Page 109 of The Vampire's Thirst
Chiara closed the distance to take Bounty’s hand in hers. Through her own tears, she looked up at the woman Dax had talked about in such loving terms. Facing Kole, she said, “Bring him home to the two women who love him.”
Kole glanced at Brak. “Brother? You don’t look surprised.”
“Yeah. I kinda knew, but it was their biz to share. I’m outta here.”
“Chiara and I will be waiting upstairs. There will be hell to pay if you come back without him. And I’ll deliver it.” Bounty gripped Chiara tighter as they strode out of the gym.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Withoutcompanionship, the outdoors, or hope, Celene fought each day to get out of bed. She had been a daredevil heiress with little thought to her own safety. The same willpower kept her going now. After a routine of push-ups, jogging in place, and fake sparring matches, she threw herself into a chair and openedThe Path.
Ohngel hovered silent and unseen above a box canyon, a place of natural beauty such as only Earth offered. Odd-shaped spires of rock prevailed as towering devotions to the gods. Stark plays of light and shadow danced across the terrain. Blue skies stood in contrast to bright crimson soil.
But where there should have been serenity, there was only violence and pitiful cries for help.
Three vampires herded a small group of humans into a canyon. The bloodthirsty creatures, fangs bared, their savage howls reaching even Ohngel’s ears, spread out to block the only exit.
Terrified mothers shooed children behind them, backing them toward the unrelenting rock walls of their prison. They fell to their knees, hugging their young in weak arms, saying their goodbyes in pitiful wails. Fathers threw their fragile bodies in front of their families to protect them from Gahya’s beasts. All efforts were useless.
Ohngel watched the creatures strike, drinking their fill of the humans, leaving drained corpses for the circling buzzards. He was helpless to step in. Such was not the way of his kind. The OneCreator was most clear on that directive. No interference.
His wings a streak of fire across the skies, Ohngel jetted to another site where humans were dying, not from the bloodthirsty horrors of vampires but from an excess of pleasure. In a thick copse, a crowd of incubi and succubi fed upon humans, fucking them and sucking out their lifeforces. The entranced Homo sapiens cried out happily, moaning with pleasure even as they were dying. When finished, the Aeternals tossed the depleted bodies onto a heap to rot. The sight was macabre. Wrong.
Elsewhere demons staggered along streets, drunk from so many orgasms, the result of orgies with humans. Unwilling participants, the victims were raped.
All breeds had begun to eschew feeding from their own kind. Somehow Gahya’s creatures preferred nourishment from Homo sapiens. Not content with a small taste, they feasted, gorged, killed the addictive humans.
But even as Ohngel despaired, he saw hope. Strigodierna cruors urged vampires to cease killing to feed. Such was not necessary, they said. Ylves urged reason, encouraging their breed to steal a breath of soul but leave behind enough for life. Satyrs and nymphs prayed in their temples for guidance on how to capture erotic pleasure but not kill. Other breeds, likewise, warned against deadlybehavior. But as is oft the case, once savagery gains a foothold, it is difficult to root out.
Food, sex, and death became a sick triumvirate for the Aeternal species. And they had forever to carry out their serial feeding on the new humans, a sweeter taste. Or so they claimed.
The Aeternals who kept Celene prisoner were savage, uncaring, and brutal. She had a front-row seat to their actions. Kudos to the Cambion for putting their sins into writing.
****
Days later, Kolestrode into the training center, his mouth drawn tight and his fingers shooting fire. What had been a stronghold of fifteen was now more than seventy-five. But his warriors were exhausted. The hunt for Dax. Too many hours on patrol. Too little sleep. Too many wounds which healed only to re-open in the next action. Not enough feeding. Worry over loved ones. Heavy weight of responsibility pressing on their shoulders. Skirmishes at portals. The search for the Arisen Dawn garrison and Cerberus.
But they came when Kole called. Dressed in everything from workout shorts or sweats to leather or combat fatigues, they sagged against walls, sprawled on training benches, or slumped on the floor half-asleep with their lids fluttering open and closed. Some chatted, their voices low. Some were clean. Some were bloodied.
Everyone snapped to attention when he entered with Rein pulling up on his left.
“Is it Dax?” someone shouted.
“No.” Ram took Kole’s right. “Jezzi, Brak, Tyr, and I have searched two days and nights. No sign of the vampire. Yet.”
Even the satyr, the snappiest dresser in the crowd, showed wear, strands of his caramel-streaked hair escaping the leather strap which held it back. When Kole pointed at the tear in his black T-shirt, Ram shook his head. “We thought we had a lead. The asshole turned out to be a dead end. I got roughed up a little taking him down.”
“Keep working the angles. This meet’s about another issue.” Kole scrubbed a fist over his buzz-cut hair before he shouted to his audience. “My stronghold is not a democracy. Brilliant or dumbass, the decisions rest on my shoulders. But this one thing must be decided by each of you. I will not bust an order.”
Feet shuffled while eyeballs pinged around the room. Those who had been under Kole’s command all these years were slack-jawed, guessing it pained him to even talk about Firebrands and democracy in the same clipped sentence. They looked concerned, and they hadn’t even heard the breaking news yet.
The newbies just looked happy to be included in a meeting. Too bad their first one could earn them the death penalty.
“I’ll get right to it. The other day, High Commander Cadmon, Nace, Jarek, and I met with lawgivers and the Temple of Justice. Our purpose was simple. We shared our plans to take down Arisen Dawn. We’d step up the heat, wipe out not only every Arisen Dawn soldier upon contact but also suspected sympathizers if they didn’t capitulate and change their ways.”
“Yeah,” shouted Bade. “Right on. Kill the mutherfuckers.”
Kole held up a hand, a weary smile curling his upper lip. He bent his head to stare at a sheet of paper. “They issued an order. I’ll read it exactly as given. ‘High Commander, you and your Firebrands are hereby directed to keep peace on Scath but not to interfere with Arisen Dawn actions here or on Earth. No martial law. No severe measures.’ We were told refusal to follow the command would be treason.”
