Victory of Coins (The Judas Chronicles, #7)

by Aiden James

  “I will always be grateful for your friendship and your courage, man. But you shouldn’t be here. You haven’t had a chance to heal—”

  He shushed me, and then lifted his shirt while turning around. Not only had the wounds completely healed, the scars were gone. Only light scaring from the stitches remained—as if they had been removed months ago.

  “These little suckers are the real deal, I’m tellin’ ya!” he enthused, holding out the three Tree of Life crystals that had once belonged to Alistair. Aglow like milky emeralds as they sat inside Cedric’s open palm, Roderick joined me in admiration while Rachel’s gasped response was akin to something closer to worship.

  “Do you think they could work on wrinkles and get the hair color of my youth back?” she asked sweetly, while attempting to snatch them from his hands.

  Cedric’s lightning-quick reflexes surprised me as he closed his fingers around the precious gem fragments and pulled his hand away before she could react.

  “Not yet, darlin’,” he said, smiling mischievously. “I may need these bad boys to survive whatever Kaslow has in mind.... That’s where we’re heading to next, right? Once the asshole’s out of William’s hair, and if Rod approves, you can sleep with these babies under your pillow each night, if you’d like.”

  The jovial mood was good for all of us. But by the time we picked up a GMC Yukon as our rental, and were headed north to our destination, the hopeful feelings had given way to somberness. The reality of going up against a villain that had physical attributes we couldn’t compete with, along with the likelihood Kaslow would be protected by a horde of demons, was quite disconcerting. Any intelligent person would have to assume that a) we had no chance of winning; and b) we were beyond stupid for trying.

  Yet, regardless, I needed to do this—whether alone or with my companions. ‘Alone’ would certainly carry a lot less guilt.

  Rachel drove, since she alone knew the location of the castle we sought. Cedric accompanied her up front, and Roderick and I occupied the back seats. Roderick eyed me as if he was dying to comment on my latest unspoken musings, yet he kept the promise made to Cedric to not carry on a conversation half-inferred from my private thoughts.

  “I should do this alone,” I announced, once Rachel left the highway and had found the ancient road to this mysterious edifice. Thankfully, the Yukon was equipped to handle the overgrowth and deeply rutted terrain, despite all of us being jostled roughly in our seats. “It’s too dangerous for everyone else, and this is my fight.”

  “Don’t be an idiot,” said Cedric. “I didn’t come all this way to sit in a car and wait for you to maybe come back or maybe not. Even though you can be a royal pain in the ass, Willie Boy, you’re stuck with me—like it or not!”

  “That goes for me, too!” added Rachel, who seemed to be doing an admirable job of keeping us from sliding off steep embankments along the near-hidden thoroughfare. “Just remember, if it looks like we’re going to be over our heads, then we’ll return to Istanbul and load up with the right supplies and weapons—“

  “Hold it right there, Rachel,” I interrupted her. “You do realize that conventional weapons will be useless against Kaslow. Right?”

  “Yes, of course,” she replied, glaring at me through the rearview mirror. “Did you ever consider that ‘conventional’ weapons might still be useful for providing distractions—even against a fiend as brutal and resourceful as Kaslow?”

  “I’m in agreement with bringing along weapons, too, for the purpose of distraction,” said Roderick. “However, if we’re going to do that, then we should return now and come back when the advantage of daylight is on our side.”

  “You don’t think I can find it in the dark, Rod?”

  “When was the last time you were here?” he responded.

  “Truthfully, it’s been a while,” she confessed. “Not since I first moved to this part of the world with the intention of staying put.”

  “What... like two to three hundred years ago?” I asked, feeling more like an imbecile for not finding out about this fun fact earlier.

  “Actually, it’s closer to five hundred years; soon after I moved here following our little ocean voyage together, Judas.”

  Roderick shot me a perturbed look, and I must acknowledge that I told him very little about my previous experience with Rachel. Granted, five hundred years ago I was given to all sorts of debauchery—a far cry from who I am in the present. But, I never willingly slept with this particular woman. Our carnal knowledge consisted of one very regrettable slip up—not instigated on my part, by the way—and I have blamed her ever since for it.

  Before Roderick could interrogate me about this gap from my past personal history, we arrived at a marker that was familiar to Rachel.

  “We’re here,” she whispered, cutting the lights and throwing us all into complete darkness. An overcast, starless night made it damned near impossible to see one another’s faces as we murmured together inside the Jeep. “We’ll need to use our flashlights, obviously.”

  “Are you sure the castle is even here?” I asked. “I can’t see a damned thing. How about you, Rod? You’ve got the best eyesight of any of us.”

  I sensed him stepping out of the vehicle, lightly shutting the door behind him. I did the same, and could tell from the slight creaks that Cedric and Rachel had stepped out as well. The songs of crickets and the call of an owl greeted my ears, and the night’s coolness that greeted my bare arms and neck hinted at autumn’s advent.

  It was highly likely that no human being had visited these woods for many decades—possibly a century or more—until Kaslow decided it was suitable for his sordid purposes. Hell, the seclusion of the place might be why he chose it.

  “What are you doing?” Cedric asked Rachel, when the face of her cellphone lit up. “Maybe we should....”

  His voice trailed off, and I could tell from his silhouette that he was suddenly on his guard. Speaking for us all, the feeling of being watched and studied was certainly a mutual one. Surely it’s what caused Cedric to pause before finishing his suggestion.

  “You feel it, don’t you?” whispered Roderick, to which we all whispered ‘yes’ in response. “Perhaps we should come back later, when we can frigging see where we’re headed.”

  I was about to second that notion, when all at once a very bright light appeared a few hundred meters ahead of us. Then twin rows of torches to either side of the first light were lit by unseen hands. Within seconds, the castle ruins were awash in firelight.

  Rachel gasped again, and the rest of us were caught speechless. It appeared that someone had undertaken a fairly extensive restoration of the famed Fanari Castle. The ruins consisted only of the front façade that was incorporated into a modern version of the old, with what looked like new brick and mortar used to rebuild the entire structure. The bright light we had initially witnessed appeared to come from an enormous chandelier hanging above what I assumed was the castle’s refurbished grand foyer.

  More torches suddenly appeared, and the fully restored outer wall of the fortress was revealed. Like so many castles and fortresses from medieval times, this one came with an imposing iron gate. It began to open, as if pushed aside by invisible giants. Lastly, another pair of torch rows ignited, extending from the castle along a flagstone walkway that came up to within a few meters of where we presently stood. Cedric flinched, and I would’ve bet that the hand shoved into his right pocket tightly gripped the crystals he carried.

  “I do believe we have just been offered an invitation to come inside, Judas,” said Roderick, stating the obvious. “I suppose it would be rude to keep the bastard waiting.”

  We looked at one another in the glow from the nearby torches, and then I nodded to Roderick to indicate I was ready to lead the way along the path to the castle. He, Rachel, and Cedric followed. Whether we had made a colossal mistake in coming here or not, it was too late to debate about it any further.

  For better or for worse, the long-dreaded f
inal confrontation with Viktor Kaslow was about to begin.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The coolness in the air deepened as we approached the castle’s main entrance. Our pace was deliberate—not too fast or slow, since any advantages we could muster would be few, if any. Dark shadows flitted past us, and I could tell that Rachel marveled at the ethereal, and yet sinister, presence provided by Bochicha’s Emissaries. Difficult to say if they were coming to or leaving the castle, and in truth it was likely a predatory circling of their prey. Their numbers were in the hundreds, or at least it seemed so based on the silhouetted forms in transit above the flagstone path we followed.

  “Be prepared for anything,” Roderick advised. He and Cedric repeatedly scanned the area around us, with most of their focus on the rear, where we were most vulnerable.

  “Maybe we should go back,” worried Rachel. “Maybe—”

  “It’s too late for that, sweetheart,” whispered Cedric. “If we weren’t already jacked before we got here, we’re definitely in a bad way now. I remember these bastards from Bolivia.... I’d rather be wading through a lagoon filled with piranha that hadn’t eaten in a month.”

  “It’s my fault all of you are here,” I said, raising my voice to be clearly heard by anyone in the area. “But I will gladly die a thousand deaths before letting anything happen to any of you. The battle is between Kaslow and me. It’s time for it all to end right now, and in this place.... It’s perfect.”

  We approached the ancient fortress gates that looked even more imposing up close. The iron hinges protested noisily as the gates steadily closed behind us. A glance over my shoulders confirmed the same thing it had for the others. No one had closed them... at least no one visible.

  “Kaslow could’ve set up an electronic signal to do that,” said Cedric. “Not everything he does these days has to be supernatural.”

  “You seriously think that’s true?” asked Roderick, with a touch of scorn in his voice. “I suppose the torches were ignited by remote control, too, eh? Not that an immortal villain—who governs a realm of supernatural beings far older than recorded history—would need mankind’s modern conveniences... right?”

  “Cedric’s just scared, Rod,” I said. “Same as me, same as you and Rachel. You’ve often said so yourself that ‘terror and frayed logic are the most comfortable bedfellows’.”

  “I’m not a bit frightened,” said Rachel, to which we all chuckled, albeit nervously.

  We had crossed the courtyard, passing a pair of Grecian marble fountains on either side and prepared to step up to the main entrance. As I expected, the front door’s handle suddenly unlatched and the tall oak door creaked open unattended to reveal Fanari Castle’s grand foyer.

  “There’s only one way to true freedom.” I stood upon the threshold while regarding each of my companions over my shoulder. I hoped they could sense my compassion, as well as the deep sense of purpose that filled my heart with courage. “It awaits us through this doorway, and only if we can leave here on our terms will we finally be free of his tyranny.”

  “Come on in, William... Emmanuel... Judas!”

  Viktor Kaslow’s voice reverberated against the walls of the massive foyer, and it chilled me especially so. Not from the volume, but rather the tone’s soulless glee. I led the way inside, and if there was electricity being pumped into this ancient fortress it certainly wasn’t evident in the lighting or the heat. Colder than outside, Rachel shivered noticeably as Roderick and Cedric moved closer to her. I heard Cedric whisper ‘Oh shit!’ Yet, I couldn’t remove my gaze from a figure drifting toward us down a tall staircase, like a ghost, and still dressed in the dated gothic attire from our Jerusalem encounter. All around the spartanly furnished room were candles and torches ablaze, their soft glow adding an eerie paleness to Kaslow’s physical persona floating toward us.

  How in the hell do we deal with this? He’s now a frigging full-fledged sorcerer for Christ’s sake!

  “Finally, we get to do battle as immortals on my turf for a change!” Kaslow exalted. “Not that it will change the verdict to come, but at least I can now say that I not only destroyed your pathetic ass in your backyard, but in my new playground as well!”

  “Shit, William... Rachel’s bleeding!” hissed Cedric from behind me.

  “Looks like a stigmatic episode... it has to be,” added Roderick. “The convulsions are starting!”

  It just frigging figures! What impeccable timing....

  I pictured Rachel in my mind from five centuries ago, and the blood flow that looked as if it would be fatal with each occurrence. Yet, during the handful of episodes that took place in my presence, she always recovered. Here in the current moment, I wanted to see if the bleeding was the same as it was back then, but I couldn’t turn away from the blonde incubus holding me in his gaze, while his minions materialized in the air above. I sent a fervent silent prayer heavenward for protection on behalf of Roderick and Cedric, as well as one for Rachel, too.

  The coal black bodies of Bochicha’s Emissaries blocked much of the attendant firelight, also obscuring much of the grim décor that defined Kaslow’s love for brutality. Just before I had noticed Kaslow and his vampire-like approach, the walls covered in Byzantine weaponry had caught my eye. Everything from axes to swords, daggers, and iron spearheads decorated nearly every wall’s surface from the upstairs gallery to the castle’s formal greeting areas attached to the foyer. In addition, it appeared that several mannequins had been dressed in the full armor of the kataphraktoi warriors from twelve centuries ago.

  The demons once exclusive to the reviled deity Bochicha glowered with red eyes, grinning with lips pulled back severely to reveal multiple rows of long, razor-sharp teeth. If Kaslow was true to his word that tonight’s contest was between only him and me, Roderick, Cedric, and Rachel might survive. But if not... three of us had seen the viciousness these creatures would employ to kill humans, and four, if Kaslow and the scars he still carried counted for anything.

  “I haven’t decided yet what will become of your friends, should our latest duel result in your demise,” said Kaslow, fully aware of the silent discussion going on in my head. “It depends on how much of a challenge you present, Willie Boy. Give me a good battle—one that pushes me to the limit before I destroy you, and we shall see how I feel then. Deal?”

  “I thought this was supposed to be a battle for the Damascus Coin?” I said. “That’s what you presented to me.... Are you not a man of your word? Or, perhaps even in your current state you remain a yellow cur in the very core of your wretched soul!”

  I could almost feel Roderick tense as I taunted Kaslow. But I had to be strong and firm in my convictions against the Russian asshole. Otherwise, we were as good as dead—all of us. We might end up there anyway, but weak and cowering responses had always been more distasteful to him than insults about his character.

  “Well... if I had found the coin by now, it would be a fine prize to fight for,” he said. “Perhaps I should not have dined on the flesh of Dr. Cirillo before I was certain he had told me everything he knew about your precious Damascus Coin.” He laughed.

  I hated where our conversation was headed, trembling and seeing red as my anger swelled. The room began to swim around me, and only Roderick’s light tug on my arm pulled me back to the moment. He pointed at Rachel being held in Cedric’s arms. He was covered in her blood, and I had a sinking feeling that this was the worst stigmatic attack she had ever dealt with. My heart sunk further at the inevitable prospect she might die.

  “Ahhh... poor Judas Iscariot.” Kaslow wiped imaginary tears away from his eyes in exaggerated motions, as if he were a mime instead of a loathsome miscreant. “And here I thought we might have some bloody good fun with Rachel tonight! A witch and a stigmatic all wrapped into one? What an interesting contradiction—and until a day ago I never knew this CIA bitch was anything more than an irritating thorn in my side.”

  He alighted onto the marble floor less than twenty meters away and i
mmediately began pacing before me; the heels of his preferred Gestapo-styled boots producing echoed clicks with each deliberate step. From past experience, I knew we wouldn’t have long before his playful mood turned violent.

  “It seems you don’t know much about the human condition and the proper response to God’s children,” I said, not really sure where that came from, since I knew all too well that Kaslow couldn’t care less about his fellow man—as a mortal and far worse as an immortal pig. “And, I suppose I should prepare myself for the reality that all you’ve had as a lure to bring me and my friends here to this despicable Byzantine pit was a pack of lies. The Almighty surely knows I would have no attraction to anything you ever deemed as worthy, you ignorant sack of shit!”

  That one struck a nerve. Viktor paused to glare at me; his cobalt eyes of the coldest steel gained a glint of heated orange. He was incensed.... Hopefully it would turn out to be a good thing.

  “Not even a certain coin you need in order to join your precious wife and child in the afterlife?”

  “You lied about it, Kaslow!” I replied, feeling as if the wind had just been pummeled out of me. “There is no coin here.”

  True. Unmentioned from the time we arrived in Istanbul to that very moment was the fact my body had not experienced a single tremor—something that has always happened when in the presence of one of my blood coins.

  “Well... you got me on that one, ‘pardner’,” he said, adding a terrible John Wayne slur further marred by his strong accent. “There is no coin here... and unfortunately, if any of the three best experts on the subject knew anything useful they withheld from me, they have taken that knowledge to their graves. Sorry to say, Judas... your fucking coin is just as lost to you now as it was two hundred years ago when you quit looking for it!”