Chapter 13

Burke moved his arms in quick gestures and spoke something that sounded gibberish to Barnabas. The shape of his body lost definition for some moments, then regained it.

"Elsa! You must come to me! The last barrier between us is gone! Appear to me! Show yourself here, before all of us!"

The air became thicker, and they knew what it meant. Elsa was coming to rejoin Burke, and to do his will. Burke would have the power that had been denied him, and he would have a new, living body to walk upon the Earth and wreak terror and destruction upon it.

Barnabas stared, no longer screaming, no longer wishing for anything. It was all over now, all of it... all that he had prophesied, all that he had hoped for, would never come to pass. Instead, those he loved would groan under Burke's heel, and how many others with them?

Elsa appeared. Small, shivering, weeping.

"So you have come at last." Burke said. "As I said you would."

Elsa whimpered and Burke savored his triumph.

"You could never escape me, you realize it now. They could not keep you from me. You are mine."

"Please, don't" Elsa whispered, weakly.

"But I will, for I have the power for it."

He slid towards her, triumphantly, ready to absorb her life force, drain in, and use it to fashion a body for himself from it. He would consume her, leaving only ashes.

He enveloped her.

A howl rent the air. A howl of surprise, and pain.

It was not Elsa.

Hallie threw off her mask and laughed. "Surprise, Mr. Devlin."

Burke tried to pull away from her, sensing the vortex that was within her, and which threatened to swallow him.

But Amy had prepared her well. The vortex fed on the power of the vampire, and was made to become stronger by those she touched. It now sucked Burke in, growing stronger as it swallowed him.

She felt powerful as she did it... so powerful that she wondered if she had enough power to break free of the hold that Amy and Mistress Wick had on her...

But she knew that it was not that strong... They had made sure of that, the two of them.

Burke struggled and howled in pain, as Edmund howled not too long ago.

Dave appeared in front of him, shaking his head sadly.

"Dave!" Burke pleaded "Please help me."

"I can't" Dave said sadly "You destroyed yourself. I gave you chance after chance, and you threw them away. It is over now, Burke."

'No! Not like this! It isn't right!" It isn't right!"

"You chose this, Burke, not I. I would have spared you this, if you had allowed me."

Burke and Hallie glowed as she embraced him, then they vanished gradually until they were both gone."

"Is it over?" Verhoff asked, in a whisper.

"Yes, it is over." Dave said sadly "It is finally over for Burke Devlin."

"What happened? " Barnabas asked, amazed. It all seemed lost a moment ago, and now it was all right again.

"Don't you remember?" Dave touched his forehead, lightly "You were the bait, and did very well."

'Yes... Yes, I was the bait."

"And so was I." Edmund said. "We had to keep Burke concentrating so hard in fighting us that he would not notice that it was not really Elsa that he summoned."

"And I? Was it important that I get rid of him?" Verhoff asked. "Or was that part of the plan."

"It was important. He was thinking of keeping your body permanently and not bother summoning Elsa. You put a stop to that."

"Good to know that."

'You mean that it was just bad luck that he possessed a vampire instead of a normal human being?" Edmund asked.

"Yes. There was a joker in the deck, and Amy is going to learn to beware of those... Another joker was Peter Bradford. That she had not planned to happen, either... She is new as a Sibyl, and has yet to learn humility"

"She will never come back, will she?"

"She is a Sibyl now." Dave paused. "You helped us Verhoff, and we owe you. I know of a way to thank you. Come Edmund. put your hands on his temples."

Edmund did, repressing the shiver that he felt remembering how this same body had stalked him... but that had been Burke Devlin. He put his hands on both temples feeling the power go from his fingertips.

"A few wires in your brain are being rerouted, Dr. Verhoff" Dave said. "I would have never attempted such surgery were I alive, but at this level it is possible. Your desire for children bodies is being muted, while your desire for adult bodies is growing... You will not worry anymore about the children growing up, as you will not have urges to contain. You will never attack a child, and never have to worry about ronin justice. And who knows, maybe Cecily will start liking you more now that you find her new body attractive."

Verhoff nodded, shaken by what he was being offered. His fear that had been consuming him evaporated.. He was free.

"Thank you."

"There is one task that you came here to do. Please do it."

Verhoff looked at Barnabas. Yes, all he could give in exchange for this gift was death... But a death that was welcome.

"I am satisfied that Dr. Julia Hoffman had nothing to do with your deed. By ronin law you are condemned to death Barnabas Collins. You and no one else. You will have one more day to make your final dispositions, then the execution will be carried out."

"Thanks." Barnabas said.

Burke faced Amy, in a daze. How could such a slip of a girl defeat him? And what could she do to him? He knew that he would have been merciless if he had won, and that she could not allow him to go free.

"It would be folly to be merciful to one such as you." Amy said "To do so would be cruelty to others who might one day stand on your path. You fought, and lost, and may now pay the penalty."

"What will you do to me?" Burke said, dread mounting in him. "You cannot destroy me, nor banish me forever."

"No. But I can imprison you." She took a small flask and unstoppered it.

"No!" Burke shouted as he understood the fate that she had in store for him.

"You shall be a jinn, Burke Devlin. You shall remain in that flask till I have need of your services, and then you shall obey my commands. You might, if you deserve it, be released from service one day."

"No!" Burke shouted again, fighting against the gale of wind which seemed to envelop him and to suck him into the flask "No! I will not go inside there! You can't make me! It isn't right!"

Amy remained impassible as Burke became a wisp of smoke which threaded its way into the flask. Burke struggled but was swallowed up bit by bit. His screams died out, and soon there was no smoke hovering over the opening.

Amy stoppered the flask, then put it on the shelf behind her, to remain there till she had need for it.

"You could have saved yourself" she said, knowing that he would hear. "If only you had chosen to."

Now it was Hallie's turn. She had been her enemy once, which seemed so long ago. Like Burke, she now paid the penalty for it, and like Burke, she might earn her freedom.

"You have done well, Hallie. I will tell your mistress that I am satisfied with your service. Go to her now."

Hallie smiled and disappeared.

Amy let out a sight. This was over. There would be more things happening in Collinsport in the years ahead, but not for a while. What Barnabas had predicted would come to pass. Life for them would have many surprises, pleasant and unpleasant, and sometimes she would have to intervene. But not now. And Barnabas would not be part of that future. His story had reached an end

And so was hers. The story of Amy Jennings was over. The story of the Sibyl had only begun.'

Except for one last thing.

"Elsa" she summoned her captive "You can go home now. You are safe, and so is everyone else."

"Except Barnabas."

"Yes. As he knew from the start. Go now and you can say your goodbyes to him."

"But..."

"Go Elsa, do not waste his sacrifice. Go home."

Elsa vanished and Amy was left alone.

Alone at last. The last vestige of her past as Amy Jennings was gone. She was not even Amy Jennings... Few who knew her now would know the name that she was born with. She was the Sibyl, no more, no less.

So be it.