I fought another Aeternae, cutting his head off in the process. Nearly tripping on his body, I was forced to pull back, as more of his comrades were coming for me. Mira and Kemi were barely keeping the rest of them from coming closer. Rudolph slipped through the masses, the air shimmering as he switched to his subtle form. Moments later, several Aeternae cried out in pain, their limbs flying up as the ghoul feasted on them.
A loud whistle sounded as the shuttles hovered above the ground, the heat from their engines forcing many of the Aeternae back. They threw rocks at the ships, but it didn’t do much besides leave a scratch or two on the sterling metal. The hatches beneath opened up, and the Perfects and Arch-Perfects came out. My heart leapt.
“Finally!” I shouted.
Clad in their GASP uniforms, the Perfects and the Arch-Perfects spread around the city’s borders, locking some of the Aeternae in with us. It gave Ridan the breathing room he needed, and the Reapers released all the death magic they had left—pummeling the enemy with violent pulses and crippling curses that brought many to their knees. I’d grown tired of all the fighting. It took me a while to realize that it wasn’t just mental exhaustion I was experiencing. My body was worn down in a way it had never been before.
Stepping back from the melee while Rose and Caleb took over my little patch of space, I gave myself a moment to analyze my current state. My gums were hurting, a lingering toothache settling in where my vampire canines had been. “Holy crap,” I mumbled, touching my teeth. The sharpness was gone. My fangs had withdrawn and vanished altogether.
Looking at my hands, I noticed my claws had pulled back as well, the tips of my fingers still red and bruised. It took me a while to put two and two together. I’d been so busy fighting that I hadn’t even sensed the change come over me.
Rose fell, and I rushed to her aid. She’d been injured and was having trouble getting back up. Caleb covered for us while I helped her to her feet and got her away from there, bringing us both closer to the center of the base camp. “What’s going on?” Rose asked. “I feel weird.”
“I think they did it,” I told her, my breath running short.
“They did it?” Rose repeated, as if in a daze.
“The seals. I think we’re mortal again,” I said. It certainly explained the physiological changes. The soreness in my muscles. The merciless ache in my bones. It was as if I’d aged a thousand years in the span of a few minutes.
Rose looked at me, then all around us, her eyes glinting as she reached the same conclusion. “They’re all slowing down…”
Indeed, the fighting had waned. Some of the Aeternae could barely even stand at this point—including many of our Seniors. Derek and Sofia were almost down, repeatedly falling to their knees as they struggled to keep their equally exhausted opponents back. Even the Perfects and the Arch-Perfects didn’t seem like they were all in.
Everyone’s movements had become sluggish. Their reflexes dull. Yes, it was true. We’d been reduced to mortals again, and none of us had sensed the change coming.
“Esme!” Kalon rushed up to me. He looked different. Healthier. The color was back in his cheeks. The black veins were gone. His lips were pink again, the hunger for life returning to his blue eyes. I cupped his face and carefully checked every inch of skin I could see.
“Kalon, something’s changed,” I breathed.
“Yeah, I feel okay.”
“Oh, my God… so I was right. Kalon, they broke the seal. They broke the third seal!” I exclaimed, a shard of happiness slicing right through me. “I can’t believe it—they did it!”
“It means the Unending lost her Aeternae body and the Black Fever has worn off,” he said, continuing my thought. Relief washed over me as I understood what this meant. Tristan, Thayen, and Unending had prevailed. Valaine had died. And my beloved had been saved from a horrible death. “It means I might not die as soon as I’d thought.”
“Yeah, provided we stop the fighting.” I glanced back at the still-clashing Aeternae and our people. “I don’t even think they’ve realized it’s over.”
In an instant, I thought of a way to get the message across. Kalon tugged my hand, noticing my attention lingering on Lumi several yards away from our position. “Go,” he said. “I’ll stay with the boys. They need me now more than ever.”
“On that we agree,” I replied and kissed him as hard as I could before I dashed off toward Lumi.
A couple of gold soldiers came at me from the side, having slipped past the Seniors. One of them tried to cut me down with his claws until he realized he didn’t have any claws anymore. I punched him in the face, and he fell backward. His colleague froze on the spot, utterly confused.
“The third seal is broken, you tool. You’re all mortal again,” I said, my tone flat and dripping with contempt. I had no sympathy left for his people. Not now. Not after all the fighting we’d been through and the lives we’d lost because of their selfishness.
I left the gold guards behind and reached Lumi, pulling her away from a scuffle. “What the hell are you doing?!” she snarled, releasing one last ball of blue fire into a group of silver soldiers.
“It’s done. They broke the third seal,” I said. “We’re mortal again. Vampires are human. Aeternae are Trakkian. We need to stop this. Now.”
Lumi exhaled sharply as the words sank in. The blue circles around her white irises twinkled as she gazed around, taking it all in. I could tell she was observing the same things I had—the sluggishness, the severity of the wounds, the absence of claws and fangs.
“By the Word, you’re right,” she murmured. “But the Arch-Perfects and Perfects are still going at it. Aren’t they part-Aeternae, too?”
“Part-Aeternae—they’ve been crafted from many other species. Maybe they’re not super-fast anymore, but they’re still insanely quick and deadly,” I replied. “Not to mention the dragons. Look!” I pointed to the outer limits of the city, where I recognized Heath, among others, as he cast a curtain of red fire through the crowd, killing more people. “It’s done. They have nothing.”
Lumi nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. Her throat lit up white, glowing as if she’d swallowed a powerful lightbulb. Her voice boomed across the entire city and beyond, covering everything and everyone.
“The third seal has been broken!” she shouted, and the earth trembled beneath us, stirred by the power of her message and the intensity of her voice. It was as if the planet itself was talking, and it brought everything to a screeching halt. “You are mortal again. You will all die if you keep fighting!”
Seconds passed in silence as we all looked at each other. Our side was clearly relieved and happy to hear the news. The Arch-Perfects and the Perfects had stopped killing the Aeternae. The dragons had also hit the pause button. Ridan was perplexed but quiet, one amber eye settled on Lumi and me, wisps of smoke still coming through his nostrils. He was exhausted, poor fella. His other eye was shut and in the process of healing.
“Your immortality has been taken away. The Black Fever is gone, too,” Lumi added as I mouthed the words for her to pass on. “Your leader, the Spirit Bender, has failed. The Darklings have failed. You’re all Trakkians again. Surrender now, and we shall leave you be. Continue with the aggression, and our forces will destroy you.”
Again, we were met with silence. I was almost dizzy from all the blood rushing to my head. The more I thought about this, the happier I felt. There was no sign of Tristan anywhere, and I wasn’t sure what had become of him or Thayen. The Spirit Bender wasn’t making his presence felt, so I worried whether my brother was okay. I couldn’t see Death, either. But at least here, in Roano, something had happened to stop the violence.
Perhaps it would stop it for good.
Most noticeably, the enemy was no longer under Spirit’s influence. Maybe the absence of the last shard had tampered with the duration of his ability. Maybe his spirit bending had worn off along with their immortality.
The Aeternae crowd murmured as they excha
nged worried glances. Some burst into tears of misery, devastated by the news. Others pulled themselves together and gestured for those near them to keep their heads up. They were gradually shifting into consolation mode, trying to figure out what to do next. They were leaderless. They were vulnerable. And they had shamed themselves beyond repair—that much was written all over their faces.
Now that their immortality had been taken away, the Aeternae had been knocked down a few pegs and forced into equality with the Rimians and the Naloreans they had enslaved for so long.
Mira was crying tears of joy and relief, hiding in Kemi’s tight embrace. Rose’s wounds were healing with swamp witch magic patches, while Caleb stayed nearby. Ridan growled at any Aeternae who tried to move closer. The last few Darklings emerged from the crowd, angrier than ever.
“You did this!” one of them shouted, pointing an accusing finger at us. He tried to attack, but he was immediately overwhelmed as Derek punched his lights out and scowled at his comrades. Flames erupted in the palms of his hands—his fire ability had returned now that he was human again. Rose joined him, since she, too, had regained this power.
“Stand back. You’re done here!” Derek hissed. It was enough to get the message across—surviving Darklings cursed under their breath but did not retaliate.
“Notice how they’re not controlled by Spirit anymore,” Rose murmured.
I nodded. “I think his incomplete power is to blame.”
This was it. The limbo we’d been trying to stay alive to see. We had no idea what had become of the Spirit Bender, but Unending was free. One way or another, Visio would find its balance again. One way or another, peace would return to these lands, now that immortality had been stripped from its people. The Rimians and the Naloreans deserved liberation, and maybe that was what the future had in store for them. After all, without the blood-drinking, what else would the Aeternae need them for? I made a mental note to stop calling them Aeternae.
They were Trakkians once more.
“I can’t believe it’s done,” Sofia said, leaning into Derek.
“It’s not all done,” Night said as he made his way out of the Trakkians’ front line, which was now reduced to a whimpering mess. I could sympathize with their loss, but I never would have held on to my immortality at the cost of a Reaper’s misery. Never. I was mortal once more, and it would take some getting used to. But it wasn’t the end. “Not until Death sets foot on Visio.”
“Do you feel Unending?” I asked Phantom, who gave Morning a wondering look.
They both shook their heads, and Soul looked around at the other Reapers. “Can anyone feel her?” he wondered aloud, but no one could tell him yes. “Then she’s not here anymore.”
“There isn’t much we can do right now, except keep these fools at bay and calm,” Derek replied. “The war may have ended, or it may not have. Until we hear news from Death herself, we can only remain on standby,” he added, then shouted, so the others in GASP could hear him. “Ben, River. Come out and meet us in the center of the city. We need to talk, my son.”
The shuttles at the back would have captured the sound of his voice and relayed his message to Ben. They had to regroup and organize a resistance in case the Trakkians got stupid. We couldn’t put anything past them. I couldn’t reach out to Tristan in any way. Part of me was worried because Spirit had gone after them.
There was so much happening beyond our reach that I wasn’t sure what to focus on first. Kalon was waiting with his brothers. Ridan stayed in his dragon form, if only to keep the Trakkians on their toes. This was supposed to feel like a victory, but a nagging feeling persisted in my heart that maybe… maybe it wasn’t really over.
Esme
Slowly but surely, the Trakkians pulled back, clearly no longer under Spirit’s influence. The Perfects and the Arch-Perfects outside the city had their pulverizer weapons pointed at them. The shuttles’ cannons were locked, loaded, and trained on them as well. Even the dragons were on edge, circling the city and making sure that the main combatants of Visio that were still standing weren’t allowed to leave. The rest of them scattered beyond the hill, likely terrified by the prospect of a mortal life.
I wondered if any of them experienced relief, too. After all, the Black Fever was gone. That meant thousands of their people—families and friends alike—would live to see another day. Wasn’t that cause for celebration? I stayed close to Kalon and his brothers, who all looked completely baffled.
“Maybe we should consider using a tracking spell for Tristan,” Lumi said, a concerned frown settling on her face.
“I’m not sure a tracking spell will help,” Dream replied, having heard our previous conversation. “If he’s with the Spirit Bender, there won’t be much you can do.”
“We have to try,” I said. “It’s my brother we’re talking about. The guy who freed Unending!”
“Give yourself some time to breathe before anything else. Remember, Taeral is with them,” the Time Master advised me. “Besides, we’re all still limited by whatever sigils remain in place around the city. It’s not like we can go out and fight Spirit in this condition.” He paused, blinking rapidly for the better part of a minute. “Wait, scratch that. They’ve finally found them. The ghouls scouts finally found them!”
“They found what?” I replied, not following the abrupt change of topic.
“The last of the sigils,” Time said, a smile drawn over his face.
Nightmare laughed, his scythe burning hot and white. “Hello, baby! Good to have you back at full strength!” He addressed his weapon with the love and adoration one would normally express toward a loved one. Then again, the scythe was an extension of the Reaper himself. There was an unbreakable bond there that likely transcended time and space.
“They did it,” Dream exclaimed, shining like a star. “I feel it. Ah… it’s good to have it all at full power, I’ll tell you that much…”
Ben and River made their way through the Trakkian crowd. “Dad! Mom!” Ben shouted. Moments later, the Novaks were hugging and laughing together, brought to tears by this much-needed reunion. Rose and Caleb had been on Visio for a while, but Ben and River had been forced to watch from afar this whole time. I could only imagine how they were feeling. I was glad they were all together again, but it made me think of Tristan for the umpteenth time. The Time Master had a point, but I didn’t like not being able to reach my brother. Not in times like these.
The Novaks pulled Mira and Kemi aside along with Trev and one of the Orvisians. Talks were necessary if they were to establish some sense of order. Meanwhile, Lumi passed some orders around to the rest of our crew, making sure the core of our base was still protected. I certainly understood why she couldn’t trust the Trakkians, even though they looked defeated, with no remaining desire for any kind of warfare. Not even Spirit’s power was enough to keep them going. It was strange, but not impossible to imagine. In the end, Spirit himself was incomplete without the last shard of his soul. That had to be why the Trakkians’ submission had worn off as soon as they’d been rendered mortal again—the Reapers agreed with this theory, as well. An incomplete Spirit meant an incomplete power.
“What if Unending has him?” Kalon asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I gave him a confused look.
“Huh?”
“Tristan. What if Unending has him?” he repeated the question.
“He would’ve said something by now,” Lumi replied. Kailani and Hunter were already forging a path through what was left of the Trakkians’ army, pushing them all to the side. Some were snappy and even tried to hit her, but one growl from the white wolf and they were forced to oblige. Their mortality made them significantly more malleable.
This was a humbling lesson for these people. I only hoped it would last forever.
“Time might have a point about Taeral, too,” I said. “He could be there making sure nothing happens to Tristan or Thayen, especially if Unending has already left the building.”
It was odd t
o see the people of Visio like this. Their empire was bound to crumble. They were humiliated and miserable, forced to look eventual death in the face much sooner than they’d expected. The same applied to the vampires, yet we seemed to be okay, if a little sad over what we’d lost. It was the price we’d been willing to pay for Unending’s freedom, and we didn’t mind. She deserved a better existence, and the Trakkians deserved a serious karmic ass-whipping.
Kalon put an arm around my waist and pulled me close. I relaxed in his embrace, discovering new aches in parts of my body I’d never had issues with before. The fighting from earlier had taken its toll. Hopefully, a long hot bath once it was all over would mend my physical form, because my spirit was just fine. I was okay, I thought to myself, inwardly smiling. Even if we were to remain mortal, Kalon and I had a full life ahead of us. Moore, Tudyk, and Ansel would get to grow up in a healthier family, and they would get to choose the future they desired the most.
If this was the end of vampires, I was willing to live with that, knowing we’d made such a difference on a cosmic level. Nothing could take away this accomplishment.
Douma and Dmitri arrived, accompanied by Raphael and Amelia. I had to admit, the four of them were a sight for sore eyes, but the looks on their faces didn’t bring me any comfort. They all looked worried. The fact that they came straight to me instead of stopping over by the Novaks was cause for greater concern.
“What is it?” I asked as Douma gave me a tight hug, followed by Amelia.
“You haven’t been able to reach Tristan, have you?” Douma asked, and I shook my head slowly.
A Shade of Vampire 86: A Break of Seals Page 14