New Blood

by A. C. Nicholls

  “You dropped this, Jacky-Boy.” She smiled, those perfect white teeth standing out in the dark of the night, while the moon glowed down on her auburn hair and made it shine. “Come, take it, and let us go finish this.”

  Huh, the sword let her pick it up. It must approve of her.

  I stormed forward excitedly, barely able to believe the scene before my eyes. The wolves and the vampires, working together, with a Cardkeeper standing right in the middle to lead the charge. I took the sword, grinning widely before turning back to my new army.

  “Thank you all for coming,” I said, silencing those who muttered among themselves. “Our enemy is a strong one, stronger than even your own leaders. But that doesn’t mean it can’t fall. Though be aware, it will summon others, and it’s up to you to take those bastards down.”

  A controlled cheer erupted from both sides.

  “The Ancient is wounded. We know it cannot fly away, so we’ll make sure that it can’t run, either. This sword,” I said, driving the glowing blade into the air, “is the only thing that can stop it, and not all can wield it. So if you get a chance to kill it, make sure your life doesn’t depend on picking this thing up.”

  My gaze drifted around the two armies, and I was awed to see these species so close without them killing each other. It warmed my heart and renewed my courage. “Win or lose, we’re making history here tonight. So whatever you do, make sure you do it with grace and finesse.” I sucked in a large breath, puffing up my chest before slowly exhaling. “Now let’s go fight for our freedom!”

  The vampires leaped into the trees while screeching into the skies like banshees, disappearing in an instant. The werewolves took the opposite strategy, roaring and charging into the woods. I couldn’t lose face – I had to follow, overtaking some or most of them in the direction that The Ancient had fallen. My sword created a threatening orange trail as I raised it over my shoulder, running like the wind with Edgar on one side of me, and Lena on the other. We were an unstoppable army who had found safety in numbers.

  I just hoped we’d live long enough to celebrate.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The Ancient came into view only a few moments later, flapping along the ground with a damaged wing. I slowed to a stop, holding out my arms to stop my new companions while we studied the creature’s habits. Something was happening, but I didn’t know what yet.

  “It’s shedding its wings,” said Edgar, sliding off his blue jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. “You hurt its wings, Jack, and now it’s disposing of them.”

  I grimaced, clutching the Sword of Lucada tighter. “What say we break its legs, too?”

  “I like it,” Lena said.

  We charged forward, sprinting toward The Ancient and yelling wildly as we waited for it to retaliate. It did so swiftly, making an ungodly noise that sounded like a thousand knives scraping against a chalkboard. Birds fluttered from the trees, fleeing the scene while the branches moved by themselves. The roots ripped from the soil, groaning as they stepped forward. Stepped, I thought, shaking my head. How goddamn bad could things have gotten before trees got to stepping places? Until then, I thought I’d seen everything.

  “Go,” I said.

  Lena and Edgar disappeared from my side in a heartbeat, rushing toward the moving trees that shook the earth as they walked. There were five or six of them by the time The Ancient stopped its horrible cry, and they all stood between it and me.

  “Enough bullshit,” I yelled, and ran behind Lena, who slowly became a huge wolf and ran on all fours with Edgar hitching a ride on her back. As they continued, I veered off to the right and got a running-jump onto one of the moving trees. I climbed its branches swiftly, the vampires swooping in to help me up a couple of inches before they returned to the fight with the tree’s clawing branches. They were like arms, swiping and slashing as they tried to murder every one of us to protect their master.

  I reached the top of a tree, where I didn’t hesitate to swing the sword and cut a fine chunk of wood off the very top. The tree groaned as it came off, and although I wasn’t sure if I’d ended it, I was sure that I’d hurt it. For good measure, I raised the sword again and drove the blade down, right through the middle of it.

  Now, it was dead for sure.

  The tree wobbled and began to fall. I held on to the nearest branch as we slowly starting to tilt, then picked up speed as we hurtled toward the ground. I covered my face with my sword arm, expecting the most painful fall of my life, when a werewolf leapt out of nowhere and caught me. Carrying me in its arms, it landed on the ground with an oomph, putting me down safely and revealing its human features.

  It was the gatekeeper of the sewage plant.

  “Now we’re even,” he said.

  “We will be,” I told him, smiling, “after I buy you a beer.”

  The man-wolf smiled too, but our reconciliation came to an abrupt end when another tree appeared at our side, creaking as it arced back with two long, thick branches. When it stumbled forward, I saw those branches coming right down on top of us, and pushed the gatekeeper back onto his ass.

  “Look out!” I screamed.

  I felt the force of the blow, twigs and dirt blowing all over me as I shielded my eyes. When I looked up at the tree that had tried to kill us, I immediately noticed Lena running up its trunk, gnawing at its bark as she climbed, wounding it little by little. Edgar was on the other side of it, sliding down with his nails dug in deep, making the creature groan and cry like the wounded scream of Mother Nature. Only this was not something so forgiving – this tree was possessed by something far darker, and infinitely more evil.

  The vampires and the werewolves definitely had this one covered. Many were down and only a few remained, which made me feel a lot less guilty about turning my attention back toward The Ancient. Besides, if I killed it, the trees would probably resume their natural state, saving us the trouble of tearing them down. I hurried over to the gatekeeper, who was still alive, laying on his back and panting with widened eyes.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “Go help your alpha. She needs you.”

  The gatekeeper quickly climbed to his feet and transformed, then leaped up into the tree to aid his master. It was amazing to see these creatures all help each other, and I even found myself standing there like an idiot, my mouth agape as I admired the beauty of the scene – vampires saving werewolves, werewolves taking hits for vampires. It occurred to me that I would never see anything so incredible ever again, which perhaps, was why I’d taken a moment to cherish it. This was truly something special.

  Is this what you wanted, Keira?

  Shaking out of my frozen admiration, I turned back toward The Ancient, who still lay on the ground, digging its claws into the earth to try and crawl away. I marched over to it quickly, stamping my boot into its wrist as it cried in agony. The Sword of Lucada shone magnificently in my tight fist, burning with berotta like a bonfire in the night. I wished with every fiber of my being that it worked this time, as I could not afford another retreat.

  “Does that hurt?” I said to the creature, who lay helpless at my feet. I took one last look at the chaos around me, watching yet another tree fall into the dirt, shaking the ground while supernatural creatures leapt to safety. When my gaze fell back on The Ancient, I knew what I had to do. “Here, let me relieve you of your misery.”

  I raised the sword high into the air, pointing it down at where The Ancient’s heart should be. My hands shook as I took aim, and I let out a cry as I threw every ounce of strength into driving the blade down, piercing The Ancient’s skin as a fiery blast exploded from its flesh. The force of the fire blew me back, shooting me through the air until my back struck a tree. Various colors swirled around me. A cacophony of reds and oranges blurring into one as an awful wail carried through the air. Only one question remained.

  Was it dead?

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I peeled my head off the tree tr
unk to find The Ancient, but it was gone.

  The tall, white body that had stood so crookedly now lay in a crumpled heap, motionless. Little by little, its flesh began to steam and sizzle, burning up as its corpse gradually burned into a pile of thick ash. It was finally over – I’d incinerated The Ancient.

  No.

  We had.

  My ears ringing from the impact, I pushed myself to my feet and stumbled over to Lena, who stood in human form surrounded by her pack. In front of her, Edgar George had his arms folded across his chest. I froze, nervously watching them glare at each other as if they could wring each other’s necks again.

  They suddenly stormed toward each other, and as they did so I cringed, expecting the worst. Only the worst didn’t come. The moment they met, they spread their arms like the wings of eagles and gripped each other tightly in a fierce embrace. The factions behind them both cheered, the warriors for each opposing team now rejoicing and hugging each other in the aftermath of the battle.

  Now, it was safe to approach.

  “I can’t thank you enough,” said Edgar George, his arm hanging over Lena’s shoulder in a way that made her look uncomfortable but accepting of his kind nature. “The Ancient is dead, and now we can finally find peace between our three kinds.”

  “Three?” I crooked an eyebrow.

  “Yes, the Keepers of R’hen were never our favorites, but you showed us we were wrong. This one here,” he pulled Lena closer to him in a firm grip that showed his excitement for the endgame, “she was a strong adversary.”

  “Not as strong as your breath,” Lena joked, pushing him away.

  All around us, vampires and werewolves were laughing, smiling and shaking hands with their fellow supernatural beings. A sudden warmth filled the air – an uncomfortable heat that made my neck twinge, and the looks on the faces of everyone else suggested that they could feel it too. When I turned back to Edgar, a bright, glowing light made itself stand out in the darkness of the woods.

  “Your hands,” I said, pointing.

  Edgar glanced down, his eyes widening as he let go of Lena and stepped back. His skin was glowing like tinfoil under the sun, and the light spread thick and fast. It shone through his suit, reaching across his body and up his neck as he began to scream wildly, like a man being tortured. Then, his body lifted three feet into the air, where it looked as though something invisible had a grip around his chest, and the light intensified, burning brightly. I turned to shield my eyes, only to find that the other vampires were now shining too, each one undergoing the same horrific ordeal as their leader.

  “It’s the curse,” Lena said, stepping back toward me. “It’s ending.”

  Of course. The vampires’ curse had come to a close the moment I’d finished off The Ancient. Now that they were becoming human a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder if Lena might take advantage of that. It wouldn’t be unlike her to seize such an opportunity from a long-term enemy like the vampires. I simply hoped she was a better person than that. After all, a deal was a deal.

  The light dimmed and the vampires fell to the ground. I lowered my guarding arm and looked back at Edgar, who now lay on the ground with his suit sagging around him. Coughing and wheezing, he climbed to his feet. When he showed his face, we all gasped.

  Edgar’s skin was loose, his cheeks wrinkled and his eyes like that of an old, lost man. Those same eyes wandered as he climbed slowly to his feet, frail and rigid. A younger-looking man came from nowhere and helped him up. It took me some time to realize that he was a vampire too. At least, he had been.

  Lena stepped forward slowly. Now towering over the crippled old man who used to be Edgar. I couldn’t read her expression from behind, but her head nodded slowly and I caught sight of the goosebumps forming on her bare arms.

  “I will honor our agreement,” she said, flicking her head to move a stray wisp of beautiful auburn hair. “As far as I can see, the vampires are good people. Despite our differences and our unfortunate rivalry, you can rest assured that we will no longer bother you. We will return to the shadows when in wolf form, and try to live as normal people otherwise. The only thing that will change, Edgar George, is that if you ever need anything, you can count on us to be there for you.”

  The factions both clapped and cheered, once again throwing their arms around each other and rejoicing at the belated peace. I, on the other hand, used their distraction to take a short walk, letting the pain from the battle wear off as the air returned to normal, cooling my skin. I found the lake again, and enjoyed the tranquility that seeped from it. Was this what peace sounded like? Were my next thirty years as Chicago’s Cardkeeper going to be easier, now that I had achieved the impossible?

  Staring across the lake, where the moonlight bounced off and lit up the night, a noise alerted me to a shadow that drifted over the water. Panicking for only a second, I glanced up at the hovering figure to see Link high above me. For a moment we only stared at each other with no words necessary. He had overseen something spectacular, and I was just glad to have him out of harm’s way for once. I wished that the rest of his life would be like that – steering clear of danger and simply enjoying his remaining years.

  “Take care, little man,” I whispered.

  Link nodded approvingly, grinned, and then turned on his silvery wings, flicking them at blinding speed as they carried him over the lake and into the distance. I would never see him again, and the thought of that made my heart hurt, but at least now he was safe.

  Hell, we all were.

  Chapter Thirty

  Stanley greeted me at the VHS store’s front door, escorting me through to the stock room in a frail and shaky way that reminded me of Edgar George’s new appearance. I wondered how the head of Chicago’s vampires would get on with being just an elderly mortal. If the world was forgiving, he would get the treatment he deserved. After all, he was a hero who had fought for his kind – for all our kinds – to achieve peace.

  “Are you ready to go?” asked Stanley, using his fingers to burn a portal into the air in front of me. The Vault loomed in the distance, sat on the canvas of a blue sky between the mountains. “There. You may pass.”

  “Thanks, Stanley.”

  I patted him on the back and stepped through the portal, hearing it sizzle shut behind me. A mellow wind crept through the air and carried my coat behind me in a long trail. The walk up the dirt path hurt my bare feet, so when I made it through the door of the tower, I slipped on a pair of sandals that were reserved for visitors. For a moment, I even considered donning as robe, but then thought better of it.

  Dalton waited for me in the Grand Hall, looking small and insignificant in the enormous room that stretched out for a great distance into the darkness at the back. It reminded me of an ant in a shoebox, barely visible if not for the fires that burned so brightly in front of him, lighting up his smile.

  “Sir Jack,” he said, welcoming me. “I watched you through the flames.”

  “Then I needn’t explain?”

  “Not at all. Congratulations on your victory.”

  I smiled back at him, nodding smugly as I thought about what exactly had gone down tonight. Now that I was looking at it from a victor’s standpoint, I really didn’t quite know how we had managed to defeat The Ancient. It was no wonder that Keira had never tried to do it before me. We were lucky to be alive.

  “What will you do?” Dalton asked. “Now that you also have the moon’s curse?”

  “I haven’t really thought about it.” I examined my hand, turning it in front of my eyes and knowing that I could turn it into a claw at a moment’s notice. “I’m not going to join Lena, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m all yours.”

  Dalton’s smile widened. “Only now you are stronger.”

  “Right.” Now that I had the strength of a werewolf, the Sword of Lucada, and the immortality of a Cardkeeper, not much could stand in my way. Even the vampires were gone, which would make the next thirty years a total breeze for me.
I even considered using magicards, while still paying attention to Keira’s earlier warnings that the souls inside the cards could consume me. It was something I’d put aside for now, and could later rely on in case of an emergency. Who knew – there could still be something stronger than me out there.

  “Do you need to rest?” Dalton said, putting a hand on my back and encouraging me to walk to a nearby door that led to the sleeping quarters. “I can only imagine that it has been a long day, and that sleep could do you well.”

  “Actually, I’m kind of pumped,” I said. “I’m going to take a walk around the grounds for a bit, get some air and reflect on what’s happened. I might even think about asking Lena out for a drink or two.”

  Dalton froze. “I don’t think that would be wise.”

  “Ah, that’s because you’re old and cynical,” I joked. “Anyway, I’m going to take a walk and then I’ll sleep. After that, I’ll awaken to a brand new day as your Cardkeeper, and see if I can’t fix more problems.”

  “I do have a list of jobs for you, if you’re interested. Some magicards have been located in the south, and I would very much like to see them returned to the Vault.”

  “You can count on me.”

  Dalton patted me on the back, grinning. “Lady Keira made the right choice, selecting you to follow in her footsteps. Although I was skeptical at first, I must admit that you have already proven yourself to be quite the guardian. There’s just one thing, son…”

  I stopped and spun on my heel, witnessing the smile drop from his expression like a foul memory had come back to haunt him. I met his gaze, looking deep into those sparkling blue eyes while I awaited the solemn conclusion to his thoughts.

  “Whatever you do,” he finally said, “I beg you, put on a goddamn robe.”

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