Empire of Blood [Box Set]

by Robert S. Wilson

  From the moment her first vision wrapped her inside of its majesty and power, she had waited for this day. Though she never could see it clearly, she knew it was what her whole life had led up to. Even if it were her final breath, she would exhale it with pride knowing she had brought change to this beautiful world that had cradled and protected her and her children from the great burning sun.

  It would be hard to face Ishan's body when the time came, but she knew she would hold strong in the presence of her enemy. And still, there might yet be a chance to save her beloved. She had to try.

  The ground swelled beneath her. The tendrils of her will were massaging their way through the ground, giving her something to focus her energy on as the contractions rolled in and out. The unrestricted visions that had come before had ceased for the most part, but every now and then a flash of some horrible distant future or some ancient traumatizing memory came flooding back into her world and washing away the very foundation of reality around her. The worst of them were of those she had sacrificed. Those who, had she not used them as some living breathing pawn in her tactical game of chess against Joseph Caesar, would have lived long and happy lives despite the war raging on around them.

  The pain emanating from her belly was growing again and this time it wasn't so easy to push out of her mind. The cave ceiling shook again, sending dust and debris of salt and rock in chunks of stalactites raining down on her and her ancient children clinging to her side. Her voice called out into the darkness, a moan much deeper than the ones she hadn't been able to hold in before. Now the room spun and writhed and the pressure in her abdomen seemed to pull her into that dreamlike black hole from her visions, sucking her into some eternal void. The sensation was one of gently and slowly imploding. She began to breathe again in fast succession. It helped her focus as did the shaking of her nearby surroundings, but it didn't stop the pain or the pressure or the fear. The fear was the worst now. She knew that when it was all over and done and her new children were free, she would be dead; her eyes staring in wonder at nothing; her soul dispensed from its shell and dissipating into nothing.

  Her fear brought her back to Ishan. That monster was inside him, using him, hurting him. She let her vision shift to the ancient's nest and to her surprise, her beloved's body was no longer present in the cave. Immediately her closest children, lying all around her rose up in unison and floated out of the room. They would find him and they would... What? What would they do against one so powerful? She called out to her children then. Do not try and stop him. You will not survive. But their internal voices returned to her with loving disobedience.

  There was a struggle from the nearby main chamber. She watched through two pairs of her children's eyes as they tried to fend off her beloved. He was strong. The struggle was over in seconds and then a new wave of her children flocked to keep him at bay. If this continued they might hold Bellona off for a time, but they would all pay with their lives in the process. A sacrifice the Queen was not willing to make. She commanded them then with the tether that bound them to her. Gave them no choice to do anything but follow her will.

  Through that same tether she watched them back away. Watched Ishan's body walk up to the entrance to her chambers and step inside unchallenged.

  Ishan's eyes shone red in the darkness. His face was magic to behold even if he wasn't currently the light in his own eyes. His body slithered with a grace even he hadn't developed across the gamut of centuries since his awakening. He came to a stop a dozen feet or so from the foot of the Queen's bed. Ishan's long black hair hung in soft perfection from his head. Bellona had brushed it. "I can understand why this body pleases you. It is strong and yet delicate and yet... alluring." Perhaps you will take some comfort in knowing that these hands and these teeth will end you. I won't make the same mistake your petty lover did though. I will rip your throat out and watch your blood drain away onto the dirty ground where it belongs... But first..."

  Ishan's finger reached out and his nails pressed against the Queen's thigh where it met her pelvis and penetrated the skin softly then slid down and inward, coming to rest just above the inner side of her knee. "I've always wondered what it would be like to fuck someone with one of these." His other hand grasped and massaged the hard protruding bulge at his crotch. "I think it's time I found out."

  ***

  Loud dissonant alarms rang and reverberated off of every solid surface. She could smell them everywhere. Hear their movements. Hear their voices. In such large numbers, the enemy vampires had no reason to fear being heard. No reason they yet knew of anyway. Rosadelma’s initial urge was to run head on into the place and kill every vampire she came across, but a single face stuck out in her mind and kept her from what would have obviously been a quick certain suicide.

  Harek.

  He could be here. She wasn't sure, she couldn't be. But it was a good probability he was, given the sheer number of Imperial vampires that were present within the city limits. Quickly she slipped down from the ventilation shaft onto a slotted metal walkway. Keeping a low profile would be complicated in such a place. It was easy hiding from humans. But vampires not of your kin. Not so much. Rosa walked on, imagining what it would be like to drain Harek of all his blood and watch as the light in his eyes dimmed down to nothing.

  Chapter 39

  All the Leather and Ammo in the World

  Jonathan Braldon's old green rust bucket of a truck roared hard against the wind as he pushed the pedal to the metal. In the passenger side of the truck, little Julie Cross sat, clutching the shoulder strap of her seatbelt against her chest. By Jonathan's best guess the girl was no older than eight or nine years old. He'd been charged with the responsibility of saving children before but not this young and not a little girl. It was certainly proving to be a learning experience so far.

  After months of infiltrating the executive branch of the Imperial Police, it had been a completely baffling surprise when Hank called him and told him about what would be his last undercover Imperial assignment. But Hank assured him it was the most important thing he could do in this position. Jonathan didn't trust a lot of folks in this world but he certainly trusted Hank Evans. The man had more than proved himself on the battlefield since taking up arms and he'd lost more than most could imagine in the process.

  "Jonny? Can we get something to eat soon? I'm hu-ungry!"

  Jonathan rolled his eyes and glanced over at Julie. "I'm only gonna say this one more time. My name is Jonathan, not Jonny. You can call me Jon, though."

  "Yeah, yeah, they're the same name, you don't fool me. I should know, my brother's name is Jonny, so ha!"

  Jonathan fought to hide the smile cracking on his face now. He sighed. "Yeah, I suppose you got me there, kid."

  She looked at him then with serious eyes, all humor left behind her with the cornfields about a hundred feet back and shrinking. "Where is my brother, anyway?"

  Jonathan looked her in the eye then back at the road. "I don't know, kid, I honestly don't."

  "Does he know you're here to help me."

  "I'm not quite sure on that one either. All I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that my boss promised him we'd get you outta there. And that's what we did."

  She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

  All the leather and ammo in the world couldn't keep Jonathan's heart from melting like day-old butter at that moment. This kid was okay by him.

  ***

  Jonny's hands were shaking as he fought to keep the truck steady on the highway. Any minute now everything would go up in smoke and Julie would pay the price for his choices, he was almost sure of it. The Emperor was not known for being a man of his word nor a man with a gentle temper. It was only a matter of time before those two realities would likely turn Jonny's life upside down. And driving along with an unconscious body in the back of the cab didn't help matters either.

  "What happens if I get stopped with him in here?"

  "Mr. Cross, do not worry. Put your mind at ease. I have co
mplete control of the situation."—This was part of what bothered Jonny the most—"Do you realize how many Imperial Police cruisers I've called off of your trail in the past seventy-two hours? No, you couldn't, could you? There have been nineteen and counting, so take control of yourself and breathe before you do something to ruin my plans and I have to take out my anger on little precious Julie."

  Jonny's jaw clenched then. He couldn't keep this up much longer. He would snap if he had to. A sense of relief flooded him with the knowledge that there was only another hour to go before he would arrive at the Imperial Behavioral Health Center and be able to unload his current cargo for good. Then it was just a matter of time before he was with his sweet little sister again. Please, please, please don't screw this up, Jonny. Please.

  ***

  Yusef, Chandler, and little Umar sat at the dinner table in awkward silence. The only sounds in the room were the clacking and scraping of plates and silverware as they ate their food. Every once in a while Yusef would look at Chandler and smile and aim his fork at the food with an expression of pleasure. Chandler would simply nod once with that same bloodshot blankness in his eyes and go back to eating from his own plate. Umar simply stared at the table while he ate, seemingly unwilling to lift his eyes to look at anyone. Yusef had hoped the boy would bounce back by now, but after three days, he still seemed pretty shaken. It broke Yusef's heart to no end that his child had been struck in such a way.

  A couple of the bruises had now faded into little more than dark spots on his arm and face, but a few of them were still purple and solid and opaque. When they were done eating, Yusef and Umar collected the dishes and took them into the kitchen while Chandler disappeared to wherever it was he disappeared to in the night time. Yusef hated to be a burden but he wasn't sure where else they could go or what else they could possibly do. So every day he tried as much as possible to help out where he was sure he could and offer help where he was not.

  When they were done washing the dishes, Yusef motioned for Umar to follow him. He held open the tattered back screen door for Umar and waited for his son to walk out into the yard and then did his best to put it back where it had been, half hanging off of its hinges. It was a quiet night outside and the sky was clear in a way Yusef had never been witness to, having lived his entire life in the city. Stars littered the nightscape like glittering sand spread out across the dark expanse from horizon to horizon.

  Umar seemed just as perplexed as his father as he stared up into the beauty of it.

  "This is gorgeous, isn't it, Umie?"

  Umar nodded his head up and down with great exaggeration. "Yeahhhhh."

  In the daytime, Yusef was about as comfortable here as he might have been in the Emperor's own home, but in the nighttime, if this was what it was always like here, he could at least get used to this.

  Chapter 40

  Speed

  George wasn't exactly a speeding kind of guy, but lives were at stake here and he might possibly have been the only one who could save them. So he sped and he sped fast. The speedometer read over 90 as he shoved the pedal down against the floorboard with his foot. He didn't even know these two people, father and son, but he felt a connection with them that went thicker than familiarity. They too were merely believers of a different faith punished for the crime of that belief. It wasn't fair. Not to George, not to Yusef, not to Umar, not to anyone else.

  This was why George did the good work that he did. For the believers and the nonbelievers, the human beings who deserved to make their own choice what they would believe or uphold in their own hearts. Not what some raving monster told them to believe, told them to feel. At least the way through most of these old country back roads was clear of Imperial Police. Not that that held the tension pulling at every nerve in George's body at bay. It surely didn’t. He still had at least another hour of driving before he would arrive in Pleasant Shade and at least two small towns would be in his way so he would have no choice but to slow down and drive more reasonably. But for now. For now he floored it and fought to make up for every mile he would have to slug through later on.

  ***

  "Rudy? Jeremy? Wake up, boys! We have to go for a drive, okay?"

  Both boys looked at her like a shining spotlight right in their faces, Rudy from the bottom bunk and Jeremy from the top. "What time is it?" Jeremy asked.

  "It doesn't matter what time it is, Jer, it's an emergency, we have to go now. So get up, please, okay?"

  Both boys were becoming more conscious and their faces lined with worry at the tone of her voice. Her hands still shook in front of her so she put them in her pockets, hoping neither of them would notice. When they were up and dressed, she had them pick out the most important things they could gather in a single suitcase, both of them arguing and begging the entire way out to the car to be able to take more, but Alexandria didn't know how much time was left. The night shift guardsman standing on the corner had fallen asleep thank goodness and so far no one else had arrived but she was sure beyond a doubt it was only a matter of time before Jesse found a way to make contact with the Police.

  And then there would be no going anywhere.

  She felt so stupid. She should have left him alone, moved on with her life. But now she had no choice and the boys hadn't asked for this, hadn't done anything to deserve the mess she had now put them in up close and personal. She dragged their three suitcases out to Dad's car. She didn't even have a license. But there was no other choice. She knew how to drive, she did have her permit. Dad had taken her driving more times than she could count. He had said she was ready, she just had to wait until he could take a day off of work for her test. Then he'd be more than glad to take her to get her "fun card" as he’d called it. The tears were there again and she didn't have time for them. She pushed them back with all of her mind but the hurt was still too strong. She wiped her eyes and walked on in spite of it. When the bags were in the trunk she went and corralled the boys into the car and took off out of the driveway as calmly and nondescriptly as she could manage.

  They were halfway across town when the sirens broke out. Her heart had slammed up into the back of her throat at the initial screech of it, but there was no one following her, no one behind her at all, just an empty road. She kept watch in the rearview mirror nonetheless. By now they would be looking for her father's car, she was sure. But the whole rest of the way through town she came upon no other cars and no one trying to get her. At least until she came to the ramp for the highway. A lone officer stood in the middle of the road next to his squad car, dark sunglasses gleaming off a reflection of the red morning sun in both lenses. He put out his hand for her to stop as she neared the makeshift roadblock. Her hands stiffened on the steering wheel as he slowly approached the driver side window. The boys were dead quiet in the back seat for probably the second time in their entire lives up until now. When the officer was close enough to see who was inside his face twitched for just a split second and Alexandria knew.

  She slammed the shifter into drive and stomped on the gas, blasting the car forward. The boys gave a loud gasping sound at the sudden motion of it and in the time it takes for a single photo to snap, Alex was speeding up the ramp of the highway, the cop yelling after her in a pitch and tone unbefitting a man of such power. A shot rang out and ricocheted off the hood of the car. Alex screamed for the boys to duck down but they were already cradling their heads down in the back seat. She put her foot down until the pedal wouldn't go any further and they went speeding down the open highway, only an occasional car blocking her path along the way.

  Chapter 41

  There is No "Eye" in Revolution

  The creature's claws had dug into Frank's underarms like the worst case of deodorant burn he'd ever had in his life. He had wanted nothing more than to free himself of that godforsaken creature and scratch the living hell out of his pits to relieve the burning the entire time. But that didn’t seem like it would happen any time soon before suddenly the vampire dropped him down t
o his feet from a ten foot drop, causing Frank to land on his ankle wrong and something to snap inside there.

  Frank rolled over on his side to find his surroundings had changed quite a bit. He was in some kind of factory it seemed like from the mechanical noises constantly going and the big blasts of steam rolling upward throughout the wide open space inside the building. A moment later and several long booming steps echoed nearby and Frank looked up again in time to lock eyes with a tall, monstrous looking son of a bitch if he'd ever seen one. A thick blond mane of hair curved around the guy's cheeks and chin and fluffed up from the top of his head. Aside from the black, well-tailored suit, he looked like something out of an epic fantasy story or something. A knight that would make the best of them shit their pants. Sir Fucks-Shit-Up-Alot. He was meaty as hell and it was almost a surprise to Frank that his head didn't quite touch the towering ceiling.

  Frank let out a snicker without meaning to.

  Sir Bigfuck sneered. "You think something funny?" His voice was deep and low and caveman-like.

  Frank shook his head. "No, no, not really. I just had one of those moments, you know, when you're so scared shitless you can't help but laugh at yourself."

  "I know nothing of this... scared shitless. What is it?"

  Frank had to hold real tight on his tongue to keep from letting that one unload a barrel of laughs. This guy was a fucking riot and it wouldn't be long before he'd be the end of him if Frank couldn't manage to keep his mouth shut. He just shook his head and hoped that would quell the giant's question good enough. Then, without another word, Sven-Master-Big grabbed hold of Frank by the collar of his shirt and flung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Your friend come. We have fun. We like party."