Disclaimer: Belongs to AAR and Random House. The part just after the transition (the paragraph that starts with "Trying to...") is not mine. It is from page 50 of In the Forests of the Night, and belongs to AAR. IT IS NOT MINE.
I have absolutely no excuse for not updating. I accept my punishment.
Chapter 13: Burning Bright
It is the hour before dawn. Still dark, yet with the hint of day showing. I have been up all night, wondering whether or not I should respond to the rose and its message. It could be a trap. It could be another vampire leading me on some desperate chase, to make a fool out of me. It could be a rival, trying to lure me back into New Mayhem, and thereby destroy me.
It does not matter. I need answers, and I need them now. What is going on with Midnight? It is obvious that whoever sent me the summons knows about the poems Jaguar sent me. It is just possible that they would know why he did.
I arrive at a secluded place in the nearby park. I can sense a weak vampire hiding in the woods, and take myself to where she is waiting. I surprise her upon my arrival, and she tries to hide her fear behind a mask of anger.
"Where have you been? I have been waiting out here all night!" she snarls at me. I stare back at her composedly. Did she really expect me to come rushing into the woods without weighing the consequences of my actions? It is no wonder that she is not very strong.
When it becomes obvious that I am not going to fight back, she gives an impatient sigh and says "Well, come on then!" before setting off into the woods. I follow, intrigued. Why did she not transport with her mind? Is she not strong enough? Or has she been given other orders?
We walk a long while. The moon is setting, its silvery light growing weaker as the earth turns under the sky. An early morning mist has risen, giving the place an eerie, otherworldly feel. And we walk ever deeper into the woods.
Suddenly, we stop. It is at a place that is no different from the rest, except to her. A little something, a change in her stance...
She whirls around, knife slashing down. I block it before returning with a blow that should have stunned her. She is quicker than I thought, and dodges before pulling something out from her belt. I freeze, looking at it.
In her hand is a sample of Triste firestone.
She smiles, slightly. She knows she has the upper hand. Triste firestone, if pressed to a wound in a vampire, draws out all of their power, killing them. All she would need would be just two swift, lucky strikes. I look at her.
"All right," I say softly. "You win."
"Good," she replies. And with that, she steps forward, slices my arm, and holds the rock to my flesh.
As the darkness smothers me, I curse myself for being so stupid.
Trying to open my eyes, I saw only blackness. I thought I was blind, and that terrified me. Was this death, then? Floating forever in blackness, not even remembering who you had been?
I shake myself awake. This is not three hundred years ago. I am not newly dead. What am I thinking? I am not newly dead...
I push myself into a sitting position. The glass walls are cold, as is the wooden floor. The glass walls...
I stand up quickly. What is going on? What am I thinking? Ather's house burned down years ago, why does it seem that I am still there? I need to leave...
I trail my hand against the wall, alert for any subtle changes. When I touch wood, I immediately sense it is a door, and proceed to push. It opens easily, and I step into the light, blinking.
There, sitting in a chair in the center of a well lit room, is Jeshickah.
Instantly, all of my senses are alert. My wariness turns into barely-controlled anxiety. I will not let her rule me, I will not let her see my fear...
"Risika," she says, smiling. I watch her, waiting to see what she will do next. She stands up, and walks toward me. Immediately I shift into a fighting stance, anticipating any move she could make. Jeshickah stops a few feet away, and stands there, smiling.
"And how was your rest, little tiger? I do apologize for the rudeness of my fledgeling. Sometimes, she gets a little... out of hand." I say nothing and simply watch. She gestures toward the chair.
"Would you like a seat? I expect the shock of waking where you did would be a little off-putting..."
"What time is it?" I ask.
"Late afternoon," she says, her smile growing wider. "I do hope you'll have a seat, bright tiger. It'll make things much easier."
"I prefer to stand," I reply shortly.
"As you wish," she says. Now I am even more suspicious. It is not like Jeshickah to give up without a fight. Now I am even more cautious.
"I expect you want to know what you are doing here," she says, sitting back down in the chair. I simply nod, waiting for her to stop playing her games. But she is not finished yet.
"You know, Tigris, I expected a bit more from you. You are rather bright. I'm surprised you haven't made the connection yet." Now I am completely mystified. What is she talking about? I have been exiled, attacked, knocked out, revived, and suddenly am expected to engage in banter with a well known power mad vampire. I decide to get right to the point.
"How come I did not die?" I ask.
" Ah... see, that is interesting. You know, it is the nature of firestone to draw out power. However, if there is another magic, stronger than that in the firestone, it can halt the process, perhaps even reverse it, though I do not know how just yet. Do not worry, Tiger. You will be fine in a few days. And now, perhaps you'd like to ask another question?"
I stand there, thinking. What is her game? There is a piece missing, something I do not understand. I am brought here to discuss the poems from Jaguar, the Tiger poems...
Bright tiger, Tigris...
Then, in a flash, I understand what is happening.
"You wrote those poems."
Jeshickah smiles, then nods. "You are correct."
"Why?" I ask. Though I have figured out the writer, it still makes no sense. Why would Jeshickah send me the poems, but pretend they were Jaguar's? Unless...
Jeshickah had been watching me, her face serious. Now, she smiles her feral smile, the smile of a predator enjoying the fear of their prey.
"You are right, Risika. I knew you would see. Now, whether you will understand..."
"But your plan to drive Midnight and New Mayhem apart did not work! Siete banished me!" I say, watching her closely.
"That does not matter, Risika. That, true, was one part of the plan, but it was not the main part. I have a much, much grander vision than simply causing a political mess."
She rises, and begins pacing. "You do not know what it is like, to lose everything you have fought for, to watch it all be burnt and the ashes scattered on the wind. Those who soar the highest fall the hardest. They also become the most desperate to fly again."
The hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I can sense where this is going. Jeshickah, however, ignores me and continues talking.
"Many, of course, do not. They merely accept their diminished status, and fade, and are heard from no more. Then people wonder about them, in a passing sort of way, until they are completely forgotten. Some, however, try to fight. They work hard, doing so much to make a comeback, but never quite succeeding...
Then, of course, there are the few, the very few, who do come back, and rise higher than anyone ever could have expected them to. They leave their marks on history, they shape and change the world. Vampires are very fortunate. We have more than enough time to establish ourselves, to rise, to fall, and to rise again. A dark phoenix, born not from ashes, but from the grave. A vampire may rise and fall many times in their life. But only one will ever rise, and keep on rising."
"You," I whisper.
"Exactly. Me. I have waited long for this. And now, I want to ask you something." She turns to me. "If you were in my place, what would you do?"
"It does not matter."
"On the contrary. It does. I need to know just how much you are worth."
I stare at her. "It depends on whether or not you can get back what you have lost. But how can you rise? There are many other vampires stronger than you. They will oppose you."
Jeshickah gives me a long, cool look. "Tell me Risika, are you familiar with the term 'super-weapon'?"
"Yes," I reply. "But—"
"But nothing! You think that the others can stop me? Of course they cannot! My little tiger, my burning cat, what I have can defeat even Siete."
I laugh. It is simply ludicrous, to think that she can stop the creator of the vampires. Even she would need to be respectful to Siete if she were to try anything. "I do not believe you," I say.
Her eyes narrow. "Believe me, Risika. Believe me. It is not some spell, it is not some massive bomb. It is something that everyone knows about, but no one thinks about. I am talking about the other races. The witches. The shapeshifters. They are sick of vampires ruling everything, tired of their attitude, tired of the fact that day by day their numbers grow less while ours soar. Even Siete would hesitate before taking on their creators."
Their creators?
"You have allied yourself with the witches? They are our enemy!" I say. What madness is this, that she would willingly walk into that nest of vipers?
"No. See, it is quite simple. They want us to stop killing. I want dominion over the others. Many of them would do anything to make sure that they can rid the world of evil. Of course, by the time they realize what is going on, it will be too late... but by then they will not be needed. Because my control will be total and absolute. I will have Midnight. I will have New Mayhem."
"How? You cannot expect the witches to be able to invade."
"Remember Rachel?"
I freeze.
"You found her. She got in. It was the first prototype of the spell. But now, you see, I have found a way to break the guards. It will involve more blood than you saw, originally..."
"You think I am going to let you hurt me without a fight?"
"Oh, Risika, what can you do? If you go, how can you warn them? You helped Rachel, and by doing so you helped me. Who will believe you when the fighting is done? Who will care? And..." at this point she leaned forward to whisper "how can you hope to fight me?"
I lash out, seeking to hit her on the face, but she is quick and grabs my arm. I strike with all my power, seeking a way to latch on to her, drain her, make her powerless. Her return hit nearly knocks me senseless. She never was this powerful, how did her magic become so strong?
"Oh, and Risika? I forgot to mention one more thing..." This time when she smiles, it is the smile of a killer, "I am not entirely the vampire you once knew. There are many other powers out there, and many ways of harnessing them." With that, she brings her leg around in a roundhouse kick, intending to hurt me even worse. I block, and punch at her solar plexus. She grabs my fist and twists my arm. I snarl as I feel tendons rip, and bring a hidden knife out of my boot, intending to stab her. Just then, the vampire girl from the forest appears. Jeshickah, distracted, throws me to the ground.
"What?" she asks. She shows no sign of fatigue
"Milady. It is time. They have found the other." Jeshickah nods, then turns to me.
"Goodbye, Risika. When we meet again, I will have shaped and changed the world." With that, she and the other girl vanish.
I leap to my feet. Jeshickah could be anywhere by now. And why had she left without hurting me? Did she not need me to break through to New Mayhem?
But... "the other". Who is this other? The only one it can be is—
Suddenly, I hear the alarms. The sound I had hoped to not hear. They can only mean one thing.
New Mayhem is under attack.
I immediately transport myself to the city square. All around me there are hundreds of vampires materializing. We all hear the call, and we cannot resist it. Our livelihood is in danger. We are in danger.
Siete appears on top of the Council building. He takes one look at all the chaos, then immediately addresses us.
Silence! He roars in our minds. Attend! Listen to me, and we may get out alive! We are under attack by witches, shapeshifters, and much more. Attack as many as you can. Leave no one alive. In the unlikely event that we begin to lose, retreat into Nyeusigrube. They will not follow us there. Now GO!
And with that, we scatter. I head for the trees, and seclude myself in their branches. I hide there and wait. Soon, in the distance, I see a small group of witches heading toward the town. When they are a little past me, I jump and attack. Other vampires do the same to other groups, and soon the woods around New Mayhem are full with the sounds of fighting.
I launch myself at the nearest witch. He is male, and a skilled fighter. I bring out the two blades I always have with me, and slash at him. He parries, then lunges forward in a stabbing motion. I block with one arm, and slice down with the other. Blood drips from his arm as we circle each other, looking for an opening. He lunges again, and I step aside completely. His back is open, and I stab him with both my knives before letting go of one, and using the empty hand to grab his hair and force his head back. I then use my other knife to slice his neck. He falls to the ground, and I have only just enough time to grab my other knife out of his back before two more witches are upon me.
It is like this everywhere. For every single enemy cut down, two more spring up in their place. And they're not all witches either. Some are shapeshifters of every kind: wolf, panther, falcon... others are simply vampires fed up with being at the bottom of society. Even the werewolves from around New Mayhem are fighting against us; we have baited them and hunted them once too often.
Everywhere I look, vampires are falling. The fighting has gone into the city now, and I can hear the distant screams from falling vampires and those trying to fight with Siete. Fala is nearby, trying to fight off five, her tan face green with fear. I do not know where Aubrey is.
I am fighting on automatic now, killing as efficiently as I can, hoping to stay alive. I have just killed a short female witch when I stumble over a body. Looking down, I see who it is.
It is him. It is the other.
It is Alexander.
I immediately take myself and him to a nearby glade, away from the fighting. It is a beautiful place. Here and there, among the trees, there are small bushes of black roses, blooming. The sun glances down through the trees, the golden light illuminating my golden brother. He is badly injured; even so, he still reaches for his knife and leaps up, ready to fight.
I am astonished. After being used to break strong wards that would have killed a lesser being, he is still trying to fight? He is very strong. And then there is no more time for thought, for then he attacks. He slashes at me and I leap aside; he will no doubt have reinforced his knife with firestone. I slash back, catching him on the arm. He staggers, then attacks with his mind. I throw up shields, but some still gets through. My aura crackles out, and grabs, seeking for a weakness to latch on to. At the same time, I lunge forward, slashing at his knife hand. I wound him, and he gasps, then uses his power to attack again. I fight back.
It is then that I notice a strange thing. Every time I lash out at him with my power, I suffer a backlash. And it is the same for him. And there, in that glade, locked in battle, I realize that perhaps we are not so different than we think. Growing together in our mother's womb, sharing her blood, her power, has given us a connection that perhaps can never really be severed. We cannot hurt each other without harming ourselves.
Perhaps there are things stronger than blood.
After that realization, I do not attack with my aura, instead throwing up shields. It is of no use. I will only hurt myself, and it seems that Alexander is tiring anyway.
However, he surprises me by suddenly lunging forward and knocking me to the ground. We roll over and over, with me somehow kicking his knife out of his hand. Then I am on top of him, slashing at him with my knife, its blade cutting through his skin and sinew like butter. He lies there, gasping for breath, and I suddenly realize what I am doing.
I am killing Alexander.
Every wound I make, I make for me. For having my mother taken from me. For Ather's power plays, for Aubrey's abuses, for Tora's death. For my brother, rejecting me when I wanted him to love me the most.
It will not be long before he dies.
Suddenly, it's over. I sit there, on top of him, breathing heavily and covered in his blood. And he lies there, moments from death. But I will not kill him. I need to know something. I need to know how my brother, my wonderful brother, became a cold blooded killer.
"Alexander?" I ask. He looks at me, surprised. Clearly, he was expecting me to deliver the killing stroke immediately.
"Yes?" he replies in a raspy breath.
"Why? Why do you kill? I know you think it's moral, because vampires are evil. But I want to know... why do you think that we are evil? Why do you think I am evil? Why? We cannot help our natures, though we try. It is not in your nature to kill. You must know that vampires are people too. Why kill them?"
Alexander looks at me. He replies, gasping for breath as he does so. "Because... we all need something... to believe in. We all... need a purpose... in our... life. And..." here he struggled for more breath, "It was a... vampire who killed our mother. The... last of the... Light witches. And... it was... a... vampire... that killed... my sister. I will... not... rest... until..."
A coughing fit interrupts him. I watch him, dying, my golden brother lying in the golden light. And I know that even though I am dead to him, even though I am the vampire that killed his sister, I cannot bear to have him dead to me. I am darkness, he is light. We need each other in order to be complete. Neither of us can be without the other.
I know what I have to do.
I instantly take him and myself to the nearest SingleEarth hospital. It is sheer chaos, full of the wounded. Nurses rush here and there. I find the one called Caryn and instruct her to see to my brother immediately. She does so, bending over him as I leave to go back to the clearing. I hunt around the glade for our knives when I smell it. The smoke.
New Mayhem is burning.
And as I watch, sparks land in the glade, igniting trees and bushes. I watch as a black rose bush catches fire, its petals burning bright before crumbling to ash that flies away on the wind. And it is then that I know that all is lost.
I retreat to Nyeusigrube. There, too, it is chaos. The wounded are in the first cave, trying not to cry out, though some of the weaker ones are sobbing. There are vampires rushing everywhere, trying to find a place to call their own. I search for the powerful vampires. I need to know what is going on.
I discover them at last in the cave that is the farthest we have ever explored. There are many more beyond, but this small, dim cave the the farthest we have ever dared to go. I see Siete in the room with Silver, Katama, Kendra, and the others. I stand at the door, waiting to be recognized.
