But even as I said that, I didn’t quite believe my own words. I could sense that the Vampire Sword was making me act this way, but I felt helpless to resist its power. And hey, the Vampire Sword was a powerful weapon. In the right hands, I might be able to use it to save the world, rather than rule it like Taranas wanted. It sure seemed like a good idea to me.
“Tara, the Vampire Sword is making you think that way,” said Lucius in a surprisingly calm voice. “That’s not you talking. That’s the Sword. It desperately wants to be out in the world where it can cause devastation and chaos, but it needs to stay here.”
“Why?” I said. “Maybe I’m the one Lord Nizara wanted to wield it someday. Did that ever occur to you?”
“Lord Nizara never intended for anyone to use it,” said Lucius. “The Vampire Sword was always meant to be locked away in this dimension for all eternity because of its destructive power. Again, you’re not thinking for yourself. It’s the Vampire Sword. It wants to escape and use you, use you just like Lord Taranas wanted to manipulate you. Don’t let the Sword win, Tara.”
Deep down, I knew that Lucius spoke the truth. I could feel the malicious intelligence of the Vampire Sword trying to influence my decisions, trying to make me ignore Lucius and take it with me. It even told me to abandon Domination. In comparison to the Vampire Sword, Domination was a mere child’s plaything, certainly not strong enough to give its user power over the world.
But looking at Domination—the only gift Dad had given me since I became a half-vampire—I realized that I couldn’t abandon it. To abandon Domination would be to abandon one of Dad’s most treasured possessions, a weapon of God. Even if Dad wasn’t a vampire hunter anymore, that didn’t mean that I had any right to abandon Domination. Dad would never forgive me if I did, especially if I brought back the same Sword he and Lucius had worked hard to banish all those years ago.
With a supreme force of will that even surprised me, I rejected the Vampire Sword’s influence and stood up. I walked back over to its plinth and put the Sword back where it belonged. Once it was securely back in its plinth, I took my hands off its handle and stepped backwards. A part of me still longed to take the Sword out of its plinth again and use its power, but then I turned around and walked back over to Lucius and Domination.
As I picked up Domination and put it back in its sheath, I looked at Lucius and said, “What are you waiting for? Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Passing through the portal was easy, even with Lucius leaning on my shoulder for support. We just walked across the blackness toward the portal and passed through it as easily as a doorway. If our surroundings hadn’t changed—from empty blackness to the darkness of the Earth night—I probably wouldn’t have even noticed that we had just crossed universes.
But there was one thing I did notice: We had walked into the sky and were now falling down toward the earth below. I had forgotten about the fact that the portal had been opened in the sky and now we were both going to fall to the ground and either die or at least get really hurt upon impact. Lucius’ wings spread, but it was pretty clear that all they could do was slow our descent, and not gracefully, either.
But then two large creatures flapped past us. One of them grabbed Lucius and took him away, while the other grabbed me and went in the opposite direction. It took me a moment to realize that Lucius and I had been saved by two vampires—no doubt members of the Order—but I still screamed anyway due to the suddenness with which they appeared.
The vampire holding me gently landed on the ground in front of the Pillar of Blood, which still kept the portal open. As soon as we touched the ground, however, two Order agents shoved the Pillar to the side. The Pillar tipped over and crashed onto the ground. As soon as it fell, the portal in the sky above vanished, replaced by the full moon and bright, shining stars of the night sky. It was a comforting sight, one I hadn’t realized I missed so badly until I saw it again after being in the Vampire Sword’s realm for even a short period of time.
At the same time, I could not help but feel a little melancholy. I could still feel the Vampire Sword calling out to me, but it was angrier now, as if offended by me putting it back in its place. But its call was weaker now, practically nonexistent, so I ignored it.
Instead, I looked up at the vampire who had saved me. He was another male, like Lucius, except a lot bulkier. He looked almost like a bodybuilder, the really bulky kind who could bench press 500 pounds without breaking a sweat. And like Lucius, he had red eyes and pale skin, though his skin was slightly darker than Lucius’.
“Thanks for saving me,” I said. “Are you one of Lucius’ friends?”
The vampire’s lips curled into a frown. “Coworker is more like it, but yes, I know him. We were just about to go through the portal after you two ourselves. What happened and where is Lord Taranas? Is the Vampire Sword safe? And who are you anyway?”
I opened my mouth to explain, but then I heard movement behind me and looked over my shoulder. Lucius was limping toward me, with the vampire who had saved him supporting him. This was another male, though he was lankier than either Lucius or the vampire standing before me, and he didn’t look particularly thrilled about having to support Lucius this way. He had a hand over his stomach, though he seemed to somehow be able to ignore it. Maybe vampires were even stronger than I thought.
“Tara, are you okay?” said Lucius as he stopped before us. “You aren’t hurt, are you?”
“No, I’m fine,” I said. I gestured at the vampire behind me. “This guy—uh, sorry, I don’t know your name—”
“Xanner,” said the vampire with a grunt. “Xanner Blue.”
“Xanner Blue,” I said, “handled me pretty gently.”
“That’s good,” said Lucius. He looked at Xanner. “How did the battle with Lord Taranas’ Horde go?”
“Nice to see you, too, Lucius,” said Xanner. He folded his arms in front of his chest. “But overall, it went well. There were more than we expected, which is why we didn’t immediately join you and the girl in the Vampire Sword’s realm, but we managed to kill every last Newborn, Bloodseeker, and Nosfer we could find. We didn’t let even one of those bastards survive.”
I didn’t doubt that, because even the most cursory glance around the backyard showed that the only vampires who still stood were the Order agents. A few of them had claw marks on their faces or bodies, but otherwise they looked pretty unharmed, which spoke well of their fighting skills. From what I could tell, there were about a dozen Order agents in all, which made their victory against Lord Taranas’ Horde even more impressive. It made me glad that I had not been fighting under Lord Taranas’ control, because I was quite sure that I wouldn’t last very long against any of these guys.
“Now it’s your turn, Lucius,” said the petite female Order agent I had noticed before, who stood next to Xanner. “What happened to Lord Taranas? And the Vampire Sword?”
“Lord Taranas is dead,” said Lucius. He nodded at me. “Killed by Tara here. And the Vampire Sword is safe once again. It’s back in its plinth in its realm, where no one can get it, and will hopefully never be used by anyone again.”
“The girl killed Lord Taranas?” said Xanner. He looked at me skeptically. “She doesn’t look like much.”
“It’s easy to kill a vampire when you have a silver sword like me,” I said without thinking.
Immediately, all of the vampires standing around me took a collective step backwards. Some of them bared their fangs and teeth, while others held up their claws defensively. I looked around in bewilderment, wondering why they were all suddenly treating me as if I had just threatened to kill them. Lucius had also backed away, but mostly because the vampire supporting him had stepped away.
“Why do you have a silver sword?” said Xanner, his voice full of alarm and fear. “Vampires never use silver weapons. What kind of vampire are you? A suicidal one?”
“I’m not a full vampire,” I said quickly, again without really t
hinking. “I’m actually a half-vampire and—”
A collective gasp spread through the Order members. Again, I didn’t really understand what I said wrong until the petite female suddenly launched herself at me and tackled me to the ground. She pinned me underneath her with surprising strength, twisting my arms behind my back in an extremely painful way.
“Don’t move, halfie,” the female growled in my ear. “Or I’ll snap your arms clean off and then your head, too.”
I didn’t know what I did wrong until I remembered what Lucius had told me about the laws regarding half-vampires: namely, that we had to be killed on sight. I suddenly wish I had just kept my mouth shut, because it was pretty clear that nothing I said from here on would help me in the slightest.
“A half-vampire,” said Xanner in disbelief. “I have never seen such a creature before, but it makes sense. It explains why you are wielding a silver weapon and why your aura is closer to that of a sorcerer than a real vampire.”
“Let’s kill her,” said one of the Order members, a male vampire with long dreads. “The Vampire Council would be pretty displeased with us if we let this abomination live. Even if she did kill Lord Taranas, that doesn’t matter, because we have no further need of her now.”
My eyes widened and I said, in a stuttering voice, “H-Hey, guys, let’s be reasonable for a second here. There’s no need to kill me. I’m one of the good guys.”
“Half-vampires are, by their very nature, dangerous,” said Xanner. “Alara, remove the half-vampire’s head. It is the only way to be sure.”
I felt the female vampire’s hands close around my neck and tighten. Her claws popped out of her fingers and dug into my skin, but before she could take off my head, Lucius shouted, “Stop!”
A second later, Lucius appeared above me and shoved the female vampire—the one Xanner called Alara—of me. He bent over me protectively, while the rest of the Order stared at him with a mixture of surprise and anger. A few even stepped forward with their claws out, like they were ready to kill Lucius, too, but then Xanner held out a hand to make them stop.
“Lucius, what is the meaning of this?” said Xanner. “Why are you coming to the defense of a half-vampire? You know the laws as well as we do. She must be killed.”
“I know the laws well, Xanner, but in this case I think it would be a mistake to kill her,” said Lucius. His voice sounded weaker than usual due to his still untreated wound, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention to it. “She’s not the evil abomination which the ancient laws describe. She not only killed Lord Taranas and prevented him from getting the Vampire Sword, but she also saved my life. I owe her a debt, one I intend to fulfill, as I do all of my debts.”
“I don’t care if you have a debt to her or not,” said Xanner, folding his arms in front of his chest. “She is still an abomination, a threat to vampires everywhere. She must be destroyed.”
I kept my mouth shut the entire time, because the last thing I needed was to open my big, fat mouth and say something that might make it harder for Lucius to convince his friends to spare me. I did, however, prepared to fire a fireball spell, because if Lucius failed, then I would at least go down fighting.
Lucius looked Xanner directly in his eyes. “It would not be right to reward her help with death, Xanner, and you know it. She’s proved herself to be a good ally. She will not hurt us.”
“How do you know?” said Xanner. “You know what the Prophecy says about her kind. Even if she isn’t a threat now, she will be a threat in the future. Half-vampires are to be eliminated, not trusted.”
Prophecy? What was he talking about? I wanted to ask Lucius, but then I remembered that I got myself into this situation by speaking without thinking, so I kept my mouth firmly shut.
“I am aware of what the Prophecy says, Xanner,” said Lucius, “but I don’t think it applies to her. Only the Oracle knows who the Prophecy applies to, and you are not the Oracle.”
“Lucius, the longer you refuse to move aside, the more I start to consider you a traitor,” said Xanner. He held up his claws, which looked as sharp as knives. “Remember, the laws state that we also have the right to kill anyone who shelters or protects a half-vampire’s life. I don’t want to kill you, Lucius, because you have been a great agent of the Order, but I would rather sacrifice one Order agent if that meant getting rid of an abomination like her. You understand that.”
Lucius stood up. “I do. Which is why I am invoking the Lamb doctrine.”
Suddenly, the Order agents began muttering and hissing among themselves. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, because they were speaking in a language I didn’t understand, but I understood their tone, which was one of surprise at Lucius’ invocation. I wanted to be surprised, too, but given how I didn’t know what this ‘Lamb doctrine’ was, I could only be confused.
“The Lamb doctrine?” Xanner repeated, a look of pure disbelief on his features. “You’re not serious, are you, Lucius? You do realize what this could mean for you?”
“I do,” said Lucius, “and I am willing to accept whatever the consequences may be.”
“But you could die,” said Xanner. “You realize that, don’t you?”
“As I said, I’m ready to accept whatever consequences of invoking the Lamb doctrine may be,” said Lucius. “As long as Tara is allowed to live, I will accept whatever happens, no matter how gruesome.”
Nearly all of the Order agents looked uncomfortable at Lucius’ declaration. I still didn’t know what the Lamb doctrine was, but if it meant I would get to live, then it had to be a good thing. On the other hand, if Xanner was telling the truth and there was a chance that Lucius could die, then maybe it wasn’t as good as I thought.
“Very well,” said Xanner, though he spoke incredibly reluctantly. “Once the Lamb doctrine is invoked, it can’t be revoked and it must be followed by those who hear it no matter what. We will escort you back to Castle Wings for your trial.”
“And Tara?” said Lucius.
“We will return her to her home,” said Xanner in an even more reluctant voice, “alive and unharmed, per the Lamb doctrine.”
“Good,” said Lucius. “That is exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Two Order agents stepped forward just then and grabbed Lucius’ arms. They pulled him away from me, while Alara walked over to me and said, “Get up, halfie. I’m going to take you back to your home.”
I propped myself up on my hands and knees, shaking my head as I looked over at Lucius, who was being led away by the two Order agents. “What’s going to happen to Lucius? Is he going to be okay?”
Alara also looked at Lucius, but unlike me, she looked more annoyed than worried, with a hint of regret on her vampiric features. “If he’s lucky, the Council will just kill him. If he’s not … well, I don’t even want to speculate on what will happen to him. Now come on. I’m not going to spend all my time babysitting a halfie like you. Let’s leave.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
One week later …
I pulled my car up to the driveway of Dad’s house and parked it in front of the garage.
“All right,” I said, looking at the passenger’s seat, “we’re home. Ready to be back?”
Dad sat in the passenger’s seat next to me, wearing a simple white t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes, rather than the hospital gown he had spent the last week or so wearing. He looked a lot better than he had a week ago, though he was paler and skinnier than before the vampire attack due to having spent so much time lying in bed. Still, the doctor had told me that he would recover just fine and that he just needed to focus on catching up on his sleep for the next week or so. Of course, Dad told me that he knew a few healing spells that would speed up the healing process considerably faster, so I figured Dad would be back behind the pulpit in far less time than the doctor thought.
“I’ve been ready for a week,” said Dad, whose voice was still slightly hoarse from the smoke he had inhaled. “Surprised the house is still standi
ng. Figured the fire would destroy its foundation and make it collapse in on itself.”
“The firefighters did a really good job putting out that fire,” I said as I undid my seatbelt. “They told me that it hadn’t destroyed anything important, which is why the house is still standing.”
“You know, I think there must be a bit more to it than that,” said Dad, stroking his chin. “Back when I was moved into the parsonage, I cast a few spells on it to ensure its stability no matter what happened. Some of those spells are probably working even as we speak. I’ll have to check on them when we get into the house just to make sure they’re still working.”
“You can cast spells that can do that?”
“Sure,” said Dad. “Magic has a wide variety of uses. It’s not just about throwing fireballs at vampires or healing wounds faster than conventional medicine.”
“You’ll have to teach me that sometime,” I said. “It sounds interesting.”
“Sometime, but not today,” said Dad. He clutched his chest. “Today, I just want to be back in my own bed again. I couldn’t sleep in that hospital bed, even though it was very comfortable. Just felt too strange to sleep in.”
I nodded. “Okay, Dad. Let me get the door for you.”
I hopped out of the car and made my way around to the passenger’s side of the vehicle. It was slightly cloudy today, which made it easier for me to move around in the daylight, though it helped that I was wearing jeans and a leather jacket to protect most of my body. I also wore sunglasses to protect my vision, but even so, I felt a little ill as I opened the door on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
“Thanks,” said Dad as he stepped out of the vehicle. He grabbed the open door for a moment to steady himself and then started to walk forward step by step.
“Do you need some help?” I said, standing back to allow Dad to go to the front door of the parsonage. “Because if you do—”
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