Night Shadows

by Billiejo Priestley

  “Marcel, her eyes!” Aileen’s head turns to where Dan is standing, his face full of terror.

  “Not possible, she has to kill.” Marcel looks at Aileen as her eyes dart around the room in bewilderment. “She’s crying, she can’t be one of us yet, we don’t feel shit like that.” Aileen sits quietly. Everything is loud, everything seems different. She trembles as she looks around.

  “Then how do you explain the fact that her eyes skipped straight past Ceprimora to Monventla?!” Dan moves to walk towards the door.

  “Shut it, Dan. You!” Marcel points outside the room. “Grab the other guest and find out where the hell Camille is!” Aileen sits quietly, her mind processing everything. She feels different, everything feels different; she sees a woman being pushed into the room, her face full of fear as Marcel shoves her towards Aileen.

  “You need to drink; all that pain will go away if you give in, Aileen, all the feelings, everything.”

  Aileen looks towards Marcel, her head shaking.

  “No!” Standing up she looks around herself, her lips turning up as she steps towards Marcel.

  “Marcel, what the hell?” Dan looks at him as he backs out the room.

  “It isn’t possible!” Marcel’s words are loud as his head shakes. “It isn’t possible.” His words are quiet now and he shakes his head realising somehow it must be; somehow turning her made her one of them without her killing. Aileen watches as they back out of the room, a laugh escaping her mouth.

  “The spell was to keep whole witches in, am I even a witch right now?” Aileen stands looking at them as they stay outside the room, clearly hoping the spell keeps her in there and away from them. Her eyes roam around as she smiles; she can feel it, all of it. She looks at Dan.

  “Come here!” He looks at her confused, her eyes staying focused on him as he feels his body moving forward.

  “Dan, what the hell?” Marcel looks at him as he moves.

  “I can’t stop it; she still has her powers, Marcel!” Dan screams as Aileen laughs, watching Marcel’s face become pale. Her hand grasps Dan’s neck as she smirks at him.

  “Lux tenebris involvunt proponit eamque ad nativam nisi me. Lux tenebris involvunt proponit eamque ad nativam nisi me.” Aileen repeats the same words over and over, watching as Dan’s face becomes withdrawn, his yelps slowly becoming quiet and broken. As he slumps forward, his body lifeless, Aileen looks towards the door and sees that Marcel has gone. Walking towards it she steps outside, the place empty now as she begins walking out of the building and into her new life.

  Cayson sits alone, looking around himself miserably. Everyone is avoiding him and he honestly can’t blame them. His head shakes as he feels tears filling his eyes. He can’t do it, and he won’t. The werewolves would hate him. Not only that, but he’d rather die than do it again. He can’t live through losing someone else; it was hard enough the first time, but again?

  The sound of his phone ringing draws his attention and he picks it up without looking at the screen, holding the phone to his ear.

  “What?” He doesn’t want to hear it; no doubt it’ll just be another werewolf telling him that he has no choice.

  “Cayson!” His eyes snap open when he hears Camille’s voice on the other end, a slight bit of hope building within him. Maybe she’s going to help now? “Just letting you know, Aileen is dead. They killed her.”

  Cayson shakes his head. “She’s dead? No, they wouldn’t just kill her.” They need her turned, why would they kill her? It makes no sense. His head falls slightly. She can’t be dead, she just can’t.

  “They didn’t just kill her, it’s been a week of torture, Cayson, but she gave in today and died. Just letting you know.” Cayson hangs up, throwing his phone across the room. He should be happy, if only because it means that he doesn’t have to do it himself, but how can he be? His head shakes as he tugs a hand through his hair. It’s what they want. They want him. He looks around again, trying to convince himself it’s a good thing, but all he succeeds in doing is wasting a few hours in silence.

  “We need help, there are a few coming this way,” says Gwenael, the door opening in a burst. “They seem to be chasing down Camille. We can’t fight them alone, Cayson, please.” Gwenael looks at him, his eyes pleading; Cayson just laughs humourlessly.

  “Now you want my help? Now that Aileen is dead, you want me to help you? I didn’t see you offering to help save her life,” he spits. “So why should I help you?” His head shakes. To hell with it, he might as well. Maybe this is the end he needs, after over a hundred years this might actually be it. He drags himself to his feet and walks out as soon as he’s on his feet, not bothering to wait for Gwenael to answer.

  “There are at least five of them, Camille is dead regardless, Cayson, but if we can stop them moving closer to the town it will be better,” Gwenael calls after him as he crosses the concrete, nearing the forest. Cayson nods without turning back as he runs into the trees and shifts, stopping when he gets closer to the field, his eyes glancing to Gwenael. He can hear it, the wolves stand still; Camille is dead. And that isn’t all.

  Why are they running? Gwenael’s thought flutters through the werewolves’ minds. They can all hear it, the sound of the vampires running and leaving their lair.

  We can’t let them through the town, they will kill everyone. Cayson looks at the rest of the pack. If he can save one person, just one, it’s Azalea. She’ll get hurt if they don’t stop the vampires and he really can’t have her hurt, not after everything else. The pack moves forward cautiously, most of the vampires not even bothering to try the town and instead just running away. Cayson glances around confused, they still don’t know what – or who – they’re running from.

  The werewolves quickly find themselves face-to-face with the few vampires that haven’t bypassed the town. There are maybe five or six, nothing the pack can’t handle on their own, and so Cayson decides it’s time. He shifts back and sits on the grass, closing his eyes almost peacefully while he waits for them to attack, but… nothing happens. He opens an eye to look around and just like he thought, there’s nothing happening. This was meant to be his end; why are they not fighting? His head drops as he realises maybe death isn’t coming to save him today after all.

  “Cayson.”

  He jumps when he first hears the voice, and then his blood runs cold. It’s Aileen’s voice. Glancing up fearfully his head shakes. “No, no!” Cayson shouts as he realises she isn’t dead, scurrying to back away from her. He won’t do it; he can hear what they’re saying, all of them, but he won’t do it. “Cayson, it’s me, please.” Aileen’s words are quiet as he shakes his head; he’d rather kill himself than have to hurt her, he will kill himself. Moving he grabs the knife out of his pocket, his eyes looking at the sharpened steel and how it glints in the evening sun as he avoids looking at Aileen. “Cayson, I won’t hurt you, please don’t hurt me.” Aileen stands looking at him waiting, his head shaking.

  “It’s for me, not you. Even if it breaks the rules, I don’t care; at least that way I won’t know what happens next.” He raises his hand, squeezing his eyes shut tight, and just as he’s about to swing down he feels the knife snatched out of his hand, his eyes snapping open and looking up as it’s thrown across the field. Aileen looks at him desperately; how can she make him realise she isn’t like them?

  “Cayson, I’m me, look, I’m me!”

  Kill her, Cayson, you have to. Gwenael’s voice breaks through into his mind.

  “You’re not you! Your eyes and everything, you’re one of them! What is the plan? You, Dan and his friend trick me and then wipe out the werewolves?” He refuses to look at her. A loud howling makes Cayson snap around, seeing Gwenael’s body on the floor and a vampire standing over him. He stands, still pointedly avoiding Aileen’s gaze as he walks towards Marcel. If he can’t kill himself then he’ll die this way; he just has to not shift. Marcel spots the opportunity and runs towards him, Aileen moving quickly in front of Cayson to shield him. Th
e vampire backs up when he sees Aileen, Gwenael finally stirring, his eyes flickering open and looking towards Marcel, confused.

  “You’re running from your own!” Cayson shouts at Marcel incredulously as he backs away from Aileen himself, his hands up.

  “She isn’t one of us; she isn’t anything like any of us! You all need to run as well.” Marcel stumbles back. “Usually a witch is turned and they lose most of their powers. She’s different, she’s crazy.” He jerks his thumb towards Aileen who laughs.

  “You should know; you and Dan changed me.” She steps forward and Marcel moves back again, mirroring her movements. “Dan is gone; he took my life so why shouldn’t I have taken his? It was my right! Why shouldn’t I take yours, too?” She steps forward again, Gwenael and Cayson looking between each other confused, trying to work out what happened.

  “You were Dan’s idea! After I turned him, he wanted you, that wasn’t me! I didn’t want you, Aileen, he wanted you.” Marcel continues to retreat as Aileen laughs again.

  “Which he died for, almost effortlessly. You see, I can feel the magic so much more now, and when I use it, it’s like… it’s like it’s free.” She steps forward again. “This may hurt just bit, that’s what you said to me, right?” Marcel turns to run, Aileen’s hand flying up and stopping him, his body turning as he screams. Gwenael and Cayson stare at the scene, shocked.

  “Lux tenebris involvunt proponit eamque ad nativam nisi me. Lux tenebris involvunt proponit eamque ad nativam nisi me.”

  Cayson moves to grab her: “Aileen no, it will kill you!” Her other hand moves, holding Cayson back with magic as she keeps going with the spell for Marcel, whose screams become tangled and broken as his body slowly becomes lifeless and crumples to the floor. The field is silent, a stark contrast to the audible pain of just a few seconds ago. Cayson looks at Aileen, his eyes wide, half with shock and half terror. How is she still alive?

  Cayson, the rules. She is more powerful than before, it needs to be done. Gwenael and Cayson looks towards Azriel as his thought seeps into their minds. Cayson’s head shakes minutely, trying not to make it obvious to Aileen.

  “I can hear you.” Aileen turns and looks towards Azriel. Everyone’s eyes snap towards her.

  How can she hear? Only the wolves should be able to hear! Cayson, do it now, or the pack will. Cayson looks between everyone, his head shaking.

  “No.” He moves, putting himself between Aileen and the wolves. “If she’s different, how do we know she’s like them? If you want her dead, you need to kill me first.” Gwenael stares at him, shocked.

  Dead you are then. Azriel’s thought comes almost immediately as the wolves run towards them. Aileen darts in front of Cayson, her hand moving as words flow from her mouth, her eyes staying closed as keeps repeating it, the low whines from the wolves suddenly becoming silent as they find themselves forced to shift out of their wolf form.

  “ENOUGH!” Aileen yells. The wolves – or humans, now – look around at each other in disbelief.

  “Cayson!” Azriel’s shout is loud to Cayson’s ears as he stays standing behind Aileen, just as shocked as the others. He’s never seen anything like it. Never before has he seen anyone ever break through the wolf barrier and hear their thoughts. Never before has he seen any witch with the ability to force them to shift, at least not on this scale.

  “Then I guess we die trying to take her down in this form,” says Azriel, stepping forward. Cayson shakes his head. He doesn’t want to fight with them.

  “Please!” Cayson looks at Gwenael, hoping he listens.

  “Azriel is right, if you don’t kill her we have to. If we don’t then we’re dishonouring everything; others will die because we didn’t stop her. If it means killing you as well Cayson, then I’m sorry but so be it.” Gwenael steps forward, Aileen moving almost simultaneously, her hands going up creating a barrier around them. Azriel stares at her agape.

  “I said, enough. This is a battle you can’t win, and you can’t get close enough to even try.” She looks around at the werewolves.

  “Cayson, she is one of them. Forget her as Aileen, she is one of them. She killed someone; she fed until someone died, Cayson!” Gwenael looks at him, hoping to make him realise how she came to what she is.

  “I killed, yes, Dan and Marcel. But I have not touched anyone for blood and I do not have the urge to!” Aileen glares at Gwenael, his laugh loud as he looks around at everyone.

  “Sure, you just magically became a Monventla! Stop with the tricks. Whatever your plan is just do it: kill us all, kill Cayson, turn on the witches, whatever.” Gwenael stands waiting; eventually she’ll need to remove the border she’s imposed around her and Cayson.

  “I’ll prove it.” Aileen steps towards Gwenael. “Don’t try and get Cayson, he’s still protected.” Aileen turns and gives Azriel a warning glance. She steps forward holding out her hand, Gwenael shaking his head.

  “No,” he says, quietly.

  “Your choice,” she shrugs. “You can spend years trying to get to us, or you can see for yourself. I woke up like this, Gwenael, and I’m not Monventla, I don’t know what I am but I am not one of them!” She can still feel; her emotions are still there. She still loves Cayson, and she isn’t ready to kill for blood, either. It’s not possible that she could be a Monventla and still feel all of that.

  “I’m not a witch; I can’t see.” Gwenael looks at her, the furrow of his brow not relaxing.

  “I can show you. It took far more energy to force the memories into someone rather than someone taking them, which is why I didn’t do it. Gwenael, look around. If I was Monventla; if this was Yasmine again, this field would be full of dead bodies by now.” She needs to prove to them that they have it wrong. Gwenael steps forward, the wolves staring shocked as he holds out his hand for Aileen to grasp it. Slowly the memories flow through her into him, going backwards in chronological order. She smiles fondly when she sees herself and Cayson cuddled in bed after the wedding, even though she hadn’t meant to go that far back. The images change constantly and she watches everything, the moments with Dan when she believed he was human under the compulsion, Camille, everything. Gwenael steps back, surprised.

  He could see it, not just see but feel all of her emotions, which is impossible.

  “Look, I don’t know, Cayson, I need to speak to other packs. You may be the leader but your thoughts are tainted, I need to talk to people.” Gwenael turns and walks away, the other wolves trailing off behind him as Cayson stands staring at Aileen. She turns to look at him, the silence lasting too long as neither of them know what to say.

  “You came back.” His head shakes as he looks at her. “You should have run from here to save yourself, Aileen.”

  “I’m still me, Cayson, I still love you. I’m still having your baby!”

  Cayson laughs. “That isn’t my baby. The longer you’re like that the more it changes the- the thing. You can’t love me, Aileen! Monventla can’t love!”

  “Cayson, please,” she begs, tears in her eyes.

  “Aileen, I can’t kill you and I can’t stand and watch others kill you. Us though, I… I don’t know; you’re not you! My heart hurts in the worst possible ways, in ways it never has. You’re so like you, yet so different. I can’t do this, I- I just can’t.” Turning he walks away, Aileen’s tears spilling from her eyes as she cries harder. She looks around herself in desperation, trying to will away the panic rising within her.

  “Cayson, please, I have no one, and no place to go. You loved me; that can’t have just disappeared!” She looks at him as he stops walking and turns back to face her.

  “You may have come back but now we have to go our separate ways. Even if the werewolves agree to leave you alive, you’re not Aileen! I’d be crazy if I let myself still love you.” Cayson’s head shakes. “A wolf and witch turned heads and it almost caused a war. Imagine a wolf and a vampire; the three worlds would be turned upside down. I’m sorry, but you died, Aileen, and my love for you died when y
ou did.” He grits his teeth, his jaw tight, but he can’t hide the tears filling his eyes. He blinks them away and starts moving again, determined not to look back.

  Aileen stands in the field looking around herself; unsure of where to go. The witches will run, they will want her dead and not understand. She sits among the grass and watches as the light from the moon disappears behind a huddle of dark clouds, casting shadows from the trees that have grown so familiar to her since she first came here in search of Dan. She closes her eyes, not moving, unsure of what to do next or where to go and feeling more lost than she has ever before.

  Cayson sits, his head shaking as he tries working out what could have happened. Hours pass by as he watches the clock, his head shaking. She needs somewhere to go; she can’t stay outside during the day. Getting up he walks back to where he left her; when he gets to the field he sees her sitting alone.

  “Stay at the house; I’ll figure out somewhere else to stay. After all, it is your place.”

  Aileen turns and looks at Cayson, her head shaking. “I’m fine. Azalea deserves to be able to stay there still; she won’t be able to if I’m there.”

  “Azalea is already staying with the witches. I told her she’s safer away from me.” Cayson’s words are flat, emotionless.

  “You said no matter what happened you wouldn’t do that! Cayson, she has no one! She’s just a child!”

  “She’s safer with the witches than me, Aileen, every witch who gets close to me ends up dead. I did it to save her. You need to get inside.” The sun is already rising, bathing the field in a lazy golden glow.