by Lynn Landes
Trails of blood appear on Syrran as the attacks slip past his blades defense and leave their marks on his body. The scent of his blood drives the creature facing him to distraction.
Syrran sees that Lilliana has returned to help, and is ready.
The Triplet hisses and lunges, stabbing its sword towards Syrran’s heart, only to falter when Syrran speaks.
“You should drop your weapons now,” his voice commands with a deep resonance that touches the creatures mind. The vampire shakes his head in confusion and his grip slackens on the sword hilt. Syrran’s voice is enchanted with the power of a suggestion spell. While the beast is distracted Lilliana moves around behind the vampire trailing pure rock salt in a circle around his feet.
Syrran commands louder this time, “Drop your weapons!” The dagger falls to the ground, but he is shaking as he fights the power of the spell. Dazed and confused he doesn’t notice her as she closes the circle.
A final time, Syrran commands, “Drop your Sword!” This time, when it drops Syrran is ready, he steps forward and grabs it before leaping back. He tosses the black blade over the edge of the railing behind the demon.
Lifting his sword to the sky he illuminates the blade in the moons first beam of light and when it swings down the iron is lit with a blue flame.
Seeing its end the creature screams and tries to leap through the salt barrier, only to be thrown to the ground by the enchanted wall.
Syrran lunges forward sinking the burning blade deep into the scarred chest. He doesn’t waver as it screams, reaching for him with black clawed hands.
Lilliana watches in satisfaction as flame erupts from the black hearted demon. She pulls Syrran back while their enemy turns to a pile of smoking ash.
Inside, Nienna runs down the hallway and her heart goes cold. She hears Farley growling and barking in the back room where Brynley was playing. A shadowy form steps through the wall in front of her, blocking her path to the child.
“Don’t look it in the eye, or let it touch you. They can drain your spirit with only a touch. When I give you the signal you get to Brynley,” she whispers to Edward and draws one of her borrowed short swords.
The mist begins to take shape and Edward snaps at her, “Nonsense girl!” Reaching into his coat pocket, he throws his homemade grenade and it explodes in a whoosh of flames towards the ceiling. The creature reacts instantly, burning, screaming and dropping to the ground. It’s now solidified and on fire. Flames dance over its skin and white hair, it rolls trying to put the engulfing fire out.
“Now Edward!” she screams and the old man runs swiftly past the flaming body. A burning hand lashes out and grabs Edward’s pants leg, but Nienna is ready with her sword. She slices down and severs it causing a horrific shriek, freeing Edward. Enraged the Triplet kicks out hitting her in the chest. The impact sends Nienna sailing backward into the far wall, an explosion of sheetrock and broken boards marks her impact.
Edward runs and doesn’t look back, all he can think is he has to save Brynley.
Acrid smoke drifts off the vampire’s body in steamy tendrils and it stands, its flesh melted, glaring at Nienna with pain filled eyes. Covered in white dust and sheetrock debris she tries to push up to her feet, but pain erupts in her ribs. She grabs her short sword just as he leaps on her.
Nienna’s scream is cut short as his hands grab her by the throat and lifts her up against the wall. The demon sinks his dripping fangs into the base of her neck and takes her blood into his body refueling and healing itself.
Pain pours into Nienna like white hot lightening in her veins. She has been here before, used and abused by creatures like this. She knows how to block out the pain, gripping her sword she shoves it up into the creature’s chest, praying it will end him.
The Triplet hisses in pain and throws her further down the hallway towards the room where Brynley and Edward are. It looks down at the sword buried into its chest and laughs jerking it free.
Nienna crawls further away from him towards the barking dog, she scrambles on her knees, hoping to find a reprieve from her attacker.
Syrran hears his sisters scream and runs through the great room just as Lilliana calls from behind him.
“Syrran,” Lifting her hand she backs away and murmurs, “My blood calls to them…” and slices her palm open. A crimson stream pours down her fingertips and onto the concrete.
“No!” He yells at her, enraged that she is placing herself in danger once more. It is in that moment that he remembers Edward’s bottles! Racing to the bookcase he pulls out the bottle, grabbing it with a smile.
In the hallway, the demon vampire moves to leap at Nienna when a familiar smell calls to it. Lilliana’s blood is rich, powerful and intoxicating, he turns from Nienna instantly and moves towards the fragrance.
Nienna watches the abomination turn and go with little relief. She struggles to her feet, staggering against the wall, just as Brynley screams. Swaying against the pain in her ribs and shoulder, she struggles to stay alert and not pass out. Nienna uses the wall for support, sliding down the hallway towards the screaming.
Brynley is playing in the back bedroom with Farley when she sees a shadow forming in her mind, warning her of the danger to come. Hiding in a wooden trunk at the foot of the bed, she tugs a blanket around her just as the weight begins to press on her young soul. Scared she closes her eyes and waits for the pressure to stop. It pushes on her making it difficult to breathe until, finally, it gives away with a bright flash. Brynley gasps drawing in a deep breath.
Farley’s bark lures Brynley from the safety of her cocoon.
Cracking the lid she watches him and she is terrified he will be hurt. “Please be quiet, Farley,” she whimpers, climbing out of the trunk and throwing her arms around him. Red eyes appear in the misty shadows of the corner, Farley growls low and begins to bark ferociously. Brynley covers her ears and watches as the creature takes its hideous form in front of her. A clawed hand reaches for her causing her to back away and scream in fear.
“NO!” Edward yells bursting into the room. Giving a twist of his staff the spiked tip appears and he shoves it into the last Triplets shoulder, just as Farley leaps onto the creature’s chest.
One hand grabs a handful of the dog’s fur, the other grabs Edward’s arm and instantly they begin to shake. Their eyes go dim as their spirits are being pulled violently out of their bodies. Brynley screams, but this time, Syrran can’t come to her rescue.
Nienna leans against the doorway and she watches in horror. “Brynley!” she calls and reaches for her, catching her just as she throws herself into Nienna’s arms sobbing. “Open a door to the house in the rainforest, help will be there,” she whispers and stands on trembling knees. Pushing the child away she leaps at the creature just as Brynley nods and closes her eyes.
Nienna hits the creature with her full body weight. Unable to shift back to mist he tosses the dog and man away and sinks his hands into Nienna’s hair, jerking her shoulder up to its mouth. She screams out weakly, “Gage!” just as the sharp teeth puncture her throat. The floor opens beneath her feet and they fall, tumbling through the air.
Gage is cleaning his sword when he hears a rumble in the ceiling of his house. ‘Gage,’ Nienna whispers and a mass of people, dogs and children explode through his ceiling, raining down on top of his coffee table.
“Qué chingados!!!” Gage yells and calls for his brother.
Brynley is sobbing and crawling away from the creature whose teeth are buried in Nienna’s pale throat. Edward rolls over desperate to get to Brynley. The Vampire smiles at Gage with blood covered teeth and waits for him to attack.
All sound stops as white hot fury floods through the angel’s body. Lifting his sword he leaps at the creature.
It releases Nienna’s throat with a sucking sound and drops her motionless body on the ground. Angel blood is powerful and it calls to the creatures hunger.
Edward pushes Brynley behind him, praying that more help will come only to rea
lize that even Gages sword won’t stop these creatures.
Over and over Gage swings his sword to no avail, as it passes through the vaporous body of the bloody demon.
Daniel and Francesca arrive and she rushes to Nienna. Her heart is beating weakly and must be healed, while Daniel draws his sword and grins at his brother.
“Finally, I was growing weary of playing with him,” Gage teases and smacks his sword to his brother’s with a ring of steel, both blades erupt in flame before turning on the creature.
Brynley runs into Edward’s arms and buries her face against the screaming and hissing of the creature as they quickly kill it. Only traces of ash and dust remain when she looks back.
“Thank you,” Edward calls out to the angels, “but you must help the others. Brynley, I know you’re scared, but Lilliana is in danger. Can you help them?” Edward asks.
Hiccupping she scrubs at her eyes and turns to them. “Hurry!” The ceiling opens above them and Daniel jumps through first, followed by Gage who hesitates looking back.
“Francesca?” Gage calls out, desperate to know if Nienna is okay.
“I don’t know Gage, I’m trying.” Francesca turns back to her work as Edward and Brynley hurry to her side to help. They wait impatiently as she finishes healing the broken bones.
“She’s so weak. I’ve done all I can.” Francesca looks at them and sighs. “Now for you two.”
Syrran watches in horror as the vampire goes from powerful creature to frenzied animal, just from the scent of her blood. He tosses the bottle square in the center of the creature’s chest and it erupts in flames, engulfing the hallway.
Daniel and Gage are greeted by a mass of destruction and debris as they pass through the doorway. Gage looks past the thrashing flaming demon to see two figures outside of the house.
Lilliana’s eyes meet the angels and she smiles. “Catch me!” She leaps up and over the edge of the railing followed by the screaming creature who grabs her foot as they fall together. It pulls her body to its burning embrace before sinking his teeth into her extended arm.
Lilliana screams against the pain she had hoped to never experience again. The vampire seems ignorant of the flames wicking over his body as he draws in her powerful essence.
Gage doesn’t hesitate, he leaps instantly over the rail followed by Daniel. They dive tucking their wings into their bodies and shoot quickly towards the falling bodies.
Daniel grabs the feeding creatures head by its burning hair and jerks it free separating its smoking body from Lilliana.
Gage catches her and spreads his wings to slow their descent.
Daniel spreads his wings to shoot straight up into the night sky. He searches the landscape below and finds what he wants. Still holding the smoldering demon he tucks his wings and dives towards the earth below. The Triplet begins to scream and fight to break free, but Daniel does not let go, yet. Screaming towards the rocky earth he waits till the last second and kicks the raging body away from him, snapping his wings out to pull out of his dive. He watches as the howling Triplet crashes into the sharp craggy rocks below, pulping its burnt body into a mass of blood and bones before turning back to his brother and the house.
Gage returns with Lilliana and is met by a frantic Syrran.
“Lilliana!” Her blood is pouring down her arm. Gage hands her to him and immediately returns to the house leaping through the open portal returning to Nienna.
Daniel lands, “You’re welcome to come with us. Your friends will need you.”
Syrran nods helping Lilliana to her feet after binding her arm. He offers a hand to the angel in thanks.
Daniel smiles gripping the Drow’s hand, wrist to wrist, as warriors do.
Chapter 15
Nienna sleeps for two days, Gage refuses to leave her side. He keeps a constant vigil over her, bathing her fevered skin in cool water with soft cloths. He speaks to her of his world. He describes all the places he would like to show her. He whispers to her of night flights, soaring amongst the stars and kisses her on soft lips. The dust from his wings cover her in a gold starlight sparkle. It falls and rests upon her body, before being absorbed into her skin with a warm glow. When her breathing grows rapid, he calls to the family to join them.
“They took so much blood and fluids, Gage, I’m not sure her body can recover from it. She is only half Drow,” Francesca whispers softly.
Lilliana gasps and turns into Syrran’s arms.
“I did not save her from slavery so she could die like this!” he snarls.
Brynley runs past them and lays her head on Nienna’s chest and sobs. “Don’t leave me Nienna! Not like my Mama, please…” Nienna frowns through her tears.
Gage moves softly to the other side of the bed and holds one hand while Brynley looks up at him.
“Can’t you save her?” Brynley sobs.
Gage shakes his head no, “It is up to her now, bebita.”
Brynley crawls up on the bed curling into Nienna’s side and lays her head on the shallow breathing chest. She listens to the rhythm of the weak heart and she cries.
Feeling the pain radiating from the child, Nienna fights her way back to consciousness and her hand weakly rubs Brynley’s shoulder. “No more tears,” she whispers through dry lips.
Brynley jerks at the touch and sound of her voice and squeals before sobbing even harder. Nienna lets her tears fall and clasps the child to her heart. “Shh… it’s okay.” Turning her head, ice blue eyes seek Gage and Nienna smiles.
Her brother and friends surround her while Gage watches the joy filled moment. He steps back letting them in and in that instant, he decides to keep them both.
‘You can’t just keep them. They aren’t pets you know.’ Daniel mumbles and steps from the room to give them privacy.
‘Watch me.’ He replies to his brothers departing back.
Francesca moves in to check on her patient and pushes everyone from the room except for Gage. “How are you feeling?” she asks softly.
“I’ve felt worse,” Nienna answers softly.
Gage is staring out of his bedroom window and struggles not to show how her words affect him. Years of slavery? What has she been through? How will she ever trust him?
Francesca squeezes her hand, “I will be back in a little while to check on you. Rest, Nienna you have had a rough few days.” She leaves the room and closes the door softly behind her.
“How will I ever thank you, Gage, for coming to our rescue?” She asks softly.
He turns to look at her and the impact of his beautiful eyes strike her harder than any words could. “You are safe now, that is reward enough.”
Nienna stares at him and wishes just for a moment that he could be hers. Gage doesn’t need to hear the words to know what she is thinking. In two strides he is at her side. The need to touch her has his hands trembling as he strokes her cheek. Nienna leans into his hand and savors the sensation.
“I like your bed, Gage but I’d like it better with you in it.” Sitting on the side of his bed he draws her carefully into his arms and she sighs with a contented yawn. “That’s better.”
“You should rest now,” he murmurs pressing a gentle kiss to her brow. She smiles and wraps her arms around his waist.
“Only if you speak to me of beautiful places and gift me with more beautiful dreams?”
“Of course, mi Amor,” he promises.
Nienna is so exhausted, closing her eyes she sleeps, content to be in his arms.
Edward gets Brynley to sleep that night with Lilliana’s help before returning to the main room where he can’t help but smile at the odd group they make. Angels, humans, elves and Drow, not to mention a large dog.
Lilliana listens as they talk amongst themselves about the future. Looking to Syrran she is not surprised when he moves to her side taking her hand, drawing her forward into the group’s conversation.
“It’s been so long since I thought of the future. This moment with you all is a gift. Thank you.” Turning to l
ook at Syrran she asks, “Tell me what happened to the Elves after Micah destroyed my village.”
His face darkens and a serious look enters his eyes as he remembers the past. “Queen Phaydra had long been plotting to take you for her own personal gains. The Drow are known for their cruelty and she is truly the most diabolical. Her plan was to keep you as a slave and use your abilities to sing a dragon for the Drow. With a dragon of her own, no one would ever question her again.” Lilliana moves away to listen. “Unfortunately, Micah beat her to it. They are sisters, both of them in a power hungry struggle for domination. Both believed that you were the answer to that struggle.”
“They were right,” Lilliana smiles sadly, “he called to me from the earth, I could feel the strength in this young dragon. When I sang that day it was such a relief to bring forth the gift for the Elves. He was to be a beautiful protector of our people and ensure more years of peace.” Lost in her thoughts and memories she begins to speak faster. “No one saw them until it was too late. Even as I made the decision to destroy the dragon, my King called out to me that it was the right choice, but later as he watched them kill his children one, by, one, I’m not so sure he meant those words.”
Syrran draws her close, “Lilliana you don’t have to…” she turns to look at him.
“I need you to understand, all of you, the reason I will never sing again.”
Gage moves into the living room and quietly listens with the others.
“I watched her slaughter my people and at any moment I could have stopped it, but I didn’t. I didn’t stop her when she opened the earth and killed them all, then pushed their crushed, lifeless bodies into a pit. I didn’t stop her when the mothers begged me to save their children. I could have given Micah what she wanted, but I didn’t. It is a shame and burden I will carry for eternity.” Lilliana does not cry as she speaks, she has no tears left. “Micah made me pay, but even she has no clue what it means to be one with a dragon.”
“Do you?” Gage asks from the hallway.
“Of course, she does!” Syrran snarls and whirls around to face him.
