BloodPledge

by Tima Maria Lacoba

  ‘How do I know it works?’

  ‘We’ve all been injected, and as you can see, we’re fine,’ Jake replied.

  He moved a fraction from the wall, closer to the counter. ‘Why offer it to me?’

  Good point. Like offering a cancer cure to a death row inmate.

  ‘You do a valuable service for us,’ Alec said. ‘And you’ve made a lot of enemies in the process. Still, the choice is yours.’

  Jake shrugged and made a show of packing the syringe back into its little black bag. Dawson’s gaze followed. He licked his lips, and in a sudden movement, his hand circled Jake’s wrist. ‘Wait,’ he said, then let go when Jake glared at him. ‘There’s a lot of it on the streets. You’ll never be able to stop it. But if that really works, I want some.’

  ‘Wise decision,’ Jake said.

  ‘Them too?’ He jerked his head in the twins’ direction.

  Jake glanced at Alec as Dawson rolled up his white shirtsleeve and bared his arm.

  ‘Them, too,’ Alec said.

  Jake took a blood sample first before administering the serum. It seemed to take longer than injections I’d seen with ordinary people. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that vampire blood flowed more slowly then a human’s.

  When it was over, Alec asked. ‘Feeling okay?’

  ‘S’pose. Is that it?’

  ‘Give it a few minutes.’

  Dawson’s head jerked up. He’d been rolling his sleeve back down. ‘You said you’d already tested it.’

  ‘Best to be sure.’ Jake dug his hand into the black bag and brought out a wolf’s-head ring. ‘Seen this before, kids?’ he asked the twins.

  They looked at it and shook their heads.

  Dawson’s brow creased. ‘What the hell’s that?’

  ‘I’m glad you don’t know,’ Alec said. ‘Confirms my faith in you.’

  Before Dawson could reply, Jake scratched the back of his hand with the white-oak spike, enough to draw blood.

  ‘Hey!’ Dawson sucked at the wound.

  I held my breath, afraid the white marbling and almost-immediate crystallisation of his body would occur. But it didn’t.

  ‘Congratulations Dawson. You’re immune to white-oak,’ Alec said.

  Dawson’s eyes widened. He stared at his hand, a horrified expression on his face before sliding behind the counter to land with a thud. The twins cried out. Cal must have let them go, for they ran to their uncle’s side.

  ‘He’ll be fine, kids,’ Jake said. ‘Only shock. Haul him up.’

  They lifted him up. Dawson raised his head, a smooth sheen of sweat on his brow. ‘I feel like shit! What did you do to me?’

  ‘Just the effect of the serum. It won’t last long – about an hour,’ Alec said before addressing the twins. ‘Take him to the back room.’

  ‘Um...’ They glanced at each other, reluctant.

  ‘We won’t tell where the room is,’ Alec said. ‘Take him in there and lay him down. He’ll be okay.’

  ‘C’mon, Unc,’ one of them said. ‘The princeps said you’ll be okay.’ He pressed something beneath the counter and the wall behind him swung open. They picked their uncle off the floor and carried him inside the secret room.

  ‘Laura, we’ll have to watch him for the next hour, or so, just to be sure,’ Alec said. ‘Browse the shelves and pick out something you like.’

  His generosity stunned me, but I had all I wanted. I lifted my hand and wiggled my newly ringed finger. ‘This is all I want.’

  He flashed me a grin.

  ‘I’ll stay with you.’

  ‘All right.’ His lips grazed mine then he and Jake turned their attention to Dawson.

  Cal moved to stand near the front entrance, hands crossed over his chest.

  ‘Right, you two. You’re next.’ Jake told the twins and loaded a new syringe.

  They glanced at each other, their uncle, then at Jake and shook their heads.

  ‘Your choice.’ Jake packed the syringe away, and over the next hour, he and Alec conferred while Dawson moaned.

  I entertained myself by trying on the various pieces of jewellery, including a few tiaras. Not my thing, I concluded.

  Eventually the fever abated, and in a little over an hour later, Dawson was on his feet.

  ‘We done here?’ Cal asked.

  ‘All done.’ Alec took my hand, kissed it, and the shiny pink rock on my finger winked up at him. ‘Thanks for waiting.’

  I smiled. ‘Let’s go home.’

  Jake and Cal once again took up position in front and behind us as we exited the building and made our way to the launch.

  As the boat skimmed over the waves I leaned back against Alec and looked up at the crescent moon. Clouds scurried across the sky and dimmed the stars, but nothing could dim the joy that filled my heart when I glanced at the beautiful pink diamond on my finger. It glowed with its own fire, almost complimenting the dull scarlet blaze from the eyes of the serpent ring on my other hand.

  Alec whispered, ‘I love you,’ in my ear and pressed me closer.

  I snuggled into the comfort of his arms and uttered a silent prayer that this night would indeed be the beginning of our happily-ever-after.

  For that one glorious moment I forgot I was the centre of a war with creatures who would do anything to prevent the curse from ending.

  Chapter 27 - A Very Vampire Christmas

  LAURA

  It was midnight when we sat down, to what Judy described as a vampire Christmas. Earlier in the day, she, Jenny and I had celebrated with my foster-parents, John and Eilene, and we were still recovering from that meal. My mum had created an amazing spread – a four-course gastronomic delight that could have come from the pages of Delicious magazine.

  Jenny had gone to bed, no longer able to stay awake. In spite of my own drowsiness, I was determined not to miss my first official Christmas with my immortal family.

  The dining room on the main deck was dark, except for the light created by two exquisite golden candelabras, shaped like twisting vines, in the centre of the glass dining table. Twelve silver candles – six in each – rose from their scrolled-leaf beds and threw flickering shadows across the room. On either side of each candelabrum, four crystal decanters filled with wine caught the glow of the candlelight, their burgundy contents appeared as if lit from within. A fifth crystal decanter filled with clear liquid, sat on the table in front of me. White wine or water?

  Marcus sat at one end of the table, Luc on his right, Judy on his left. Alec and I sat together at the other end, Jake and Cal on my right, Kari, Sam and Terens opposite. Each of the men had an empty wine glass in front of him, as well as a small vial the size of a man’s thumb, filled with red liquid.

  It must be blood. But why such a miniscule amount?

  There was a quiet solemnity about this gathering that I didn’t understand. Most of my Christmas dinners with friends and family had been noisy, jovial affairs, with each person attempting to talk over the other. I glanced at Terens. His gaze was riveted on the glass vial in front of him. The other men seemed just as mesmerised by theirs, staring at the delicate-looking containers hungrily.

  What was in them? Something similar to the ruby pendant-vial that Luc had given me? I leaned over to ask Alec, when Marcus stood.

  ‘My family,’ he began, looking around at each of us, ‘this night is special, for we celebrate the homecoming of my granddaughter, Laura.’ He looked at me. ‘Our first Christmas together since you were a baby. My life is now complete.’ He reached for the decanter and filled his, Luc’s and Judy’s goblet. His men did the same.

  Alec reached for the clear decanter and poured its contents into my glass. ‘A precaution,’ he whispered.

  I sniffed the glass. Water. In case I was already pregnant? ‘You know something I don’t?’ I whispered back.

  ‘Not for want of trying.’ He smiled and tipped the rest of the water from the decanter into his own wine glass.

  Marcus raised his, ‘To the Child of Lig
ht and Darkness, daughter of Lucius Antonius Pulcher, my son, and Judith Dantonville. To Laura, last of the Ingenii.’

  Beneath the table, Alec took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  Everyone rose, turned to me and chanted in unison. ‘To Laura, last of the Ingenii.’ They downed their glasses.

  Touched by Marcus’s welcome, I could appreciate what it meant to him. He was there at the beginning of the curse, and now he was here, at what I hoped was its end. What would his choice be? Life as a vampire – a nightwalker – or a higher form of life throughout eternity? Maybe I was selfish, but I didn’t want him to choose. Although I knew how old he was, my grandfather had the appearance of a young man; and young men should not die. He’d suffered enough and deserved his own happy ending.

  ‘Thank you.’ I sipped my water.

  The men remained standing and refilled their glasses as Marcus spoke again. ‘According to our tradition, we remember our fallen comrades.’

  Kari rose from her seat, and I did the same.

  ‘Fallen comrades,’ they repeated, raised their glasses in another toast, and then refilled.

  Terens suddenly uttered, ‘Melander.’ He leant forward and blew out one of the silver candles before throwing his head back and emptying his glass.

  ‘Nepos.’ Jake puffed out the next one and downed his toast.

  ‘Appius,’ Sam said, and another candle died.

  ‘Pudens.’ Cal followed suit.

  Four silver candles had been snuffed out. The aroma of burnt wax filled the room.

  ‘Martius,’ Marcus said and blew out another one.

  ‘Galen,’ Luc said. Another candle spluttered out and the last toast was drunk.

  Six extinguished candles to represent six dead soldiers. I guessed those on the candelabra that remained represented Marcus and the four living members of the original Roman patrol, as well as Luc, his son. Luc had told me the story of the deaths of two of them in particular. They’d been caught up in the terror when Marcus and his men were transformed by the witch’s curse and were killed by their comrades. From the sad expression on Terens’s face, he must have been responsible for one of those deaths. Perhaps Melander’s, the name he called out.

  We resumed our seats, but Luc remained standing. ‘And now, to The Second Cohort of Frisians,’ the others rose and stood to attention, ‘my customary gift.’ He indicated the crimson vials in front of each of his men. ‘Tribune Sextus Terentius, Troopers Quintus Sempronius, Caius Justinius and Calixtus. May you enjoy the day and the light of the sun. May the strength of the gods be yours, and the swiftness of their steeds speed your feet. May your enemies cower and prostrate themselves before you.’ When he finished, Luc gave them a nod.

  The men bowed low to him and Marcus, picked up the vials and drained their precious contents. Yet another ritual, but without the biting. Its ancient formal language embodied romantic images of soldiers in red cloaks riding on white horses into battle.

  ‘Oh man, I’d forgotten how damned good that is,’ Terens remarked as he sat back down.

  ‘Can we know whose blood we’ve been given this year?’ Jake asked.

  Luc looked at Judith, and she smiled. ‘My gift to you. A way to say thank you for looking after our child.’ She and Luc linked hands on the tabletop. ‘It’s First Blood.’

  I was stunned at my parent’s generosity. First Blood, I’d been told, is the most potent, filled with energy and power unmatched later in an Ingenii’s lifetime. It slowly declines over time, hence the need for a changeover every fifty years.

  Cal, who sat closest to them, took Judy’s hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. ‘Thank you, lady. I speak for us all.’

  The other three acknowledged with ‘Aye’s’.

  ‘What are you going to do in your three days of sunshine?’ Judy asked him.

  He ran his finger around the rim of the wine glass. ‘Botanical gardens. A lot of flowers only open in the day. I want to see and smell them.’

  Everyone nodded. There were no chuckles or smirks. It was the last thing I expected to hear from an ancient warrior. Who would’ve guessed that Cal liked flowers? I found myself waiting to hear what the others would do with their fleeting time in the sunshine.

  ‘Jake, what about you?’ Alec asked.

  ‘Been thinking about that since this time last year.’ He paused. ‘I’m gonna take off my shirt and stroll along the beach. Then sit and watch the sunset.’ A beaming smile lit his face.

  I looked at Terens. He was lounging back in his chair, rubbing the diamond stud in his ear and staring into space. ‘Terens? What are you going to do?’

  He glanced at me. ‘I had considered skydiving, pet. I’ve always wanted to see the world in the daylight from that height, but I’ve had a change of plan.’

  ‘So you’re not going to make a hole in the ground if the ‘chute doesn’t open?’ Sam said.

  ‘Nope. Going hunting.’ Terens poured himself another glass of wine. ‘Lost an arm to that bastard, Timur. He left his sidekick, Rasputin, behind who knows where he is.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Sam turned in his chair and faced him.

  ‘Just did.’

  ‘Well, I’m after that son-of-a-bitch myself. I’m going with you.’

  ‘Count me in, as well. Luc, bring me one of the vials.’ At Marcus’s sudden pronouncement the room became deathly quiet.

  ‘But, you never—’ Luc began.

  ‘This time it’s different. I can’t hide in a monastery and let you battle this alone.’

  Terens grinned and slammed the table top with the flat of his hand. The candelabras bounced. ‘Like old times!’

  ‘Well, there goes the beach.’ Jake rose and hammered on the table’s surface as well.

  Sam did the same and muttered, ‘I’ll smell the roses next year.’

  The table vibrated with their rhythmic thumping, and the entire room reverberated to the accompanying cry, ‘Mar-cus! Mar-cus! Mar-cus!’

  In that moment I was drawn into another world, another era, like a bystander from another time witnessing a scene that had disappeared from the planet, centuries before. Here they were, Roman soldiers saluting their commander – my grandfather.

  The passage of time had become irrelevant.

  A broad smile lit Luc’s face as he and Marcus clasped forearms and exchanged words, so low and fast I could only guess what passed between them. Whatever it was, the men thumped the table even harder, the din so loud my ears began to ring.

  Next to me, Alec rose and joined in the salute. I wondered how much the glass table could take till it shattered under their prolonged assault. I glanced at Kari. She was staring open-mouthed at Jake, hero worship evident in her eyes. How long will it take for him to see it?

  Luc spun on his heel and left the room.

  Marcus raised his hand for silence and looked at Alec. ‘With your permission, I’d like to resume permanent command of my men.’

  ‘You have it. Welcome back, Lord Marcus.’

  Marcus bowed his head then motioned for us to be seated. His gaze went straight to me. ‘Laura, when Luc first told me about finding Alec, I knew we wouldn’t have long to wait for your arrival. But, by Deus, neither he nor I guessed how all this would come about.’ He smiled briefly at Judith. ‘It all comes full circle, and where it began, it shall end.’

  The curse began in a remote Pict village in Scotland. That’s where I would have to give birth to a child conceived with Alec in order to end it. I had no idea if I was even pregnant and inwardly laughed as my twenty-first century feminist ideas were jettisoned in the face of the ancient juggernaut that had taken over my life.

  Luc returned and handed Marcus the little red vial. Marcus swallowed hard and straightened his shoulders. ‘The time has come.’ Everyone around the table watched as he removed the stopper, stared at its contents then gulped it down. ‘Deus!’ His eyes widened. ‘I could lift a house off its foundations. My entire body’s tingling.’

  ‘Welc
ome to my world, Father,’ Luc said.

  Marcus placed a hand on Luc’s shoulder and squeezed. His gaze went to his men. ‘We leave at dawn.’ His chin quivered.

  ‘Been a long time since you’ve given that command, Marcus Antonius Pulcher,’ Terens said, a note of reverence in his voice. ‘It’s good to hear.’

  ‘Why did it take you so long?’ Luc asked.

  Marcus sat back down, and with a wave of his hand, indicated his men. ‘I brought them into this, so I took the brunt of the punishment. I could have acted more nobly and showed clemency in the face of her cruelty that day. But I did not. I showed myself to be no better. She as much as said so, and I’ve carried that guilt for nearly two-thousand years.’

  ‘No!’ Luc cried. ‘The bitch cursed us all; the innocent with the so-called guilty. I’ll never accept it as punishment. It was vengeance, Father, and no less. To be condemned for all eternity to live without light, far outweighed the so-called crime.’

  Marcus continued. ‘I’ve had a long time to think about it. She and I were both wrong. But I believe she relented after her death. Hence the Ingenii.’ He glanced at Judy, then at me before returning his attention to Luc. ‘You have been privileged to enjoy the sun, Luc, and I am proud of you for sharing it with our men. Any more than once a year, though and who knows how the curse would have reacted.’

  ‘You talk of it like a living thing,’ I said.

  ‘Laura, these things are like an entity, an extension of the one who uttered it – like a lost spirit who hovers on earth waiting for Judgement Day. It cannot leave till all things are properly fulfilled.’

  The hairs on my arms stood on end.

  Alec squeezed my hand. ‘We’ll end it, darling, and it’ll haunt us no more.’ His eyes looked into mine with such assurance, I wanted to believe everything was going to be all right.

  ‘You could’ve shared in this once a year,’ Jake said. ‘It wouldn’t’ve affected the curse. Why didn’t you?’

  ‘I had my reasons.’ Marcus waved his hand. ‘No longer relevant.’ He looked at the wine glass in his hand and drank down whatever was left.

  It occurred to me that they always spoke English. Did they ever use their own language when alone? Would it be Latin? I whispered the question to Alec.