By: Angel
Chapter Four
Place: Ruins of Incan city, Peru Year: 2009
The following day was just as hot as the previous two as Darien sat at the foot of the temple steps. He had woken earlier that morning to check that the makeshift mud patches he had made the day before to protect Serena from the sun were still holding then feeling the need for fresh air after spending the night and most of the day before inside a room littered with the corpses of various dead animals he grabbed his knife and canteen from his pack and walked down the temple steps. Serena had not said a word to him as she watched him walk away but he was certain she was wondering what he was up to. She was a curious and talkative bundle of energy. He had to wonder how she had manage to keep her sanity trapped here alone all these centuries, but when he had asked her, her eyes had turned nearly black and cold, so cold he had actually shivered, and her only reply had been a harshly muttered "Revenge."
The day before had been a revelation into the intricacies of the old vampire world and he had asked plenty of questions. But there was still so much more she had not told him. She had made no mention of the reason Dracula had placed her here. Nor had she brought up the mysterious Endymion again. She had asked more questions also, about the first attack, which elders had been slain and which might be alive. She had even defended whole heartedly one particular elder she was adamant no half breed vamp could kill. They had even argued about it, but as he had repeated himself many times the vamps had out numbered the elders only some had managed to get away.
"Then I am sure Ralita had been among them." She had said. But he figured she was more trying to convince herself then him.
"Who is Ralita?" he had asked hoping to gain more information.
"Ralita was one of my father's captains. She is a very good friend of mine." She stated emphasizing the present tense for his benefit. But when he had tried to dig deeper she had changed the subject and started asking him about the clans and their leaders. And although he had refused to give her much information on them, now looking back he realized he had given her more information then he had intended. He had wanted to with hold the information about the clans till they had reached New York so she would not get stupid and go off on her own and try to start a fight. It bothered him that she was able to get information out of him so easy.
Lost in though Darien didn't notice he had company till she stood over him at the foot of the temple, her face white and her hands shaking, worry etched into her very posture as she just stood there staring at the top of the ancient temple, where the vampire princess had spent the last two hundred years of her life.
"Ray?"
Hearing a disturbance at the entrance to the temple Serena looked up and instantly felt two hundred years of grief and resentment flood threw her system. Hate fueled her as she surged to her feet and growled at the woman standing there. Time had passed and her hair was shorter and she dressed differently then the last time they had spoken face to face but this face was one Serena would never forget.
"Traitor!" She hissed as she moved toward the woman frozen in the entrance like a deer caught in the headlights of an on coming car. "You would dare to come here and face me after everything that you have done?"
"Serena, please let me explain." Ray asked holding out her hands toward the vampire princess pleadingly.
'They know each other?' Darien asked himself, shocked by what he was witnessing.
"Explain!" Serena exclaimed. "Explain what? How you betrayed me and helped my father put me here." She spat venomously as she stopped in front of Ray, the chains binding her wrists allowing her to go no farther into the sun lightened room.
"What the hell is going on here?" Darien shouted as he was finally able to overcome his shock. "You two know each other." He stated pointlessly, before snapping. "How the hell do you two know each other? And what the hell did you mean when you said Ray put you here Serena?" he asked glancing from one girl to the other.
Ray looked guilty and uncomfortable, Serena like she would attack Ray at any moment. Her emotions in control of her again, built up rage had elongated her canines and made her eyes wild. He waited impatiently for an answer but when it didn't seem like one was coming he turned to his partner.
"Ray." He stated authoritatively. Ray glanced up at him looking even more troubled then she had when she arrived at the foot of the temple.
"She's my little sister Darien." She stated sadly and flinched when she heard the quick indrawn breath that followed her statement. "We share the same mother." She continued. "I was six when our mother and Serena's father met, it was ten years later that Serena was conceived and our mother's jealousy cursed Dracula. I am not a vampire like her and do not share the curse, but I am sorceress and immortal by the blood of our mother."
His mind was whirling with that piece of news, but as he looked back little pieces of information and nuances he had uncovered about Ray started to make sense. Her obsessive need to find the lost princess, her uncanny knack at gathering information, it was all starting to make sense. But one thought stuck out in his mind. Ray was immortal.
"You are no sister of mine Rayna." Serena growled again interrupting his thoughts. "You betrayed me. No true sister would betray the other." She said accusingly, staring coldly and Ray.
"I know Sere." Ray stated her head hanging pitifully. "And I am so sorry. I thought I was only doing what was best for you."
"You thought this was what was best for me?" she retorted harshly. "I trusted you with my secret Rayna. I trusted you with my life, I trusted you with Endymion's life." The last was said softer but with no less accusation.
'That name again.' Darien thought as he stood back to take in the scene playing its self out before him. Slowly he was putting all the pieces together.
"He was mortal Serena." Ray shouted "He would have grown old and sick and then he would have died and you would have had your heart broken. I just did not want to see that happen."
"And you thought this was a better idea." Serena yelled back as she held up her small wrists still bound by the golden shackles. Ray's face went white.
"I didn't know Serena." Ray said her voice coming out pitifully small. "Please believe me I didn't know that those chains were meant for you. I didn't know this was what he had in mind. If I had..." she said shaking her head as her voice faded away.
"If you had known dear sister, that your betrayal would curse me to this hell would you not have gone to my father." Serena asked watching Ray sharply for any reaction. But when ray said nothing she continued. "I would not believe you no matter what your answer now. Too much time has past, to many years."
"Please Serena. You have to understand I never wanted this to happen to you. It was only after you were sent away and Endymion had been imprisoned that I understood your connection." Ray said and watched as Serena raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "I thought at first that it was merely infatuation, but I had a vision." Serena's eyes widened at the news but she said nothing and Ray continued. "The vision, it came to late to stop your father from sending you away but I was able to help Endymion."
"How?" Serena asked with a narrow eyed look at Ray. "What became of him? What horrible end did your betrayal bring him?"
"His end was not horrible Sere. I was able to sneak in to the dungeon at night and use one of our mothers spells to send his soul into the future to be reincarnated He was supposed to remember everything of his former life and look for you, but something went wrong." She stated sadly and Serena's whole body tensed in an attempt to still her self against the news of her lover's fate. "He is alive." Ray hastened to assure her. "But I have not been able to find him in all this time and I do not believe his memories remain intact." She said sadly. "I was not strong enough to complete the spell, but I had hoped by saving him that you would be able to find it in your heart to forgive me." She said looking at Serena hopefully.
Serena was silent for a moment before she sneered at Ray before she gave her reply. "For two hundred years the only thing keeping me from insanity was the thought of taking my revenge upon you, for trapping me here, for taking Endymion from me, for destroying my life." She growled glaring at Ray. "I will not forgive you Rayna. Not even with my dieing breath." Her declaration came out in a harsh whisper that had Ray flinching. There was silence for as the two sisters just stared at each other their eyes communicating there feelings, one set blue the other violet, one angry the other sad.
Visibly swallowing Ray began to speak ending the intense silence. "I am afraid revenge against me will have to wait sister." she stated sadly. "There is a much bigger threat and you have a much bigger enemy then me. You are the only one left that is strong enough to beat the betrayer."
"What are you talking about?" Serena demanded wide eyed. Her anger toward her sister drowned out by her confusion and worry and slowly her eyes and teeth became normal again.
"Your father's murderer was mortal." Ray stated calmly.
"Impossible!" Serena huffed crossing her arms questioningly. "You expect me to believe a mere mortal was able to get past my fathers guard and kill him in his sleep."
"Van-Helsing was no mere mortal." She corrected. "He knew about the vampires, he knew there secrets, and their weaknesses. He had been hunting and killing vampires for years after you were sent away. He became a terrifying figure in the minds of the young not yet strong enough to defend themselves. Dracula called all of his elders for a meeting to try to find away to find and destroy him but he was always able to avoid capture. Eight years he was hunted before one night he was able to get past the guards and get into your fathers chambers. Ralita blamed herself for his death but it was not her fault. Van-Helsing was only able to get within a hundred yards of your father because someone let him in." Ray replied bitterly. "One of ours let him in Serena."
"My father was betrayed by one of his children, is that what you're saying?" Serena asked taken aback at the suggestion.
Ray nodded. "I do not know who it was that betrayed him but I do know it is one of the leaders of the four gangs that rule New York."
"This would mean it would have to be an old one." She turned to look at Darien. "You told me the old ones had scattered and went into hiding. You said nothing of them playing ring leader of these ...vamp gangs." She said disgustedly.
"Don't look at me princess this is all news to my ears. As far as I know none of the gang leaders are even older then a few decades. Besides I was told we were hired to find you by one of the vamp gangs and paid fifty grand up front with another fifty on delivery."
"The money was mine." Ray admitted. "There is no vamp gang waiting and no fifty thousand either. I came to work with you Darien to learn about you, to see if I could trust you to help me find my sister." She gave him an apologetic look. "I had no intention of jeopardizing her life anymore then it already has been. I hired you under false pretences to find her; I do not think there are any of the old vampires left that remember Serena. There are so few left though."
"Never mind all this." Serena said in a frustrated tone. "It grows late and Rayna you must rest if we are to leave tonight for your ...New York." She said letting the unfamiliar name roll off her tongue before she held up her wrists the gold chains dangling between them. "But first you will release me from these loathsome chains." She ordered.
Ray nodded and moved to place her hand on the gleaming metal. Concentrating for a moment her hand started to glow and she mumbled a few unintelligible phrases and with that the chains fell to the floor.
It happened before Darien or even Ray could react. Freed from her chains Serena attacked Ray and with unbelievable speed had her in a neck lock and had dug her teeth fiercely into the tender flesh of her neck. A painful gasp was the only sound Ray made before she closed her eyes and submitted to the drugging sensations of the blood leaving her body.
"Serena." Darien said gingerly as he moved hesitantly closer in order to help Ray. 'Maybe it was a bad idea to have released Serena.' He thought as he placed his hand gently on Serena's arm. As if coming out of a trance her eyes cleared and she pulled her teeth from Ray's neck.
"Relax Darien I still need her to much to kill her just yet." She said with a cocky smile. "Besides now she knows what shall happen to her if she should betray me again." She said the last while glaring at Rays limp body still held in her arms, before she pushed her toward Darien's out stretched arms and moving off toward the back of the temple and the safety of complete darkness.