The Veiled Monarch

by Shae Bryant

  In a flash, Faulkner was gone. The entire office continued to stand still, trying to process the fact that Faulkner had just invaded their coveted space. They tracked people like him. They fought with the Iron Oath. Yet, the Iron Oath's own attack dog had walked right in and killed one of their own.

  Anika was quietly crying while she swept up the ashes of Sophie, "He killed Sophie..."

  "I'm sorry Anika." Vince offered her a comforting embrace, "I know you were both so close."

  Louis was already healing from the wound Faulkner caused. He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry Anika."

  She sniffed, "So am I. Let me take her ashes. I need to put her somewhere nice."

  "Shall we join you?" Vince asked.

  "No." She shook her head, "I'd like to say good-bye alone. Thank you."

  Anika swept the ashes into a small box and carried them away with her. The employees finally started to move again. Most of them reached for each other in need of comfort. Some sat at their desks in stunned silence. Others murmured quietly, shaking their heads as they spoke.

  "Poor Sophie." Vince whispered.

  Louis walked over to Vince, holding a phone in his hand, "Vince. This is a terrible time, but I think I have something."

  "What?"

  "Faulkner dropped his phone.", he handed the phone to Vince.

  "Did you take it?"

  "I did."

  Vince did manage a smile at Louis' clever idea of taking Faulkner's phone when he grabbed him. He poked at the screen, trying to unlock it.

  "I can't...how does...? The pass code won't work!"

  Louis tried to hide his amusement, "That's your pass code, Vince. Not his. It isn't the same on every phone."

  "Oh." Vince looked a little sheepish.

  The phone beeped with a notification and a text message broadcast on the screen. Louis leaned over to look at it, "Hello...look at this. 'St. Mary's tomorrow. Grand opening soon. Be there.' I think Faulkner has a date."

  "St. Mary's?" Vince looked at the phone, "Where is that?"

  Louis was already moving to an undisturbed laptop, "I don't know, but I'm about to find out."

  "What are you doing?" Vince watched over Louis' shoulder.

  "Google."

  "Ah yes." Vince nodded, "The Google. A fascinating thing."

  Louis laughed, "There's a grand opening of a shipping company in St. Mary's Georgia this week. They are promising jobs for a small community. Their local paper has written plenty about it. If I were a betting man, I'd say that's where Faulkner is supposed to be."

  Vince read over the news article Louis had pulled up. This was exactly the sort of thing the Iron Oath loved to do. They would masquerade their more seedy operations as a local business in small towns. It was the easiest way to hide. The small communities rallied around the businesses once they gave jobs to the town. Non Humans wanting to investigate the Iron Oath were shooed away by the employees, who wanted to keep their happy jobs.

  "Call Isaac, Kevin and Ronan. Give Anika some time to collect herself and ask her to come back. Then, call Raina and Catherine." Vince said.

  "Raina and Catherine?" Louis inquired, "Why?"

  "We are taking a trip to Georgia. I think we may need the actual authorities with us for this one."

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Turning

  I woke up to my phone ringing. Two in the morning. The offending piece of technology was tossed under my pillow and I slammed my head on it, squeezing my eyes shut. I had two whole days off of work. I wanted to sleep. Go away.

  *Bleeep. Bleeep. Bleeep* The phone rang again. And again. Someone had better be dead or bleeding out.

  I must have sounded annoyed when I answered, because Louis apologized for calling so early. By the time his story had finished, I was out of bed and getting dressed. I stuffed a few essentials into a satchel and apologized to Brutus for waking him, but we had to go. Now.

  Less than an hour later, I was at The Veiled Monarch along with Isaac, Brian, Kevin, Ronan, and Catherine. Louis offered to give us more information, but none of us cared. This was a chance to track down Faulkner and possibly the Iron Oath. We were on our way to Georgia.

  Isaac and Brian headed off on their bikes. Catherine and I drove a van that belonged to Vince. He and Anika would be able to avoid the sun once it came up thanks to the custom seats and windows in the back. Ronan and Kevin were right behind us with their three dogs, and Brutus.

  We all arrived during the day. The consensus was to pull over at a rest area and sleep in the vans or the cars. With two Vampires in tow, we couldn't do much until the sun went down. And if Faulkner was operating here, then we'd have to wait for night anyway.

  A few hours later, we arrived at an old motel with a sign that read "Rested Inn". Half of the neon lights were burned out and the office looked like it had taken water damage recently. It smelled old and musty, like a basement that had been closed for too long. The carpet was filthy and the few chairs in the lobby were threadbare and had long ago lost their filling. This was our only option in the area. We had to deal with it.

  All of us stood outside of a block of rooms. Judging from the parking lot, we were the only guests staying at the hotel. I couldn't imagine anyone would want to stay here.

  "Very well." Vince sighed, "Four rooms with...normal keys. Well, we are slumming it this time, aren't we?"

  Anika closed her eyes, raising her hands towards Vince in a disarming manner, "We'll deal with it for a night or two."

  "Let's just search." Isaac said, "We only have a day before the full moon. Then Brian and I have to get the hell away from all of you."

  I grinned, "I already found the Sanctuary near here."

  "Good looking out." Isaac smiled at me.

  Anika unzipped a small suitcase she brought with her, handing all of us printed maps. "Louis did us the favor of printing maps of the area. That includes points of interest for us."

  Isaac looked at the map with some confusion, "What are we looking for? I thought we were here for Faulkner."

  "My wife. I hope." Brian snorted.

  "Catherine and I will check and find out who's been hired." I offered, "We'll need to question folks before we just barge in somewhere. Getting a list of names is a good start."

  Kevin looked at his husband, "Why not split up and get the addresses from the two of you? Might make things easier?"

  "A good plan." Vince agreed, "You and Ronan can go together. Isaac will be with Brian and I will go with Anika."

  We all settled in our rooms before everyone went their separate ways. The room was just as bad as the lobby. The bed sheets looked clean, but I was certain there were bedbugs crawling around in the mattresses. Catherine and I both opted to put blankets on the floor rather than use the beds.

  We tugged on a small nightstand and brought it in between both beds, creating a makeshift desk for both of us. I was grateful I brought my hot spot. I couldn't imagine getting decent internet in a place like this.

  While Catherine and I both collected names and addresses of hires, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. It took a minute for me to understand why I felt that way. It was because of how quiet things were here. There was no traffic zooming past, no intermittent sirens and no people. The only noise was the sound of the wind and crickets in the distance. It was a very unsettling thing for someone so used to a large metro area.

  "This place scares me." I said, "It's so quiet."

  Catherine laughed, "It reminds me of Gifford. Small and a lot of woods. It's fine, trust me. If we get a chance, I'll take you on a walk through the woods. You might even like it."

  "I'd be scared of every twig." I grinned at her, "Maybe later."

  The information we needed was acquired in a matter of minutes. Names and addresses were sent off to the other six people. Doors closed and locked, bikes started up, cars drove away. Kevin and Ronan were the last to leave. Brutus was complaining to them that I wasn't coming along. Poor guy. I knew he'd be fine once they got going. He couldn't
resist a car ride.

  After we sent them all off, my body relaxed and I felt the pangs of hunger that warned me I hadn't eaten all day. There was a small fast food place right next to the hotel. It may not be a great choice, but it was food.

  "Hey, I'm walking next door to get something to eat. What do you want?"

  Catherine looked up from her laptop, "A burger and fries, I guess. That's probably all they have."

  "Fries for me." I rolled my eyes. I doubted a place like this would have a Druid friendly menu.

  A few minutes after I walked out, Catherine was busy looking for more information. She looked over the monitor, thinking she heard the door open. There was nothing there and the door was still closed. She shrugged and went back to work.

  Catherine's head was painfully jerked to one side. Someone was leaning over her, pinning her arms against the chair. A quiet voice spoke to her in a heavy Irish dialect, "I told you that you won't have a choice."

  She tried to reach for her gun, but she couldn't move. Faulkner's arm encircled her upper body, holding her still. She struggled and jerked around, trying to find a way to fight him off. A horrible pain shot through her body when Faulkner's fangs dug into her neck.

  Catherine struggled against him. His fangs ripped through her skin, cutting the artery in her neck. Blood poured over her shoulders and onto her chest while she started to choke. He wasn't feeding from her. He was draining her.

  Catherine tried to call for help, but the words would not form. She choked and gulped on the precious little air that was being let into her fluid filled lungs. Soon, everything started to look fuzzy and Catherine felt her body collapse onto the floor. Faulkner stood up, wiping a smear of blood across his face. He grinned at Catherine's limp form and rushed out of the room.

  I struggled with the door of the room. The darn lock must have been as old as the hotel. Finally, I put the bag of fast food in my mouth and wrenched the stupid thing open. I prepared to tell Catherine that she was in luck. Burgers and fries had been delivered.

  The idea of fries and some crappy salad wasn't the most appetizing thing, but I did catch sight of a lovely trail just behind the hotel. It looked so inviting in the moonlight, like some sort of entrance to an enchanted forest. I was excited to tell Catherine about it. Maybe I wouldn't mind a little walk in the woods after all.

  "Hey, I found a trail that..." I dropped the bag when I saw Catherine lying on the floor, covered in her own blood, "Catherine!? Catherine!?"

  I dropped down on my knees, reaching for her neck to check for a pulse. The blood was all coming from two perfect slices on the side of her neck. One thing could do that to a person. A Vampire.

  "Vince! Anika!" I screamed, trying to clear Catherine's airways to start resuscitation.

  The door opened with a gust of wind. Anika stood over me. "Raina?"

  Anika didn't say another word when she looked down at the floor. She rushed to the bathroom, trying to find anything clean that might help stop Catherine from bleeding out completely. I was getting frantic. There was no pulse to speak of, and Catherine wasn't breathing any longer.

  Vince appeared inside the room, "Why did you shout for us? Oh, no..."

  "Help!" I screamed, pressing on Catherine's chest to try to start her heart beating.

  "She isn't breathing." Anika said.

  "Call 911, damn it!" I shouted at both of them.

  Anika rubbed my back, "I won't work, Raina. They'll be too late. We can hear her heart."

  "It's still beating?!"

  She nodded. "Yes."

  I started to cry when Anika confirmed Catherine was still alive. We had a chance. Four paws clicked on the concrete, getting closer to the room. Brutus ran past Vince and nudged me with his nose.

  "Go get them! Please hurry!"

  Brutus didn't need to ask me why. He ran off towards Kevin and Ronan, howling and carrying on to grab the attention of their dogs. I was sure Isaac and Brian would hear the dogs. Hopefully,it will bring them back as well.

  "Vince...?" Anika looked at him with concern.

  "I'll do it." He said quietly.

  "No!" I shouted, "No! You can't! She..."

  Anika put an arm around me, "She's almost gone for good, Raina. We only have two choices."

  I stood up, trying to wipe the blood off of my hands with the towel. "I don't think I can watch this."

  Vince knelt down next to Catherine, "You shouldn't. Let me take care of her."

  "No. Let me." Anika put her hand on his, "She will feel better waking to someone younger."

  "Come, Raina. We'll leave them alone." He guided me out the door by the small of my back, shutting it behind us.

  I slid down against the wall and pulled my knees to my chest. The parking lot was empty save Vince's van. The others hadn't come back yet. Where was my dog? Where were my friends?

  Vince seemed to understand what I was thinking. He sat down next to me and patted my shoulder, offering me an encouraging smile. "They'll be here soon. Brutus is fast."

  Just minutes later, two bikes roared into the parking lot. Isaac and Brian ran up to us. Before they reached me, they could both smell the blood coming from the room. When Isaac saw my hands and arms covered in Catherine's blood, he skidded to a stop.

  "What happened!?" He demanded.

  "I don't know." I said quietly.

  Vince stood up, "Anika is with her."

  "No!" Isaac yelled, "You can't do this, man! Don't you...! Don't either of you touch her!"

  "What choice do we have?" Vince countered.

  Isaac paced the sidewalk in front of Vince, "Shut up, Vince. You might not care about her life but..."

  "I do indeed care about her life!" Vince hit the wall with his fist, "I'm being realistic, Isaac. I heard her heart!"

  Brian grabbed Isaac by the shoulders, trying to keep him calm. Kevin and Ronan pulled up and hit the brakes a few feet from the rooms. Brutus bounded out of an opened window, followed by the other dogs. Both Kevin and Ronan looked at me with troubled faces.

  "Is she...?" Kevin asked.

  I forced myself to stand up, "She's with Anika."

  Ronan grabbed my hand, "I'm sorry, Raina."

  "You can't do this!" Isaac yelled.

  Isaac ran towards Vince with his fist balled up tight. Brian tried to grab him, but it was too late. Isaac's fist connected with Vince's face, creating a sickening crunch of bone and flesh. His nose had been split in two. If Vince were Human, he would have probably died from it.

  Instead, Vince rolled his eyes in exasperation, side stepping Isaac's next punch. "I will not fight you over this, Isaac."

  "I'll put a stake through you for this!" Isaac growled.

  Vince sighed, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiping the blood off of his face. He must have found a donor recently, because his nose had already completely healed. Isaac tried to go after Vince a second time, but Ronan and Brian both had grabbed him. They pulled him away from Vince and forced him to sit in the back of the car.

  "Isaac stop!" Brian yelled, "We got two choices right now. She dies or survives!"

  Isaac snarled, "That is surviving? Really? Turning her! She doesn't know what she's getting into!"

  "No one does." Ronan tried to speak as calm and as collected as he could. "None of us did either. We had to learn."

  "Why, Vince?" I demanded an answer.

  "I don't understand your question."

  "Why did you mention it? Why did you think of it?" I glanced towards the door.

  "I thought about Leo." He answered me, "About my Human son. Had someone done this to him, what would I do? As much as I try to protect him from this side of things, I'd bring him into this, if it meant survival. Catherine is so young. There's so much left for her to do. She deserves that chance."

  Kevin was busy trying to help Isaac stay calm. He looked at Vince and then to me, "Catherine told us what Faulkner said to her. Do you remember? He said she won't have a choice."

  I raised my eyebrows, "Wai
t. Do you think he did this? Did he plan this!?"

  "I wouldn't put that past him." Vince frowned. He turned to the closed door, listening to what was happening inside, "Everything is going well."

  Inside the room, Anika sat on the bed, keeping a close eye on the woman laying down next to her. Moments later, Catherine's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up with a jolt. She started to cough, splattering blood all over the sheets.

  "Anika!?" Catherine screamed, "What is...? What happened!?"

  Anika smiled at her, rubbing her shoulders and trying to be as soothing as possible, "Don't worry. There is a little left in your system. You need to be rid of it.".

  Catherine stopped coughing and clamped her hands over her ears. This horrible pounding noise would not go away. It was like a quiet thunder in the distance that never stopped.

  "What is that noise!?"

  "Beating hearts." Anika answered.

  "How?" Catherine stood up, looking around the room. Her eyes fell on the blood staining the carpet, "Wait. Faulkner. He was here. I remember now. I was on the floor right there and...is that my blood?"

  Anika nodded, "Yes. You don't have to remember it anymore."

  She started to pace the room, grabbing her head in her hands. The noise would not stop filling her entire body. It was such a strange feeling. As if electricity was running through her. Everything in her wanted to move and jump and scream. At the same time, all she wanted to do was follow the source of this noise. Something was pulling her towards it.

  "I... I tried to fight him. I couldn't breathe. I wanted to fight. He wouldn't stop! He left me there. I kept screaming for help in my head, but no one could hear me. Raina was crying. You and Vince were talking. I..." Catherine turned to Anika, "Did you...?"

  Anika nodded, "Your heart had stopped. You were going to die."

  "He did this!" Catherine cried, "He knew! He knew what he was doing!"

  Anika put her arms around Catherine, patting her on the back "Shh! Shhh! Don't worry about a thing anymore."