Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ISBN: 978-0-557-01124-7
Publisher: Lulu.com
Rights Owner: Sara Pope
Copyright: © 2004 Sara Pope
1
Forward
you will see violence, sex, torture and war. This is what would
continued from one night to the next for two months. Each
feedback.
Sara Pope
2
Index
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Book One - Rhiannon
Chapter One
The L.A. Streets were crowded with people, mostly the refuse
length black hair that reflected the neon blues, greens, and
reds like a dark mirror framed her slender form. She wore a
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male and female alike, fell upon her and followed her
movement.
touched his face for a few seconds, then turned and walked
down a dark alley, casting a long look back over her shoulder.
roaming over her firm body. She was warm and receptive to
his touch and moaned softly into his ear. He became excited
with her right arm and a serrated hooked blade shot out of its
sheath and into her hand. She quickly sank the blade into his
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lower abdomen and ripped it upward, slicing him from groin
to sternum.
rolling onto his back. Rhiannon straddled the dying man and
dipped her lips into his slashed throat, yanking his head back
with her left hand. She loved the flavour of blood and drank it
older woman opened her window and stepped out onto the
their windows to see what was going on. Soon the area was
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Rhiannon relaxed in a tub of clean water, having
already showered off the caked blood from her body. She
other room, a wry smile curving her lips. She loved hearing
about her work. Her washing machine was rinsing the blood
the murderer that had taken twelve lives over the past
crisper. She crossed into her living room and sank into her
sofa. She had taken the man’s wallet from the night before.
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She opened it and counted the money inside. He had several
She slid the bills into her own purse and then settled
one, as she could not stomach milk or most solid foods. She
still had an hour to kill before she had to start getting ready
into patent leather pants and a short shirt that showed off
her tiny waist. She pulled on a pair of high heeled boots and
She took her place behind the bar and got a short,
poles while others gyrated inside cages set about the room.
The men slopped beer on the counter and eyed the dancers,
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removal of various items of clothing. Rhiannon felt her usual
the feeling, saving her anger for tonight. She was thankful
that she ran the bar and was not one of the women being
ogled by the man/pigs. She did not know why she had taken
man/pig himself.
Her mother had died when she was very young. Her
father used to go to bars like this one, bringing her with him.
While the dancers had distracted him, other men in the bar
the rest room and fondling her until she could get away from
from the customers, sliding it into the cash drawer. She was
an object of scrutiny also; she could feel eyes roving over her
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periodically and she filled the trays with different kinds of
unit behind her and took a bottle from the shelf. Uncapping
it, she got out a coaster and set the beer down on it.
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“Are you okay?”
The day wore on and she did her job well, her tip jar was
full by the time she left the bar, sliding the money into her
purse. The sun sank low on the horizon and she decided to
sensed that she was being followed, but when she looked
Finally, a man strode from the elevator and out into the
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keys, not noticing Rhiannon emerging from the shadows. She
approached him.
“I’m lost,” She looked into his eyes “Do you know the
“I can take you there,” He smiled kindly “It’s not far from
side door. He opened it and Rhiannon got in. He slid into the
driver’s seat and backed the car from its designated parking
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“Would you like to stop somewhere?” She asked. “I could buy
you a drink.”
little stroll?”
This man was no different from the suits that came into her
time. Well, it was going to be she that was going to have all
the fun. They pulled into a mini mall and he got out
She obeyed, but as soon as he went into the building, she got
out her trusty hook blade and kissed it. “Soon …. my baby.”
in his grip and got back into the car and soon they were back
on the road. The park came into view on their right and he
turned the car and made his way down a well-lit driveway.
kept her face from being seen by any of them. He drove into
the heart of the park where there were fewer and fewer
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people sitting around. Finally they arrived at an abandoned
and they kissed for a moment. She took his lower lip between
her teeth and nipped him playfully, the predator playing with
her prey like a cat with a rodent. “We need more room,” He
He walked around and opened her door for her. Getting out,
made her feel more alive. She stepped to a light post and
14
She reached back into her waistband and flipped the blade
spoke quietly as she swept his legs from under him. He fell
into the grass and tried to crawl away from her. “But like I
his head back, sliced the serrated edge across his throat. He
She removed his wallet from inside his coat and placed one
the grass.
15
read the newspapers, and he knew that this was the serial
spray, washing the blood from her fresh kill. Rhiannon rinsed
the blood from her hands and arms, then her blade. She
and walked away from her prey, not bothering to taste the
she had gotten into the car with the man in the suit. He had
only let her see him for a moment inside the bar where she
that she was alone again, on foot after having gotten into the
man’s car. He decided to follow her again, find out where she
lived and then make his move. He knew that the council
16
He watched as she entered an apartment complex and
made her kill and wanted to relax a bit before going to bed.
She stripped off her tight clothing and slipped into a short
forward. She had not known that she had been observed.
and slipped under a sheet. The night was too warm to cover
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The luminescent mist took the form of a man and she
realized it was the same man from the bar. He was tall with
for a moment, his gleaming eyes filling her with desire. She
realized that she was not dreaming. She also knew that this
was.
of a knocking on her door. The tall man was gone. She tried
her and she fell back, not knowing what could be wrong. The
time she had spent with the blonde man was a blur in her
again. She got her feet to the floor and fell onto her stomach,
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her lying upon the floor in her bedroom, wearing nothing
her mouth. She was hefted to her feet and her robe was tied
and carefully loaded her into the back seat of a squad car.
sunlight that came through the squad car window sent pain
She curled up into a fetal position and buried her face in the
seat, ignoring the pain of the handcuffs that cut into her
her into a small cell in the Santa Ana county jail. Coroners’
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The blood was carefully washed from around her mouth as
she lay unconscious on the meager cot that was the only
furniture in her cell save for a toilet and sink. This blood was
did not match any of the blood types of the victims that were
herself in the jail cell. A single guard sat outside the cell,
hungry, desperately so, but she knew that her hunger could
She had to have blood. She could smell the guard and
wanted to take him. He eyed her again, noticing that she was
awake. The clothing that she had been changed into did little
to hide her voluptuous but athletic body. She felt the need for
had no will of his own, he stood and unlocked the cell door,
stepping inside.
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Rhiannon took the guard easily, ripping out the side of
his neck and drinking until his heart stopped beating, but it
was not enough. She needed more. She laid the inert body of
the guard on the shabby cot she had recently occupied and
slipped out the open gate of the cell. He hadn’t even had the
chance to scream before she had ripped his throat out with
her new teeth. Insane hunger filled her, but she kept her
composure for the time being. The scent of the female in the
office at the end of the hall assaulted her nostrils like the
smelled. She crept down the long hallway, careful not to alert
her prey. As she neared the doorway, she could hear the
from the radio and crossed the office back to her desk,
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accounts of the capture of one of the most frightening female
killers she had ever seen. Being in the same building with the
woman made her skin crawl, and she looked forward to going
control and the woman briefly looked her way. She rose and
the small window down the hall. Not seeing the guard in his
before the woman saw her, sinking her teeth into the
woman’s throat, ripping out the larynx and left jugular vein.
the body aside, she left the building and turned down the
street, feeling alive in the nighttime air. She left the busy
The sound and scent of life came from all around her now,
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People walked in groups and stood against the buildings.
victim. A man stared at her and she realized that she was
still dressed in the issued clothing from the jail, and what was
worse, her face had been televised all over the country on
crossed the street to avoid it. Most of the homes were dark,
The sound came from a house set back from the street
lining the streets and parked askew in the lawn. Two teenage
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came to her again, and she realized that she enjoyed the
fragrance of the males more than the females. She shed the
They turned their attention upon her now and she could
males soon stood before her, and she drew them into the
trees to the left of the house. She had never felt so much
power. Drunk on the scent of the males, she traced the vein
her. She embraced him, and as the other watched, she sank
she drank, she could hear his heart beating, this insistent
rest of her clothing. The hands of the other boy caressed her
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She scented along his thigh and bit where she could smell
the blood clearly. It gushed into her mouth and she drank
She removed the shirt of the second boy and raised his
arm, biting into the soft flesh of its underside. This time, she
let the holes bleed into her hand, not knowing what she was
doing or why. As her hand filled, she smeared the blood over
tingling sensation. She bit into his neck and filled her hands
blood.
and rinsed the caked blood from her body. This done, she put
A girl stepped out onto the porch, looking for her date.
Calling his name timidly, aware of the fact that she had been
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ignoring him for most of the evening, she walked down the
other teens inside the house and soon the area was being
found.
trouble. She also felt that one of her council was to blame for
the indiscretion, but she could not single him out yet. She
may have to eliminate the girl, but she had to learn more
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could see insanity in her eyes. Serene searched through the
girl’s mind and read of the many killings she had made even
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The ominous-looking Master of assassins left the chamber,
nearly black eyes and even blacker hair to his waist. Drake
harmed.”
jeans.
Keokuk and Drake studied her intently for a time, then the
window disappeared.
her to me.”
The two assassins quietly stepped from the chamber and the
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killed her, while another voice told him he could never have
done so. He decided to bide his time until she was caught
and brought in before the council. Then and only then would
explain that he did not know that she was a notorious serial
killer until it was too late. She was a danger before, but now
simply used the window spell to get her exact location. The
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red Ford GTO was already outfitted with shackles to detain
the blood stained jeans she was wearing. She was hungry
again. She had left Santa Ana with haste after her initial
men got out of a red GTO and silently scanned the area as if
She thought.
she had only seen before with the tall blonde vampire that
vampires.
trees, his hand automatically reaching for the stun gun at his
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closer broke and ran from the cover of the trees. Drake was
her back. She fought him valiantly, twisting in his grip and
striking him across the jaw. Keokuk grasped her arms and
forced them behind her while Drake used the stun gun again,
this time directly into her temple. She relaxed in his grip and
was carried to the car. They shackled her arms and legs in
studied the ragged looking girl that lay upon the cold stones
of the temple.
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Rhiannon lifter her head and regarded the ancient
Minx extended a single finger, lighting shot from the tip and
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secrecy by frightened prey. We established rules to insure
that the prey does not know we exist. You have broken every
waited for his chance, and then took her. One law of the
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Council was that vampires could have no sexual contact with
saw what he was. She had the dark desire to become like
fed from her neck as he loved her, and then gave her his own
He did not know of her serial killings until she had been
himself and he hadn’t been able to read and know her. This
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were by at least a century, which made him more powerful
the back of the head, his hand flaring with blue electricity not
unlike Minx’s. Drake sank to the floor, gripping his head and
Vincent struck him again in the base of his skull. Drake lay
from the girl and into a corner. Vincent carried Rhiannon from
the room, through a doorway and into a sunlit street. The sun
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The Shadow of Rhiannon
Chapter Two
36
awake all day, watching over her as she slept. She was
had held all day. He approached her, but she pulled back
Vincent shoved open the door and she realized that they
intense gaze. Over the past few weeks she had been more
as a mortal. The cool air refreshed her, and she felt strength
returning to her body. She scented the air, but only found the
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“There is a small town nearby. We will find fresh blood
there.”
The town was not far away, and the living scent grew
There were others inside besides the male she wanted. She
was ajar; the scent flowed from this window. She peered
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inside and could make out the figure of a tall young male
window. She slid the window open and climbed inside. The
desk was sturdy and made no noise as she slid across it and
onto his back but not awakening. Rhiannon met his lips with
her own briefly. He still did not awaken. She rolled his head to
the side, exposing his neck for her kiss. He moaned softly
and opened his eyes. He turned his head to meet her gaze
semi truck.
“You will feel no pain.” She whispered and he closed his eyes.
She rolled his head to the side again. Her teeth extended and
she sank them into his right jugular, her eyes glowing blue in
the darkness. Blood poured into her mouth and she drank
hoping she would not rouse the occupants. He sat and waited
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while she reappeared, a duffel bag hanging from her arm.
catch her hands and shape them to the correct positions. She
three different animals, the Wolf, the Crow, and the Cat,
His stereo was still playing. She had told him to turn it off
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before he went to sleep, but never had pushed the matter
sneaking out anymore. She turned the knob, but his door was
She returned and opened the door as far as she could and
slid the coat hanger up until she was able to disengage the
hook. She slowly opened the door and was suddenly aghast.
Her son lay upon his bed, slightly covered with a sheet. In
but blood soaked the bed next to his neck. He was facing
away from her and she could distinctly see two large holes in
his neck. She choked silently, the scream rising in her throat,
but no sound could escape her lips. She stumbled back down
the hallway and into her living room. She collapsed onto her
sofa and knocked the phone to the floor. Grasping it, she
dialed 911.
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Rhiannon and Vincent slept. She had crawled a distance
away from him after the sun rose, but he had crept up behind
her and lying down, pulled her close to him. Their sleep was
area looking for her. They barely considered that she would
be hiding somewhere, but they did not take into account that
were not believed yet. They scoured the streets and the
The highway patrol was called into action, and officers trying
sensing his feelings for her. He was different from other men.
noticeably every time she awakened and she could read his
42
thoughts now. He did not block them from her. On the
this town before they made any more kills. He reminded her
could not help but play with her new ability like a fresh toy,
she rolled to one side and plunged toward the ground, then
were not punished for their failure as she knew that Vincent
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destroy what she believed was to become a threat to the
from the armory. Keokuk and Drake were more than happy to
This time it was made clear to them to kill, not capture. They
and turned toward the Salton Sea. From the air they could
As they drew closer to the teenagers that had left the group,
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vicinity. He guessed that there was an assassin from the
The two teens decided that they were far enough from
their friends and began to make out. The male drew the
female close and ran his hands over her body as they kissed,
distract her from the task at hand. Rhiannon was beside the
leapt upon the male, sinking her teeth into his throat and
bit again, this time biting into his jugular and drinking as he
Rhiannon was quicker. She pressed both of his arms into the
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into the night sky. His heart stopped beating and Rhiannon
turned to the girl. She checked her wrist for a pulse, and
Paralyzed from her broken neck, the girl was unable to fight.
Rhiannon then fed from the girl until she was dead, tears still
grasp, slamming the butt of it into his skull. This did little to
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approached them. He mentally called Rhiannon to his side
the teens even knew what was transpiring. One broke away
beneath him and slamming his fist into the boy's rib cage,
with Serene and the council, but she was keeping a mental
link with all the assassins, aiding them when she could.
the shore of the Salton Sea. His son had sneaked out to
tree. He knew who had done this, it was the escaped serial
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killer Rhiannon, but she could not have possibly done all of
the officers were not giving out any of the names of the
was very little blood upon the sand. The sight of the corpses
One boy was still alive, but very weak from loss of blood. He
blaring.
were already dead. Falling to his knees near the site, Gerald
and even kill Rhiannon for what she had done to his son.
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Danny was sick until dusk finally fell. He had been
having blood transfusions all day. Any food that he had tried
nurse came in with a small cup of green jello and rolled the
grabbed a handful of the nurse's hair and sank his teeth into
his pajamas and coating the side of his face, running into his
her aside, still alive and weeping from the pain of her
lacerated neck. He yanked the I.V. from his arm and sped out
avail. One guard pressed a stun gun to his side, but it had no
49
effect on the boy. The guard's arm was ripped from it's
socket, like a wing from a fly. The scent of the blood gushing
from the hole drove the boy instantly mad and he pressed his
than they would himself. They knew his mind and he left a
did not know and her powers not being fully developed, did
knew that Rhiannon blamed him for her capture, both by the
due to his desire for her, and she was not very open to his
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completely rip the throat out would insure that the body
their strength, did not burn them as was fabled in the movies
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brought in the two fugitives. As assassins of the council they
her kills were barely recognizable when she finished them off.
The press, who had been on top of the entire spree from the
time she had broken out of the holding cell at the Santa Ana
fuelled by the press. Suspicion against the cult like Goth and
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creatures were pure evil based on it. No one realized the
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the reborn taken prisoner was to repeatedly cut the wrists,
blood from their bodies before the cuts sealed over. It was
found that the only way to truly kill the vampires was to
but not in the same way that an ordinary human did, the
number as well.
The media was not entirely to blame for the chaos that now
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Vampires to realization for the humans whom had been long
stay here for a while. They wore almost white face makeup
them. She singled out the oldest of the group and decided to
follow him. His name was Shane, and he looked a great deal
her. Forgetting his job hunt as the sun sank low in the
and wanted her too. She decided not to kill this one.
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His rebirth was a powerful one. Rhiannon sat with him while
he lay sleeping through the next day, his sheets stained with
rose from his bed and Rhiannon took him out to the street.
hunger under control until the time was right. They walked
for hours until they finally found quarry. Two girls walked
down with them. He spoke to them briefly and left the bus
stop with one in tow. The other girl waved to her friend and
for the second and carried her to join her friend. Rhiannon
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get into the Goth club when they spotted Shane and the tall
more alive. As they drew near the line they recognized the
discuss.”
Lauren and her sister Crystal walked side by side. This was
get to know her better. She was powerful, they could all
sense that. The stories that she was a real vampire ran
through their minds. Before they had heard about her, they
57
were only Goths, but the possibility that vampires were real
side, it was obvious that they had been intimate, and Crystal
she hoped that he was not attracted to her in the same way.
followed her inside. The next few days were events that
their group, but she transformed them too. Crystal never felt
school was the most difficult to her. She had to wear black
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clothing and sunglasses to protect her skin and eyes from
what was going on with the media and the churches and she
“The Crows”.
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with her mind told him that she had recently created
rebirths. This troubled him. Vincent knew that the new ones
leave this precinct on a wild goose chase you will lose your
badge.”
Gerald Wilson had been a good deputy for years, and was up
the Salton sea. Gerald took off his badge and layed it upon
the captains desk, then he did the same with his gun. He
rang the bell by the doors. After a time one of them opened
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slightly and an acolyte peered at them. No words were said
Rhiannon?”
Slightly taken aback by the question and the fact that they
and slipped back into his long, black leather duster. Mike took
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another vampire named Vincent. He is many centuries old,
completed your task. Kill him and you will be forgiven for
your crimes.”
that were found, and some that the Crows had not killed
Hospitals in our area were placed on high alert for John and
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Jane Does that came in because some awakened with the
their secrecy. The Crows left their homes and hid out in
about Rhiannon and told them that more would come and
after only a few hours, intent upon finding his apparent love.
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Keokuk and Drake, though they had the ability to
the GTO and followed the trail of Vincent, who they somehow
draw the assassins away from her, she knew this not by
been able to read. She sensed him coming back to her, she
did not know how she knew this, but she could see his face
television set. She could see him through his living room
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window. She decided that the direct approach would be good
enough.
from his chair, his joints painfully creaking from the hard
was going to be easier than she thought. "Do you have any
extra?"
The door closed and she could hear the man sliding the chain
loose from its position. The door opened and a middle aged
Rhiannon shoved the man back through the open door and
onto the floor. He fought her, trying to regain his feet, but she
pressed his head back onto the floor and ripped out his
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throat, the blood sprayed into her eyes and she was blinded
stripped off her shirt and let the blood spray upon her
Keokuk was silent, angry, and set on the mission. They were
through Utah. The further they drove from the temple and
place to rest, ignoring the fact that they had not had fresh
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worked in a blood bank as a night security guard, they had
sustenance with them. Utah was not far away, but the
answered it, blocking the light from his sensitive eyes with
knocking him down and rolling him onto his stomach, cuffing
place on the floor and the bags they had drank from before
They were quickly gagged and bound at the hands and feet
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The church was full of frightened people. The two
they had captured. These were the first he had ever seen in
he tossed the water upon them. The larger of the two gave
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Keokuk smiled sardonically, “Stupid human, you have no idea
interfered.”
with one muscular arm, yanking his body to the side and
breaking his spine. Screaming, the man fell to the floor, his
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vampires, who, with a few more uttered words, turned to
large
the melee, however, the rest of the onlookers left the church
the doors.
Keokuk and Drake drank their fill from those still alive
and left the Church. They hadn’t realized it, but they had
been driven into Utah. Night had fallen while they were being
their strength. The Van sat empty with the keys still in the
and Vincent.
now, but he knew the man was still selling the same
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and entered the building. The broker in question shot him a
firepower.”
“Okay! Okay! I’ll get you what you want, just don’t threaten
me.”
counter and Gerald caught his arm and twisted it behind his
back.
The broker sighed and led Gerald to the back room, as the
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several boxes and selected an M-16 with several clips and
I’ll be back.
As Gerald left the shop the broker thought about pressing the
alarm button again, but decided against it. He had too much
72
speculation that she was not alone in her work. Gerald
Idaho, banishing the images of the bodies from his mind for
now. He had a long drive and not much time to find her.
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The Shadow of Rhiannon
Chapter 3
a sock.
74
The door was broken down in a flash and two vampires
“You are new reborns?” The tall blondish vampire asked them
being electrocuted.
two vampires dragged them out of the house one by one and
75
strange power that the two vampires that had taken them
had.
Somehow knowing that she was being pursued kept her from
staying in her human-like form for very long. She had fed
able to enjoy his blood in every way she wanted to. She had
found long ago that she loved the sensations that blood gave
behind, knowing that now was not the time to join her again.
that now. She had to rest sometime, and he would join her
even more attractive to him now that she was developing her
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After driving for two days, their captors led them from
the West Coast, Palm trees lined the empty streets. The
Crows were led inside and the invisible bonds on their bodies
were lifted. The inside of the church was lit only by candles in
their captors.
She stopped for a moment and her ageless eyes rested upon
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The Crows were taught a few basic guidelines based on
when they were finished with them. Also, they were not to
rule. They were not to leave the bodies of the victims in such
they did the body had to be buried or burned. They were not
the council to be given the law. They were not to kill another
They were not to kill any mortal where they could be seen
doing so. They were to kill only the weak, the derelict, and
78
the homeless. They were not to create another vampire that
was under the age of 16. The crows were told that their
they could become very ill. They also were not to drink the
Crystal had to ask, “Who was the woman in the black cloak?”
that they recognized as one of the elders that sat at the table
of the council. For the rest of the night, she showed them
Then the Crows were finally released. They left the Temple of
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Lilith and found themselves back in Salt Lake City,
Randy and Mike had to feed, they had been riding hard
for two nights. The daytime sun was so unpleasant that they
the sand of the Mojave Desert and did their best to cover
The third night they awakened and burst from the sand. They
asphalt. Finally a car with three hispanic men stopped and let
them in.
going and they told him that they were just heading east. He
80
they should feed as soon as possible. He mentally
Mike reached around the seat with his left arm and
side.
other two men, who were still buckled into their seats. Mike
knocked the man unconscious and Mike sank his teeth into
his throat while climbing into the front of the car. The third
man fainted dead away and Randy slashed his throat with his
81
wounds. The brothers fed for as long as they could, then
Mike had a broken leg, the bone protruding from his flesh. In
injured. Randy set the bone back into place and the hole in
reached their bikes he was able to ride, and that was all that
met her, but he did not know why she had singled him out,
they had become and what they were a part of filled their
82
minds. Even their own parents had seemed afraid of them.
their minds also. They knew that they were right to leave
they would die if they were ever caught. That danger was
vampire way. It was not to stay that way for long, though.
83
The Shadow of Rhiannon
Chapter 4
bag she had taken appeared beside her. The barn had the
She was hungry, but the need to rest surpassed the feeling.
partially open doors. She was in the loft. He sat against the
84
followed her into Colorado on the wing, staying just out of her
that he meant her no harm, and never had. She reached out
and gently ran her fingers along his strong jawline. His eyes
opened and he caught her in his arms. She did not fight, but
They made love for the second time since they had met,
85
entered his bedroom, pulling a pellet rifle from beneath his
bed. He hurried back outside and stared back up, hoping that
the crows were still there. They were, so he aimed the rifle at
Two of the crows took flight immediately, but one fell from
head. The boy picked it up and shook it, making sure it was
back into a corner. The child ran back into the house,
than ever before. The story of the two vampires that had
been captured and taken into Utah that had transformed into
86
after dark. During the day they were weakened enough to be
sorceress for her aid. They took their motorcycles deep into
the forested area of Utah, and made camp. They built a fire
and stared into the flames, calling to Minx with every ounce
The fire turned to a bright red, then blue flame shot from it
87
“Why did you call me?”
been, where she is now, and where she will be. Travel by day
normal. Randy and Mike, not wanting to waste any time, put
pulled her close and their lips and tongues met. They
Rhiannon was finally his, and she was more exciting with
dipped her hair back into the water and washed it back from
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her face. She splashed Vincent, smiling more genuinely than
she had for a very long time. He encircled her in his arms and
movement.
stopped. An officer got out and leaned back into the window
park, searching for the strange form he had seen from the
car. Sure enough, a body lay in the grass, stripped naked and
the site. He took his radio from his belt and called for backup.
forensics team.”
recent.”
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As the officer was returning to his car, he noticed a
but he was too late. His rider was being finished off by two
then he turned and ran back into the park, screaming into his
When the backup arrived, the officer and his rider had
School. They left their homes also, knowing that they could be implicated at
any time. The Goth clubs that they frequented had been shut down by the
Lake City. The inside of the house was filled with graffiti, but it was still
carpeted and a mattress had been dragged into the master bedroom. A false
corpse lay upon the stairway to the second floor, it was nothing more than
clothing stitched together and stuffed with cotton, meant to scare anyone that
entered the house. Todd and Jason tossed it back and forth to each other and
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the rest of them looked on with a certain degree of amusement. The levity
Dusk was falling, and with it came their new perception. The Crows were not
They found what we were looking for, two squatters were in the first room
they came to. It was hardly enough for the six of them. Shane kicked down
the door and entered in a blur of movement, surprising the squatters. Crystal
grasped the woman and yanked her head to the side, sinking her teeth into the
human’s throat. The squatters had been asleep when the Crows surprised
them, so they were not quite aware of what was happening to them. Todd
joined Crystal in feeding off the woman, while Shane and Lauren struggled
with the large man. With a few shattering blows to the head, Shane rendered
him unconscious. Marilee stood in the doorway. She was always the shy one.
Crystal motioned for her to come and join the rest. She complied and they
finished off the squatters in minutes. Still hungry, they returned to the lower
floor and discussed their options. They could go out and feed again, but there
was always the danger of being discovered. They decided that Shane, Todd,
and Jason could go out and find more prey to bring back to the new lair.
The girls waited for three hours, wondering when the boys would be
back or if they would be at all. The wait seemed to take an eternity, but they
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were patient and the boys returned, carrying three comatose-looking people.
They took turns feeding on them. Crystal pitied the victims, it was still hard
Soon they were dead, and she closed their eyes. They carried them upstairs
Gerald sat in his pickup, resting from an all night drive. A thermos of
coffee sat at his side and he quietly munched on a sandwich he had bought at
sightings of Rhiannon were pouring in from all over the country, but an
incident in Colorado caught his attention the most. An officer had been left
barely alive, but he was able to tell of Rhiannon and a male counterpart that
had killed a transient and his rider. The name of the officer and the victims
hospital. According to the report, one of his arms had been completely torn
Vincent and Rhiannon flew south, knowing that they were being
pursued by the council and renegade bounty hunters. Arkansas was wild
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country, and there were sure to be plenty of places to hide there. Even in the
darkness, the terrain of Arkansas was beautiful. The ancient trees were laced
here and there with streams of water and an occasional dirt road. After a time,
Vincent swooped low and landed upon the branch of a nearby tree. Rhiannon
followed suit and they studied the mobile homes. Windows were lit up in
most of the trailers, but not a soul was outside. One trailer caught their
interest, however. They could hear what sounded like an altercation going on
inside it. Rhiannon flew from the branch and settled lightly on the roof of the
trailer that the sounds were coming from. A sudden scream and crash startled
her. She hopped to the ground and took her human form. A large man stepped
from the interior of the trailer, beer bottle in hand. He took a long drink from
the bottle and pointed back through the open door, shouting at someone to
stop crying or he would give them something to cry about. That was the last
straw for Rhiannon. She moved on the man in a flash, ripping the side of his
face open. He screamed and dropped the bottle, turning to go back inside, but
Rhiannon slammed the door closed before he could move. She leapt upon
him, driving him to the ground, screaming in rage. She slashed his face again
with her long fingernails, taking out one of his eyes in the process. He
covered his face with both hands, leaving the rest of his body unprotected.
Rhiannon unzipped his pants and tore them off. Vincent watched in surprise
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as she also tore off the man’s briefs and proceeded to cleanly bite off his
penis.
By now the man’s screams had alerted the entire trailer park, people
stepped from their homes and watched the scene in horror. The child that he
was beating also stepped to the door, but was too shocked to move. Rhiannon
bit into his throat and blood sprayed her face and clothing. The man, though
weakened, continued to fight her. With a deft movement, she snapped his
neck, and drank the still living blood that flowed from his throat in full view
of all the spectators, her eyes glowing a brilliant red from her rage. Vincent
flapped down from the tree and landed on her shoulder, letting her know it
was time to leave this place. She performed the gestures and concentrated,
becoming a crow once more. The two flew off into the darkness.
Randy and Mike were making good progress. They had not fed much
in the past few nights, but as always, the thrill of the open road and their
mission kept them going. They listened to the news while they rode their
motorcycles. A late breaking news story came on about the slaying of a man
Rhiannon. There had been several witnesses to the event. “So they have gone
south,” Randy mused to himself. “They are trying to throw everyone off their
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trail.” Unbeknownst to Randy and Mike, the local police had set up a
some of the members of the force still found the stories hard to believe. They
were more searching for anyone fitting Rhiannon’s description. In fact, road
blocks had been set up on all roads and highways. The brothers were
currently in Montana in the Lewis and Clark National Forest. Randy shared
the thought with Mike that Rhiannon was in Arkansas. They drove silently
Southeast for six miles before they saw the roadblock. It was too late for
them to turn back, as one of the officers had already spotted them. They tried
eyes.
Randy just shot him a glance and told him no, that they were just out on a
road trip.
“Well, be careful in these parts,” the officer told him “You are headed right
The officers let them pass peacefully, but Randy and Mike were feeling a bit
jumpy from the encounter. They could have been discovered and implicated.
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Ahead of Randy and Mike, Gerald sleepily drove South on the
Interstate 25. He had decided after hearing the news of the murder in
Arkansas that he would try to find Rhiannon in Little Rock. The road became
a blur and he shook his head, trying to stay awake. He knew that if he parked
somewhere to sleep, that there was a possibility that an officer would awaken
him with an inspection of his truck and its holdings. He could not afford that
decided to take the off ramp. He pulled into the convenience store parking lot
and parked his pickup as far away from the mart as he could.
The restaurant section of the truck stop was fairly crowded with
various travelers, but mostly truck drivers. Gerald slid into a small booth next
to a window so he could watch his vehicle. The waitress handed him a menu
“Just coffee for now.” He told her and thumbed through the menu. Nothing
his coffee quickly and asked the waitress for more when she delivered his
order. She refilled his cup, then, looking into his sunken eyes, left the pot. He
finished, the pot of coffee was empty. He walked from the restaurant portion
of the stop to the convenience store, finding what he was looking for at the
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counter. He purchased several packages of caffeine pills and returned to his
and its contents before unlocking the driver’s side door and getting in. He
quickly popped two of the caffeine pills and drove back to the highway,
The Crows hadn’t come out of hiding for days. The emptiness inside
outweighed any remorse that they would have to endure if they fed. So they
left their shelter and felt refreshed by the night air, the atmosphere inside their
lair having the odor of death from previous kills. They had decided not to
bring the victims back to their lair anymore. They already had to dispose of
five bodies.
The Crows split up, The twins, Jason and Marilee headed for the south
side of the city, while Todd and Crystal walked toward the train yards, Lauren
and Shane turned into the business district. A train was being set up for
transport. Todd and Crystal knew that there would be derelicts hanging about.
They cloaked themselves and scoured the train yard, shielded by the
invisibility that Rhiannon had taught them to use. The living scent came from
an empty car that had just arrived. They boarded the car, their eyes adjusting
quickly to the darkness. In the back of the car sat two older men in ragged
clothing. They were looking around nervously, obviously worried about being
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behind them. The derelicts were on their feet immediately. One drew a
straight razor from his inside coat pocket. “This car is taken,” he muttered,
Crystal emerged from the darkness and kicked the hand that held the straight
razor from behind the derelict. The weapon flew from his hand and landed at
Todd’s feet. The derelict turned in surprise and was unable to stop Crystal
from sweeping his legs from beneath him. His friend tried to dash for the
doorway, but was roughly thrown back into the car. Screams issued from the
train that had just arrived and a man with a flashlight hurried to check it out.
By the time he reached the car the screaming had stopped. He shone his
flashlight into the car. Two corpses lay upon the metal floor of the freight car,
their throats ripped wide open. The man searched the rest of the car with his
flashlight, but found no one else inside. He turned and hurried back to the
office.
The caffeine pills were working. Gerald listened to his C.B. radio and
occasionally spoke to other people that were on the road. A trucker’s voice
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“Yeah, all the main roads are blocked by Smokies. Looking for vampires or
something.”
Marilee and Jason arrived at a small apartment complex that stood next
to a Vi-duct with train tracks running through it. A small group of teens that
Marilee and Jason recognized from High School sat on the curb next to a row
of trees, smoking cigarettes and laughing as they chatted together. From the
shadows the two Crows watched as the teens rose and walked toward the Vi-
duct. The teens climbed up the concrete sides of the structure and sat as if
expecting something. After a while, a train roared through and the teens
scrambled down the sides and began throwing rocks at it. Marilee and Jason
waited patiently until the train had passed, then approached the other teens.
The teenagers started, then relaxed as they remembered Jason and Marilee
from school.
“What are you two doing all the way out here? You live on the North side.” A
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Marilee and Jason climbed up the side of the structure and sat with the other
teenagers. All together the others added up to six. They would have to be
separated to be fed upon. The stocky teenager pulled a plastic bag from his
coat pocket, it held three joints, a small amount of marijuana, and a pipe.
Soon almost everyone was passing the intoxicants around, giggling for no
reason, and their antics were getting wilder and wilder by the minute. The
stocky teen and a pretty dark haired girl left the others and walked to the
other side of the vi-duct, just out of sight. The others were amused by this and
the giggling increased. Marilee and Jason knew that if they took these teens
A mild shaking sensation was felt by everyone and the teens hurried
back down the sloping walls of the vi-duct and began to pile up stones.
Marilee and Jason decided that this was the time to feed. Jason grasped a
female by the arm and threw her in front of the train, Marilee followed suit
and threw a male onto the tracks. Screaming at the sight of their friend’s
demise, the two remaining teens made a wild dash for the apartment complex.
The two Crows were faster and brought them down like wolves. As the train
continued to roar by, Marilee and Jason fed until they were satisfied.
The others had to be taken out also, Marilee and Jason waited until the train
had passed, then followed the scent of the male and female. They soon found
them, making out in a grassy clearing near the tracks. They had not heard
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their friend’s screams because of the noise of the passing train. Marilee and
Lauren and Shane walked past several bars. A seemingly drunk man
staggered out of one with a skinny blonde in his arm. Laughing and talking,
they walked down an alley, completely disregarding the two darkly dressed
Crows. Shane thought about feeding on these two for a moment, but he
wanted to stay sharp, and he knew that their blood would pass on the
intoxication. Lauren had already made up her mind to find better quarry. She
walked ahead of Shane and turned slightly, bidding him to follow. He sighed
Finally, they spotted two fairly rotund women leaving the Greyhound bus
station. Both were fairly weighed down with luggage. They sat down on a
bench by the street, obviously waiting for a ride. Shane, having already
mastered his mind control technique, walked right up to the women and
spoke a few words to them. They both rose and followed him to an alley
behind a nearby building. Lauren looked around to make sure that she was
not seen, then walked after them. Shane was already feeding on one while the
other looked on, still under his spell. Lauren jerked her head back and sank
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When the crows got back together at the derelict house, Shane and
Lauren opened up several pieces of luggage and rifled through the contents.
The clothing was not of much use to them, but they managed to find over a
thousand dollars in the purses. Marilee, Crystal, and Lauren found some
rather large pieces of lingerie and were giggling, tossing them at each other.
Todd, Shane and Jason dragged the decomposing bodies of their previous
kills out to the back yard and began digging a grave. Feeling partially
responsible, the girls soon joined them. Three hours later, as the sun began to
rise, they dumped the bodies into a fairly large hole and began to cover them
with soil.
Gerald finally slept, he stopped at a motel and got a room for the night.
He just couldn’t drive any more. He was exhausted and his caffeine pills had
run out. He vowed to wake up by 7:00. He had passed the Arkansas border
long ago. Taking a back road so as not to run into the roadblocks. Somehow
he knew that Rhiannon was here. He tossed and turned for a half hour, then
fell asleep.
the teenagers and his son. The corpses came to life and
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reached out to him, blood pouring from their necks. They
hear them. His own son embraced him, covering him with
Randy and Mike called upon Minx again. They were camped out in a
wooded area in Arkansas. Their campfire blazed with the same bright red
light and they were once more enveloped with the blue flame. Minx appeared,
“Rhiannon and Vincent are two miles north of your current position.” Her
voice echoed through the stillness. ”Now is your chance to take them.”
Vincent and Rhiannon had found a cave in which to sleep away the
daytime. They had curled up together on the cold stone floor. Now they
awakened with a sense that they were about to fight for their lives. They did
not know who had found them, but that was not important.
Vincent crept up to the cave’s entrance, flattening himself against the wall by
the opening. He scented the air, analyzing it. There were two vampires
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Randy and Mike found the cave that was the temporary lair of the two
they sought. Randy pulled out his 9mm Ruger and carefully approached the
cave’s entrance. Mike had his Glock ready, following Randy’s lead. The two
witness the event was crucial. They could see that Randy and
inside, Vincent was ready for the attack. Mike and Randy had
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back as he staggered to his knees. She slashed his throat
ricocheted off the cave walls and everyone hit the floor to
avoid being shot. Rhiannon and Vincent sped for the exit,
for him.
and coffee. He had been lucky enough to catch some sleep and felt awake
enough to go on, but something more was happening inside his mind. The
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dream he had was some kind of message from the slain victims of Rhiannon.
He was the tool of her demise. Maybe he was becoming demented from his
experience at the Salton Sea and his lack of sleep, he did not know. He only
Chapter 5
shoulder, but the bullet had dropped out when she morphed. She only knew
that she had to feed. Below them, Vincent spotted a busy truck stop, and
swooped low into the tree line on the outskirts. Rhiannon followed him down.
They transformed back into their humanoid form and watched from the brush.
A truck was parked nearby and they could smell the occupant inside. He was
asleep in the back of the cab. Vincent yanked the door open, breaking the
lock. The truckdriver was instantly on his feet, pulling a large knife from his
boot. Vincent snapped his arm easily and struck him across the mouth with
the back of his hand, shattering several teeth. The knife clattered away across
the pavement. Vincent threw him back into the sleeper and bit into the inner
elbow of the arm he had just broken. Rhiannon climbed into the truck and
sank her teeth into the man’s throat. They enjoyed his blood together, draining
106
him as slowly as possible. The man struggled, but was unable to scream as he
had three of his own teeth lodged in his throat. Finally, his struggling ceased
and Vincent and Rhiannon left his withered corpse in the sleeper.
A thin blonde leaned against the wall near the diner area of the truck
stop. She periodically spoke to the men leaving the restaurant in a hushed
voice. One man even stopped long enough for her to flash her drooping
breasts to him, then he went on his way, a slight grin on his face. Rhiannon
spotted her immediately. She prompted Vincent and he walked over to the
moments, then entered the alley between the car wash and the mini mart.
The blonde dropped to her knees before Vincent and began to unzip his pants
as Rhiannon approached them. The blonde looked at her and back at Vincent.
“I had no idea you wanted a threesome, but whatever your poison, honey.”
Rhiannon jerked her to her feet and slammed her against the wall, her
fingernails digging into the sides of the blonde’s neck. The prostitute
“She isn’t worth our trouble.” Vincent said, “Lets find someone else.”
Gerald had been watching the prostitute with little interest until the tall,
blonde man had taken her away. In her profession, she should have been back
within twenty minutes. He took another drink of his coffee, then rose and left
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a couple of wadded bills at his table for the waitress. He stepped outside just
in time to hear a small scream. Gerald hurried in the general direction of the
sound and discovered the prostitute lying on the ground. He felt for a pulse
and found her still alive. She had only fainted, but was bleeding from a badly
bruised and slightly lacerated neck. She slowly awakened and winced at the
pain.
She laid her head back onto the concrete and Gerald rushed to a phone booth
The local Sheriff’s department found the dead trucker and loaded the
prostitute onto a stretcher. She had a bad case of whiplash and some vertebral
damage to her neck. She described to them the two that had assaulted her.
They fit the description of Rhiannon and the unknown vampire that was
helping her. Gerald knew that they had to be hiding somewhere in the
forested area north of the truck stop. He decided to scour the woods by day.
forest was filled with deputies and bloodhounds. Rhiannon and Vincent were
in an abandoned mineshaft this time, they had no choice, when the weakness
came they were powerless against it. Vincent fought to stay awake. He could
hear the baying of the hounds and the shouts of the deputies that sought them.
Civilians joined the hunt and a news crew broadcast the events of the
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preceding night, interviewing deputies and civilians that had even the smallest
bit of information.
The door to the lair burst open and officers swarmed inside. The sun
was high in the noon sky and the Crows were asleep. Neighbors had
complained about an odor coming from the house. Together they were
slammed against the wall and searched thoroughly for weapons. Finding
none, the officers began to handcuff the struggling vampires. Crystal felt a
surge inside herself that she had never known and the officer cuffing her
wrists suddenly burst into flame. Shocked by this sudden horrific sight,
everyone froze except for Crystal. She turned to the rest of the officers, her
dark hair blowing back from her face, her eyes blazing red. She reached out
her arms and flame shot from her palms, igniting everyone in its path. The
crows dove for cover while the officers rolled upon the floor, trying to put out
the magical flames, but to no avail. Screams of agony filled the air and the
crows hurried into another room, slamming the door behind them. Crystal
made sure to ignite all of the lawmen. The strain of the power caused tears to
stream down her face. The flames crawled up the walls and drapery and
The Crows exited the house, the sun making the escape almost
unbearable. Todd opened the door to a squad car and turned the key, the
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engine roared to life and the rest of the crows piled into the vehicle. Crystal
swooned from the intense drain of strength from what she had just done. They
drove away from the burning house, squealing the tires across the driveway
and down the street. They had been discovered, and barely escaped with their
Rhiannon and Vincent could not sleep. They had made a serious
mistake in not killing the prostitute when they could. The baying of the
summoned up all of the power he had, but it was slightly hampered by the
daytime. He planned to defend Rhiannon to his last breath. She sat back
against the wall beside him, her hand on his knee. She had been his at last, all
he had ever wanted. The centuries that he had lived seemed like nothing until
he had first seen her. He put his arm around her and pulled her close, kissing
been following their search on his own. He knew that the only way to be sure
that Rhiannon could be eliminated was by fire, and these deputies were not
appropriately equipped for the job. A deputy stepped up to the opening and
shined his flashlight into the interior. He slowly lowered himself down the
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small ladder that led down into the mine. Suddenly, without warning, he was
dragged from the ladder at lightening speed. The rest of the deputies stood,
frozen in horror as the deputy screamed several times, then was silent. The
opening to the cave was only large enough for one person to go in at a time,
and the two vampires inside had an advantage. Gerald stepped over to the
“I have something that could solve this problem if you will trust me.”
Gerald and a few deputies uncovered the stash of weapons in the back
of his pickup. Gerald climbed into the bed and pulled away the top of the
wooden box that housed one of the two rocket launchers. He handed it and a
few missiles to the men. He took several grenades and stuffed them into a bag
Vincent and Rhiannon tossed the remains of the mangled man that had
invaded the mine into a closed tunnel toward the back of the main chamber.
Vincent stood near the entrance, ready for the next human to try the same.
None came, but they could smell several individuals standing around the
entrance. Rhiannon began to think about the apparent hesitation on the part of
the humans above. They must be planning a different measure of attack. She
clasped Vincent’s shoulder and pulled him away from the entrance.
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Vincent thought for a second, then agreed.
They entered one of the larger tunnels leading from the main chamber, seeing
in the darkness as clearly as day. The tunnel was long, but decreased in
diameter as they went on until they had to crawl. They reached another
opening and dropped from it into another large chamber. Rhiannon relaxed
and sat against the wall below the opening. Vincent joined her and they sat
Gerald set up the rocket launcher at the entrance of the mine, pointing
it downward into the main chamber. He motioned for the other men to stand
back and fired one missile into the mine. The rocket hit the floor and
exploded. Flame shot out of the entrance, and Gerald dove for cover. The
entrance to the mine held up, but they could hear stones falling inside the
chamber. Gerald pulled the pin from a grenade and dropped it into the
opening. After a couple of seconds it exploded and the entryway to the mine
collapsed.
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this, the children finally created an opening large enough to
peek through.
Somehow they sensed that someone else had done their job
for them. They had failed on their mission. They knew that
do so. They did not know if they would be rewarded for their
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114
The Shadow of Rhiannon - Book Two – Persecution and
War
Chapter 6
prisoners. The pastor shouted for silence and the noise slowly
died. Television crews filed into the building and focused their
endured so much torture over the past week that they were
end. Then,
115
one by one, with the camera crews documenting every
mass grave, nearly filled with the pitiful bodies of the wrongly
and now stood on the edge of the pit with tearstained faces,
116
priest himself had volunteered to carry out the torture and
innocent, her eyes wild with fear. She had been present when
other people had been killed, and knew that her pleas would
seized her arm and cut through the soft flesh of its
were not seeing her but past her, into a great personal
the Lord?” She did not respond this time and he plunged the
into a dead faint. The priest lifted her head for a moment,
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studying her face, then dropped it back. Two strong men
unchained her from the wall and carried her away to another
table with long legs was carried to his side and his right hand
was placed upon it. Snapping a cuff around his wrist, the
was a vampire. The priest unlocked the cuff and the man was
sliced off, painful fluids were injected under skin, and flesh
next day.
The Crows were forced to leave the city when the killing
began. They left in the night, fleeing the madness that had
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gripped the public. They traveled through the darkness. The
He looped a protective arm around her and they fell into their
her thoughts. They had fed upon free roaming cattle along
was painful to their newly sensitive eyes. They knew that the
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people were pursuing them. They unknowingly implicated
Todd and Shane entered the building first while the rest
of the Crows waited outside. This was the first place that they
found that did not look inhabited, but they had to be careful.
The humans might have laid a trap here for them. Jason and
Marilee were silent for once, their almond shaped green eyes
emerged and gave the rest the signal that all was clear and
they followed him inside. The sun was rising with golden
close to his muscular body and they settled in for the day.
placed a hand over her mouth and shushed her. She sniffed
the air and realized that the hunters had found them.
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Crystal could smell the blood running through their veins and
grew hungry. Night had fallen and the others were also
rose from the floor, a deep growling sound issued from his
Crystal could tell now that there were four invaders. She
quickly tore out his throat before the man could scream. The
shouted to the others that she had found them. Crystal felt
her teeth extend and she attacked her. They struggled and
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Crystal struck her across the face with her right fist,
Crystal felt arms encircle her ribs and drag her away from
the injured woman. She gripped the wrist and snapped the
She attacked the inert woman again, yanking her from the
floor and sinking her teeth into her neck. As she weakly
fought, Crystal could sense the struggle all around her. She
night air. She did not sense any others. She spotted a
Turning her attention to the cab of the truck, she found that
the keys were still in the ignition. Blood soaked her shirt and
seconds.
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The crows fed on the hunters until the bodies were
Their lips met and Crystal ran her tongue over his lips, then
pushed her down to the floor and removed what little was left
put thoughts of the plight of the prey out of her head. After
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Todd and Crystal left the warehouse and joined the
Rhiannon and left his position to assist her. Serene sat in the
being, her word was the law. She always kept a black hooded
robe over her body and much of her red hair. To her right sat
darker works of the Council. To her left sat the Sorcerer and
124
seats alongside the strategy table. These were Aviona,
voice echoing through the great hall. “In light of the recent
the times before the great veiling. Malachi stood and bowed
slightly to Serene.
125
Aviona spoke quietly, as was her habit. The others
execution.”
126
Vincent and Rhiannon had gained a truly authorative
were feeling. For nearly a century, they had carried out the
situation was grave. It was not often that they were all called
into one place at the same time. Clive greeted them with a
night was already halfway over and they were hungry. From
they had to feed. The town was obviously on the alert, but
not from them. They feared someone else. Scenting the air,
Crystal realized that they were not the only vampires in the
127
mentally sent this message to the others and they stopped,
scenting the air with her. Shane and Todd stood close
on.”
They altered our course down the hill and followed the
pass the town, but they did not stop. The scent became
128
not seen other vampires since they were taken prisoner by
could see that there were others inside the cave. Crystal
the Crows approached and they silently sized each other up.
“What are you doing around here?” The first one asked. He
“We were sent to bring some of the people from the town
escaped with those you see here. The townspeople still have
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“Are you going to try to rescue the prisoners?”
What they feared was that they would be found in the cave
gazed out across the colorful countryside. The sun hung high
130
of the others a turn. She crept into the cave once more and
unconsciousness.
had first seen her. She had seemed to carry with her an aura
that burned her image into his memory and assured that her
and aroused him like he had never been excited before. Her
hypnotic, crystal clear blue eyes and black hair made her
truly unique from anyone in his life. His mind slowly moved
rebirth.
131
She was following him, discreetly enough that no one but
glimpse of her tall, lovely form before the air around her
shimmered and she was gone again. His job search had
turned into a cat and mouse game with him as the prey, but
appearance and with the night air he felt her power over him
him. She felt no inclination to slay him, but to take him and
show him what true power could be. He was aware of her
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youthfully wide shoulders and neck, and she longed deeply
heading for his home at last and she began to feel an ache
that was from more than the emptiness of her appetite. She
did not cloak herself, but approached him, passion filling her
eyes. She could smell the sudden sweat that broke out over
his body and the hunger took her. She resisted the
expecting her to vanish again, but she did not this time.
knowing that she would not treat him the same as she had
him and rubbed her body upon his, nuzzling his face and hair
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body and he felt himself become excited. She licked his
neck with the tip of her tongue and he took her hand in his
Unlike the myths he had known about her kind, she was
warm and more alive to his touch than any female he had
throat, then moved back up to her soft lips and she opened
her mouth for him. He suddenly felt her sharp eyeteeth with
the tip of his tongue. They made love until he was almost
exhausted. She then sank her teeth into his neck. Brilliant
reached the point of death with a smile upon his lips, she
rolled him onto his back and slashed her wrist with a long
fingernail. She opened his mouth and let the blood drain
134
then drank deeply. Strength returned to his body and she
short supply, they let him sleep a few moments longer before
sustenance from the nearby town, but the group had not yet
135
the outpost. A large black raven lighted on top of a broken
chimney
and from it’s place rose a tall, slender vampire with shoulder
orders?”
The Crows knew that they would feed soon, and the
thought lifted their spirits. They turned toward the town with
the form of wolves they crept into the streets. They were one
was feeling. The streets were deserted; all lights were out
136
were gathered. The tall stained glass windows shone in the
night.
shouts of the humans, they could smell their blood and they
Chapter 7
his composure. “Spawn of Satan, thou art the filth of all that
you too the bowels of hell when you depart this earth. Beg
137
unrolled it and produced seven long silver daggers. He
react, the hand holding the dagger was gone, ripped from his
138
yelped in agony as a bullet penetrated it’s skull, immediately
carnage. More humans were rent from limb to limb, the floor
The door was finally flung open and people spilled into
terror. Others ran for their homes, not caring what was
life. They had freed the prisoners and they joined the others
in the feast. The vampire that had been shot was one of the
other group that the Crows had met. They finished with
139
The others led the Crows to the outpost. It was nothing
fireplace with a tall chimney jutting high into the air. They
into the schoolhouse. The town was weakened now, and the
140
settled onto the empty streets. They took strategic places
houses were broken into and the families were fed upon. In
vampires that had their fill heaped guns of all kinds in the
town square. As the moon sank lower into the west, supplies
vampires waited until dusk and spread out through the city.
141
the city. The following night the “sick” individuals were
help out with the gathering of the dead in the city. She had
had left with the promise that he would work quickly and the
142
dead would be burned before the day was over. Her
leaned against her from both sides, their eyes wide with fear.
the center of the city. The day dragged on and Jake began to
143
Fatigue took him several times and he had to take frequent
often, but that was no problem as gas suddenly was free for
the taking. Afternoon came and nearly all the dead had been
Finally, all the dead were gathered and it was time to set
them ablaze. The sun sank low on the western horizon and it
was realized that haste was necessary. Wood and tinder was
stacked around the heap and gasoline was splashed upon it.
sank lower and lower and the sky began to darken. Torches
were lit and the fire was started. Flame crawled slowly up the
144
alarming the men, but they stood their ground in suspense,
the eyes of the men and Jake found himself paralyzed with
was freed from his paralysis and he turned and fled the
luckily, was parked nearby and he turned his feet toward it.
the truck and he saw that one of the burning vampires had
145
leapt upon it, its face only a couple feet from his own. Jake
He threw the truck into reverse and backed up, sending the
its bones beneath his tires, he got a view of what was going
on at the fire. Some of the monsters had put their bodies out
and were feeding on the limp men. Still others lay upon the
throats torn out. The entire scene was just too much for Jake
to cope with, so he threw his truck into gear and squealed his
The U.S. Military had moved into action much sooner than
146
on American soil. The threat of the undead armies was not
from the towns they had wiped out. They almost forgot to
147
them but still having little effect. A second wave of soldiers
rose from the barricaded lines. This time they were able to
148
vampire stirred briefly and was shot in the head by one of the
destroying it completely.
The V-Council however had not been present when the blast
occurred.
Reinforcements had arrived, and the battle resumed. This time the
vampires overwhelmed the exhausted human soldiers. They invaded the base,
killing officers and non-military personnel. Pilots scrambled for their planes,
but were overtaken. Vampires drank in a feeding frenzy, having not fed since
the preceding battle. Bodies littered the floors. They scented the air and
found all that hid from them. All propriety was forgotten in the need to drink.
Marilee and Jason hung close together, feeding off the same individuals at the
same time. Crystal smiled wryly to herself, “Share and share alike.” she
149
thought. Lauren, as she had been in her previous life as a human, was a
formidable fighter. She had never been one to use female catfight techniques,
but truly damaging blows and calculated defense tactics. The battle was
exhilarating. She fed little, ignoring her hunger and concentrating on inflicting
as much damage as possible on the enemy. Bullets pierced her body and one
zinged through her blonde hair, grazing her skull. She rushed the soldier that
had made the near miss and struck his jaw with an uppercut that shattered his
teeth. As he went down she brought one knee to his chest and smashed the
center of his rib cage at the sternum. She prepared to rip out his neck but was
interrupted by the butt of a rifle slamming into her head from behind. She felt
an instant of pain, but was lucid again in a flash. She whirled on the man who
had struck her and with a swift low pivot, swept his legs from under him. He
fell, striking his head on the concrete floor and was knocked unconscious.
She decided to feed on this one. Rolling his head to the side, she sank her
teeth into the muscle in the side of his neck and began to drink. She could
feel her painful hunger fade slowly from her body as the life-giving liquid
poured down her throat. She was too enveloped in the pleasure of feeding to
notice that the soldier she had previously assaulted was not quite dead. He
struggled to his knees and crawled to her side, pressing the muzzle of a .45 to
the side of her head. He squeezed the trigger and blew away the back of her
skull. She collapsed on top of the soldier she had been feeding upon, then
150
degraded to dust. Unable to withstand the pain in his chest any longer, the
man pressed the muzzle of the gun to his own head and squeezed the trigger
Crystal lost Todd in the melee, but she was sure that he
was okay. When the siege was finally over, they burned the
began to search the group for her friends. She found Todd
and they looked together. After a time they found the twins,
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the taking of the base. Todd and Crystal stood together for a
moment, and he held her as she cried for her sister’s death,
black hair back from her eyes and brushed away a tear that
begin to kill each other for human blood, which had grown
to insure survival.
152
lingered near death, and the vampires were still hungry.
them the dark gift, but the Council’s Advisor had instructed
fights were breaking out over whoms turn it was to feed and
could not help but pity the humans, she remembered what it
was like to be one and knew that they must be in pain from
bear the sight anymore. She had refused to feed, along with
her. She did not know if she would awaken again. Crystal
a once fine
153
home in the city of Los Angeles. The floor was now soaked in
places with drying blood, and the windows were broken. The
electricity was off and the heat of the day was bothersome to
their cool blood. The Crows had cleared out the bodies that
dark.
become what she had always wished to be. The romance and
154
she did not truly believe that such beings existed. All of the
to cut each other with razor blades for a taste of blood. Then
she came. It was as if she knew the desire in their souls. They
had seen stories in the media about her, but at the time they
first they were wary of her, but her dark beauty and strength
and they welcomed her into their world. They hid her in an
aware that she was the real thing and that made the
kill again and again to slake her undying thirst. Mentally, she
155
posed a question to each of them, would they join her in her
power or leave her in peace. She vowed that she would not
kill them, as they were the only kindness she had known in
Then, over the next few days, they had come to her, on by
one, and she changed their lives forever. They helped each
had come their way. He sensed that they knew her. He went
on his way, leaving them with the warning that there would
156
He was right, two assassins of something he had called the
rules to live by and warned that, if they did not comply with
released.
police. The tall blonde vampire was destroyed with her, being
They knew that they must hunt for fresh blood, the human
157
crows set out to scour the night, knowing that there must be
guard that stood by its doorway. They were hungry, and the
pass into the pen. They were obviously not among the few.
the two made it obvious that they were brothers, sharing the
same long dark hair and glowering green eyes. They entered
his human years. Leaning against a wall, his eyes flashed red
158
in the darkness. Mike joined him and they glanced around,
Randy shifted from his right to his left boot and took a long
drag off the cigarette. Mike hated the way his brother made
“We have to take turns, and ours isn’t until daylight. These
damn rules came straight from the top. It’s supposed to help
Mike gazed back across the street, his eyes glinting like his
him down we could finish off one each before anyone can
stop us.”
159
The stern guard watched the two vampires he had
holstered .45 and waited for them to make the first move.
They had no guns, but because there were two of them and
The guard did not realize that his immortality was seconds
from ending.
“Last chance, big guy. What do you say, let us in and you can
walk away from here.” Randy thumbed the edge of his blade,
vampire had become. Mike leapt upon him with the agility of
160
a cat, yanking his arm upward and backward. Tendon ripped
guard went down, black blood spurting from his neck. They
the entire melee, had retreated to the far side of the pen.
monster, who held her arms over her head and sank his
the mesh and bit into the flesh of her neck. By now more
vampires had realized that the guard was gone and swarmed
161
convenience store, it’s windows broken and two wrecked cars
their throats torn out and their faces distorted with their final
window after finding the doors locked. The floor was littered
body lay across the counter, it’s head almost ripped from its
rest to hold back and kicked the door down. They entered
the room in time to see two teenagers break out the window
above a large desk. Scrambling to climb out, one cut her arm
and seized the injured female, throwing her to the floor. Todd
162
and Crystal were on the male in a millisecond, dragging him
Marilee sank her teeth into the big vein located there,
fed.
“There were only two alive inside. The others were already
else.”
The one with the crossbow motioned to the others and the
163
Strong arms seized Crystal and she was tossed against the
wall. The offender lunged at her with a large knife, but was
knocked from his feet by Todd, who sent him tumbling into a
chest. She leapt upon one of them and snapped his head
others as one; using their teeth and their own weapons, rage
heavy with this new tragedy. Jason sat beside his sister’s
164
body, watching in horror as she was reduced to bones before
his eyes.
The sun rose with golden waves of clouds that filled the
they were faced with, but only temporarily. The new threat
from their own kind was troubling; as was the knowledge that
they had experienced at the gas station. They did not wish to
fight their own kind, the same vampires they had fought side
highway, ignoring the rising sun. Serene led the way, as was
165
word for days concerning the state of the vampiric
of the visions she was receiving until she was ready to inform
Minx lifted her gaze from the sphere and ceased walking.
166
“Clive, gather your assassins. I have new orders for them.”
The air shimmered around the tall warlord and in his place
air and soared upward, riding warm air currents until he was
vampire. Shane rose and pulled from his belt a large dagger
that he had taken off one of the vampires that had attacked
its wings out from its body. A tall, dark vampire rose from it,
“Why are you hostile?” Clive spoke angrily, shaking the last
167
flesh. A robe appeared around his muscular body and he
168
their heads, and occasionally the deep, strong voice of
that had been melded into their minds by the Council, the
those that broke it. Only assassins of the council had the
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The Shadow of Rhiannon
Chapter 8
“By law of the V-Council, the punishment for killing your own
dictates that we find a use for you. It is our will and intent to
initiate you into our service as assassins for the greater good.
170
If you wish to argue this judgment you have the chance now
time. They could feel them searching their minds for any
now.”
lifted into the air, his boots a full two feet from the floor.
“You do not wish to serve us, the loss of your sister has
171
Jason was returned to the floor and the force was lifted from
small circle of friends that fought the world, alive and undead
that had been lost to them when the war began re-emerged
172
intensity of the reprogramming was painful to Jason, and his
screams echoed through the building. The Crows did not like
they knew that they would be terminated. The way they had
been taught was the right way, and they could only hope he
was empty save for three members. One of which the crows
firearms lay upon the long table and large ancient books lay
books, one of the closed ones flipped open and the pages
magic used in these quarters of the council that this did not
impress her greatly; She moved her attention from the books
173
and studied the rest of the room. The walls were decorated
Council.
you accept this fully and never stray from your purpose. Do
to sit.
“You will be granted your freedom under the terms you have
174
“There is more knowledge in these books than one of you
can learn in time to use them, but they are always here for
observe.”
and images appeared inside it. The crows realized that they
issued from inside the vehicle as the adults were held down
175
and the attackers sank teeth into numerous parts of their
bodies. A car door was flung open on the opposite side of the
vehicle and three children fled into the night, ignored for the
turned at the pitiful sight, but she noticed that she was now
access these books, you need only to lift your hand, think of
your name, and imagine what you need help with. What you
have just witnessed was a spell accessed from the book you
You are allowed to take any three weapons from this place for
176
use in your mission, and any ammunition that is available
that you can carry, choose wisely, for you will only be able to
use whatever you can find out there once they are spent."
mostly firearms seized from the humans in the war and also
Bowie with large, curved spikes on the blade. Shane and Todd
indexes of the books and sent back out into the post-mortem
177
wagon with a small family group of humans inside, they had
here told them that at least fifty humans were here, likely
scavengers. The night air in Arizona was still hot, this being
the end of August, and this made the gang irritable. Some
fights had broken out and two members had been killed, but
the least, and most believed that the fewer there were in the
inside.
178
The humans had decided that they would be safer if
six people for the two bottom floors of the hotel. Twenty-four
older woman who had been lying beside the girl. A young
179
boy that had been lying on the floor vaulted over the bed and
it’s heart. The creature dropped the girl and lunged at him,
taking him to the floor with it. Two women rushed into the
Soon the adults abandoned the ground floor and before they
floor were breaking and the vampires were inside the hotel.
180
The humans fought valiantly against their attackers, causing
whole scene made her very thirsty, but they needed to close
they had been sent after. Crystal wished that they could just
open a door with the magic from the books and be within
killing range so they could finish them off, but no such spell
Provo.
181
Out of their original six, they were only three now.
the makeshift cell and stared blankly ahead. His thoughts too
programming. Jason knew that his friends had left him, under
onslaught.
182
Randy awakened to find one of the other members of
the gang reaching into his coat. He grasped the hand and
bridge of his nose. The other vampire fell back moaning and
holding his head in both hands. His mind reeled from the
183
Jason finally succumbed to the brain washing tactics of
temple room that had once been a seminary room for the
compliance.
stopping and lifting his chin so he was forced to look into her
The others slowly filed out of the room and closed the carved
from her head, revealing long red hair with white streaks
that bound the robe at her waist, and slowly pulled the fold of
184
breasts. Jason caught his breath and gazed at her for a
He looked again, and saw that she had removed her robe
and he truly felt fear in his heart for the first time since his
rebirth. She bent down and whispered in his ear from behind.
from her touch, like she was made from ice, but this was
185
tattered clothing was burning and he struggled, but she
she moved, facing him now. His clothing had burned away,
“You are mine, eternally.” She whispered in his ear. Her body
was pressed tightly against his own. She nipped at his neck
and traced her tongue along his jaw line and then met his
over her body at the same time. He could feel the injuries
Serene, pulled him down to the floor with her and deftly
flipped him onto his back. She clamped her teeth into his
jugular and slid him into herself at the same time. He briefly
186
been nothing sexual about it. She had only drained him to
the point of death then fed him from her own arm. The
not draining him. She was feeding him. The slow, graceful
inside him. Visions from other minds filled his own, becoming
arched her back and hissed like a cat. Her wings extended to
their full width and Jason began to wonder if he had just had
She finally withdrew and stood over him, folding her wings
187
She retreated to a narrow doorway and left him
standing naked in the room. His mind reeled from the influx
into his brain he was never aware of. He looked around and
lowered eyes.
his mind, but they were gentle, asking him to join them. An
room, he noticed that very few of those present met his eyes.
Only the true Ancients looked upon him, but with a new
188
The remainder of the Crows knew better than to engage
the gang of vampires during the day. They were only three.
other hand, the Crows had firearms and the renegades were
night before. The decision was not an easy one, and they had
and gloves to protect their pale skin from the sun. The town
Some had been heaped in the foyer, torn apart to the point
where they could not have come back even with a feeding of
189
crept up the stairway. They could smell the sleeping
Crystal pulled the 9mm out of her pocket and blasted a bullet
through its skull. Its death was by explosion and she ducked
destruction immediately.
our own kind in the day?” In a flash the crows were disarmed
slowly.
190
Crystal felt a familiar surge of power that started from her
chest and traveled down her arms. She raised her hands
engulfing the room and the two others dove for cover.
down the stairway and out the front doorway. They stood
building.
nearby.
She nearly collapsed on the street and Todd lifted her into his
arms.
“We can’t make it, we will have to go into one of these other
191
Shane agreed and Crystal was carried into an abandoned
and encircling her in his arms, laid his head upon her breast,
anger, but he held his tongue. Serene had made the choice,
same. The vampire that had once been a captive was now
taking his place and he vowed he would regain it, but time
192
and what he now knew to be Lilith herself. Study from the
female blood drinkers that took mortal men in the night and
comprehend.
193
Karen felt an overwhelming need to cling onto Jake, to feel
safe in his arms, but knew better than to disturb him while he
she could and fought the need to fall asleep. Jimmy stirred;
gentle song to him until he was still again. The children had
door. Karen followed, and they pulled a large folded tent from
camping.
Blankets were spread on the floor of the tent and the children
crawled into it and fell fast asleep once more. They were still
husband.
194
“Not yet, wait until daylight”
the tent and Karen finally got the comfort she needed,
They fell silent again and watched the moon travel across the
sky. Jake felt like jumping at every sound the forest made,
Finally the sun rose and the children came out of the
grocery store along the way and had the chest loaded with
food and soda. He also had a large box with various canned
again, they had not fed for days. In the darkness they left the
195
furniture store only to find the scent of other vampires still in
the air. This disturbed them, but they knew only their hunger
There was nothing along the paved road that they could
see so they headed off road. They knew that ranchers had
Soon they scented the rank odor of cattle and left the
dirt trail they had been following. They spotted a small ranch
panicking cattle. Crystal leapt upon a calf and sank her teeth
into its belly, the splash of blood soaking her fur, drinking
fence, only tangling their legs in the barbed wire. Todd and
196
Shane followed suit, ripping apart every cow they could
reach.
and Crystal saw the man go down as if a terrific force hit him.
retrieve it, but Shane jumped onto his back and tried to rip
left the field and sped to her, taking her down in a blur of
movement. She was now inside the ranch house and saw two
claws. She fell back and a teenage boy swung a baseball bat
body and took the boy down, ripping out his throat instantly.
197
Clive invited Diana Esthera to take a walk with him. The
be about. She knew he was angry about his demotion, but all
198
“If she is the Nosferatu, there would be no defeating her, and
you know that. Your mind has been poisoned by your envy.
Clive was silent, but his mind still spoke, he wanted out of the
council.
Diana felt confusion for the first time in centuries. She had
the past. She could leave with him, but the protection of the
council would leave them, the blood thirst would come back
“I will think on this for a while, you will have my answer soon”
Time passed slowly for Clive for once, he was used to the
against their will centuries ago, in the Dark Ages. All that
they had wanted was survival and order. Now to find that
their leader was the demon that started it all made him
199
resentful. The humans were so lucky up until the recent
that for the first few centuries as a vampire, and then joining
her.
Clive was the root of the problem. The poison from him was
she and Jason alone to fight it. She leaned back on the fine
200
The children, with their uncanny ability to endure grave
situations, were playing out in the forest while Karen and Jake
staying in rural areas, but could find them if they looked hard
but he felt that she needed more sleep than he did. Nights in
him night and day. He could see the burning vampires, the
grief stricken faces of families, and most of all, his son, that
nap to watch with him. The children were herded into the
Karen sat by the dwindling fire they had used to cook supper
201
and stared at the glowing coals, lost in thought. Jake came to
The night wore on and Jake threw water on the still smoking
fire pit. Karen went to fetch some more from the deep stream
joined him. Shining a spotlight into the area the sound had
gone.
her voice.
serious expression.
A pair of eyes lit up in the darkness, not far from the original
sound. Jake hopped into the bed of the Ford and grabbed his
the children.
202
Suddenly, they began to hear sounds all around them. Jake
jumped to the roof of the cab where he could see the entire
at them. Its fur was pure black, but it had no tail and its front
paws were much like that of human hands. Jake fired the
tent, Olivia was trying to unzip the door, but Karen shoved a
203
shoving it into the monster’s brain. The creature melted
back their snapping teeth from his neck. Karen left the tent
it off him. Jake got a foot under the stomach of the third and
the door to the tent and stood screaming, watching the fight.
Karen grabbed the shotgun and blew off the head of one at
close range.
The last one fled into the forest, moving faster than they
could see.
with their parents. The next order of business was to get rid
204
of the skeletal remains of the vampires. Four had attacked
them, and three had died, but all in different ways. One had
caught fire. Jake and Karen dug a shallow hole and shoved
Jake covered them up with dirt and Karen shoved dirt over
and she knew that the rest of the family would be also.
There were eight potatoes left and six eggs, so she made a
the fire and glanced into the tent as if her looking would
205
“Maybe he is down by the stream.
They zipped up the tent again with the girls inside and went
looking for the missing child. Calling his name over and over,
explore.
Karen broke into tears and walked back to the camp. Olivia
was picking at the food in the frying pan and Alissa was
control, she told them about the cave, “Daddy and Jimmy will
be back soon.”
Jake chose the widest tunnel and climbed into it, it led
206
was no way Jimmy could have gone into this one so he
down from it and stood, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the
still upon the floor. He could hear heavy breathing from all
arm and hurried back to the tunnel. Pushing Jimmy into it, he
Soon they were back out into the daylight, Jimmy held an
arm up to his eyes and moaned. Jake shouted for Karen and
and she held him tightly in her arms, weeping with relief. Jake
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The Shadow of Rhiannon
Chapter 9
hand.
Clive raised his eyes along with the rest of the council.
208
“My secrets are mine to keep, not yours to question.”
Lilith raised herself slowly from her seat and removed her
robe, the robe she always wore, the robe they had never
armour now; She spread her large, bat like wings and a gasp
“You all dare to conspire against me, now you will pay the
price.”
She began to glow with a fiery light and her hair turned to
flame. The council was on their feet now, but all doors
caught Clive and Diana, lifting them into the air. They were
209
council member in the room. Jason stepped back against the
for them.
210
long fingers. Then they were gone, and he and Serene stood
close, kissing him, her hands moving up and down his body.
Jason felt a little sick, but he was not what he used to be. He
requested.
cattle to feed on, but they had to complete our mission. Todd
blood from their bodies. Crystal was nearly asleep when she
felt his hands roaming over her body. She responded with a
giggle and wrapped one leg over his hip. They moved
Night fell and Crystal, Todd, and Shane rose and got
her knees. Todd helped her up, but the pain came again and
211
“What is wrong?” He asked, combing back the hair on her
He lifted her in his arms and laid her back onto the bed. “You
Todd and Shane left the ranch house and drove back into
town; they could sense that two vampires had escaped the
fire. Just as they reached the remains of the hotel, they heard
the ranch house. Crystal felt that she could walk, but a
212
sickness. We must confront this problem and save our own
Silently, a few hands rose, then a few more, that was all that
decision.
213
to leave the states to find fresh blood abroad. The media,
stirred briefly, but their sleep was deep enough to allow him
from a gas station along the way to the forest. He and Karen
214
Blue flame traveled across the cave floor and he climbed
daylight. But it was too late for them and the burning corpses
littered the ground and filled the tunnel so there was no way
the flame from themselves. Jake and Karen fled the scene.
parent’s return. Jake pulled the tent from the ground, stakes
and all and threw it in the bed of the truck. Soon they were
the wilderness.
215
From a new camping spot, the Tristans watched the sun
sleeping that day and now lay with his head on his mother’s
lap. His eyes slowly opened as the moon rose and he felt an
his teeth into her neck. She screamed and Jake tried to pull
the child off her. Olivia and Alissa stepped back, away from
child twisted violently in his hands, then turned his small face
Before Jake could respond, the child ripped through the flesh
of his arm with long canines and kicked him in the stomach,
knocking the wind from him. Jake fell backwards and hit his
216
to rip into his throat. Karen grabbed a large branch and
knocked Jimmy off Jake. Tears ran down her face as blood
from her ripped neck soaked into her shirt. Jimmy stood for a
hungry…..”
Jimmy left their mother and returned to their father. His small
hissed at her and turned back to Jake. Olivia swung the stick
217
Finally Jake began to move, his eyes opened. He sat up
slowly groaning and rubbing the back of his head. What had
Jake was still in too much shock to answer and she began to
cry, Olivia joined her with a small wail. Jake realized that his
arms and motioned for Olivia to come over. “We will be all
right, we are just going to have to leave again, just the three
of us, and there is nothing we can do for your mom and Jim.”
218
tried to take more than their own nightly ration of blood.
Jason noted that there were just too many vampires now and
humans that had not been taken yet. Fights broke out often,
but Serene and Jason were able to stop them with a word.
Serene wore her armour under her cloak, and she was an
left a pretty obvious trail. The sun was beginning to rise, and
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Crystal felt the weakness threefold. There was no shelter
came over her and her head reeled. Crystal’s body began to
rounder with every second and she realized that she was
his tiny head and stared at her with wide blue eyes.
standing to her side. She smiled at her and Crystal felt shock
She touched the fetus with her long fingers and turned back
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She disappeared as suddenly as she had come and the
and she felt relief wash over her. The council strictly forbade
lands of the world. Without a word, she gave Jason the signal
missile struck its target. Flesh was blown from the bones of
arid air, blowing manhole covers from the streets. There was
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no escape from that hell bound place once known as home to
millions.
the country. Serene and Jason flew with the hot winds behind
Chapter 10
Many years had passed since the bombing of the United States. Fallout
was still present, but scarce. Human suvivors suffered from radiation
sickness, others were badly burned and healing was very slow. There was
always a saying from the 1980's that rang true. The living envied the dead.
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the radiation. Their only trouble was finding healthy human prey. Mexico had
its fair share of fallout, but vampires crossed the border in hopes of finding
The three remaining Crows were now four. Crystal had given birth to a
living child, he was born with elongated and curved sharp canine teeth and
had all the power of his mother and father. He grew at an accelerated rate. He
was only 8 years old, but was nearly as tall as his father. Before his birth,
Crystal, Todd, and Shane were well within Mexico when nuclear weapons
decimated America.
The Mexican people were wary of vampirism, but did not question a
child that was not weakened by sunlight. Oftentimes, Crystal would awaken
during the day to find that the child, Devon, had gone out to look for blood.
His appetite was insatiable and he, like the rest of the Crows, could not
stomach anything but blood. To go without it would bring great pain and
discomfort.
Jason were fairly successful in bringing most of the remaining vampires back
together. There were still some renegades left, those that did not choose to
follow any kind of law now that the Council was gone. Serene was very
powerful however. She was extremely charismatic and inspired most of the
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remaining Vampires to follow her orders and ideals. Jason was her consort,
always following her instruction and carrying out her every wish. He had
become accustomed to her past history and knew what and who she was.
Serene often consulted the seeing window, watching the Crows and took
great interest in watching the child named Devon grow. She kept her thoughts
about the child to herself, however, but Jason knew she wanted the child. He
possessed great power. He knew that eventually Serene would take the child,
she was only biding her time until the circumstances were right for such
action. Jason watched only with mild interest, not knowing if her plans
included him. Being the mother of the beautiful, red skinned Succubae
Demons, she had but to call upon them and they would carry out anything she
desired.
his mouth closed so as not to show his teeth. Other children played in the
streets and he would have loved to join them, but he avoided them, knowing
their minds and thoughts. He was out looking for a female today, somehow
they always tasted better. He was not yet old enough to be sexually attracted
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"Will you play with me?" He asked in Spanish, having learned it quickly from
the locals.
She looked him over and smiled, "Don’t you think you are a bit too old to
play?"
He smiled back, carefully hiding his teeth. "I will never be too old to play."
She gazed into his handsome face, the smile fading from her mouth. He held
out a hand and she took it. He led her into her back yard and quickly sank his
teeth into her throat. She gasped and fought him for a second, then relaxed in
a swoon. Devon finished her off, then slashed her throat open with his long
fingernails. It only took a few minutes before the heart stopped beating, and
his mother had told him many times never to drink from the dead, and he had
vampire kill, and worse yet, awaken and give away the presence of the
Crows. He cloaked himself with invisibilty and returned to the lair where he
knew his mother was probably awaiting him. She was always so protective.
Crystal sat by the window, sleepily gazing out, watching for her son.
She had been having frightening dreams lately. Serene's face appeared to her
many times, demanding her son. Crystal sensed an impending battle, but had
no conception of when it would take place. Serene was the most powerful
vampire she had ever seen, and she knew that there was more to her than
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The door swung open as if on its own accord and closed. The air
Crystal, she knew that Devon enjoyed his invisibility from time to time and
she did her best to teach and encourage him to use his inherited power. He
was strong with intense energy and that frightened Crystal sometimes. He
was a quick study, always mastering the magical arts she taught and
exceeding her as if he knew more than she did. He did not yet understand
how to morph, but Crystal knew that it would come when the time was right.
Crystal greeted her son, reading his thoughts of what he had done. She
led him down a flight of stairs leading to the cool, dark basement. Todd,
Shane and Crystal slept down there regularly. Beds were laid out in three
rooms. Todd and Crystal shared one room, Shane hadn't found a mate yet, so
he slept alone in a small, narrow room that was much like a cubby hole.
Devon had the largest room, with a large bed and built-in shelving. A single
light bulb with a pull cord hung from the ceiling. Devon spent a great amount
of time reading books written both in spanish and english. He was fascinated
with the vampire myths and many of his books were based on it, both
fictionally and nonfiction. His intelligence was far beyond his years.
Olivia and Alissa decided after their father finally died from radiation
sickness that they would not go the same way. The two tearfully dug a grave
for him and tied a cross together with two boards, sinking it at the head of the
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grave, they simply wrote his name upon it. They had made a pact that when
he was dead, they would offer themselves to the vampires, hoping to escape
the painful torture that their father had to endure. They knew that all sickness
would leave them, and they would never grow old. Both were well into their
teens now. Nine years had passed since their little brother had been taken in
the night by vampires, then had attacked their mother. They had not seen or
heard from him since the incident, but were always on the lookout for him.
Olivia and Alissa made their way down the side of the mountain until
they found a paved road. They followed it, and by nightfall were nearing the
deserted highway. They walked fearfully along it, always wary of every
sound.
down the highway. Alissa's first impulse was to hide behind anything she
could, but there was nowhere to hide. Olivia caught her arm just as Alissa
turned to run,
Alissa, trying to relax, stood beside her sister. A large semi-truck pulled up
beside them and stopped. There were three people in the cab, Olivia stepped
forward and asked if they could have a ride to the nearest town. A woman in
the cab stepped out and walked around to the back of the truck, opening the
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doors. Alissa could make out the forms of at least ten people in the trailer,
sitting along the sides. Pistols, Rifles, and a large array of other weapons
"You are lucky we were the first to find you, you could have been mighty
The woman nodded breifly and looked around into the darkness.
"You'd better get in so we can keep moving, its feeding time for the
monsters."
Olivia and Alissa climbed into the trailer with the help of some of the people
inside. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness the woman from the cab closed
"What do you call yourselves?" A voice from Olivia's right asked, sounding
suspicious.
"What the hell were you doing walking out on the highway?"
"We were hoping to find someone to help us, our daddy just died from the
radiation."
The trailer was silent for a few minutes and Olivia fidgeted nervously.
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"Sorry to hear about your daddy," another voice spoke, male and younger.
Another voice interrupted him. "Cole, why don't you make up a bed with
some of our blankets for these two. We can talk business later."
and flattened herself against the wall as bullets zinged past, barely missing
her ear. She had no idea how much ammunition the other vampires had, but
they were intent on killing her. She only had to worry about them tagging her
head or heart, otherwise she would be fine. Her silver streaked black hair
blew back from her angular face in a cool night breeze. She dropped the spent
clip out of the pistol she carried and slapped in a fresh one. Firing off rounds
in the direction of the others, she sped across the opening between the
buildings. Rolling across the ground, she found cover behind an old truck
positioned near her intended sanctuary. She had been feeding when she was
rudely interrupted by the other vampires, she had to drop the still-living body
and escape being killed. The other vampires were obviously new reborns as
they had trouble tracking her. Rayge dug into her leather jacket pocket for the
baseball sized grenade she had stolen from the cache of weapons back at the
outpost. She peered around the front of the truck just in time to see three of
the others running in her direction. She pulled the pin and tossed the grenade
into their midst. It exploded and sent shrapnel directly into one vampire's
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brain, killing him instantly. The others dodged for cover. Rayge climbed
inside the truck, hoping that it was still in working order. Finding the keys still
in the ignition and a withered corpse at the wheel she opened the passenger
side door and kicked the body out and turned the key. At first the engine
sputtered and died, but she tried again and the engine turned over nicely. One
of the other vampires leapt in front of her and tried to climb onto the hood,
but she gunned the engine and crunched him beneath the tires. She was going
to have to hunt somewhere else, and she was hoping that she would not be
interrupted again.
Markuss couldn’t believe that they had lost the female vampire they
had caught making an unauthorized kill. Serene had set down guidelines for
feeding. He knew this one, she had named herself Rayge. Markuss and
Donovan watched as she ran over one of their comrades, leaving him crushed
and twitching in the mud-covered asphalt. They decided to go back to her kill
and finish him off. He appeared dead but they could still hear his heart
beating. Markuss and Donovan slashed open both of his wrists and drank
before. She and her sister were lying in a pile of blankets in the the semi
trailer. The doors were open and she blearily staggered out. Approximately
fifteen people were seated around a campfire. Olivia looked around and
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realized that this was the campsite that her family had occupied when her
younger brother had been taken in the night and then killed her mother. She
peered around nervously, noting the area her mother's body had occupied
She decided to join the others at the fire, it was cold and she was hungry. She
decided to awaken her sister so that she could eat also. Alissa was not hard to
rouse, but she awoke with a small scream, her eyes wide with terror from
some kind of nightmare. Olivia was used to this and gently told her that it was
Breakfast was potatoes, sausage, eggs, and bacon all thrown together
in a hash. Apparently they had found a good source for clean supplies.
Everyone took enough to sustain them but Alissa was not hungry. Olivia
worried about her, knowing that this usually happened after Alissa had a
particularly bad dream. She sat on a log away from the others, shivering.
Olivia asked the oldest person there if she could get a blanket for her sister.
"My name is Harvey, young lady, and yes, she needs one."
Olivia got out a small comforter and wrapped it around her sister. Alissa
mumbled a "Thank you." and huddled deeper into the blanket. Olivia heaped
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a bit of food onto a paper plate and offered it to Alissa, but to no avail.
"Go on and eat young lady, get some meat on them bones."
Alissa regarded him as if she was looking through him, then accepted the
plate, picking at it with a plastic fork. Olivia helped herself to some and ate it
as quickly as she could without embarassing herself. When she had finished,
she walked over and sat on the log beside her sister, reaching one arm around
Olivia didnt know what to say, so she just held her sister for a moment, then
let her resume eating. The woman that had let them into the back of the semi
had been watching them. Olivia smiled at her meekly and the woman walked
"My name is Joanne, my husband over there is Harvey, and this is our son
Cole."
Cole walked over and shook the girls hands, slightly smiling at Olivia. She
gazed up at him, having not noticed him before. He was good looking, with
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short brown hair in a military cut and a strong, stocky build, but he was all
muscle. His green eyes lit up as he watched her study him. His mother cleared
her throat and told him to go and sit down. Olivia watched him for a time,
then joined her sister inside the comforter. A younger looking boy came over
and introduced himself as Rick Wilton. He pointed out his family. His uncle
was Jerry Wilton, and his aunt was Cher Wilton. He was noticably darker
skinned with black hair in a military cut and brown eyes. He was well built
with wide shoulders and narrow hips, not unlike his uncle's. His aunt sat apart
from the rest, silently regarding the girls. She was very pretty and young
looking in contrast to the uncle, who, though young looking himself, was
given away by deep lines in his forehead and around his eyes.
Rick asked if there was anything he could get for them and Olivia declined
The locals were starting to catch on that there was some kind of
vampirism going on in their village. Too many young girls were turning up
At daybreak they found an abandoned barn and slept near the back of
the building. They were just settling in when the door burst open and a female
sped inside, barring the door behind her. She sniffed the air and realized she
was not alone. Crystal, Todd, and Shane sat up and stared at her in surprise.
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"Oh....I didn’t realize that this place was taken, I'll find another place.
Shane couldn’t help but stare, she was the most beautiful vampire since he
had seen Rhiannon. She had long black hair with silver streaks running from
She silently crossed the barn floor and laid back a short distance away
from the Crows. Shane watched her for a short time until he could no longer
The Crows and their guest awoke with the setting sun. Shane decided
to introduce himself. She shook his hand and told him that her name was
Rayge. He found the name to be unusual, but accepted it. She was too
beautiful to question.
They went out into the night, searching for more fresh blood to satisfy their
painful hunger. Shane walked closely with Rayge, trying hard to forget
Rhiannon. This girl had to have been taken at somewhere around eighteen
years old. She was not as voluptious as Rhiannon, but was very athletic with
a strong build. Her pure white skin reflected the full moonlight that shone
upon her and he realized that when she glanced in his direction, her eyes
glowed slightly with a blue light. He had seen Crystal and Todd when they
were being affectionate and knew why her eyes shone that color. He was
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Onyx swung his blade across the other vampire's neck, hoping to
slash his throat deeply enough to end this fight. He had been attacked by two
spontaneously combusted when Onyx drove the point of his blade into his
temple. The other vampire choked on his own black blood while trying to
hold the deep cut closed with one hand, the other reaching for his own blade.
Onyx dodged backwards, avoiding his powerful swing. The other vampire
continued to choke, then fell back onto the pavement, gagging and
convulsing. Onyx stood his ground, watching him die. Soon he was still and
his body imploded with a loud hiss, the blood drying almost immediately.
Onyx looked around for something to wipe the blood from his knife, but there
was nothing to do so with, so he slid it into it's sheath. His hunger was great
and growing with each minute, so he resumed his hunt. He smelled life
somewhere nearby, but it was so remote that he did not know whether it was
human or animal. It did not matter as he had been living on animal blood for
several nights.
Onyx walked for two hours, following the scent. As he neared the
quarry he realized that it was not one, but several humans. A farmhouse came
into sight and he formulated a plan. He approached the front door and
knocked. The door opened a crack and a young girl peered out. "Who are
you?" She spoke with some difficulty, obviously knowing very little English.
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"I need a bed for the night," He replied "There is danger out here."
The girl considered this for a moment, then closed the door. He could hear
her speaking to her mother about him. The door opened slightly, and an older,
chubby woman looked him over. Deciding that he was no threat, she opened
the door and let him into the house. He acted very cordially, speaking to the
daughter in very simple english and the girl translating his words to her
mother. He was led into a room that was empty save for a mattress on the
floor with some blankets. He thanked them and laid back on it, pretending to
feel sleepy.
The night wore on, the minutes feeling like hours as his hunger grew. Finally,
he was able to sense that everyone in the house was asleep. He slipped from
his room and became a luminous mist, flowing under the door to the master
bedroom where the mother and father were sleeping. He regained his form
bedside. The man lay upon the covers, not under them. Onyx used his long
fingernails to rip out the man's throat, silencing him immediately. As he fed
from the man's gaping wound he reached over and slashed the mother's throat
just enough to silence her as well. She sat up, gagging on her own blood,
shock whitening her face. Onyx grabbed the back of her neck and sank his
teeth into her right breast. She fought him, her struggles becoming weaker by
the second.
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He decided to leave the children, his hunger was already sated for now. He
strode through the living room and out the door. Maybe he could come back
there had to be a ruling factor in the vampire armies that decimated the cities.
They were just too organized to be without someone laying out some sort of
strategy. He wanted to kill the ruling factor off because he believed that this
The other survivalist had their doubts, however. There was such a large
difference in the vampire-human ratio that they were unsure about Harvey's
reasoning that this was a battle that could be won. They remained silent about
their doubts, however. Harvey had been right about so many things that they
trusted his leadership. They had to find more survivors to add to their ranks.
The two young girls they had recently found were skittish and remained a
distance from them. It was obvious that the two had been through some very
traumatic events. Alissa and Olivia only joined the others when there was
food to be eaten. They were not to be questioned about their past just yet.
The children had fled. It would be no problem to track them down and take
them. Onyx scented the air and walked westward, the cool desert air blew
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through his shoulder-length black hair. A coyote howled somewhere in the
distance, but Onyx decided not to track the animal down. He wanted the
children.
Soon he came to an abandoned car. The windows had been broken, but
it was still intact. The scent seemed to be coming from it. He crept up to a
door and peered inside. A small boy sat on the floor in the passenger side of
the front, obviously stationed as a lookout while the girl slept. The child
began to scream something to his sister in spanish and she awakened. Onyx
ripped the door off and made a grab for the girl, but she managed to slip from
his grasp and flung the door on the other side of the car open. She took her
brother's hand and the two ran out into the darkness.
Onyx was in no hurry, he was in the mood for some fun anyway, and
He strode after them, the darkness as light as day to his eyes. He could
see them getting further away, running as fast as they could. Onyx decided to
catch up. With inhuman speed, he was suddenly before them. They stopped,
The girl pushed her brother behind her and snapped a branch off a dead tree
to her right. She stood her ground, holding the branch before her.
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She jabbed the stick at him.
Onyx slowly stepped forward. He had to admire her courage. Her younger
brother clutched her leg, his face filled with terror, tears streaming down his
cheeks. The girl had called him a monster, but he knew that he was not. He
With a flash of light, Onyx transformed into a large black hawk and took
flight, leaving the quarry behind. They had earned the right to survive.
Crystal shaped her son's hands into the gestures for transformation,
reciting to him the sacred words she had learned. Devon had tried many times
to morph, but always failed. Patiently, Crystal manipulated his hands again,
but to no avail. Devon stood and angrily stomped away, frustration taking its
toll on his emotions. Shane and Rayge sat together toward the back of the
barn, talking in hushed voices, not noticing the boy's tantrum. Crystal
He glanced in her direction briefly, his eyes changing from red to blue in the
darkness.
"I know, mommy....I know I can morph. I'm just tired of trying right now."
Crystal smiled and embraced her son. He hugged her back, his tantrum over.
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"We are vampires."
"Why am I a vampire? All of the books I have read say that you have to be
They had had this discussion before. Crystal knew that her son could never
vampire. Serene had come to her in a dream and told her when she was
pregnant that her son would change the world. Of all the things that she knew,
she knew that Serene was one to be feared. Crystal did not know how she
knew this, she just knew, and she planned to keep her son as far away from
her as possible.
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Out of Annihilation
Chapter 11
The holding pens in Los Angeles were now deserted, the human
prisoners had been drained of all their use to the vampires. The buildings
stood in wreckage from the bombs that had sent a wall of flames and
destruction through the city. Occasionally a stray animal wandered the streets,
vampires. The city had been destroyed, but surviving humans remained in
small defensive groups. The vampires made a game of hunting them down
and feeding upon them. Some humans offered themselves to the vampires,
tired of weakness and hunger and disease, their only hope left was to become
what they feared most. The vampires made sport of torturing these hapless
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individuals, biting them in numerous parts of their bodies and leaving them to
the years after the bombing occured, there was very little humanity left in
their hearts. After all, the humans knew that the other countries had only
humans took great delight in their "cause", which of course was revenge.
The poisonous rain and snow had finally stopped, but drinking water
was still a danger. This of course was no problem for the vampires, who did
More humans lay dead in the streets every day, either from radiation sickness,
attacks from other humans, or vampire kills. The corpses were taken shortly
after death by the cannibals. Nothing was ever wasted, not even human flesh.
Devon had finally given up on trying to morph for the time being and
decided to pursue his hunger instead. Night had fallen once again. Shane,
Rayge, Crystal, and Todd went out with him. There was a cantina nearby and
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The cantina was lit up with neon signs and old Christmas lights
hanging from it's eaves. They entered through a pair of swing doors and took
men to touch them, but not for long. Obviously, the cantina was also a
Brothel. A large, grizzled looking man scooped a thin mexican girl from a
table and carried her up a flight of stairs located in the back of the room.
Devon stood, wide eyed and confused by what he saw before him. He was
not used to seeing such behaviour, but it was a fact of life in this area, and
though Crystal wanted to cover his eyes or take him back outside, she
swallowed her disgust and the five of them found a table and sat down.
A topless waitress came over and asked in spanish what they would be
drinking. Rayge immediately ordered a tequila and Shane followed suit. Once
delivered, the mugs sat undisturbed on the table as the Crows began to devise
Onyx sensed other vampires nearby, two males, by the scent that was
carried to him by the relentless wind of the desert. Soon he approached them.
One was stocky with dark hair and dark brooding eyes, staring into a fire the
two had built, the other was tall and well muscled, with short blondish hair
cut military-style. The stocky one noticed his presence almost immediately
and pulled a gun from his belt and aimed it at Onyx's head.
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The muscular comrade circled around behind Onyx and Markuss stood up
slowly, carefully keeping the gun aimed at him. Donovan pulled a long knife
from the back of his belt. Onyx stood his ground not showing any fear to
these two.
Markuss stepped up to Onyx and pressed the muzzle of the gun to his
head. This was a mistake. Onyx moved in a flash, gripping the gun by the
barrel and wrenching it from the other vampires grasp, he flung it out into the
desert. In the same movement he spun around and caught Markuss in the jaw
with the back of his fist. Donovan stabbed the blade into Onyx's midsection,
causing him to falter long enough for Markuss to recover from the blow.
Onyx pulled the knife out of his stomach and threw it back at Donovan,
sinking the point deep into his skull. Donovan exploded, black blood and
flesh covering Onyx from behind. Markuss looked around for the gun, but to
no avail. Onyx was on him, dragging his long fingernails across his throat,
making four long, deep slashes that he knew Markuss would not recover
from, almost severing the vampire's head from his body. Markuss clutched at
his throat, but his blood was gushing so severely that he could not pull the
flesh back together, in his attempts to do so he tore off a ragged strip of skin.
The plan was made and communicated to every mind in the small band
of vampires that sat at a table in the brothel. Crystal made her way to the door
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and stretched out her arms, concentrating. No one noticed this until flames
shot up from the floor, creating a wall of magical fire. Panic overtook the
patrons and they rushed to the small windows, picking up chairs to smash
through them. The rest of the vampires rose from the table and uttered an
near the entrance, unable to morph, but attacking those nearby with the same
zeal.
He noticed one of the nude dancers nearby and threw her against a wall. She
shrieked with terror and Devon clamped a hand over her mouth as he sank his
teeth into her right breast. She fainted dead away as he fed, moving from her
breast to her underarm and sinking his teeth into the large vein located there.
The magical flames at the door resumed burning, keeping the patrons from
leaving via the exit. A man was stuck in one of the two small windows. Rayge
dragged him back into the brothel and slashed at him with giant Lycanthropic
claws. She tore the flesh from his chest, revealing most of his ribs on his left
side. She buried her claw in his lower abdomen and tore upwards, spilling
several organs and intestines onto the floor. She buried her snout in his
wrecked stomach and drank the blood that flowed freely from his torn liver.
He died quickly, so she moved on. The next thing on the menu was one of the
shameless whores that mounted the stairway two steps at a time when she
saw the blood soaked wolf-creature coming for her. Rayge followed her up
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the stairs. She caught the woman's ankle and nearly tore her foot off dragging
her back down the stairs. She bit hard into the struggling woman's inner thigh
and the whore screamed in pain, trying to pull away from the monster. Rayge,
let go of the woman just long enough to strike her across the temple,
rendering her unconscious. She then returned to the place she had been
Crystal stood and watched as the others tore the brothel and everyone
in it apart. A man rushed in her direction, gun drawn. He fired the pistol at
close range into Crystal's ribs before she could focus her attention upon him.
She felt a moment of pain and the blast rendered her deaf for a few seconds.
She grasped the man's wrist and crushed it, causing him to drop the weapon.
She tore his arm from its socket, the flesh stretching and tearing. She tossed
the dismembered arm aside and stepped onto his head, feeding from the blood
A few people had escaped the brothel and disappeared into the night,
some in vehicles, others on foot. Blood soaked into the wooden floor as the
Crows regained their human form and finished off any patrons and whores
that were still alive. Devon sat in a corner and watched his parents and
friends as they worked. Crystal walked to the doorway and extended her arms
into the fire, pulling it back into her body through the palms of her hands.
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Serene and Jason watched the entire massacre through the viewing
window with great interest. The boy had not transformed along with the
others. He would learn soon enough. Serene wanted to take him while he was
still vulnerable. She had plans for him, plans that did not include his survival.
She was the mother and master of the armies of the the succubus demons.
She had been mated with Asmodeus, another General of demonic armies, but
had escaped him to live among those infected with Vampirism. Her beautiful
daughters, the succubae, had taken men and women before time was
measured and began the plague of vampirism on the planet. With the blood of
a living vampire, she could regain her full power over not only the armies of
the succubae, but also the incubus hordes of hell, her male offspring that had
been withheld from her by Asmodeus. She would create a world where she
would be lord and master. Her rule would be enforced by her children, long
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Alissa and Olivia were finally warming up to their new friends. Olivia
had her sights set on Harvy's son, Cole Everette, attracted primarily to his
boyish good looks and hazel eyes that always seemed to have a smile in them
no matter what the situation was. The two sat together, talking about nothing
in particular, but enjoying each other's company. Cole stretched out and put
his arm around her. Olivia giggled and the two kissed for several seconds.
Alissa sat and talked with Jackie Reynolds, who was nearly twelve years old.
Alissa and Jackie had become friends almost immediately. The younger girl
had few people that were even close to her age and she was shy like Alissa.
Although Jackie was young, her eyes seemed much older than her years, her
sad eyes communicating that she was growing up too quickly. She had been
witness to her father's own death, he had been ripped apart before her very
eyes in a church massacre when the deacons hadn’t bound one of the
vampires tightly enough. Only she, her sister, Tracey, and their mother had
gotten out of the church alive. Her mother, Jude Reynolds, had severe
lacerations to her face and neck, but she had survived. They had joined the
survivalists when Harvey Everette and his family founded the group. Harvey
was a high ranking Marine veteran and he put his group through rigorous
Ammunition was of good supply, but he did not want to use much of it for
target shooting. He already had picked Cole, Dale McDermott, and Jerry
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Wilton as his best riflemen. Dale was in good shape, being thirty-seven and
had once been a personal trainer for a gym before America had become a
nightmare. Jerry Wilton was forty-two and was once a Marine before he
became an Army Ranger. He looked young for his age, with sandy blonde
hair and blue eyes. His wife, Cher, also looked younger than her thirty years,
affections.
"I want you to take a small group and scout out the town down the road here.
Cole hopped down from the rock he and Olivia had been sitting on and
walked over to the fire where the men were warming themselves.
"I need three of you to come with me and scout out the town."
Jerry Wilton, his nephew Rick and his son Seth rose from their seats. The
four of them got their gear and Jerry slung his rifle over his back by it's strap.
They walked to the highway and started their short journey to the nearby
town.
The town seemed deserted. Garbage blew about in the street and there
did not seem to be even one window in any building that was still intact. Jerry
knew that if there were any vampires here that they would all be asleep. He
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was only worried about the human factor, there was no telling what people
would do if they came across any. The town was mostly suburban
Suddenly, from one of the darkened buildings came the sound of a man
screaming. The four survivalists froze, trying to figure out where the screams
were coming from. The boys waited for Jerry to tell them what to do. He
stood for a while, listening until the screaming stopped, then he pointed at a
It was very dark inside the warehouse, the only light came from the
wrecked doorway. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness they could see a
looked hard and realized that they were eating what appeared to be a human
leg. They did not notice the four strangers standing by the door. Rick,
A man was hung by his wrists a foot from the floor, he was still alive,
As the scene became clearer, Jerry could see that large strips of flesh had
been peeled off the man's body and his bones were showing through in many
places. One leg was missing from the knee down, having been roughly sawed
off by the cannibals. A pool of sticky blood was spreading from the corner
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and Jerry realized that the man would not live much longer. He also realized
that they had to get out of the warehouse before they were
noticed. He motioned silently to the aghast boys to go back out the door just
The cannibal rose and yelled out something unintelligible to the rest of
his friends. Jerry and the boys reentered the street, looking around for
someplace to hide. The cannibals began to come out of the warehouse and
Jerry shot one in the head with his rifle. The other cannibals swarmed over
their dead comrade. Rick, Cole, and Seth also drew guns and began to shoot
at the hungry mob, bringing down the closest ones. Soon eighteen cannibals
were reduced to ten. A woman with crazed eyes shouted to the rest of them to
fall back. The cannibals withdrew, dragging their dead friends back into the
warehouse with them, forgetting Jerry and the boys. Apparently feeling that
Even though Jerry felt that they should leave this town immediately,
they did have to try to gather as many supplies as they could. They scouted
out a grocery store, finding several dead, bloated bodies and some canned
goods. Jerry had Richard get a shopping cart and they piled the cans into it.
There was an Army Surplus store nearby and they checked it too. A skeleton
that must have once been the owner was slumped over the desk. The place
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was pretty well picked-over, but Seth found some 22 caliber bullets in cases
inside a medium sized box. This was put in the cart also. There was a mall
just down the street, so they decided it might be worth the trouble to check it
out also.
It was dark inside the mall and Jerry dug a flashlight out of his
backpack. Several of the stores were intact, with steel gates drawn over the
entrances. Jerry rooted through Seth's pack and got out a small hand saw. He
had Rick hold the flashlight while he sawed the locks apart. They piled
clothing, cooking utensils, knives, handheld CB's, and batteries on the off-
chance that they might still be good. Rick and Seth filled their pockets with
When they arrived back at the camp Jerry spoke privately with Harvey
about the cannibles and what they had witnessed in the warehouse and the
short battle that followed. Harvey agreed that it would be best to break camp
Crystal lay upon an old mattress while Todd inspected the injury to her
ribs. The bullet had gone all the way through and out the back, so there was
no bullet to dig out. She had exhausted herself by creating the wall of flame
so she was not healing as fast as she would have been able to otherwise. As
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he covered the wound back up he noticed that her eyes were fixed,
unblinking, upon the ceiling as if she was someplace far away from him. He
Crystal could see Serene coming for her son. In her minds eye see
could see her coming closer every minute. The weakness from her injury was
fading and she knew that they were going to have to leave soon. She knew
that Serene was formulating some sort of plan for her son, but she did not
The rest of the Crows and Rayge sat downstairs among the bodies of
their recent kills. Devon was trying to morph again. Seeing his parents and
heard the others say and his body flickered for a moment. His pulse raced
with the same fear that always held him back in the past, but he kept his
composure. He flickered again and he saw his hands lengthen, the nails
growing longer and more pointed, then they shrunk back to their original
shape.
He felt a surge of joy and hurried to his father to try again where someone
could see what he could accomplish. He concentrated on his hands again and
uttered the incantation and as Todd watched, the boy's arms and hands began
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to transform. The fur traveled up his arms to his shoulders. Devon became
"You must remain calm and focused for the transformation to complete."
Devon sat down and tried to control his breathing, Todd wrapped one arm
"You can do it, before long you will be able to morph into anything you want
to be."
Crystal rose from the mattress and slowly walked back down the stairs.
The sun would rise soon, and they had to move on to a safer place. Any one
of the people that escaped could come back with friends while they slept.
"I did it mom, I got my arms to turn!" He embraced her, carefully avoiding the
"Thats great, Devon.......I knew you could do it." She returned his hug and
They found a car outside the brothel that was in good shape and had a key
magnetically attached just inside the bumper. Crystal climbed into the back
seat with Devon and Todd, while Shane and Rayge took the front seats.
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Serene and Jason headed Southeast in the form of ravens. Jason knew
what Serene wanted to do, she never kept her thoughts from him. Jason
would follow Serene to the ends of the Earth, and do whatever she wished,
even when it came to his old friends. Still, he felt like a traitor. Despite his
loyalty to her, he missed his friends. This dilemna clouded his mind, and he
knew that Serene would read him and re-assert her control.
planes. They parked the semi outside and moved necessities inside one of the
buildings. They were heading south, and now were well out of Wyoming.
Colorado was not much different in terrain, they had high Mountains to their
West and wide open overgrown fields on all sides. The hanger was large
enough for them to park the semi in, so Harvey parked it and joined the rest
in the other building. His son, Cole and Olivia were sitting by each other
again, holding hands. Harvey knew that this relationship would not do any
girl. His son had told him about what happened to her family, and she did not
seem to have any psychological problems stemming from that, but her
younger sister, Alissa was obviously scarred emotionally. She was different
from her sister, rough and tom-boyish, though shy, but being friends with
Jackie seemed to be a lot of help. The two girls were currently in a giggling,
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squealing wrestling match over some of the candy the boys had brought back.
Cole walked over to the heap of clothing that some of the suvivalists were
rummaging through and brought Olivia back a shirt and shorts set, wanting to
see her in them. She took them and gave him a light kiss on the cheek before
hurrying into an ajoining room to try them on. She re-emerged, looking as
stunning as expected, her long blonde hair contrasting with the midnight blue
velvet fabric. Cole caught her in his arms and the two playfully kissed.
Harvey sighed and walked over to sit with his wife, who had already picked
He motioned toward Cole and Olivia, who were still holding onto each other,
mimicking a waltz.
"What can you do, just watch and hope that they dont do anything stupid."
Harvey looped his arm around his wife and pulled her close, looking into her
eyes.
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They sat for a while, watching the others. Harvey had been picking up
survivors for months now. They were always appreciative of new members,
especially ones that were veterans or could fight. Young people like Alissa
and Olivia were welcome as well, in Harvey's mind they would be the next
for this little army, but that would mean more mouths to feed and a steady
stream of supplies, he also knew that supplies were going to be harder and
harder to find. Hopefully any survivors he acquired would have supplies and
Night came and Harvey posted Jerry and Cole as watchmen at both
entrances of the building. The people were restless sleepers due to traumatic
past events and woke up easily. This was a good thing in their case. Harvey
knew that vampires had enhanced perception in all their senses. If any were
in the near vicinity they would be able to smell the living people. He had seen
the telecasts with the executions of vampires, but he had also seen on these
live telecasts the times when the vampires slaughtered everyone in the
churches. He knew that no matter how many loaded weapons they had and no
matter how well they fought, his survivalists were a feast for the vampires.
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Jerry slung his rifle over his shoulder and placed his flashlight on the
ground beside his chair. He would not be doing much sitting, night watchman
duty always made him nervous. He shone the flashlight into the corn field at
the edge of the airstrip, looking carefully for any movement. He saw none, so
he settled back into his chair. They were lucky to find this place, it was flat on
all sides with no mountains or cliffs. The line of sight was clear.
Cole was having trouble sitting himself. All of his thoughts were
centered on Olivia, but he did his best to keep watch. She was sleeping
inside, curled up with her sister, as was their habit. She was so fragile, but
strong inside. Cole wanted to protect her above all else. She deserved it after
Rayge and Shane had been taking turns sleeping and driving all day,
but were feeling well enough to try to feed. They stopped the car outside a
run-down motel and everyone got out. Crystal's wound had healed completely
and she was feeling refreshed, though trouble with the remnants of her
dreams. Serene was coming closer. The nightmare that Crystal experienced
had involved more than just Serene, but also of horrifying demons. Todd read
her thoughts.
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"I hope it isn’t."
Todd pulled her close and embraced her. Devon, being the child that he was
despite his appearance, hurried over to get a hug too. Shane and Rayge had
already gone inside the motel to search for prey. Devon lost interest in
affection and ran after Shane and Rayge, hunger dominating his thoughts.
They searched the motel but found nothing more than two bodies. A man and
a woman had been tied to chairs with barbed wire. The woman was obviously
forced to see the man die, then left to die on her own. The man's face was
nothing but a ruin of mangled bone and flesh. It looked like he had been used
for target practice, then shot in the face with a hollow point bullet. These two
were useless to them, having obviously been dead for over a month.
Crystal suddenly sensed another vampire nearby and alerted the others.
They stopped searching and walked back outside the motel. The vampire was
"We don't want any trouble, so why don’t you move along."
"Am I hearing this correctly? You aren't going to try to kill me?"
"If I may ask, is there anything alive in that place?" Onyx asked, motioning to
the motel.
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"Someone is there, but they have been dead for quite some time. Doesn’t look
something to her. She had found a new friend in James, but Onyx was an old
lover. They had a relationship for almost a year, but ended up almost killing
each other because they could not come to terms of understanding. They were
both volatile and loved to fight, so their relationship had been a stormy one.
She turned away from the others and stood alone, sorting out her thoughts.
She hoped that Onyx would move on and not join with her new friends, but at
the same time she was excited to see him again. She looked back and saw
Devon talking with him, the boy was always friendly and interested in
meeting new vampires. Onyx smiled at the child and ruffled his hair. Devon
had a way of winning others over, even the solitary Onyx seemed to like him.
Crystal was wary of Onyx, he seemed a lot like Shane, except for his
long dark hair, but she could sense his nature. He was a very dangerous
vampire, though he did not seem to mean them any harm. He would make a
useful ally, and Devon, in all his innocence seemed to like this brooding
vampire. She would trust him for now, but she would have to watch his
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Olivia's attraction to Cole was growing by the day. He was muscular,
over six feet tall, with blondish hair and blue eyes that always seemed to have
a smile in them whatever his mood. When he did smile he made her feel like
she would melt. He was only a month older than herself. She noticed Harvey's
scrutiny and did her best to prove that she could be a benefit to the group.
Alissa was healing from the traumatic events that had happened in their lives,
but her nightmares kept Olivia close to her when they slept. She knew that
Alissa was re-experiencing the terror of the past few years. With this group of
survivors they did feel a sense of safety and security. She and her sister had
been prepared to die and be reborn as vampires, but they had been saved
from what could have been another tragic experience by these people. Now
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Out of Annihalation
Chapter 12
Serene was hungry. She and Jason had been flying for days without
nourishment. They were nearing their objective. Serene knew that the boys
powers were growing and they did not have much time to take him before his
full realization of his abilities. They were deep into Mexico now, and they
were likely to find healthy prey. They transformed once again into their
human-like forms and walked along a dirt road. They were nearing a small
chicken farm, and Serene noticed a loaded clothesline outside the small shack
that a dim light shone from. As they approached the house Serene shed her
robe. The empty feeling inside them was overwhelming and they and
approached the house. They could smell the living blood inside and they
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searched for an open window. Unfortunately all of the windows were latched
closed. Serene mentally laid out a plan and communicated it to Jason. She
walked, naked and unabashed to a bedroom window and Jason strode quickly
to a window near the door. Through it he could see a mexican man sleeping in
a rocking chair, a shotgun lay across his lap. Jason knew that he would have
to work quickly to avoid being shot. He smashed the window and leapt
through, transforming into a wolf as he moved. The man stood up from the
rocking chair and tried to aim the gun at the creature, but Jason brought him
down easily. The man tried to cover his throat with his arms, screaming
poker from the fireplace. Jason lacerated the man's arms with his teeth in a
frenzy. Another crash came from the bedroom and Serene materialized behind
the woman, gripping her head and twisted it violently to the side, snapping it
and paralyzing her. Jason slashed the man's arms to the bone and drank from
the open wounds. Serene sank her teeth into the woman's skull, slicing her
scalp and crushing through the cranium. The man, in his efforts to protect his
throat, left his midsection open and Jason slashed his belly, burying his snout
Serene filled the bathtub with water and slid into it, calling Jason to
join her. He morphed back into human form and climbed into the large, claw-
footed tub. Once again, he marveled at Serene's beauty. She pressed her body
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against his affectionately, her hunger sated. The two rolled in the water, sex
The two left the house and approached the clothesline, searching for
something to wear. Serene selected a black shirt and jeans, tearing out the
back of the shirt for her wings. Jason found a faded pair of pants and the two
dressed quickly. Serene wanted to find the boy, her appetites for blood and
Onyx decided to stay with the Crows. He liked them, and was
especially fascinated with the boy, Devon. He knew that Rayge was
uncomfortable with him near, but he decided to disregard that. She was
obviously quite attracted to Shane, and Onyx felt a pang of jealousy. She was
a great lover, but if they had stayed together it was likely that one or the other
of them would be dead by now. They had parted ways long ago.
It was feeding time again, but they did not know where they would get fresh
blood. The countryside was barren of animals and humans were sparse.
Serene and Jason were once again on the wing when they spotted six
vampires traveling along one of the many dirt roads. Serene swooped down
and landed on the branch of a nearby tree. Jason followed her. He recognized
his friends, but three of the group were new. He tried to read Serene's
intentions, but found an unusual block. He saw Crystal look about, wild panic
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in her eyes and he realized that one of the new additions to the group was
Serene hopped to the ground and rose in her human-like form, her
wings spreading wide. She tilted her head back and laughed, the sound
echoing in the still air. Once again, her eyes shone bright red in the darkness
and transparent forms slipped from them. Serene's hair turned to flame as the
frightened Crows, laughing along with their mother. Jason watched the scene
Crystal looped her arm around her son and concentrated. Wings of
black feather grew from her back and she carried Devon high into the air. The
succubae followed her, clutching at the boy. Crystal concentrated again and
flame shot from her free hand, enveloping the red skinned demons. Laughter
flame.
Serene was surprised by Crystal's power. She had not known a newly
reborn to have the strength to produce flame in such a way. Ordinary fire
would not have affected her demon daughters, but Crystal's flame was
damaging them. Several more took to the air, trying to take the boy. Crystals
strength was diminishing, but she fought the succubae valiantly. Her friends
were surrounded by the demons also, fighting for their lives with weaponry
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they had recovered from kills. Onyx slashed at a demon with a sword,
cleaving her head in two. Two more of the succubae leaped upon him, driving
him to the ground. He brought the point of the sword up over his own head,
piercing another demon-woman's skull. She slipped off his back and crumbled
to dust. The other Crows fired guns at the demons, causing very little effect.
Finally, Devon was wrenched from Crystals grasp and she fell to the
ground, her strength gone. Serene waved a hand and the ground opened up.
The succubae entered the opening with the struggling boy and Serene
followed them. Crystal dragged herself to her feet and dove into the hole,
closely followed by Todd and Shane. Onyx and Rayge also entered the
realized that he had been the betrayer, used by Serene to obtain that which
she wanted.
The Crows and their friends found themselves alone in a huge void.
The Succubae and Serene were nowhere to be seen. Ahead of them they
could see what looked like a huge midieval kingdom surrounded by a wide
moat of fire. Above them was a fiery sky with black clouds. The heat in this
outside the Kingdom of Chaos. The boy had fainted and lay limply in Serene's
strong arms. One erect wall was outfitted with an upright coffin. Serene lifted
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Devon into it and one of the succubae fastened metal bands around his head,
midsection and both arms and legs. He began to stir, slowly awakening from
his slumber. His eyes opened and he noticed that he was restricted. He
Crystal still felt too weak to walk, having spent all of her energy
battling the demons. Todd lifted her from her feet and carried her, walking
toward the kingdom. The others followed. Crystal stirred as they neared the
moat of fire.
Todd was confused, where else would Serene have taken their son?
"Where is he?"
No longer did Serene have to keep a human-like form. The pale flesh
and red hair fell from her body and head. Her skin was bright scarlet beneath
and her feet became cloven hooves, her lower legs covered with thick black
hair. Her arms hung to her knees and her fingers stretched to nearly a full foot
long with great black hooked talons. Her hair was orange and blue flame and
her eyes turned a golden color. She was now Lilith, terrifyingly deformed and
succubus children of hell. Devon saw her for the first time and screamed. He
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had never seen anything so horrifying. Devon attempted to transform to
smoke to break free, but to no avail. He tried to remember the gestures and
words, but it did not help the situation. His hands were bound by the metal
bands.
of razor sharp teeth. She stroked his cheek with her long fingers. It was
Crystal and the others heard Devon's screams and they raced to the temple,
Crystal was back on her feet, still weak but recovered enough to keep up with
the others. Inside the ruins they spotted Devon inside a coffin-like apparatus.
A horrifying demon that Crystal knew was Serene was poised over the child.
Todd shouted at the demon-woman, trying to distract her. She turned and
hissed at him like a cat, motioning to her daughters to attack them. Onyx was
once again brought down by a succubus and Rayge grabbed a fistful of her
dark hair, prying the demon off him. He took advantage of the diversion and
cut off her head, leaving it dangling from Rayge's hand. She flung it aside and
took the steps leading into the temple two at a time, closely followed by
Todd, Onyx and Shane. Crystal regained her strength and entered the ruined
structure. Soon, the others were battling the daughters of Lilith again and
Crystal fought her way through the melee. Lilith already had her teeth in
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creature's back and summoned up her remaining energy. Lilith was suddenly
enveloped in magical flame, her crimson skin melting off her bones. She
released Devon from her grasp and tried to put out the flames. Realizing that
nothing could save her, she leapt upon Crystal and the flames crawled over
the two of them, melding them together. Todd screamed for Crystal but it was
too late. She and Lilith were now one, combined, their spirits soared from
their blackening bodies, entering the gates of the medieval kingdom of hell.
The succubae, noticing that their mother was gone, withdrew and flew over
the moat, their screams of anger echoing in the searing hot air.
The boy had a badly ripped neck, but he was already starting to heal.
He knelt beside the jumble of blackened bones, unable to comprehend that his
mother was dead. Todd walked to his side and looped a comforting arm
A loud splitting sound distracted them. The red sky opened up and they could
see the night sky through the crack. The moonlight shone into the void Shane,
Rayge, and Onyx transformed into crows and soared through the crack. Todd
held onto his son and only halfway transformed, lifting the boy out of the
A tall dark woman made her way through the trees of the Arkansas
forest. Her lover had been killed in a blast that temporarily trapped her inside
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the old mine shaft where they had hidden to sleep for a day. That all happened
several years ago. She had been able to feed once on a child who's curiosity
was fatal, giving her the strength she needed to clear enough of an opening to
escape. She knew that something terrible had happened to the world, but that
was only a minor thought in her sociopathic mind. For now........all she knew
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