Chapter 15: Unwelcome Appearances

 

 

 

The mines were getting colder the further they descended. In spite of the fact that both vampires and dhampirs didn’t feel the cold as acutely as humans did, their breath still came in a cloudy chain of exhalations. Their ears were pricked for any sound that may indicate that either the circle had caught onto them or that their quarry was close by. Torchlight began to dance upon the roughly hewn walls of the tunnels they explored and Kaileena paused, listening carefully. Voices were echoing faintly in the mines and she glanced at Vincent. The vampire nodded and they proceeded carefully. She noted a small crack in the stone and she gestured for him to follow her. Slipping carefully into the crack, she realised that this was a hidden tunnel that hung above the next chamber. She pushed herself into the tunnel and began to crawl upwards, the vampire in tow. The voices were getting louder and her eyes narrowed. The voice of the vampire that had tried to jack her mind was among them. She paused in front of a small hole in the tunnel and pressed herself against the wall so Vincent could move around. The vampire squeezed next to her and gripped her hand. She frowned at him but then the fear of how tight the space was began to grip her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, focusing on what was going on in the chamber below them.

 

It was a large antechamber. The dark, blotchy concrete floor glistened wetly in the light of the flickering torches. The walls were intricately carved with large symbols and runes that she didn’t recognise and partially hidden by blood red drapes embroidered with the cult insignia. And in the middle of this antechamber was a giant stone dais mounted with an ornately engraved coffin. Kaileena didn’t know why but staring at that beautifully decorated casket filled her with the deepest dread. Members of the circle were gathered around the base of the dais, chanting in a language she didn’t recognise. But her gaze was focused upon the casket, an indescribable terror beginning to well up within her soul.

“Look!” hissed Vincent, pointing to the entrance of the antechamber. Kaileena followed the direction of his finger and her eyes narrowed swiftly. The vampire they had encountered in the mine shaft was walking to the dais, clad in elegant blood red robes embroidered in gold with the circle’s insignia. He ascended the dais, pausing in front of the casket to bow his head. Then he turned to the gathered circle, his voice echoing throughout the cavernous room as he addressed them.

“My loyal subordinates,” he began. “The day has finally come. Five hundred long years have passed since our Mistress-our divine and righteous Queen-was thrown down by cowards and cruelly imprisoned. There she wasted away, losing her eternal and gracious beauty and sinking into the endless oblivion of eternal slumber. But tonight, on the glorious eve of the sacred Maiden’s Moon, she will once again rise and grace us with her glorious presence!”

“Hail our gracious and bloody Queen!” cried the gathered circle. The vampire waved his arm towards the entrance.

“And now, behold!”

Kaileena’s gaze darted to the entrance and she saw two members of the circle enter, dragging a struggling girl to the dais. She couldn’t have been more than nineteen years of age, on the verge of leaving the awkwardness of adolescence to blossom into a mature young woman. Her chestnut hair fell around her face and clung to her exposed shoulders, her honey eyes wide with fear. She thrashed in their grasp, tearing the pure white gown she wore and the dhampir’s eyes flew wide open as she recognised the manner of garb in which she was attired.

“That’s a chastity maiden from the Church of Virtue!” she whispered lowly. Vincent frowned at her.

“The Church of Virtue?”

“It’s an organisation that was established in the late 1400s, in an era where vampires and demons freely roamed the earth,” explained the Hunter. “They devoted themselves to the purification of the towns in which their churches were built and the eradication of the unholy that walked the earth. They believed vampires and demons were a plague upon humanity and it was God’s will to stop it from spreading.”

“I see,” said Vincent. He returned his attention to the gathering below. “But that doesn’t explain the girl.”

“The Church members were spread into five separate ranks. The Holy Servant was the bishop or leader of the organisation. The Sacred Thorns are the cardinals and the Spirit’s Messengers were the priests that delivered the sermons and words of the people. The Chastity Maidens were the nuns and the Cupids of Light were the altar boys and girls that served the Messengers. They were recruited by the Vatican to assist in the banishment of the “unholy” plague.”

“So they’re hunters?”

“Hunters hunt for profit and their own ends. The Church of Virtue are exterminators.”

“But why take one of their nuns?” The vampire glanced at the dhampir.

“I don’t know,” she confessed. She peered back into the antechamber, watching as the woman was brought to the dais. “But we need to do something soon.” The strange vampire watched as the circle members held her over the casket, keeping her hands behind her back. She was pleading with them, begging them to let her go. But the vampire paid no heed to her.

“Behold the descendant of the one who besmirched our Queen!” he cried. “The legacy of the one who sealed away our Mistress so many years ago. Five centuries of torment we have suffered without her divine light to guide us. Forced to walk in the shadows while agents of their vile God hunted us down. But now, the time has come for vengeance to be served and blood to be paid!”

The girl began to scream and beg but the vampire smacked her upside the head. The act made the dhampir’s blood boil but she stayed herself. She had to see the purpose of this ritual. The deepest feeling of dread crawled into her stomach and sat there. She was deathly afraid of what was inside that coffin. But she didn’t know why.

“And now, behold the pitiful and defiled form of our beloved Mistress!” The vampire pressed a panel on the side of the casket. Symbols on the sides began to turn and unravel and the snapping sound of two parts locking together could be heard. The coffin began to crackle with electricity before the chains shattered and the broken links fell to the floor. And finally, the lid of the coffin slowly slid open, revealing what lay inside.

Kaileena screamed, but the sound was covered by the terror filled shriek from the girl staring into the coffin.

The body inside was garbed in a gorgeous 16^th century gown embroidered with gold and encrusted with jewels at the hems of the dress and on the bodice. The flesh was black and blue and shrivelled to a prune-like state, and through the sunken bodice there was a lump that must have been the heart grotesquely hammering away, beating a pulse of someone who clearly had no life in them. Blood red hair could barely be seen beneath the large headdress adorning the scalp. The face of the cadaver was very gaunt, but she could make out the cruel mouth and the sinister upturned nose. But what made her scream was the pendant at the corpse’s throat, embossed with a motif that greatly resembled the tattoo on her wrist.

“It can’t be!” whispered Vincent. He glanced sidelong at Kaileena and then turned his full attention to her. Her hands were trembling violently and her eyes were wide and blank, staring into space. She had the look of a woman who had been haunted by nightmares. He moved to shake her but then a dramatic change stopped him dead. Her eyes narrowed to slits of unholy rage and began to glow a brilliant red. Her lips curled back to expose her long fangs and she clenched her hands into tight fists. When she spoke, her voice was cold, metallic and incensed with the fury that now flowed through her.

“She’s alive,” she murmured. “The b***h is alive.”

“Kaileena, we have to get out of here,” urged the vampire. He reached out to grab her but she jerked her arm out of his grasp.

“I’m not letting her get away again,” she growled. “She had her chance to kill me. And she will not get another!” She checked the size of the hole and nodded. It was big enough for her to drop through comfortably without worrying about getting stuck. This was her chance. The strange vampire below drew a dagger and held it to the girl’s throat. She struggled harder but he smacked her again, this time stunning her. With that problem solved, he grabbed the girl and placed the blade to the girl’s neck.

“With the blood of the pure, the queen will rise again!”

 

“THE F**K SHE WILL!”

Kaileena dropped into the antechamber before Vincent could stop her, landing silently in a crouch on the floor. She rose to her feet and drew her sword, unholy rage and hatred burning in her eyes. The circle turned to see the dhampir standing before them, a dark angel of vengeance ready to paint the walls red with their blood. Vincent dropped down beside her, glaring at her as though she were mad. But Kaileena paid no attention to him. Her gaze was fixed on the dais and the coffin that held her target. The strange vampire smirked as he stood at the dais, the dagger still held to the throat of his captive. The circle began to advance towards the pair but the vampire on the dais stopped them with a brusque command in a strange tongue. They obeyed and stepped down, leaving the dhampir to glare openly at their leader.

“Well, what a lovely surprise this is,” he sneered. “I didn’t expect the Rose of Death to join us in our celebration.”

“I should have known it was you right from the start,” growled Kaileena. “It was so obvious and yet I couldn’t even see it.” She glared coldly at the vampire. “I didn’t expect you to still be alive, Fickzo. But seeing that b***h is here as well, I should have seen it coming.”

The vampire laughed. “I’m honoured that you know my name. But you should watch how you slander the name of the world’s new Queen.”

“By the time I am through, your Queen will be nothing but kindling for the fires of Hell.”
Fickzo smirked. “I doubt you will be able to kill her. She is a full, pure vampire. You are nothing more than a half-breed.”

“I don’t care if I am ripped to pieces,” she snarled. “If I’m going to Hell, I’m taking you with me for the ride. You and that f*****g murderous b***h.”

Fickzo glared at her. “You should remember your place, girl. But perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. You were nothing more than a black sheep after all. As was your mother. A pity. She was a grand beauty. She was destined for great things.”

“You leave my mother out of this!” Kaileena’s fury intensified. “She wanted nothing to do with Elizabeth’s experiments!”

“Tsk, tsk. Such lies.” Fickzo shook his head. “You can’t escape it, Lady Kaileena. I am loath to address you in such a way but I must, regardless. After all, you are marked with the divine blessing.”

“What is he talking about?” demanded Vincent. Fickzo looked at him, surprise etching his cruelly handsome features.

“You don’t know?” The vampire burst into laughter and shook his head. “My Lady, I thought you would be proud to bear It.”
“To have my mother and father killed because they refused to be a part of that b***h’s experiments?” shouted the dhampir. “Explain to me how the f**k I should take pride in the slaughter of my entire family!”

Vincent stared at Kaileena, his eyes wide with shock. So that’s why she’s pursuing the countess.

“But not all of your family is dead,” snapped Fickzo. “The most important member of your family still lives.”
“I will never consider her family.” She spat the words fiercely. “That blessing is a curse I will dispel at any cost. Even if it means my life is forfeit.”

“What the hell kind of nonsense are you two talking about?” Vincent yelled. But he was blatantly ignored. Fickzo levelled a cold gaze on the Hunter.

“That is not how a lady of the household should act, Lady Kaileena.”
“Stop deferring to me like I’m one of her house! I will never be part of her twisted, sick, depraved, s**t-assed family. I would rather die f*****g drowning in my own blood than condemn myself to such a fate!”

There was a deathly silence following Kaileena’s tirade. The circle made to attack again but they were stopped by a command from Fickzo. The vampire glared at the dhampir, hatred in his eyes.

“You toxic creature,” he snarled. “She has granted you this gift and you are squandering it for the sake of humans. You kill your own kind and contribute to the demise of our race. You refuse to gain power through the blood she has granted you and slander her name openly.” He shook his head in disgust. “I pity Her Majesty for even putting in the effort to chase you.”

“Maybe she should have left us the f**k alone instead of slaughtering my parents!”

“They were irritants that had to be eliminated,” said Fickzo. “And speaking of irritants.” The girl in his grasp began to scream and struggle again. Kaileena quickly drew a small ball and gripped it tightly. Fickzo looked at it and laughed

“What do you expect to do with that? Give me a black eye?”

“No, this!”
She threw the ball onto the ground. It exploded in a brilliant display of white light. The circle threw up their arms to shield their eyes and Fickzo snarled in pain. Vincent brought his arms up automatically, squinting against the blinding light. He could see the captive had pulled free of the vampire’s grasp and was running down the stairs. Fickzo recovered quickly and snarled in rage.

“Stop them!”

Kaileena turned to face the oncoming circle and she and Vincent stood back to back, facing the advancing demons with their swords drawn.

“Why didn’t you tell me she murdered your parents?” asked the vampire lord.

“Would you have let me come here if I told you?”

One of the emaciated vampire demons charged Kaileena like a raging bull. She swerved to the right so fast that he didn’t see it coming. He ploughed headlong into the wall with a sickening crack. She turned to see another of the bloodsuckers-this one with green-tinted spikes protruding from his face- pouncing on her whilst brandishing a wicked-looking dagger he hoped to plunge into the heart of the Hunter. She swiftly evaded his attack, blocking it with her blade. He circled round and lunged at her again. She leaned back to avoid being slashed and whipped her sword in a vicious crescent moon pass. The vampire fell to the ground, split in half with his entrails strewn across the ground. One of the circle tried to use his fists to bring Vincent down, throwing a well-aimed punch that would have connected solidly with his face had he not suddenly grabbed his fist in his hand. The demon tried to push the closed hand forward, but his arm shook with the effort.  He swung his leg in a fast arc but the vampire lord caught his leg and swung him like a ball and chain into the nearest wall. The demon crashed into the wall with a heavy thud, collapsing in a boneless heap on the floor.

“We can argue about this later,” growled the dhampir. “We have to stop Fickzo from waking Elizabeth!”

“Agreed.”

“Let’s do this!”

Kaileena ducked under the swing of another member and whipped her leg in a vicious arc, slamming her foot into the creature’s gut. Vincent managed to flip out of the way of a swipe from behind and drew a small dagger, hurling it straight into the demon’s heart. The demon fell dead and he chanced a glance at the dhampir that was fighting at his side. Kaileena’s sword was as wide as his closed palm and yet the dhampir was cutting a swathe through the oncoming horde. No resistance seemed to meet the Hunter’s blade, as though the vampires were nothing but sculptures of wet paper. How could a youth of such beauty stand to live such a harsh life? What went on through her mind as she soaked herself in the blood of her own kind?

The distraction cost him. A circle member leaped at the young lord, screeching and swiping at his handsome face with fingernails as lethal as an assassin’s blade. Vincent leaned back from the attack but ended up with the nails raking the side of his face. He snarled in pain and kicked the girl back. He flipped to his feet and slammed the katana into the chest of the vampire demon. The creature shrieked like a banshee, his blood soaking the vampire as he moved back towards Kaileena, sheathing his blade smoothly and preparing for another attack. But the circle simply advanced, the leering sneer of bloodlust on their twisted lips.

 

‘They’re trying to hem us in!’ snarled Vincent.

“No s**t!”

 Kaileena cut down two vampire demons lunging at her as she kicked a third in the groin. He doubled over, nursing his injury. In spite of their regenerating powers, for the male vampires a kick to the crotch was just as debilitating as it would be to a human male. Huh, so demons do have balls. I’ll have to remember that when I see Nevermore again. If I do, that is. She cleaved the demon’s head from his shoulders and turned to see Vincent leap into the air. A flash of silver light shot from his right palm and three fell with severed limbs. She couldn’t help but wonder about the mystical skill he seemed to possess and realised that she’d been unaware of his true power from the start. She glanced to the side and saw Fickzo was trying to skirt the attack to catch the fleeing human girl.

“Vincent, grab the girl! I’ll take care of this!”

“Are you insane? You’ll be killed!”

“If that girl is sacrificed and Elizabeth is woken, we’re all f*****g dead anyway!” snapped Kaileena. “Now get that a*s in gear and get moving!”

Vincent opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by the human girl’s shriek. He turned to see Fickzo had managed to get a hold of the chastity maiden’s wrist and the girl was struggling to pull free. He cursed aloud and sprinted towards the pair. Kaileena was attacked from behind but she whirled around and slashed at the vampire demon, which leaped back with a hiss clutching a large deep gash in his arm. The creature shrieked and swiped at her with his claws. She leaned back and prepared for another charge but Vincent’s shout stopped her.

“KAILEENA, ABOVE YOU!”

His cry of warning urged her to look up and she saw a large bomb falling from a large platform mounted above the antechamber. She pushed the wounded vampire demon away from her and dove for cover as the bomb exploded on impact. She climbed to her feet and saw the gathering circle was gone. The bomb had taken the rest out in one hit. She glanced at Vincent who was running towards her. She frowned.

“Where’s Fickzo?”

The question died on her lips when she heard a loud crack and glanced up to see one of the large ceiling supports coming down on her. She raised her arms automatically in an attempt to shield herself from impact. A strong force collided with her and she crashed to the ground as the support fell. It landed with a huge crash on the ground, the force of the impact shaking the chamber’s foundations.

 

A soft groan left her lips as she stirred, willing her head to stop pounding. She was going to be black and blue the next morning, and sore to boot. But at least she wasn’t under a hundred tons of solid rock. She opened her eyes and peered out at the wreckage. A solid, dark-coloured wall was in her face and she frowned slightly. Walls didn’t usually radiate heat and they certainly didn’t carry aromas. Her eyes drifted upward as the dust cleared and blinked. Vincent was on top of her, shielding her body with his. He propped himself up on his hands and looked down at her. She couldn’t help but notice how incredibly blue those eyes were. Like chips of ice that had been fashioned to look like pale jewels.

“Are you all right?” he asked. She didn’t know what to say. The vampire had just saved her life. Even though she was half-vampire, there was still a high chance that she would have died had that pillar hit her. Still, he had just thrown himself into harm’s way without a second thought. It greatly shocked her. Vincent frowned.

“Hey, are you all right? Kaileena?”

She shook herself from her daze of confusion. “Yeah, I’m fine. Come on, we have to find Fickzo and that girl.”

“Right.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to his feet. She glanced at the bombed chamber, noting the charred bodies of the circle members who had been unfortunate enough to be in the bomb’s path. The antechamber was practically useless. Her gaze shifted to the dais and her eyes widened.

“Her coffin’s gone!”

“What?!” Vincent turned his glance towards the dais. Elizabeth’s casket was no where to be seen. “Where the hell did it go?”

“It must have been moved during the blast,” growled Kaileena. “Damn it. I was so close.”

“We don’t have time to worry now. Fickzo is nearby. I can sense his presence.”

“All right. We’ll track that b*****d down and get the girl back to the surface.”
“If she is still alive, at least.”
“If she isn’t, Fickzo will be leaving this place in pieces.” Kaileena’s eyes flashed a deep crimson. The vampire lord looked at her and saw the utter hatred in the depths of those eyes. He couldn’t help but be concerned. Fickzo may be a two-bit servant, but Elizabeth Bathory was infamous for her carnage. She could very well destroy the dhampir if she was awakened. All the better to keep moving. He followed the Hunter as she bolted out of the room and down the corridor. Aiming to cool the dhampir’s temper, he broke the silence while easily keeping up with her.

“Why was that woman going to be sacrificed?” he asked. “Why would the Circle have anything against the Church?”

“Because they were responsible for the sealing of the Blood Countess,” Kaileena explained. “They found out about the slayings and tracked her down. But what she did to those girls was so depraved, so beyond their comprehension of evil, that accounts were stricken from their records. But they couldn’t kill her. She was a noble and in accordance to certain privileges that were exercised back then, they couldn’t execute noblemen and women. And even if they were given permission, she was too powerful. So the only option they had was to seal her away, depriving of any means of feeding and in that way diminish her strength. The one who performed the ceiling passed away but not before giving birth to a son who carried on her legacy.”
“But isn’t it against the will of the church to marry?”
“Only if you vow celibacy. The Church’s rules were much stricter than normal church societies. If you were to marry, you had to marry within the Church. This way, you could not only carry on the legacy but also keep any records and information obtained during their crusades out of public circulation.”

“That doesn’t explain everything about the appearance of Elizabeth’s coffin,” interjected the vampire lord. “According to reports that were proven false by a source of mine, she escaped from the castle in which she was confined centuries ago. How is it she is still sealed?”
“Because when the Circle was supposedly reawakened, reports of sightings were noted after Elizabeth was sealed away. So in essence, the Circle was active long after the Church of Virtue sealed her within her own coffin.”

That made Vincent frown. “You knew about this and you never told me?”

“They were fairy tales, Vincent,’ she replied. “They bore no significance at the time.”

She had a point. He was about to ask another question but a shrill scream echoing through the tunnel silenced him. Kaileena’s eyes narrowed.

“We can discuss this later,” she growled. “We have to stop Fickzo or we’re royally fucked.”

“Right.” He didn’t even bother to admonish her for her language this time. With a burst of speed, the dhampir passed the vampire lord and raced towards the source of the scream. She could hear Vincent not too far behind but she was focused on reaching Fickzo.

I beseech you, Hecate. Let me arrive in time. Don’t let it be too late. She knew her plea was in vain, but in this situation she had to try.

Or the Hell that would be unleashed would make the entire world beg for death.