Kellan ducked as the demon struck at him with a razor sharp boney protrusion and said, “No idea how to do that, Jarvis.”
“Have you not been practicing with it?” asked the AI incredulously.
The Sentinel shattered a wine bottle and shunted heat from it and into the demon. Kellan then hurled ice-wine daggers at the unprepared demon. The creature staggered back from he blows and Ah’Anon managed to get a grip on its neck, his fangs parting the flesh. “That was yesterday, Jarvis. No, I haven’t figured it out since,” Kellan’s voice rose in both anger and frustration, “yesterday!”
“That was almost eighty-six million milliseconds ago, Kellan, you must use your time more wisely.”
“Jarvis, if I survive this I’m going—”
“Sentinel-Kellan, the wound. Strike the wound made by Ah’Anon. There is an opening.”
The demon had managed to wrench free from the Vampire’s grip and had hurled him to the ground. He raised his fists and sharp protrusions extended from both arms as he prepared to strike the supine Vampire. Kellan saw the wound. It had already begun to close, but he launched himself at the demon, willing his dagger to shrink even further into a gleaming narrow blade no wider than a pencil. He drove it into the demon’s neck and it arched back in pain. Kellan wrenched the blade upward, and commanded it to form back into a broadsword. As it did so, the creatures neck split open with gouts of dark red blood which hissed and puffed away as it struck the floor. The demon reached up as if trying to stabilize its head, but Kellan drew back, commanded his sword into its more agile form and struck. Soundlessly, the demon’s head parted from his body and both shattered into motes of red dust.
Kellan reached down and Ah’Anon grasped his offered hand, allowing the Sentinel to pull him back to his feet. A moment later, Kellan cried out in sympathetic pain and would have fallen if not for Ah’Anon holding him up. The young Sentinel felt Shannon’s agony and determination in equal measures as his eyes sought her out.
He found her on the other side of the room and his voice caught in his throat. She grappled with one of the demons and was covered with several small wounds. None seemed life threatening but as he watched, the creature slipped past her guard and impaled her shoulder with one of its boney protrusions. She gasped and stumbled back as blood poured from the wound. Kellan screamed and ripped open a portal. A split second later he appeared between Shannon and the demon as it made to strike a killing blow. Kellan shouldered Shannon to the side, extended a leg and pushed the creature into the still open portal. It lay for a moment with it’s legs on one side of the ballroom and upper torso sticking out of a portal at the other. “Fuck you!” yelled Kellan as the portal winked out spitting the demon in half.
“Thanks, sweetie,” breathed Shannon as a tendril of green energy arced up and into her wound. She grimaced in pain as she willed the power to cauterize her shoulder. Her eyes dimmed to their natural brown until she reached up to cup Kellan’s concerned face. They blazed brightly with siphoned power and she said, “Don’t worry, just one more scar for you to love.”
Kellan laughed despite himself and they both turned at the sound of Ares voice. “Yes, my Valkyrie, well done!”
Meghan’s face, shirt, and jeans were covered in blood and gore. Despite that, she grinned at the Mantel and leaped into the air, still holding a demon’s corpse which had her feather dagger protruding from its eye. Meghan’s shadow-wings flexed and she twirled around, then heaved the corpse at Morpheus and Maurius.
“Wow, I’m glad they are on our side,” said Kellan as he took in the three demon corpses which lay decimated on the floor.
“I don’t want Meghan and Sera winning, Kellan Thorne, we need to kill the next one and that slippery bastard, Maurius.”
“Babe, I’m fine with them winning if that means we get to congratulate them rather than us being dead. Being dead is the ultimate losing proposition.”
Jarvis’ voice resounded in Kellan’s mind, “Ares and Captain Daugherty’s use of Universal energies gives them a distinct advantage, Kellan. Maurius only hardened his defenses against Ordered power. That is why you really should have practiced—”
“Shut up!” lilted Kellan as he joined Ares and Meghan in converging on Maurius.
“Don’t you tell me to Shut up, Kellan Thorne,” growled Shannon as she tried to keep pace.
“Not you, babe. Jarvis. He’s being an AI-dick again.”
“Now you reap the whirlwind, Sentinel of Chaos,” screamed Ares as he closed on Maurius, gladius raised.
Somethings wrong thought Kellan. Maurius looks way too calm. I’m missing something. What’s he looking at? Why is he looking at the stage? Oh—no!
A blood red portal opened behind the elder Sentinel and he stepped back through it along with Morpheus. Like Kellan did minutes before, Maurius opened another portal within the room, this one on the stage.
He smiled dangerously as Juliet screamed. Morpheus held her up by the neck, her feet dangling several inches above the stage. Everyone froze and Kellan’s stomach turned into a solid knot of fear.
“Do I have your attention, Kellan?” asked Maurius.
“Let her go!” cried the young Sentinel. “She is not a part of this. She’s an innocent.”
“No one is innocent, Sentinel of Order and I think I’ll be taking her with me.”
“No! What do you want?”
“What do I want?” asked Maurius in an almost playful tone. “Why, Kellan, I want what I’ve always wanted.” His voice lowered. “I want you. I want your power.”
Kellan took a step forward and Morpheus shook Juliet dangerously. The young Sentinel held up both hands. “No, wait. I’m here. You can have me. Just put her down.”
“No, Kellan. Not here and not now. You know where. I’ll be waiting for you. Come soon and come alone or I’ll send her back to you, piece-by-piece.” Maurius’ smile fell away as two pale hands gripped his shoulder and fangs ripped into his neck. He screamed in pain and fire bolts of red tinged lightning ripped into Mircalla throwing her off the elder Sentinel. He stumbled back, stunned and reached up to staunch the flowing blood. Ah’Anon and Ares both started to move forward but Morpheus squeezed causing Juliet to cough.
The demon stared down at them and said, “Not another step or I will snap her neck, like the twig it is.” Behind him, Mircalla rose and despite the burns she just suffered, moved toward the demon in an ill-fated attempt to free Juliet. The Demon of Nightmares turned and sliced the Vampire Queen across the stomach with its razor-sharp claws. Ah’Anon cried out as she slumped to the floor in a pool of blood.
Maurius, still holding a hand to his throat, stared down at the small group menacingly. “Soon, Sentinel of Order. Come to me soon. And alone.”
He gestured with his free hand and a portal rotated into view, through which could be seen the barren landscape Kellan knew all too well. The Sentinel of Chaos walked though with Morpheus only a step behind. The portal winked out. Juliet was gone and they all ran to Mircalla’s side.
Mircalla’s head lolled to one side and her eyes stared blankly without any sign of their normally piercing intellect. Ah’Anon cradled her in his arms as Meghan grabbed the Christmas tree skirt and applied pressure to the wound. The Vampire Queen’s skin had become even more ashen and now pulled tightly against her bones giving her the appearance of a desiccated corpse. Ah’Anon bared his fangs and ripped open own his own wrist, then placed it to her lips. She drank.
“It is not working,” cried Ah’Anon. “The wound is tainted with Chaotic energies and she cannot heal. Oh, my sweet Calla. You cannot leave me.”
At this, her eyes seemed to regain some of their focus and she reached up a hand. “Anon. Anon, the baby. You must take the baby.”
“No, Calla, you will die if we release the pressure. Stay strong we will figure this out.”
The Vampire Queen glanced to Meghan who met her eyes with the clinical detachment of a Marine Corpsman and said, “I can’t help her. Too much damage. The u
terus and placenta are both severed.”
Ares knew that tone. Meghan had used it once with him beneath the sands of Egypt when they raced to stop the Cabal. He placed a hand on Ah’Anon’s shoulder. “The true death comes for her my friend. Do not let your child perish as well.”
“Please, Anon,” said Mircalla, her voice weakening, “Let me leave knowing our child is safe in your arms. Do this for me. I beg it of you.”
The ancient Egyptian shuddered as tears racked him but nodded. “You have never begged for anything in your long life, my dear, dear, Calla.” He tried to take a steadying breath but it just came out as a sob. “I will take care of our Maggie.”
“We will all take care of her, Mircalla,” said Shannon as tears streamed down her face leaving streaks of white amidst the blood which covered her. “Kellan and I will watch over Maggie with Ah’Anon.” The Soulborn glanced aside then said, “Kellan?”
The young Sentinel was gripping his hair in fists as he stumbled on the stage near them and muttered. “Oh, my god. Oh, my god. What am I gonna do. I have to go there right now and get her. But he’s not going to honor anything. He’s going to kill her anyway. Oh my god. Oh my—” Kellan’s head suddenly rocked violently to one side and he stared at Shannon uncomprehendingly, then said, “Shan? They have Juliet. They are gonna kill her. What am I going to tell her parents? I did this to her. Oh my—” She slapped him again so hard he stumbled to the ground and looked up. Her eyes blazed with their shared power and her mouth was a line of determination.
“Kellan Thorne, I love Juliet like the sister I never had, but she is alive and safe for now. Mircalla’s baby is not. Get yourself together! You are needed here and now.” Kellan’s eyes focused on hers and he set his jaw with grim determination. “Yes, Kellan,” she said with a sigh. “ There he is. That’s my beautiful man.” Shannon reached down and Kellan grasped her hand as she pulled him up.
The Sentinel walked over and knelt down among the small group. He placed a hand on Mircalla’s cold forehead and concentrated. Kellan’s eyes burst to light as he sent tendrils of Ordered power into her. Tiny wisps of green energy danced around her from head to toe, and Kellan listened silently to Jarvis’ diagnostic information. He bent close to Mircalla until he was sure her eyes were focused on him. “I’m going to try and save you both. You stay with me.” Shannon flinched at his words knowing the toll such an empathic link would take on Kellan, but said nothing. She felt a hand grip hers and looked down to meet Meghan’s eyes. The two women shared the barest moment of unspoken insight and Shannon mouthed, thank you. The former Marine nodded, and gave her hand a squeeze, but did not release it.
“Sentinel-Kellan, I must remind you that Mircalla is not, in the strictest terms, alive. She has no heartbeat nor respiration although, I believe the latter is voluntary. Her blood moves based on a circulatory constriction method not dissimilar to peristalsis. This, in turn, is fueled by minute pulses of Universal energy.”
“Later Jarvis,” Kellan whispered and placed his hands on Mircalla’s stomach.
“No, I will not be dissuaded this time,” said Jarvis, his voice taking on an uncharacteristic hardness. “That Universal power is fading and I have extrapolated how much is needed to maintain her animation.”
Kellan looked up, “Ok, Jarvis, how much time do you think I have.”
“There is no think about it, Sentinel-Kellan. You have exactly one minute and twelve-seconds.”
Kellan drew deep from his river of power and ribbons of green energy wrapped his hands like luminescent gloves. He forced the healing energy deep into her womb and felt his own insides begin to burn as he took her wounds upon himself, but then the pain subsided. Something was wrong. He paused his effort and scanned her again. Her wounds had returned to their original state.
“It’s not working,” he said frantically looking up.
Ares shook Kellan gently. “Have you purged the influences of Morpheus’ Chaotic Energy?” Kellan stared at the god uncomprehendingly. “She cannot heal herself because of its remaining influence so it follows that you cannot heal her either. Purge it Sentinel of Order. Do it now!”
Kellan closed his eyes and felt for the traces left by Morpheus’ attack in the same way he purged Vassago of the effects brought on by Solomon’s Seal.
“Forty-seconds,” said Jarvis.
“Damn it, I need more time,” muttered Kellan.
“Well, then slow it down,” yelled Meghan.
Kellan ignored her, but Shannon whispered, “It doesn’t work that way. If he’s touching her, she’d be in his timeframe.”
“Got it,” cried Kellan and his hand fuzzed as it slipped inside the Vampire queen. He removed it a second later and held a violently struggling cord of red energy. “Shannon, take care of this!” He threw the whipping band of Chaotic power in her direction and she deftly caught it, then stared intently as it struggled in her grip. Her eyes flared and green fire enclosed her hand. There was an almost human shriek and the red energy puffed away.
“Twenty-seconds” said Jarvis.
“It’s still not working,” cried Kellan. “Why the hell is it not working?”
“She is too far gone, Kellan,” said Ares softly. “Already, she slips from this world. You must focus on the child, now.”
“The blood,” said Ah’Anon as if in a daze, “even the power in my blood, old as it is, was not enough.”
“Ten-seconds,” said Jarvis.
Kellan slammed his palms against either side off his head and his friends looked at each other in alarm.
“Kellan?” began Shanon.
“Shut up!” yelled Kellan and he pressed his fingers into his temples. “Shut up, shut up, shut up! Everyone shut up! Stay away from me and for god’s sake stay shutted up!”
“Five-seconds,” said Jarvis.
Kellan stopped time. Everything around him froze completely and he felt the wrongness of it. Time was a foundational component to creation. It didn’t like being bent, was annoyed by being torn, and apparently hated being stopped.
Fuck you, Time, thought Kellan as his mind raced to assemble facts his intuition told him were important. The Sentinel had learned many years ago that his intuition was never something to be ignored. His intuition was, in reality, his eidetic mind nudging him that his subconscious knew something his conscious mind did not and that the two should have a chat.
“Greetings Kellan Thorne,” said the version of Kellan with a blue shirt and pointed ears.
“Yeah, yeah, listen, Vulcan Kellan, I need you to put these pieces together for me. Something about the power in Ah’Anon’s blood and how—”
“We need a plan to get Juliet,” came a voice to their left and both Kellans turned to look. Another stylized version of Kellan stood among them. He wore the same black pants and boots as Vulcan-Kellan but had a yellow shirt with golden accents where the Vulcan version of himself had blue.
“Who the hell are you?” asked Kellan.
“I believe that would be your assertive, if emotional, leadership self,” offered Vulcan-Kellan.
The gold shirted Kellan nodded, then said, “We need to rip a hole into that workroom, and nuke the entire fucking place. They took Juliet, Kellan. That will not stand. This aggression will not stand.”
Kellan sighed in disbelief, “Ok, so, you are Kirk-Kellan? I think this is taking the Star Trek thing too far. I just didn’t watch it that much going up.”
“You did,” said the two other Kellans in unison.
Kellan worked his jaw, “Ok, footnote that for later. Kirk-Kellan—” the golden shirted version looked hopeful, “you shut up for now unless you have a suggestion that will help Mircalla. I need brains not brawn right now.”
Vulcan-Kellan looked smug and said, “I believe I have an answer for you. Would you like to hear it?”
“No,” yelled Kellan, “I think the three of us should take Kirk’s illegal stash of Romulan ale, then go to Risa and hookup with some green Orion chicks.”
The
Vulcan stared at Kellan for a second before Kirk-Kellan said, “Sadly, that was sarcasm, you pointy-eared bastard. Now answer him before we both punch you in the face.”
“Ahh,” said Vulcan-Kellan, “very well. The answer, like most answers, is quite obvious. The power that animates Mircalla and all vampires is the same power that fuels the various Mantels. This is the Universal power you encountered yesterday. In Mantels that power is concentrated and personified by the faith and belief of humans. In unnatural creatures, it simply exists in the small amounts necessary to alter their otherwise normal biochemistry.”
“I don’t get it,” said Kirk-Kellan.
“You should have that imprinted on a t-shirt, Captain,” replied Vulcan-Kellan dryly.
“Wait,” said Kellan. “So, when Jarvis said that the power animating her would dissipate beyond the point where it could maintain her animation, he—”
“Was referring to the Universal energy within her, yes. However, you should feel free to point out that Jarvis did not know how to make use of that information and you did. Well, in truth, I did, but I am part of you.”
“So part of you understood,” said Kirk-Kellan, “but none of Jarvis did, so you win. I like when we win. Winning is good.”
“That’s why my Ordered power couldn’t heal Mircalla. It wasn’t like when I jump started her womb. That was actually giving life back to part of her anatomy. What she needs is a Universal power infusion. Vulcan-Kellan, you are a genius!”
The Vulcan arched an eyebrow, “A statement which merely confirms the obvious, is both pointless and unnecessary, Kellan.”
“Uh, great,” said the Sentinel, then clapped his hands tougher, “Ok, my fine green-blooded friend, how do I infuse Mircalla with Universal energy.”
Vulcan-Kellan had removed the vintage 1960s tricorder from his belt and had begun turning various knobs. He looked up, “Hmmm, oh, no idea. I just figure out what to do. How you accomplish what I’ve explained needs to be done is an entirely different skill set.”
“Dude, seriously, that is ridic—”
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