Blake and Devon were fighting ferociously in Josh’s head to calm him. Josh was fuming. If he were a bull this would be about the time he'd be digging at the dirt with his front hoof, lowering his head and snorting. He was trying to listen to Blake and Devon's arguments against giving in and he knew they were right, but Dimitri was pushing his buttons and it was tearing him away from the logical arguments of the other voices in his head. When they were both on the dock, Josh's logic went out the window. Josh threw a strong punch at Dimitri.
Dimitri was expecting it and dodged it as if Josh had punched him in slow motion. The next thing Josh knew, he was being held by his neck against the door of the tunnel at least two inches off the ground. Dimitri's black eyes stared him down as he laughed in Josh's face, "Stupid child - you think you are any match for me? I will say though, that it is about time you acted somewhat like a man and took a swing at me. I wasn't sure you had it in you."
He released Josh, dropping him to the ground. Josh's hands went to his throat as he coughed. Dimitri said, "Come. You are wasting my time." He took off down the tunnel. Josh quickly got to his feet and followed him.
The tunnel seemed to exactly match the map Dominic had provided them. A tunnel to the left that went to the powerhouse, a long curve to the right, a ninety degree turn to the right, another to the left and yet another to the right, where they came upon the three large vats Anton had mentioned. Dimitri was taking him to the altar room. As Dimitri opened the front of the cask, three men came up behind them, presumably part of Dimitri's vampire army.
Dimitri turned to them in acknowledgement and said, "Good. Are the others coming?"
One of them said, "Yes," as the others nodded. The five of them headed down the tunnel towards a light at the end. The door was open and the room was more or less rectangular aside from the walls fluting out from the door. Above the room was a circle of natural light maybe sixteen feet in diameter. Josh had no idea where the windows were; maybe on the foundation of the gazebo he had seen on the grounds drawings. The altar was in the middle of the room and there was a huge hearth at the opposite end. There were rooms off the main room, but now that they were here, all Josh knew was there was no Lanie. Three more vampires were waiting for them in this room, leaving only two unaccounted for. There was talk among the men in the room when Josh turned to Dimitri and demanded his attention, "Where is Lanie?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? She won't be joining us for this - she's a little...tied up...you might say."
"Where is she?”
"Oh, I suppose she’s about up to her eyeballs in water about now," he laughed.
The others in the room were laughing too at Josh's duress.
"And since we are on that point, give me the stone."
"Not until you give me Lanie."
"This isn't a negotiation. Give me the stone or I will take it less politely.”
Josh could hear Devon, Blake, Anton, and Dean all telling him they were on their way. Blake also told Devon to tell Darby it was time to head to the altar room.
Dimitri was not happy with Josh's hesitation in answering him and said, "Well?"
"I want to know where Lanie is, now!" Josh growled.
Dimitri stared at Josh a little surprised by his boldness, but he only hesitated for a moment then told his vampire army, "Boys, take it from him. Do what you must to find it."
Chapter 34
The six vampires formed a circle around Josh, hissing and showing their glowing crimson eyes and sharp deadly fangs. One from behind raked his hand from Josh's shoulder, diagonally across his back, shredding his leather jacket like tissue paper, and at the same time ripping into his skin through his shirt, like four hot pokers. Another yanked his arm, knocking him back and pulling his jacket off. The vampire tossed it aside and the bloodstone heart tumbled out onto the floor, landing near the altar.
Dimitri picked up the stone with a smile of victory and said to the others, "Do with him as you will. We have no further need of him."
Again the vampires closed in around him. Josh, standing there bleeding, was starting to panic and a cold sweat broke out over him. A vampire to his left saw the fear in him and he was the first to lunge. A blur passed Josh's face, pulling him out of harm’s way and Dominic had the young vampire by his neck. With one quick twist of his other hand, the vampire’s head was on the floor and the rest Dominic tossed onto the hearth.
With his fangs showing brightly in the dimly lit room, he said, "Would anyone else like to try that again?" He had Josh behind him at this point. The other vampires, though startled by the beheading, surrounded Dominic and Josh. Dominic hissed his displeasure at their choice.
Dimitri was at the altar, aware of what was going on, but in total awe of the stone. He put it into the indention of the altar and closed his eyes as he started to chant in some ancient language Josh had never heard. Into the room entered Devon, Blake, Anton, Dean, and Rowan. Dean and Rowan were in their wolf form and Devon, Blake, and Anton edged towards Dominic. All the while Dimitri kept chanting, but faster now. The altar was glowing. It started from the stone and edged out from there into a starburst of purple and blue, getting stronger with each word of the chant. Darby, Sally, and Alyssa were next to arrive and set out immediately to stop his chant. Alyssa started first and the other two fell in behind her, holding hands as Alyssa chanted, adding their power to hers as they walked closer to the Dimitri.
My gypsy blood it does empower
Pulses through me and gives me power
This spell he casts, must not be heard
Silence each and every word.
Dimitri kept speaking but nothing was coming out of his mouth. The glow of the stone grew weaker. He grasped at his throat as if something was there preventing his voice to sound, but when he couldn't find anything he cast his sights on the three girls facing him. The hate in his face was uglier than anything Alyssa had ever seen. She gasped. Behind them she heard Dean growling and Rowan scratching at the floor.
Sally and Darby knew what would come next and it wouldn't be pretty. Darby held tight onto Alyssa's hand and drew her gaze to that of Dimitri's. From her eyes emanated a light so bright and white that it blinded Alyssa, at first, but once she blinked a few times, she saw the same thing happening to Sally's eyes, although her light was more of a yellow-green color. A crack of electricity snapped around them. Alyssa could feel the magic all around her. The three of them were in a bubble. Darby said to her, “We need your help. Vampires are very strong especially older ones, concentrate on our bubble and add your power if you can.” Alyssa concentrated as she had been asked and added her power to the bubble, making it glow a tiny bit orange.
Darby screamed at Josh to get out and meet Mark at the end of the tunnel. The others gave him space to escape behind them. As Josh ran out of the room, Dimitri was livid and he lunged towards the girls, hitting the bubble like a brick wall. He bounced back hitting one of his minion vampires from behind which lurched the other vampire forward. Though it was not Dimitri’s intention, that was when the fighting started - a blur of teeth and claws, both vampire and werewolf, in a chaos of growling and hissing, grunts of pain, and snapping bones.
The girls took this opportunity with Dimitri being away from the altar to come forward, engulfing the altar into their bubble, while their loved ones fought for their lives. It was time to destroy the stone that lay in the altar in the very indentation from which it had been carved. As the girls neared the bloodstone heart, it changed color from purple to red and it pulsed as if it were a real heart. Dimitri screamed and fought to get into the bubble, but it was too strong. Seeing Dimitri trying to get to the girls, Dean quickly spun himself and Dimitri into the heat of the fight with the others.
The girls began and as if the stone knew what was about to happen, it pulsed even brighter at their chant.
Ancient relic - heart of stone
Made of love by the witches Crone.
For greed, evil and power, dark vampires did so take
/> To consume and enslave all humans, murder is their wake.
But the stone is stronger when around those of good.
Ultimately it will protect them, as it knows it should.
We call to you Crone, Maker of this token
To protect mankind from evil the heart now must be broken
Help us now to shatter it into a thousand pieces
Dust to dust and ash to ash, but its love never ceases.
With each line spoken, the light coming from the stone grew brighter and brighter. As the last line was spoken, the whole altar was illuminated and it rumbled and shuddered. Suddenly as if erupting, it burst into a billion sparkling red and gold pieces like a July 4th fireworks grand finale. It was beautiful, but loud. The shock of the explosion blew through the bubble and into the rest of the room. As it passed, each of the girls felt something astonishing and unexpected. Comforting warmth enveloped them and glowed within them and then dispersed, leaving a glittery glow on their skin for a few short seconds, and when they turned to the fighting behind them, the shockwave of the explosion was moving in what seemed like slow motion. As it passed through the fighting vampires and werewolves, it blew Dimitri and his men to the outer walls of the room and then, like the altar, they exploded into black dust floating slowly to the ground. The shockwave passed through Anton, Dean, Rowan, Blake, Dominic, and Devon as it had the girls. The girls watched as the comforting warmth they had felt was now in their friends and loved ones. They knew what they were feeling and smiled as the glow exuded to their outsides. They all looked around stunned.
The stone had protected them all, taking with it the danger that had been fighting them for their lives. Like a flash of lightning, it was over and they stood looking at each other astonished at the power of the stone.
Josh came shooting out of the tunnel like a rocket to find Mark standing guard with two vampires grounded by his little crossbow. Obviously he had startled Mark, since the crossbow was now aimed at Josh.
"Holy crap, you scared me," Mark said lowering the crossbow. "Everything okay?"
"No. We have to find Lanie."
"She wasn't in there? That would have been too easy," Mark said sarcastically. "Where to?"
"I don't know! Dimitri just said she was tied up and up to her eyeballs in water about now."
"Well, that doesn't seem good."
"No. I just don't know where to even start looking."
"Can you try that projection thing?"
"I guess. I've never tried to do it when I was wide awake and this stressed out."
"It's worth a try. Can't you focus on her frequency like you did when you linked us?"
"But I can't read Lanie, never could. As far as I know, no one else can either."
"Again...that's not good."
Josh sent his thoughts to Devon, Blake, and Anton - Can you get anything from Dimitri or his men on where they have Lanie?
Devon was the first to answer, No. I've got nothing, but that's not really my forte.
Anton replied, All I can get is that he's awful pleased with how he did it and something about water.
Josh added, Yes. He told me that she was tied up and made some comment about how she was probably up to her eyeballs in water about now.
Blake blurted out, A boat - she's tied in a boat - a boat taking on water, but I can't see where.
If you get anymore from him, let me know, said Josh.
I will, Blake answered.
Josh said to Mark, "She's tied inside a sinking boat."
"Where?"
"I don't know, but it’s a start. Come on."
He ran to the boat tied to the dock and jumped in, starting the motor. "What's the plan?" Mark asked as he untied the boat and they started to pull away from the dock.
"I guess we circle the island looking for sinking boats unless you have another idea?"
"Not a one."
They headed east going slow as they paralleled the shore. The south side of the island was lined with docks to accommodate the tourists on ferryboats visiting the castle. They carefully perused that area, looking under and around the docks, even for ropes going nowhere in case the boat had sunk.
When they found nothing they headed eastward around the island to where Mark and the others had landed at the arch. They thoroughly searched the swan pond and continued around the point to where the Alster Tower could be seen. The east and west points of the island were much, much narrower than the south and north sides. Now that the long southern side had been searched and the eastern short side, it was time to move on to the long north side. They hugged the shoreline closely looking for any sign of a boat, but there was a whole lot of nothing on this side of the island. As they started around the western tip and were almost within view of the dock where they started, Mark said, "What is that huge building over there?"
Josh asked, "Where?"
"There, across the water to the north."
"Oh. I think Dominic said that it was part of the tour once - the old boathouse."
Like lightning struck them both at the same time, they shouted, "Boathouse?" Josh turned the boat north and threw the throttle all the way forward. The tiny boat engine whined and the front of the boat came up high as they flew to the dock near the boathouse. A minute later they were both running down the dock and towards a door near the rear of the building. There was a padlock on the door that looked fairly new. They both looked at each other and on the count of three, they ran at the door, hitting it hard and splintering the doorjamb, lock and all.
The boathouse was huge. How would they ever find a sinking boat in this place?
Mark said with a sigh, "Aw geez...that's a lot of boats!"
But something came over Josh like he had never known. Was it Lanie communicating with him? Was it the stone helping him again from a distance? Before he knew what he was doing, he was running. Maybe something was guiding him or he had just finally lost his mind, either way, Mark was right behind him wherever Josh was going.
He ran down a long dock then turned left and then a quick right and then left again. When it dead-ended, he took another left to a dark corner of the boathouse and there he saw an old dinghy just about three quarters full, and Lanie there under the water. Her hands were tied at the wrist and a long rope attached her to the bow of the boat. Another rope tied her feet together to the stern. Her hair splayed out in the water like it was caught in a gust of wind and then photographed. Before anything could register in his brain that she may not be alive, Josh was in the boat with his pocketknife furiously attacking the ropes at the bow.
Mark remained on the dock completely stunned by the image of beautiful Lanie unmoving under the water.
"Don't just stand there; cut the ropes!" Josh screamed at him. But Josh's added weight in the sinking boat was the tipping point and the stern submerged, dragging Lanie with it. Finally the ropes gave way and with a huge breath, he dived down under the water to attack the ropes at her feet.
The reality of what was happening snapped Mark into action and he pulled out his pocket knife and dove in after Josh. Once Mark made it to Josh and the ropes, Josh had to come up for air, but before he could take a breath and dive back down, Mark's knife had done the trick and he was headed up, grabbing Lanie’s elbow on the way. When Josh met him at the surface, Mark pulled himself up onto the dock where Josh helped push Lanie up to Mark.
By the time Josh pulled himself up onto the dock, Mark had pulled the duct tape off her swollen, cut mouth. With Josh on one side of her and Mark on the other, Josh gave her his breath, and Mark performed CPR.
"One, one-thousand, two, one-thousand, three, one-thousand...." Mark spoke to himself. Josh pinched her nose and blew air into her lungs. Mark continued, "One, one-thousand, two, one-thousand, three, one-thousand..."
"Come on, Lanie...breathe...breathe, damn it!" He pinched her nose and blew air into her lungs again. Mark started again, "One, one-thousand, two, one thousand..."
Tears rolled down Josh's face, "You ca
n't die, Lanie. Not after all we've been through.” He bent down pinching her nose again, and blew another breath of air into her.
"One, one-thousand, two, ...."
Josh thought of the stone that had saved his life from the explosion and all that Lanie had done to try and keep him safe, only to lose her in the end. He wished he had the stone now to give to her and keep her safe. He touched her pale face with his hand, wishing he could feel that comfort he had always felt when he was with her - the instant silence from all the chattering minds around him.
Then something hit him like a shockwave from a huge explosion. It oozed warmth all over him, enveloping him like a soft blanket then dispersing and shooting out of him, making his skin tingle and glow and he noticed the same sparkling glow on Lanie's skin. He looked up at Mark and he looked like a lovesick pup with the goofiest smile he'd ever seen and he too had a glow about him. He looked back down at Lanie and her eyes fluttered open and she began to cough out water and gasp for air. He grabbed her and held her in his arms as he rocked her while they sat on the ancient dock. He kissed her head and said over and over, "Oh thank God, you're alive, Lanie, you're alive. I thought I lost you...Oh thank God.” He'd pull her away once in a while to look at her then pulled her to him again repeating, "Thank God, you're alive!"
Mark cut the ropes that bound her hands and feet while Josh just held her, thanking God and his lucky stars that she was finally safe. Mark let him do this for a long while before he finally said, "Josh? Is everyone else okay? Should we go back and help them?"
"Oh, God, you're right..." But before he could finish what he was saying he could hear Blake and Devon congratulating him on rescuing Lanie. They told him that, miraculously, the stone had blasted Dimitri and his army into oblivion. All was okay. Josh relayed this news to Mark and he suggested they head back to the island. Lanie was in no shape to walk, but even if she were, Josh wouldn't let her. He cradled her in his arms, carrying her to the outside dock and to the boat waiting there. He sat down in the boat with Lanie on his lap and Mark took care of untying the boat and driving it back to the docks by the tunnel where all were waiting to greet them.
Bloodstone Heart Page 29