Loyalty

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “Sorry about being so rough, but I didn’t want you screaming,” Titus whispers as he releases the nervous Dawn Fangs. He goes to hug his sister, but she steps away with her eyes locked on his armor. “Yes, I’m dressed as a guard because I’m supposed to be with them. You can’t honestly believe I would turn on my own flesh and blood. The boys and I couldn’t exactly refuse the order either, especially since it could put us in a position to help the gang. Luther and Bob went to rescue Chastity, but they have to finish faking their rounds. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”

  “What’s going on here?” Mab asks with a yawn. She nearly jumps back when her brother hands her a bag of blood and part of a cookie. “Not a fan of cranberries, but thanks for the thought. I’d still prefer information over food. Chastity told me about what happened when she was taken. Has Xavier really turned on us?”

  “Only his inner circle has spoken to him for the past week,” he replies, his voice staying low as a squad marches by. Waiting for the noise to pass, he opens the lone window enough to let in a breeze and not be obvious to those outside. “There are rumors that Lord Tempest witnessing Clyde’s full power has him spooked. He sees him as a threat to his position, the city, and all of vampire kind. No offense, but I can see how he came to that conclusion. If I had his station and saw a more powerful breed of vampire appear then I’d get nervous. He’s a noble, so he doesn’t look at you guys like commoners and warriors do. Any of this make sense because I’m talking out of my depth here?”

  Chastity hops onto the man’s shoulder and gives him a playful kiss on the head before dropping back down. “I understand and it might confirm a few rumors. Unknown to the rest of the vampire world, Xavier has been at odds with the council for at least forty-five years. It’s only in the last year that it became open aggression, but those who follow other noble houses believed he was planning a violent takeover. At the very least, he was supposedly going to let the Duragians wipe out his enemies and become the sole ruler of our people. I never thought much of those rumors since he was fighting so hard against the mortals. If this is the truth then Clyde poses a threat to that dream, but not because of his strength. His blood can turn vampires into Dawn Fangs. If he wanted, he could take all of Xavier’s followers out from under his nose and nothing could be done.”

  “So, we’re looking at a play for political power born from paranoia,” Mab mutters, the disgust dripping from her voice. Flipping the cookie to Chastity, she drinks half of the blood before handing the rest over. “Part of me really wants this to be settled by a conversation, but Xavier is pushing this too far. I really don’t like that the Duragians are still out there. They might not have an alliance with the council, but they’re a constant threat. Wasting all this time on a handful of Dawn Fangs, who aren’t a danger to his position, doesn’t sound like something Xavier would do. I mean, I know he can get paranoid when under stress, but this is full on betrayal. At the very least, Nadia or Kai would have talked him out of this. Odd question, but how is the war going? I assume we’re still holding our own.”

  “Haven’t really looked into it, but . . .” Titus begins to say before he abruptly stops. A flash of discomfort is on his face, which fades away when he meets his sister’s gaze. “There hasn’t been word of a real battle ever since Nyte was attacked. In fact, our entire military is in the city instead of on patrols around the border. Clyde has been made a top priority and the Duragians are quiet enough that we don’t have to worry about them. Maybe they lost too many in the assault and need to recover their numbers, so we can’t jump to conclusions.”

  “No, we’ll leave that to our friends in high places,” Chastity snaps with a cruel smile. She blows kisses at the siblings before taking a seat beneath the window. “Come on, you’re both thinking that this whole thing is a sinister plot. Xavier was fine until he realized he wasn’t the top predator any more. The only way to fix that is to eliminate the competition, which is why I was brought in for questioning and possibly bait. We all know that I’d be the easiest target when compared to Clyde, Mab, and Gregorio. Unlike them, I’d even come willingly if I thought it was a conversation where I could gather some information. So, let’s stop tiptoeing around the truth and agree that our old friend is determined to be our new enemy.”

  They stop at the sound of a low grunt outside the door, but their attention remains on the window when they see fingers appear on the sill. Bob hoists himself up with his lance held in his teeth, the weapon getting awkwardly thrown inside first. He scrambles over the edge and hurries to the door to make sure nobody is coming. While the elf holds up his hand for silence, a raven soars into the room and transforms into Luther. Having missed Chastity when he came in and seeing only Mab before him, the forest tracker is on the verge of rushing into the hallway. A telekinetic pinch to his rear makes him turn around and notice that the impish hostess is sitting on the floor. With a sharp whistle, Bob gets everyone to look at him and excitedly waves for them to gather in the center of the room. Removing a satchel that has been nailed to his shoulder, the vampire puts out a simple meal, which includes a small candle that is shaped like a rearing horse.

  “I hear a lot of rumbling stomachs,” Bob says in a voice that is oddly maternal. Picking up a slice of buttered bread, he sniffs at it until Mab takes it from him. “You tell them about our decision, boss? We want to be Dawn Fangs too. There’s absolutely no reason to stay in Nyte since everything is falling apart. Not unless Lord Tempest changes his mind, comes to his senses, or whatever he needs to do. By the way, you should have left a note in your cell. We were wandering around for hours.”

  “That would have warned Kai if he showed up for another chat,” Mab points out. Picking at the food, she avoids making eye contact with her brother, who she knows is waiting for her opinion on their request. “It doesn’t matter what I think. You three are adults and can make your own decisions. Can’t deny that I want my little brother to be the same type of vampire as me and you don’t get one Vengeance Hound without the others. Being a Dawn Fang is a lot of fun and you feel . . . mortal without being mortal. Still, it looks like we’re going to be fighting to survive for what could be our entire existence, which you should consider.”

  “In that case, we apologize for not making our decision sooner,” Luther states as he pulls a dress out of his backpack. The black garment is simple and missing a sleeve, but Chastity still happily grabs it and goes to change in a corner. “We refuse to fight against you, which means we must join you. It isn’t like we’d be allowed to stay out of the action either. Xavier would use us as pawns if we remained in Nyte, so we might as well dedicate ourselves to the future. Besides, all three of us are tired of watching you eat food that we miss.”

  “Interesting that it always comes back to eating when we think about the change,” Titus mentions, his eyes locked on a small melon. He reaches for the fruit, but stops to stare at the back of his hand. “I won’t lie, guys. I’m nervous since I don’t know what powers I’ll gain. Bob has the same misgivings. Unlike Luther, the two of us don’t use a lot of magic. I can see why you get claws and how Chastity is able to charm others, but what happens to vampires who focus more on brute force?”

  Having an answer, Bob raises his hand and excitedly bounces in place until everyone nods their head. “We get stronger and can flip buildings with one finger. Either way, I’m confident that all of us will be useful and have fun. At least once we get out of here and meet up with Clyde. Where is he anyway?”

  “Clyde went to settle things with the council,” Mab answers to the nervous coughs of her companions. Scratching the stones with one of her claws, she finds herself briefly sharing their worries. “He has Gregorio with him, so he’ll be fine. Like I told Chastity, I was supposed to talk to Xavier and then head for Miez Castle to help if he hadn’t already finished his business. Right now, I don’t see any reason to stay here. That means all of us should get out of Nyte and reunite with Clyde. Unfortunately, I’m not strong enough to bring a
ll of you through the shadows without risking our lives. Carrying one person is doable, but attempting more feels like I’d be fishing for those hungry monsters. So, anybody know how to escape, especially with those giants outside the city?”

  Everyone shudders at the thought of facing such massive vampires, which could only have been made by one of Stephanie’s rituals. They tense at the sound of another squad rushing down the hallway and remain on edge even after the guards have passed. Lost in thought, Titus stands up to close the window, but stops to stare at a low building that has yet to be repaired. The collapsed stables give the warrior an idea that turns his stomach while giving him a flicker of hope. Knowing that only Mab and Chastity are being hunted, he accepts that the ridiculous plan might be their only chance. Facing his friends, Titus licks his lips and tucks his hands into his pockets.

  “I have an idea . . . but only Bob is going to like it,” he says, his head gradually hanging in shame.

  *****

  The guards stationed in the main hall can only stare and try not to laugh at what comes down the central stairs. Struggling with the carpeted steps, the horse half-heartedly bucks against all attempts to push it forward. An awkward kick with its hind legs hits Titus in the groin, which makes him double over and receive another blow to the head. The animal only calms down when Bob hops onto its back and gently rubs its neck. It is a short-lived victory when Luther gives a tug on the reins and is forced to dive away from the steed’s flailing front legs. He flings himself over the railing and bounces off a stack of chairs that crash on top of him, which is enough to get a roar of laughter from their audience. The guards become louder when Titus attempts to kick the horse the rest of the way down the stairs, but the beast nimbly sidesteps his leg and turns around to catch his ankle in its teeth. With a shake of its head, the creature hurls the large man at the front door, which is already opening to let Decker and Kai inside. A flood of curses erupts from the three men while the horse whips its tail and hops down the remaining steps.

  “What is going on here?” Kai asks, the spymaster freeing himself from the warriors. He angrily marches towards Bob, who he grabs by the arm and yanks to the floor. “Don’t even think of lying, Mr . . . Do you even have a last name? Just tell me why you put a horse up there. We have a situation and the last thing we need is one of your ridiculous stunts. I can’t even figure out where you found this one since we scattered our remaining steeds across the city. Did anybody notice this idiot leading a horse into the castle?”

  “We’re not sure what’s going on either,” Luther replies before removing Kai’s hand from his friend. Rubbing the animal’s side, he tries not to put too much pressure on the rough skin that is showing signs of cracking. “The three of us were patrolling the upstairs when we heard the horse in an empty guest room. It doesn’t make any sounds and seems to have been partially vampirized, so we were taking it outside for a better look. As strange as it sounds, I think it climbed the wall and came in through a window.”

  “That is utterly ridiculous,” the spymaster mutters, his left eye throbbing from a looming headache. When he reaches for the horse’s head, the beast snorts and knocks him aside with a kick. “Doesn’t seem to be very friendly. Hey, Decker, do you recognize this one? I want to say it’s one of our new stallions, but it doesn’t look right.”

  “Actually, this one is the mare that Stephanie used until a few months ago,” the dwarf explains as he gets closer. A quick nip to his beard drives him back and he scowls at how the animal’s eyes remain unnaturally vacant. “Certainly looks like somebody tried to turn it into a vampire. Really hoping your obsession hasn’t crossed a line of decency, Bob. Not saying we can’t or shouldn’t turn animals, but plant-eaters are a terrible choice for long-term use. You remember what happened with the camel you kept from the desert? It’s only a matter of time before this one’s stomach explodes since it lacks the ability to fully absorb blood. They should get it out of here before it makes a mess of the carpet and walls.”

  Titus shoves the soldier aside and grabs the reins, his first pull met with a violent shake that dislocates his arm. “That’s what we’re trying to do. Stupid nag keeps putting up a fight and hitting us with more power than we expect. Almost like it’s too stubborn to know that we’re trying to help it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this horse enjoys being a headache. Maybe the partial turn has it confused, which is why it climbed inside in the first place. For all we know the useless thing thinks it’s like the rest of us.”

  Kai nods his head as he steps back to give Bob and Luther some space, the pair pushing at the horse’s rump. Ignoring the kicks to their stomachs and legs, they put their shoulders into the joint effort to get the animal out of the castle. Titus does his best to pull without breaking the reins or tearing the beast’s head off. Unlike with the stairs, the horse puts up less of a fight and occasionally bounds forward. A sudden burst of progress causes Bob and Luther to fall on their faces, both men rolling away to avoid a series of half-hearted stomps. Not realizing that his friends have stopped pushing, Titus jumps back and pulls hard in an attempt to drag the steed along. Its body twists at the middle when the back legs slip to the side and the front half remains in place. Edged hooves tear at the carpet and sends sparks flying off the exposed stone until the horse regains its footing. The three men frown at the animal and give it some space while it bends down to lick at the floor in search of food. Two sets of fangs pop out of its mouth, which frightens the beast into rearing back, but it immediately settles down with a gurgle that spews foam from its mouth.

  Not wanting to be interrupted, Decker kicks Titus’s legs out from under him before drawing his axe. The weapon bursts into flames as it cleaves through the horse’s neck, the beast’s undead nature allowing its head to continue flopping about the floor. The body remains standing with the front legs trying to run to one side and the hindquarters going for the other. Jamming his arm into the stump, the dwarf is not surprised to touch hair and feel fangs drive into his wrist. He aims his axe at Bob and Luther when they take a step towards him, the rusty blade changing from fire to ice. Catching his attacker by the ear, Decker yanks Chastity out of the corpse and throws her to the nearest group of guards. Not wasting a second, the men and women pounce and pin the Dawn Fang to the floor with their spears. She is about to break free when Kai throws a potion in her face, the powerful magic twisting her body into a position that prevents her from moving even a finger.

  Keeping his eyes on the Vengeance Hounds, Decker walks around the horse, which is slumped at the front. He presses on the flank in search of Mab, who he assumes is still inside the hastily made corpse puppet. Finding a strange bump, the dwarf runs his finger along the skin to create a line of red. Turning off the elemental charge of his axe, he rears back and carefully aims for the marking in order to slice the horse in half. His legs mysteriously jerk to the left, which causes him to miss his target by several inches. Decker stumbles forward, but dives away when he fears that he is exposed to an attack from within the rotting body. He narrowly avoids getting a claw slammed into his side as Mab tears herself free and stands growling at the surrounding guards.

  “You thought you could-” Kai begins to shout at Titus. To the spymaster’s surprise, the towering vampire is grabbed by Mab and driven headfirst into the floor. “Or they were hiding and used you. There will be an investigation, hounds. Everyone capture this woman alive and bring her to Lord Tempest and Lady Sylvan.”

  Mab lunges for Kai, but she has to twist away from two hastily shot arrows. Landing near Bob and Luther, she flips both men over her shoulders and spins to kick them towards the approaching guards. She is about to continue her attack when Decker tackles her, but the dwarf is immediately sent flying onto the stairs. An arrow hits her thigh as she rolls to her feet, the weapon poisoned enough to make her head swim. Yanking the projectile out, she tries to throw it at Kai, but it goes wide and thuds into the forehead of a marble statue. Two more shots hit her chest and she quic
kly removes them before the poison can affect her. Ducking another volley, she flings the arrows in her hands back at their owners and sends the archers crashing to the floor. Mab snarls like a cornered beast and charges with her claws drawn, but she is knocked to the floor by a blow from Titus. He stands between her and the spymaster, a pained expression on his face making the guards fear that he is unable to go through with the capture. The warrior picks his sister up by the head and starts to throw her towards the front door when she drives her hand through his upper arm. Instead of going far, she crashes into the vampires surrounding Chastity and knocks them away before they can free their spears.

  “Remember your decision, little brother,” Mab hisses as she grabs her groaning companion by the leg.

  A light orb strikes the floor at the burglar’s feet and she leaps across the hall in order to reach the nearest shadow. Arrows fly from the upper walkway, but she manages to dodge them with every powerful bound. It takes her several minutes of jumping in random directions before she finds an opening to her only escape path. Due to it being a narrow entrance to the void, Mab dives in with Chastity held above her head. She feels a sharp pain in her wrists and glances up in time to see her hands fall off her arms. The sound of Decker’s axe clanging against the wall is the last thing the burglar hears before plunging into the shadow alone.

  *****

  Staring at the fading portal, Mab can only see Chastity lying over the escape path and her severed hands still clinging to the other woman’s dress. A faint gurgling causes the vampire to turn around and face a long-necked fish that is ten times her size. Attracted by her flowing blood, more creatures gather while others remain on the outskirts of the pack. Mab’s droning growl is enough of a warning to drive many of the predators away, their instincts making them feel nothing more than a primal fear. Those that do not think they are in danger continue to get closer and snap at each other in the hopes of clearing a path. The animals erupt into a chorus of shrieks and cries when the vampire kicks her legs and rockets towards the giant fish. Her fangs sink into its neck, which steadily withers as she greedily sucks the foul-tasting blood from its body. When it sprouts three more heads to attack her, Mab gracefully spins around the desiccated flesh without removing her fangs. The maneuver results in the beast neck getting sliced completely through and the stretching maws floating away from the ravenous vampire. Seeing that she is still injured, she dives into the open wound and burrows directly into the creature’s heart to eat her fill. The gurgles of the dying beast drive the other predators away and their glowing eyes linger in the distant shadows. All they can do is watch the fully healed Dawn Fang dig herself out of a corpse for the second time in less than an hour.