Sunday, March 1, 2015

14 - The darkest night will pass…




“Please,” Seth said, standing his ground but not attacking when Kemp closed in on him. “I have no desire to harm you.”

“And I should believe that why?” Kemp replied, an angry sneer on his face.

“I had no choice. I had to be here or die.”

“And you thought you wouldn’t be killed when you showed up?” Kemp dropped his hands slightly, his blades pointing toward the floor.

“A quick death is better than what he threatened.” Seth took a quick glance up before returning his gaze to Kemp.

Above them, Hakim had finally located Rikard and was moving swiftly towards him, flames erupting in the air. Rikard countered by dodging quickly one way and then the other to avoid them, but nothing more. He was however smiling knowingly as he watched Hakim, obviously knowing that using the Fire Gift was beginning to drain his adversary. Leif quickly joined them, balancing on one of the beams opposite from where Rikard stood.

“It’s true? Khalid was your Sire?” Kemp asked Seth.

“To my eternal shame, yes. He was very…alluring. I fell for it and became one of his Children.”

“Then why should I even think of trusting you. I saw…I saw what he did to someone in his thrall. He made him his slave in every way, turning a sweet boy into a raving lunatic.”

“Owen.” Seth hissed angrily, then held up his hands to stop Kemp’s sudden, enraged move towards him. “I met Owen when Khalid first took him. He was indeed a sweet boy. He didn’t stand a chance against my Sire. The bastard destroyed him as he has others. Sometimes he did it as a game, to see how much he could debase them. Other times it was because he wanted to use them in some plot or another.”

“Like you?” Kemp was listening, not at all certain he believed Seth even though he appeared sincere.

While Kemp and Seth were talking, Trevor had dispatched the two minions and was keeping a careful eye on both Kemp and the action above them.

Hakim still hung in the air close to the top of the building as he apparently debated which foe to deal with first. Leif still stood on one beam, readying himself for whatever Hakim would try next. Across from him Rikard was watching and waiting. Finally he smiled when he saw Hakim start to sink down. The rogue vampyre caught himself and moved to land on a crossbeam that put him between Rikard and Leif. He swiveled quickly to face Leif, his eyes glowing red.

“Can you combat this?” Hakim asked.

Leif hissed in pain as a wound opened in his thigh, the blood soaking his jeans. A moment later another lanced his arm with such intensity he dropped to his knees, barely remaining on the beam.

“I was going to destroy you slowly,” Rikard called out, drawing Hakim’s attention back to him. “Torture you for what your Child did to mine. But I’ve changed my mind. You don’t deserve to live even a second longer.”

Hakim opened his mouth to reply. Then he howled as he was paralyzed in place. Rikard strode along the narrow beam until he was inches from Hakim. A feral smile lit his face when he placed one hand on Hakim’s chest. Forcing it in, he gripped the vampyre’s heart and tore it out. Hakim’s piercing scream echoed throughout the building and then he was no more.

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