Totem of Aries

by D. N. Leo

  “Give me some credit, Jo,” Madeline muttered.

  “I didn’t do much, Jo,” Ciaran said. “Madeline mentioned that you needed my instructions to get into the time machine.”

  Jo frowned. “Your machine is in beta. Why can’t you use mine, the current model? Madeline and Alex travel on that.”

  Madeline stepped forward a bit. “Jo, we need to go back further.”

  “What happened?”

  “We didn’t exactly kill the soul trader. So we need to go back a little bit to do that.”

  Jo shook her head. “You can’t use the same machine to go back and change what you just did. That’s double dipping. Is that why you asked to use Ciaran’s machine?”

  Madeline nodded. “I asked Ciaran not to save Juliette when he sees the opportunity. I can’t tell him what a sadistic bitch she will be in the future. So, at the moment, he thinks I’m a jealous snit.”

  Alex frowned. He could clearly hear Madeline talking into Jo’s mind. Jo glared at Madeline when she heard the voice. Alex was sure Ciaran couldn’t hear Madeline’s mind-talk, but Ciaran was way too smart to assume nothing was happening.

  Jo turned toward Ciaran. “Ciaran, do you understand that you’re getting more deeply involved in this and that it will have more unfortunate consequences in the future? Do you understand that you should try to avoid changing anything in the past, except for the one thing you’re there for?”

  Ciaran’s eyes were stone cold. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re asking for my help. Whatever you tell me will happen in the future hasn’t happened yet. But whatever had happened to me did. To be fair, it’s very hard to judge which one would be the better outcome for me—things I know for sure, or things that might happen.”

  “Your family in the future happened, Ciaran. That’s your reality right now,” Madeline said.

  “I’ve seen your kids. They’re bloody cute,” Alex chimed in.

  “That has nothing to do with what Madeline asked me to do,” Ciaran said.

  “You can’t tell him about Juliette.” Alex winced as Madeline raised her voice in her mind.

  Jo couldn’t respond. She was a receiver, but she couldn’t initiate speech. She glared at Madeline.

  Madeline continued her mind-talk. “If you tell him about her, he’ll know that however bad she might have been, she died for him. Twice. The fact that she did that might make him want to save her from her first death more. That will ruin everything…”

  “But that’s a fact … ” Jo said out loud.

  “If you want my help, I’d appreciate transparency—in communication and in all other matters,” Ciaran growled.

  Alex approached the beam, and its light shone on his face. They could see he was getting frustrated. He had a wife to get back to and had no time to be diplomatic. “Look, Ciaran, I don’t know who Juliette was. But when I met you and Madeline in Antarctica, you were glued to each other. Juliette might have loved you, and died for you, maybe more than once, but trust me, if you live as long as I have, what you want is to be with your soulmate. Juliette is obviously not your soulmate. So that should be the end of this discussion.”

  Jo flipped a computer screen over. “Here are your kids.” On the screen, Lyla and Caedmon were building a sand castle.

  Ciaran’s eyes warmed instantly as soon as he saw the children.

  Madeline wiped a tear from her face. “I’m sure you recognize what they’re building.”

  Ciaran nodded. “That’s my vision of Mon Ciel.”

  Alex shrugged. “So do we have a deal?”

  “Deal for what?” Jo asked.

  Alex rolled his eyes. “Well, we use his machine, travel further into the past, fix whatever needs fixing, and then get the hell out of here.”

  Jo’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “Okay, how do you want to do this, Madeline?”

  “I need to trace the same soul trader. I need to know its last appearance before this time,” Madeline said.

  “You’re sure that it relates to vampires?” Jo asked.

  “Yes,” Alex said.

  “Also, search for significant ritual events, artifacts, and places that have anything to do with vampires, shapeshifters, and inter-world creatures, Jo,” Ciaran said.

  Jo arched an eyebrow. “Why, Ciaran? I’m hoping to narrow the search, not widen it.”

  “The soul trading business sounds quite well-established to me. That means if a creature pursues something, it has to be for something more than immediate profit. It it chases anything having to do with the Aries sign, I believe it has a spiritual reason. I could have done the search for you, but I think your database is stronger than mine.”

  Jo nodded and focused on her search. In a short time, she looked up. “I’m sorry, Madeline, but I’ll have to reveal a bit more info to Ciaran.”

  Madeline nodded.

  Jo continued. “In the future, and by that I mean just recently in Eudaiz, you will both have to pursue a series of zodiac keys. They’re powerful and are hidden in various places on Earth. There is an Aries key, and it’s been hunted for. You haven’t found it yet. Do you think there’s a connection?”

  “Can you find anything else other than the sign Aries?” Ciaran asked.

  “Lots of creatures are searching for it. It has a high price tag in the multiverse and is an attractive job for Xiilok criminal freelancers.” Jo glanced at Ciaran. “Xiilok is a hybrid located in a between world, and it’s governed by no one.”

  Ciaran nodded, acknowledging the information.

  “Are there vampires looking for it?” Alex asked.

  “Yes. In fact, on top of the list of the key hunters is a vampire called Blaise.”

  “Blaise Whyatt?” Alex asked.

  “Yes.”

  “He’s my cousin.”

  “Where is the location?” Madeline asked.

  “Tibet. In the mountains. Sorry, I can’t zoom in any further.”

  “That’s plausible,” Ciaran said. “Why don’t we start from there?”

  “Deal! I’ll go get ready.” Alex whistled for LP to follow him, and Madeline trailed behind them both. Alex pretended he didn’t see that Jo had left Ciaran something on the ground as soon as he and Madeline went inside the house. He decided to ignore it for the moment. They had enough to deal with right now.

  Chapter 37

  Pynni pushed the bamboo screen door open and took a step into what used to be the meditation room the monks used every day at noon. For some reason, the room had been turned into an office. Maybe the monks meditated elsewhere now, or perhaps they had abandoned meditation altogether.

  The head of security was there, as he expected, trying to practice his meditation without much success. A man like Annan could never be calm and collected enough to meditate, Pynni thought.

  Annan had been here for a long time. Pynni hoped he could shed some light on what he had seen.

  Annan opened his eyes, arching an eyebrow. The small space didn’t have enough room for a large man like Pynni to walk around, so he remained where he stood. Frustration oozed from his every pore.

  “Lin’s dead,” Pynni said.

  “I know. Is that why you so rudely interrupted my meditation?”

  “You know? You don’t look surprised.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Annan glared at Pynni.

  Pynni gritted his teeth. “It’s murder.”

  “Well, I’m sure it’s illegal. But I’m not sure which legal jurisdiction we’re talking about here. We’re in a gray area here on the mysterious Himalayan mountain range.”

  “It’s not mysterious …”

  “If you want to climb Mount Everest, it’s not. But if you want to talk religious borders, good luck finding any answers.”

  “You are the head of security of a temple!”

  “You got that right—I mean the security bit. My job is to ensure the monks are safe and sound. Lin has never been a monk. So I’m sorry, it’s too bad for him.”

  “Don’
t you think whoever killed him might get to your monks next?”

  “Not a who, a what.”

  “You know?”

  “Of course I know. Religious matter is a mess in this part of the world because of the mixed energy sources. See, I can’t even do meditation in peace.”

  Pynni rolled his eyes.

  Annan continued. “But because of that confusing energy and all sorts of spiritual matter, this area is attractive to paranormal and supernatural creatures.”

  “Like vampires?”

  Annan chuckled. “Man, you know very little about this, don’t you? You sure you work here?”

  “Okay, back to my question, how can you be so sure the paranormal—whatever that is—won’t get to your monks?”

  “The paranormals don’t want to mess with a god.”

  “You’re saying we aren’t safe because we’re not monks. We work for a temple. Doesn’t that count as having a religious affiliation? You should see Lin’s body. Something sucked all the blood out of him.”

  Annan stared at him. “That ‘something’ is called a vampire. It’s no secret around here.”

  Pynni stepped backward toward the door. “It is to me. I just run errands. I don’t get paid enough to get killed.”

  Annan chuckled. “Can you think of any normal job that pays you just to run errands? They paid you for your service, to turn a blind eye to things when required, and to keep your mouth shut when silence is needed.”

  “Why would the temple want to keep secrets about the vampires?”

  “Dude, you really have no idea, do you? Who said that the temple and the vampires are on the same side?”

  “Didn’t you just say so?”

  Annan shook his head then buried it in his hands.

  “Tell me. We’re friends, aren’t we, Annan?”

  “You have to figure it out for yourself. In fact, you shouldn’t have signed up for this when you have no idea what’s going on.”

  “Then I don’t care. I want to leave. I want to go home. Give me my last paycheck and I’m out of here.”

  “I’m not the one who pays you, Pynni,” Annan said, trying to keep his voice calm. “I suggest you leave without asking for payment. Leave while you still can. That’s my advice to you as a friend.”

  Pynni looked down. “All right. Thank you. I assume you’ll keep it quiet until I’m far away from the mountains?”

  Annan waved his hand absently, signaling Pynni to leave his office.

  “The temple isn’t controlled by anything religious, is it?” Pynni asked at the door.

  “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. It’s all about money. A massive amount of money. And money works in any world and for any kind of creature. Trust me on that.”

  Pynni nodded and turned to leave the office. But he stopped when his eyes landed on the corner of a small bookshelf.

  “What is it, Pynni?”

  Annan turned around and looked in the direction Pynni was staring. On the bookshelf was a small clear bottle of red liquid.

  It was blood in the bottle. Pynni was sure of it.

  “It’s not mine,” Annan said.

  Pynni stepped backward so quickly he stumbled on a chair close to the door and broke its leg in the process. He picked up the broken chair leg and pointed the sharp end at Annan.

  “You think I’m a vampire, Pynni?”

  “Don’t move. Don’t approach me or I’ll stake you,” Pynni said.

  He knew vampires were fast. There was no way he was going to turn his back on Annan to run. He stepped backward toward the corridor where he would have a bit more space to maneuver.

  “Pynni!”

  “Don’t move! I’m serious! I’ll stake you!” With his last threat, he felt a blast of cold air at his back. A chill ran up his spine. Soft, cold fingers grabbed his neck, and pain flared as something sharp penetrated the vein on his neck. He knew his jugular had been savaged. By the look on Annan’s face, Pynni could tell he was surprised by what was happening. But that was the last thought Pynni had as a living human.

  Chapter 38

  Tibet was beautiful and mysterious. After Jo had teleported them through the time dimension, Ciaran wanted their arrival to be as inconspicuous as possible, so he waited at the outskirts of the city and then used this family’s private jet to get them to the stretch of the mountain they needed.

  They didn’t have to travel too far into the past, so the LeBlancs’s business was the same, and Ciaran could use his resources and control the information so that nobody asked questions.

  Ciaran and Madeline hadn’t talked during the trip, and for Madeline, it felt like a decade. They had been at odds before, but never in a situation like this.

  Early in the morning, they strode along a small village road. Ciaran glanced around cautiously.

  Alex kept his head down as he walked. He had mentioned several times that, unlike most vampires, he could go out during the day. But Madeline knew he was uncomfortable in the sunlight. It was too early for harsh sunlight now, though, so Alex should be fine.

  They must be in the middle of some kind of market. People were busy setting up small stalls. Alex tilted his face up.

  “Alex, are you sniffing for your cousin?” Madeline asked.

  “Well, I’d ask LP to do it, but he’s never met Blaise. That could be tricky.” He grinned at her. “His place must be at the other end of the market.”

  “And you know that by sniffing the air?” Ciaran asked.

  Alex shrugged and strode ahead, and LP trotted right next to him.

  The market grew crowded quickly. People poured out onto the street as if they’d been waiting up all night for it to open.

  At the other end of the market, the air felt totally different, as if they had stepped into a different world. The wind carried in great gusts of icy rain, making the walk unpleasant. A small mansion stood quietly among the trees.

  Alex pushed at the heavy oak door and walked right in.

  In the middle of a dark hall, a vampire in the form of a man in his late thirties sat comfortably in a throne-like chair with a glass of blood wine in his hand. Madeline had never seen a vampire that looked like this one—excruciatingly attractive with pale skin, dark eyes, long dark hair, and lips made for kissing, despite the fact that a pair of fangs might pop out at any moment.

  “Madeline,” Alex called out.

  “Huh?”

  “He’s trying to attract you. That’s his talent. Snap out of it,” Alex said between his teeth.

  “I’ll take care of her,” Ciaran said, wrapping his arm around Madeline’s shoulders. “He doesn’t do much for me.”

  Alex chuckled. “Lucky you.”

  “Long time no see, cousin,” Blaise said from the chair. He hadn’t moved an inch.

  LP growled and bared his teeth.

  Alex smiled. “You haven’t changed much.”

  “That’s one of the perks of being a vampire. I’m sure you know that. Still, my talent doesn’t work on men or vampires, and apparently not on dogs either.”

  “I wouldn’t consider sexual attraction to be your best talent, so don’t worry too much about the fact that you can’t make my dog fall in love with you. We’re here to ask for your help.”

  Blaise sipped his wine. “Well, if you can finish telling me what you want in the time it takes me to have my supper and while I’m still in a very good mood, then I might consider your request.”

  “We know you’re hunting for the key of Aries.”

  Blaise arched an eyebrow. “Ahhh ... go on.” He leaned back in his chair and put the wine on the side table.

  “We’ll help you get the key,” Ciaran said.

  “How?” he asked. “And why?”

  “We have weapons,” Ciaran continued. “The kind that can kill vampires. We will kill your competition for you and help you get the key. As for why, we don’t want the key. We want to find a magical creature that’s hunting for it. One of your enemies. We need your help because th
is is your area and you know it better than we do.”

  “Last week, I would have laughed at your request. But there have been many strange deaths in the area caused by vampires feeding. I don’t care for that.”

  “I know you don’t like sharing, Blaise. But the only thing we will share here is the enemies. We don’t want your bloody key,” Alex said.

  Blaise chuckled. “But I’m not sure I need your help.”

  There was a faint electrical smell in the air, like something burning.

  “Get out!” Ciaran said and pulled Madeline and Alex out the door. Blaise got off his chair and charged outside. As soon as they hit the front yard, a small explosion came from inside the house.

  Blaise and Alex rolled on the ground, coughing and heaving. After a while, they recovered and sat up.

  “LP!” Alex called out.

  They heard a woof, and the dog crawled out from underneath a box. He wagged his tail and licked Alex’s nose.

  Madeline smiled at Alex. “You okay? There are some fumes from the explosion in the air that I think might have some silver.”

  Alex nodded.

  “Someone wants you dead, Blaise. I don’t think we have to explain any further why you need our help,” Madeline said.

  “Did you do this?” Blaise growled at Ciaran.

  “Personally, I don’t care if you die. But Alex is a friend, and we don’t kill our friends,” Ciaran said. “Plus, if I meant to kill you, you wouldn’t have made it out here.”

  Blaise stood up. “They’ll regret this!”

  “Well, do you want us to help you in making them regret it?” Ciaran asked.

  “Sure. No promises of success, but why not. And remember, the key is mine.”

  Alex stood up. “What kind of vampires use explosives? What a disgrace.”

  “Let’s go to the mountain tomorrow. I’ll teach them a lesson,” Blaise muttered and went back to his mansion.

  “Thanks, Jo.”

  Alex heard Madeline’s mind-speech.

  “You?” he said to Madeline.

  She smiled at him. “It was only capsicum spray. It won’t kill you.”

  Ciaran chuckled. “It does feel like silver dust, doesn’t it? But I’ll make sure we use real weapons when it comes to a critical time. I want you to stay clear of the fighting zone, Alex. I can try to avoid hitting you by accident, but the weapons aren’t that smart. They can’t tell which vampire is a friend and which isn’t.”