Chapter 30

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Spencer was still clenching to my arm as if I would evaporate any moment. I've already understood that New York was too much for me to handle at the moment, and I just stayed looking down at my laps, fighting the urge to snap. The noise and honking of the cars irritated me. It was too much and everywhere. I glanced through the window at a colorful mess of the cars and pedestrians and wrinkled my nose. I needed to leave as soon as possible.

The taxi cab turned onto Fifth Avenue and drove two blocks towards Central Park. Out of sudden, my head snapped up, and I felt an electrifying sensation swallowing me. My ears picked up a slight ringing noise, and I clutched to my head pressing my palms to my temples. As the taxi progressed by the road, the noise abruptly stopped, and the buzz of the busy streets returned. I let out a shaky breath.

"Please make a stop," I asked the driver. Spencer threw me a curious look but didn't comment on such a spontaneous demand.

The driver instantly sneaked into the flow of the right lane and stopped right in the middle of the road not minding traffic that started accumulating behind the cab. Reacting quickly, Spencer paid the man and muttering, "keep the change," exited the salon after me.

I pulled the travel bag tighter on my shoulder, and giving a curd nod to Spencer meaning to follow me, started moving to the traffic light.

We crossed the road, and marching in a perfect synchrony started making our way along the street inside Central Park. Lanes and the arrangements in the park itself were significantly different from what I remembered. To see so many nationalities and people with different skin color walk openly brought an uncertain emotion to my heart. It was a very faint emotion and barely traceable, shadowed by the coldness and calmness of my mind. But nonetheless, I recognized it. The satisfaction that was laced into disappointment.

I was satisfied because even though I was stuck permanently in this body, after the sacrifice, I've made it didn't go to waste. I was disappointed because I never learned the fate of my goddaughter Grace and her mother, Georgia. I never learned if Dwight managed to escape his parents and bring his family to safety. I was disappointed because even though, the face of humanity changed unrecognizably, I never learned if the lives of the most influential people in my life were out of danger.

In about twenty minutes we've reached the same place by the bridge in a low populated area, the same one where Ruth had brought me the last time. The bench that used to stand lonely under the canopy of branches was removed, and on its place was stretched a fence. A row of trees that covered half of this alley didn't exist anymore, either.

I let my gaze scan the lane, but didn't see any signs of Ruth. There was no doubt in my mind that she would come. This way or another, she had to come.

"Are you sure that this is the right place," Spencer asked as if reading my mind.

"I'm sure," I replied with a nod.

"How can you be so sure? Did you set up the meeting with whomever you want to meet?" he asked me again.

"Sort of," I murmured back, this time, a little smile spread on my lips. "Let's move from under the bridge." I didn't say anything else. Knowing Spencer, I figured out that it was useless anyway. He was a person of stubborn nature, but in comparison with me, his stubbornness was of the mental kind.

I strolled ahead and stopped right by the place where used to be the bench. Spencer moved with me and stopped just at a comfortable distance, peering around suspiciously. I was about to tell him to stop feeling nervous, but a tiny voice in my head whispered look, and I rotated on its own accord towards the bridge. As I looked closer, I recognized a silhouette of a man. He was short and dressed into what this generation called casual clothes. By the look of it, he was a human.

"Look," I whispered to Spencer, and he glanced at the man.

The man blinked as if surprised to find us standing there, and slowed his pace. "Señora Stacy?" he inquired.

"That's me," I replied.

The man instantly pulled out a yellow envelope from his pocket and handed it to me. "I was told to pass you the letter," he commented and then pulled another letter from anther pocket. "And another one for your companion," he turned to Spencer and gave him the second envelope. Then he bowed slightly lifting his baseball cap. "Tenga un Buen día, señora ... señor," he glanced at me, then at Spencer and scurried off, not looking back.

Spencer gave me a wary look, before opening the letter. I watched his fingers skillfully ripping the side of the envelope and withdrawing a white piece of paper. I slipped the travel bag off my shoulder and dropped it on the ground. Feeling curious, I ripped the side of my envelope as well and pulled out similar to Spencer's white sheet. I unfolded the paper, and a carefully written text greeted me.

Dear Stacy,

If you're reading this, it means that I'm no longer alive. I know you have some questions, and unfortunately I don't have all of the answers, but I still can tell you what I know. I managed to catch bits and pieces of hereafter, and since you've disappeared into the future, I couldn't foretell more than your immediate forthcoming.

I bit my lip and glanced at Spencer, who was still reading his letter. His brows were joined together in a frown, and his eyes were slowly tracing each word, trying to make sense of the sentences. Of course, I wanted to join this puzzle together and finally understand my own existence, as well as I, wanted the answers. The question was what were the questions. How am I neither human nor demon? Why it's me and not some other person? Was it my fate or just a very well organized ploy that triggered each of the followed consequences? I looked down at the latter and continued reading.

There are no coincidences, Stacy. I hope that answers your first question.

As I read, my lips stretched into a smirk. Well, shit! Ruth probably would smirk too if she could see my facial expression.

As for the leap into the future, I can't explain the technical details of the leap and how the continuum is organized, but I know it had something to do with the protective shield that was stretched around the natives' land. Witch doctors renew the spell every fifty years to support the magic of the shield in the month of April during the full moon. The ceremony goes for a month until the first day of May. Since your blood already had had demonic specs, the shield had worked against you, but instead of sending you away it has sent you forward.

I shook my head negatively. Shield didn't just send me forward. I've crushed it. If Volnus was able to get past it, then it just doesn't exist at the moment.

And the most important piece of information.

Run, run, little lamb!

Run.

As my eyes got to the last word, my fist automatically snapped closed, squeezing the paper in my hand. Run. But where?

"I need to take you to Louisiana. It says that you know the address," Spencer looked up at me when he finished reading his letter.

I said nothing. My thoughts were racing, and I was trying to gather everything and come up with some sort of plan.

Come on, Stacy! Think!

In a few seconds, I realized that I wouldn't have any luck with rationalizing my situation.

"What else does it say?" I asked instead, not to waste time on my pointless brainstorming.

"That when the time comes, I shouldn't press the trigger. It says that I'll understand once I find myself in that situation."

"Is there anything else?" I grabbed my travel bag from the floor adjusting it in my hands. Before I put it back on my shoulder, I stashed the letter into the pocket of my winter jacket.

"Nothing else, but why do we need to go to Louisiana?"

A little smile returned on my face. "That's because I have my goddaughter still living there."

"You have a goddaughter?" Spencer barely held a gasp was about to escape his mouth.

"Yes, I do," I said proudly recollecting the moment when I saw Grace for the first time in my life. How hard we tried to protect her from General Sullivan. How much I wanted to see, her growing up. And then suddenly the realization hit me. "I think I know why I do need to find her," I said blinking. "I mean, we need to get to her first before someone else figured it out."

"Figured what out ?"

"How to bring me back home to my mother." Or rather Tyr Palus.


Meanwhile...


As I scooped the last file from the ground safe in Conrad's apartment, I picked the entire heap and relocated it on the desk. There they were, all my documents. I knew that the old scum hid it somewhere in his house. There were so many names and illegal transactions written in them that half of the government could retire as dysfunctional. Maybe even go to prison for another fifty years for bribery and theft. I had all the names there.

Back in the old days when I was mighty and powerful they paid me for silence. Hell, they paid me for everything. For their protection, for the influence, for the favors. And Tyr collected them. He was the corruptor of the souls. He gave them what they asked for in return for the small services. When the time was right, we would get rid of every and each dependent. Snip-snip! Very simple.

We had many attempts to build the Imperium. We've been everywhere. We've seen everything. Our first attempt was during centuries when the Roman Empire was ruling the world. When it crumbled, it was difficult to find worthy allies, and we had to wait for a couple of centuries for another great mound to come into the ruling. I preferred to stay in England and Tyr always liked France, so he lived with Celts, and I lived with Anglo-Saxons.

During the territorial wars between the tribes, I was hidden from the world living a secluded life. Then when Tudors came to the British throne, I started making my way to the government. I knew I couldn't be the ruler myself; I had to be always in the background, making my ruling from under curtain. However, I knew that I had more potential, and the new world was the answer.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, I found Tyr and we came to Canada. Then we moved to New England and started building our net on the new ground. But the Civil War ruined what we've created and only during repression we could continue with our mission.

All of it was going so smoothly until Stacy came along and ruined my empire. Until she ruined me as a person. With those stupid blood ties, I couldn't help feeling incomplete. It was partially my fault. My obsession with her drew me practically insane. She didn't even know how closely she'd been watched the entire time. I knew everything about her. I knew where she goes, what she does, what kind of people she talks to, how many times a day she sneezed.

I sat behind the desk and opened the first file from the top of the heap. I scanned the first two pages, and when realized that there was no information related to Stacy, I closed it and reached for anther one. I did it until finding some notes that I made regarding Stacy's health condition. I pretty much knew every single line I've ever written. My memory was very sharp and spacious, able to keep many tiny and insignificant details. But just in case, I ran through the notes with my eyes. Day seventeen, no changes in her blood system...keeps absorbing mine...twenty-five...stopped accepting treatment...acceptance of the reality...thirty six...no memory of her school friends...replies with well composed but simple sentences...tenth attempt in inserting for failed...

I groaned and shut the file. There was nothing that I didn't already know. What is the most important for Stacy? Her mother? I doubt. Sheila basically handed her to Tyr, and if I wouldn't interject her, she'd be definitely dead or enslaved.

Suddenly a very odd sensation passed through me. It was like diving into water. My heart speeded up, and a wave of adrenalin rolled by my body. I gasped for air and closed my eyes. Red and white blotches started blinking here and there creating a colorful vision. I forced my eyes to open again, but the feeling started fading and then completely let go of me.

I puffed angrily, pretty tired of getting those sudden knockouts. I barely pulled my body together after the plane incident, and now this! 

"Fucking hell!" I hit the disk with my tight fist successfully breaking it on two. 

"Shit!" I grabbed the both edges, not to let the desk fall apart, but then changed my mind and pushed it away from me in irritation. The desk smashed into the glass cabinet and the glass scattered all over the hardwood floor. 

"Fantastic," I huffed and sat back in the office chair, trying to calm down.

Some time later I finally forced myself up from the seat and decided to eat something. In the kitchen, I found food that was good enough to make a sandwich. You would think that being a little over millennia I should know how to cook, but all I could do was put two slices of cheese and salami over a slice of bread. It wasn't much considering my appetite, but I didn't have time on the afternoon rendezvous with the restaurant. In the fridge I found a pack of milk and feeling myself like home, I turned the TV on and began eating.

"Where are you, Stacy?" I asked myself.

Louisiana... something whispered in my head. I dropped my half-eaten sandwich and jumped up from the chair. What's in Louisiana?

Stacy.


Meanwhile...


I dismissed two gargoyles that were guarding the crypt and pressed my fingers to the stone door. It was a complex combination of finger positions that I needed to push to unlock the entrance. I was here last time about eighty-five years ago. And one hundred years before that. Swiftly, I wiped the stone with my palm unrevealing the hidden pad with Celtic letters and dialed seventy buttons in chaotic order that only I knew. The door screeched, and I pressed farther down on the stone.

"Ira," I called.

"Mistress," he came closer and dropped the body of the woman on the ground. Her heart was beating weakly, and I scowled at Ira.

"Careful, child," I warned him. "We need her alive."

"Pardon me, mistress," he instantly grabbed the woman and hung her over his shoulder.

I dismissed his rough manners with a wave of my hand. "Get in," I told him and wordlessly he shoved the stone door further into the crypt and vanished into the darkness of a narrow tunnel. I followed him inside, but before walking down the path, I spun around and closed the door. No one has discovered this sacred place, and I needed it to stay that way.

Ira stopped at the end of the tunnel right before the set of doors and looked at me questionably. I nodded in approval, and he pushed them open.

The room that we entered was covered in moss and spider webs in the corners that almost looked like decorations. It was a pleasant combination. It reminded me of my house in Ireland. I looked around, gazing at the old furniture and dirty pots that stood all over the place until by eyes stopped on a figure of a man. He was sitting in the wooden chair. His eyes were closed, but the chest was moving slowly up and down. I studied his wrinkled old face and smirked. What a cruel way of existence.

Unhurriedly, I strolled to the table and dropped the case on top of it. "Place the woman on the chair next to him," I told Ira.

"Yes, mistress," he murmured, and instantly, I heard him shuffling into the room, preparing the seat for the woman.

I opened the case and pulled out the plastic tubes and portable station for the blood bag. Automatically, my hands started assembling it all together, and when I've sat the station ready, I grabbed the tubes and hooked them to the blood bag. "Are you done?" I asked Ira.

"Yes," he replied, and I rolled the station to position it in between the chairs.

I walked back to my case and withdrew the rest of the instruments. "Do you know where people got the stories about Vampires, child?" I smiled and took a syringe from the pack. "It's actually funny how humans believe in that stuff." I went towards the woman. I pulled the outer side of her arm up and found the biggest vein visible. Sticking the needle into her skin, I waited for the blood to start running, then hooked the tube to the syringe and walked towards the man.

"You know that his blood will change any blood, and only a drop of his will make yours different. We actually have the same blood type." I grabbed another syringe and inserted it under his skin. "Just wait and see," I smiled happily. I grabbed the tube and connected it to the syringe. In a moment I saw the woman's blood leaking from the tube. It reached the transition bag and then made its way down to the man's vein.

With each passing minute, the woman started becoming paler and paler, and the man started gaining color. First his hands, then his neck, then his face, then his hair, and then the rest of his body started shrinking. His skin tightened and cleared of wrinkles. His gray hair switched the color becoming rich black with copper glaze in some locks. Just the way I remember him to be.

I glanced at the woman, waiting for her to give the last drops of her blood. When there was nothing else to take from her, I unhooked her from the tube and touched her forehead. "Child," I called Ira. "Give her a proper funeral. Make sure to stay hidden, and once you're done, come back for me."

"Yes, mistress," he said simply and carried on with the task. I turned to the man and smiled when met his amused gaze.

"Hello, Adam," I welcomed him.

"Lilith," he smiled, too.

"We are going home," I told him. "I found the way to get us back home."

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net