Gauntlet Rite of Ascension

by Marcus Abshire

  “Thank you.” Eavan and I both said.

  “I look forward to seeing you both, now I can see you are quite anxious to talk to Abaddon so I will take my leave. Goodbye.” He said, shutting the door behind him.

  We stood in silence after Vicktor left. Abaddon walked over to a small dresser and took out the scrambling device. He set it on the table then switched it on.

  “I thought he had come to get us.” I said, exhaling in relief.

  “Aye.” Eavan agreed.

  Abaddon looked like he was about to say something then stopped himself. He narrowed his eyes and looked from Eavan to me, analyzing.

  “What has happened?” He asked.

  Eavan and I told him about meeting in the woods outside the Den and about how we heard Jameson outside the property line. We left out the more intimate details of our story and just focused on the relevant facts. I told him about what we overheard and how we were almost caught, then the encounter with Jameson’s thugs ending with entering the room and finding Vicktor.

  Abaddon stood listening with attention; he didn’t interrupt which meant I was giving all the details that he would have been looking for. When I was silent he looked back and forth between us again and the ghost of a smile drifted across his face before it vanished.

  “Ah, Vicktor’s appearance makes more sense then.” He said.

  “I don’t understand.” Eavan said.

  “I think I do.” I offered.

  Eavan turned to me and gave me a look that said I better tell her what I was talking about before she beat me senseless.

  “I think we were spotted, or at least found. When Jameson turned he knew someone was out there and might have even been able to identify who by our scent. He had to go off and take care of something and so called Vicktor who dispatched twiddle dee and twiddle dum to kill us. His coming here would give him an alibi by the one person who had enough credibility to make charges against him taken seriously. He probably also hoped, if we survived, that we would come in here and either attack him or make some mistake that he then could turn against us, pretty smart actually.” I finished.

  Eavan stared at me, shocked.

  “Ye ain’t just a pretty face are ye?” She asked.

  I smiled at her and turned to Abaddon, waiting to see what he thought about my assessment.

  “No he isn’t.” Abaddon answered.

  “I think you are correct in your summation. His bringing invitations to his party in person was unnecessary. I think he figured if you were killed then he would be here away from any wrongdoing and if you weren’t he could devise another scenario where he had more control and use it to try to set you two up.” Abaddon added.

  “Damn sneaky of him.” Eavan grumbled.

  We all stood for a few seconds before Abaddon turned to me.

  “So Jameson was trying to hide something from being seen going to the Den.” He said.

  “He kept referring to “her” and “she”. What do you bet he was talking about the vampire lord?” I asked.

  “Aye, sounds like they were smuggling something, but what?” Eavan asked.

  “It seems like the most obvious choice would be people. I can’t think of anything else a vampire would be interested in other than feeding.” Abaddon said.

  “There are a lot of Pack members arriving now, some have already gotten here. They may be trafficking something or someone on their behalf.” I added.

  “I don’t think we can take anything off the table. Not until we review the video, hopefully it will give us something to go on. In the meantime you two need to do a better job of staying out of trouble.” Abaddon scolded us.

  I began to argue when he held up a hand stopping me.

  “I can’t babysit you; I have too much to do. I’ve got to wine and dine members to convince them about Vicktor.” He paused for a second, looking at us with scrutiny.

  “I have talked to Oengus and we think it would be a good idea if you two stuck together, watched each others backs so to speak.” He waited for our answer.

  I looked at Eavan and she looked back at me with a sideways glance. I saw a hint of agreement in her features.

  “Aye, I guess that’s a good idea. Yer boy ain’t too bad in a fight. I suppose we can do as ye suggest, as long as Eric is up to it.” She said.

  “I think we can make that work.” I answered, trying not to sound too eager.

  “Good, now I have a lot to do today so you two try and stay out of trouble.” Abaddon walked over to the scrambler and turned it off. He then went to the door, giving us one more look, and left. The silence of the empty room seemed very loud.

  I turned to Eavan and remembered the feel of her soft body under me and how her deep green eyes shone with desire. I coughed in embarrassment as those thoughts made me feel uncomfortable now that the moment had passed.

  Eavan watched me with a half-smile, seeming to be able to read my mind.

  “About earlier, I wanted to apologize.” I started.

  “Apologize fer what?” She asked, knowing what I was talking about, she beamed at seeing me squirm.

  “I uh, you know, well…” I stammered.

  Eavan let out a quick hearty laugh.

  “Did ye think I had no say in the matter?” She asked.

  “No, that’s not what I meant.” I was totally flustered.

  “Mayhap yer apologizing because ye regret yer actions, that I’m not attractive to ye?” She asked.

  “No, no, you’re very attractive. That’s not what I meant either.” I said.

  “Then what, prey tell, are ye apologizing for?” Eavan was enjoying herself immensely.

  I thought about it for a second this time before answering. What was I apologizing for? I was absolutely attracted to her; she was beautiful, smart and full of energy and life. I thought back and realized she wasn’t fighting, she shifted back first. All my instincts told me that she was as drawn to me as I was to her. What was I apologizing for?

  “Nothing.” I said finally.

  A smile grew on her face and it lit up the room.

  “Good.” She said.

  “Now, what do ye say we get some fresh air?” She added.

  “I think that’s a great idea.” I was relieved at the change of subjects.

  We left my room and started walking down the hallway.

  “I have to stop by my room and get something, are ye hungry?” Eavan asked.

  All of the excitement had left me famished and at the mention of food my stomach answered with a large growl.

  “I guess that answers my question.” Eavan laughed.

  We entered her room and she went to the kitchen and moved with the ease of someone who is perfectly comfortable cooking, she pan seared some thin steak, onions and bell peppers. She then toasted two sub loafs and piled the meat and veggies onto the buns, finishing off the sandwich with some melted cheese.

  I felt like I should be helping her but she shooed me off when I tried and so I sat at the table, waiting with a rumbling stomach and watering mouth.

  She brought the food over and we sat and ate together. It was probably better that I didn’t help her because I might have screwed up and ruined her delicious sandwiches. I ate with a ravenous appetite and when I finished I looked over at her. She was almost done eating and a memory flashed before me. It was of the last time I sat and ate with a beautiful girl. The pain of that memory shot through me like a bullet as it rips through skin and tissue.

  Eavan looked up at me and I turned away from her as the hurt from the memory of seeing Sara eating before I tore her head off became too much. I stood up and took my dishes to the sink, washing them to try and clear my mind. Eavan came over after a minute with her dishes and I washed them too. She went to her room and came out with a large bag.

  “I was thinking we should go up to the arena and check to see if yer friend found anything on the cameras worth knowing.” She said.

  “Ok, but I don’t have my laptop. How are we going to see what t
he cameras recorded?” I asked.

  “C’mon, I’ll show ye.” She answered, leading the way out.

  We went through the Den and encountered little traffic. Going up and outside into the early afternoon air helped clear the leftover feelings of guilt and loss that the memory of Sara always created.

  Eavan looked at her watch then went over to the edge of the arena and sat down.

  “We have a few hours to kill before yer friend is supposed to transmit the video footage. I thought this may be a good time for ye to pay off yer debt to me.” She said.

  I went over and sat next to her, looking out at the valley before us. The sun was low on the horizon, slowly sinking towards the mountain peaks that angrily shot from the surrounding forest like jagged teeth waiting to devour the flaming orb. The sky was filled with the pure blue of a cloudless sky, but as the sun got closer to setting, deep purples and blues could be seen in the horizon. The green of the forest’s pines a stark contrast to the cold skies, making the view a battle between the living landscape and the barren but beautiful heavens.

  Eavan reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of boots. They were made of leather and stained a dark blue. They had low heels but looked like they would go almost to her knees. Every inch of them was covered in dried mud. The caked on dirt had cracked with the leather and they looked as though someone had dipped them in mud and left them to dry. She set them next to her and pulled out a couple of rags and some soft bristled brushes along with a large bottle of water and a bowl. She poured the water into the bowl and started the slow, meticulous process of cleaning one of her boots.

  “Not what I had in mind when I pictured how I was to repay you.” I said as I sat down and picked up my own brush and boot.

  Without looking at me, I could still tell she smiled as she said, “Not dirty enough for ye?”

  “Your idea and my idea of dirty are worlds apart.” I answered.

  She laughed and I smiled back.

  We went about scraping the dirt off the boots; it wasn’t hard so much as tedious. The dirt had gotten into every wrinkle and fold. I became engrossed in the task, letting the simple work consume my attention. It came as a surprise when Eavan spoke.

  “What was her name?” She asked.

  “Huh?” I answered, startled by her question.

  “The girl, the one who haunts you, what was her name?”

  My stomach twisted at the topic of conversation.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  I felt responsible for what happened to Sara and was scared to death that Eavan would see the same thing if she knew the truth.

  “My family has always known about the Beast. Ever since I was a child my father told me stories about our family’s lineage. He educated me on what to expect and how to embrace it, making the chances for me becoming Acsended much greater. When I turned eighteen I was offered the choice to be bitten, thereby opening the door for the transition. I accepted and awaited my trial.” She stopped for a minute, looking off into the horizon.

  “I was in love. His name was Patrick and he had no idea about who or what I really was. I don’t know why I didn’t tell him; maybe some part of me was afraid of how he’d react, that he would reject me.”

  “He came over the day before the full moon. The pull of the Beast pushed my urges above normal and we ran off into the woods together. We found a private little slice of heaven and made love for the first time, and then for the second and third time.” She smiled at the memory before her eyes become haunted.

  “I lay there in the warmth of the summer night and his embrace looking at the sky. Ignoring all the warnings from my father and the lessons I had learned to keep to other Ascended during the first change. My feelings for Patrick made me foolish.”

  “The full moon rose in the dark sky and I felt the Beast rise. I began my own inner struggle to control it and Patrick watched as I changed forms. It seemed fitting that he witness it, seeing as how he was my first love. The Beast saw him and attacked. I was able to challenge it before it killed him but Patrick had been forever scarred. He ran off into the night, naked, scared and bleeding. I kept the Beast at bay and for the next few hours battled it for control. Finally, I understood and accepted the power, taking full control. My dad came bursting through the woods and found me standing in the clearing, Patrick’s blood on the ground. He confronted me and I showed mastery of my Beast and pride swelled within him as he knew I had Ascended. He helped me change back and we went home. I went to Patrick the next day and he wanted nothing to do with me. He was at home, with his arm in bandages, the Beast had torn it up with one slash. He feared me, he kept saying I was possessed and of the devil. I could see the hate and fear in his eyes and realized I had lost him forever.”

  “I don’t know what ye went through, but I know ye were never raised to understand what was happening to ye. I knew what to expect and still almost killed Patrick.” She finished, looking at me openly, hoping I would open up back.

  I sat with my head hung. I knew it hurt for her to tell me that. All I could see was Sara’s face right before I watched as the Beast killed her. What was going through her mind? Did she think it was me killing her or did she know I wasn’t there, that a monster had taken my place? The thought that she knew it was me and that I was the monster brought another wave of pain as the idea came of its own freewill, my mind unable to stop the thoughts from rushing over me.

  Eavan sat patiently, without pushing. She turned back and sighed, beginning to continue cleaning her boot.

  “Sara.” I said in a low voice.

  Saying her name out loud gave it less power to overwhelm me.

  “Her name was Sara.” I said again, this time a little louder.

  Eavan turned to me with still calm, seeming willing to wait all night for me to continue if I needed to.

  “We had lab together.” I said tentatively, looking into Eavan’s eyes, seeing only understanding and compassion within their depths.

  “I wasn’t very popular in school, she was. We became lab partners after she came to class late and I was the only one left without one. She never seemed to mind. She was kind and smart. She treated me like an equal, never making me feel left out. I fell in love on that first day.”

  “She had a boyfriend and so I waited, buying my time. In retrospect I was actually a coward, afraid of rejection. Near the end of the school year she broke up with him and I kept telling myself I was going to ask her out, but deep down I knew she’d say no. Then one day I was bitten by a wolf. I had a newfound sense of confidence and I asked her out. To my amazement she said yes.”

  “We had a great time; she was wonderful, as smart as she was beautiful. It was the perfect night until the Beast rose. I had no idea what was happening and I hid within myself. I cowered like a child in the dark recess of my mind, hoping this thing wouldn’t find me. I watched as it went after her and ripped her head from her body.” I stopped and took a deep breath, willing myself to continue.

  “I did nothing as it took her life and then the lives of two others. By the time I fought back and won it was too late for them, they were dead. Sara was dead because I was a coward; I was too weak to fight. I will never be too weak again.” I finished.

  She didn’t try to tell me I was wrong or that I shouldn’t feel as I did. Instead she just looked out into the distance with me. She reached over and took my hand; we sat like that for I don’t know how long.

  “My dad used to say that the power of the Beast is immense. He said it could almost be unlimited if wielded by the right person fer the right reasons. Sometimes the lessons of how important it is to have control over the Beast are in direct correlation to the person’s potential.” She said after a while.

  I thought about what she said. She wasn’t telling me how I should feel or that I wasn’t a coward, instead she was telling me to embrace these facts and use them to fuel my will, in the same way I accepted the Beast and used my will to give me power over it. She was te
lling me I could gain control over what happened and use it instead of letting it use me.

  I squeezed her hand and turned toward her, we were only a foot apart and her red full lips drew me like the call of a deer draws in the wolf. I leaned in and kissed her and she never backed off, slowly at first then growing with more passion. It stretched on and we finally parted, both of us breathing heavy, our bodies screaming to continue. I realized her words had sunken in and pierced through the pain of Sara’s death. I hadn’t forgotten about Sara and what happened, but it also didn’t stop me from enjoying the moment with Eavan. It seemed to have dissolved into my being and added a core of strength to me, the depth of which as yet unknown.

  Eavan smiled and raised her eyebrows in a quick movement.

  “Ready to see what’s on the video?” She asked.

  I had almost forgotten about that as we both got up and went over to the antennae array. I climbed up while she kept watch. I came back down with the small receiver and placed it into Eavan’s outstretched hand. She took it and then pulled out a phone from her pocket. She uncoiled a small cord and attached the receiver to her phone. After a few seconds the download was complete and I took the receiver back to the top of the array. Hoping back down I met Eavan at the edge and we sat back down. We looked at the phone’s screen and waited for the video to start.

  Max came into focus as he sat at the computer in the cabin. Katrina stood behind him and her hand was casually placed on his shoulder.

  “I don’t know exactly what you were expecting to see, but I’m afraid you might be disappointed. The only interesting thing that happened was around three a.m. Here it is.”

  The video shifted to one of the cameras as it recorded the outside wall of the Den. There was nothing on it but the wall, a small area of grass and the hint of a tree line. After about ten seconds of tranquility, movement drew my attention to the far corner of the screen. A rabbit bounced into view and hopped parallel to the trees; it then took one tentative look around before moving out of the screen and out of view.

  Max popped back onto the screen, he had a wide grin stretched across his face.