Dark as the Grave

by Peter Dawes

  “Flynn,” James managed, grunting through the pain.

  “Very good. And that is Rose. She is a good actress, is she not?” Rose eyed me in an apprehensive manner. I flashed fangs at her and winked before turning my attention back to James. “She is a skittish thing, though. Very easily frightened.”

  James grunted. “What the fuck do you want, Flynn? If you’ve come to kill me, do it and get it over with.”

  “Now, let us not be too hasty, James. You are going to tell me a little story and if I am amused enough, I might allow you to crawl away on your hands and knees.” My hand slid around to his neck, fingers pressing hard into his throat. He winced again, trembling with pain. “There is a meeting of importance convening inside this house and I intend to crash it. The last thing I want, though, is to waltz into the soirée blind. As such, you are going to tell me how many people there are inside.”

  “I don’t know the full number.”

  Twisting the blade inside James, I provoked a moan of agony from him. “Do not toy with me. I want a number,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I’m not going to help you,” he managed, nearly choking on the words. I watched his mouth continue to move, but focused on the thoughts crossing his mind, plucking them out with absurd ease. ‘The master of each coven. Their second-in-commands. A handful of bodyguards.’

  “About twenty,” I said, offering up a quick estimation.

  James shuddered. “What? How did you –?”

  “Silence.” Lips pursed, I slid the sword in further, ignoring the wails of agony the action provoked and stilling myself when he stopped yelling. Eyebrow perked, I continued. “You said bodyguards. Where?”

  “I didn’t say –” poured from his lips, but gradually, I saw the answer to my question unfurl. The interior map of Matthew’s coven transferred from his mind to mine, showing two guards stationed between the front door and along the corridor to the meeting room in the back. Another stood in front of those doors, but if any others were gathered anywhere else, James did not know about it.

  “Very good.” A cold grin spread across my lips. “Two final questions. Is there only one set of doors leading into the meeting room or are there other methods of escape? And where are the others in your coven? The house seems quite barren and I dislike surprises.”

  James trembled, glancing down at the bloodstained metal protruding from his body before clenching his eyes shut. “You’re a fucking lunatic.”

  “I have been called worse.”

  “Why the fuck do you think I’ll actually answer your questions?”

  “Because I have a sword in your stomach which says you should. Is this enough incentive for you?”

  “Go to hell…”

  ‘… One other method of escape. Side entrance leading to the back exit…’

  “… sadistic, crazy prick…”

  ‘… Nobody else here. Matthew demanded they stay safe. He didn’t want them eavesdropping on the meeting…’

  “… burn in hell when somebody finally catches up to you.”

  “Thank you, James.” Raising my foot, I pushed him from the blade and sent him tumbling face-first onto the ground. “I hope you shall understand when I say, appreciative as I am for your cooperation, you still must die.”

  “Just fucking kill me then.” James moaned, rolling onto his back. He clutched at his stomach, his gaze meeting mine. “Robin believed in you. He told us you were on our side now.”

  “Which makes him a fool, does it not?” I raised my katana, both hands wrapped around the hilt. A sinister grin crept across my face. With one, quick swipe of my sword, I rid James of his head and after flicking the blade to the side, I snapped it back into its sheath. “Death has come to this house tonight and he has come to collect.”

  Lifting my eyes to meet Rose’s, I saw them flash with fear before she composed herself again. Her gaze shot to the door, both needing something else to focus on and moving to the next logical step in our journey. “Well, you managed your information, Flynn, but if you ever –”

  “Shut up, Rose.” I straightened my coat, allowing the folds to conceal the hilt of my sword again. Turning for the door, I crouched low before twisting the knob and pushing it inward. A dark foyer greeted me, with nobody in my immediate line of vision when I peeked inside. “Follow me and be quiet about it,” I said as I crept into the house. Once she entered, I shut the door behind us, listening for the soft click of the lock engaging while pivoting to face the estate’s interior.

  The house appeared as barren as James had stated, with nary a soul anywhere in our vicinity. I moved further inward, avoiding the moonlit corners of the entryway and seeking the shadows away from the sparse amount of light provided by one lamp lit near the stairs. Plush carpet muffled the sound of my steps, yet I still moved cautiously, approaching a wall and pressing myself against it while slithering closer to an adjoining corridor. Voices filtered from the other end of the hallway, no doubt belonging to the two guards. I risked a quick glance around the corner and spotted them standing far too close to the intersecting path leading, I assumed, to the meeting room.

  Ducking back, I frowned and surveyed my surroundings. Dark wood accented lighter-colored walls where a host of framed portraits and landscapes hung. Other decorations were sparse, and scattered amongst a small collection of tables and chairs situated closer to the windows. My eyes found Rose again, who blinked at me and motioned to walk closer.

  I held up a hand to stop her. ‘Stay there,’ I said, using my fledgling telepathy again. ‘You have one last task to complete before I send you on your way.’

  Rose opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally narrowed her eyes. ‘How does this mental communication of yours work?’

  ‘Precisely like that, dear sister.’ A condescending smirk curled the corner of my mouth. ‘You had a question?’

  ‘More like a directive.’ Her hands settled on her hips. ‘I agree to help under the condition you not scare me like that again.’

  ‘Which shows you how much you know about this sort of thing. The very wrong thing to do at this moment would be to cause a panic. Have a little more faith in me.’

  Rose bit her lip, wisely choosing not to respond. I nodded, stealing a quick glance down the corridor again before peering back at Rose. ‘You are to step outside again, then enter and shut the door more audibly,’ I said. ‘I want you to call into the house to get their attention and ensure both guards make it into this room so I can dispose of them without arousing further suspicion.’

  ‘What should I tell them?’

  ‘That you have a message you need to hand deliver. Tell them the front guards permitted you entrance. If they do not fall for the ruse, then I will improvise, but our goal is not to alarm the people in the meeting room.’

  ‘Very well.’ She sighed and turned toward the entrance again, stepping forward and opening the door. When she looked back at me, I nodded, and snuck closer to the stairs as quickly as possible. She shut the door more forcefully while I ascended the first few steps and crouched behind the banister. “Hello?” she said, calling toward the corridor, adding to the charade by craning her neck as if looking for someone.

  Footsteps sounded down the hallway, although as they approached, I discovered she had managed to attract only one of the guards. A blond-haired man, he appeared confused when he caught sight of her. “Miss? Can I help you?” he asked.

  She attempted an agreeable smile. I could have murdered her on principle alone when she glanced in my direction, but she recovered before he noticed. “I have a message. It’s rather urgent and needs to be hand delivered to my mistress.”

  He nodded, albeit in a skeptical manner. “Alright. Either give it to me or tell me what it is, and I’ll make certain she’s informed.”

  Her eyes flicked in my direction again. I stifled a groan. ‘Start to motion for the hallway,’ I said, utilizing my telepathy once more. ‘Let him stop you. Perhaps the other page might take notice and come.’ My h
and settled on the hilt of one of my knives. I slid it from its sheath, preparing to toss it at the guard and quickly intercept his compatriot should the need arise.

  Rose focused on the man again and strolled closer to him. “No. I insist I be the one to deliver it.”

  “Who is your mistress?”

  “Does it matter?” Rose lifted a hand, pointing in the direction of the meeting room. “I know she’s in there. Let me pass. I won’t be but a minute.”

  The page shifted, coming between Rose and the hallway. “I’m afraid that’s out of the question. The meeting’s already begun.”

  Rose raised an eyebrow at him and shoved forward. The guard muscled against her, providing enough resistance to knock her back a step. “You are not allowed back there, and that’s final. I’ll summon my friend and have him deliver the message.”

  “Why not you?” Rose asked, rolling her eyes.

  “Because now, I don’t trust you won’t try to slip past me.” The blond-haired guard glanced back down the hallway, lifting a hand to snap his fingers and then motioning for his compatriot to wander over. Whatever silent communication transpired between the two of them must have been enough. The other darker-haired guard appeared out of the hallway, glancing between his friend and Rose with a quizzical expression on his face. “What is it?” he asked, his eyes settling on his friend.

  “It’s this woman,” he began. I did not bother listening to the rest of what was spoken because I knew I had to move swiftly. I slipped from my hiding place and managed to attract Rose’s attention just as I raised the blade I held between my thumb and forefinger. She stepped backward and tripped, landing on her backside with an audible thump and provoking the blond-haired guard to swing around and look behind him. I released the knife the moment our eyes met and produced my sword before the blade had even plunged into his chest. He turned to ash, as did his friend when I decapitated him.

  The remnant of both vampires fell on and around Rose. She squeaked with disgust and stood swiftly, brushing off her clothing as though the ash was corrosive. Opening her mouth to talk, she began to say, “I can’t believe you did –” before I closed the distance between us and poised the tip of the blade at her throat. Rose immediately stopped when she felt the sharp edge cut into her skin.

  “If you say anything else,” I whispered harshly, “then I will ensure it is a long time before you are able to speak again.” I scowled as menacingly as possible. “Now, return to the coven before I have to explain to Sabrina why I removed your vocal cords. I have no further use for you.”

  My immortal sister swallowed hard, then began pacing backward. My eyes remained set on her in a deliberate manner, until she opened the door and shut it softly behind her. Alone in the foyer, I knew I was still on borrowed time to eliminate the next being standing between my finest hour and me.

  I collected the knife I had thrown and clutched it in my hand. Stepping confidently down the carpeted hall, I gripped the hilt tight and paused at the corner, knowing the guard to be there and listening carefully to how close he was. A few, tense moments later, I heard a faint shuffle as the man shifted his weight, placing him mere steps away. Moving with deft swiftness, I rounded the corner, catching him off-guard and dodging an awkward grab he made as I circled around his back.

  My arm wrapped around him, pressing his back against my chest before he could regroup. Lifting my dagger, I cut off an attempt he made at screaming, slitting his throat and grinning broadly as blood cascaded from the wound. ‘There, that is better,’ I thought at him. ‘This creates less noise than whatever you were about to do.’

  He gurgled, failing to respond with any manner of cogent thought. I held him firmly in place and shut my eyes, entering his mind with little care as to how delicately I did so. Wincing past the initial, unspoken screams of agony and fear he issued in his head, I focused on his mental map of the meeting room and shut everything else out. Matthew sat at the end of the table closest to the doors directly behind me, with Sabrina seated opposite him. A host of other faces – some I recognized and some, I did not – formed the rest of the picture and while Matthew’s second, Eunice, sat beside him, Robin sat beside our Mistress. As though he had any right.

  ‘That will do, thank you.’ Pushing the guard away, I spun him around and thrust the dagger into his chest, between his ribs and into his heart. He furrowed his brow, disintegrating into ash and crumpling onto the floor with the rest of his personal effects until there was nothing left of him. Wiping the blade against the fabric of my coat, I slid it back into its sheath and strolled closer to the set of doors separating me from the group of people I had seen in the guard’s thoughts.

  While they latched from the inside, their handles provided a wide birth and a quick glance around the immediate area inspired an immediate solution to my need. I grinned and walked toward an ornate floor lamp, proceeding to unplug it from the wall and remove the shade. The length of it slid nicely between the handles and secured the meeting room’s main point of escape closed. I suppressed a chuckle while examining my handiwork. They would be trapped, with one exit remaining for Sabrina.

  Indulging in a deep, steadying breath, I glanced toward the corridor again and nodded to myself. With that, I headed for the back, my nerves steady and my conscience as absent as it had been since losing Lydia’s necklace. The preliminary tasks had been finished.

  One more round remained before my mission would be complete.

  Chapter 22

  Lithe steps carried me to the side entrance, my hand poised atop the hilt of my katana as I prepared to slay another of Matthew’s guards. As such, when I peered around the corner and caught sight of Timothy standing alone, it took me aback. I stepped more confidently toward him when he turned his head to regard me. “Did Matthew leave this entrance unsecured?” I whispered.

  “One guard. I took care of him,” he said. A snide grin surfaced on his face. “Did Flynn think he was the only one capable of killing vampires?”

  “Not the only, merely the best.”

  Timothy scoffed. “What of the guards at the other door?”

  Directing my attention to the barrier separating me from the events to come, I answered in a sharp hiss. “I am an assassin, Timothy. I know how to do my job, thank you very much.” Pacing closer, I lifted my hand to touch the wood. Inside, voices already spoke in raised tones, although I could tell the true festivities had yet to commence.

  Timothy glanced around and furrowed his brow. “Where is Rose?”

  “I sent her home.” My eyes found his and a scowl formed. “Could you please be quiet and allow me to concentrate?”

  Timothy nodded, saying nothing further. With that, I trained my focus back to the meeting room and closed my eyes, using my ears to form a mental image of what was transpiring.

  Inside my mind’s eye, I saw Sabrina settle back into her chair, her crimson lips spreading in a grin as she folded her hands on her lap. “Some concerns, dear Matthew?” she asked, a feigned hint of surprise latent in her voice. “By all means, please list them for me.”

  “Sabrina, I know you are one of the oldest on this council,” said the stately looking Matthew, with hair so dark, it could have transcended black. The contrast made his pale skin look even more pallid, as though he only fed when necessary. I saw his brown eyes blazing intensely at my maker while he spoke. “We are peers in age and as such, I will treat you as my equal and not insult your intelligence. Since forming your coven, you have been nothing but trouble, but in recent years you have utilized the services of an assassin.” The room fell silent. Matthew’s tone of voice became vitriolic. “In this, you have crossed the line. All of us have lost vampires dear to us due to this insubordinate temper tantrum of yours and now, you must answer for yourself.”

  “Insubordinate?” Sabrina laughed. “I am nobody’s subordinate.”

  “You are subordinate to the collective will of the seven covens, Sabrina, and to me as the recognized leader of this area. Before you arrived,
we lived in peace and cooperated freely to maintain the interests of our kind. You did nothing but disrupt that.”

  “You claim to maintain our interests, but what have you done to further them?” Sabrina raised an eyebrow at him. “We skitter around like rats, careful about how much we hunt and who we turn, when we could live like kings.”

  Matthew sighed in an exasperated manner. “Even you know this is a delicate balance – vampire kind and human kind. You would risk the Supernatural Order dismantling us all, for what? So you can prove to the rest of us how superior you are?” I heard him fall into his chair and listened to silence until he gathered himself and spoke again. “You’ve jeopardize our very existence. For four years, we’ve begged you to end your war against us, and you answered by having your neophyte decimate our ranks.”

  “You say this and yet, this is the first time in all of those years you’ve tried to parlay with me. “Sabrina chuckled. “Flynn has been my protector. Those he has killed have been your agents seeking to undermine me. You would have seen me dead before I even turned him. Should I take such a threat lying down?”

  “You’ve had him kill without any provocation! Many times, out of sheer paranoia. Before this began, I would’ve gladly heard your grievances if you thought someone else wished you ill.”

  “Oh, please. And how would the great Matthew Pritchard have handled it when he’s been the one harboring the most ill against me?” Sabrina paused. I imagined her glancing across the faces of each person gathered. “All of you have despised me. All of you! Anyone presented to the council as a threat would have been slapped on the wrist. By now, I would have been ashes!”

  “If so, then only because you are a threat to our safety and anonymity,” said another elder, whose voice I recognized belonging to John-Mark. The second-in-command of a coven in Southern New Jersey, he would have been seated beside his maker, Emily, and resembled a mortal in his mid-forties. “Your complete lack of regard for common decency leads to blood baths. We are merely trying to preserve our own existence while you accuse us of being spineless man-servants.”