“This is all so much to take in,” said Emily, flopping onto the couch. “I’m supposed to be leaving for college in a few days, and now you’re telling me that I’m being hunted; for no particular reason. That’s just great.”
“I’m sorry, Emily, I truly am,” said Xander, leaving the window and walking towards her. “I promise you that I’ll not leave until you’re safe.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” inquired Emily, as she sat up on the couch. “I appreciate the warning, but I barely know you.”
“I—I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt,” Xander stuttered.
It was the first time he hadn’t been sure of himself, Emily noted. Could he have been hiding something? Emily decided to put it out of her mind; she owed Xander her life, and he deserved more respect than being accused of unfounded accusations.
Grabbing Emily’s hand, Xander looked in her eyes and said, “Do you live in this big house, all alone?”
“No, I live here with my brother,” replied Emily, looking down to the floor. “My parents died when I was a young girl. My grandma raised the two of us, but she passed a few years back.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” said Xander, with a blank look on his face. It wasn’t entirely true, but she was too important to risk losing now. There were more important factors in play tonight, and he needed to make sure she would be ready for the coming darkness.
“That’s all right,” said Emily, slowly looking up and into his piercing eyes. “It happened when I was a young girl.”
“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” Xander asked.
“I don’t mind,” Emily continued. “My parents left one night in a hurry, leaving both me and my brother home alone. They were found the next night in their car, five miles away… they had been murdered.”
“Emily…I am so sorry,” said Xander, grabbing tightly hold of Emily.
Emily rarely cried, but as he held her, the tears just seemed to come easily. The tears streamed down her face, as the two of them embraced.
“To this day, I still can’t figure out what they were doing out there, in the middle of the forest,” said Emily, still clutching tightly on to him.
Xander must have thought he heard something, as the embrace ended abruptly and he quickly returned to the window.
Emily had almost forgotten what had attracted her to Xander in the first place. His dark hair and mysterious good looks had won her over the moment she first saw him, and thought of all the possibilities of what making love to a vampire would feel like.
Perhaps she had a way to thank him, after all.
“Xander?” asked Emily, biting her lip in anticipation.
Xander looked at her, but didn’t need to ask anything to know what she wanted. He walked towards her, and they once again embraced.
Their lips were inches apart when the sound of a window smashing drove the two of them away.
“What was that?” asked Emily, alarmed and frantically searching the room for any signs of attack. “What’s going on?”
Xander grabbed Emily by the shoulders, looked her in the eyes, and said, “Whatever you do, don’t move… I’ll be right back.”
Xander dashed out of the living room and to the front door. Emily couldn’t hear from the living room, but she could swear Xander was arguing with someone at the front door, and it didn’t sound like one of her friends.
Deciding that she best find out who had been harassing her, she began walking towards the door. She was afraid, but pushed past the pain and forced herself to hold her head up high as she walked towards her destiny.
“My dear old friend, Xander,” exclaimed Simeon, standing outside the house on the porch. “What an unexpected surprise. Don’t you remember what happened the last time you tried to interfere?”
“Who the hell is this?” questioned Emily, now standing behind Xander. “And how do you two know each other?”
“Know each other?” Simeon returned. “My dear, I made him the man he is today.”
Chapter Six
The year was 1478, and Alexander Franson was lying in a pool of his own blood. He was in East Stoke, England; which would one day be considered the last battle in the War of the Roses.
Xander had commanded the armies of King Henry VII into battle against the pretender, Lambert Simnel. Xander had given everything to his king, and paid for it with his life. Near death, and gasping for breath, Xander considered for a moment, where his actions had taken him.
He didn’t regret his choices; he only regretted leaving behind a wife and child. They had been his entire life, and now he was going to die, alone and afraid, without his family for comfort.
The battle had been over for a couple hours now, yet none of his men had returned for him. Not that they would be able to find him, he thought, in the sea of bloodied corpses. No, this is where he was going to die. At least he would finally have peace.
“I saw you out there,” said a voice from the shadows. “You were magnificent.”
“Who’s there?” asked Xander, desperately trying to find the energy to turn himself over. “Show yourself! Do not hide from me!”
Xander’s eyes traced the tree line, as he frantically searched for the person behind the voice.
“I’m not over there,” said the voice from afar. “I’m here—.”
“Ah!” screamed Xander, as the man appeared right beside him, inches away from his head, kneeling over like a hyena picking at his dinner. “W—what do you want?”
The man sniffed around the open wound on Xander’s head. He brought his lips to Xander’s ear, and said, “I want you.”
“You have fought well for your king,” continued the man, staying just out of Xander’s line of sight. “If you were to survive, you surely would be given land, and a title; but you are not going to survive, are you? No, the stench of death is all over you.”
“What are you, a soothsayer?” asked Xander, as he coughed up some blood. “Spare me the merchant’s pitch. Either leave me alone, or kill me right now.”
“What I offer…goes far behind life or death,” said the man stepping in front of the fallen Xander. “My name is Simeon Agathon and over 1000 years ago, I too, was a soldier just like you; a Roman legionnaire, to be exact.”
Simeon hovered over Xander as he licked his lips in anticipation. He looked at Xander, and yelled, “Now I am a god!”
Simeon threw his hands to the sky and he let out a monstrous scream. The ground below shook as Simeon howled to the very gods themselves.
“I want you to be a god, too,” said Simeon, lowering his head back down. “Is that something you would like?”
The answer seemed to be rhetorical, because as soon as the words left Simeon’s mouth, he dropped to his knees, and began biting at the neck of Xander. After all, Simeon thought, if given the choice, who would not want to be a god?
The monster’s teeth tore through the flesh of Xander, as he helplessly cried out for help; but no help would be coming for him. Not that any would have really made a difference.
And so, Alexander Franson died that night; the final casualty in the War of the Roses.
Chapter Seven
“Is this some kind of sick joke?” asked Emily, now brandishing a knife she had retrieved from the kitchen counter.
“I’m not with him, I promise you that,” Xander growled, refusing to take his eyes off Simeon.
“My goodness, you both are so rude,” smirked Simeon. “Isn’t anyone going to invite me inside—?”
“Do not invite him inside!” shouted Xander, his lip curling at the sight of his maker. “He can’t enter your home without an invitation.”
“And how did you come to get inside?” Simeon questioned. “Did you lie to her, or did you simply charm her?”
“What is he talking about?” Emily asked. “Somebody better tell me what is going on, right now.”
“Should you tell her, or should I?” Simeon inquired.
“A vampire can
charm any human, rendering them under their control,” Simeon said. “Of course he probably didn’t tell you any of this. Can you really be so sure that your thoughts are your own?”
“I’m warning you,” Xander barked. “She can’t be charmed, and you know it.”
“Why can’t I be charmed?” Emily asked, waving her knife around. “Somebody better start paying attention to me or I’ll start stabbing!”
“That, my dear, is a very interesting story,” Simeon said. “Did you tell her the truth, Xander, or your truth? Don’t forget, I’m the only one that knows your true intentions.”
“Back off, Simeon,” Xander cautioned. “I’ll not let you harm her.”
“Or what?” asked Simeon, baring his fangs. “Are you going to do something about it?”
Xander growled, and suddenly sprang forward. He lunged towards Simeon, and launched the two of them down the porch steps.
Emily ran out of the house after them. She wasn’t thinking of her own safety, she was only thinking about the mysterious man that had risked his life for her.
Xander and Simeon clawed at each, while they rolled around on the grass. Simeon may have been older and stronger, but Xander had nothing to gain, and everything in the world to lose.
“You should’ve listened to your boyfriend,” said a voice from behind Emily. “Leaving the house was a very bad idea.”
Emily spun around to see both Jacob and George, standing between her and the door. Startled, she tried to run, but was paralyzed with fear; their bright red eyes shaking her very existence.
“You should watch,” said George, pointing towards the fight going on in front of them.
The two ghouls grabbed Emily by the arms, and forced her to watch as the two vampires battled for control.
“No!” screamed Emily, flailing her arms around as the ghouls tried to restrain her. “Let me go!”
Chapter Eight
Simeon struck Xander in the face, and sent him crashing to the ground. The battle had been raging for a few minutes now, but it had already become clear who the stronger vampire was.
Simeon slowly walked over to Xander, seemingly enjoying himself thoroughly.
“You see what happens to those that challenge me?” asked Simeon, as he kneeled beside Xander. “You haven’t a chance in hell of stopping me, but of course you already knew this. Are your goals so lofty that it’s clouded your judgment?”
“So why then?” questioned Simeon, striking Xander in the face once more. “You’ve gone soft, Xander. You used to be my fiercest warrior, and now look at you; lying in a pool of your own blood; and for what? For the affection of a woman you hardly even know?”
“Y—you wouldn’t know love if it sunk its teeth into you,” choked Xander, as he spit some blood on the ground.
“You make me sick,” continued Simeon, lifting Xander off the ground. “You’ve turned your back on your own kind. We gave you your life back and this is how you repay us? I will have your head for this.”
“You gave me back my life?” Xander asked. “You stole my life from me! I hate you for what you did to me!”
Simeon lifted Xander up by the throat, tightening his grip as he tried to crush whatever life was left in Xander.
“No!” screamed Emily, trying to fight off her attackers from the top of the steps. It was no use; the ghouls were much stronger than normal men. Emily had no choice, but to watch on, in horror, as the only man brave enough to help her was paying for it with his life.
Simeon’s gaze turned towards Emily, the woman he had traveled so far to destroy. This momentary lapse in judgment gave Xander and opening, and he took advantage.
Xander clawed at Simeon’s tight grip, and with a swift boot to the sternum, sent Simeon flying backwards. Xander rose to his feet and quickly charged towards Simeon, who was still in midair.
Xander moved with lightening quick speed as he tore through the yard, towards his maker. He launched himself into the air, grabbed hold of Simeon and threw him to the ground with thunderous force.
He struck Simeon with many furious blows to the head. Tearing into the flesh of Simeon, Xander tried to make quick work of the much older vampire. Xander knew that he had a small window and needed to take advantage of it. Clutching at Simeon’s head, Xander tried to tear it from his body.
Simeon screamed in anger as he could begin to feel his skin peel away. He grabbed Xander’s hands and ripped them away from his head.
Xander looked on in shock, his window had already closed.
“You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?” asked Simeon, beginning to smile as his skin already started to heal. “Now it’s my turn.”
Simeon threw Xander off him and picked himself up of the ground.
“You’ve got me all dirty,” said Simeon, dusting himself off. “You know how much I hate to get my hands dirty. That’s what ghouls are for, are they not?”
Xander tried to defend himself, but Simeon easily avoided the blow and sent Xander tumbling to the floor with a blow of his own.
Coughing up blood, Xander was finally beginning to see the futility of his actions. He scrambled around the ground, trying to regain his composure. Vampires may have healed quicker than humans, but they still felt pain, and he was in plenty of it.
“Please get up, Xander,” pleaded Emily, still wrestling with her captors. “You’ve got to get up!”
“Pay close attention, dear,” said Simeon, looking back to Emily as he picked the bloodied Xander up. “I’m going to kill your pitiful savior, nice and slow.”
Chapter Nine
Emily screamed in horror as she watched the life drain from Xander. Blow after blow from Simeon sent the little remaining blood Xander had left splattering all over the ground. He continued to lash at Xander, stripping the flesh from his bones with each vicious attack.
That’s when it happened. The real Emily Johansson had awoken. The clouds turned black as they spread out across the night sky. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked, sending bolts of energy from the heavens down to the ground below. Lightning fractured the ground around the country home, lighting up the night as it struck several of the now-fleeing ghouls.
Rage began to overcome Emily and overwhelming pressure started to build up inside her from parts unknown. Feeling like she was being torn apart from the inside, Emily screamed in agony, flailing her arms around as the two ghouls desperately tried to contain her.
“Hold her still!” shouted Jacob, as he tried to hold Emily in place. His scabby hands clawed into her flesh as he tightened his grip. “You’re letting her go!”
“I’m not!” George yelled back. “You’re the one letting her go!”
In fact, neither of them was letting go of her. It was Emily herself that was getting stronger.
Emily’s eyes were engulfed in azure-white swirling energy, as the ghouls frantically tried to subdue her. She could feel herself become stronger, faster, and more self aware with each passing moment. With the flick of her arms, she sent the two ghouls hurdling down the porch steps.
Emily raised her arms, and with strength that she never even knew she had, began to call forth power of terrifying proportions. White streams of light started swirling all around her arms; and with the shrieks from a thousand roaring creatures, blazing white energy pulsed from each of her hands. The energy swirled around her fists as the creatures started to get louder and louder; their screams echoing throughout the country, the sound of a thousand monsters screeching in unison.
Two monstrous dragons took form, as they danced around in circles, heading straight for the two ghouls that had assaulted her. They were breathtaking and majestic as they hurdled forward with incredible speed.
The blast tore through Jacob and George and swallowed them up in a blinding white light. Their skin and bones started to melt away, being eaten alive by the mystical dragons’ wrath.
“I—it can’t be,” stuttered Simeon, unable to believe his own eyes. “The summoner has awoken.”
&nb
sp; Simeon dropped Xander in a hurry. The once mighty vampire had been humbled from the fury unleashed by a young woman. He quickly realized that victory would not be in his grasp tonight and took off into the night.
“Emily!” shouted Xander, lifting his battered body up, and rushing over towards her.
Emily stood motionless, staring blankly at the chaos she had caused. Unable to comprehend what had just happened, Emily’s mind overloaded, causing her to slowly lose consciousness once more.
A Moonlit Night - The Complete Saga Page 3
