by E. G. Foley
But it was very dark, and it had a dusty, musty smell tinged with frankincense and myrrh and some other spices, as well as something sharper…formaldehyde? Gooseflesh broke out across his skin as he realized what the odd, acrid smell was: chemical compounds for embalming dead bodies.
With a shudder, he began slowly walking down the passage. The darkness yawned ahead of him. Just a little moonlight shone through a few narrow street-level windows set high into the wall on his left. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust—and then he rather wished they hadn’t.
Once he could see, he found the crypt lined with bones, stacks of skulls and femurs artfully arranged in macabre art displays. Relics of dead saints. Mummified ex-parishioners leaning along the walls. Monks dressed in their robes, local persons of importance in their finery, all slowly rotting away. Even the emaciated body of a long-dead child lay displayed under glass.
It was dreadful. A violent tremor shook him, but he swallowed hard and forced himself onward. Calmly, he reminded himself that the people here had chosen to be buried or preserved beneath their church.
As he crept past, he tried not to look into the gruesome faces and focused on reaching the opposite door. Once he got to the far end of the passage, he quickly went up the few steps there to seize the door latch in relief. Taking a vial of holy water out of his pocket, he pulled out the tiny cork and covered the mouth of the jar with his thumb, ready to throw it at the first phantom he saw.
With a backward glance at the dead to make sure none of them were creeping up behind him, he lifted the latch and opened the wooden door a crack. Peeking out warily, he was thrilled to see the way was clear.
The phantoms were still waiting for him at the other entrances around the other corners of the building. His plan was going to work!
Heart pounding, he slipped out the door and closed it silently behind him. Then he stole across the churchyard, weaving his way among the aboveground graves and stone sarcophagi.
Unfortunately, he soon ran into a problem. The church’s private graveyard was walled in by high stone fences over ten feet tall with spikes on top. Moreover, the stone had been smoothed over with limestone plaster, making it slippery and virtually impossible even for an ex-thief to climb.
Jake looked around wildly, not seeing any way out. There had to be a gate here somewhere! But with the phantoms waiting on the other sides of the building for him, it wasn’t as though he had a lot of time.
What choice do I have? Gritting his teeth and continually watching over his shoulder, he hurried along the wall, trying to find a gate or any sort of break where he could get out.
It wasn’t long before he had company. His next anxious glance toward the church revealed one of the phantoms on the way. It came scudding over the roof of the church and screeched to its cohorts when it spotted him. Jake broke into a run beside the fence, praying for an exit.
When the first phantom reached him and began to menace him with its knives, he hurled the holy water at it.
The vial splashed against its chest—a direct hit. At once, the masked creature shrieked and rocketed straight upward, its body smoking and singed.
Jake lifted his chin, watching it fly up high into the sky in amazement. I guess it works! He quickly pulled out a second bottle and uncorked it, ready to throw it at the next one, but still making his way along the wall, searching for a gate.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed something go flapping by overhead and instantly braced himself for another attack, but the swift black shape was too small to be one of the phantoms. A high-pitched cry revealed it was only a bat. It had probably been roosting in the tall columnar junipers that dotted the graveyard.
Jake put the bat out of his mind as the next phantom came whooshing toward him, knives gleaming. Holy water at the ready, he drew back his arm, keeping his thumb over the mouth of the vial for now, then threw.
He missed. The phantom had seen what had happened to the last one and was ready for him. It dodged aside, its attack thwarted for the moment, but the holy water spilled across the ground.
Blast it!
Jake realized his plight then. As long as he was armed with these small vials, he had at least a means of driving them back. But as soon as he ran out of holy water vials…
Once more, the second phantom headed his way, and this time, it was joined by the third. Jake didn’t know what had happened to the one that had shot up into the sky, but these two were enough to keep him busy.
He swallowed hard, a holy water vial in each hand. He pulled one of the corks out with his teeth, waiting. He could not risk missing again.
At that moment, the strangest thing happened. The bat swooped by again, diving at the heads of the two phantoms menacing him.
What the devil?
The creatures tried to swat the bat away as it fluttered around their heads, then it flew toward the church. The two phantoms turned in obvious confusion and watched it go flapping off.
But when the bat flew before the face of the great round moon, Jake gasped in astonishment. For it landed on the church roof, transforming in the blink of an eye into the shape of a man.
“Hullo, Jake,” he called down casually. “Getting into trouble again, are we?”
“Prince Janos?” Jake cried in amazement.
“Nightstalkers, Jake, really?” the vampire prince chided him in a droll tone. “Derek wasn’t joking. You really do know how to make friends wherever you go.”
The phantoms were clearly taken aback by the new arrival.
So was Jake, for that matter, considering Janos and he had never been formally introduced. Isabelle and Maddox were the only ones who’d actually met him. Jake had seen the vampire prince before, however, and of course, he knew who he was; Janos had served as a Guardian with Derek back when he had been a mortal.
Apparently, Derek had told Janos a bit about Jake, in turn.
Mystified, he watched the tall, cloaked figure jump off the roof of the church and plummet almost slowly through the air some forty feet or so, his black cloak flowing out behind him. He landed in the graveyard with a fierce, agile elegance and began striding toward Jake.
Still, the phantoms hesitated, as though unsure what to do.
“Seems my old Guardian instincts haven’t entirely left me yet,” Janos remarked as he approached. “Thought I’d do Derek a favor and check on you on my way to Merlin Hall. Had a feeling I’d better hurry, and it’s a good thing I did. I heard all the commotion this charming trio was making over the city. Figures I’d find you in the middle of it. Now stay back,” Janos ordered. “I’ll take care of these fellows.”
“Tell me how to stop them and I’ll help you!”
“You can’t. They exist on the shadow plane and can only be killed with a darkling blade. Like this.” Janos pulled out a large gray knife rather like the ones the phantoms carried, only his had a subtle blue glow around it. “Lucky for you, it’s a favorite weapon among my kind.”
Then Janos turned himself fully into his vampire form, eyes glowing, fangs gleaming as he let out a savage growl, then the ex-Guardian ran at the two phantoms like a berserker set loose.
Jake drew in his breath and pressed his back against the wall, merely trying to keep out of the way while Janos engaged the two phantoms in battle.
Wide-eyed, he watched, trying to figure out what the deuce the Order’s vampire double agent was doing here in the first place. Did his presence mean that Henry had completed his mission?
But his questions would have to wait till later—for now, Jake was mainly grateful.
Janos’s past as a skilled Guardian warrior who had trained under Derek was evident as he fought the two creatures. His black cloak swirling gracefully around him, his blade flashing blue, Janos whirled about the churchyard battling the creatures. Even if he got cut, he healed immediately. He was almost impossible to kill.
The vampire’s ferocity did not make Jake complacent, however.
He still had his two vials of holy water at the r
eady in case either of the phantoms came after him again.
Nightstalkers, Janos had called them, he mused. The name certainly fit. Then he cheered as Janos skewered first one of the phantoms, then pivoted to finish off the other.
When he stabbed them with the darkling blade, they exploded into a puff of ashes. But one still remained–the one that had bulleted skyward when Jake had hit it with the holy water.
It had recovered enough to make another rush at him, racing toward Jake with its knife raised, rather than attempting to fight Janos.
He was ready with the holy water, raising his arm. Don’t miss, don’t miss, don’t miss…
He hurled the vial, barely noticing Janos racing across the churchyard, leaping over the above-ground graves to come to his aid.
The holy water hit the Nightstalker square in the chest, but as it turned away with a scream, a little of the stuff splashed sideways onto Janos as he arrived.
The vampire yelped. “Ow! Boy, be careful with that stuff!” he said, then plunged the darkling blade into the phantom, and poof! It rained into a messy goop of ashes.
“Sorry about that,” Jake said lamely, panting after that near miss.
Janos scowled at him, taking out a handkerchief and quickly daubing away the drops of holy water that had made his arm and chest smoke and sizzle where it had hit him. “Humph.”
Jake leaned shakily against the wall and eyed Janos a bit nervously. He had never seen him up close in his full vampire form, only from a distance. It was frightening to see the eternally young and handsome man looking so hideous and devilish.
Janos noticed him staring and sheepishly mumbled, “Oh, sorry—forgot.” He changed himself back to his usual human form with a sort of quick shrug and a jerk of his head. Then he ran a hand over his sleek black hair, smoothing his shoulder-length ponytail.
“You have some timing,” Jake added, shakily leaning against the wall as he glanced at him with gratitude. “Thanks.”
The vampire flashed a rakish smile. “My pleasure. That was fun.”
“You saved my life.”
“Ah, never a dull moment with you, m’boy. Just like Stone warned me.” Janos laid a firm grip on Jake’s shoulder and turned him toward the cemetery gate. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
When they walked back out into the street, Jake discovered that Janos wasn’t the only one whose protective Guardian instincts had been triggered.
Ahead, Maddox was running down the street with Red galloping beside him and Archie just a few steps behind.
“Jake!” Maddox shouted.
“I’m all right!” Jake waved to them. Farther down the street, he could see the three girls hurrying to keep up. His heart gave a little kick at the sight of Dani.
“What happened?” Maddox demanded as he rushed up to Jake, then gestured at Janos. “What’s he doing here?”
“Hullo, Stick,” Janos said pleasantly.
“He just saved my life,” Jake replied, still a bit dazed by it all.
“What do you think you’re doing, leaving like that in the middle of the night?” Maddox demanded while Red came over to Jake and pushed his head against him, as if to say, I was worried!
“I just wanted to go for a walk,” Jake replied, steadying himself while the Gryphon nearly knocked him over with his show of affection.
“A walk? And you didn’t see fit to tell anyone? My Guardian instincts were going mad!” Maddox said. “I thought something happened to you! When I woke up and you were gone, I feared the worst. Red and I started to come out and look for you, but then Archie woke up and the girls heard us talking, too, so here we all are.”
Just then, the young ladies came clattering up to them.
“Jake!” Dani cried. “Where’ve you been?”
“Umm…”
“Hullo, Miss Bradford,” Janos purred with a wicked smile, giving Isabelle a courtly bow.
She arched a brow at him. “Prince Janos,” she answered in an arch tone.
“He’s not a real prince!” Maddox said with a scoff, then huffed at Janos: “Don’t talk to her.”
“Nonsense, I shall marry her one day,” the vampire drawled, “as the young lady well knows.”
Dani’s jaw dropped at that.
“Oh, he’s only teasing,” Isabelle said with a snort. “His Highness thinks he’s amusing.”
“But I am,” Janos said.
“You’re a traitor,” Maddox growled.
“Easy,” Jake said. “He just saved my life.”
“So, Maddox was right, then?” Archie asked in alarm. “Someone came after you out here?”
Jake nodded grimly. “Nightstalkers. But happy to say, Janos made short work of them—whatever they were. Horrible fellows.”
“Mm,” Janos agreed.
Jake paused. “Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure the Dark Druids sent them.”
“Likely so.” The vampire nodded.
“What are Nightstalkers?” Archie asked, wide-eyed.
“Dark spirits—bounty hunters,” Janos said. “I couldn’t let them get away and return to their masters to report your whereabouts. Here.” With a warning look, he handed Jake the darkling blade. “You’ll need this if any more should come. It’s the only sort of weapon that can kill them,” he informed the others.
“But don’t you need it?” Jake said as he took the knife by the handle.
“I’ll rearm at Merlin Hall,” he replied. “Come along, now. I don’t have much time. Let’s get you all back to the villa.” Gallantly, Janos offered Isabelle his arm to escort her, but she just rolled her eyes in amusement and walked past him.
Janos laughed.
Privately, Jake suspected the vampire was only flirting with Isabelle to needle Maddox. Maybe Janos hoped to nudge the strict young Guardian-in-training into acting on his far more sincere, but still secret devotion to the girl. After all, the ex-Guardian was longtime friends with Maddox’s birth mother, Ravyn Vambrace, from whom the boy had inherited his Guardian gifts. Along with Janos, Ravyn had gone on many missions led by Derek. So Janos and Maddox’s mother had, along with Derek, known each other a long time.
As they all headed back to the Villa di Palma, Dani walked close to Jake on one side, Red on the other. She poked him reproachfully in the arm. “What was in your head, ye daftling, coming out here all alone at such an hour, when half the world is out to get ye?”
He was not about to admit that he’d only gone out for a walk because he’d been feeling lovesick over her, so he sidestepped the question. “Did you know your Irish brogue always comes out stronger when you’re mad at me?” he countered with a doting smile.
She scowled. “You should’ve at least asked me to come along!”
“I almost did! But after that, believe me, I’m glad I didn’t. Besides, I didn’t want you to get in trouble, in case Aunt Ramona found out. Was she, er, still asleep when you left the villa?” he asked with a wince.
Dani nodded. “Aye. Miss Helena, too. You should be in the clear. You were lucky.”
“I know, I know.”
“Well, I’m just glad he saved you,” she said, then turned to Janos. “How are your little hatchlings, Your Highness? I heard they were sick. Did that potion the Elders made help them get better?”
“How kind of you to ask, young lady!” the vampire prince exclaimed.
“This is Dani O’Dell,” Jake informed him.
“Ah, and a very considerate girl she is. Thank you, Miss O’Dell—yes, the little ones are thriving. The medicine worked wonderfully well. My brides are happy once more.”
“Great,” Maddox muttered. “Then I guess we should be expecting a new vampire infestation in your region in another few years?”
“Don’t fret, Stick. I will teach my children proper manners. They will only feed on animals, I promise.”
Isabelle scowled at him for that.
Janos looked away. “For now, it’s strictly mother’s milk for them. Can you believe some of the little devi
ls are already trying to fly?”
Jake arched a brow, hearing the proud vampire papa gush about his brood. He was a strange one, all right.
Janos chuckled. “They spend half their days climbing all over me and their Uncle Urso, while their mothers spoil them.”
“Urso… Isn’t that your German shapeshifter friend?” Archie queried. “Great, big, loud fellow. Changes into a bear?”
“That’s the one,” Janos said.
“Speaking of shapeshifters! Janos, did Henry come back from the forest with you?” Isabelle asked hopefully.
“No, my heart, he went straight on to Merlin Hall.”
“He did?” she exclaimed.
Janos nodded. “You’ll be proud to hear your tutor completed his spy mission. Seems Henry picked up some very important information from the forest wolves. It was just the tip we needed. The Lightrider dropped me off here, then took Henry on straightaway to Merlin Hall so he could tell the Elders what he learned. Urso went with him,” he added. “I imagine Sir Peter and the Elders are already plotting our strategy.”
“What did he find out?” Archie asked in a hushed tone. “Can you tell us?”
“Eh, why not. I’m not known for following rules. But you cannot tell anyone. Or I’ll come back and suck out all your blood.”
“We won’t!” they all vowed, though his threat was obviously spoken in jest.
Janos glanced around furtively. “Your own dear Henry found out where the Black Fortress currently sits.”
Sounds of awe escaped them.
By now they all knew that the Black Fortress was the name of the Dark Druids’ magical headquarters. But it wasn’t easy to find.
Steeped in many arcane spells, the warlocks’ castle had the ability to jump locations, so it was very hard to lay siege to or attack.
“That’s why I can’t stay and visit with you all. The Order is mobilizing fighters to launch an assault on the Black Fortress by tomorrow night. There’ll be a full moon and we want to capitalize on the added mystical energy it brings. I daresay we’ll need it, going into the belly of the beast like that. But there’s no time to lose. We have to get there fast if we’re to rescue Derek and Tex before the castle jumps again.”
