“That’s incredible,” Johana said, surprised. “What else?”
“At the moment I don’t know if there’s more. At least I’m not thirsty,” Meryl added with a frown, “for blood, I mean. I drink water and I eat, but I barely feel hungry. Dad has told me that he doesn’t need to eat.”
“It’s very complicated,” Johana admitted. “You’re similar to a vampire, but not a vampire.”
“I suppose. As long as I don’t become like George, I’m content but I’ve been thinking for a while.” Meryl leaned back and looked up at the dark sky. “Akad bit me with some purpose in mind. Though I don’t think he knew anything about what was going to happen to me. Maybe he thought I’d be like Caleb or worse, like George. Or that he could control me. Who knows.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t do anything without a reason.”
“I go round and round in my head. Sometimes I think I’m going crazy. And dad ... I didn’t think I’d see him again. Or that if I saw him I would scream everything that went through my head for years. But after listening to him, I know that nobody has suffered as much as he has. Besides I wonder if my mother knew the whole truth. I never noticed anything strange. It’s all crazy, I swear my head is going to explode.”
“Meryl, don’t dwell on the past,” Johana murmured, placing a comforting hand on Meryl. “You can’t change the past, but you can change the future, focus on it.”
A shout caught their attention. Someone called Johana to go and help out with the food. Every day there were more humans. Many of them were hungry and weak. Joanna had no choice but to say goodbye and go help feed them.
“Calm down. I’m going to go take a walk,” Meryl said with a smile.
“When I finish I’ll go look for you. We have much to talk about,” Johana said before running off.
Sitting there alone Meryl sighed and closed her eyes. She tried to remember the events of the last year of her life.
Now, accustomed to this life and calm. The memory of her fear of everything felt strange, every look and every word and knowing that she was in the middle of a war that was provoked by who had once been her dearest little brother made her feel like she was suffocating. But all the bad was compensated by having Caleb. His look of understanding returned the breath to her. As she looked into a hurricane of mixed questions, memories, and feelings, Meryl frowned slightly. With the arrival of a gentle breeze, she recognized a familiar scent that she knew but couldn’t place. This made her think that it belonged to someone she knew before her change. Meryl opened her eyes and looked into the forest near the spot where Akad bit her. She was sure it was not him because she knew his scent. It had been impregnated into her clothes. Then, who?
Clenching her teeth Meryl stood up. She was tired of mysterious visitors. With dissimulation and an oddly smooth agility, she moved among a pair of buildings. She entered the one with the open door. From the threshold, she spotted a pair of rifles. It didn’t take long for her to reach out and take one in her hand. After Akad’s arrival, Meryl was not about to deal with more surprises.
I’ve never fired a gun. I can’t even use it. Meryl thought as she passed by the trees. It doesn’t matter. If I have to I’ll hit him with the butt of the gun.
Meryl walked a few meters. When an image triggered a flash of white in her mind and caused her to feel dizzy. The gun fell from her hands and hit the damp earth without making a sound.
Meryl could see Alexander’s body lying on the floor completely covered in blood and Axel holding his arm.
“Father has been here,” Axel whispered without turning, knowing who stood behind him.
“How dare you!” Meryl was having a hard time controlling her anger for the first time in her life.
“He didn’t have any right over you,” Axel continued talking as if he hadn’t heard Meryl speak. “Things are changing.”
“Stop talking. I saved your life and you killed Alexander.” The mix of fury and crying made her lower lip tremble.
In spite of the fact that she wanted to yell everything that went through her mind at that moment. When Axel turned around Meryl was not capable of saying a single word. His face looked sad. It was the first expression that she saw in the boy that always looked empty. He always showed a face without expression.
“I’m sorry. I told you that it had to happen. Sacrifices are necessary in order for certain things to happen. It was the only way to make Caleb angry enough.”
“What gives you the right to decide?” Meryl yelled and took a step forward.
“Agatha made the same face when she yelled at me.” Axel smiled when he saw his sister reflected in Meryl. “You are so similar that it gives me chills. Although, you’re almost my niece and Caleb my half-brother. I didn’t have the intention of hurting you.”
“I do have the intention of hurting you,” the voice that came from out of the cluster of trees paralyzed Meryl but had no effect on Axel. He’d known from the first moment when Caleb had arrived.
“Caleb,” Meryl whispered when he was within their sight. With that tone of voice, Meryl would have never recognized him.
“Are you alright?” Caleb asked when he reached her.
“We are all here,”Axel sighed.
“What are you planning this time?” Caleb asked and took a step closer to Meryl.
“Father was over-confident. When you were born he didn’t realize that you were special,” Axel remembered. “He also didn’t realize that Jacob was perfection personified. To him, Jacob was simply another human. He didn’t realize it until centuries later. He saw him. Saw that he was still alive as a human and had two children. How is that possible? We asked ourselves that several times. We investigated Jacob and all of his secret past. We obtained samples of his blood and saw that he had evolved. He had the best that came from Akad and the best that came from humans. Once again Akad was over-confident. He ignored the two children. He concentrated on your father,” Axel continued, looking at Meryl, “but your father escaped. Several years later he lied to the humans. He promised eternal life to the leaders of the Council of Nations. But as you can imagine everything went sideways and nothing turned out how he’d hoped. Although he did manage to get hold of your brother. They kept you a secret in the hopes of forcing him to complete his promise.”
“Bunch of madmen.” Meryl thought of the rotten politicians that ruined the world.
“What is your interest in all of this?” Caleb asked.
“My role was to give you what you lacked,”Axel responded. “Then you should have transformed Meryl but father went ahead and did it. I don’t know if this has changed things.” Thoughtfully, Axel looked at the floor, closed his eyes and spent a few moments in silence. “Maybe not. You have to drink my blood. Until the last drop.”
“What are you talking about?” the horror could be heard in Meryl’s voice.
“I didn’t think to have you for dinner when I killed you.” Caleb was disturbed by the thought.
“I am another sacrifice. Just like your friend. I didn’t want to hurt him but it was necessary,” Axel continued, “and it is also necessary that I die. Have you ever asked yourself how Akad knew where to go and who to ask for help? My sister had many gifts but I have only one. I can see fragments of the future. The strings that must be cut or moved. I am nothing but another of Akad’s slaves. Perhaps nothing will happen but the melodies might awaken in your blood and you might have a fraction of my power. You will need it because they are coming here and you have no idea of what is coming.”
Caleb was confused. It was one of the few times that he had been confused during his lifetime. It was difficult to accept all of the information that had been given to him within seconds. Meryl and Caleb looked at each other in confusion.
“You have to understand that we can’t believe anything you say.”
“Of course, brother,” Axel began to walk t
oward them. Caleb’s body tensed. Meryl grabbed Caleb’s arm and he relaxed a bit. “George has created a new type of vampire. They are savages. He believes that they are the embodiment of the evolution that he has desired. The perfection that he has spent years working for but they are nothing more than spawn. Strong, fierce, and not at all intelligent. It is my hope that Caleb will acquire my power because the war that is coming will be catastrophic. You will sleep and dream,” he added. “You’ll have to know when they will attack and where if you want to save your friends because the last vision I had was of a field drenched in blood and every one of you lay dead.”
“I don’t understand why you will give your life. I don’t understand why you are doing this. They told us that when the alchemist’s experimented with your and Agatha’s blood that you went insane. That you were the first…”
“I was able to give others my venom and convert humans but I didn’t go insane. I acted in blind faith. I believed in my father and did as he ordered. He is indifferent to everything. Don’t let him deceive you. Every event, each situation, every twist of destiny is motivated by his actions. Caleb,” Axel said, “when your mother killed you it was by Akad’s order. You know that Amadeus was always observing you. That he knew of his plans. Father saw his desire to have you as a son and knowing that he would transform you he ordered Galatea to act. She was so happy when she received permission to end your life. Although, she never knew all of the plans. She was extremely angry when she found out that you were a superior vampire, more important and more beloved by Akad than she would ever be. There’s nothing more to explain. You should kill me. Free me at last. Prepare yourself and don’t forget. Your duty is to cut off the heads of the serpent. My advice is for you to leave your friend Yong at the head of your armies. He can deal with the spawn and Akad’s machinations while you and your friends infiltrate their headquarters and kill George and Akad. Killing them should be your main focus. Without that, everything will end.”
They stared at each other with fierce intensity. The thirst for blood and vengeance had dissipated after hearing everything. Axel wanted Caleb to transform into something abstract that he couldn’t comprehend. Meryl remained silent. She didn’t want to interfere because she knew that one way or another blood would stain the ground. She wasn’t wrong. A few seconds later, Axel could perceive Caleb’s doubts. Surely he didn’t believe his words, logic was the enemy. Without removing his eyes from the man who should be his murderer he moved a hand and quickly cut his own throat. Blood sprayed everywhere and Axel fell to the ground.
The scream that came from Meryl’s mouth drowned with Axel’s groans. The wound wouldn’t kill him. He was old and powerful but with this act, he’d told Caleb that he wouldn’t stop.
“You’re going to do it, right?” Meryl said as she watched Caleb kneel and lean toward his jugular.
“That’s his wish and mine as well. It wasn’t what I planned but this way we all will be at peace, including Alexander.”
Meryl closed her eyes and sighed. Everything was so complicated and she knew that each day would get worse. She wanted to stop listening for a moment but at least managed to stop breathing through her nose. Meryl avoided having to smell the blood but couldn’t stop hearing the sounds that escaped Axel’s mouth. Finally, she turned around and walked several meters to sit on a large boulder. She didn’t like knowing that someone was dying nearby. That their life was ending drop by drop. Despite the fact that it was the man that had killed Alexander.
Without knowing how much time had passed something made her shudder and she almost fell off the boulder. That noise, that cracking sound, Meryl was sure that it was skin tearing and bones breaking. Caleb had finished with Axel. Axel had finally paid for all his sins. Though Meryl was tempted to turn around and look she controlled herself by standing still and looking forward. She could feel Caleb walking toward her.
“A lot of people are going to die. Aren’t they?” Meryl could feel Caleb standing behind her.
“Yes, but if what Axel said is true, then maybe we can avoid many deaths.”
“Hopefully, he told the truth.”
Hands extended from behind her back to her chest. Where two arms embraced her gently. Meryl dropped her head back, leaning against that perfect gap between Caleb’s shoulder and neck. She fit like a puzzle piece to the main puzzle. She sighed when she felt his nose caress her skin. It had been some time since sensation hadn’t intoxicated her and she succeeded in eliminating the bad taste of Axel’s death.
“I didn’t realize that your scent has become sweeter. That’s not good.”
“I hadn’t realized how much I missed this,” Meryl admitted, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment.
“I wonder what happened to that frightened and embarrassed girl,” Caleb’s surprised voice whispered, remembering each and every time they’d had private intimate moments together.
“I wonder a little, too, but I don’t think she’s far away. Caleb,” she said with a slight ring of concern in her voice, “I don’t think it’s wise for you to drink my blood again. Not after what Akad has done to me. You already have in your body the blood of Axel. If you drink mine, which is now mixed ... I don’t know. George was transformed and …”
“Is that why you think I’m here?” Caleb hugged her tighter. Although you don’t feel shame as quickly now you haven’t lost your innocence.” Confused, Meryl turned her head a few inches to see his eyes. “I only needed your blood for two days, Meryl. The rest was only to feed my soul.”
His words shocked her and held her immobile. Although Meryl had thought about their relationship thousands of times the fear of being only his food had tormented her and given her nightmares. She was sure of her feelings, but him ... there was always some doubt in Meryl about his feelings. He didn’t usually make his feelings clear. At least that’s what Meryl believed. Now he had confessed that drinking her blood was something he only required for a limited time and that those extra intimate moments that she remembered and that had helped her maintain her sanity when she was imprisoned, were by his choice. At that instant, when she stared at him, hypnotized and almost stunned Caleb responded with serenity. Meryl wanted to be selfish. To say to hell with the war and disappear with Caleb without leaving a trace. Heaven knew that they had earned it after being apart for such a long time, suffering a dark loneliness.
“You don’t know how that reassures me,” Meryl murmured without blinking or looking away from Caleb, who smiled.
“I know I’m guilty of not making things clear. I’m not good at that,” he admitted. “I realized it when you were in George’s hands. It was one of all the things I wanted to tell you and I was not able to. Although, I don’t know if I can now. At least I will try to improve that defect.”
“You already have, Caleb, now ... with that look. I don’t need more, well, one thing.”
Caleb raised his eyebrows, asking with that gesture what she meant. Meryl’s response was better than he had expected. She pressed her cold, trembling lips to his.
It had been a long time since Meryl had become special to him. The need to protect her overwhelmed him, but sometimes memories of past betrayals and pain came. And just thinking that Meryl might do something like that broke him, because he was absolutely sure he would not recover, not from losing her. It would kill him.
Meryl’s lips were no longer cold and trembling. Caleb’s soft, warm tongue made her warm by an act of magic, but to her disgrace or rather to their misfortune, it only lasted a few minutes. Caleb sighed before releasing her from his embrace.
“We should go back now. They’re probably worried.”
“True ... after Akad’s attack it’s not good to leave without telling anyone.”
“Come on.”
Meryl stood up, gripping the hand that had been stretched out in front of her and they began to walk toward the base of operations. They didn’t speak in the sho
rt distance. They simply felt each other out, knowing that those few minutes of intimacy had created a new closeness, removing fears and doubts. Johana and Legrant walked to them as soon as they were visible and scolded them like children. Besides surprising Caleb it made him laugh. After apologizing, Caleb went in search of Yong to tell him the information Axel had given him. Caleb took Legrant with him and left both women there.
“So a romantic getaway, huh?” Johana asked. “You shouldn’t leave the base, Meryl. It’s very dangerous. Especially for the two of you.”
“It’s not that.”
Meryl began to tell her what had happened since she had perceived the aroma. At the same time, they walked to the canteen where the humans were dining. They sat at the farthest and most discreet table. Johana’s face was changing like a chameleon. From an accusatory look because they had left alone, to worry, horror, and then despair.
“Okay,” Johana said as Meryl finished the story. “I will not deny that I am glad he is dead. But ... do you think what he said about those creatures is true?”
“Yes,” Meryl said, looking at his plate of food and mixing the vegetables that were waiting to be devoured. “George was constantly talking about evolution. He was obsessed with it and thought it would start with us. He probably used his blood. I don’t know. From what Axel said they are beasts.”
“That’s going to cause us a lot of problems, dammit.” Johana felt hopeless. “It makes our odds of winning plummet.”
Meryl wanted to say something positive. That they would have a plan or something, but she also had her doubts and decided to omit the information of Axel’s supposed vision, in which they were all dead. Meryl knew the information would devastate her best friend. Just as it had done to her. Meryl decided to go rest after dinner. Her head felt foggy.
♫♫♫
The audience was silent after hearing all that Caleb had told them, every detail, every little word, had provoked many negative feelings. Even Yong’s trust in his magnificent army had been disturbed by the revelation of the mysterious creatures created by George. Amanda was thoughtful. She, as a scientist, knew that such a thing might happen, but she would never have imagined that it could be possible. Or that he would do it. It only indicated, within her intelligent brain, that George had completely lost his sanity. Or at least whatever little sanity he could have left.
Melodies of Blood 2 Page 17
