The Burns Defiance

by N M Thorn

They were dressed in similar elegant gowns that left their chests exposed just enough to arise some curiosity in the male population. A high split in the front of their dresses presented a beautiful view to their long, well-shaped legs. Their high-heel shoes sparkled with small stones reflecting the bright lights of the arena and Aidan wondered if the stones were real diamonds. The women were armed with their undeniable charm and ready for action.

  “I’m new to California,” replied Aidan with a friendly smile. Both women responded to his smile by shamelessly undressing him with their eyes.

  “I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing you here,” said the older woman, extending her hand to him, holding it parallel to the floor. “My name is Nicole, and this is my little sister Olivia.”

  “Aidan,” he introduced himself and took her hand, weighed down by an enormous Harry Winston ring. He gave it a gentle squeeze but didn’t kiss it. “It’s a pleasure meeting you both.”

  Slightly disappointed, Nicole pulled her hand back, brushing the palm of his hand with her fingers flirtatiously. He carefully scanned both women with his other sight just to confirm that they were humans, completely magic-free.

  “Well, Aidan, you are up for a treat,” promised Nicole. A slow seductive smile appeared on her face and her eyes fogged a little as she gazed at him from under her long eyelashes suggestively. Watching this metamorphosis, Aidan wasn’t sure which treat she had in mind – in the fighting cage or in her bed chambers. Shifting closer to him, she put her hand on his arm and continued in a soft purr, “Alucard, the undefeated vampire of the captive circles verses Gunz, the undefeated wizard of the unattached circles. It’s going to be a fight to remember.”

  “I’ve heard this Gunz is quite a beast,” added Olivia, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Look at his description. He is short and light, but I’ve heard he had fought against two opponents twice his size and he put both of them down within one round.”

  “He stands no chance against Alucard,” huffed the older sister, shrugging her shoulders.

  “What a strange name – Alucard,” said Aidan, searching through the booklet. There was a full description of the fighters, including their supernatural powers, but there were no photos.

  “Oh, his nickname makes perfect sense,” said Nicole, her hand slowly moving up and down Aidan’s arm. “Once you see him, you’ll know what I mean. He looks just like Alucard from that Netflix show. And his hair…” She sighed dreamily and continued, “Any woman would die to have hair like his. I’m sure he is a natural blond. His hair looks like a waterfall of gold. And he wears it long, going down all the way to his waist. You would think it would be a disadvantage during a fight, but so far no one was fast enough to grab his hair and use it against him.”

  “And he’s so handsome,” purred Olivia. “I would pay anything to spend a few hours with him alone… But I’ve heard that the waiting list for that is a mile long and the price is enormous.”

  Yaroslav. It has to be him, thought Aidan, mortified. He didn’t know any other vampire who had long blond hair. What the hell? Gunz has to fight Yaroslav to the death? The sisters were still talking, but he could hardly hear their words.

  “Aidan, are you okay?” asked Nicole, gently massaging his arm with her fingers. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I’m fine, thank you.” Aidan forced a smile. “Just thinking.”

  “Thinking who you are going to place your bet on?” asked Olivia.

  “Yes, something like that,” replied Aidan.

  “What’s to think about?” Nicole laughed, moving even closer to Aidan, her arm now pressed against his. “Alucard. Bet on him if you don’t want to lose your money.”

  “But they both are undefeated,” muttered Aidan, carefully moving away from her. “How can you know Alucard will come out on top?”

  “You are new to all this, aren’t you?” The sisters exchanged a look and giggled, then Nicole continued, “Let me teach you a little. Look at their descriptions. Alucard is six-foot-four and Gunz is only five-foot-six. Alucard’s weight is a hundred ninety pounds, whereas Gunz is only hundred-forty. Physically, they are not equally matched. And magically – even worse. Alucard is a vampire. He has the strength, the speed and some extra powers. Gunz – they didn’t even list his powers. They say that he is a wizard, but his magic is insignificant. How do you expect him to beat an old vampire?”

  “Good question,” muttered Aidan. “If they are so far apart in their qualities, why then did the Head of House match them for the Main Card fight?”

  “That’s the mystery,” said Nicole, winking seductively at Aidan. “Everyone asks this question. Gunz was the champion of the unattached circles in Florida, and no one really knows how he became a captive fighter in California. This is his first event.”

  “What a shame.” Olivia sighed. “It’ll be his first and last event. Alucard will destroy him.”

  “That’s what I’m worried about,” murmured Aidan. If Gunz dies a human death, so will every human in the arena and depending on the amount of fire in him, some supernatural guests who sit close to the cage will be obliterated by the fire, too. What the hell is George Novak doing?

  Shortly after, the prelim fights began. With his nerves stretched to the limit, Aidan could hardly focus on what was happening in the cage. He made a few bets, just to keep up the proper appearance, but he didn’t even know if he lost or won. With disgust, he was observing everything that was going on in the arena.

  The captive fighters were modern day gladiators, killing each other for the amusement of the crowd. The crowd wasn’t yelling or chanting for their favorite fighters. They were eating and casually watching the blood and gore show unfolding in the cage, over their wine glasses. They didn’t care that in almost every fight, one of the two fighters was doomed to die.

  Reluctantly, Aidan watched two werewolves fight in the cage. It was the last fight in the prelims and the closer they were getting to the Main Card fight, the worse he felt. As one of the werewolves finally brought his opponent to his knees, holding a dagger at his throat, the crowd clapped lazily. The fighter looked at the Head of House, waiting for his decision.

  George Novak was sitting at his table, surrounded by three beautiful women. He said something and all three of them giggled. Then he got up and casually flipped his fist, thumb down. The fighter’s face fell, and he bowed his head, but then slowly moved the dagger across his opponent’s neck. Blood gushed from the open wound, coloring the octagon floor scarlet.

  Aidan closed his eyes and swallowed, thinking about the fighters that would step into the cage just a few minutes from now. His friends. He felt a touch to his hand and opened his eyes. Nicole was staring at him with a smirk.

  “You can’t stand the sight of blood?” she asked.

  “I can’t stand the sight of unnecessary cruelty,” he replied through gritted teeth.

  “Cruelty?” she parroted, but then tittered, pushing him in the shoulder. “Hardly. It’s not like these fighters are humans anyway. They’re nothing but ugly monsters. As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Novak does all of us a favor by getting them off the streets and killing them.”

  “The man who was just killed was a werewolf. And he wasn’t a purebred werewolf either. Twenty-eight days of every month, he lived a normal life, possibly had family, kids…” said Aidan quietly.

  He didn’t know why he bothered explaining anything to these women. Even though they weren’t creatures of magic, there was very little humanity in either of them. More than anything he wanted to walk out and never come back to this place again. He sighed, turning away from Nicole.

  The lights got brighter over the octagon and the guests got up, clapping. The announcer walked inside the cage with a microphone in his hands. Following the best standards of UFC fighting announcers, the man yelled, “Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time! Introducing first, fighting in the blue corner…”

  Aidan’s heart skipped a beat as he listened to the announcer presenting
Gunz and Yaroslav, recounting their qualifications as fighters and their fights count. Numb inside, he watched Gunz enter the ring, escorted by two massive guards. He was walking slowly with his head bowed down, looking at his feet.

  Yaroslav came second, his long blond hair cascading down his back. As he stepped inside the octagon, women screamed his name, waving at him, but he ignored everyone, his eyes fixed on Gunz who was standing in the opposite corner of the cage. There was something so desperate about Yaroslav’s expression that it made Aidan’s blood run cold.

  Carefully, he probed Gunz with his magic and shuddered. He was sure that right before the fight, Gunz wouldn’t be wasting his energy to shadow his magical signature, yet Aidan could hardly sense any magic in him. Suddenly, he felt a brush of cold against his skin. He shivered recognizing the presence of dark magical energy. He sharpened his senses and the understanding washed over him like icy rain. George Novak was wielding dark magic.

  “He’s a goddamn necromancer,” hissed Aidan incredulously, slowly rising from his seat. “He is controlling Yaroslav.”

  “What did you say? Who is Yaroslav?” asked Nicole.

  Aidan didn’t listen to her, all his attention on the vampire. The fight had begun and the way Yaroslav was fighting confirmed Aidan’s suspicions. He had seen Yaroslav fighting before. His weapon of choice was the katana, which wasn’t a shock considering who his mother was. His fighting style was always fast and forceful, yet elegant and light at the same time.

  The man fighting Gunz was no longer the Yaroslav he knew. It was Alucard, a vampire controlled by a powerful necromancer, a blood-curdling monster who cared for no one and wanted nothing but blood. He moved like a predator, driven by nothing but his primal instincts. With painful clarity, Aidan realized that no matter how good of a fighter Gunz was, without his magic, he couldn’t defend himself.

  As proof of his words, Alucard punched Gunz in the face with the pommel of his sword, crushing him with his vampire’s strength. Gunz tried to avoid the impact, but he was too slow. He fell back and Alucard stepped heavily on his chest, razing his katana above his shoulder.

  “No!” screamed Aidan. He forgot where he was and what he was doing. The only thing he saw was his friend, bleeding on the floor of the cage. He channeled his power and his whole body lit up with the brilliant white light. The ground quaked as he walked down toward the cage. The guests screamed in horror, running toward the exit.

  Aidan waved his hand, throwing Yaroslav off Gunz’s chest. The vampire hissed, quickly recovering and in a heartbeat was back, next to Gunz, his katana at the ready.

  George Novak got up, pointing at Aidan and shouted, his voice strangely magnified, “Aidan McGrath, stop at once! You have no right to get involved in the outcome of the fight!”

  Aidan’s blazing white eyes darted to the Head of House and he sneered. “Neither do you! You’re controlling Alucard and blocking Gunz’s magic with the gray stone jewelry! This fight is—”

  “Not another word, Aodh mac Lir!”

  Aidan heard a familiar voice and turned around. Mrak Delar was standing in front of the cage. His eyes were flooded with the darkness of the elemental power and magic he was wielding. He muttered something and waved his hand in a circular motion. A bright white circle erupted around Aidan. The blazing hoop of Mrak’s magic got thicker and rose up, wrapping tightly around Aidan’s arms and chest.

  Aidan fought it, but he couldn’t break free. A strange weakness enveloped him, and he moaned, dropping his head to his chest powerlessly. His magic, his power – everything was gone. He couldn’t move, he could hardly take a breath.

  “Mrak, why?” he whispered.

  Mrak Delar gave him a quick once-over and turned to the fighters in the cage. Gunz was back on his feet, facing Alucard.

  “Fire Salamander, down,” he commanded, pointing in his direction.

  Gunz cried out and dropped to his knees. “Mrak, what are you doing?” he screamed, struggling against the control of the Master of Power to no avail.

  Mrak Delar didn’t reply, hardly even looking at him. “Novak, control your pet vamp!” he shouted. “This fight is over. So, do we have a deal?”

  “Alucard, to your knees,” ordered George Novak and his pupils dilated as he wielded his magic to control the vampire. Yaroslav slowly lowered down to both knees, placing his katana on the floor.

  George Novak ran down to Mrak Delar and extended his hand to him. “We have a deal, Ancient Master,” he beamed. “You give me Aodh mac Lir and I will give you the elixir you need.”

  Mrak Delar shook his hand, a cold smile making his face look dark and sinister. Then he turned to Aidan and twisted his hand, clenching it into a tight fist. The hoop around Aidan’s chest got tighter.

  “Mrak,” he croaked, “what are you doing to me?”

  George Novak stopped at Aidan’s side and snapped his fingers. One of the guards rushed to him, giving him a small leather bag. He opened the bag and Aidan saw a set of gray stone jewelry inside. Mrak Delar noticed the contents of the bag and chuckled, shaking his head.

  “Mr. Novak,” he said dryly, “you’re not seriously thinking that you can control a god with the gray stones magic, are you?”

  George looked askance at him but pulled his hand out of the bag. “Why? Yes, I was going to control him just like anyone else with magic or elemental power.”

  “These toys are not going to hold a god down for more than a few minutes,” replied Mrak Delar. “You see this white light?” He pointed at the magical hoop that was holding Aidan immobilized. “This is the God’s snare. This is the only thing that can truly restrain a god. Show me the cell you are planning to hold him in, and I’ll place the God’s snare over it.”

  George Novak frowned, staring at Mrak Delar, mistrust written all over his face. “I’m willing to take my chances.”

  Mrak Delar shrugged. “Well, in that case, I have no choice but to let Aodh mac Lir go. I’m not going to let you torture him for nothing.”

  Novak cackled, folding his arms over his chest. “Since when are you shying away from torture, Master Mrak Delar. From what I’ve heard, you were quite skilled at it yourself. And I don’t remember anyone saying you were ever tormented by remorse.”

  A dark shadow crossed Mrak Delar’s face, but he smiled coldly displaying the best sample of a poker face.

  “If you put the gray stone jewelry on a god, he will be in pain for hours. Maybe days. And when everything is going to be over, he’ll shed these useless toys right off,” retorted Mrak Delar frostily. “Yes, the torture could be quite effective in getting people to do what you want them to do. And trust me, I have no objections to it, but only when it makes sense. I wouldn’t torture anyone for the sake of torture!”

  “So, what do you propose?” yelled Mr. Novak throwing his hands in the air.

  “Here is what we’re going to do,” replied Mrak Delar, ignoring Novak’s obvious frustration. “Give me a minute and an empty room, and I’ll create a prison that will hold a god. In the meantime, you’ll continue with whatever your plan was.”

  “Well, my plan is not going to work, since you’re telling me that I can’t truly control a god,” muttered Mr. Novak. He pulled the zipper over sharply, locking the bag and threw it on the floor. “And if my plan is not going to work, you won’t get the elixir you need.”

  “No, you can’t control a god, but you’re missing a very important point.” Mrak Delar cackled. “Do you see this boy in the cage? Your little captive fighter there.” He pointed at Gunz. “I know him well. You can beat him, cut him to shreds, torture him and he’ll never give in to you. But you threaten his friends, and he would do anything you want to keep them safe.”

  Like through a wall, Mrak Delar’s words reached Aidan’s frazzled mind. What is Mrak Delar doing? What does Novak have that the Ancient Master of Power is willing to betray his friends to get it?

  “Are you sure? I already tried breaking him. It’s impossible. Nothing is a lesson to him,” s
aid Novak, staring down at Gunz, who was still kneeling, held down by Mrak Delar’s magic.

  “Did you hear anything I said? You can’t break him because you don’t know how to deal with him.” Mrak Delar rolled his eyes. “Let’s talk to him together and I’ll help you get what you need.”

  A sinister dark light ignited at the bottom of George Novak’s blue eyes. He extended his hand to Mrak Delar again. “In this case, let’s make it happen, partner.”

  “Yeah… partner.” Mrak Delar squeezed his hand in a handshake, an ominous smile curving his lips.

  Chapter 14

  ~ Zane Burns, a.k.a. Gunz ~

  The guards pushed him through the door inside his room and locked it. Gunz fell to his knees and for a few seconds remained down with his arms wrapped around his head, taking ragged breaths. Then he got up slowly and gawked at the blood on the floor. Yaroslav wasn’t joking when he said he wasn’t behind the wheel when he was fighting in the cage.

  As soon as Gunz moved, pain assailed him, reminding him of the short but brutal beating Yaroslav had given him. He couldn’t even call it a fight. It was a beating and without his full magic and elemental power, there was nothing he could do to defend himself against an old vampire controlled by a powerful necromancer.

  But even worse than the physical pain was the memory of Mrak Delar controlling him, restraining Aidan, betraying all of them by siding with the necromancer. Mrak had been his friend and Gunz had accepted him as such from day one, even though all his friends had told him that Mrak was an irredeemable evil.

  His mind had refused to accept Mrak’s betrayal, and the dull ache in his soul was far worse than any pain in his aching body. He made it to the bed and collapsed on his stomach. Bright, scarlet splatters spread on the white sheet, but he ignored them. He lay on the bed, silent and motionless until his tormented body won and he blacked out.

  The sound of commotion brought him back. Gunz lifted his head and glanced at the door to see what woke him up. In the doorway, four guards were struggling with Yaroslav. That was unusual, since normally no one dared come close to him. But today everything was different.