Tears spilled down the sides of Jerusa’s face as she looked up at Foster. She wished that he would look at her, but he was pouring all his will into blinding Kole. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry that he had died, sorry that he had sacrificed immortality with Shufah, sorry that it was all her fault.
Kole writhed and screamed at the pain the light brought him, but he would not let go.
Darkness crept into the edges of the world. A burning numbness swept down Jerusa’s arms. The light emanating from Alicia and Foster began to flicker. Jerusa looked for the others, but they had no power to save her this time.
Jerusa pulled in one last tattered breath and in a shout that came out as a whisper, she said, “Silvanus.”
Her arms gave out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kole came close enough that Jerusa could smell the poisonous fume of his breath, could feel the brush of his festering tongue on her neck, but just as his teeth were set to pierce her skin, he stopped.
Kole arched his neck backward and his shoulders pressed high to his ears. He released Jerusa’s hands, which he had pinned to the ground, and reached behind him. Jerusa’s vision cleared and that’s when she noticed a form standing over them. The figure, cast in shadows, pulled Kole off of Jerusa, holding him by his neck. Kole fought to free himself, but the man flipped him sideways, catching his crotch in his free hand. He dropped Kole onto his knee and the savage’s back broke with a thundering crack. The man spun and sent Kole flying across the room. The savage smashed into the concrete block wall and crumpled into a twisted heap.
Hands touched Jerusa’s shoulder and she flinched. Taos and Shufah knelt on either side of Jerusa and Thad stood just behind her. They looked, in wild wonderment, at the man whose attention was still directed at Kole.
“Get her back,” the man said to Shufah. “I don’t know how well I can control this.” He held his hands up before his chest, pressing them almost together as though he was squeezing something invisible. A ball of bright red fire ignited between his palms, swirling and pulsating as it increased in mass.
The light of the fire chased away the shadows, revealing the face of the man.
“Silvanus,” Jerusa cried out.
He gave her a pained smile over his shoulder. His arms trembled as he held the fire. His legs bent as if he bore a great weight. “Please. Get. Back.”
Shufah and Taos each took Jerusa under an arm and dragged her backward across the dusty floor. Thad tried to keep up, but he couldn’t match their speed, so Taos scooped him up with his free arm as he passed. They moved clear to the opposite side of the building, then stopped to watch.
The ball of fire had quadrupled in size and tentacles of flame circled about Silvanus like soaring dragons. Silvanus’s clothes, which had once belonged to Foster, smoked and smoldered, though his body and hair seemed untouched by the fire. The sphere of flame expanded again, cooking the dust upon the floor well past the spot where Jerusa had been.
Kole growled and screeched at the light as he dragged his twisted form across the floor. He moved toward the open window that Suhail had used to escape. He stretched upward, caught the shattered remnants of the plywood covering and pulled himself up.
Silvanus punched his arms outward and the ball of fire shot forth like a comet, hitting Kole in the back. The tendrils of fire chased one another around Silvanus, spilling forth from his hands in a horizontal column of destruction. Kole gave one last howl of pain before the fire consumed him, turning him into glowing cinders then blowing ash.
The fire encompassing Silvanus died away. He staggered a bit, then fell straight onto his back.
Jerusa rushed back to Silvanus, followed by Shufah and Taos. Thad tried to follow, but had to stop for the fire had burned up much of the oxygen and the smoke hung thick in the air. The walls and floor were scorched black and still hot to the touch.
Silvanus lay on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. Jerusa knelt down and scooped his head into her arms. She brushed his black curly locks away from his face. His skin felt clammy and his pallor remained gray. His green eyes, dulled a bit but still beautiful, fluttered over to her face and he smiled.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“A lot of things.” He touched her face, bringing on that same strange electrical charge he had felt when she had touched his hand the first time they met. “You are the only one to be kind to me in all the world. I wanted to save you from that monster, not turn you into one.” He pointed to Shufah. “I saw how you turned the older man. I thought I could make Jerusa like me, whatever it is that I am.”
“You are One Who Has Regained the Light,” Shufah said with hushed reverence. “You are a Divine Vampire.”
Silvanus sat up. “Am I now? Later, you will have to tell me all you know, but I must say I do not feel divine. I feel wretched. Drinking blood does not suit me, especially when it comes from that tainted creature.” He pointed over his shoulder at the pile of soot that had once been Kole. “I’m sorry it took me so long to find you. There for a short while I did not believe that I would survive. I tried to follow, but lost you somewhere along the way. It wasn’t until you called my name that I knew where you were.”
Jerusa smiled. “Better late than never. This makes twice now that you’ve rescued me. Next time, it’s my turn to save you.”
“It’s a deal.”
Shufah turned away from the group and walked to the water-filled pit. She stood, her arms crossed before her chest, head bowed as if in silent prayer. Her shoulders quaked as a terrible sob broke from her. She wept aloud, her face buried in her hands, and for a moment, they were paralyzed by her grief.
Jerusa helped Silvanus to his feet, then went and stood behind Shufah. The breeze blowing in the broken windows replenished the air and soon Thad joined them as well.
They stood in silence. The power of Shufah’s mourning washed over them in heavy waves. The burden of the past two days sat upon Jerusa like a mountain of guilt. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and then her own tears broke forth.
Shufah turned to face her. Jerusa expected to see hatred fuming in her eyes, she even welcomed it. She deserved no less than for Shufah to tear her to pieces with her bare hands. If Shufah moved on her, Jerusa would not try to stop her. She dropped her head, unable to look Shufah in the eyes.
“It is not your fault, young one.” Shufah said, lifting Jerusa’s chin so that she could see the sincerity on her face. “You have nothing to apologize for. This was all due to my insolent, power-hungry brother. He alone bears the fault. You, sweet Jerusa, are gentle and brave and Foster loved you as a daughter.” Her voice broke just a little at the end and her eyes welled with red tears. Jerusa felt as though her heart was lodged in her throat.
“Don’t be sad,” Silvanus said to Shufah. “Foster hasn’t left you. He’s still here with us.”
Jerusa snapped around to face him. “How do you know that?”
He smiled and a bit of his former beauty shined through. “I can see him. He’s standing over there near your friend in the dress.” He pointed over Jerusa’s shoulder at Foster and Alicia.
“But how?”
Silvanus shrugged. “I don’t know. I first saw the girl after I drank your blood. I can see Foster now, as well. They aren’t as clear as before, though. I have a feeling that, in time, they will disappear from my sight completely.”
“Foster is here?” Shufah asked. The longing in her voice tore at Jerusa’s soul.
“Yes,” Jerusa said. “He is here with Alicia. He helped her distract Kole long enough for Silvanus to grab him. Would you like to see him?”
“I want to see him more than I can express, but sharing your blood with another vampire is a very intimate act. I can’t ask you to let me drink from you.”
Jerusa didn’t say so, but had Shufah asked, she would have let her drink from her. “I think there is another way. Give me your hand.”
Shufah placed her hand in Jerusa
’s. She glanced around the darkness for a moment, and Jerusa feared that she had given her false hope. But then Foster began to glow and Shufah gasped.
“I can see him,” Shufah said in hushed awe. “I can see both of them.” She reached out with her free hand and Foster moved to take it. But as Shufah tried to weave her fingers into Foster’s, her hand passed through his.
Shufah pulled her hand out of Jerusa’s. Foster dropped his hand to his side as the light emanating from him flickered away.
“I had almost forgotten what a cruel gift it is to see the dead,” Shufah said. “To see, but never to touch or to hear. I know now that it is a blessing that the vampire spirit blinded my eyes to the dead.” She looked to Jerusa. “Someday, child, I fear you’ll beg for the same blindness.”
“But why can Jerusa still see spirits and you cannot?” Taos asked Shufah.
Shufah’s eyes twinkled for a moment before clouding over with despair once more. “I have my suspicions, but it’s up to Jerusa to reveal her secrets. My advice is not to betray yourself, child, if you do not trust those you are with.” Her eyes flicked to Taos.
It was true that Taos had started Jerusa’s journey as an enemy. But something had changed in him over the past two days. Had he not proven he was trustworthy? Could she not count him as an ally, if not a friend? Besides, what harm could come from the truth?
Jerusa touched the scar on her chest. “This is why I can see Alicia. I was born with a bad heart. Two years ago, I received a transplant. The heart beating within my chest belonged to a beautiful young girl who died in a car accident on the way to her prom. When I woke up, she was by my bedside. She’s been with me ever since. I borrowed this heart from Alicia and it is what binds us together. When I became a vampire, I was blinded to all other spirits, but not her. When I changed, she changed. And I think that it is through her that I can see Foster. That’s my guess, anyway.”
Shufah pointed at Taos. “If you wish to be called my friend, you would be wise to hide this secret deep. The Stewards have a way of twisting even the most benign detail to their favor.”
Taos bowed his head, but not in his usual mocking way. “I will carry this secret to my grave.”
Shufah looked again to Jerusa. “There may come a day when you must reveal your powers to the Stewards. Beware what you show them. Give them only a small taste.”
Jerusa nodded. She looked out the windows at the lightening sky. “The sun will be up soon. What are we going to do?”
“We can take refuge in one of the upper offices,” Taos suggested. “One of the inner rooms with no windows should work.”
“No, that’s too dangerous,” Shufah said. “There’s no way to fortify ourselves.”
“I can watch over you,” Silvanus said. “The sun poses no problem for me. I promise, no one will disturb you.”
They found a room on the third floor that suited their needs. They stuffed some clothing under the doorframe to block any sunlight that might seep in. Silvanus sat watch outside the door. Thad decided to make his way home under Shufah’s strict orders that he stick to the story of his Jeep being stolen, no matter what, and that she would sort the rest out later.
As they slept and the day spun into night, their wounds healed, leaving them without any evidence of the battle with Kole. They opened the door to find Silvanus sitting on the floor. He smiled at them, but the weariness in his face brought a pang of shock to Jerusa’s heart.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” he assured her. He stood to his feet. “But I think it is time for me to leave. I need to regain my strength, then continue my search.”
“Your search for what?”
“For who I am.”
Jerusa started to argue, but the resolution in his eyes silenced her. She hugged him and kissed him lightly on the lips. A broad smile spanned his face and she realized that was most likely his first kiss.
“Would you like to come with me?” he asked. Jerusa’s heart jumped, but then fell flat when she realized what that would mean.
“I can’t.” She looked down at the floor. “I mean, I want to, but my mother is still here. I can’t just up and disappear on her. It would kill her.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay here,” Shufah said. “You are known here. People will recognize the difference in you.”
“I understand, but I can’t just leave her. She’s my mom. I love her. Maybe I can live at the house for a while. Give her a chance to get used to me being away.”
Shufah searched Jerusa’s eyes. For a moment, she seemed as if she might argue, but she closed her mouth and nodded. “All right, then. If we are staying in town, we’ll have to make the house a little more appropriate for vampires.”
Silvanus nodded with approval. “When I find my answers, I will come back. You have my word.”
“You better,” Jerusa said.
Silvanus smiled. Then he was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Six
General Bradley Thomas Starnes moved through the bright hallways of the underground base — known informally as Purgatory — receiving salutes from lower officers and averted gazes from the civilian staff.
Purgatory had once been a nuclear silo housing several hydrogen bombs, but after the Cold War and the slimming down of atomic arsenals on both sides, the base had been decommissioned and nearly forgotten.
In late August of 2009, while on a black op in Cambodia, a Seal Team 6 troop was caught off guard and slaughtered by an unknown hostile force. The soldiers’ helmet-cams were not able to clearly identify the attacking force, but after careful scrutiny of the video, two points of interest became clear: The 6 Team was hit by a single aggressor, and that foe, withstanding several rounds of gunfire with no discernible armor, killed the team with his bare hands.
By the time a recon mission could be mounted, all that could found was a patch of scorched earth where the bodies of the soldiers had been cremated.
At first, it was believed that after years of failed research, some enemy nation had finally developed the much coveted super-soldier. Rumors and innuendoes floated about like trash in the Hudson. Stories surfaced, amounting to not much more than modern day retellings of myths.
After years of pushing and putting his career on the line, Starnes finally convinced his superiors to allow him to take the investigation in a new direction. Project Light-Bearer, named for a part of his life few were privy to, was created and housed in Purgatory.
But the years had yielded little progress in discovering who or what the Cambodian assailant was. Myths remained myths and the bitter fruit of their labor seemed to be endless dead ends. Reports to appropriation committees remained vague and noncommittal. General Starnes didn’t really care to have the president or the joint chiefs jabbing their noses into his derriere.
But three days ago, that all changed.
“Show me the containment room,” Starnes said to a pasty-faced civilian scientist named Goodalle.
Goodalle led Starnes down a labyrinth of corridors to an elevator guarded by two well-armed soldiers, then down four floors to the subbasement. When the elevator doors opened, the acrid stench of burnt electronics stung their eyes despite the industrial air purifiers running at full capacity for the past two days. The walls were scorched black and the floor was smeared with soot. The heat of the fire had been so intense that the glass in the observation windows had dripped from their frames to the floor in large, misshapen blobs.
Goodalle continued, in short choppy steps, past the sight of the fire into the observation room, where their progress was halted by a large plastic tent erected before the opening, creating an impromptu clean-room. Large industrial floor lamps lit the room while workers in bulky hazmat suits moved about like tireless bees. The walls inside remained mostly white, untouched by the fire and only slightly stained by the smoke. The heavy steel doors, removed from their frames and resting against the wall, were buckled outward, smashed open by an incredible amoun
t of force.
Shards of what looked like obsidian were laid out on a stainless steel table. Starnes eyed it as though it were a table of gold.
Archeologists had found the obsidian object deep underground on a dig in Thebes. At first, they had thought it was a unique sculpture, unlike any found in the region. An agent, on the hunt for one of the enhanced beings reported in the area, stumbled across the discovery. The archeologists were dispatched and the artifact returned to Purgatory. Though they had come across a few of these strange obsidian objects before, this one was different. It was emitting a small bio-electrical signature.
“Any clue why this one hatched?” Starnes asked Goodalle.
The timid scientist flinched as if the general’s voice was a clap of thunder. “No, sir. It’s still beyond us just what triggered the reanimation. The other subjects remain as they were. No sign of life whatsoever.”
Starnes moved positions, pressing his face almost against the plastic barrier.
“The subject left a small amount of his blood on the door.” Goodalle’s voice fell out in a dreamy wisp and he seemed to be reliving the event in his mind. He cleared his throat as he blinked back into reality. “Unfortunately, most of it decayed before we were able to get to it.”
“But not all of it.” It was not a question. Starnes had already read the reports. He wanted to hear Goodalle say it.
Goodalle hesitated. He was afraid to say it. Afraid of where it would lead. Starnes despised the fear in the little man’s eyes. He was a scientist, for god’s sake. This little development should be making him as giddy as a hyena on laughing gas.
Starnes applied the full pressure of his glare and finally, Goodalle broke. “Yes. We were able to salvage a small amount of blood.” As an afterthought, he added: “Just a few cells, really.”
“Is it enough?”
Goodalle’s shoulders slumped. “Yes. It’s enough.”
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