A Shade of Halloween

by Robin Todd

  I knew he was right. I had to work with Ros to figure things out but it didn’t change the resentment I felt towards him in my heart.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ryan’s POV

  I returned to the living room with Ros and Trina, only to notice Selena’s eyebrows crease into a frown at the sight of Ros. Her reaction made me happy in a bizarre way. She no longer saw him as the cute bad boy he’d been trying so hard to portray since the Heavenly Calabasas trip. I fought the urge to smile at the situation because there were other pressing issues such as the way Trina felt.

  “Did you find anything?” Trina ran to Selena and inquired.

  She noticed her friend’s puffy eyes and stopped.

  “I’m so sorry.” She apologized, hugging Selena.

  “Don’t worry about it. It was just a sad memory.” Selena replied. “Sophia mentioned a book we read in her temple. The Secrets of the Ages. I suggest we go back there and find it.”

  “Can I please have a word with Selena before we leave?” Ros asked.

  “We don’t have time. I suggest we keep moving.” Selena replied flatly, brushing off Ros’s request.

  I didn’t miss the tinge of hurt on Ros’s face, regardless of the fact that he was trying so hard to conceal it. Waves of pleasure swarmed around happily in my heart for all of two seconds before I felt sorry for him.

  “Selena, I think you should speak with Ros. It’ll help our mission if you don’t hold a grudge.” I said.

  “Hold a grudge? Do you think I’m holding a grudge? This monster...”

  Ros activated his enhanced speed and hugged her, interrupting her angry rant.

  “Forgive me.” He pleaded. “I don’t deserve it, but please, forgive me. You may not believe me but I genuinely care about your happiness. I was hurt. More hurt than I’d ever been in my life. Still, it’s no excuse for the pain I caused you. I’m sorry.”

  Selena let her body go limp in his arms as fresh tears made their way out of her eyes. They held each other tight until Selena’s sobs quietened.

  “I forgive you.” She finally whispered.

  Her voice was soft and laced with emotion. It tugged at my heart and I couldn’t help the sting in my eyes that resulted from watching them together.

  “Did I really come between something true?”

  I had no idea he felt so strongly about her. Why did he? They were together centuries ago. Why didn’t he show what he felt for her back in 1889?

  “Would it have stopped me from falling in love with her?”

  I knew it wouldn’t have made a difference and my emotions moved from jealousy to remorse. My actions in 1889 were wrong but was my heart wrong too?

  “I don’t mean to be rude but now that we’ve buried the hatchet I suggest we move on with the mission. I’d love it if we found my family sooner rather than later.” Trina broke the silence in the room.

  “Yeah, sure.” Ros replied. “So what’s the plan?”

  “I suggest we place replicas of ourselves inside the temple. I know the way so that shouldn’t be a problem. We can watch the replicas from here. Once we get what we need, we come back here and analyze our strategy. That way, we won’t get found by government officials.” Selena replied.

  Everyone agreed and followed Ros who led us back to the guest bedroom. The space around us stretched out like a clear fabric, revealing replicas of ourselves inside Sophia’s temple.

  “Wait a minute. How did you do that without touching us?” Ros asked.

  “I only need to touch you the first time I transport you with my powers. After that, I only need to wish it.” Selena replied.

  “Oh…kay. Let’s get to work then. What does this book look like?” Ros asked.

  “I know what it looks like.” Trina replied.

  She led us to the secret library within the temple and set off using her enhanced speed. She was back after a few seconds, holding a big book which she placed on a table in front of us. Selena opened the book and leafed through the pages. It was filled with procedural spells and strange art. She took the book and merged everyone’s replica back with their real versions in Ros’s spare bedroom before asking for a knife. Once Ros returned with it, she cut an incision on her palm and allowed her blood drip into the depressed part of the book’s cover. We waited for a few seconds for something to happen but nothing did. Selena opened the book’s cover and looked at the pages again but they were the same.

  “I don’t understand it.” She sighed in frustration.

  “Did Sophia ask you to recite a spell while bleeding on the book?” Ros asked.

  “No, she didn’t.” Selena replied.

  “Did she say anything about using your blood?” Ros asked.

  “Um... no. Why?” She asked.

  “When Sophia cast the reincarnation spell, she used the blood of an immortal. Ryan’s blood to be precise. Why don’t we try that with this book?”

  “I’m an immortal now.” Selena countered. “If immortality was the prerequisite, then my blood should open it.”

  “I think it’s worth a shot.” Trina chipped in. “What do we have to lose?”

  Opening the book already spilled her blood out of the depression in the book’s cover, creating the space to try someone else’s blood.

  “I’ll go for it.” Ros spoke up.

  I could tell he was trying hard to please Selena and if my heart wasn’t at stake, I would have found it cute. I let him have the moment and watched Selena take his hand. She made a straight cut and we all waited for his blood to fill the depression in the book’s cover. Once it was completely full, we heard a soft feminine voice that sounded like it came from all around us.

  “To reveal the secrets of the ages, you must provide proof that your intentions are noble. You have five seconds to respond. How do you wish to proceed?”

  We looked at each other before turning to Selena.

  “There’s a passcode?” She whispered.

  “What are the consequences of providing the wrong passcode?” Ros whispered.

  “You have one second left.” The soft feminine voice came from around the room again.

  “Um... Enlightenment?” Selena’s response was more of a question than an answer.

  Nothing happened and Selena sighed in frustration.

  “What do we do now?” Trina asked.

  “The world is in danger and we search for answers.” Ros spoke up.

  We heard the sound of rustling wind and shortly after, a young woman wearing a flowing lilac robe appeared in our midst. Saying we were stunned would be an understatement. We had no clue what the passcode was supposed to be. We didn’t even know which passcode worked.

  “Tell me.” The mystery girl offered. “What answers do you seek?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Selena’s POV

  The girl in our midst started by asking what answers we sought but when she turned to me, she froze.

  “You’re here.” She blurted in shock.

  “Um... yeah. Why?” I asked, not quite getting her reason for stating the obvious.

  She lifted her dress with both hands and curtsied before addressing me again.

  “Forgive me, my lady. I was very alarmed and meant no disrespect. Lord Tristan will be delighted.” She beamed.

  “Okay. I don’t know who you’re mistaking me for but we have a problem and I’ll love it if you get right to the answers.” I replied, impatiently. “I really don’t mean to be rude but this is important.”

  “I apologize.” This time, she bowed. “I will do as you have requested. What answers do you seek?”

  “Maybe she’s just being polite.”

  “We’ve had cases where black hands come out of nowhere and grab people. They disappear without a trace afterwards. Do you know anything about the hands?” I went straight to the point.

  “That sounds a lot like the Stygians.” She replied. “They have preyed on humans for thousands of years. Stygians are known to be the masters of illusion.
I assure you the hands you see do not represent their true form.

  “Stygians?” I repeated. “I’ve never heard of them.”

  “How can we defeat them?” Ros asked.

  “Where do they take their victims?” Ryan added.

  “The Stygians were sealed away from your world during the great war. If they are appearing in small numbers again, it means the seal is weakening.” She replied. “To defeat them, you must understand their true nature. I’m not certain where they have chosen to take their victims this time but since they feed on human blood, it could be anywhere ranging from your world to theirs.”

  “What? No. Please tell me it’s not true.” Trina’s eyes turned red with her outburst and Ros pulled her close to console her.

  “Please stay strong.” He whispered. “We’ll find them.”

  “When you say their world, do you mean they live outside the earth?” Ryan asked.

  “Only humans belong in your world.” The girl replied. “At different times in history, other races which you now refer to as supernatural races, made their way into your world. Some brought peace and others brought destruction.”

  “You’re a race?” I asked.

  “Yes, we are a race. Just like humans have their home world which you call earth, we have ours and so do the Stygians. Their world is a very dark place and they take that darkness everywhere they go. You must keep them out of your world. It was for that reason we came together with humans to create your kind.” She replied, turning to Ros.

  “When you say my kind do you mean vampires?” Ros asked.

  “Yes.” The girl nodded.

  “We were created for a reason?” Ryan asked.

  “Yes. Before the great war, my people fought the Stygians off your world, together with human warriors. We soon realized that we couldn’t keep that strategy up for long. The Stygians were a deceptively powerful race, in addition to being numerous. We were greatly outnumbered and the humans couldn’t match them in strength. It was a classic battle of good versus evil, where evil prevailed. We lost more humans than we could save. It didn’t take us long to realize what we needed to do. Human leaders came together with our leaders to discuss a survival strategy. We combined our powers with the powers of the greatest human sorcerers and sorceresses of the time to produce a brand new race of evil, but it was for a good purpose.” She replied.

  “So you’re saying we’re evil? I don’t believe you. I’m not evil.” Ryan stated defensively.

  “I’m saying you were created of evil but our intentions were good.” She replied. “We could not fight the Stygians with good. We had no choice but to turn to evil.”

  “So we’re like a good-evil hybrid?” Ros asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “You have both elements in you but your core and default inclination is evil. For example, you require human blood for sustenance. That can’t be considered good.” She replied.

  “Vampires kill humans.” Trina spoke for the first time since her outburst. “Why would humans create something that kills them to save themselves from dying. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Vampires were not created to kill humans. It was supposed to be a beneficial relationship for both parties. Humans provided them sustenance in blood and they in turn provided them protection from the Stygians. As time went on, the Stygians realized they were losing their hold on your world. They manipulated some vampires into accepting the evil in their cores and killing humans for sport. When we noticed this trend, we came together again with human sorcerers and sorceresses to cast the spell of the blood lust. Its main objective was to serve as a deterrent to any vampire wishing to drain a human of all their blood.” She replied.

  “If sorcerers and sorceresses helped make vampires, why are our natures against each other?” I asked.

  “Sorcery is in line with the preservation of nature’s creations and vampires by their very nature violate that.” She replied. “While both parties are drawn away from each other, deep down inside there is an understanding of each other’s role.”

  “If everyone had their home worlds, why come to ours and destroy it?” Trina asked.

  “Just like you, other races are inquisitive. We yearn to know the things around us. As we explore, we find new races and understand their place in the grand design of things. Every race exists for a purpose. Your world for example, produces the balance we need to preserve our home world. It was for that reason we could not let the Stygians destroy your world.” She replied.

  “So you guys were more selfish than generous.” Trina observed.

  “I wouldn’t say we were selfish. It was a beneficial relationship for us, just like it was for humans. We helped defeat the Stygians during the first great war and we left a connection through The Secrets of the Ages for your race to contact us if the Stygians ever resurfaced.” She replied.

  “Couldn’t you have made the contact process easier? We almost gave up.” I complained.

  “I apologize, my lady. We did not want the Stygians to find the connection to our world.” She replied.

  “Why does she keep referring to me as my lady?”

  “So now that we’ve contacted you, how do we send the Stygians back to wherever the hell they came from?” Ros asked.

  “Like I said before, you must understand their true nature and to do this, I will demonstrate.”

  The girl waved one hand in front of her like one would when parting the surface of water. As she did, pictures from a battleground came into view. I saw hundreds of bodies lying dead on the ground with just a few people still alive. The environment didn’t look particularly windy but a black kite kept itself afloat and soared along. It dropped behind one of the few standing people and transformed into the form of a man. In a split second, his eyes turned bloodshot red and he sank his extended fangs into the neck of the standing girl. Her body jerked from the pain and it was obvious she was trying to run but she couldn’t shake herself off his grip and the man continued to drink from her neck. Another man carrying a crucifix and a sword ran behind the attacker and began a swipe towards his neck. The attacker pulled a baby out of thin air and placed it between the sword and his neck. The man froze at the sight of the baby but that was all the attacker needed. He pounced on the man and sank his teeth into his neck. As the man holding the crucifix died from blood loss, the suspended baby disintegrated into black feathers and fell to the ground. I gasped at the horrible sight and turned to the other people in the room.

  “Is any of this real?” I asked.

  “Yes. This is an actual scene from the war before vampires were created. The man with the crucifix and sword was a human warrior and the man who killed him was a Stygian. I witnessed that horror, which is why I am able to show it to you.” She explained. “Can you tell me why the human warrior lost this fight?”

  “Because of the baby.” Trina replied.

  “Because he hesitated.” Ros added.

  “He didn’t want to kill a baby.” I expanded Trina’s answer.

  “He wasn’t as strong or as fast as the Stygian.” Ryan explained. “If he was fast, he still would have been able to react after the baby got out of the way.”

  “All your answers are correct but you must see the underlying reason for this man’s action or inaction in this case. The baby was never real because you saw it disintegrate into feathers once the Stygian had the upper hand. What happened here was a manipulation of the man’s good nature. He couldn’t bring himself to kill a baby. The Stygian knew that and used it against him. The other thing the Stygian used there was his mastery of illusion or make belief. He went through the battlefield undetected as a paper kite, only assuming his true form when he needed to feed. He sensed the man with the crucifix and sword before he attacked, and he made him see a baby which stopped him from completing his swing. I never knew the man with the crucifix but from what I know about the Stygians, he probably had a baby of his own.” The girl explained.

  “Wait, I have a couple of questions. Wh
at is the Stygian’s true form? How can we tell when they make us see their illusions? How do the Stygians know what would stop us from acting?”

  “Those are very good questions. I don’t know the answer to the first. Stygians have been known to take numerous forms throughout history. For our kind, telling what is real is easy. We have a higher sense of perception than humans. The Stygians can also read the minds of humans, so they know how that human is likely to react in a given situation. This is another area where we have an upper hand.” She explained. “When we came together with human leaders to discuss a strategy, it was obvious we couldn’t send good soldiers into a battle like that. We needed creatures with an inclination to kill. We created vampires with some of our own capabilities and most of theirs. For instance, vampires have fangs and can move as fast as the Stygians. They can project their thoughts into the minds of humans which is one of our traits. They also drink blood like the Stygians and their eyes turn red in the same situations.”

  “Wait. You said that battle scene you showed us was from your memory. You displayed it in the air in front of us. That’s different from what we can do. We can only project our memories into a human mind and they have to be asleep first.” Ryan observed.

  “That is correct.” The girl smiled. “We cannot create creatures exactly like ourselves using our powers. Every trait you inherited from your creators has been diluted. Just like a mini version of the original.”

  “Wow. This doesn’t sound like a battle we can fight alone.” Trina stated. “Can your kind come back and help us?”

  “It will not be advisable to do that. The Stygians greatly outnumber us. It is important to note that all Stygians were not killed during the great war. Based on events from that time, we had to employ a twofold strategy. We combined our abilities with your sorcerers and sorceresses to cast a protection spell over your world. Remember that up until this day we do not know the true form of the Stygians. For the spell to truly keep them out, we had to keep all other races out as well. It was a sacrifice we had to make but it was worth it. After the spell was cast, the vampires only had to deal with Stygians already in your world. Our victory came when they triumphed.” She explained.