The mansion smelled faintly of filet mignon and garlic. Remnants of an earlier feast. It made me realize how long it had been since I had eaten. I had been too consumed by anger to think of anything else.
I turned down a long carpeted hallway. Pictures hung on the wall, photographs of different scenes of nature. I paused at one of them. It was of the ocean at sunset. A sailboat skimmed the waters in the background. Kristen had the same photograph hanging on the wall in her house. She said my mother had taken it.
I gripped the scimitar tighter as anger swelled within me. I glanced up and down the hallway at the other photographs. Had my mother taken those, too? What had they meant to each other? So many emotions raced through me and confusion filled my mind. In the end, it didn't matter what she had meant to him and vice versa. Victor was a poison in this city and had to be stopped.
With new resolve, I crept down the hallway toward the sound of steady breathing. When I reached the closed door, I pressed my ear to it. Only one person was in there.
I placed my hand on the metal doorknob and slowly turned it. It whispered across the carpet as I opened it wide. My heart began to pound harder than it ever had before.
The master bedroom was surprisingly simple and ordinary unlike the rest of the house. A black dresser pressed against the wall, a tall laundry basket full of clothes next to it. A four-poster bed dominated the room with a bench seat at its end. A wide and tall window to my left spilled moonlight into the room. There was so much of it that I could see dust motes swirling into the air, something I usually only caught in sunlight.
Victor lay asleep on the bed. He was on his back wearing a white t-shirt and boxer shorts. A blanket had been kicked to his feet.
He was massive, taking up much of the king-size bed. I only had one shot at this. I could stab him in his heart, but according to Roman, if I didn't cut off his head as well or light him on fire, he would turn into a vampire. I couldn't imagine a worse scenario for the city. He was bad enough as a human, but as a vampire, he could be unstoppable.
I looked down at the scimitar in my hand. Moonlight reflected on its blade. I could do this. I swallowed around an immoveable knot in my throat. This would be the first person I will have killed deliberately. I had been living in my father's false shadow for so many years that it filled me with dread to go against the moral code I'd always held on to.
My eyes flickered to Victor. It had to be done.
I snuck to his bed and lifted the scimitar high. One clean swipe to his neck and this would all be over.
I swiped the blade down, but just before it met its mark, Victor's eyes flew open and his hand shot forward, catching my wrist in his grip. Before I got over my shock, he punched me square in the chest. I flew through the room and crashed into the wall, crumbling the drywall. I gasped for air.
Victor slid from the bed and rose high, chuckling. "You must've been real proud of yourself a moment ago, thinking you would be the one to kill me."
I struggled to catch a breath. It felt like my sternum had shattered directly into my lungs.
He stepped toward me and stared down. "There's no need to bother with the mask. I know who you are, Adam."
I would've been surprised had I not been dying for air. I ripped the ski mask from my face hoping I could catch some fresh oxygen.
"It was the night of the fight," he explained. He crouched down next to me and watched me struggle. "It was a disappointing revelation. You were such a great fighter, and I had high hopes for you, but then I discovered that punk kid had been rescued. When I surveyed the area, I smelled you. You were everywhere in that room. Your sweat, your cockiness, your pride in your accomplishment. It made me sick to smell all your emotions polluting my business."
I finally managed to get air back into my lungs, but the pain in my chest still pulsed across my body.
"Why wait?" I rasped. "Why not just kill me?"
"I thought about doing that. I don't like being betrayed, but there was something special about you. You're not like most men, and I wanted to know why."
I pulled my feet beneath me and slowly stood up. Victor rose with me. We were practically at eye level, but he had maybe an inch on me. He looked back and forth in each of my eyes. "Who are you really?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the scimitar lying on the ground. I had to finish what I came for.
"I asked you a question," he said. "You can't beat me, so get any thoughts of that out of your head right now. If you want to live, you will answer."
He moved like he was going to reach for me, but I ducked and somersaulted across the floor until the long blade was in my hand. I jumped to my feet and lunged forward, the scimitar aimed at his heart. He easily knocked it away and it flew through the room. It's sharp edge stuck into the wall. He swung his fist, but I ducked and punched into his side. He grunted, but only a little.
He stepped back as I continued to swing. He blocked a few of my jabs, but I managed to land several to his side and stomach. When I spotted an opening, I cocked my fist back and shot it forward. I hit him in the jaw and his head jerked back. He stumbled into the window. A web-like crack exploded across the glass. I hurried back and ripped the scimitar from the wall.
Victor chuckled and wiped blood from his lip. "You are strong. Stronger than any man who has dared fight me. But it's time I got answers."
I rushed him and leapt into the air in a sideways jump, my feet aiming for his chest. But it was like I was moving in slow motion. Victor managed to step out of the way and grab my legs at the same time. He whipped me around, and I collided into the two bottom posts of the four-poster bed, snapping them in half. I collapsed onto the floor and groaned as pain wracked my body.
Victor stomped toward me and lifted his great foot. It came crashing down and I just barely managed to roll out of the way. A heartbeat later, he kicked me in the gut. I flipped upward and smashed down on the bed's end table. The corner of it stabbed into my side, breaking the skin. Warm blood spread across my flesh.
He picked me up by the back of my hair and flung me forward. My head smacked into the wall, leaving a big dent. Despite the pain, I scrambled away and reached for the knives in my boots. I straightened and slashed at Victor when he came for me, but he dodged all of my blows.
He had the upper hand and he knew it. We both did. I had to do something different or this was going to end badly.
Guessing that he expected me to punch him again, I did the unexpected. I dropped to the ground and kicked his knee. It buckled and he fell to the ground, his eyebrows lifting in surprise.
I scrambled to my feet and slashed the dagger at his neck, just as he moved away. It cut into his skin, but not deep enough. He growled and blocked my next swing. I rammed my knee forward, connecting with his mouth. Blood spurted from his lips. Lifting my fist, I punched forward but he caught it and twisted hard, bringing me to the floor with him.
I ignored the pain and swiped the knife in my other hand toward his ribs, but he blocked this one, too, and knocked the knife out of my grip. Before I could do anything else, his large hand came around my throat and squeezed tight. Struggling for breath, I tried to pry his grip away, but he wouldn't budge. He pressed me to the floor, and his knee clamped down on both of my legs, preventing me from kicking at him.
He leaned over, putting all of his weight on me. It felt like a train car had been dropped on top of me. No matter how many times I hit at his hand or tried to punch at his face, his grip didn't loosen. Reds and blues crowded my vision. If I didn't do something, I was going to pass out. Death would surely follow.
"Tell me who you are," he ordered.
He relaxed his grasp just a little, and I sucked in air greedily. But I didn't answer him. There's no way I could tell him who I really was.
"I think you might need a little incentive. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this." He punched me hard in the face. The pain was excruciating, mind-numbing. I couldn't fight back if I wanted.
Still kee
ping pressure on my throat, he reached into his pocket and removed his cell phone. After pushing several buttons, he held the phone to his ear. "Show me the girl."
My dizziness cleared right up, and I was more alert than I'd ever been.
He turned the phone my direction and on the screen sat Emma tied to a chair, her head slumped forward. Someone out of the camera's view smacked her head. She lifted her face and stared forward. Her mascara was smeared around red and swollen eyes. Her mouth had been taped shut.
Victor pocketed his phone. He punched me again. "I would kill you now, but I'm too curious to know who you are. Tell me your real name and I'll let the girl go." He tilted his head as if considering his own words. "Actually, we won't. Maybe. It really depends upon who you are and why you want me dead. So let's start there. I want your name."
I couldn't tell him who I was because that would put Kristen’s life in danger, but if I didn't tell him, then Emma…either way, someone I loved was going to be hurt.
I considered my options. I could try fighting again, but I clearly wasn't strong enough. I could admit that now and the revelation was devastating. Roman was right. I was no match for Victor. Not as I was, and now it was too late to turn.
I really screwed this up.
Maybe there was a way out of this.
If he knew who I was, he might show mercy. He did have feelings for my mother at one point, although I'm not sure how deep they went.
When he reached back to hit me again, I blurted, "My name is Aris. Aris Crow."
He hesitated for just a second before his fist slammed into my eye socket. Pain exploded in my head. I moaned and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. I heard him breathing heavily over me with a sudden anger he didn't have before.
"Aris Crow is dead, and you will die for using his name."
Thinking of Emma, I gathered as much strength as I could and rolled out from under him, which wasn't too difficult. He was shaken up and not applying his full body weight anymore.
I got up on all fours and stumbled to a standing position. Victor rose to his feet, his hands balled tight.
"I'm Daisy's son," I gasped, trying hard to keep my feet beneath me.
His fist crashed into the side of my head. I fell into the dresser.
"I'm Aris Crow," I said again, my voice stronger.
He punched me again, driving my face to the ground. I fell onto all fours and slowly crawled away from him.
"I'm Aris Crow," I repeated over and over, the words giving me enough strength to stay conscious.
"Aris Crow is dead!" he roared. He kicked me in the stomach, flipping me over onto my back.
Through labored breathing, I said, "Think about it."
If he hit me one more time, I may not be able to get back up.
He stared down at me, breathing heavily through flared nostrils. I could see his mind working quickly, thinking of everything he knew about me. A change came over his expression, one more of wonder than anger. He stumbled back.
I took this opportunity to pull myself back onto my feet. I used the wall for support as I stumbled out of the room and down the hallway. I nearly fell on the stairs, but clung to the rail tightly. His footsteps never came after me as I hurried out of the house.
The next several minutes were a blur. Literally. My left eye was swollen shut and the vision in my right was blurry. I limped out the doors and across the lawn. The original plan was for me to speed through the cameras knowing I could easily out run the security guards, but things were different now. I could barely move and yet, as I glanced behind me, no one pursued me.
I ground my teeth together. I truly thought I could beat Victor. I had believed I was strong enough. I believed I had trained long enough, that my skills were good enough. Nothing was true in my life anymore.
With the last little bit of strength I had, I leapt over the fence and stumbled to the ground on the other side. I hoped Oz could see me because the whole world was going black.
I gladly welcomed the darkness.
35
Searing pain coursed through my body. Even my bones ached, as if every one of them had been broken. It was hard to think about anything else.
My eyes were shut. I lifted my eyebrows to try and help open them, but even that hurt. I attempted to sit up on whatever I was lying on, but a wave of dizziness washed over me.
"Lay still," a voice said. It was distorted, as if the person was speaking through a digital recorder.
I settled back down and forced myself to relax. Where was I? I tried to think through the pain wracking my body, but it was near impossible. I needed to relax. Focus on everything I've been taught. Pain was a state of mind. I could get past this.
Forcing measured breaths, I focused only on the air moving in and out of my lungs. I felt it on my lips, as it blew past my tongue and flowed into the dark corridor of my throat. My pulse slowed and my mind cleared. After one more deep breath, I concentrated on my memories.
I had been with Oz at Victor's house. I broke in and fought Victor. I kept my emotions in check as I remembered our fight. At first, he hadn't believed I was Aris, but in the end, I think he did. He hadn't pursued me when I fled his house.
There was something else I was forgetting. The memory tugged at the corners of my mind, making my stomach churn because I knew it was bad. Then I remembered. Emma.
I inhaled a hitched breath. He had her. Did he still?
But that wasn't all. Now that Victor knew the truth about me, he would know Kristen had lied to him all this time. I had to get to her before he did.
I attempted to sit up again, but the pain was so great that another blanket of darkness smothered me back to sleep.
"Hey," a voice said.
My consciousness stirred.
"Wake up. I'm bored."
I felt a jab in my ribs. My eyes rolled behind closed eyelids as I struggled to wake up.
"Seriously. You've been out long enough. Besides, you're supposed to be all super, but right now you look pathetic. Your body looks almost healed, so get up already. People need you."
More poking at my ribs. There was pressure on the skin around my eyelids, and then my right eyelid was pulled open. It took a second for my vision to focus.
I stared up into Amy's face. She grinned wide. "There you are! Have you been faking this whole time?"
She jabbed me again.
"Stop doing that," I moaned. My voice cracked like I hadn't spoken for a long time.
"But I'm bored."
"Go be bored somewhere else," I grumbled, my mind fuzzy again. I was in my room lying in bed. I didn’t remember how I got there.
"You're the only one around. Roman’s hanging out in that weird circular room staring at the ceiling, and Oz is out trying to find Kristen."
I sat up quickly, too quickly, and my head spun.
"Slow down. You're going to pass out again."
"Is Kristen missing?"
"Maybe, but it's only been a day and a half since you've been out. Maybe she went away for the weekend or something."
I slowly sat up and slid my feet over the side of my bed. An old teddy bear had been tucked next to me. It looked familiar. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands.
"I found it in a chest across the street. Roman said it was yours when you were little. I thought you might like it.”
"Thanks," I said, studying a rip in the bear's furry side. Part of the stuffing was coming out where a stitch had popped. I used to take it with me everywhere before we left for Louisiana. I remember the day it had snagged on a nail in one of the tunnels. I was so upset, but then Roman sewed it up for me. Funny I had never thought of that memory until now.
Amy handed me a crumpled paper bag that smelled of grease and old French fries. "Oz thought you might be hungry, but it's probably cold now. He wasn't sure when you would wake up."
I tore into the bag and practically swallowed a cheeseburger whole. Cold french fries came next.
"You're going to choke,"
she said and handed me a tall soda. I finished it all in record time.
I felt stronger with food in me. I stretched my arms high. The debilitating pain had left my body. All that remained was a dull ache that had settled deep into my bones. I could live with that.
I pressed up and off the bed, waiting to be accosted by dizziness, but it never came. I slowly took a step forward and then another. So far, so good.
"Where are you going?" she asked and followed after me.
"To see Roman."
She continued to follow behind me as if she was afraid I might fall over. I appreciated her concern.
Roman sat in the center of the Halo, his legs crossed and his head bowed, instead of its usual upward position. "You're awake."
"What do you know?" I asked, wanting answers as quickly as possible.
He confirmed my worst fears. "They have Emma and Kristen. Both of them are being held at the docks."
Amy slipped her small hand into mine and squeezed it tight. "What are you going to do?"
I looked down at her. "I'm going to save them."
"They're not alone," Roman said. "Victor's men are there. A lot of them. I also heard something else. A single whisper, almost as if whoever said it hadn't meant to: Principes Noctis. They are here in the city and could easily be at the docks, too."
"It doesn't matter," I said.
"Who are they?" Amy asked.
"Just someone else in my way." I turned to Roman. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. Everything happening right now is my fault."
"You had to know for yourself," he said matter-of-factly.
"I know now. There is no other way. I must turn. Tonight, I will trade my life for theirs. Tonight, I will die."
Amy let go of my hand. "Die?"
I knelt next to her and looked her in the eyes. "Not die in the sense you mean. I will return, but I won't be the same. I will be stronger and I will be able to destroy Victor and whoever else once and for all."
She wrinkled her nose. "You realize nothing you just said made sense right?"
A Hero's Death: Aris Crow Vampire Legend Page 23
