I want to fight.
Unfortunately, I have used way too much energy. No one told me the more power one has, the easier it is to deplete. I feel as if I have been running a marathon for weeks, and whenever my face hits the pillow I am going to sleep for days. We creep down a neighborhood that is a little darker than what would be considered “normal”. There is only one street lamp that provides barely enough light to see, and had I not been born with certain abilities, this street would be one that I would avoid like the plague. There is something cloaked underneath the shadows whose otherness I am sensing sits comfortably on the throne of “evil.” Someone or something has lifted a shield of some sort that is meant to ward off curious bypassers. This someone or something has marked its territory, perhaps to feed off of the neighboring residents whether it be their souls, energy or hell, their blood. I know Aiden can sense it too because his usual serene gaze has hardened, and I can see a flicker of white light burning in the depths of his irises.
Strange. I never noticed his eyes do that before, but now I know why.
He pulls over on the left side of the residential street next to an old blue Toyota and a couple of trash barrels one of the residents left out for tomorrow morning’s trash pick up. Other than the creepy vibe, the neighborhood looks just like any other suburban neighborhood, with the exception that none of the homes lined next to each other, separated by a thin wooden gate showed any indication of occupancy. None of the homes were illuminated even at this hour with at least the lighting of the television, or the single room in any part of a house where the insomniac never rests…all of the homes were dark and…
Aiden and I both exit the Humvee at the same time without a word to each other. There is no reason to speak. We are on the same page on this one. Something is up. Inching my way away from the vehicle, the presence of evil thickens the atmosphere, making it difficult to breath. Suddenly, a strange awareness dawns on me. I feel as if I know this entity, intimately…like I’ve fought him many times in battle, studied his every move…
I embrace the chilly night air, and inhale deeply. Whatever fatigue I was feeling before we made our way into this neighborhood quickly lifts from my body. I feel rejuvenated, and my senses are locked and ready. Suddenly, I remembered one of my usually hard core training sessions I had with my father a couple of years ago. He’d nailed me hard in the chin with his right hook, but I followed through a kick to his ribs and then a follow up to his jaw. He double backed and came at me again. My mother sat and watched. He beat the living crap out of me that day, leaving me feeling slightly broken and confused as to why my own father would go that hard on me. I remember retreating to my room to clean my wounds, Granny down stairs frying her famous fried chicken, when my dad entered my room without knocking. He took a seat next to me on my bed, and takes the ice pack he’d been carrying and places it against my lip, and then he sobs. I have never seen my dad cry, and I do not believe I will ever witness a man break down as hard as he did. He then told me he had to prove to me that I couldn’t be broken, even though what I felt was the total opposite. He told me there will be entities a thousand times older and stronger than myself that would come for me, and he needed to know even if I had to retreat to safety, that I wouldn’t break. He hugged me, apologized profusely and then informed me of an entity worse than any nightmare imaginable, and prayed I would never have to engage it. He warned me that he’d fought it once, and almost lost his life to it, which would make it the only entity that ever had my dad running for his life.
And now I stand in the very presence of it.
I know this creature because my father fought it, and the memory of the fight is plugged into the very fabric of my DNA. However, neither of my parents are made like me and I know I won’t break. This creature is rumored to be one of Han’s creations. It is best compared to a science experiment gone completely wrong, and after my father’s fight with it, the damn thing was supposed to have been contained by Warriors of Darkness. This thing has no business running amuck in human streets. Whoever is responsible for setting it free must have an agenda because I do not see how anyone could control this thing.
Aiden has shifted completely into his true form, which resembles something like that of a heavenly being with eyes of flames. His sword is drawn, and he looks at me and nods. I nod back, but I do not feel all too comfortable with Aiden attempting to fight this thing, when he is everything this creature may want-to eat that is. It senses us-or Aiden for that matter and emerges from out of nowhere, and let’s just say he is not happy to see us at all.
Towering over Aiden, at almost ten feet tall, this hulking bag of soggy, rotting flesh is death with a vengeance. Armed with a large cylindrical mouth with row after row of needle sharp teeth, hooked talons for hands and feet and a wingspan of over eight feet, this thing is called a Light Leech or an Illuminous Vampiro, and basically what it does is suck the light (literally) or the energy out of any living thing. However, this creature is especially fond of Warriors of Light due to their surplus of light energy, making Aiden an automatic target. The Light Leech typically targets its victim’s mind, forcing upon it hallucinations that can last for years if the victim is fortunate enough to escape. Greys are not formidable against it and neither are its own brothers which is why it had to be locked away. I would like to think that Han created this monster in response to the Queen of Light, and that maybe it's attacking of Greys and Warriors of Darkness was just a byproduct of being created. Speed is another thing that concerns me. It moves faster than what either Aiden nor I can keep up with and I watch in horror as it appears before us one second, and then slams Aiden to the ground the next. I freeze frame to Aiden’s side just before it hooks me clean out of thin air and sends me backwards into a nearby parked Sedan. My head crashes into the passenger front window before I slump forward and drop to the ground.
Dazed, bloodied and with a headache that is damn near blinding, I quickly jump to my feet and freeze frame towards Aiden, who is now being dragged by his neck to one of the dark homes that line the neighborhood. He is barely conscious, and I know one bite from this monster and that is it for him. I know I am strong enough to do this on my own. I don’t know how I know, I just do. I whiz past the creature and snatch Aiden, and both of us become a blur. He groans, which I take as a good sign that he will make it through the night. Without much of a thought I open the door to Hum V and slide him in when I am yanked once again by my collar. However, instead of being slammed into something I anchor my body and manage to flip back onto my feet. The Light Leech then releases this disgusting gurgling sound from his menacing mouth which causes adrenaline to shoot through me. I know if I do not do something, anything, this will Aiden’s last night on earth. I snatch my blade from my waist and fling it in the back of the creature’s neck and it screams.
The sound is enough to completely destroy one’s eardrums but the creature drops Aiden instantly and flails about desperately to try to get the blade out from behind it's neck. It squeals and thrashes about frantically, crashing into parked cars and setting off alarms all over the place. I rush to Aiden’s side to see if the creature managed to sneak in a taste and when I notice there are no bite marks, I ease him back into the car. He is mumbling something, perhaps he is suffering from any degree of hallucination that comes with being in contact with the Light Leech. I will deal with that when I am done. I close the door behind me when I am hooked for the third time and flung to the middle of the street where I land on my knees. The impact is nerve shattering, and I know that I will have more than just a couple of scrapes and bruises to deal with. I stumble to get on my feet when I am knocked down once more, this time I am flat on my back being pinned by the heavy weight of the Light Leech itself. Its cylindrical mouth opened wide, exposing an almost limitless set of row after row of teeth dripping with thick, yellow saliva. With my palms flattened to the pavement, I fight with everything in me just to get a good blast in from my palms, but it is to no avail.
I’
m not strong enough.
Its hot breath is all but melting my face. It forces my head to the side with one free hook, and plunges its vacuum like mouth onto my bare skin. There are no words to describe the pain, and the overwhelming sense of loss as it draws not only my blood but the very essence of my well being into its own body. I struggle, but it tightens its grip. I can feel myself slipping away into the darkness and a part of me desires to relinquish all forms of responsibility to this world as well as the next. Maybe the world would be better off if I am dead. My family would have been… I know that it’s venom is working its way into my system because the lower half of my body is completely numb. I don’t know if I am able to even wiggle a toe. My breathing becomes labored and I can feel my heart shift rhythms and just as it takes another pull out of me, I am surrounded by the familiar presence of darkness.
Chapter 18 Aiden
I drive the streets of Oakland like a madman. Dawn is dying and if I don’t get her help soon, the chances of her surviving decrease by the minute. I still can’t believe I killed the Light Leech, the legendary creature of Han and most feared by the members of my kind. The intensity of hallucinations this creature was capable of would drive a man past the point of insanity. It is like being trapped in your own personal cage of nightmare, and once it released its hold on me, I was able to come to only to find it feeding on Dawn. It’d almost drained her dry when I found her, which is how I discovered the only way to kill it is to catch it off guard; but the only way to catch it off guard is when it is feeding. It’d made a sickening gurgling sound as it filled its belly with Dawn’s life essence when I drew my sword and cut off the fuckers head. It’s body twitched and jerked about as its head went rolling in another direction. The gaping hole it left on the side of her neck is a sight I will never forget and difficult to describe, but in the interim, removing my shirt and packing the wound down was the only way to stop the bleeding.
She was more worried about me than herself or perhaps she overestimated her opponent. So, now I have to get her to someone who can heal her, but with limited time, I don’t know who or where to turn to. She is stretched out in the backseat, her body is completely still. I should have never brought her to that area. The moment I detected its presence, I should have sped off in the opposite direction. What was I thinking? She isn’t ready. Just because she took out a couple of Berserkers on her own doesn’t mean that she has yet to fully assume control over her powers.
I stretch out my senses as I speed through the darkness, violating all traffic lights and stops in the process. Sirens are out tonight looking for their next bed mate, and unfortunately they are the only entities that I can think of with the healing powers I need to save Dawn’s life. I tune in to the call that happens to be the strongest and drive in the northeast direction towards her voice. At this point, I do not need any more distractions despite the fact that I am aware that I am being followed.
The voice of this Siren is a long, mournful wail filled with its own rich soulful beauty. I can not lie, I am captivated by it. She has lost someone, recently, which works to my advantage. She will not be inclined to a bedroom rendezvous which will ultimately lead to me having to deal with another STC. Her song leads us to a narrow street on a busy intersection of what looks like a Gypsy district. The area is a ghost town with the exception of a small café that was still open, and the source of the song seated outside on the patio furniture. The locals must know what she is, and treat her like royalty. Sirens love to be revered. I pull to a stop, turn on my hazards and hop out the car. She has a sea of beautiful, crimson hair flowing from her scalp. Her pale skin and pale blue eyes are dazzling. Grief is oozing from her pores but does little to dull the effect she has on me. Her eyes meet mine and she gives me a half smile. Dressed in a black strapless, fitted dress, she straightens her petite shoulders and holds my gaze.
“Light Warrior,” she sings. “Have you come to comfort me in my grief?”
I shake my head. “No Siren. I have-“
“My name is not Siren. It is Arista,” she replies tartly.
“My apologies Arista,” I say calmly.
“Why are you here if you are not here to answer my song?”
“My friend needs help. She was attacked by a Light Leech-“
She gasps. “No. Tell me that isn’t true…”
“It is…”
“Tell me about this friend of yours,” she says, her pale blue stare now beginning to glow in the darkness.
“I would but I believe it would serve us best if you see for yourself,” I say offering her my hand.
She eyes me suspiciously before accepting it, and I gently help her to her feet. Her tiny hand is just as delicate as the rest of her body. When she stands, it is then I realize she is barefoot and stands no taller than 5’0” even. I give her one last appreciative look before guiding her to the car. I open the back passenger door, allowing her to peek inside when she gasps again in horror. She places her tiny palm over her mouth and looks at me. She then reaches for my face and before I can react, she siphons information from me. Scattered memories of myself watching Dawn from a distance; the moment I first laid eyes on her; Dawn lying on the floor of her compound unconscious; her naked in my private bathroom fighting off Eros…all of this and more she siphons into her and after what felt like an eternity she pulls away, her eyes lined with crystal tears.
“You love her,” she whispers.
I don’t answer. There is no need for me to admit to something I have always known out loud.
“I pray for the day when I find a love that is equally as true. I will help her,” Arista says climbing into the backseat and positioning herself where Dawn’s head rests comfortably on her lap.
“Thank you Arista,” I say reverently.
She places her palm against her chest. “You are welcome.”
She then gently rests her hands, one on top of the other on Dawn’s forehead and I stand in amazement as both of them are surrounded by white hot energy. Dawn releases a long sigh of relief before falling silent again. They remain in this state, with both of Arista’s hands on top of Dawn’s forehead, surrounded in white light for a little over fifteen minutes. When Arista is finished, she gently places a kiss on Dawn’s cheek and then exits the car. I assist her onto the curb so that she does not lose her footing and once she is safely on the ground she turns to me and says,
“You should have warned me that she is wanted by both houses warrior.”
“What do you mean?” I ask suspiciously.
“Your queen wants her as does the House of Darkness. Her blood draws both and by me saving her you have sentenced me to death,” she hissed. The once innocent pixie look that she donned upon introduction shifted into something feral, dark and borderline terrifying.
“How does you helping her sentence you to death?”
“Did you not hear fallen prince? The queen has ordered the execution of those who aid this young Grey. Have you not heard of what happened to the last siren that aided you? I am sure you know who she is…”
She allowed the thought to sink in and terror flooded my system. No. That would have meant…
Arista’s eyes remained narrowed, however she did allow a wicked grin to spread across her face.
“Fortunately, the queen has yet to grace these parts of town with her presence…but be warned Prince, not everyone around these parts would be willing to save the life of a Grey whose death is of more value than a thousand lives combined.”
“When did Lu-“
“Shhh!” She hissed violently. “Never mention that name around these parts. The word is her essence is carried in the wind, and those who call her name summon her with immediacy. She can hear even the faintest of thoughts of her name-“
“I get it,” I interrupted her impatiently. “And trust me she is not omnipresent, but I will respect your wishes.”
She nods, her vicious appearance transitioning back to the original innocence that drew me to her in the beginning.
“You must leave now,” she whispers, staring off into the distance as if she senses the presence of someone or something quickly approaching.
I nod. “Thank you Arista.”
She gently places a palm over her heart and bows her head. “You are welcome warrior. Now go.”
Without a word I make my way around the vehicle to the driver’s side and get in. I peer into the rearview mirror to see how Dawn is fairing and she seems to be recovering. The wound is closing, and her breathing has become relaxed and even. I turn to my right and watch as Arista forms a mist around her and disappears before restarting the engine and speeding off. I debate if I should make another attempt to locate another Siren tonight with Dawn recovering in the back seat. I need to locate that Derrick character and fast before the House of Light makes another move. Wherever Kai is, time is running out.
Dawn groans and turns over on her side. I know she will be fine. I estimate by the time we reach the Pleasure District, which is located right in the heart of Oakland, she should be completely healed. I turn off onto the busy intersection and speed towards the nearest highway.
Chapter 19
Resting on his throne of ice, the King of the House of Darkness smiled as he watched from his mind’s eye, the descendant whom just become awakened into her full glory of power. He’d sent his best men to be on the look out for her, but unfortunately she has been under heavy guard by that annoying prince; son of his arch rival Lucena, making it difficult for any of his men to get anywhere near her-with the exception of Kian. Han released a frustrated sigh. And to think, his only chance of freedom almost died with her because of that stupid Light Leech, which he could not remember when he ordered his men to exterminate it… He growled at the audacity of the culprit who disobeyed his order.
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