Barnaby rotated his arm and dropped the arrow shaft. It thudded on the floor. “That was not meant for me, was it?”
Ruby blinked. “N-no.”
Barnaby stepped into the light from the adjacent window. Ruby gasped and stepped back, stumbling. Once again, Barnaby disappeared from view, and then Ruby was steady on her feet. Barnaby stood at her shoulder, arms around her waist.
“I did not think so, Miss Paige.”
She broke his grasp and strode to Brian, wheeling about to face their Undead host. “Someone came in here when I was asleep. They yelled, then overturned my nightstand and ran from the room. I couldn’t see them. When the door slid open again, I just…fired.”
Barnaby smiled and stepped into the light again.
“How is that possible?”
Barnaby winked. “Miss Paige, we are both full of surprises.” He glanced at the mini-crossbow she still clutched in both hands. “I thought I searched you well enough to ensure my personal safety, as well as the safety of my people.”
Ruby flushed and tucked the crossbow into her waistband. “I always keep one hidden. For emergencies.”
“Of course. And I would never perform a thorough enough search to find your secret hiding spot. It would belie my chivalrous nature.”
Ruby shot Brian a questioning glance. He might have snorted at that remark, but his mind was elsewhere. He didn’t much like Barnaby flirting with Ruby. It felt contrived, as if he was only trying to get under Brian’s skin.
“Now that the excitement is finished, I would like to invite both of you out to the grounds to see my kingdom this evening. I want you to see what Safehold has to offer.”
Brian glanced at the window. “You want us to go out there? At night?”
Barnaby paced to the overturned nightstand beside Ruby’s bed, lifted it back into place with one hand, and pulled out the top drawer. “You will find several items to protect yourselves. No weapons, of course.” He turned and winked at Ruby again. “That means I must ask you to leave your crossbow here.”
He strode past them and opened the hidden entrance. “I must take my leave. I request that you meet me in the circular tower Koltz and I passed through earlier, about an hour before sunset.” He smirked at Brian. “Assuming you remember your way.”
“I’m an astute observer, remember?”
“Of course.”
When the door slid shut behind Barnaby, Ruby embraced Brian in a strong hug. “I was so scared, Brian.”
“I don’t think he’d let anyone hurt us.”
“But he didn’t know about the person who was in here.” She stared up at him, then hugged him tighter.
He rested his chin on the top of her head.
They pulled away at arm’s length and stared into each other’s eyes. He gulped. Their relationship had gone from platonic to emotional in a matter of days, but he couldn’t give himself over to the fluttering in his stomach. Everyone close to him had always been taken away, one way or another.
He broke the gaze, stepped past her, and cleared his throat. “Let’s see what our gracious host has left us.”
“Gracious my ass.”
Brian opened the top drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a leather neck brace, a Kevlar vest, and thick leather thigh guards. “I’ll admit, I’m kind of anxious to see Haven. Before it gets too dark.”
Ruby giggled. “Yeah, all the freaks come out at night.”
He didn’t respond, thinking only that the expression could hold truer in the Undead kingdom as opposed to anywhere else in the world.
***
John Ashmore stalked away from the torture chamber. Lost in his thoughts, cowl pulled around his head, he jumped when a hand touched his shoulder. He wheeled about, then fell backward onto his ass and stared up at the unexpected companion.
Barnaby’s two primary pointed teeth dug into his lower lip. His eyes spat black electricity and wrinkles lined his forehead. His eyebrows pointed in a downward ‘V.’ He leaned in, his tongue nipping John’s cheek and then retracting. “You dare to enter their chamber whilst they sleep?”
John crawled backward like a crab. He only travelled a few feet before Barnaby’s fingers tightened around his neck and he was lifted from the floor. Then they became airborne and smashed into a wall.
John wailed as pain wracked his brittle back. He slumped in Barnaby’s grasp, hanging like a rag doll.
“Answer me, maggot! What were you doing in their chamber?” Barnaby hollered.
John tasted blood. He gasped and struggled to speak. “To…watch…over…”
Barnaby dropped him to the floor, then reached down and backhanded him. John’s neck felt like it would snap. New pain roared through his jaw, up into his sinus cavities. He was certain his nose was broken.
“You do not seem to understand what this scientist means to me, Ashmore. He has something of utmost importance. I will do everything to protect that which he has in common with you.”
John’s mind whirled. What did he mean? They had nothing in common! His ears rang. Whispers threatened to drown out his master’s presence. He pushed himself up to a crawl but lost his balance, slumping face-first to the stone floor at Barnaby’s feet. He was getting too old for such abuse.
But he knew the Master would heal him and do it again the next time he was angered.
A kick to his ribs shifted the focal pain from his face to his side.
“Quit groveling, pathetic fool!”
Barnaby grabbed John at the nape of his neck and hefted him to eye level. John avoided his cold, fiery gaze. The depths of Hell reflected in his Master’s eyes when he was upset.
“You were planning to kill him. Her as well?”
“M-Master, I swear—”
“Silence!” The entire structure trembled with the Master’s resounding voice. “Do not think me a moronic buffoon, an imbecile like you and your Neanderthal human brothers!” The Master dropped John to the ground and knelt on one knee beside him. “You cannot hide shit from me.”
John wanted to lash out and strike his Master and meet his wrath. Instead, doubled over with pain and grief, he began to weep.
Barnaby stood, spat on him, and turned away. “Father Stephenson will attend to my guests moving forward. You will be confined to the sub-basement of the Keep, nothing more than my emissary. Your first duty is to tell Hammers I wish to move forward in a different direction. I want the jackals released, along with their non-human comrades. The wraiths can wait another week, if the jackals have not destroyed the Human Army by then.”
John tried to curse, but his lip trembled and he could do nothing more than grunt. Through a mixture of tears and blood, he saw the Master’s silhouette stop at the entrance to the moat crossing.
“You disappoint me, Ashmore. Your age is besting you. Soon, you shall die. Of natural old age. I will remain here. Forever. And there is nothing you can do about it.” He paused, and hatred oozed from his glare. “Quiver and whimper here for a while. I will send a priest to heal you.”
Then he was gone.
John drowned out the nagging voices in his head long enough to bring a mental picture of Catherine to the forefront of his thoughts before he passed out on the cold floor.
***
Brian led the way through the secret corridors without a torch or Barnaby’s fingertip light to guide him. He held Ruby’s hand so they wouldn’t separate, caressing the guiding walls with his free hand. He picked his way from one corridor to the next, retracing his steps from earlier, leery of the winding pathways that could possibly extend into the farthest reaches of the castle itself.
Ruby’s hand didn’t make him sweat. He was growing more comfortable in her presence. He liked that. His existing relationship with Ruby, coupled with their current predicament, made him feel more confident. How would she react to his ultimate choice, though? Would he lose what they were beginning to develop? He enjoyed the subtle changes he’d noticed in himself in the last couple of days, and was willing to do a
nything to protect her and the future of humanity.
Even if it meant becoming a vampire.
He hadn’t dwelled on the idea yet. What would the strength and raw power feel like? How would it feel to have the audio magnitude of bats or porpoises, unmatched speed, the sight of a hawk?
And would such senses aid him in his journey to uncover Undead genetics or bring him any closer to completing his platelet mushroom?
He would find out soon enough.
He navigated all the way to the round tower in which the Undead leader had revealed his ability to withstand sunlight. Barnaby stood in the center of the room, arms crossed over his chest. His garments rustled as the wooden door closed behind Ruby.
“The protection is to your satisfaction?”
Brian nodded.
“Very well.” The Undead leader uncrossed his arms and stretched, basked in pink and orange as what remained of the day’s sunlight filtered through the window behind him. “We will enter into the main courtyard, where Safehold’s marketplace is located. Once there, wander at will. I want you to see how my kingdom operates, and for you to learn about this society. You will be surprised by what you see.”
Barnaby turned away and walked to the window. “You will have free rein until sunset. However, as soon as the light sets below the horizon, I caution you to stay close. They will sense the presence of pure-blooded humans.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Come, look upon Haven from on high.”
Brian stepped to the window, Ruby towing behind without resistance. He smiled. She trusted him, trusted his instincts. He needed that, for he wasn’t certain if he could trust Barnaby. There was something secretive and elusive when Barnaby spoke, as if he carried secrets that spanned centuries, perhaps millennia.
They both looked down, past Barnaby. Below was a gigantic square filled with storefronts and wagons, benches, hay bales, fountains. He couldn’t make out details, but their shapes were distinguishable. The square stretched over half a mile in all directions, surrounded by the main wall and an outer parapet. The giant wall that had been constructed around old southern London snaked along the horizon, thin lines that disappeared from sight on both sides. Past the castle walls, small farming communities dotted lush, green lands.
Barnaby grabbed Brian’s and Ruby’s wrists. “Hold on.”
He leapt through the window, pulling both scientists closer to him by their waists. Ruby screamed, and Brian fought the urge to vomit as his stomach inched toward his throat during the sudden free-fall. They passed over a smooth section of stone rooftop, then plummeted. He looked down. The ground rushed toward them.
“Barnaby!”
“I told you to trust me!” Barnaby roared as the wind whipped beneath them.
Within ten feet of smashing into the ground below, their descent slowed. When their toes touched the soft ground it was like riding an elevator. Ruby fell to her knees, gasping, shaking. Brian broke Barnaby’s grasp, stepped around the Undead leader, and bent to stroke Ruby’s back. Then he rose and wheeled about on Barnaby.
“Fucking asshole!”
“My, Koltz, such words escaping your mouth are foul indeed.”
“You could’ve warned us!”
Barnaby shrugged. “What would have been the fun in that?” The last remaining sunlight glinted in his eyes, adding an aura of mischievousness to his smirk. He dismissed them both and glided away, hands behind his back.
Brian stared coldly. The Undead leader had an uncanny sense of humor, and an even more uncanny penchant for showing off. He reached down to help Ruby to her feet, holding her fast around the waist as she lurched forward unbalanced. “You okay?”
She nodded.
“I’m sorry. He showed me earlier that he could levitate. I didn’t think to let you know.”
“I’m fine, really. Just a bit shaken.”
Brian scanned their surroundings. He could see with clarity the fountains, bales, storefronts, and wagons he’d spotted from above. The main wall of the courtyard was nothing spectacular, just random rocks meshed together to separate the Castle from the remainder of Haven. He turned about and saw the main entrance of Safehold Keep. It was more grandiose than he’d expected: A large wooden drawbridge spanned a moat, separating the courtyard from the Keep itself.
The moat bubbled and frothed. The waning sunlight cast hues of orange and purple and pink onto the churning liquid.
Ruby followed his gaze, then stepped toward the drawbridge, pulling him with her. She stopped at the mortar-filled stacks of large gray stones which lined the moat and gasped.
Brian stared into its crimson depth. A moat filled with blood. At a vampire coven that had become the largest of its kind. Strangely, it made sense.
Barnaby materialized beside Ruby. “I constructed this from the first several hundred victims of the foreign battle. Separate heating and flowing systems regulate it, keep it fresh, keep it warm, keep it moving.” He frowned. “As you can see, I am perhaps a bit of what you have heard. A monster. Perhaps that is true, but I would rather embrace my heritage than run from it.”
Brian grabbed Ruby’s hand and pulled her away, toward the storefronts that lined the main wall to their right. They didn’t need to stare into a bloody moat and speculate on how it was created or why. Vampires were vampires. It came as no real surprise that their cordial host was no more sophisticated than the rest.
He glanced back at Barnaby, who still stood at the moat, face lost in concentration. He still didn’t know what to make of the Undead leader. Barnaby had shown them kindness, humor, intelligence, even anger and cause for suspicion. Yet his frown displayed a complexity, a capability of feeling the worst of human emotions. For that, Brian felt pity.
But for the horror of the moat and what Barnaby had done to create it, he felt sickened. Ruby’s skin was paler than ever, her lips drawn back in a tight line. She was as disgusted as he was.
He changed his mind then, an instantaneous decision. He would not—could not—become a vampire. He couldn’t allow himself to be like them, to understand or live their lives.
Barnaby appeared in front of them, cutting off their path.
“My denizens will not awaken for approximately thirty more minutes. I must take my leave from you momentarily, but I shall be back before they crawl forth into the night. Please, tour the area freely.” And with that the Undead leader vanished.
Still clutching hands, Brian and Ruby set out to peer into the windowless stores on the western path. The first one, “Bob’s Electronics”, contained televisions, CD stereos, DVD players, even iPods. Brian was awed by the price tags. He hadn’t seen a dollar sign on any product in years.
Ruby pulled him toward the next store, “The Undead Fitting Co.” Peering into the darkness of the glassless window, Brian could make out some of the latest brands of clothing hanging on endless racks. There were suits and fitting rooms in the back of the store. Measuring tapes hung from door knobs, and dress shoes lined shelves on the two far corners.
He shook his head. Vampires in business suits?
Ruby veered across the street to a building that wasn’t a store but rather the “Haven Fire Department, Safehold Sector”. A large garage door was adjacent to a tiny windowless office. Inside the office, there were several computers, a phone operator switchboard, maps of Haven hanging on the walls, and firemen gear hanging from crude hooks fashioned from what looked like bones.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he whispered. Ruby turned and smiled. He cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. This is nothing like what I’d imagined it’d be.”
“Me either. It’s so much more, well, sophisticated.”
“And we’ve barely seen anything yet. Come on!”
They moved from one windowless building to the next. There was a bakery, with scents of fresh baked bread wafting on the thin air; a furniture store with modern, luxurious sofas and chairs; a tobacco shop; a convenience store without gas pumps; a theater; a laundry-mat
; and many more.
When they arrived at Adam’s Meat Shoppe, they paused and glanced at each other. What kind of meat would vampires buy? Brian leaned in over the large window sill at the front of the shop. He gagged on the stench of rotting meat and turned away. He placed his hands on his knees, then threw his head back and breathed in through his nostrils.
A transparent moon greeted him, along with the first twinkling star in a darkening sky.
His heart pounded. He reached out and grabbed Ruby’s wrist, pulling her back toward the drawbridge. She resisted, rooted in place, staring straight ahead. Brian glanced about on the cobblestone path and noticed flitting shadows.
Then Undead surrounded them, reaching, raking their skin as they passed by.
Ruby grabbed his forearm tighter. He peered back into the meat shop and balled his fists up.
Several vampires wearing tattered, blood-slickened clothing piled out of the meat shop. They ambled toward Ruby and Brian, wiping their hands on their pants and licking their lips.
Chapter 13
The closest figure bared his fangs, manipulating his mouth in what could only be considered a smile. He had a long gray beard, and his luminescent green eyes fixated on Ruby. A hint of curiosity danced upon his features as he held up his blood-stained hands and shook his mangy mop of hair.
“Calm down, humans. No harm’ll come to you. Tonight, anyway.”
Undead fingertips stopped brushing against Brian’s back. He glanced around. The flitting shadows disappeared into the night. The green-eyed vampire shrank back to the meat shop’s front window, eyes wide.
Barnaby stood before Ruby, back to her and Brian. He flicked his fingers and the mysterious flame appeared on the tips. He reached out and touched the wall beside the green-eyed vampire. A torch flared to life. The flame shot down a trough, lit another torch, shot upward on a vertical trough, lit another torch, and so on. The fire spread from one torch to the next, one storefront to the next, around one side of the main wall and to the next, until all of Safehold was awash in dancing light.
The Human-Undead War Trilogy (Book 1): Dark Intentions Page 9
