Awakening the Red Claws

by C P Sennett

“How you holding up big man?” I asked, trying to lift both of our spirits. His eyes told me he wasn’t with it though.

  “Poisoned, can’t focus much. How are you Ed?” he asked with a weak smile visible through his beard.

  “I’m holding up. It seems your keeper isn’t too friendly?”

  Malcolm half nodded, his neck muscles struggling to keep his head up and still.

  “I burned him good though, vamps, they’re not like lycans, you were right!”

  I nodded “Yep, got a plan to get out then?”

  Malcolm coughed weakly and dribbled out some blood. “No, this is it. Fancy sitting here with me. He’s got this all planned out he says.”

  “He has, has he?”

  Carval spoke up from behind the camera phone. “Yes Eddie, I have a plan, always.”

  “Your plan with the Red Claws didn’t go right though, did it?”

  The phone moved and made some banging noises. Then, Carval’s face appeared from the side showing the nasty looking burn more clearly on him. “No, and that was a check, from you. Now though, it’s my turn.”

  As he moved out of the shot Malcolm’s face looked at me. A look of recognition flashed on his eyes. “Watch me go out Eddie, watch me and remember me.” said the big wizard weakly, as he swallowed hard.

  “Sure thing Malcolm, I’m here.”

  Carval then put the phone showing the video into a stand or something to hold it still. Then he moved next to Malcolm. “Good.” he purred. “You have the second-best seat in the house Eddie. I wish you were here.”

  “I wish I was as well.” I growled looking at Malcolm, hoping to give him strength for whatever was about to come.

  Carval turned to the screen. His teeth longer now, predatory and the nails on his fingers were now like talons. Sharp and with a slight curve, they looked strong.

  “You don’t have to do this Carval, you know that.”

  “I know.” was all he said.

  Then, he reached up to Malcolm’s mouth. Malcolm fought to resist the vampire but as he did the nails grew a little and took on hard and sharp edges to them. These claws now cut into Malcolm’s lips. They dug into his mouth slowly, but the big man resisted, he didn’t buckle but the pain was visible in his neck muscles and eyes. The muscles around his eyes showed how much he was holding the pain in as red blood began to run down Carval’s hand. The vampire pushed harder and eventually Malcolm’s mouth opened, the pain was too much as the vampire was far stronger than a normal person. It must have felt like knives being pushed slowly into his mouth and gums.

  Then Carval turned and looked at me. “Eddie, remember Malcolm didn’t do much to harm my plans did he.”

  “No.” I said firmly.

  “So, should I let him go.”

  “You won’t, Malcolm knows that and so do I.”

  “You don’t know the half of it wizard. The best bit, is when you do then you will weep, you will weep like a baby.”

  “You can’t break me Carval, bigger people have tried and failed. Remember this, what you do now is on you, not me.”

  “It’s on you as well Sentinel as you are sharing this moment with me and Malcolm. However, you brought it on.” Then with horrific speed Carval got a good grip of Malcolm’s face but was still careful to make sure I could see his work. Then, with a sickening cry and tearing sound, to my horror, he ripped the bearded wizard’s jaw clean off.

  Blood shot everywhere, Malcolm convulsed in his restraints and mercifully fell to the floor as Carval moved closer to the camera and showed me his trophy. I’m gonna make him pay, I thought!

  “Are you impressed Eddie?” he said waving his grizzly prize at me. The beard and flesh loose in his hand.

  “No.” I said, seething.

  “No, have I not impressed you wizard?”

  “No Carval. Vampires with your greater strength can do that, it’s not impressive. You’re weak, you are craven, a skulker, a lurker.”

  “I am not.” he said, sounding like a scolded child.

  “I will file this with the Order, and we will all be after you. This transgression can’t go unanswered.”

  “That is what I want Eddie.”

  I spoke with possibly the clearest words I had said in years. “It shouldn’t be what you want but you’ve got it now. I told you, this was all on you.”

  “Oh look, he’s still twitching!” said Carval with glee.

  “Fuck off!” I snarled.

  The vampire then stuck down twice, hard with his foot. Stomping on Malcolm with two loud metallic bangs, as if he was in a storage container or something similar.

  “I’m going to find you boy and when I do I’m going to burn you until you’re ashes.”

  The vampire then moved to squarely face the camera.

  “I said I was going to break you Eddie.”

  “You couldn’t break a sweat, you miserable prick.”

  “Oh Eddie, I’m not done with you, this was just the start.”

  “Was it.” I snapped. “What have you got next for me then tough guy, come on. What’s next, just say when and where and I will burn you to a crisp, just say it.”

  “It doesn’t work like that Eddie, you’re in my world now.”

  “Fuck off.” I spat.

  “Eddie, I can tell you are getting angry and that you want to hang up and come after me. It’s what I want as well. Just before you do though, thirty seconds more of your time as this is the important bit. More so than anything else, watch…” he said, delivering his words like some macabre circus trickster.

  “Make it quick.”

  “It will be and it will be memorable.” he said, as he picked up the camera and moved with it.

  There was a bang and some camera shake, a grinding noise and then light came in causing the screen to go faint for a moment as it readjusted.

  “We’re outside now Eddie.”

  “Very nice Carval. Get to it.”

  “But I am, that is the point, you see. I told you I was going to make you pay and now I’m going to have some fun with the two girls staying in your house. I hope they are both good kissers!” he leered turning the camera around showing my house…my fucking house!

  “I’ll fucking kill you!” I roared as he ended the call…

  ****

  I hit the pedal and sped off. The roads raced by and I went as fast as I dare in the wet and wintery conditions. Cars flashed past me as I turned off and got back into Ipswich. I raced along Colchester Road towards my house and as I pulled up I could see an old looking unmarked dirty white van parked across the road. It was parked from where I thought the phone was recording earlier.

  I leapt out of my car as I could see someone getting out of the mud covered van. A man I didn’t recognise. He got out, he was about six feet tall and he looked pretty normal with dark hair, clipped real short. He walked towards me, he had possibly a bit of a German accent to him. He wasn’t walking over friendly either.

  “Mister, you Eddie?” he asked, just out of range for either of us to take a swing at one another.

  There were no cars coming so I could let rip. “Tinzar-um” I said releasing the pale energy from my staff as it grew at the same time to the cane length that I preferred. The energy formed around the staff and in a heartbeat it shot out and struck the man hard in the chest. It didn’t knock him back though; his momentum took him into my spell. It struck just before he could do whatever he was going to do to me. It hit him and he went limp as he crumpled to the floor. I stepped to the left and let him fall. A few broken teeth would teach him I thought, anger racing through me which I was trying to battle.

  He fell to the floor and lay still. I quickly patted him down. He only wore a t-shirt despite the weather, and grey tracksuit trousers. He may have been someone who was charmed by Carval. Some vampires can do that, I’m not sure if this was something Carval could do. So, I realised a bit late that this guy could possibly be innocent or equally not in control of himself.

  I didn’t like a p
ublic use of violence or magic, especially so close to my own home but I had little choice. The man had blood on his hands I thought. Malcolm’s blood I guessed.

  I couldn’t chance helping him. This man had nothing of note in his pockets so I gritted my teeth and ran towards the house.

  I saw the front door was open, not smashed open but forced. I ran in and as I did, I put up a shield. I was going to incinerate this vampire.

  I shouted “Tabitha, Ben, Fern. Anyone here?”

  Nothing came back, then I heard a noise from upstairs. I raced up to the first floor. On the landing the doors were open. “Anyone here?” I shouted.

  I heard a shout back, but it was faint. It sounded as if it came from lower in the house, the basement maybe. Crap, he had gotten into it, then again illusions rarely fool the dead and the sickness feeling my magic makes wouldn’t be too much to a vampire. My glyph and ward were designed to keep worrisome humans out as nobody else knew about this place.

  I jumped down the flight of stairs with a quiet “Covalis” using the air to slow my decent. I landed barely breaking a step in the hallway. I rounded the corner into the kitchen and then I closed in on the stairwell to the basement.

  The door was ripped off its hinges, things looked bad and an emanation of magic was in the air.

  I leapt down into the landing again with a whisper of “Covalis,” my landing flawless. I looked across the basement landing area and I could see the door to my library was open.

  I moved forward quickly and quietly. Nobody in there but there were signs of a struggle. I moved past the bathroom, which was empty, and my bath was smashed.

  The door to my makeshift bedroom down here was closed and the small hallway ahead which led to the summoning chamber was clear.

  Ahead of me then was everyone. All inside my summoning chamber.

  “Carval.” I bellowed, as I took in the scene before me.

  Ben was lying on the floor, slumped against the wall and bleeding from a head wound. Carval was standing by my summoning circle and inside it was Fern and Tabitha, both holding each other in fear.

  Carval was outside of it and I could feel a powerful field of magic amplified by my circle. The magic was warding of some kind, keeping the girls in it and Carval outside.

  The vampire turned to face me. As he did my rage seethed. “Larcaras” I barked, the air crackled around me as the lightning drew in and around me as I pointed at the vampire. He moved but I tracked the run only to then realise my mistake.

  As I fired the vampire jumped and twisted with impossible speed in the air. He span and the lightning shot past him. It did hit the shield which had been protecting the girls. Fuck, I thought as it shattered their shield. Carval had seen how I attacked and he had played me into this.

  Carval landed and barrelled towards me. As he entered the hall he moved and changed his angle, bouncing off the wall like some superhero. He slammed into me with both feet as he used the momentum of his movement.

  My own shield stopped it, but the force of his assault flung me back onto the outside wall of the bathroom.

  He was on me again, swinging with his claws as they hit into my shield. My mind screaming in pain, trying to hold my shield in place.

  I pushed back at him with my staff forcing it to grow to its full length just to get him off me. The vampire was quicker to react. He grabbed the staff and tore it from my grip. It flew back into my summoning chamber as he was so strong.

  He didn’t stop though, he kept on swinging at me, hitting harder and harder into the shield. I had to do something. His burned face a contorting visage of a once good looking, young man. Vampires, they are quick and strong, and their angle of attack is often so unnatural it makes them dangerous.

  I had to act, so I called on fire knowing he had recently suffered from flames. I drew on my anger, my fear and my rage, rage over Malcolm’s death and that this vampire had hurt Samuel and invaded my home, my sanctuary. “Feroganis.” As I did the air around me erupted in fire. Flames danced around me, up the walls and along the floor. Carval was fast, so fast though that he darted back.

  He jumped back quickly into the basement hallway and then into the summoning chamber. He was off to the side so I lost sight of him. I could see the girls through the flames around us. They were on the ground but looking at where I thought Carval was.

  I rose up and ran forward, letting the fire drop from around me. I raced towards the room as Carval moved into view. Within a second he had Ben raised up in his arms as he had held Samuel earlier. Ben hung there, limply.

  “Eddie, I’ll let the boy go if you back off.”

  “No.” I said, walking towards him with purpose.

  Fern and Tabitha cried out imploring me to do as he said.

  “Carval, you can’t stop me. The element of surprise has gone and you’ve failed to kill an apprentice and two girls. You’re a joke.”

  “I recently killed a Sentinel if you remember and I’ll kill another wizard in a second if you don’t do as I say.”

  “Carval, you’re done. Your time is over, make your move.” I dared him.

  He responded. He threw Ben towards me and as I deflected Ben’s body with my arm the unconscious man hit the wall beside me shoulder first. I could have caught him but I expected that was what Carval wanted. My hands were busy holding up the young man so I had to leave the kid to the fates and let him fall.

  He landed in a heap on the floor to my side but Carval didn’t come for me. He shot backwards and as Tabitha rose upwards to protect herself he slashed out with a clawed hand. “I said I would break you Eddie!” he cursed. The clawed hand struck fast at the throat of Tabitha and she fell backwards clutching her neck.

  “Larcaras” was my response as I flooded a lot of energy into it. The lighting shot out from me and Carval wasn’t quick enough to avoid it. The electricity burned across his arm as he jumped to get out of the way. The rest hit the wall at the back of the summoning chamber and dissipated down into the foundations.

  Carval hit the other wall and fell to the floor.

  I wasn’t at the top of my game. I looked over at Tabitha for a second and oddly she was where she was earlier on the floor. Unharmed as well.

  There was a duplicate of her lying on the floor where Carval had struck but no sign of Fern. Fern had apparently taken on Tabitha’s visage but kept her ethereal form when the vampire struck, so in essence he hit mist. His grab was on her solid form but then changed as he struck, clever girl!

  I winced as pain struck me. My mind reeled in pain as Carval shot at me again, his arm aflame from my earlier attack. I was knocked back against the chambers thick stone wall. Carval had punched into my shield and the second blow had broken it.

  My head hurt so much, it was like the worst migraine ever. I fell sideways and held my head, but I had to fight on.

  As I fell I drew in my will and performed a spell which I haven’t done in some time. “Encario Zoar” as I fell down. It was to call up a wall of flame to appear up at the entrance to the summoning chamber. I didn’t want Carval to run and I hoped he was slowing down. Vampires can only sustain these boosts of speed and strength for a limited period of time, usually limited by blood. I wasn’t quick enough though and Carval was through it and out of sight in seconds.

  The vampire’s voice shouted back at me. “I’ll keep coming for you wizard.”

  “Help Ben.” I ordered, pointing to Fern who had now turned back to her more familiar blonde-haired form. She and Tabitha sprang into action as I raced after Carval. He wasn’t getting away!

  I ran through the basement hallway and it’s landing. I jumped and drew upon the reverse of the wind spell. I jumped clumsily up the stairs and hit the wall at the top. I stumbled as I burst into the kitchen, he wasn’t there.

  I ran to the door. It had been dark for some time now so he could operate freely. I ran and remembered I was without my staff as I burst out of the front door. There was Carval, across the road leaning against the dirty white v
an from earlier.

  “Losing friends Eddie?” he called out.

  I walked down my path towards the pavement, past my two parked vehicles. “I’m coming for you now Carval.”

  “Good.” he replied.

  “Pray the boy lives.” I said as I moved slowly across the street towards him.

  “He is already dead Eddie; the boy gave his life to save the others. He had potential but he overextended on the spell to shield the two lovely girls. He tasted nice and the girls got to watch as I fed.”

  I shook my head. “I’m going…”

  “The Veil, you’re going to do nothing here. I doubt you will risk it, you’re too by the book Eddie, I break the rules.”

  “You’ll see.” I said, pointing at him, as I walked over and stood on the unconscious male still on the floor.

  “Malcolm gave up your address you know.”

  “I doubt it, he didn’t know it.”

  You did well cracking my plan I’ll give you that. The lycans should have wreaked havoc in Essex and then the pack would have been granted status as the vampires sued for peace.”

  “You are a clown Carval. House Coyne won’t have lycans running about any more than they will have you running about. You fled one family in France, now you are running away from another, coward”

  “They pushed me.”

  “Diddum’s.” I mocked. “If you harm anyone else I’ll come for your aunt, Lady Vanita.”

  “You can’t, as the Sentinel you are not supposed to come for innocents.”

  I laughed. “She is no innocent, she is a vampire you simpleton.”

  “Bagh.” he snarled. “Do as you wish with her, it’s your funeral.” he said, but I knew he cared for his aunt despite what he said. They were close before they became vampires.

  Carval then put his hands up in a big gesture. “This is just the start Eddie, I’ll keep pressing you ‘til you break.”

  “Fuck the Veil.” I said, but as soon as I raised my hand Carval jumped over the fence to the side of him with ease and disappeared from sight.

  “I’m coming for you!” I shouted after him but he was gone and I couldn’t catch him in the open.

  ****

  I went back into the house quickly dragging the unconscious guy in the street between my two vehicles, leaving him to sleep it off. Then I went back inside to check on the others.