The Depths of Darkness

by Laurie Bowler

  “Are you afraid?”

  “Afraid to die you mean?” I queried.

  “Yes,” he said softly, “are you?”

  I shook my head.

  “No, not completely,” I answered as honestly as I could. “I’m afraid of the unknown once my soul has left my body but I’m not afraid of the pain or anything. When you were turned, were you afraid? What was it like?”

  “I didn’t have any choice,” he admitted sighing deeply and pulling me closer to his side. “I’d gotten into a fight when I was younger, and I was left to die on the side of the road. My body was irreparable and my alcohol levels in my blood were too high for the medics to be able to do anything. Back when I was mortal the medical world wasn’t as good as it now so they weren’t much help. Anyway,” he continued, “another vampire came along and told me he could save my life. He asked me if I wanted to live which I did. I had a family; I had no idea he was giving me immortality though. When he bit me it was awful; I had nightmares, shakes amongst other things which I’m not telling you in case you change your mind.”

  “How long have you been a vampire then?” I wondered out loud.

  He chuckled and I snuggled closer to him, partly for warmth from the chill in the air and the other part of me wanted to be close to him. This was my last night before I had to die and I was going to make the most of the precious time that I had to be with him.

  “I’m over 400 hundred years old,” he laughed at my horrified expression. “Old huh?”

  “Yeah,” I smiled. “You’re ancient. What makes you think I’d want to be your eternal mate? You’re really old aren’t you?”

  He laughed loudly and playfully slapped my arm.

  “When you’re immortal, it doesn’t matter how old you are,” he corrected my thoughts. “Zanda is older than me and his wife, he’s over 500 hundred years old. We were made well before any of the other demons decided to settle on earth and way before the realm took over. The realm wasn’t widely known like it is now. I knew it existed but never had the drive to join it; the people running it at the time weren’t very accepting to ‘dead people’ walking around their offices.”

  “Sounds a little harsh,” I commented. “But I suppose it hasn’t really changed much now, except vampires and other ‘dead’ people are allowed to work remotely for the realm but only in the capacity of protecting someone. Why did you agree to protect me?”

  He sighed deeply, his fingers played with my hair gently before he answered.

  “I was hoping to stop anything before it got out of hand,” he said. “The more I watched you, the more I wanted to protect you. I didn’t understand why I felt the immediate pull to protect you the way did; as far as I was concerned you were just a ‘job’ at first but then it became much more than that.”

  I thought about his words, and I was instantly pulled into his world. The world where he’d watched me relentlessly for a ‘job’ but then became attached to something much more. Now we’d both only just recognised this and for once, because of the time remaining neither of us was afraid to let others see it.

  “Well,” I whispered, “it's all about to be over anyway. We have little time left together so let’s not waste it.”

  He smiled and rested his head gently on top of mine, his lips softly kissed the top of my head and I felt his hands gentle on my lower back. There wasn’t any need for us to be naked to be close to each other, and it wasn’t something that would have fitted into the moment we were sharing. The most I wanted for Luke was for him to find another mate to spend his life with; I wanted him to be happy more than anything.

  Chapter Thirteen

  We remained silent on the embankment for a long time, neither of us speaking. It was nice to feel close to someone before my death. The night sky was cloudy up ahead; the darkness surrounded us like a cloak waiting to envelope us and hold us close.

  “Its cloudy tonight,” he mentioned, his voice quiet and slightly unsteady. “How do you feel?”

  I pondered his question for a few minutes before answering him. The seriousness of the situation was beyond anything that had ever been recorded, but then I didn’t trust the realms documents anymore. So much had happened that hadn’t been written down in ink. It was something that they had apparently prided themselves on for centuries in the past, present and they still made the same empty promise to keep doing so in the future. I reached my hands out towards the sky and summoned the most menial power that I had once thought was the best power to have, the power to control elements of the earth.

  “There you go,” I said smiling softly into the sky as the clouds began to recede and slowly move some distance away from us.

  Appearing through were the glittering, most beautiful stars. Their magnificence shone down upon us and illuminated small lights onto the earth. My power had been compelling and had caused them to react and shine all that much brighter to suit the purpose of my magical moment; the only magical moment that I would get. I lay back against the soft grass, the tickle of the blades against my neck. My dress spread out around me, the purple colouring in stark contrast with the glow of the stars, Luke lay with me. We barely touched, but both of us were aware of each other. Our heads rested together, touching slightly while our bodies stayed apart. Silently we watched the stars and allowed the silence of the world to surround us and fill our moment with some much needed quiet time, without delaying the momentous battle that would end this controversy with Lilly, and consequently end my short but well lived life.

  “I can’t stand the thought of what’s going to happen,” he whispered softly. “I know you have to do it, but you won’t let me help you if you manage to come out the other side, and I don’t understand why?”

  A question I had wanted to answer with deeper meaning, but so far my mind battled with the facts that if I did happen to survive he was offering eternity to be with him and to live. Was it something I really wanted or needed? Wasn’t it easier to die and be done with it? That way the realm wouldn’t have so many questions to answer and neither would I become the hunted which they would surely do when it was their quest for my death in the first place?

  I took a deep steady breath, and thought carefully about my next words, without wanting to hurt him or to give him false hope. “I can’t lead you to think there is a chance that I might survive,” I began. “Neither of us can relinquish one another if either of us dies. You could get killed too and if I survive that will leave me without you,” I pointed out the obvious, to which he snorted rudely and arrogantly. “I know you think you’re superman,” I smiled. “But you can still get killed by the Cerberus the same as everyone else who is putting their life at risk because of the realm and Lilly. I couldn’t live with myself if I did come through and you weren’t here to be with me, it’s better for both of us to think that I will die no matter what happens.”

  “I see what you’re saying,” he remarked pulling a blade of grass and twisting it through his fingers, “but I won’t die,” he said. “And you know I’ll be here if you come through. Do you think there is a chance?”

  I sighed heavily, the only chance I’d ever heard happened some time ago in another part of the realm’s dealings. Someone had been sent to hell to prevent their vile actions from harming anyone else. The harm caused had been catastrophic and momentous to the records, and had resulted in one of the worst kinds of exaltation ever known inside the realm. The person in question had been spat back out and remained living until such time when the leaders of the realm caught them and banished them.

  “There is a small chance,” I sighed, “but I don’t think it will apply to me because of the way I was made.”

  “I’m listening,” he said turning around to face me.

  “Once someone was sent to hell,” I waited while he gasped and recomposed himself, “they were spat back out and told it wasn’t a place for them which the realm found strange and weirdly lost track of him for a short time. It was then they realised hell had its own agenda and woul
d only accept those who were deemed so full of badness that they would remain in its hidden depths for eternity.”

  “Well,” he said seeming to be amused and somehow hopeful, “you're not full of badness so how can you remain in hell; it might spit you out.”

  “I doubt it,” I said sadly. “I’m not made like you were and neither am I supposed to be alive; it’s not my destiny at all.”

  The conversation was abruptly halted by Luke’s sudden turn in the direction of the house; there was someone fast approaching our location.

  “Are you ready?” Darcy asked when she approached us stopping a short distance. “Everyone’s ready to go,” she said, her face was a picture image of embarrassment. She didn’t look directly at either of us and instead chose to let her eyes wander around us.

  “Are you ready?” he gripped my hand suddenly anxious. “We can just run away somewhere instead,” he suggested hopefully.

  “I don’t think so,” I replied. “It’ll only end in disaster anyway. We’d better go.”

  I stood and shook my clothes, rubbing frantically to remove any evidence of dirt or grass. Funny, although I was about to face my death I didn’t want to die with the knowledge of having filthy clothes. It was very strange thinking bizarre things when you’re faced with a moment like this.

  Luke walked ahead with Darcy trailing behind, his head bowed slightly. I saw the others filter out of the house, standing in a line watching me as I walked in the direction of the Meniagier, their thumping and loud snorting in greeting was the only aspect of any of this that made me smile.

  “Hey there,” I smiled and gently rubbed it queer nose, “we’re ready, are you?”

  The beast seemed to understand instantly and nuzzled my hand gently; its eyes filled with sadness or so I thought. It may have been my imagination. I climbed onto its lowered back and steadied myself like an expert.It began to rise and I felt the sudden elevation of my body being hoisted from the safe harness of the ground below. When I looked down it seemed to be miles away and frighteningly like a dark hole waiting in case I slipped and accidentally fell directly into its grasp. The beast trotted away and headed in the direction of Luke, snarling slightly when he tried to approach and stopped short with his eyes full of reproach aimed at the beast.

  “Now boys,” I smiled and playfully reproached them all, “play nice!”

  “I will, but I doubt he has any plans of being nice to anyone but you,” he answered. “We’re ready; the plans have been executed. Vampires will attack from the north and south, the Cronomiun from the West and the remaining Meniagier, he nodded in their direction will be attacking from the East. Do you think you can get them to follow a direct order?”

  “Did you hear what he said?” I whispered into the beast’s ear, “Get them to go east, you and I will remain slightly behind. We don't need to be involved in the ground fight; there are much bigger fish for us.”

  He snorted and howled, stamping his right leg into the ground heavily kicking up a cloud of dirt, and digging a small but deep trench with the heaviness of his tread. The remaining beasts instantly stormed themselves in their fighting stance towards the East. Their instincts were leading them to the correct location of the fight and they seemed to know without being told what they were heading into.

  “Which side are you going in from?” I asked him.

  “With you,” he answered. “You're not going to be alone; I can’t stand the thought of any of this let alone leave you to die and fight her on your own.”

  “I see,” I replied. “Well,” I patted the beast, “you’d better follow us and keep up.”

  The walk to Lillie’s place was long and arduous, with the conversation beginning stilted leading into nonexistent. Luke’s passive expression was severe and thoughtful; many times I found him looking up at me, even though he thought I couldn’t see him clearly. My own eyes weren’t as bad as he assumed mortals’ sight would be; immortal sight was far better and an exquisite attribute for them to have. Years ago it had served them well when they’d hunted mercilessly in the darkness for mortals to feed their hunger.

  “You know you shouldn’t be riding on that thing,” he commented after a long while. “It's far too dangerous and anyone can see it’s you up there.”

  “I’m hoping with the darkness and the magic being used, no one will care enough to notice,” I shot back instantly riled by his approach to my new found beast friend. “And besides,” I said leaning down towards him slightly, “I don’t see you trying to make conversation. I have more conversation with him than with you.”

  I was speaking metaphorically of course since the beast couldn’t verbally speak to anyone. There was a peculiar connection between us though; I could feel instantly the inner deep nature of the beast and he could feel my own inner feelings. It was a certain connection that had never happened between mortal and a beast before, well not that I knew of.

  “I can’t have a conversation when I know you’re going to die,” he said, “What do you want me to talk about, the weather?”

  He looked up to the sky, grimacing and shuddering before looking quickly my way. When I looked to see what had caused his reaction the sky had darkened; flashes of some strange shadow that was partially lit at the back end shot across the sky, coming together in small hoards clumped as if in protection. The blue end of their form was bright and hard on the eyes, but it was instinctively I knew Lilly had begun the battle and called upon those shadows and evil spirits that no one ever thought of much less called to help in any battle.

  “Its begun,” I said. “She’s called for the spirits; I didn’t expect her to do that, but still I don’t know what I expected her to do.”

  “What are the spirits going to do?”

  “Anything they want to,” I said. “If they gain control over her which they may well try, they’ll then try and gain control of the rest of the town and then all hell and evil will spread like a nonstop virus. No one will be safe. She’s gone too far this time.”

  He seemed to compose his face once more, back into the steely unapproachable response from earlier. His eyes scanned around us constantly; his eyes flickered to mine occasionally and it was then I heard the sounds of the battle ahead of us. Roaring and stomping, eerie cackling and ghostly laughter. It felt like I was entering more of a gameshow rather than a real life battle where lives could be lost. The atmosphere was intense; my own composure was cracking open at the seams. I longed for this to be over, but with the amount of people surrounding the house and the threats placed upon us, our numbers were different to the size of the opposition. Theirs were larger, calling upon many folks and strange creatures to help her, Lilly had certainly thought of all angles and come up with the answers in her plight.

  Our numbers to battle back were small in comparison. The Cronomiun were present; their guard spread across the grounds but a distinct thread joined them as one even though they were far apart from each other. Being connected to them, I felt the thread connect itself to me, entangling its web around me and pulling into their midst. They felt my presence and turned to search me out of the crowded grounds, their eyes flaming red, fire deep in the centres while their mouths were deep thin straight lines.

  “You're here,” I heard a voice come from nowhere, “good, we’re glad you’re safe. We can hold them off. The evil spirits don’t stand a chance against us, and they know we can defeat them like before, but their will is strong this time. She’s fed them with false promises. She’s waiting for you.”

  “Thanks for the reminder,” I whispered back inside my mind sarcastically. “I’ll wait here with Luke. I have to be prepared and make sure the entrance to find her is clear and none of you are around. Make sure Luke is safe and doesn’t follow me; he’ll likely try but try to avert him somehow.”

  I felt their nods of approval at my orders, but they heads didn’t move it was that silent connection again. The beasts began to get impatient with standing still, its own needs to be a part of the battle with t
he rest of its clan, far outweighed the need to stay with me.

  “Off you go,” I slid down to the ground, carefully disengaging my foot from the other side or I’d fall on my face in the ground, “join them and make me proud.”

  He knew what was to come, his eyes sullen but with pride he licked my cheek, a show of love and admiration from one of this misunderstood animal.

  “I hope your planning on washing that off later,” Luke remarked behind me.

  “There isn’t a later for me,” I replied calmly, “but feel free to wash my body before you bury whatever is left, won’t you?”

  I knew that would shut him up, his never ending quarrel with the Meniagier just because the two kinds were destined not to get along, a dead creature with a misunderstood one. Who would have thought they’d become sworn enemies?

  He came to stand beside me, his arm around my shoulders as we watched the fight begin and continue from a relatively safe distance. The creatures fought admirably. Cronomiun fought back ferociously against the tidal wave of spirits. Loud clashes and bangs echoed across the space, making me wonder what the mortals thought was happening around them with this amount of noise and disruption.

  “Looks like trouble,” he nodded in the direction of a small battle taking place between us and the main battle. “I’d better get down there. Will you be alright here?”

  Uncertainty loomed in the back of his eyes, his eagerness was spilling from him to exit from me and fight alongside his comrades. I understood his eagerness to shine through with everyone around him.

  “I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “Go on and do what you need to do.”

  I was fine on my own, truth be told. I noticed the spirits tried every dirty trick in the book ,and the numbers of the Cerberus had increased tenfold which left us in a very compromising situation. It wasn’t something I’d ever come across but I wasn’t going to stand here and allow my friends to die.

  The nearby hill looked promising enough to do what I needed to execute my own powers to defeat Lilly and play the same games, match her power for those of my own. Hefting my skirts around me, I climbed to the peak and stood with my hands outstretched. I felt the power tingle my fingertips, expelling its magical wonder through my skin and outwards, fulfilling my every nerve and emotion. I called for the storm, surrounding the people within, taking away the badness and leaving behind the good. It swarmed noisily in our direction, roaring angrily whipping through the spirits who could no longer hover without needing to branch onto something for support. Their own power was evaporated inside the storm which circled them and snapped its own agenda towards them. My own aiming was precise; I wasn’t going to let anyone else get hurt by my storm which beat down any of Lilly’s plans, because she hadn’t foreseen the terror of the storm’s eye once it grasped the spirits she’d callously called upon.