A Shade of Vampire 86: A Break of Seals

by Forrest, Bella

  “Mind you, that might backfire in the end,” Nightmare interjected, drawing a scowl from Soul—not to mention the rest of our crew.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Kelara is strong. She’s gifted. She single handedly broke one of Death’s Thousand Seals. She’s gotten out of two rune collars on her own so far. I doubt an interdimensional pocket will hold her down for long,” Nightmare explained. “The girl’s got some serious spunk.”

  “She’s safe in there for the time being,” Soul retorted, his tone clipped. He wasn’t even willing to entertain the possibility of Kelara escaping, and I couldn’t fault him for it.

  Our plate was full enough as it was. The Aeternae were preparing for another attack. The ghouls Trev had sent out were still searching for the remaining wards. I had no idea what Unending, Tristan, and Thayen were up to, but at least they’d broken the second seal. Victory and failure were both so close, almost within our reach.

  I only wished for a little more time, for a little more strength in our morale, so we could resist and get through this in one piece. According to our earlier, albeit brief conversations with the First Tenners since Taeral’s emergence, Death had proven herself to be woefully unreliable and downright impetuous. We didn’t know what she was planning, though we all seemed to have a part to play. I couldn’t help but wonder whether we were all just some form of entertainment for her. Even Spirit with his tricks and remarkable resilience—was he part of the show, too? The Soul Crusher seemed convinced that yes, that was the case for his wayward brother, too.

  Watching the GASP ships come in, I allowed myself a faint smile. We weren’t as strong as the Aeternae, but the Perfects and the Arch-Perfects were a phenomenal match for them. Our sole purpose was to continue fighting, to keep them at bay, and I kept that clear resolve in my head. But my mind kept wandering back to the prospect of us being mere players in a puppet show, exclusively for Death’s pleasure—despite her inability to hold Thieron, not to mention the Thousand Seals. It was weird. Hard to understand.

  There was no other way to explain our current predicament. Nothing else that might explain why we’d been swaying in the winds of fate like leaves, guided only by our instincts and the obstacles that Death left in our path. I felt like we couldn’t count on her for anything—we only had ourselves. Truth be told, we’d overcome adversities before. Some worse than others. A few tantamount to an apocalypse.

  And if we prevailed in this fresh hell, too, we’d prove ourselves stronger and everlasting, even as mortals. We’d earn a different kind of eternity.

  Esme

  I was invigorated by the sight of GASP ships coming to our aid. They were a beautiful thing to watch—silvery arrowhead-shaped shuttles, each fitted with magi-tech and capable of holding up to five hundred agents. I counted twenty, which meant around ten thousand soldiers were about to set foot on Visio. What we still lacked in numbers against the Aeternae, we would make up for in sheer force and supernatural abilities.

  “I’m going to allow myself a tiny reprieve,” I murmured, watching the skies and envisioning the moment when our hordes of Arch-Perfects and Perfects would finally descend and kick enough local ass to push the people back. We didn’t want to kill the civilian Aeternae, but they weren’t giving us much of a choice.

  “Don’t hold your breath,” Amane warned me, her tone bitter. She nodded up at the shuttles. “Look.”

  Like clockwork, the Aeternae’s airships had detected the foreign presence. All around us, the ground forces were restless, eager to try another attack. Ridan had pushed them back by burning dozens of them alive, and I doubted I would ever get the smell of scorched flesh out of my nose or the sound of their agonizing screams out of my head.

  No matter how we approached this issue going forward, the Aeternae were sure to retaliate. Ridan let out the occasional growl, snarling at the crowd to keep them back. Those fifty yards of space between us were crucial at this point, because the dragon couldn’t protect us all at once—not when the Aeternae were coming at us from every angle.

  Most of the Seniors, led by Mira and Kemi, positioned themselves in a circle around our base. They’d taken quite the beating, but they were ready to pay it back in kind as soon as the gold and silver guards decided to attempt another offense.

  “I’m of little use right now,” Kalon said. “I should be with the other civilians at the center of our base.”

  “You’re not moving an inch,” I replied, earning nods of agreement from Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore. “We’ve got your back. I need you close so I don’t lose sight of you.” It didn’t make much of a difference where Kalon stood, anyway. If the Aeternae were to breach our Senior defense line, we were all done for, including the civilians of Orvis we’d been trying so hard to protect.

  “Dad!” Ben’s voice came through from one of the leading GASP shuttles, echoing across the land and jolting me back into the current state of affairs. “We’ve just breached the atmosphere, but there are airships headed our way.” This was an incredible feat, considering how far our shuttles were.

  “How are they doing this?” I asked.

  “Sound transmission via the airwaves,” Derek replied. “It’s a communication prototype we recently implemented on the newer shuttles. If the comms system is down, if Telluris doesn’t work, at least the shuttles can pass messages on. They’re fitted with hyper-sensitive microphones, too, and they’re able to pick up specific sounds from a thousand-mile radius.”

  “That is absolutely insane…” I managed, trying to wrap my head around the concept. Derek nodded.

  “I know. But it only works on the shuttles, because the system needs power from its engines to transmit sound and capture it across such vast distances,” he replied. “Voice recognition wasn’t the problem, it was the radius that was challenging.”

  “Dad, I can hear you!” Ben’s echoing voice boomed overhead.

  “Fire your pulverizer cannons at them,” Derek shouted, a muscle ticking in his jaw. He took no pleasure in ordering more carnage, but we had to show the Aeternae they couldn’t simply bully us into a corner. Drastic measures were required, at least until the last of Unending’s seals was broken. “Don’t let them hit you.”

  “Are you sure?” Ben asked. I could hear the doubt in his words.

  Sofia took over. “Ben, they won’t go easy on you. They’re shooting to kill, and we need every one of our GASP people down here on the ground as soon as possible.”

  “I’m counting fifty airships, Mom. Assuming there are at least a hundred Aeternae on each, we’re looking at up to five thousand instant casualties,” Ben replied.

  “We’re operating under wartime protocols,” Sofia said. “May the universe forgive us, but it must be done.”

  We couldn’t see much from down here except for moving flashes of light as our shuttles drew closer. They were surrounded by Aeternae airships, which looked surprisingly agile considering their size and the mechanical processes required for them to fly. On the ground, the Aeternae crowds rumbled nervously, having heard our entire exchange with Ben. They knew what was coming… I took it as the downside of this communications prototype. It got the message across, sure, but everyone else heard it, too.

  “Roger that,” Ben ultimately responded. “Hang in there!”

  Just as he said that, I watched several Aeternae vessels shoot toward the GASP fleet. Colored lights bolted from their cannons, and our shuttles ducked and broke formation. My heart jumped into my throat as I realized that shooting the enemy with pulverizer ammunition wasn’t going to be easy at all. “Either they’ve learned a few tricks since we last talked about their air defenses, or they were always more proficient than we realized,” I said, my voice trembling.

  “Anything new that you can tell us about your aerial defenses?” Derek asked, looking at Kalon and Trev.

  Kalon offered a shrug, his brow furrowed. “I’m not sure. The airships are pretty fast and easy to maneuver. I am unable to compare them to yours
, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Chances are we’ve got Darklings stationed on those crews,” Trev said. “It’s what I would do if I were Corbin and I knew that GASP would override previous agreements by sending shuttles of their own. I’d want my people up there, blasting your people with death magic and everything else we could muster.”

  “Those colored rays,” Kailani said. “What are they?”

  “Explosive material,” Kalon replied. The blasts echoed from afar, startling me. Our shuttles had taken several hits, and I could see two of them flying farther away from the others, followed closely by some of the Aeternae airships. The war wasn’t just on the ground anymore.

  Derek turned to face us. “They’re trying to bring them down before they reach us.”

  “It’s up to them,” Sofia told him. “Dragons are on board. If they have to, our people will release them first.”

  As if summoned, dragon roars ripped through the sky like furious thunderstorms. They flew out of the GASP shuttles and began their own attacks on the Aeternae airships. Soon amber flowers of fire and plumes of black smoke swelled, covering the clear blue with dark clouds of death and violence.

  The situation up there was out of our hands. We had our own share of massive trouble to deal with, as murmurs traveled through the Aeternae crowd. Their boots thudded rhythmically on the hard ground, armor clinking as they began their advance once more. Ridan moved to the front, carefully stepping around the Seniors’ circle. His jaw unhinged as he let out a menacing growl, hot air flowing from his glowing throat. It was a warning.

  “Resume your positions,” Derek warned us, gripping his sword so hard his knuckles turned white. “They’re about to try something.”

  Tension soared through our crew, and adrenaline levels spiked as we took our combat positions. I had only a few clips of pulverizer pellets left, and I was determined to use them wisely. A gruff but powerful voice broke through the Aeternae masses. “Kalon Visentis! Show your face, you traitor!”

  I felt suddenly cold. The mere mention of my boyfriend’s name coming from the enemy made me want to empty all my remaining pulverizer rounds into the crowd. A figure emerged—a tall man with silvery hair and cool blue eyes. The similarities were glaring, present even in his facial features.

  “Oh no.” Kalon gasped. “Jacen.”

  “Who?” I asked. The name was unfamiliar to me.

  “Cousin Jacen,” Ansel replied, appearing terrified by the Aeternae man’s presence. “Jacen Visentis. Well, first cousin once removed…”

  “A little background on the guy might be useful,” I said, eyeing the man as he stepped away from the crowd and moved closer to Ridan. He didn’t seem at all frightened of the dragon, and that worried me.

  “My mother’s cousin,” Kalon said. “He’s been away for a long time. I knew he was commanding some kind of exploratory mission into the southern ice lands. There were rumors of rare fuels present beneath the frost and snow, so Jacen volunteered to lead the expedition.”

  “What are his credentials?” Sofia asked, equally concerned by this new development.

  “There he is!” Jacen exclaimed, finally spotting Kalon next to me. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, dear cousin. But I’d rather just fast-track this directly to punishment. There is no excuse in this world that can justify what you’ve done.”

  “You’re the ones who built your empire on the backs of Reapers and innocent souls!” I shot back, fury coursing through my veins. His audacity struck a nerve, and what patience I had left disappeared. I had zero tolerance for people of his type.

  “He’s former military,” Trev said, keeping his voice down. “Expert in close combat. He’s over a million years old. Retired from the service about a thousand years ago. He’s been in the far south ever since.”

  “He’s not a Darkling, though,” Kalon replied, slightly confused. “I would’ve known.”

  Jacen chuckled softly. “It doesn’t matter how we built our empire. It’s built. And we’ve been working for years to keep it.”

  “You knew about the Darklings?” Kalon asked loudly.

  “No. But I do now. I understand why they did the things they’ve done. I can’t blame them. For too long, we’ve pretended to be better creatures than we are. I, for one, have always been a fan of self-acceptance,” Jacen said, raising his chin.

  “You picked a bad time for self-acceptance,” I muttered.

  Ridan lowered his head, but Jacen didn’t even flinch. The dragon growled again, his breath making the Aeternae’s cloak flutter enough to reveal the golden armor beneath. The sight made Kalon grunt softly. “He’s back in his uniform. That means he’s serious…”

  “Is he going to be a problem?” Derek asked, unable to take his eyes off Jacen.

  “Do you think an oversized lizard will scare me?” the uncle muttered, staring right up at Ridan. “I’ve fought the Rimians and the Naloreans whenever they tried to rebel against the empire. I’ve devoted my life to maintaining order and discipline among my people. I’m eternal and plan to stay eternal. A dragon will not scare me.”

  Amane scoffed. “This one should.”

  It was as if Jacen hadn’t seen what Ridan had done to his people, even though the ground around him was littered with their charred remains. Ridan got so close to Jacen that I could see beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, but he didn’t move a single muscle. Fire glowed from between the dragon’s jaws, casting shadows across Jacen’s face.

  “You have to kill him,” Kalon said, almost breathlessly. “He’s extremely dangerous, Esme. Even my mother feared him.”

  “Wait, why would she fear Jacen?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. They had some kind of history, but I know she didn’t want him to join the Darklings. I don’t understand why, though, since he’s obviously okay with them,” Kalon replied.

  Ansel sighed. “I know why. Mother let it slip once. Uncle Jacen is too cruel, apparently. Too devious and dangerous even for the Darklings, believe it or not.”

  “What does that mean for us now?” Derek asked, increasingly concerned by how close Jacen had gotten to Ridan.

  Before we could get an answer from Kalon’s brother, Jacen proved himself a menace in the space of a single breath. His arm shot up just as Ridan prepared to torch him alive, and something got in Ridan’s eye. Blood spurted as the dragon threw his head back, roaring in pain. But Jacen wasn’t done. He jumped and started climbing up Ridan’s scaled neck.

  “Oh, no, you don’t, you son of a…” Amane’s voice trailed off as she bolted toward him.

  “Go! I’ll keep an eye on Kalon,” Trev encouraged me. I slipped the pulverizer weapon over my shoulder and joined her. Jacen had hurt our dragon, which revitalized the Aeternae’s resolve. We couldn’t let him do any more damage, and Kalon had been pretty clear—this guy was extremely dangerous and obviously unpredictable. While the others had kept their distance from Ridan, Jacen had walked right up to him. I should’ve known it might lead to this.

  Amane and I made our way closer to Ridan, careful not to get ourselves stomped in the process. The dragon was having a hard time controlling his reaction—he’d just been shot in the eye with something sharp—while Jacen kept climbing the scales up the side of his neck, a deadly grin etched across his face. He wasn’t done.

  “I don’t have a clear shot,” I said, aiming my weapon up at Jacen. “I can’t risk killing Ridan.”

  “We have to come at him from two different angles,” Amane replied. “I’ll climb up from the right arm. You take the left.”

  We split up and circled around a thrashing Ridan as the crowd rumbled and cheered Jacen on. Some were already engaging our people in combat, testing our Reaper and Senior defenses. Darkness spread like mist through the front lines, and white and blue lights flashed through it—the Night Bringer was using his ability to mask the other Reapers.

  I heard ghouls snarling and claws clashing. Scuffles and heavy thuds. Cries of pain and grunts
of anger as our sides fought to the death. Ridan was in pain from his eye wound and was struggling to regain his composure. He knew Jacen was on him, and he was trying to shake the Aeternae off. With a few swift jumps, I made it up to Ridan’s left shoulder. He must’ve sensed Amane and me climbing, because he stilled. From here on, we only had seconds to stop Jacen before he did something worse.

  “Faster!” Amane shouted as she reached the base of his thick, scaly neck.

  I paused a few feet below Jacen, who was climbing just under Ridan’s jaw. It was a blind spot, and the dragon couldn’t do anything to deter him from another attack. “You’re really brazen, you know that?!” I said, prompting the Aeternae to glance down at me with a contemptuous smirk.

  “I’m simply proving why we cannot be defeated!” Jacen hissed. Amane appeared behind him, one of her twin blades already swinging his way. Below, the crowd spilled into the open space that Ridan had created earlier, ramming into our defenses. The battle had resumed, and our shuttles were facing troubles of their own hundreds of miles away.

  Jacen caught movement behind him and ducked just as Amane struck at him, her knife missing him by inches. I lunged upward and grabbed Jacen by the boot. I yanked down on his leg, and he slipped, a look of panic on his face as the physical superiority he and his people boasted about had suddenly become irrelevant.

  Under the laws of physics, we were all the same.

  He slipped and reached for me as he fell. His claws were out—functioning as both grappling hooks and dangerous weapons—and he tried to puncture my side for a double effect. Amane climbed higher until she reached Ridan’s injured eye, one hand digging through her satchel for healing magic.

  In the meantime, I struggled with Jacen, as he refused to let go and kept trying to hurt me. I swiftly brought my knee up to my chest and kicked him in the stomach. He gasped and grunted as I delivered the final push with my foot firmly planted in his groin. His face turned red, and his eyes bulged in pain. And then he fell.