“I can’t wait to have my first go at a ghoul,” Thayen said as he poured himself another glass of blood.
“Who’s going with you?” Sofia asked, and I could already see where she was going with this. Ever the caring mother—it was just one more reason to never stop loving her.
“Well, Seeley and Nethissis are teaching Richard and me for this session,” Thayen replied. “We’re the only ones who aced Hansa and Jax’s grueling training hours. Oh, and Rudolph will be assisting, of course.”
Sofia nodded. “What about Astra, Isabelle, and the others in your class?”
“They’ll just be spectators in a live demonstration early next week. Sidyan and Maya will handle that one. They’ll show them how to hunt a ghoul most effectively,” Thayen said. “But they won’t be participating directly the way Richard and I get to.”
“I see Rose and Caleb have really set the bar high for this new generation,” I mused, equal parts impressed and amused. Ever since Sofia and I had taken a step back from GASP’s day-to-day operations, I’d witnessed the federation’s evolution under the guidance of our children. I wasn’t disappointed. GASP agents adhered to upgraded protocols. We had classes teaching about all known forms of magic and anthropology courses that detailed all the supernatural species we’d encountered so far—allies or otherwise. We had rigorous training for field agents and intense academic programs for those who wanted to work in GASP’s intelligence and research departments.
We’d come a long way since GASP’s inception, and my heart filled with joy whenever I saw our son and daughter at the head of the table in the Great Dome for their executive meetings. I still offered the occasional word of advice, but both Ben and Rose, along with their partners and children, had gathered enough experience of their own to successfully lead the federation into a wonderful new era.
Twenty years of peace and prosperity had passed since Visio, but GASP continued to develop its defenses and diplomatic channels, anticipating any worst-case scenario that might come our way. And Thayen was part of the youngest generation of recruits. He was also at the top of his class, as were Astra, Jericho, and Richard.
“I don’t mind Rose and Caleb’s policies at all,” Thayen said. “Most of our GASP work is on the diplomatic front these days, anyway. It gives the rest of us more time and resources in the field.”
“Where will you be ghoul-hunting?” Sofia asked. Yes, she was definitely nervous about Thayen going off on this training mission. Her momma-bear instincts were as strong as ever, even if Thayen could easily watch his own six. I’d seen the young man fight. I trusted him on his own, let alone with Seeley, Nethissis, Rudolph, and Richard by his side.
“The Lubbock cemetery in Texas,” Thayen replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “It’s said to be haunted. We thought it was just local lore until Seeley analyzed the place a couple of weeks back after some reports of increased unnatural activity. Turns out they’ve registered at least five ghouls nesting there.”
“There were some recent burials there, so the dead bodies must’ve attracted the creatures. I read about it in one of the GASP reports.” I sighed. “Something about the expansion of the cemetery into a couple of neighboring plots, so they could resume burial services there. I understand it’s quite expensive, given the cemetery’s notoriety. It makes sense that there would be ghouls there, yeah. They’re bound to stick around for a morsel or two.”
“You know, they’d gain a lot more if they latched on to a mortuary instead,” Thayen said. “I mean, most of the people buried in the Lubbock cemetery died ages ago. It’s mostly a tourist attraction these days. There’s barely one funeral a week there now, even with the plot expansion. Humans are pretty superstitious when it comes to ghosts and stuff. Few would willingly choose to bury their loved ones in a place that is thought to be haunted.”
Sofia nodded slowly, refilling my glass. “I guess the ghouls are trying to keep a low profile. Reapers would likely check mortuaries and locations with high death tolls before anywhere else.” She paused, watching Thayen carefully for a moment. “Are you sure it’ll be safe for you and Richard? What do Jovi and Anjani think of this?”
“Mom, you are the sweetest,” Thayen chuckled softly, his gaze filled with love as he reached out and squeezed Sofia’s hand. “And your concern is adorable.”
“Hey, I have every right to be worried about the both of you. Richard is brilliant and fast, but ghouls are sneaky creatures. You do remember what we had to deal with on Visio, right?”
Thayen offered a conceding nod. “I most certainly do. However, Richard and I will only have secondary roles on this mission. We’re supposed to learn, not actively bag a ghoul. Seeley and Nethissis are the experts on this. I’m not at all worried. Besides, have you seen Rudolph lately? I don’t know what kind of meat they’re feeding him, but—”
“Yeah, he’s gotten huge,” I replied, a tiny chill rushing down my spine as I remembered the last time I’d seen Rudolph during our annual dinner with the Reapers. I’d had to tilt my head back just to look him in the eyes. It wasn’t usual for a ghoul to grow in size, but from what Nethissis had told us, it depended on how the creature was fed and what kind of activities it took part in. With Seeley and her, Rudolph had gotten a huge amount of exercise. Combined with what was clearly a developmental predisposition, it only made sense for the ghoul to physically increase in height and girth.
“Besides, it’s good for me to be in the field like this. It’s why Jax and Hansa offered us this opportunity as top graduates of their combat course,” Thayen added, growing more solemn. “Whatever I can do to make sure no one suffers because of ghouls—and death magic and the Spirit Bender, for that matter—I’ll do it. I know that, technically speaking, Lubbock has nothing to do with what we went through on Visio, but to me it’s all pretty much the same.”
“I see,” Sofia murmured, lovingly gazing at him.
“I just want to be a part of the effort. I want to make my mark, to forge my own path through this strange and vast universe,” Thayen said, then sighed. “And I feel like I’m ready.”
Sofia raised her hands in defeat. “Okay. Well, I’m not going to nag you over this. You’re a grown man, and I won’t embarrass myself by being a helicopter parent to a twenty-eight-year-old.”
“Yeah, that would be a bad look for you,” Thayen shot back with a grin.
I loved that about him—the ability to stare life in the face and just go with the flow. I wasn’t sure if he’d picked that up from his father or from Sofia and me. It didn’t really matter. Thayen had guts, and I respected him for it. It made me feel like we’d done a good job of raising him.
“On an unrelated note, I hear Hansa and Jax visited a couple of orphanages on Earth during their stay here,” Sofia said to me. “Do you think they’ve finally decided to adopt?”
Thayen wrinkled his nose. “I doubt it. They visited those orphanages with Elodie and a human couple from the Vale. I think the humans were the ones looking to adopt. Hansa and Jax were more like companions. Elodie couldn’t take Lethe, since he had his regular training with Dafne, but Hansa and Jax had a few hours free. At least that’s what Jovi told us, anyway.”
“Are you sure?” Sofia asked. “Why would Hansa and Jax go with the humans in the first place? Maybe they’re still considering it for themselves. They would make amazing parents.”
“Hansa and Jax? Absolutely!” Corrine’s voice boomed across the breakfast table. We’d been so involved in our conversation that our vampire senses had completely failed to register her and Ibrahim’s arrival. “But they have repeatedly said they’re not ready to be parents yet. They’ve got their combat course going, which is insanely successful in all our GASP bases. They’re traveling a lot. There’s simply not enough time for a kid. I say give them another decade or so, and they’ll settle down.”
Sofia shot up from her chair, beaming with joy. “Corrine, Ibrahim, I completely forgot you were coming over!” She bolted across the breakfast ro
om and hugged the witch and warlock, while I pulled out a couple of extra chairs for them to join us. Moments later, Thayen brought out a plate of fresh fruits and some bread from the pantry—Sofia always kept it stocked in case we had non-vampire friends coming over.
“She forgot you were coming this morning, but she did get fresh bread from the Vale yesterday,” Thayen said as we all sat back down at the table.
Corrine and Ibrahim looked fantastic and quite tanned. They had also retired from GASP, having left the witchy reins to Arwen and Shayla, though Kailani had taken a significant lead of her own over the sanctuary.
“How are my favorite vamps doing this wonderful Saturday morning?” Corrine asked, taking a piece of cheese bread from the woven basket, while Ibrahim filled her plate with fresh strawberries and sliced peaches.
“Oh, we were just talking about Thayen’s ghoul hunting session before I brought up Jax and Hansa’s baby plans,” Sofia said. The shadow of concern fluttered across her face once more, but she kept it to herself.
“Right! Seeley and Nethissis are taking you and Richard for a fun ride!” Ibrahim exclaimed, trying not to laugh. “You and Richard best watch your backs once you’re there. Don’t rely on Rudolph to be your bodyguard.”
“We’ll be fine,” Thayen replied. “Seeley will be giving us a full pre-hunt training.”
“Should I be more worried than usual?” Sofia asked, looking at Ibrahim. I could hear Thayen’s pulse racing. He’d only just managed to reassure his mother that everything would be fine.
Ibrahim shook his head. “Nah, it’s cool. There have been whispers of a poltergeist that took residence in that Lubbock Cemetery, but it’s nothing to fear. With two seasoned Reapers like Seeley and Nethissis at the helm, Richard and Thayen are going to be fine.”
“Hey, Corrine, any news about the shimmering… gash, for lack of a better word?” Thayen asked, shifting the focus away from Lubbock. I wasn’t sure if he’d done it on purpose but bringing up the sighting in the redwood forest was a good idea. I was curious about it, too.
“You mean that thing you saw in the woods near the Great Dome?” Corrine asked, and Thayen nodded eagerly. “Nope. First of all, it wasn’t there anymore when Arwen and I went to check. Shayla tagged along too.”
“You would’ve got there just minutes after Richard and I left for the training halls.” Thayen said. “We should’ve stayed…”
“Chances are it would have vanished, anyway. Lumi helped analyze the entire region within a half-mile radius, and she didn’t see anything suspicious. Whatever it was, I don’t think it was magical.” Corrine picked up another piece of cheese bread, not that concerned by the slit’s mysterious appearance and disappearance.
“Maybe it was just the light refracted from the Dome’s roof,” Ibrahim suggested. “You know how the moon can sometimes cause that effect on clear nights.”
Thayen didn’t seem satisfied with Corrine’s answer. He crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair, the fabric of his black GASP tunic stretching over his muscular shoulders. “Are you sure it couldn’t have been some kind of, I don’t know, wild portal or something? Richard and I remembered you mentioning the possible existence of such phenomena. Portals that occur naturally, untouched by witches.”
“Oh, honey, those are more or less theoretical,” Corrine replied. “No witch alive has seen one anywhere across the three known dimensions. And whatever information we have about them is basically just a handful of old scribbles in our sanctuary archives. In texts that are over five thousand years old, I might add.”
Ibrahim nodded his agreement. “If there were signs of anything nefarious, we would have known. And if there were such a portal here in The Shade, we’d probably sense its presence. The legends mention a near-catastrophic release of energy when a wild portal opens up. We don’t know what would trigger an event like that, but it’s unlikely we’d fail to notice it.”
“Put it out of your head, Thayen,” Corrine continued, clearly not at all concerned. “We investigated the matter. We didn’t see or detect anything. Try not to worry about it.”
Thayen exhaled sharply, loosening up a little.
“Everything is okay,” I told him. “It’s been okay for twenty years, son. And if there is even the slightest anomaly happening in The Shade, you know we’d all be on top of it. This is our home. Our haven.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It was just so weird,” he said, then got up and grabbed the duffel bag he’d left by the stairs. “Anyway… I should go. Richard is probably already by the Great Dome portal.”
Corrine laughed. “Knowing Richard, yeah. His tail’s probably wagging like a high-speed windshield wiper right about now.”
“You kids be good and stay safe out there,” Sofia added, giving Thayen a nervous smile. He stopped by her chair and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, then did the same to me. It made me chuckle, as this was his way of saying goodbye to us. Not really the hugger type, Thayen preferred to kiss the tops of our heads, just like we used to do after story time and shortly before bedtime when he was a child.
“I’ll check in as soon as we get to Lubbock,” Thayen said, then vanished out the front door. We stayed quiet for a while, listening to his determined steps receding in the distance. And just like that, our son was off on an adventure.
I shared most of Sofia’s feelings. On the one hand, yes, I absolutely trusted Thayen to keep himself safe, no matter what. On the other hand, remembering how close he’d come to dying as a child made my chest tighten a little whenever he went away. Even the idea that he still had the soul shard in his heart made me worry sometimes—I had no reason for that, though. Death had assured us that Spirit was forever gone, and that removing the shard would kill Thayen. We barely even mentioned it, these days.
Even with all the good things in our lives, the fear of danger never really vanished. It lurked discreetly in the background, waiting for an opportunity to burst out. Life would never be smooth sailing, anyway. That much I’d learned in all my years of fighting and loving and surviving some truly horrendous experiences.
“Chin up, you old bastard,” Ibrahim said, grinning at me. “If he’s even a quarter of the man you are, he’ll be whipping ghouls’ asses in the blink of an eye.”
I couldn’t disagree with him there. All Sofia and I could do as parents was try to prepare Thayen for the best and the worst that was yet to come. We’d done that, and now our boy was a force to be reckoned with.
Chapter 2
Thayen
I landed on my back with an embarrassing grunt.
The Lubbock Cemetery wasn’t just home to a nest of ghouls or the lurking place of a rumored poltergeist. The Lubbock Cemetery was infested with restless souls that had decayed into what the desert Rimians had once called screamers, and they were insanely strong on top of their post death raging. Richard was still waving his scythe around, slashing at one of the entity’s smoky red arms. It had lost its original human shape and had devolved into something else entirely.
“Are you okay?” Richard asked, unable to take his eyes off the poltergeist to check on me.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just a little sore,” I replied, jumping back to my feet and grabbing my loaner scythe from the ground. Nethissis and Seeley had equipped us each with a Reaper weapon, the handle customized with a death magic charm that allowed us to cut down spirits and ghouls alike. We didn’t have the authority to destroy or reap, but we could inflict enough damage to subdue any miscreants from beyond the living realm, and this ability only lasted until the Reapers permitted it, so it was all controlled. Soul and Unending had come up with the charm during one of their brainstorming sessions, about five years back.
Of course, that was all simple in theory, but in reality the Lubbock Cemetery was proving a bit more complicated.
First, there wasn’t just one poltergeist here. There were two of them, and they were both angry as hell. Richard was doing a pretty good job at keeping one away, but mine had just gotten
the better of me. I couldn’t see it anymore, but I could feel its presence, the hairs on the back of my neck rising as it approached me from behind.
“Come here, you creep!” I snarled, then turned around and ran toward the mass of rippling air that had headed toward one of the mausoleums. It had the ability to shift from its smoky visible form into an almost-invisible entity. That was how it had gotten the drop on me in the first place.
Rudolph hurtled past me, and I heard the ghouls roaring nearby. Seeley and Nethissis were trying to beat them into submission, shouting directions at each other.
“Go left!” Seeley told her.
“I’m already on the left, babe! A little help here?!” Nethissis replied. It had been going on like this for about ten minutes.
It was definitely exciting, but it was a little terrifying. There were more ghouls than they’d originally estimated, and they refused to call for help, assuring me they had this under control.
“You boys still alive over there?” Seeley asked, dodging a massive ghoul’s claw before he went straight for the creature’s head with his scythe. I only caught a glimpse of him as the blade came down, followed by an exploding puff of shimmering gray ashes.
“Yeah, we’re still standing!” Richard shouted as he continued fighting his red poltergeist.
Mine revealed itself again. It was almost black and slightly more humanoid in shape than Richard’s. I felt encouraged in standing up to it. The more scarlet one looked like a giant red smoke spider. Mine had more of a Slenderman vibe going on. These things seemed to come in different colors, though I had yet to study the reason behind their diverse apparitions. And to think that others my age in the human world were just landing middle-management positions in corporate offices while I was bracing myself for another scuffle with a poltergeist…
It lunged at me, roaring as it spread out its arms. Smoky claws emerged at both ends, and I knew it was going to aim for my throat. My knees were shaking. I didn’t have much experience in terms of actual combat, but I had aced all my training. That had to count for something, right? I raised my scythe, anticipating the blow. I was pushed back by the first hit, then back some more, until I bumped into Richard. His poltergeist was gunning for his head, too.
A Shade of Vampire 86: A Break of Seals Page 28