by Carl East
Damien stared into Johnny’s eyes and said, “I gave him eternal life, he is vampire.”
“Yes, I know that. What else did you promise him?”
Damien turned his head to take in the expressions of Michael and James and then turned back to Johnny.
“I told him that as long as he killed you three, he could have your women and the witches of the coven for his own pleasure.”
Michael and James rushed forward to stake him where he lay until Johnny stopped them with an abrupt shaking of the head.
“Do you realize that with a nod of my head they will stake you where you lay, or perhaps we should turn you over to the witches and let them use their magic on you? I’m sure they would love to have you in their power,” said Johnny.
Damien’s eyes widened in fear and loathing and knew that he had not foreseen an outcome like this.
“That’s ridiculous. Why would you do that when I’m the only one that can tell you where he can be found,” said Damien.
“That’s the only reason you’re still here, alive and talking,” replied Johnny.
Johnny forced Damien to his feet and the group left the lair and headed back to the forest.
Chapter 43
Morgana and Cassandra along with the rest of the coven were trying to figure out where the men had disappeared to when they heard the first footfalls on the path. Seeing Damien bound in chains walking in front of the men, Jenny ran to Michael to scold him for letting her out of the loop.
Dropping Damien to his knees before Cassandra, Johnny began to relate the plan that the three of them had developed the night before and asked the coven to join them in the next steps they would take. He explained that Damien would lead them to the sorcerer’s hiding place when the coven had completed their preparations for the attack. They would go as a group and use Damien as a diversion to take the sorcerer off guard. Damien grudgingly nodded his head and turning to look away his eyes fell upon one of the younger witches. He was surprised to find himself moved by the sadness of her expression. The dark circles under her green eyes told of many sleepless nights and her face was pale and drawn.
Seeing him looking at her, she turned her eyes away and moved to the back of the crowd to avoid his gaze, not knowing that it ensnared Damien’s interest. Watching the woman with red hair, he didn’t realize that Johnny was speaking to him until he pushed him roughly. Turning his head abruptly, he looked at Johnny and requested to speak privately.
Johnny, seeing the shell-shocked expression on Damien’s face, nodded his head in agreement and pulled him to his feet to the side of the cabin.
“What’s the matter with you?” growled Johnny.
Damien looked at Johnny with the oddest expression and said, “I’m not sure. Do you know the name of the woman with the long red hair?”
Johnny stood there stone-faced trying to figure out what Damien was talking about.
“You know; the one with the green eyes and drawn face. She has the long red hair and her dress is dark green,” said Damien.
Johnny’s head was beginning to spin at the notion that was filling his head. He couldn’t understand where this was going but he hoped it wasn’t what he thought. Johnny turned Damien to face the group that stood in the front of the cabin. Searching the women, he saw Kate shielding herself behind Morgana but peaking around her shoulder to stare at them. He began to direct Damien’s attention to her, but when he looked at him, he saw that Damien had already spotted her.
“That’s her, peaking around that other woman,” said Damien.
Johnny looked back and forth between the two and decided to find out where Damien was going with this.
“Oh, you mean Kate. Yeah, she is looking pretty bad right now; she’s had a hard time of it this past week,” said Johnny.
Damien dug his nails into Johnny’s arm and said, “What do you mean?”
“When the sorcerer came, she was the one that he terrorized. We weren’t able to protect her and she was the first woman that he assaulted in front of all of us. She was innocent until that day,” said Johnny as he carefully watched the expressions cross Damien’s face.
Damien’s pale skin seemed to fade even paler as his mouth opened and then shut without speaking a word. He silently shook his head as if he couldn’t get the picture of the attack out of his mind. He turned his eyes to Johnny and tried to speak but no words came out of his mouth. He again closed his eyes and stood there silently as if trying to compose his emotions but when he next opened his eyes, they were ablaze with rage.
“Why didn’t you protect her?” he managed to squeeze out behind clenched teeth.
Johnny looked at him in amazement and then anger and raised his hand to strike him to the ground when Damien spoke again.
“I think she may be my granddaughter,” cried Damien.
Johnny halted in mid-swing as he tried to process this sudden turn of events.
“What makes you think that this woman is your granddaughter?” said Johnny.
“It’s the eyes; she has the same color eyes and hair of my murdered daughter,” he exclaimed in anguish.
Johnny stood there silently, trying to figure out if this was yet another ruse but seeing the pain in Damien’s eyes, he wasn’t sure.
Damien raised his hands as if to plead and continued.
“The night that I was turned, a group of vampires broke into my house. My wife and I were sitting in the parlor when we heard the front door being kicked in. I ran to grab my rifle from the mantel but it was already too late. Rifle in hand, I turned to see my wife’s empty eyes staring at me as a vampire drained the lifeblood from her neck. The other’s scattered throughout the house. They killed the cook and house cleaner and then found my daughter in the upstairs bedroom. She had come for a visit and to see her physician to confirm her pregnancy. She was going to surprise her husband and young daughter with the news. The last thing I remembered were her screams and then I awoke as one of the undead,” his voice trailing off to a whisper.
Looking at Damien’s broken expression, Johnny realized and understood that they all had a human life before being turned into vampires. He wasn’t ready to trust him yet but he could have Cassandra speak with Kate to see if she could confirm his story.
“I’ll have Cassandra speak to Kate and if she is your granddaughter I will allow you to speak with her, but only if she is in agreement,” said Johnny.
Damien acknowledged Johnny’s words with a nod of his head. He told Johnny that if he was in his place he didn’t know if he would have done the same thing. Johnny nodded his head in agreement and moved him to the front of the cabin before the group.
“Damien will be secured with us in the basement for the day sleep. Tomorrow when we arise, we’ll have much to discuss. Michael, would you take him down while I speak to Cassandra,” said Johnny.
Michael led the way with James following behind Damien as they went into the cabin. Damien took a last look over his shoulder and nodded his head at Johnny. No other words needed to be spoken.
Johnny clasped Cassandra’s hand and began down the path to the forest. Saying goodnight to the rest of their friends and the coven they left them behind to enjoy the last moments before dawn. She knew he needed to speak with her so she kept her silence and waited for him to start. As he began the story, her eyes grew wide in astonishment and then amazement. Cassandra knew that the web of life joined all individuals in one way or another and as she listened to the tale, she pondered the ways of the Goddess. When Johnny finished the story, he brought her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss.
“So, what do you think?” said Johnny.
Putting her arms around him she said, “I’ll check out his story while you have your day sleep, but something inside of me says that he’s telling the truth, and that she is his granddaughter. I think that the Goddess planned this very meeting to open his eyes and mind to a new way of thinking.”
Gathering her close he thanked God, the Goddess and everyone else
he could think of for allowing him to share his life with her. Turning back, they followed the path back to the cabin and kissed goodnight. Johnny headed down to the basement and locked the door behind him hoping that he would have the answers for Damien when they awoke.
Chapter 44
With the return of night, the vampires awoke to the smell of baking cookies and Morgana and Jenny began to chatter about not having to worry about calories as they raced to the steps. The men stood silently watching them run up the steps and as a group shrugged their shoulders, the odd rattling of chains seemed to break the spell as they looked at Damien in their midst.
Odd to think how a chance meeting could turn an enemy into a possible ally pondered Johnny as they followed the women up the stairs. Coming through the door, they saw glasses of fresh cider and a variety of cookies scattered about the room. Members of the coven were squeezed into the cabin and as the men passed by, they declined the food and drink. Cassandra was off in the corner chair speaking to Kate when Johnny first spotted her.
He caught Michael’s eye and jerked his head in Damien’s direction and Michael steered him away to the kitchen to prevent a chance meeting and made his way to Cassandra.
“So ladies, may I interrupt for just a moment?” said Johnny.
Cassandra caught his hand and drew him down to sit next to Kate and at her nod Kate began her tale. She confirmed that after she and Cassandra had talked she looked through her possessions and found confirmation that she was indeed Damien’s granddaughter. Kate went on to explain her shock when she saw him standing in their midst. Her first thought was that she was seeing a ghost but quickly realized that he was indeed there, and that he was a vampire. She was frightened to come forward because she wasn’t sure that it was her grandfather because her father had told her that he was murdered the same night as her mother.
Johnny listened to her tale and looked to Cassandra for confirmation and seeing her agreement began to wonder what was going to happen now. Michael, hearing the confusion of his thoughts sent a question to him telepathically asking him if he should bring Damien to Kate. Johnny sat there listening to Michael in his head and missed the question that Kate asked him. Abruptly coming out of his trance, he turned to her.
“I’m sorry Kate, what did you say?”
Kate looked to Cassandra and replied, “I’d like to see my grandfather, if that’s all right?”
Silently sending Michael the message, Damien was lead into the parlor and seeing the women gathered around, he wondered what was going on. Turning his head he saw his granddaughter and feeling the chains released from his arms by Michael he rushed to her side to embrace her.
The sighs and tears of the women in the room drove Johnny, Michael and James to the front porch for fresh air. Looking through the window, they saw Damien and his granddaughter surrounded by the smiling members of the coven. Shaking their heads, they stared in wonder as their former archenemy embraced his granddaughter and became their newest defender. They stood there until dawn began its approach. Gathering together back in the basement the vampires looked at Damien standing before them.
“I don’t know where to start,” said Damien. “My whole world has changed in a single day and I can’t begin to know how to make everything that has gone before, right. I can only tell you that my granddaughter has my allegiance and protection and since you are her friends, it extends to all of you. Morgana, I apologize for everything that has passed between us and hope that you and Cassandra will be able to forgive me. If you will allow, I’d like to start making amends by telling you everything I know about the Sorcerer. I will join you in your fight to destroy him because I agree with you, he will be back.”
Johnny looked at the others and they each nodded in agreement.
“We were willing before to come to an agreement, and even with everything that has happened since then, we are willing to give you a second chance to prove yourself,” said Johnny.
Damien walked forward and lowered his head in gratitude. Raising his head to look each member in the eye, he was solemn in his pledge to fight by their side and defend all members of their family and coven. He also pledged to prove his loyalty in their fight with the sorcerer and with that; they adjourned for the day sleep in peace with one another.
Chapter 45
They awoke at nightfall to find Cassandra and other members of the coven waiting for them with the information they had found in the ancient texts and began to plan their strategy. Damien drew a map of the sorcerer’s location and explained the hidden traps and wards that the sorcerer had in place for unwary travelers. The fortress that the sorcerer had built for himself was a combination of reality and magic. An abandoned homestead of quarry rock had been transformed into a fortified tower surrounded by a moat of dangerous waters. Damien told them of the sorcerer’s boasts of hidden doors and escape hatches should the moat be breached.
Johnny shook his head as he heard the tales that Damien was telling. He realized that while the sorcerer did have magical powers his high opinion of his magic and superiority would be his downfall. They would use this to their advantage and the time passed swiftly as they discussed their plan of attack.
Damien would be used as a distraction and for their first attack, once he was in the tower. The witches had devised a plan to enter the tower while Damien engaged the sorcerer at the entrance. The sorcerer would have to let down his wards to let Damien cross the drawbridge over the moat to enter. When he did the witches would be waiting, they’d take the advantage and slip in while the sorcerer was otherwise engaged. Other strategies were discussed; some were discarded while others were incorporated into the various layers of attack. Johnny was pleased at the final plan and bid them all to get a good night’s rest.
The members of the coven trailed out while the vampires relaxed in the parlor before a cozy fire. James and Morgana left for a walk in the woods, while Cassandra and Johnny adjourned to her bedroom. Michael and Jenny headed to the creek for a midnight swim while Damien sat with his granddaughter listening to memories of all the events that he had missed. He silently vowed to be a part of her future and hoped that their attack on the sorcerer was a success.
Chapter 46
When they awakened on the next night, they found the members of the coven waiting for them dressed for battle. The supplies of their trade were wrapped in bundles and tied to their waists in preparation for the journey. Johnny looked at the assembled group and once again went over the plan. In silence, they headed out in their assigned groups concentrating on the upcoming battle. The vampires flashed to the front and then disappeared from view scouting the paths the others would follow to the tower to ensure that new traps had not been placed.
Closing in on the tower, they weren’t surprised to see the area completely enveloped in light. Damien had told them that the sorcerer conjured light over the area so that it would expose anyone who tried to sneak closer to the tower. The witches were prepared for this and removing their cloaks, they turned them inside out and donned them once again. Moving forward they silently asked the Goddess for protection and as the vampires watched they began to fade from sight.
Damien made his way boldly to the edge of the moat and in a loud voice called out to the sorcerer that he had arrived for their meeting. Hearing the creaking hinges of the bridge begin to lower he waited for the sorcerer to appear. When he did, he was startled to see that he had aged considerably since their last meeting. The sorcerer discerning his surprise cackled in glee.
“I bet you expected to see the same fuzzy faced youth you talked to before at our last meeting?” he crowed to Damien.
Damien continued to stare in surprise at the transformation before him. The sorcerer spun madly in a circle showing off his red velvet cloak and gold pointy shoes. His hair was wild and stringy and topped with a matching pointed hat adorned with a gold moon and stars. Coming abruptly to a stop he bade Damien to come in and strutted across the drawbridge to meet him. Damien moved forward wondering
at the sorcerer’s gleefulness. He managed to contain the burning anger inside him as he watched his granddaughter’s attacker make his way towards him.
“You’re in a good mood for someone who’s aged to maturity since the last time I saw you,” said Damien.
“Indeed I am,” replied the sorcerer as he led Damien across the tower’s threshold.
In an instant, the door slammed shut and he could hear the drawbridge being raised as his host led him to a chair before the fire. He had to wait for the signal from the witches before he made his move so he sat down and swallowed the anger building in his throat.
The vampire sorcerer conjured up glasses of blood for refreshment and he passed one to Damien as he began to speak.
“I hope that you’re not going to request more hell hounds,” said the sorcerer. “They take too much of a toll on the body, even if that body belongs to a vampire like myself. It will take me at least a century before I can perform that magic again.”
“No, that’s not why I’m here,” replied Damien. “I came to request an additional favor since you failed at the task that I had contracted you for.”
The sorcerer began to sputter in denial.
“I did everything that you asked of me, you requested the three hell hounds and I obtained them for you. If they failed to completely succeed in their task that is not my fault. I can assure you that when they were destroyed I personally made my way to the group you wanted eliminated and while I’ll need to go back again to complete the job, I’ve already assaulted one of their members and degraded her before her peers.”
At that moment, time stopped for Damien, it began again when he heard the witches’ signal. In a flash of movement, he was at the drawbridge release and began the lowering process. The sound of the witches’ chanting began to fill his ears and he watched while the sorcerer cringed and ducked to escape the sound.
