Book of Souls (Supernatural War Book 1)

by Steven L Smithen

  “How is this possible?” I asked Esteban.

  “It turns out that they only wanted Davin.” He answered.

  I turned to address my team, “Eric, Alex, and James you three can change, I think we will be safe here.” As I indicated the surrounding shifters.

  “Esteban, what is all the commotion about?” A voice asked from the tent.

  “I brought Zantana’s daughter along with her daughter’s mate, his sister, and their friends with me. They are here to help us with the Blood Priests.” Esteban answered the mystery voice.

  “Ah, then I must meet this man who would be the mate of my great-granddaughter.” He replied. Then something rustled as a man who looked like he was in his late seventies walked out of the tent.

  “Dorian, let me introduce you to my dear friend, Omek,” Esteban said.

  I must have had a dumbfounded expression on my face because Omek saved me. “Esteban must’ve told our story again, but yes I am that Omek.”

  “But… don’t take this the wrong way but shouldn’t you be dead by now. I mean I know our kind are long lived but for this long. How?” I asked.

  He held up his hand to stop my questions. “Let’s get the introductions over with then we can sit down and discuss this situation that has brought you here.” He suggested.

  I saw that Khloe and her mother were wiping tears away and Talia had joined them. Khloe held her mother’s hand and brought her before me. “Mother, this is Dorian, Talia’s twin, and my mate. Dorian, this is my mother Zantana.”

  Her mother looked from me to her then back to me before she said. “Mate? Could it be that my daughter has finally found someone?” Her eyes lit up with joy as more tears flowed. She walked over with open arms, and lip trembling as she tried to reign in her emotions. Still, can’t tell if that emotion is positive or not. I pulled her into an embrace as she pulled my face down to hers so she could kiss me on my cheeks then asks Khloe while holding my face in her hands. “Does he make your falcon soar, daughter? Do you make his wolf howl?”

  Khloe blushed a lot then responded in typical daughter fashion. “MOM!”

  “Well, does he?” She asks again then looks at me “Does she?”

  Standing there with my face being held by my future mother-in-law completely flummoxed while Khloe turned twelve shades of red, leave it to my sister to make it even worse.

  Talia’s laugh busted forth and caused everyone to look at her. “Don’t you worry, Zantana they definitely make each other soar, howl, whatever.”

  “Welcome to the family. Now Khloe there is someone else you need to meet.” She said as she took Khloe’s hand and led her over to where Omek and Esteban had been enjoying my embarrassment a little too much.

  “Khloe, this is your great grandfather, Omek.” She offered.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you granddaughter. I am sure you like your mate have many questions. Let us adjourn to my tent to discuss the events that brought you here and answer some of your questions.” He paused before he continued. “Your people are completely safe here. You are among friends, and now family.”

  “Thank you. If you could give me a few minutes to have some words with my people?” I asked.

  “Of course, we will begin shortly.” He replied.

  I headed over to where Craig and the rest of the team were gathered. They were having a hushed conversation but with all the supernatural hearing in this area, I don’t know how well that went.

  “I believe we are safe here,” I said before going on. “If you haven’t already guessed, the woman who looks like an older version of Khloe is her mom and the old shifter is Omek from Esteban’s story about Kirin.”

  “That’s what we were discussing while you were meeting your mother-in-law.” Craig quipped.

  “I wouldn’t go getting all cocky there Romeo. I saw the way that Celeste eyed you.” I returned his jab.

  “Yeah, well ok, you got me there.” He replied.

  “Make sure everyone gets plenty of food and rest while we can. I don’t know how fast Esteban and Omek want to move but I don’t think it will be much more than a day or two.” I said.

  As I walked back to Omek’s tent I observed everyone taking our measure. I joined Khloe and the others inside. Omek gestured to some pillows for everyone to sit on. Gathered around the low table were Khloe, Talia, Joseph, Omek, Esteban, Zantana, myself, and a couple others who I guessed where Jaguar Warriors. I sat next to Khloe who was talking quietly with her mother while Talia was speaking with Esteban on what I imagined was the retelling of our journey down here.

  Omek nodded to me as I sat down. “Everyone eat, please we have plenty.” He said before taking a drink of water and after setting his cup down he met my eyes before he continued, “How am I still alive after all these years? That would be your first question?”

  “It would be. Esteban has told us about when he first met you.” I replied.

  “While we are long lived, we are not immortal. I had some help with my longevity. My mother was a shaman for one of the local human tribes. The Mayan people were always more understanding about the supernatural. This along with my shifter father has given me an abnormally long life but you are correct that I shouldn’t have lived this long. I had some help.” He said as he glanced over to Esteban. “Esteban has been giving me some of his blood over the years which has allowed me to live a long life.”

  My eyebrows disappeared into my hairline but before I could respond Esteban interrupted. “It has allowed me the companionship of a life-long friend. It was selfish of me I know but I could not watch my friend waste away before my eyes. I had seen too much of that early on in my vampire life as I watched family, and friends die while I stayed young.”

  “That’s why you stayed here after the battle.” I had guessed.

  He nodded, “Yes, it is. After Gustavo died, I had nothing left back in Spain. With my vampire age, most vampires will leave me alone. The Elders know I’m still living but either they don’t consider me a threat to their power bases or they like the idea that I’m down here because I tend to police the younger ones in this part of the world.”

  Omek took over, “Esteban tells me that one of Kirin’s Blood Priests have his grimoire along with Khloe’s father, who I imagine will be used as a sacrifice to fuel whatever death magic they have planned.”

  “Yes, they originally had both Zantana and Davin but for whatever reason, they decided they didn’t need or want Zantana. I’m beginning to believe that there are others from the various supernatural races that are in league with them. We know of at least one witch and several shifters from the Southwest U.S. including the Alpha of that territory.” I disclosed.

  “Young vampires are flocking to them in droves. They like the idea of being the in the ruling class.” Esteban offered.

  “Their arrogance will be the death of all of us. Most weren’t alive the last time one of our kind tried this. The humans outnumber us one thousand to one.” Omek said.

  “Now they have nuclear and biological weapons to use against us as well.” Talia supplied.

  “Do we know how many they are?” Joseph asked.

  One of the jaguar shifters spoke up, “They have around a hundred that we have been able to detect. Though these are likely the foot soldiers. The ones in charge tend to stay in the temple. We believe that there are around twenty in their leadership.”

  “I believe it would be safe to say that at least one is a true Blood Priest along with that witch, Samantha,” I said.

  “Have you noticed any other scents? Something that you have never smelled before?” I asked curious to hear their answer.

  He furrowed his brow in concentration and he began, “You mean other than that death smells they all seem to give off?”

  “That would be the scent of Death Magic, but how about something like the scent we give off that would tell you that I’m a shifter,” Khloe interjected.

  “You smell like a shifter but something else too. That would be the witch
scent too.” He said as he inhaled deeply and scented those around us. He said to me, “You smell like a shifter but also something else that isn’t vampire, or witch.”

  “Yes and no. Both Talia, and I are shifters but we have some other abilities that most shifters haven’t seen for centuries.” I offered not wanting to let them all know how different we were. We needed these people.

  “No, this smell you would recognize almost immediately. It would be like something that you have never smelled before.” Talia said.

  “Then no I have not scented anything like that just the death magic, vampire, witch, and other shifter scents,” He said.

  “Well, that’s a plus for us then.” I offered then continued “What’s your plan?”

  He looked to Omek who nodded for him to go on.

  We spent the rest of the evening going over their plan for rescuing Davin as well as destroying the Blood Priests once and for all. Joseph and I added what our team could bring to the battle. Several hours later we adjourned from the tent to find it was now full dark. Fires danced around the encampment and cast shadows everywhere. I found Craig in the company of Celeste. That didn’t really surprise me. The rest of the team were all nearby enjoying the quiet of the jungle. I sat down with them and went over the plan that had been agreed to. I answered Craig’s more tactical questions on how best to use Mary, and Jenn’s sniper skills as well as Andrew’s heavy weapons. I let them know that we would be heading out tomorrow. I then went in search of Khloe.

  I found Khloe sitting with her mother alone by a fire. Not wanting to disturb them I went for a walk around the camp and took in all the new scents. I came to edge of the camp and stripped off my clothes and shifted. As I stretched in my wolf form I noticed another wolf approach, seeing that it was Talia, I nosed in the direction of the jungle. She nodded her agreement and took off with me fast behind her, the two of us chasing, and playing like we did when we were teenagers. We continued until we came to a lake. Talia laid down next the edge while I waded into the water before dunking myself. As I made my way back towards the bank I noticed Talia’s ears flicking back and forth. I came out of the water and shook all the excess water off my coat when I heard a piercing cry from above. I dove to my left as Khloe landed where I had been. As I turned back to face Khloe I saw Talia raise her head and look back toward the jungle. I looked to see what she was looking at only to see a large grey wolf walk out towards us. When he was about a body length from us Talia leapt from where she had been lying to tackle Joseph, the two them rolling in the long grass.

  Shifting back to human I looked to Khloe. “I need you.”

  Khloe shifted as I finished my comment. She crawled into my lap and wrapped her arms around me as she kissed me hungrily and pushed me down onto my back.

  Chapter 34

  A somber tone hung over the camp the next morning while everyone prepared to leave. Khloe and I exchanged few words after we returned in the early hours of the morning. Neither of us wanting to admit what might happen later today. Hearing someone argument, I glanced to see Talia, and Joseph in a heated argument.

  Khloe slipped up next to me. “What is he trying to do, piss her off?”

  “I’m not sure, but he’s out of his mind if he thinks he can keep her out of this fight,” I replied.

  Then everyone heard Talia’s reply to whatever Joseph had said. “I AM YOUR ALPHA! I will do what I think is best for me. Do you see Dorian trying to stop Khloe or her mother from coming? No, you don’t if you have a problem with me coming then you need to pull your head out of your ass.” Talia stormed off in the direction of Zantana’s tent leaving a beaten looking Joseph.

  “Go, make sure she calms down. We are going to need her level headed.” Khloe nodded to me and got on her toes to kiss me before she took off after my very pissed off sister.

  I started walking over to Joseph, when he said, “Don’t. Just leave me alone.” He then turned around and walked off in the direction of our team.

  Thomas joined me as I watched Joseph’s back disappear into the crowd. “Is he going to be ok?” He asked.

  Looking concerned, I replied, “I don’t know.” I went back to checking my gear over. Before long Craig joined us, concern etched on his brow. “Let me guess, Joseph?”

  He nodded, “Yes, did he really think he could keep her out of this?”

  “Apparently.” I offered.

  “You two ready? Looks like we will be heading out shortly.” Craig said.

  We nodded to him.

  A short time later we were joined by the team along with Talia, Khloe, Zantana, and Joseph, who was a noticeable distance from Talia. Talia looked at me and shrugged. Khloe’s mother, Zantana was dressed in the same fashion as her daughter minus the skintight armored bodysuit. We were soon joined by Esteban, Omek, and the leaders of the other shifter clans.

  “Let us go and end this evil once for all,” Omek said.

  I noticed Mary, and Jenn take off with a couple of the Jaguar warriors. The rest of Eric’s team along with Joseph went off with a large contingent of warriors, they would be our main attack force. That left Craig, Thomas, Celeste, Omek, Esteban, Talia, Khloe, and Zantana with me. We were tasked with taking out the leaders who had started this whole mess.

  The smell of decay got worse the closer we got to the ruins. I also began to pick up the smell of vampire. If I closed my eyes and focused I could also pick out where our forces were waiting. I spent some time searching for signs of the Fallen. I couldn’t detect them but I wasn’t sure they weren’t around watching. Waiting.

  The ruins opened before us. They looked like any picture that you’ve seen in a text book about Mayan ruins. The sky was dotted with a few cotton ball clouds. Sunlight streamed down on the lush green grass that covered the expanse around the ruined stone buildings that were covered in lichen, and moss. The only structure standing was the temple in the center of the clearing. The temple was the typical stone ziggurat style that the Mayans had used.

  I heard a gasp behind me and turned to see Zantana trying to make her way up to where I was. I followed her gaze and saw where she was looking. I saw a figure chained to a tall pole atop the temple. In front of Davin, Khloe’s father was the most bizarre bonfire I had ever seen. It was green and blue.

  “Witch fire,” Khloe whispered next to me like she had read my thoughts.

  I turned back to the group and noticed that Zantana and Khloe were undressing. Concern shadowed my face as Khloe stepped up and grabbed my hands. “Mother, Omek, and I are going to father. Omek said he can carry my blades in his talons, plus I have a score to settle with that witch.” She said as she kissed me, then handed me her moon blades, they had some leather strips tied to the pommels. The three of them shifted, Khloe, and her mother into Peregrine Falcons, and Omek into the largest Golden Eagle I had seen. The two falcons streaked into the jungle as Omek leapt into the sky before coming back towards me. I held Khloe’s blades over my head for him to grab with his talons.

  “Everyone ready?” I asked Craig after he joined me. “Thoughts?”

  “Use the ruins as cover while we work our way in close. Everyone else is going to attack once those three make their move to rescue Davin.”

  “If anyone is going to go into combat in animal form I would advise changing now. Otherwise, lock and load.” I looked back across the clearing mentally preparing for what was going to be a long bloody day. I looked up into the sky. “Father, please steady my hand for what is about to come.” Someone gasped in shock, I turned to see Celeste and her fellow warriors back away from Thomas, who was full grizzly now standing up on his hind legs he yawned, before dropping onto all fours. Celeste and the other warriors finished stripping before they changed into some very impressive jaguars. That left Craig, Talia, and I in human form I picked up my M4. “Craig, could you give us a minute?” I asked him. He nodded and moved away a few yards.

  “Don’t say it, Dorian,” Talia said.

  “The only thing I was going to say was,
I love you, and don’t hesitate to kill anything that gets close to you. No distractions, T.”

  We hugged each other before she broke off and kissed me on the cheek. “Can we get this over with. I fucking hate the jungle.”

  I chuckled quietly and gave her my best smile before I followed Craig and the others. We made our approach from the jungle edge closest to the temple. First thing I noticed was how out of their element the enemy soldiers were. It was like they had never been in the wild. Whoever was in charge would have been better served to have all this set up in a city. I know it made our job easier as we moved into position.

  On top of the temple, I noticed two armed guards walking the perimeter. They both looked like some third world dictator’s entourage complete with berets, and the ubiquitous AK47 assault rifle. I could tell they were tired of their assigned jobs as they moved rather lackadaisical. I pointed them out. “Looks like someone was sold a bill of goods, and the reality is not what they were led to believe.”

  Craig nodded his agreement as he moved into a shooting position to cover the jaguars as they moved out of the jungle. I mirrored his actions to help Craig cover the jags, I heard a noise in the jungle. As I was about to react, Talia put a hand to my back, then she was off in the direction of the sound.

  After a short while, Talia came back wiping her blades off before she slid them into their sheaths and squatted next to me. “Vampire scout. Not a very good one either. He had no idea what he was doing in the jungle.”

  “Yeah, I think they are beginning to wish for something to happen. They are getting bored and lazy.” I replied. Just then a breeze blew across the clearing into our faces. Talia and I stiffened when we both smelled the same scent mixed in with the vampires, shifters, and death magic. “Fallen” I breathed out.

  “Khloe needs to hurry up,” Talia whispered.

  As if on command three tiny shapes streaked out of the jungle to the top of the temple where Davin was chained. Omek dropped Khloe’s blades then flew on over the temple before he dove out of sight as his cry pierced the silence.