08-24-2015, 12:08 PM
Kailin found her way through the halls of the mansion, it seemed every time she made a turn another hallway would be there. After some time, she found her self lost in the gigantic place, and she was, once again, alone. There was something wrong inside of her, something missing from her. She didn't feel the same, it was something deep within her soul that just wasn't there. Believing it was just the new blood running through her veins didn't calm her. It was something that had been with her for the last two hundred years. If she was to avenge her sister, and friend's death she needed the missing piece back.
Standing in the hallway, she leaned against the wall. Gabrielle was really gone, she wanted to feel miserable, she wanted to feel pain. Yet, just like it had been with her sister, it wasn't really there. The pain that should be aching within her heart was only there because of the guilt she had for not feeling it. She missed her, she missed Leila too. It was a different kind of sadness, like an emptiness within her. Just like it had been with Leila, she understood that it was meant to be, even if she didn't want to accept it. Gabrielle died so that she could make her own decision about the future of vampires and mortals alike.
She sighed, and looked down the hall. A strange black door stood at the end of the hallway, all the other doors were a dark wood, but this one was like coal. She couldn't help herself but walk towards it, something behind it seemed to be calling to her. Every step seemed to make the hallway grow longer, and the door further away. When her hand touched the cold metallic doorknob, she felt something that was familiar engulf her heart. Fearing what was behind the door, she removed her hand from the knob only to replace it after a moment. Taking all the courage she could gather, she opened it.
It seemed that she had only turned the knob and the door opened itself the rest of the way. Her eyes gazed around the room and it's overwhelming beauty pulled her in. Swords lined the walls, as well as paintings. However the paintings were known to her, as they were images of her own life. One of her as a child standing next to Nathaniel at the old church. Another of her running in the field next to her father's estate with her sister. And, yet, another with her and Gabrielle and the other Pyrrhonians in front of the brothel. More paintings lined the wall, each with her and a past lover or friend in it. Except for one, it was a dark painting. Demons filled the back ground, fire fell from the sky, and Kailin sat with a single tear falling from her eyes.
The horrifying painting called to her, and she ran her fingers over the dry paint. This painting was older then the others, this painting was older then she was. When her fingers ran over the dress the image of her was wearing, a flash of a dark red demon entered her mind. Kailin jumped back and looked over the painting, a little frightened.
"Amazing isn't it." A voice came from behind her, she turned to find Tzion. His dark eyes were firmly on her, aware that she had just seen a vision.
"Yes." She tried not to stutter, even though the image of the demon was still burned in her mind.
"When painting them, I use a small drop of blood in the paint. Marekio's blood to be exact."
"You made these? When?"
Tzion smiled, "I did, long before you were born."
She turned her back to him and looked at the dark painting again, it was Marekio that she had seen. "How did you get Marekio's blood?"
"My master, the first prophet, had a large sample of the blood that he used in his writings. Instead of through paintings, he wrote with the blood mixed in with ink. No one knows for certain how he came into the blood. There are many myths that it had been given to Eva, and some that say Eva, herself, had done battle with Marekio."
"Why am I crying?" She asked, lifting her hand again to touch the painting but changing her mind.
"What reasons do you have to cry?" His question made sense as she thought of her life once again.
"Did you see me in these other portraits?"
He looked around, "What do you mean?"
"Did you see me do these things?"
He shook his head, "I painted most of those before you were born as well."
"With Marekio's blood?"
He nodded, "You don't need much, but a small drop."
Her eyes wandered around the room and finally laid on another dark painting. In it Kailin stood in a black dress holding a heart in each hand, and at her feet laid Gabrielle and Leila's bodies. Their faces seemed to be at peace, though blood dripped from their hearts.
"You knew…" She bit her inner cheek, trying to hold down her anger.
"Kailin, there is nothing I could do. They were not meant to live, their usefulness had ended and their time was spent."
"Their usefulness? They weren't tools, they were people, my friends and family!" She snapped, and stepped back. Her hip slammed against the desk behind her.
"To the Higher Being, all vampires are but tools used to destroy or care for his creatures. We are not favored beings, we were not meant to be. Only distorted images of his purer mortals."
Kailin was leaning against the desk, she reached her hand back to steady herself. In doing so, her hand touched a folder on the desk. Caitlyn Bramwell was written in cursive on the file tab. Her eyes shot up to a memory of when she had looked at the room, she hadn't taken much notice to the open second floor. Looking up, she saw the bookcases lined with folders of the same kind that had been on the desk. "I thought everyone's files were held in Italy."
"They are, this are just files that I have collected on you." Tzion answered looking up to the second floor.
"That whole floor?"
"Yes, about five thousand files, and some miscellaneous tomes. Written not just about you, but those before you."
"Five thousand files? What the hell could be said about me in five thousand files?"
He grinned, "You could be surprised. We needed everything in detail, I couldn't leave out what color ribbon you wore in your hair. Every day from the day you were born is in those files." v"How could you know everything?"
"Cause I told him." A deep voice came from the door way, she turned to find a man with gray streaks through his hair.
His face was recognized right away, and Kailin felt the hate within her heart. He was the one that had caused all this! She had wished him dead from the moment she realized what she had become.
"Oh, Caitlyn, when will you learn that I did what I had to and stop despising me for it?"
"You took everything from me, Zdenek. Do you understand that? Everything!"
"I gave you everything, I set you free. I allowed emotion to penetrate your heart and soul. I opened the door for you to truly be alive."
"Kailin," Tzion began, "let me explain."
"No, let me, Tzion." He pointed to the chair, "Have a seat, Caitlyn."
She stared at the chair for a moment, then looked back up at him in defiance.
"Very well, have it your way." Zdenek grinned and came to stand in front of her, "I was chosen from birth too, I was chosen to create you. But, you couldn't be turned unwillingly, and of course since I was created far to old, and Nathaniel was in your life. There was no way possible, I could woo you into wanting it. So, I had to force you…"
"What does this have to do with anything?" She snapped.
Zdenek became angered, his eyes widened but he tried to remain calm. "Because, Caitlyn, fate said that you would become a vampire. Whether be when you were twenty or sixty, you were going to be one in some way or another. All this grief about what you could have done had you done things different, doesn't get you anywhere. You were going to be one from the moment you were conceived, and even before that."
Crossing his arms, he came to stand closer to her, so that he could stare down upon her. "And had you had to wait until you were older, you would of lived a life hating your husband and yourself, like you were. You didn't want any of that until you became what you were suppose to be. Life is unfair, Caitlyn, there is nothing and no one that can change that. Upon occasion we are given small glimpses of happiness, but it is always taken away from us. It's time you stopped running from what you have to do, and set out and do it. Sooner or later fate will make you do it, whether you embrace it or not."
Zdenek stared down at her, he could see the anger forming in her eyes, and it gave him hope. "Your friend, Gabrielle, died because fate had no other way of forcing you to do anything. You have no one to blame for her death, but yourself. However, you can redeem her death, and show her she did not die for naught."
Kailin stood on her feet, no longer leaning against the desk. Her eyes glared deeply into his own as she tried to match him in size. "How dare you put her death on me. How dare you try to make what you did to me virtuous. You took my husband, my sister, and my best friend away from me. I have lived so long that everything I knew and loved has died. I will fight no war, and I will bare no burden."
"You can not fight your destiny, Caitlyn." Zdenek twisted around angrily, his cloak flowing behind him. He went to stand near several paintings, then turned to look at her again. "You care too much for others, when you should worry about what will become of all that surround you. Caitlyn has always been a selfish brat, who wouldn't help others unless they helped her first."
"That's not true!"
He chucked, "You also cling to heavily to the human you once were, and not enough to the monstrosity that you have become. Only when you were born did images of a vampire hunter enter into the prophecies." He pointed to a painting, and Kailin took her eyes off him to look at it.
The painting showed, Lucas and Kailin standing side by side with swords in their hands. At their feet laid dead bodies, including Anthony and Leila. The painting was split vertically in half and in the other image, Kailin stood with her fangs exposed and dripping with blood, on the ground laid Lucas' own body nearly torn apart. Behind Kailin stood the Anthony and Leila with their arms crossed, grinning.
"What does Lucas have to do with this?" Her eyes went back to Zdenek.
"Everything and nothing at all. However, I believe now is the time that you speak to someone about your missing pieces." Zdenek looked at Tzion, who had been standing calmly within the shadows.
Stepping forward Tzion, his hand reached out to touch her and she stepped back.
"I don't want any part of this."
"Do you not wish to gain revenge for Leila and Gabrielle? If you won't do this for your fellow brethren or for the Higher Being, you can at least do it for them." Zdenek rose an eyebrow.
Kailin looked at Tzion's hand that was still being offered to her. "If what you say is true, then this will happen to me whether I want it to or not. I refuse to be your pawns anymore." She headed towards the door, but as she came close to it her body froze.
A soft feminine voice echoed within her mind, "Kailin, come to me." With that Kailin found herself in the Ancient's temple, the light orbs flowing throughout the room. Eva stood at the alter looking down at it, she ran her finger tips over it's smooth surface.
Kailin walked up the stairs to stand next to her, and looked down at the alter. The marble had strange burn marks of an outline of a body, and Kailin understood immediately that this was where she had died.
Eva looked at her and grinned. "You deny what you know is true, why?" When Eva spoke she did not move her lips, instead the voice came into her mind.
Kailin watch her turn around, and stare up at the orbs of light. "I deny what I know is wrong."
"I was the first Hallowed ever born into this world. I knew what my fate was, and I embraced it. The world is all the better place now for it. I speak to you now, not as an Ancient, but as the first vampire to save the mortals from other vampires."
She stepped forward and took a seat at the top stair, Kailin mimicked her.
"Kailin, this will happen, whether you wish of it or not. You can allow us to better prepare you, or you can go in and be taken by the Mephis once more. The demon within you now is easily controlled, as you could see how I brought you here with my own will. Marekio is powerful, and they would not expect you to have him returned."
"I do not want to have him returned."
She nodded, "I was tricked by the Ultimate Evil, you know?"
Kailin shook her head, and Eva smiled. She was beautiful and calm, her long white hair brushed against the ground beneath her. Kailin couldn't help but look at her.
"He tricked me into eating a small piece of silver, this sin as some have called it, made it impossible for me to speak with the Higher Being. I was left alone, and I had never been in that position before. I didn't know what I should do. So, foolishly, I began forcing the pure mortals to become like me. I didn't know how at first, and several innocent mortals died at my hands."
Eva's eyes turned to Kailin, before she continued to speak. "I cried when I discovered that they had no desire to be around me. Fresh Halloweds as you know, can barely stand the pain of each other presence."
"This was the triplets?"
Eva nodded slowly, "Indeed, it was. The four of us tried for many years, but the pain was unbearable. Finally, we decided to go our separate ways. Over a thousand years later we found each other again, and the pain was gone. It was then that we decided to start our own clan of vampires, even though Adon, my Pyrrhonian companion, begged us not to. We thought it would be the only way we could permanently stop the other vampires. We didn't understand that they weren't meant to be stopped, they were just as part of the earth as the mortals were. Our duty was to find a peaceful co-exsistance, do you understand?"
Kailin shook her head.
Eva smiled, "Our stories are similar Kailin, very much one in the same. We were both born forced to take on a destiny that we didn't understand. We both had our most cherished of items stolen from us, and we both were lost for a long time. In the end, you are needed to fix my mistakes. You couldn't do this being born of the earth, you had to be killed and re-birthed."
"Born of the earth?"
She nodded, "Yes, neither of us were born from a mortal mother now. You once were, but no longer. Even Marekio knew better then to toss your aura from the body, even though he could of done just that. He doesn't want the Mephis controlling the mortals either." Her eyes fell down, "Yet, you are still incomplete, Kailin. Without the proper soul, you will not be able to win against the Mephis. So, I must put you in a dangerous situation. You must once again undergo a soul exchange, and place Marekio back where he belongs."
"I am not sure I understand what you want me to do or why you are telling me all of this."
Eva stood from the ground and looked down at her, "I know much and I often forget sometimes that you do not know all that I do. In time, you will find the questions to the answers I have just given you."
Kailin stood up, "So, I need to take Marekio back?"
Eva nodded, "He is strong and you will have to fight him. However, we will make sure that neither of you can control the body until one or the other is the victor. We pray that you will be the one."
"We?"
A Pyrrhonian came to stand behind the alter, Kailin knew it was Adon. One more Ancient vampire appeared, he was a Bowery, Fantor. They each took a side on the alter, and motioned for Kailin to lay herself down upon it. With some hesitation in her heart, she did as she was asked.
Their Ancients locked their hands together and began to chant. It was in a language unknown to Kailin, and for some time nothing seemed to happen. She then caught herself chanting along, a dark black void appeared above her. Through the darkness she saw his face. The same face that had flashed before her eyes when she had touched the painting. Marekio proved his anger by thrashing around, and attempting to strike Eva down. His dark red hand with black claws only went through her as if he were nothing more then an illusion. The chanting continued as she was lifted from the table by an force that also made her stiff, it shoved her closer to Marekio.
A sharp pain began to enter her chest, and when she was certain she could stand it no more, then her eyes saw nothing but blackness.
"What are you doing?" Zdenek asked, taking a seat.
Tzion picked up the file from his desk, and looked over at his friend. After Tzion's master died, Zdenek's master had taken him in as a peon. The two had been together for the majority of their vampire life, and he had often thought calling them friends was an understatement. They knew each other inside and out, everything the other did was not unexpected. Yet, when he looked at Zdenek's face, he had seen the confussion in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Tzion opened the file and pretended to read through it.
"As the prophet and the seerer, we are not meant to have an active part in the life of the guardian. Yet, you have pushed your way into her life." Zdenek folded his arms, when Tzion looked up at him with his glare that told him he didn't want to speak on it. "We will discuss this. You have always been the one to tell others that the prophecies should not be played with, and here you are tinkering them to your own will."
Tzion laid the file on the desk, then leaned back into his chair, touching his finger tips together. Zdenek knew right away that this was his serious posture, and that he was about to tell him something of the uptmost importance. "I drew a painting eight years ago." He began, his words were slow as if he wasn't sure that he wanted to tell him. "It showed me as the betrayer… I can't be the betrayer, I am the prophet. We each only play a single part."
"Show me the painting."
Tzion shook his head, "I have them hidden along with several other paintings that needn't be seen by the public eye." His eyes looked down at the desk, "I also painted my replacement, if I do become the betrayer."
"The new prophet?"
He nodded his head, and looked back up to his friend. "I had to do something, I couldn't just stand by and let myself become the betrayer."
"And you wouldn't of drawn it, had you stayed out of her life. The only paintings done of betrayers are of the eight elders. You weren't meant to offer your blood to her, so I ask this again, why have you done this?"
Tzion tapped his fingers together, "Something has happened that started the prophecies early, and I had to do something to better prepare her for what was to come. As it stood, Kailin wouldn't of survived a single battle against the Mephis army. Anthony is well equipped to begin the war."
"Sounds like Oedipus to me, Tzion. You know that those paintings are of only things that could happen, if other events create them."
Jumping to his feet, Tzion walked over to the painting of Mathias. He stood in the foreground with Kailin in chains behind him. "Mathias is the betrayer, of this, I am sure. This is my forth painting of him joining the side of the Mephis. He will be the one."
"Sounds like you are trying to convince yourself…" Zdenek stood from his seat, "I need to go to the Ancient's Temple, Eva is calling for me."
Tzion gave a nod, and then turned around to look at his friend, he was already gone.
Akela and Tzion were both in the room with him, and each were lost in their own thoughts. Zdenek had brought her from the Ancient's temple, but immediately left again once he made sure that Tzion understood what had occurred. Mathias had met the man before during his time as a peon under Mathias, and had known that he had become Kailin's master. Yet, had never seen him since his left Tzion's hold. The vampire was strong and wise, and he gave off the same powerful aura that Tzion did. Both Tzion and Zdenek's masters were children of the triplets. His voice was calm and dark, and Mathias listened to his every word as he spoke to Tzion.
"You aren't suppose to be here! You were suppose to die!" Akela suddenly screamed, and Mathias turned his eyes to her. He followed her line of sight to the doorway, where Nathaniel stood.
He was in mid-stepped when she startled him, at first he seemed unsure of what to say and he looked toward Mathias for help.
"That's enough, Akela." Tzion interrupted, "Eva has allowed him to exist, and there is nothing that can be done about it now."
Mathias was surprised that Tzion had been the one to halt her verbal attack, as he knew Tzion was against Nathaniel remaining alive as well.
"But Tzion, he has to be the reason that the prophecies have come so soon. You said so yourself that he wasn't suppose to be here!"
Tzion gave a short nod, "I know, but we must tolerate him, per Eva's orders."
Unsure of what to do, Nathaniel came to stand next to Mathias. Akela kept her glare on him, even though she was trying to read a tome that laid on her lap.
Nathaniel was afraid to take his eyes off the elder vampires for fear of her scorn, but he had come to see if Kailin was alright. Looking down at her, she wore nothing but a short light blue night dress, her hair was scattered around her pillow. She looked terrified and peaceful at the same time. Her eyes would cringe occasionally and then rest for several moments. Mathias had noticed her cringes as well, and both men stood silently at her bedside unsure of what was to happen next. "What has happened?" Nathaniel finally got up the courage to ask. He had only been told that she had spoken to Eva and had fallen into a coma. He wasn't sure how a vampire could fall into a coma, it didn't make any sense.
"Eva asked Kailin to take back her powerful demon soul." Mathias began to tell him, "She has forbid both Kailin and Marekio the use of her body until they engage in battle."
"Engage in battle? That makes no sense!" Nathaniel snapped.
Mathias nodded, "I can only assume it will be a battle between her aura and her soul, one that we can not help her in."
Akela glared at him, "She is fighting Marekio, trapped within her own mind. If she wins, she will come forth our victor, and Marekio will remains trapped under her aura's power."
"And if Marekio wins?"
It took a moment for Akela to answer, and when she did he heard the fear in her voice though she covered it well with her contempt for him, "Then we will not see another day."
With those words, Akela stood from her seat next to Kailin's bedside. She took the tome with her, her words mumbled something about being sickened by the sight of the fresh. Everyone understood clearly that she meant Nathaniel.
He couldn't help her, she had to fight all on her own. She was stuck defending her very exsistance and their own all within her mind. Somewhere no one could get to any more. He hated everyone who had done this to her. He would of gladly waited another eight hundred years for her to become an Elder naturally. Mathias had apologized for what he did, Tzion had seduced him he said. Tricked him into drinking her blood, and allowing her to feed from him. He still despised him for it, Mathias was suppose to protect her from this, not be part of it.
His dear friend of the past two centuries that had helped him stay alive so that one day he could be with Kailin again, he hated him more then anyone. All he wanted was for everything to just go away, so he could have Kailin to himself once again. But she wouldn't be his, he knew about the prophecy that told of another being her love.
The scent of a human filled his nostrils, and Nathaniel turned his head to watch a tired looking Lucas walk to the chair that Akela had previously occupied. Tzion had taken a seat in a large overstuffed chair on the other end of the room. His eyes firmly planted on the tome in front of him, he seemed oblivious of the happenings in the room. Not even looking up at Lucas when he entered.
Lucas looked down at Kailin, her hands gently laid atop of her stomach. "Is she alright?"
Nathaniel shook his head, "They have forced her into a battle with her own soul, there is nothing we can do but wait." He spoke as if he understood what was happening. "She is alone."
"She is not alone, she knows that we are trying to help her as much as we can." Lucas reached out and grabbed her hand, folding it within his own, he looked back up at Nathaniel who glared down at him.
"This battle is for control of her physical form, if she looses we will all die." Nathaniel had wanted to take her hand, but it had seemed so unnatural for him. He hated that the human had the courage to do so, and in front of him no less.
"She will not loose. She will keep fighting." Lucas sounded so sure, that even Mathias was surprised.
The door made a creaking noise, and everyone looked at Kristian who stood in the doorway. His eyes were red and he looked like he hadn't slept in days, yet Gabrielle had only been gone for a little over a day. No one had seen him since Kailin's return, but news spread quickly around the mansion. It was likely that he heard it and hide himself away from his master to mourn her.
"I was wondering when you would come out of the wine cellar." Tzion said, still reading his book, he hadn't even looked up at his peon.
"I…I…" Kristian stumbled through his mind to find an excuse.
"Were crying like an infant, I know. I don't know why you bothered with that Pyrhonian, and you should be ashamed of yourself for your outburst."
Kristian bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the anger he felt for his master in this moments. "She was my friend."
"She was a pyrhonian, and no matter how hard you would of tried, no loyalty or friendship would of come from it." Tzion looked up only briefly at him.
"Kailin received friendship from her, and loyalty." Kristian snapped.
Tzion stood from his chair with the tome in his hand, walking over to the doorway he stood to face his peon. "No pyrhonian understands loyalty of any kind, she used the Hallowed for her own safety. Had Kailin not been able to provide that she would of left her side and join her own clan long ago. It would do you well to remember that." He stepped out into the hall to find a quieter place to read.
"How are you holding up?" Lucas asked, when Kristian came to stand next him, overlooking Kailin.
"Well enough, I just heard that Kailin had fallen ill. How is that possible?" Kristian look up to Mathias, a man who he had come to respect over the past few months.
"A battle between the soul and aura, we must wait." Mathias answered, and Kristian seemed to understand what he meant. He had often read the tomes that Tzion had written.
"How does the situation look?" He asked after another moment.
Mathias shrugged his shoulders not able to answer the question. They all surrounded Kailin's bed, all wondering what the future would hold. They all needed her to return to them, but all for different reasons. Each knew that they played a specific role in what was to come, whether Marekio or Kailin opened their eyes to stare upon them.
Standing in the hallway, she leaned against the wall. Gabrielle was really gone, she wanted to feel miserable, she wanted to feel pain. Yet, just like it had been with her sister, it wasn't really there. The pain that should be aching within her heart was only there because of the guilt she had for not feeling it. She missed her, she missed Leila too. It was a different kind of sadness, like an emptiness within her. Just like it had been with Leila, she understood that it was meant to be, even if she didn't want to accept it. Gabrielle died so that she could make her own decision about the future of vampires and mortals alike.
She sighed, and looked down the hall. A strange black door stood at the end of the hallway, all the other doors were a dark wood, but this one was like coal. She couldn't help herself but walk towards it, something behind it seemed to be calling to her. Every step seemed to make the hallway grow longer, and the door further away. When her hand touched the cold metallic doorknob, she felt something that was familiar engulf her heart. Fearing what was behind the door, she removed her hand from the knob only to replace it after a moment. Taking all the courage she could gather, she opened it.
It seemed that she had only turned the knob and the door opened itself the rest of the way. Her eyes gazed around the room and it's overwhelming beauty pulled her in. Swords lined the walls, as well as paintings. However the paintings were known to her, as they were images of her own life. One of her as a child standing next to Nathaniel at the old church. Another of her running in the field next to her father's estate with her sister. And, yet, another with her and Gabrielle and the other Pyrrhonians in front of the brothel. More paintings lined the wall, each with her and a past lover or friend in it. Except for one, it was a dark painting. Demons filled the back ground, fire fell from the sky, and Kailin sat with a single tear falling from her eyes.
The horrifying painting called to her, and she ran her fingers over the dry paint. This painting was older then the others, this painting was older then she was. When her fingers ran over the dress the image of her was wearing, a flash of a dark red demon entered her mind. Kailin jumped back and looked over the painting, a little frightened.
"Amazing isn't it." A voice came from behind her, she turned to find Tzion. His dark eyes were firmly on her, aware that she had just seen a vision.
"Yes." She tried not to stutter, even though the image of the demon was still burned in her mind.
"When painting them, I use a small drop of blood in the paint. Marekio's blood to be exact."
"You made these? When?"
Tzion smiled, "I did, long before you were born."
She turned her back to him and looked at the dark painting again, it was Marekio that she had seen. "How did you get Marekio's blood?"
"My master, the first prophet, had a large sample of the blood that he used in his writings. Instead of through paintings, he wrote with the blood mixed in with ink. No one knows for certain how he came into the blood. There are many myths that it had been given to Eva, and some that say Eva, herself, had done battle with Marekio."
"Why am I crying?" She asked, lifting her hand again to touch the painting but changing her mind.
"What reasons do you have to cry?" His question made sense as she thought of her life once again.
"Did you see me in these other portraits?"
He looked around, "What do you mean?"
"Did you see me do these things?"
He shook his head, "I painted most of those before you were born as well."
"With Marekio's blood?"
He nodded, "You don't need much, but a small drop."
Her eyes wandered around the room and finally laid on another dark painting. In it Kailin stood in a black dress holding a heart in each hand, and at her feet laid Gabrielle and Leila's bodies. Their faces seemed to be at peace, though blood dripped from their hearts.
"You knew…" She bit her inner cheek, trying to hold down her anger.
"Kailin, there is nothing I could do. They were not meant to live, their usefulness had ended and their time was spent."
"Their usefulness? They weren't tools, they were people, my friends and family!" She snapped, and stepped back. Her hip slammed against the desk behind her.
"To the Higher Being, all vampires are but tools used to destroy or care for his creatures. We are not favored beings, we were not meant to be. Only distorted images of his purer mortals."
Kailin was leaning against the desk, she reached her hand back to steady herself. In doing so, her hand touched a folder on the desk. Caitlyn Bramwell was written in cursive on the file tab. Her eyes shot up to a memory of when she had looked at the room, she hadn't taken much notice to the open second floor. Looking up, she saw the bookcases lined with folders of the same kind that had been on the desk. "I thought everyone's files were held in Italy."
"They are, this are just files that I have collected on you." Tzion answered looking up to the second floor.
"That whole floor?"
"Yes, about five thousand files, and some miscellaneous tomes. Written not just about you, but those before you."
"Five thousand files? What the hell could be said about me in five thousand files?"
He grinned, "You could be surprised. We needed everything in detail, I couldn't leave out what color ribbon you wore in your hair. Every day from the day you were born is in those files." v"How could you know everything?"
"Cause I told him." A deep voice came from the door way, she turned to find a man with gray streaks through his hair.
His face was recognized right away, and Kailin felt the hate within her heart. He was the one that had caused all this! She had wished him dead from the moment she realized what she had become.
"Oh, Caitlyn, when will you learn that I did what I had to and stop despising me for it?"
"You took everything from me, Zdenek. Do you understand that? Everything!"
"I gave you everything, I set you free. I allowed emotion to penetrate your heart and soul. I opened the door for you to truly be alive."
"Kailin," Tzion began, "let me explain."
"No, let me, Tzion." He pointed to the chair, "Have a seat, Caitlyn."
She stared at the chair for a moment, then looked back up at him in defiance.
"Very well, have it your way." Zdenek grinned and came to stand in front of her, "I was chosen from birth too, I was chosen to create you. But, you couldn't be turned unwillingly, and of course since I was created far to old, and Nathaniel was in your life. There was no way possible, I could woo you into wanting it. So, I had to force you…"
"What does this have to do with anything?" She snapped.
Zdenek became angered, his eyes widened but he tried to remain calm. "Because, Caitlyn, fate said that you would become a vampire. Whether be when you were twenty or sixty, you were going to be one in some way or another. All this grief about what you could have done had you done things different, doesn't get you anywhere. You were going to be one from the moment you were conceived, and even before that."
Crossing his arms, he came to stand closer to her, so that he could stare down upon her. "And had you had to wait until you were older, you would of lived a life hating your husband and yourself, like you were. You didn't want any of that until you became what you were suppose to be. Life is unfair, Caitlyn, there is nothing and no one that can change that. Upon occasion we are given small glimpses of happiness, but it is always taken away from us. It's time you stopped running from what you have to do, and set out and do it. Sooner or later fate will make you do it, whether you embrace it or not."
Zdenek stared down at her, he could see the anger forming in her eyes, and it gave him hope. "Your friend, Gabrielle, died because fate had no other way of forcing you to do anything. You have no one to blame for her death, but yourself. However, you can redeem her death, and show her she did not die for naught."
Kailin stood on her feet, no longer leaning against the desk. Her eyes glared deeply into his own as she tried to match him in size. "How dare you put her death on me. How dare you try to make what you did to me virtuous. You took my husband, my sister, and my best friend away from me. I have lived so long that everything I knew and loved has died. I will fight no war, and I will bare no burden."
"You can not fight your destiny, Caitlyn." Zdenek twisted around angrily, his cloak flowing behind him. He went to stand near several paintings, then turned to look at her again. "You care too much for others, when you should worry about what will become of all that surround you. Caitlyn has always been a selfish brat, who wouldn't help others unless they helped her first."
"That's not true!"
He chucked, "You also cling to heavily to the human you once were, and not enough to the monstrosity that you have become. Only when you were born did images of a vampire hunter enter into the prophecies." He pointed to a painting, and Kailin took her eyes off him to look at it.
The painting showed, Lucas and Kailin standing side by side with swords in their hands. At their feet laid dead bodies, including Anthony and Leila. The painting was split vertically in half and in the other image, Kailin stood with her fangs exposed and dripping with blood, on the ground laid Lucas' own body nearly torn apart. Behind Kailin stood the Anthony and Leila with their arms crossed, grinning.
"What does Lucas have to do with this?" Her eyes went back to Zdenek.
"Everything and nothing at all. However, I believe now is the time that you speak to someone about your missing pieces." Zdenek looked at Tzion, who had been standing calmly within the shadows.
Stepping forward Tzion, his hand reached out to touch her and she stepped back.
"I don't want any part of this."
"Do you not wish to gain revenge for Leila and Gabrielle? If you won't do this for your fellow brethren or for the Higher Being, you can at least do it for them." Zdenek rose an eyebrow.
Kailin looked at Tzion's hand that was still being offered to her. "If what you say is true, then this will happen to me whether I want it to or not. I refuse to be your pawns anymore." She headed towards the door, but as she came close to it her body froze.
A soft feminine voice echoed within her mind, "Kailin, come to me." With that Kailin found herself in the Ancient's temple, the light orbs flowing throughout the room. Eva stood at the alter looking down at it, she ran her finger tips over it's smooth surface.
Kailin walked up the stairs to stand next to her, and looked down at the alter. The marble had strange burn marks of an outline of a body, and Kailin understood immediately that this was where she had died.
Eva looked at her and grinned. "You deny what you know is true, why?" When Eva spoke she did not move her lips, instead the voice came into her mind.
Kailin watch her turn around, and stare up at the orbs of light. "I deny what I know is wrong."
"I was the first Hallowed ever born into this world. I knew what my fate was, and I embraced it. The world is all the better place now for it. I speak to you now, not as an Ancient, but as the first vampire to save the mortals from other vampires."
She stepped forward and took a seat at the top stair, Kailin mimicked her.
"Kailin, this will happen, whether you wish of it or not. You can allow us to better prepare you, or you can go in and be taken by the Mephis once more. The demon within you now is easily controlled, as you could see how I brought you here with my own will. Marekio is powerful, and they would not expect you to have him returned."
"I do not want to have him returned."
She nodded, "I was tricked by the Ultimate Evil, you know?"
Kailin shook her head, and Eva smiled. She was beautiful and calm, her long white hair brushed against the ground beneath her. Kailin couldn't help but look at her.
"He tricked me into eating a small piece of silver, this sin as some have called it, made it impossible for me to speak with the Higher Being. I was left alone, and I had never been in that position before. I didn't know what I should do. So, foolishly, I began forcing the pure mortals to become like me. I didn't know how at first, and several innocent mortals died at my hands."
Eva's eyes turned to Kailin, before she continued to speak. "I cried when I discovered that they had no desire to be around me. Fresh Halloweds as you know, can barely stand the pain of each other presence."
"This was the triplets?"
Eva nodded slowly, "Indeed, it was. The four of us tried for many years, but the pain was unbearable. Finally, we decided to go our separate ways. Over a thousand years later we found each other again, and the pain was gone. It was then that we decided to start our own clan of vampires, even though Adon, my Pyrrhonian companion, begged us not to. We thought it would be the only way we could permanently stop the other vampires. We didn't understand that they weren't meant to be stopped, they were just as part of the earth as the mortals were. Our duty was to find a peaceful co-exsistance, do you understand?"
Kailin shook her head.
Eva smiled, "Our stories are similar Kailin, very much one in the same. We were both born forced to take on a destiny that we didn't understand. We both had our most cherished of items stolen from us, and we both were lost for a long time. In the end, you are needed to fix my mistakes. You couldn't do this being born of the earth, you had to be killed and re-birthed."
"Born of the earth?"
She nodded, "Yes, neither of us were born from a mortal mother now. You once were, but no longer. Even Marekio knew better then to toss your aura from the body, even though he could of done just that. He doesn't want the Mephis controlling the mortals either." Her eyes fell down, "Yet, you are still incomplete, Kailin. Without the proper soul, you will not be able to win against the Mephis. So, I must put you in a dangerous situation. You must once again undergo a soul exchange, and place Marekio back where he belongs."
"I am not sure I understand what you want me to do or why you are telling me all of this."
Eva stood from the ground and looked down at her, "I know much and I often forget sometimes that you do not know all that I do. In time, you will find the questions to the answers I have just given you."
Kailin stood up, "So, I need to take Marekio back?"
Eva nodded, "He is strong and you will have to fight him. However, we will make sure that neither of you can control the body until one or the other is the victor. We pray that you will be the one."
"We?"
A Pyrrhonian came to stand behind the alter, Kailin knew it was Adon. One more Ancient vampire appeared, he was a Bowery, Fantor. They each took a side on the alter, and motioned for Kailin to lay herself down upon it. With some hesitation in her heart, she did as she was asked.
Their Ancients locked their hands together and began to chant. It was in a language unknown to Kailin, and for some time nothing seemed to happen. She then caught herself chanting along, a dark black void appeared above her. Through the darkness she saw his face. The same face that had flashed before her eyes when she had touched the painting. Marekio proved his anger by thrashing around, and attempting to strike Eva down. His dark red hand with black claws only went through her as if he were nothing more then an illusion. The chanting continued as she was lifted from the table by an force that also made her stiff, it shoved her closer to Marekio.
A sharp pain began to enter her chest, and when she was certain she could stand it no more, then her eyes saw nothing but blackness.
---***---
Zdenek watched Tzion take a seat from behind his desk, as he came to stand in front of it. They understood that Eva had summoned her to the temple, and would have to wait for her return. Kailin wasn't important to him right now, it was Tzion that had him concerned."What are you doing?" Zdenek asked, taking a seat.
Tzion picked up the file from his desk, and looked over at his friend. After Tzion's master died, Zdenek's master had taken him in as a peon. The two had been together for the majority of their vampire life, and he had often thought calling them friends was an understatement. They knew each other inside and out, everything the other did was not unexpected. Yet, when he looked at Zdenek's face, he had seen the confussion in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Tzion opened the file and pretended to read through it.
"As the prophet and the seerer, we are not meant to have an active part in the life of the guardian. Yet, you have pushed your way into her life." Zdenek folded his arms, when Tzion looked up at him with his glare that told him he didn't want to speak on it. "We will discuss this. You have always been the one to tell others that the prophecies should not be played with, and here you are tinkering them to your own will."
Tzion laid the file on the desk, then leaned back into his chair, touching his finger tips together. Zdenek knew right away that this was his serious posture, and that he was about to tell him something of the uptmost importance. "I drew a painting eight years ago." He began, his words were slow as if he wasn't sure that he wanted to tell him. "It showed me as the betrayer… I can't be the betrayer, I am the prophet. We each only play a single part."
"Show me the painting."
Tzion shook his head, "I have them hidden along with several other paintings that needn't be seen by the public eye." His eyes looked down at the desk, "I also painted my replacement, if I do become the betrayer."
"The new prophet?"
He nodded his head, and looked back up to his friend. "I had to do something, I couldn't just stand by and let myself become the betrayer."
"And you wouldn't of drawn it, had you stayed out of her life. The only paintings done of betrayers are of the eight elders. You weren't meant to offer your blood to her, so I ask this again, why have you done this?"
Tzion tapped his fingers together, "Something has happened that started the prophecies early, and I had to do something to better prepare her for what was to come. As it stood, Kailin wouldn't of survived a single battle against the Mephis army. Anthony is well equipped to begin the war."
"Sounds like Oedipus to me, Tzion. You know that those paintings are of only things that could happen, if other events create them."
Jumping to his feet, Tzion walked over to the painting of Mathias. He stood in the foreground with Kailin in chains behind him. "Mathias is the betrayer, of this, I am sure. This is my forth painting of him joining the side of the Mephis. He will be the one."
"Sounds like you are trying to convince yourself…" Zdenek stood from his seat, "I need to go to the Ancient's Temple, Eva is calling for me."
Tzion gave a nod, and then turned around to look at his friend, he was already gone.
---***---
Mathias stood over Kailin's bedside, he stared down at her lifeless body. So, much had happened in the course of one day. Death, rebirth, death again, and now she was forced to fight for control of her own body. As he watched her the anger grew in his heart, someone was to blame for what she had gone through. The time wasn't right, none of this was meant to be. Neither vampires nor humans were ready for the battle that they were sure was now ahead of them. Yet, there was nothing that could be done to change what had already occurred. He knew finger pointing would lead them to no where, all they could do now was preparing and hope they have Kailin strong and ready at their side when the time came.Akela and Tzion were both in the room with him, and each were lost in their own thoughts. Zdenek had brought her from the Ancient's temple, but immediately left again once he made sure that Tzion understood what had occurred. Mathias had met the man before during his time as a peon under Mathias, and had known that he had become Kailin's master. Yet, had never seen him since his left Tzion's hold. The vampire was strong and wise, and he gave off the same powerful aura that Tzion did. Both Tzion and Zdenek's masters were children of the triplets. His voice was calm and dark, and Mathias listened to his every word as he spoke to Tzion.
"You aren't suppose to be here! You were suppose to die!" Akela suddenly screamed, and Mathias turned his eyes to her. He followed her line of sight to the doorway, where Nathaniel stood.
He was in mid-stepped when she startled him, at first he seemed unsure of what to say and he looked toward Mathias for help.
"That's enough, Akela." Tzion interrupted, "Eva has allowed him to exist, and there is nothing that can be done about it now."
Mathias was surprised that Tzion had been the one to halt her verbal attack, as he knew Tzion was against Nathaniel remaining alive as well.
"But Tzion, he has to be the reason that the prophecies have come so soon. You said so yourself that he wasn't suppose to be here!"
Tzion gave a short nod, "I know, but we must tolerate him, per Eva's orders."
Unsure of what to do, Nathaniel came to stand next to Mathias. Akela kept her glare on him, even though she was trying to read a tome that laid on her lap.
Nathaniel was afraid to take his eyes off the elder vampires for fear of her scorn, but he had come to see if Kailin was alright. Looking down at her, she wore nothing but a short light blue night dress, her hair was scattered around her pillow. She looked terrified and peaceful at the same time. Her eyes would cringe occasionally and then rest for several moments. Mathias had noticed her cringes as well, and both men stood silently at her bedside unsure of what was to happen next. "What has happened?" Nathaniel finally got up the courage to ask. He had only been told that she had spoken to Eva and had fallen into a coma. He wasn't sure how a vampire could fall into a coma, it didn't make any sense.
"Eva asked Kailin to take back her powerful demon soul." Mathias began to tell him, "She has forbid both Kailin and Marekio the use of her body until they engage in battle."
"Engage in battle? That makes no sense!" Nathaniel snapped.
Mathias nodded, "I can only assume it will be a battle between her aura and her soul, one that we can not help her in."
Akela glared at him, "She is fighting Marekio, trapped within her own mind. If she wins, she will come forth our victor, and Marekio will remains trapped under her aura's power."
"And if Marekio wins?"
It took a moment for Akela to answer, and when she did he heard the fear in her voice though she covered it well with her contempt for him, "Then we will not see another day."
With those words, Akela stood from her seat next to Kailin's bedside. She took the tome with her, her words mumbled something about being sickened by the sight of the fresh. Everyone understood clearly that she meant Nathaniel.
He couldn't help her, she had to fight all on her own. She was stuck defending her very exsistance and their own all within her mind. Somewhere no one could get to any more. He hated everyone who had done this to her. He would of gladly waited another eight hundred years for her to become an Elder naturally. Mathias had apologized for what he did, Tzion had seduced him he said. Tricked him into drinking her blood, and allowing her to feed from him. He still despised him for it, Mathias was suppose to protect her from this, not be part of it.
His dear friend of the past two centuries that had helped him stay alive so that one day he could be with Kailin again, he hated him more then anyone. All he wanted was for everything to just go away, so he could have Kailin to himself once again. But she wouldn't be his, he knew about the prophecy that told of another being her love.
The scent of a human filled his nostrils, and Nathaniel turned his head to watch a tired looking Lucas walk to the chair that Akela had previously occupied. Tzion had taken a seat in a large overstuffed chair on the other end of the room. His eyes firmly planted on the tome in front of him, he seemed oblivious of the happenings in the room. Not even looking up at Lucas when he entered.
Lucas looked down at Kailin, her hands gently laid atop of her stomach. "Is she alright?"
Nathaniel shook his head, "They have forced her into a battle with her own soul, there is nothing we can do but wait." He spoke as if he understood what was happening. "She is alone."
"She is not alone, she knows that we are trying to help her as much as we can." Lucas reached out and grabbed her hand, folding it within his own, he looked back up at Nathaniel who glared down at him.
"This battle is for control of her physical form, if she looses we will all die." Nathaniel had wanted to take her hand, but it had seemed so unnatural for him. He hated that the human had the courage to do so, and in front of him no less.
"She will not loose. She will keep fighting." Lucas sounded so sure, that even Mathias was surprised.
The door made a creaking noise, and everyone looked at Kristian who stood in the doorway. His eyes were red and he looked like he hadn't slept in days, yet Gabrielle had only been gone for a little over a day. No one had seen him since Kailin's return, but news spread quickly around the mansion. It was likely that he heard it and hide himself away from his master to mourn her.
"I was wondering when you would come out of the wine cellar." Tzion said, still reading his book, he hadn't even looked up at his peon.
"I…I…" Kristian stumbled through his mind to find an excuse.
"Were crying like an infant, I know. I don't know why you bothered with that Pyrhonian, and you should be ashamed of yourself for your outburst."
Kristian bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the anger he felt for his master in this moments. "She was my friend."
"She was a pyrhonian, and no matter how hard you would of tried, no loyalty or friendship would of come from it." Tzion looked up only briefly at him.
"Kailin received friendship from her, and loyalty." Kristian snapped.
Tzion stood from his chair with the tome in his hand, walking over to the doorway he stood to face his peon. "No pyrhonian understands loyalty of any kind, she used the Hallowed for her own safety. Had Kailin not been able to provide that she would of left her side and join her own clan long ago. It would do you well to remember that." He stepped out into the hall to find a quieter place to read.
"How are you holding up?" Lucas asked, when Kristian came to stand next him, overlooking Kailin.
"Well enough, I just heard that Kailin had fallen ill. How is that possible?" Kristian look up to Mathias, a man who he had come to respect over the past few months.
"A battle between the soul and aura, we must wait." Mathias answered, and Kristian seemed to understand what he meant. He had often read the tomes that Tzion had written.
"How does the situation look?" He asked after another moment.
Mathias shrugged his shoulders not able to answer the question. They all surrounded Kailin's bed, all wondering what the future would hold. They all needed her to return to them, but all for different reasons. Each knew that they played a specific role in what was to come, whether Marekio or Kailin opened their eyes to stare upon them.