The Lost & Cursed

by Rina S Mamoon

  Mara looked at Evan. “Where are we going?”

  The steward silently took her through a door at the end of the hall. They entered a vacant room with a large fireplace. Evan approached the fireplace and pushed on a fake wall in the back. It opened, revealing a corridor. He gazed at her.

  “This way,” Evan said, beckoning her to follow.

  Entering the corridor, she noted the old brick pathway lit by torches. Despite its age, the corridor was still in use. The sounds of Mr. White’s pleading grew louder with each step. She followed the steward to the door and he opened it.

  Mara saw Mr. White in a holding cell, gripping the bars. A group of servants surrounded a strange machine, forcing Commander White into it. He struggled against them, but they strapped him into the chair. The servants inserted needles into his arms and legs. The needles were attached to tubes extending into a tank behind the chair. A lever was pulled and the tubes filled with red liquid. The commander grew pale as he watched his blood drain away.

  Mr. White saw Mara. “Please, you must help!”

  She stared back at him. “Why?”

  Mr. White watched her in disbelief.

  “A wise choice,” Isabella said, appearing in the doorway. She floated over to Mara and stood beside her.

  She looked at Isabella. “What’s this?”

  “A blood-draining machine,” Isabella replied. “To curb the issue of ghouls, I was encouraged to use this. The ghoul is a result of a vampire draining a human of all their blood. If the body isn’t properly disposed, they rise as a corpse-eating ghoul. I prefer the traditional method, but this machine has benefits. It’s efficient in harvesting large quantities in a short amount of time. I have one set up in Hemal’s clinic. This one is used for interrogations.”

  Mara gazed at Commander White, seeing him scowl.

  “Please, you must help us,” Mr. White pleaded again.

  “Don’t bother, old man. She won’t help us,” the commander said.

  Isabella leered at him. “Why do you think she’ll help you? You should be helping yourself.”

  Commander White glanced at the ruler of Hema. “What do you want?”

  Isabella walked to the back of the tank, watching the blood flow into it. “If you value your lives, you’ll confess to the murders. And renounce the treaty.”

  “Is this what it’s really about? Your petty disagreement with Kallikratés?” Commander White stared ahead, not bothering to look at anyone. “Confess the crimes and renounce the treaty, and you won’t kill us. Is that your plan?”

  The ruler smiled. “You figured me out. You possess a very high position in the Faith. Endangering your life may persuade that priestess.”

  “It won’t work,” the commander said, shaking his head. “You’ll bring war upon yourself.”

  “And what will happen if I kill the Commander of the Holy Blades? How devastated will the Faith be?”

  Mara looked at Isabella. Even without her humanity, she knew this wasn’t part of the plan. They were only seeking a confession. No one was supposed to die.

  The vampire’s face darkened. “Answer my question! Is it not true the Faith’s presence has strengthened in Ozin after Saskia’s departure?”

  The commander shook his head. “We’re protecting them,” he answered. “Ozin chose to use our services before she died. We have a contract with them.”

  Mr. White nodded in agreement. “Yes, we’re helping them, as the teachings have taught us. To hold on to hope in these dark times. And bring peace and prosperity of the Golden Age, lost long ago.”

  Isabella gazed at Mr. White in annoyance. “Peace? Prosperity? Hope? Don’t make me laugh.” She walked in front of Commander White. “The gods unleashed a war upon the world long ago. Oh yes, they brought peace and prosperity… at the cost of millions of lives!”

  Silence filled the room with the exception of the machine’s hum. About half a litre of his blood filled the tank, yet he didn’t show signs of fatigue. Commander White glared back at Isabella and said, “Those who died chose to do so. They could live in a world given to them by the gods, or die in their world. So, such was their fate.”

  Mr. White’s eyes widened. “That’s from the Book of Kallikratés,” the old man murmured.

  Isabella glowered at the commander. “So, you believe all those people deserved to die because they refuse to obey?”

  Commander White nodded. “Yes,” he replied simply.

  Isabella’s eyes glowed in anger. She growled at the commander, but kept her cool and walked to the back of the tank. Grabbing another lever, she pulled on it. Commander White shuddered. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as more of his blood drained away. The tank began to fill much faster. Isabella gazed at him.

  “You have just proven that humans commit more atrocities to their own kind, yet you call us the monsters!” Isabella looked at Mara. “You’ve heard it yourself. Now you must be grateful I shut your humanity off!”

  The father and son stare at Mara. Mr. White seemed horrified. Commander White also looked surprised.

  “No wonder why she’s acting this way,” Mr. White murmured.

  “She was glamoured?” Commander White lost at least litre of blood and began to feel weak. He closed his eyes and fell unconscious. His body went limp, he no longer had the strength to stay awake. He was as pale as a ghost with his blood still being drained from him.

  “Karl!” Mr. White cried, watching his son fall unconscious. The commander was unresponsive. Mara stared at him. He seemed so peaceful, his face relaxed and looking angelic. Mr. White glanced back at Mara with begging eyes.

  “Please! You must help us,” Mr. White pleaded, gripping the bars tighter. Mara looked back at him.

  “Why should she help you? For all we know, the Faith murdered Saskia and Heru. And you intended to blame her,” Isabella hissed.

  The father ignored Hema’s ruler and looked at Mara. “Please, hear us out,” he persisted.

  “Don’t listen to him! He’ll do anything to save his own hide,” Isabella bellowed.

  Mara might have fallen victim to Isabella’s glamour, but it only shut off her humanity. She remembered Mr. White’s advice: make your own decisions and don’t let anyone decide for you. The conversation with the old man resonated in her mind. She stared at Mr. White.

  “Go on, I’m listening,” Mara began quietly. Isabella looked surprised. She never expected such a response. Mr. White trembled with relief. His grip on the bars loosened.

  “We didn’t kill Saskia or Heru. There’s no reason for us to kill them,” he insisted calmly.

  “Liar,” Isabella claimed. “They want to control Ardana again, but we possessors stood in their way. Kallikratés seeks to kill us, starting with Saskia.”

  The old man shook his head. “Not only was Saskia her sworn enemy, but so was Heru,” Mr. White revealed. “She planned to make Hema werewolf-free.”

  “Why?” Mara questioned.

  “A werewolf’s bite is fatal to a vampire,” he explained. “The true purpose of the cure is to save vampires from their bite. While it does cure lycanthropy, earlier versions of the cure were fatal to werewolves. This is why Heru despised the cure.”

  Mara stared at the ruler of Hema. The latter froze upon hearing the old man mention this. The look on Isabella’s face was evident that Mr. White was telling the truth. Mara spotted the key and took it. She approached Mr. White’s cell and opened it. Strangely enough, Isabella did nothing to stop her.

  “You failed to mention that,” Mara addressed her while freeing Mr. White.

  Isabella shrugged and turned to the tank. “I don’t deny it.”

  She approached the machine. The tank had a tap with a faucet. Taking a wine glass from a shelf, Isabella placed it below the tap and turned on the faucet. Blood flowed into the glass. “Creating the cure required sacrifice, but I did it for my people. Over the years, the survival rate improved and many lived normal lives.”

  She turned the faucet off a
nd lifted her wine glass, filled with Commander White’s blood. Mara and Mr. White watched her drink. After taking a long sip, Isabella glanced over at Evan. “Why don’t you ask him?” She gestured to him. “Evan was one of the unfortunate souls afflicted with lycanthropy, and now he lives a normal life.”

  Evan nodded. “It’s true, your highness.” The steward gazed at the two. “I was once turned against my own will, but Lady Isabella cured me.”

  Isabella gazed at Mara. “Despite what others think, I’ve always extended my hand to those less fortunate. And I can also help you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Mara questioned.

  “You’re an undying, are you not? What a sad state you’re in. Not human, yet not a supernatural like the rest of us.” The ruler of Hema smiled. “How would you like to become a vampire?” Isabella lifted her wrist and bit into it. She walked up to Mara, holding her bloody wrist out. “You’ll never suffer again.”

  All of a sudden, Mr. White dashed in between them and frowned at Isabella.

  Mara watched him in confusion. “Mr. White, what are you doing?”

  He gazed back at her. “If she turns you, you’ll be sired to her. Obey her every whim without question! Is that what you really want?”

  Isabella smirked. “You think I’d do that? I’m offering to help her.”

  “You imprisoned us!” Mr. White cried. “Look at what you’re doing to Karl.”

  Mara gazed back at the commander’s unconscious form. His face was almost as pale as the moon. More of his blood had been drained into the tank. Even though her humanity was shut off, something deep inside was bothering her to save him. While gazing at Commander White, she heard their argument.

  “If I agree to this treaty, Hema will be subjected to oppression once again,” Isabella claimed. “I saw what they did to my people—murdered them and enslaved the survivors. Hema fell into poverty. My people starved and froze while you and your gods did nothing! I brought them back to prosperity by making sure the cancer, known as Kallikratés, was removed.”

  “How dare you speak of Kal—”

  “Say their names and I’ll kill you where you stand!” Isabella screeched.

  Mara snapped her gaze back onto them. She saw the face of Hema’s queen, her red eyes glowing with rage. The vampire bared her fangs and released a low hiss. Mr. White became frozen upon seeing the angry face of the vampire ruler.

  Isabella calmed down and looked at her. “You don’t have much time left. I know your curse. It’s the worst fate to ever endure—to die over and over again. The next death could turn you into a monster that preys upon humans.”

  Mara glanced at Isabella, and then to Mr. White. She saw his pleading eyes—Mara shouldn’t be caring. Yet when looking at the commander, she could not turn away. She stared at his closed eyes, seeing how relaxed his face was due to losing more than a pint of blood.

  Isabella smiled and approached her. “Well, what’s your decision?”

  Mara looked at Lady Isabella, and then to Mr. White. She finally turned her gaze onto Commander White one more time. He didn’t have long to live. Mara looked back at Isabella, ready to give her answer.

  “Let him go.”

  Three simple words stunned Isabella. Shaking off her shock, Hema’s queen smiled. “You seem to care about him,” she teased. “Despite losing your humanity, it didn’t change your feelings for him. You must be so infatuated with him.”

  Mr. White glanced at Mara. He seemed surprised to know about Mara’s attraction to his son.

  Mara furrowed her brow. “You lied to me,” she pointed out. “We’re supposed to find the truth, but you decided to abduct the two. For what? Make an ultimatum to the High Priestess? Or make an example of the two when things don’t go your way?” She shook her head. “As far as I’m concerned, the treaty will allow the worship of Kallikratés in Hema, not remove you from power.” Mara reached for her sword and unsheathed it. “You also shut off my humanity. Sorry if I come off as rude, but I’ll not ask again.”

  Isabella gaped at her in shock. She didn’t expect to be insulted in such a manner. Taking her wine glass, Isabella threw its contents into Mara’s face. Blood got into her eyes and mouth. It soaked through the mask and touched her lips. She felt a tingling sensation on her face. She pulled the mask down and wiped the blood from her eyes. Mara glowered at Lady Isabella. She wasn’t going to let the vampire get away with this. Isabella glared at her, still holding the empty wine glass in her hand.

  “What a fool you are! How could you take their side?” Isabella threw the wine glass to the floor, shattering it into several pieces. “Thanks to the gods, we are cursed. Ardana is in this mess because of the Faith.”

  Mr. White frowned at Isabella. “How dare you? The gods are not at fault.”

  “What did I say before? Don’t ever mention them again!” Isabella raged, lunging at Mr. White. The old man cried out in fear.

  Mara didn’t know what she was thinking, jumping in front of Mr. White. Isabella’s hand tore through her chest. Mara froze like a statue, her left hand grasped the arm impaling her. Her right hand gripped her sword. Blood seeped from the wound. Even the old man and the vampire were stunned at her selfless act. Nobody knew how she remained standing.

  Isabella looked at Mara in shock, but soon a smile crept upon her pale face. “You’ve taken a massive injury, my dear. Better take my offer while you still can.”

  “No…”

  Mara’s breathing began to intensify while glaring at Isabella. Her canines elongated, resembling the fangs of a wolf. She gripped her sword. Isabella pulled away before the undying could slash her arm off. The vampire clutched her hand close to her chest and gazed down. Black blood stained her pale hand. She gazed back at the wound she created. Black ooze poured out of the hole in Mara’s chest before closing up. Isabella gazed at her face. The blotches on Mara’s face grew dark. A bright yellow glow from her eyes pierced the shadow casted by her hood. A dark aura emanated from her body.

  “What is this?” Isabella questioned, sensing the aura.

  Mr. White stared in astonishment, also surprised by her transformation. He glanced at his son and became horrified to see him lose almost two litres of blood. The commander’s breathing was laboured, his face drained of all colour.

  “Karl’s dying!” Mr. White cried.

  Mara frowned at Isabella, taking a step towards her. “Release him.”

  Isabella remained frozen. After getting over her shock, she looked daggers at Mara. “How dare you talk to me like that?”

  She stared at Isabella with glowing eyes. “Guess I didn’t make myself clear.”

  Mara took another step, pointing her sword at Isabella. The vampire opened her mouth and screeched. She transformed into a hideous bat-like creature. Her dress tore away as she grew larger. Bat-like traits graced her face, making her look more like a beast. Her fingers elongated, ending in razor sharp claws. Large leather wings burst from her back. She towered over them at nine feet tall. Mr. White was stunned and horrified. If not for her humanity being shut off, Mara would’ve shared a similar reaction. The hideous creature was the opposite to the beautiful and elegant ruler of Hema.

  Isabella grabbed the tank and tore it out of the blood-draining machine. Raised over her head, she punctured the metal tank with her long sharp fangs. Blood flowed down her throat. The two looked on, mystified and disgusted. After she finished, the vampire tossed it aside and turned her attention to the two.

  “I’ll kill you both and have the commander for dinner,” Isabella hissed in a deep and raspy voice.

  Mara addressed Mr. White. “Leave now! I’ll deal with her.”

  “What about Karl?” Mr. White cried.

  Mara snapped her head around and snarled, “Get him out of here!”

  Mr. White became paralyzed. Seeing her face, Mara appeared more beast than human. Eventually, he snapped out of his shock and scrambled to free his son. Mara turned around and faced Isabella. She pointed her sword at
the vampire, forcing her away from the machine and allowing the old man to free his son. Mr. White managed to get him out of the room while the castle servants fled. Mara stood alone against the vampire.

  Isabella snarled. “You dare draw your blade?” She flew into the air. “Such a hypocrite! You’d rather hunt and kill your own kind?”

  The vampire grabbed Mara by the neck and slammed her into the wall. The force of the slam sent her through, creating a large gaping hole. She ended up in the main halls. The fleeing servants watched as Isabella smacked Mara around like a rag-doll. She fell to the ground, stunned for a short while. She managed to get up and start running.

  The bat-like beast laughed. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Mara ran down the hall and found a flight of stairs. Getting into the stairwell, she turned around and saw that Isabella couldn’t follow in her current form. Even with folded wings, she couldn’t squeeze through. The vampire swiped at her in a futile attempt to hit her. Mara stared at her briefly before ascending the stairs. When she got to the top, she found herself in a very extravagant room covered in dust. It hadn’t been used in a long time. Looking out the window, Mara found herself very high up in the castle. A snowstorm brewed with howling winds.

  She noticed her reflection. Mara saw a pair of glowing eyes staring back at her. For some reason, seeing her own face made her think of the White Lady. The rotting visage of that creature faded away to show a more human face—a face that looked similar to Mara’s own.

  A hand burst through the window and grabbed her by the neck. Isabella found her. She threw Mara out of the tower and onto a snow-covered roof. She tried to recover, but Isabella landed beside her and grabbed her neck again. She lifted Mara into the air and began to strangle her. Losing air, her vision began to blur. Isabella laughed at her.

  “Go ahead and die! I can wait.”

  Mara’s vision grew blurry and she closed her eyes.

  ‘It can’t end like this.’