“Comfy there?” I asked.
“Very.”
“Okay. As long as you don’t fart.”
I made my way back to the black iron gate of the house, allowing my heart to slow down after our fight with the vampires. I clutched a bar, rolling my head to one side and studying the windows on the second floor. Something wasn’t right. Something had changed.
“Was that light on before?” I said to Link.
Quickly, as though he had anticipated my question, he shook his head. “No.”
“Then somebody’s home. You coming?”
“You don’t think I came all this way to just watch, did you?”
I snickered softly. “Maybe not, but I’m sure Keira doesn’t approve of you throwing yourself into harm’s way like this. Does she know exactly what you’re up to?”
“She knows enough.”
“Ah, but did she specifically say, ‘don’t you go getting into any fights,’ and then send you on your way? Or did she just ask you to follow me from afar and make sure I’m doing the right thing?”
Link scratched his nose, his hand still quivering and his eyes trained on the house. “Funny enough, she didn’t mention getting into danger at all. I think she knows better than to boss me around now that she’s no longer a Cardkeeper.” He sighed. “I do miss having her take care of me though. She’s like my big sister – my very big sister.”
I watched the house, only half-listening while I wondered what horrors awaited us. Assuming that The Ancient really waited up there, would it be alone? After being attacked by the four vampires, I had to question whether they were trying to protect the master. Edgar George sure as hell hadn’t sent them – he seemed to want The Ancient dead. And who could blame him? It was his shot at a normal life.
“Are you even listening?” Link said grumpily.
“What? Oh, yeah. Big sister.” I took a deep, nervous breath and blew it out, the hot air steaming into the space in front of me. “If you miss her so much, why don’t you go back to her? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to have you back.”
“And leave you to the big fight all by yourself?”
I shrugged. “Well… yeah.”
“Hehe. Not gonna happen, old boy.”
“Then how about this: you come in and watch my back while I do what I have to do. After that, you fly on back to Keira and let her know that everything is fine and dandy. You can tell her then, about how I succeeded in ending the vampire curse.” I grinned. “It will make me look good, you know?”
Link huffed. “If you’re trying to tell me you have interest in Keira, you’re out of luck. She only has eyes for one man, and he’s no longer with us. But… yes, you have yourself a deal. In and out, then I leave.”
“I mean it – you have to go as soon as we’re done,” I said, deflecting the comment about Keira. Sure, the girl was pretty, so wasn’t it just in a man’s nature to try to impress her? I don’t think that I really had any kind of feelings toward her in one way or the other, only that I missed her having my back. At least that was the line I was currently selling myself.
“Yeah, yeah.” Link spread his wings and took off from my shoulder. “We doing this or not?”
I laughed under my breath. How did someone so small have such deep wells of confidence? Even my own hand trembled as I reached into the pocket for my sword, pressing on the button and shooting the blade out with a fiery edge. “Yeah, let’s go kill this thing. Then the whole world will be a better place.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Sword of Lucada took care of the front door with no issues – I slid the blade between the two large doors and busted the lock, and then they both creaked open slowly to reveal a dark, dusty hallway where cobwebs dominated every surface.
“I’m not sure I like this,” Link whispered.
I silently agreed, taking one slow, steady step inside the house. I kept my grip firmly around the hilt of my sword, walking carefully while spinning around, being sure to keep an eye on each and every angle of the room. There was someone in the house – I could feel it – and if it was really The Ancient then I had to be on high alert.
When I reached the base of the stairs, I craned my neck and peered toward the top, where only a thin ray of moonlight streamed through the dust-covered window, causing strange shadows to dance across the walls. I began my ascent, the weight of my body causing creaks on every step until I was halfway up the stairs, where I froze.
“What is it?” Link said.
I waved a hand to silence him, focusing my hearing on that one soft, chilling sound. I heard singing; a woman’s smooth, angelic voice. I didn’t recognize the tune, but who cared? It was hypnotic, drawing me into a trance, seeping into my soul where it gently lured me toward it. “That voice…”
“What voice?”
“You don’t hear it? It’s…” I continued my ascent, hurrying slightly now as I made my way toward the singing that soothed every inch of my trembling body.
Link fluttered to my side, gripping the shoulder of my coat in a tiny, clenched fist. “I don’t hear anything, Jack. Look, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Let’s head back to the Vault. We can speak with Dalton, gather an army and–”
“Quiet,” I barked, nudging him to one side.
I reached the top of the stairs, where a long corridor awaited me on either side. I followed the one to my right, where the singing still echoed gently through the house, repeating softly off the walls. There was a door at the end, slightly ajar with light flooding through from inside. My gaze fixed on this, my attention stolen by the gentle rhythm of the woman’s voice, I trod carefully toward it, stopping at the door where it suddenly occurred to me that I was no longer nervous about The Ancient – I only cared about the voice.
“Don’t go in there,” Link said in a hushed whisper.
I paid him no mind, wrapping my hand around the knob and entering anyway.
The first thing I saw was the double bed, perfectly made with teddy bears propped up against the pillows. They all stared at me with expectancy, their tiny black eyes glowing like coals as their heads turned to face me. I went inside, their heads rotating as I explored the room. More of the décor revealed itself as I peered my head around the corner, following the singing still. It was louder here, and I was so close to it – so close to the safety of its beacon. It was calling to me like a siren, the singing growing louder still, yet somehow remaining gentle. When the entirety of the room came into view, I saw the songstress sitting on a stool in front of a dresser, brushing her long, dark hair while staring at me from the mirror.
Something inside me shook with unease, but somehow, I couldn’t leave.
I knew the songstress.
“Keira?” I turned back toward the door, only to find that it had shut behind me. Had Link done that? Had I? It didn’t matter. I was with the voice now, and I was safe with Keira Poe and her entrancing melody. Lilting. Soothing. Nothing was missing from my life now.
Keira stopped singing, slowly placing the brush on the dresser before rising to her feet. She stood before me there, dressed in a white nightgown that reached her knees. It was see-through, the swells of her breasts easily discernable, her soft skin riding down the perfect curves of her slender body, where her naval sat on a flat stomach. I felt myself stiffen at the very sight of her, but something told me that was okay. The way her eyes held mine, like a life-long lover, assured me that I didn’t need anything else.
“Have you come to save me, Jack?”
I glanced back at the door. Still shut.
“Do you need saving?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. That was why I sang to you. I sang to you and you came for me.” Keira took a step forward, her longing gaze unchanging. “You came for me, didn’t you? You came to make love to me, and then to take me far away from this place. You’re my hero, Jack Hannigan. Now, come to me. Take me. Make me yours.”
My blood surged through my veins, my manhood throbbing and my heart beating like a drum
. A tiny voice pestered the back of my head, small but angry. It told me that this wasn’t the real Keira Poe. But there was another voice, too, this one questioning whether I should pass up an opportunity like this. It was strange – five minutes ago I didn’t even know I wanted Keira. Now, it was all I could think about. Yearning had consumed my body and pierced my soul.
“Come,” she said again, reaching out her hand.
The rest of the room blurred, my undivided attention focused on Keira. My eyes fell to her hand, that soft skin waiting for me to take it. I reached out slowly, hesitating, feeling somehow like this could all be one cruel trick. That voice in the back of my head assured me it was, but wasn’t that the point? Wasn’t that the reason for having a conscience?
I raised my hand, my fingertips close to hers. As they met, I felt warmth flood through my body. Keira’s expression changed from one of lust, her desperate, wanting frown slowly contorting into one of devilish accomplishment. Those beautiful eyes of hers turned to glowing red rocks, and her bright, captivating smile turned darker as her teeth extended into fangs. Her red tongue became black and foul, and caused a gut-wrenching stench. The room around me began to violently shake, pictures falling from the walls and cracking on the floor. I fought to stay upright, and as I studied Keira’s face – which was no longer her own – I realized she laughed in a deep, demon-like voice. The hairs stood up on the nape of my neck, and I knew I had seriously fucked up.
A lightning-fast blow struck the back of my head. I dropped to the ground, landing on my face as heat burned up the back of my skull. The deafening sound of the erupting room quickly returned to silence, the floorboards below me now as dark as those in the corridor. I glanced up, hurrying to my knees and looking for Keira, who had vanished.
“Welcome back,” came a familiar voice from behind me.
I spun around to find Link perched on the end of a dusty old bed. The room fell dark again, and behind him, two dirty, mite-ridden teddy bears lay on their sides, staring up at the ceiling through frayed threads where buttons dangled loosely as victims of time.
“Where am I?” I said, climbing to my feet, my mouth cottony.
Link shrugged. “Looks like a bedroom to me.”
“What happened?”
“It’s a mystery, Jack-o. After you started rambling on about some singing, you came in here and closed the door. I had to smash the lock to get in.” Link’s eyes drifted to the now-open door, then back to me. “When I found you, you just stood in the dark, repeating ‘Keira’ over and over. So I bopped you round the head with a plank of wood.”
I rubbed the back of my head, where the pain still lingered. By my feet, a piece of wood lay broken in two parts. Had I been hallucinating this whole thing? I must have, and I was willing to bet that this was how The Ancient lured its victims into the house. “It hurt like a son of a bitch, but thanks.”
“You’re thanking me for hitting you?” Link chuckled. “It was my pleasure.”
“I bet. Come on, let’s explore the rest of the house.”
We went from room to room, finding nothing but sheet-covered furniture and old dolls. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, only that the Sword of Lucada had to stay in my hand. If anyone or anything lunged out at me, I wanted to be ready for it.
Giving up our search of the upper floor, we returned downstairs where there were two demon statues on each side of the hallway. They were placed at an equal distance from each other, starting at the base of the stairs and ending where the basement door met with the back of the house. I scratched my head, thinking hard as to whether they had been there before.
“These weren’t here when we came in?” I asked Link.
“I didn’t notice. You were worrying me with your comments about the singing.” He flew over to the nearest one, landing on its head like pigeons did to statues in the park. “Ugly sods though, aren’t they?”
“Yeah.” I approached the same statue, studying its horrified, gray face. Although it had the body and shape of a man, its face looked more like a demon. The eyes were larger than normal and there was no nose, but a long tongue snaked out of its mouth. “Creepy.”
As I was distracted, it took me a moment to recognize the horrified look on Link’s face. He stared over my shoulder like a child who’d seen a ghost, as he pointed at the terrifying sight with a trembling finger.
My own heart racing now, I followed his gaze to the dark hallway, where the other three statues no longer stood. In their places were dark circles where the dust had been unable to settle, which only proved that the statues had been there the whole time. The only question was: where the hell were they now?
Catching me off-guard, the statue beside me jolted forward and opened his gray, clay hand, wrapping it tightly around my arm and squeezing. My mouth was agape, shocked and petrified as the statue came to life, towering over me with my arm in its vice-like grip. I was aware of a stomping sound behind me, and turned my head as far as I could to see the three other statues line up with their long claws ready to take me out.
There was no way I could beat all four. Not alone.
I was trapped, destined to become a story that Harvey would spread all over town, warning people not to enter the large, ominous house. The Ancient, he would say, had taken a Cardkeeper as its latest victim, and just like any other fool who’d dared to ignore the rumors, I would never be heard of again.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“You have a sword,” Link screamed. “Use it!”
I snapped from my hypnotic trance. Feeling the weight of the weapon in my free hand, I drew back my arm and brought the edge of the blade down on the statue’s wrist. The hand came off easily, crumbling to the floor and shattering into a thousand tiny shards. The statue, however, didn’t make a single sound – it only reached for me with its other hand, that same face frozen behind clay.
This one I saw coming, and dodged out of the way before bringing the sword down again. The entire arm of the statue crashed to the floorboards, and I kicked it out of the way before ramming my shoulder into the beast. It toppled backward easily, smashing its way out of existence as it struck the ground.
“On your right!”
At the sound of Link’s voice, my instincts drove me to duck. It was lucky I did, too, as a long, clay claw swished just over the top of my head, the breeze blowing my hair back. I flipped the sword around so the blade faced downward, and with all of my strength, I drove its hilt into the statue’s jaw, knocking the head clean off its neck.
With two enemies down, I turned quickly to see Link halfway up the stairs, a statue on either side of him. If I didn’t move fast, they would kill him in an instant. There was no time to take the stairs, so I leapt for the bannister, climbing over the rail and landing beside Link. I quickly raised my sword into the air, ready to strike the statue below us, but came to an abrupt stop as the blade refused to budge.
Confused, I craned my neck, and saw the statue holding the sword in place.
“How…”
A clay fist shot out and struck my chin, sending a wave of hot pain searing through my jaw. I recoiled, losing my balance on the step, and grabbed hold of Link just in time to throw him to safety. His wings would take him from there.
The other statue grabbed me from behind, wrapping its tremendously strong arms around mine and dragging me back down the stairs. I tried to kick free but couldn’t gain my footing. By the time it looked like I had a fighting chance, the statue in front of me dropped my sword, letting it clatter to the ground, and then stooped over to grab my feet. Now I was being escorted downstairs, where they set me down by the front door and held me in place. I tried to shout, to call to Link to help me, but the words fell short as the basement door slowly began to creak open, a whining hinge making everyone in the room stop moving.
I watched with dreaded anticipation as I saw a pale, bare foot stomp out of the basement. A cloud of dust exploded around the heel before it stepped out even further, revealing the figure of
a tall, white, man-like creature. The thing turned our way, walking toward me slowly while it made a horrible clicking sound. It wasn’t until it stepped into the beam of moonlight that I got a good look at its face.
The eyes were human – no doubt about that. Its teeth were shaped into the longest fangs I’d ever seen, and, in place of a shirt, its flesh was thick and leathery. I knew immediately that what I was looking at was a vampire, only it was fucking gigantic, and its claws were far longer than those of your everyday bloodsucking dirt bag. As I gawked at it, fearfully awaiting my demise, I realized the ghastly creature’s identity.
“The Ancient.”
It stomped closer to me then, its mouth opening as it prepared to eat. The creature’s power emanated from every pore. I had already fallen victim to its hallucinogenic power, and its clay warriors had weakened me even more. If I had a fighting chance of beating this thing, the energy to do so had evaporated into thin air. That led me to a thought – perhaps it wasn’t that strong. Maybe its plan was to wear me down because it knew how weak it was, the same way a boxer would exhaust his opponent to gain the upper hand.
Well, it had worked.
Things looked bleak. The statues held me in place while Link fidgeted with the sword on the stairs. He struggled to pick it up, to throw it to me so I could make my escape. When he realized he couldn’t make it move, as I had formed a bond with it, he gave up and shook his head, before flying like a bullet into one of the statues. The clay exploded around me, deafening me as it turned to dust right by my ear. I acted quickly, rotating my body and driving my knuckles into the arm of the other. Now free, I scrambled away from The Ancient and made for the stairs, where I finally reunited with the Sword of Lucada. It had never felt so good, and it looked good, too; orange, green and blue embers blending as they ran up and down the length of the steel.
“Now you’re screwed,” I said to The Ancient.
I dove over the bannister, landing on my feet behind the creature. I caught a glimpse of Link dealing with the final statue, and knew that I was safe for an extra moment or two. I seized this advantage to swing the sword into The Ancient’s arm. The blade went clean through, slicing through the elbow like butter. The forearm dropped to the floor and burned a hole right through the floorboard. The Ancient made a monstrous screaming sound that I’d only ever heard from a demon before, and then turned to face me.
The Cardkeeper Chronicles: Books 1-5 (Complete Collection) Page 59