Aketa's Djinn (The Caine Mercer Series Book 1)

by Cale Madison

  * * * * * *

  Eventually, we reached a clearing past three rivers and a creek. A dilapidated lighthouse stood in all of its glory, overlooking the countryside and vast miles of forest beyond, as if it were awaiting our arrival for centuries. We left our mounts, leashed by some sturdy oaks and proceeded on foot to the giant structure. Massive chunks of the tower had been collapsing for decades, spilling out onto the grass in dissembled heaps and leaving portions visible of crumbling inner rooms. A wooden door, covered in vines, stood in between us and what lay behind; led by Skalige, we approached the building, cautiously yet seemingly optimistic.

  “Two of you rush the door, then we enter.” the Baron commanded.

  The larger knights kicked open the heavy door, allowing us to advance into the lighthouse. Once inside, I felt waves of terror surge through my brain again - bodies hanging by meat hooks dangled from above and dried blood strewn across the walls. Nine or ten victims; between men, women and children, revealed themselves to us, pale and dismembered from weeks of their blood draining.

  “By the Gods…” Skalige whispered to himself, horrified alongside his men.

  Winslet and two others both retreated to the fresh air outside to vomit, leaving us momentarily while we basked in the terrors within the lighthouse. The stench was overpowering, filling my nostrils with the sour, reeking odor of spoiled meat and rotten flesh. Croix frantically searched the suspended bodies for his estranged fiance, checking every detail of their faces and bodies but to no avail.

  “She’s not here.” he said.

  “I will gut this evil monster,” another knight exclaimed, “I’ll hang him by his testicles and drain him of their blood! None deserve this horror!”

  “We must remain vigilant,” the Baron barked, “if it’s still here, we have to stay sharp. Croix, take Tameron and Darian to the upper levels. We will search the lower.”

  We disembarked in separate directions, us descending the spiraling staircase into further darkness while the three knights climbed towards the breaking light above. Cracks in the cobblestone walls allowed streaks of light to find their way into the blackness, giving us just enough visibility to not bump into each other as we walked. The wooden steps creaked and moaned, as if crying out from the tortured soul of the structure itself.

  “What’s your plan when we find it?” I asked him.

  Skalige withdrew a silver cross and a wooden stake from his waistband, never turning his head to look back at me as he whispered, “We do what we must.”

  Each knight held their own crosses and I then realized that I was vastly unprepared for this fight. I would use the same strategy as the Bloody Eye battle - wait for my moment to strike while the more composed warriors took the lead. The staircase led us to the base of the lighthouse, where we appeared to have reached a dead-end. One ray of sunlight shone through the wall, casting a glow upon the wall opposite. I felt as if we were missing a key ingredient to journey further.

  “What now?” the knight, Kalon asked us.

  Skalige scratched his scraggly beard, searching the walls for clues. Perhaps, some secret passageway would reveal itself with the right synchronization of stones moved. I looked alongside him, following his lead. Omeria and the other knights waited on the steps, discussing ways to continue.

  “Are they looking for a secret passage?” Kalon asked the knight beside him.

  “Maybe it’s human and not a vampire!” another suggested.

  “Perhaps it leaves for another lair before sunrise.”

  After nearly an hour of contemplating and searching, Skalige and I collapsed against the lighthouse wall, out of breath and depressed. We had looked under every rock, felt every stone and found nothing. Croix, Darian and Tameron rejoined us with the same amount of luck in their findings on the upper levels. The twelve Elites sat on the staircase steps, pondering our next move.

  “Wait,” I said, “if a vampire needed complete solitude and total darkness, this wouldn’t be his lair. Where would he hide?”

  “What are you getting at?” Skalige asked.

  “I’m saying - this is not his lair. This is where he leaves the bodies to scare away intruders.”

  I noticed the singular streak of warm light jetting out from a crack in the stone wall behind us; I proceeded to follow this ray from the small aperture in the wall to where it led to the other side. I then discovered another slight indention, merely the size of an apple. I wedged Croix’s hunting knife into the nook and returned to the light’s entry point.

  “I need a sock, or something to fill this crack with.”

  “You heard the man,” Skalige commanded, “toss him your socks or any other parchments of clothing.”

  Tameron ripped the sleeve from his tunic then placed it into my hand. I wadded the red cloth and stuffed it into the opening, concealing us in darkness for a moment before a deep rumbling began. It felt as if the entire building had begun to quake and tremble upon the cover of complete blackness. The ground beneath us suddenly opened up and dropped us into further depths below the lighthouse.

  * * * * * *

  All I could taste was dust and blood. I opened my eyes and saw that we had fallen nearly two stories below and landed inside of some underground chamber, lit by several torches hung along the walls. The knights rose to their feet, groaning as they found their balance again.

  “What the hell was that?” Winslet asked.

  “I think that Caine is a better vampire-hunter than we thought.” Skalige answered, laughing as he stood. He brushed the dirt off of his armor before patting my back in admiration. I must admit - finding the vampire’s lair was much easier than I anticipated it would be. This creature had not planned for cunning visitors.

  After we regrouped and checked for casualties, we advanced through the narrow hallway towards further uncertainty. The hall eventually led us into a vast room with dozens of dining tables and fixtures suspended from the ceiling. A hearth cast a warm glow upon the many details of the chamber - colorful tapestry draped beneath the torches and, at the far end of the table, a pale woman sat motionless, positioned upright in her chair. Croix instantly left us and hurried to her side.

  “Anna, Anna!” he cried as he felt for a pulse in her neck. He withdrew his fingers to find two small puncture wounds on her throat. The vampire had been feasting off of her for the time she had disappeared.

  “She’s breathing,” he announced, heartily, “she’s still breathing!”

  We stood in shock, watching as he wept tears of sadness and relief and scrambled to lift her from where she sat. Suddenly, a cold chill swept through the room and turned the torch flames into a flickering shade of blue - a figure emerged from a cloud of blackness, hovering above us. It rested on the ground, standing impressively tall with two massive, pale wings tucked behind its shoulder blades and eyes as black as the darkest corners of the dungeon. It appeared as a man with haunting features of a monster as old as time.

  “You don’t intend on taking my guest from me, do you?” he asked us, “that would not bode well for any of you.”

  I had never seen a vampire in person before; meeting one now immobilized me with fear. Croix shielded Anna from the creature to the best of his ability before being thrown across the chamber like a limp rag doll. We could not overpower this monster, only watch as it turned back towards us, asking, “You found my home - now, what will you do?”

  Skalige, appearing to be the bravest of us all, stepped past us and answered, “You’ve taken my people!”

  “Is that...the great Baron? You’ve strayed too far from the castle walls this time, I’m afraid. Complications in this matter of ours, now - you know where I live and I cannot allow you to leave. Your kind always return with pitchforks and fire.”

  “It was not my intent to leave now.” Skalige replied, bravely.

  “Always chivalrous,” said the vampire, “but foolish, nonetheless.”

  “What is your name?” I asked him. The Elites turned to me, confused, u
nknowing of my intentions. Buying us enough time without conflict could help us decide the proper course of action with less casualties.

  “My name?” the vampire replied.

  “What did they call you?”

  He seemed puzzled at the sudden inquisition, yet answered me fully, “Formally, Ramal. I was once a steward to a high priest, before he cursed me for eternity. Now, they call me nothing but beast and foul monster but -”

  “That’s all you’ll ever be, you ugly prick!” Skalige interrupted.

  “You built all of this, yourself?” I cut in, trying to keep the tension light. I remembered fables once read to me as a child that these creatures loved to boast of their achievements and crowning implementations.

  “You found my dining hall, impressive as that may be but have you considered the vastness of what lies beneath the world above? Years ago, the olden kings of this land ordered construction of underground tunnels to help gain leverage on their foes in battle. I simply put good use to nearly a hundred abandoned tunnels.”

  “What for?”

  “For sport,” said Ramal, laughing, “I’ve felt nothing for over a millennia and now, the pleasure of a hunt is all that can sate my appetite. That tunnel,” he then motioned towards a corridor exiting the room, “leads to a network of tunnels with only one that leads to the surface.”

  I exchanged glances with Skalige before replying, “You mean to hunt us?”

  “Cunning man you are, Caine.”

  “How’d you know my name?”

  “I know everything. I know you...and your deliciously sweet Aketa.” said Ramal. Panic came over me instantly. I understood that he was not to leave this chamber, now that he knew of my wife and our home. My direct motive switched suddenly as he hovered closer to me and the Elite. The flames from the hearth lit his face in a terrifying fashion, offering just enough visibility to watch his black eyes dart between us. He could see everything at once.

  “I know that you’re here on a mission and you have lied, fought and crawled your way through every obstacle until now. You won’t be so lucky this time,” the vampire warned, pointing towards the tunnel, “but I will be as gracious as to bestow upon you, two minute head-start.”

  I glared back into his eyes before Skalige replied, “We’ll not play your game, you twisted son of a bitch. We’re taking Anna and I’ll make sure you never leave this dungeon alive.”

  “Wrong choice of words, Baron. I’m already dead.”

  In a matter of seconds, the vampire vanished into a thick cloud of smoke. It billowed into the ceiling before reforming around us - knights shrieked as they were pulled into the opaque darkness and ripped apart, limb by limb. Only severed remains were left when the smoke cleared. The stench of blood filled the room, tempering the vampire’s appetite as it continued to pull apart my allies. Winslet cried out, swinging his blade in every direction in a blind attempt to find his attacker, unfortunately to be met with the same, horrific fate. Ramal lifted him into the air, biting down and tearing a gash out of his throat before dropping his limp body to the floor.

  Croix raised his cross to shield Anna from the monster, only to have it knocked away. I noticed that Ramal’s ability to travel through smoke began to falter as he neared his shield, which was outlined in silver - this I mentioned to Skalige, who understood our next move perfectly. Quickly, I snatched a silver cross that one of the knights dropped in their unfortunate struggle and fastened it to my waistband.

  “Run now!” he shouted to us, “Make your way into the tunnels!”

  Croix carried his fiance over his shoulder as we embarked through the corridor, leaving the vampire’s smoke behind. Anyone left in that dungeon was already dead - all that remained were myself, the Baron, Croix with Anna and Tameron. The menacing laughter of the vampire echoed through the endless tunnels as he realized we were agreeing to play his twisted game.

  The tunnels opened into a lattice of passageways and burrows, leading into seemingly immeasurable amounts of empty networks. We chose the wrong path multiple times, finding dead-ends or discovering we had been running in circles. Fortunately, torches hung along the walls to provide an adequate light.

  “It’s a goddamn maze.” Croix said, still holding his unconscious fiance. I could hear Ramal fluttering through the tunnels around us - searching and predating.

  “I hate to say it, sir,” Tameron said to Skalige, “but I don’t think we’re all going to make it out of here. Who knows if there’s even a way out? The whoreson might’ve just built this as a way to catch, not lose!”

  The Baron was about to reply before smoke entered our tunnel, prompting us to run with all of our remaining strength. I led them through a narrow corridor, losing my followers for a few moments before they appeared shortly after. Ramal would take form briefly as his smoke glided through the air behind us, laughing hysterically while he flew.

  “This maniac has to have an escape route. He has to.” Tameron said through short breaths as we ran.

  “It’s not a hunt if there’s no chance your prey can get away.” I replied.

  We rounded another corner before we saw it - a beautiful light shining from the end of the tunnel. We were almost to the surface, it seemed; daylight was just out of our reach. Smoke then rose out of the floor, coming between us and our glorious escape as the vampire appeared.

  “So close, yet so far.” he said as he reformed.

  Without thinking, I raised the silver cross in a desperate attempt to fend off the monster; it stopped in its tracks as my remaining allies did the same. Ramal stood his ground, his black eyes shifting into a glossy coat of white as he raised his hand towards us. A wave of pressure came over my forehead, filling my skull with pounding sensations as if a tiny man had begun drumming against my brain. I gritted my teeth and fell to my knees, opening my eyes to see that the others were suffering as well.

  “I’m not afraid of you…” I choked out through the intense pain.

  “I’m well aware, Caine,” said Ramal, “but what are you afraid of?”

  The vampire pressed his clammy, dead finger against my forehead and instantly sent my brain into a perplexing state of confusion. I could see Aketa, kneeling beside a grave as she placed a Scarlet Aven atop a mound of freshly-dug dirt. I noticed how her cheeks shone from fresh tears before I read my last name on the tombstone.

  “AKETA!” I shouted, knowing that I couldn’t reach her, only call her name from afar. The more I struggled to pursue her, the farther I drifted away. Aketa wept, mourning her loss as the Djinn appeared behind her. He placed one hand on her shoulder and whispered, “I’m sorry, my child. He was simply...just not fast enough.”

  The ground beneath Aketa began to shudder and quake as white, bony hands grabbed her legs and arms, pulling her down into the roiling dirt. She shrieked and called my name but to no avail - the last of her I could see became swallowed by the grass beneath my gravestone and dragged into oblivion.

  I had never felt so alone until that moment.

  “She trusted you,” Ramal whispered into my ear, his voice echoing from everywhere, “she trusted you and you let her die. You knew what would come of her if you failed and you never told her...now she will spend eternity in his hell.”

  “I couldn’t let her die,” I said to him, my voice beginning to break, “I had to do something.”

  I knelt onto the cold grass, staring down at each blade beneath my hands as Ramal appeared. He spoke as he slowly circled me, “Her soul would have rested in peace but, because of you, her fate is now far worse. This haunts you. This is what wakes you up in the middle of the night. You’re afraid of failing her.”

  I accepted defeat, the crushing weight of his words finding my deepest insecurity, my darkest nightmare.

  “You leave death and destruction in your wake,” Ramal said, “Rubia von Quinn. Ulrik. Now you will fail Skalige. You lied to him for your own gain.”

  Each word sliced through my heart. I argued, “I saved Rubia.”

 
; “From a world of her creation, without death? That is no saving grace, Caine. She was content and now you’ve brought her back into a grim reality - betrayed and bargained off by her own husband. Without money or support, the von Quinn Estate will be sold by the bank inevitably. Then, she’s back on the streets that he found her, ready to be swept up by the next Bortak to come along. You’ve changed nothing.”

  I shuddered with this thought, my eyes never meeting his.

  “You’re afraid now,” he said over my shoulder, “afraid of yourself.”

  I could feel a surge of power as it washed over the guilt in my heart, empowering my soul in a spectacular way. I knew that love is built from sacrifices and in order to save Aketa, this had to be done.

  “I’m not afraid of you.” I said, proudly, looking into his eyes for the first time as I drove Tameron’s stake through his chest with the cross alongside it. The hallucination dissipated immediately as the vampire released his hold on our minds, screaming in agony as he collapsed onto the floor of the tunnel. In seconds, what remained of Ramal disappeared into a cloud of smoke and remnants of white ash. I looked over to see Skalige awakening from his nightmare, his face dripping with cold sweat.

  “It was horrible,” he said to me, “I saw Abbi and Luna. Relived the whole fucking thing again and again. Over and over.”

  I placed a hand on his shoulder as Tameron and Croix also awoke - both were drenched in sweat and shivering from their hellish nightmare.

  “I was a kid again,” said Tameron, “in the marketplace, behind Eva’s Brew. No matter how hard I tried, the other kids always beat me into the ground. It was my childhood all over again.”

  Croix glanced back at us as we awaited his story of what happened.

  “Anna was,” he paused, blankly staring into the dark, “Anna pulled my garments down and there was nothing. The bastard took my cock. It was awful.”