A Hero's Death: Aris Crow Vampire Legend

by Rachel McClellan

  "The fire. What happened?" I asked through clenched teeth, not wanting to point out that Roman, too, had used me in his own way. My whole life he had trained me to be a fighting machine. I was never given another option.

  "I don't know for sure," she said, "but an investigation showed a bomb had gone off in the apartment. I don't know where it came from. Maybe it was one of Jonas', or maybe your mother had something going on I didn't know about."

  I stared at both of them, anger coursing through my blood. I turned and punched at the brick wall. It shattered, leaving a giant hole. I smashed it again and again, letting all my rage flow into it.

  A hand rested on my shoulder, stopping me. I dropped my arms and slouched my shoulders.

  "Your father was a great man," Roman's quiet voice said. "He may have lost his way in the end, but he still did a lot of good for the city. You mustn't forget that."

  I shrugged Roman's hand off my shoulder and stepped away. "My father should never have found that blood. You should never have replicated it. All the blood that has been spilled is on your hands."

  Roman lowered his head. "Don't you think I know that? Every day I regret what your mother and I did. We thought we were helping the world. Instead, we were destroying it."

  "And I'm a part of that creation. It makes me sick to think I have this monstrosity inside me."

  "But don't you understand?" Kristen quickly came to her feet. "It's not the V that's making these people monsters. It's what's already inside them. V only heightens what's already there."

  I shook my head, not wanting to think about it anymore. "I just want this to end. And then I want nothing more to do with any of this, with any of you. In fact," I paused, thinking of Emma's words. There was no reason I needed to stay in the city anymore. There was no reason for me to protect it after I destroyed Victor. "I'm leaving Coast City."

  Kristen curled her lips inside her mouth, but she nodded as if she understood.

  "And how exactly do you plan on killing Victor?" a voice said from the open doorway.

  We all turned around. Oz was leaning against the rock wall, his arms folded to his chest. "From everything I've heard, Victor is incredibly strong. He's also guarded night and day by thugs almost as powerful as him."

  "I'm not worried about them. As for Victor, he may be strong, but he's also older than me. I think I can take him."

  Roman's head snapped in my direction. "You underestimate him. V affected us all differently. He may not have your speed or heightened senses, but he's far stronger than you. He also seems to have some kind of sixth sense. Over the years, I have hired several hit men to take him out."

  "You did?" One more thing I was never told.

  "Not a single one could kill him. Victor got to them first. Bullets were shot at him, arrows, knives, but he dodged them all. The only way he could've sensed them coming is if he had some kind of unnatural ability."

  "Okay then," Oz said, and moved into the room. "A public execution isn't the best idea anyway. People could get hurt. I say you pop him in his own house while he's sleeping. I know a lady who used to work there. Maybe she knows something about his sleep patterns that could help us."

  "But it's surrounded and has an impermeable security system," Kristen said. "Aris will never get in."

  "Let me worry about his security system," Oz said. "I can get past anything electronic. It will be up to Aris to get past Victor's men."

  No one said anything as we considered the plan. If I could catch Victor when he was asleep, then I would have a really good chance. I would also be fighting him in his home where there was no risk of a third party getting hurt. But most of all? I wasn't going there to drag him to the police.

  I was going to kill him.

  30

  "You must ensure your success," Roman said to me.

  I shook my head, already knowing what he was going to say. "I will not turn. I have enough darkness inside me. I won't add to it."

  He regarded me steadily with his all-white eyes. "Are you prepared to kill Victor? You know the police will never hold him."

  "I will not hesitate." I could easily kill Victor, especially knowing he was trying to replicate more V blood. There had to be an end to his destruction. So many lives would be saved by his death.

  "Then it's a plan," Oz said, slapping his hands together and rubbing them. "I have a lot to do."

  "When are you guys planning on doing this?" Kristen asked me.

  "As soon as possible. Oz, you think you can have everything ready by tomorrow night?"

  "Absolutely. I've dreamt about breaking into the Devil's Playground ever since I was twelve years old. I'm very familiar with their security system."

  Kristen wrinkled her brow. "Why did you want to get into the Devil's Playground?"

  "Every boy wanted to get in there. We heard they had the hottest chicks." He winked at her. "But now that I've been there, I don't ever want to go back."

  "It's late. I'll walk you home, Kristen." I came to her side, but turned back to Roman. "When I return, there's something else we need to talk about."

  He nodded. "We can speak while you train."

  I cringed, half tempted to tell him I was done with his obsessive training sessions, but Kristen took hold of my arm and pulled me along.

  We walked through the tunnels in weighted silence even though I had more questions. I was still too mad to speak.

  She glanced at me several times as if she wanted to say something, but it wasn't until we were almost to the closest entrance to her apartment that she spoke. "I want you to know that your mother loved you very much. You are all that mattered to her. I think she would be very proud of who you've become."

  I stopped moving. "I need to ask you something, and I want the truth."

  She nodded slowly. "Okay."

  I inhaled a big breath and on my exhale, asked, "How close were Victor and my mother?"

  It took her a moment to answer. "Your mother was very private about him, more so than anything else in her life. I do know they had a special relationship, but I don't know if it was romantic. He was always there for her, and I could tell he cared a great deal about her. She seemed to feel the same way. I used to think that if she ever left Jonas, she would turn to Victor."

  "I always thought Victor took V to take out my father, and then my mother got killed in the crossfire."

  "That's what a lot of people thought."

  "So when did Victor change for the worse?" I asked.

  "After they died, he disappeared for a few months. When he returned, he was a different man. Angry, cruel. Even toward me. He had always been kind before."

  I didn't say anything else the rest of the way to Kristen's apartment. There was just so much to process. I made sure she was safe, then returned to Ironwood. Roman was exactly where I had left him, still staring up.

  "So much noise," he said. "I don't know how they live with it."

  "At Victor's club, Blue Fire," I began, "there was a box full of blood bags in the back room. That wasn't the first time I had found something similar. What are they for? And don't lie to me."

  His white gaze dropped from the ceiling. "Tell me what you believe they are for."

  "I don't know."

  "What do you feel?"

  I lowered my eyes, taking a moment to think through everything I'd seen and heard. I thought of the strange feeling of supernatural power I got around the Physician and Hacksaw. I remembered the blood draw kits I'd found where they had delivered barrels of rhino dust, and the judge's words of something different coming to the city. And finally there was my mother's journal speaking about Principes Noctis, the Rulers of the Night.

  I looked up at him. "Vampires and other creatures. They aren't extinct. Victor must be working with one or more. The Principes Noctis. Who are they?"

  He turned around and walked to the center of the room. "I learned of the group when we were in Rouen, what little information there was. In fact, up until the last twenty years, they were
thought to be a myth."

  "Who are they?"

  "They are demons. All kinds of supernatural creatures that worship darkness. They feed on human blood and flesh." He swallowed, an uncharacteristic action for him.

  "Are they already here?"

  "They must be, and yet, I cannot sense them. They are quieter than humans."

  "Why didn't you tell me about this group?"

  "They were never worth mentioning, a fly on the other side of the world. But they have flown to our doors, and someone has let them in."

  "Victor?"

  He didn't answer me, which meant he didn't know.

  "Is everyone like me and you mostly evil?"

  "First, there is no one like you and me. We are the results of a science experiment. The others have been around for centuries, if not longer. From what I know of their creation process, it is difficult with little success. Our work would be very valuable to them."

  I repressed a shiver. Was that why Victor was so intent on duplicating V1996? For the Principes Noctis?

  "As for being evil," Roman continued, "everyone, no matter their species, has both light and dark inside them. It's only a matter of which one they choose to entertain."

  He smoothed down his dark robe. "Tonight, our training will be simple. I want you to fight me."

  Despite everything going on, I chuckled. Fighting him was one of the most difficult tasks he could ask me to do, and he knew it.

  "I'm glad you can joke at a time like this." I removed my shirt, preparing to fight him.

  "That's when you should tell jokes. To remind yourself that joy can be found in hardship." He lowered into a defensive position and motioned me forward.

  Before the sun rose, I managed to slip in a couple of hours of sleep. Roman had kept our sparring session short, but that just meant he didn't hold back. Neither had I.

  When I woke up on the hard bench across from my home, I crossed the narrow street attempting to stretch the kinks out in my back. I think the ground would've been more comfortable to sleep on. Oz was already awake and speaking with Amy. They were laughing about something, and he shoved her in a loving, big brother sort of way. I would've liked having a sibling.

  We said our good mornings, and while Oz made breakfast, I showered and dressed, making sure my tattoo was properly covered.

  When I returned, Amy asked me, "Can I explore the tunnels today?"

  "I'm sure Roman would be happy to take you when he rises at noon. There are some beautiful places to see. Did you know the tunnels go all the way to the bay?"

  Her eyes grew big. "Serious? How come no one ever comes down here?"

  "There's a section on the east side where some homeless people live sometimes, but the majority of the city have forgotten about what lies beneath them." I looked at Oz as he swallowed the last bite of toast in his mouth. "Where will you be all day today?"

  "I have to get my laptop and backpack at my apartment. It has what I need to get past Victor's security system. There are also a few other gadgets we'll need. I want to get them all ready before we do the real deal tonight."

  "How do you plan on doing all this? Everyone's looking for you."

  "I was hoping you could help me with that," he said. "I thought you could sneak me into my apartment, help me get what I need, then get me back here. Easy. No one will see me."

  I thought about it. "It will be safer if we drive. We can get closer to your building that way, plus we can see who's watching your place."

  "But my car is back at my apartment."

  "We'll take mine."

  "You can drive?"

  "Of course I can drive. I may live underground, but I wasn't raised under a rock. I took driver's education as soon as I was able. I bought my first car shortly after."

  He laughed and shoved me. "You have a ride? I can't wait to see this hunk of junk."

  "This way then."

  Oz said goodbye to Amy, and I reminded her to ask Roman about showing her around. He might not like the task, but it would be good for him. Amy had a special way with people, and I couldn't wait to see how she handled him.

  I led Oz through the tunnels, taking the south corridor to a dying part of Coast City. In the last twenty years, most businesses closed for good or rebuilt in the bustling city center. Only a few remained open, mostly gas stations for people who were leaving the city.

  "It's a dead-end," Oz said when we reached the end of the tunnel.

  "That's what it looks like." I pushed on a metal wall in front of us high on the right side. The secret door slid open into the basement of an abandoned warehouse. "Roman had me put in a door here several years ago. It's the only entrance to the south side of the city."

  I moved through the empty, dusty basement of the warehouse, listening to Oz ramble on about leaving a car in such an unsecure place. I walked up the stairs and stopped in front of an older, restored, black sports car.

  "This is mine." I ran my fingers along the hood.

  "This is the shit!" Oz exclaimed and smiled big. He walked around the vehicle in open admiration. "Did you steal it?"

  "Of course not. I bought it with my own money."

  "From what job? You have something going on the side I don't know about?"

  "Inheritance money from my parents. When they died everything went to Kristen. She transferred it to me when I turned sixteen. I barely spent anything, except for on this. I splurged."

  Oz slapped me on the back. "Yeah, you did! Good taste, except I would've gone with blue." He reached for the driver’s door. "I'll drive."

  I knocked his hand away. "Don't even think about it."

  I opened the garage bay door and slid behind the steering wheel and onto leather seats. I curled my fingers around the steering wheel. It had been a while since I had driven. There wasn't much need for driving when you lived beneath the city, but sitting here now, I was reminded of how much I loved it.

  After bringing the car to life, I slammed my foot to the gas pedal and shot from the garage, turning sharply to avoid the warehouse across the street.

  Oz grunted and quickly put on his seatbelt. "You sure you know how to drive this thing?"

  To answer his question, I headed straight for an embankment, but just before we hit it, I slammed on my brakes, jammed the clutch into third gear and turned the wheel sharply, spinning the car to the opposite direction. I downshifted and sped forward, and turned another sharp corner.

  "Okay, okay, I get it! Now slow down before I piss my pants!" His foot was up on the dashboard as if to brace himself.

  I chuckled and slowed the car down. I was the only one on the road, and would be until we came closer to the city center. Southside had been the perfect place to learn to drive with most of the place deserted. I'd explored some of the bigger buildings, finding a warehouse full of boxed furniture, and another one packed with office supplies. This is where a lot of the retail stores kept their overflow. Had thieves known it was here, these places could easily be robbed as there wasn't much security.

  I avoided Main Street through Coast City and instead took smaller, residential roads to Oz's apartment.

  "Do you think they’re watching my place?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  I circled his block a couple of times. Victor's men watched both the front and the back. They probably even had someone inside the halls of the building.

  "How are we going to get in?" he asked.

  I parked a few blocks over and looked up and out the windshield. "Roof access will be best. Can you tell me exactly what you need? I'll grab it."

  "I know where my laptop is, but I need just a few other things. Just take me with you."

  I exited the car and looked up again. When Oz joined me, I said, "It's going to be difficult. You sure you have to get inside?"

  "How hard can it be?"

  Ten minutes later we were standing on the roof across from Oz's apartment building looking down. Two men sat just below the fire escape smoking and talking.

  "So h
ow are we supposed to get across?" Oz whispered. He looked behind us on the rooftop as if searching for something we could use to cross over to the other side.

  "We're going to jump." I reached into my back pocket to retrieve my ski mask.

  He whirled his head around. "Are you kidding? There's no way we can clear that! We'll land flat on our faces!"

  "I can make it." I pulled the mask over my face.

  "I told you, I have to go with you."

  "And you will. Hop on my back."

  He snorted. "I ain't getting on your back."

  "You will if you want to get inside that apartment. Quit wasting time. I still have to go into Bodian."

  He peered over the ledge and shook his head. "I must be out of my mind."

  I turned around. "Hop on."

  "This is the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life, and I've done some stupid shit." He placed his hands on my shoulders and jumped onto my back. I held onto his leg with my left arm, but kept my right arm free to help me get more momentum. "Hold on as tight as you can."

  His arms squeezed my neck. "If you drop me, I'm going to kill you."

  I backed up several steps from the ledge, then sprinted toward the end. As soon as I was close, I leapt onto the ledge and sprung forward, my body flying through the air. The men below didn't notice.

  I easily cleared the wide space and landed on top of the apartment building. Oz fell from my back and bent over, his hands resting on his knees as if he was going to throw up. "That sucked balls."

  "We're not done yet." I walked back to the ledge and peered down to the closest fire escape. There's no way I could land on it quiet enough that the men below wouldn't hear. That left only one other option.

  "We're going to have to jump again."

  He moaned. "Just get this over with."

  He hopped onto my back again. I stepped onto the ledge and looked down. I shuffled over a few feet until Amy's window ledge was directly beneath me at least thirty feet.

  "Whoah!" he said. "You're going to miss the fire escape."