Chronicles of Darkness: Shadows and Dust

by Andrea F. Thomas

Before he reached the last step, Helena appeared from the shadows, her head held high. Proud, beautiful and ready to fight, she stood in front of the vampire.

  Caught off guard by her sudden and silent appearance, Azrael retreated back to the hall. Mocking, he bowed. "Finally, we meet."

  Helena held the holy sword tightly in her hands and slowly walked down the stairs. From the corners of her eyes, she counted the vampires that were waiting down there. Besides Azrael, there were eight more. Her accusing gaze locked on Chalice, who couldn't take it and turned away. The huntress saw the cowering Michel, who was whimpering and slapping his palm against his forehead. She knew every help would come too late for the man. He had been under the vampire's spell for too long. Michel's mind would never recover and he would probably end up in an asylum. Helena felt sorry for what the vampire had done to the police chief.

  Azrael saw the sympathetic glance, went to Michel and pulled him up. "He is not as innocent as you think he is. He strangled the poor Bernard Delacroix to death with this belt." The vampire tore the leather belt from the helpless Michel's pants. Humiliating the man even more, the pants slid down.

  Azrael's companions started to laugh loudly at the sight.

  Helena averted her eyes, her body tensing in anger.

  His gaze firmly fixed on her face, Azrael broke Michel's neck and let him fall to the floor.

  The huntress swallowed. For a brief moment, she thought this was probably the best for the police chief. She shook off the thought.

  Before she could ask the crucial question, Azrael introduced himself. "I am Count Azrael, the First of the Serpentes Clan. As a vampire, I am at your service." Laughing, he threw his head back and his pointy eyeteeth became visible.

  Helena frowned, doubting his words. 'This vampire is supposed to be a descendant of the Serpentes? It seems impossible, but still, he is standing in front of me. Not shy of contact, not secluded, just disgusting. Full of evil greed and without scruples.' In a firm voice, she said, "So, you have announced your title, but I'm questioning that you really are a descendant of the Serpentes Clan... Heart Taker!"

  "What?" Azrael raged and was close to a fit. That a mere human, even though it was a huntress, was able to see his true descent made him mad.

  Faced with his reaction, Helena replied, "I knew it."

  He pointed his index finger at her. "So what? That won't help you much, Huntress, because tonight you are going to die for me! The powers of the clan belongs to only me. And I will have the powers of all clans!" he screamed outraged, nostrils flaring, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

  "You are nothing more than a lunatic that has to be stopped," she responded. "Your uncontrolled lust to kill speaks for that. You could let the humans live after drinking their blood. Instead, it gives you great pleasure to kill them."

  "Yes! I want to kill them!" Azrael announced firmly. Proud, he added, "I am not a common vampire. I alone destroyed the descendants of the Serpentes Clan. Their powers are within me." Grinning evilly, he looked at her.

  Helena realized the extent of the danger and the aftereffects for the future. "Why are you taking the hearts of the dead? They are useless for you and it prevents their tortured souls from finding rest and peace."

  The tall vampire rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Because it is fun... I like collecting things and they belong to me... all my conquests."

  Helena had expected such an answer.

  Nerve-wracked, Azrael began to pace. "I am really fed up with all your questions! I don't have to explain myself to you!" It seemed that another outburst of extreme rage was impending.

  Helena used the moment to run back upstairs and climbed on the parapet. From there she jumped and landed in the middle of the big chandelier. Slowly it started to swing from side to side above the astonished vampires' heads. Provoking them, Helena shouted, "Come and get me!"

  Not knowing what to do, or what the huntress was intending, the vampires gathered beneath the chandelier.

  Helena flung a dagger to the opposite wall, which cut through the rope that held the chandelier and it went crashing to the floor. The huntress leapt and flipped through the air before the impact. Crystal and metal burst on the hard marble floor. More than half of the dark brood were buried underneath it, impaling themselves on big splinters. Some of them tried to crawl out, but Helena quickly put a wooden stake through their hearts. Only three vampires were left untouched.

  On the other side of the room, Azrael had watched the whole thing. He smiled when Helena's eyes met his over the broken chandelier. The vampire threw his loyal companion a dagger, which she caught with ease. "Chalice, search for the girl. And for your sake, bring her to me, alive!"

  A scary expression of madness appeared on the young woman's face and she grinned widely.

  Helena wanted to intercept her, but the other vampires circled her, forcing her back.

  Azrael sneered once more. "Oh no, my dear Huntress. You will stay right where you are and die!"

  The first vampire started a surprise attack and Helena had to fight hard not to lose her weapon during the onrush. These vampires seemed to be stronger than the ones she had defeated before. A second one tried to get to her from behind. She kicked backwards so hard that she could hear some ribs crack. His body bent over and he screamed in pain, holding his sword tightly, but also using it to support himself with it.

  Helena turned, pushed back the first and kicked away the other's brace. As he fell down, she thrust a stake deep into his heart. For a last time he screamed and Helena's words, "Sol invictus!" accompanied him on his final journey.

  Outraged, the third vampire rammed his shoulder into the huntress' chest. Stumbling backward and trying to get some air into her lungs, Helena hit the wall with her back. Panting harshly, she first fought against the blackness that wanted to overcome her mind and then the sword blows of the remaining two vampires.

  With a mighty strike of her weapon, she pushed them back, raining blow upon blow on the taller one, until her sharp blade met his arm, tearing a heavily bleeding wound.

  Quickly he changed his weapon from his right to his left hand and continued. The wound healed fast and he switched hands again.

  Wanting nothing more than to finish the seemingly endless duel, the huntress gathered all her strength for one blow. She trust her weapon deep inside his chest, turned it and pulled it back out, following with a stake to finish him off.

  This time, she couldn't speak the words, because the last vampire pounced on her, hissing and baring his teeth. He pressed her to the floor and she lost her sword. The vampire stood above her and leered. Sure of his victory, he raised his own blade high and thrust down.

  At the last moment, Helena rolled to the side and his sword ripped a hole into her sleeve. She rolled back again, her right leg shot out and kicked the surprised vampire hard between the legs. Howling loudly, he bent over.

  Helena jumped back to her feet. She smashed her fists into his neck and his legs gave out.

  Groaning in pain, he writhed on the floor.

  Helena pulled another stake from her coat and ended his existence. "Sol invictus!" With the last one gone, she retrieved her sword and looked disbelieving at Azrael.

  He just stood there, smiling. He clapped his hands in approval. "Bravo, Huntress, bravo."

  Helena observed him as he took two swords from his fallen companions and twirled them easily in his hands. "Tonight, my beautiful huntress, I'm going to taste your warm blood. And when I drink it, it will give me even more power, which I will need."

  *****

  Smiling, Kyrian woke and stretched after his nap. He kept his lids closed and inhaled deeply. The room was still filled with the wonderful scent of Christine. His hand reached over, searching for her warm, soft body, but found only empty sheets.

  His eyes flew open and he discovered that the young woman was gone. Confused, Kyrian gazed at the pillow beside him, before his eyes darted all over the room. There was no trace of her. "Did my lovely Christi
ne leave me? But why?"

  He threw back the blanket and rolled out of bed to quickly get dressed. The young man sprinted to the place where he had left Nightshade. Kyrian wasted no more time and jumped on his back. At break-necked speed, they galloped back to the castle, an indefinite feeling urging him on.

  *****

  Chalice wandered through the dark corridors. Now that the huntress was busy, there was no one to keep her from searching Helena's small daughter. Holding the dagger between her teeth, she crept through the rooms.

  On her way, she tore off a curtain's string. She took both ends into her hands and pulled a few times, stretching it. Her nose crinkled in amusement as she thought about all the things she could do to the girl with this rope. Chalice took the dagger out of her mouth and looked at her reflection in the brightly polished blade. "My Master wants her alive? I wonder why? What purpose can this little brat have?"

  Her eyes sparkled as an idea came to her. "Maybe she can be a playmate... for me..." She found it hard to suppress the mad giggle that wanted to escape her chest. Her nostrils flared in excitement and her heart jumped in joy. "There are so many possibilities... but first I have to find her and get her to come out of whatever place she is hiding. The question is, how?"

  Tapping the dagger's tip against her chin, Chalice thought hard for a while. She knew of the strong bond between Helena and Skylar. Kyrian had told her so many times about it. The gleeful grin on her face became wider as a plan formed in her sick mind.

  *****

  Skylar crouched in her hideout, trembling with fear. She could hear the muted sounds of fighting that was echoing throughout the castle. The concern for her mother grew with each passing moment. The girl shut her eyes tightly and prayed that everything would turn out well, but the doubts that reared up became stronger.

  "Skylar? Skylar, where are you?"

  Her eyes flew open instantly and she listened carefully. There it was again. A familiar voice was whispering her name. She wrinkled her forehead. 'Christine?'

  "Skylar, your mother sent me," the voice whispered. "I will get you out of here. Where are you?"

  Her heart was beating wildly, but Skylar didn't move an inch. Maybe the vampire was just imitating Christine's voice to lure her out. Or perhaps, she was under his spell, just as the poor Monsieur Dutroit had been.

  "Please, don't be scared. Show yourself. I want to get you to safety."

  Skylar was torn and didn't know what to do now.

  Chalice's watchful eyes roamed all over the room, trying to find something in the darkness that would give away the girl's hideout. 'Damn it. She has to be here somewhere.' She walked around, searching in every corner. "Skylar, please come out. We have to go and find Kyrian, or any other person to help us." Chalice strained her ears, but nothing. There was no sound.

  Skylar trembled harder, because the voice was so close to her, which meant that the person was directly in front of her hideout.

  Chalice lost her patience and decided to play her last card. "Skylar, little one, please, show yourself. Your mother is terribly wounded and I don't know how long she can hold on..."

  There, a tiny whimpering sounded behind her. Chalice whirled around and her eyes fell on the hatch. She knelt, opened it and looked directly into the tear-streaked face of Helena's daughter. Chalice reached for her and pulled the pale, shivering girl into her arms. "Hey, everything is fine now, little one. Come with me, we have to get help."

  Skylar held her back as Chalice wanted to drag her to the main stairs. "No, we cannot get out without him seeing us. We have to find another way."

  Chalice pulled her dagger and brandished it in front of the girl's face. "If the vampire tries something, I'm going to kill him!"

  All color drained from Skylar's face. Wide-eyed, she stared at the woman she knew as Christine. "How do... how do you know that he is a..."

  Chalice inhaled sharply after her slip of tongue. "Doesn't matter. I'm tired of this game anyway." At lightning speed, she forced the shocked girl back, threatening her with the dagger.

  "Christine, what's going on? What are you doing?"

  Not answering, Chalice grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, pushing against her to press the girl into the wall. She took out the curtain string, intending to tie Skylar's hands behind her back.

  The girl writhed and fought her tooth and nail.

  "Stop wriggling so much! You won't be able to escape from me!"

  Skylar doubled her efforts to get free and for a moment it looked like she would indeed succeed.

  Chalice curled a hand to a fist and rammed it hard against Skylar's kidneys.

  Crying out in pain, the small girl sank to her knees.

  "I told you, you won't be able to escape from me," Chalice announced happily, binding her hands without further problems. Then she pulled her up. "Now we go downstairs, and I recommend that you behave. My Master is waiting for you."

  Skylar gazed into her eyes and saw the madness glowing in their brown depths. "Why are you doing this, Christine?"

  Chalice grinned widely down at her. "There is no Christine. My name is Chalice."

  "You evil backstabber! You have betrayed us all!" Fury rose inside Skylar and she spat into the woman's face.

  "You won't do that again!" Chalice shouted and slapped her hard across the face.

  The girl tumbled back with the force of the blow.

  Chalice grabbed her nightgown and pushed her in direction of the stairs.

  Skylar collided hard with the banisters and lost her balance. With her bound hands, she couldn't find a place to hold on and fell to the floor.

  Again, Chalice pulled her to her feet and pressed the dagger against her cheek. "Listen up! We will go downstairs to the hall, where my Master is waiting anxiously for your arrival. Don't try any tricks. Otherwise, you will have a very painful meeting with my steely little friend here," she said. To emphasize her words, she ran the cold tip of the blade against Skylar's throat. "You don't want that, do you?"

  Slowly, Skylar shook her head.

  Chalice sneered. "I thought as much. Now move!"

  With the dagger pocking her back, Skylar stumbled down the stairs.

  Azrael's companion shoved her roughly along. As they reached the hall and climbed the last few steps, Chalice whispered into her ear, "Not one sound out of you, or I kill you, understand?" Pushing hard, Chalice forced her to her knees.

  Frightened and silent, the girl's eyes followed the fight between her mother and the vampire.

  *****

  Kyrian's heart raced and he spurred Nightshade on while they galloped up the pebbled way. Two carriages stood directly in front of the entrance. The big castle doors were wide open and the candles, which burned in the hall, illuminated the night.

  He frowned as he recognized the small black carriage. It was the one Christine used when she came to visit him. The young man saw a shadow on the way. Before the black stallion came to a full stop, Kyrian jumped off his back. A motionless body lay there. Kyrian knelt next to it and turned it over. His heart nearly ceased beating. It was Monique. The fear was still etched into her features. Kyrian swallowed hard. He looked at her throat and found the cause of death, a huge bite wound.

  Frightened, he scanned his surroundings and found another corpse on the stone steps. Weak from his ride, he stumbled over and recognized Jean, whose body was covered with wounds and also had the bite marks. "They wanted to flee..." Kyrian mumbled.

  Slowly it dawned on him in what kind of situation he had brought the castle's inhabitants and his own family. His heart clenched in his chest as he thought about his mother and little sister. 'Mama! Skylar!'

  Ashamed and scared, he tightened his grip on his crossbow. Then he heard the sounds of the horrible fight, which was taking place inside. Kyrian gathered all his courage, raced up the stairs, taking two steps at the time, and stormed into the brightly lit hall.

  He found his mother clashing swords with an overpowering opponent. To Kyrian it was li
ke a nightmare, as if Helena was fighting a black shadow. She had been badly wounded already and Kyrian noticed that she was fighting hard to survive. Without thinking, he raised his suddenly trembling arms, lifted the crossbow and fired. Unfortunately, Kyrian missed the target he had aimed for. With a splintering sound the bolt bore into the wood, next to Azrael's shoulder. The fight came to a halt as the vampire hesitated.

  "Kyrian!" Skylar shouted.

  At the same time, Chalice leapt from the stairs she had been sitting on. She cried out in fear, "My Master!" Pushing Skylar to the floor, she hurried towards Azrael.

  "Master?" Kyrian repeated, regarding the tall, dark and dangerous man with the beard and the piercing black eyes. Now that he saw him for real, Kyrian gulped hard. "You are..."

  "Count Azrael, the First of the Serpentes Clan," the vampire announced and mockingly bowed in Kyrian's direction.

  The young man's eyes were resting solely on the blonde woman and his voice trembled as he realized the terrible truth. "You are his subordinate? You are Chalice?"

  "Ahh, the light went on,“ she gibed before hiding behind a marble column, averting her face.

  Shock was evident on Helena's face. "Run, Kyrian!" she shouted, panicking.

  But the young man stood as still as stone. His world had fallen apart.

  The huntress could say no more, because Azrael started another attack. He wasn't impressed by Kyrian's appearance and continued to rain blow upon blow on Helena.

  As good as she could in her condition, she used the holy sword to counter his strikes. She didn't stand a chance against Azrael's two-sword-technique. Helena managed to parry a final blow that was aimed at her head. Because of the force Azrael used for his attacks, she felt strong pain running up her arms and shoulders.

  Scared for her mother, Skylar cried out. Once more she tried to loosen the ties that held her hands. It was of no use, she couldn't free herself. Tears were running down her terrified, pale face. Her wrists were raw and the rope had turned red, but still the girl didn't give up. Skylar fought the pain that welled up and ground her teeth. The rough fibers rubbed and burned in the open flesh of her wrists. Her desperate attempt to free herself didn't stay unnoticed.