by David Page
“Richard,” she moaned.
He blinked, sheathed his sword. “What has happened to you?” He crossed to her bedside and looked into her eyes. Hollow as they were, there was still life there.
“Richard, do not fear me.” She reached for him and he instinctively recoiled. She leaned back and sobbed softly.
He was not afraid so much as repulsed, but perhaps it was better if she thought that the former were true. He wondered what could have caused her to wither, and then a frightening thought entered his mind. What if this was her true form? He swallowed and did his best to hide his shock. No, it could not be so.
“I am sorry, my love. Tell me what happened.” He took her hand. It felt like old parchment. He resisted the urge to pull away and smiled instead.
“I drank the blood of a plagued peasant.”
Richard frowned. “I thought you were immune to such things.” He had no idea how someone as powerful as she could be harmed by the plague.
Her cracked lips turned up in a weak smile. “As did I, alas, this blood has cursed me and my body cannot defeat it. I am dying, Richard.”
The love in her eyes shone clear and bright. It reflected against his own feelings as they surged to the surface, filling him with warmth. He loved her, needed her and knew in that moment he would do anything to help her survive and regain her youth and beauty, even if it meant allowing her to drink from his veins. Especially, if… He shivered at the remembered ecstasy of giving her his blood and forced himself to meet her gaze.
“What must I do?”
She hesitated, fear clouding her weathered features. The warmth faded from her eyes and from Richard’s heart as if she had sucked his feelings from him with a look. He gasped and bit back tears.
“What have you done?”
“I must say good-bye to you, my love.”
“What?” He squeezed her hand tightly. “No, Colette. I cannot lose you!” He dropped to his knees as tears filled his eyes.
She patted his arm gently. “You cannot save me. I am lost.” A hint of doubt remained in her voice and Richard knew she was lying to him, as surely as he knew that he loved her.
“That is not true, is it?” His pulse raced. “What are you protecting me from?”
She closed her eyes and did not answer.
He leaned down and kissed her hand. Her eyes snapped open and he looked into their depths. The soul he loved stared back at him. “If there is a way to save you, then you must tell me! Please!”
She stared at him for several minutes and finally sighed. “Thank you, Richard, for loving me.”
He smiled. “I do love you, Colette. I do not understand it, but it is true and I must therefore obey it. Tell me… what must I do to save you?”
A look of doubt passed over her face. “There is a creature, like me, a day’s journey from here. He is old; far older than I. He will know what to do.”
“What does this man, this creature, call himself and where can I find him?”
“Wait.” She squeezed his arm, her grip a weak imitation of what it had been, but still stronger than a man’s.
“Tell me.” He did not fight her grasp.
“His name is Percival. He lives in a forgotten tower at the edge of a dark forest by the sea, to the east.”
Richard arched one eyebrow at the name. “Surely, a man named after one of King Arthur’s knights will help us.”
Colette looked down. “Perhaps that was once true, but he is now a creature of little virtue. He lives alone, kills whomever he chooses and cloaks himself in a veil of darkness that few have ever seen through, and fewer have lived to describe. He is hateful of men and does not tolerate trespassers. Even if he allows you to find him, and does not then kill you outright, there is but a slim chance he will come to my aid.”
Richard’s chest tightened. If Colette was afraid of this creature, then he must truly be formidable. He exhaled slowly, mastering his fear. If this was the only way he could save her, then he was honor bound to try.
“I will go.”
“Richard, if I lose you… I will die.”
“Perhaps you will recover either way.” He knew that she had not meant from the sickness that ravaged her body.
"I cannot bear to lose another love, Richard. Not after waiting so long to find you."
"I will find this Percival and convince him to help you." Richard caressed her face gently.
"You are both noble and virtuous, as a knight should be." She sobbed again.
"I will save you. I swear it." He kissed her hand.
Colette pointed to a small box on the floor to the left of the door. "Take that box. It contains something that may aid you in this quest." She held up her free hand. "But please do not open it in my presence, now or ever. It could cause me harm that I cannot heal in my weakened state." She pushed his hand away. "Take it and go."
Richard backed away, wondering what could be in the box that could assist him but that Colette feared. Colette blinked, her eyes still pouring into his. He knew in that moment that he was lost to a love so deep as to be boundless. He belonged to her.
"Go, brave sir knight." She smiled weakly.
Richard nodded, took the small box and fled. He paused to look back from the forest's edge, but the hovel had gone dark again. Slowly, he opened the box and discovered a silver cross on a chain lying within. It glinted dully in the starlight as he removed it and held it before his eyes.
“Richard?”
26
"Richard?" Beth propped him back up against the inside of the van.
He blinked twice as he saw the same silver cross hanging from her neck. "Your cross…Beth."
The van shook as it hit a pothole. Fiery pain shot through Richard’s wound jarring him from his question. Blood seeped into the cotton of his shirt. He clenched his teeth and gripped the bench tightly.
“What about my cross?” Beth asked.
"Where am I taking this wagon?" Dan asked, interrupting them.
Beth frowned. “At the top of First Hill, go north on Broadway."
“No. We’re heading to the Pioneer Square Precinct,” Ray countered. “Turn around.”
“We don’t have time for the proper channels, Ray,” Beth argued.
“I’m not going to argue with you.” Ray drew his pistol in one smooth motion and aimed it at Dan. “Turn around.”
“Ray, listen to me….” Beth’s hand dropped to her own weapon tucked neatly into her waistband, though Richard doubted she would ever fire on a police officer.
“You’re smarter than this, Beth.” Ray pulled back the hammer. “What do you think would happen if even one vampire got its abilities back in full?”
“Justice would be served.”
“You mean chaos.” Ray pressed his weapon closer to Dan. “Do as I say. Turn back to Pioneer Square.”
“Beth?” Dan’s voice shook with fear.
“Easy Dan, keep driving.”
“Please, do not fight on my account.”
“Shut up, Richard.” Beth let her hand fall away from the pistol. “Richard’s been poisoned. He’s only got twenty-four hours left.”
“Then we’ll have the Department hand over their antidote and the temptation of lost power won’t be an issue,” Ray declared. “Now, turn around.”
Dan continued to drive away from Pioneer Square.
“Do you really believe Frederick and his beloved Department have a cure for this poison?” Richard asked, trying to ignore the burning in his stomach. “And even if they do, that would relegate me to the status of second class citizen for all time.”
“What are you saying?” The pistol wavered.
“I might not have my heightened abilities, but I am still immortal. I would rather die than remain in this state forever.” Richard met his friend’s gaze and raised his chin in defiance.
“I don’t want to see you dead, Richard,” Ray’s weapon dipped further.
“Then we must remain at large. There is no chance of me receiv
ing a cure from Frederick. Even if there was one, his hatred of me is far too great to give it to me. My only chance is to find a solution on my own.”
“And he can’t do that if he’s in protective custody,” Beth finished.
“We can bring in our own doc, maybe he could-”
“One who is fully versed in the intricacies of the Department’s virus running through my veins?” Richard asked pointedly.
Ray let his pistol drop against his right thigh. “What do you want me to do?”
Richard glanced out the window and recognized the old brick buildings of First Avenue South. His vision and their subsequent conversation had only lasted a few seconds. The street was empty. The building directly across from the opening was dark and boarded up. It too had sustained quake damage the year before. Part of its brickwork lay on the sidewalk in front of it.
“I want you to trust me,” she replied. “We can help.”
“We?” Richard frowned.
“I’m not alone,” she answered cryptically.
“Dr. Nash wasn’t Radovan, was he?” Richard stared into her eyes.
“No.” Beth smiled weakly. “I made him up… Radovan I mean. I never knew the farce would take off the way it did. I just wanted to do a little to help.”
“So how did Questor get involved?” Ray turned as far as he could within the confines of his seatbelt.
“They found out who I was and told me they could help if I allowed them to use Radovan as a figurehead for their experiments… I thought I could use them. Turns out they were just using me to get to vampires for their experiments.” She looked down. “I swear to you; I didn’t know the others were killed. I thought they had been nabbed by the Department. That’s what Nash told me.”
“That is just as bad,” Richard disagreed.
“I know that now and I’m sorry.” She looked downcast for a moment.
“Okay, boss, where now?” Dan interrupted.
“Just keep driving for now.” Beth refocused on him. “I need to think.”
“Okay.” Dan guided them left onto the little used, cobble stone side street and cut between several old cement warehouses. Heavy rain pelted the windshield as a sudden downpour buffeted the city.
“We can’t just keep driving around,” Ray declared.
“For the love of God,” Beth groaned. “The police can’t help.”
“God…,” Richard muttered. “That’s it.”
“What?”
“The cross,” Richard explained.
“What cross?” Ray blinked.
“It’s the answer.”
"What do you mean?” Beth tilted her head as if it aided in her thought process. “What did you see when you passed out?"
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ray demanded. “Are you having blackouts?”
“Not blackouts exactly.” Beth continued to bore into Richard with her intense eyes. “I’ll explain later. Richard?” She tugged at it gently with her left hand.
“Where did you get the cross?” Richard’s pulse pounded through him. Colette had been on death’s door, just as he was now, yet he knew she was alive out there somewhere. He could feel her even now. The cross was the answer.
“It belonged to my great grandmother.” Beth touched it. “Why?”
“I have seen it before, long ago. It belonged to Colette.” He focused on the pull of distant memory.
“What?” she gasped. “How?”
“Who’s Colette?” Ray asked. “If you guys want my help, you’d damn well better explain!”
“I’m not sure, but I believe it is the key to my forgotten memories,” Richard ignored Ray’s question. “For whatever reason, your cross is the trigger. In my latest vision, something happened that may offer a clue as to how I can save myself from this viral poison.”
Beth slid onto the bench next to him and studied him for a moment. “Then the cross is a medium, connecting you to Colette, wherever she was, is.”
“Yes, and I believe she is trying to help me.” He reached his hand towards her cross.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake! You’re talking about black magic and voodoo!” Ray shook his head. “Come on now.”
“If you can believe in vampires, can you not also believe that an object could act as a psychic conduit between two people?” Richard glanced at Ray and then back to Beth. “There is only one way to find out for certain. May I?”
“Won’t the silver burn you?” Beth’s concern was genuine and it touched Richard that anyone could care so much about what might happen to him.
He swallowed. “Yes, however it will only take a few seconds to have the vision.”
“Are you nuts? You can’t touch silver.” Ray’s sharp tone indicated that his patience was wearing thin. “And what-”
“We don’t have time to explain.” Beth sighed.
“Why did I know you were going to say that.” Ray returned his pistol to his holster. “I’m going to regret this.”
“Thank you. No matter what happens, do not interrupt us,” Richard added.
“Fine.” Ray frowned. “But I want details later.”
Beth nodded. “Agreed.” She held the cross towards Richard. “Here then.”
Richard touched the worn metal. It seared his flesh as if it had just been removed from a forge. The pain lasted only an instant as the world fell away. This time it was different, however. His fingers brushed against Beth’s and he knew that she was falling into the past with him.
27
Richard blinked at his horse where it stood several yards in front of him. Somehow, he had become disoriented in the Dark Wood and ended up walking out at the same point through which he had entered. His chestnut mare stomped her front hoof nervously and flicked her gaze from him to the woods. Turning, Richard studied the path. Huge gnarled oaks rose on either side like pillars in an ancient temple. Their naked branches formed a canopy overhead that managed to shut out much of the daylight, even without their leaves. Skeletal underbrush choked the spaces between those columns making it impossible to travel anywhere but the path.
Twice now he had tried to walk down that path and twice he had ended up outside where he had started. It was daylight and that meant that Percival had to be asleep, much in the way Colette slept through the day. Yet, his power was still active, just as he was apparently still aware of what transpired in his wood. Richard had sensed it each time he stepped onto the trail, a sense of cold dread that sent waves of fear through his body.
Turning back towards the forest, clutched the silver cross hanging from his neck. He had to reach Percival’s tower, had to find the demon and convince him to help them. He raised his cross in front of him. He would not be daunted. As he stepped into the forest for the third time, a chill wind blew through him. He pushed away his desire to run and focused on the ground, bending down and brushing away the dirt. His eyes widened as he uncovered interlocked paving stones in the traditional style of the Romans. Those ancient invaders of Briton had left these shores eight hundred years earlier and the forest had sprung up around whatever had once been there. He wondered if Percival had been there that entire time.
He peered ahead into the murk, but the deeper he looked, the less sunlight filtered through the boughs of the trees, until finally he could see nothing but the black of a false night.
“Leave my wood.” The wind whispered, tickling his mind and causing him to take an involuntary step backwards.
“I cannot. I must save her.” He said aloud, sure that the creature he sought could hear. Colette needed him and he would not fail her. He removed his robe, tossed it back into the clearing, and then tightened his sword belt. He did not draw the weapon, however, knowing that it would be useless. Instead, he held the cross before him and stepped deeper into the wood, leaving his horse and the open land behind. This time he would succeed.
He tread softly, each step bringing him closer to danger and farther from the light. After several minutes, he stopped to look back. His eyes wid
ened as he realized that underbrush had choked the road behind him, making it impossible to see out of the wood and blocking his only escape. He swallowed. Percival had extended him an invitation, now all he had to do was survive long enough to explain his situation. In the near darkness, he could barely see ten feet in front of him. He wished he had brought a torch.
“Come.” The voice drifted past as the breeze shifted, caressing his cheek with icy fingers.
He shivered. With the cross held in front of him like a shield, he continued forwards into the shadows. He strained his ears and realized that he could hear the underbrush closing around the trail behind him, urging him onwards. The darkness before him opened to reveal a small clearing around which a circle of giant stones had been arrayed. More colossal oaks arched inwards forming a natural roof above. In the center of the clearing, a single ray of sunlight shone down offering warmth and protection to whomever could reach it. Somehow, Richard thought to do so would be a difficult or impossible feat.
“You yearn for the light.” The voice was closer this time and no longer part of the wind, though Richard could not see anyone.
“As you yearn for the darkness, Percival.” Richard could feel the creature watching him.
“There is power in names, Richard Saxon.”
Richard blinked. “How did you know?”
“Your mind is as an open book, seeker. You wish me to save the life of your demon lover, Colette.”
“Yes.” A flicker of hope lit within Richard’s heart. The air shifted around him bringing with it the scent of earth. He tried to turn, but iron hands latched onto him from behind, pinning his arms to his side. The cross fell against his chest as he released it. He struggled, but could not move.
Hot, fetid breath touched the back of his neck. “Why do you love a creature such as I? Do you not realize that she must kill you? You are but an insect to us.”