by S. L. Baum
“I don’t care if she hears. I just need her to stay put,” she answered, impatient.
A flash of static like electricity, zapped in front of me. Marcus was still sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the wall, several feet away from me. I rushed forward, only to find myself slamming into an invisible barrier. I could touch it, slam my fist against it, but could not penetrate it. A small static shock flashed through me each time I came in contact with the barrier.
Marcus got up and ran over to where I stood beating my hands against the barrier. He placed his hands against mine, but I couldn’t feel his skin, and we both received a large shock. It was bigger than the ones I had gotten before.
Elizabeth took a step toward where we stood. Marcus eyed her warily. She reached out to him. “Marcus, I’m going to need you asleep for this. Sorry, darling.”
Marcus’s knees gave way, as sleep came over his body, and he started to fall. Drew caught him before he hit the floor.
“On the table,” Elizabeth ordered.
“Where else?” muttered Drew.
“Attitude,” snapped Elizabeth
“Sorry!”
“You’d better be, darling.”
Nikola watched their exchange with repugnance. He turned his head slightly, as if distancing himself from their juvenile banter.
“Elizabeth!” I screamed out for the fifth time. She continued to ignore me as she watched Drew struggle to drag Marcus over to the butcher block table and push him up onto it. Marcus was placed flat on his back, hands at his side. Drew straightened out Marcus’s legs as he pulled the shoes and socks from his feet. All I could think of was that it reminded me of a corpse laid out at the morgue.
Nikola stepped up to the table and walked a full circle around Marcus. He touched each hand and foot of my unconscious friend, then came to a stop when he reached Marcus’s head. Nikola opened The Book and placed it on Marcus’s chest. He rested his hands on Marcus’s forehead, chanting something in a language I had never heard.
Marcus’s whole body began to tremble, as the chanting grew louder. I stood on the other side of the invisible barrier, in a shocked silence. My stomach had clenched, turning inside out, and goosebumps, once again, raised themselves on every available surface of my skin. I began to shake in fear.
Nikola glanced back at Elizabeth. “I’m going to take all three,” he said.
“I only want the wordless communication and the firepower. You can throw the other one to the wind,” Elizabeth responded as if she were reminding Nikola of a fact she’d previously shared with him.
“As you wish,” Nikola nodded.
The chanting began again.
The louder Nikola’s voice rose, the more Marcus’s body shook. When it seemed like Nikola couldn’t get any louder, I noticed a strange thin, threadlike mist. The almost transparent threads were coming from Marcus’s hands, feet, mouth, and forehead. They grew thicker, as the number of threads multiplied, and took on a rust-colored hue. The mist converged over the butcher block table and floated in the air over Marcus. The reddish, misty threads became a cloud of doom that lingered in the air.
“Are you ready?” Nikola asked.
“Andrew, darling, I need you now,” Elizabeth turned to where Drew stood watching the scene with complete fascination.
Drew rushed over to stand behind her and she turned back toward Nikola, “Ready.”
Nikola resumed the chant and the red mist began to swirl. It spiraled up toward the ceiling. Elizabeth and Drew stared up at it with awe. I couldn’t draw my gaze away from Nikola. He closed his eyes and then quickly re-opened them. The flames had returned and flickered eerily. Nikola raised his arms up toward the mist and the flames in his eyes began to dance with abandon. Then he grabbed at the air and flung it toward Elizabeth.
The spiral of misty strands separated, the larger portion of them plunged into Elizabeth’s chest. She screamed in pain and fell back against Drew. The remainder of the red mist continued to swirl. Nikola then motioned toward Drew and the threads surged into the young man’s forehead. Drew lost his ability to stand, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, taking Elizabeth with him.
Marcus became still and I once again began to beat at the barrier. A scream erupted from my throat. My friend lay on the table with blood seeping from each and every point on his body that the red mist had just exited.
The static barrier burst, Drew’s unconscious state being unable to keep it in place any longer.
Nikola turned to stare at me, and his flaming red eyes seemed even brighter than before. I gasped in horror and then I screamed.
****
chapter eleven
THE BLOOD THAT BINDS
Lulach and Christopher watched as the six of them approached.
“Sorrow, anguish, and agony draw near,” Lulach told his companion.
“It’s a shame,” Christopher replied. “They’ve been involved with so much trouble in such a short span of time.”
As they neared, Link raised his hand in greeting and Lulach gave a slight nod of his head. “Our dear girl is in great distress again,” he said.
“We have no idea where she is,” Link sighed, his voice heavy with worry.
“And your mate?” Lulach asked Eve.
“Marcus is missing too,” Eve answered. “Along with Charity’s mortal friend.”
“You can help us, can’t you?” Link asked Lulach.
“Yes, Lincoln, I can indeed. Our blood bond led me to this spot and to you. My bond with Charity is even stronger. It will pull me toward her location. The intense sadness in her blood calls to me. I was on my way to this city, hoping to surprise her and celebrate your wedding with you. While in route, I found myself feeling her great distress. You were the closer of the two, so I sought you out first.”
“Charity disappeared just minutes before we were to meet at the wedding chapel,” Link explained.
“We’re pretty sure that Elizabeth, a Witch friend of ours, is with the three of them,” Catherine said.
“Ex-friend, now enemy,” Lincoln seethed.
Catherine closed her eyes and blew out a long breath. Then she looked at Lulach. “If she has them in her custody, I will use my every resource to assure her demise. But part of me is clinging to the possibility that she has been captured too.”
“I think you are clinging to false hope,” Lulach responded.
Catherine’s eyes watered over and a tear slid down her cheek. “I think I know that. It is just so hard to accept.”
James wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed her in a tight hug. “If any of us had known she was capable of this, we never would have remained in close contact with her.”
“Heck, one of my powers lets me know when someone is being truthful. But she’s always been a creature of half-truths, so I rarely look for facts in her statements. I should have been testing her. I might have known,” Cozmo hung his head.
“I blame no one for this. Really. We should just focus on finding her and forget everything else,” Lincoln said.
“A logical statement indeed.” Lulach nodded his head in approval. “Logic is what will help us make the correct next step in finding our missing friends.”
“So, what is our next step?” Link asked.
“Why don’t you come with me, Lincoln? The rest of you, please follow in your vehicle. I will direct Christopher to where I feel my connection to Charity is the strongest. This may take some time. But as long as her heart is beating, I will have a sense of which way to go. Right now, we head north,” Lulach said.
“I want to be in the car with you, if that is alright, Lulach. That is my twin brother out there. I have a strong connection to him as well,” Cozmo stated.
Lulach stepped to the side and motioned to Christopher, who immediately opened the door. “Very well, come,” he told Cozmo.
Cozmo kissed Lizabelle and whispered, “I’ll be just a car away, my love.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Go on then. We’ll follow you.”
The three men entered the back of the limousine, while Christopher took his place up front. As they pulled out, onto the street, Link started to tap his fingers on his leg. Lulach watched this nervous tick until Link noticed the attention he was drawing. “I need to find her,” Link stated, grabbing onto his leg to still his fidgeting hand.
“We will, I promise,” Lulach answered. “Christopher, how many times have I been unsuccessful while we were in pursuit?”
“That would be none, Sir,” Christopher replied.
“Do you have any suggestions, my friend?” Lulach asked him.
“Well, you said north. So I’ll be getting on the freeway and heading in that direction, until you tell me otherwise. If we are dealing with a powerful Witch, then a slow stealth approach would be in order, I believe,” Christopher suggested.
“Agreed,” Lulach responded.
The two men conversed easily. It was evident that they had often discussed their plan of attack, when on the search for one of Lulach’s latest victims... if one could truly call them victims. Murderers, rapists, and serial abusers kept Lulach supplied with blood. He was one of the very few Vampires that sustained themselves almost exclusively on the blood of the wicked. He brought many to justice, where the legal system had failed.
Christopher was more than a simple driver. He filled the role of both partner and companion to Lulach. They worked together in a seamless fashion.
“Her blood flows strong, Lincoln. Though I will not lie, I feel her misery and her fading hope. She must not lose hope,” Lulach said.
“Charity is one heck of a girl,” Cozmo said and smiled as if he were remembering some intimate detail from their past together, before Link.
Link looked up and glanced at Christopher in the rear view. He moved his gaze over to Cozmo and then locked eyes with Lulach. “She is my life!”
*****
“You’re bothering my ears, dear girl. Stop screaming or I may be forced to remove your ability to make any sound at all,” Nikola raised his voice so it could be heard over the sounds of my anguish.
“What did you do?” I screamed at him.
“It was a simple power transference. Elizabeth coveted Marcus’s powers. She wanted them for her own,” Nikola laughed. “She is a greedy girl, that one.”
“You killed him,” I accused.
“He’s not dead yet. However, a Witch cannot survive for long without his powers. That will be the death of him.”
“You removed his powers. You are the death of him.”
“In a roundabout way, I suppose I am,” Nikola shrugged and the flames began to diminish from his eyes.
When the red was completely gone, his eyes returned to being a black hole, an emotionless void.
“There is no roundabout,” I insisted. “You took his powers from him. Powers that you said he needs to live! How long can he survive without them?” I asked.
“A day. Maybe more. Oh look, they are awakening,” Nikola turned from me, ending our conversation.
Elizabeth and Andrew each let out a small moan. I watched as Elizabeth struggled to push herself up to a kneeling position. Drew still lay behind her with his eyes closed. He was going to take longer to regain consciousness.
Summer also stirred. She exhaled with a sigh and turned onto her side. Nikola cocked his head in her direction and studied her while she slept. His black eyes narrowed, as if an idea had just struck him.
“What are your plans for that one?” he asked Elizabeth.
Elizabeth held onto the side of the wall, bracing herself as she stood. “I hadn’t thought that far. I guess I’ll have to dispose of her eventually,” she answered.
“Elizabeth, please. No!” I uttered a small plea.
Nikola glanced in my direction and then lifted The Book of Spells from where it still rested on Marcus’s chest. He cradled The Book in one arm, tapping the spine with his index finger.
“I can turn her into a willing servant. She will do whatever you ask, without question. It won’t wear off like your powers eventually will. How long can you keep a mortal entranced? Twenty-four hours or so, isn’t it?” Nikola asked.
Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement.
“Well a spell of mine will last for the duration of this mortal girl’s life... or until I release her. You could have her for decades, if you don’t abuse her,” Nikola said with a smile.
“Like a pet? Look around, Nikola. I don’t keep pets. They require too much care,” Elizabeth grumped.
“Better than a pet,” Nikola countered. “Just feed her. Tell her what to do and when to sleep. She’ll do exactly what she is told, without question, without testing your patience. You could always try it for a while. If she doesn’t please you, get rid of her then.”
“I guess I shouldn’t argue with a trial run,” Elizabeth shrugged.
I gasped at their inhuman attitude toward my friend. “Please just leave Summer out of this,” I begged.
This is the only way I’ll keep her alive, Charity. So don’t argue dear girl. Just close your mouth and let Nikola cast his spell. Her life depends on it. Elizabeth projected into my head.
“Fine,” I muttered aloud.
“Oh, good! It still works,” Elizabeth said. “I always worry that the power will diminish or disappear during the transference.”
“Has that ever happened, in all this time?” Nikola asked. Shock, mingled with a hint of annoyance, was present in his voice.
“No, it has not,” Elizabeth answered.
“Show some faith in my abilities. Sometimes I don’t know why I do this for you.” Nikola shook his head.
“Because you love to cast the spells in that book of yours, and I give you another reason to use it.”
“I’m getting bored of the transfer spell,” Nikola warned. “I won’t repeat it for you again.”
“That is why Charity is here. She is most definitely something new for you to experiment with. I hope you locate the correct spell in The Book soon,” Elizabeth purred, placing a finger on his shoulder and running it down his arm.
Nikola took a step back and turned his body, moving slightly out of her reach. Elizabeth, in turn, moved immediately closer to Nikola and rested her hand on his arm. She gave him an intimate smile that hinted at much more.
“I’d be happy to make this trip a very memorable one for you,” she said, and leaned forward, placing her lips on his.
Nikola stilled. He did not return her kiss. He did not move a single muscle, until Elizabeth pulled away.
“You are not my type, Elizabeth. We’ve gone through this before,” Nikola said with a harsh smile. “I like them much younger, and nowhere near as headstrong as you. I want a mindless follower, a young mindless follower.”
“You are correct. I am not a mindless fool. I asked you here because I want her Immortality, Nikola. Get it for me!” Elizabeth huffed.
“I will,” he answered, “simply to prove that I can.”
“My Immortality? That’s why I’m here? How could she possibly get it?” I wondered aloud.
Being an Immortal One wasn’t a power I possessed or an attribute obtained through the sharing of blood, like Vampirism. It was contained in my DNA. It was what I was born to be.
“I’ll need your blood, Charity,” Nikola answered.
“Take some then,” I told him. “Then you can let us go.”
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and said, “It’s not quite that easy, dear girl.”
“You see, I’ll need all of your blood,” Nikola clarified.
“All of my blood,” I whispered and stepped backwards until I felt the wall behind me. I wished I could disappear into the cold hard surface at my back. If only I had the power to pass through it and escape.
If they drained all of the blood from me, would my body be able to produce any more of it? Or would that be the end? Would I cease to exist? I honestly didn’t know. I had never heard of an Immortal One being drained, unles
s it was after a beheading.
“I might be able to leave you a little. I’m not quite sure yet. I’m still trying to find the correct spell. You see, I’ve located the section, but... I’ll know by morning,” Nikola clipped with a quick nod of his head. “You should wake him now, Elizabeth.”
“Oh yes, Andrew. I almost forgot about him,” she glanced over to where he still lay.
“Elizabeth!” I screamed.
She slashed her hand through the air, toward me, and I felt that familiar static electric pop. She had thrown up another barrier. As I attempted to rush forward, I slammed into it. It was the same barrier Drew had used on me just a short while ago. She was borrowing his power.
My voice was starting to lose its strength as I continued to yell at the two of them. “Let me out of here!” I croaked.
Elizabeth ignored me as she curled her hand into a loose fist and lifted it up to her mouth. She blew softly into the opening, where her thumb and index finger met. When she pulled her hand away from her face, it glowed. A tiny flame danced within the confines of her grip. She turned toward Drew and swung her arm, as if pitching a baseball. But it wasn’t a baseball (of course) it was a fireball. After it was released, it danced through the air landing on the concrete floor, inches from Drew’s head.
Drew’s eyes flashed open as the fire burned brightly, near his face. It fizzled out within a few seconds, having nothing to grab onto and further ignite. He sat up, when the last remnants of the flame had vanished into the air, and started rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand.
“How fun!” Elizabeth smiled. “I like the firepower.”
“What did you do to me?” Drew asked Nikola.
“I gave you a new power. Elizabeth didn’t want it, it had to go somewhere, so I passed it onto you.”
“Okay, gotcha,” Drew mumbled as he stood.
“See, Drew darling, I promised that you’d begin to benefit. Now you have a brand new power to play with,” Elizabeth told him, her smug smile beaming.
“Thanks, I guess,” Drew rubbed the top of his head. “What does it do?”
