because she didn't like me, to her it was the principal of the thing. Even if I'd been mind controlled, I'd still summoned a demon and that meant I was tainted. In her eyes, I was a high risk wizard and one that she could do without.
That being said, she was a professional and accepted the judgment of her peers.
That was no more clear than right now. After I filled her in, she wasted no time in making arrangements, “Alright. I've got a truck moving to your location. Should be able to get your friends back to the safe house.”
My new 'friends' being Ethan and Jessica.
The man turned monster would need to be moved to a more controlled environment.
Our safe house was just that. Wizards who worked for the elders in an official capacity called the place home. Justicars would be there, a lot of them, and Natasha as well. I wasn't looking forward to seeing her in person but it was a small price to pay for having some peace of mind and the tools for a proper interrogation.
I sensed that Ethan wasn't going to tell me everything, one didn't become possessed by a spirit like the eaters without certain stains on the soul.
I leaned back in the car seat and groaned as my wound brushed against leather. Natasha picked up on that, “Are you wounded?”
“A little,” I said, “Got nicked by the vamp's sword.”
“Need a fleshcrafter? I can send one with the truck?”
“Yeah that's probably for the best,” I pondered for a moment and then said, “Um, thanks Natasha. I know you aren't my bigg-”
“It's fine,” the woman cut me off, “You're with us. Until that isn't true, my duty is your protection. The truck will be there in twenty. Keep your guard up and be sure to watch the prisoners.”
I wanted to correct her and say that Ethan wasn't a prisoner. He'd been cooperative. Hell, he'd saved my ass from Erik.
Before I could manged to get a word in, Natasha hung up the phone and I found myself being slightly relieved. As far as conversations with Natasha, that was rather good.
Not that I had many of those on account of being in self-imposed exile from the elder's mainstream affairs. There were gatherings, dances, balls and the such – I avoided them like the plague. Not because I didn't enjoy them, I once dreamed of such events, but due to the company. There were always justicars at events and Natasha tended to handle security of the gatherings herself. She would never let me be there without escort, so I never went.
Mind you, I understood.
I was the black mark on her record. She had been in charge of my ascension and that had turned into an utter disaster. I felt bad about it as she'd seemed like a very nice person the first time we'd meet. Now, that niceness was replaced with a formal caution that was typical of most wizard I meet. Harold, the fleshcraft who tended to me a few night back, had the same attitude albeit with what seemed to be more fear.
With a sigh, I went ahead and put the phone in my pocket for a change. The extra weight felt odd but it seemed as though I was going to be popular in the coming days.
By the time I got back to Ethan, Jessica was stirring from her slumber. Her eyes were just beginning to open and Ethan loomed over her which looked more than a little terrifying. If I didn't suspect he had good intentions towards the woman, I would have thought him to be about to feast.
A scream indicated that Jessica thought the same thing. Whatever the eater had done to put her asleep had worn off.
Her eyes went wide and she tried to scramble away.
Ethan grabbed hold of her leg, keeping her from escaping, “Jessica wait! Its me!”
Something in the tone must have gotten through to her as she spared a glance over her shoulder, shuddered, and spoke “Ethan?”
Her voice had been little more than a whisper but it had an effect on Ethan.
He let go of her leg and looked as though he were about to collapse, “Yeah.”
She gazed upon his monstrous body and asked the only question she really could, “How?”
“That is an excellent question,” I said, striding over to the duo, “Please, enlighten us both Ethan.”
Jessica recognized me easily enough. Her eyes must have picked up on my oddness. I was bleeding from a cut on my arm and was limping around using my staff as a support.
All things considered, I didn't look like the woman who'd interviewed her back at the apartment.
Cover blown, but I was way past caring about such things. Sometimes you just needed to let your freak flag fly. In my case that meant walking around and embracing your inner Gandalf – albeit a much prettier version with less gray hair.
Her eyes then went back to Ethan. Questions about me could wait, clearly she was far more interested in just what Ethan had become.
Monsterboy give a disgruntled snort of breath, “Those people, the ones who offered a fortune for their research, they were bad.”
To my surprise, Jessica didn't seem the least bit shocked by that statement, “I told you that from the start. People don't just go around offering millions to cancer patients.”
“No,” Ethan said with a slow shake of his head, “They were really bad.
Once I got to the laboratory, they locked me up in a room. I was...tortured for what seemed like years. By the end, I was glad I had cancer. At least with it, the pain would end.”
Jessica stood up and moved over to him. Her hand reached out and touched his mutated face, apparently unconcerned by the alien appearance, “Ethan...”
Much as I didn't want to interrupt, I had to, “The spirit. How did it get into you?”
He looked over Jessica's shoulder at me – the faintest hint of annoyance in his eyes, “After I'd been there for a while, some men came into my cell. Two of them held me down and another did...something. He made some symbols on the ground, said some word, and I felt something after he was done. It was in the room after that, the thing that took over my body. The men left the room and I was forced to be in the cell with it. Each day it got worse.”
“It spoke to you, didn't it? It told you to hurt Jessica.”
He stiffened a bit but nodded, “Yeah, it did. It tried to make me think that she was the one responsible for all of this....”
“You believe it?”
“It doesn't matter,” he said firmly, “It took control of my body eventually and I became like this. That man though, the one who made it, he had some power over it. Made it start killing people. The thing in my body, it didn't like that but it couldn't fight back. He started letting me have control from time to time.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
“The...spirit, it couldn't disobey the man, but I could,” he gave a shrug, “It told me that if I helped him out, he'd spare Jessica. I don't know if there was any truth to that. We began talking some time ago. I was so out of it that I didn't even realize I'd been killing people...Not really anyways. It all felt like a dream.”
Jessica hugged him. Ethan winched in pain from a dozen different wounds that were scarred against his body, “That must have been terrible. I'm so sorry Ethan.”
“Wasn't your fault,” he returned the hug with his single hand, “I made my choice.”
“It was a stupid choice,” she said with all the anger of a puppy, “Next time, listen to me idiot.”