Between Darkness & Light

by Theresa Van Spankeren

  “Let’s go,” I said, exasperated. She nodded and we headed into the woods.

  Kali and I were the last ones back to the villa. Matthew was discussing the encounter with Jeffrey. Mary Anne was sitting in a chair nearby with her eyes closed. “Where’s Samuel?” I asked.

  “In his room. Julia, don’t bother him.”

  I ignored her and headed for his room. I had a few questions. I opened the door and stepped inside. “Samuel?”

  He stood at the far end of the room in front of an open window. He stiffened when I spoke but didn’t turn to look at me. “What is it?”

  “Why didn’t you ask Lane if he wanted to join us?”

  “Julia, are you completely out of your mind?”

  “No. I’m just wondering why.”

  Samuel hissed under his breath. “You obviously don’t understand something. He can block us telepathically! He does it so completely that we won’t know he’s there unless he decides to show himself! Don’t you realize how vulnerable we are if he decides to attack us?”

  “We’ve managed to do the same.”

  “Yes, using the damn ka-tet!” Samuel yelled back. “Lane does it by himself!”

  “Samuel –” I started, wanting to calm him down.

  “If that’s not enough, the stories about his power are true. He can hypnotize other vampires. That’s frightening, Julia. His power has never been seen before. Not to mention his ability to fight eight vampires by himself is stunning in its own right.”

  “Please calm down. Are you forgetting something? Lane doesn’t like Valentino either. He has just as much reason to hate him as you do. Lane won’t go after us unless we provoke him. And you’ve said it yourself, we have no reason to.”

  Samuel sighed. “The answer is still no, Julia. We have enough problems to worry about.”

  “From what I understood, the only reason Valentino sentenced him to death was because he killed the group who murdered his friends. How is that any different than what we’ve done?”

  There was a moment of silence. “He didn’t simply kill them, he fed off them.”

  “He’s found that an alternative to killing innocent mortals. You know as well as I do that a murderer doesn’t come skipping by every time you need to feed. And he doesn’t know how to properly feed from mortals.” I paused, then said, “I thought you of all people would understand that! What would you be doing if Valerie hadn’t found you? How would you be feeding?”

  He glowered at me. “I don’t know and it doesn’t matter.”

  I watched him a moment. “I don’t think that finding out the stories about him are true is all that’s bothering you, Samuel. I think it’s seeing Lane himself. It’s like staring back through the centuries at yourself, isn’t it?”

  “The way we became vampires is fundamentally different, Julia.”

  “Not originally,” I said softly. “And in any case, how it happened is not the point. The point is that you have spent time alone. The first couple of months you were a vampire, you were as confused and remote as Lane is. At least that’s what Valerie told me; she was surprised you weren’t a loner yet. How close were you?”

  Samuel answered me with telling silence.

  “Why can’t we teach him?” I asked.

  The silence stretched on for a moment, then two. “No,” he finally said.

  “Why the hell not?” I glared at him. Why was he being so difficult about this?

  “The idea is interesting but not plausible. He’s about sixty years old, Julia. If you talked to Valerie at any length about the first couple of years I was with her group, you would know that it was extremely difficult to teach me how to do everything. And I was on my own for a few months. Lane’s done things this way for decades. Teaching him would be damn near impossible. I don’t know if it’s possible for him to learn everything or if he wants to. Even if he wishes to acquire the knowledge and skills he’s missing, it would take a lot of time and patience to instruct him. And it would have to be someone Lane trusts and he doesn’t trust anyone.”

  “It’s possible that can change. Perhaps he can learn to trust us.”

  “At this time, no.” Samuel shook his head. “Julia, if I thought I could teach him, I would. At the very least I would have offered.” He faced the window again and finished, “It’s not going to happen. At least not now.”

  With a sigh, I backed out of the room. It was obvious that Samuel wanted to be alone. The other three were still discussing our encounter with Lane. “Why did it bother you that he didn’t talk much? I doubt he is used to company, Matthew,” Jeffrey asked.

  “It’s harder to discern a reserved person’s personality. Considering his reputation, I thought it would be good if he interacted with us more.”

  Mary Anne snorted. “I would have thought you’d had plenty of practice with Samuel in the early years.”

  He frowned at her. “You’re confusing me with members of Valerie’s old group. Adrian, Elizabeth, and the others had more experience with that than me. He had been a vampire for a century or so before we met.”

  I walked over and sat down. “Matthew, how did you and Samuel meet?” I asked, sensing an opportunity to learn more about them both.

  He glanced at me. “How? Well . . . I lived in France as a human. When I first met Samuel, I was preparing to go on Crusade. I was one of the Knights Templar.” He gazed thoughtfully at the fire. “We were out late one night and came upon a group of six men attacking what seemed to be a harmless couple. When they saw us, ten knights in full armor, they fled. If only I had a clue then what we had stumbled into.”

  “A confrontation between Hunters and vampires?”

  Matthew nodded. “Samuel and Valerie to be exact. The ka-tet was just beginning to form. Even so, it was already powerful enough that I could feel the psychic connection to Samuel that night.”

  “As a human?”

  “Yes. Remember, you don’t have to be a vampire to be part of a ka-tet. It joins souls who share a purpose. Destiny doesn’t care if one person is a human and another a vampire or witch.” I nodded and he continued, “A couple weeks later I discovered what they were. Samuel saved my life. I had been wounded badly. The rest is what you call history.”

  I made a face at him, at his abrupt end of the story. “I was just wondering. There’s no need to get defensive.”

  He ignored my comment and instead asked, “What did you ask Samuel about?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing important. Where’s Kali?”

  “In her room. She said she didn’t want to be bothered,” Mary Anne replied.

  “Anyone else see a pattern here?” Matthew questioned, looking around. “We see Lane and everyone starts acting strangely.”

  “Some more than others,” Jeffrey noted. I shook my head and left the room.

  Chapter 11

  The next night, my first thought was to talk to Kali. I knocked on her door several times but there was no answer. I frowned and headed for the sitting room. Stephen, Jeffrey, and Matthew were all sitting near the fire, talking. Jeffrey looked up. “Hello, Julia.”

  “Where’s Kali? She’s not in her room.”

  The three looked at each other. “I don’t know,” Matthew replied. “I thought she was still in there. Like someone else I know.”

  “She’s not. She left here a while ago. I would like to know where the hell she went though. It’s too dangerous for her to be taking off without warning,” Mary Anne called from the kitchen.

  “She left?” I echoed, looking toward her.

  “Yes. Almost two hours ago. I’m starting to worry.”

  I shook my head in exasperation. “I wouldn’t get too worried,” I muttered, recalling the last thing she said the night before. “I have a feeling she’s quite all right.”

  Matthew gave me a strange look. “How can you be sure of that with Hunters and a very angry group of vampires around?”

  “I think she’s with Lane. Though I would have wanted to go with her . . . or at
least talked with her before she left.”

  “Perhaps you should go after her to make sure she’s all right,” Jeffrey said.

  “Maybe I should,” I said thoughtfully. I glanced at Mary Anne. “I’ll be back soon.” She nodded and went back to her cooking. I let myself out the door.

  As soon as I stepped away, I searched the area telepathically for a trace of either Kali or Lane. For a second, maybe even less than that, I sensed a faint glimmer from Kali. However, the second I sensed it, it winked out. “Oh, funny,” I murmured. “Very funny.” Shaking my head, I headed for the woods where we saw Lane last night. I didn’t know how else to even begin looking.

  A little later, I walked into the clearing where our encounter took place the night before. The area smelled faintly of blood and death, but the bodies were gone. I briefly wondered who had moved them, but decided I did not want to know.

  There was no one there, but I heard muffled voices from deeper in the woods. I followed the sound. When I got close enough I could hear Lane clearly. “I’ve never seen humans live with vampires before. Why do you stay with them?”

  I stopped a few feet away, feeling it prudent to leave some space since I had walked up behind Lane. He was leaning against a tree, facing Kali, who was sitting on a fallen log. She wore a simple black dress with a matching cloak. Her hair was once again loose down her shoulders. She thought for a moment, then answered, “For the same reasons you live alone.”

  “I live alone because most vampires try to kill me.”

  Kali nodded. “Most humans would burn me at the stake if given half a chance. They fear what they don’t understand. And whatever they fear, they destroy.”

  I watched the exchange. I swore this was the most I had heard either of them talk.

  Lane was silent a moment. “But the humans fear me too. And therefore, I have no one.”

  Kali stared at him thoughtfully. “I have to admit you’re in a more difficult situation. Until I met you, I thought I was the one in such a position. We’ll never have it easy, Lane.”

  “I’ve begun to suspect that. I still don’t understand this destiny thing you speak about.”

  Kali opened her mouth to answer when she spotted me. Lane did a second later. “I know you’re there,” they stated.

  Before answering, I took a moment to marvel at the girl’s ability to wander off and, within a couple hours, locate a solitary vampire whose telepathic shielding rivaled the ka-tet’s. She didn’t seem to be fatigued or worried at all. Of course, maybe she simply got lucky and he had been here already.

  I walked up next to him. I glanced at Lane and noticed he was wearing the usual attire, a mismatch of black peasant and noble clothing and the odd coat. There was no question that he was armed, but this time he didn’t have a weapon in hand. “Hello,” I said.

  Kali watched me and frowned. “Why are you here, Julia?”

  “I was looking for you,” I said with a sigh. “We were worried.”

  She looked back at Lane. “Of course some people are probably too curious about things. The more you learn, Julia, the farther the balance of things is going to be tipped. I don’t know what will happen,” she admonished.

  I raised my eyebrows at her tone. Was I seriously being scolded by a fifteen-year-old child? Lane chuckled from beside me. I glared at him before turning my attention back to Kali. “I’ll take my chances. Not understanding things has led to trouble,” I answered.

  Kali mumbled something and looked at him again. “Do you mind if she stays? She can always leave. Right, Julia?”

  I shrugged. “If you want me to leave, I will. I came only to ensure you were all right.”

  “No, it’s fine. She can stay,” Lane replied. He glanced toward me and for a second I saw a smile. I wondered how long it had been since he had laughed or smiled. Years maybe? Tonight he had done both within five minutes.

  I smiled back. “Thanks.”

  He shrugged and looked back at Kali. “Please continue.”

  “Everything is ruled by what you call destiny. Some call it fate, some call it ka; it’s all one and the same. Most souls are ruled by this and spend their lives fulfilling whatever purpose destiny has determined for them.”

  “But not all,” I said quietly.

  Kali shook her head. “No, not all. There are others. There are souls like Lane and me, who are perfectly blank.” She stared at Lane for a moment. “Up for grabs by either side, good or evil. We alone decide which we will be.”

  He nodded. I turned over the information in my mind. “Do all blanks have unusual powers?” I asked.

  Lane stared at me, as if surprised by my question. “Is it true?” he asked, looking at Kali.

  “Yes. Each of the undesignated has a unique gift. Sometimes several.” She gazed off into the distance for a moment. “The power the undesignated holds determines his or her importance in the grand scheme of things. The more power one holds, the more things they’re able to change. They can do great things or they can bring utter disaster.” She looked back at us. “Your abilities are unique even for a vampire. This is because you had the power even as a human.”

  Lane looked lost in thought. I thought Kali was explaining more to him then he’d probably ever known. However, I had also noticed that she was keeping the conversation away from herself. Somehow, that honestly didn’t surprise me.

  I pondered for a moment as well, then asked, “So the fact he has this power means what? He hypnotizes vampires . . . how would he have gotten this? I don’t understand.”

  Kali studied us. Even though it had been me who asked, I noticed Lane was staring at her now. It was undoubtedly a question he’s asked himself hundreds of times since becoming a vampire.

  “Since you’re able to hypnotize vampires, I would guess you were able to hypnotize humans while mortal,” she said directly to Lane.

  I was silent again, but only for a moment. “Lane’s not even a century old! If he had that power then and can hypnotize other vampires now . . .what the hell will he be able to do with his power later? It’s about a century after being turned that a vampire’s powers really develop and increase in strength.”

  They were both staring at me now, Lane with a startled look on his face. This was obviously not something he had known. “Oh my God, what would you be able to do if you were a vampire?” I gasped, looking at Kali. “You already invade my dreams.”

  Lane stared at Kali. “You can do that?”

  She nodded reluctantly. “Julia, I cannot know with certainty unless it happens. My guess is that it would be easier to enter and possibly harm the sleeper through their own images. This power is related to the telepathic power I hold. Without it, I would not be able to enter people’s minds while they sleep.”

  “That is disturbing,” I muttered. “Kali, if you ever become a vampire and you become angry at me, please stay out of my dreams.”

  Kali smiled briefly. “I told you that you were better off not knowing, Julia. You were the one who insisted on staying.”

  I scowled at her. Lane was still studying her. “Can you do anything else?”

  “Yes.”

  Lane looked at me. I managed to keep a straight face and shrug. “Kali doesn’t like talking about herself much,” I said.

  “What else can you do?” he asked, prodding her.

  Kali sighed. “See into the future.”

  Lane and I looked at each other. “How do you do that if you don’t have one plotted out?” he asked in confusion.

  “I do not see mine. I see others’.” She paused, then said, “I see more than a picture or a quick flash . . . I can see a soul’s entire destiny, Lane. One that will unfold unless it’s tampered with.” Kali’s gaze drifted beyond us into the woods. “And then I decide whether or not to become involved.”

  “That has to be a rare ability,” Lane commented.

  “As rare as yours,” she answered and looked at us. I stared back, trying to formulate a question. She had always said our gifts were
different, but she had never spoken candidly about her own before. “You want to ask something, Julia?” she asked gently.

  I nodded and glanced nervously at Lane. I had never said anything about my own abilities in front of him before. But Kali’s explanation of her own ability warranted that I ask– not to mention that both she and Lane were offering information about their own powers. The right thing to do was offer a little in exchange. “Kali, you know I glimpse into the future myself. I don’t understand how one can see into the future but not be one of the undesignated. I mean if you can see it, you can change it, right?”

  “Yes . . . but only certain events by yourself. You can change some things along the way, but your ultimate destiny – final purpose if you will – cannot be changed unless one of the undesignated helps.”

  “You already have. Now what will happen because you two met?”

  Kali paused a minute. “Chaos possibly. Certainly things that you never thought possible will occur.” She looked directly at me. “Things have a way of coming full circle, Julia. Where there’s unfinished business, karma takes on a role. The past has a way of rearing its ugly head when you least expect it. Some things you never want to face but you must in order for things to move as they are supposed to.”

  Fear stabbed me deeply in my gut. Kali was trying to warn me of something, that much was clear, no matter how cryptically she worded it. But I didn’t know what she was trying to caution me about.

  Lane looked at me in confusion. I shook my head in response as he turned back to Kali. “One last question before I leave. If she,” he glanced at me as he spoke, “can change anything about her future, she can’t be one with a wholly set destiny. Most are completely clueless about the future. So what’s with her?”

  Surprised by the question, I looked from him to Kali. She frowned as if she didn’t want to answer. “It’s a fair question,” I said. “Please answer, Kali.”

  She chewed her lip. “All right. I’ll try to explain it to you. There are different levels of existence. Almost all mortals exist on the first level. However, there are some who are on the higher levels. Many psychic mortals, shape-shifters, and witches are on the second level. Most vampires exist on the third level. They have more awareness of things than the previous levels.” She paused, then said, “I think Julia and others of her group are on the fourth level. The one right below ours. Some refer to the souls on that level as Great Ones. They usually have one purpose, a single but crucial role in the course of things. If one of the ‘Great Ones’ dies before their time, chaos can ensue then as well.”