After the Fall (36 page)

It was a nice way to tell them to keep tabs on one another. Those motivated by greed would start looking at their peers to get the chance to move up in standing. The rest would try to find a culprit out of fear and self-preservation. It all came to the same result: a divided council, looking for a culprit in its ranks. Lucretius allowed himself a placid smile while the council members talked amongst themselves in elevating tones.

“Gentlemen…and lady. My fellow council members, we must remember to stay united. I have not asked you to deliver someone’s head on a platter. As I said before, the guilty party may not even be here. I just ask that you keep your eyes open. The truth will reveal itself in due time.”

The meeting finally adjourned. I went back to her patrol zone after the meeting to check on her, but neither she nor her companions were out there. When I drove out to the boundary fence, I realized why.

A group of zombies stood side by side at the fence. They stopped their thrashing long enough to get a look at me for a few seconds then resumed their attack on the fence. It may have seemed futile to try to tear down the fence by hand, but these were tireless workers that required very little in the way of food and no sleep. They cared nothing for their own safety or well-being. The only thing in their rotted, repurposed minds was the prey. For a moment, I could sympathize with them. We were not so different, after all. Our main difference was the choice of nourishment, but we both preferred the blood of the living or at the very least, the recently dead. I took a moment to sympathize with my distant brethren, my cousins in unlife.

And then I drove a knife through their skulls.

I walked up to the fence and drove my knife through the gap and into their heads. One by one they fell to the ground. Their companions looked confused, but they continued to pull at the fence. I continued down the line, stabbing as I passed. It must have looked comical, as if they were swooning from my presence. I was about to lay waste to the last one when a sound compelled me to freeze.

It was part growl, part hiss. I didn’t doubt the undead could make this sound, but I had never heard it before. When I turned, I saw one of my victims rise up and throw himself at the fence with renewed fury. The links started to snap. This was no feeble zombie on the verge of starvation. It was an aberration, an anomaly. It had to be. And just then, it revealed its terrible secret. His lips drew back in a snarl and I could see two long, pearly stalactites hanging down from his mouth. It once was a Vampire. His name was Dan.

Ghosts of the Past

I almost fell over from the shock. My worst fear was realized. It was standing mere feet from me, separated by a fence that was growing weaker by the minute. He looked at me with his eyes, those two glazed orbs that once ruled the night and feared the day. He wasn’t dead but merely transmuted, reconfigured.

Another link snapped. He forced his hand through the hole and expanded it. I tightened my grip on the knife. The choice was clear: kill him or let him get in. The only problem was, I didn’t want to kill him. It wasn’t that it was Dan, or rather used to be him. I simply didn’t want to kill this new perfect hybrid that was at our doorstep, fighting for his right to exist.

I did want to find Rayna, and the sooner I did, the better. This was something she had to see. I ran away as fast as my Vampire legs could take me, which was no trifling speed. As I sped away, I heard another link snap. Time is of the essence, as they used to say.

There was no sign of Rayna out here—or anyone else, for that matter. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for these creatures to breach the fence. Since the sentries were nowhere to be found, it would be up to me to eliminate the threat. I would start by syphoning a small amount of fuel out of the car and dousing them with it. The rest I would leave to the cleansing power of fire. 

Armed with adrenaline and firm purpose, I drove back to the fence. The sight of a large hole made my mouth drop in dismay. I can’t say I was completely surprised. After all, Dan possessed superhuman strength that stayed with him past his second death. Not a single body remained at the fence. My stomach tightened into a knot. There were now over a dozen reanimators loose inside the perimeter, and one of them used to be a Vampire.

It’s not too late
, I told myself. If I could only intercept them, I could take them down and set them on fire before they could reach the cattle or populated zones. They were on foot and I was driving. It would be a simple matter of driving around until I found them.

I drove by every patch of grass and searched every thicket, but she seemed to have vanished. To call this bad news would be a gross understatement. I had to go back and let the Queen know.

The mansion security detail seemed to have doubled in the last few days. It made me wonder why the Queen needed so much protection if the situation was “under control,” as she put it. My councilman credentials got me inside, but just barely. After I passed the outside guards, I had another barrier to overcome.

“Sir, the Queen is not available to see anyone right now. She is not to be disturbed. If you could make an appointment, or try calling on her later.”

“This is important, emergency-type stuff. Let me in.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I have my instructions.”

He had his instructions, but I wasn’t about to be turned away. I pushed the door open and ran past him.

“Sir, you have no right barging in like this! You must leave now, on the authority of the Queen!”

“It’s all right. Let him in,” said the Queen. She was leaning against the door frame and looked pleased to see me. If that’s what it took to get me in the door, I would play that card.

“My Queen, I have to speak to you.”

“I bet you do. You know, I was wanting to speak to you as well. Would you care to join me in my quarters downstairs?”

“This is urgent.”

“I already know.”

“Already know what?”

“About the breach. There’s units combing the place looking for them. They won’t get far. I’m sure we’ll hear from them within the hour.”

“Oh. Then I suppose my visit was for naught.”

“Not at all. You must be tired. Come.”

She took us through the secret door, down the stairs to her underground home. The lights brightened until it felt like daytime in here.

“Would you like a drink?”

“No, I think I’m fine for the moment.” I saw her eyes and changed my mind. “Now that I think about it, a drink sounds good right now.”

She smiled and poured the drink herself. I wondered why there were no servants nearby, when she depended on them for her every whim.

“Here, take some good sips. You look thirsty.”

Maybe she was a mind reader, because I put the cup up to my lips and drained the contents in one draft. 

“Would you like more?”

“I think I’m good for right now.” It wasn’t as strong as the last drink she had given me, but it still had some kick.

“Come, have another. You must be parched.” Before I could reply, my cup was full. “Our forces have failed us. We will deal with them in due time. Meanwhile, there is something I would like to discuss with you. Come, sit.”

I sat and she remained standing. That set off a silent alarm in my head.

“Is everything all right, my Queen?”

“Yes, everything is just fine. I wanted to talk to you about your old city, the last place you stayed before this.”

“You mean Jericho?”

“Yes, that’s it. Tell me more about your time there.”

“I thought Lucretius might have filled you in on all the details.”

“Yes, he did. I wanted to hear more detail about it. Tell me more about this woman.”

“Rhiannon? There’s not much to tell. I loved her, but I could not save her from the grave. Her body lies at rest in Jericho.”

“What if I told you she was no longer there?”

An icy hand ran up my spine. “You mean her body was moved? How do you know this?”

“Based on the information you gave us, I sent a group of men to investigate if there was indeed such a town. If there was, I wanted to know more of it. Settlements like this were rare to begin with, and they are disappearing with time. If it really had been overrun, then the people could use our help.”

“And what did you find?” I asked, leaning forward with interest.

She shook her head. “It’s a ghost town. Even the undead have moved on. All that is left are corpses that have been long dead.”

“You said Rhiannon was moved. Did your men visit her grave?”

“Yes, they found a grave inside the largest house in town, just like you described. However, someone had dug her body out.”

“Impossible! If there was no one left, who would have done it?” Then I paused and muttered, “Maybe Alaric did it.”

“There was another body next to the grave. This one had a sword still buried in his chest. It went right through his leather armor. Hefty fellow, from what I hear.”

“Alaric,” I whispered.

“That was my guess. We gave him a proper burial in that same grave.”

“Alaric is dead. I saw it in my dreams.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”

I snapped back to reality. “How long have you known of this?”

“Not long. They’ve just returned. I waited because I wanted to make sure we could be prepared to give you the news.”

“Thank you for giving me closure. I only wish I knew what happened to Rhiannon.”

“That was the other thing I wanted to tell you.”

“What do you mean?”

She rang for her servants. One came out from behind the curtained doorway a minute later, leading someone by the hand. Her head was wrapped in one of the Queen’s veils so that I could not see her face.

“We found this one wandering the area. Poor thing. She was half-starved and mad when they ran into her. Just like you, the men mistook her for being undead and nearly put her down.” She made a gesture to the servant. “Take off that veil. Mordecai, let’s see if you recognize her.”

The servant did as instructed and took off the veil. My heart stopped.

“Well, do you recognize her?”

Of course I did, but words seemed insufficient at the moment. I stood up and slowly walked toward her, unaware that my eyes were wide open and my mouth was hanging open.

“Is it really you?” I stepped up close and put my hand on her face. It was the same soft skin. It really was Rhiannon. I must be dreaming.

Rhiannon slapped my hand away and recoiled, baring her teeth. She had grown a pair of ivory daggers of her own. Her eyes were wide and frightened. I couldn’t see a trace of recognition in them. My heart split apart, equal parts joy and dismay.

“Sit down, girl,” the Queen commanded. Rhiannon’s face transitioned from fright to confusion. “Yes, I mean sit down. Right here.” She patted the seat cushion with her hand. Rhiannon made her way to the seat, never taking her eyes off me.

“You really don’t remember me?” I asked her. She answered by baring her fangs once again.

“Now, now. Don’t be rude to him,” the Queen chided.

“I wonder what things she’s seen, the things she’s had to do to survive.”

“Get her a drink,” the Queen said to the servant. He came back with a goblet that he placed in front of her. “Go ahead, dear. It’s for you. Drink it.”

Hunger and instinct overruled caution and she took the cup, chugging down its contents within seconds. A small bit of blood spilled out the sides of her mouth and ran down her face.

“Oh, you naughty child. You’ve been sloppy.” She turned to the servant, “Clean her up!”

The servant came up to her with a napkin and Rhiannon recoiled from his touch, but the Queen placed a hand on her shoulder. She let him wipe her face, albeit with some reluctance.

“I’m so glad I found you again,” I said to her. Rhiannon turned her eyes back to me and tried to stare a hole right through me.

“I had my doubts,” said the Queen. “She’s so far gone. I thought maybe looking at you would return her back to her old self.”

“Could I maybe take her back with me?” I asked the Queen. Then I turned to Rhiannon. “Would you like to come stay with me?”

She replied with a loud hiss.

“I don’t think that’s the best thing right now. She will stay here until she is better. You can visit her at anytime. I’m hoping that she will heal and return to her right mind.”

This wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but the lack of recognition in Rhiannon’s eyes convinced me that it would be the best thing for the moment. She started looking around the room now, with the same restive diligence a child explores her surroundings.

The lights are on, but no one’s home
.

That was the chorus that kept playing in my head. There was no other way to put it. She looked every bit like Rhiannon. There was no doubt it was her, but it wasn’t Rhiannon inside there. Someone had taken her mind out and left this hollowed husk of a body that sat in front of me. This was a cruel new world indeed, to give me back that which I loved but take away her memories so that she could not return that love.