by Lynn Landes
Katie moves to her side, and Anya takes her hand and places it on his cheek. “You are his anchor, Kathleen, don’t let go.” Katie’s hand trembles against his gray skin as his life begin to seep away. She ignores her own tears as they track down her face. Anya releases Liam and Cass, and their wings erupt, Anya’s own wings float from her shoulders, spreading out behind her she sighs in relief when she extends them. “Join me,” Anya orders and the three touch wing tips to create a shield for those inside.
“Try again, Liam, to heal him.” Anya joins her power to his and amplifies it. Golden angel dust, drifts down over the top of Morgan, raining over his wounds and healing him from the inside out. Katie laughs and lifts her face to the angel rain. It covers them both, tingling with warmth, and dissolves into their skin. When his color returns to his tan cheeks, and skin, Katie smiles up at him and treasures the feel of his face in her hand. His broken wings are healed, and his arm is regenerated. The dust stops and all three sigh in relief.
Anya takes the minute and sinks into Morgan’s memories, seeking any information about her Mother’s death. Not finding it she releases him and steps back. Her wings return to her shoulders and she drops to her knees in the sand weak and powerless for the moment. Liam and Cass watch her in stunned admiration. “If he is fallen, why did you heal him?” Cass asks her.
“We are all fallen in some respects. The gate simply looked and saw… that.” Anya points at Morgan holding Katie’s weeping form. Morgan cleanses Katie’s body and gives her fresh clothing. It is nothing compared to what she has done for him. He presses a kiss to her forehead.
“You didn’t kill my mother, did you?”
“Who is your mother?” Liam asks.
“Lailah.” Anya watches them carefully and they look at each other in shock.
“That’s not possible. She was an Archangel. A traveler. It isn’t possible, is it?” Cass asks Liam.
“The Herald would be born to bring balance to this world. Of course, it’s possible.” Liam answers.
Morgan walks over pulling Katie with him, “The Twelve did not judge your mother, Anya.”
“Then how did she die?”
“I don’t know. We will help you, but first, we must stop Caius.”
Chapter 17
Keane pulls into his cottage style house that he raised Anya in and cuts the engine off. His body is throbbing as his aches and pains return to remind him that he is no longer a young hunter. “I will protect mine, no matter the cost,” he murmurs as he eases from the car. Keane hurries inside as fast as his foot in the booted cast will allow. His mind is so full of worry for his daughter that he misses the black vehicle parked across the street.
When the light is flipped on, Keane glances around his small living room with a sigh. So many happy memories here. Every corner in this house is touched with laughter and love. Anya brought to him a purpose greater than he could’ve ever imagined. If only… a dogs bark outside and causes Keane’s heart to accelerate.
Duster is the neighbor’s bulldog and he has claimed the surrounding houses as his domain. Any time he barks, it is to alert them of strangers. Keane moves quickly to cut the lights and rushes towards the kitchen sideboard. Before he can reach his stash of weapons a chuckle sounds out.
“Easy old man, we only wish to talk to you.” Vorn says, turning the light back on.
Keane takes the form of a big brown grizzly bear and leaps straight at the stunned Drow. Sebastian is in the back of the house searching for clues, as to who, and what, these people are when he hears the roar of outrage coming from the living room.
A powerful strike by the back of his large clawed paw, Keane sends Vorn flying over the kitchen counter and into the cabinets with a crash of shattered wood. Taking a running leap, he aims for the bay window in the living room intending to burst through to escape, but Sebastian is too quick for him. He casts a shadow net over the animal, effectively pinning him to the earth. Vorn stumbles into the room and stares down at the old man with a gleam of respect.
“You are fast for your age and stronger than you look,” he groans rubbing his jaw.
“Surely with all your Drow abilities you felt the buildup of his power.” Sebastian laughs at the embarrassed look his new friend gives him.
“Get this thing off me!” Keane snarls as he fights with the magically enhanced net. When he takes a look at the intruder’s companion, he loses all color in his face. “Sebastian?”
Sebastian jerks in surprise and walks closer to look Keane over. “How do you know who I am?”
A quick flash and Keane shifts to a tiny field mouse slipping through the net. Vorn is ready this time. He felt the shift as the magic flooded the man’s system and leaps to catch him the moment he bounds away. “Gotcha!” When he grabs Keane, the mouse sinks his tiny teeth into his silver skin, eliciting a yelp of pain.
“Damn!” He drops Keane and both men watch in amazement as he shifts back to his human form and lands on his feet. Breathing rapidly, Keane sits hard on the couch. Still wounded, he looks up at them and whispers, “I will tell you everything.”
“First, you should heal yourself, Druid before you keel over.” Vorn suggests. “Why haven’t you done it before now?” Sebastian watches quietly and takes a seat opposite Keane.
“It wasn’t safe. I couldn’t take the chance. I’m guessing that won’t be a problem any longer.” Swiftly he pushes his long silver hair out of his face and looks at Vorn. “I could use an assist?”
Vorn nods his head in ascent. The pain emanating from the old man is beating at him. The Drow are elves, first, and foremost. He has the ability to heal or at least enhance the gifts of the druid. They work together to heal Keane’s wounds. Sebastian places a small laptop computer on a table, that he drags it over and inserts the flash drive. He pulls up the video on Anya in the club and waits for Vorn to finish. Glancing around the room, he see’s pictures of the woman from the bar. Pictures of her as a child, holding her first ribbon in gymnastics. Pictures of her graduation from high school, of her with a blonde friend.
“Tell me what you know of this human?” Sebastian demands pressing play on the computer. Keane watches Anya and is stunned by the power coming from her. There can be no doubt that she is The Herald now. When he smiles it is with the pride of a father.
Druids are masters of nature. Once they had the power to execute judgment on the immortals who broke the rules. They disbanded years ago, and that power fell to the angels.
“My name is Keane.” He unstraps the boot from his foot and bends it. “Aye, that’s better now. Thank you for your help.” With a sigh, he turns to look at the man he has been dreading meeting. “I was on my way to meet you tonight, Sebastian Fourie.”
If Sebastian is shocked by this news, he does not show it. “I need you to hear me out. At one time, I was a member of the Hunter’s Guild. While on the trail of what I thought was a demon, in the Cliffs of Moher, I came across a creature I had only heard of in stories. Heavy with babe and in the throes of her labor. I made a choice, and I betrayed everything I’d been taught and trained for. When I held the newborn baby girl in my hands and watched her take her first breath, I knew that it was the right choice.”
“This child you speak of, is she The Herald?” Vorn demands.
“Aye, but she is more than that.” Keane’s eyes look into Sebastian’s and he can see the resemblance in his height and bone structure, even in the eye shape. “Her mother made me promise to hide the babe until the time was right. To protect her from those that hunted her and keep her safe.”
Sebastian stares into the blue eyes of the human in front of him and his still heart feels as if it wants to jump from his chest. “Did she give you her name?” His voice is barely a whisper.
“Aye, she did. Lailah…” in a flash the bloodlust takes Sebastian and he seizes Keane by his throat, lifting him from the floor. Before Vorn can piece together what is happening, Sebastian sinks his razor-sharp fangs into his throat and takes from his
essence, every image, every memory and every thought Keane has ever had.
Blood red tears streak down Sebastian’s cheek as he sees Lailah begging for Keane’s help. He watches his daughter fight her way into this world, and his beloved nurse their child for the first time. In the back of his mind, he knows he is taking too much blood, but his rage has taken hold of his mind. The fury at losing her and now this?
Keane does not fight back, instead, he opens his mind and floods Sebastian with the images, giving him what he needs to understand. He watches Anya grow from infant to woman and cherishes every second. Vorn is watching and beating on Sebastian, trying to pull him from the old man’s throat. His skin is turning gray from the blood loss, he won’t last much longer.
A whispered spell and Vorn steps back, holding a sword with the tip of the blade dipped in sunlight. He swings slicing the top of Sebastian’s shoulder. A scream of pain explodes from Sebastian and he releases Keane’s throat and turns to greet his enemy. Red eyes in the midst of a feeding frenzy, meet the green eyes of the Drow.
“You’re killing him, Sebastian. Don’t force me to hurt you.”
Sebastian’s shoulder is already healing, “The blood of a Druid is strong and powerful. I bet the blood of a Drow is much the same. Shall I find out?” He taunts, dropping Keane to the floor.
“No…” Keane whispers, “Lailah…”
Just the sound of her name on his lips has Sebastian turning back around to finish what he started. “Don’t speak her name. You let her die!” Vorn moves fast, placing himself and his sword in front of Keane’s weak body.
“Lailah gave me no choice. The Twelve were hunting her. Her only thought was to protect your child,” Keane gasps out. Vorn stares at Sebastian and begins to put things together.
“Your child?” He asks in shock. “The Herald is your daughter?”
“You took them both from me,” rage fades replaced by sorrow. “All I had left was a letter, she never mentioned a baby.” A baby, he moves to the fireplace mantle and takes a picture of her as a little girl. Her dark hair blows around beautiful eyes. He can see the resemblance in his daughter, and it brings him a sense of peace.
Sensing the danger is passed for the moment, Vorn drops to help Keane. He lifts him and carries him to the couch. His heart is stuttering from blood loss, but when he goes to heal him Keane uses his magic to block him. “Damn it, let me help you.” Vorn snarls.
“No, he must know all the truth,” Keane pleads for understanding.
Vorn turns to Sebastian. “We need him alive,” he barks. “How will it look to your daughter if you kill him?”
“Aye, she’ll kick your ass first, and then ask questions. Anya is a wee bit of a tornado, like her mother.” Keane laughs and starts to cough.
“Let him heal you,” Sebastian hisses.
Too weak to fight back, Keane releases his magic and waits for his body to strengthen. Vorn heals him and whispers, “You need to drink.” He retrieves a glass of juice and forces him to drink it.
“He’s lost too much blood. Sebastian, he needs blood.” Vorn glares at him and shakes his head in disgust.
“Shall I cut you then, and let him taste the blood of a dark elf?” Sebastian wonders as he stares at the images of his child. He sifts through the memories and slows it freezing on the image of Lailah holding his daughter.
“She was magnificent, Sebastian. The Twelve judged her and found her guilty and their sentence was death. To both the mother and the child. Lailah did not think I could fight back against twelve Archangels. I turned around for a moment and she was gone.” Keane struggles to sit up and coughs at the exertion.
“I offered my sword and my life to protect them both, Sebastian.” He knows the man is telling the truth because he watched her leave in his memories. Using a knife from his pocket, Sebastian slices his wrist and pours his blood into a cup offered by Vorn. He mixes an ounce with the juice and orders Keane to drink it.
“It will heal you and replenish what I took. Forgive me… it was a shock to me.” Sebastian watches as he stares at the cup but does not drink. “Don’t worry, this is not how a vampire is created.” He grins and it is a ghastly smile. Blood streaked tears have dried, leaving grisly tracks on his face. That, along with the blood on his clothes, Sebastian looks every part the evil vampire.
The blood of an ancient vampire is powerful. It rushes through the injured man’s body healing as quickly as it moves. Keane is able to sit up on his own and finishes the drink with a glance at Vorn. “Thank you.” Afraid to speak her name again, Keane continues his story.
“She gave me the Book of the Herald and told me the history of her people. Lailah spoke of her love for you and Anya. Her only regret was that you would not know of your child.” Keane stands and moves close whispering, “Lailah said the love she had for you would carry her through eternity.”
Sebastian can’t bring himself to look at Keane, “I will hunt down the Twelve and wipe them from existence.”
“No, Anya is in trouble. She has gone to the gate for just that purpose.” Sebastian turns and Vorn walks over to listen.
“What gate?” Vorn asks.
Sebastian glances at him and wonders how much to tell him. “Anya is the balancer. She was created for just this purpose, but she is not yet in control of herself. A vampire named Caius attacked her…”
“What?” Vorn watches as Sebastian struggles to reign in his blood lust again.
“Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Are you not an ancient? Control yourself!” He snaps at Sebastian before turning back to the old man, “We were at a bar when your daughter, or is it your daughter...” Vorn grins, “attacked the vampires. Some she destroyed, but one, she stripped of his gifts, leaving him a feeble human again.”
“The book said that her two sides would need to be triggered. Caius did attack her, but not before she took a chunk out of him. Anya said he was injured and got away.” Keane explains while he begins pulling together supplies. He pushes the wooden side board aside and pops the hidden compartment out. Inside is a long green case with Keane’s weapons.
Vorn helps lift the case. When the lid is pried off the metal case, Keane murmurs. “Hello, my beauties.” Two swords, daggers and a rope. A shotgun and a handgun, with enough ammo to take down an army. He shoves the ropes, flashlight, and ammo into a backpack and checks the pistol before sliding home a fully loaded clip.
Vorn lifts the shotgun up and is shocked by the weight of it. “A little much don’t you think?”
Keane sneers at him, “Not all my enemies are immortal ones.” Vorn laughs and helps him load the rest of the ammo.
Sebastian stares at them like they’ve lost their minds. “Explain to me, why my… daughter is facing this threat alone.”
“Because she’s a wee bit head strong and doesn’t listen to a word I say. She needs you to train her, Sebastian. She has to learn to control her impulses, right now it is controlling her.”
Vorn snorts, “He’s in no better position than her. Sebastian can barely control himself as it is. It will take more than a vampire to train her.” Sebastian glares at him but does not argue. His rage seems to be boiling just beneath the surface.
Keane turns before Sebastian and faces the Drow in his living room. “I understand his place in this, Drow. But you seem a mystery to me. I’ve judged many of your species during my time as a hunter.” He points a sword at Vorn, “What business is it of yours?”
Sebastian growls, “Enough. I need to see my daughter. The Drow is with me, and for now, that is enough.”
“Caius has the book with the location of the gates. I don’t know how to get to her.” Keane explains.
“We need to get to the archives, perhaps we can find a clue to where the gates are,” Sebastian suggests.
“I’ve always wanted to see the inside of a vampire’s lair. However, I have a better idea.” Vorn declares.
“Like what?” Keane asks.
“We need to go se
e the Shadow King. He can determine Anya’s location.” He doesn’t mention that with the Fae Queens help they can move quickly through space and get to her before Caius.
“Are you mad? Why would they agree to help a vampire? I’ve seen what they do to my kind. No. It will not work.” Sebastian turns to leave but stops at her name.
“Anya is half-vampire and half-angel, Sebastian. They will be curious to see what her gifts are. I promise to keep you safe. I’ll even hold your hand if you wish.” Vorn replies.
This time, when Sebastian flashes in front of Vorn he is ready for him. He moves the instant before Sebastian reaches him. Vorn stands beside the old man, holding a shotgun to the vampire’s face. “You really shouldn’t be so predictable.”
Keane struggles not to grin, “As entertaining as you two boys are, my daughter needs me. I say we go see this Shadow King.” He snatches the weapon from Vorn and grins. “If you had pulled the trigger you would have broken your nose and possibly lost your teeth.”
“You will teach me how to use these weapons,” Vorn states as he strokes a hand along the steel barrel.
Sebastian struggles to calm the rage boiling in his soul. “I am an ancient, why am I struggling like this?”
“You need to feed before we reach the shadow realm. They will not like it if you drain a Fae.” Vorn hisses and stomps to the kitchen to make his call. “We can’t just show up unannounced. It doesn’t work that way.” Pulling his cell phone out, he grins at the look on Keane’s face.
“A cellphone?” He asks in surprise as Vorn makes his call.
“We need to meet, now. Bring Reese and Ariana. I will be bringing some guests. Prepare them for it. A human and a vampire.” Vorn stomps away and they can hear his voice lower. “I understand this is unusual, but trust me, they will not be happy if they miss this meeting. Understood.” The call ends and he turns to look at them.
