by Lynn Landes
A shout behind her causes her to frown in annoyance, “I will save your kind for another time.” She runs out of the club and to freedom. Anya doesn’t slow down until she is outside the hospital. When she looks down at her hands and realizes for the first time what she must look like, she is horrified.
Anya switches from hunter to horror, in the blink of an eye. Blood spatter saturates her clothing and skin. Temptation has her trembling with the urge to return for more. “What is happening to me,” she screams. She needs answers that only her father can give to her.
Shame mixes with the fear in her heart and she wonders what manner of monster she has become. When she steps into his room and closes the door behind her, Keane sighs with relief.
“Anya. Thank God. I’ve been so worried.” Keane looks at her and his hands begin to tremble. His scent envelops her, and she smells his old spice after shave. He appears, to her newly born eyes, fragile.
“Da, have I become a vampire? What is happening to me?” Her skin glows from her fresh feeding and her eyes shimmer back to normal.
Keane stares at the daughter he helped bring into this world and he is terrified for her. “I’ve spent years hoping and praying that his day would never come. I hid you as long as I could, Anya,” she sits on the edge of his bed and looks at him.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“No, Anya you’re not a monster, but you were never merely human. You will find a sweatshirt of mine in my bag. You should put that on over your shirt before someone comes in and thinks you’ve been hurt.”
Anya jumps up eager to get the bloody shirt off her body. She takes it into his hospital bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. Her skin is glowing, and she feels… powerful. Her amber eyes are ringed in black and her shirt is covered in the blood of an immortal. As she draws it off over her head, the metallic scent of the blood calls to her and her teeth lengthen. She watches in the mirror and her eyes begin to glow.
“No! Not now.” Tossing the offensive shirt into the trashcan, she ties the bag up, to hide the evidence. Quickly, she washes in a hot shower, scrubbing the evidence from her body. The water runs a dark red as it circles and enters the drain.
After she rejoins her father, he pours a glass of water and speaks low. “Your mother asked me to protect you until your gifts were released. It looks to me like that has begun.” Keane glances out of the window. “Christian went to recover the book.”
“Why is the book so important?” She asks.
“It is called the Book of the Herald. It is one of the illuminated texts in our world. It holds many secrets, and all the answers you will need. It speaks of the Herald and much more, most of which I do not understand. The one thing, I do believe, is that you are the Herald.”
“Herald of what? I don’t understand any of this. Who was my father?” Running her hands through her damp hair she leaps up from the bed to pace in frustration.
“I know I am botching this, but you must understand that your mother said to protect you and hide the book. That is precisely what I have done. When she fell in love with your father it was forbidden for two immortals of different races to reproduce. A child of an Angel and a Vampire… who knows what kind of powers or abilities she would have. A contract was placed on both of them, the angel and the vampire.”
“Okay, who is he, and who are the Hunters?”
“We are members of the Hunter’s Guild, also called the Dalkhu Sharur. We track and destroy immortals who prey on humans. Your father’s name was Sebastian Fourie. He was a natural born vampire of ancient lineage.”
“What do you mean, we, Da?” Anya freezes and stares at him in surprise.
“When the order came through with a bounty on his head, we were all surprised. Not all vampires are evil, and the Fourie family are the Ancients in charge of the archives. They track and record all vampire history. To kill Sebastian would mean war.”
“You were a hunter?” She whispers to him. Keane nods his head.
“I was a demon hunter, and no, I didn’t kill them. Let me finish. It was my job to hunt down and eliminate the threat to humanity, but your mother was no threat. When she found out that she was pregnant, she left a note with Sebastian, breaking up with him, but she didn’t tell him about you. She hoped that by leaving, the order to kill Sebastian would be cancelled and she was right. But the angels were not so forgiving. After I brought you home, I kept tabs on Sebastian, but Anya he doesn’t know about you. Your mother made me promise to keep you from him.”
“Why? If he isn’t evil, as you say, then why did you keep me a secret?”
“Because of the Twelve. Anya your Mother was hunted and slaughtered by the Guardians of the Gates. Twelve archangels placed or stationed on earth to protect the portals.” Keane takes a drink of water and continues.
“There are four such gates. Some lead to heaven and others through dimensions and time. Your mother was a traveler. An angel, gifted by heaven, to travel amongst these dimensions to fulfill her purpose.” He leans forward and stares at her. “You were her purpose.”
“This is crazy! You expect me to believe that an Angel and a Vampire fell in love and were condemned for it? It’s a beautiful, tragic story, but why kill her? How would a child be a threat?” Flashes of her visit to the club blaze through her mind. Her unnatural strength, speed, sight, and of course her new found taste for blood. Immortal blood. Anya’s eyes widen with shock.
Keane waits, allowing some of the information to sink in. “Anya, the book will explain more. I want you to take it and go to Sebastian. He doesn’t know about you, but I believe he will be the only one who can protect you.”
“Protect me, from what?”
“Not what, Anya, who. The Twelve will come for you, and I have grown too old and weak to protect you,” he drops his head in shame.
“No, Da.” She walks over to her father and grips his hand. “I am not the one who should be afraid. I will not be so easily destroyed. In the club today, I… I attacked them. One vampire, he turned human, while another turned to dust beneath my bite. If I am a vampire, why would that happen?” She wonders.
“I knew I was right!” He swings his legs over the side of the bed being careful of his cast. “Anya the book speaks about a Herald who will return balance to the world. Your gifts must first be unlocked. When the vampire bit you, he released that side. Now, we need your other gifts to be unbound.”
“What the hell does that mean? I have to find an Angel and get him to bite me?” A semi hysterical laugh breaks out and her father laughs with her.
“I doubt that daughter, but whatever it takes. Now go help Christian.”
“I’m off.” Anya walks towards the door and turns back, “I love you, Da.”
Keane’s eyes fill with unshed tears. “I love you too, be careful.”
Chapter 8
Christian pushes his way through the lawn equipment inside Katie’s shed, looking for a shovel. “Angels, demons, and fairies. What the hell have I gotten myself into?” He grumbles. Katie’s shed is a mess of soil, pots, and tools. Hanging on the wall behind the lawn mower is a shovel. “Finally,” he lifts it from the wall and walks towards the door. A noise outside stops him in his tracks.
Drawing his service revolver, he quietly leans the shovel against the wall and peeks out of the gap in the doorway. All the color drains from Christian’s face as he watches a large angel land in the garden. The wind from his granite colored wings batters the flowers, flattening them, but it is what he holds in his arms that horrify him.
“Katie?” He whispers. She is screaming and fighting him with all of her strength.
“Release me, you monster! You killed him, oh God… you killed him,” she sobs and struggles.
“Cease that incessant wailing, woman. Morgan is immortal!” He tosses Katie to the hard earth and growls as he leans close revealing vampire teeth. Katie managed to shake off his spell and woke up furious and slightly hysterical. His angelic eyes are now solid bla
ck and his silver wings once magnificent are burnt at the edges. “You, however, are not immortal, Kathleen. I want the book. You will give it to me now.”
“What book?” She screams, “I have already told you! I don’t know anything about a book.” Katie stands on shaky feet and glares at Balthial.
“The book is here, on this property, somewhere. Your grandmother hid it and you will give it to me.” He drags her along behind him as he marches towards the house.
Angels do not have vampiric teeth! Christian creeps out of the shed and squeezes off three rounds, striking the creature in between the shoulder blades, He prays that his bullets will slow it down long enough to help them escape. “Run Katie!”
Balthial screams in pain when the bullets first enter his back. Katie runs straight at Christian screaming for him. “Go, Christian, run!” But she is too late.
Balthial whips around and grins as the pain fades, and the bullets squeeze out of his skin, dropping to the grassy carpet. “Perfect,” he strikes so quickly that Katie can’t move. He throws a silver blade and it sinks into Christian’s chest, just above his heart and he falls to the ground in shock.
Katie shouts and reaches his side, falling to her knees on the ground. “No, Chris, it’s going to be okay,” she tries to touch the blade, but Christian stops her.
“Go, Katie!” He moans and pushes at her.
“So, sweet. I can save him, Kathleen. Just give me the book and all will be well.” Balthial promises softly from behind her.
Katie wipes her tears and looks up at the beautiful devil in front of her. “I don’t know where it is! I swear on his life, please don’t let him die!”
“Think, Kathleen! Did you ever come across a book or hear it spoken of? Anything that would indicate where it could be hidden?” Christian coughs up blood and groans as the poison from the blade begins to work its way through his system.
“Mums…” Christian coughs out.
“What, I… wait. It couldn’t be.” A memory, erased and returned. She jumps up and runs to the area in the garden she is remembering. “The last time I was gardening, I felt something hard, like a tin, here,” she points at the ground where her purple flowers are buried.
Balthial smiles and runs his hand over the earth in victory. “Excellent!” A rusty tin pushes its way up through the ground, revealing its treasure. He picks it up reverently and cracks the tin open to check for the book. It is wrapped in plastic wrap, to protect it from the elements. With a toss of the tin, Balthial walks back towards Christian who is gasping for breath. Leaning down, he jerks the knife free ignoring his scream of pain.
“No, you said you would heal him!” Katie screams and falls to his side trying to stem the blood flow from the wound.
“I did help him. He will die much quicker this way.” With a laugh of victory, he leaps into the air and flies into the darkening sky. Katie’s scream of rage chases him through the night air.
“Christian, it’s going to be okay. I promise you.” Katie applies pressure to the wound and prays for a miracle.
Anya pulls up in her car and hears a scream from the backyard. A flash of light in the sky draws her attention and she has to blink twice to clear her eyes. “An Angel!” Katie’s scream has her running towards the back yard.
“Oh my God, Katie, what happened?” Anya skids to a stop and drops to his side.
Christian looks up at Katie and coughs, “Knew you would come.” Anya drops to his side and screams at Katie to call an ambulance.
“Too late, love. I tried to stop him, Anya…” he coughs up more blood and Anya can see his life fading before her eyes. “Love you…” his eyes close and his arms grow too weak to lift.
“Don’t you dare die on me, Christian, I need you!” Anya pushes Katie aside and places her hands on top of the wound. She raises her face to the stars above and closes her eyes, she begs for help.
“Please, don’t let me have these gifts for no reason! Help me, Father!” Her back starts to heat up. Pain, unlike anything she has ever experienced rips through her shoulder blades. A searing pain flows through her back and for a moment she thinks her skin is on fire. Finally, the heat eases.
When Anya opens her eyes, they are returning to normal and Christian is smiling up at her, “So beautiful…” he draws his last breath and his lifeless hand falls to the ground. “No, no, no….” Anya weeps and kisses his lips. “I’m so sorry, Christian.”
“I’m sorry, I was too late. He took the book. Christian died trying to protect me,” Katie whispers.
“Who did this to him?” Anya demands, turning on Katie.
Katie leaps back in shock when Anya turns to look at her. The fury pulsing through Anya’s body has her fangs lengthening and her eyes are still glowing amber.
“No, Anya,” Katie moans. “What is happening to you?”
“Who took the book? How did you get here and who did this to Christian?” She screams again. Katie stands up slowly and backs away, terrified of the beast inside her friend.
“An Angel brought me here. He used to be an angel, I think. Anya, my dreams were real. They were memories, not nightmares.” Katie explains what she experienced with the vampire and Morgan. Then she tells her about the book and the gate, and they stare at each other for a moment.
“Take me to this gate.” Anya demands.
“What!?” Katie asks in shock.
Anya gently kisses Christian’s forehead and stands up. Running into the house to change her clothes, Katie follows her listening as she talks and when she strips her sweatshirt off Katie gasps.
Two electric blue wings spread out across her shoulders. “What?” Anya turns to look in the mirror on Katie’s dresser and as she watches, the tattoos dim, before fading completely from sight. “Da said my other gifts would need to be unlocked.” She jerks her clean clothes on, going still and looks into her friend’s eyes. “Too bad they did not help save him.”
“Christian didn’t deserve to die like this. It’s my fault. I will make them pay,” Anya promises jerking open the door and storms out of the bedroom, back into the living room.
“They have the book now. A book they’ve killed and betrayed each other for, why? What is this damned book!” she angrily asks. Anya turns to look at her best friend and realizes for the first time that she may lose her too.
“It holds the location of the four gates, I think. Now they have it. Morgan must be told, and I have some questions for him.” Anya snarls as she pulls her tablet out of her suitcase. She sits to type and looks up an address.
“Katie, I need you to go get my Father from the hospital and take him to see this man. I believe he will keep you both safe, hopefully. I don’t have time to explain everything. Can you do this for me?” She begs.
“No! I need to see Morgan. I… a wall collapsed on him, Anya. I have to know…”
A sound and flash of light outside draw their attention. Anya growls and bares her teeth.
“What now?” She hisses. Moving to the window she is surprised to see a cab pull up. Footsteps sound out and the door bangs open.
“Anya,” Katie’s father bursts into the house.
“Da? What are you doing here?” Anya is incredulous. “You’re supposed to be in the hospital.”
“I need to be with you, not laying around in some hospital. Now where is Chris? Did he find the book?”
“Oh, Da…” Anya starts to weep, and the tears seem to rip from her soul. He pulls her into his chest.
“Katie?” He asks.
“He was protecting me, Uncle Keane, it’s all my fault,” and Katie begins to sob. “Morgan is dead, and they have the book!” He pulls Katie into his chest and sighs.
“It’s going to be alright. Take me to Christian.”
Chapter 9
Balthial flies towards the stronghold where Caius waits. Carrying the book that holds the answers to everything, he wonders why? Why should he give this kind of power to this weak creature? Caius is clearly not as powerful as he believe
s himself to be. With the secrets of this book, he would no longer have to answer to his brethren or to heaven, and certainly not to some blood sucking demon.
Decision made, he turns to fly away when he is struck from below. A searing pain wraps around his ankle, melting through his clothes and into his skin. He roars in agony and rage as he looks down, struggling to free himself. A snare of iron links is wrapped around his leg and he can’t break free!
Swiftly he draws his sword and swings it, but it only glances off the strong metal and sinks the iron deeper into his leg. More snares shoot out, wrapping around each wrist, both wings, and one even circles his neck. Balthial is jerked from the air and flung into the earth below with a great thud. The book falls to the ground beside him.
“No!!!” He screams and fights to break loose. The iron is scorching the skin everywhere it touches, but his screams of pain are not falling on deaf ears. The vampire horde holds tightly to the shackles of his prison and Caius steps forward with a laugh.
Caius. One side of his face is burned, melted by the flame of a past battle. “I am shocked at your stupidity, Balthial. You are, after all, one of the protectors of the gates. Did you really think that I would not assume that you would betray me after you betrayed your own brothers?” He strokes his children. Six vampire creatures, all newly designed by Caius hold down the fallen angel. They stare at the treat he has provided, and one whimpers, fighting the urge to feast on him.
“Release me!” Balthial demands. His teeth have lengthened, and his eyes are almost completely black now.
“Balthial, you have provided me with two things I needed the most. The blood of an immortal archangel and the Book of the Herald. I thank you for both.”
“I am not the fool, Caius! You should understand that the moment I fell, my virtuous blood was tarnished. It will do you no good, and I did as you asked. I brought you the book. I should be rewarded for that, not punished.”
