Soul Taker's Redemption

by A. S. Hamilton

  Stretching my wings, I brought them in hard as I launched myself. Gathering the energy around me, I pulled it into a tight ball, as I had done at Archmore's beach house, for the only route of escape was through the skylight and I'd much prefer to break it with something other than my own body. Before I could make use of it though, one of the granoult threw a spear. As I said before, granoult are quick, efficient hunters. They have a keen eye, too. Flexing a wing with a spear in it is impossible. If the cursed weapon had retained enough momentum to go all the way through, I could have had a chance. Instead, it stuck in my wing and I dropped.

  I landed in a crouch to try to lessen the impact of dropping from such a height. Duwiner were surging down the stairs, I could hear them yipping with excitement. They would overtake the granoult soon enough, but their canine fangs and claws would do relatively little damage in comparison to the granoult. I could feel other, more powerful warriors closing in, too. Soul takers. There'd be therilgalen as well as other devourers.

  Pulling the spear from my wing, I blocked the strike of the first granoult to reach me. Spinning the weapon about, I took the spearhead across its throat. The next ran into my free hand and I crushed its windpipe as I tossed the spear into the air so I could change my grip on it one handed. It was not quite long enough to serve me as well as a staff would, but it would do. I could have re-launched then, made my escape...

  But Ulyn wanted blood.

  And I would give it to her…

  Willingly.

  Jay

  'Here, it'll help.'

  I took the crystal-cut tumbler Mum handed me and sniffed it; brandy. The good stuff. The glasses were my grandmother's, they were made of a heavy crystal and had silver rims. Mum had tried to get me to take them when I moved out, but I don't drink, really, so I told her they should stay with her.

  I downed the shot with a grimace. Mum replaced the glass with an apple juice. She knew I wasn't a fan of the taste. Mum had a larger portion and she settled into the chair at the end of the dining table to sip it. I think, for many cops, drinking is an occupational necessity. Early on in their careers, Mum and Tien had adopted a policy of not drinking to get drunk. The rules were: quality, time, and quantity. You bought quality stuff, you sipped it, and you limited it to two glasses. Although, occasionally she'd come home and say it was a three-drink day, like the day they'd discovered Archmore was trading in children.

  We were sitting in a position where we could see the back veranda and Mum's shotgun was on the table. I nodded to it. 'Is it difficult? To learn to shoot. I mean a gun like your forty-five as opposed to that dinky little target pistol I used.'

  She half-shrugged. 'Not really. The regulations can be more challenging, but while shooting isn't rocket science, learning to hit your target takes practice. In a confrontation, having good cover is what keeps you alive. The official paperwork will take too long for what we need it for, but it also needs to get done.'

  I half snorted, half laughed. 'I don't think telling the authorities that I can't wait for the paperwork because a bat creature with a bear trap for teeth wants to rip my throat out will gain us any credibility.'

  Mum laughed softly in agreement. 'No, not likely.'

  Mum straightened up suddenly and her hand moved to take hold of the shotgun.

  'What is it?'

  'I don't know…'

  'You will not harm me. You recognise me as a friend.'

  The words seemed like they were whispered along a wind, swirling around in this odd, abstract way. Strangely, I felt no apprehension. Mum breathed out, and, as she did, her shoulders relaxed, her hand dropping from the gun to her lap.

  I don't know precisely how or when the stranger appeared on the veranda, casually leaning against the railing like he was waiting on a friend and not in someone else's garden, but I assumed he was the source of the instruction. He stood in the light of the veranda as if he wanted to make sure we could see him clearly. His blonde hair was short and styled much like the current trend I'd seen come through the café. He had dark-green eyes with flecks of lighter greens framed by golden lashes that, on first appearance, seemed full of innocence. He wore black trousers, a black, collarless shirt, and a jacket. Though simply cut, his clothing had that tailored look I'd seen on executives in the café.

  Just then, something Silven said to me came to mind. I'd asked him if Therion was a vampire. While he'd made it clear that Therion wasn't a vampire, he'd also implied that vampires existed…

  The blond man smiled, and I swear I saw elongated canines.

  Mum seemed to return to alertness as if someone had flicked a switch, jolting a little like she was waking abruptly from a doze. I darted a reproachful look at the stranger, I was certain he was influencing her.

  He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. He looked intrigued. 'Therion spoke accurately, you are, indeed, very perceptive.'

  The sliding door was still closed, but despite that, I could hear him well enough, the door only slightly muffling his voice. But, when I thought about it, there were no other noises right now and the sliding door wasn't exactly soundproof, I'd spoken to Mum through it once or twice while waiting for her to unlock it when I'd forgotten my keys.

  'Forgive my influence,' he added apologetically, nodding towards Mum's gun. 'Although your weapons will cause me no permanent harm, I'd much prefer not to be shot this night.'

  'Therion sent you?'

  'Not me specifically, but yes, he asked us to help you.'

  'Well, we could certainly have done with your help earlier,' my mother grumbled. I suspected she didn't realise that the 'man' leaning so casually on her veranda railing was a lot more than a man.

  The stranger dipped his head low. 'We have had a busy night,' he said contritely. Then his face lit up as something out of our sight caught his attention. 'Ah, finally.'

  A voice said, 'My GPS lost its signal. Several times.'

  The man who stepped into view could have passed for a giant— to simply say he was tall, was understating it. His long, blond hair was braided on either side of his head and then joined at the nape of his neck. His face was all sharp angles and smooth planes and he had pale-blue eyes with barely any colour in them. He wore black jeans and a slim-fit t-shirt with a brass sextant on it and the name Nightwish along the top. He also had Therion's twin blades and belt about his waist and a black, long, canvas-style bag in one hand that looked suited to transporting sports gear or something heavy-duty.

  He took us both in with a glance and then focussed on me. 'Jayden, I am known as Bastien d'Estrees and this is my… let's say, son, Thomas. You should have a question for me.'

  My mind was blank.

  'You need me to provide a name,' Bastien prompted. 'Or we might end up spending all night talking through a glass door.'

  I blushed, he was right, although I could hear him, it would be better to do this indoors. I stopped my brain from wandering off to contemplate the consequences of inviting vampires into our home and whether that was really a thing and said, 'Oh, yes, I remember now. Who accepted Therion's oath to Aurealis?'

  The vampire more stalked than walked over to the closed door. 'If you will please open the door. Just a crack will do. Therion would not want me to announce it to all. If you like,' he looked at my mother, 'Emerline can train her weapon on me while you do so.'

  Before I could respond, Mum picked up the shotgun, walked over to the door, unlatched it and opened it slightly. Then, she took up a position where I wasn't in her line of fire.

  He leaned into the crack and said in a low, melodic tone, 'Elaren-her-ah.'

  I nodded to Mum and she let the muzzle of the shotgun drop towards the floor. I pushed the door fully open. 'Please, come in.'

  They both gave the painting over the kitchen window a curious look.

  'I gather that relates to the help you referred to having need of earlier,' Thomas said, 'but it seems you handled things well enough.' He looked to Mum. 'Would you mind if I contacted a repair perso
n to have this fixed?'

  Mum gave him a surprised look. 'Why would I mind?'

  Thomas shrugged. 'It is your home, what happens within it is your domain, therefore, I seek permission rather than assume control that is not mine to take.'

  Mum smiled. 'Thank you. I do not mind at all.' She gestured to the lounge. 'Let's sit in the lounge room.'

  Thomas sat on the edge of one recliner while Bastien, his posture very similar to Therion's, remained standing as he looked out the window. It was dark and the window was just reflecting the room, so it looked as though he was looking at himself, but his expression suggested he could actually see out the window.

  If you've ever seen a lion taking his ease at a zoo, that described Bastien quite well. Thomas was pretty impressive, a combination of good looks and the confidence of a person used to having power and knowing how to use it. Bastien struck me as the untamed version. Mum adopted the same position as Thomas, sitting on the edge of the recliner opposite him. Rather than sit on the lounge with my back to Bastien, I leaned against the side of the display cabinet next to the TV.

  'Did Therion say where he was going?' I asked.

  'Home,' Bastien replied.

  'A place known as Unia-littah, called the Dark Realm by many,' Thomas elaborated. 'In summary, we do not know when he will return, or if he will. Nor do we know what he set out to accomplish. But, considering who his master is, if something happens to him, a guardian will show up to take his place. I take it you haven't perceived any guardians?'

  We both shook our heads.

  'Then, I would say, Therion is just delayed. In the meantime, we will act as your guardians. As you have perceived, we are vampires.'

  Mum gave me a startled look that said she hadn't perceived any such thing. I gave her a reassuring smile and raised my hand slightly in an 'it's okay' gesture.

  Thomas noted our exchange, but continued, 'There is much we do not share with humans and you will need to consider this and be patient when we are vague. What I am prepared to tell you is that I lead a clan and have instructed several of its members to disperse themselves around your property— you may encounter them on occasion. Because we are not sure just how long Therion will be delayed, we plan to treat this situation as if it is going to be at least a few days, so there are several logistical details we need to cover. Provided Emerline consents, we will need to make use of a small area to plug in our refrigerated coolers,' he paused, and Mum indicated that this was fine. 'I ask that you do not open them. It will not take a huge leap of the imagination to discern what is in there and it is best to maintain as even a temperature as possible.'

  I raised my hand and Thomas nodded to me. 'It seems a little unimportant, but Mum goes by Em and I prefer Jay.'

  'Ah, just so. I prefer Thomas. Bastien is not the sort of person to respond to Baz or any other shortening of his name, either.'

  'Forgive me, but isn't Bastien a shortening of Sebastien?' Mum asked.

  'It can be, but in my case, I have taken the surname Bastien as my first name. I noticed that you both have handguns, you should be aware that they won't be greatly effective unless you get a vital organ, so aim for the head. Your shotgun, Em,' he nodded towards the weapon, which Mum had beside her, 'will be more effective at slowing down the kinds of creatures we might encounter. Do you have any others?'

  Mum shook her head.

  'That's fine, we can lend Jay one.'

  'I can't shoot.'

  A look passed between the two vampires, then Thomas said, 'I'll call Yushoki. I don't think she will be able to come until tomorrow, but it should do. With luck, Therion will return before then.'

  'I can teach her,' Mum offered. 'In fact, we were just discussing that before you arrived.'

  'Can you teach combat?'

  Mum considered Thomas's question, then answered slowly, 'I'm probably not going to be as skilled as Yushoki.'

  Thomas pulled out his phone and started making a call as he walked out of the room. A moment later, he stepped back in. 'Yushoki will come by tomorrow afternoon.' He turned to address Mum. 'The help you needed earlier was because of the gingaji, yes?'

  At our blank looks Bastien explained, 'Bipedal bat with more teeth than seems necessary. They're more scouts than warriors, but they can give you a bit of trouble.'

  We nodded in unison.

  'They usually come as a group of four. You killed one, we killed two, but the last will have made it back to the Dark Realm. That means Ceri-talen knows that there are vampires here. He will likely send a soul taker of some kind, along with their version of infantry and cavalry.'

  'Soul taker, like Therion, a therilgalen?'

  Bastien shook his head as he made a sound of disagreement. 'No, he won't want to risk them. They lost three recently, according to the message Therion left. Ceri-talen was a lot more reckless with them when he had Therion's core spirit to harvest from and replace the ones he lost. Now, he's on a limited supply, so he'll send a being capable of gathering soul energy, but not a therilgalen.'

  'I have brought sufficient vampires to give us warning, but have sent for more fighters,' Thomas informed us. 'In the meantime, Em, would you mind giving me a tour of your home. I want to see all the access points, any potential hiding places, and where we can place guns and ammunition in a confrontation.'

  Rising, Mum collected the shotgun and, as she led the way down the hall, I heard her say half-jokingly, 'I'm not sure my insurance covers attacks by supernatural creatures.'

  Thomas replied with deadpan seriousness, 'It probably comes under 'Acts of God'.'

  Bastien seemed perfectly comfortable staring out the window, so I was hesitant to ask questions, but I decided that there might not be an opportunity later.

  'You've been friends with Therion for a long time.' It was more of a statement, but one that gave him the option of a simple confirmation or providing more information. After all, Thomas had said there was some information they might not be willing to give.

  'We share a history, that is true,' he admitted, drawing the words out, as if reluctant to part with them, but realising I already knew and confirming it would lose him nothing while gaining my trust.

  There was something about him that led me to think he felt he owed Therion, that Therion had done something for him and that had forged an iron-clad loyalty between them. There was a tenseness about him also, a restless unease. If a vampire was worried, I had cause to be greatly concerned. What was he expecting, more of the bat-like creatures, or worse?

  I could see by the reflection in the window that he slid his glance sidelong at me, as he, too, used my reflection to look at me indirectly. 'You, my jewel, are a rare setting indeed. I am beginning to appreciate more fully Therion's motivations.'

  That made me pause, it sounded like he had somehow read my mind, or at least knew my thoughts. I'd need to be more careful around him. But then, he was a vampire, regardless of any other factors, that alone inferred a need to be careful. I suddenly felt the urge to laugh.

  Bastien turned and gave me an uncertain look.

  'I was just thinking… If there are vampires, then it seems logical that there are likely werewolves too. Don't ask me what made it funny, I can't explain it.'

  He smiled in return. 'Ah, I can. People who discover that the 'supernatural', as it is often called, exists, will take it in one of three ways. They will deny it, go mad, or accept it. Those who accept, these are the people who know themselves most, but with acceptance they feel they let go of a little of their sanity. This is only because society tells them they must not be in full possession of their wits to accept such things. Keep in mind, this is the same society that promotes starved girls as the model for beauty, allows many crimes to go unpunished simply because confrontation would make them uncomfortable, and condones the destruction of life in the pursuit of material gain, so don't take it too seriously.'

  He picked it well I did feel a little like I was losing my sanity. 'So, werewolves exist?'

  Bast
ien nodded. 'They do. And do not believe all the myths. For instance, there is no race or culture-wide hostility between us. There are some feuds here and there, but that's usually about territory, because it's not like we have to fight over our food source or anything. In general, though, we get along just fine.'

  I darted a look at him, he said it so casually, however I was well aware that I was among those considered a 'food source'. Bastien had returned to gazing out the window, but seemed to sense my discomfort, because he turned back and then a look of alarm crossed his face. 'Forgive me. Please allow me to explain frankly, for it will sound unsettling, however it will, ultimately, ease your concerns. While vampires do prefer to take from humans, it does not commonly result in death, we simply don't need that much. We can, and do, kill, I won't insult your intelligence by denying or glossing over that.'

  'But not for food.'

  He shook his head. 'Not generally, not unless they struggle too much.' His eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled and I found myself thinking that his sense of humour was as dark as Therion's.

  'Vampires, werewolves, and?'

  He paused and the pale-blue eyes darkened as he considered me. Abruptly, he gave a slight shrug. 'More than many can imagine, there are those like Therion, and the 'angels' you've met. There are all your usual suspects, fairies, elvan, dwarven, shifters of all types and so on. I know a phoenix and trade regularly with centaurs. I've seen fawns, merfolk… Spoke to a higher dragon once— quite the experience that. Hippogriffs, griffins, wyverns...'

  'What! No unicorns!'

  Bastien let out a low laugh, letting his head drop forward. When he looked up it seemed like he was studying me, but he didn't explain his thoughtful expression, instead he said, 'You should ask Therion about Elaren-her-ah, for only the virtuous can preside over an oath-taking and there are none so soundly linked to virtue as unicorns.'