Nightfall - 9. Securing Forever
-Arael-
Carmina hadn't arrived. Vampires are not late. Ever. We have not reason for it. There are no bathroom breaks and we move with preternatural speed. If anything we are early and waiting for mortals. Where was she?
"Shayne, maybe we should go after her. We could meet her half way and gain a couple minutes, you know?"
I looked around the clearing once more, then crouched and jumped high into the air, hovering there. I didn't like flying. It felt awkward and was much harder to hide from mortals, but it could be handy at times. I scanned the woods for any sign of Carmina, but there was only her fading scent. Maxwell was right. We needed to try to find her. Something was definitely wrong. I fell gently to the ground and turned to him.
"I didn't know you could do that." He said almost dumbly.
"We all can, but not many of us do." I replied. "There's still a lot you don't know about being a vampire."
He nodded and sniffed the air before pointing off in the direction Carmina had left in. "We go that way." I nodded and just before I bolted off, he put a hand on my shoulder. "Quick question. If I run into a Tracker, how do I kill him?"
"Rip out his heart and crush it." I said matter-of-factly. "Shouldn't be hard with your strength." When he mumbled his understanding, I disappeared into the trees with him not far behind me.
The scent of roses guided us deeper into the woods where the trees were more numerous, making dodging them a little more challenging. As we continued on, I caught another smell. It was hard to separate it from everything else, since it smelled of trees, only a little different.
Bacchus. Bacchus had been here and his scent crossed with Carmina's. I felt a jolt of hope that instantly lifted my mood. They'd met and were undoubtedly together wherever they were. All we had to do now was follow the scents.
Scents. There were more now. My hope was starting to spiral inward, creating a black hole. I sped up, probably leaving Maxwell behind me. It didn't matter. Something was more wrong than I'd imagined. Then I saw it.
A tracker is never without his or her bow. Even if it is knocked out of their paws, typically, they can call it back to them. In a rocky area near a stream, I'd found a recurve. It was riddled with steel roses and thorns. There was no doubt that it belonged to Carmina. I grabbed it around its middle and suddenly I felt an electrical shock go through me from the bow to my head.
The shock seemed to trigger a vision. I could see Carmina's encounter with my wolf. I saw how she convinced him to come with her to me. Finally, I saw how other Tracker's had surrounded her and Bacchus. She'd intentionally left her bow here for me to find. I was right that she was with Bacchus, but they were in terrible danger. There were no other options now. We had to find them tonight.
As Maxwell reached me, I leapt up into the air. "Come! We've no more time to dawdle!" I shouted to him. "We're flying to them!"
Maxwell joined my in the sky, flapping his wings instead of levitating. "What's going on?" he asked, looking around the treetops.
"We have to go get them from the Trackers." I explained. "Carmina and Bacchus were captured on their way to us. I disregarded Maxwell' cringe and caught a breeze, carrying myself forward. "I don't understand it, but somehow Carmina's bow showed me what happened not long ago. Bacchus found her and they were on their way to us, but they were surrounded and taken away."
"Won't we get killed?"
I smirked at him. "You've never seen me pissed before, have you?"
-Carmina-
I'd felt something a few minutes ago. It was like a heartbeat that came from my entire body as opposed to just my heart. I sat up on my bunk above Bacchus and jumped down, landing gracefully with my legs crossed on his bed.
"Bacchus, sweetheart." I said, gently shaking him. I was certain he wasn't asleep, but it seemed the right thing to do.
"Bacchus, I have good news for you."
The massive wolf turned over. "Yes, little Moroii? What is it?"
His tone was somber. I poked him in the ribs. "Buck up, pup. Arael is coming." He sat straight up, staring at me. "He found my bow and is on his way."
"That's far too dangerous!" he whispered. "Can you not stop him? I don't want him getting killed again because of me."
"My, aren't we narcissistic?" I said. "He's coming for me too, you know. And no, I cannot stop him. Even if I wanted to, he's not close enough to hear my thoughts. Besides, you two owe me a dress and this seems to be the only way I'll be getting it."
Bacchus tilted his head at me. "Are you really that sure that we'll be getting out of here alive?"
I nodded. "We have many advantages. Don't be fooled by the bars." I ran a paw through the fur on his arm. Visible sparks of blue electricity appeared to leap outward from him. I laughed when he snatched his arm away from me, rubbing at the pain I'd caused him.
"What the hell was that?!" the wolf demanded.
"Well, you know how most vampires have that nice hypnotic aura? Well, I don't." I said, standing from the bed. "I was given a different gift. While your thoughts can bend people, mine can break them." I held up two fingers and focused on them and pain. After barely two seconds, my paw was surrounded in pulsing blue light and sparks of electricity. "They don't know I can do it, so that's on our side."
"I guess you weren't kidding about being 'six Jacks in a box' then." Bacchus said, checking his arm for burns.
I chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. Damn he was tall. I didn't have to lean, even though he was sitting and I was standing. "Flattery will get you everywhere, sweetie." I said before walking to the bars and having a look around. "Now listen. I've been keeping an ear on the guards. There are six of them. If done properly, I can kill them all before they notice I'm out. Then you can get out." I sat on the edge of his bunk and put my black stilettos back on.
"Why don't you let me do that?" he asked.
"Because I can slip through a much smaller opening in the bars." I looked to the bars again. "Our greatest flaw is that we are too perfect. If they were one step out of sync with each other, this would be impossible. My recurve will guide Arael here. I got the ping from my bow a little while ago, so he'll be with us in about five minutes." I looked to Bacchus. "In four minutes and forty-three seconds, I want you to bend the bars slightly so I can slip out." I jumped back into my bunk and resumed my previous, statue-like state.
I couldn't help but wonder if we'd get out alive. Now that I was thinking about it, it seemed a little less likely. Only about a half hour had passed since our capture, but with the number of Trackers here and their leader, the inevitable fight could drag on until sunrise or longer. Even if we did last that long, there was no way to insure our survival if we couldn't flee. Not that fleeing was possible either. If we ran, they'd come after us and kill us for sure. We had no choice. Once Arael and that cute gryphon got here, we'd have to kill them all or not leave this place alive.
The four minutes I'd requested had passed. Bacchus was now standing at the bars as any prisoner would. He even growled at a passing guard to keep it believable. In a few seconds, Arael would be near the doors. I'd kill the guards and we'd meet him when he charged in. I leaned up a little in my bunk. "Bacchus." I whispered quickly. "Expand your aura. Try to pacify the other captives so they don't alert the guards."
He nodded and closed his glowing eyes. It was impressive. Even though our powers weren't very effective against each other (vampires in general) I felt a little more at ease despite the war we were about to start. I glanced out the bars to see that the other vampires, most of which were Strigoii as well, were relaxing for an unapparent reason. Either being dead increased a vampires power, or Bacchus was an incredible immortal.
I was down to twenty seconds. The guard for this level of the prison sector had just passed again. Bacchus began to bend the bars for me. I stood crouched on my bunk, and waited for him to step aside from his task.
Three...
Two...
One...
Before Bacchus could register that I'd moved, I was out of the cell, clinging beneath the floor of the second level.
The prison was three stories beneath the ground. We'd been put on the lowest floor of the underground prison, which was convenient for me. I'd work my way up. The next instant, I was behind the guard that'd just walked by before I got out. The raccoon turned around, sensing me behind him, but not soon enough to keep me from hitting him in the throat and silencing him. His death was quick, but I don't know how painless ripping one's heart out and crushing it is. I left him to fall as I made my way to the second guard on our floor. He met the same fate. I searched his corpse and found his keycard.
I nodded to Bacchus and leapt up to the next floor. Using the railing as a brake, I flipped onto the metal floor and swept my leg under the guard. As he fell, I jabbed my index and middle fingers into his back, sending a bolt of lightning through his heart. The guard on the other side saw the bolt leave the deceased one's chest, but before he could raise his fingers to his lips to whistle, I'd already moved behind him, snapped his neck and crushed his heart inside his body.
Two down, two more on the third level to -
A high pitched whistle interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see the remaining two guards headed for me. Shit! I tried to run for it, but one of them, a cheetah (why'd it have to be a cheetah, like we aren't fast enough to begin with), was standing before me. I ran the other way, but the other guard was there. I braced myself for death as they closed in on me, only to see them ripped to pieces by three other vampires. I looked off the railing to see that Bacchus had freed three other Strigoii from their cells.
"Hello there, Drag?." I turned to see a tall, slender bat standing behind me. He bowed at the waist. "I remember you, dr?gu? fat?."
I remembered those words spoken to me years ago. They were 'pretty girl' in Romanian. I'd put this bat here.
"Do you recall our dance?" he asked me. I'd tracked him to a ballroom in a mansion the night I caught him and the fight was almost a waltz. It was scary how he didn't seem angry with me for locking him up. It was almost as if he wanted to dance now. "I see you've had a change of heart. And so have your brothers and sisters in regard to you."
"I'm very sorry for putting you here." I said, curtseying. "In my defense, I was very ignorant at the time and likely under the influence of another."
He chuckled. "Well, if we all make it out of here alive, I think I can find it in my little black heart to forgive you, Drag?."
"'We'?"
"Surely you do not believe we're all going to remain in these cages like animals. The Strigoii shall stand beside you."
By the end of our brief conversation, Bacchus had freed all the remaining vampires from their cells and was standing next to me.
"Vasile, I see you've met Carmina." The wolf said, placing one of his huge paws on my shoulder.
"Ah, Bacchus. It has been a long time." the bat said, bowing to Bacchus. "Yes, we shared a dance not too long ago."
"Long enough for you and everyone in this prison to be dying of thirst, I'm sure." I said. I looked around to see all the undead vampires surrounding us.
"Yes, it has been a while since we've fed. The thirst is almost unbearable." Vasile's crimson eyes burned brighter than they already were before. "But at the moment, blood is not quite as desirable as vengeance." He sniffed the air. "I'm certain there is enough fresh blood up above. We shall kill two birds with one stone."
I heard commotion from above. Arael was here. I turned to Bacchus. "It's time. They're here!" I said, taking his paw and hopping up and down.
He grinned down at me. "Then let us join them." The army of undead vampires surrounded raised their fists into the air and shouted their consensus.
-Arael-
I couldn't help but laugh as the stupid Trackers tried attacking my pressure points, only to hit my armor and look confused just before taking their last breaths after having their hearts broken. Maxwell seemed to be having about as much fun as I was. I was worried that he'd have a problem with killing, but he proved me wrong, nearly matching my rapidly climbing death toll.
Tonight, this organization would be razed. The Trackers in the area would be no more and they had no one to blame but themselves. Whoever said came up with that 'Hell hath no fury' axiom had obviously never met a vampire. I would tear this place to shreds until I found my sister and my mate, then I'd continue tearing it apart.
Trackers seemed to be pouring at us from all directions, but our heightened abilities were more than enough to take all that this organization could throw at us. I caught a passing arrow before it hit me and looked up to where it'd been shot from. There was an otter taking aim at me again. Before she could fire and before I could even think about it, I'd taken Carmina's bow from my back and fired the arrow back at her. She fell when it hit her, driving the arrow through her heart when she hit the floor.
I saw a blank look flash on Maxwell's face. What was he doing? I listened to his thoughts as I continued battling the Moroii. His mind was shifting through his library of basics. I tilted my head a little. He thought so quickly that the knowledge had opened and closed before I could figure out anymore, not that I needed to read his thoughts to grasp what he was up to. The next instant, six Trackers were falling over each other where he had been standing. I looked up to see him levitating above them, flapping his wings hard. Each flap generated a strong gust of wind, pinning the opposing vampires to the floor.
"Shayne, don't just stand there!" he shouted. "Quickly, while I have them down!"
Nodding, I sank to the floor and crawled across them, piercing each of them through the heart with my paws as I went. When I stood up, Maxwell landed behind me. It was unbelievable. It seemed as if for each one we killed, two more Trackers came in his or her place. I could feel my still blood boiling with anger. I wanted them dead. NOW!
But it seemed hopeless. Maxwell and I were a force to be reckoned with, but there was no denying that they were overpowering us. This was bad. If he and I were to be killed here and now, so would Carmina and Bacchus, and again, it would all stem from me dying in the wolf's home. Not wanting the blame for all our deaths without at least pushing myself to avoid it, I redoubled my offense. I'd even begun to blur around Maxwell, protecting us both.
But nothing would stop a lucky one of them from cracking me across the head with his recurve. I wasn't going unconscious, but I was dazed. I couldn't defend myself. Unable to protect us both, Maxwell grabbed me and leapt up to the ceiling. He clung to it by digging his hands and talons in. I was still trying to shake my head clear, but I knew that I was lying on him between his torso and the ceiling. I could hear him screaming as the smell of blood struck me. I blinked a few times and saw that the Trackers were shooting his arms and lower legs. He had several arrows in him already. This couldn't be happening! We couldn't be losing! Now, as if the persistent daze wasn't enough to contend with, I could feel hopelessness surrounding me. I shook my head and screamed at the top of my lungs. I couldn't break down! Not now!
"Now this hardly seems fair." I heard someone say. The upward rain of arrows stopped. All the vampires below us turned their attention to where the voice had come from. I looked as well, finally coming out of the daze. Carmina was standing on the other end of the vestibule. I hadn't noticed until now, but all the Trackers had pooled beneath us, leaving the floor clear where she stood save for the newly dead. I heard her gasp. "Bacchus! These BITCHES hurt that cute gryphon I was telling you about!"
What had she said? Did she say the name I thought I heard? I blinked and there he was. My enormous wolf, clad in his trademark tattered green shorts. Before I could think about it or anything else, I was tangled around him.
"Get him down, Carmina. Don't worry, he's still alive." Bacchus said, wrapping his arms around me. I looked up into his crimson eyes. "Do not worry, my Arael. We are almost done here."
"There's just too many of them." I choked, burying my head in his chest. "Maxwell, he's hurt."
"He just needs blood. He will be fine." Bacchus said, putting me on the floor next to him. He cleared his throat. "BROTHERS, SISTERS! TEAR THEM TO PIECES!"
I'd never heard him sound like that before. His angry voice thundered from everywhere all at once before countless Strigoii began to pour into the vestibule. I saw the Trackers raise their bows and take aim, but before they could fire, they were lost in the dark sea of claws, fangs and glowing red eyes.
Carmina was next to us again with Maxwell in her arms. She turned to Bacchus. "He's barely there, what do we do?" her tone was urgent.
"He needs to drink." My wolf told her.
She nodded and bit her wrist before holding it to his beak. At first, he didn't move. I felt a jolt of terror. If he was dead, I'd never forgive myself. I moved over to him.
"Maxwell, wake up." I said, my voice shaking a little. He didn't respond. I shook him a little. "Come now, we have blood for you."
"Mmm, is it from your hottie hot hottie sister?" he asked drowsily, nuzzling unknowingly into Carmina's neck. Bacchus and I snickered as Carmina blushed.
"Ahem. Yes, Maxwell. It is mine." Carmina said, clenching her fist to keep her blood flowing for him. "Now drink for me." He nodded and Carmina sat down with him as he drank from her wrist.
I looked away from them back to the battle in the foyer. We were winning. I could feel everything brighten around me.
Bacchus, Carmina, Maxwell and I would walk out of here alive. I bounced on the balls of my feet and leaned into Bacchus, not bothered in the slightest by the screams coming from not twenty feet away from us. I heard the flapping of wings just before a gaunt, yet handsome bat landed next to me.
"Bacchus, we will handle it from here." He looked down and tilted his head at me. "Tîn?r unul, why have you come here? It is dangerous for all Strigoii here, let alone a new one."
"Vasile, this is my mate, Arael." Bacchus said, squeezing me around the shoulders with one arm. "He is partially responsible for our freedom."
Vasile looked from Bacchus back to me and placed a clawed finger beneath me chin, lifting me head to make eye contact with me. "Is that so? Then you have my thanks."
"Arael, this is Vasile, my Sire."
I blinked a few times. Bacchus's Sire?! Bacchus was over 1900 years old, that could only mean that -
"Yes, I am far older than 1900 years." Vasile said, cutting off my thoughts. I tilted my head and he tapped his. A thought reader like me.
"Vasile, where did you go when I died?" Bacchus asked. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't really the time, but I want to know."
The bat raised his head as if trying to remember. "That was about the time Miss Carmina caught me. I was killed shortly after you. Honestly, until now, I thought you were still dead." Vasile said, running a hand through his spiky white hair. "Fear not, my child. In my little black heart, I never abandoned you.
Bacchus smiled. It was different from any smile I'd seen from him. He almost looked alive. It was as if he'd found the missing piece of a puzzle. In fact, now that I thought about it, it was exactly that. He hugged the frail-looking bat, who responded by wrapping his wings around the wolf. I hadn't noticed, or thought it possible, until now that Vasile was taller than Bacchus.
"Go now, my little ones." Vasile said, shooing us away. "We will leave once we are certain we've done away with them all."
I was next to Carmina then, helping her and Maxwell up. I turned back to Vasile and before I could open my mouth, he tapped his head again, smirking at me.
"You will see me again, tîn?r unul. Fret not."
Perhaps it was better that I'd not said aloud my plan to move our coven to Italy. It didn't matter. The Strigoii would kill them all. No one who'd hear me would be left alive. We said our goodbyes to Vasile and left the Trackers' headquarters through the doors I'd knocked down not long ago.
---One Year Later---
A lot changed after that night. We left for Italy and started our new lives. Carmina and Maxwell left us after a few months. We didn't know where they went, but we knew they were together. I wasn't all too happy about them going, especially with Maxwell being my responsibility, but Carmina had effectively relieved me of my duties. According to her, it was only a spouse's place to be as concerned about him as I was. Her exact words were 'He's my man, you have your own.'
I got a thank you card from Carmina and didn't wonder why for very long. When I opened it, a receipt fell out. Apparently, I'd bought her a four-hundred dollar red dress without knowing. She sent a picture of herself in it. At least it looked good on her. I looked back to the card. She'd written me a little note in her fancy handwriting.
Thank you for the dress, little brother. I'll be sure to wear it for you when next we meet.
XOXO Carmi
P.S.: Not being Carmina Wilde anymore is kinda weird, but Ashford isn't such a bad name.
How are you liking your new name? Arael Silvanus, huh?
"I do hope you like it."
Bacchus had slipped behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist as he read over my shoulder. I turned around in his arms and kissed him. "Can't think of anyone else I'd rather be."
The End. Maybe.