Made in Death's Image 03

"Fuck you!" the vampire spat viciously.

Michael looked at the vial in his hand. The liquid was an opaque turquoise that seemed to almost glow in the light. He knew he couldn't face the entire army of vampires that stood between him; especially with this drug. Even after everything Michael wasn't sure he could save Grace and the thought infuriated him.

Lorenzo went to speak but before he could get a word of Michael picked the vampire up and pushed him up against a scorched wooden support in rubble.

"Tell me where they're heading." Michael growled in the face of the vampire.

The vampire spat in Michael's face and he threw the creature of the night to the rubble strewn ground once again. Michael got down and punched the vampires a few more times before Lorenzo grabbed Michael's forearm.

"You'll not get anywhere this way." Lorenzo commented almost pityingly.

Michael got off the vampire, "Without a specific city it would take us months to comb the country."

Lorenzo nodded, "Certainly would but there's another route."

Michael paused thinking, "You have any ideas?"

"I'm working on it."

Michael went and paced looking around the rubble before it clicked for him. It would be his last shot at getting info but he figured this was his last chance. Michael turned to the vampire hostage, "You obviously are left behind and scrounging through the mansion for what? Riches?"

The vampire watched steadily but made no sign of acknowledgement.

"You're loyal, yes? What don't think we can win?"

The vampire seemed more worried and concerned than anything.

Lorenzo interrupted, "What're you getting at Michae?"

Michael looked to Lorenzo and gave a nod as if asking for trust, "No, maybe you're scared of him. Did you do all this because you were abandoned? You're loyal because he saved you? You're like a stray dog."

"Pavel saved us and set us in line! All our makers are these bourgeois shits! He is ruthless!"

"So you think this 40 years, a vampire lord- is gonna crown himself king of the vampires."

"That drug will do things! He is gonna make it permanent! You'll see! They'll see! It won't have been for nothing to make us." The vampire retorted with a trembling voice from the torture and delusional vigor.

"That's it! You're scared of Pavel. You're afraid if he makes this permanent nothing will stop him. But you all are too scared to." Michael felt victorious.

"Where the fuck did you get that from?" Lorenzo spat.

"Yes I'm terrified of him! And so should you- he is gonna be a whole other kind of power."

Michael looked to Lorenzo, "I didn't actually know. I just figured I'd get this bastard to spill the beans."

Lorenzo smirked, and the vampire seemed terrified. He'd been had and now he would probably die as well.

Michael put his focus on the vampire being interrogated, "Give us more information. We will let you go. You can either run back to Pavel or tell him we are coming but you're dead either way. Just tell me where Pavel is going with Grace."

The vampire hesitated- then he continued, "Fuck you."

Michael reached into his jacket and got a stake. Ciel had come back across a mound of still smoking rubble to see Michael. She didn't make herself known, however. She just watched him. Michael knelt and grabbed the vampire by the back of the neck and with a firm hold and grasp he pressed the stake to the vampire's chest. Then the vampire whispered, "Lyviv."

With that Michael pressed the stake all the way in and the vampire spilled into a pile of sinew. Ciel watched totally unnerved by Michael's violence. Lorenzo just watched somewhat revolted at an existential idea seeing his kind die. Michael stood with bloody hands and walked back to the SUV. Ciel and Michael made eye contact, and she watched him with a look of disapproval ill disguised. Michael didn't feel quite proud of himself either. Ciel just followed Michael to the SUV until she stopped a few paces behind Michael as he opened the car door for a rag.

Ciel was clearly irate and fists clenched, "What the fuck was that?"

Michael ignored her for a second as he cleaned his hands off. It reminded him of his brother Raul's blood, "Lyviv."

"I heard him." Ciel said sharply.

Michael looked to Ciel clearly bothered by his actions, "At this point it was more a mercy than vengeance. He'd die anyway. This isn't what Grace wanted to stand for."

"I'm not talking about that bullshit. I'm talking about this." Ciel let it spill.

"What? You went out of your way to find me. To train me to kill vampires like this."

"Not like that. Don't be like us."

Michael knew what she meant, but he'd rather be obtuse than consider his violent actions, "I'd rather this blood than hers on my hand."

With that Michael got on the driver's side of the car. Lorenzo approached and looked to Ciel but was subsequently ignored by the huntress. Lorenzo thought about how strange and fickle humans were. Their strange empathies. Lorenzo wondered if he was in love he'd go this far; betray everything he was. The thoughts of Lorenzo's father and all his conflicts came to the front of his mind. What violence both their kinds wrought in his time. The promises his father made and now he pledged the loyalty of his eldest progeny to the sworn enemy. How horrible Pavel had been to bring these peoples together despite their... melodramatic dispositions.

TWENTY

Michael had fallen asleep after pulling himself off the floor and showering. His time before sleep took him feeling sensations of lost guilt over his most recent and brutal slaying. He wore nothing, laying on a large white bed. His eyes fluttered open in the sun of the morning. The warmth was comforting and its glow soothing. He turned his head to see a naked Grace laying beside him watching. Her attention lifted from the book laying sprawled open in front of her.

"Grace?" he whispered.

Her own eyes widened then narrowed, "Why are you still coming after me? I'm destroying you? I'm not gonna ruin what I love about you for myself."

Michael perused his memory of everything Ceil explained about vampire powers until one ability in particular popped into his mind; Astral Projection.

He looked at the book and it was as if the words molded into the memories of earlier that day.

"I'm making you into me... into Pavel," she breathed, leaning forward to Michael, "This isn't for you?"

His eyes stung.

"And lose you?" He said cruelly.

She leaned back and looked at him, she was shocked by, "And lose yourself?"

It hurt him to see how she looked at him. It was like Ciel's disapproving glare..

"I couldn't return to a life without you. Couldn't fucking bear it.".

Grace was furious with him yet her heart hurt, "You're the first person to want me so badly. Not wanting to change me. Not trying to use me." Grace's eyes welled up with tears.

Michael's heart broke at those words. He recalled the stories Grace told so disaffected and disconnectedly.

"Don't let it be so short lived," Michael said choking tears down, "Don't let all this evil take this love away from you."

She wanted to kiss and embrace him.

"Don't let all this evil take love away from you. Leave with Ciel. Go back to Franceska. Live in peace because I know someone can handle Pavel, but it doesn't have to be you."

The lovers broke into tears and sobs. They knew the other's heart was set. Grace wouldn't promise Michael a return in any capacity and Michael wouldn't surrender his quest to rescue her. Grace couldn't run away with him. She either had to kill Pavel or die if Michael was to be safe.

"Grace?" he said softly.

Michael woke suddenly laying in the back seat of the car. Lorenzo wore a baseball cap and sunglasses to block as much of the sun as possible and Ciel drove hastily.

"She doesn't want me to save her."

"Kinda expected her to do that. Your girlfriend is really goddamn hard-headed," Ceil replied, nodding her head.

Michael agreed, wiping an almost dried tear he noticed on his face.

"Are you willing to die for her?" she asked softly.

Michael said nothing, he locked his eyes on the horizon.

******

Grace blinked as she was pulled out of her Astral Projection. Inhaling sharply, she sat up and looked around. She had made it to Lyviv. Her Ukrainian dialogue was good enough to speak to the people and her glamor enough to get her a hotel room. She ruminated on Michael's face. She on more than one occasion experienced a moment of weak will. Maybe she'd just leave and her and Michael would go on the run. But she knew her lover would die young in this run.

Pushing the thought of him from her mind, she looked at the nightstand where she had started making stakes. Picking up her third work in progress and her knife, she went back to work. Her nimble fingers got to shaving the stake into perfect shape, her mind wandered to the night she turned Pavel. Her memory was so good she could remember the scent of blood as she had drained him, and the scent of dirt as she buried his body. Back then, he was only a pawn of Codrin's plan and nothing more. She weaponized Pavel's love and devotion and used it thinking she could make Codrin proud. As if Codrin wasn't doing the exact same to her. Now, she regretted it, Grace regretted telling Raven she wanted to live, she regretted not killing herself the moment her husband bought her.

"Then what?" she hissed to herself.

Would she go back to Poppell Island and try to turn Michael? He could be kept safe if he was immortal The knife nicked her skin and she let out a hiss, tears blurring her eyes as she threw both across the room in frustration. Her thoughts wandered to Francesca, the woman had taken Michael in like a mother without questioning him. Grace could take this adopted son into the night. Steal a human away from their world like she did to Pavel- like Codrin did to her.

TWENTY-ONE

"What?" Pavel hissed.

He had doubts that she would figure it would be her best bet to contact the American again. However after the news of the leave behind left at the castle, he became concerned. Then it hit him. If her lover could be captured Grace would certainly yield. He knew she was certainly in love with him and would have died for him at any point.

Grace loose and with time to gather strength would certainly undermine him. He'd still not call a meeting with the hidden pretense of his own coronation. But now a new path showed itself.

If Grace didn't act with haste, he simply used a hostage and accelerated a hasty decision.

"Leave me," Pavel demanded from the informant.

The young vampires quickly departed from his sight. He sat in this base of operation's modern and rich lounge. He exhaled, taking a sip of his cup, it was fresh blood and tannic. He needed strength but would sooner prefer the indulgence of wine's flavor.

"All I need are chances in my favor," he muttered while taking another sip.

Come to me.

Then he smelled sulfur. He knew what spell this was. A grin broke from his lips, Judith Blackwell was finally summoning him. Magic shimmied around him, the scent tickling his nose just before he teleported—right to the ancient crone's den. He blinked, the wine glass of blood falling from his grasp as he took a step back and out of the magic circle that had teleported him before bumping into a long table full of supernatural ingredients and herbs. The old woman hissed as it hit the ground and shattered.

"You are not as sharp as you have been before," she tsked, snapping her fingers and the glass and blood disappeared, "Have you been following my potion recipes correctly?"

"Yes," he snapped, steading himself.

"Really?" she replied coolly, "Yet I can see you foolishly misdose for strength. You'll be dead before I can keep my vow. Your actions spoil the quality of your reign later. If you'd be too weak for the transfer your total ceiling of strength would be cruelly diminished."

"I'd still be almost to strong to stop," he hissed through clenched teeth.

Her eyes narrowed, "This potion works by using the years of your accrued strength. I'm burning the stockpile of magical energies preserved by years of feeding on life force and blood. But even these small 40 years are not a deep font of free strength for you to use and without Grace's century and a half added onto yours too depleted- I dare say most of the lords left could challenge you easily."

Pavel's lips turned to a smirk, "Then I suppose it is time to end this mission of ours before that happens."

TWENTY TWO

Grace hung out her hotel window, nostrils flaring. She could smell the particular scent of blood, death and dirt—the scent that seemed to follow Pavel and his goons wherever he went. A frown settled onto her face, it was a scent that kept tickling her nose for the past hour and yet she had not seen any of his men yet. Grace knew they were aware of her existence, and she knew they were planning something, the question was what? He'd surely be expecting her to leap into action. But she couldn't wait. Contacting Michael in any way led to one outcome regardless of how long it would take.

"Only one way to find out," she growled.

Grace leapt with her supernatural strength from her window, her back laid flat and low, one foot positioned slightly in front of the other. The wind blew wildly through her short hair. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she inhaled the crisp night air. Her lips contorted, then she shifted under the full moon into a Raven with lacquer black wings and bright ruby eyes. The breadth of her wings magnificently glittered in the moonlight.

She followed the vaguely intensifying scent to a building still partially under construction. Grace flew as high as she could to a neighboring building of height and modern stature. Grace transformed back as soon as she landed. She watched with a pit in her gut. The forces Pavel had truly amassed were well beyond her expectations. Pavel had found at least one-hundred some odd followers. Though young it was twice the size of the largest vampire houses she could think of.

Oh god, Pavel; she thought to herself.

That's when she noticed it. A massive owl above her had gotten the drop on her and descended with terrifying speed. Pavel, Grace thought fearfully, how did I not notice him? The eagle spiraled down, taking her to the ground. It quickly shifted to Pavel. They fell off the building in a tussle using what was left of their powers as they jumped and swiped at each other with attacks descending the exterior of the building. With a smart swipe of his leg he caught her foot causing her to lose balance. Grace fell to her feet before eight young vampires rushed her down. Grace managed to beat down the first three before the fourth and fifth caught her off guard and into a tussle on the ground she quickly won with her brute strength. But she didn't have enough time to prepare for the Sixth through Eighth to beat her down. Pavel quickly moved in for a decisive blow to knock her out.

Grace couldn't maintain her consciousness. She couldn't recall the last time if ever that she'd been knocked out as a vampire. Codrin was clearly on the drug because she had never felt a blow of this strength. Pavel knelt down beside her, "I wasn't expecting to do nothing at all to win. I was saving all of this for your lover and to kill his hunter friend." Pavel's tone clearly mocking Grace's colossal failure. In truth Pavel felt bad for Grace. Pavel would've probably not have gone with this much force had he known it was her. But he was thankful for her typical hastiness.

TWENTY-THREE

Lorenzo rushed back to the SUV hiding under a bridge. Michael and Ciel standing upright totally interested in what Lorenzo had discovered. But the news wasn't what they were expecting, "I thought I found out. But it was Grace! She made a move on Pavel and they got her immediately."

"Fuck," Ceil said slowly.

Lorenzo nodded, "Whatever it is that Pavel is intending to do he won't wait any longer."

"We have to move now. No more waiting."

With that everyone nodded their heads in acknowledgement of the fact they could all die.

"Should we waste time sneaking in or just go full tilt?" Michael asked nervously but brave.

Lorenzo commented, "I say we use the bar as a massive trap and diversion. You and Michael go in through the back and I'll try to keep them thoroughly distracted with what they assume will be a head on attack. It'll probably fit with how a Pavel like Pavel would characterize you, Michael."

Michael took minor offense, but all realized the information value, "Pains me to say you're right. I would've gone down the latter route."

Ciel agreed with Michael but offered further insight, "It sucks but I would've done the same, Michael. Lorenzo is right; we are gonna use the car as a trap and load it up with silver flechette and debris.

******

Lorenzo pulled the car up as close to the building as possible before positioning the steering wheel and carefully placing a brick on the peddle. The weight of the brick is enough to give the peddle enough weight for a steady but concerning speed to any receiver of the vehicle. Lorenzo watched as it careened down the night road towards its destination before texting his allies.

Michael and Ciel sat in a bush waiting carefully. Ciel was trembling and held her hand and saw that Michael was shaking violently as well. She was as scared of this as he was and although dying didn't scare her the stakes of this one had really pushed her to the limit. If she didn't die, she could expect a horrible torturous existence in a hell of Pavel's design. She couldn't help but think of the most sickening of things. It made her stomach churn but she couldn't help but acknowledge a possible future and make peace with all its outcomes.

However to Michael he could only conceive of its most horrifying outcome to him. Grace dying and Michael surviving this ordeal. His utter shame and loneliness would relive this tragedy all over again. What if he died and Pavel also went after Franceska? The harm he'd bring what was left of the life he would leave behind. The words crossed his mind; what if she was right? But he firmly said to himself, "Don't say that."

Michael wouldn't accept his failure. He couldn't accept the idea of failure.

******

Grace was chained up in a chair. It was in a partially completed lounge room. An older woman who clearly studied the magics was finishing an incantation. Grace had come too and had long since analyzed her surroundings. Runes on the ground from a time further back than anything she could imagine. Candles made of the fats of strange supernatural and natural creatures. All so satanic in the most dramatic of ways.

Pavel suddenly made his entrance dressed in a less urban military manner than he had done before. Instead he looked more like a modern and suave businessman. He looked at the room. He looked to and acknowledged guards in the shadows that Grace had already picked up on despite their best efforts to hide. Their youth was betrayed in their inability to hide effectively.

Pavel approached Judith, "How much longer?"

"Not long now King of the Undead. The preparations are almost complete."

"Good," Pavel said to Grace, "Leave me with her for one final private farewell."

Judith reluctantly regarded the request and stepped out of the room with her magical book of spells in hand. Pavel followed her as she left the room with his entire head before the guards followed suit. Grace watched Pavel the entire time both embarrassed and furious.

"I'm gonna tell you what I'm going to do with your life."