“Da Lord is my shepherd,” he said in a very thick, Spanish accent.
“Was that supposed to make me feel better?”
His worn robed concealed a necklace, one he pulled out for everyone to see. A small skull was fastened to a long silver chain. Francisco rubbed the skull a few times before returning it. “Come, no fear here.”
Radu placed his hand on my chest. “Castor is not going anywhere.”
“No, no, no harm. Trust… me…” Francisco urged.
Cassie extended her hand. “I can come with you, if you’d like.”
Francisco walked back towards the house, waving his hand to follow. “What part of Castor is not go-”
“Radu, it’s okay.”
Even as I expressed my intentions out loud, my conscious screamed at me for wanting to let some witch doctor use his hokey pokey on me. Almighty alive, if Julia ever caught wind of my reckless behavior, she’d have me knocked into next week. There was a very heavy anti-magic feeling in the family, one that even I carried a bit.
The vampire looked at me in confusion. “What are you saying?”
Nope, my mind was made up. If we were going to do this, I needed to be one hundred percent. These two weren’t going to be carrying me around Ireland and such. “If voodoo Sam here can help me, I’m going to go through with it,” I said.
He looked disgusted. That was okay, what was the worst that could happen? Cassie decided that my ignoring of her comment was consent for her to come along, too. As I entered the small house, the darkness and creepy factor hit me like a steam engine. There was a weird funk to the place; probably a result of all the chicken feathers.
“Are you the only person in this little town, Francisco?” I asked.
“Let’s not ask him too many questions,” Cassie answered for him. “It’s best he stays on task.”
There was one larger room as you entered with two smaller rooms off to the right side. In the middle, surrounded by candles and questionable markings was a table. Francisco was already next to it, running his hand over the old, torn up leather.
He smiled at me; he may have had just three teeth in his head. “We begin.”
“If he kills me,” I muttered over to Cassie, “That vampire out there is going to kill both of you.”
She took my warning very seriously. “I know.”
The witch doctor motioned for my shirt and my jacket. Reluctantly, I took them off and handed them to him, which he tossed on the ground like a child. Keep it cool, I reminded myself. I wasn’t exactly sure what was about to happen; I just wanted to get out of this alive and in better health than I currently was. I felt my pulse racing as my head hit the table and the creepy, almost toothless man leaned over.
I couldn’t really see. Between the position I was in and the lack of any real lighting, it made it impossible to keep track of anything out of direct sight. Francisco was smiling as I felt a cold liquid hit my chest. He wasn’t gentle, either. I flinched and had to bite my lip to keep from yelling.
“Dis is easy part,” he laughed.
That didn’t make me feel any better.
The man began chanting in some sort of Spanish-Creole mix. How did I know about those sorts of languages you might ask? Just because I’m a good old boy from Texas didn’t mean I was some sort of backwater hick. I knew enough Spanish to get me by and had heard a bit of Creole here and there.
This man was Cuban.
Holy hell, he was rubbing chicken blood on me.
As I closed my eyes, I began to drift away to another place and time. Could Francisco feel my mind slowly moving away? “Intragante…” he muttered. “Su historia familiar es muy oscura.”
The tremble of his tone changed drastically when he spoke in his native tongue. ¿Cómo lo sabes?
He snickered as Cassie interrupted our conversation. “Can someone fill me in on what’s going on?”
“He said my family was dark and I asked how he knew how.”
She placed her hands on her hip, at least I thought so. “Continue on, I guess,” she sighed.
“Duerme mi amigo, duerme.”
Francisco repeated that line over and over again. My eyelids grew heavy, something tugging on me to the other side. As I gave into that, a blinding pain splintered my chest.
It was too late for me to scream.
****
A little boy, maybe six or seven, ran by me. He was laughing, having a good time playing in the moonlit yard. I turned around and saw two ladies standing on a front porch. I recognized this house; it was the same one I grew up in.
“Luka,” Julia called, in English. Her accent was still very thick; it would soften the longer she stayed here. “It is bed time soon.”
“But Julia,” he responded. “The night is young.”
He didn’t go towards the porch, instead he began to chase the lights that flashed in the yard. This little boy was going after fireflies.
That had been my favorite pastime as a child, with Julia watching me from the same porch. Could Luka have been my grandfather? My parents had died long before I was old enough to even know. Julia was the only real mother figure I knew. Abigail had been there a few times, before she lost herself to the hate. That happened when I was maybe ten.
“Julia, let the child play,” Abigail chastised her. “We have come a long way. Luka deserves a little freedom; he is our most precious treasure.”
I couldn’t help but to agree. Luka’s face beamed full of happiness and love. This was how it was supposed to be. This was the future I’d hoped to have one day.
I could’ve stood there and watched the three of them for a good long time. I felt at peace here, I felt at home.
Of course, that was the moment I was pulled away, back into the chaos.
****
“Arrrrrgggghhhhh!”
I woke to the pain that had been inflicted upon me. My voice was raw from screaming, even if I didn’t remember it. Radu was beside me, holding my head still. “He is almost done.”
I couldn’t even fathom what Radu was doing. There was a good amount of concern displayed in his gaze. The root of the pain radiated from my chest, but it spread out to all my outer extremities. The pain was so intense that I couldn’t even move my fingers or toes. I could’ve died.
I wanted to die.
“What is he mumbling about?” Radu yelled.
I didn’t know who or what he was talking about. His was the only voice I could hear. Except it wasn’t. Very low, almost out of earshot there was another. “Francisco knows I’m here,” it spoke to me.
And with his voice was calm, peace. Warm Texas nights came to mind, chasing fireflies. I wasn’t alone; I was free.
“Youz have much explainin’ ta do,” the rich, accented voice of Francisco brought me back into the room.
Whatever happened had finished. There was no more pain, no more agonizing or suffering. I felt winded though, as if I’d run halfway to Mexico and back. “Water,” I panted.
Cassie already had a cup in hand. “Here, drink.”
As I did, Radu was fully in angry vampire mode. “What the hell happened in here? Someone tell me, now!” his growl echoed.
“I don’t know!” Cassie responded. Both sets of eyes went to Francisco.
“Otra vida en tu alma, Luka.” His comment was directed at me.
“What did he say, Castor?”
“He told me another lives on in my soul, Radu.” The dreams, I now knew why I’d be having them. “Luka..”
“Luka Brinza?” he answered, as if the name was quite familiar to him. “That’s impossible, your grandfather has been dead for years.”
“His soul… eet remains,” Francisco countered, pointing at me once again.
For some reason, I clutched my stomach. “I think we need to speak, Radu.”
Neither Cassie nor Francisco said a word as Radu nodded. He helped me off the table; I wasn’t nearly as sore as before, but my body was still aching. Probably from whatever just happened to me. Th
e two of us began to exit before Francisco rumbled out one last thing.
“Darkness, eet will consume you.”
I ignored him and walked out of the house, Radu hot on my heels. “Luka, I’ve been dreaming about him recently,” I admitted the moment the two of us were clear.
“Since when?” he fired back quickly.
“The first dream was after I saved the witch. The second was in there. I can feel him, he’s here, within me.”’
Radu looked scared. This was the first time I’d seen him with fear in his eyes. “Luka… I cannot believe his spirit is still on this plane.” He wasn’t talking to me, more to himself.
“How well did you know my granddaddy?”
He ran his hand through his long hair. “I wish I had known him better. His story is the most important one in your family’s history.”
“Can you tell it to me?”
He shook his head no. “Something recently has triggered Abigail’s gift within you, if I were to guess. No, this is not my story to tell. This is Luka’s,” he said as he poked my chest.
“Is Luka the darkness?”
“No, the darkness is the Dracul family. The darkness is my fault.”
There was no being able to tell him that he wasn’t the cause. I knew vampire blood flowed through my veins, even if they told me I was just a regular old human. There was a reason my shots were faster, my instincts good, the reason I survived that mortar attack! Of course there was darkness in me.
I just never wanted to admit it.
I noticed over at the door Francisco was standing there. “Hay oscuridad incluso en la luz.”
Darkness in the light, huh? “I hope you’re right.”
“We don’t have time to worry about whatever’s happened in there. My sister is near and the banshee is with her.”
Cassie’s proclamation forced everything to the back. I’d worry more about what Francisco did and the aftermath once a daemon was dead.
That’s when the unholy howl that could’ve woken up the dead filled the countryside.
Chapter Six
**Germany; 1941 the year of our Lord**
“L ondon has fallen,” I read aloud to my inner circle. “Hitler confirms this.”
Their excitement bubbled over as the success of our daemon powered Reich had won the day. The Seventh Reich, in its first mission, had come away successful. Blood and terror filled the streets of the British capital, that I was sure of. I only wished I could see the Queen of England, or any of those British patsies, getting flayed.
Or worse.
“Gerhard,” my second in command said. “Do you think the Japanese will join us after this display? Hitler promised a new ally should we be successful.”
Otto Wilhelm, my protege, I wouldn’t have been able to complete the Reich without him. “The Japanese will join if they know what is good for them. If I know Hitler, he will soon command us to take our legion south of France and Spain; none of them will stand for long.”
“Do you think he will be ready in time?”
I knew there was a reason Otto came to speak with me. Him. My greatest victory so far in the soldier enhancement program; the moment he was ready, Hitler would expect him on the front lines, leading the charge. I just needed a few more days to complete all the precautions and detail.
“The rest of them can celebrate this victory. Otto, the two of us have history to make.”
“Yes Gerhard!” He snapped to attention. “Hail Hitler!”
The rest heard his proclamation. “Hail Hitler!”
**Ireland; 1941 the year of our Lord**
“That’d be the banshee, I reckon.”
“Alura must’ve tracked me, too. Damnit, I thought we’d have just a wee bit more time to prepare.”
As Cassie got nervous, a hint of her true Irish accent seeped into her words.
Radu’s unnerved pacing was just as alarming. “Castor, will you allow me usage of the Sanctae Crucis?”
He was ridiculously formal. “Have at it, partner. It’s not going to do me a lick of good, I’m not a swordsman.”
He opened the case and took out the blade that had killed Vlad Dracul himself. The most interesting feature was where the old, broken sword and the newer forged metal met. Brinza family legend had it that’s the part of the sword that killed Vlad. The holy magic did its trick.
Radu took hold of it, gently. “This sword looks as if it hasn’t seen combat since the day it slayed my brother,” he observed.
“Probably not.” The only times it ever came out of its box that I could remember was when Julia would polish it, make sure the edges were sharp, and then place it away. Seeing as how the sword wasn’t my thing, I had no real interest in ever swinging it around for fun.
Another ghastly caterwaul reached our ears; this time much closer and buckling me at the knees. When I could move again, I motioned for Cassie to return my shirt and jacket. Once on, I pulled my gun out of its holster and grabbed some bullets from inside the interior third pocket sewn just under the sleeve.
“Necesitaras esto.”
I looked over at Francisco just in time to see how tossing me a small, black bladed knife. The handle landed perfectly in the palm of my hand as I snatched it up.
“An obsidian dagger?” Radu asked.
“That’s -” Whatever Cassie was going to say she stopped, seemingly deciding it was best to keep her mouth shut.
It wasn’t the time to ask. It seemed the Almighty was going to gift wrap us our first foe and I was sure as hell not going to throw Cassie off at this moment. She already looked tense enough to snap. I’d seen a bit of what she could do back in London; she was a bomb in her own right.
“Alura,” she whispered.
I could barely hear her, but a witch I couldn’t even see yet somehow heard her just fine. “Cassie, it’s good ta see ya,” a heavily accented voice replied.
“I can’t say the same, sister.”
“Ya brought a human and, stars above, is that a Dracul?” Alura asked in disbelief.
She finally floated into view. From above, a dead ringer for the witch standing close to me settled on the yard in front of Francisco’s abode. Speaking of the witch doctor, the chanting began again. The blended incantation almost sounded like a prayer of sorts. I’d take just about anything as shivers ran up my spine. This witch was bad to the bone.
Black magic crackled in the atmosphere.
“Witch, stand down or else this blade will take your soul.”
That nearly made me soil myself. The way he was holding that sword, the threatening tone to his graveled voice, this put any scoldings from Julia or Abigail to shame. I was standing beside the real deal.
This was a Dracul, a stone cold killer without hesitation or remorse.
Alura, her glossy black hair flowing behind her, just smiled. “The day has come where I get ta challenge myself against the best. It’s a shame that yer big brother isn’ta here.”
“Do not mention Vlad in my presence.”
The already chilly temperature on this early Irish morning got even colder. Something told me that the banshee was close, just biding its time on Alura’s command.
“Ye were afraid, dear sister, that I’d lose control of the creature. How wrong ye were.”
“Everyone down!” the witch on our side screamed.
The banshee had arrived. Swooping in like some sort of predatory bird, it tried to grab anyone foolish enough to be within arm’s reach. Fortunately, it missed as all of us had taken Cassie’s warning seriously. The large cloaked apparition floated back over to Alura, where it hung in midair awaiting its next command.
Cassie’s hands began making this weird movement, circling around and back again. Red magic trailed each one as she was preparing something. “Don’t do it,” I warned.
“How do you know?” she asked, confused.
Great question; how did I know she was about to summon her own daemon from hell? Could it have been the knife in my hands? “She’s g
one bad but you’re still neutral. Radu will kill you in a minute if he thinks he has no choice.”
The vampire’s red eyes flashed at her, confirming my words. Cassie backed down; the spell incomplete.
“Lettin’ these two boys tell ye what ta do, sister?” Alura taunted.
“They are trying to save me from a fate worse than yours,” she snapped back.
It was clear that these two were very much alike with one subtle difference, Alura didn’t care about her soul where Cassie did. That was the only explanation that would have stopped her from summoning that daemon, in my mind anyway.
There was always that heavy feeling when the time for talking ended and the time for action was about to begin. The moon was still hanging high in the sky, but in the back of my mind, I knew dawn was quickly approaching. Not only would that impact Radu, no, it was the witch and the banshee I was worried about. If we didn’t finish the job in this moment, how much time would we lose trying to track them over the southern portions of a country we were strangers in? Sure, Cassie knew her way around, as did Alura. It’d be one consuming game of chicken if the bad witch wanted to take it that way.
I just had one cause for concern; how did one kill a banshee?
“Any pointers would be mighty handy right about now,” I commented to my teammates.
“Magic will kill the creature; I need you two to keep Alura busy.”
“Two men at once, canna say that doesn’t excite me,” Alura purred.
Radu spit in disgust. “Castor, would you do me the honor of being the next Brinza to fight alongside of me?”
Hell, a moment like this was better than any family lore I’d heard about growing up. I was about to sling lead and swing a blade with Radu Dracul! “You ain’t the one who’s honored. It’d be a damn pleasure.”
Sparks flew over our heads as Cassie unleashed her first wave of attacks towards the banshee. The dark creature flapped away, screaming. It was ear busting, for sure, but we needed to keep our wits about us. The witch holding her ground may have looked innocent enough, however, that was just a facade, I was sure of it.
Rise of the Seventh Reich Page 4
