by J. N. Baker
“She spoke of an endless night that would swallow the Earth,” William continued. “I fear that time is upon us. The general is far too powerful to be stopped. It will happen. As you are well aware, he is pulling the continental plates together as we speak, shaping the world to his liking so that he might rule over it. When his reign of terror is complete, the world as we once knew it will be unrecognizable. I fear that we will not see another dawn until he is destroyed.”
“You’d think he’d want to preserve as much life as possible,” I mumbled. “More people to bow down to him.”
“Easier to control the few than the many,” William replied.
Alec nodded. “William is right. With fewer moving parts to control and less ground to cover, it would be easier to establish his reign and grow the world he wants. It’s brilliant, really.”
“Son of a bitch,” Jade muttered.
“Why didn’t you tell us about this vision before, William?” Ryuu asked. “Nearly two hundred years we’ve known each other and you never once spoke of this vision to me.”
William forced himself to look away from Annie, deep blue eyes scanning our faces. “Because, like Zoe, I, too, had hoped the future could be changed. But it cannot.”
Alec thought for a moment, his hand absently rubbing the back of mine. “Then we’ll save those who are left to be saved. We’ll find a way to kill Baldric and then we’ll rebuild—start over.”
William just nodded.
“And if we fail?” I asked the question I knew was on everyone’s mind.
William looked at me with hollow eyes. “We cannot fail.”
“Why’s this general guy so angry?” Annie asked, breaking her silence.
“Perhaps I should show you.”
“Shit. I hate when he does this,” Jade moaned. “It makes me nauseous.”
After six long years, William finally revealed his gift to me.
Annie leapt from her chair as the first cobblestone block fell into place, followed by another and another. William painted a picture all around us, the dull hotel room fading into the background. One by one, the stones fell into place underneath our feet. The room expanded, bright-colored banners hanging where textured walls once stood. The ceiling lifted high above us. From the vaulted wooden roof, chandeliers hung, ablaze with hundreds of melting candles flickering as a draft fluttered through cracks in the aged stone walls. The scene came together like pieces of a big elaborate puzzle until we were standing within the walls of a castle.
A large round table appeared in the center of the room, the six people encompassing it deep in conversation. They were garbed in the finest fabrics, luxurious satins and rich velvets shimmered in the candlelight. It only took a minute for me to find William, standing beside a beautiful redhead who could have been Annie’s twin. He wore the same red and gold tunic as the other two men, his long hair pulled back neatly. He tapped his index finger atop the wooden table, pointing to something on a map.
My mouth hung open. I rounded the table, trying to get a better look. I had to see it to believe it. The woman standing on William’s other side…she looked so much like—but it couldn’t be. Long brown hair was held in a neat braid, ribbons of blue and green woven through the fine locks. She stood just a smidge shorter than me with skin far fairer than my own. Her teal-blue eyes were glued to the table. I reached out to touch her before Alec pulled me away.
Someone was coming.
Footfalls echoed throughout the corridor, boots landing heavily on the stone floor as they approached the great hall.
A man, Baldric I assumed, barged through the doors. Black hair flowed freely over the thick chain mail, a helmet tucked under his left arm. Two armed guards within the room hastily drew their weapons, stepping in front of him.
Baldric growled, scowling at them. “Stand down, soldiers,” he ordered.
To anyone else, they probably would’ve held their ground, but not to the general, not to one of the Chosen. “Our apologies, Lord Baldric,” one of the guards muttered. Both men bowed their heads and retreated to their assigned posts, sweat forming across their foreheads.
“If it were up to me, I would have you both executed for your insolence,” he growled, proceeding into the room as if he owned it. Maybe he did.
“He was not always like that,” present-day William explained. “He was once a kind-natured man, strong and brave. He was the king’s most trusted advisor. At some point, all of that changed. Some say that he lost his mind the day Seraphina chose Edward over him. Something broke in Baldric on that day, something that could not be repaired.”
“Tell me I have not heard true!” Baldric roared.
The taller of the men stood erect, his back to the general. “I suggest you hold your tongue, Baldric. I will not tolerate that temper of yours.”
Baldric’s jaw tightened, his gloved hands clenching into fists at his side. “We are of the same kind, you and I, Edward,” he hissed. “Must I now call you ‘My Liege’ and be forced to humbly request an audience with you?”
“What is it that you want, Baldric? It was of your own free will that you chose to miss this meeting,” my twin said, keeping her eyes locked to the tabletop.
“We all knew what he wanted,” our William whispered, stepping around Baldric. “He desired domination and, most of all, he still desired her. Perhaps that was why Edward came to despise him so. No one was safe from jealousy, not even God’s Chosen.”
“You are rejecting my proposal—again?”
Eleventh-century William turned to face the guards at the door. “We need a moment alone. You are excused.”
They obeyed, exiting the room. It wasn’t like the Chosen needed protection. The guards were just a formality. I was certain that anyone who entered the room who didn’t belong there would be sealing their own fate.
When the doors closed, Baldric continued. “Edward, this proposal—”
“Baldric,” a shorter man interrupted, “that is quite enough. How many times must we have this conversation with you? Our patience has run dry.”
“But we clearly have the advantage, Damon. My troops, they are prepared, they are strong enough. We are strong enough. There is no time for delay. We must act now—take down the other nations while we have the upper hand.” He slammed his fist into the table.
“Baldric,” the petite redhead spoke softly, her voice like music. I saw the longing flash across both Williams’s eyes. Gwen. “I have full confidence in your troops. You have trained them well. This is not merely about the competence of your men. It is about our destiny, our mission on this Earth as protectors of all things good. We cannot become the evil we wish to cast out.”
Seraphina took a step toward Baldric before Edward grabbed her hand, pulling her back into his arms. It was a subtle move that didn’t go unnoticed. The general growled.
“Gwendolyn speaks truth,” she said from the comfort of Edward’s arms. “We cannot destroy the alliances we have spent centuries building. We finally have peace, Baldric. I am sure you do not mean to throw that away.”
“Do not baby him, Sera,” the taller of the women hissed. “He cares not about peace.”
“Valeria,” Gwen started.
“No,” Valeria snapped, glaring daggers at Baldric. “All he cares about is overthrowing our bordering nations and starting an unnecessary war just so he can rule. That is all he has ever cared about.”
“The Chosen were never destined to rule,” Damon said with a nod, putting a hand on Valeria’s shoulder, “only serve. You know that, Baldric.”
Baldric made a feeble attempt to restrain his rage. “You—how are you all so sure that this is not our destiny? That God has not bestowed upon us this kingdom so we might come to rule it—to rule over everything? Maybe we were not put here simply to serve. God has given us powerful skills, my friends. Have you ever thought maybe He gave us these gifts so that we might use them to rule? Are you not all tired of doing the bidding of lesser men?”
“Enough
,” William snapped. “I strongly suggest that you drop this matter at once, Baldric. It would be wise to remember who and what you are. There is no room in this kingdom for greed.”
His words only fueled the fire.
“How dare you!” Baldric raged. “This kingdom—this world—deserves someone who can lead it to greatness. I am that man!”
“Are you insinuating that you should be king?” William asked, walking around the table toward him.
“These people are nothing without me. Nothing! King Arthur is not fit to rule.”
“Enough,” Edward shouted, his voice echoing off the rafters. “That is grounds for treason, or have you forgotten the law? Remember your place.”
Everything became a blur; seven bodies moving with such speed. Baldric unsheathed his sword and charged. Before he could swipe his blade at Edward’s throat, the others were on him, Damon and William restraining his flailing arms as Valeria ripped the sword from his very hand.
“Guards,” Seraphina called. The two men returned to the room with swords drawn. “See to it that the king knows of Lord Baldric’s betrayal. He is to be banished from the kingdom and is to never set foot behind its walls again.”
“Y-yes, My Lady,” the taller of the two guards stuttered, surprised and rightfully so. Something told me the Chosen were the most revered members of the kingdom, aside from the king himself, that was. For them to banish one of their own kind, one of God’s Chosen, would have been unthinkable.
“You will regret this!” Baldric howled. “You have not seen the last of me!” His voice echoed against stone walls as Damon, William, and the two guards dragged him out of the room and down the narrow corridor.
“Do you think he will return?” Gwendolyn asked, sheathing her blade.
“Yes,” Seraphina breathed. “He is not one to accept defeat. None of us are.”
The great hall and everything in it disintegrated around us until we stood in the cramped hotel dining room once more.
“The Great War began three days later,” William said, head held low. His breaths were ragged as if he’d been running a marathon. “He corrupted our army, turning them against us. He convinced them that we had betrayed the king, the people, and God Himself. Those in the kingdom who remained loyal to us fought by our side, but there were not enough. We knew the odds; a few hundred versus thousands. It was certain death.” He shook his head and rose from the table.
“I still remember the last thing Edward said to me before he rode off to meet the Creator. ‘It has been a great honor serving with you, my friend. We have seen many battles together, but I fear this will be our last.’” William paced the small room, raking his hands over his face. It was clear that while we could no longer see it, he was still seeing the battle that took everything from him.
“The battle raged for nearly a week without an end in sight,” William continued. “On the fifth night, the sound of blade clashing against blade faded in the wind. Bodies collapsed to the ground from both death and exhaustion. Some say it was the general who stole Sera’s last breath, screaming that if he could not have her, no one would.
“I suppose we will never know the truth. On the sixth day, a thick fog settled across the land, blanketing the thousands laid to rest. The smell of rotting flesh has stayed with me ever since, an ever-present reminder of death and betrayal.
“The Great War had annihilated the kingdom. Baldric had wiped clean any proof of our existence from history, along with King Arthur and his people. It was as if nothing had ever happened. It was not for another three hundred years that someone stumbled across the land and, by then, anything that hadn’t been picked apart by animals had turned to dust. We became nothing more than a legend.”
“And what of the general?” Annie asked him.
“He was last seen crawling into the forest, being swallowed up by the darkness of his soul.”
“And that’s when he became one of the bloodsuckers.” Jade spat out the word, as if it didn’t taste right in her mouth.
“Yes,” William said. “The shadow people said that he made a deal with the Devil. In exchange for the souls of those he condemned to a life of the undead, he had received a power unimaginable—a power far greater than our own. The legend of the vampire was born on that day. While we are fast, he is faster. While we are strong, he is stronger. While we have one gift, he has many. He is the strongest of his kind because he is also of ours. He is a deadly combination of both God and the Devil’s power in one creature.
“Since that day, his army has grown by the tens of thousands, beasts and creatures of all sorts joining his ranks. He calls them his legion, for they are many. They have festered in the shadows, waiting for their moment. And now their moment has arrived. When the world is consumed with darkness, they will reign superior.”
The hotel door swung open and everyone was on their feet, weapons drawn. Cody’s eyes grew two sizes bigger. “Um, hey, dudes. Did I miss the party?”
Gray and black clouds darkened the sky, blocking out any light the moon tried to emit. I sat at the foot of the hotel’s queen-sized bed and listened to the sound of the rain flooding the streets. It hadn’t let up in hours—or, at least, what felt like hours. I’d completely lost track of time. When the world was about to end, time just didn’t seem to matter anymore.
I sighed and laid back on the stiff bed, savoring the precious moment of solitude. With seven bodies crammed in the one-bedroom suite, I was afraid “alone time” would be hard to come by. When a soft knock came to the bedroom door, I rolled my eyes. Well, that was nice while it lasted.
Zoe. A sweet, feminine voice echoed in my head. Are you awake? Let me in, please.
I rolled off the bed and headed to the door, flipping the lock. Annie cracked it open, peeking in at me. She flashed a grateful smile. She was still so innocent, so human. I liked that about her, and yet, I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.
“You know, that’s kind of creepy,” I told her as she slipped into the room. Before I could close the door, Jade slid past my defenses. As if the night couldn’t get any worse.
Without a word, she closed the door and pushed me farther into the room. Her black-tipped fingers dove into my hair, brushing through my long locks, desperately working to untangle the mess the storm had created.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Frustrated with my hair, she moved to my clothes, tugging and adjusting my shirt, lifting my breasts to create more cleavage.
I slapped her hands away. “What the hell are you doing?”
We’re helping.
“That’s it,” I snapped, turning to face Annie where she sat on the corner of the bed. “If we’re going to get along for however long we’re alive, then you need to knock that shit off. I’ve got enough voices in my head already. I don’t need another one.”
Annie flinched, brilliant green eyes downcast. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s still new to me.”
“Now,” I started, looking back and forth between the two women, “what is this all about?”
“Your friend,” Annie said, “he’s back.”
“Josh came back?” It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I could get my first real breath in hours.
“And, um, he brought someone with him.”
“Brought someone with him?” I echoed, more than a little confused.
Jade rolled her eyes. “What little miss delicate over there is trying to say is that he brought his damn girlfriend. And she looks like a fucking Barbie,” she grumbled.
“He brought her here?” The weight returned all at once, hammering me into the floor. I felt the anger rise within me.
“Yep,” Jade replied, resuming her fight with my hair.
I bit back my anger. “And what does that have to do with how I look? Seriously, who cares?”
“Really?” Jade took a step back, looking at me as if I was the dumbest creature she’d ever laid eyes on. “You’re wearing a pair of dirty je
ans, a see-through shirt, and it looks like you haven’t brushed your hair in weeks. Not to mention the seaweed smell. And is that blood under your fingernails? Should I go on?”
I shot her a glare but then looked down. Shit. She was right. My black bra was almost completely visible through my tank top and my jeans were splattered with dried mud. I tried to run a hand through my tangled hair and failed, crossing my arms over my chest with a grunt. It just kept getting better.
“Why does it matter, anyway? It’s the end of the goddamned world. Who cares what I look like while I’m trying to save it? Besides, Josh is just a friend, and I don’t even know his…girlfriend.” The word felt foreign on my tongue as I forced it out.
Jade stepped back into my personal space, her silver eyes boring into me. “It matters because no human bitch is ever going to look down on one of us. No matter how pathetic that one of us is. Now, go shower,” she commanded, pointing toward the bathroom. She must have seen the defiance on my face because she added, “Or I will drag you in there and wash you myself.”
I stormed into the en suite bathroom, sliding the pocket door shut behind me with a loud crack. I caught my reflection in the mirror and cringed. Okay, so I needed a shower. No one said the end of the world would be pretty.
With the dial turned to scalding, I peeled off my filthy clothes and stepped into the shower stall, letting the water burn away blood, salt, mud, and any lingering animosity. I took a deep breath, inhaling the steam, and reminded myself that Josh had come back to me and that was all that mattered. Plus, Jade was right. While I didn’t understand the hatred that Josh’s girlfriend held for me, I sure as shit wasn’t going to give her the benefit of seeing me like this.
After buffing, scrubbing, and scouring, I made my way back into the bedroom wrapped in an itchy hotel towel that seemed to be two sizes too small.
“Here, put these on,” Jade said, throwing me a pair of low-rise cargo pants and a black tank top. “The pants were in your bag, but the shirt is mine. It ain’t Emmy-worthy, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the shit you packed.”
