A Shade of Vampire 63: A Jungle of Rogues

by Bella Forrest

  “So… this was you. The real you. Before you aged so strangely,” Arwen breathed, then gave Lumi a sly grin. “You need to give me the recipe for that thing, darling. I’ve got some fine lines I’d love to get rid of! Surely, we can adapt the elixir to a cream or something.”

  “Looking to start a cosmetic enterprise?” Scarlett chuckled.

  Lumi shook her head, stifling a laugh. “I’m fine working with GASP, thank you,” she said, then gave Arwen a wink. “I’ll gladly share the recipe with you. Just don’t make it public. The ingredients aren’t rare, but harvesting too much of them may damage their environment.”

  “I look amazing,” Bogdana exclaimed. “I… It’s like I’m seeing the real me, for the first time in centuries.”

  Lumi nodded, smiling with genuine satisfaction. “You’re not the first creature I’ve snatched from the clutches of old age,” she said. “I’ll fix you up with a week’s worth of elixir for the trip. Should you need more, we’ll have Arwen here send the ingredients via the interplanetary spell.”

  “Thank you, Lumi,” Bogdana replied, offering a warm smile in return.

  Avril clicked her teeth, demanding our attention.

  “Cool, now that that’s out of the way, how about we get a plan and a crew together for Strava, huh?” she said, looking at each of us. “My parents are still out there. Our loved ones are still missing. And we’ve finally got something to work with against the Perfects and Ta’Zan—I’m talking about knowledge here,” she added, pointing at Bogdana.

  “I will tell you everything I know once we set foot on Strava.” Bogdana sighed. “It’s part of my agreement with the Druid.”

  All eyes were on Draven.

  “Why?” Avril asked, frowning.

  “I don’t know. But I didn’t have much of a choice. We need her,” Draven replied.

  Avril thought about it for a moment, then gave Bogdana a brief scowl. “Gotta say, that sounds a little fishy, but we’re desperate enough to go ahead with it. I mean this with all due respect, of course, but I really hope you don’t screw us over once we’re out there,” she said to the old fae.

  “You have my word. Secrecy is merely my insurance policy. I need to get back to Strava,” Bogdana replied. “I’ll explain everything once we’re there. I promise.”

  “Speaking of,” Caspian interjected. “Lumi, how are the Perfects coming along?”

  Lumi exhaled. “We’re not looking at much progress here. I’ve yet to figure out what the fourth Perfect’s auxiliary ability is. Burning them alive won’t kill them. The fire dies out, at some point, before the nervous system is destroyed. It’s like the body has a built-in protection feature. It secretes a fire repellant of some kind that kills the fire. From there, the Perfect completely regenerates in six, maybe seven hours.”

  “Ugh, this isn’t good.” Serena groaned, sitting back in her chair and nervously rubbing her face. “Decapitation doesn’t work, because they grow a new friggin’ head. Burning them won’t do anything. We’ve tried drowning, electrocution, stabbing all the vital organs, right?”

  Lumi nodded again. “From what we can tell, they’re indestructible.”

  “We need to scan their bodies again,” Arwen murmured, her eyes wide as she realized something. “We need to find that memory thing!”

  “Oh, yes!” Aida blurted out. “We were talking about this earlier, before you guys came back,” she added, looking at Draven, then at Lumi. “Lumi, you need to look for some kind of… memory chip, I guess. I wouldn’t know what it looks like, but we’ve been floating this theory regarding regeneration after decapitation.”

  “You see, once the head is cut off, a new one grows,” Arwen continued. “Which, despite the fact that it’s creepy as hell, also raises a question: how are the Perfects able to remember everything that they’ve said, heard, and done prior to losing their heads? The brains are new, after all! So, we figured Ta’Zan must have implanted some kind of biotech device in them, ideally connected to the nervous system, which records, stores, and then downloads everything into the new brain.”

  Lumi’s jaw dropped. “My dear, you are absolutely correct,” she replied. “The nervous system must be the safety net for a Perfect’s body. It must preserve enough electrical energy to send regeneration signals to the body after decapitation, to facilitate the growth of a new head, or a new limb. It also stops the fire from completely consuming the Perfect’s body. It makes all the sense in the world that there could be a memory card or something connected to it.”

  “Definitely worth doing another in-depth scan,” Arwen said. “Now that we know what to look for.”

  Arwen and Lumi excused themselves, leaving the observation room.

  “We’ll be back after we finish the study,” Arwen said on her way out.

  “You’re thinking we can decapitate the Perfects and basically reprogram them, after they grow new heads, huh?” Taeral interjected.

  I shrugged. “It’s worth a shot! If we take them out like that, and if we stop Ta’Zan from indoctrinating them remotely, maybe they won’t be as aggressive. Viciousness is usually taught. Violent tendencies may be inherited along the lines of a species, but I think the Perfects need to be studied without Ta’Zan’s interference before we can deem them worthy of any kind of salvation.”

  “And if the absence of a memory card facilitates their re-education, we can apply the same method, but on a larger scale,” Caspian said, continuing my line of reasoning.

  “We can do it from the inside of Ta’Zan’s society, too,” Avril suggested. “Cut a couple of heads off, take them away, reeducate them and get them on our side. Yeah. That works. But we’ll still need to move fast.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?” Heron asked, a shadow settling between his eyebrows. “What if there’s no memory card? What if there is a memory card, but they’re still violent, even after reeducation? What then?”

  Draven let a heavy sigh out, then exchanged glances with Bastien, who gave him a brief nod in return. “Then we prepare for the worst of scenarios,” Draven said. “Getting our people off Strava before we destroy it. That, of course, is only if the Perfects cannot be persuaded or reeducated. I’m still hoping that’s not the case. For now.”

  “We have to be ready, nonetheless,” Bastien replied.

  He didn’t seem happy to say this out loud, but someone had to. We’d been tiptoeing around the idea for a while now, each of us afraid to bring it up in conversation. None of us were comfortable with the concept of such mass destruction, even though the species was a threat to the entire universe.

  We still had Ben and Rose’s crew over there, reaching out to rogue Faulties and trying to save the others. It was up to us to provide them with solid backup, for the time being.

  Draven

  We spent the next couple of hours preparing a plan to go and assist Ben and Rose’s crew, while Arwen, Lumi, and the Daughters did an in-depth scan of the Perfects, looking for something akin to a memory card that could explain why they were able to remember everything after decapitation.

  Bogdana mulled over the updated maps of Strava, sliding her fingers over the screen of the tablet as she looked for safe places to go once we touched down.

  “There are a few spots left,” she said, pointing at a small cluster of islands. “These are two hundred miles east of the most recently built diamond colosseum. I know this area well. This island, in particular,” she added, drawing my attention to a tear-shaped island with a jungle in the middle. “It’s called Merinos. Few would venture to this area because of the hostile waters. The Draenir didn’t bother to colonize and occupy these islands.”

  “The Perfects can fly,” I replied. “I doubt they’d have trouble reaching this place.”

  “Fair enough. But it’s still far enough away from the hot zones, from what I can tell,” Bogdana said. “It could serve well as a safe spot. With a half-jinni like Taeral on our side, we wouldn’t have any mobility issues. Assuming, of course, that he can take mor
e than himself with him.”

  She looked at Taeral, her eyebrows raised questioningly. Taeral offered a nod in return. “I can do that,” he said. “I’ve taken up to ten people with me before.”

  “Did any of them get mixed up in the process? Like, I don’t know, did one fae wake up with an extra arm upon arriving at their destination?” Phoenix asked, only half-jokingly.

  Still, it was enough to make Taeral laugh. “Dude, relax! I can do this properly. No anatomical errors involved. I promise!”

  The double doors burst wide open as Lumi and Arwen returned, both smiling like devilish cats. Lumi held up a small, square piece of something that looked like plastic. It was covered in blood, but I could still see the circuits on one side. They’d gotten something out of the Perfects, after all.

  “We got lucky,” Arwen announced, then pointed at the small object, which Lumi placed on a white tissue on the main conference table.

  “Is that the memory card thingy?” Harper asked.

  Lumi nodded once. “I think so,” she replied. “It was connected to the spinal nerve through a series of extremely thin wires. It was almost impossible to see them with a naked eye.”

  “Where was it, exactly?” Harper followed up.

  “Wedged beneath the left shoulder blade,” Lumi explained. “The wires were quite long. It took us a while to figure out how to pull the thing off without breaking it. It’s extremely thin and sensitive.”

  We all gathered around the table to get a better look at the memory card. It was, indeed, tiny—about the size of my thumbnail. There were circuits only on one side, while the other was completely smooth. I couldn’t help but wonder how such a small device could hold a creature’s entire life, their memories and experiences. Then I remembered the humans’ technological advancements back on Earth. If they could do it, so could Ta’Zan. After all, he’d already cracked the genetic codes.

  “So, now that this has been removed, what is the Perfect’s state?” I asked.

  “We don’t know yet. He’s still regenerating,” Lumi said. “I think it’ll be another hour or so before he comes to.”

  “Meanwhile, we can prepare for departure,” Avril suggested. “Which of us is going, though? Heron and I are definitely coming. Not taking no for an answer here.”

  I wouldn’t even have dreamed of trying to keep Avril and Heron from the extraction mission. They both had family on Strava. Hopefully, they were all still alive. But Avril was right. It was time to pick the crew members, and we had to be smart about it.

  Serena came closer and gently squeezed my forearm. The look on her face told me everything I needed to know. On top of that, I felt her resonating deep inside me. Her soul was bound to mine, and so were her emotions. She wanted to go.

  “Serena and I will join you,” I said to Avril and Heron.

  “I’m also coming,” Bijarki added, crossing his arms. “It will take some convincing to get Vita to let me go for this, but count me in. I have to do this. For her safety, for our unborn child’s safety… for all of us.”

  Taeral raised his hand, then plopped it on Bijarki’s shoulder. “Not to worry, incubus. I’ll keep you company if you need a kick in the butt once in a while.” He chuckled. “I’m already on board.”

  “I’ll come, too,” Lumi interjected. “Someone needs to keep your asses safe. Most importantly, you’ll have an elderly fae with you, and I’ll make sure she’s in top physical shape, at all times.”

  “I feel fine, you know,” Bogdana said.

  “I know. But I’ll feel better if I tag along,” Lumi replied.

  “I’m not one to refuse the assistance of a swamp witch,” I said, “but is it wise, Lumi? After all, you’re still the last of your kind, and Kailani is already on Strava.”

  “All the more reason for me to come,” Lumi insisted. “I want my student back. And I won’t be able to sleep, knowing she’s out there trying to save this universe, while I’m here tying down Perfects. The Daughters can handle them. I’m needed on Strava.”

  “Fair enough. Thank you, Lumi,” I said, then shifted my focus to Patrik and Scarlett. “I need you two to watch over Calliope for me while I’m away.”

  “Leave it to us,” Patrik replied, giving me a reassuring smile.

  “We’ll pitch in,” Harper added, pointing a thumb at herself and Caspian. “We’ll hold down the fort here with Field, Aida, and the others. You do what you have to do.”

  Bastien then stood up from his chair and cleared his throat, demanding our full and undivided attention.

  “Arwen, Victoria, and I will help, as well,” he said. “But I need you all to be aware of all possible outcomes as you head toward Strava. You must be ready for all the scenarios, from best to worst. And yes, that includes genocide. You might end up having to make a decision in the course of a few minutes, or you might get lucky and get a few more days. The important thing is to do everything in your power to stop Ta’Zan from taking flight with his Perfects. Once they’re out in space, it’ll be almost impossible to stop them. They’ll be going out in large numbers, too.”

  “I understand. We all understand, Bastien,” I replied. “And it’s not something we’re comfortable with, but we’re all aware we might have to do it. I’m referring to the… final solution. The destruction of Strava.”

  “Good. Once you have that mindset, it’ll be easier for all of you to move forward,” Bastien said. “Arwen, I understand that Mona and Kiev are on their way back from the Sanctuary?”

  Arwen nodded. “They’ll be here by nightfall. They’re also in touch with the Sanctuary’s rulers regarding the potential destruction of Strava. They’re open to the possibility.”

  “Let’s focus on what we can do before that, though,” Bogdana suggested. “I’m sure we can stop this nightmare from unraveling further without having to obliterate the entire planet.”

  I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly as I got my thoughts in order. Both Bastien and Bogdana were right. As much as we hated it, we had to consider all options going in. Otherwise, making a difficult decision on the spot once we got to Strava was going to be downright impossible.

  But if we got our minds and hearts prepared for it, I was positive we’d be able to push through. With our team set and our goals established, we moved to further study the maps—particularly Merinos, the island which Bogdana had suggested as our safe landing spot. We needed complete awareness of our environment and surroundings, and we had to gear up for whatever came our way.

  We were preparing to enter extremely hostile territory.

  But we had to give it everything we had if we wanted to succeed and stop Ta’Zan from destroying our worlds, our lives, and our futures.

  Derek

  With natural light coming through the glass dome, I was able to keep better track of the passage of time. Another day had slipped by, quiet and uneventful, frustrating and worrying at the same time. The other prisoners stayed close to Sofia and me but kept a reasonable personal distance, enough to give us some breathing space. I was able to register some patterns among the Faulties and Perfects that we occasionally interacted with.

  There were always guards outside the dome, patrolling its base and the ramp mounted halfway up and around the structure. The glass’s composition changed with the natural lighting—the brighter it got, the frostier the dome. Once the sun went down or hid behind the clouds, the glass became clear. From what I could tell, it was part of the mechanism that Ta’Zan employed to filter the sunlight and stop it from burning the Maras and vampires he’d captured, myself included. Sometimes, I lost myself while gazing outside. It wasn’t often that I spent so much time under the sun, without bursting into flames. Even my eyes were in need of a brief adjustment period.

  The Perfect guards changed shifts every six hours, like clockwork. Our feeding schedule had changed. At the eighth hour, Isda and Monos came in with large food carts for all of us. Once every twelve hours, Amal came in with healing medication and a variety of vitamins,
the latter meant to strengthen our bodies. We were incredibly well looked after, despite the electro-shock collars around our necks, and our captivity, in general.

  That helped a lot, because we all needed a clear head for what we had to do next, given the circumstances. As the sun slowly came down over the dome, and the glass got clearer, I could once again feast my eyes on the lush jungle unraveling outside in vibrant shades of green, riddled with wildflowers and sprawling ferns.

  Had it not been for Sofia, I would’ve lost my mind in this place, for sure. Being trapped here, while Ta’Zan mass-produced Perfects to take over the world—I was constantly on edge. My emotional spectrum was quite broad, too, fluctuating from hopelessness and despair to anger and crippling fear. Through it all, I found sense in pursuing a solution. In doing something from the inside. In doing anything that would help the GASP agents that were outside.

  “I’m feeling uneasy,” Sofia confided, as we sat down with our backs against the dome’s glass wall. “Ben and Rose are somewhere out there with their crew, looking for us, and running for their lives at the same time. It kills me that we’re stuck here.”

  “I know, darling,” I replied, gently brushing my knuckles down her cheek. “But we raised strong children. In turn, they’ve become excellent leaders. I’d love to be out there with them, but we’re not. We’re here.”

  “And we’re doing our part,” Lucas interjected. He and Marion sat next to us to our right, while Vivienne, Xavier, and the others in our initial group, accompanied by Jax, Hansa, Jovi, Anjani, Heath, and Varga, were gathered in front of us in a loose semicircle.

  “We most certainly are,” I said, giving him a confident half-smile. Despite our differences, I’d come to rely on Lucas over the years. Xavier was my best friend and brother-in-arms, but Lucas had earned his place at my side, as well. My brother had a way of snapping me out of my gloomy states—though not as sweetly and softly as Sofia. Lucas was more of a sledgehammer, and I needed that, sometimes.