by Brian Carmen
The Soulem she had just killed was Edvin. Nia could instantly feel something inside Lauren shatter. Nia’s own heart felt like stone as the tears began to swell into her eyes. Her mouth opened however Nia didn’t know what she could say to Lauren who was obviously heartbroken.
“He was a monster, not the man I loved” Lauren said in a shaky voice as the tears fell from her eyes.
The impact was instant as they all saw how intense it was for her. Despite how Lauren acted, Nia knew the truth. Edvin had been her light and the love of her life. Nia was able to feel it inside of Lauren as she tried reaching out to her. Lauren however took a step back as she stared at them all.
“I need to go somewhere. I need to get some new clothes” Lauren choked out before she slowly started walking away. She left the rest of them stunned as they tried to sort everything out.
“She really loved him” Venus said slowly as they watched Lauren leave.
The city had gone through hell and back and it seemed like everyone had been force to pay a price. None of them knew what they could have said to Lauren at the moment. It seemed best to just let her walk away. Once she was out of sight, Nia allowed herself to fall to her knees. She broke down and began crying as guilt filled her up. Lauren’s light was gone forever and she had been the one that had stolen it.
The others began taking inventory of everything that was lost. It wasn’t the property they were inventorying but the people. They looked around the destroyed city and lamented over the people that were dead all around them. Victor stood silently by Nia for over an hour as she cried into her hands. Rain began falling on Loc Moines as the dome’s internal system restored itself.
Fires were starting to go out however shots could still be heard in the distance. It seemed the Keepers had begun looking for the remaining Soulem. The water began washing away the dust and blood that seemed everywhere. Time seemed to stop as Nia ignored the blanket that was placed over her. Finally the rain ended however Nia’s tears continued to fall.
She couldn’t remember Victor helping her to one of the temporary shelters. Everything around her seemed to be moving faster than her brain could process. They watched in silent as the Keepers walked passed. They had been ordered to start gathering the remains of the dead. Everything just seemed cold, quiet, and dark as the Volstirs gathered together in one of the few buildings that were left.
All round Nia and Victor were Volstirs that were left shattered. Medical teams had begun passing out blood for them to drink. They were all probably low and would need to feed. Nia however didn’t take any, instead she closed her eyes. Claire, Yomiri, her maker, and Edvin had all been killed in the fighting.
Edvin had been the hardest death for Nia to accept. In her dreams she was able to see Lauren walking around. Nia could feel her own guilt for not turning Edvin when she had the chance. The both felt the emptiness as Lauren lamented over her loss. It was all gone as Lauren tried to think of something would keep her world together.
Nia woke hours later as Venus and Ebony appeared. Shortly after the fighting stopped, they had both vanished. They had apparently been able to secure a room for all of them to share. Over forty five businesses and houses had been destroyed. Five hundred Volstir and Sanguine had been murdered, including Jason.
They had found his remains inside the rubble that had once been his house. He was just another casualty as Nia followed her sisters. She was taken to a room that had three beds however a fourth was being brought in. There wasn’t much room but it didn’t matter because they had lost everything.
Venus forced Nia to drink some blood. The taste wasn’t enjoyable, it was metallic and bitter. The next three days passed with Nia in a daze of guilt. Lauren hadn’t returned to Loc Moines however many Volstirs had started to arrive. All around them could hear Thereon Solbid’s words of encouragement to the citizens. It sounded hollow despite the rebuilding efforts.
Help had come from neighboring cities however most just wanted to see if the rumors were true. The council was apparently furious with Thereon and there were talks of his removal. It was Nia’s only comfort as she sat on her bed and looked out the windows. The others had been kind enough to leave her alone. The days were bad but nothing compared to when she was asleep.
Nightmares were constantly plaguing Nia as she thought about Lauren. She imagined her sister walking around Las Vegas looking as though she were broken. Other times Nia saw flashes of the fifth man talking to Lauren while surrounded in darkness. Those were the more bearable nightmares. The worst involved Lauren hunting down Andrew in order to take his life.
“You’re not the only one who felt the need to leave Loc Moines” a cold deep voice said from within Nia’s head.
“What did you lose?” Lauren’s voice responded in a similar cold tone.
Nia started looking around for the source of the voices. She checked herself to see if perhaps she were dreaming. Confirming that she was awake, Nia felt the connection with Lauren. They were linked through Lauren’s broken light as Nia closed her eyes and listened. Nia needed to find Lauren so she could apologies and try to make amends.
“Do you know why Edvin was taken in the first place?” The man asked Lauren as Nia struggled to see what he looked like.
She could hear everything as though they were standing in her room. Unfortunately, all Nia was able to see was the inside of her eyes. The man began explaining to Lauren that Nia was to blame. He was telling her everything as Nia felt the tears return. Finally she was forced to open her eyes as the connection was lost.
Leaving the room, Nia tried ignoring everything she had heard. It was her fault that the Soulem had attacked Loc Moines. En, Olivia, Claire, and Edvin had also been taken because of her. She had thought Thereon Solbid was to blame however everything suggested that he was innocent. Nia looked at the broken cobblestone roads and the many Volstirs that were trying to repair the damage.
Reaching into the pocket of the same dirty jeans she’d been wearing; Nia pulled out the stone. A desire to throw the rock away and run began to cross her mind. She could leave everything and everyone behind and just disappear. The idea was tempting however Nia squeezed the stone before putting it back. Nia wished that she could be the type of person that could run away.
It wasn’t in her nature unfortunately. Instead she would have to continue moving forwards. People were still counting on her to save them. Nia looked into a cracked window and saw three images. They looked like ghosts and in some way they were. Three dead Soulems that had been killed in the last month. All of them victims in the same twisted plot.
It was ironic since that was the only connection they shared. They never even met each other and yet they were strongly connected. Nia knew that she would have to continue fighting for them. She was similar to Loc Moines in the sense that being broken was enough to keep them down. They would rebuild and be more prepared for events such as this.
Nia closed her eyes and allowed the ghosts of her guilt to fade. When she opened them, she decided to help with the reconstruction effort. Victor and the others found her and mentioned that they had a secret for her. Nia was interested however knew that it would have to wait. Right now, there was a lot of work that had to be done.
Chapter Fifteen: Cold Vengeance
A week past as Loc Moines began trying to recover from the damages the Soulem had caused. Thereon Solbid was still trying to help reassure the citizen however he seemed to have gone into isolation. The council was furious over his failure to keep Loc Moines’ safe. The Execution Royal was pushed back another week which confused many. It seemed that Thereon wanted to use it as proof that Loc Moines would continue.
Lauren was nowhere to be found as Nia and the others tried looking for her. Nia wanted to apologize to Lauren and find some way to help her. Unfortunately, they still needed to search for En and the others. Without any information they decided to try and work on rebuilding the shop. Venus and Ebony had apparently built a storage area for weapons they had collecte
d.
The Keepers had almost no luck in retrieving the weapons that had gone missing during the fight. It was estimated that seven rifles and ten pistols had vanished from the area. They were also missing more than two hundred rounds though this was even harder to prove. During the final hours of the fighting, Venus and Ebony had gone to collect the weapons and the ammunition.
They had the foresight to know that the Soulem attack was only the beginning. Nia felt ashamed that they were forced to gather the useful weapons on their own. Both had assured her that it hadn’t been any trouble for them. It didn’t matter however as Nia decided to get out of the remains of Loc Moines. The city looked crippled however the people that called it home were determined to rebuild.
Nia stood on the top of a large skyscraper several miles above Loc Moines. She looked out and thought about En as she tried to connect with him. Nia knew he was still alive but that didn’t make his disappearance any easier. She hadn’t fed in several days and it was starting to take its toll on her. Deep down, Nia wanted to suffer the lives she touched recently only ended up dying because of her.
The lights in the street moved around like lasers as she imagined Andrew among them. It was more important than ever to try and hold onto her hope. The thought only brought her a slight comfort now as Nia thought about Lauren. The nightmares hadn’t lessened in the days after she’d killed Edvin. During the night the image had replayed itself endless times.
She could almost feel the pain of a heart breaking and knowing that it would never be able to heal. Opening her eyes she found the tears had returned once again. They never seemed to stop lately as she fought with herself. Nia had tried forgiving herself but it seemed impossible. She needed Lauren to forgive her first.
“Olivia where are you?” Nia asked out loud as she wondered why someone that could see the future hadn’t warned her.
Why wasn’t she told that Nia would end up causing her sister an endless amount of pain? Nia couldn’t help but think about what Lauren had said to her. She had only come to Loc Moines because Olivia had asked her. She couldn’t help but wonder if Olivia knew that all of this would happen. Nia turned around as she heard footsteps behind her, it was Lauren.
Her clothes were dirty and hadn’t been changed since the day Edvin died. Her hair was a tangled mess and her face had the stains of many tears both old and fresh on them. Lauren looked exactly how Nia felt. Hatred mixed with unbearable sadness was all Nia could felt from her. It was obvious that she had been waiting for Nia to come look for her.
“Are you happy?” she asked coldly but there was something stronger in her tone that Nia was able to pick up on.
Her entire mental image of herself had been destroyed. Each day went by with every thought focused on the happiness that was now gone. Nia had turned Lauren into a Misery; a Volstir that had lost their light. She had become consumed with the endless darkness that was left.
“Lauren I’m” Nia began however she was interrupted by Lauren’s harsh words as she yelled at her to shut up.
The tears began flowing from Lauren’s eyes as she took a step towards her Nia. “I know you all hated me. I know what you all said behind my back. I’ve always been different from the rest of you. None of you knew why Olivia would have turned me. She told me to be proud of who I am and to focus on my happiness.” Lauren said a she struggled through the tears; Nia simply listened.
“She told me not to care what you all think. I was so damn close but you bitches really hated me so much. You really wanted to destroy me?” Lauren yelled as she tried wiping the tears from her eyes. “What did I do to you to deserve this?” Lauren asked as Nia began shaking her head with her own tears in her eyes.
Nia tried to explain that none of what happened was done with the intent to hurt her. Lauren however wasn’t listening; she was too far gone. Nia started to feel the temperature around her drop. Nia hadn’t expected Lauren’s ability to be strong enough to make the air freeze. Nia only had a small window to act as ice froze over Lauren’s right arm; creating an icicle blade.
Lauren lunged towards Nia with the intent of slicing her head from her body. Nia was quick enough to duck as she moved away from the ledge. Nia pulled out her gun and aimed it at Lauren. She hoped that it would be enough to stop Lauren’s murderous intent. Nia didn’t think that she would be able to pull the trigger.
The gun was aimed however it didn’t stop Lauren, she wasn’t afraid to die. She continued her charge as she tried to stab Nia’s heart. It was obvious that she knew Nia was bluffing. Nia couldn’t shoot Lauren so instead she grabbed the handle of the gun. Moving to the right she pistol slapped Lauren as a tooth was sent flying from her mouth.
Lauren stopped however it wasn’t because of Nia’s blow. Slowly Nia looked down at what was currently inside her stomach. She could feel her insides begin to freeze as Nia looked into Lauren‘s eyes. It felt as though a million tiny needles had found their way inside Nia’s stomach.
The gun fell from Nia’s hand as Lauren smiled at her pain. Nia pulled herself free from Lauren’s blade. Nia fell to the ground; helpless as her sister looked down at her with pure hatred. It was obvious that Lauren was enjoying her revenge. Nia couldn’t blame her because she might have done the same if Andrew had been killed.
“I’m sorry” Nia whispered as her muscles continued to freeze.
Lauren ignored her and as she bent over and picked up the gun. She started looking it over and began staring at it. Lauren seemed interested in the design of the pistol. Turning it over and pulling out a round, she began examining it. Lauren put the round back in the pistol before turning her attention towards Nia again.
“This is like the one that took Edvin from me isn’t it? I should use it to kill you” Lauren said coldly as she aimed the pistol at Nia.
Slowly Lauren started to squeeze the trigger. Nia thought about Andrew but even that was not enough. She looked at Lauren without fear. Nia desperately wanted to be with Andrew however she didn’t deserve it. Seeing Lauren proved that it would be impossible to forgive and forget.
Nia closed her eyes for a moment and waited for the sound of the gun. She wondered for a brief moment if dying was going to hurt. That thought was quickly wiped away as Nia opened her eyes. Lauren had vanished and had left her alive. Nia stood up as she looked down at her injuries.
It was difficult to breathe as Nia struggled to return to Loc Moines. The ice seemed to have an effect on her body. Her body should have healed quickly however it seemed hindered. It took a long time before her body was able to heal enough so that she could breathe normally. The ice had somehow resisted melting as it continuously damaged her.
She was happy to make it back to the motel as she lay down on the bed. Nia would have to feed in order to fully heal. Fresh blood helped increase the healing process. Nia was relieved when Venus and the others returned. They were surprised to see the condition she was in.
Venus brought Nia some blood as she explained the encounter to them. It was difficult however Nia had to tell them. Venus and Victor were particularly upset with what Lauren had said. Ebony however shrugged it off and said that it was true except the part about murdering Edvin on purpose. She didn’t seem concerned about what they were going to have to do.
“If Olivia were here she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot that crazy bitch” Ebony said harshly as Nia shook her head.
“You didn’t see her the way I did. I don‘t think Olivia would want to kill her; she‘d want to help Lauren” Nia tried to explain however it was useless.
Ebony began loading the M9 she had started carrying. Nia watched as she started loading up her gun. It was obvious that Ebony didn’t understand the situation. The room was tense for a couple minutes until Venus got up and began looking at her laptop. Venus had bought it a few days earlier.
“Camden dropped by and gave us something useful” Venus explained as she began to fill Nia on everything that had happened.
Camden had a daughter that worked inside the R
egistration Building. Nia hadn’t known that it had been the girl she met inside the building. Camden explained to her what was going on and she managed to download several terabytes of information for them. She wasn’t trying to betray the Council so didn’t look at any of the files that she downloaded. It would be Venus’ job to go through each file and try to dig up anything important.
Camden’s daughter was named Abbey and she had been born a Sanguine. Loc Moines had been her home for more than twenty six years. Nia was surprised to discover that she worked at the information’s branch within the Registration Building. Venus explained that because of the attacks, she was able to steal the data quite easily.
“I’ve looked through over a hundred files already. Did you know Las Vegas has all of its camera’s monitored? Loc Moines monitors and erases anything that could reveal our existence.” Venus said excitedly.
Venus began showing them other files that she believed were useful for their search. Nia and Victor both tried helping Venus sort through the information. They quickly discovered that there was a lot, it seemed impossible to filter through it all. Three hours past by quickly before Venus finally said she’d found something useful.
Nia was starting to suspect that Venus might have a different definition on what ’useful’ meant. Victor was currently reviewing his sixth notebook of useful information that Venus had collected. This time however Venus assured both of them that some of the pieces were finally revealing something. She started highlighting things that were on the pages while Victor stepped out of the room.
“Someone inside the Sanguine Facility is helping create Soulem” Venus declared as she tossed two of the notebooks at Nia.
She was surprised by Venus’ statement as Victor reentered the room. He brought with them several bottles of blood from the first floor diner. Venus began showing them several documents regarding people entering the city. Nia was unable to figure out what it meant however Venus seemed to understand.