Awakening - The Morrigan Chronicles

by N. A. Montgomery

  He didn’t act surprised but grinned, his sharp canines elongating quickly. “I’m afraid you won’t live long enough to get many answers.”

  The vampire was fast. Ten times faster than a human at least. He ran at me and in the blink of an eye was almost upon me. I didn’t move. The instant he lunged for me Daur snatched him by his throat and held him two feet off the ground.

  “Fuckers have speed.” Daur said as the vampire thrashed, his hands pulling at the vice grip Daur’s massive hand had on him. “Strong, too. I’m having to work at holding him.”

  The vampire’s eyes were wide. He tried speaking but couldn’t get words out.

  “Loosen your grip. He’s trying to talk and I can’t understand a damn thing,” I ordered.

  Daur loosened only slightly. The vampire’s voice was gravelly. “What are you?”

  “I’m afraid I said that I had the questions. You only get to answer them.” I studied him as I spoke. His face was contorted in fear. Fear that he was no longer top of the food chain.

  “You don’t look like a demon,” he croaked out.

  We laughed and then heard the back door begin to open. Immediately we looked at one another and jumped to the roof of the neighboring building.

  The look on the vampire’s face was utter shock. We now stood on the roof, four stories up. Daur tightened his grip so Brandon couldn’t make a sound. I feared he would snap the vampire’s neck before we questioned him. I peered over the edge. One of the female vampires stepped into the alley, looked around, mumbled, “Lazy asshole,” then went back inside.

  “Daur, take him to Emrys and have him questioned. I’ll be there in a minute,” I ordered then jumped back down into the alley.

  Daur is one of my favorites because the man never asks any questions. He thrives on battle and absolute mayhem. Any action, no matter how crazy it seems, he just goes with it, never flinching. He knows that plans go awry and never relies upon them. That’s why he’s a better warrior than Aiden. Aiden thinks plans should be made down to the smallest details and followed, even when the scenario changes. It’s his fault as well as a strength, I suppose.

  Emrys was going to be pissed. Emrys could adapt in chaos but chose being methodical. I believed in seizing an opportunity and if opportunity didn’t present itself, creating it.

  I opened the back door. The music had stopped. Quietly I entered the ladies restroom and waited. I heard the front doors being closed and locked. I picked up on seven different voices. Four male and three female. I waited a little longer to be sure. No other voices.

  Seven. I wanted to see how they fought. Their strengths, their weaknesses. I only had four long knives. As I sat there waiting, I forced myself to quit wishing I’d brought swords too. Nothing I could do about it now. Time to see if I was in over my head or not. And hope that the other vampires and werewolves would not be alerted.

  I pulled two knives out and strode out of the restroom down the hall. I heard them talking. Gossiping about ‘Lord Bellamy.’ I didn’t slow. I threw both knives at the two vampires nearest me, aiming for their hearts. I hit both marks. The vampires instantly turned to ash.

  I pulled the other two knives from my boots as the others turned toward me. Two female vampires, a male vampire and two male werewolves.

  The vampires unleashed their fangs. The werewolves instantly morphed. I had to focus on not being mesmerized by them. I’d expected them to turn into giant wolves. I kicked myself for watching those ridiculous movies. Stupid teenage girl loves a wolf and a vampire. Both good and both beautiful. They were huge and anything but beautiful. I guess I’d expected them to look more wolf-like. At least ten feet tall, standing on their hind legs like a person would. The fur they sprouted was so black it was as if it actually sucked in any light that tried to get near it. Their heads were definitely canine, and their snouts held teeth as long as my knives. Blood red eyes focused on me. Werewolves weren’t wolf at all. They were engineered all right. Part human, part hellhound demon. This was a very, very bad idea.

  The werewolf closest to me eyed me as did the other one, but neither moved. It was the vampires who struck first. The female bartender that I’d seen earlier in the alley came directly at me, relying on her speed. I was faster. I stepped to the side and beheaded her as my waitress sped at me. Like her friend, she relied on speed and I easily took her head. The werewolves paced. They might not be wolf, but like all canines, they were pack animals. They would come at me together. The male vampire leaped to the bar and grabbed a lead pipe. Seriously, who keeps a lead pipe lying around? He had learned from his friends. He stood fifteen feet away from me, the wolves at his back. I was betting that the wolves wouldn’t attack unless he failed. I was betting my life on it. If I was wrong I would surely die here.

  He was faster than the females. My eyes had to focus to keep track of him as he moved. He zigzagged towards me and once in reach, swung the pipe at my head. I ducked and swept his feet. He fell on his back. I could have taken his head there but I was curious to see him fight, and the werewolves seemed to still only be observing.

  The vampire was up in a single blink. This time he didn’t swing the pipe but punched for my gut. I fought my training to block the punch, wanting to see how much strength he had. He had a lot. I flew twenty feet, hitting the wall and sliding to the ground. Deciding I had gathered enough information about his strength, and not wanting to go through that again, I lay waiting for his final attack. He was standing above me, both hands on the pipe, ready to plow it down on my head. Thankfully, I moved faster, jumping up and slicing across his neck. The knife wasn’t long and not having the force of a full swing, his head teetered halfway off. I raised my other knife, finishing the job so his body could crumble into ash.

  I turned towards the wolves. Their hackles were raised and their red eyes bored into mine. I felt a tingle of dread looking into them. One lifted his head and howled. The entire nest would descend in a moment.

  “Shit!” I turned and ran towards the back door.

  I flung the door open and bumped right into Daur. I felt as if I’d run into a Great Oak and bounced onto my ass. The door behind me flew shut and I heard the werewolves as they crashed into it but it held. Emrys stood with his hands on the door, his face clearly irritated.

  “I think it’s time for plan B,” I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

  Emrys, calm as usual only replied, “Clearly.”

  Chapter 13

  We exited the Great Oak in Missouri and had the five mile walk back to the estate. Dawn would be here in a few hours. We hadn’t spoken much since our hasty departure from New Orleans. Emrys had been able to spell the exits of the building, sealing them shut until the sun rose.

  “So were you able to question the vampire?” I tried breaking the silence.

  Daur and the others walked about twenty feet behind us, giving the illusion of privacy.

  Emrys looked sideways at me. “Why am I always surprised at you? I clearly… no, King Conall clearly stated we should go and observe these creatures. Not go in like a God damned wrecking ball into a fortress you know nothing about with creatures you know even less about. I’m fucking pissed, Morrigan. You could have been killed in there. If your intentions were to go into battle you don’t do it alone. You know this.”

  He was right. I knew better and would beat the shit out of any of my warriors for doing what I’d done.

  I conceded but kept my tone cool, “You’re right, Emrys. It was rash and wrong.”

  I heard Aiden give a, “Hmph,” sound and I turned, throwing a knife next to his boot. Okay, it actually hit his boot but didn’t pierce the skin. I did have expert aim, after all.

  I was on him before he could react. Still keeping my voice emotionless I warned, “Remember yourself, dear Aiden. Watch well.”

  Emrys hadn’t moved. Hadn’t reacted even. He just waited until I walked back to him. I heard nothing from anyone behind us.

  Emrys didn’t make a sound, but his chest bounced
as he chuckled silently. “I can’t imagine why you go centuries between men. I mean you’re such a warm, inviting, delicate little flower.”

  I rubbed my shoulder on his as we walked until he put his arm around me. He sighed, forgiving my actions.

  “I learned much from the vampire. A lot actually. Your little… plan? No that’s definitely not the word. Your massive shit storm… yes, yes, that’s more accurate, was rather fruitful. Once we get back we’ll meet with the King and I’ll go over everything.”

  This was his little way of torturing me. We had miles to walk and he could tell me everything but would make me wait. I hated waiting, and he knew it.

  I was tired and still covered in dried black blood from the vampires I’d killed when we arrived at the front door. Someone had seen us coming, three days earlier than expected, and alerted the others. That’s what I’m guessing since Neil raced out the door with a panicked look on his face.

  I’m sure I was a sight. I could feel my hair, face and neck crusty with the blood, my clothes still damp from it. The vampires, like demons, had the thick black shit coursing through their veins. I’d never understood how they could gush so much of it out as you sliced their heads off and their bodies turned to ash—you were left covered in the filth. Emrys had given me an explanation once but after a few minutes I got bored and quit listening. He was always so intrigued with how things worked.

  Neil stopped short of me, cupping my face in his hands. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?”

  I smiled and assured him, “I’m fine. It’s not my blood.”

  I grabbed his hands and lowered them. He was shaking. His look melted me. His concern for my well being warmed me.

  The King and his children, but not Deidra, were on the front steps. The children smiled at me and I smiled back with a wink.

  The King had his half smirk on his face. That look. It melted me in its own way as well. This could go either way. He could be mad as hell or being playful. After centuries I’d still never quite figured out the subtle difference. I would soon find out as he spoke. “So I see the observing went well. Tell me, did you stealthily watch and learn much without them knowing you were there?”

  I stood unmoving. I kept my face devoid of emotion until I could figure out where this was going.

  He walked slowly towards me. Neil had come to stand at my side. My King stopped in front of me and raised his hand to my hair. “You look much better as a redhead, but if you wanted to become a brunette all you needed to do was ask Emrys. I’m sure he could’ve managed a spell, rather covering yourself in demon blood.”

  Aine giggled at her father’s joke which made the King lose his control and start laughing as well. The half smirk was playful… this time. Thank the Creator.

  The few that had gathered on the front lawn laughed. Except Neil. Neil was not amused. Not at all. His face held concern and rage all at once.

  “Go get cleaned up, then eat. We’ll meet in three hours in the library. All of you.” He looked at our little group, nodding.

  Neil grabbed my hand and we walked in silence to my room. Entering it, I could tell he had been staying there the four days I was gone. The thought made me smile.

  He shut the door then hugged me tight. The embrace held no heat, no desire, just comfort and caring. Love. Then he held me at arm’s length, anger in his eyes. “Morrigan, what the fuck? You’re covered in… in… demon blood? You were supposed to go and study vampires and werewolves.”

  He stared, waiting for an answer.

  “It’s vampire blood. They’re part demon so their blood is black as well,” I answered.

  “That’s all you have to say? Correcting me, ‘Oh no Neil, not to worry, it’s not demon blood, it’s only vampire blood.’ Really? That makes it all right? Never mind, I shouldn’t be scared out of my mind after all.” He screamed the last few words.

  I loved that he cared about me. I loved that he was worried about me. I let him yell for another half an hour or so, not saying a word. I knew he had to release his feelings. That bottling them up would only cause a distance between us. So I sat in silence as he bounced between lashing out at me and pouring his heart out to me. When he was done he sat down on the edge of the bed.

  I kneeled at his feet and looked up at him. “I love you,” is all I could manage to say.

  I got up and went the bathroom. The damn vampire blood was just as sticky as demon blood and not easy to wash out. Even with modern soap and shampoo it took forever. Finally, I got out of the shower and once back in the room, I saw Neil had left. I was ready to head out to eat when Neil came back in.

  “Hey, I didn’t know where you went.” Now clean, I wrapped my arms around his neck and lifted my face up to kiss him.

  He gave me a quick peck and slowly took my arms off of his neck, walking to the other side of the room. “I have training to get to. I’ll see you tonight.”

  He grabbed his weapons and left. Not wanting to share the walk with him I sat down on the bed. I was so tired. I was drained. Physically and emotionally. I was not good in these situations and unsure how best to handle them.

  I went to the Cauldron and grabbed a roasted turkey leg. It dripped fat as I bit into it. It was heavenly. I glanced at my watch and realized I hadn’t time to sit so I ate as I walked towards the library.

  Daur met me in the hall. “Is that turkey? Give me a bite,” he said as he grabbed it from me. His eyes closed as he sunk his teeth into it. He smiled as the fat dripped down his chin, soaking his beard.

  “God it’s a wonder that the ladies don’t just flock to you,” I teased.

  “The ladies love me. Can’t get enough of me. It’s my good looks and charm. You’re fortunate that I haven’t used my charms on you,” he teased back.

  We were the last to enter the library. The merry mood left us as we stepped across the threshold. Everyone having their blank faces on, we put ours on as well. I did at least, Daur tried, but his beard still had the lingering fat and he kept sticking his tongue out trying to get at it.

  King Conall did as he always did and stared at Daur, amazed that the man had been able to stay alive as long as he had. He shook his head and spoke to Emrys, “Well, what did you learn, questioning the vampire?”

  If Emrys were a human born in modern times he would have been a scientist. He could study anything, getting bogged down in the most minute of details. He thrived on figuring out how things worked. I only cared what was. Not the why or how behind it. I had to remind myself that though we had been friends for centuries and I myself was quite old, he was much, much older. He was around when things were still being created and the magic of it all intrigued him.

  Knowing the King was much like myself I breathed a sigh of relief as he began, not going off on tangents, only relaying the necessary facts. “The vampire Morrigan and Daur captured was not very high up in their society. But he was well informed. I was able to use magic and secure his memories. I couldn’t do that from a full demon but since he was part human, I was able to. That surprised me.”

  I could tell Emrys wanted to explore his theories on that but he stopped himself and continued. “Each large city has a Lord that rules over it. Some of the smaller cities have a Lord that presides over a few cities. Since New Orleans has a large vampire and werewolf population, Lord Bellamy rules over it solely. The Lords answer to a King. There is a King for each region, five total: North America, South America, Africa, Europe and part of Asia, and finally one for the Far East and Australia. The Kings answer to a Prime. The vampire did not know who the Prime is. Only the Kings do. And only the Kings are capable of creating other vampires or werewolves. So the lore of being bitten by one and getting turned is false. Pure myth.”

  “And the process of becoming a vampire?” the King asked, while giving Emrys his ‘keep the answer short’ look.

  Emrys nodded understanding. “This is a little lengthy but I’ll try to keep it simple. Funny thing about there being few demons around these days. Appa
rently they’ve been locked up in another realm. Hell, as the humans call it, is real. It’s just another realm, but it does exist. The Gods trapped as many demons as they could and locked them in this realm. They are physically there. But they are able to visit this world with their… essence? Let’s just say their essence. A human has to give their permission. So, they are usually someone that has had a great loss or that is desperate in some manner or another. The demons have been doing this in order to continue to feed themselves and survive. The Gods apparently didn’t know they would be able to do this. Why they didn’t just end them is beyond me. But you know the Gods. Anyhow, the person the demon possesses is coexisting so it’s not a complete takeover. The demon can only influence the person. They begin by offering comfort, advice or fill whatever void the person has. Then they begin the constant unrelenting whispers to get the person to take another human’s life. Once the person has taken a life, they convince that individual to kill themselves. Once they have, the demon consumes their soul. That’s how they feed themselves.”

  “Well that’s just awful,” Aiden said.

  Emrys continued, “Once in a while the demon possesses a person with attributes they consider… well honorable isn’t the right word. Let’s say, worthy. The person is usually attractive, in good health and strong. A specific event has left them desperate so they consent to the possession. For instance, the vampire I questioned was overcome with grief from seeing his fiancé killed in a car accident. He was driving, and although it was a drunk driver that hit them, he still blamed himself. These are the types of situations that the demons are looking for. The person has to completely consent to the possession. When the demon has tried and tried, spending all their efforts for the person to take another’s life and that person does not, then they are a candidate to become a vampire or werewolf. They are looking for those that are strong in will. The bizarre thing is, that the memories I took from the vampire knew all of this but had no knowledge or memory of the actual process it took to become one. Like it was blocked out. But a Vampire King was the one that all vampires and werewolves went to in order to be turned.”