Ring of Madness

by Royden Labrosse

  - You promised," he recalled once again.

  I sighed.

  - I'll just close the coffin with the lid and put a cross on top. And nothing more.

  - Then do it.

  He entered the coffin with a graceful boneless movement. Danielle went out from behind my back, took one of the lids and covered the coffin with it. I smiled and put a cross on top of it.

  - Wait, a vampire stopped me.

  - What?

  - Now I'm gonna tie the coffin with a rope, and then you're gonna put a cross under it.

  - Are you sure he's not going to get away with this?

  - The cross is pushing us, Curly. A vampire can shake it off the lid of the coffin, along with the lid, but if the cross is securely fastened, there is nothing he can do.

  - Oh, I see.

  - How do you know about that? How did you even think of that?

  - And I watched Dracula two thousand," I confessed a little embarrassed. - True, it was different, but it was very similar. It was very close. Weren't you watching?

  - No.

  - Make sure you take a look. It'll entertain you.

  - Oh, really?

  - Yeah, they say all vampires are from Judas Iscariot. Can you believe that?

  The vampire methodically tied the coffin with a rope. I put a cross behind his back so as not to disturb him.

  - And how did we come from him? Did he personally give birth to us? Or from his blood?

  - God's curse or something. After that, Judas became the first vampire. All other vampires are its consequences. What about the real thing?

  - Just like with AIDS," Danielle snorted. - He was gone, and now he is. And where he came from, he doesn't know him! That Dracula is 2,000 just nonsense! We are more ancient than any Christ! Three thousand years ago, no one knew that the Lord God created the world in seven days, and now a crowd of fanatics are ready to defend their point of view with weapons in their hands. You know what one of my friends used to say? At first, a man has a broad outlook. Then there's the horizon. The line. But when the horizon turns from line to point, the person says that's his point of view. You just don't have the mind for more! Although all these vampire movies make us great PR. And where we came from, nobody knows that. The first vampires went on forever without telling anyone their secrets. Our oldest manuscripts are about 50,000 years old. But vampires have been around for much longer. We existed back in the Stone Age. Although the Council may know what we are and where we come from. But there's no rush to make the information public.

  - That's very kind of you," I slipped a cross under the rope and tested it for strength. It won't fall out. - And now with the rest of them, too.

  There was a smile on Daniel's face.

  - So that's it! All three of them?

  - Oh, yeah. Get to work.

  - What about you?

  - And I have a class. I'm trying not to smear on the wall.

  Danielle just now noticed me. You bet! Before that, he couldn't even look at me. The cross was shining. It's funny, but the cross was only shining while I was holding it. As soon as he was on the lid of the coffin, the glow stopped, and I felt like a firm tin soldier. Melted.

  - You're hurt.

  - It's not lethal. But it does hurt a lot.

  - You don't understand me. It's not about the wound.

  - What's that?

  - If a vampire bit you, it could have infected you. And then he could have commanded you.

  - More details, please!

  Danielle dealt with the other two coffins, first closing them with a lid and then tying them up with a rope. I took out two more crosses from my pocket and slipped them under the ropes. None of the vampires woke up. Danielle sat down on one of the coffins.

  - When a vampire bites a human, he leaves his saliva in the wound. If he sucks blood, he sucks out the infection. That didn't happen in your case.

  - It was bleeding.

  - It won't help.

  - What can help me?

  - You can clean the wound with holy water. Or a sanctified object.

  - Like a cross?

  - The cross, the wafers, even a volume of the Bible or the Koran. Any sacred book that is genuinely believed. Or any sacred object. But it's very painful.

  - And when was it different? - I sighed. - You know, communicating with you is just a masochist's paradise. I got as much slap in two days as I've ever had in my whole life. Tell me, what subject can help me if I don't believe in anything but myself?

  - But the cross shines in your hands, doesn't it?

  - So what?

  - You may not believe in Christ and Christianity, but you believe in God.

  - I believe in myself.

  Danielle was wise not to get involved in theological arguments.

  - You use a cross and you can burn out the infection with a cross. All you have to do is put it on the wound.

  - By the way, Hassan didn't say anything about my infection.

  - I should have asked earlier. In fact, he could have just been scared. What would you do to him if you found out?

  What would I do with him?

  - If we survive, I'll come back and nail him to the coffin!

  - I didn't think you could get so angry.

  He didn't think so. I didn't think so myself. This holy trinity - Andre, Mecislav and Danielle - awakens the worst instincts in me. Tell me who's a week early, that I'll torture a man! Yes, I would have punched myself in the face without discussion! What did I do today? Communicating with a vampire in the morning, torturing a werewolf at lunchtime, killing werewolves with hypnotized rats in the evening, freeing vampires even closer. You're gonna slide over here! And if you remember what else I have planned for tonight...

  - You should've thought about it. Say, can you suck the poison out of your wound?

  Daniel's face became his fault.

  - Sorry, but I can't. I can only tell if it's in your blood or not.

  - Fascinating," I said without a shadow of enthusiasm. What is it - everyone offends norovit! - Okay, let's get this straight.

  I took off my jacket and sweater, and now I was feeling the wound. Vampire fangs pierced my skin under my collarbone and went inside. But my vein was intact. And on that one, thank you. I pulled another cross out of my pocket. What do I do? If a vampire has bitten a man, must he obey or not? And the surname? And what happens in my case? The cross is a consecrated object. Can they clean the wound? I don't know. But Danielle is not my assistant. Wait a minute. And if I obey a simple vampire, will I obey his tread? The answer came of its own accord. I squeaked my teeth, took a deep breath, and firmly put a cross to the wound.

  - AAH!!!!

  My yelling blew up the silence of the basement. The white fire of pain burst into my brain. I thought I had a big hot nail in my collarbone from all over the place. And into the brain, too. I bent down into three deaths, and I was turned inside out. I was only strong enough to turn around to the side. I wasn't yelling anymore, I was smearing quietly on the floor. But my hand automatically pressed a cross to the wound.

  - Jane! - the vampire's voice sounded like a real alarm.

  I couldn't talk back. Tears were pouring down my face in a continuous stream. But the pain had subsided. The same one, sharp and strong. The one that wasn't human. All that was left was pain like a burn. And I let myself take the cross off my chest.

  - Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit!!!

  I looked helplessly at my breasts. I've always hated symbols. Whatever it was. And Christianity, too, and now I had to wear one of them forever. Under my collarbone, just where I used to have two lacerations from Hassan's bite, the ink was a neat cruciform burn. No blisters, but the skin feels charred. But there wasn't even a bite mark left. Well, if it's not called burning the infection, I just don't know what the hell else you want! Danielle looked at me with guilty eyes.

  - Are you in a lot of pain?

  - Idiot question!!! - I screamed with all my heart and immediately coughed up.


  - Sorry, I didn't mean to. Could you put the cross away, please?

  - You could have.

  I hid a cross in my jeans pocket.

  - Danielle, help me get dressed.

  - If you say so.

  The vampire gently pulled a sweater and jacket over me, trying not to touch the burn. The touch of rough matter on the injured skin was so painful that I moaned.

  - I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.

  - That shit's gonna hurt anyway," I answered. - Tell me, have I got rid of the infection now?

  - I'll tell you if you let me taste your blood.

  - Is this blackmail?

  - No. It's a logical request. You burned the wound, but it's the only way to determine whether or not it's complete.

  - Aren't you going to infect me?

  - I don't need this. You already have my seal on you.

  - Well, you made me so happy!

  I slipped a vampire's long-suffering left hand. I got fucking scars, one more, one less anyway.

  Danielle looked up at me with huge transparent gray eyes.

  - Forgive me, please.

  And he got his fangs in his vein. I woke up in pain. Danielle did not subjugate my mind, and the bite was unpleasant, to say the least. To the vampire's honor, he only took two sips and let go of my hand. Then he took a piece off his shirt and pulled my bite.

  - Jane, there's nothing in your blood. Honestly.

  I believed him. Within acceptable limits, of course, but there's no point in him lying now.

  - Help me up.

  Danielle shook his head and picked me up easily.

  - It's for the best, Curly.

  - And don't call me that!

  - As you command, baby. Where do I go now?

  - At the door to the left," I answered. - That's where our friends are.

  Danielle obeyed. I was lying comfortably in his arms. I was dizzy, my ribs were sore, my elbow was whining, and I had a burn under the fabric of my sweater... It had been a long time since I'd had that kind of trouble. I've never had that in a long time, to be honest. With all this, the bite pain was even pleasant. It was tiny!

  - Damn it!

  - Higher Powers!

  Our two shouts merged into one. And it was from something. I didn't see what they did to vampires before. It was awful. It was disgusting! I was overwhelmed by such a wave of rage that even the pain was gone. I hate executioners! I hate them!!!

  Vampires have been tortured in many different ways. They were left with eyes and tongue, and I knew why. Eyes - to see what was happening to them. Tongue - so they could talk. Silver chains entangled my friends, crashing into their skin, and blood was flowing from under them. When I read about the Inquisition, I caught descriptions of torture. The executioners didn't have such shells here. But they made up for their ingenuity. All Boris' skin was removed. All of his skin. Daniel was just cut into strips and then probably stripped off. They even took the skin off his face and scalp. And slowly cut and cauterized the meat, trying to get to the bones. Dark brown eyes were turning in a piece of bloody meat. The squirrels seemed incredibly white in the purple tone. I only recognized Boris because Vadim was lying on the next table. Vadim could be recognized by his blond hair. But it was the only thing that remained untouched in his appearance. His face and hair were intact. But starting from the neck, his whole body was a continuous wound. But in a different way. Something like my burn from the cross. It's the same charred surface. Next to it, there were some tools and a lot of salt. It was rubbed into the wounds.

  - A vampire can heal that? - I quietly asked Daniel.

  - I don't know. They need blood. Fresh blood. A lot. Three or four people each, at least. And the sooner, the better.

  I bit my lips. And where do I find eight people here? How much sooner?

  - Won't my crown number pass with force? Can I try to share?

  - Jane, this is not funny. If they weren't so... If they were even like me then! And then - it took me three people to recover, and all your strength. You couldn't move later. And tonight, you need to be in shape.

  He was absolutely right. And yet, yet...

  - Okay. What can we do for them yet?

  - What do you want to do?

  - What can I do?! - I snapped at you. - Now let's go outside and catch people. It's better for alcoholics or homeless people. You're good at hypnosis, and I'll make sure no one hurts you.

  - You better tell me you don't want to stay here.

  - Would you like to?

  The vampire had his eyes down. There was no roof. I'm not a sadist. And the sight of someone else's torment doesn't make me ecstatic. It's the opposite. It disgusts me the most. I was just afraid to stay here. There was a very peculiar smell in the torture chamber. Blood, pain, torment, for some reason - excrement, the smell of rats, the smell of recent death - all mixed up, and I began to muddy. I had to get some fresh air. It's urgent!

  - I don't like it here either. Shall we go?

  - No, I shook my head. Then I got out of his hands and came to the vampires. Whatever happens, they must know that no one else will come to torture and kill them. As long as I'm alive, no one will come in here with evil. I walked around the table so that the vampires could see me.

  - Don't let them go," Danielle warned me. - It's dangerous in this state. They have to quench their first hunger, then they can take off their chains.

  - If you say so.

  Vadim looked at me as if he didn't believe himself. I ran my hand through his hair - and he squeezed into a lump on the table.

  - It's okay," I whispered. - It's okay. It's me, Jane. I have come and will soon bring you fresh blood so you can live.

  A tear rolled out of my blue eye. Usually vampires cry blood, but this tear was as clear as glass.

  - Jane...

  He never said anything else. I guess he just couldn't. I turned to Daniel.

  - How soon can they get back on their feet?

  - I don't know. Three days, five days, a week...

  - You recovered much faster," I noticed. - In just one night.

  My hand, regardless of my will, stroked the silky hair of a vampire. So soft, so thin, just like a baby's.

  - You shared with me not only blood, but also the Force.

  - So what?

  I honestly didn't understand what Danielle was trying to say.

  - Blood helps a vampire restore its power to regenerate. So they're gonna need a lot of blood. And the Power, your Power, you gave it to me and you saved me from having to produce it myself, you know? I was able to recover much faster thanks to your ability to share.

  I nodded. Now I understand. Very vaguely, at the limit of my mind, "in axes", but I understood. Isn't there any way to help our friends?!

  - Only if you share your Power," Danielle answered my unsolicited question. Or did I say it out loud? I could have done it. Can I share my Power?

  - I wouldn't take any chances. You've done so much today and you have more to do.

  I certainly didn't say it out loud this time. I looked at a vampire. Danielle didn't even think to be embarrassed.

  - We met recently, but I can already predict some of your actions. Sometimes you can be merciful to stupidity.

  Merciful to foolishness. Me? I don't know what I would have done next, but then my eyes fell on Vadim again. My poor friend. Higher Powers! Pity seized me with a mad hot wave and covered my head. I choked on it and only then I realized that I could barely contain my tears. And yet I couldn't help myself. One tiny tear fell on Vadim's face. The vampire was surprisingly freezing. Suddenly, I could feel my power coming between us. The one I shared with Daniel and Miecislav.

  - Jane!

  Daniel's voice was full of anxiety, but I couldn't move away. It was too late. What was piling up between us was like a little ball of lightning. Either it would defuse, or it would burn one of us. It's probably gonna be me. I didn't call her, but my energy didn't come and go. The power grew, ran through my skin in tickling waves, flashe
d white lights in my eyes, made me put hairs on my body, accumulated tension at the bottom of my abdomen. The burn on my chest pulsed like an independent heart. Danielle was suddenly there. I didn't realize it until his hands held me at the waist and immediately pulled away like silver.

  - Spit it out! You're burning yourself!

  I moaned. I knew perfectly well that I couldn't stand it for long, but I didn't know how to get rid of the energy accumulated in my body. Higher Powers, how?! How did I share my energy with others?! The Powers roared in my body with the unheard of Niagara Falls. The fire ran through my skin, and it was almost torture. HOW?! Danielle abruptly ripped the bandage off my arm. Blood splashed - and he pushed my hand so that I hit Vadim in the face. The vampire burst out in pain, and immediately curled up an arc. It was like my brush was welded to his lips, and my blood was flowing right into his mouth. My fangs didn't sink into me, but it wasn't necessary. I couldn't give much blood, I was sick and exhausted. But my Power was flowing into the vampire's mouth with the blood. A supernatural cocktail. Vadim's body arced out so it would probably fall off the table if it weren't for the silver chains. They crashed into his skin and bleed out, but the vampire didn't pay any attention. He drank me like I was dying of thirst. And I easily determined the moment when the Force stream began to fade. It wasn't a rabid waterfall that rolled over my body, but a spring flood, and then a calm summer river.

  - That's enough! - Danielle rudely ripped me by my jacket, throwing me aside. I rolled to the floor, hit something on my back and swooped in pain. It felt like a knife had been put in me.

  - Are you crazy?!

  - Sorry, Jane, but I can't touch you. It's too big a risk!

  - What are you talking about?!

  - You share the Force generously, but you take risks. Today you could have just been burned, and with you and me. We are bound by the Seal, remember!

  I stopped the stream of lectures by raising my hand.

  - Wait! How's Vadim?

  - See for yourself.

  - And you think I can get up after this?