by D L Blade
This is never going to end.
I shook my head. “No, we can’t keep doing this. I can’t risk your lives. It’s after me, not you guys.” I knew there would never be an end to running until we knew what and who would come for me. If I allowed myself to be taken by them, my friends would be safe, and I could maybe talk to them. I could perhaps find out their plan, and work from the inside.
“Get in the car, Mercy,” Caleb snapped.
I shook my head again. “No, Caleb. You can’t save me this way. We’re just running. Where are we going to go?” I asked, throwing my hands up. “How many lives will be lost from you trying to protect me? I can’t lose the people I love.” I looked over at Joel and Lily’s direction, who were now walking toward me. Caleb’s hands were clenched into fists and Riley and Amber were circling the car in their wolf form.
I took a few steps back and held up my hands, creating a force that pushed Lily and Joel back.
“Mercy, stop! What are you doing?” Lily cried, not able to move her legs forward anymore.
“Dammit, Mercy. Get back in the car!” Caleb was now shouting, his face bright red from anger. “Now!”
“Don’t do this, Mercy. Please,” Joel pleaded.
“I won’t let any of you get hurt because of me,” I cried.
I ran into the street and let the energy force drop. I could hear their feet pounding against the pavement as they chased after me. But I didn’t look back. I didn’t stop. The sound of heavy wings flapping echoed across the sky. Second later, I felt the eagle’s talons dig into my shoulder and it pulled me up into the air.
The truth was, I wasn’t really giving up. I would still fight, but the farther this creature was from my friends, the better chance they had at survival.
I tried to communicate with the bird verbally, but it wasn’t responding to me. I tried to speak to it telepathically, but nothing. It was neither animal nor a human, so I wasn’t sure if it took a different set of abilities for me to reach it. I lifted my hands to use my levitating power on its talons to pry them from my skin to ease the pain, but remembered I was now very high up, and that it would suck if I fell. I closed my eyes, trying not to think of the pain. I knew I would be able to heal myself, but this pain was almost unbearable. It only felt like a few minutes had passed before I looked down and could see the Salem Witch Museum. We descended to the ground and the eagle set me down gently.
The eagle lowered its head between its two front claws and its body suddenly grew larger and larger. The feathers seemed to fold into themselves while human skin formed around them. There now stood a man in human form in front of me.
He was very tall, maybe six foot seven, with an athletic body, dark brown hair that grew past his shoulders, and a long goatee. A large tattoo in black ink spread across his chest, over his shoulders and wrapped around his muscular arms. His eyes were a light shade of brown and his skin was dark tan. He was huge. I mean … huge. I had never been so close to someone so well-built and intimidating. His other tattoos were all of animals: an eagle, a bear, a wolf, and a lion, all on his chest alone.
He walked over to a nearby trashcan and lifted out a plastic bag. He pulled out an outfit from the bag and proceeded to get dressed. I thought about using my powers on him, but whoever sent him would send another and another. The only way to fight these evil forces was to start from the inside, from wherever he was taking me.
The man walked over to me and I noticed he held a metal bracelet in his hand. He grabbed my arm gently and fastened the bracelet around my wrist. I tried to pry it off, but it required a key.
“What is this?” I tried again to pull the bracelet off, but it was still no use. “What did you do to me? Take this off.”
“Sorry, Akasha. That bracelet prevents you from using your powers.” He spoke in a distinctly Hawaiian accent.
“Akasha? My name is Mercy.” I fiddled with the bracelet again. “Dammit.”
I can’t fight them without my powers.
“Akasha is what vampires call you. It means Spirit, or, Fifth Element.” He frowned. “What would you rather me call you?” He was oddly polite.
“Mercy, please.”
“Okay then, Mercy. We walk from here.”
He grabbed my arm and escorted me toward a nearby park.
“Where are you taking me? What do you want from me?” I asked, but he stayed silent. I moved around, hoping he would ease up on his grip, but he didn’t. “What’s your name?” I asked, hoping a simple question would get him talking.
“My name is Noah. I was sent here to bring you to the master.” He gestured ahead. “We aren’t far from where I’m taking you.”
Noah clearly wasn’t much of a talker. I tried to engage in conversation as we walked, but he wouldn’t respond. I even tried to make a few jokes to ease the tension as fear was rushing through my body, but he didn’t crack a smile. We walked for about thirty minutes before we arrived at a tall black gate in front of a beautiful, very dark, and gothic mansion.
I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was lie down, even if it was in a strange and dangerous place. Noah rang the bell on the outside of the gate and announced his name and that he had Akasha with him. The gates opened slowly, and Noah gently dragged me through the entrance and along the long driveway. Once the gate closed behind us, Noah released my arm. I now saw the rest of the house that was apparently going to be my prison.
The house was made of gray stone with detailed carvings on every inch of its structure. There were three stories and each story had several windows facing the front. The balconies featured large stone gargoyles that seemed to glare down at me. My heart skipped a beat as I took in the view above me. This wasn’t just a house, but a dwelling where something dark and evil resided. I feared what was ahead of me, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.
Entering the house, my eyes were drawn to the front room that was filled with three black couches and a machine of some sort sitting in the center of the room. It was a clear case with tubes that protruded from the inside and into small glass vials surrounding the machine.
“What is that?” I looked at Noah.
He, as expected, remained silent.
“Noah, I’m not your enemy.”
He looked at me expressionless. “You really want to know?”
I nodded.
“If one of the humans the vampires drink from tries to run away, the punishment is death. They are then placed in that glass chamber, hooked up to those pipes, and drained until all their blood is emptied into those vials. Blood is never wasted here, so if we are going to kill them, we might as well take the blood while it’s fresh and pumping through their veins. They store the blood in a cooler downstairs.”
My jaw fell open, and my stomach was in knots again.
“You see, Mercy. I am your enemy.”
What was I thinking, sacrificing myself? I’m going to be their next meal.
I didn’t see any residents but could hear laughter coming from closed double doors down the hall. Noah was staring at the doors in front of us, but we didn’t enter. I walked ahead toward the doors, not wanting to wait any longer to find out what they were going to do to me. Noah grabbed my hair and pulled me back.
“Ouch! Quit it!” I was so exhausted from the last twenty-four hours, I almost didn’t care at that point what happened to me.
Almost.
“Honestly, Noah. I just want to lie down. I may have powers, but I am also in a human body and humans sleep. Do you sleep?”
No response.
That didn’t shut me up. “Noah, you don’t seem all that scary to me. You don’t belong here anymore than I do. You’re not like them,” I said, and waited for a reaction.
Noah started to give a sideways smirk, then quickly became serious again as he heard a door open. It caught us both off-guard. Another guy, a little shorter than Caleb, was walking toward us. He was handsome with a strong jaw line and ashy brown, medium length hair, slicked back over the top of his hea
d. His eyes were hazel, and they looked right through me as he approached. He looked to be in his late twenties. He was wearing all black with a black trench coat that reached to the floor. Once he was about three feet in front of us, Noah got down on one knee and bowed to him.
“Master, I brought her to you unharmed, just as you asked. The wounds on her shoulders have healed, which further proves that this is Akasha. She has indeed gone through her Awakening and is now immortal.” Noah quickly stood up.
I looked straight into the man’s eyes. He walked around me slowly, touching each part of my body. He ran his fingers through my hair and lightly touched my neck with his cold fingertips. A chill ran up my spine. He then put his hands on my shoulders and rubbed where Noah’s claws had been embedded. He traced the markings that were almost, but not quite, healed. They were simply red marks now. He stood in front of me again and placed his hands under my chin and lifted it up. He slowly traced his fingers down my cheek and to my lips and smiled.
“You are so beautiful. I heard Spirit was perfect, but I had no idea he or she would be this perfect.” He smiled again. “And now you belong to me.”
No, you creepy, yet good looking vampire, I do not!
“What do you want from me?” I finally asked.
“My name is Maurice, and I am the master of this house.”
He glanced at Noah who was now right in front of him. “You may go now, Noah. I will get your report tomorrow. You served me well.”
“Mahalo, Master.” Noah proceeded down the hallway and through the double doors.
Maurice turned back to face me. “Akasha!”
He paused as I shook my head. “You can call me Mercy,” I mumbled under shaky breath.
This man really scared me.
He laughed. “Mercy no longer exists.” His smile that followed sent a wave of unwelcome goosebumps over my skin.
I wasn’t a praying person, but I said a silent prayer that I’d find a way to get the bracelet off, so I could show them how powerful I really was.
“The famous witch I have been learning about for years is finally born again and made immortal. Not only immortal, but she now carries the blood that will make me stronger, faster, and a day walker.” He smiled again, sending another wave of fear through my entire body. “You’re my own personal blood witch.”
“You do know I have the power to use all five elements at once, don’t you? You will be dead before sunrise,” I threatened nervously, realizing it was just an empty threat. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.
“Not with that bracelet on your wrist you won’t.” He laughed to himself. He was right, I was defenseless with the bracelet on my wrist, but I wasn’t going to let him believe I was feeling defeated.
“You don’t own me,” I quickly snapped and took a step back.
The corners of his mouth turned up into an evil grin and he grabbed my hand gently. “Come with me, Akasha.”
“Oh, I can’t wait,” I said sarcastically
We walked toward the double doors. A few times, I put on the brakes as Maurice tightened up his grip as he led me to the doors at the end of the hall. He opened the doors to a room filled with possibly twenty to thirty vampires.
Everyone was lying on beds and couches, some on the floors, and some holding humans that had been bitten, and there was blood everywhere. My stomach churned, and bile rose in my throat. The smell of copper flooded my senses.
A few clapped as we entered and a few hissed at me. It was mostly the females that gave me the unwelcome invitation. I knew I was immortal, but I honestly feared for my life. Vampires didn’t even exist in my world until I had met Abigail, and the stupid bracelet on my wrist was keeping me from protecting myself. Just because I was immortal didn’t mean I couldn’t feel pain.
“Please don’t hurt me, Maurice. I have done nothing to you.” I turned toward him.
He raised the side of his mouth, chuckled to himself slightly, and showed his fangs. “How about this, Akasha. I will promise not to kill you, but I can’t promise I won’t hurt you.” His response sent a wave of laughter throughout the room. His words and the sound of their laughter terrified me to the core. The unimaginable horror that awaited me hit me like a ton of bricks. In that moment, hope left me, and the sight before me, of blood, torture, and evil, became my reality. I was a toy for them, a walking blood bank, and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop them.
“Quiet, everyone!” Maurice shouted. Everyone came to an abrupt halt. Maurice smiled and gestured toward me. “I’d like to introduce the newest member in our home. The Fifth Element, or as we refer to her, Akasha.” Everyone cheered and shouted, but slowly quieted once Maurice raised his hand up. Once the room was completely silent again, he continued. “The ritual was performed and now her blood will change our kind forever. Every vampire clan in the world plans to seek her out, but we got to her first. She is ours.”
There was another round of applause, even from some of the humans.
“She will make us stronger, faster, and allow us to finally walk in the light.” I heard whispers from those around us, discussing my presence there, and a low growl came from Maurice. I sensed he was getting irritated with the interruptions.
“Silence!” he yelled, and the room instantly became quiet again. “I plan to have her blood to myself for a while, and then I will share her with those who prove themselves worthy.”
They applauded him again.
A woman from the opposite side of the room with an Irish accent called over. “Can I ‘ave a taste, Maurice?” Then a roar of talking and pleading filled the room.
“Silence!” Maurice screamed again, much louder this time, while raising one of his hands up for the second time. Quiet followed and several vampires looked away in shame.
“Forgive me, Master. I should not ‘ave asked,” the Irish woman apologized, lowering her head.
Maurice walked toward the back of the room until he was in front of her. He placed his hands on her chin and lifted her lips to his. He kissed her softly, then took both his hands and placed them on each side of her temples. Maurice twisted her head so fast it completely disconnected from her body and the rest of her turned to ash. He tossed the head against the wall and it crumbled to powder.
I couldn’t hold in the scream that left me. I quickly turned around and ran for the door. I knew I wasn’t going to get far, but I couldn’t stop my feet from moving as far away from the sight of a decapitated head as I could. Two vampires quickly jumped in front of the door to prevent me from escaping. Without looking up, I tried to move around them, but was grabbed by my shoulders and swung around to face the room again, their hands now gripping tightly around my arms, forcing me to face Maurice. Maurice walked back over to me.
“Let that be a lesson to you all. You will never ask for her blood and you will never address me unless you have permission. Let’s pretend we are all in a classroom and start raising our hands. The only topic that is forbidden is Akasha.” Maurice smiled to himself.
He was now next to me and I cowered while leaning back into the chest of the other vampire that was holding me in place. I didn’t even care that this other vampire was just as evil as Maurice. I just had to find comfort in someone. The closer Maurice got to me, the closer I clung up to the body holding me in place. I turned my head and buried my face into their chest, not looking up. Maurice placed his hand gently on my shoulder, trying to turn me around.
“Dorian, you can let go of her now.”
My gaze snapped up toward the vampire holding me.
I felt his hands slowly releasing my shoulders while I stared into the eyes of a familiar face. It was Dorian. My Dorian.
Oh. My. God!
My mind suddenly blacked out into another time. I was in the barn training with Caleb.
“You’re forbidden to see each other. You cannot fight the vampires while you are distracted by love, if it’s even love,” Roland told us. Caleb had his arms folded and he stomped off and out of the
barn.
“Is there no other way?” I asked. We’re just supposed to be alone for the rest of our lives? It’s not fair, Roland.”
“You were never supposed to come here and fall in love, Mercy. You’re a soldier.”
“We promise we won’t let it distract us from the mission.”
“Whenever the rest of the coven is in danger, the first one he saves is you. You can’t fight this way. The answer is no. I have your mother’s support on this. We need to continue our training.”
I shook my head and turned around. I couldn’t look at him anymore. I ran out of the barn, trying to find Caleb, but he was gone. I turned to run toward a small hill by the farm and heard shouting coming from a clearing.
“Caleb!” I shouted.
When I reached the top of the field, it wasn’t Caleb who I saw.
“Kill her Dorian. Do it,” a woman commanded him, but he shook his head.
“Look at her, she’s terrified. Please don’t make me do this,” he pleaded. He helped a young woman to her feet, who was shaking profusely. This only infuriated the woman that was giving him orders.
“You’re worthless. I should have never turned you.” She leaned down and picked up a branch from the floor. I saw her snap the end, creating a sharper point. She then turned to Dorian, who was still helping the girl to her feet.
No!
I remembered the memory like it was yesterday. I ran as fast as I could while reaching into the holster around my waist and pulled out my stake. I leaped toward the woman and plunged the stake into her heart. She exploded into ash in front me. I turned to Dorian whose eyes were wide and terrified. “She was going to kill you,” I said, grabbing him by the hand. I didn’t fear him, and yes, he was a stranger, but his kind eyes spoke to me like no other had ever done.
“Mercy, back away,” Roland shouted from the opposite end of the clearing.
I looked back to Dorian and took a step closer to him. “Run.”
My memory then sped up, taking me through an entire year of memories with Dorian. I saw our love grow and the feelings of trying to fight it. I watched every memory become a part of myself again, as if it had never left me. I watched us together, until the moment my neck was snapped by a rope.