The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5)

by Jonathan Yanez

  “No, we're not counting her twice.” Jack chuckled at his father’s comment. “That was never in the deal, and besides, you cheated by starting early. I wasn’t rea―”

  There was movement in the bushes around them. Jack crouched with his staff already blazing green. Marcus lifted his right hand toward the sound, ready to channel and discharge a magical beam.

  “Not spirits, humans,” Jack said without taking his eyes off the surrounding forest.

  “And a lot of them,” Marcus agreed. “They have us surrounded.”

  In seconds, men materialized from the woods, soldiers bearing the emblem of the city of New Hope, two steel-gray swords crossed behind an ebony black bat. There were too many to count. Each soldier wore a black uniform outlined by gray thread and buttons. Steel helmets accompanied dark metal gauntlets, forearm guards, shin guards, and black goggles. Every soldier carried a backpack and a long rifle, all of which were pointed in Jack and Marcus’ direction.

  Jack had only seen soldiers from New Hope a handful of times. They never looked twice in his direction. Now all the soldiers seemed eager, even happy to have the two men in their line of sight.

  There was a tense moment where nothing happened. Then the soldiers parted ranks to allow someone through.

  From the badges on his chest and arms, Jack knew him to be some kind of officer. “Please excuse us. We don’t mean you harm. And if you’re willing, we can all lower our weapons.”

  Jack looked at his father, who nodded, and they lowered both staff and hand. The officer looked pleased. He turned and motioned to his own men to lower their rifles.

  “I’m sorry for the abrupt meeting. My name is Lieutenant Doyle Baker. My men and I have been searching these woods for days looking for you. You are Marcus Walker, the famous tracker sorcerer, and this is your son, Jack Walker?”

  “Yes, we are.” Jack’s father ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “And what, may I ask, is the occasion? Soldiers from New Hope this deep into the Outland isn’t a very common sight.”

  “I’ve been asked by the Queen herself to seek you out and invite you to New Hope for an audience. I don’t know much, but I know whatever the reason, it must be important.”

  Jack licked his lips as excitement caught in his chest. New Hope was the largest and by far the most prosperous city in the entire known world. Every latest invention or breakthrough in magic came from the city. He heard stories of impossible machines, buildings that touched the sky, and even rumors of creations that sounded beyond reason. Jack had always wanted to visit the famed city, but work had never brought them even remotely close to the city’s walls.

  Marcus looked at his son with a half smile, practically reading his thoughts. Before his father even opened his mouth, Jack knew what he was going to say. His father was a man loyal to his country and a true patriot. If the Queen needed to speak with him, then his father would go no matter what.

  “We’ll accompany you to New Hope, but we’ve just finished a job for the local farmers. We need to let them know that they can rest easy. The threat is gone.”

  Lieutenant Baker smiled as he surveyed the battleground and the burning smell that came with the wafting smoke. “I’ve seen battlefields with less char. The stories of you and your son must be true. Please allow me to send one of my own messengers to the farmers. Queen Eckert was insistent that we get you back as soon as possible and without delay.”

  Marcus nodded to Lieutenant Baker and looked at his son. “Well, partner, looks like your prayers have been answered. We’re going to New Hope.”

  Chapter Four

  Jack

  Jack and his father traveled with the regiment of soldiers by horseback. An aggressive pace was set, and within a few days, familiar mountains and forests gave way to open deserts and small towns. Whenever they rode through a town, dark scowls and nervous glances were directed their way. It was clear the inhabitants of the land outside New Hope had no great love for the Queen or her men.

  It was something Jack had always known, but now he was lumped in as “one of them” and it was a chilling feeling to be looked on with such disgust.

  “Different, isn’t it?”

  Jack almost fell out of his saddle as he turned to look at Lieutenant Baker, riding beside him. “What is?”

  “Being regarded with such disdain without even so much as a chance to prove otherwise. They look at you and think just because you wear a uniform, they know you.”

  “Why do they distrust you so much?”

  “Because we’re from the last great city of men. They think we hide behind our walls and horde riches for ourselves, when the truth is so much closer to them than they realize.”

  “What truth?”

  “Until recently, we were no better off inside the city than they are.” The Lieutenant looked at Jack and smiled, flashing his clean white teeth. “We were barely scraping by. Our political structure was deteriorating, crime was rising, and there was so much corruption within the city’s police force, it made it impossible for any real good to be done. We were rotting from the inside out, truth be told, and people were probably better off in the Outland than in New Hope.”

  “What changed?” Jack found himself beginning to like the lieutenant and his honest, easy manner of speaking.

  “She did. When the Queen came to power ten years ago, she was the savior New Hope needed. She pulled us back from the brink. She saved us from ourselves. It was slow going at first and people resisted the change, but one street at a time, one crooked police officer or soldier fired, one positive and moral political representative elected at a time, the city started to change. We’ve clawed our way back from oblivion, and now New Hope is a place its people can be proud to call home.”

  Jack bit his lip as he thought on the lieutenant’s words. The picture that was painted of New Hope’s history was one new to him. He always heard the city talked about with an air of disdain. It was as though the population of the Outland hated the city and its inhabitants for all the wrong reasons.

  “So while the Outland was barely surviving and blaming New Hope for not helping, New Hope was actually fighting its own battle of survival?”

  “That’s exactly right, Jack. But now New Hope is stronger. We’re making advancements in every area, especially in the fields of magic and paranormal study. We may soon be in a position to offer the cities in the Outland a helping hand.”

  Chapter Five

  Jack

  That night, Jack and his father made camp beside the regiment of soldiers underneath the many stars of the Outland. Jack’s curiosity was running in a dozen different directions. He finally decided to voice his thoughts. “Dad?”

  “Yes, son?” Marcus looked up from the whetstone he was using to sharpen his knives.

  “Why do you think the Queen called for us?”

  “I can’t be sure of the exact reason,” Marcus took a deep breath and pursed his lips.” But I’m guessing it has something to do with the skill set we possess.”

  “You mean the Queen wants us to use our ability over magic for her?”

  “Maybe. More than likely, the Queen wants something tracked in the Outland. She wouldn’t call us all the way to New Hope if it was a city matter.”

  Jack finished setting out the bedrolls and squinted into the darkness. He looked past the soldiers’ campfires, past all the sand in the seemingly never-ending desert and imagined a city in the distance.

  “We’ll be there soon enough, son. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to New Hope, but with the pace we’ve followed, we should see the city tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Do you ever wish you had stayed? I mean, do you ever regret leaving the city?”

  “No. It wasn’t a place to raise a family, and when I left, things were only getting worse.”

  Something in his father’s tone made Jack hesitate. “Are you worried about what might be waiting for us when we get to the city?”

  “Not worried, son, just cautious.�
� Marcus looked up at his son with a smile. “It’s not every day the Queen sends a detachment of men deep into the Outland to summon a pair of tracking sorcerers, no matter how good we are at what we do. Something big is happening, but there’s no point speculating on what it could be. I’m sure we’ll find out tomorrow.”

  That night, Jack fell asleep with thoughts of tall walls and large sprawling cities. His imagination ran wild in his dreams, free to conjure images of large brick structures and new magical instruments.

  The next day was a blur as the soldiers and sorcerers ate a quick breakfast while on horseback. The city was close and it seemed even the most hardened soldier was eager to reach the city. Jack had lived in the Outland his entire life, but he could sympathize with the soldiers. The world outside the walls of New Hope could be scary to those who only ventured out when they were ordered to.

  The Queen’s soldiers and horses alike seemed eager to return to the city. Unlike Jack’s and his father’s horses, who were used to long rides and the Outland’s challenging terrain, the armies’ horses were unaccustomed to traveling more than a few miles outside the city walls. This was beginning to show as their pace slowed. Jack noticed the other horses’ mouths begin to foam.

  Jack patted the neck of his black horse and knelt down to whisper in her ear, “You’re doing great, Cherub. We’ll be there soon.”

  The horse nickered as if she understood and shook her mane.

  A few hours later, Jack was debating whether to ask his father how much further they had to go, when he caught a shimmer in the distance.

  Jack squinted and craned his neck forward, trying to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him or if there really was something there. Soon, waving black shadows turned into tiny figures of men, and as they closed the distance, hammering filled the air.

  Lieutenant Baker and his men seemed as though they expected the sight, but to Jack, it was as mysterious as if he had seen a ghost cross their path and wave a greeting. Jack looked at his father, who shrugged.

  They soon rode up to the men, who shouted hellos to the soldiers. As Jack got a better look at what was taking place, he realized there were dozens of men laying some kind of metal track across the desert floor.

  Wide-shouldered workers sweated and grunted, wearing dark overalls and heavy leather work gloves as they laid thick planks in a straight row. Heavy steel bars were then laid across the wooden planks. Everything was hammered in place.

  A short, muscular man walked toward the group and waved a welcome to Lieutenant Baker. Jack and his father were close enough to the front of the caravan to hear the conversation.

  “Well, hello, Lieutenant. Didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”

  “Me either.” Lieutenant Baker slowed his horse beside the man and leaned down to shake hands. “Things went as smooth as I could have hoped. How’s the track coming, Christopher?”

  “Well, you know, having the title of ‘Foreman’ means that you carry all the pressure of hitting goals and deadlines. It’s hot, but the boys have been working hard and we’re actually ahead of the Queen’s schedule.”

  “Very good. This undertaking will open a new page in history. People will be talking about this for years to come.”

  “Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet,” the foreman returned with a smile. “We’re keeping a brutal pace with crews of men working around the clock. Let’s see what happens as we get deeper into the Outland and closer to their cities.”

  “Agreed, but we have to stay positive. Keep up the good work, Christopher. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”

  “When you do, we’ll be miles ahead of this spot.” The foreman smiled and waved as Lieutenant Baker nudged his horse forward. The caravan started again.

  Jack wanted to ask the lieutenant a dozen questions about what kind of track was being laid and for what purpose, but he bit his barrage of inquiries back.

  The caravan pushed hard for the rest of the day. Their midday meal was again spent in their saddles. As noon came and went and the sun began to set, Jack found himself once again debating whether or not to ask how much further the city was, but there would be no need. At that moment, Jack’s eyes made out the outline of New Hope’s walls on the horizon.

  For the walls to be this high from so far away, Jack knew they had to be massive up close. A huge wall formed a perfect circle around the city of New Hope. As they got closer, Jack could make out towers and spires inside the city that dwarfed even the wall for height.

  So far, the road they journeyed on had only brought them past the occasional traveler. Now as they approached the city, the road was bustling with people coming from and going to New Hope. Merchants, farmers, teachers, and everyone else between gave the soldiers and trackers nods as they passed.

  The whole way to the city gates, the same wooden beams and iron bars they encountered men laying earlier that morning followed on their right. The track sat a few yards off the road. The steel rails on wooden beams seemed new to even the locals. Jack saw more than one stop and point. They smiled and talked as though they had done the laying of the track themselves.

  “They must be moving like the devil to have laid this much track in such a short time,” a chubby businessman nodded to his female companion. “Why, I thought they had just started this morning!”

  “Yes, I heard the Queen has men working on it day and night, using only the most advanced tools.”

  “Oh, you don’t say?”

  “Oh, but I do!”

  Jack rode past out of earshot as the two broke into obnoxious laughter. He was left wondering what kind of tools would allow a crew of men to travel so quickly and make so much progress in such a short course of time.

  Their party was soon stopped at the entrance of New Hope as Lieutenant Baker conversed with the guards on duty. This time, Jack didn’t try and listen in; compared to the sights that were meeting his eyes, words were meaningless.

  Jack was sitting on his horse right underneath the city wall, a wall that he could now do a fair job of measuring. He craned his neck, squinting against the harsh sun’s rays.

  “What do you think, Jack?” His father pointed to the top of the wall. “Eighty, ninety, a hundred feet high?”

  “At least a hundred feet high.” Jack raised a gloved hand to his brow as he shook his head in disbelief. “With the gates closed, I can see how someone would get the impression they’re not wanted inside.”

  “I know what you mean. But if you think their walls are impressive, wait till you see what’s inside.”

  Chapter Six

  Jack

  Jack tore his eyes from the city wall. He looked at his father, expecting him to explain.

  “Here we go.” Marcus ignored his son’s questioning eyes. “They’re letting us through. Try not to fall off your saddle.”

  Sure enough, the guards at the gate were motioning them forward. Jack let Cherub fall in line with the rest of the horses at a steady trot. Passing through the gates, Jack wasn’t ready to take in the city of New Hope. Every cobble-paved street led to a new sight. With every turn deeper into the heart of the city, something else made Jack’s jaw drop.

  Jack was used to small cities in the Outland—cities made from wood and hard red clay burned solid by the sun’s strong rays—but he had never seen a city fashioned from brick and metal. Tall structures rose on every side of the packed streets. Red, blue, green, and yellow smoke lifted into the air from a dozen factories. Whistles blew and machines clanked along inside stores, creating whatever goods their masters sold.

  Factories hummed under the constant supervision of their owners. The noise level was shocking compared to the silence of the Outland. People yelled to one another, carriages led by teams of horses clopped along the stone pavement, and vendors shouted their wares.

  It was nothing like the Outland, and so much more than Jack could have imagined. He smiled as he was introduced to new sight after newer sight. He strained to pick up individual voices beyond
the clamor.

  “Extra! Extra! Read all about how the Queen has cleaned up New Hope!”

  “Shadow spirits terrorizing villages! Buy your tried and tested Shadow Repellent here before becoming a member of the roaming dead!”

  “Need a pair of goggles before venturing past the city walls? Be prepared for a sandstorm in the Outland!”

  Jack could have spent days wandering around the city and still been content to wander longer. In his eighteen years of life, nothing else compared. He knew he should be startled, maybe even scared by the loud noises and the foreign magic-powered machines working in every window, but he wasn’t. He wanted to see more. He wanted to get a better look inside the factories and at the machines that made the city run.

  It was then that he made himself a promise. When their business was done with the crown, he would get his father to stay in New Hope; maybe not forever, but for a while.

  It was as he was thinking about how to overcome his father’s rebuttals to his new idea that the group turned a corner. Jack’s brown eyebrows shot to his hairline. His dark eyes widened for what seemed the hundredth time since entering the city.

  The royal palace looked like it could be a city in and of itself. Domed roofs reached for the heavens, towers loomed overhead, and dozens of servants and soldiers ran across the courtyard. There was a heavy iron fence surrounding the black and grey structure. Once again, they were halted for security clearance.

  “We’ll be walking from here.” Lieutenant Baker jumped off his horse and gave orders for his men to disperse. “It’s not far now.”

  Jack and his father followed his example. They walked with the lieutenant through the iron gate and across the courtyard. The courtyard was massive, boasting a fountain in the center spilling forth water from a sculpted bat. The statue was tall and ominous, its wings extended as if caught mid flight. The way the sun caught the water gave the liquid a dull amber glow.