The Blood Talisman

by Kim Culpepper

  He softly kissed her cheek and exited the room, closing the double doors and locking her in behind them.

  She stood against the wall, still breathing heavily. She stared over at the dead woman on the bed. She felt no remorse but she did feel disgusted. She wondered how living, breathing creatures could be so callous and removed from society.

  Ram leaned against the locked double mahogany doors that led into the bedroom that he and Ember had once shared. He wiped his face down with the untucked portion of his light blue dress shirt. He looked down at himself and realized that he needed to change before Sol arrived.

  He slid down to the floor and put his face in his hands. He took a deep breath and felt someone tall standing over him. He squinted through his fingers up at the tall figure. It was his loyal servant, John.

  “Sol will arrive at noon tomorrow, sir,” John said.

  “Good. I want to move ahead with our plans to hunt the Immortal. This would have never happened if we already had the blood talisman,” Ram said.

  “Yes sir. Anything else I can do, sir?”

  “Get a clean up crew to take care of Ember. I should have never let her go with you. She was too young to cope with the disease. Too much power too soon can be deadly.”

  “Yes sir. Right away.” John turned and walked away.

  Ram sat there for a few more moments and then picked himself up off the floor and took his blood-soaked shirt off. He threw it down to the floor, leaving it there in front of the double mahogany doors. He walked down to another set of doors and went into another huge bedroom with a shower just off from it. He finished undressing and stepped into the shower to wash away his thoughts of Ember’s death.

  Chapter 14

  When they arrived night had fallen. The full moon outside Alex and Selene’s car window promised good happenings. Selene was on cloud nine following the kiss they shared, however Alex felt even more guilt. Not only had he killed a man but now he had kissed a woman who wasn’t his wife. He had so much to tell Amalia. He wandered if she could look at him with the same loving eyes once she learned everything that he had done.

  He couldn’t understand John’s part in the whole thing either. He wondered if he meant for Ember to be killed or was he trying to get rid of Selene? There were so many questions plaguing his mind that he couldn’t think straight. He was distracted and Selene could tell. She reached over and held his hand tightly. He loosened her grip and looked over at her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Just nervous,” he answered.

  “Rose and Ben are in the car behind us. They’re here to help us get Amalia to safety. These vamps don’t want to mess with me or my sister.”

  Alex looked at Selene, questioning her last statement. “I didn’t think about this before but… why did she, the vampire I mean, get sick when she bit you? Are all witches poison to vampires?”

  Selene paused for a few moments to think of how to explain to him when a knock on the window of her side of the car came. She jerked around to find Rose smiling and waving at her. Ben lurked in the distance, smoking a cigarette. Selene rolled her window down.

  “So, what’s the plan, young lovers?” Rose asked.

  Selene’s face turned red and she gave Rose the evil eye. “Very funny.” she said.

  “I don’t really know what we will do. I guess we could walk right in. It is a public hospital, right?” Alex said.

  “Looks that way, sweetie. Are you sure you want to go in there and rescue your wife? I mean, you have my sister now. Isn’t that enough?” Rose asked.

  “Rose!” Selene shouted.

  “She’s in there because of me. It doesn’t matter what I feel for Selene. I have an obligation to make this right,” he responded.

  There was an uncomfortable silence in the car for a few seconds but it seemed like hours to Selene. She felt like she was in the middle of what would be a grand argument that she hoped would never happen.

  She broke the awkward quietness and said, “I think gaining access from the back would be the most inconspicuous way to get inside and find her. We don’t have to be seen by anyone at the front desk and we might be able to avoid being spotted by security.”

  “Ben and I will scope it out and come back and tell you if it’s safe,” Rose announced as she made to leave the car. Selene grabbed her hand, stopping her.

  “We need to stay together. I don’t trust these people, Rose. They have werewolves that work for them. There is nothing we can do against them.”

  “I have Ben and you have Alex. Werewolves can fight their own. I think the boys can handle themselves.”

  “I just think this isn’t a good plan.”

  Alex touched Selene’s leg and she turned to face him. “This is our only plan. It has to work out. You are right, though. We go together.”

  Selene smiled at him. She wanted to kiss him again but she didn’t want to push her luck. His lips looked like two soft, pink pillows of bubblegum on his handsome, newly rugged face. She admired them for a moment and then worked her way to his eyes. They were serious yet wary. The whirlwind of recent events had no doubt aged him by years. They told a dreary story of anger, hurt, and despair.

  Rose and Ben had disappeared from their sight. They both got out of the car and looked around in the car that Ben had driven behind them.

  “They went without us,” Selene said, shaking her head. “Jeez, Rose.”

  “Let’s stick to the plan and go through the back. Maybe we can catch up with them,” Alex said.

  They headed towards the hospital cautiously. Looking around every corner and in every crevice outside the big brown building, they made their way to the back. The huge generators and tanks outside the back door hummed full of activity, unknowing that they were supporting a place of ill intent and sinister behaviors. Every step felt on the ground made Alex and Selene nauseous. They knew it would be a fight if they were caught.

  The pavement was hard but the grass crunched beneath their feet as they reached the back door. Rose and Ben were still nowhere to be found. The door swung open and Alex pushed Selene against a wall. The short, skinny man was carrying a bag of garbage. His bald head shone in the moonlight. He threw the bag over into a huge green bin and pressed a button. The bin made a screeching sound as he walked away. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and snorted as he walked back to the back door.

  They crept closer to the unsuspecting man, unnoticed. He swiped a card on a reader beside the door and opened it. They were close enough to the door and Alex caught it with his fingertips to keep it from closing. He looked back at Selene and she gave him a reassuring smile.

  Selene hopped up the steps and peeked through the rectangular window on the door. The unsuspecting man that had unknowingly let them in rounded the corner of the hall. Nobody else was to be seen. Depression and the feeling of death seemed to plague the halls as they entered through the doorway and followed the corridor. Alex stood with his back against the wall to the left and Selene followed suit against the wall on the right. They both peeked around their corners to see if there was anybody around. The halls were empty.

  “Which way from here?” Selene whispered over to Alex.

  Alex motioned one minute and leaned his face against the wall. He couldn’t smell Rose or Ben. He did smell Amalia, faintly. She had passed down this hall at some point and he could see a foggy picture of her face in his mind. She was walking behind a short man with a set of keys. She didn’t seem panicked or frightened or hurt at all. As she walked past the corner, her fingertips stroked the grey wall across from them and her image faded to darkness.

  “This way,” he responded, and Selene scurried over into his arms. He wrapped them around her tightly. He peered around the corner once more and they headed slowly down the corridor. Their footsteps were light and quick. Brisk, loud footsteps began to sound behind them. Alex jerked his head quickly around to see who it could be.

  The short man with the keys in Alex’s vision from earlier
was walking steadily towards them.

  “What are you two doing down here?” he asked.

  Selene stopped walking and gave Alex a worried look.

  “We are a little lost. This hospital is a bit bigger than I thought it to be. Can you guide us back to the elevator?” Alex asked calmly.

  “No, I know you. I’ve seen a picture of you. You’re that missing patient. Stand right here and I’ll call…”

  He was cut off by Selene. She had reached forward and touched his chest. A shot of dim light came from her fingertips and the man slid backwards against the floor.

  Alex looked at Selene, puzzled.

  “Don’t worry. He’s only unconscious, but it won’t last long. Let’s hurry.”

  She took Alex by the hand and rushed him down the corridor. They turned several corners and passed many closed doors. They stopped short of one that had a bloody dress shirt at its foot. Alex picked it up and smelled the blood. It wasn’t Amalia’s blood, he was sure of it. But the vision of Amalia was clear this time.

  She was standing in the room behind the door where he’d found the shirt. A tall man with dark chestnut hair paced the room as she watched. He crossed the room and slammed her against the wall. Alex felt the anger well up within him. The wolf inside wanted to rear its ugly head but Alex held the urges back to see what happened next. The blood-soaked man mentioned fucking Amalia and Alex could not contain his anger any longer. His nails protruded and his eyes bulged. His teeth were growing long and hair now covered his entire body. He grew two feet taller in minutes.

  Selene stepped back away from him, not knowing what he had seen. She worried it might be Amalia’s blood on the shirt and that this caused his transformation.

  “Alex, calm down. It’s okay. You can’t be like this right now.”

  He couldn’t hear her. He only heard her heart beating. It sped up even more as he inched closer to her. It wasn’t fear that was making her heart race. He could tell it was love.

  He turned his attention to the door and ripped it from the doorframe. Splinters flew into the air, over both of their heads. They could hear footsteps running towards them in the distance. Alex couldn’t hear their heartbeats, like he could hear Selene’s. And there was another faint heartbeat coming from the room in front of him.

  It was Amalia. He had finally found her. She was curled up on the floor, next to the bed. Her heartbeat didn’t express fear or love. Her heart seemed to beat nothingness. He stood there, in wolf form, gazing at her beautiful brown hair as it cascaded down onto her folded arms. Her golden skin glowed of healthy radiance but her face told of worry.

  The footsteps had reached Selene and Alex at the doorway. Three men stood behind Selene and her heartbeat now betrayed fear. Alex took his attention from Amalia and turned to the men. Two of them immediately changed into wolves and the third was the man that he had seen in his vision. Selene backed into the room towards Amalia, gazing at the other two wolves and Alex. Ram stood in the middle of them all.

  “Alex Jacobs, I presume? You are a very wanted man,” Ram said.

  Alex growled at him and inched closer. He wanted to rip his head off. The other two wolves jumped forward, slamming Alex against the wall.

  “I need you to change back, Alex. We can work this out as men, not animals,” Ram said.

  He motioned at the two wolves holding him and they changed back to human form, on command, and released their grip on him. Alex stood there in wolf form. Two nurses came running down the hall towards them all. They stopped short of Ram and stood behind him, waiting for directions.

  “We can do this the easy way, or my staff can prick you with a needle full of calming juice. Your choice, Alex.”

  The sound of Ram’s voice irritated him. Selene suddenly dashed between the two former wolves. She grabbed Alex’s wolf abdomen and pushed it gently. He looked down at her, into her eyes.

  “Change back, Alex. You found her. It’s going to be okay,” Selene said, making eye contact.

  Alex closed his eyes and changed back to human form. His bones cracked and his gums bled as he sized back down to his normal size. Selene’s hands stayed upon him as he changed. They rested on his shoulders as he reached completion.

  “There, that’s much better,” Ram taunted.

  He motioned for the nurses to leave and they followed suit, quickly.

  “Nice trained puppets you have around here, you bastard,” Alex said, referring to the departing nurses.

  “Let’s play nice now. Words can hurt,” Ram responded.

  “Yes, but my fists can hurt a lot worse,” Alex said as he bolted forwarded. He attempted to push Selene aside but the two wolves turned human stopped his advances. Selene turned towards Ram and gave him the evil eye.

  “Who’s your friend? She’s proved quite resourceful I expect… for a witch.”

  “I’m not just some witch you can push around,” Selene warned him.

  “I’m fully aware of that. You killed my wife. Her name was Ember.”

  “Your wife killed herself. She was too stupid to know she was drinking a witch.”

  “Not any old witch, though. Am I right?”

  Selene put her hands up to slap him. He grabbed her wrists, stopping her briefly. Alex jerked free momentarily from one of the human wolves but they quickly regained their grasp on him.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you…” Ram said to her. He studied her gaze briefly and turned his head to face down the hall. “John?” he called out.

  John rounded the corner dragging Rose by her long red hair. Her arms and legs were cuffed together with cable ties and her mouth was masked with duct tape. Ben was nowhere to be seen.

  “I caught your sister coming through the front door, like a vigilante. That much trouble could be bad for business. She is safe for now. The same cannot be said for her wolf partner.”

  “You asshole. You’re going to pay for this,” Selene yelled out at him.

  “No, I’m going to get what I want from all of you. If I don’t, your sister will die.”

  “What do you want?” Alex demanded.

  “I want the blood talisman. I want me and… my kind… to live forever.” He stared at Selene. “Your brother will be here tomorrow. I expect a family reunion of monumental results to occur.”

  “My father would never fall for your trickery. You’re stupid just like your wife if you believe that.”

  “I know the truth, you see. Your brother Sol has been very forthcoming with information. Undoubtedly he is very pissed at you and your sister. He loathes your father. I guess immortality isn’t everything.”

  John turned Rose around so that Selene could see her face. She had been crying and her right eye was bruised and there was a cut just above it. Her red hair was matted with blood and dirt. Her pants were ripped and her shirt was barely hanging onto her shoulders. The only thing on her that looked okay were her shoes, although one of her laces was coming untied.

  Selene looked back at Ram. He smirked at her. He had them all right where he wanted them and it clearly felt good.

  “I need you and Alex to follow me. I will make you both as comfortable as you like,” Ram said.

  “What about me?” a meek voice said amongst them.

  It was Amalia. She glanced over at Alex, then back at Ram. Alex wanted to grab her up into his arms but the human wolves tightened their grip once more.

  “Amalia! You will stay with me for now. I can rejoin you with your husband and his mistress soon, if you wish,” Ram answered.

  “I am no one’s mistress!” Selene yelled at him. Her face was as red as Rose’s hair.

  Amalia walked over to Ram and stood beside him. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side. He looked into Alex’s eyes, taunting him. Amalia picked his arm off of her waist and threw it back to his side.

  “Wait here with John and our redheaded prisoner here,” he said, kicking Rose in the side.

  She grimaced in pain and let out a whimper
.

  Ram and Amalia walked down the grey hall and disappeared into another room.

  Selene had tears in her eyes. She remembered the beatings and harassments from her brother Sol when they were kids. Even though they were girls, Sol never cared how bad they were hurt physically or emotionally. As their big brother, he was horrendous. Selene figured that his assistance to Ram was more punishment for their being born. Inheriting the blood talisman had always enthralled Sol but the competition from two equally powerful sisters had always irritated him.

  She reached down to Rose and John caught her by the arm.

  “What do you think you are doing?” John asked.

  “I’m making sure my sister is okay, you pawn,” she answered.

  John’s hand began to burn as if he were touching a hot pan. He jerked his hand back in pain and Selene leant all the way down to Rose. She rubbed the tears away from Rose’s eyes and pushed her red, wavy hair behind both of her ears. She stroked her cheeks with her hands and looked deep into her eyes, attempting to read her thoughts. Rose had mastered the skill years ago but Selene had never taken the time to learn it. She concentrated hard enough to give herself a headache. She closed her eyes and thought of Rose and Ben. The first time they all met each other. They were running from another set of vampires who were trying to kill their father and Rose had literally run into Ben as he was changing into wolf.

  Selene always joked that it was love at first bang but Rose hated when she said that because it sounded too sexual. Her thoughts began to blur and she was in Rose’s mind, reading her memories instead of her thoughts.

  Ben was ripping through the security team at the front door like they were paper. Ripping their necks out and taking their heads clean off their bodies. Selene felt uncomfortable reading her sister’s mind but she wanted to learn what became of Ben. Rose was freezing nurses and doctors where they stood. It was a scene of destruction. Then the bullet that stopped them all came. It traveled past Rose, slamming right into Ben’s forehead. His body dropped to the floor and Rose screamed, running over to him. John held the smoking gun and placed it to the back of Rose’s head.