Within the Cards

by Donna Altman

  “Now little one, show me the direction of the ‘stinky one’ please.” His voice was gentle and soft again. Graylee pointed in the direction to the east. She assures him she was just beyond the light green trees. Ultress knew from her projection to him there were two guards with her. Ellie put her fingers to her head. She was reading Suzi’s intentions. I saw the vision of what her intentions held. Ultress sent both Graylee and her brother Thomas back to the village.

  Suzi planned to retrieve the box from Dee and invite her back to the Lord's lair. She would turn her over to them telling the Lords she had stolen the box for them. To prove her loyalty, she would give them Ellie for their pleasure. Dee was her sacrifice to the Lords. Ellie took Dee’s hand, and I took the other. Together, we could make her see what her older sister was going to do with her. These were thoughts she didn’t want to see on her own. She lived many years with Suzi and she didn’t want to see the realization that Suzi could be capable of such acts. She was blocking her own ability to read her older sister’s thoughts.

  It was up to Ellie and Dee to confront Suzi, but they wouldn’t be alone. Ultress, Elizabeth and I would be close. The sisters would have to work together to throw Suzi off the track of the box. Their grandfather and I would take care of the guards.

  The love of my existence had no choice, but to sit as open pray and hope Dee came to her senses and didn't betray her by turning her over to Suzi. Suzi wasn’t far. I could read her thoughts. Ultress and I hid far enough away so she couldn’t pick up our scent. Once the girls distracted her, we would make our move on the guards. If this plan worked, Suzi would be helpless and be at our mercy. She would have to conform to our way of existence, or Suzi would be extinguished. However, if this plan failed my existence would end with the capture of Ellie. I wouldn’t stand for their abusing her. If this were to be, I would hunt down Ellie’s captures and would surely die because I wouldn’t give up until she was free or I was no longer.

  Ellie and Dee sat by the waterfront. The beautiful waterfall that had revealed Dee’s accomplice was the backdrop of a scene that could end in tragedy. If we were of mortal existence, one would see this scene as the Garden of Eden. It was beautiful, but with so much evil among its mist. Suzi appeared from the jungle. I could not see the guards. I close my eyes to pull their images into focus. They were behind the waterfall hiding and waiting for Suzi to signal. The waterfall obscured their scent. We must go.

  The water would cover our scent from Suzi as well. Ultress descended from the left, and I descended from the right. They were trapped in their own web. They had intended to capture Ellie and Dee while Suzi distracted them. These thoughts were similar to our plan, but Suzi didn’t intend on the strong connection of love that protected Ellie and Dee. Suzi knew nothing of this emotion.

  The guards were strong in their fight, but could not withstand the power of our conviction. They had little other than their existences to lose. We were fighting for our family. Ultress completed his intended mission of ending their immortality. He was fast in his annihilation of the two guards as he ripped their throats with his forceful fangs. For a normal hybrid, the guards would have been fierce competitors, but we were far from normal. Our out-casting proved this fact.

  Suzi hadn’t realized Ultress and I annihilated her comrades. She made her move, but her backup wasn’t to be found. Dee finally realized her sister was no longer a trusted being. She had also drawn a line in the sand, and she wouldn’t cross this imaginary boost for power. The sister’s conflict was short but violent. Ellie and Dee were able to restrain Suzi. The sounds of hissing echoed in the jungle’s mist. They begged her to join our side, but she refused to succumb to our way. She would rather not exist at all than give up her power. Greed had been the way she lived for her many centuries, and she wouldn’t reduce herself to a follower.

  “Suzi, the Lords will kill you if you return without the box.” Dee pleaded with her. Suzi jerked back and forth.

  “I will not be a slave to your ideas of love. This is for mere humans, the weak ones.” She scowled and continued to struggle.

  “Please Suzi you have to come with us. We’ll win this war.” Ellie begged. Suzi spit in her direction.

  Suzi wouldn’t listen to her sisters. Her family was that of the Lords. She saw herself as the reigning queen of the witchyres. She wouldn’t release her title. She looked in Ultress’s direction and demanded.

  “Kill me. I will not follow your kind.” She hissed at him. “You’re not my family. You’re a snake, and you have clouded their heads with lies. The Lords are the rulers. You will cause the extinguishment of these gutless slugs.”

  Her fangs dripped of hatred, and her venom was lethal. She was going to have to be eliminated. Ultress was going to have to do this unforgiving task to one of the granddaughters he loved from her birth. His weakness was his love for her. He didn’t see her as an enemy. He saw her as he did Ellie and Dee. He couldn’t take her immortality. Suzi now knew his weakness, and I saw through her thoughts, this was what she would take back to the Lords as a show of loyalty.

  “Suzi, go back to your Lords. They will do what I can’t bring myself to do. I’m not like them. I can’t kill my own.” Ultress turned from her. His strength drained from his body. Elizabeth saw the pain in his eyes. She had seen this pain in his eye over two centuries ago as he stood before the hybrids and held her hand. He knew he couldn’t save her. He was before a jury that had already made their decision of his guilt. The decision to remove him and his love to the purgatory of the other world was ahead of them.

  “You’re a weak leader. That will be your downfall just as it was when we sent you to hell over two hundred years ago. You will see hell again. You will see it soon as will the rest of you traitors.” Suzi wasn’t going to change her mind. She again jerked and spit in their direction.

  Ellie and Dee continued to restraint their sister. Elizabeth approached Suzi, but no spell would change her feelings of hatred toward us.

  “Suzi, we gave you the chance to continue your immortality, but you turn your back on us. Return to your enslaved life. You are not a queen. You are nothing more than a pawn in the games my sons play. They have no loyalties to you.” Elizabeth’s words were cold. She loved Suzi, but she saw the hurt in Ultress’s eyes and that she couldn’t stand. She would not tolerate it from anyone.

  She commanded Ellie and Dee to release their sister. The two sisters didn’t want to give up on their sibling, but they knew she wouldn’t be convinced to stay and fight against the ones she remained loyal too. They released their hold on her as Elizabeth commanded. Suzi didn’t disappear as they expected. She moved toward Elizabeth and raised her finger in her direction.

  “Go back to hell. I rebuke you as my grandmother.” She hissed at Elizabeth. Ellie started to grab Suzi, but Dee stopped her as Elizabeth held up her hand in Ellie’s direction.

  “You two dare to stand against me for these hybrids.” She turned her direction to Ellie and Dee. “When this war is over you will be my slaves. You will answer for your betrayal to the witchyres.” These were her final words. She spat her venom at Ellie and Dee then vanished. They knew this was the last time they would see their sister. She would return to the Lords and answer for her inability to bring them what they wanted. This would cause her demise. She would no longer be a factor in our destiny.

  I wrapped my arms around Ellie.

  “Ellie, what was ‘I told you so, I told you so’ about?” I smiled. Ellie elbowed me in the side once again. Dee looked at me, and I read her thoughts as she sneered.

  “One day you will learn stupid vermin.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I knew Graylee would lead us right where we needed to be.” She smiled and turned up her nose. We both began to laugh. Dee looked at us as if we were crazy, as did the others. We retrieved the box and made our way back to the village where the witches and the villagers waited for our arrival. Thomas and Graylee were standing at the entrance of one of the huts. Gr
aylee ran to meet Ultress and Elizabeth. Thomas remained where he was standing with his head held low. Ultress approached him with Graylee in his arms.

  “You can thank your sister for my sparing your life.” Ultress lashed and raised his lip to expose one of his fangs at Thomas. Graylee laughed as Ultress touched her cheek and winked at her.

  “Please sir, I beg you to allow me to make my indiscretion up to you and your family.” Thomas begged. Ultress glared down at him.

  “Believe me, you will make this up. I’ll see to it. Now make sure you take care of this little one and no more of this invisible stuff. At least until I tell you.” Ultress demanded. Graylee again laughed.

  “Yes sir,” Thomas replied and lowered his head. Graylee wrapped her arms around Ultress’s neck and kissed him. He returned her hug.

  “Thank you.” She whispered in his ear.

  “You're welcome little one.” He put her down and winked at her.

  Ultress and Elizabeth stood together. Elizabeth looked up at him and commented.

  “It looks like you made a friend.” Ultress smiled at her as he pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. Graylee giggled and covered her eyes. This made Ultress laugh for the first time since I met him.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  GRANDPARENT’S WISHES

  Our encounter with Suzi brought distress to Ultress and Elizabeth. Ultress was a strong being, but he was unable to destroy the grandchild that wished him and Elizabeth back to hell. Her words were harsh as she lashed her hate in their direction. He couldn’t remove her existence. He knew she wouldn’t be so lucky once she returned to his sons. His sons were viscous, and they wouldn’t stand for her failure. If they could turn their mother and father over to the vampires for annihilation then they would have no problem in erasing Suzi.

  Elizabeth knew his struggle. She saw his fight with the inter-demons of his mind. She too had her own demons that haunted her. Her memory of the day of her annihilation was still all too familiar in her mind. She knew the force of her son’s convictions and hatred for anything that was unworthy of them. Their ability to cut out the existence of ones that didn’t think their way was easy and swift. The Lords prided themselves to be the ultimate rulers and nothing would stand in the way of their destruction or of their reign of power.

  Suzi refused our help, but we had to remember this was the only way she knew. Suzi didn’t carry a spell that changed her being or protected her from the hate. Ellie and Dee had learned another path. Ellie’s views were simple. You live in an existence among the human race, and you only partake of those that wouldn’t continue to live. She also felt all immortals could coexist. Dee viewed the love between her grandparents as a small being, and she witnessed the love that grew with Ellie and me. She was learning this thing called love did exist, and now she was willing to stand against a world of savages she had existed with for many decades.

  Ultress had to prepare himself to extinguish his own sons, and if they hadn’t abolished Suzi upon her return, he would have to remove her as well. This task would be an enormous burden to him. Her fate was nothing but an ending because she chose to stand with what she knew to be true. She would not be able to remain with the hatred and greed that she gluten herself.

  When the time comes, we would wonder if Ultress and even Elizabeth would be able to remove the child that once sat upon their laps and smiled at their gentleness. Ultress hoped Suzi would join us in our task to regain control of this race, but she refused our outreached hands. She spat in the faces of our family and lashed her evil tongue at them as if it were a razor blade looking for flesh to slice. Ultress’s only choice now was to hope his sons would do as they had always and erase her before he had to make that choice. He knew this would be one of the hardest choices of his existence.

  It was a quiet journey back to the village that had become our refuge. This was a village of outcast. They were outcast from a race that should not exist in the first place. This was a race that began from fear and hatred, as well as their opposite of love. The fear the hybrid vampires had of Ultress’s differences and the hatred Ultress held for these same vampires, but it also come from the love that brought him and Elizabeth together.

  I heard Ultress's thoughts as he contemplated them in his mind. His face showed a look of instant aging that was impossible for a vampire. The thoughts of worry that Elizabeth held for him were taking their toll on her. Dee’s thoughts of fear still lingered in her mind, and Ellie’s thoughts of disgust for a sister that lashed insults toward their loving grandparents were strong and violent. Ellie’s anger was her worst enemy. She could not see through the other’s insecurities of losing a child.

  If paleness were not the normal tone for our kind then Ultress would stand out in this silent crowd. His normal pale skin tone was even whiter now. He felt drained of the strength that made him a force to be reckoned. His love and caring non-beating heart broke.

  “Ultress, we must accept Suzi choice.” Elizabeth told him as she touched his arm.

  “She’s one of the innocent that our son’s rule has managed to fill with the poison of hate.” His voice was low and beaten. He ran his fingers through his long, flowing hair.

  “This is how they'll use your weakness against you. You have to push this out of your mind and use their hatred to fight for a better existence. The existence we should have had,” she encouraged him. She rested her head on his arm. She wanted to comfort him, but she also wanted him to remember the hatred Suzi felt for them.

  “Will you be able to remove her existence if the time comes? If this is a choice you have to make?” he asked as he turned to face her. His eyes sunk in deep. She saw the toll this was taking on him.

  “If I had to make this choice to save you, Ellie, Dee and Daught; yes I would.” She was direct in her reply. He looked at her with shock, but he knew she was right. He had to save his other children.

  I could stand in silence no longer. I walked over to Ultress and confronted him. I knew I was taking my own life in my hands. He was Ellie’s maker and therefore, he was mine.

  “Ultress your sons know your weakness. Please know they will use it to win at any cost. They will prey on your feelings of love. Suzi is no different from your sons. She offered Ellie and Dee as sacrifices just as your sons did with you and Elizabeth. You’re our only hope to save the two granddaughters that stand with you now.” I pleaded with him. I could see Ultress had many past demons to deal with now. He had created his sons to hate the vampire race because they had outcast him. He knew his spores were incapable of emotions. These emotions included everything but hate.

  When he allowed them to see his feelings of hatred for his own race, he taught them of hate. He created not a race, but a cult of monsters. This was the true meaning behind this war. Ellie believed it was because of her creation of me, but the hatred they allowed to fester like an abscess was the real reason for this war. I was just a symbol of that hatred because many considered me a hybrid vampire as well as Ultress. We were the ones the Lords hated and because Ellie loved me, she was a traitor to the witchyres. She had also brought back the two hybrids the Lords sentenced to death. They had already been extinguished, so now Ellie would be more than just killed for her betrayal of bringing their immortality back. She would be made an example of, and all who watched would know this wasn’t tolerated.

  Ultress spoke at last and the silences of our wandering minds ended. His voice was soft, but strong and commanding. He called all to listen.

  “It’s hard for me to see the destruction my sons have caused. This race wasn’t supposed to be, but it is. My intentions weren’t to rule with making all immortal beings our enemy. Yes, my ancestors are my enemy. They cast me out of my own race for being different. We are all different, but we are all the same. Love knows no boundaries. Now comes the time when I must make the decision to end the existence of the sons I created. These sons that cast their mother and me into the depths of hell,” he looked at Ellie and Dee, “t
hese sons that raped and shamed my children that follow them. This is my word. I shall remove any being that acts in anger or war against my new family.” He looked at the villagers. “You are my new family of outcast. You are my new family that took my granddaughters in, and welcomed Elizabeth and myself to join you. I damned my sons and all of their followers. This includes Suzi, if her fate hasn’t already been decided.”

  Ellie smiled. Dee’s eyes still showed uncertainty. Elizabeth’s face showed only respect for her husband and leader. I stood in admiration for Ultress and Elizabeth. I knew the love they felt for their children, and it was strong. He hadn’t forgiven his sons for this past indiscretion toward them, and he wouldn’t tolerate the continuous destruction they reined over this race. Ultress was ready to stand tall and do whatever must be done to deal with the present. This would include removing Suzi.

  Ellie and I followed Ultress and Elizabeth back to the area our huts stood. Elizabeth held Ultress’s hand. She told him she understood his feelings. These were feelings of guilt for allowing this transgression against his descendants. Ellie and I knew from their thoughts she was talking about this guilt that started with hatred.

  Ultress and Elizabeth wished they had never talked of hate when their children were growing, but this wasn’t something they could change. Ellie touched her grandfather’s arm.

  “Please don’t be sad. I too don’t want to have to remove her, but she made this choice. We tried to help her.” She smiled at him. Ellie hated seeing her grandfather weak. His strength was what made him a fierce leader.

  “Dear child I wish you as much love and happiness as your grandmother and I have had. I hope the world in which your children exist is a caring world. I am proud of you, Eleanor.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

  Elizabeth joined their embrace. I looked around and saw Dee watching. She felt alone. I walked in her direction, but she turned her back on me. It was time I confronted her feelings of hatred that had no place in this new clan. We had to pull together. I yelled for her to stop. She stopped, but didn’t turn around. The others watched with tension. They were unsure of Dee’s reaction.