Until Dawn: Last Light

by Simas, Jennifer Nicole

  My mouth hung open. I rounded the table, trying to get a better look. I had to see it to believe it. That woman, she looked so much like – but it couldn’t be. Long brown hair was held in a neat braid, ribbon woven through the fine locks. She stood just a smidge shorter than me, skin far fairer than mine. Her teal-blue eyes were glued to the table. I reached out to touch her before Alec pulled me away.

  Someone was coming.

  Footfalls echoed throughout the corridor, leather boots landing heavy on the stone floor as they approached the great hall.

  A man, Baldric I assumed, barged through the doors. Black hair flowed freely over the thick chain metal, a helmet tucked under his left arm. Two armed guards within the room hastily drew their weapons, stepping in front of him.

  The General held up a stiff finger, scowling at them. “Stand down, soldiers,” he ordered.

  To anyone else, they probably would’ve held their ground, but not to the General, not to one of the Chosen. “Our apologies, General,” one of the guards muttered. Both men bowed their heads and retreated to their assigned posts, sweat forming across their foreheads.

  “If it were up to me, I would have you both executed for your insolence,” he growled, proceeding into the room as if he owned it. Maybe he did.

  “He was not always like that,” present day William said solemnly. “He was once a kind natured man, strong and brave. He was the King’s most trusted advisor. At some point, all of that changed. Some say that he lost his mind the day Jocelyn chose Edward over him. Something broke in Baldric on that day, something that could not be repaired.”

  “Tell me I have not heard true!” Baldric roared.

  The taller of the men stood erect, his back to the General. “I suggest you hold your tongue, Baldric. I will not tolerate that temper of yours.”

  Baldric’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists at his side. “We are of the same kind, you and I, Edward,” he hissed. “Must I now call you ‘My Liege’ and be forced to humbly request an audience with you?”

  “What is it that you want, Baldric? After all, it was of your own free will that you chose to miss this meeting,” my twin said, keeping her eyes locked to the tabletop.

  “We all knew what he wanted,”our William whispered, stepping around Baldric. “He desired domination and, most of all, he still desired her. Perhaps that was why Edward came to despise him so. No one was safe from jealousy, not even God’s Chosen.”

  “You are rejecting my proposal – again?”

  Eleventh-century William turned to face the guards at the door. “We need a moment alone. You are excused.”

  They obeyed, exiting the room. It wasn’t like the Chosen needed protection. The guards were just a formality. Anyone who entered the room that didn’t belong there would be sealing their own fate.

  When the doors closed, Baldric continued. “Edward, this proposal–”

  “Baldric,” a shorter man interrupted, “that is quite enough. How many times must we have this conversation with you? Our patience has run dry.”

  “But we clearly have the advantage, Damon. My troops, they are prepared, they are strong enough. We are strong enough. There is no time for delay. We must act now.” He slammed his fist into the table.

  “General,” the petite redhead spoke softly, her voice like music. I saw the longing flash over both William’s eyes. Adele. “I have full confidence in your troops; you have trained them well. This is not merely about the competence of your men. It is about our destiny, our mission on this Earth. We cannot become what we fight so hard to destroy.”

  “Do not baby him, Adele. It is a fool’s plan,” the taller of the women hissed. “I refuse to take part in overthrowing our bordering nations.”

  “Amalia speaks truth,” Damon said, nodding in agreement. “We cannot risk destroying the alliances that we have spent years building.”

  Baldric made a feeble attempt to restrain his rage. “You – how are you so sure that this is not our destiny? God has given us powerful skills, my friends. The greater crime would be to ignore such gifts. God has bestowed us with this kingdom so that we might come to rule it. We have been created for greatness.”

  Jocelyn took a step toward Baldric before Edward grabbed her hand, pulling her back into his arms. It was a subtle move that didn’t go unnoticed. The General growled.

  “I strongly suggest that you drop this matter at once, General, and remember who and what you are. There is no room in this kingdom for greed.”

  Her words only fueled the fire.

  “How dare you!” he raged. “This kingdom deserves someone that can lead them to greatness. I am that man!”

  “Are you insinuating that you should be King?” William asked, walking around the table toward him.

  “These people are nothing without me. Nothing! King Arthur is not fit to rule.”

  “Enough,” Edward shouted, his voice echoing in the rafters. “That is grounds for treason, or have you forgotten the law? Remember your place here.”

  Everything became a blur, seven bodies moving with such speed. Baldric unsheathed his sword and charged. Before his could swipe his blade at Edward’s throat, the others were on him, Damon and William restraining his flailing arms.

  “Guards,” Amalia called. The two men returned to the room with swords drawn. “See to it that the King knows of the General’s betrayal. He is to be banished from the kingdom and is to never set foot behind its walls again.”

  “Y-yes, My Lady,” the elder of the two guards stuttered, surprised and rightfully so. Something told me the warriors were the most revered members of the kingdom, aside from the King himself, that is. For them to banish one of their own kind, one of God’s Chosen, would have been unthinkable.

  “You will regret this!” he howled. “You have not seen the last of me!” Baldric’s voice echoed against stonewalls as Damon, William and the two guards dragged him out of the room and down the narrow corridor.

  “Do you think he will return?” Adele asked, sheathing her blade.

  “Yes,” Jocelyn breathed. “He is not one to accept defeat. None of us are.”

  The great hall and everything in it dissolved around us until we stood in the cramped hotel living room once more.

  “The great war began three days later,” William said, head held low. “He corrupted our army, turning them against us. He convinced them that we had betrayed the King, the people, and God Himself. Those that could manage the weight of a blade were summoned to fight, but there were not many. We knew the odds; a few hundred versus thousands. It was certain death.” He shook his head.

  “I still remember the last thing Edward said to me before he rode off to meet the Creator. ‘It has been a great honor serving with you, my friend. We have seen many battles together, but I fear this will be our last.’ The battle raged for nearly a week without an end in sight. On the fifth night, the sound of blade clashing against blade faded in the wind. Bodies collapsed to the ground from both death and exhaustion.

  “Some say that it was the General who stole Jocelyn’s last breath, screaming that if he could not have her, no one would. I suppose we will never know the truth. On the sixth day, a thick fog settled across the land, blanketing the thousands laid to rest. The smell of rotting flesh has stayed with me ever since, an ever-present reminder of death and betrayal.

  “The great war all but destroyed the kingdom. The General had wiped clean any proof of our existence from history, along with King Arthur and his people. It was as if nothing had ever happened. It was not for another three hundred years that someone stumbled across the land and, by then, everything had been picked up by animals or turned to dust. We became nothing more than a legend.”

  “And what of the General?” Annie asked him.

  “He was last seen crawling into the forest, being swallowed up by the darkness of his heart.”

  “Is that when he became one of the bloodsuckers?” Jade spat out the word, as if it didn’t taste right in her mout
h.

  “Yes. The shadow people said that he made a deal with the Devil. In exchange for the souls of those that he condemned to a life unliving, he’d receive a power unimaginable, a power far greater than our own. The legend of the vampire was born on that day. While we are fast, he is faster. While we are strong, he is stronger. While we have one gift, he has many. He is the strongest of his kind because he is also of ours. He is a deadly combination of both God and the Devil’s power in one creature.

  “Since that day, his army has grown by thousands, beast and creatures of all sorts joining his ranks. He calls them his legion, for they are many. They have festered in the shadows, waiting for their moment. The vampires do not need blood to survive, but it strengthens them. And they can walk in daylight like you and me, but the night gives them great power. When the world is consumed with darkness, they will reign superior.”

  The hotel door swung open and everyone was on their feet, weapons drawn. Tony’s eyes grew two sizes bigger. “Um, hey guys. Did I miss the party?”

  Chapter Nine

  I wasn’t sure what time it was. Gray and black clouds darkened the sky, blocking out the moon in all of its glory. It could’ve easily been the sun for all I knew. I sat at the foot of the bed, listening to the sound of rain flooding the streets, staring blankly at the dew-covered window.

  Zoë. A sweet feminine voice echoed in my head. Are you awake? Let me in, please. Josh is here.

  I headed over to the door and flipped the lock. Annie cracked it open, peeking in at me. She flashed a grateful smile and stepped into the room. She was still so innocent, so human. I liked that about her and yet, I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

  “You know, that’s kind of creepy,” I told her. Before I could close the door, Jade slipped past my defenses. As if I wasn’t already having a shitty night. Day? Whatever.

  Without a word, Jade pushed me toward the mirrored closet doors and began playing with my hair. Nails, painted with chipped black polish, brushed through my long locks. She tugged at my clothes, adjusting my shirt, lifting my breast to create more cleavage.

  I swatted at her hands. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  We’re helping.

  “That’s it,” I said, turning to face Annie where she sat on the bed. “If we’re going to get along, you’ve seriously got to stop that. I’ve got enough voices in my head already, I don’t need another one.”

  Annie dropped her head. “Sorry. It’s still new to me.”

  “Now, what’s this all about?” I asked, looking back and forth between the two women.

  “That friend of yours, Josh, he brought his girlfriend with him.”

  “She looks like a freaking Barbie. Damn blonde bimbo,” Jade grumbled, resuming her primping and priming, applying eye shadow to my lids and gloss to my lips.

  While I appreciated her choice in words, I was a little more than confused. “What does that have to do with how I look?”

  Jade glared at me. “You’re wearing a pair of dirty jeans and a see-through shirt. Should I go on?”

  I looked down. She was right. My black bra was almost completely visible through the camisole. I crossed my arms over my chest. The day-night just kept getting better.

  “Here, put these on,” she said, throwing me a pair of low-rise cargo pants and a black tank top. “The pants were in your bag, but the shirt’s mine. It’s not Emmy-worthy, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the shit you packed.” I shot her a look but did as she said. Like William, I assumed Jade wasn’t one who liked repeating herself. Plus, I figured if I didn’t comply, she’d just dress me herself.

  It wasn’t like I didn’t normally take care of myself. But, when I was rushing to get out of my apartment, I wasn’t thinking about makeup kits and hair straighteners. I was more concerned with getting Josh and I to safety and figuring out my next move.

  Jade stepped out of the way when she was finished with me, letting me see the finished result in the mirror. My hair hung perfectly over my back, gold shadow highlighting my uniquely colored eyes. The shirt was a little tight on me, but I figured it was supposed to be. It was cut too low on the top and too short on the bottom; my hipbones peeked out from the rim of my pants. I looked like a Laura Croft wannabe; the black markings on my skin didn’t help anything. I tried to pull the shirt up just a tiny bit but Jade slapped my hand. I thought I heard Annie snicker behind me.

  I rolled my eyes. “You guys are going to Hell for this,” I said as I exited the bedroom.

  “We’ll see you there,” Jade sneered. Annie looked truly terrified at the thought. She had a lot to learn.

  Ryuu and William were nowhere to be found. Tony was sitting in front of the TV watching the Late Show with David Letterman. Well, that answered my question of what time it was.

  Alec and Josh sat calmly at the kitchen table, engaging in small talk. A woman stood behind Josh, her arms draped over his broad shoulders. Samantha. I took her in, trying not to focus too much on how to kill her. She suited Josh in all of his flawlessness. She was tall, about Jade’s height, golden blonde hair falling in loose curls around her shoulders. Her eyes were blue, darker than mine, more generic. She wore a pair of red shoes, skinny jeans and a blouse that hung low in the back, revealing her smooth ivory skin and well-structured shoulder blades. Even during the end of the world, she managed to look perfect.

  I was curious how I compared. Her body wasn’t much different from mine, aside from her obviously larger breasts, which I attributed to a heavily padded push up bra. I came to the hasty conclusion that she was a bottled blonde – and that I didn’t like her.

  When I stepped into view, Alec and Josh scrambled to their feet. I’d never admit it to her face, but Jade did good. The woman I assumed was Samantha looked up at me and scowled. I wondered if I intimidated her. I hoped so. She straightened up and took a step in my direction.

  “Oh, you must be Zoë, the girl my Josh talks about all the time.” She added extra emphasis to the “my”. Samantha looked me up and down. “Hm. Well, I’m not so worried now.”

  “You should be,” Jade said under her breath as she entered the room.

  “What was that?” Samantha snapped.

  “I said, you should be a model, sweetie,” Jade replied without missing a beat. There was so much sincerity in her voice, anyone who didn’t know her would’ve fallen victim. Hell, I probably would have. She’d mastered a higher level of sarcasm that few could.

  “Oh,” Samantha’s cheeks turned bright pink. She giggled girlishly. “Thank you. Why would you suggest that?” She asked, fishing for compliments. She ran five perfectly manicured fingers through her dyed locks, propping her left hand on her narrow hip. It was like watching a train wreck. The poor girl didn’t even see it coming.

  Jade shrugged. “You just have that ‘I-throw-up-after-I-eat’ look.” She flashed Samantha a wicked grin before turning on her heels and heading back into the bedroom. I was liking Jade more and more. She had outstanding people skills.

  While Samantha released a how-dare-she huff, Alec positioned himself behind me. He ran his hands along my bare arms, down to my fingertips. “You look stunning.” He bent over my shoulder and kissed the soft skin under my jawbone. I couldn’t help but tremble at his touch. He had that effect on me sometimes.

  Josh cleared his throat.

  “I’m so glad you came back,” I said, retreating from Alec’s embrace. I coiled my arms around Josh’s neck, burrowing my face in his firm chest. It was so warm. I set my chin on his shoulder, watching Samantha squirm as I ran my fingers through the back of his tousled hair. I smiled when goose bumps traced the surface of his skin. “I’ll protect you,” I promised. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my neck. “Always.”

  Alec and Samantha cleared their throats and I pulled away from him. It looked like it was going to be an interesting night.

  “Sam,” Josh said, turning to his irritated girlfriend, “this is Zoë. Zoë, Sam.”

  Barbie no
dded with little enthusiasm. “Nice tattoos,” she sneered.

  A moment of awkward silence marked the theme for the remainder of the night.

  –

  Annie accepted the role of entertaining Sam. I felt bad for her, but she was more than willing to be “Barbie-sitter,” as Jade so eloquently put it. She found some sort of reality fashion show playing on the TV that grabbed Samantha’s attention. Jade was sitting on the patio, smoking her second cigarette and staring absently into the darkness while Tony shamelessly flirted with her. I didn’t think he realized that he was playing with fire. Josh was far too busy bickering with Alec to pay attention to his girlfriend, let alone me. They discussed anything and everything that could possibly end in an argument.

  I watched the minute hand round the clock on the wall, counting down until the end of the world. Five minutes to two, I’d had enough. I left without a word and headed into the empty bedroom. Before I even had a chance to sit down, someone tapped on the door.

  “Who is it?” I called.

  Alec walked into the room without answering. I was surprised he’d even knocked to begin with. He shut the door behind him, leaving the bedroom lights off. I was grateful for that.

  “What are you doing in here?” he asked.

  “I just needed to get away,” I said, keeping my eyes glued to the floor. “I’ll be back out in a little while.”

  Alec didn’t leave like I’d expected. Instead, he walked over to the nightstand and flipped on the old, dusty radio. He moved closer to me, wrapping his hand around my wrist and twirling me into his arms. We swayed back and forth, the heat rushing through me as he lowered his head, his lips grazing my earlobe.

  “What are you doing,” I breathed.

  “I thought we’d share one last dance before the music ends,” he whispered, brushing stray hairs from my face. I sighed as he pressed his lips to mine.