Ash Addict

by Al K. Line

  "Tell me."

  So he did.

  Secrets Told

  "Give us the room please."

  Everyone left without question or mutter; they were devoted and trusted Ivan to make this right. He commanded loyalty and got respect, and they would forgive him, but this was one massive mistake on his part and he'd got me involved without it being my fault for once.

  "So?"

  "First, I want to apologize. I'm sorry you got dragged into this. Carmichael, and Tasius for that matter, don't know what happened in that room, who has the ashes. It's either me or you as far as they're concerned, and given that you are the wizard, I'm guessing they both assume it's you."

  "But Carmichael took us both. And apology accepted. It's about time it was you screwing up."

  "Carmichael took you both as he would have been following Tasius. Tasius went to you, so he clearly put two and two together."

  "And came up with five. We both know I had nothing to do with this."

  "No, you didn't. But neither man knows the truth. Only I know, and you, and those who were in this room."

  "Yeah, you said."

  "I'm trying to explain that I have told nobody else. I trust you, I trust them. That's as far as my trust goes. But this must be settled, and quickly, before things get out of hand."

  "Before Tasius and his crew discover you deceived everyone and made a right bloody mess, you mean?"

  "That's enough! I know I made a mistake, but I believed it was for the best. Now I know different."

  "I bloody bet you do. Okay, so you screwed up, we all do. Just go get the ashes, destroy them once and for all, then everyone knows Mikalus is history and that's that."

  "You make it sound so simple."

  "I'm a simple kinda guy." Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Oi, you know what I mean. I've had your back plenty of times, don't go being rude."

  "And I have had your back, don't forget that. You are a man many people would like to see killed. I protect you."

  "I don't need anyone's protection. And let's not forget I stopped the Queen bringing on a war, got rid of that problem without involving you lot."

  "How could I?"

  "So what's the problem here?"

  "If I try to get the ashes, they may be intercepted. Then either Tasius or Carmichael will get their hands on Mikalus. Either way, if he's resurrected, whatever side he chooses, even if he's utterly brainwashed or forced to act against his will, there is one thing that is certain, one truth that ensures the end of our kind."

  "He'll be really pissed off with us?"

  "That, my friend, is a severe understatement. He will do anything he can to destroy us. He will be after us both. Maybe Carmichael too if Tasius gets him first, but if Carmichael gets him, and resurrects him, then Cerberus will be the good guys, the ones who brought him back, and he'll definitely side with them."

  "So, what, leave him be? You can't do that. This isn't over until Mikalus is resurrected or destroyed so everything returns to normal. They can be pissed off, and I'm sure they will be, but there won't be a thing they can do about it if he's truly gone."

  "It is quite the mess."

  "You're telling me. Okay," I said, "what did you do with him?"

  Lights flicked on outside and inside the office, startling me. Dusk had fallen, early as always in late winter, and I guessed that would perk up the vampires no end.

  "Haha, made me jump," I said, turning my attention back to Ivan.

  "And so the night comes," he said.

  "Blimey, been practicing that line, have you? Just to be dramatic and spooky?"

  "It's no joke, Arthur. All of us are weak during daylight, some cannot be out in it at all. Others have made it a practice to suffer the sun of winter just to function in the daylight, but now is our time. I can feel the strength coming. In a few minutes, when the sun sets, energy courses through our veins and we change, become what we truly are. It's glorious, I wish you could share it with me. The power, the feeling of immortality, of impossible strength. What a truly wondrous thing."

  "I'm good." No way did I want to experience the vampire high. Magic was more than enough for me, thank you very much. "Just tell me, Ivan. What did you do with the ashes?"

  "I cannot say it, where they are. But you know the rest. I took them, I hid them. Now I must right this wrong."

  "I'll help you."

  "You will?" Ivan was surprised. Guess he thought I'd go ape-shit then have nothing to do with him.

  "Yeah. What choice do I have? Carmichael will be after me. He'll torture me again if he gets his hands on me, and he isn't above using family to get what he wants. You put not only me but my family, and yours, in mortal peril. Cerberus will take them and hurt them to get what they want, you know that. How could you?"

  "I wasn't thinking like that. Merely acted. You have to understand, although he'd betrayed me, made me deceive you, he was still Father. You know that family is different. You forgive your family more than you ever would a stranger or a friend."

  "Maybe," I said, old memories resurfacing. Some people may forgive family, others didn't. There are things that can never be forgiven, I should know. I punished those that thought nothing of me being their son.

  "You still loved him. You do still love him?"

  "Maybe. I don't know, it's complicated. But our family is safe, I have people watching, and your property is protected by the wards. They are safe."

  "But we aren't. And I got nabbed at my home. Okay, it was outside, but still."

  "This will be dealt with soon." Ivan sounded certain, I wasn't so convinced.

  "Yeah? How?"

  "Cerberus have acted rashly, gone too far. It is time."

  "That's what Tasius said. And Valera and Nohr. Told me that you'd agreed this was the final battle type of thing."

  "It has been brewing for the longest time. Centuries. Us against them. Cerberus versus the magic users. Adepts, vampires, shifters, all of us wish them gone. They interfere, they take what is ours, believe themselves righteous when they are led by a vampire nonetheless. Carmichael has betrayed his kind."

  "But he isn't the actual leader, is he? Do you know who is?"

  "No, I don't. Maybe we shall find out?"

  "Yeah, peachy. Okay, so what's the plan?"

  "We destroy the ashes and get these freaky addicts away from us. And we destroy Cerberus. First, we take the artifacts."

  "What, all of them? From the warehouse, you mean?"

  "Yes. Valera and Nohr told me where it was located, now I will release that news to the magical community."

  "I threatened Carmichael with that before, so he'd play nice. You're right, he broke his promise to me. He deserves this."

  "Exactly. Let Cerberus try to defend itself. They are already breached. It was easy, with my people, now we have the ash addicts and every single magic user in the country will want to go there and claim a prize."

  "And Mikalus?"

  "We will get him together, you and me."

  "Great."

  "Would you rather I go alone? If I die then the hunt will continue, and there will be no peace."

  "No, I'll come. I need to call Penelope, and George. You spoken to Vicky yourself?"

  "Of course. Her and the girls are fine. As are your family. She is the one, Arthur. Penelope is a wonderful woman."

  My heart lifted at the thought of her. "She is, isn't she? Let's hope I don't get myself killed and ruin it all."

  "Indeed."

  Lights exploded, screams could be heard, and then gunfire rattled the bombproof windows.

  "Guess I can call later," I mumbled, before ducking because I didn't trust the glass not to shatter under such an onslaught.

  Somewhat Stressful

  Ivan was up and around the desk in less than a heartbeat. I followed right behind him, deciding to let Wand rest as our current magical state meant he was nothing but a nice stick and I was a cool guy with a nice hat.

  Ivan tugged at the door but it wouldn't budge. He t
urned to me, shaking his head.

  "Yank it, you muppet, you're a bloody vampire. Aren't the juices flowing or something?"

  "Of course. I wasn't thinking." Ivan tensed, then gripped the door handle so tight the metal crumpled. He pulled hard, but it all seemed so effortless, and the door handle came off with a screech.

  "Dick," I muttered, knowing it was a bad idea to be standing in front of the door for too long. It may have been reinforced and as safe as the glass, but I didn't fancy being there when the gunfire began.

  Ivan scowled then smashed through the metal and wood with a fist, obliterating the lock and half the door frame in the process.

  I ran after him out onto the small landing; all was black.

  "Bastards," muttered Ivan, his vision much better than mine. I let a little of what magic remained swell up and into my eyes, overlaying everything with a green tinge. Like night vision but without looking like a dick. It wasn't much, and I could hardly see a thing, but it was enough to see Ivan and the faintest glimmer of solid, yet shadowy green shapes below. A lot of them weren't moving, and all of them kept disappearing, pulsing then vanishing.

  Ivan descended cautiously, and I ducked down and followed behind, staying close to the wall and even closer to him. Not that I was thinking of using him as a human shield or anything, but if he got hit by bullets first then I wouldn't object. He was more hardy than me.

  Right on cue, the rat-tat-tat of rapid-fire weaponry spat deadly javelins of hot metal right at us. I flattened onto the steps as Ivan vanished, moving faster than I could follow, faster than the bullets.

  I heard bone crunching then the weapon dropping but I was only half listening; something else had grabbed my attention.

  What was that sound? What was happening here? Slurping? Were the victors drinking the defeated? No, it was drier, more rasping, different to that. What?

  Emergency lighting snapped on without warning and the whole warehouse floor was lit with a headache-inducing red glow that cast deep shadows where things huddled that would do harm to The Hat. Ivan was standing over the man with the gun. He was very dead, his hand crushed, his head ripped clean off his body.

  Bodies were strewn everywhere, most of them Ivan's people. Some were regenerating, the vampire juices repairing injuries that weren't fatal, or not for long, but vampires were made of flesh and blood and there is no coming back from some things. Like having all your insides pulled out or your head smashed to a pulp or so many bullets obliterating your vital organs that even the most powerful and old vampires couldn't regenerate in time to save themselves. It wasn't only Ivan's goons though, it was Tasius' guys too. Several were gone, others were groaning, but they were in the majority and grouped together.

  I searched the bodies but it was hard to make things out properly, and I was waiting for Tasius' guys to attack, but they'd seemingly forgotten about us, were all in a bunch, crouched down, making that peculiar noise.

  Ivan walked to the wall and flicked a switch on the fuse panel. Powerful floodlights high on the walls cast aside all shadow, bathing the scene in stark, unforgiving white light, startling the ash addicts.

  Standing beside them, also forgotten, was Ivan's aide. She was shaking, petrified, and I guess even though she worked for Ivan she wasn't used to such nightmarish scenes. I searched the room, counting the bodies. There was one missing. The Second. One of the oldest vampires and someone Ivan relied on heavily. He was a stoic, calm character who had been there almost since the beginning.

  "How dare you? In my house!" Unconcerned by the violence, by the blood pooling on the cracked concrete floor, by the screams and the putrid stench of bodily fluids and the carnage of ripped flesh, smashed bone, and pulverized heads, Ivan stomped through it all and flung aside the group of men all clamoring for their prize.

  Vamps flew in all directions. One snarled at Ivan as he came back to his senses. It incensed him and he grabbed the guy's head in his hands and squeezed so hard it popped. Brain squirted out of his eyes and ears and then the top of his skull exploded, splattering the woman in lumpy gore. She screamed louder.

  My head rang with her echoing cries, my thoughts were unfocused, my body protested against the venom still in my veins, and it got no better as I bore witness to what the men feasted on.

  Ivan flung away the last but one person; only Tasius was left. He wiped his mouth and stood before Ivan could go mental on him. A pile of ash mixed with scraps of leather and cloth were revealed. It was all that remained of the Second. He was old, very old, and it seemed like the ancients turned to dust when they died. I guess it was the body returning to the state it should be in at such an age. Or maybe it depended on the manner in which you died? The details were hazy, and I couldn't recall if I'd ever been told what happened when they met their true death. I'd seen them die before, and the only one who turned to ash was Mikalus because he couldn't stand the strong daylight. These lot seemed to make a habit of it.

  "What's the meaning of this?" demanded Ivan, a man in control, a man who would have answers and who could never be intimidated no matter how many of his men were killed.

  Tasius and his numpties gathered around, seemingly having had their fill. They wiped ash from their lips where they'd lapped at the fresh, still steaming grit like thirsty dogs at a refreshing cool stream.

  "He gives his essence to us," said Tasius, so hyped up on whatever it was they thought the ash provided that he looked like he could float. They couldn't do that, could they? Could they fly? No, they couldn't. They had insane reflexes, but vampires were men on overdrive, nothing more.

  "You dare fight in my place of business? We are in this together. We must stay strong or we'll be destroyed."

  "Hand over Father and we'll be gone," said Tasius with a smirk.

  Ivan stepped right up to him and slapped him, bitch style, across the face.

  The room fell silent, the woman stopped screaming, and I wondered where I could hide.

  Showing Who's Boss

  "I'm in charge here. Me," hissed Ivan, his demeanor leaving everyone, Tasius included, in no doubt he was a powerful vampire worthy of his position.

  "I... You... " Tasius stammered, the shock of the slap and Ivan's attitude taking him by surprise.

  This was how Ivan was. You knew there was something about him, the strong, silent type of guy, bubbling away underneath the surface, and some people mistook this for a reticence to act, for a missing streak of ruthlessness needed to remain in his position. Tasius no longer had those doubts. He became aware, for the first time, just who Ivan was. Throughout the country there were hundreds if not thousands of men who would do anything for Ivan. Everyone knew he was fair but harsh, quiet but with a will of iron beneath the usually calm exterior. Those who followed him were devout.

  Tasius was learning that you did not fuck with him, in other words, and didn't know what to do. The smug smirk was gone, replaced with a red welt that faded as quickly as it came.

  "Who do you think you are?" snapped Ivan, turning away from Tasius, speaking to the whole room. "I run things, I say what happens. I decide who lives and who fucking dies. Do you understand me? All of you?" The room remained silent, everyone looking down, shuffling their feet. "I said, do you understand?"

  "Yes, boss," said Ivan's men.

  Ivan glared at Tasius then the others. Tasius nodded. The rest mumbled their agreement.

  Hurried feet ground chipped concrete as they skidded to a halt at the open front to the warehouse and a score of men appeared. Ivan's men, those patrolling the grounds or merely hanging out outside waiting to be called if needed. They remained impassive at the sight of the slaughter, eyes fixed on Tasius and his crew.

  "You got anything else to say?" Ivan asked Tasius. "You want to start another fight? You want to tell me," Ivan shouted, "how to go about my business?"

  "I merely want what I came for," mumbled Tasius, trying to recover his dignity in the face of Ivan's wrath and willingness to destroy them all right there and then.

>   "Go home," sighed Ivan. "There's nothing for you here. Your father is dead, and he will remain that way. Leave while you still can. You owe me your life. I saved you from Cerberus and if you stay you will die." Ivan turned to his recovering men in the warehouse and said, "Get them out of my sight." Then he spoke to the guys at the door. "Put them in the vehicles, give them the keys, and take their guns."

  "We need them," protested Tasius.

  "Not on a fucking plane you don't. You're going straight to the airport and leaving. Do not return," Ivan warned. He meant it.

  I followed Ivan, who put an arm around his aide and steered her back upstairs, and it wasn't until I closed the door behind us that I breathed again.

  "I've never heard you swear like that before," I said, shocked. Ivan always kept his cool, hardly ever used foul language, and when he did you knew he was on the verge of doing something truly frightening.

  "They annoyed me." He turned to the woman and said, "I'm sorry, this isn't what I wanted for you. I wanted you kept away from such sights, such men."

  "That man, his head exploded. It's on me, it's sticking to me." She broke down and wept, her mind finding it impossible to comprehend the horror she'd witnessed at such close quarters.

  She may have been a vampire, but most of them fed from willing citizens who gladly gave up a pint to be close to the vampires. Real violence, true horror, was not something the majority ever experienced and they never let their cravings get so strong that they killed. She was now a member of our world. Poor woman.

  Then something surprising happened. Ivan put his arms around her and they kissed. Nothing too long or intimate, but a kiss on the lips full of affection and love. They were an item.

  What was her bloody name?

  It Continues

  There was a knock at the door. Ivan waved the man in, easy for him to see what with the poor guy having to rap on what frame remained.

  "They've gone. Should we send men to the airport?"

  "No, thank you. They won't leave, no matter what I say, but they've gone for now. Tell the men to stay sharp, and await my instructions. Call the others in."