"Jimmy Hostetter told me there's some folks fixin' to try and take out the Empire. He said they're lookin' for recruits and the like. I'm thinkin' about signing up." Daryn rose up from the book and locked eyes with him.
"Whyn't you stay here tonight, Tommy Ray. We'll watch some more on the news and look some more at this book and make some calls around town and then tomorrow maybe I'll go with you, okay?"
Tommy nodded. "Sure thing, man." The two sat looking at each other in silence as the sounds of chaos from the TV filled the room.
Chapter 36
The Next Move
As Simon entered the main cavern of the hive, he could see that guilty look on Ishan's face. He found it hard to be angry at the elderly vampire after he himself had recently done things not quite appropriate. Sure, the Queen assured him there was nothing wrong with it, but deep inside Simon felt differently. And he was sure, so did Ishan.
But none of that was important now. The Empire had made their first attack, even if it was completely ineffective. The reality of what was happening was starting to take over and Simon had no other choice but to think of all the consequences that would or wouldn't present themselves now.
Yes, the Empire doesn't yet know exactly where we are. But they know enough to find us soon. I think we should spread out. Wait for them to try and attack where they will and take them from all sides. Surround them.
Why didn't you tell me, Ishan?
The same reason you didn't tell me about your time with the Queen.
Simon and Ishan glanced at each other then yet Simon's eyes would not quite return Ishan's gaze.
Both are over and done with. We have a war at our doorstep and I don't imagine it intends to come back later. We're going to have to act now. Do you see any flaws in my reasoning?
No... Ishan.
Yes?
Thousands of ancestor vampires died.
I know. I saw it all through your eyes just now as you remembered it. They're not from our line. They may be of our kind, but they're not of our line. Protecting our own is much more important. The Emperor obviously has access to another hive of vampires beyond our understanding and there's no reason to believe that there's anything we can do but defend ourselves against them. I worry there are far more than we know of. Shall we make preparations to evacuate?
The Queen?
She will stay. You know she can more than defend herself.
Yes. I'll make the announcement myself. You go and be with her. Send her my love.
I will.
In a blur of motion only Simon could make out, Ishan was gone. Simon looked after him for a long time. Watching the imprints Ishan's feet had made in the dirt on the ground.
* * *
The sounds of gunfire and explosions ricocheted back and forth all around Hank as he followed the trail. Once again, it was the same as before save for one thing this time. This time he could feel the event coming that much closer. He had days at most before it would occur. He had a plan to prevent it from happening, but he had no way of knowing if it would work. Would the visions change if he made a decision or plan that would keep it from happening?
Toby's heartbeat beckoned and Hank once again found himself behind the boy, following in step, bloodthirsty and eager. His feet dragged against chunks of concrete and brick as he went. Sulfur burnt his nose with every breath. There it was again, the open alleyway. As Hank turned the corner, he saw the last small moment of movement Toby had made as the boy tried desperately to hide from his terrible monster of a father.
In less than a flash, Hank was leaning against that blue dumpster, reaching inside and grabbing ahold of his son's collar and pulling his body up through the piles of trash. With each inch he brought the child closer, he could hear that beating heart echoing inside his brain. It was equally like a drum beaten in battle's triumph and a growing ominous thunder.
This time Toby's head surfaced from the mess in almost slow motion and Hank could see the tears rolling down his face. The fear that terrorized him to his very core as he clawed and kicked and screamed and fought to keep this thing that used to be his father from taking every drop of life's blood from within him.
The vision deteriorated in an instant, replaced by the dim candlelight inside Hank’s small quarters within the hive. He got up from the bed he had made himself on the floor and crept over to where Toby lay and watched as the boy’s chest rose and fell with the soft breath of sleep. Like his father, Toby had managed to shift his sleeping schedule to somewhat conform to the vampire’s nighttime pattern.
Toby turned over and his breathing took on a quiet snoring. In that moment, Hank made a decision. A decision that sent a chill through his spine, but one he knew he had to make. He would tell his son everything tomorrow. He would tell him all about the visions. About what might happen. There was no other choice. He had to prepare the boy for the possibility that his father would try and murder him some time within a matter of days.
As he sat there watching Toby, he wept at the feeling of an unending drop below him. How could he ever do anything to hurt the one thing that had kept him alive this past few years? And with that thought he rose up to his feet and slipped out of the room. Hank wanted more than anything to speak with the Queen now. Maybe she had some other information that could help him. If nothing else she could tell him if the visions would change when he found the right solution or not. At least for now, there was nothing more he could do.
Heading along the long dark corridors of the cave, Hank nearly ran right into Dustin. He knew then that his mind must be over-occupied. He should have heard him coming.
“Hey, man, you all right?” Dustin said.
Hank gave a nervous disturbing sort of laugh. “No, not really. What are you doing out and about?”
“You do remember I’m human, right?” They both laughed. “I stay up later now, I suppose, but I can’t seem to turn myself nocturnal—listen, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Empire attempted an attack. Someone tricked them and led them to some other place and I guess we got a bunch of the Empire’s vampires, but probably any day now a shitload more will be coming. The vampires here called for us to spread out today, so I’ve been getting my stuff ready. I was just coming to let you know.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t heard about all that. I’m going to speak with the Queen now. So, I’ll see what all I can find out. But listen. I know you don’t have time or the ability to keep an eye on Toby, but I had another vision and everything is fitting together that this is going to happen. The spreading out fits with the fact that in the vision, Toby’s outside and the gunfire and…”
“Hank, I’m sorry, man. You have got to get it into your head that you are not going to do anything to that poor kid. I know you too well. You are not going to kill him. So, can I please just say goodbye and get on with what I need to get done?”
Hank nodded. He knew no matter what he said, Dustin would never understand. The visions were too real to ignore. The two men looked at each other a long time before Dustin grabbed Hank up in a huge, nearly painful, bear hug.
“I love you, man. You need to worry more about this goddamn war, okay?”
“Yeah. I guess.”
Dustin patted him roughly on the back and then turned and walked away. Hank stood there watching him go for a moment before continuing on his original course.
As he came closer to the Queen’s quarters, that thick intimidating feeling began to stir in the air. It was a familiar thing to Hank now when he was near her. It was like her power emanating out to him and trying to seduce him yet again. This time as he entered her room, he covered his eyes and spoke.
“Is it okay for me to enter? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“No, child, you may remove your hand.” She seemed to giggle as Hank slowly pulled his hand from his eyes. The Queen was sitting Indian style on the ground, her crimson irises lighting the room with an eerie sort of dark visual ambience. Ishan sat alongside her, a surprisingly calm expr
ession on his face. After the immense vibes of hatred Hank had been getting from the ancient vampire, he was relieved to see that Ishan was dealing with Hank’s pairing with the Queen much better than he had been before.
Hank nodded to Ishan and Ishan returned the gesture.
“I need to know everything I can about these visions that you can tell me. I know you have had them for a long time and I have a lot to learn but could you maybe just answer a few questions?” Hank asked.
“Child, I will do my best. In fact, lie down and I’ll see what I can do to show you what I know with my mind. All right?”
Hank nodded.
The Queen beckoned him closer with a single finger’s gesture. At first the room seemed to become tense with Ishan watching, but then he turned and bowed and left the room. When he was gone the Queen reached out and caressed Hank’s face.
“He may be the strongest of my children, but he sure has one of the largest weaknesses. But he’s not here now. Wouldn’t you like to take advantage of that?”
Hank closed his eyes. “No, I’m sorry. I’m far more concerned about what’s going to happen to Toby. Can you help me?”
“I said I would, did I not?” she said in a near hiss.
Hank stepped back in reaction and the Queen stepped closer and grabbed hold of Hank’s wrist.
“Why don’t we help each other, young one? I’ll give you what you want, and you give me…” Hank’s jeans unbuttoned and fell loose, “what I want?”
Hank fought the mix of anger and desire that was starting to take over and gently buttoned his pants back and took a deep breath. “If that’s what you want, I need to have the information first. Then I would be glad to do whatever you want in return. But I can’t do something like this with all this worry on my mind.”
The Queen raised an eyebrow at him in a quizzical yet inviting manner. “Your resistance to me never fails to surprise me, young one. I shall do as you ask. As I said before, lie down and close your eyes.”
Hank gave her one last look of uncertainty, he lay down on the ground in front of her, and closed his eyes. The next moment he could feel her presence enter his mind. He saw images of pieces of visions he couldn’t understand. People he didn’t know, vampires he didn’t know. Events from the past, present, and somehow, maybe she was even letting him see the future as she had seen it. It was hard to be sure. Each one was only a fragment.
The amount of factors that go into cause and effect when it comes to seeing that which is yet to come, young one, is too great to be able to firmly know whether you have changed things. Sometimes a simple solution can make a vision go away completely and yet others, like the one you are currently concerned with, are so complex as to be impossible to truly tell whether you have been able to change the course of events. Sometimes an event to come can’t be changed at all and yet sometimes it can only be changed so near the very moment that it will further distort any chance of changing the event until that very moment. And still other times information that is necessary to truly stop the event is not there. These visions are a gift, but they can also be a double-edged sword. Obsess over the future and you will give up the present in its place. Sleep now, young one. And when you wake you will eat and then fulfill your end of the bargain. I sense your restlessness has left you fatigued and famished. Sleep and tomorrow’s full moon will bring you comfort.
* * *
Toby woke to find himself alone in the dimly lit cavern. He sat up and stared at the makeshift bed his father had made for himself. Even as a teenager, he was slightly frightened to be in this place surrounded by vampires. A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of blood-drinking creatures being so close by. He found himself pulling his cover up over his neck as if it would protect him from being bitten and drained of blood.
The candlelight cast ambiguous shadows across the cave wall. He wondered where his father went as he sat there trying to remind himself that the shadows were nothing but just that: shadows. His father had seemed on edge ever since Toby arrived at the hive. This had made him even more afraid of the strange place in which they were staying. He thought about the things the Foederati had to say about his dad. He was proud of how these people looked up to him. But he couldn’t help but wish his father could somehow trade it all in for the two of them to go away somewhere safe and live quietly together without the worries of war or the fear of the Empire coming after them. But Toby was smart enough to know better. No such fairy tale would happen for them. It would be a long, hard road and Toby couldn’t help but feel like there would be at least a couple of detours along the way. Eventually he fell back asleep and dreamt of fanged shadows hovering over his helpless body.
Chapter 37
Message Understood
The Queen lay curled up to Hank, her head on his chest, their bodies naked and sticky with sweat. “Soon it will be time for you to meet the Foederati, young one. You’ve kept them waiting long enough. An army cannot bear to endure battle without having met its king, don’t you think?” she said, looking into Hank’s eyes and stealing his full attention.
“King? I know I’m somehow destined to be some kind of leader to them, but I’d hardly call myself a king of anything.”
“Titles are meaningless, young one. Power and actions are not. When you are ready to take on the war as I have foreseen, you will be a king in the eyes of many. And they will follow you into the darkest, bloodiest corners of the war to help you bring down the Empire.”
Hank stared off into space letting the Queen’s words process in his mind. It was slowly dawning on him that he hadn’t drank the ancestor blood but once since his arrival in this place. And yet he felt more sustained and powerful than he ever had. It was the Queen’s blood. He’d known it all along but not really acknowledged it to himself. Every time they made love, he drank from the most pure source of ancestor blood there was. She smiled at him then in confirmation. You should know by now, young one, to trust your instincts. All too often, you don’t listen to them until it’s far too late.
Hank didn’t reply. He simply continued to let everything he was learning gel within him. And after a long thoughtful moment, he rose and dressed himself.
“I’m ready to meet them.”
“I know.” The Queen cast a sly grin at Hank and held her hand out for him to take. “Follow me, young one. Today you will meet your destiny.”
Hank took her hand and squeezed it with a strange sort of respect that he didn’t know how else to express and the two left the Queen’s cavern.
* * *
Hanging on the wind like an eagle soaring through the heavens in the moonlight, Bellona flew with a majestic fury that sent an unseen shadow everywhere she went. That shadow reached down into the darkness of night and brought with it a growing army of angry men, women, and children of all shapes and sizes. They followed her on the ground below mindlessly slobbering as they ran, ready for the kill. She could feel every single mind as it wandered behind her. She had never cared to understand the simple human borders that she was now crossing, she only knew she was headed south to where he was. And when she was close enough she would be able to reach into the minds of the people and creatures below and eventually a trail leading directly to him would become clear.
His name was Simon. She remembered him from his time as Mediator from Joseph’s memories. He would pay for Marcus’s life. They all would. A new spark of rage leapt out from Bellona and below she could feel as thousands of her followers lashed out and attacked those around them. Rape, murder, beatings, and bludgeoning were forging a trail south. Fires erupted in every new city she entered. When she was within a hundred miles of the swamps, she began to drop down to a lower altitude. As she did, the sense of fury and destruction she was causing below grew outward and so did the pleasure it caused within her. Joseph would be displeased with her, she knew. But he would have to allow her this one transgression. She needed this. She needed to take revenge for her oldest child of the night.
Sweet strong Mar
cus. Destroyer of nations. Conjuror and conqueror of empires.
Plumes of smoke rose all around as she lowered herself to the ground. She would meet this man face to face and take his blood for all to see. But slowly. His long-lasting suffering would be her sweetest nectar. A large old city was beginning to spread all around her as she walked. The signs read New Orleans and flashes of memory of this place came back to her. Nothing of much interest. Just an odd people who she respected for their strength and endurance. But as they currently stood in her way, she would mold them and use them any way necessary to get what she wanted.
As Bellona came upon the French Quarter, the many shops and clubs lit up with neon light, she reached out all around her into the minds of the masses and began to play, the reflection of firelight shining brightly in her fully black eyes.
* * *
When Hank and the Queen entered the main cavern of the hive, a vampire whose name Hank couldn’t recall rushed up to the Queen saying, “Mother, the Foederati General is here to speak with—“
“I know, my child. Go and give them my blessing to come inside. We’ll be waiting for them here.”
“Yes, Mother.” And with that he turned away and disappeared. The bonfire that had been filling the cavern with firelight was nearly out and a thick cloud of smoke was hovering above it. The Queen concentrated in its direction for a moment and in a blast that made Hank jump with surprise, the bonfire erupted to its former glory. She smiled and took her seat at her throne. Hank stood in awkward form just watching the fire and waiting for the Foederati. He wasn’t sure he was ready to lead an army, he hardly knew how to handle his own internal predicaments at the moment yet be responsible for others in battle. But he knew he had advantages that other men didn’t have and a sense of obligation was growing in him lately to use those advantages to help against the Empire.
Empire of Blood (Book 2): Fading In Darkness Page 22