Damage Control

by Eric Alan Williams

  Aywren started to feel weakened as the man fed on her. She began to feel a faint sensation and tingling traveling up her arm and into her chest. Dracula stopped.

  The silver burns on his body began to heal.

  Seeing a sword on the floor that belonged to one of the fallen Conclave agents, Dracula picked it up, gave it a few swings to get a feel for how it moved and entered the chaos around him. He didn't care if he was fighting nude. His perfect body caught the attention of would-be attackers, it confused them for a moment. It wasn't long until every Grand Alpha that had arrived to fight and help maintain the stronghold in Conclave hands received a final reminder as to why they called Vlad Tepes the Impaler. He was like an unstoppable demon with a sword…

  Dracula moved faster than the others did. He was a blur, even to most immortals. Bodies began falling all over the laboratory as if the invisible man himself was in there on a killing spree. Each of the Sentinels and Coverts alike, watched their targets hit the floor.

  Dracula looked around the room, growling the words. "MAKE SURE NO HEAD SURVIVES!"

  He went over to the snake-woman that Aywren had slain. Her body wasn't steaming yet. For grand alphas, it took longer. They could regenerate to some degree. Others, the brain could survive and morph into a form that could allow the Grand Alpha the ability to escape. This serpent was no different. Vlad could see her head moving despite the silver bullets Aywren had unloaded into it. He saw a slithery pink creature, a slug covered in veins attempting to exit the open mouth. Vlad spun the blade around in his hand and then jabbed it down hard, cracking the floor as it went through the slimy brain's body. He stood up and looked around. "Make sure the heads are truly DEAD!" Shouting that last bit.

  Vlad saw another silver etched blade laying on the floor and picked it up. Like the other, he gave it a few twirls, feeling it and then vanished.

  After what they had put him through, he had absolutely no mercy for any of them. With each thrust of his blade, each swing, he made sure they couldn't craw or cry for help. He finished each one with either a clean slice through the center of the head, making sure the brain was entirely destroyed or thrust it upwards or downwards to assure himself no one was surviving his wrath. The last one he encountered cowered begging. He drove the blade straight down through the top of the man's head, existing between the neck and the chin. Vlad opened his mouth, showing a vicious set of fangs as he let out a roaring growl while standing there naked.

  Sensing an attacker coming from behind him, Damien Winters became incorporeal. Each blast of the man behind him fired directly at his head, passed through him like he was made of air. The vampire looked as if he was blinking between being corporeal and incorporeal at will. He was phasing rapidly, using it to avoid being hit, while becoming physical again to attack. The man's bullets were useless.

  Damien fought a dozen alphas this way, using his blade with a furry that was unmatched. He phased in and out to avoid injuries until finally, the assault crew that had arrived were melting away into green steam.

  Damien stood there looking all around him covered in blood, and green slime. The man growled like a lion as he looked at the bodies becoming nothing but puddles.

  Chapter 16

  Team 203 had finished their sweep of the prison and were back on board the Betty. Xairin was beside himself with grief as he looked at what remains they could scoop up from their fallen comrade Alex. All Xairin could do was look at the green goo the handsome werewolf had become. While glaring at it, Xairin kept replaying every conversation the two had ever exchanged. He still felt like he owed Alex.

  Griffin was lying on a medical stretcher as officer Brandon attended to his wounds. Joanie was beside him; she was still unconscious. Griffin had only been awake for a few minutes. He was processing losing Alex Fifer. "What about Xairin?" Griffin asked. He looked around, the medical bay of the ship. "Where's Xairin?"

  Ashley looked at him. "Mr. Thunder is sitting in the upper compartment of the ship with the others."

  "He didn't get hurt?"

  Ashley shook her head. "Nope, but from what I hear, he did a number on that Grand Alpha before the bastard that killed Fifer fled the scene."

  Griffin was holding an icepack to his head. "He engaged him in combat then?"

  Ashley turned her attention to Joanie, running a metabolic scan with her laser pen. "I've never heard of a delta being able to unleash blood lightning like that before. Almost fried Vladislav to a crisp."

  "Xairin can perform blood lightning too?" He asked with a roll of the eyes.

  Ashley nodded. "Apparently so. According to Dolenigan, that's how he managed to fight that mother fucker off. That and Xairin phasewalked through a wall according to his armband's printout." She sighed. "Those sensitive genes really make him an interesting vampire."

  Griffin looked up with a vacant expression. "Phasewalked?"

  Ashley nodded. "Yep, Indeedie!"

  Griffin rolled his eyes while thinking loudly. "That boy can't keep himself low key if he fucking tried!"

  Hammond was on another stretcher strapped down and out cold. Ashley Brandon felt a bit overwhelmed in caring for the three of them.

  Marylou was nursing a few injuries herself that she had earned after entering that tunnel. Her efforts paid off. She had made it to a computer terminal and managed to download schematics of two other structures previously off the radars. She left a bomb behind as a thank-you card.

  Helena was sitting at her command chair wearing a headset. She had been in contact with Lord Demaskinos and let out a sigh of relief when she heard the one thing she personally was hoping to learn of. She turned around and called out over the ship's intercom. "THE TEAMS IN PRAGUE RECOVERED LORD DRACUL ALIVE!"

  Many of the team members cheered. Xairin didn't. He just kept staring at Alex's remains.

  Xairin remembered that first night Alex spent the night while he was on guard duty. His lips were quivering as a tear went down his left cheek.

  He closed his eyes tightly and then tilted his head back against the cold metal wall. He exhaled slowly as his breathing slowed.

  _____

  Hawaii

  Sara was sitting in a basement room surrounded by weapons daunting the walls. There was a table in front of her covered in recently made silver bullets. There was a dagger in her reach along with a computer that she was sitting behind.

  She was going through websites of businesses, some of them government ran, some of them still private sector, each of the ones she was viewing belonged to a target she was researching.

  Her husband Isac had aged to the point that even with her blood enthralling him, he now passed for a young grandfather, which was what he posed as for the time being. Isac refused to turn, which she respected.

  Vaughn was up in his room with a headset on listening to loud music so he could blare out everything around him as he laid on his bed looking up at the ceiling. Cecilia was in another room in the basement practicing. She was throwing knives at a target on the wall.

  Isac was upstairs running the antique shop. There was a client interested in an art piece, a painting that he was giving the details to. That was when the door opened, and a scent permeated the air.

  Sara, being a full vampire, was the first to smell it. Her eyes went black. She got up from the desk slowly and made her way upstairs.

  Vaughn was lying there with his eyes closed listening to music, humming to the beat. His senses for being a half vampire were keener than that of his older sister. He opened his eyes. His eyes grew dark, and his fangs descended from his lateral incisors.

  "Holy fuck balls!" He said.

  Sara made her way into the galley. Standing in the doorway was a familiar set of eyes going with beautiful blond curls. "Peggy?"

  Peggy was standing there looking at her maker for the first time in decades. The look Sara had in her eyes was full of surprise. Cecilia came running up wearing a black tank top, and camo tan pants. Her brother came rushing down in his street gear. Both of
them were ready for a fight, even though Vaughn hadn't been trained yet.

  Isac looked at Sara, she made a hand gesture, indicating he could keep doing what he was doing. Cecilia came up beside her mother, "Mom?"

  "It's okay."

  Peggy walked over to Sara. She was trembling.

  "Sara? Where have you been all this time?"

  Vaughn rushed over. "Mom?"

  Peggy looked at Vaughn, then at Cecilia. "You have two kids, I knew about Cecilia, but who is this handsome young?" She sniffed. "Dhampir…?"

  Sara let out a sigh. "Follow me."

  Sara led Peggy downstairs while Cecilia and Vaughn kept a close pace behind them. She led them into the same room she was in earlier. Once there, she turned around and leaned against the table. "Peggy? I can't believe you're here?"

  Peggy became giddy. She hadn't seen her maker in decades. She couldn't help but embrace her. Sara tolerated the hug and gently pushed off. "I can't believe I found you," Peggy said.

  "Who is this, mom?" Vaughn asked.

  Sara sighed. "This is Peggy Blair, a vampire that I created."

  Peggy was put off by the way Sara announced her. It was as if Sara didn't care. "I'm more than just a vampire you made; we grew up together. We went to school together and not to mention kicked a lot of ass together."

  Peggy smirked, "My last name is Thomas now. Justin and I married before we went into hibernation, you missed the wedding since we couldn't find you…"

  Sara perked up a little. "You two finally tied the knot?"

  "Yeah, and you were nowhere to be found. You were supposed to be my maid of honor, remember? I was also supposed to be yours?"

  Sara took a deep breath. She looked emotionally drained at that comment. "You were when I was married to Ben. Remember?"

  Peggy shot back. "And you remarried. I had to learn about Cecilia through Ethan, and here I am, showing up, and you have another child that none of us knew about, and by the way? If that is your husband upstairs, he is looking rather old..."

  Sara looked at her, tilted her head. "My husband wishes to remain human. He barely wishes to drink my blood to rejuvenate himself as it is."

  Cecilia looked at her. "Mom is this one of the vampires from Tresmah?"

  Sara nodded. "Yes."

  "How did you find me?" Sara asked.

  Peggy pointed at Cecilia. "Well, it wasn't that hard. I tracked her to find you."

  "Excuse me?" Cecilia asked.

  Vaughn looked at his sister then at everyone in the room. "Huh?"

  "Well, not you exactly. It was Isac Jordan, Cecilia Jordan, marriage certificates and death certificates are public records as are birth certificates. He paid for the funeral expenses, that was easy to track down as well. I tracked you down through him."

  Sara grabbed Peggy by the shoulder. "How did you even know Isac was still alive?"

  Peggy scoffed. "He had no death certificates issued in his name."

  Peggy looked at Sara. "Ethan said Xairin mentioned his mortal grandfather was still alive, so after Xairin went off to Sentinel training, I did some digging."

  Cecilia rushed to Peggy. "Xairin? Did you just say Xairin?"

  Peggy looked around the room, "Oh, right. Xairin, your son, right? He's alive and…" Peggy was nearly shaking as was Cecilia.

  "You said he was in the Sentinel program? What the hell is he doing in the Sentinel program?" Cecilia asked.

  Peggy looked around at Sara, then Cecilia, "Maybe you should all sit down."

  Sara was curious. "How did Ethan find Xairin to begin with? Peggy, what the hell is going on?"

  "It is why I came looking for you, both of you."

  Peggy was pausing long enough to force a look from Cecilia. "WHAT? You can't just come in here and mention my son's name and not say anything else?"

  "Look, you did a wonderful job keeping him hidden with the entire foster care thing."

  Cecilia was trembling. "I haven't seen my son in almost a decade. How is he even part of the Sentinel program? My son is a dhampling, and one that was human enough to be completely ignorant of that fact?"

  Peggy nodded. "He's okay, but something has happened."

  "What has happened?" Sara asked.

  "What happened to my son?" Cecilia asked.

  Peggy shrugged. "Call it fate, call it who knows what, but in a nutshell, Xairin is no longer a dhampling. After the comet, Xairin was attacked by one of the infected bats in Bastion City, and well, it looks like dhamplings can be transformed into a full vampire by a bat bite."

  Cecilia scoffed. "WHAT? What are you trying to say?"

  Peggy looked at Sara, then Cecilia. "Your son is no longer a dhampling. He's pureblood now and a possible heir to the throne to the Society of Night unless Queen Lilith can be rescued."

  Cecilia gasped. "Excuse me? My husband was a human." She hesitated for a moment, "Well sort of human, he was a sensitive. My kids were dhamplings, not purebloods.?"

  "I told you. Your son was attacked by a vampire bat infected by the Aeon Strain. An albino bat at that. Instead of having solid black eyes as we have, he has solid red ones."

  Peggy looked at Cecilia. "Xairin has been through a lot over the past few months. He is also being targeted by a nest of gorgons and gargoyles so, he joined the Sentinel team to try and hide in plain sight, or at least where it would be more difficult for a pack of those lizards to get to him."

  Peggy looked at Sara. "He's a lot like you, his recklessness has almost outed him a few times already, and now that he is in the Sentinel program, it will be a matter of time until others realize what, and who he is. Ethan told me about him having the birthmark, so it is a matter of time until someone else sees it and starts to connect the dots."

  Vaughn looked at Peggy. "Are you saying we can become a pure vampire?"

  Peggy nodded. "If a dhampling can be made pure, I would say the same is true for you too."

  Peggy looked at Sara. "Once Ethan realized who Xairin was, he tried to get him out of the program and keep him at Ethan's mansion among our nestmates. But...There was a problem with that. Your mother, Lilith, is missing, kidnapped by those bastards in the Conclave."

  Cecilia looked at her mother. "If Xairin really is a pure vampire mom, then that means…"

  Peggy interrupted. "It is why I tracked you down Sara. If he was found out to be the heir, he could be forced to take the throne if Lilith can't be found and brought back. Or at least offered the throne and if he turns it down, then the other council members could contend for it."

  Cecilia scoffed. "Or challenge Xairin if he accepted it..."

  Peggy shrugged. "Or that."

  Sara grew more emotionally void as she stood there. The young-looking woman looked as if she was emotionless, not someone who was void of it, but someone that had been beaten down so severely, they had nothing left to offer. "We already knew about my mother being taken by Lucifer."

  Peggy looked at her. "You did? How?"

  "We killed one of Jaxalon's former associates and found out more than I expected."

  Peggy looked at Sara. "Then you know about your father as well?"

  That perked a surprised look. "My father?"

  "Yeah, Ethan found that out too. Lord Dracula, the legendary vampire himself, is no other than your biological father. By the way, he was also taken. Sara, you are the heir to two great houses and the throne that binds every Immortium of the Society of Night."

  Sara closed her eyes and threw her head back. Her hands held her head.

  Sara didn't know what to say other than ask a question at this point. "Does anyone else suspect that I am alive?"

  "No, in the Immortium history books, you're dead, died in a fire, but your grandson is alive and being hunted, and as I said, it is a matter of time until others realize who he is."

  Cecilia looked at Peggy. "Why is he being hunted in the first place? He should have been safe, no one should have known about him even if he was made pure as you claim?"

  Peggy looked at Sara. "It is
not just a claim; it is a fact. Sara can look into my mind if you need further assurance."

  Cecilia looked at her mother. "Mom?"

  Sara walked over to Peggy and looked into the willing vampire's eyes. Peggy appeared dizzy for a moment, while Sara's eyes began to water. She saw everything Peggy had seen when pulling from Xairin before he departed. Sara felt more guilty now than before. She nodded to her daughter. "Everything she is saying is true."

  Cecilia gasped, drew her lips in, and wiped away tears. Peggy gave her a moment to collect herself. "So what else has happened to my son?"

  Peggy looked at Cecilia. "After Xairin was turned by that bat a pair of gorgons attacked the hospital he was being quarantined at. Xairin has a bit of his grandmother in him. He decided to help save a patient that was being used as a hostage. In the process, he killed one and injured the other without any training. After that, due to his connection with the bat that infected him, he saw a group of scavengers hiding in the ruins of New York City... He took off to New York to help save them, and during his little outing, he helped end the ghoul outbreak. After that, one of the nestmates of the gorgon he killed came calling for revenge. Xairin managed to off him in his own apartment out of just pure instinct driving him. That I guess pushed him to enlist."