chapter 12
“Man, you need a serious upgrade.” Obi looked around my apartment. It was the third or fourth time he had commented on my lousy living conditions.
“It suits my needs,” I told him. “It’s not like I get social security or anything. I’ve got about three thousand dollars to last me the rest of eternity, or until a die, whichever comes first. I’ll take bets on which one it’ll be.”
“Come on man, I saw you. I don’t think anything can keep you down.”
“If I lose my head, I die. If I take enough damage, I could be thrown in a safe somewhere and buried for all time. I won’t die, but I’ll be trapped.”
I hadn’t thought about that scenario before. I had to fight back a wave of panic. With any luck the other players wouldn’t think about that one either.
Obi’s voice snapped me out of my macabre introspective. “So you said you wanted to learn to fight. How much do you know?”
“You saw me,” I said. “How much do you think I know?”
“Good point. Lucky for you, I served as an assistant instructor for my squad while we were in Afghanistan. I’ll whip you into shape in no time.”
I wanted to go up to the roof, but Obi protested due to the cold. I had already forgotten that he wasn’t immune to the elements. I led us over to the room across the hall instead, pushing the furniture out of the way so we would have some room to maneuver.
The second we had finished clearing the floor he started barking at me Marine style, ordering me to drop and give him fifty. Just to make a point, I pumped out two hundred, asked him to sit on me, and did one hundred more. It didn’t take too much effort for me to make myself a little stronger, and I had already found that my physical endurance was pretty much limitless.
“Point made she-hulk,” Obi said, hopping off of me. “I’ll show you some mixed martial arts moves instead.”
He had me stand next to him and mimic his movements. He was a natural teacher, his manner and pace easy to follow and understand. Within a couple of hours I was able to deflect his most aggressive advances. I wasn’t as successful on offense, having to pull my punches so I wouldn’t hurt him. He seemed pleased with the results though.
“Best grub I’ve trained,” he told me. “Hit the shower private, the party starts in three hours, and you need to get uptown.”
I took another shower, and then sat with Obi to go over the plan. It was pretty basic, but the best we could do with the limited information we had. I would go in alone, disguised as a vampire and hoping that nobody there could see through the glamour. I would talk up the guests a bit, using some of the code words Obi taught me so I could intelligently make reference to the trade. The goal would be to try to coerce the guests into talking, or otherwise overhear anything that could be related to the Chalice.
As an aside, I also intended to listen for any chatter regarding Josette. There was no way I was going to let her wind up as some rich vampire’s tasty snack. Once I had gotten what I needed, or decided I had overstayed my welcome, I would duck back out and return to the Belmont to debrief General Kenobi.
At the same time that I was attending the soiree, Obi would be working the Internet some more, trying to land info about the Chalice. Now that he knew what he was up against, he knew well enough to stay on the move and hop hotspots.
“I wish I was feeling confident about this,” I said to Obi.
The party started in half an hour, which was just enough time to be fashionably late. I hadn’t vamped myself out yet, but I had changed my clothes into a super sharp black tuxedo with a Nehru jacket and gaudy diamond cufflinks. We decided I should go as a major player, and being able to look the part would help me integrate and get them talking.
Regardless, I was doing battle with the feeling of being over exposed. It didn’t help that I had lost possession of the blessed sword back at Grand Central. What would happen to it now? Would some homeless guy just happen by and find himself in possession of an incredibly sharp and deadly demon-killing tool?
“I’ve been pulped three times already, and I won’t have backup,” I said.
Well, I guess I did have backup, if Ulnyx decided to make himself available. After the not-dream I had experienced I was feeling a little bit better about being able to control that bastard, but he knew I could control him too, which made his participation iffy.
“Don’t worry about it, man,” Obi said. “All you have to do is keep the disguise going, and you won’t have any trouble. Just channel your inner James Bond.”
Obi’s overconfidence was a great counter to my apprehension. I walked over to the door and swung it open.
“Wish me luck,” I said, trying to keep my nerves in check.
Obi laughed. “Nah. Good hunting!” He gave me a stiff salute as I shut the door behind me.
The party was taking place in the penthouse of a Trump property on the Upper East Side, a ritzy glitzy area where celebrity sightings were sure to be more common than vampire sightings. It was at the total end of the island from where I was starting, but the distance wasn’t a problem. Obi had called a livery while I had showered, and a confused limo driver greeted me when I exited the Belmont.
“Are you okay?” I asked him as he pulled the back door of the stretch limo open for me.
This was costing ten percent of my stash, but Obi had insisted I needed to go all in to earn their trust. He had even gone so far as to plant some messages about ‘Stefano Giovanni’ across the online blood exchanges, hushed whispers of a reclusive trafficker who had decided at the last minute to fly in from Venice to attend the birthday bash. He was sure there were no other major players in Venice; it seemed vampires weren’t big fans of water, and my ability to operate there would also gain me some respect.
The limo driver looked from me, to the Belmont, and then back. I had changed my appearance, going for more of a Brad Pitt, Interview With a Vampire look, complete with a set of small fangs that would only be apparent if I smiled fully.
“No sir,” he said. He ushered me in and closed the door. “Frickin’ drug dealers,” I heard him mutter. “Just drive ‘em up, drop ‘em off, get the hell outta there.”
The limo ride was short, but I took the opportunity to enjoy it. I hadn’t been in a limo since my high school prom. Carly Lane. The name made me shake my head and smile at the same time. I hadn’t thought about her in years. I was her first crush, an awkward computer nerd who looked at women and saw only distraction. She had asked me to the Prom, and against my better judgment, I had accepted. It had never occurred to me then, but she had been really pretty. What would she say if she could see me now? The date hadn’t gone so well, but we had stayed friends for the remainder of High School. I bet she was married and had a few kids. She always had been the motherly type.
The driver’s voice snapped my out of my reminiscing. “Here you are sir,” he said as the limo glided to a halt.
I turned my head to look out the window while I waited for him to come around and get the door. The building was huge, at least fifty stories or more, all glass and steel. It just oozed power and money. There was a doorman waiting by the huge revolving door, and just inside I could see about half a dozen vampires standing in a line. My heart leapt to my throat as the slide into panic started. If they were able to see through my glamour, I would be dead before I got across the street. I was beginning to regret my current course of action. The door opened.
I took one more deep breath and stepped out of the limo. I handed the driver the cash plus a generous tip.
“Thank you,” I said.
He was halfway to the driver’s seat before the ‘you’ made it out of my mouth. My senses were getting a little crazy with the number of Divine gathering in the building. I could feel the combined energy of the masses. It didn’t help my nerves any.
I slipped through the revolving door, and was approached by the first vampire in the line. He was well-dressed, well kept, and well-built, equal parts class and muscle.
“I’m here for the Solen birthday party,” I said, trying to stay calm even though my chest felt like it was about to give birth to something nasty. “My name is Stefano Giovanni.”
The vampire took his time looking me over, but it was his nose I was worried about. I had done my best to mimic the smell that I associated with Rebecca, because she was the only good example I had of how a vampire should smell. I had toned down the floweriness of her perfume, but maintained the musky iron and mixed it with Drakkar.
I waited; internally tense enough to break a board, externally playing it cool. He completed his sniff test, took a step back and smiled, his fangs betraying him for the first time.
“Mr. Solen has directed me to cater to your every whim,” he said. “He is very eager to speak with you regarding the Italian markets. This way, Mr. Giovanni.”
He bowed and put out his arm to direct me to the elevator. I didn’t look at him, or respond. I just started walking like the stuck up evil prick I was supposed to be.
We stepped into the elevator, and he hit the only button in it. Private. Impressive.
“What’s your name?” I asked. My voice sounded normal to me, but I was projecting it to him with a soft Italian accent.
“Tarly, sir,” he replied.
He waited for me to speak again. I decided against it, leaving him to deal with the awkward moment. The elevator had us up to the penthouse in no time.
Obi had warned me about what to expect at a vampire-organized event. Even so, it was a challenge to hide my reaction as the elevator doors slid open and Tarly and I stepped out into the apartment.
The living space was huge, bigger than anything I could have imagined. The elevator let out on a large balcony that overlooked the main living area, where I could see about a hundred guests had already gathered. To the right were the rest of the smaller rooms, to the left and front nothing but a wall of twenty-foot tall floor-to-ceiling windows that exposed an incredible view of the city. The balcony fed down into the party through a pair of matching marble staircases, which were lined with a menagerie of antiques that I was sure cost a fortune. The front corner by the windows held a more typical interior decoration, with a sofa and loveseat caddy cornered in front of a free standing fireplace, enabling their inhabitants to get the best view of the city below. Hanging from the ceiling over the furniture was a huge canvas banner that read ‘Happy Birthday Reyka!’.
All of this was impressive, but not out of place for the rich. What gave the affair away as being oh-so-not-normal was the open area that had been created by removing a bunch of the ancillary furniture. Sitting in the middle of it was a huge classic roman fountain, but instead of spouting water it was circulating blood, tossing it up into the air and dribbling it over the sides into the main pool. The guests around it would dip a finger in from time to time to get a quick taste, then resume whatever conversation they were having. It was gross, but not completely stomach churning as long as you tried not to think of where the blood had come from.
That prize went to the fringe of the open area, near the southern wall of glass, where they had set up about half a dozen beds. On the beds were women, human women, unclothed, tied up, and drugged. They weren’t alone on the beds, the guests were free to step right up and have a taste.
I was nearing the breaking point of my ability to contain my disgust, repulsion, and anger when Tarly stepped in front of me.
“Mr. Giovanni,” he said.
I must have given him a look of death, because he stooped over and looked up at me like a beaten animal.
“I’m sorry sir, but Mr. Solen requested that I bring you over to him. If you’ll follow me?”
Making a scene about the ‘Fresh Fleshette’, as Obi had told me the vamps called it, would have blown my disguise in about point oh one seconds. As much as it pained me to have to ignore it, failing to find the Chalice was going to cost a heck of a lot more.
“Lead the way,” I said, maintaining the assertive posture that was causing Tarly to stoop like Quasimodo.
He straightened up, but not too much, and started walking down the southern staircase. Great, now I had to get even closer to it.
Closer would have been a bonus. As it turned out, Merov Solen was just finishing up with a taste of his own. There was nothing frightening or imposing about the vampire who was considered the most powerful in the Americas. He was small, maybe a couple of inches over five feet, with a bald head and a plentiful gut. His eyes were large and blue, his clothes a simple pair of corduroys and a plaid button-down shirt that made him conspicuously out of place amidst the rest of the partygoers in their black ties and gowns.
When he saw me approaching, he gave me a car salesman smile, and then licked away a bit of blood that had coagulated in the corner of his mouth. I glanced over at the girl on the bed. At least she had no idea where she was or what was happening to her. If I had a chance to get her out, I would. If not, I would avenge her somehow.
“Care for a small bite?” he asked. “There’s nothing quite like a virgin to get the old heart pumping again, is there?”
I bit my tongue, almost hard enough to get a taste of my own blood. “Personally, I prefer pure. I find the alterations caused by external agents unpalatable.”
Merov smiled and reached his arm up to put it around my shoulder. “A demon of exquisite taste and standards. I respect that. Between you and me, I wouldn’t have even bothered with the drugs, but this is my daughter’s birthday party and she’s going to be mad enough at me for providing the Fresh Fleshette at all. Sometimes I don’t know if she’s really mine, the way she carries on about drinking human blood. We’re vampires for Hell’s sake!”
A vampiress after my own heart. I felt an instant unknown kinship with Merov’s daughter. We were both in a vast minority after all.
“Is she here?” I asked him. “I’m most interested in learning more about her ideas for survival without our primary food source.”
He laughed. “Do you have any idea how much of my money she’s sunk into researching vampire physiology, trying to figure out exactly what’s in human blood that we need to survive? She’s even had me try some of her sample synthetics. You could live on it, but it tastes like sewage. And that’s ignoring the fact that such a thing would put me out of business. Can you believe I’m financing my own destruction?”
He started leading me through the throng, acknowledging all of the guests who noticed him. When they saw him coming, they would turn, fall to one knee, and bow their head.
“Besides,” he continued, “humans are meant to be cattle to us. We’re superior in every way, am I right?”
I wanted to crush his melon head between my hands. “Right,” I said instead.
“Anyway, she hasn’t shown up yet. She doesn’t know about the party, so I’m hopeful that she’ll respect her father’s wishes for once. She’s a handful, but she’s my only child and I love her as much as my cold heart will allow.”
He was taking me past the gathering, towards the more private living spaces on the northern end of the apartment.
“I wouldn’t know,” I said. “I have never had a desire for offspring.”
He nodded at the two burly guards as he brought me past them and into a long hallway. Looking at them as I passed, I realized they weren’t vampires. I felt a small stirring in my soul. Weres.
“I didn’t either,” Merov said. “Reyka’s mother was a Succubus. She tricked me into it. At first, I was so angry I almost had her killed. Then, I decided to wait until my little girl was born. I was curious about what kind of demon the union would produce. After I saw her, I claimed her as my own, and removed her mother’s head myself. I think that’s where she gets her soft spot for humans. Her mother always had a thing for them. She said they were most creative.”
Merov stopped at a set of double-doors near the end of the long hallway, then fumbled around in his pants pockets, looking for the keys.
“Anyway, enough about my daughter. If you’d like I can introduce you when she arrives. What I’d really like to speak with you about is my interest in working out a trade agreement. I have a number of parties interested in getting their fangs on a good European source. My servants have told me you have quite a reputation, and that you are a mystery to most.”
“I try to keep a low profile,” I agreed. “The element of surprise can be quite powerful.”
He finally found what he was looking for, a small coin that he pressed against a flat panel attached to one of the doors. It beeped, and the door unlocked.
“That’s how I came to power here,” he said. “This apartment used to belong to another, before I claimed it and threw him from the roof. But not before I took this.”
He held up the small coin. It wasn’t a coin after all, but a round piece of glass with the edge of a finger nestled inside. He needed the prior inhabitant’s fingerprint to get into the room.
He was about to push the door open when one of the were guards stepped up to us. “Pardon me sirs,” he said. He sounded like he was chewing on gravel. “Mr. Solen, your daughter has arrived.”
Merov sighed. “Perfect timing as usual,” he said, turning to me. “We will talk again later, after the party.”
It wasn’t a suggestion, but a command. He didn’t wait for me to react. He turned and started walking back towards the elevators, leaving me standing there with the were. He ushered me back to the party.
When I stepped back out into the main reception area I looked up to try to catch a glimpse of Merov’s daughter Reyka. I could see Merov making his way up the steps, but the angle was no good to see more than a few feet past the landing. Oh well, I could wait. Merov had said he would introduce us. I moved into the crowd, focusing my attention on the conversations swirling around me.
“It’s just ridiculous,” one of the vampires was saying to a group of five or six. “The market is just flooded with poor quality. Every vampire who has ever hunted is trying to start their own exchange service, and they think that we can’t tell the difference between a debutante and a prostitute.”
“Give me an angel any day,” his companion said. She looked like she was fifty or sixty years old, but solid as a rock. “I still remember the last time I had an angel. It cost me a fortune, but it was so worth it.”
“I heard the Masters have a new weapon in the war,” said a third. This one got my attention. “Some kind of amulet that makes the wearer completely indestructible.”
The others expressed their shock and awe. “Where did they get it from?” asked the older vampire woman.
I didn’t get to hear the response. An immediate hush fell over the whole crowd, and they turned as one to face the landing. I was the odd man out, not catching on to whatever invisible signal had been sent. I turned to look just as they all shouted, “Surprise!”
It sure was a surprise. Reyka was Rebecca.
She was stunning in a perfect little black dress and black pumps, her long black hair piled up on top of her head. The contrast of all of the black against her white skin accentuated everything about her perfect form, and it almost drove me to the point of distraction. I could tell by her reaction that she was less than pleased with the surprise. Not that any of the other attendees would have noticed, because she was an expert at faking the enthusiasm. I knew she was lying though, as she laughed and gave her father a big hug.
He turned her and faced her back out to the gathering below, and they applauded her. Stealing glances, I saw the feeling was mutual. The crowd wasn’t cheering for Rebecca. They were cheering because Merov expected them to cheer. To them, Rebecca was every bit the outcast she had explained herself to be. I could guess why she had given me an alternate name.
After a satisfactory length of applause, Merov raised his hand to quiet the gathering. Once he had achieved silence, he took Rebecca by the hands and spoke to her loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“My dearest daughter,” he said. “Every year as this day comes I am so very grateful that you were brought into my world. You’re smile is the blood on which I thrive.”
Merov motioned with his head, and Tarly stepped over, holding a small gilded box. Merov let go of his daughter’s hands and took the box from the servant, holding it out to her and opening it. I couldn’t see the contents, so I watched her reaction instead - surprise, confusion, and a hint of disgust? Those were her real feelings. To her father, she showed only joy.
Merov reached into the box with one hand and withdrew a long silver necklace, at the end of which hung a crystal. It looked red from the distance, but I knew the crystal was clear. The red came from the blood trapped inside. Just for confirmation, I reached into my tuxedo pocket and withdrew the business end of the necklace I had taken from Ulnyx. It was a near perfect match.
“May you always stay safe from harm,” he said as he placed it over her head. “Happy birthday dear.”
The applause started up again and I could almost feel Rebecca cringing at the pomp of it all. She turned and waved at the crowd, holding up the crystal for them all to get a better look at her gift. That was when I felt her eyes meet mine, and my heart fell out of my chest. She recognized me.
I had an option to either be bold or submissive. I went for bold, keeping my eyes locked on hers, letting them tell her that I knew that she knew it was me. I saw a slight smile crease the corner of her lip, so I winked at her. She winked back, then turned and gave her father a big hug. They talked privately for a minute, and then started down the steps. On the way, Rebecca not-too-subtly pointed at me and asked him who I was. I gave them my best bow.
“Stefan,” Merov said as he reached the bottom of the stairs, Rebecca on his arm. “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Reyka.”
Rebecca unhooked herself and held her hand forward. I dropped to my knee and kissed it, dizzied by the smell of her.
“A pleasure,” I said as I rose back to somewhat shaky feet. She was smiling, a beautiful, honest smile. She really was happy to see me.
“Sir Giovanni,” she said with a hint of playfulness. “You are too kind.”
“Nonsense,” Merov said. “You are always a pleasure my dear. If you don’t mind, I have some other people I need to speak with. Stefan, take good care of my daughter.” Again with the command.
“As you wish, Sir Solen,” I replied. Merov leaned up to kiss Rebecca on the cheek, and then wandered off to speak with some of the other guests. “What’s with that?” I whispered to her as soon as he was out of range.
She leaned in close so we could speak without being overheard. Her proximity was intoxicating. Half-succubus, I remembered. “He’s trying to Command you,” she said. “He doesn’t know you’re resistant to demonic possession.”
There went the half-succubus excuse. She was giving me heart palpitations on her own merit. It had to be the perfume.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Do you know what will happen if anyone figures out who or what you are?”
“Your necklace,” I said.
She looked down at it. “What about it?”
“That’s what I’m doing here. I’d tell you more, but you aren’t on my side. Needless to say, it’s worth the risk to me. Finding you here is an unexpected bonus.”
I hadn’t intended to say the last part out loud, but it found its way through my lips of its own accord. Rebecca’s face flushed.
“Your father was very eager to have us meet,” I said, loud enough for those nearby to hear. I didn’t want anyone to suspect we already knew one another.
“My father is trying to find me a suitable mate,” she said. There went my heart again, right into my throat. “He knows none of the meat around here can control me.”
“Nor should they seek to,” I told her. “He was telling me of the research you are conducting. Perhaps these lesser nosferatu find the idea uninspired, but I think it is a fascinating endeavor.” I could tell she was trying not to laugh at my faux snobbishness.
She sighed a sigh that could launch a thousand ships. “You have no idea how refreshing it is to speak to someone with vision, Sir Giovanni.”
I could feel the sets of eyes on me, trying to figure out who the fruitcake that thought not killing humans for food was. Our conversation was momentarily interrupted when the elevator opened again and a human band rushed out, set up their instruments on the landing, and began playing.
“I hate when he does that,” she said to me. I assumed Merov had Commanded the band to come and play, and they had literally jumped at the opportunity.
“Shall we Miss Solen?” I asked, holding out my arm to lead her to where a makeshift dance floor was opening around the fountain.
She reached out and took it, the warmth of her touch sending a hot shiver down my entire arm. My prom date with Carly hadn’t been a total waste.
I don’t know what the song was, or even if there was music. When Rebecca looked at me, all I could see was her face. When she spoke, all I could hear was her voice. She hadn’t affected me like this the last time we met, but maybe I had been too afraid to take full notice of her. We moved with such fluid grace it was like we were destined to be dance partners. Her closeness felt so natural, so perfect.
“How did you know who I was as soon as you saw me?” I asked her. The dance had afforded us the opportunity to get super close, and the music aided in drowning out any possibility of being overheard.
“Your glamour doesn’t work on me,” she replied. “Didn’t the Outcast tell you not all demons could be tricked?”
“Because of your mother? I seem to be doing okay with the rest of the room.”
“My father told you about her?” She seemed surprised. “He must like you.”
I spun her around and expertly regained the step, leading her forward without hesitation. “He likes who he thinks I am, a big shot Lord from Venice. You know what he did to your mother?”
I felt her grip tighten on me, threatening to break my skin. “I know,” she said, the anger obvious in her voice. “He’s never tried to keep it a secret. He’s quite proud of himself. Once a succubus has you, it’s very difficult to escape.”
“And...”
“And what? He’s my father. I am obligated to either obey, or overthrow. There is no middle ground.”
“Overthrow?” I knew what the word meant. I knew what it sounded like. It was just weird to hear someone say it about their family.
Rebecca’s iron grip relaxed. “A vampire can rightfully seize control of their house by disposing of the patriarch. It is the normal means by which we rise and fall from power. Until that time, we are bound by our honor to show respect, even to those we despise. I am powerful for a vampire because of my mixed heritage, but I am not strong enough to defeat Merov Solen, and so I’ve had to endure his story of how he murdered my mother for much of my life.”
“He seems to care for you,” I said. At least he had claimed he did.
“In his own way,” she admitted. “He has provided me with everything I have ever asked for, anything I could ever want. But there are strings. Always strings.”
I could see the sadness in her eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to be able to help her. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
She gave me a look of strange fascination, and then she kissed me.
It was a short, soft kiss, but it sent a wave of energy rolling from my head all the way down to my toes. I could feel the tips of her fangs brush up against my lip, the sharp edges threatening to puncture the skin. I could taste the cold moisture of her mouth, blood and iron and lipstick. My entire body turned to jello.
“Thank you,” she said in a hoarse whisper. She pulled back and helped me resume the dance. My rubbery legs fought to comply.
We finished out the song in silence, our hands and eyes staying locked together. My mission. I hadn’t come here to flirt with the birthday girl, regardless of how much I was enjoying it. I was here to get information about the source of the very thing that Merov had gifted to his daughter. It was only logical to think that Merov knew the origin. My mind went back to the room with the fingerprint lock. I was willing to bet anything that the answers I sought could be found in that room. The real question was how in the world was I going to get inside? The answer - I wasn’t; at least not tonight. I needed to beat a hasty retreat while the going was still good.
“Thank you for the dance, Lady Solen,” I said to Rebecca in my Sir Giovanni voice while letting go of her hands. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go downstairs to make a phone call. I would be honored if you would offer me the opportunity to speak with you further about your scientific achievements. I believe they are most fascinating.”
Rebecca smiled. “Perhaps we can continue the conversation after you complete your call,” she said. “I can escort you down to the lobby.”
“You are very kind,” I replied, holding out my arm for her again.
She wrapped her own arm in it and started walking me towards the stairs as the band began playing another tune. I glanced around the crowd looking for Merov, finding him back at the Fresh Fleshette. He noticed me with Rebecca on my arm and smiled his approval. I could imagine what he’d be thinking if he knew what I was intending to do.
“Leaving so soon?” Rebecca whispered to me as we ascended the stairs to the elevator. “You couldn’t possibly have gotten what you were looking for from me.”
“I got something better from you,” I replied, causing her another round of embarrassment. “What I was looking for, I got from your father, although he doesn’t know it yet.”
We reached the top of the stairs and stepped out onto the landing. It was clear except for the band and another pair of weres who were guarding the elevator. I had almost made it out without a negative incident.
“Sir Giovanni needs to go make a call,” Rebecca told the guards. “I’m going to escort him down.”
The were on the left held up his hand. “Just one minute Lady Solen. The elevator is on its way up. You’ll never believe who decided to come to your party.”
I looked at Rebecca. She shrugged her shoulders. “Who is it?” she asked.
The timing was impeccable. The elevator dinged, the door slid open, and out of it stepped pure evil.
Reyzl. I knew it was him the moment the elevator doors finished opening. He was resplendent in crisp, fitted tails, complete with top hat, gloves, cane, and fur lined cape. He was dark skinned, Indian maybe, tall and bony with boyish good looks. The kicker was the eyes, huge solid black orbs that absorbed your soul, stole your will, and reflected you back as no more than a puppet on a string. They were empty, expressionless eyes, creepy and powerful and impossible to penetrate. He radiated total domination in the form of an unfeeling coldness that left no question that was the superior. It was the power of pure hate, greed, and evil resting just below the surface of the human facade he had wrapped himself up in for the occasion. It was my first glimpse at what a true demon was, and the hopelessness that followed was almost enough to crush my soul right then and there.
He knew me too, or at least he knew who I wasn’t. He was emotionless as he stepped off the elevator and looked at me for the first time. I saw nothing in his eyes, but his lip curled at the edge in a rough snarl. He lifted the hand with the cane towards me, and every muscle in my body froze stiff, as if I had been encased in ice.
“Diuscrucis,” he said with a perfect, flat calm, as if he had been expecting the encounter.
I struggled against myself, trying to will my body into motion. I could feel the tug in my mind, could feel my power butting up against his. It was no contest. “This is going to be quite an entertaining night after all, isn’t it,” he said to no one in particular. “Merov,” he called out.
I continued fighting the invisible bonds, even though I knew I wasn’t strong enough to break them. Rebecca had backed away from me towards Reyzl when he had called me out. I didn’t blame her for choosing his side. I was a mouse with my tail firmly caught. I couldn’t turn my head to look, but I could hear Merov Solen running up the steps to answer to his master.
“My Lord Reyzl,” Merov said, reaching the landing and dropping to his knee.
Reyzl didn’t even look at him. He just raised his cane and motioned towards the guests below. Merov got back to his feet and went to the edge of the platform.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he cried out to the assembly. The band stopped playing and the quiet din of so many conversations all hushed at once. “All hail the power and glory of Lord Reyzl the Dominator,” he said, turning and dropping to his knee again.
Everyone else followed suit, including Rebecca, who looked at me as she did so, her eyes apologetic. I would have told her I understood, that it was okay, but I was the one still standing, stiff as a board and one hundred percent incapacitated.
Reyzl motioned for Merov to stand, which was the queue for the rest of the congregation to follow. They stood motionless, waiting for their master’s command. “Now Merov, will you please explain to me how you allowed a diuscrucis into your home unchallenged.”
Merov turned to look at me. “Sir Giovanni?” he asked. “I... I’m sorry my Lord. I do not understand.”
“Do you question me?” Reyzl asked, his voice still calm and emotionless.
Merov’s face turned bright red. “No, no my Lord,” he replied, bowing down to the demon. “I cannot see what you see. I see only a vampire. He told me his name was Stefan Giovanni, from Venice.”
I noticed the minutest change in Reyzl’s expression. It was as if his body had attempted to feel mirth, but it had been crushed in an instant.
“Of course,” he said. “Reyka, my dear. Tell me, what do you see?”
She didn’t hesitate, and I understood why not. “He is a diuscrucis, my lord. His name is Landon. I have been befriending him, in order to learn his secrets, to learn what the Outcast and his servant are plotting.”
As she spoke, her pale blue eyes were replaced with the same cold black orbs that I had seen the first time we met. They were expressionless eyes, used to hide from me. I had expected her to identify what I was, but I hadn’t been expecting her complete betrayal. If I could have moved, I would have kicked myself for being so stupid. She didn’t need to possess me with the power of a succubus. Her natural beauty had been more than enough to seduce me into trusting her.
Reyzl fixed his attention back on me. The only way I knew it was because he said my name. “Landon. I’m going to ask you a question. You’ll need to be able to speak to answer it.” I felt my head regain mobility.
It was tempting to say something stupid and pointless, but it would have looked panicked and weak. I was both, but I wasn’t about to let him have the satisfaction of forcing it out of me. I said nothing, waiting for his question.
“No doubt the Outcast and his Collector have sent you on this fool’s errand. Tell me, are they aware of the Chalice and the work we have being doing with it?”
He stepped closer to me as he spoke, his mere presence overpowering my senses. He was Commanding me, I knew, though he was much more subtle about it than Merov had been. Worse, it was a struggle to resist compliance.
“No,” I said. “I was here to find out about the Exchange. To find a way to shut it down.” I figured I’d try, but I had no doubt he would be able to see right through the lie.
“Reyka, is he telling the truth?” he asked.
“He wouldn’t tell me what his goal in being here was, my Lord,” she told him.
At least I had done something right, not telling her everything. He seemed to be going for the lie.
“No matter,” he said. “No harm has been done. Goodbye, Landon.”
He showed no outward sign of effort in causing every single nerve in my body to feel as though it were exploding at once. The agony of the event was indescribable, like a paper cut on every single cell that made up my living flesh. As each cut was made my body would heal in time to be cut again, multiplying the sensory pain a hundredfold. I would have passed out, would have welcomed it in fact, but my Divine being wouldn’t allow it. I experienced a hundred lifetimes of pain each instant, all the while knowing it was just a prelude to my final fate.
I kept my eyes as focused as I could on Reyzl as he stepped forward, lifting the cane and pulling from its base with his free hand. The cane doubled as a sword, a cursed blade that would put me out of my misery. The demon’s expression didn’t change the entire time. It was lifeless, soulless. Not even my tortured pain was able to cause any sort of reaction. The complete ambivalence was the most frightening thing of all.
Before he could finish me off, the entire world erupted into a mess of chaos and frenzy. Reyzl’s perfect ensemble was ruined when a clean silver blade burst from his heart, the blessed runes etched on its surface glowing red with heat. I felt the pain stop, felt my limbs regain their flexibility. I stumbled and fought to stay on my feet.
I heard Merov shouting his daughter’s name, and then I saw her charging me, her eyes still black, her fangs bared. I couldn’t recover fast enough to defend myself. She slammed into me, lifting me over her shoulder. With one motion she planted her foot on the top of the railing and carried us both off of the landing and down into the waiting crowd below.
We hit the ground hard, the momentum tossing me away from her. I had gone from bad to just as bad, because now I was lying in the middle of over a hundred angry vampires.
I leapt to my feet, getting into position to defend myself the way Obi had shown me earlier. Rebecca had regained her footing as well, coming at me from my left. I turned to defend myself from her when I saw a brown shape hurtling down from the landing above. She crouched low and kicked up with her foot, making a solid connection with the incoming missile, sending it careening off into the crowd. I stood there dumbstruck. The missile had been Merov.
“Move it, worm,” she said, reaching out and grabbing my arm. “I’m trying to save your life.”
The pain of her grip snapped me out of it, and my brain did the math. She had stabbed Reyzl from behind with a blessed dagger. Where she had gotten it, I had no idea, but she had saved my life for the moment at least. Her betrayal had been a ruse. She had chosen a side, and it was mine. The sum of that equation was the hardest kick in the ass I could have imagined.
I looked up at the landing, where Reyzl was working to get the dagger out of his chest. I was going to assume if Ulnyx had possessed an amulet, his boss would have one too. That meant we had about twenty seconds to find a way out of this mess, maybe less. The guests had overcome their surprise, and were turning towards us, their eyes going black, their fingernails and fangs elongating. I looked around the room in search of something, anything I could use. My eyes settled on the fountain of blood.
Blood, water, they weren’t that different, and I had practiced making it rain for hours. I reached out and focused my will, pulling the fluid from the fountain and yanking it over to where Rebecca and I were standing. It splashed through the crowd in its haste to arrive, then circled around and spread over us like a plasma cocoon.
“I don’t see how this is going to help,” Rebecca said in response to my activity.
The blood was spinning around us, maintaining the form. I had turned water vapor into water. Now I took liquid blood and dried it into a solid.
“This is just part one,” I said. Part two was going to be the hard part, and I didn’t know if I would be able to pull it off. “Keep them off me if they get through.”
I closed my eyes, picturing the twenty-foot walls of glass that occupied the outer corners of the penthouse. I focused my will on them, demanding that they lose their cohesion, that the crystalline structure of the glass break down at a vastly accelerated pace. I could hear the claws scraping against the wall of blood. I could hear Merov shouting from outside, cursing Rebecca for her betrayal. I didn’t dare open my eyes for fear of losing my focus. I pushed again, as hard as I ever had before.
There was no build up, no warning. I could hear the groaning, cracking, and then the shattering as the glass succumbed to my will. One moment the windows were whole and perfect, the next they were imploding in a million fragments. The cries of pain from outside the blood sarcophagus were deafening. Nothing inside the apartment was able to avoid being pelted with shards of glass. Nothing except for Rebecca and I, encased in a protective shell. It wouldn’t be enough to kill any of the vampires, but with any luck it would slow them down long enough for us to escape.
“Part three,” I cried, opening my eyes and turning the blood barrier back to liquid.
It splashed onto the floor, and the true chaos of what I had created was revealed. All around us the gathered vampires writhed in pain on the floor, each having suffered at least a hundred cuts and piercings. They were healing already, but the pure volume of the damage was keeping their attention off of us. I took a quick look back towards Reyzl. As one of the few bodies on the upper floor he had been pin cushioned by the incoming glass. He was healing faster than the others, and I could tell by the position of his head that he was watching me when I took Rebecca by the hand and started to run towards the now open windows.
“Are you out of your mind,” Rebecca shouted at me as we approached the exposed Manhattan skyline, a good fifty stories up. I just might be.
I pulled her in close to me and pushed off with my legs as hard as I could, putting us airborne even before we had reached the edge. I didn’t know if I would be able to go through with it once I could see the drop, so I didn’t give myself the chance. The floor of the penthouse disappeared, and then we were flying high over the quiet city street below. I took a deep breath and held it as my stomach lurched. Our flight was over, and now we were falling.
Rebecca’s grip was painful as we plummeted towards the concrete under us. I had about seven seconds to slow us down enough to both survive the impact and heal before any of the demons above regrouped and came down in the elevator. I could only hope Reyzl wouldn’t follow us in the express.
I forced my will on the air around us, demanding it to be denser, thicker, heavier, and to provide a greater level of friction and resistance in order to slow our fall. I could feel it responding around us, feel the pressure building and thickening. Not enough. The ground was still approaching at a breakneck pace.
I demanded it to compress even more, the pressure threatening to pop us from the inside. Rebecca’s eyelids were raised in fear, though her black eyes told me nothing. I was going to say something comforting, but there was no time. I rolled myself so I was positioned under her just before we hit the ground.
The second we made contact with the earth I let go of our airbag, the release of the compressed air causing a small explosion that shattered the windows of the buildings around us and flipped over a couple of parked cars. We hit hard, but not too hard, and I knew when I felt my back shatter that the damage wouldn’t be bad enough to prevent us from moving soon.
I still held Rebecca on top of me, clutching her body against mine. I had broken her fall, but she hadn’t escaped unscathed. Her legs had been askew from my own, and her kneecaps had taken the same force as my back. She was alive and alert though, her eyes open and back to their perfect pale blue. Her face was twisted in pain.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“Nothing that won’t heal,” she said through her grimace, “But I can’t do it as quickly as you.”
I could feel my body was already mending. I maintained my grip on her as I pushed myself to my feet, lifting her up and over my shoulder. “Then allow me, Miss Solen,” I said. Direction didn’t matter, as long as it was away.
We had gone up about two blocks when we heard the roar of the first demons out onto the street.
“Put me down, Landon,” Rebecca said.
I lowered her to the ground, being careful not to put too much stress on her knees. She pointed to a manhole cover near the end of the street. The sewer? Maybe I could turn off my sense of smell.
“We won’t be able to lose them down there,” she said, “but it will give us a better defensive position.” She didn’t wait for me to argue. She kicked off her heels and ran down the street. I followed behind her. She pulled the manhole cover off and began descending into the darkness.
It was pitch black underground, but I knew by now that it didn’t have to be. I adjusted my eyes to be able to pierce the darkness, being met with stone walls and a six inch deep stream of who-knows-what. The smell was horrible, but not unbearable. I moved to put the cover back over the manhole, but Rebecca pulled me away.
“No time,” she said, pulling me behind her.
We heard the splash when the weres hit the sewer. There wasn’t enough room for them to maintain their demonic forms down here, something I hadn’t considered but Rebecca must have. We could hear their footfalls as they chased behind us, moving just as fast as we were.
“We need to take them out, or they’ll just catch us when we try to climb up,” Rebecca said, coming to a stop and turning around. She reached over her shoulder and pulled another dagger from a sheathe hidden on her back.
“You can’t kill them with that,” I pointed out. The dagger was cursed.
“No,” she agreed. “I’ll slow them down, you stop them.”
I didn’t have a blessed weapon either. “How?” I asked. “I’m unarmed.”
She smiled. “Landon, you’re a diuscrucis. You’re always armed. Be creative.”
Her eyes turned black again as she morphed into killer-vampiress mode and dashed forward towards the oncoming weres. I could see that she intended to hit them when they turned the corner. Be creative, right. I heard a grunt of pain as the battle was joined, Rebecca’s element of surprise giving her a clear advantage. Be creative. I looked down at the sewage running past my legs. It was my turn to smile.
When I reached the corner where Rebecca had vanished, she was having her way with the weres, her dagger lashing out like an angry viper to add to an ever growing number of cuts while they struggled to make contact with their own weapons. I recognized them as the two that had been guarding the elevator when Reyzl had made his entrance. It made sense that they would be the first ones down.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Rebecca said, ducking under a strike and stabbing one of the weres in the chest.
I focused my will on the sewage at my feet, finding a pair of splintered boards and pulling them out of the flotsam. I held them aloft, moving them back behind my head and down the tunnel as far as I could. I didn’t want to take any chances that I wouldn’t get enough momentum.
“Down,” I yelled, pushing the huge splinters forward with all of the force I could manage. I could feel I was reaching the limits of my strength, and my head was enveloped in pain as I sent the missiles hurtling towards the fray.
Rebecca danced out of the path of the makeshift spears just in time. The weres weren’t so lucky. They had just enough time to identify the threat before they were skewered, the twin wooden stakes piercing all the way through their chests, hearts, and backs. They both emitted an ear-splitting howl and toppled forward into the muck. I leaned up against the side of the sewer. My head was on fire, and I was having trouble seeing straight.
Rebecca pounced on the prone weres and used the cursed dagger to remove their heads, then hurried over to where I was leaning.
“Too much,” I told her. “I need to rest.”
“Don’t get too embarrassed,” she said.
Before I could ask her what she meant, she had me over her shoulder, carrying me through the sewer like a child. I wanted to protest, but I was just too weak. I let her be my legs without complaint.