by Raven Steele
I inhaled one giant breath and called upon the power and strength I often had to use against Samira. My muscles stretched and tightened with new found strength. Silently and swiftly, I lunged for him, slicing my blade across his neck before he could blink. His body didn't turn to dust like the younger others but melted and boiled until there was nothing left but a pile of fat and gristle at my feet.
"Who are you?" Roberto yelled again, clearly frustrated. For the first time, his gaze lingered on the tattoo of a crow on my neck.
My confidence restored, I decided to show him exactly who I was.
Using my super speed, I darted around the room and slashed at the heads of the remaining vampires. There was so much goo on the floor that I had to be careful where I ran. Only one blocked my sword, but in my next swing, I sliced through his spinal cord across his chest cutting him completely in half. Because I wasn’t sure if that would kill him, I withdrew a wooden stake from my jacket and drove it into his heart. He melted like the others.
I appeared in front of Roberto, my blade against his throat. "You want to know who I am? I am Aris Crow, and I've come to kill you all. This is my city, and you're not welcome."
Instead of removing his head, I turned my blade on his shoulder and sliced through it, cutting off his arm. It fell to the ground, flopped for a bit, then melted. Eventually, his arm would grow back, but it would take years.
"Spread the word," I ordered. "Vampires are to leave Coast City immediately."
Whether from shock or maybe he didn't care, he began to laugh hysterically and shrilly. He bent down as if to pick up his arm, but his fingers only slipped through the gelatinous mess on the floor.
"Bastian’s going to kill you." He giggled again as he ran into a back room pressing his hand to where he used to have an arm.
I turned around finally having a chance to focus on the humans. Rebecca made great time removing them. I picked up the last one, the female Roberto had been feeding on, but as soon as I did so, the smell of her blood from her open wounds made my mouth salivate. I stared down at the fresh bite marks on her arm only a couple of feet from my face. A drop of blood trickled across her flesh. My tongue danced behind my lips.
“Aris!”
I looked up. Rebecca had been calling my name from the doorway. I hurried past her, avoiding eye contact, while I carried the woman from the building. Had she seen my bloodlust? I needed to be more careful, more focused around humans, especially knowing whose blood coursed through me.
I placed the woman into a large passenger van. Oz was there and quickly covered her with a blanket.
"Stupid vampires," he mumbled. He was more solemn than I'd ever seen him before.
The humans seated next to the woman and on the seats behind her also had blankets. Those who were awake were given what looked like a protein shakes to drink.
"Where do you take them?" I asked.
Rebecca came up behind me. "Most likely these humans are addicted to rhino dust so we take them to Harmony, a facility just outside of Wildemoor where they can get treatment and heal both mentally and physically. They’ve been through a lot.”
"How long has Harmony been around?" I asked, surprised I'd never heard about it.
"Nearly six years. We had a similar situation in our city and had to create something to help the humans. Now that we have control again, we don't have much use for the facility, but I'm glad we kept it active. Your city has made great use of it."
She slid into the passenger seat. "You declared war tonight. I hope you're ready for what's to come."
Oz leaned forward behind the steering wheel so he could see me. "Make them pay, Aris."
I nodded.
Rebecca closed the door and said out the open window, "We probably won't be back until dawn. Stay safe until then."
I watched them drive away impressed with their efficiency in taking care of the humans. I could see that in my absence, they had done the best job they could. The only reward I could give them was to make the city safe again. Maybe I’d also buy Oz and Amy a house somewhere with a big yard and lots of trees. I'd even send Amy to a private school. She was smart enough.
I turned around in a full circle and eyed the city streets. Soon, word of my return would spread. Maybe I had been impulsive in announcing my arrival, but with as many vampires as there were in the city, it would have only been a matter of days before I was discovered. It was hard to hide from the monsters in the shadows when you lived in that same darkness. It was best I made a strong entrance from the beginning. I needed vampires to fear me.
I arched my back, stretching it to feel for pain. A vampire had gotten me good, but I barely felt anything now. Healing quickly had been the best part of changing into a vampire. I ran my fingers through my hair, shaking the dust from my head. I had just killed over two dozen vampires, mostly newbies, but still. A few had been much older. It had felt good to destroy them. Better than I thought it would. And I craved more.
Such a difference compared to how I felt about taking lives not even a year ago. But then I’d learned the truth about my father, and my whole belief system shattered. Losing Kristen hadn’t helped. Now everything was different.
I was a monster, and they would feel my wrath.
Chapter 10
I returned to Ironwood and checked on Amy first. She was fast asleep in her bed in Oz's home. He should return before she woke for the next day. I walked into command to watch the camera feeds, checking on Emma’s house. All was quiet, and I felt relieved. She would always be a priority to me.
I searched for the screens that showed the Devil’s Playground. There were two, one in front and one in back. At the back view, a group of vampires had gathered together, each of them looking tense and alert. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but by their expressions they were worried. Had they already heard about my return?
"If you think they are talking about you," Roman said from behind me, "you would be right. The word is out. Aris Crow has returned."
I swiveled the chair to face him. "You think I made a mistake?"
"Only time will tell. You made a judgment call, and I will follow your lead."
I frowned and leaned forward. "What? No lecture?"
"You are all grown up. It's time you made your own decisions."
I leaned back, not sure what to think about this new Roman. What if I had made a wrong decision? What if my mistakes hurt a lot of people? Roman had always been my voice of reason.
"But I respect your advice," I said.
"And I shall give it, whenever you ask."
"I'm asking. Do you think I made a mistake?"
His all-white eyes lowered to the floor. "I see the benefit of revealing yourself early, but I fear the consequences may be more than you can bear this soon in the fight."
"Consequences?"
His jaw flexed, just a small, tense movement, but I caught it. "What are you not telling me?"
"Victor is calling you."
"How do you know that?"
"I heard him. He's at the park saying your name. He said it is urgent he speaks with you. That was ten minutes ago."
“He sure didn’t waste any time,” I mumbled. I shouldn’t have told Jordan how to get in touch with me. Victor’s emergencies are probably very different from mine. "Did you hear my conversation with Jordan earlier tonight?"
“You were not in range.”
I relayed my conversation with Jordan to him. "I don't know what to believe. It seems insane to trust someone who has caused so much damage to the city. Is it possible for a man to do evil things for a good purpose?"
"I don't know how to answer that question. You must find out for yourself, and do it with an open mind and open heart. But if there is any truth to his words, he would make a powerful ally." He tilted his head as if listening to a faraway sound. "You must go. Quickly. He mentioned Emma's name."
This jerked me into action, and I sped away from Ironwood, through the tunnels until I reached the entrance belo
w Liberty Park. I surfaced and sniffed the air. Victor was to my right. It was still dark outside, but by the moon’s positioning in the night sky, dawn was on its way.
I spied Victor by the side of a small outbuilding. From his expression, brows all scrunched together and hands opening and closing, he was pissed.
I appeared in front of him, startling him. “What’s wrong with Emma?”
He growled and moved as if to shove me, but I darted away much faster than he could track.
"What have you done?" he demanded.
“Tell me about Emma,” I demanded right back.
His nostrils flared. “She’s fine.”
“You used her to get to me?” I breathed quicker, rage swelling within me. It bumped a part of me that answered back with power and strength behind my locked subconscious. It was so strong, it nearly took my breath away. I cowered away from it and forced myself to relax. That was power I shouldn’t touch.
“It was the only way I could get you here. What were you thinking making a grand spectacle of yourself? You really screwed the pooch this time!”
I snarled, holding myself back from tearing him apart. Try to have an open mind, Roman had said. "I sent a strong message to any vampire who stays in the city. Their presence will no longer be tolerated."
I opened my mouth to say more, but he shook his head fiercely. "Not here."
He turned and walked around the side of the large shed. I followed him, my head on a swivel and listening intently. I couldn't see or hear anyone else, but that didn't mean there weren't creatures lurking in the shadows.
I glanced up at the night sky, as I began to feel the rising sun tickling my flesh. I had to sleep soon. I growled at my weakness, eliciting a look from Victor over his shoulder.
He approached the door of the cinderblock building and jerked free the chained lock around its handle. He walked inside, and I followed, closing the door behind me. Before he spoke, he flipped on a generator in the corner. A loud rumbling sound overwhelmed the small space. I stood between two riding lawnmowers. All kinds of lawn equipment were behind them, and in the corner, were several bins marked with the different holidays.
"You shouldn't have done what you did," Victor repeated, keeping his voice low despite the noise.
"It's none of your business what I do. Besides, the city is in this mess because of you."
His left eye twitched. "The city would've been destroyed years ago if it wasn't for me. Did you not listen to anything Jordan said?" He stepped closer to me, but I met him halfway. I would not be intimidated by him ever again.
"How could I ever believe you?” I asked. “You're as bad as the rest of them."
His jaw flexed. "Then did you at least think about Emma?"
"Emma? What does she have to do with this?"
"Why do you think I have provided her with round the clock protection?” he asked. “Do you think I would be doing that if she didn't need it?"
"What are you talking about?"
"She was a witness to one of the biggest massacres Coast City has ever seen. She saw everything. It isn’t just humans interested in her testimony, but vampires too. They have a suspicion that she knows the truth about what happened to you that night."
I stepped back, stunned. I had no idea. Oz hadn't said anything, but maybe he didn't know. My eyes flashed to Victor’s. Or maybe Victor was lying again. And maybe this was his way of manipulating me just like he had when he had used Emma’s name to get me here.
"If it was so bad for her here, why didn't she leave with her mother?"
He drilled his finger into my chest. "Because of you, you dumb shit. This whole time she believed you were alive even though I tried to convince her otherwise. She’s been waiting for you to show yourself, but in my mind, you were dead. I saw you that night. No one could've survived all of those bullet wounds."
He lowered his hand, which was a good thing because I was about to rip it off.
"How did you survive?” he asked, his voice softer. “You were not a full vampire then. How are you now?"
"Is Emma truly safe?" I asked again, berating myself. I should’ve kept my identity secret, but I had no idea revealing it would put her in danger.
He glanced away, eyeing everything in the shed. "For now. I sent Jordan over there plus two others to watch her home tonight. She is extremely stubborn, as I'm sure you know. There's only so much I can make her do, even though she’s been attacked multiple times."
My body tensed all at once. "Attacked?"
He turned away from me. "In the beginning, it was bad. The family and friends of the men you killed wanted answers. They took Emma, but I recovered her. She was kidnapped again by vampires for questioning. That was a little harder to get her back, but I convinced Bastian it would be better to have Emma living her life as normal, should any rumors come true about you. She would be the first person you’d go to. I was to watch for this and report to him immediately.”
I leaned against one of the lawnmowers, my bum halfway on the seat. What strength I’d felt moments ago had drained from me. If I had known Emma had been in trouble, I would’ve come to her immediately. It was my fault her life had been put in danger.
"Do you see now? Bastian knows you're alive. He will try to use Emma to get to you. I understand you wanting to make a bold statement, but you should've considered her."
"I didn't know."
"This is why you must trust me,” he insisted. “I know the Principes Noctis. I know how they think and work. I can help you."
I slowly rose to my feet, strength returning to my bones. "You killed Kristen. I can't just forget that."
"I'm not asking you to. But for what it’s worth, I did what I had to do for the greater good. There's no way Bastian was going to let Kristen live, so I played my part and kept you and Emma safe.”
Anger exploded from me. I grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him high. Faster than he could blink, I slammed him onto the concrete floor. "When will you decide to stop being Bastian’s little bitch?"
He ground his teeth together and hit at my arms, but I was immovable. "You know nothing. You're still a child, and until you decide we're on the same side, you'll never win."
A sudden wave of sleepiness, as if a weighted blanket had just been placed on my shoulders, settled deep into my bones. I glanced to the shed’s only window. The sky was graying. I let him go and stepped back.
He scrambled to his feet and brushed off his pants. "You can't beat Bastian. You may have had a little success but in a part of town where the lowest and newest vampires hang out. There are so many more of them. Stronger and bigger. You need me."
"I have to go," I said, sun’s light dampening my anger. "If you mean what you say, then continue to guard Emma. I will go to her when darkness comes again and take her somewhere safe."
He took a step toward me, his eyes big. "No! You stay away from her. No one must know you’ve seen her. It will put you both in danger."
Again, sleep tugged at my body. I had to go.
Victor sensed my urgency and blurted, "I will leave a package for you here in this room that contains everything I know about the Principes Noctis. Locations, people, everything I have. Get it when you can."
I nodded and bolted for the door. I raced through the park, my flesh beginning to sting. When I dropped into the tunnel, I sucked in air and let darkness soothe my flesh. I wished I had time to speak with Roman, but it was too late. I found my rusty tube and crawled inside. Tomorrow would be better. At least I would be inside a comfortable coffin.
As an impermeable sleep came over me, I pictured Emma in my mind. I imagined every detail of her face. The way her touch felt against my skin and the heat of her lips pressed against mine. I longed to see her, but Victor was right. It would only put her life in more danger. I could bring her to Ironwood, but what kind of life was that? Hers should never be spent in darkness.
The only way to ensure her safety was to make sure I rid the city of vampires. First, I ha
d to research everything I could about the Principes Noctis. I would get Victor's package and read over it, and everything Oz had too. Then I would form a plan. If I was successful, then maybe I could go to Emma, but even then… I was a vampire. She could have no future with me.
Raw pain seared my heart as I shifted my weight in the cramped, smelly pipe. This was my life, and it wasn't going to get any better.
Chapter 11
As soon as my eyes opened, I squeezed free from the moldy pipe and headed into Ironwood. Not only was I anxious to hear how it went with Oz and Rebecca delivering the injured humans, but I also wanted to know what kind of developments had happened since I had announced my return.
I found Oz in command watching over the cameras. "How was Wildemoor?"
He swiveled his seat in a full circle, stopping just in front of me. "Good, quick trip. We didn't stop to sightsee."
“And the humans?”
“Most were awake by the time we reached Harmony. That place is pretty lit.”
"Where is everyone else?" I asked.
"Rebecca should be back soon with Amy. They went shopping."
I frowned. "Isn't that dangerous, especially after last night? People could recognize Rebecca."
"They dressed up. No one will know. Plus, they went to the strip mall on the other side of town. It’s usually pretty quiet this time of day.”
I shook my head. "It's still dangerous.”
He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Do you expect us to stay down here all of the time? We’d go crazy."
He was right, of course. I just wish it was safer for them. Soon. "Can I borrow your computer? I want to go over the information you gave me."
He handed me a laptop from off the desk.
I tucked it under my arm. “Is Roman in the halo?"
"Actually, no. He's over in the west tunnels practicing elemental magic. I was watching him for a while. He's really good. Do you think I could ever learn magic like that?"
