Fall of kNight

by T. L Mitchell

  The men guarded the doorways and probably any other opening which my rescuers might attempt to use. Suddenly, I jumped. A series of gunshots fired. Blackness took me over again. The smell of blood emanated from somewhere nearby. It was my blood I smelled.

  I felt as if I was drifting into a dark hole. The fire and ice clashed through my veins, and death would not come fast enough for me. A familiar scent I recognized, the scent of lilies and carnations surrounded my senses. I knew I must have died. Then the thought hit me; I couldn"t have died! I was still in pain.

  “Julie? Julie? Can you hear me?” The voice whispered as I felt his cool breath on my face. It was Richard.

  The voice broke off as my eyes fluttered open. I could hear voices, but I was in too much pain to understand what they were saying. I vaguely saw the body moving away from me. The man named Paul and someone who I"m pretty sure was Richard were fighting. I heard gunshots again. Then blurs flashed before me, and there was a loud cracking and ripping noise. The stench of werewolf blood filled the air.

  My body was lifted and the earth fell from behind me. The coolness of his cold, hard chest pressed against my flesh, and the wind blew into my face as I drifted out of consciousness once again.

  The next thing I knew, I could hear voices around me. And there was a familiar smell, a spicy scent, the scent of Lycans. And I could smell the scent of vampires. My body was laid on something soft. A sharp sting in my arm caused me to cry out in pain that was soon to be followed by another dull pain as I heard something snap. The pain in my arm was gone.

  Voices spoke loudly around me. They were arguing.

  “Daniel, it"s not good.” I heard Jason"s voice beside me. “Her fever. The venom, I"m sorry.”

  “Just do the damn test again!” Daniel roared.

  “We"ve done it! It doesn"t work on her! She doesn"t have the same DNA as Casey did!” Jason shot out.

  “Tell me what to do!” Daniel"s voice roared loudly. “I"M NOT LOSING HER!”

  “There is one other option.” Richard spoke out softly.

  Richard"s voice was the last thing I heard before my world spiraled into a black hole again. The arguing grew louder as I diminished; falling away until no more sound was heard.

  Suddenly, I was scooped up again. The coolness felt good against my fevered skin.

  Softly I heard three words that etched themselves in my heart. “Julie, I love you.” Soon after that, I felt a sharp sensation in my neck. My body trembled as I felt a coolness rush through my fevered body. Blackness again took me over.

  The fire and ice clashed harder again as it ran through my veins. A scream erupted as my muscles tensed again. My body convulsed violently beyond my control. My eyes flickered open and I saw it was night I closed them tightly as I bore down against the pain shooting through my body again. Gritting my teeth, I growled again suffering through the agony I felt.

  Brief glimpses of Jason, faded in and out, as he stood over me with what appeared to be an IV bag. I glanced down and noticed it was attached to me. He was giving me a blood transfusion. What in the world has happening?

  Then the room was silent. For what felt like a few moments, I had a little rest. My breathing was back to normal, and my heart slowed down to a normal beat. The tremors slowed to match the rhythm of my heart.

  Funny, I thought, I could smell him. The spicy scent, it must be Daniel. I could feel something cold against my body. The familiar fragrant floral scent…Richard. His scent was very relaxing to me as I inhaled it deeply.

  I wasn"t sure how long I rested in this newfound peace. It seemed like only a few minutes. The first thing I noticed was that my fingers were cold. I moved them trying to circulate a blood flow to them. It made it worse. As soon as I moved, I felt the ice running through my veins. I opened my eyes to see Daniel as he stood over me with a horrified look on his face.

  “Julie? Can you hear me?” he asked softly.

  My mouth opened, but no words came out. I wondered if I really had tried to speak or was it my imagination.

  “Do it then,” I heard him speak clearly.

  I felt coolness against my neck. A sharp pain followed, and my eyes flew open. I couldn"t see anything but the darkness surrounding me. Then a second later, I felt the dull sensation of pressure in my neck. It felt as though my blood was being pulled through my veins. I could feel the fire being pulled from me.

  Suddenly, as the fire yielded against the ice, I felt something change. It was the most horrible pain I ever felt. The ice burned through the fire quenching it. At least now, my body was cooling down. The tremors still continued as I could feel someone wiping my forehead again.

  Here we go again, I thought as my body started trembling. The feeling of ice was far greater than the fire I had felt. Chilled to the bone was not a statement I would ever use lightly again. I felt the ice as it bore down into the depth of my bones. The ice ran through my muscles, and they constricted again feeling the coldness taking over. Not being prepared for what happened next, my body shook uncontrollably.

  There it was. The pain I had expected. The ice felt like a cold blade as it cut into my flesh. I was afraid to open my eyes. My heartbeat slowed again as the ice ran into the large muscle. My leg muscles tightened into cramps as I clinched my teeth together.

  Next came the muscles in my arms, my stomach and my neck. I trembled and shook violently again under the constriction of my muscles. Soon the convulsions slowed down as the ice moved back up to my heart again.

  I opened my eyes again as I felt my chest constrict. It felt as though someone had reached inside my body and squeezed my heart. I gasped. Dear Fate, I"m dying! This was my last plea as I felt the ice burst out through my body again. My heartbeat slowed as it pushed the ice through my veins. The shock was more like falling into freezing water. My lips trembled as I felt the convulsions return.

  In the next few moments, I thought I had died. I heard the ghostly drums as they beat all around me, voices chanting loudly, singing a song I didn"t recognize, but which soothed my soul.

  Visions played before my eyes of an ancient past. Warriors, Indian warriors dressed in their grand headdress were camped around me, beside them stood their spirit wolves.

  In the distance of my vision, I could hear my grandfather. The proud Chieftain chanted loudly his song and the warriors stood without moving, watching and joining in with their own song.

  The battle raged on inside of me as the battle of the Dark Wolves played before my eyes. I saw men. I saw wolves. I saw a great battle, a legend of long ago. I could still hear the chanting voices of the ancients in my ears. Deeply I fell into another vision.

  This time I was in the snow. I could feel the cold in the air as it brushed over my skin. I heard a growl behind me. Ah, my enemy again. The only difference was I was still in my human form. I turned around to face him, the demon wolf. His head lowered as he growled. The red eyes glowed as he stared at me, contemplating his move. I leaned my body forward and waited for his attack. He bolted in the air toward me. It took just one thought as I calculated his move with ease. I moved high in the air as his body went past me. Turning swiftly, I landed on my feet facing him. He turned, and with a ferocious growl he bolted toward me again, moving faster than before. I twisted to the side, grabbed him around his mid-section and with one hand around his neck I held on tightly. My muscles flexed, and I heard the snap and crack of his neck. It was over. The chanting voices stopped.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  My breath strained in my lungs, as they were chilled from the foreign substance that ran through my veins. The ice ran through my body for the last time and then rapidly diminished. My heartbeat slowed to a steady and even rhythm. I opened my eyes and saw it was night. My body stopped convulsing. The pain seized to a halt. I could feel warmth from my heart pumping something new through my veins. It felt good. I felt more alive than I had ever felt.

  I glanced around the room. A faint floral scent lingered in the room. It was a vampire. My eyes wer
e still adjusting. A silhouetted figure stood motionless in front of the window. The room was dark with the exception of the moonlight gleaming through the window. I glanced at the clock. It was three a.m. How long had I been out? I wasn"t even sure what day it was.

  I pushed my way up from the bed. A moan escaped my mouth. The figure turned.

  In a blinding flash it was by my side.

  “Julie?” It was a female. The tones in the voice were almost undetectable. But it sounded like Casey.

  “Casey?”

  “Yes. How do you feel?” She spoke quietly in the dark.

  “Like I got hit by a truck.” Then it suddenly hit me. “Where"s Daniel? Richard?

  What happened? Brendan?” I moved into a sitting position.

  “Daniel is sleeping. Jason had to give him a sedative. You"ve been out with this for three days. This is the first night Daniel has had any sleep. Richard and Nathaniel are downstairs.” Her voice was still soft and alluring.

  “Casey, what happened? Please start from the beginning.” I asked as I peered into the darkness at her silhouette.

  Casey inhaled a deep breath then began.

  “Richard received a phone call. It was Daniel. That was Thursday night. He had come home early to surprise you. You were not there, so he assumed you were with us.

  When Nathaniel and I arrived shortly around noon, I couldn"t find you. Your car was gone, and you wouldn"t answer your phone. Richard was so distraught he could barely think straight. I"ve never seen him that way before.

  “Richard grouped all of us together. We went out looking for you at the old airport hangar. Daniel met with the other Lycans. When we arrived at the airport hanger, all hell broke loose. It was like World War III. I felt as though I was in one of those James Bond movies. Nathaniel, Raphael, Adrianna and Leona took the outside of the hanger.

  Lance, Richard and I made our way inside. Daniel and the rest of the Lycans took down the rest of the werewolves with the others.

  “Richard, when he saw you lying on the floor next to the wall, lost it. He went on a blood lust. One of the men was bold enough to tell Richard he was the one who beat the hell out of you. Richard tore him from limb to limb. Lance and I were making our way taking out the gunmen. Shots were fired randomly through the building. Richard was the one who carried you out to safety through all the gunfire. Lance and I managed to cover him.

  “Lance went after Brendan, but he got away before Lance could catch him. We regrouped with Daniel and the others here. That"s when we meet your cousin Taylan and your Grandfather Willie. Anyway, you were in bad shape. Daniel was terrified as the rest of us were. He blamed himself for your untimely torture. He and Jason worked around the clock to try and stabilize you. Then try to figure out what to do about the werewolf venom.

  “Daniel tried the same technique he did with me on you. Somehow, your system was not accepting it. There were complications. Jason figured your DNA was not the same as ours. The werewolf venom was still running through your system and we were running out of time. Julie, we all feared the worse. We were losing you. Richard, I had never seen him in such turmoil. He was more devastated than Daniel. He suggested he try. Well, Daniel and Richard began a heated argument. I couldn"t believe it. Richard made the suggestion he bite you and try to remove the venom. Daniel blew a fuse and said he didn"t trust him. He would try to turn you into one of us, a vampire.

  “Jewels, I know under the conditions it was serious. But they were so mad with each other it was actually hilarious. Daniel told Richard to step outside so he could promptly beat his ass.” She laughed.

  “Casey, please tell me they didn"t get into a fight!”

  Casey nodded then laughed softly. “Daniel and Richard went outside and tore into one another. It took Lance and Jason to split them apart. I have never seen my brother so mad before. I honestly don"t think anyone won. They pretty much beat the hell out of one another.

  “Anyway, Jason agreed Richard should at least try. It was the only hope we had of saving you. Your cousin Taylan offered to be the blood donor. He was the only one with your blood type. So in short, here you are.”

  “Casey, the baby!” I exclaimed.

  “Julie,” her voice was soft. “Your body went through a horrible process.”

  “Casey!” I shot out.

  “We, all of us, are a little unsure at this point. Jason says because your body was healing so rapidly, he was sure the baby was safe. Julie, we still don„t know how the vampire venom will affect the baby.”

  “What do you mean? The baby is fine right?” My voice trembled

  “Listen to me. You were bitten by a werewolf. The venom was running through you. Jason tried the antivenom, and it wasn"t working. We had to get the venom out of you. Richard had a suggestion. It was the only way.”

  “What did he do?”

  “Daniel almost lost his mind when he thought he was going to lose you. You have no idea what he went through. Actually, you have no idea what torment Richard went through. Daniel had to make the choice to let Richard bite you. Draw the venom out. If he didn"t, we would have lost you to the werewolves. Richard bit you. He allowed just enough of the vampire venom to flow in your veins creating an unstable atmosphere for the werewolf venom. Then he drew it out. You have no idea what Richard did for you.

  Julie, werewolf venom is toxic to a vampire. Richard almost died. After that, Jason hooked you up to the IV with the blood transfusion. Then he immediately had to begin working on Richard.” Her voice filled with sadness.

  I stared into her face through the darkness of the room. The sadness in her voice was the reflection I thought would be on her face. Richard saved my life. I couldn"t believe it. He did risk his life to save me. Like he said he would. My heart melted.

  “Is he all right?”

  “Yes. He"s recovered nicely. Julie, I have to tell you this. Richard is in love with you.

  I mean an unfathomable love. Nathaniel tells me he"s never seen Richard like this before.

  What happened between you two while I was away? I mean are you and Daniel still getting married? What?”

  “Yes, Casey. Daniel and I are still getting married. At least I think we are. I don"t know what brought this on. I mean, I feel for Richard.”

  “Do you love him? I mean honestly.”

  The truth was there in my heart. Yes, I did love Richard. I loved him and Daniel.

  There was no doubt in my mind. A vampire should repulse me, but for some odd reason, I wasn"t repulsed.

  “Yes, I love him.” I stated with a sigh.

  Her hands wrapped around mine. The once warm hands of my best friend were now cool. A soft smile broadened on her face, and her pale cold fingers gently stroked my hand.

  “Don"t feel bad about it. I know he"d like to know the truth. Julie, it"s not your fault.

  You are a Lycan. You love unconditionally. It"s in your nature. But, you have to let him know. Richard, I mean, if you are marrying Daniel. I know that is really where your heart belongs.”

  “Yes, you are right. But how can I love them both? I mean my heart breaks for Richard. Casey, he"s been through so much. I can"t hurt him anymore.”

  “So I see he"s told you about his loss.” She sighed and pulled her hands away.

  “Honestly, I"m surprised he fought the urge to change you. I overheard a conversation he had with Nathaniel. Julie, Richard wants you. There is nothing in this world that will stop him.”

  I lay back against the pillows. My fingers gently went to the sore spot on my neck, the spot where he had bitten me. I realized he did have to make a choice. Again Richard showed honor. His restraint was a great one.

  “Casey, what do I do?”

  “I don"t know. I wish I had an answer for you.”

  “Are you really serious? Richard is not going to let me go?”

  “He"s in love with you Julie. It"s different for a vampire. Somewhere you have touched his heart.” She smiled. “You were probably just being you.”

&nbs
p; I tried to smile. “He says it was my blood?”

  “Blood or lust?” She perked up. “Julie, Richard has had a hard on for you ever since he met you. He was going to take you the first opportunity he had. But something changed.”

  “You knew this before you left?”

  “No. I didn"t. Nathanial and I discussed it on the way back home.”

  “Daniel would kill him.” My heart raced loudly.

  “I think he and Daniel have an understanding. Daniel is truly thankful Richard saved your life. He knows Richard loves you.”

  “Did he say anything about it? I mean…”

  “No, not really. My brother is in love with you, but Richard repulses him because he"s being protective over you. And not to mention he is a vampire.” She rolled her eyes.

  “We had quite an event here in this house while you were out.” She said in a humorous tone.

  “OH! I need to talk to Daniel!” My thought immediately went to the Dark Wolves.

  “Julie, please let him rest. This is the first night he has slept in two days.”

  “But the Dark Wolves.”

  “He knows. Richard told him. Daniel understands. Willie and Taylan explained everything to him. He has had quite a shock these last few days.”

  “What is he going to do? I mean about the war against the Dark Wolves.” I asked almost in fear.

  “I don"t know. You"ll have to talk to him in the morning. Meanwhile, I"m going to get Jason. He wanted to know when you woke up.”

  “Casey!” I whispered.

  “I"ll be back in a minute,” she said.

  Before I could say anything, Casey disappeared. I felt for the lamp on the nightstand. Turning it on, I winced against the brightness of the light. Three days of hell.

  I needed a shower. I climbed out of bed. My legs were weak. I managed to stand, then make my way to the shower. Jason would have to wait.

  The water ran hot in the shower. I climbed in and closed the door behind me. My thoughts ran wild. My baby. Our baby. Was it all right? There were so many things to think about. The war that loomed between the werewolves and the Lycans threatened us all. It appeared the vampires might be backing out, with the exception of Richard"s coven. Then there were the Dark Wolves. My family. Which side would Daniel take?