A Moonlit Night - The Complete Saga

by Adrianna White

  “You might not be the best tracker,” Horace said as he slowly picked himself off the ground, “But you’re the best hunter I’ve ever met… the way you tore through that beast without so much as a single blow.”

  “Summoning the strength to stop the grizzly bear was nothing,” Emily replied with somber reflection, “The hard part’s making sure I don’t use so much power that I tear the animal to shreds. I did it to the first vampire I met… it wasn’t a pretty sight.”

  Once again Horace replied with nothing more than a reverberating grunt, signaling his overwhelming satisfaction in the young lady he protected. Or maybe it was her that protected him. After some consideration, he decided that, in fact, she had been the one protecting him all along.

  “What was it like?” Horace asked as he took a vial from his pouch and poured some salt into his hand, “…To take the life of a vampire?”

  “It happened two nights after I left my home in search of this mysterious hideaway,” Emily said, watching Horace trace a circle around the carcass with salt. It was a memory fresh in her mind, always a reminder that her powers weren’t meant for unskilled hands. “It was just after we’d separated from the rest of you. My powers had just matured and I was apprehensive about my abilities. Three vampires rushed us outside a small village in northern Italy… Xander was glorious… so strong and confident in the heat of battle.”

  “This wasn’t like the battles on my front porch against his ancient master,” Emily continued with eyes now gleaming, “He was swift and his vengeance indisputable. He tore through two of them in less than twenty seconds flat… avoiding every blow and countering with raw aggression… and then there was me. The third vampire managed to sneak by him, eyes set upon ending my life. I was so scared that I nearly blacked out… but then… then the powers came surging forth through my hands. Before I could even bring myself to look, I had set the vampire ablaze with a blinding white light.”

  Horace completed the circle of salt and whispered a few words to send the beast away in an inferno of fire. He wasn’t sending the bear’s remains from this world, but instead returning it to the castle so those that stayed behind could drain it of blood.

  “It still amazes me that you’re able to do that,” Emily said, “Use magic like that, I mean.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing but a simple incantation, taught to me by those that dabble in the arts,” Horace conceded, “I was an adept when I met Xander. Never any good at it, though, so I was glad to be rid of them, meant for a much different path. If even a dimwitted bloodhound like me could learn a few tricks… someone like you could set the world afire.”

  “Sounds mighty tempting,” Horace said with a chortle, “To wield that much power… I could never imagine what it must be like. I might be able to behead a human, and even I even took out a vampire hunter once, but the rest of the unearthly creatures are far out of my league. What I wouldn’t give to finally be able to stand up to them… to strike back at those that would oppress my people.”

  “Oh?” Emily asked with her head cocked sideways, “I thought you ghouls formed a deep connection with those that you serve.”

  “You could say that,” Horace replied, “Alexander Franson is a hell of a man, vampire or mouth breather. It’s not always the same for others of my kind. Usually, a vampire master is more likely to pour its blood on the ground and watch his servant lick it off the floor than he is to hold him up and treat him like an equal. They exploit our servitude, use blood as a drug that we cannot turn away from. Not Xander. No, I’d go to Hell and back for that man… I can assure you of that.”

  Emily nodded in concurrence to Horace’s words of unity. She also felt a strong connection with Xander, although she could never separate herself from the conflicting emotions that stirred within her. Was it for love that she stayed with him, or was it out of respect and the gratitude for the man that saved her life? Her mother had warned her, but she refused to listen. Every fiber of Emily’s being told her that she could trust him, as if wrapped in a cloak of his vicarious aura.

  A rustling of leaves strayed Emily’s attention from the conversation at hand, and she found herself staring off into the distance. It wasn’t until the sound of a snapping branch that she was alerted her to another’s presence. That’s when she realized what her powers were trying to tell her— someone was out there watching them.

  “Show yourself!” Emily shouted with her fists clenched, “I’ll only warn you this once!”

  “I didn’t mean to offend,” a familiar voice said from the shadows, “It’s taken me days to reach you… and I only wanted to watch the mighty summoner do her… summoning.”

  “It’s been far too long, Samuel,” gushed Emily as she ran towards her friend, “I’ve missed you so much!”

  She had written him every week, but not once had she ever believed to see him again. Even when Steven showed up at their doorstep, hell-bent and looking for a fight, she never believed Samuel, too, would leave the confines of the Hunter’s Guild. Things were getting serious, very fast, and she was overcome with feelings of trepidation against the coming storms that threatened to encompass them all.

  “Come,” Emily said with a guiding hand, “No doubt you you’ve been traveling for days nonstop… come let’s go see my brother and get you some rest.”

  Chapter Two

  “Oh, just give me one minute alone with him,” Ava pouted from outside the door to the medical bay, “I won’t lay a finger on him… I promise.”

  “Bullshit,” Ester retorted from the other side, “If I let you walk through these doors, that young man is dead.”

  “And what of it?” Ava asked with authority and a pound on the door, “Can you honestly tell me that his life holds any value to you?”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Esther replied after some deliberation, “But Master Franson has made it quite clear that the man holds value to him… and that’s more than enough reason to deny you entry. I’m sorry, sister, but there’s no way you’ll be getting through.”

  “Bitch!” Ava screamed, “I swear to Lucifer himself, if any harm comes to my sister because of that little shit, I’ll discontinue your godforsaken existence!”

  Ava continued to pound away at the door until two figures approached from behind. She ceased her actions and turned to face the summoner and vampire hunter standing watch from the end of the hall.

  “I-I was trying to make sure that your brother received the proper protection,” Ava faltered unconvincingly.

  “Yes, I can see that,” Emily replied as she walked towards the medical bay, “How very thoughtful of you, Ava.”

  Emily politely knocked on the door and let Esther know that she had arrived with company and required a moment with her cataleptic brother. The door promptly opened, much to the dismay of Ava, and they walked through the door.

  “Oh, and Ava…,” Emily said as she entered through the doorway, “Test my patience one more time… and I promise that it’ll be your last. We might not like each other; hell we might not even respect each other, but if you threaten anyone that I love again, I’ll see to it personally that you’re not around to try it again.”

  Emily could see the rage build within Ava as she closed the door behind her and sealed the Celt off from which she desired most. It was satisfying for Emily, to finally take a stand against those that would wish her harm. She had been running for far too long, and although the victory was trivial, she couldn’t have felt better about finally standing up for herself.

  “Thank you, Esther,” said Emily, “I know it’s been hard for you to tend to my brother… especially after he tried to take Xander’s life.”

  “It’s true that it hasn’t been easy,” Esther admitted, “Just about half of our clan has tried to get through those doors at some point, but I promised Xander that I would see Steven to safety, and it’s a commitment I plan to see to the end.”

  “Such kindness is a breath of fresh air,” Samuel said, “You’re a credit to your species, Esth
er.”

  “I’ve had a great teacher,” Esther replied, “I fear without his guidance… I wouldn’t be nearly as cordial to outsiders. Ava may have been his firstborn, but she’s spent far too many years on her own to truly appreciate the man that made her.”

  The three of them wandered over to Steven’s bed, where he lay hooked up to several machines that watched over him in his fragile condition. There were IV tubes hooked up into him, and Emily cried at the sight, just like she had done every other time she’d visit him here. He was frail and hardly resembled the superhuman that attacked them only a few days prior.

  “Steven…,” whispered Samuel as he sat down on a chair beside the bed, “I’ve failed you—.”

  “Don’t blame yourself for what happened here,” Emily said. She grabbed hold of his hand for comfort and squeezed tightly to let him know that he wasn’t alone. They all had failed him. “He’ll be up and out of this bed in no time… cracking jokes and making you wish he was still in this bed. Steven’s a fighter… you just watch… he’ll show us all that we were fools for having believed the worst.”

  “Of course, you’re right,” Samuel answered with a forced smile, “I only hope that he hasn’t given up. His fight must now be faced from within. If there’s anyone that can save him… it’s himself.”

  At that moment, Xander entered through the door and approached the four of them. His eyes immediately went to Emily and Samuel, and lingered for a moment on their interwoven hands. “I see that you’ve wasted no time, Samuel… arriving to our camp, I mean. It would seem that my secret lair isn’t quite as secret as I wished it to be.”

  “It’s not Emily’s fault, if that’s what you’re implying,” Samuel replied with his hand still clasped with Emily’s hand, “I needed a direct line of communication in hopes that we’d one day be reunited before the final mission was undertaken.”

  “Yes, that makes sense,” Xander said, “But at what cost? I only hope that your letters back and forth haven’t been intercepted.”

  “I can assure you they haven’t been,” Samuel responded defiantly.

  “And before this week, I’m sure you would’ve said the same about Emily’s brother,” Xander interjected, “I’m sorry, Samuel, but your word just isn’t good enough for me.”

  Emily could see the building tension and took matters into her own hands. She rose from her chair and walked between the two men, both itching for a fight. “Stop this, both of you! My brother is lying comatose in this very room… and the two of you are more concerned with arguing back and forth than you are with Steven’s own wellbeing. If it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead right now… and then where would you be in your precious war? …Upon the sharp end of a pike, no doubt.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Xander conceded.

  “My apologies, Emily,” Samuel added, “We should’ve been more respectful.”

  They all stood in reflection of Steven for a moment, thinking back to their most meaningful moments with him. For Xander, he hadn’t known Steven very long, other than the night his master, Simeon, waged war upon their cottage home. Even then, he could sense a strength in the young man that couldn’t be taught, no matter how wise the teacher. It came from a resolve to see her sister out of harm’s way, the only person that he truly matter cared about anymore.

  Samuel’s relationship was much more involved than Xander’s, having trained him for months up in the Scottish highlands. Even from the start, he could see something special in Steven. For everything that Samuel did see in the fresh faced student, he never could’ve seen this coming.

  And then there was Emily, the closest person in the world to Steven. They were all that was left of the Johansson family, alone since their grandmother passed away when they were still teenagers. She would do just about anything for her brother, but this wasn’t a fight she could see to closure. From here on out, this was a war only her brother to wage.

  “Horace tells me that you bring word of the Hunter’s Guild,” Xander said coyly, “I was awaiting an arrival of one of your men… should’ve known it would’ve been you. So tell me, vampire hunter, of what fruit does our shaky alliance bear? Can we count on your men for the coming battle?”

  “I fear that you cannot,” Samuel replied with a solemn demeanor, “There has been a shroud of darkness cast over the members of my guild… and I don’t completely know how far down the corruption goes. My elders have abandoned us in fear of what the summoner has in store for all the paranormal races. I wouldn’t trust another—.”

  “You’re a son of a bitch!” Xander shouted as he leapt forward, his hands directed towards the vampire hunter’s throat, “You planned this all along, didn’t you? We don’t stand a chance without some goddamn backup!”

  “Stop it!” Emily screamed while she watched Xander push Samuel up against the wall, “Don’t be a fool, Xander! We’re both on the same side!”

  “You should listen to her, vamp,” Samuel added with a smile, “I’m prepared to die for my convictions… are you?”

  In Xander’s rage, the undead vampire had completely forgotten whom he was dealing with; a vampire hunter of the highest regard. Samuel directed his attention downwards, where a small dagger had found its place, off-center of Xander’s chest, where his dormant heart lay the most vulnerable.

  “You might be able to collapse my throat like a twig,” Samuel conceded, “But not before I take you to Hell with me. So tell me, vampire… how do you like your chances?”

  Xander reluctantly released Samuel from his grasp and stormed back towards the door. There was much that weighed down his spirits, and this most recent development was just another in a long line of disappointments. “Killing you here and now serves no purpose… I’ll let Lady Amata’s hordes do it when they arrive. I just hope that I’m still alive to see the life drain from your eyes.”

  “Xander!” shouted Emily, “What the hell’s gotten into you?”

  “Nothing, my dear,” Xander replied with a heavy heart, “The wheels of fate conspire against us… and I fear that nothing will stop them from seeing us all to our demise. Samuel has delivered his message… the final death is upon us all.”

  “You can’t blame Samuel for what’s happened,” Emily protested, “It’s not his fault—.”

  It was too late. Xander had already exited the medical bay and retreated to his chambers where he would await the inevitable. To him, the battle had already been lost.

  For Emily, giving up wouldn’t be an option. The coming battle not only threatened her existence, but that of the entire world. With nothing left to stop them, they would be a plague upon the world like no one had ever seen. Countries would crumble and alliances would shatter. The world would be plunged into death and decay with no end in sight. Xander may have given up on his humanity, but that was a choice that didn’t exist for the summoner, last of her kind and the only hope the world had for salvation.

  “I don’t understand, Samuel,” said Emily as she turned from her brother’s side and towards the hunter, “Why would the Hunter’s Guild align themselves with the monsters they’ve fought so vigilantly over the centuries?”

  Samuel still clutched at his throat, in visible pain from the pressure Xander had applied. He might not have been as strong as the ageless vampire, but quick wits allowed him to continue breathing, at least for the foreseeable future.

  “Change isn’t always welcomed with open arms,” Samuel croaked, “I can only imagine that with an end to the paranormal races… my elders believe they’ll lose themselves in the process.”

  “B-but you’re human!” Emily stuttered in disbelief, “I can’t believe that they would turn away from their own kind like this.”

  “Evil lives in everyone,” Samuel choked, “It doesn’t take the embrace of a vampire to turn someone from the light. No, we do that to ourselves… the vampires just know how to take advantage of our weaknesses.”

  “We’re humans that exist to combat the forces in this world that aren’
t human,” Samuel continued as his throat finally cleared up, “With nothing left to fight, I worry that my people will cease to find their place in this world… and I would seem that my elders agree.”

  “Isn’t this what the Hunter’s Guild has been fighting for?” Emily asked, “…A world free from persecution from the paranormal… a world where there’s no need to fight anymore?”

  “I believed so,” Samuel responded, “Now, I fear that I might’ve been the only one.”

  Emily turned from Samuel and once again took up station beside her brother. The world was changing so rapidly that she feared it, too, would smother her to the point of no return. “Then I fear for all of us—.”

  All of a sudden, Steven’s eyes opened after days of near catatonia. However, what used to be beautiful hazel eyes were now replaced with a blackness that seemed to draw Emily inwards, as if sucked into a black hole from which there was no escape. Several symbols burned into his forehead, as black as the very soul that tried to escape from his eyes.