by SARA FREITES
“You coward,” I uttered.
He lightly laughed and coughed up blood onto my knee, and it stained my dress.
“I wish things had not turned out as they have,” I whispered. “You were good to me in the beginning, but you’re not the person I once thought you were. You are as you’ve shown yourself tonight. A monster.”
“How are you doing it? There’s no possible way...that your powers are strong enough to withstand mine,” he stammered and struggled for air.
He tried to move. I nearly felt sympathy for him, watching the strain on his face.
“You’re right. They aren’t,” I confirmed.” You see, all I needed was the strength of the human spirit to endure your demonic powers.”
“That can’t be,” he fumed and bared his fangs at me. He seemed to think, then…“Enlighten me.”
“When you first arrived on this plane of existence years ago, you probably realized that your demonic abilities were powerless against the humans. You can use your bare hands as weapons, but you have no demonic hold over their beings or minds. This is because the humans’ souls are protected from you. Not a haviden, an evnaut nor a vampire like myself have the upper hand over you the way a human does.”
“Don’t lie to me!” he grumbled through his teeth. “The haviden race, I control it! If I can control that race and others, then I can control the humans! I will control them!”
“Allow me to explain something to you, Arlos. Havidens and dark evnauts do not have souls. As for the vampires, we have only a portion of our soul left over at rebirth, and it is weakened. Light evnauts are similar, only they are born with a lost, partially dead one. Therefore, with the condition of our spirits, we are all vulnerable to your demonic attacks.”
“And so was the human!” he moaned.
“At first, yes. I am the reason Autumn fell victim to your demonic abilities before. Up until this point, she has carried a vampire soul, along with the human one she was born with. Because it was foreign to her body, my soul masked her human one, causing it to be undetectable, unprotected from you. But in this moment, I have the strength of a vampire, the Lost Craft, and also, you see, a whole human soul—Autumn’s, residing alongside mine. And that is the key. Because it is foreign to my body, as mine was to her’s, her soul masks mine now, protecting me from you. Your demonic assaults can no longer affect me. Returning human may have sounded senseless to you. However, it was the only way I could end you.”
“No. The human girl,” he began. “She was bitten. Her soul is not whole anymore.”
“Despite being bitten, she will not continue to turn. I care for her. It is my feelings for her and the humans that rejuvenated her soul inside me now, helped to make it whole again.”
“Your dark magic and…love, then? I always knew you had a soft spot for the humans, despite what you are,” he scoffed. “But love? That’s ridiculous.”
“If my feelings for her and the humans were not true, then this would not be possible.”
A low rumbled resonated in his chest.
“Hate that you missed such a small yet intricate detail?” I asked, taunting him. “I don’t blame you. I told you I’d return as a human. You just didn’t understand what that meant for you…or didn’t care to understand it. Either way, you underestimated me.”
He lay quietly. His repulsive demon body retreated, and his body rapidly shrank. Pastel blue skin grew from the tips of his claws and spread throughout his entire body, covering the hideousness of his demon flesh and exposed black bone. Within seconds, his former human-like being lay with his head remaining in my lap. His long ebony hair draped over my legs as his blue and white eyes traced my face.
“You amaze me,” he said, his voice eerily gentle. “You’re so much more powerful than I ever knew. I always knew you were the one. I sincerely do love you, Latresma.”
It hurt to hear him say this.
I scoffed, holding back tears of frustration. “At one time, I truly did believe you loved me. But you know nothing of love, demon. You never did, and you never will. I only wish I’d known this sooner. Love and obsession, though they may draw a parallel between one another, sit on opposite sides of the spectrum—one, absolute selflessness, the other, nothing but selfishness.”
“I love you more than anything on this earth. You were mine the minute I laid eyes on you.”
“Oh, please,” I ridiculed. “Even if love was capable for you, you couldn’t possibly feel it for anyone more than you do for yourself. That is your biggest shortcoming. You know as well as I do that you are only in love with the power we might have together. You want to use and own me all for the inflation of your ego. It is the same with your three sons.”
“I wish I could show you how wrong you are.”
“Playing mind games ‘til the bitter end, are you? I won’t fall for your manipulation anymore, Arlos. I’m done letting you dig your selfish claws into my heart.”
“I’ll hope for the chance to prove it to you. Perhaps, we will see each other again one day, in one dimension or another.” A soft smile formed out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes seeming to lightly water.
“For your sake, I hope not,” I sternly said.
A single tear escaped the corner of his eye, and then, his face fell blank of expression. The mist that blanketed the floor began evaporating around us. It rose to the ceiling, dissipating there. The inferno roots crawled down the walls and shriveled under the broken floor and baseboards. The sounds they made rattled my eardrums as did Arlos’ last words. I moved away as tiny blue flames bloomed from Arlos’ body. Eventually, the flickering flames burst into a bright cerulean inferno that died away as quickly as it had appeared with not a trace of Arlos left behind. He was back where he belonged.
The abrupt silence calmed me. I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders, off my chest. I stood and swiped the bloodied claymore off the ground. I would hide the weapon in case it ever became a need again.
And that was when I heard it. I don't know how long it had been beating. The rhythm of an inhuman heart caused my eyes to wander, and they fell upon the human girl and the evnaut. The young man drew a breath, taking me by surprise. I knelt beside him. I placed my hand on the side of his scarred yet handsome face. His eyes gradually brightened, and the glassiness faded away to reveal yellow-orange gems encased in a halo of black.
He took another sharp breath, this time blinking. He continued to breathe, but only in intervals. His skin tone changed to a healthy olive yet oddly felt cold to the touch. But then, his color faded again, his veins darkening. With this, I realized Arlos had attacked not only the young man’s physical body but also his soul. He had weakened it in some manner. Over that short time I sat there, the evnaut became aware of my presence, evidently confused at the sight of me.
I felt terrible for him. After looking over his injuries, I couldn't believe he was still alive. But he wouldn’t be for much longer as his respiration became shallow. I could hear his heart beating out of rhythm, as well. I wondered if there was anything I could do for him. He was dying. He’d nearly given his life for her, all to save this earth from a possible hell.
As I thought, I realized that there was something I could do. While incapable of healing his damaged soul, I could still save the evnaut from his physical wounds to keep him alive for a little while longer. As his eyes faded and rolled back into his head, I said his name. His dimmed eyes batted as he struggled to remain conscious.
“I’m going to help you,” I assured him in English.
He stopped breathing as his eyes rolled back once more. I moved with haste. After setting the Blood Claymore in my lap, I allowed my hand to hover atop the ruby pool of liquid around them. I drew away with a bloodstained fingertip. With the same hand, I touched a clean finger to Autumn’s shoulder where it appeared that she’d been bitten by Arlos. I wanted to heal her, too. I withdrew with her blood, as well—their hands in mine, their blood in my contact, I cast a spell.
“Que mes paro
les guérissent tes blessures,” I said through a whisper.
I watched as the injuries smothering their skin, some minor, some severe, simultaneously faded away. The blood that once pooled around them evaporated. Even an old extensive scar carved into the young man’s face vanished along with the smaller ones I could see across the rest of his body. Blake’s eyes fluttered open again, and they glowed intensely in the dim light, then faded for the last time. He eased himself to sit up and gathered Autumn into his arms, visibly distressed at the sight of her motionless, pale body.
“Autumn,” he said and ran his hand along one side of her head. He stared up at me, his face doused in worry. “Is she going to be okay?”
I still couldn't bring myself to believe how much he reminded me of Arlos—his facial expressions, his voice—only, thanks to Autumn’s memories, I knew that Blake was nothing like Arlos.
“Yes,” I replied, hoping my English would be strong enough to hold a conversation with him. “However,” I continued as my smile weakened, “you are fading.”
“I know,” he replied softly.
“I am so sorry,” I told him. “I cannot heal your soul.”
“I understand,” he said softly after a long pause.
“You may be able to find someone who can, to find some way. It wouldn’t be long before your soul ceases to exist from its injuries, maybe a few months at the most…but don’t give up trying to find a way. I will withhold this memory from her,” I promised him. “You should be the one to tell her. Thank you, Blake. Autumn is so fortunate to have you. I’m sorry you had to be involved in this. What you did for her was incredibly selfless, and I’m extremely thankful. Both Autumn and I are in your debt. When she awakens, let her know how thankful I am for her, as well. I did what I can for Autumn’s humanity, but I am truly sorry that I am unable to save you, Blake.”
At that very instant, my chest caught fire with a warmth that burst into light. This caused Blake to turn away and shield his eyes. Autumn’s hair darkened to a creamy pale and taupe blonde. Her skin glowed a healthy pink and the predominant blue veins of her arms and neck shrank away under her skin. Her heart began to beat. Her hand tightened in mine, her skin growing warm. She took a breath, her first since my arrival.
She would be more human now than the day she was born. She had always carried a part of me with her, but that would no longer be. I’d only returned her whole human spirit that rightfully belonged to her.
Nevertheless, I’d leave a little something behind for her. I wanted her to always be able to protect herself. It would be the least I could do.
Chapter 25
The Escape
- Autumn -
Warmth—the first thing I remember feeling even before I opened my eyes. My heart fluttered like the wings of a butterfly. I felt my body lift from the ground. My eyes opened. Even through the blurriness of my surroundings, I could make out yellow eyes cutting through the haze. They were on me and then moved away. My gaze followed.
And I caught just a glimpse of her.
A near mirror image of myself knelt over us. She smiled tenderly at me. I spotted the Blood Claymore lying in her lap. Her elaborate lavender dress blossomed against her pale skin and hair. It was all I had time to take in before her body burst into light. I whirled away from its intensity, and by the time it died down, both Latresma and the claymore were gone. A fine mist filled the air. Tiny orbs of light floated around me, some dissolving on my skin and clothes and the others disappearing on the hardwood floor. As my eyes searched the room, I found that the roots and purple mist had disappeared, too. Nervous, I searched for Arlos.
“Where is he?” I asked myself frantically, my voice sounding weak.
“He’s gone,” a familiar voice assured me.
I felt arms tightening around me.
“Blake! You’re okay,” I practically cried. “Is he really gone?”
“Yes,” he assured me.
Images flooded my memory then—Arlos’ demon form dying, and images of the fight between him and Latresma flashed before my eyes. I flinched and the images disappeared. I felt relief after realizing what the images meant.
Because of Arlos, my family was gone along with Rosetta, Terry, Latresma and so many others who I’d never met before. His wrath dated back over three decades before I was even born, but now, it was as if I’d just woken up from a terrible dream. Latresma had saved our lives, and Arlos was back where he belonged. He could no longer hurt anyone else. But my relief turned to disappointment. I was left as a vampire now, but strangely, it didn’t seem to feel any different from being human.
I noticed that the fatal wounds Arlos inflicted on Blake had vanished along with the rest of his older scars. But his skin was pale, and his eyes were a flickering candle compared to the inferno of light and color that they used to be. Before I could say anything, he spoke.
“She healed us and reversed your rebirth.”
“What?” I wondered aloud. “Are you sure?”
“You look...and smell…very human to me,” he said while lifting a lock of my hair in his hand.
The color had returned in it. Even the white streak I’d had since birth had vanished.
“Both of your eyes are even green,” he observed and smiled out of one corner of his lips.
A wave of excitement rushed over me. Thanks to Latresma, who I’d grown to secretly resent over the weeks, I no longer had to live out the rest of my life as a vampire.
“We have a lot to thank her for,” Blake told me.
“I can’t believe it,” I added, stunned.
It was all I could say. It didn’t feel real to me. An immense weight eased off me. I took a deep breath, what felt like my first in months. There was so much I wanted to say to Blake, to thank him for being there for me, but then, my attention was drawn once again to his changed appearance.
“Why do you look like this?” I asked.
All on its own, my hand ran along the gunmetal gray veins of his arm that held me. I shivered at the shock of how cold he felt.
“Your skin is so cold,” I pointed out.
He sat up on his knees and leaned in to help me stand, but I stopped him. My eyes fell on the rips in his shirt left behind by Arlos’ claws. This caused me to forget my first concern. He watched me reach for his chest and stomach where he’d been hurt the worst. Unsure of my eyes, I slipped my fingers through the tears of his bloodstained shirt. I lifted the tattered cloth aside to reveal his pale skin. My fingertips moved across his smoothly sculpted, unharmed core. To my amazement, the wounds had truly disappeared. I could feel his eyes on me. He took my hand, his cold fingers catching me off guard.
“What is it?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“Blake, I…” My voice wavered. “I don’t ever want you to—” I wasn’t sure what to say. My throat tightened.
“Stop,” he said as if he knew what I would say.
“Thank you for what you did, but I don’t ever want you to do anything like that ever again.”
His eyes grew intense on me. I didn’t dare look away.
His voice broke firm as he spoke. “I wasn’t going to just stand back and let him hurt you.
I can’t even bear the thought of it.”
“You almost got yourself killed because of Latresma…because of me.” My tone rose harshly with my reply.
“Reincarnation or not, I would’ve done the same. You couldn’t fight him off by yourself, and I wasn’t going to leave you. But we’re here now, so there’s nothing to worry about. Everything’s going to be okay.”
He appeared to hold back a little as he spoke the last sentence. With his free hand, he ran his fingers through my hair, taking it out of my face. He held me there with his palm over my ear. The way he looked at me caused goosebumps to rise over every inch of me.
He leaned in. Tenderly, he pressed his soft, cold lips against mine. The air was nearly lost from my lungs, causing me to subtly inhale. My heart exploded out of control as his fangs brushed ov
er my bottom lip. When the shock wore off, I allowed my eyes to fall shut, enjoying his closeness. The kiss grew longer, and my mind hushed itself as I timidly returned the kiss. When we parted, my eyes wandered across his face. He parted his lips to speak but lifted his head. The roof creaked and moaned above us.
“We need to get out of here,” he urged.
I caught a whiff of smoke for the second time that night. The sound of snapping wood exploded from overhead. Blake took me in his arms and moved us out of the way of falling boards and panels. The double doors across the room burst open. A voice called for us. Blake dodged fiery debris as it rained down on us. A third, much larger burning plank cracked and dropped toward us. It was like hearing a giant tree snap in half. Blake set himself over me on his hands and knees. I curled into a ball under his shadow as bulky planks of scorched wood crashed down around us.
“Don’t move,” he ordered.
I cringed, hearing the heavy debris crashing down on his back and the floor around us. And when it seemed as if the blazing roof above was stable enough, Blake lifted me. Through falling debris, I caught glimpses of Thade and our group as they waved us over from the front of the room.
“Hurry!” Neil called out to us. “This part of the building will cave in any second now!”
“Hold on to me,” Blake ordered and leaned in over me.
I wrapped my arms around his neck without question.
“Tighter,” he added, and I fastened my grip.
His arm slid around my back. Part of the roof caved as soon as Blake shot us across the room. Pieces of burning wood and plaster missed us by inches. Blake dodged each and every piece that fell in our path as we made our way across. At one point we paused, and Blake reached for something on the floor, dropped it in his pocket and we were off again. When we made it to the other side of the room, Thade took Blake’s arm and guided us out. I let myself slip from Blake’s sturdy frame to my feet.
Thade spoke up in a panic. “What happened? Blake. You don’t look well.”