Shining Light of the Volstir (The Light of the Volstir Book 1)

by Brian Carmen

  Victor’s eyes widened as Nia started to pull him away. He began taking several deep breaths and was able to maintain control. Nia was amazed as she stared at Victor and felt the calmness that radiated from him. They walked away slowly while the smell seemed to follow. Somehow they were both able to stay in control.

  Nia walked with Victor far away from the bleeding child. Together they sat in the carriage of a large Ferris wheel. Soon they were able to see the entire carnival as they were brought high into the air. The sun had already gone down and they could feel the cold night air. The past few days had been difficult for them. They were able to look at the carnival lights and enjoy the peace.

  “I’m really proud of you. In the last few days you’ve shown more restraint than me. It’s strange to think that you’re supposed to be my progeny” Nia confessed to Victor.

  “It was difficult to resist attacking the kid but I remembered what you taught me” Victor said calmly as the pair looked up into the night sky.

  They watched the stars begin to appear one by one from inside their carriage. They could see the shining light of the carnival while more people started to gather. The smell of the boy’s blood would appear in her nose however she ignored it. Whenever she smelled the blood Nia felt compelled to check on Victor. It seemed like an alarm that she was missing something important.

  He was silent as he looked at the people on the ground. For a moment Nia felt as though Victor was looking for something. She began using her ability and was unable to feel anything from him. A terrible feeling rose from inside as they began to hear screams. One of the spinning rides was out of control.

  A loud snap could be heard followed by more screams, Nia and Victor looked down at the ride as more noise came from it. Several of the humans had been injured. The scent of their blood could easily be smelled by the two Volstir. Their ride ended as they were asked to step away from the area. Carnival workers were running towards the area to aid the injured while Nia kept her eyes on Victor.

  She could now feel the thirst that was in him as she began to steer him away. Victor seemed calm on the outside but it didn’t reflect what was on the inside. Nia hoped that they would be able to get away before Victor lost control. Quickly she continued leading Victor away from the injured. It was important that they both were away from the people. She didn’t trust herself around the injured children and now trusted Victor even less.

  “We have to leave now” she ordered while Victor looked at her calmly.

  Something inside was growing larger by the second. Nia was starting to feel it as the pieces came together. Somehow Victor had been able to hide his thirst from her. The entire time she believed he was happy just being at a carnival. The truth had been much more sinister as she felt a question appear in her mind. She didn’t want to ask but didn’t have any other choice.

  “Victor tell me the truth; did you use your ability to break the ride?” Nia asked as a horror began to creep into her voice.

  “I needed something to distract you. If only for a moment so that I could feed on the children” Victor said coldly while Nia felt his ability activate.

  It was quick and hard as Nia felt the force of a train knock her into a fence. The impact was enough to cause the fence to shatter. She struggled to get back to her feet while stunned by the strength that Victor had. He was consumed by his thirst and she was the only one who could stop him. Nia looked around for him but saw that he’d disappeared.

  Coming to the carnival had proven to be a horrible idea. He’d been pretending to stay in control the entire time. Silently planning on a way to get the upper hand on Nia. Now for the second time in one day he was gone. She had to find him before things were allowed to get any worse.

  Chapter Seven: Regret for the Damned

  Nia had made many mistakes in the past that she deeply wished could be changed. It was a terrible idea for Victor to be surrounded by so many people. She had allowed herself to be tricked because of her sexual frustration. Her selfishness had blinded her to the truth. Victor could not be allowed to do anything that would expose them. If the situation was not corrected than they would be in serious danger. The Council would have both of them executed if they risked exposure.

  Looking around she hoped that she would be able to find him. The lights in the carnival flickered slightly before going completely out. Victor’s thirst would be in control until he was somehow able to satisfy it. His ability was being used so that he could feed without being seen. Somehow he still had enough sense not to be spotted by the surrounding humans.

  It was extremely rare for a Volstir to have intelligent thought while lusting for blood. This made Victor incredibly dangerous to confront. He was still in control enough to protect their secret. Nia had to reason with him in order to save both his life and the humans. The longer he was allowed to roam the more difficult it would be to reach him.

  It was dark enough to blind the humans however that wouldn’t stop her. Nia’s eyes adjusted as she ran towards the ride Victor broke. She was able to find Victor in the darkness; feeding off the wound of a woman. His thirst was not going to be sated by just the woman. Nia resisted the urge that was growing inside of her. Beside Victor was a young child that was unconscious.

  Nia could smell the child’s blood as she noticed his red hair. Victor seemed to be trying not to go for the child. It wouldn’t be long before he abandon the woman for younger blood. Without thinking, Nia grabbed onto Victor’s shirt and pulled him away from the humans. With both hands she grabbed his arm and began running away from the carnival. She would have to use all of her strength and speed to get away before the lights returned.

  He tried to free himself from her grasp as she struggled to hold him. It was impossible for Nia to see while running. They were ricocheting around once they entered the woods. The trees were knocked out of the ground by the force of their collision with them. Victor ripped himself free from Nia as he grabbed a hold of her. Before she could react Victor threw her into the air.

  Her body was thrown past the woods into something made of metal. There was a loud screech as it began to bend together like an accordion. Nia could taste dirt on her lips as she looked around for Victor. Somehow she’d been thrown half a mile into the middle of a construction site. Past the machines and the large mounds of dirt were the trees of the forest. Victor’s telekinesis pushed two of the trees to the ground as he appeared in front of her.

  “You need to get a grip!” Nia called out as Victor began walking towards her. She could see the fury in his eyes.

  His fingers tried to wrap themselves around her throat. Quickly Nia avoided him by spinning around and kicking him in the back. His spine snapped from the blow as he was sent flying. A top of a crane was destroyed by Victor‘s body. Nia could feel his pain lessen as his spine began to repair itself.

  Nia watched Victor slowly return to his feet. His thirst was somehow making him stronger. Nia was unable to block his ability as he knocked Nia into a dirt mound. She tried to get back onto her feet but was knocked back into the ground. Victor’s ability was able to send her flying like a rag doll. Many bones inside her body were broken as she continued to fight back. Nia had to think fast if she was going to survive.

  This time she was ready when he used his ability. Nia adjusted herself in midair so she would be able to land on her feet. Looking around she grabbed a large rock from the dirt. Nia knew that she wouldn’t have much time as she formed a plan. Using the rock she charged towards Victor. The rock was thrown at Victor in order to provide cover for her real attack.

  The rock was shattered into several pieces. Nia was able to get close enough to him without being knocked back. With all of her strength she punched him in the nose. He was forced onto the ground as Nia landed on top of him. Before he could think she began using her ability. His only hope was for Nia to try and siphon the thirst from him.

  “Please focus on me Victor; I don’t want to kill you” Nia cried as she felt his thirst begin to en
ter her.

  Victor struggled as he tried to force Nia off him. Two larger rocks were sent towards her however she didn’t try to avoid them. Her head throbbed as she held on tightly to her progeny. Her blood started to blind her as Nia tried to sense Victor’s emotions. The lust for blood could still be seen in his eyes. Physically; Victor was stronger than her. It didn’t matter as Nia struggled to hold on to him.

  She felt his hands around her throat as Nia looked into his eyes and continued to her ability. It was no different than what she’d done the last two days. His lust was no longer for her however she still needed to take it. Her own thirst for blood grew but Nia was able to control it. Her throat was fighting against being crushed as it kept healing against Victor‘s iron grip.

  “Victor let me take it from you” Nia choked out to him as she felt his nails dig past her skin.

  Time was running out fast for both of them. If Nia was not able to stop Victor, he would end up popping her head from her body. Something began to happen as she watched him start to shake. He released her throat however the healing had started to slow down. Nia ignored her pain and continued to take his thirst. Victor’s eyes began rolling into the back of his head.

  His body began having a seizure until he suddenly fell limp on the ground. Nia looked down at him as she struggled to breath. They were both injured but they needed to escape the area. Picking up Victor; she slowly left the construction area despite the continued bleeding of her neck. She spent an hour walking as she felt around for En. Nia had lost a lot of blood but she was eventually able to carry Victor back to the truck.

  A week passed before Victor finally awoke inside a motel room. Nia had been recovering while helping Victor to recover. En hopped onto the bed and stared at him as a look of shame appeared on his face. He remembered everything that had happened. It was obvious that he was worried about the trouble he’d caused.

  “I’m glad that you’re awake. En and I were worried for a moment” Nia said gently as her eyes brushed past the phone that was in their room.

  She had been relieved when Olivia had called yesterday. She had been kind enough to find out if they were going to be punished. Newborn Volstir were extremely vulnerable when they experienced their thirst for the first time. This was common knowledge among the older Volstir. Unfortunately; it wouldn’t save them if the Council felt they had risked exposure.

  “You should have just killed me. If you had then perhaps they would have allowed you to live.” Victor said with remorse in his voice.

  Nia looked at him and shook her head “You didn’t do anything wrong. Every Volstir has been taken by their thirst at one point” Nia tried to explain.

  Nia walked over and sat down his bed. Gently, she brushed his hair with her hand. It was something she had done since he was little. It had always helped him when Victor was upset. She had to explain that he wasn’t in trouble.

  “Trust me; you didn’t expose us. Even in your thirst you were able to avoid being discovered” Nia explained while she forced Victor to look into her eyes. “That proves that you deserve to live.

  “When I was first turned I was living in England. One night I slipped away from Olivia and fed off a child. Olivia found me but not before I took the lives of four people. If it hadn‘t been Olivia and Pamela than I would‘ve killed everyone in the town” Nia explain in the same remorseful tone.

  She had never told any of her other progeny’s the story. Victor needed to know her story if he was going to forgive himself. It was not a moment in her life that she had ever been proud of. After she had awakened, Nia had been fearful that Olivia would kill her. Her maker would’ve been within her right to take her life.

  Nia could still remember the cold night air. The blood was everywhere on her body along with the smell. In that moment she was nothing like herself. The blood of children was a taste that would never leave her mouth. The blood was considered taboo for a reason because it never left your system. To this day Nia felt the hunger whenever a child was near.

  Pamela had believed that it would be an eternal punishment. Nia would always have some thirst for children. She was thankful that Victor had been stopped before it was too late. He would never forgive himself if he believed that a child had died at his hand.

  “Olivia later informed me that she knew it would happen. She confessed that it was her fault for not stopping me. Olivia believed that it was important for each Volstir to learn about their thirst in their own way. Remember what I told you before about being alive.

  “You’re not a monster and you’re not dead. We simply do the things life requires of us. It’s the same law that every other creature on this planet follows” Nia while she leaned forward and kissed Victor once on the forehead.

  The words had helped Victor with his guilt. Nia would now have to tell him about some of the things that happened. It had all occurred after she had saved Victor from his thirst. Nia thought back to the night and how she had left Victor with En. Despite their injuries, Nia had needed to take care of any evidence.

  She couldn’t leave before going to the construction site and covering their tracks. Most of the night had been spent taking the heavy machines apart. Then Nia had to find hiding places for each part. It was impossible for Nia to hide all the parts unfortunately. The cops began to arrive and they forced Nia to leave with Victor and En.

  A few days’ later someone had appeared at the motel they were staying at. The man explained that he was delivering an important letter to her. The young man had introduced himself as Luke and was obviously not a Volstir. He showed Nia his identification and that it was from the council. The young man was little more than a servant to one of the rulers. His short messy blond hair and gentle white face made him look like a teenager.

  Luke’s frame was lanky as though he didn’t get enough nutrition in his diet. She wondered about his age but didn’t ask. He couldn’t have been older than eighteen. His clothes were nice but very dirty as if he’d been camping the last few days. Nia suspected that he’d been waiting for her. She thanked him for the letter and watched carefully for him to leave.

  She had waited to open the letter because the thought of it terrified her. The letter was from the ruling council member from Loc Moines. The outside of the letter had a dark red wax seal on the outside that was unique to every ruler. Blood from the ruler was supposed to be imbued in the wax. She looked at the curly T and S initials and how they wrapped around each other. The designed reminded Nia of a snake; ready to bite. Nia had no way of seeing if this was true however she had no reason to doubt its authenticity.

  He was a man that Nia did not know personally. She had heard about him from her sisters who seemed to admire him. The man was called Thereon Solbid. It had taken her almost a full day to have enough courage to open the letter. The contents had really been a surprise for her.

  Helaina,

  Progeny of Olivia, I have been given the unfortunate responsibility to explain the seriousness of your newest progeny’s actions. My own progeny had been in the middle of a turning when the events at the carnival took place. It is highly suspected that because of your progeny’s actions the human that was being turned did not properly awaked. A Morte Lumo occurred causing the human to turn into a Soulem.

  My progeny was attacked and the monster escaped leaving both of us behind. Due to injuries sustained by my progeny we were unable to chase after it. I am currently occupied with matters in Loc Moines. I will therefore assign you and your progeny a redemptive task. The both of you are assigned to find and destroy the Soulem before more damage is done. If you refuse or are unable to complete the task I assigned. Than the council has already decided that both of you are to be executed.

  I wish you the best of luck,Thereon Solbid.

  Nia had read the letter many times her eyes seemed fixed on Thereon Solbid’s curly signature. The entire letter had been memorized as she began trying to think of a plan. Nia needed a way to have Victor help without finding out that truth. T
he remaining time that he was unconscious was used to think of a decent lie. It was her policy to lie; however she didn’t believe Victor would be able to handle the truth. Nia didn’t want to make Victor suffer any more than he already was.

  She ordered Victor to take a shower and get dressed. They would be starting his training again immediately. At first he opened his mouth to argue but then closed it. Without another word he stood up and went into the bathroom. Nia was thankful for an excuse to have a moment alone. She still needed time to put some of the pieces together.

  Thereon and his progeny had been present when the turning went bad. Something about that didn’t make sense and it worried her. If the two had been present then they should’ve been able to destroy the Soulem. Thereon Solbid was an augment that was around nine hundred. He was also rumored to have powerful progenies. Somehow the Soulem had injured one of them and used the distraction to escape.

  Soulem’s were supposed to be mindless creatures. To think of doing something like that showed that it possessed higher thought process. She could hear the shower starting as she pulled out a sheet of paper. With a pen in hand, Nia began writing down what she knew about Soulem. Having only been present for one Morte Lumo, she didn’t have much on hand experience. Olivia had been quick enough to kill it before the Soulem could open its eyes.

  Nia had assumed that she knew a good deal about the Soulem. They were created when a turning wasn’t properly completed. The result was creature that had lost all human thoughts. Soulem’s were considered dangerous monsters that went after humans and Volstir. En and Nia had been trying to track the creature down.

  Soulem’s skipped the ten year adjustment period when they are turned. The creature wouldn’t be able to walk in the daylight. That would give them a decent advantage. She looked at En who was stretching on the bed. The last few days he’d been searching around for clues. The Polong found a scent that wasn’t Volstir or human but hadn’t been able to come up with anything else.