by Lynn Landes
Caius listens and decides to test the theory about his blood. He steps closer and jerks his wrist up to his mouth and hisses at the vampire holding the restraint when he attempts to join his master. “Not yet,” he tells him. His fangs seek deep into Balthials wrist, and as he drinks the burns on his face heal. The wrinkled puckered skin puffs and smooths out. His vision becomes clear as the melted portion of his eye pulls back tight, as though it never existed. The powerful elixir of life courses through his body. He drinks until he is completely rejuvenated from his bout with the human girl.
When he releases the wrist, Balthial sneers at him. “You will see, it will only last for a few weeks. I am not what you seek, but I can tell you where to get more.” Caius laughs as he stomps away.
“I do not need another demon, especially one I cannot trust.”
“Wait! I can help you access the gates!” Balthial calls out.
Caius pauses and turns back. “Why would I do that?” He smiles slightly. “Don’t you get it? The gates are the key to true power. No longer will your kind control the fate of Earth. With the location of the gates in my possession, I will destroy them, one by one.”
Balthial falls silent, stunned by this announcement. “Are you mad? They will destroy you the moment you try to access them. It will not work!”
“There are only four gates, and only one Archangel, at each gate who remains loyal. Thanks to your betrayal, I have all the knowledge I need.” He laughs at the look rage on Balthial’s face and spins calling out, “Finish him!” Balthial screams follow Caius as he returns to his car.
He drives quickly to the closest airport and boards a private airplane. “Take me to Dubai,” he orders the pilot and sits in his seat to begin reading the book. “Let us see what secrets you hold.”
Four hours later he is walking into the fifteen-story skyscraper in the city of Dubai. Caius loves this city with its ultra-modern architecture, and with the cutting-edge medical technology here, he has made a fortune. Tomorrow he has planned for the council to observe a hunt, and it is vital that they are on board. They don’t need to know about the book or some of his more interesting creations, yet. As he closes his eyes to rest, he is grinning over the thought of what he will have to do if they deny him.
Chapter 10
“Welcome to Gene I.T., my name is Amani, I will be your guide this afternoon. We are so pleased you could join us for a tour where you will see the future of genetic engineering.” They follow her and look as she gestures to the first observation room on the right. “We specialize in genetic testing for rare, hereditary, disorders. Our shareholders feel is it our responsibility to make every effort to assist those with unusual genetic conditions and eliminate them if possible.”
“Through these glass windows, you see one of our clinical laboratories. This particular lab contains our core lab, microbiology lab, and one of our blood banks.” Surprised looks pass between the visitors and they move closer to the window to watch. Caius loves to stand back and observe the attitude of those visiting. He loves to watch the moment they realize the true potential for full gene analysis by DNA sequencing. He has to pay the bills, and this company allows for the true work that goes on in the laboratories beneath this building.
Today he will present his visitors with a rare opportunity, and if all goes according to plan, they will be persuaded to see him as the asset he is, and not a threat. Sensing their boredom, he steps from the shadows and claps his hands in welcome.
“Good Morning and welcome! Amani, I will take it from here.” Caius turns to the eight visitors and smiles. Amani nods and returns to her post.
“Why are we here, Caius? I’m sure it is not to tour your little company,” Lord Emmanuel sneers. As the eldest member of the vampire council, it is imperative that he be in agreement. The council is made up of eight members. Each no less than a thousand years old. They maintain the rules that govern the vampire colonies.
“That is precisely why you are here, Lord Emmanuel. Follow me, I promise, you will leave satisfied.” Caius leads the group through the halls and into the first of many laboratories. “Genes are found in all living organisms. They are passed on from one to the next in varying ways. The genetic engineers use a process where the DNA is utilized to introduce desirable traits into organisms.”
Caius enters a large elevator and waits for the group to join him. With a quick press of a small panel he watches the shock on their faces as the elevator begins to move in the opposite direction they are expecting. He grins as they go down ten levels beneath the earth. When the doors open, they follow Caius into a massive hanger with a glass bio-dome in the center of the room.
“Welcome to my rain-dome. This is the world’s first underground rainforest. The sphere like structure in the center houses a complete tropical rainforest.” The floor inside the hanger is all concrete with the exception of drains every eight feet. Glass enclosures, full of animals line the hangar walls. Not just any animals, but lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, gorilla and more.
A lab technician rolls a cart over with multiple crystal decanters and small shot glasses. Each of the decanters is full of red blood. Caius grins. “Perfect timing. Anyone else thirsty.” Three females and five males stare at each other in confusion, but they are intrigued. More than that, he is counting on their boredom.
“What is the meaning….” Lord Emmanuel stutters and falls silent the moment Caius pops the seal on the decanter. All eight members of the council feel the shockwave roll through as the blood lust strikes. “What is that,” the female hisses? Her eyes have gone completely red, her mouth is pooling with drool and she struggles to control herself. Lord Emmanuel goes to pull her back, stopping when she snarls at him.
“Don’t touch me!”
“What trickery is this?” He demands as he too struggles against the urge to take.
“We must go, now!” One voice whispers, “Can’t control it…” another vamp hisses, only to step forward when Caius pours the blood into shot glasses.
“This is why you are here. Try it, it will take the edge off.” Caius lifts his glass to his lips and smiles as they circle close to watch.
“No. We are leaving!” Lord Emmanuel turns to go, only to realize all the animals are quietly watching them. Every single creature is at the glass of their enclosure and staring intently at them.
“You would leave before the hunt,” Caius inquires.
“What hunt?” Lady Faygin asks stepping closer to him. She dips a long red fingernail into the small glass he holds and smells the thick liquid before sucking her finger. Her eyes fly wide open and she moans in ecstasy. The other members watch her intently as she nods at them. “Powerful, exotic, and something else I can’t identify,” she murmurs.
“Very well then, moving on.” Caius shoots the glass of rich blood down and nods at the lab tech. An answered nod and she rolls the cart out. The elevator doors open and Caius smiles. “Right on time.” A male vampire walks forward attempting to hide the rush of adrenaline in his body. Large, at over six feet three inches and muscular, his scent surrounds those watching.
“What’s all of this? I thought this was a private event?” Dario demands.
“If you’ve changed your mind, I have another buyer waiting,” Caius says, setting his glass down on a railing.
“No!” He replies quickly. His eyes flick to the group and then to the cages behind them. “Do I choose now?”
“Yes, take your time. It needs to be the right fit for you.” The technician guides him past each glass enclosure. One, by, one, he approaches each beast, until he settles on his choice. Crouching down in front of the gorilla he grins when it glares at him and shows his teeth.
“This one,” Dario points and the golden eyes stare at him. The massive beast stands on its knuckles and rushes the glass wall, sliding to a stop just before slamming into it.
“Excellent, follow me.” The technician leads him back to the middle where the dome waits.
Caius turns
and looks at the group. “This is the good part.”
“Caius this is absurd. These animals stand no chance against a vampire.” Lord Emmanuel rumbles.
“That is where you are wrong. These are not ordinary animals, My Lord.”
Caius joins the technician and looks at the larger vampire. “Remember what you are up against,” he warns the large vamp.
Bouncing on his toes his adrenaline is pumping, and he punches the air swiftly like a boxer waiting for a fight. “I’m ready.”
“So be it.” Caius punches a code on the sliding door. “Early morning, rainforest.” The tropical heat rushes out and the vampire doesn’t look back. He rushes inside as the door seals shut.
“This way, ladies and gentlemen.” The assistant guides them to a lift which takes the group inside the dome where they can watch the action. A large metallic walkway hangs above the crests of the big trees. The rainforest is an inviting escape from the harsh reality of the cities outside. With its massive trees, thick ferns, and green foliage, it is a lush, dense oasis. Caius guides them inside and can barely contain his excitement.
“I’ve created a way, for our people, to do what we were born to do. Hunt. Here they are invited to hunt without breaking the laws that govern our people. But what kind of challenge would it be, if these were just mere animals? As you noted earlier, an animal, even an Apex predator would stand no chance against a vampire, but what if I could offer you more?”
“More what?” Lord Emmanuel asks, trying to hide the interest in his eyes.
“Watch and see.” In the distance, the sound of a door opening can be heard. The beast crashes through the bottom layer of the rain forest, running and savoring his freedom. Dario explores, choosing a spot to wait while the beast becomes comfortable with his surroundings. Crouching in a tree above the gorilla, Dario grins as he explores the forest. Birds call out and take flight, away from the noisy animal when he grunts and pounds his enormous fists on the ground. Comfortable now, the six-hundred-pound gorilla sits and chews on a piece of grass.
A soft rain begins to mist down over the entire forest and the gorilla catches a scent in the air. He stands on his massive, muscular arms and stares into the forest. Dario leaps to the earth below with a splash. They circle each other until the gorilla screams in rage and rushes at Dario. One second before the gorilla reaches him, Dario leaps to a treetop. The gorilla slides to a stop, dropping to his knuckles, it leaps after Dario with surprising agility. He catches onto a tree branch and swings after the vampire. Dario can almost taste the rich, addictive blood as he swings for the beast in midair. They collide and both drop back to the earth below in a crash of broken branches and leaves.
Dario grabs the two massive arms and for one second he stares into the eyes of the beast. They wrestle on the ground before leaping away from each other. Circling once more, Dario watches in stunned silence as its teeth elongate and the face of the beast changes. A black liquid seeps into its eyes, mixing with the yellow iris, turning them black as night. The gorilla tilts its head back, releasing a howl as its face cracks and a muzzle pushes out. Dario leaps back, putting space between him and the beast to watch the shift. It falls to the earth below with a thud and the folded knuckles snap straight and massive claws rip through the ends. Blood spurts and flesh rips but still he watches his prey. Even when his spine cracks and a scream erupts, it stands up on two feet, never losing eye contact with his prey.
Dario grins and leaps away, looking for a place to hide and surprise his enemy. He has forgotten the ferocious speed of a werewolf. What can only be called a monster now, sniffs the air and looks towards the woods tracking the movement of the vampire? A glimmer of what can only be called excitement fills his now fully black eyes. Sniffing at the air, he circles around, running straight into Dario.
The beast sinks his teeth into the forearm of the vampire intending to rip it from his body, but Dario is prepared. He grabs the massive jaws of the beast and pries them apart, only to feel the massive claw swipes across his rib cage. A screech of pain, echoes in the rainforest and birds take flight.
The assembled group leans over and watches the battle with bated breath.
Now that the beast has had a taste, he seems to lose all control of his reasoning. Its attack grows more ferocious and Dario struggles against the pain and blood loss. He needs blood, and not just any blood, but the enhanced blood of the beast. Dodging the bite of the beast, he grabs both enormous arms at the wrist and swings the beast in a circle, slamming its back into a tree.
It drops to the earth with a grunt and Dario does not wait, he dives onto its back sinking his fangs deep into the thick hide of the gorilla. Blood bursts into his mouth, rich, metallic and powerful. The elixir flows into his system and the council members smell it. Blood lust fills their mind, and they vibrate with the urge to join in the kill.
Leaping to his feet the Silverback werewolf reaches its long eight-foot arm back and rips Dario off, only to scream out in rage when Dario shifts to mist and drifts away.
Dario rushes through the night, leaving a trail of blood behind for the animal to track him. “Damn! The stream blocking his way is a problem. Vampire do not cross through running water, but Dario did not squander his time in the rainforest. The stream leads to a large waterfall and he is able to cross behind the waterfall and wait for the beast.
Seizing as many thick sticks he can find he hopes they will be strong enough to stop the monster hunting him. Dario stares at the five spears at varying lengths. Each one has been sharpened to a wicked point. They are his only weapons against the beast. Picking up one in each hand, he feels the weight of them in his hands and listens. Holding up his healed arm, he slices across it and lets the blood call to the beast.
Running along the stream it sniffs the air and growls crashing up the stream and straight into the waterfall. A scream of pain and Dario is standing over the beast as it shifts back to a gorilla. He leaps on it and drinks the blood of the beast. Caius whispers, “Wait for it,” and laughs when Dario is tossed through the waterfall and into the stream.
“Nooo!” Dario screams and rolls, his skin smoking from the water, hoping to get away.
The beast leaps through the waterfall, landing on the rocky shore and beats on him with its massive fists.
Lord Emmanuel watches and growls low in his chest. The urge to leap to the ground is almost unbearable. Other members of the council are gripping the railing in a desperate attempt to block the sounds, tastes, and scents from drawing them into the battle.
The first punch to Dario’s jaw breaks the bone. He reaches up and grabs the two broken off spears still lodged in its chest and uses them to toss the beast off him and into a group of rocks. The impact shears off one spear but pushes the other deeper into its body.
Dario doesn’t give him a chance this time, but leaps onto his back, giving a twist and a jerk, he attempts to rip the head from the shoulders. He manages to tear it halfway before a devastating blow sends him flying across the ground. Panting in pain and terror, Dario glances around and finds hope in the sight of a formation of layered rocks. If he can pry one lose, he can use it, to finish the job. The beast is struggling with its head, as blood pours from the ripped section of his neck and the spear lodged in its chest. It watches wheezing as Dario rushes away, swinging out a long-clawed arm he rakes it down the back of the vampire as he zips by. Exhausted the beast falls forward onto the ground.
Dario screams in pain but does not stop. Reaching the formation of rocks, he rips, and pulls, finally prying a long flat piece loose. Staggering back to the beast he swings it like an ax, sinking it deep into the damaged part of its neck. He rages as he hacks at the thick rope like muscles until finally severing the head.
The beast lies twitching on the ground and Dario stumbles down against it, leaning back on the dead animal. Picking up the leathery hand of the beast, he turns it palm up so he can drink the last of its healing blood. “Thank you,” he whispers and exhausted his head falls bac
k to rest on the animal.
“Tell us more,” Lord Emmanuel says with a red flame of desire burning in his eyes.
Chapter 11
“He’s out back, Da.” Anya leads the way to Christian’s body. Keane has seen death, but this boy had a heart of a warrior and a special place in their family.
“Have I failed you all?” He wipes a tear and watches as his daughter drops to Christian’s side on the ground. She sobs as she kisses his brow.
“I will seek them out, Chris and make them all pay for this,” she promises him.
“No, Anya. This was the work of a fallen,” Katie starts to say only to stop and step back in shock when her best friend turns on her with a hiss.
“Don’t talk to me about them!” Anya screams and her eyes begin to glow. She rises to her feet in a flash and Keane steps before Katie.
“That is no way to speak to our Katie, Anya.”
Her rage is gone as fast as it appeared. Shame has her turning away from them. “I know, I am sorry, Katie girl. Please forgive me,” she whispers.
“There is nothing to forgive. I’m sorry, I thought that if I gave him the book, he would save Chris, it was stupid of me.” Katie’s mind fills with images of death, Chris, Morgan and the people on her tour. “So much death…” she whispers.
“All will be well, Katie girl.” Keane hugs her and offers what comfort he can.
“Why do you say that, Da?” Looking at Christian Anya asks, “Nothing will ever be the same again. I thought I could help him and for a moment I felt something, but then it was gone. Am I not worthy of the other gifts you spoke of Da?”
“Of course, you are, but we don’t have the luxury of feeling sorry for ourselves right now.”
“How do I release my gifts, before someone else pays for the crime of my birth?” Anya asks with tear filled eyes still glowing with unshed rage.
