“But if I want to help more?”
“Then don’t.”
Link’s eyes gained a bit of moisture by the time the words were even out. It was clear that he was trying to hide it by turning slightly as if he were looking up and down the street, but he didn’t fool me. Even so, what could I have done? I needed him out of harm’s way, and I was only trying to keep him safe.
“All right, all right.” I tapped him playfully on the shoulder. “Watch me from a distance by all means. Just do me a favor and don’t get involved, okay? I mean it. If you see me in trouble, I want you to just fly out of there and let someone know what happened.”
Link’s smile soon returned, his blue eyes glowing again. “It’s a deal.”
“Good.”
I stood in silence with the faery beside me, hovering in the air. Our gazes were locked on each other and, for the first time in a while, I had no idea what to say. What I did say came out sloppy and bumbling. “So then, if – I should just…”
“Keep walking, yep.”
“Right. Take care, buddy.”
“You, too.”
I turned on my heel and continued up the street, doing everything I could to pretend I didn’t have faery eyes glued to the top of my head. Only that was made impossible by the small, black shadows I saw rolling across the ground in front of me, and the fragile voice that rained down upon me.
“Berotta fire,” Link said from high above. “Vampires are vulnerable to berotta fire.”
For just a moment, I was glad to have him around.
Chapter Twenty
Berotta fire. I couldn’t say that I’d ever heard of it, so I put it down to something from the underworld. There were many things like that; potions and weapon enhancements, and even elements that didn’t exist as far as the human world was aware. Lucky for me, I was no longer human, which meant that I had unlimited access to such things at the Vault.
Inside the alchemy lab, I found my chance to make it. The room was on one of the upper floors inside the tower, comprised of one hundred and eighteen different tables – one for each element. The entire room, long and cold and lit only slightly by candles, was overseen by five alchemists, all of whom would demand an explanation when I requested any ingredients. I chose the most weak-looking one of the lot to make my request.
“How may I serve?” he asked. The man wore a robe with a purple sash, presumably the color assigned to alchemists. His raised hood covered most of his face in shadow – another faceless man for the Vault.
“Uh, I need to make something called berotta fire.” I tried not to sound too uninformed, but considering I had no idea what it was or how to make it, I thought it might be something of a challenge. All I knew for sure – thanks to Link’s generous contribution of knowledge – was that I needed something called ripilya, and some fire to burn it with.
“I see,” said the alchemist. “And for what purpose?”
“To enhance my blade.”
“Your enemy?”
I shrugged. “Vampire, basically.”
“Very well.”
The alchemist knelt down to a small door beside him and retrieved three leather pouches. When he arose, he handed them over and assigned me to a nearby workbench – one of the few where a fire still burned in its center. I had no idea what I was doing, but by the time I decided to ask for help, the alchemist had left me alone to create whatever the hell I would end up creating.
“Right then,” I said to myself, spreading the contents out in front of me. “How hard can it be?” I opened each pouch and peered inside, taking a small sniff at each one. They all stank of something old and foul, but each of them had a kind of burnt smell. I placed them all around the fire, withdrew the Sword of Lucada, and rested it on the bench.
For a long while, I stood staring at each of my ingredients. I was too scared to make a move, through fear of burning my eyebrows off, but I wasn’t going to learn unless I tried. With that in mind, I sprinkled some of the first ingredient – a thin, sand-like pile of grains – into the fire. The flames shot out violently, reaching out at me in a fiery grasp as I ducked back. When it receded I felt fine, but the smell of burnt hair continued to haunt me.
“Do you require assistance?” came a voice at my side.
I turned to say no, but when I saw Dalton beside me, his blue eyes glowing by the fire, I couldn’t help but level with him. Besides, I had to bring him up to speed anyway. “Yes please. I need to make berotta fire, but I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“Did you attempt to slay The Ancient without it?”
“Yeah…”
Dalton grinned and stood on the opposite side of the bench, where he picked up one of the pouches I hadn’t used and ground it in a mortar and pestle. As he worked his elbow, he stared at me like an angry owner would to his disobedient dog. “Where is your robe, Sir Jack?”
Ah, that old chestnut. I settled for a shrug.
“How many times must I tell you…” Dalton sighed, placed down the ground ingredient and then took another pouch, emptying its contents into the fire. The flames didn’t move, however, they did turn a darker shade of red. Before he said any more, he took a pinch of the ground powder and sprinkled it into the embers. Now they hissed, roaring high into the air as if trying to escape from the Vault itself. The fire slowly began to die down, reducing in size to a small, flickering red flame.
“I found The Ancient,” I said, mostly to break the silence.
Dalton was focused on his alchemy, nodding. “And?”
Avoiding the parts about me getting my ass kicked, I told him everything there was to tell about The Ancient and its hiding place. There was the matter of Karen Saunders, that I mentioned briefly just to explain how I got my information, and Edgar George’s name didn’t seem to change his expression. Dalton remained quiet, listening politely until the time came to explain what I would do next. It wasn’t until he asked me for a plan that I realized I didn’t have one. Then, I felt incredibly foolish.
“Berotta fire was a good choice,” Dalton finally said. “But can I ask how you plan to slay the creature? Your strength is no more than it was before, but The Ancient’s would have grown considerably.”
A plan occurred to me then – a ridiculous but altogether credible plan. “I could speak with Lena and gain the assistance of the werewolves. That is, if she wants to help. That might make my battle a little easier.”
“It certainly cannot hurt to try.” Dalton reached over and took the final ingredient, emptying it into a small bowl of water and stirring it with a splint. He then placed it onto a metal plate and slid it above the flames, where it slowly began to boil. “What will your strategy become if they refuse to aid you?”
I shook my head, staring at the fire. “I guess I’ll have to just try anyway.”
“That’s very brave, but also very foolish.”
“Just about sums me up.” I smiled at Dalton but it had no effect.
“I can only wish you luck,” he said, taking the boiling water from the plate and leaning over to grab my sword. When he held it by the hilt, he took a step back and poured the liquid over the blade. Its color changed suddenly, turning from bright blue and orange to a deep, illuminating red that looked more threatening than ever before. When the liquid had covered it completely, he handed the sword back over to me. “You may retract the blade if you so wish. The effect will last until you decide to change it.”
Keeping my eyes trained on the badass-looking weapon, I took the hilt and swished it around in the air, watching a trail of red light drag behind the slice. I imagined shoving this thing into The Ancient’s heart, and it got my own heart pounding.
“Thank you for your help.”
Dalton nodded. Turned, and made for the door.
“I spoke to Link.”
As predicted, that got his head turning. The robe he wore swirled around him as he spun quickly, rushing back to the table. “The faery,” he said, smiling wider than I’d ever seen. “I tru
st he is well?”
“Very,” I assured him.
“And…”
“Keira is fine, too. She’s in Europe, probably on a beach, drinking cocktails and kicking back in the sun.” I pictured it momentarily, but the envy drove me wild. “From what I hear, she’s doing just fine.”
Dalton’s smile broadened ever further still. “That could be you in thirty years.”
Ah, yes, the thirty-year cycle. I didn’t even want to start thinking about a big break just yet. At this rate it was unlikely I would survive the night, but thirty years? Doubtful, to say the least. “Let’s just focus on The Ancient, and we can worry about sunburn later.”
“Now you’re speaking like a true Cardkeeper. There’s only one thing missing.”
“What’s that?”
Dalton leaned in close, his mouth so close to my ear that it felt uncomfortable. “It would please me very much to see you in a robe.”
I laughed, backed away, smiled and lied. “Next time.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I had freshened up and grabbed my coat before heading to the sewage plant. My plan was to see Lena and try to get her on my side, but although I was strictly there for business, I still wanted to make a good impression. Was I interested in her on a romantic level? Maybe, but I wasn’t ready to find out until this job was done. Then, and only then, would I give in to her advances, no matter how tempting they might be.
The werewolf who guarded the front gate in human form gave me no grief this time. I think I’d made myself clear during my last visit that I wasn’t willing to put up with any shit from anybody. That meant I could come and go as I pleased, and it was something I would take advantage of to no end.
As I went deeper into the plant, all eyes were on me. Some wolves hung from the ceilings and pipes, their eyes glowing like little shining gems as I passed. I could hear the drip of their saliva as it hit the metallic walkways, and their growls that sounded like the soft purring of muscle cars – I knew how loudly they could roar.
“Easy, fellas,” I said, nervously snooping over my shoulder every few seconds. Wolves could be bastards at the best of times, and I didn’t doubt their cunning when it came to back-attacks. “Just passing through.”
I meandered the maze of corridors, pushing open doors and pulling back curtains. Some of the latter revealed half-naked women who seemed not to care that I’d invaded their privacy. Others showed werewolves snacking from piles of meat, flies buzzing around raw carcasses as the wolves fed hungrily on those remains. It wasn’t until much later, when I was just about to give up, that I found Lena’s sleeping chambers.
Lena wore nothing more than a silky robe that drooped at her shoulders. She pinched it together at her breasts, where a necklace in the shape of a half-moon rested comfortably in her cleavage. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, waving me into her candlelit room of seduction and telling me to close the curtain.
I did as I was told, only with more skepticism than a lonely man should entertain. Stifling my grin, I made my way over to the bed and pulled out the rocking chair from beside it. I’d chosen to be uncomfortable rather than vulnerable to her compulsive whims. “I came to ask a favor of you, Lena.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve been talking with Edgar George, who sent me to kill The Ancient. Which – in case you didn’t know – is the oldest vampire in existence. To cut a long story short, I need a second chance to get close to it, and to do that, I need to borrow some of your wolves.”
Lena didn’t say anything. As the alpha wolf, I’d expected her to simply assign a couple of her dogs to my aid, then step back and let me work. No such thing happened – she only pursed her perfect red lips and climbed slowly, teasingly, onto the bed, where she lay on her side and stared deep into my soul. “And what do I get in return, Jacky-Boy?”
I felt my eyes pull toward the bare skin of her legs, but tried to disguise it by letting them go further, exploring the room as I took a deep breath. Damn, this woman was beautiful. If only I could resist her charms a little longer…
“You’re already getting my help,” I told Lena, still looking at everything but her. “I’m taking this creature down so we can all live in peace. If that’s not enough for you, I don’t know what I can offer.” My gaze finally fell back on her.
Lena frowned, but it was fake – young and playful. “You just want those big, bad vampires to go away so you don’t have to see me anymore.” She snapped her fingers then, crooking one toward her like a sexy summon. “Why don’t you come and tell me all about it?”
I laughed. “If I come sit with you, will you start talking sensibly?”
“Of course…”
Sighing, I stood up and leaned onto the bed, keeping my feet firmly on the ground and propping myself up beside her on my elbow. I wanted to keep my distance, lest I give in to temptation. “Speaking of the aftermath, where will you go?”
“When?” Lena asked, playing with the collar of my coat.
“When this is over.”
“Oh, we’ll be around. Just in human form, without the fear of being hunted.”
“And the humans?”
Lena shrugged as she ran her finger down my neck, pressing her tongue against her upper lip. “They’ll accept us as their own. But we won’t feed on them anymore, if that’s what you’re getting at. Now, why don’t you make love to me and we’ll…”
I shot my hand up and grabbed her wrist, moving it away from me. She was already pushing her luck, but straight-up asking me to sleep with her? That was too much for even me to resist, so I had to shut her down before she got me started.
“Keep your hands to yourself, she-wolf. Like I said, I’ll come back and see you when this is all over. Now, tell me more about these wolves of yours, and I’ll see if you can spare any to help me kill The Ancient.”
Lena cackled, fell onto her back and let her robe slip open, exposing herself. “Ooh, you never give up, do you? You want my wolves, you have to take me first. Doesn’t that sound fair to you, Jacky-Boy? Doesn’t that sound like a good–”
A sudden howl interrupted us, echoing through the corridors and finding its way into the chamber. Lena shot to her feet and I got up with her, my mood taking a sudden turn for the worse. As she hurried to the curtain to peek outside, I drew the sword from my pocket and let the blade slide out, ready for combat.
“What is it, I asked?”
Lena returned her frightened stare to the room, her skin sheet white. “You son of a bitch. You-You son of a…” She stormed toward me, frantically beating on my chest. “You absolute bastard. You led them here.”
I held her fists at bay with one hand, clutching the sword with the other. I was ready to go – ready to leap into action as soon as required. “Who’s here, Lena? Who did I bring here?” Whoever it was, they must have followed me.
More howls rang through the corridor, and Lena shuddered.
“The vampires,” she said, ire blazing in her eyes. “They’re going to kill us all!”
I shoved Lena aside, ran to the curtain and poked my head out, where I saw nothing but shadows blinking on and off as something around the corner repeatedly blocked the light. I heard more long, high-pitched cries as the body of a werewolf hurtled into a nearby wall, with blood pouring from its side. I craned my neck to Lena, the Sword of Lucada twitching in my grasp. “Stay here,” I instructed, and then ran blindly into the chaos.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I ran straight toward the slaughter. With the Sword of Lucada gripped tightly in my right hand, I dashed down the corridor, leaping over the wounded werewolves while vaguely aware of Lena calling after me. I couldn’t make out her actual words but I bet she was trying to get involved. It suited me – at least I’d tried to keep her safe, and having her around in a fight was never a bad thing.
As I rounded the corner, expecting to see a couple of vampires thrashing around and attacking werewolves, I felt a sudden strike of shock. Rather than just a couple, there were mor
e than ten. Instead of them attacking werewolves, they were savagely ganging up on them, ripping them apart in an instant before moving onto the next. I stood frozen, watching the horrific events unfold, until I was pulled out of my trance by Lena rushing to my side.
“Is this what you wanted from Edgar George?” she screamed.
I shook my head, eyes fixed on the carnage ahead of us. “This isn’t him.”
“Of course it’s him.”
“No, these are wild vampires. They attack on their own and don’t follow commands. They’re usually living in the shadows as they’re unable to transform into normal, everyday people.” I ground my teeth. “They made a mistake by coming here.”
Before I could make a move, Lena had begun a transformation of her own. The robe fell off her shoulders and slumped to the floor, revealing a perfect naked body. But only for a moment. Fur began to sprout from under her skin and her nose extended into a muzzle. She dropped onto all fours, her back arcing as her body began to double in size. Within moments, I was looking at a beautiful red wolf in all her feral beauty, roaring into the air as she dashed forward, mauling a cluster of vampires.
“Well,” I said to myself, raising the sword, “I guess we’re doing this.”
I sprinted into the battlefield, slicing straight through a vampire’s waist as I came to a stop in a crowd of the ugly bastards. The drainage water roared behind me, pouring down into a filthy toxic pool far below. I shoved the sword forward, skewering another vampire onto the blade before I put all my strength into hurling it into the water. It went down fast, screaming like a creaking door hinge as it plummeted into the murky depths of Chicago’s piss and shit. I spun quickly, raised my leg and planted my heel into the leg of another. It lost its balance and dropped to its knee, where I quickly swung the sword around and sliced its head off. It rolled along the floor to where Lena was, and she kicked it aside while sinking her enormous fangs into two more vampires.
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