Leviathan (Fist of Light Series)

by Edgington, Derek

  “The vamp looks like he's...”

  Jeeves nodded, completing my train of thought. “Playing on weaknesses, fears, cracks in the other’s armor. A silent, deadly kind of warfare, bringing him low by playing on insecurities. The Skin Walker in Jason was unable to save his father, unable to resist the temptation of blood, despite his initial resilience. This would be only one of the many examples he'd use. After all, they are both essentially the same being, just two sides of a single coin. He has a lifetime of mistakes to draw upon.”

  “So the dark passenger there is essentially just a big bully.” I drummed my fingers nervously on my crossed arms while trying to ignore the blood rain.

  “Essentially. A crude way to describe the relationship, but not incorrect.”

  “Can't we just kill the bad one and keep the good one?” I scratched my head.

  “No,” Jeeves' voice made me look over. “Killing either would be catastrophic. They are a singular unit, despite their dual representation. Eradicating one of them would certainly bring doom on Jas as a whole. No, we must restore a sort of tenuous balance.”

  I sat cross-legged before the two halves of my friend. “But won't helping the other Jas give that side the upper hand? Then we'd be in the same spot as before.”

  Jeeves shook his head slowly, thinking. “The vampire seeks to bring about his adversaries demise without direct action. But his claims, whatever they may be, likely present some credence to his tormented mind. Likely, they always will. Therein, there will always be some form of internal struggle. That dark part of our nature doesn't wish us to succeed, but rather to witness our downfall. The deepest insecurities of our mind, plaguing us constantly, doggedly, there with us at every step. Wishing us to give up, give in, end the fighting, fall in the black abyss and never climb out again. It is a part of our nature, human or otherwise.”

  I found myself nodding grimly. “I think I've got it. So what'd we do?”

  “We have to snap the Were Jas out of his downward spiral before the vampire gains control over the entire plane.”

  “Okay.” I crouched down next to the “good” Jas' ear and started hollering.

  “Not like that.” Jeeves threw up his arms in disgust and sat behind the bad egg. “Two can play at this game. I'll focus on destabilizing the vampire while you run counterpoint to whatever it says.”

  Jeeves got to whispering in the dark double's ear while I sat and rocked back on my heels, unsure of what to say. I knew Jas wasn't a bad person, despite his prevalence for running down every bit of tail that showed itself. He was a good friend and always showed up when he was needed, no matter the circumstances. He was with me in my darkest moments and pulled me out of the rubble when hell on Earth finally took a vacation.

  Despite his defects, he was a much better person than I could ever be. I knew there was nothing he could've done that would have changed the outcome of his father's death. I was right there with him, riding reluctantly in the passenger seat of his mind. It was a miracle he’d held out as long as he did before going berserk on the first edible put in front of him with that insatiable hunger. Plus, there was a whole bunch of foul play with how we got to that cavern in the first place. Not only had the event been a setup from the start, but the Royals had twisted up his thoughts, drove him into a frenzy of thirst, masking his rational mind. Resisting that kind of influence from so many separate and powerful enemies would be next to impossible for any single person.

  I hit myself upside the head for acting like such a dunce. I got down to work, repeating my words aloud for Jas to hear. After a few minutes of this, I stopped my constant stream of words to look around at the surrounding landscape. Recently, the roiling mass of red had encompassed the majority of the rolling plains, slowly pushing the green out of the picture. Now the red was slowly being beaten back, retreating under superior force of arms and greater fortitude of mind. Excitedly, I gazed at the clouds above, which were now releasing a constant stream of crisp, clear blue water, not the tainted color of blood. Looking over to check on Jeeves' progress, I grinned at the sight of the dark double with his hands clasped over his ears, fangs bared.

  As I watched, the red tide receded to the tree then obstinately stood still, fighting to retain an even footing. Haltingly, the vampire took up its whispering again, but Jas wasn't listening so intently any longer. He leaned back against one side of the tree contentedly and the balance was struck. Blood red leaves gave way to sparkling green ones, filled with unshakable life. Both sides had become entrenched in a kind of WWI struggle, now. Each side refusing to give an inch, neither gaining any significant advantage but unwilling to strike a truce.

  “We've done it!” I slapped Jeeves a high five, which, as we were both incorporeal, actually made solid contact.

  “Yes, well…” Jeeves replied uncomfortably, massaging the affected area with his other hand.

  We both watched as the clouds dissipated, their masses broken up and sent on the winds. Giant beams of light shot through the breaches, shining down on the plains. Before long, the storm front had disappeared and the sun’s rays projected warmth down on us.

  I settled down a little, becoming serious again. “You think he'll be okay?”

  “He'll make it. Whether he can continue to combat and withstand the dark whispers of this new part of him is still uncertain. However, he is a strong adversary. There will likely always be a struggle between the two. As you pointed out, like oil and vinegar, vampires and Were don't mix. But maybe one day they will coexist peacefully, if not wholly happy about their arrangement not seeking the other’s downfall, either.”

  A surge of sleepiness surged and threatened to overwhelm me. “I think it's about time we get some shut-eye, then. I'm running on fumes.”

  “That would be a wise course.” Jeeves stood shakily, agreeing. “Do not forget The Call, Caleb. There is evil afoot in this dimension, wholly unrelated to the vampires and their vendetta. It must be confronted.”

  I was too tired to talk about it but recognized its existence. “I know.” Before Jeeves disappeared back down the rabbit hole, I asked one more question. “Wait! What about the sun? What should we do?”

  “I think you'll find that question has already been answered,” Jeeves replied groggily before flashing out.

  My head had become three times heavier and my eyelids even more so. I just wanted a quiet place to go and sleep until the universe fizzled out and died. Sighing and fighting against the inevitable for a few more minutes, I concentrated on returning to consciousness. It took far more effort than it should have in my sleep-deprived state, but after a couple seconds I was back. I knew, because the little aches and pains told me so, coupled with the more intense gashes and dark bruises accumulated throughout the recent fighting in both the cavern and arena. I'd hardly noticed adding them to my collection at the time, but then I had been entirely focused on decimating those out to hurt Jas.

  Opening my eyes, a gasp escaped me at the sight of light streaming through the window; the clock on the dash read seven o'clock. We had stopped somewhere off the road, parked on a rest stop. Kathryne startled on my sudden waking. From her awkward position facing Jas and I, she had fallen asleep watching us. Hesitantly, I looked over to Jas, praying to all that was holy that he remained unharmed. My cramped hand was already in place on his head, which ran an initial prognosis: no fever, his skin wasn't clammy or sweaty. His eyes appeared to be flicking back and forth under his lids, but it wasn't an abnormal thing. His limbs were no longer twitching and it was readily evident that the losing battle he had been fighting had been righted.

  “I'm sorry,” Kathryne whispered, trying not to wake any of the vehicle’s occupants. “I was trying to stay awake but must've fallen asleep.” She tried running her hands through her hair to make it cooperate, but the effort was a lost cause.

  Without any sleep in almost a full day, I wasn't surprised that I cracked then. Laughter burst out of me, no longer restrained by an all-consuming darkness. It contin
ued to stream out, almost hysterical, until finally it trailed off behind a hacking cough. Smiling, I leaned my head against the window.

  “Where are we? What happened?” Jas sat bolt upright.

  I squeezed his shoulder, trying to interrupt the sense of surreality. “We're fine. You're safe.”

  — Chapter 14 —

  Herk had volunteered his services as a driver while the rest of us talked it out. Kathryne was still sitting shotgun, but was lying on the center piece, her body contorted so that she could be present in the conversation. We had stopped to get gas a few hours back, where she had insisted to get a brush, because the wind had made her hair impossible to manage. Apparently, my hysterics hadn't done much for her already touchy mood. I tried to bury the moment we had last night, but it wasn't working as well as I'd hoped. Telling Jas about his father hadn't been easy on either of us. It lifted a weight off his conscience to know he died with honor, but there was a pervasive sorrow surrounding Jas, a consuming guilt. I didn't push to bring that fracture into the open; it would either reveal itself or heal on its own.

  He took the rest of it with a grain of salt, bitter that he hadn't been able to provide any help in the confrontation. Overall, though, Jas was still reeling from the new information given to him by Andros, his brother. The Royal had no reason to lie, but it was still a hard concept to grasp. All the pieces fit together, the little bits and mysteries that Noah had been reassembling backwards since the murder of his wife. Jas offered every scrap of knowledge he had regarding Celeste's death, which painted the picture in gruesome detail.

  “And you're sure you're not feeling sick? Not even a little bit?” I asked for the thousandth time.

  “I told you Caleb, I'm fine.” He had gotten tired of my mothering.

  I gave Jas some room to breathe. “If you're sure then, I'll leave it.”

  “I'm positive.” He made a disgusted noise, exasperated. “Don't you think we should be focusing on more important things?”

  “Like what?” I twiddled my thumbs, hoping to avoid any more sensitive topics.

  I was thankful for Kathryne's interruption, steering the conversation onto solid ground and away from any pitfalls. “We should probably try and nail down our next move.” She repositioned herself and I flicked my eyes back and forth, unsure of where the safe zone was, or if it even existed.

  “It'd be suicide going back to the house, that's for sure. Not that I want to see the place again.”

  “What about your father's bonded, the ghoul?”

  “If he's still alive, then he'll have to take care of himself,” Jas replied coldly, his decision made.

  Silence enshrouded the vehicle, during which time I figured the eyes were my best bet to keeping all my fingers attached. “We could seek sanctuary.” I rolled my shoulders, trying unsuccessfully to work the kink out of my neck.

  “You want to go back to the orphanage?” Kathryne guessed.

  My choice hadn't backfired, yet. “For starters. I bet Mr. Tanner has a more closely held base for his Order.”

  “Wouldn't it be easier to phone Sanders and hole up there?” Jas furrowed his brows.

  “I don't know how well-equipped that facility is to fend off a horde of vampires. I figure the Order is more prepared for that kind of thing. Plus, I've got a feeling Sanders is a little shorthanded.”

  “Sanctuary is the best option,” Herk said.

  “As long as they have somewhere to clean these.” Kathryne gestured down at her clothes. “I'll never get the smell out until I give them a good scrubbing,” she lamented.

  “Fine. I'm in,” Jas said. “But if some priest tries to stake me, I'm not going to be happy.”

  “I'm just along for the ride.” Herk flourished his best toothy grin.

  “Good, we're decided then. Maybe we should see if our friends are still on speaking terms with us,” I told Jas. “The Clan is probably going to fall to pieces without Noah acting to keep it together.” I winced, regretting my thoughtlessness.

  “I can handle it.” Jas glared at me. “I'm not some delicate piece of china. You're right. Ever since D-Day, my dad was doing his best just to keep Were from each other’s throats. Who knows what's going to happen now that he isn't here.”

  For now, I kept silent on my other reasons for wanting the pack to get back together again. It wouldn't be right to worry the others unnecessarily after all we'd been through recently. Jas started making calls, while the rest of us sat back and braced ourselves for the grueling ride. From what we'd ascertained, it was likely that the vampires wouldn't be hounding our trail back to California. They didn't need to. All they'd have to do was show up at the mansion and lie in wait, or settle back until we made contact with Sanders and his gang. Still, I didn't regret not taking a quick flight home. There was no way I'd risk our lives on a hunch. Which is why we needed the extra firepower provided by a pack of Were. We'd gone and foiled the evil villain’s plan and his minions were all likely to climb out of their holes in pursuit.

  Once we crossed into California, we swapped vehicles, this time snatching a black Escalade. It was less inconspicuous, but far more comfortable. Of course, since we had crossed state borders with a stolen vehicle, we'd broken federal law. Hopefully if we were caught our little spree could be smoothed over by the paranormal department in favor of national security. It was a little bit of a stretch, but that was definitely one reason to hope Sanders held sway in the right places. I was driving again, multitasking between bites of cheeseburger. We'd been switching off, taking turns sleeping while one person took charge of the wheel. When the In-N-Out sign proclaimed our closeness to the burger joint, there was no resisting its allure. While we all gorged ourselves, Jas appeared less than thrilled by the prospect of greasy goodness.

  “Not hungry?” I snatched up my lemonade and sucked noisily on the straw.

  He hesitantly took a bite of the burger, chewing tentatively for a few seconds. Then Jas made a face, rolled down the window and spat it out. “Gross,” he wiped at his tongue, trying to cleanse himself of the taste.

  I stared at him in astonishment. “That was quite possibly the most blasphemous act you've ever committed,” I proclaimed heatedly.

  Jas pushed the rest of the food away from him, moving it in my direction. “If you like it so much, eat it yourself. I don't have the stomach for that garbage. It tastes like I just poured a handful of ashes down my throat.”

  “It’s good!” I took another bite to prove it, putting the juicy patty in close proximity to his face.

  “I don't think there's anything wrong with the burger,” Kathryne said slowly.

  “Your body isn't geared to process that kind of food any longer,” Hector said over his quad-stack burger. “You could probably eat it if you had to,” he said between bites, “but it's not going to taste good anymore. There's only one thing that will satisfy.” He didn't sugarcoat.

  “How do you know so much about vampires?” Jas asked.

  “I've fought a few on the sands. Talked to a couple. They're an interesting breed.” He shrugged his shoulders noncommittally before resuming his usual reticence.

  I don't think anyone had really come to terms with the change until that moment. Not even Jas had thought anything would be significantly different. He'd gone and ordered a burger without hesitating. It just underscored the change in his nature, despite appearing no different. He was only half vampire, but that didn't protect him from the metamorphosis wracking his body. Even now, cells were mutating, becoming something wholly dissimilar to what they once were. Jas leaned his head against the window and covered his face with his hands. A muffled stream of curses poured from his mouth.

  I put down the burger and patted Jas on the shoulder. “Come on, it's not that bad. Look on the bright side, I doubt you'll ever get fat and blood probably tastes fantastic!” The attempt at levity didn't cheer him.

  “I'm a damn monster! Parents threaten their kids with things like me to keep them from misbehaving.”


  My brows rose. “That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

  “What he means to say is that we're all monsters here.” Kathryne motioned me to butt out with some rude gestures. “That doesn't mean we have to give in to our nature.”

  “Plus, think of all the hot babes that are obsessed with vampires these days. All the chicks will be swooning to have a dark romance with you.”

  That got his attention. “You do have a point.” He carefully inserted a thumb into his mouth, searching out his canines.

  I shot a look of triumph over my shoulder at Kathryne. “They won't even have to decide over Team Jacob or Edward.” I wagged my eyebrows suggestively. “You've got both in one compact, strikingly handsome package.”

  “You're right.” Jas nodded and some of his dismal cloud burned away.

  “See, being a—” I struggled to find the word.

  “Werevamp,” Kathryne supplied helpfully.

  “Being a Werevamp has some serious perks. I bet all the girls want you to come and suck their blood.” A Transylvanian accent peeked through my words on the last bit, despite my best efforts.

  “Yes, how romantic,” Kathryne commented dryly.

  I ignored the intrusion. “So, have we come to terms with your predicament?” I was running out of ways to extol his metamorphosis.

  “We have.” He grinned, almost like his usual self.

  “Good. Now, if you aren't going to eat it...” Jas handed me the burger amusedly and I smirked triumphantly.

  — Chapter 15 —

  “Can't we just park at the orphanage?” Jas pleaded.

  I didn't budge. “Hell no. You think Mr. Tanner will be interested in helping us when we implicate him in a federal crime? I don't think so. Besides, it's not that far. We can take a stroll down memory lane.”

  We all hopped out of the car, Jas still offering up grumbling complaints that were far too loud to go unnoticed. Sounding like a chorus of exultant schoolchildren, we groaned in relief at the chance to stretch. Unfortunately, you learned a lot of unsavory things about the people you hung around when you were trapped in a car for an extended period. To say the least, the drive had not been pleasant. Jas' sleeping cycles were all messed up, not to mention the fact that he snored up a storm when he finally did crash. Kathryne was a light sleeper. She would lash out indiscriminately if you made any sudden movements. One particular night, Jas restlessness had him tossing and turning, which won him a rude awakening by a blade pressed to his throat.