by Trisha Baker
Simon had noticed the change in her too. He raised his head and looked at the sparkling eyes and wicked smirk. Meghann saw shock on his face—he had not expected this.
In the same moment that he whipped around to deal with Charles, the vampire took all the energy he had summoned while he lay ignored on the floor and flung it toward Meghann.
She felt the energy enter her soul, and used it to scream out for the assistance they so desperately needed to slaughter Simon. "Isabelle!" Meghann screamed with all her strength—nearly shattering Jimmy's eardrums.
He ignored the humming sound in his ears—he was far too amazed by what he saw happen next. "Holy shit," Jimmy muttered when Simon flew across the room to land on the rack. Some unseen force shoved him back down when he tried to sit up, and the slack ropes attached themselves to his wrists and ankles. Jimmy felt utter fury and hatred in the room, but he sensed it wasn't directed at him—it was all focused on Simon Baldevar and the ropes stretching his body farther apart.
Charles pulled the restraints off his friend, and she rushed over to the tote bag. Meghann pulled on her black shirt and jeans—no way she was standing around looking like Simon's sex slave. Charles took out a lethal hatchet.
"What the hell is going on?" Jimmy inquired from his chained post. Charles stretched his hand out, and the manacles opened. Meghann was at his side in an instant—holding him up to prevent him from falling.
He tried to put his arms around her, but he was too weak. Together they made their way over to the rack where the machine was rapidly winding up to break every bone in Simon's body.
Charles held the hatchet over Simon's head, but Meghann restrained him. "Not so fast—I've waited far too long for this."
She leaned down, in the precise spot where Simon had whispered to Jimmy while he was on the rack, and began her own monologue. "You're not the only one who knows how to lace instruments with magical properties, Master," she taunted him while the rack stretched his limbs. "You were so eager to stab Charles you never even felt the healing potion we drenched the stake in. You dared to speak to me of overweening pride! Your ego and conceit allowed you to believe I'd betray my dearest friend and lover out of love for you. And I knew damn well you'd ignore Charles because there was no way you could pass up an opportunity to degrade me in front of Jimmy, leave us both with nothing." She smiled at the light sheen of perspiration covering Simon's body, at his clenched jaw. "Trying not to scream? How many times did Isabelle bite down on her lip to keep from giving you the satisfaction of seeing her agony? I am honored to help her destroy you. I'm sure she'll see to it that your death is slow and painful, a fitting end to your miserable existence." She kissed his cheek with mocking tenderness, then spat on him. "That's for Alcuin. I almost feel sorry for you, Master. After all those centuries, you fell in love," she said in a singsong, vicious whisper. "Actually had tender feelings for someone. But you're just not good enough for me. I have a lover—someone who makes you look like the low, vicious scum you are." She yanked his eyes open, and kissed Jimmy Delacroix on the mouth.
Now it was Jimmy who leaned down and slapped the helpless vampire across the face. Then he gave Simon a lopsided grin. "I told you the night would end with Maggie telling you she loved me."
For the next part of her revenge, Meghann meant to drain his blood while he was in pain, then let Charles cut off his head. But when her mouth touched his neck, she felt her throat close up with tears. She had to fight to keep herself from undoing his restraints, from pulling him close and ending his pain. What on earth was wrong with her? Meghann knew—she did love him, some part of her actually had tender feelings for this evil creature. Her trembling hand fell on the pulse in his neck; then her eyes widened. Simon was not in pain at all—his jaw was clenched because he was concentrating. Meghann, I cannot help you much longer, a feminine voice whispered.
She backed away from the rack, trembling and pale as a ghost. "Now!" she ordered Charles.
He did not know what was making her so uneasy, but he brought the blade down to Simon's neck… and screamed when the thing disintegrated. The hatchet simply fell apart in his hands. The wood handle snapped in half, and the blade shattered into a thousand harmless pieces.
"Abi in malam tern, Isabelle!" Simon thundered so loudly the heavy wooden rack trembled.
Now Isabelle's presence had been banished. Meghann and Charles were all alone with a diabolical fiend they had failed to slay. And Meghann had not simply attempted to kill him—she'd reviled him with that castigating speech in front of the two people he despised most What would happen to them now?
The steel door slammed shut, blowing out the few candles in the room. Jimmy could not see anything, but Meghann and Charles could see far more than they wished. When the ropes holding him down simply vanished, Simon sat up and instilled in the young vampires the same fear Jimmy had felt earlier when Simon opened his saffron eyes.
Meghann tried to step away from the rack, and her master's hand lashed out to grab her.
"Let her go!" Charles screamed.
Simon waved his other hand, and Charles flew off his feet, crashing into Jimmy.
"What's going on?" the mortal whispered to Charles.
Meghann watched helplessly while an evil, shadowy form sprang up from the stone floor behind Jimmy and Charles. Simon held her in an iron vise while the thing grabbed Jimmy. He could not see it but felt the pain when one specter claw mauled his cheek down to the gum. Charles was able to repel the thing when it tried to attack him, but he could not help Jimmy. Nor could he break through the malevolent force that prevented him from taking one step toward Meghann.
"Maggie!" Jimmy howled. "Help me!"
"Jimmy!" she yelled, thrashing around in a desperate attempt to break Simon's fierce grip.
Simon spun her around and backhanded her viciously enough to make her fall to the ground; then he yanked her up by the hair. A dagger flew off the stone table to land in his hand. When he put it to her cheek, Meghann felt the power within the blade—if that thing cut her, the wounds would remain forever.
"Trying not to scream?" Simon mimicked while he pressed the blade against her skin. His amber eyes blazed with fury and hurt. "I gave you my love and you attempted to use that to make a fool out of me. The only reason I do not kill you where you stand is that you wanted to cry when you thought I might be in pain. Maybe those two fools were deceived by your harsh, spiteful words, but you wanted to help me in the penultimate moment, didn't you?"
When she didn't answer, the monster that held Jimmy ran its half-seen talons across his stomach.
Don't make me ask you again, Meghann.
She glanced up at him. Yes, I wanted to help you, she told him.
Simon gave her a twisted grin. Proud to the very end, my darling. God forbid those idiots should hear you admit what you feel toward me, isn't that right? Now say that aloud… and perhaps your lover's end will not be the excruciating torment I have in mind.
"I wanted to help you!" she screamed. "I hated the thought of you being in pain."
Simon ran a hand over her bruised cheek. I love you, Meghann.
Dumbfounded, she looked up at him.
Simon saw her amazement and laughed cruelly. Then he brushed her forehead with his lips.
Simon tilted her head up, kissing her in the same gentle manner he'd used the night before. Then he pushed her away from him.
But I am outraged that you would attempt to use your amateurish talents to hurt me. I'm through spoiling you, little one. It is time for you to learn why you never want me to hate you. Go to your friends now. See how long you can stand against me before you plead for me to take you back. Perhaps I will… or I might just allow you the painful death your foolish conscience makes you think you want.
Simon picked her up by the hair, flinging her against Charles. They clung to each other again; neither could think of one thing they could do to save their lives or Jimmy's.
Meghann looked behind her. The shadow being had vanished
, but Jimmy had fainted again. She decided to leave him unconscious… There was no need to expose him to whatever Simon had in mind now.
"Meghann." For the first time, she heard Simon Baldevar address her as he did all others—with no love, just that detachment and lack of empathy that allowed him to commit any atrocity he wished. It made her shiver violently, small beads of perspiration forming on her forehead. "Truly, I hoped it would not come to this. But you leave me no other choice."
* * *
EPILOGUE
« ^
June 19, 1998
Grotesque forms whirling through the air, a manic high-pitched insane laughter no human could mimic, the sound of a thousand souls screaming in agony…
Meghann came back to her senses when a small hand reached out to touch her shoulder.
She looked up and saw a young boy—he couldn't be older than ten.
He gave Meghann a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, lady, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just practicing for the Fourth." He held out the remnants of an M-80 firecracker.
She smiled back at the child and, with trembling hands, lit a cigarette. Briefly she considered the wisdom of smoking now and then decided the hell with it. "It's OK—you just startled me a little."
The kid was relieved—it was weird the way that lady's face got all pale and she jumped about a mile when his M-80 went off.
Meghann watched the boy wander off, and then she turned her gaze to the water where her dog Max was joyfully swimming in the still, cold ocean.
She looked down at her arms, still covered in goose bumps. When was it going to get better? The other night, a streetlight had blown out, leaving her in the dark. She'd screamed and screamed for almost a full minute before getting hold of herself, managing to convince herself it wasn't the same darkness Simon had conjured.
Her senses warned her of the immortal presence near her, and she rubbed her head gingerly. Even after a month and a half, she was suffering migraine headaches whenever she tried to focus.
She turned her eyes away from the sea to identify the approaching figure. He joined her, staring at her anxiously. "Another episode?"
Meghann nodded. "They're getting worse. They come and go… these flashbacks. It's awful… I feel like I'm right back there. I lose touch with reality and then I think I'm back there with those evil things—" Meghann couldn't go on; she wrapped her arms around her shaking torso.
The other vampire shivered too, remembering the sudden darkness that made it impossible to see, even for a vampire. Then there was the bitter cold and the foul odor that permeated the small chamber… He had no idea what Simon had conjured that night.
Meghann glanced at him. "Won't you tell me now what happened?"
He shook his head. "No, Meghann. Let your mind and body heal at their own pace. You'll remember when you're ready."
Meghann took his hand. "Please tell me… I can't take living like this. Never knowing when those thoughts are going to attack. I think if you tell me everything it will stop. Please."
More than her words, it was the haunted look in her eyes that changed his mind. Meghann did have a right to know what happened, what they lived through. He couldn't stand seeing that pinched, drawn look on her face anymore or having to worry about what was going to trigger another flashback. But how could he explain that even more than the chaos that was unleashed, he'd been terrified by the clear lack of sanity in Simon Baldevar's eyes. He felt his heart plummet to his stomach when that monster glared at Meghann. Rage, betrayal, and what chilled him most of all…
Simon actually had tears in his eyes when he said his last words to Meghann. "I treated you with a tenderness I have never lavished on another. And this is how you repay me? By kicking my love for you away like something vile and nasty you would not deign to touch? You want to fight with the angels, little one? Very well."
Simon bowed his head and started chanting. It was a low, sinister sound in a language neither Charles nor Meghann was familiar with. But they did not need to know the words when the effect was so plain. There was a sudden gust of wind that made everything—including the wooden rack that easily weighed a ton—fly around the room, and tore Jimmy from their grasp.
Meghann screamed out, "My vision! My vision! No, Simon, you can't let these things walk the earth… Stop them!"
And Charles thought the thing never even heard her. For one chilling moment, Simon's gold eyes blazed bright enough to be visible in the thick darkness; Charles did not see a soul or consciousness there. Even a 400-year-old vampire could not stop such an ancient deadly power from taking him over… .
Charles took a bemused look at the horizon and then turned back to Meghann. "You won, you know."
Meghann shook her head. "How can you say that? Lord Baldevar is alive and, well, Jimmy is—" She broke off, but not before Charles heard her voice tighten with tears. "What have I won?"
Charles took her hand. "Throughout his chanting, when he released those evil forms, you never once moved from my side. I know what he said to you… He thought you'd lose your nerve and beg him to help you. But you did not cry out to him, never going to his side."
Meghann did more than stand by Charles—she saved his life. As the evil grew stronger, it became plain the daemons ruled this room. Somehow Simon had brought the Lower Astral to their physical world and given it dominion. Now the monsters moved toward Charles and Meghann, rejoicing at the thought of possessing the souls of vampires, glorying in the thought of the power that would give them.
They tried every form of magic they knew to repel the evil emanations but nothing worked. The icy presence was nearly inside Charles when Meghann screamed, "The Higher Astral!"
Though he was holding her tight, Charles could not see his friend. "What?"
"It's our only chance to repel these monsters! Let your soul leave your body and take refuge in the Higher Astral! We'll fool them… . They'll take our bodies, but our souls will be protected."
"But they'll destroy our bodies!"
"Would you rather give them your soul?"
Charles knew what Meghann was telling him… They would very likely die now, but at least they would not be possessed. Before he could tell her he agreed, her body went completely limp and fell to the ground.
"Meghann!" he screamed. In this oppressive blackness, he could not even find her body. Charles knew she had not been taken over… No, the daemons would glory in the strength of their new body; she would not fall to the floor. Not knowing if she was dead, Charles abandoned his body and took refuge in the Astral Plane.
Immediately he felt peace. The evil could not chase him here. It was impossible to describe what he saw… or if he saw anything at all. All he knew was he felt a security he had not known since he was a small child and his mother kissed him good night…
"Go help Meghann."
"Master?" he questioned. He did not see a form, nor really hear a voice… He simply felt an image.
"Meghann needs you… and you need her too. Promise me you'll help her through this."
"Through what?" But the pinkish cord that bound him to his body was yanked and he found himself traveling back to that hellish room… .
What happened? he asked himself for the umpteenth time. Charles came back to the chamber—his watch informed him that he wandered the Astral for nearly an hour—and found it an absolute shambles, but the evil had been banished. Had Simon recovered his sanity and exorcised the monsters, sending them back to the dim bowels from which he called them? Had Alcuin done his apprentices one final service before he told Charles to go back and help Meghann? Or had some other, stronger force, maybe Fate, simply decided the monsters had no place in this world and sent them away? They would never know.
All Charles knew was the first thing he saw was Meghann with a hideous wound in her head. The pincer had gone through the top part of her skull, sticking out of the back at an obscene angle. He yanked it from her scalp, and stared in horror at the gaping hole. Blood and gore rushed out; he took
the ragged remains of her dress and used them to stanch the flow.
Then Charles began shaking her frantically. Could a vampire suffer brain damage? Meghann was insensible—she didn't respond until he cut open his wrists and forced the blood down her throat, keeping her in a sitting position so she wouldn't choke. At last, she spluttered and began moaning in pain.
"It hurts." She mewled like a weak kitten.
Charles sagged in relief—the trauma hadn't affected her mind, and the daemons had not entered her.
Charles picked her up. "Come on, we must leave here!"
"Jimmy," she mumbled. "Where's Jimmy?"
Now Charles looked at a dog-eared, crumpled letter Meghann took out of her pocket. He knew its contents as well as she did.
Charles was so concerned about Meghann it hadn't even occurred to him to wonder where Simon and Jimmy were. Now he glanced about the destroyed chamber. Somehow he knew Simon was gone—but where was Jimmy?
He placed Meghann in a corner of the room and started searching for some kind of clue. Where was the man's body? Surely, he had not been well enough to get up and leave before them.
"Charles," Meghann whispered.
He went back to her. "Are you in pain?"
"No, not that. By the table… see, it looks like a letter."
Charles glanced at the overturned table, and saw that his friend was right. With a rose serving as a paperweight, there was an envelope on the ground, its white parchment sullied by the filthy floor.
