by N. R. Walker
“Yes.”
“There are some who can control what you smell,” Eiji said. “A whiff of perfume or the smell of food cooking.”
“That’s a vampire?” Alec shivered.
Jodis gave a nod. “It is to lure prey. A human might go looking for the source.”
“There are also replicators, or doppelgängers, as humans would say,” Cronin said quietly. “Though they are usually executed soon after they’re changed.”
Alec was stunned. He stared at Cronin with wide eyes. “Executed?”
“During the changing process, a vampire who will become a replicator changes many times repeatedly, taking forms of most of the people they’d met during their human life,” Eiji said. “The vampire who changed them will usually end it before the transformation is complete.”
“Why?”
“They can replicate any form, human or vampire. They can assume identities, pretending to be anyone they come into contact with,” Jodis said. “It’s far too dangerous a talent. They could become Cronin and you would not know.”
Alec swallowed hard. “What if… what if I become a replicator? What happens when I become a vampire, if that’s my talent? Do you have to kill me?”
Cronin’s arms tightened protectively around him and shook his head. “No. I would hide you and we would teach you how to control it.” Cronin spoke with such quiet determination, with such reverence, Alec could not doubt him. “I wouldn’t let anyone touch you.”
After a moment of silence, Alec asked, “Are there any others? Other talents?”
“The Greek believed the god Morpheus influenced dreams,” Jodis said. “But there are some who can influence the sleeping mind.”
“The Japanese also claimed a demon named Baku would steal dreams,” Eiji added. “But we know it was no demon. The purpose of this talent is not really known. Maybe there is no purpose.”
“To influence,” Alec said, pulling away from Cronin so he could look at everyone. “My father said both he and my mom had the same dream the night before I was born.”
Cronin’s brow furrowed. “Yes, he did.” He looked to Jodis and Eiji. “To influence the name he was to be given. Ailig was a chosen name.”
“Chosen by who?” Alec asked. “Why was my name important?”
“Ailig means defender of humankind, yes?” Jodis asked. “So someone knew, even before your birth, that you were the key?”
With his usual smile gone, the look of worry on Eiji’s face seemed so out of place. “Your father said generations before him knew your bloodline was special.” He held out his hand. “Alec, if I may?”
“If you may what?”
“Can I read you again,” Eiji clarified. “Come sit on the sofa, this might take a while.”
Alec begrudgingly left the warmth of Cronin’s embrace and sat down beside Eiji. He gave him a smile. “If you just wanted to hold my hand, you only have to ask.” Cronin growled from across the room. Alec held out his other hand, inviting Cronin to take it. “You can have this one.”
Cronin snarled but he took the offer, sitting on the other side of Alec.
“You really don’t like anyone else touching him, do you?” Jodis asked. She looked amused, but there was a hint of something in her eyes that Alec couldn’t quite place. Confusion? Disbelief?
Cronin frowned. “No.”
Eiji didn’t seem too fazed. He just smiled at Alec and asked, “Remember when you adamantly told him he didn’t own you?”
Alec rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”
Eiji laughed then settled in to do his DNA reading thing. From just a touch, Eiji caught a glimpse of heredity, both past and future. Alec really had no clue how it worked, only that Eiji could see lifespans at a touch. Only this time, he was holding his hand much longer, as though he was trying to see something he hadn’t seen before. Then Eiji frowned. “Cronin, let go of his hand.”
Cronin did as he was asked, and Alec couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”
Eiji didn’t answer. He closed his eyes, concentrating on whatever it was he saw in his mind. “That’s better,” Eiji said, then after another few seconds he let go of Alec’s hand. He looked at Cronin. “Could you see any of that?”
Cronin shook his head. “No. What’s going on, Eiji?”
“I thought I’d look at his family history, to see if his ancestors, who knew about this special bloodline, were prominent. To be honest, I’ve only concentrated on his future. We wanted to know if he’d be vampire, if he’d live a long life. I never paid too much attention to his past.”
“Eiji,” Cronin growled out. “Explain, please.”
“When you were holding his hand, I saw both of you,” Eiji said. “It was very strange.”
“Both? How is that possible?” Jodis asked.
Eiji shrugged. “I don’t know. Can you hold his hand, please?” he asked her. “I’ll see if it works the same.”
When Jodis took Alec’s hand, Cronin seemed too concerned about what was going on to be worried that someone else was touching Alec. He never took his eyes off Eiji. “What do you see?”
“Both,” he answered. Eiji looked at Alec and shook his head. “Like you’re some kind of conductor.”
“What…?” Alec was dumbfounded. He looked to Cronin. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Cronin said. He looked a little bewildered.
Jodis said, “Alec, touch Cronin’s leg.” Then, still holding Alec’s other hand, she closed her eyes.
“Jodis,” Cronin hissed out a warning.
Jodis looked to Alec. “Did you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
Cronin’s eyes went wide. “You didn’t feel that?”
Alec shot up off the sofa. “Feel what? What the fuck is going on?”
Cronin was quickly in front of Alec, standing between him and Jodis and Eiji. He put his hands to Alec’s chest and up to his neck. “Jodis sent a burst of ice through you to me. It should have affected you, you should have felt it at least.”
Alec shook his head and spoke in a whisper, “What does any of this mean? Cronin, what’s happening to me?”
Cronin slid his hand around Alec’s neck and pulled him against him. “I don’t know.”
“Uh, Cronin?” Eiji interrupted. “When I read his past, I didn’t see anything. His father and paternal grandfather, grandmother, yes. But when I looked for his ancestors past that, there weren’t any.”
Just then, before anyone could question what Eiji had just said, Jodis’ phone rang. She spoke into the cell, fast and low, and disconnected the call. “Eleanor is here. She’s on her way up.”
* * * *
Eleanor was the seer who had helped them with their battle against Keket in Egypt. She was an older woman, at least sixty in human years, an age not typical in vampires, but she was also blind. Well, her eyes were milky, clouded over, yet she saw with her mind. She saw things that could change and therefore may never happen, and sometimes she saw merely snippets, so her gift wasn’t exact. But it was helpful, nonetheless.
“It’s good to see you again,” Alec said.
She took his hands in hers. “And you, Ailig. Busy again, I see?”
Alec snorted. “Well, trouble seems to find me. What can I say? I bring out the best in people.”
Cronin didn’t even have to speak. She turned and faced him, and bowed her head slowly, respectfully. “Cronin, you are troubled.”
“I have concerns, yes,” he replied.
“You have been drinking gifted blood, I see,” she said. Her white eyes flickered as she searched for things only she could see. “Hmm, interesting.”
“What do you see?” Jodis asked.
“It has a transferring effect, yes?” she asked.
“We believe so,” Cronin answered. “We were hoping you could tell us more. What do you see of it?”
“I see it has ill-effects,” she replied. Cronin nodded, but she correcte
d him. “Not on you, Cronin, but on Alec.”
What? “No, I feel fine. Actually, I feel great.” Alec shook his head. “I’ve never felt this good.”
“What do you see?” Cronin demanded of her.
“I see Alec is not well. He is fallen and ill,” she said gently. “It will take a great deal to save him, but he will live.”
“What? Where? When?” Cronin barked. His Scottish accent was always more pronounced when emotions were high. As was his proper speech. “Speak of all you see!”
“This battle you fight,” she said. “I can’t see what it is, Cronin. The air is too thick.”
“What does that mean?” Eiji asked.
Eleanor shook her head. “Let me sit a while and concentrate,” she said. She walked directly over to the sofa like she could see just fine and sat. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was almost like a meditation. Her head swayed a little, and the four standing people in the room stared and waited.
“There are four divisions,” she said. “He’s waiting for the fifth.” She opened her eyes. “He’s waiting for Alec. He knows you will come.”
“Who is he?” Cronin demanded. “Enough riddles!”
“Genghis Khan,” she answered. “But you knew that. You all knew that already.”
“I’m the fifth division?” Alec asked. His head was beginning to swim. “Of what?”
“What he needs to win, Alec,” Eleanor explained. “You are the key to his success, as much as you are the key to yours.”
“Meaning?” Cronin roared. He was clearly out of patience.
“As he was with Keket. She needed you to bring back Osiris, but it was your blood that bought back Ra to kill her,” Eleanor said. “Khan needs you to win whatever war he’s waging, Alec. But it is also your blood—when used against him—that will see him undone.”
Alec walked mechanically over to the sofa across from Eleanor and dropped himself into it. He rubbed his temples. His voice sounded tired and resigned, even to his own ears. “The five divisions of what?”
“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I cannot see.”
“When?”
“Soon. This full moon.”
“Do I get sick before we go or when I’m there?” Alec asked quietly.
“When you are there,” she answered. “But the damage is already done.”
“What damage?” Eiji asked.
Eleanor swayed some more, searching her mind, before she shook her head. “I can’t see it. Something is clouding, hiding what is meant to be. His blood is too powerful, though. Is it possible a human cannot contain it?”
“But he cannot be changed,” Cronin said. He sat down next to Alec taking his hand, but he spoke to Eleanor. “You said after Egypt, his blood as the key was needed one more time, then he could be changed.”
“Yes,” Eleanor said. “That remains so.”
Jodis shook her head. “But if he can’t be human to survive, and he can’t be changed…?”
“It will be close,” Eleanor said. “But Alec will be a vampire. He will get his forever.”
Alec snorted. “It’s just gonna be a helluva ride, huh?”
Cronin was still staring at Eleanor. He frowned. “Why did you say that?” he asked. “We saw Jorge and he said something similar.”
“If you spoke to Jorge, I don’t see what I can tell you,” Eleanor said incredulously. "His gift is much stronger than mine.”
“Because he speaks in riddles, that’s why,” Alec told her. His tone was short and clipped, mirroring his patience. “We thought you might be able to shed some light on what the hell was going on. First we get news of a new enemy, which we figured out was Genghis Khan—with no help from Jorge, mind you—then Cronin starts to transfer gifts of other vampires because my blood is fucked up. And we need answers, not cryptic clues.” He took a deep breath. “So please, anything you can tell us. Anything at all.”
“The talent transfer is alarming,” Eleanor said. “Fascinating and powerful, but alarming. Alec, I can’t wait to see what powers you will yield when reborn as a vampire.”
“Can you not see that?” Alec asked.
Eleanor shook her head. “No. There is no knowing until it occurs. Though you will be powerful. How can you not be? A human key that will become vampire? I’d imagine very powerful indeed.”
Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis all looked at Alec and each of them smiled a little proudly. “I don’t want to be powerful,” Alec said, shaking his head. “I just want peace and fucking quiet and no psycho vampires vying for world domination to have to kill.”
Eiji laughed and Alec glared at him. He wasn’t in the mood. “I’m being serious, Eiji.”
The Japanese vampire laughed again. “I know, that’s what makes it so funny.”
Cronin squeezed Alec’s hand and steered the conversation back to Eleanor. “Jorge said forever was in the stones. What do you think he meant?”
“Tell me everything he said,” Eleanor said.
Cronin repeated verbatim, what Jorge had said.
From his blood comes the sun. Blood from a stone. Stone from a blood. So many questions. Blood from a stone.
Red hand, blue moon, silver river, the earth will come to life. Blood from a stone, stone from a blood. He is risen already, as she was risen, the answer is in the stones. Blood from a stone, stone from a blood.
Blue moon, silver river, blood from a stone. You will not find him with your eyes.
Yes, through the key. Through the key.
Red hands in the stones. Forever is in the stones. The key asks different questions, he does. Yes, he does. Red hands in the stones. Forever is in the stones.
“We think we understand some of it,” Alec said. “The blue moon, of course, and ‘blood comes from the sun’ comment is what happened in Egypt. The earth coming to life is the Terracotta Army, we think, and the part about them being risen, we have figured out. But blue moon, silver river, red hand, blood from a stone we have no clue. If he means stone as in terracotta, we just don’t know. There’s a saying that to get blood from a stone is impossible, so does he just mean we do the impossible? Is it that simple?”
“It could be,” Jodis answered. “But I don’t think it likely. Nothing Jorge says is simple.”
“Nor should it be disregarded,” Eiji added. “If he said it, it means something.”
Eleanor frowned and her head swayed back and forth as though she was searching through her mind for the answers. “Forever is in the stones,” she repeated, mumbling to herself. “I see you all underground. I see a large room, there are terracotta vampire soldiers and horses—”
Alec interrupted. “There are vampire horses?” He blinked slowly. “What the actual fuck?”
Eleanor shook her head. “They did not fare well with the change.”
Alec put his hands up. “Okay, stop.” The four vampires stared at him. “Horses? As in equine, My Little Pony, clippety-clop fucking horses?”
Cronin squeezed his hand. “Animals do not change, at least, not well. There have been some attempts at vampiring guard dogs, but the animal—” He made a face. “—does not complete well.” He looked at Eleanor. “These horses were turned to terracotta over two thousand years ago, yes?”
She nodded. “Perhaps those who did it didn’t know, or perhaps they hoped in vain. The Mongols revered their horses. They still do. They are a country forged on horseback. It’s not pleasant, but I am not surprised to see horses in tombs alongside their soldiers.”
Alec shivered from head to foot, and Cronin let go of his hand so he could put his arm around him. “Alec, are you well?”
He gave Cronin a weak smile and nodded, then looked back at Eleanor. “I interrupted before, sorry. Do you see anything about stones?”
Eleanor closed her eyes again and was quiet for a moment. She took a deep breath and her eyes flew open. “There is a stone. I see it. It’s a stone plate. There are inscriptions on it and a maze
patterned into it. It is well-guarded.” She shook her head quickly. “It is where Alec will fall.”
Cronin growled, a low rumbling sound, as though the mere mention of harm to Alec was a threat. “Then we won’t go. Let someone else kill him.”
“Don’t I have to?” Alec asked him. “Isn’t that the point of being the key?”
Cronin stared at him, his eyes a feral onyx. “I won’t risk you.”
“If he doesn’t fulfill his purpose,” Eleanor said. Her eyes were closed again, her head swaying. “He will die a human.”
“He needs to do this so he can be changed?” Jodis asked.
Eleanor sighed deeply. Her eyes opened. “It appears so. I cannot see why, only that it is.”
“Something must happen to him when he falls,” Eiji said. “Something must happen to his blood, to change whatever it is that makes it special.”
Alec slumped against Cronin. The thoughts of this were weighing him down. “I survive though, right?” he asked.
Cronin made a low whining sound that was almost like a cry. He tightened his hold on Alec and kissed the side of his head. “I hate that you must endure this.”
Alec sat up straight and pulled back a little so he could look into Cronin’s eyes. “I know you do. But Cronin, it doesn’t matter what I have to go through. As long as I get you forever, then it’ll all be worth it.”
“It seems every turn for answers only gives us more questions,” Cronin said quietly. “Jorge talked of questions. It seems even he could see everything we face is unanswered.”
Eiji sat down next to Eleanor. “Can you see how we kill the Terracotta Army?”
Eleanor gasped and shot up from the sofa. The look on her face was one of fear. “They’re coming. Now. Go! Get Alec somewhere safe!”
Before Alec could even blink, two Chinese warrior vampires appeared in the living room, their faces etched in anger, their fangs bared. They spoke in Chinese, wielded wooden spears, and lunged toward him.
CHAPTER NINE
Leapers. Chinese warrior vampires with the ability to leap from one place to the next, just like Cronin, whirled wooden spears above their heads. Dressed in red with black leather chest plates, they moved in unison, synchronized in violence as they swung their spears.
