Quantum Heights: Book one of the Dead Path Chronicles

by Richard A. Valicek

  In Enlora’s bedroom, a dagger held high above his heart, Caprius struggled to free his hands. Enlora’s eyes began to glow red. Calista appeared at the doorway and saw Enlora reach back as if preparing to plunge the dagger into Caprius’ chest. Calista quickly prepared her bow and arrow, pulled the string back, and released. The arrow arced through the air. Just as Enlora was about to stab Caprius, the arrow pierced the side of her head. Her eyes rolled backward, and her naked body crumpled onto Caprius, who was too embarrassed and relieved to enjoy it.

  Calista ran to Caprius and began to untie him. She had to shove the corpse of Enlora aside, and she landed bum side up. “Is this what you call getting to the bottom of things?” Calista asked Caprius. Calista looked at the lifeless naked Enlora Renfield and began to laugh.

  “Sorry, but I was a little too tied up to notice,” said Caprius.

  Calista sat on the bed. “I’d love to take advantage of this moment,” she smirked, “But, I sort of set the house on fire. We should probably go.”

  Caprius looked at his partner, amazed at how unflappable she was. He opened his mouth to make a smart retort but thought better of it when he realized he hadn’t gotten what he came for. “The information; it’s on one of those papers on the dresser,” he said.

  Calista ran over and riffled through the papers. She held one up. “Here we go. No, wait a minute. This isn’t the address of a clock shop. Why this is the address of a church.”

  “Is there anything else on that dresser?” asked Caprius.

  “Let me see.” She ruffled through stuff. “No. This is all we’ve got. But, we’ve got an address. 661 Ainsworth. It has a name on the card. A Sister Mildred.”

  “Then, that’s our contact!” said Caprius.

  Calista turned over the business card. “There’s a note on the back of the card. It says: ‘kill Sister Laura.’”

  “So, I see. You know what that means, Calista.”

  Caprius paced back and forth. “It means Sister Mildred can’t be trusted. She’s one of them!” said Calista.

  “This means if Enlora had failed to dispose of me, or us, she would have made sure that sister Mildred would destroy us.”

  “But, how? We’re knight masters,” said Calista.

  “There is more to this church then meets the eye, something very foul.”

  “Do you think that entire church is up to no good, Caprius?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Sister Laura’s life is in danger. What’s the name of the church?”

  “A St. Basil’s Church,” she replied. “Caprius?” Calista said in a humble voice. “Sister Laura might already be dead.”

  “We have to leave immediately. We have to get to Sister Laura. We have to get her to a safe place,”

  “Come on, let’s go.” Calista grabbed Caprius’ hand, and they ran out of the room and down the hall. Flames were halfway up the stairs. They ran back up and into Enlora’s bedroom. Caprius dislodged his claymore of power and channeled his powers at the wall. In a second, the claymore blew a hole through the stone.

  “Come on, jump!” Caprius said. Without hesitation, Calista jumped out of the second-story room and landed in a snow bank. Caprius leaped after her and landed beside her, his face inches from hers. They were both breathing hard. Caprius stared at her for a second, then grabbed her by the back of her head and kissed her.

  “What was that for?” she asked gently when they took a pause.

  “For saving my life,” he said.

  “Remind me to do it more often,” she said.

  They picked themselves up and made tracks through the snow away from the house. Moments later, behind them, the house exploded, flame and embers shooting into the sky like a volcanic eruption. From their safe distance, Caprius and Calista paused and looked back at the burning home. Caprius pulled Calista into a hug. He said into her hair, “Calista, you don’t have to leave Castle Elysium. I want you to stay. I reacted badly. Selfishly.” Calista smiled, happy in his muscular arms and thrilled to hear him say these precious words.

  “Really?” she asked. She was surprised to see that his eyes were wet.

  “I feel safer with you by my side,” he said, pulling back to look her in the eyes. “Will you stay?”

  “I’ll think about it,” she smirked. “You’ll just have to work for it.” She touched his cheek. They turned and walked back to Jethro, now warm against the icy night.

  Chapter 15

  Of Absence and Malice - Part 2

  Melina Hampshire sat in her bed lying against pillows. As Confidus gazed down at her, she seemed to have a distraught look on her face. She looked at Confidus, feeling his love as he smiled warmly at her. But, as she stared at him, she thought to herself, ‘who is this man who looks so fondly at me?’

  “Why not try this. Drink, Melina,” said Confidus as he handed her a glass of cold water. Melina hesitated. She felt like she was taking something from a strange man. “It is cold. Just as you like it.”

  Melina excepted the glass as she took it in hand. She said not a word but drank the water. As Melina pulled the glass away from her mouth, a sudden vision came to her mind. She saw herself in the conservatory of the castle in friendship with people around her. She gazed at Confidus. “I know you,” she said. “I see you in my mind.”

  Confidus put his hand to her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin. “You’re memories are trying to resurface, Melina. In good time, you will remember.” Melina finished drinking her glass of water. She handed the glass to Confidus.

  “What is that? Over there?’ Melina asked. She pointed to an alcoholic drink at the far end of the night table.

  “That, my sweet, is a pink lady. But, I don’t think you should be drinking that right now. Caprius brought it up for you days ago,” said Confidus. “I will leave you to rest now. I’ll look in on you later.” Confidus turned to Sandra the caretaker. “Sandra, take good care of her. See to her comfort.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” she replied. Confidus walked out of Melina’s room.

  ***

  Andromin walked through the lobby of Quantum Heights until he got to the seating area, where plush sofas and armchairs awaited visitors and weary travelers. As he plunked down, he noticed the two Taughtenslottes he had encountered earlier, but he ignored them and tried to forget their incident. He rested his head and closed his eyes in an attempt to relax.

  Just as he was finally starting to feel comfortable, two other Taughtenslottes arrived and took seats beside their companions. Eventually, they noticed Andromin. “You there! Don’t I know you?” one Taughtenslotte asked Andromin, coming over and poking him in the knee.

  Andromin opened one eye, then closed it. “I don’t think so,” he said.

  Another Taughtenslotte laughed, “Hey, this is the one I was telling you about,”

  “Oh, yes, the infamous Andromin Seaton.” The man leaned in. “Can I offer you something? Perhaps a noose?” The four Taughtenslottes laughed.

  “Give him a long rope. It’s a healthy drop to the bottom of the hotel,” said the other Taughtenslotte. Andromin tuned them out and closed his eyes again. He clasped his hands together on his chest.

  “You know, I’d bet they sell ropes at the shop here. Perhaps I can help you choose one. I will even offer to buy you one,” said one man.

  “Buy one for yourself,” muttered Andromin.

  “You know, they even make ropes of different colors.”

  “I think his color is yellow,” said the man.

  “Or pink,” said another. “Tell me, Andromin, are you a coward or a delicate flower?”

  “I think he’s both,” said another.

  “Oh, look, he has his hands in prayer. He asks God for forgiveness. Have you sinned, Andromin? Are you asking God to redeem your soul?”

  “There is no room for him in the Lord’s heaven. Souls like his only have a place among the devils,” said the Taughtenslotte. Andromin ran his hand through his hair. “Oh, look, the pour soul feels aggravated.
” The Taughtenslotte stood and pulled out a cigar. “Come on, fellas. I think we have wasted enough time here.” The four Taughtenslottes walked away chuckling meanly.

  Andromin shook off the encounter and let himself enjoy his rest. After about half an hour, he got out of his comfortable chair and began to walk about the concourse. When he came to a goods shop that sold mountaineering gear, he approached the clerk. “I’ll take those two pink ropes,” he pointed.

  In his hotel room, Andromin prepared the ropes, tying a perfect noose into each. When he finished, he poured himself a glass of grog, sat back in a chair, and planned out his next steps. He finished his drink, took up the ropes and left his suite, making his way down the hall to one of the Taughtenslotte’s doors. Andromin looked over the railing and observed the distance from his hallway to the ground: nine floors down. A large crystal chandelier hung in the center of the atrium ceiling. He took the first rope and lassoed it to the chandelier. The other end now dangling was the noose end. When he finished, he went to the end of the hall to wait and watch the Taughtenslotte’s door.

  People came and went, some noticing Andromin and others walking right by. When finally the Taughtenslotte came up the stairs and walked down the hall to his door, Andromin came from behind and grabbed him by the throat. He pulled him to the edge side of the hallway, pinning the man’s arms down as he struggled. With his other hand, Andromin unlooped the rope and put the noose around the man’s neck, then tightened it. He turned the man around and held him by his chin. The man’s eyes were terrified. “No,” he whispered.

  “Sorry, but it seems it’s you who needs to redeem your soul,” Andromin whispered. Then, with no remorse, Andromin threw him over the railing. The Taughtenslotte’s neck cracked when the rope tightened and, within a moment, he hung dead. “Hang around much?” Andromin said to the corpse before dusting off his hands and dashing back to his room. Behind him, he heard a woman scream. “So sorry, Selena,” chuckled Andromin. “Hope this doesn’t give you nightmares.”

  Andromin returned to his room, and so pumped up with adrenaline, he went for the grog, dispensing with glasses entirely and drinking straight from the bottle. He put away several slugs of it then wiped his mouth. He wanted more revenge.

  By now, the hotel staff had been alerted to the death, and they had the body brought down. A number of onlookers had gathered to stare at the dead man.

  Unaware of what had just happened, the other three Taughtenslottes, who had gone outside for a smoke, came back into the hotel. They went upstairs to their suites. One arrived to his to see it had been broken into. He went inside with his dagger in hand but didn’t see that any of his things had been disturbed or stolen. He stood still a moment trying to figure out what to do next when he noticed the door to the balcony was ajar. He went to it, and Andromin, who had been hiding in the curtain folds, leaped out and pounced on him like a tiger on its prey. He grabbed the man and pulled him toward the balcony ledge. Andromin turned him around so they could see eye to eye. The man was frightened. Without hesitation, Andromin threw the man over. The Taughtenslotte fell down the mountainside, plummeting to his death. “Hope you enjoyed the view, at least,” he said, turning around and letting himself out.

  Andromin returned to his suite and drank from the bottle heavily. “Two down, two to go,” he said.

  By now, the two remaining Taughtenslottes had learned of their man’s hanging. They did not yet know about their compatriot who had been thrown down the mountainside. They gathered in one of their suites and stood on the balcony. “Andromin Seaton will pay dearly for this,” said Harid.

  “We could easily turn him in. I’m sure there were witnesses to our conversation in the lounge,” said Pulonis. “See how he likes the noose around his own neck.”

  “No, I have a better idea,” said Harid with a sneer. “We will do this ourselves. Have Seaton meet us by the pond.”

  Pulonis snickered. “What makes you think the coward will come? It’ll mean certain death,” he said.

  “Are you kidding? He’ll be there. He wants us dead. But, he’s no match for the two of us. And, that will be that,” said Harid gleefully.

  Andromin left himself only enough grog for a few nips later on. He stood to go to the lavatory. On his way, he noticed through his drunken haze a piece of paper on the floor by the front door. It was a note: “8:00 p.m., the bench at the pond. Come alone. Signed, the Taughtenslottes.” Andromin crumpled the note and tossed it into the waste basket. He relieved himself then returned to his chair, closed his eyes, and let his head fall back.

  When Andromin remembered what was happening, he looked at the clock: 7:15 p.m. Andromin let his head fall back. A half hour’s time went by before Andromin looked at the clock again. He stood and walked out of the suite.

  When Andromin arrived at the bench by the pond, he did not see the two Taughtenslottes. He looked around the bench and hopped up and down a few times to stay warm. Before him, the pond was frozen solid. Finally, he heard a voice. “Seaton!” the man yelled.

  In the distance were the two remaining Taughtenslottes. He stepped onto the pond and slowly began making his way toward them. He wiped his brow and running nose on his sleeve, then put his hand on his claymore of power. He intently stared at the two, never flinching as they approached. The two men drew their swords and waited. Andromin snickered. “Make me do all the work? That’s alright. I need the exercise,” he said, closing the gap between them and halting when he was just ten feet away.

  “You killed my men. That comes at a high price, Seaton,” said Harid. “I would have reported this, but we decided it’d be more fun if we just kill you ourselves.” He looked at Andromin’s claymore. “But, let’s be fair, shall we? No magical fairy powers from you, just skill. Like a real man. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” said Andromin. “Like a real man,” he repeated. Beneath them, the ice of the pond cracked from their weight. The two Taughtenslottes raised their swords. “Why don’t we make this short and to the point,” Andromin said amicably. He lifted his sword up high, then brought the tip of it down with fierce power, instantly cracking the ice. The three of them fell through into the frigid water. While the Taughtenslottes choked and floundered, Andromin grabbed one, held his face under water and choked him. The man struggled and reached for his friend, but he was too busy trying to find his way to solid ground. Andromin’s grip grew stronger and stronger until finally the man let out his last bubbles of air and died. Andromin let go of the body, and it drifted gently to the bottom of the pond. Andromin burst to the surface and took a deep breath. The other Taughtenslotte was still struggling to get out. Andromin used his upper body strength to pull himself out from the icy water onto the solid ice. The other man was gaining a foothold. Andromin walked to where he was trying to get out. Before Andromin reached him, the piece of ice the man had been clinging to broke off and he fell back into the water.

  Andromin held his claymore of power. He channeled his powers and blasted a cold frost from his blade. The water began to freeze. Seconds later there was a thick layer of ice over where the water had just been. The Taughtenslotte, caught beneath it, looked up at Andromin, his eyes seized in sheer terror. Andromin shrugged.

  “I never stick to the rules,” Andromin said. “Goodbye, my dear Taughtenslottes.”

  Andromin slowly walked off the pond onto solid ground. He looked back at the pond one last time. The man beneath the ice had disappeared. He sheathed his sword and returned to the hotel.

  In the lobby, Andromin was filled with dark thoughts. He felt unhinged and exhilarated. He had committed murder yet suffered no remorse. He looked up; the rope was still hanging from the chandelier. The authorities were questioning people in the lobby, and it wouldn’t be long before they questioned the shop staff and found out it was Andromin who had purchased the length of rope.

  While Andromin lingered in the lobby, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face. It was a Goncool. He was cheerily whistling his way to his suite and didn’t
see Andromin. Andromin followed him. The Goncool opened his door and went in. As he was shutting the door behind him, Andromin came out from the shadows and smashed in the door, knocking the Goncool to the floor. Andromin pulled out his claymore of power. The Goncool quickly stood and drew his sword, and in seconds, they were enmeshed in a sword fight in the foyer of the Goncool’s opulent suite. The knights fought vigorously, but Andromin was gaining on the Goncool. He fought him out onto the balcony. It was a lovely terrace with a view of the mountains and the setting sun. Neither man was affected by the beauty of the place as they clashed their swords and ground their teeth. Andromin lunged for the Goncool but missed, and the Goncool took that opening to swing wildly, managing to nick the armor on Andromin’s chest. But, it affected Andromin not one bit, as he took one swing then another, catching the Goncool with his arm mid-air. He knocked the sword from the Goncool’s hand, which caused him to fall to the ground. He was defenseless at Andromin’s feet. Andromin felt the victory in his bones and smiled graciously as he brought the tip of his sword up to the Goncool’s exposed throat.

  Rather than tremble, however, the Goncool began to laugh, showing his rotting teeth and blackened gums. “Do you honestly think you can win this war? We have men everywhere.” The placid evening that had been came under thick storm clouds. Thunder rumbled and there was a flash of lightening, illuminating the crevices of their faces. “I’m going to watch your world crumble and whither into darkness. You think you frighten me pointing that sword at my face? Killing me won’t stop the inevitable. Only through the Goncools can you achieve eternal peace.” He licked his lips. “Do you know what it is you hunger for, Andromin? It is our blood that will soon flow through your veins. You can try and fight it, but in the end, we will have your soul. Join us.” He pulled out a small flask from his pocket. “You know what this is? It is my salvation. Not that which courses through all vampires’ veins. But, an extract taken from the Dark Lord, himself.” He put the flask to his mouth and drank the blood. Instantly, he began to transform into a horrific vampire. Andromin quickly tried to drive his sword into the vampire’s throat, but he wasn’t fast enough; the vampire was already in the air, hovering over him. “Too late, Seaton!” he said, his voice high and inhuman. Andromin channeled his powers and propelled fire into the air with his claymore. But, the vampire was faster and dodged the fire with ease. Before Andromin could try to strike again, the creature flew off into the sky, far off in the direction of Mount Drone.