by K A HAMBLY
‘For real? So why are you here now, in New York?’
‘Well lad this is where it's all going down. We managed to decipher that much.’
‘Sorry to butt in, but how is all this supposed to be helping me find my sister? Don't you think we should call the police?’
‘No!’ We both yelled.
‘There's no sense getting the law involved, the next thing you know it will be the government and then the media, and before you know it we'll have panic in the streets, so no, absolutely not, we can do this our way, and if the worst comes to the worst, I call my mate Jimmy,’ Stride said.
I glanced at Stride ‘Jimmy?’
‘Jimmy Wolffskin, my mate who works in the FBI, and believe me we can trust him, ok.’
The man never ceases to amaze me.
Just when I think I am getting to know him, he tells me something else to make me nervous. I did not bother questioning him any further. I wanted to check out the museum before dawn.
‘Perhaps we should go and take a look.’ I suggested.
Blaze shook his head. ‘You can count me out.’
I gave him a stern look.
‘Well you're the vampire, you go first.’
‘Right, okay then I will. Stride?’
‘Nah, I'm staying here in case we need a quick getaway.’
‘Are you sure about this? I mean, the Ankh giving you psychic messages or something, it sounds kinda fucked up?’ Blaze asked
‘Two days ago, you didn't believe vampires were real.’ I laughed.
‘Okay, point taken. Here, do you want my mobile...er, just in case?’
‘Your mobile?’
‘Yeah, it’s a phone for fuck sake. You know what that is surely?’
I took the mobile from Blaze and jumped out of the van.
As I slammed the door, I overheard Blaze remark to Stride, ‘I hope he knows how to use it.’
I didn't.
Twenty first century technology was beyond me.
I ran over the road towards the main doors of the building. It looked empty, apart from a few security lights outside the door. I turned back towards the van and shrugged. There did not appear to be anyone here, maybe my hunch was wrong.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The sound of my boots squelching was driving me insane, as I walked up the steps to the museum door.
I was soaked, agitated, and hungry.
If anything dared cross my path right now, it would not last for very long. I tried pushing the main doors but they were locked and did not look like they had been tampered with either.
So what was I meant to be doing here?
April was not far from my mind either. I could not let onto to Blaze that I had feelings for her, as I somehow gathered he would not be too happy with his sister dating a vampire.
‘Damn!’ I shouted as I tripped over an oversized plant pot beside the pillars.
That will teach me for allowing my mind to stray. I lifted myself up and pushed my hair away from my face when I heard Blaze's mobile going off in my pocket.
‘Shit!’ I cursed.
I stared blankly at this peculiar looking device. I knew I had to press something, but what?
It cut off and rang again.
After the third attempt I was getting rather frustrated, and felt like throwing the damn thing, but luckily my finger must've slipped on the answer button just as I was about to sling it.
I heard Blaze's voice on the other end. He sounded to me as if he was scared.
I held the phone to my ear.
‘What is it?’ I asked.
I did feel like an idiot talking to a piece of plastic, but hey, I thought, you cannot fault these humans, they were pretty intelligent.
‘Come 'round the back now,’ Blaze rasped.
Bloody hell!
What the fuck is Blaze up to now.
I was hoping he would stay out of trouble but I knew that was unlikely with Stride about.
I dropped the phone, and ran around the side of the building. The loading bay door was ajar, which meant someone had cut the security alarms.
I looked at it and began to feel nervous at what I might find behind it, but as I was feeling weak anyway; I decided to let the vampire overtake my body.
I could not go in there unprepared, and it was best to have that extra strength. I already had a sufficient amount of blood earlier, so I knew I would not go for any humans tonight.
The musty smell of the interior did not agree with me. I walked past the stairway that was illuminated by the moonlight shining through the window at the top. In front of me an arch doorway that led into the new Egyptian exhibit.
I acted on my instinct and walked through.
All was calm in the room. Not a thing was out of place either.
I jumped over the yellow security tape the police had put around the empty glass cabinet, which I guessed once held the Book of The Dead. I gave it a quick inspection until my ears became alerted to the sound of Blaze whimpering in the corner behind me.
I turned around, forgetting that I was already shifted. I held my coat over my face and knelt down beside him. He was leaning against the wall with his knees tucked up to his chest.
‘Man, what are you doing here?’ I whispered. ‘I thought you was staying with Stride in the van...um, where is Stride anyway?’ I said as I looked around the room.
‘I had to come and warn you there was someone following you, but, but he got to me first,’ he said sucking in a sharp breath.
‘Okay, just chill, who was he and where is he now?’
‘He looked like you. I thought it was you, but then I realised it couldn't have been you because he was following you in here...Jyrki, he looked like that guy down the docks that night!’
‘Blaze! Listen to me ok, calm down now, alright. You did the right thing.’
‘I'm only doing this for April you got that. I still haven’t forgiven you for lying to me.’
‘I know; I understand perfectly.’
Blazes' facial expression changed, he looked twice as fearful as he did when he saw me shift into a vampire at the warehouse earlier. I followed the swift flow of movement from his eyes. He tried to talk but it was if his mouth had become paralysed with fear. I could sense someone was standing behind me and it was not human.
Slowly, I got up from the floor ,and turned around, terrified of the thought of what was going to greet me, when the touch of moonlight seeping from the window articulated the features on the face that stood before me. I looked at him and gasped. The familiar deep-set blue eyes that last saw me so many years ago at the compound were now looking at me again.
This was not possible I kept thinking.
I reached out my hand to touch him, to feel that he was indeed real and not just another dark memory from home. I saw in his eyes a sudden release of all his pain as he realised it was really me.
‘Jyrki…it’s really you?’
‘Draven! How…this isn’t possible?’
‘Yes, it is,’ he said, clenching my arms. ‘You have no idea how good it is to see you again.’
This can’t be happening to me.
All those years alone and now…now, for the first time I felt complete again. I struggled to get the words out that were in my head but instead I just looked at him, thankful to be in his presence once more.
How I longed to hear my native language one more time. To have it spoken to me by my brother again was something I never thought possible.
‘How… I don't understand?’
He looked haggard and worn.
His shoulder length dark hair looked greasy and fell over his tired face. Although it was not very surprising considering he survived in the underground for so long. He smiled at me and threw his arms around my neck.
It was so good to have my brother back.
‘This is unbelievable. I thought you all perished that day. Is father here too?’
The mention of father pained him deeply; it was not so hard to
see. He raised a hand to his forehead, rubbing it as if to relieve all the tension and worry that has plagued him for years.
‘No, he isn't. I don't really know what happened to them all, do you?’
I did, but I wasn't up to talking about this right now.
‘Human?’ He nodded to Blaze.
‘Oh Blaze,’ relieved he had changed the subject. ‘Draven this is Blaze, but I see you've already met.’
Draven peered over my shoulder; his eyes glinted with mischief as he flashed a smirk at Blaze who was still crouched into the corner by the door.
‘Yes, I thought he was some Egyptian or worse until I smelt his blood,’ Draven laughed. ‘I gave you a fright though, didn't I. Down the docks that night?’ he grinned.
‘It’s okay Blaze, Draven is my brother. What were you doing down the docks anyway? Have you been following me too?’
‘Yes, Stride wanted me to keep an eye on you. So many times, I had wanted to say something to you but I could not. It was such a relief to find out you was still alive. Until I met Stride that night I didn’t even know where to begin looking for you.’
‘He did say. So you lost the prophecy?’
Draven lowered his head in shame.
‘I’ve travelled the world in the last century trying to track you down. I believed you to be still alive, I had to, you were the only thing that kept me going, but I must admit there were times when things got too much, and I did many stupid things. Things I truly regret. I was in Korea for a short while, when I almost, almost Jyrki, drained one guy who was between life and death. Imagine if I had sired another vampire. Can you imagine what would have happened? Anyway, I lost the prophecy that night and as fate would have it, Stride’s father had picked it up, and thankfully kept it a secret all these years.’
Blaze got up from the floor and adjusted his jacket; he looked uncomfortable and unsure with what to do with himself.
‘I, er...well, um, two vampires huh? Who would've thought it? You know what guys? I'm not going to even bother trying to get my head around this; it's too fucking mind-blowing.’
In the ensuing darkness, I could hear the faint tapping of feet walking along the vinyl flooring out in the hallway. I shifted my gaze from Blaze to the door and in walked Stride clutching a pile of paper.
‘Good idea lad, it’s the best way to be honest. Ignorance is always bliss, but remember it could also cost you your life.’
‘Stride? Why didn't you say it was Draven you found that night huh?’
He cocked a cheeky smile and winked.
‘I couldn't, I didn't want to give names in case the, you don’t know who's hanging around, but anyway I just came across some papers in Dr. Matthew's office, can you make any sense out of them?’
‘Give them 'ere,’ Draven said. ‘Looks like it’s an early form of the Ancient Egyptian language?’
‘Can you read it?’ he asked.
‘It's not something I've got around to learning to be honest.’
‘Let me take a look.’ Blaze walked nervously over toward Draven, and reluctantly took the papers from him.
After looking them over for a few seconds, he spoke.
‘Hm, I may be wrong, but April had stuff like this. If we can find her I’m sure she will decipher these for you.’
‘You know someone who could decipher these, really? So who’s your sister? Is she the woman who works here? If it is she was taken to the Grand hotel yesterday by some Arab men.’
‘Well what are we standing here for then? C’mon let’s go,’ Blaze said.
‘Blaze, storming into there right now will make matters worse. We'll go back to Stride's place,’ I said, ‘and come up with a plan.’
‘Sorry to disappoint, but no can do. Just got a text from Jimmy, the police have raided my place. Seems like our foreign Egyptian friends have alerted the authorities, and said I have abducted April.’
‘You're fucking kidding? Who would do a thing like that?’ Blaze stammered.
‘I know who, and he’s not all he seems either.’
We all turned around sharply towards the door and gasped at the wolf walking casually over to us.
‘What the fuck is that? A dog?’ Stride yelled.
‘I wanna know why it's talking in my head?’ Blaze blurted out.
‘Fear me not my friends, my name is Randulphr, protector of the ancient secrets.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘You know it?’ Draven asked me.
‘We met earlier, outside Stride's place.’
‘Jafar, or to you my friend,’ he looked at Stride. ‘Jimmy is not to be trusted. He is after the Ankh for himself. He betrayed us when the protection shield was broken at the compound. Mardok sent us to save you but we were too late. Another vampire, a half breed is on the loose, he is working with him.’
‘A half breed you say?’ Draven said.
‘Yes that’s right, there is another.’
We all went silent for a while.
Stride stroked his white beard, and stood beside Draven, thinking things through as he normally does.
Part of me wasn’t so shocked to hear about a half breed having just found out about Draven, but nonetheless it wasn’t a good thing to hear right now.
‘So you did not kill my family?’ I asked.
‘No, never. We trusted Amroath, but unfortunately one of you did break the agreement.’
‘And Jimmy is what?’ Stride asked. ‘Not that I particularly want to hear it.’
‘He's one of the hounds of the apocalypse.’
‘You mean he’s a fucking wolf?’ Stride said. ‘That can’t be fucking right; I’ve known him too long. Don’t you think I would’ve found out?’
CHAPTER TWENTY
I stood contently beside the window in Blaze's apartment watching the new dawn rising over the city. I revelled in the burnt orange glow that tainted the darkness behind it. I longed to be a part of that world, where the darkness and light met in one continuous flow of energy. I gave a hopeful smile and drew the curtain shut tightly.
‘We're going to need to talk Jyrki.’
I turned to look at Draven sitting on the leather chair at the far corner of the room. He poured another sachet of blood into a cup and sat back against the seat. I was feeling much happier since I discovered he was alive and now I was ready to hear the truth of what happened that day, no matter how painful.
Blaze was stretched out on the sofa, strumming on his acoustic. He looked as if he had a lot weighing on his mind.
‘Where's Randulphr gone?’ he asked, still strumming on the guitar.
‘Back to keep an eye on Jimmy,’ Draven said, as he took a sip from a cup.
‘Anyone want a glass of this fine Scotch? Stride said holding up a half drank bottle. ‘Nope? Then I take it it's all mine then.’
‘Jyrki, sit down, we must talk.’
I sat down on the sofa opposite him and switched the lamp on.
‘Father told me a few hours before everyone what was happening. That’s why I ran to you from the lake when I heard all the commotion going on. The day before all this was due to take place he had word from a guy called Mardok.’
‘Mardok? I’ve heard that name before. Father spoke of him once.’
‘Yes, he was an aide to Pharaoh Ramesses. Apparently, as far as I know he helped Father escape from Egypt.’
‘So you must know who killed our clan? You were there Draven. How did you even survive?’
Draven lowered his head; he could not bear to look at me.
‘I cannot quite remember. I was knocked unconscious and dumped into a cave on the mountains not long after you left. I assumed whoever had killed our family, had killed you too. But, Jyrki, there's something I must tell you as I've a feeling this will affect the prophecy and everything else. I feel ashamed, not for what I did, but for what it has caused.’
He paused for a few moments and turned his gaze towards the window.
‘You see Jyrki, I fell in love with a
woman from the village. I shouldn't have let it happen, I know, but...’
‘What were you doing there anyway, you knew the rules?’
‘You should know better than anyone that it was never easy being alone for days on ends, with no companionship, no female company. Well, everything just got to me one night and I decided to leave the compound. I had just gone for a walk this particular night when a couple of fisherman saw me, and offered me a ride back to the main island. It was there I saw a woman tending to her horse, I stopped and began a conversation, I don't know what made me do it, I guess I was just curious. She was beautiful and didn't seem to mind what I was, which fascinated me even more. Honestly Jyrki, I didn’t think one trip out of that place would cause so much trouble.’
‘Who was she and did father know?’
‘No, father didn't know at the time. Her name was Clara, she had the most beautiful long raven hair, and big blue eyes,' he said. ‘I guess we were found out, as I had left the safe zone once too often and no I did not change her. So, you see, Father's blood is on my hands. I killed them Jyrki, don't you see? All this is entirely my fault.’
He sat upright on the chair and took another sip from the cup before rubbing his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot and his once youthful good looks had now taken a beating with all the guilt he had carried.
I was stunned. ‘You were with a human, a female human? Damn it Draven, it's no wonder the agreement was broken. How could you be so fucking selfish?’
‘You can't make me feel any worse than I already do. If I could've controlled myself better then I guess none of this would've happened, but it has, so now we have to find a way of resolving this.’
‘But you lost Jyrki?’ Stride asked. ‘Couldn't you sense him? Track him even?’
‘No, the others must've been protecting him too. But, as you know Stride, I have been searching for him for years, and it wasn't until I managed to decipher part of the prophecy that I realised that you, Jyrki, was going to end up here, in New York at the same time the book was going to be here. It is written in the prophecy, everything we need to know about who we are, where we come from. I only hope we find something in there that will help rid us of this disgusting curse.’