The Darkness Ch. 02

"Shush," Vincent said automatically as he stepped closer. "Let's get you out of here before you are seen." He leaned down, picking her limp form in his arms as the door opened again. This time it was Eric.

"Eric, bring my car around."

"What happened to...?" He started to ask then decided it was not his place to keep asking. "Yes sir, Mister Vincent." He added as he closed the door.

"That was careless. You were foolish to send her alone, Gabriel." Vincent's voice carried through the front room of the flat. He paced back and forth with his hands nestled in the small of his back. He kept looking at her limp form where he dumped her on the couch. He knew it was wrong to let her stay in his club. She was trouble. He understood that now.

"Who said I sent her? I simply suggested she go out and have fun." Gabriel's sharp voice was a reminder to Vincent of his place. Gabriel was his elder. A fact he would not let slip unforgotten. "She's free to go where she chooses when she chooses." Gabe added. Yada was his thing, and not a subject of debate by anyone.

Vincent walked the length of the room before turning to Yada, making sure she was still asleep. "She was lucky I was the one who found her."

"Lucky!" Gabe interrupted. "I'm wondering why you say she was lucky when it was your club, and ultimately your responsibility to know who is in your club. So tell me who was it that attacked her?" So I can find its master and return the favor.

"Some passing rutane," Vincent offered quickly. "He asked permission to stay in the club for one night. I gave it to him."

"You gave it to him, and he attacked my thing. I want to know why. I suspect he was there for another reason and simply found a better target. I want to know who he was, and where he came from.Do I make myself clear?" The last was a mixture of thought and word.

Noticing her breathing had changed, Gabriel stood above Yada. Holding his hand just above her head, he felt the urge to stroke her hair. But he pulled back suddenly and locked eyes with Vincent.

"When you have something else to report, contact me. Until then I'll keep her from your club." Gabe nodded.

Vincent knew the conversation was over, he knew he could not challenge Gabe. Nevertheless, he could offer a middle ground to take some of the pressure off as the scoundrel behind the attack. "She's welcome at the club." He bowed. "I'll have everything you requested soon."

"Ensure that you do." There was a slight threat in Gabe's tone.

Vincent left.

"What happened tonight?" He asked sternly, still standing over her.

Yada pulled her body up, so her head was resting on the corner of the couch. She watched lights bounce in and out of her vision. "I was attacked." She tried to gather her thoughts. "He came out of no-where, and I did what I had to." She tried swinging her legs over the couch, but the sharp electrifying pain in her thigh stopped her.

"I wasn't quick enough, if I had been any slower --"

"--You would be dead!" He didn't hide his anger from her.

She opened her mouth to speak but the words vanished before she could get them out. She looked at the wound. It was already healing. No matter how many times she saw it, it still amazed her how quick she could heal. Healing was one of the first things Gabriel taught her how to do. He also showed her how to use his blood to move faster and hit harder. Though, she was still learning how to move with greater speed.

"My apologies, Gabriel, I momentarily forgot my place."

"In time you will learn, until then you will train, harder." Gabriel realized she wasn't ready to go out alone. Though she handled the attack tonight, she might not be able to next time.

She closed her eyes. She looked defeated. "I didn't expect to be ambushed. I knew there were others, but...."

"You will be next time. You will learn what to look for in every situation you walk into."

She did not say anything. Instead she nodded.

"I can offer you one tidbit. You impressed Vincent tonight. Not many impress him." There was some pride in his tone. "He can be a powerful friend, or an enemy. It is best to have his trust as long as you frequent this club."

"I think I understand." She finally managed. Her face paled, and the room started to sway. She ran a blood coated hand through her hair as she tried to stand up. Her fingers brushed over a fresh bite mark.

"Did he?" Her eyes opened wide in horror.

"Yes. He fed from you while you slept, and in return fed you. If he hadn't you would have lost too much blood from the wound on your shoulder." Gabe sounded angry. She belonged to him and no one should have fed from her but him. Vincent could have merely stopped the bleeding, rather than indulge in his own needs.

Yada felt the sting across the cheek from an unseen hand. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I should have known it was a trap."

"How could you have known?" His tone was neutral as was his face.

"I just should have." Yada snapped. Her irritation etched into her face. She limped to the door and rested against the frame.

Gabriel moved closer, brushing the hair from her eyes. "You could not have known what he intended. You did what you had to do. There is nothing more to say about this."

She closed her eyes and enjoyed his brief touch. Gabriel did not often show affection. They shared a common blood-bond and she craved his attention. Even the slightest touch was a reward.

"One question before I go?"

"Yes." He said lightly.

"Why would he attack me? I was no threat to him. There were other humans there to feed on." She frowned as she rethought the events leading to the restroom. "And he toyed with me from the moment I stepped into the club." Yada sounded angry with her realization.

"You are my sahead, Yada. That is reason enough. You are my personal ghoul. My blood pumps through your heart, and it would have been the prize. As long as you are in service to me, you will be subject to attacks. In time, you will know how to read the situation long before it happens."

"I don't understand. I'm merely human. I'm not like you or the others. He wouldn't have gained anything from my blood."

"He would have gained far more than you know by taking your blood."

Rubbing her temples, she leaned against the wall again. She didn't understand what he meant. She changed the subject. "You said Vincent was impressed. How can he be impressed by something like me? I thought vampires didn't notice humans."

"Ah, that's the complexity of the whole situation." He held up his finger as a teacher would to a student who had just asked the most important question. "You are not merely human. You are something else entirely."

"Let's say I understand what you are saying. Why was he impressed?"

"You killed a vampire. That is no easy feat for a fledgling but for a human that is outstanding. And this," he waved his hand. "Rutane was about to feed on Mira. Mira is one of Vincent's things. And let me tell you, killing one a rutane is an impressive feat for anyone." In all actuality Gabriel was impressed with her as well.

"You mean a thing like me?" The word thing caught her attention. Gabe was always referring to her as a thing as though she was a personal possession like a shirt or a pair of pants.

"No. As I said, you are a sahead. You are nothing like this Mira, thing." He waved his hand dismissing Mira, as inconsequential.

"I sometimes wonder if I am merely just a thing to you."

"You are still young." He corrected her misunderstanding.

She did not know why, but his allegation offended her. "Perhaps, one day you will not look at me as young." Turning to walk away, she felt the sharp grip of Gabriel's hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"You are the most exasperating thing I have." He said before spinning her into the wall. He placed his arm across her chest so she could not move. "Yes you are young and I intend to make sure you will grow older beyond the mortal years you see before you. I have not invested my time in you for you to tax my patience."

Licking her lips, which suddenly went dry she narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you just kill me? I am yourthingafter all. Why don't you end the suffering I cause you? Or is that it? You enjoy the torment you put me through."

"You make me want to hurt objects and people," he moved hair from her eyes again as his face relaxed. "And in the same breath create," he admitted, releasing her from his hold.

"Then why do you look at me as though I'm not a person? Why do you injury me with your words and look at me with regret?" She whispered.

"It is not regret in my eyes, and you are not athing to me. You are..."

"Something else," she finished his sentence. "That is the one description I hear from you. I am something else. I don't understand what that means, or even what you want from me."

He walked away from her. "Rest Yada. Tomorrow, I'll explain to you what you are."

"I don't want to rest. I don't want anything but the truth." She demanded.

"The truth," he laughed. "I know this is going to sound like a line from a movie, but you can't handle the truth."

"I see. You feel that since I am young I will not be able to comprehend the truth. I read somewhere that the truth is how we perceive an event and that fact is what actually transpires. So why don't you start with facts?"

"I had not intended to have this conversation tonight." Gabriel's tone changed to displeasure.

"Why?" Yada knew she was pushing her luck.

Gabriel placed both hands in front of his face as though he was praying.Why? "Fine if the facts are what you wish then perhaps you should have them."

Yada did not say a word. How could she? Gabe was about to give her something she wanted and it shocked her.

"Give me your hand," he said calmly.

Extending her arm slowly, she placed her hand in his.

"Do you fear me?"

"No," she hesitated. "Yes," she corrected.

"Honesty is a good start. But the easiest way for you to understand what I am about to tell you is to show you. To share everything you seek I must cycle with you."

"What do you mean by cycle with me?"

"Cycling is a term used when the two of us feed from each other."

For a brief moment, Yada looked afraid. "Fine," she said reluctantly.

"You do understand I may not be able to control everything you see or feel. I can tell you it will all be in your mind and you will be safe when it is over with."

Her nod was the only response.

Gabriel bit into his wrist and offered it to her. When she brought it to her mouth, he held her tighter. Her body started to reject his blood. It happened every time he fed her. The human body does not accept the blood of the un-dead. Out of instinct the stomach convulses, trying to expel what is ingested. Gabriel told her eventually it will subside.

Gabriel waited until the fight ended before biting into Yada's wrist. The moment he did Yada's mind began to fill with images from Gabe's past.

August 2, 1701

"Gabriel."

It wasn't his real name, but a name he decided to use some years ago, after the birth of Christianity, when he settled into a small area outside of Rome. He and his brother were mistaken for a pair of Angels. Some of the hesitant locals said they could only be the hand of God and referred to them as the Fallen Michael and Gabriel. The thought had always amused them and the pair decided to keep the names as long as they brought fear to man. As long as man feared them, they could go about their nightly affairs unnoticed-- unchallenged.

"I'm over here." Dropping the stick he had been inspecting, he looked over his shoulder to a hooded figure. He knew it was Paul. Paul was the sentry on duty tonight. Gabriel had left word for the man to find him as soon as The Horde returned. "Tell me what did you find out?"

Coming to a full stop and placing his hand on his side he fought to regain his breath. "My lord," he gasped. "The scouts have reported a hunting party is coming. And they appear to preparing to attack us." He paused long enough to fill his lungs again. "There's a second larger party coming at us from the North. It seems they are trying to box us in. This Nikolai runs as if the hounds of hell are on his heels."

"This, Nikolai, is a clever man. He knows we cannot retreat to the East because of the mountains, and the West is blocked by his ships. Very clever indeed," Gabriel mused, rubbing his chin before looking to the mountains. The mountains seemed to hold a certain sway to Gabriel. He had spent the better of five hundred years exploring the island. He knew of every crack and crevice to hide in. "He is trying to force me to head south and attack the smaller caravan. But I think we should head east. There is a series of caves at the peak of Mount Arcane we can use to our advantage. The slopes are steep and the temperatures this time of year will give us time to plan a proper attack."

"Are you sure my lord? They are only men..."

Gabriel held up a lone finger to silence his servant. "Aye they are men, but daylight will be upon us in a few short hours." Gabriel glanced to the horizon. Judging by the position of the half-moon, he figured they had three hours before sunrise. "It would be best to seek shelter from this storm and use the cover of night to protect us. Do you understand?"

"I understand my lord. I'll send word to the others to meet you on top of Mount Arcane. What about the Horde, sir?"

"Have Alek retreat as well." Gabriel nodded, releasing his servant.

"What will you do now Nikolai?" He continued to look at the mountains. Sniffing the air, something or more importantly someone caught his attention. "You can come out now, Marianna," he said, not changing his expression.

"Father," she greeted, stepping from behind the tree she was using as a shield. "I've been studying this human. This one is different from the others. He is..."

"...A thorn in my side," he interrupted. Seeing the look on her face, he gave a light shoulder squeeze to reassure her he had everything under control.

"Why do you not just kill him and be done with him? Why are we running from a man?"

"Ah," he smiled. "That is a complicated question, and one not so easily answered. This Nikolai knows what we are. The way he pursues us tells me as much. It only confirms what I have suspected that someone has sent him. The question is who." He rubbed his thick beard, giving the appearance of deep thought. "Before I kill him, I need to know who it is."

"Father, please you can't keep thinking that every human knows about us. It is true they are evolving, just as we are. But," she watched a centipede cross the ground near her feet. "Even you must have known sooner or later we'd be found."

"Of course I've always known we would be found. And hunted. But this one is different. I can feel it." He turned to her. "He knows too much about us. Someone has trained him and sent him here. And I suspect it is Darius."

Darius was another thorn in his side. He had been attacking Gabriel's men for as long as he could remember. Gabriel knew when Darius killed Aleksandra and ascended to Elder, there would always be feuding between the Houses. Darius was a bloodthirsty monster.

She opened her mouth to rebut his accusation, but saw the look in his eyes. "Darius has no need of these lands. He is content to rule over his. Besides, why would he come all this way to have this place?"

"This is the land of his birth." Gabriel stated, coldly. "He wants to come home." Gabriel was present when Aleksandra defied his wishes and created Darius. In hindsight, Gabriel should have killed them both then and there.

"It doesn't make any sense. Why would he send a human to do his bidding?"

"That's what is puzzling me. Darius normally indulges his whims personally."

"As I said, it doesn't make any sense." She leaned over and picked up the same stick Gabriel had been holding earlier. "You know I've seen this human before, the one they call Nikolai, and he doesn't seem to be anything special."

"When did you see him?" Gabriel's curiosity peaked, and that wasn't always a good thing.

"Back in London while I was attending Michael."

"Curious," Gabriel began rubbing his chin again. "That would mean Darius was there as well."

"Michael didn't say anything about it."

"No. He wouldn't have if he was in on this as well." Accusation filled his tone.

"Are you claiming your own brother is plotting to kill you?"

"No. I'm thinking there's more going on then you or I can see." Slowly he turned away. "I need to think. Meet me in the cave above the falls at sunrise."

"As you wish Father," she bowed.

Gabriel wandered through the forest for another hour before making his way to the peaks of Mount Arcane. From the highest point he could see the sea and the small campfires. They looked like flickers of red against the dark horizon. His mind moved through time, searching for clues to who this Nikolai truly was. The name was Russian, but Michael ruled Russia. Surely his brother wouldn't send a human. Then why would Michael send anyone. There was no grievance between them. Michael had not spoken to him in many years about trouble, other than a few occasional squabbles from fledglings invading territory not belonging to their ruling House. No. Michael could not be the fiend behind this.

Shortly before sunrise he made his way to an inner cavern. Leaving orders not to be disturbed he found refuge in a small blow hole. He could feel the sun rising through the mountain, and slowly drifted into a fevered sleep.

Malevolent tendrils wrapped around Gabriel's torso and arms, holding him tightly to the boulder. He struggled, but his supernatural strength gained nothing. The tendrils held fast. Thorny vines snaked their way around his neck, threatening to end his suffering. The fiercer his fight the tighter the hold became.

The imposing dawn silhouetted a figure standing at the base of the rock formation. An old man with a dark beard, and black robes tugged at him in the rising wind. Storm clouds flooded the sky. Imposing thunder shook the hillside, shifting gravel around his prison. The figure held a dagger in his left hand, but made no attempt to further the attack. Rather he brandished it at Gabriel, taunted it in his face.

Gabriel was powerless. The vines erupted from the boulder again. This time they latched onto his legs and hands. He labored against the thorny bonds, but it was futile. He was at the mercy of the old man's anger and fury. Again the man held the dagger over Gabriel's face; the above sky rumbled and threatened to crash down.

He spoke: "Justice shall be mine." The old man's hands shook and his face reddened with rage. "I the accused and innocent shall prevail. Justice shall be mine."

The assault of words was familiar to Gabriel. The tendrils tightened again. Gabriel had no breath left in his chest. His bones and joints were beginning to break under the tremendous pressure. Dizzying agony consumed him, but he could not look away from the hooded figure. Dark brown eyes kept him in trance. The old man's fury reached a crescendo, he brought both hands together, holding the dagger to the heavens as the dawn slipped slowly over the boulder.

"Suffer this day as I have suffered. Suffer your child as mine have suffered." The sunlight began to burn Gabriel's flesh. Blistering flesh began to flake away. Gabriel screamed in withered agony.

"My lord, my lord...!"

Gabriel's mouth and eyes strained wide-open. His back arched at an odd angle.

"My lord...!"

The hillside was shaking and threatened to bury him. Gravel was falling around his burning flesh. Slowly his vision cleared to find a man hovering over him, shaking him from the dream.