by Carl East
“This is going to be a bit hard to explain but I’d like to introduce you to Morgana,” he said.
They waited silently for him to continue but the words were stuck in James’ throat because he didn’t know what else to say since he had only just met her. He turned his eyes to Morgana who squeezed his hand and cautiously took the lead.
“Hello, I gather you are friends of James. My name is Morgana and I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing aboard this ship. I think I should first let you know that I was being held captive as a member of one of the nine lairs that were trying to hunt you down.”
Hearing her words Johnny and Michael suddenly tensed and looked at each other without speaking. Jenny knowing that they were communicating silently and was worried that they would attack the girl before Morgana had a chance to explain what was going on. Jenny quickly laid a hand on Michael’s arm to draw his attention.
“I’m sure you have a lot more to say, and we will listen to your complete story before we begin to ask questions. You realize that we must be on guard until we can verify that what you are telling us is true?” said Jenny.
Turning her eyes to Johnny and Michael, she hoped that they would give Morgana a chance and seeing them relax their stance, she nodded her head to Morgana to continue.
Morgana smiled her thanks to Jenny and continued, “In my former life I was training to be a witch and was with my sister’s coven in the woods when a vampire stole me away and turned me. I woke up that first night and looked into the eyes of the creature that changed me and learned his name was Damien. When I asked him why, he gave me no reason other than it was his right and bit by bit, I began to discover that he had wanted to turn a witch in the hopes that she could teach him the ways of magic. Unfortunately, for him, I was still in training and although I knew some things, I couldn’t give him the answers he was looking for. He didn’t believe me and at first threatened me. When that didn’t work, he decided to try to seduce me thinking that if I fell in love with him that I would tell him my secrets. But when I showed no interest in his attempts he still kept me close figuring time would do the trick.”
Morgana and Jenny shared a look, then laughed both knowing that men just didn’t get it, and never would. Morgana shook her head and continued.
“I just made a nuisance of myself after that, getting sneakier and bolder with my defiance, figuring eventually he would get tired of it and kick me out. Then all this business started with tracking your group down and getting rid of you so I used the opportunity to plan my escape. I guess Damien figured out what I was doing and had me taken down with the group to the bridge when they decided to ambush you. I wish I could say that I jumped off the bridge to escape them and hopefully join you but in truth I accidently fell off.”
With those words, the men and Jenny turned to each other in shock. So, that’s what she was doing on the boat. Johnny, Michael and Jenny then turned their looks to James and wondered where he came in on all of this. James looked at them and shrugged his shoulders and stood there waiting for their comments but was surprised when they remained silent. Looking down at Morgana, he nodded for her to continue.
“I managed to swim to the ship and grab onto the side of the boat where the anchor was chained and pulled myself up. They saw me get on the ship so Damien knows I’m here with you. I’m sorry to say he’ll be more determined than ever now,” she said.
Looking at James she continued on to give an edited version of being caught in the trap door and James being kind enough to help pull her out. With a snicker from the Guys and Jenny throwing them a sharp look to cut it out, Morgana continued on to the point of their meeting here and now.
The group turned their eyes to Johnny to get his assessment of the situation with James holding on tightly to Morgana’s hand waiting for the verdict. Johnny saw the look in James and Morgana’s eyes and the way they still held on to each other and knew that she wasn’t going to be a threat. Turning his gaze to Jenny, he saw her hopeful all but whining look and knew it was a lost cause when Michael’s eyes mirrored hers. Turning back to Morgana, he nodded his head.
“We ourselves are outcasts, so if you want to stay with us you can. You already know the danger that we face and if you want to throw your hat in with us, so be it.”
With that, James grabbed her close and Jenny ran to embrace her newfound friend. Michael was right behind Jenny patting Morgana on the back and smiling at his friend’s happiness. James deserved to have someone in his life; he just hoped that Johnny would figure out a solution to their problems.
Chapter 28
Damien awoke from the days sleep and pondered the events of the last three months. Now that Morgana was with the outcasts, he knew that the lairs would be hard pressed to track them down now that they were above the vessel. Sure, they could find out where its destination was, but traveling to meet them when they arrived, would mean traveling over territory that may well be controlled by other vampire sects. They would have to try a different approach. Instead of trying to track down Morgana and the others, perhaps he should switch tactics and make her come to him, and he knew just how to do it.
Cassandra and Morgana were sisters, and since the night he had taken her from the coven, he knew that Cassandra had been plotting the destruction of his lair. The only reason she held off this long was that he had Morgana in his possession. Now that she had escaped, it was only a matter of time for Cassandra to find out, in fact, she may already know that Morgana had fled. He couldn’t wait for Cassandra to launch the first attack, he would have to gather the lairs and take the fight to her. They would just have to capture and turn Cassandra; surely, Morgana would know or be aware of what was happening after all she was a witch. Hatching the plan would be easy enough, getting the other lairs to agree and come on board would be another thing. As Damien walked through the doorway, he knew that this would have to be handled delicately.
As the representatives of the lairs began to arrive, Damien had his plan in place and when he began to explain his tactics, he could see skepticism bloom in the eyes of some of the older lair members. He paused, held his hand up and then requested that they hear him out before the discussion began. Damien continued on explaining the bond between the women, that they were sisters and witches of a powerful coven. He detailed how they could utilize the magic of the coven to expand and secure their borders, eliminate the renegades, and perhaps even use the magic to walk in the daylight.
With the talk of walking once again in the daylight, he knew that he had whetted their appetites. There wasn’t a vampire alive, or should he say dead, that didn’t want their cake and eat it too. Just because they were vampires, didn’t mean that their human nature had changed. They were a greedy and proud lot and wanted it all. Heads began to nod in agreement, others offered suggestions and they began to work on a plan that would force the witches into giving and teaching them about the magic to save their own mortal lives. A bunch of women praying in the woods, talking of the Mother Goddess, and brewing their herbs and potions, if that’s all the use they had for magic they could just hand it over to a group who could do something with it. They would change the world and mold it to their way of thinking and then they’d send them back to the bushes
***
Cassandra sat in the warm haven of her home throwing spices on the burning logs in the fireplace and felt herself relax for the first time in many months. She could relax now that Morgana was in safe hands for the time being. Working the magic in the grove had tired her and the other women quite a bit but it had been worth it. They all agreed to rest for the next few days and then gather to sort out the problems with the vampires that had dared attack one of their own.
Although the Goddess frowned on violence of any sort, Cassandra had a feeling that tackling the vampires would be an allowable exception as the majority of them were evil to the core. They would have to discuss the problem thoroughly before any decision was made and they must offer prayers to the Goddess for their protec
tion. Lost in thought she didn’t hear the silent padding of feet coming down the hallway. The stealthy approach was a natural art to the creature slipping into the shadows of the room. Cassandra’s first awareness came with the sharp fangs that nipped her bare feet by the fire.
Midnight, her familiar, was telling her it was time to go to bed as sleeping by the fire wasn’t as comfortable as being snug and cozy in the big bed at the top of the stairs. The cat’s shiny black coat was thick and very plush to the feel of her skin and Cassandra enjoyed the cat’s company on such a dreary night. Dampening the fire, she listened as the first raindrops made sizzling noises against the hot bricks in the fireplace. The occasional few continued to fall on the fire but she paid them no mind. Holding her familiar in one hand, she went about the small cottage ensuring the windows and doors were locked, more out of habit than caution. Her wards would keep any and everything out that meant her harm and as she headed up the steps she hoped that Morgana would attempt to contact her in the days to come.
Chapter 29
Aboard the ship carrying the outcasts all was going well. The captain and crew continued with their daily tasks thanks to the mind control exerted by Johnny. Those assigned to night duty paid no attention to the unusual occupants that roamed the ship. Johnny had checked with the captain on their destination and time of arrival and found out that they should be arriving in port to unload the ship’s cargo within the next two days. Until then he would maintain the watch in case they were being followed. He told the others that he would like to have a group meeting before their arrival and they all agreed to meet the next evening. James continued to offer him blood and Johnny managed to snag a few meals from some of the ship’s crew so he was well fed. Dawn was approaching and Johnny was grateful that the day’s sleep would silence the thoughts swirling in his mind. Making his way back to his sleeping area he watched as the couples paired off and called goodnight. He couldn’t figure out if he was relieved that he was the only one without a partner or disturbed by it.
As James secured their sleeping area for the night, he watched as Morgana readied their blankets. Feeling uneasiness creep over him he checked that the latch on the door was locked and standing silently, he opened his awareness but sensed nothing. Morgana watched him closely wondering if anything was wrong but seeing him coming towards her with a smile she eased back down to the blankets waiting to cuddle him until the day sleep took them. They fell to their sleep unaware as the daylight took its hold.
James was breathlessly taking in the sight of the sun-dappled leaves as he headed down the path in the woods. Walking towards the sun-filled meadow, he smelled the richness of the soil and moist scent of moss under his feet. Reaching out his arms to touch the leaves around him he entered into the field surrounded by tall ancient trees when terror struck him to the core. His feet became lead weights as he began to see the first bodies of the women, strewn around the field, blood pouring from their wounds and eyes vacant. Walking closer he saw their necks had been savaged and searching the ground saw remnants of blood rusted brown where it had fallen on the grass. Shaking his head in disbelief, he scanned the surrounding area and concluded that a great battle had taken place and those that died were left where they had collapsed. Some were old, their hair grey or white, while some had the first blush of youth on their cold faces. Walking through the battlefield carefully, he heard a weak moan and looking into the distance saw a body move slightly.
Running quickly to the fallen woman his gaze fell upon her face and his insides grew tight. Lowering himself to the ground, he gently moved the long strands of midnight black hair from her face. Brushing bits of grass and dirt away from the ivory skin of her face his fingertips came to rest on her winged eyebrow. She looked familiar but staring for several moments, he couldn’t place how he knew her. He did know that she was beautiful and wondered how could anyone have done this to her. Looking at the devastation of life on the ground around him, he wanted to scream at the waste.
Tears of outrage and pain filled his eyes as he looked down on her torn and twisted body. Straightening her arms and legs and covering her with the remnants of her clothes, he felt her move slightly and a weak cry broke from her lips. James began to murmur words of comfort while trying to check her wounds. He promised to help her and that he would see her healed, when her eyelids began to flutter open. Gazing into the clouded green eyes his heart fluttered as he recognized death’s advance. She began to whisper a few broken words and he had to lean down to hear them.
“Danger,” she whispered, “vampires.”
“You are safe, the sun is shining. They cannot touch us,” replied James.
“My sister, Morgana, is she safe?” said Cassandra.
James was shocked to stillness. The woman who lay dying in his arms was Morgana’s sister. Suddenly aware of the shadow his body cast over the woman he began to panic. How could this be he thought as his head swung wildly around, how can I be in the sun. This couldn’t be real, it couldn’t be happening. Looking up he saw the sky darken and gasping for air he tried to stand but his last thoughts before he collapsed were for her safety.
Chapter 30
Thrashing wildly in his sleeping area he awoke with heart pounding and sweat covering his body. A dream, it was only a dream, but it was the only dream he ever had since becoming a vampire. Looking around he saw that the door was open and Morgana was gone but no sooner than that thought had raced into his brain he heard running footsteps coming towards him. James didn’t know what to expect so he crouched into a fighting position with his back to the wall. Morgana came bursting through the door with Jenny, Michael and Johnny hot on her heels. They slid to a stop in front of him with Morgana reaching out a hand to calm him.
“James, are you alright? Do you know who I am?” said Morgana.
Relaxing his stance and standing upright, he reached for her fingers to pull her close. At his questioning look, Morgana began to speak.
“You didn’t rise with the night. I tried to shake you awake but you became violent and I didn’t know what to do so I went for help.”
The others stood silent while they watched him gather her into his arms and hold her tightly. Looking over her shoulder at them, he shook his head to indicate he was ok. Pulling her into the curve of his body, he readied himself for what he had to say.
“Johnny, I had a dream,” said James.
“A dream, that’s not possible. No one dreams during the day sleep,” said Johnny.
“Call it what you will, a dream, a premonition, something terrible is going to happen unless we do something to stop it,” said James.
He turned to face Morgana and began to tell them of his dream. Collectively they began to tense and when he got to the part about her sister, he stopped.
“I know that you told us of your sister and that she led a coven of witches. Would you describe her appearance to me, as I believe she was in the dream?” said James.
Morgana looked stunned and managed to squeeze out her sister’s name, “Cassandra.”
She described her sister to James and he kept nodding his head not wanting to tell her more of the dream until they discussed what they were going to do to prevent it.
“Johnny, I know this is hard to believe but I think the vampire lairs are going to attack Cassandra’s coven in an attempt to eliminate us all. They know that if they attack Cassandra and the coven Morgana along with the rest of us will attempt to save them. We have to discuss how we’re going to deal with this before the event happens,” said James.
All eyes turned to Johnny for guidance and he immediately began to plan the details of their return. Once the ship made port, it would be a simple task to get the captain to return them back to where they got on the ship. Without a ship laden with cargo, they would make good time, perhaps only a day, which would give them just enough time to plan what they would do. Nodding their heads in agreement, Johnny went in search of the captain to have him speed up the ship. The sooner they delivered the car
go the quicker they could get back. Glancing back at Morgana and Jenny he saw them tightly embracing. Tears may have been streaming down their faces but their eyes were filled with deadly vengeance.
Chapter 31
The unloading of cargo went swiftly and the return trip went even faster. Making their way through the forest Morgana took the lead knowing the hidden trails to her sister’s home. Walking through the woods Morgana began to feel a presence bearing down on them. Raising a hand, she cautioned them to silence not wanting to give away their position in the woods. They stopped in place and sank down to ground level trying to blend in with the leaves. Looking anxiously around they trained their ears to hear the slightest noise, but the approach was so silent that it was upon them before they could prepare for the attack.
Morgana screamed as she felt the weight land on her back but seconds later started laughing and assuring everyone who ran to her aid that she was all right. She was lying on her back hugging and squeezing a black mass of purring fur and they all realized that she was holding a huge cat. Turning its stunning amber eyes to the group it seemed to smirk at their reactions before calmly wiggling free to start washing Morgana’s face. Patting her big paw gently against Morgana’s face, Midnight welcomed her home and with a twitch of her tail leapt to the ground and began to move down the trail. Stopping, Midnight looked over her shoulder at the group as if to say, ‘what are you waiting for’ and continued down the path mewing loudly as though to chastise them for making her wait.
James helped Morgana to her feet and with a shrug of his shoulders followed her down the path. Johnny, Michael and Jenny looked at each other and began to wonder what they had gotten themselves into, but another sharp meow had them moving to catch up with the others.