Circle of Death (26 page)

Before the Nameless could realize what had happened, I was in front of him, releasing all that strength, all that fear, in a single punch. If he were a normal human, his skull would have been crushed with a fraction of the strength I had used. Being what he was, he was just thrown far from us, unconscious.

“Keep him away from us!” Alice shouted.

“With pleasure.” I answered, my voice already sounding more animal than human. I knew it would be useless to try to kill the Nameless using physical strength, but it wouldn’t bother me at all to try it, when he regained consciousness.

I saw Alice and Death approaching Kelene. I had barely glanced at her, lying on the ground, and what I saw wasn’t good. But I still had hope. Kelene
couldn’t
be dead, and Alice and Death would cure her.

I quickly looked back to the unconscious man. Holding that thought tightly, I assumed and attack stance, alert to the slightest movement the Nameless made. If he went through me before the three women were ready, they would be dead.

I approached the circle that had been demarcated by the dome. Inside it, the earth seemed to have been turned up, and I would feel the corruption of life that happened there. Somehow, Kelene’s Power had sealed the field of effect of the Nameless’ enchantment, which hadn’t escaped even after the dome fell. Unable to move any closer, I stopped around fifteen feet before the circle.

“Bring her here.”

Alice nodded, releasing me, and I sat down, too weak to stand on my own. Her stiff posture when she entered the circle was a clear sign that she could feel the corruption acting. But, as I had been sure would be the case, the enchantment didn’t include her. How had Kelene been able to do that? I could see her body moving strangely, almost as if she was convulsing, but she was still intact. With some difficulty, Alice dragged her to where I was, as Kelene no longer had control over her own body.

I placed a hand on her face, noticing the sudden temperature changes. Her body was reacting to the corruption, she still had strength to keep its effects under control, but wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer.

“You know what you need to do, Alice.”

The young woman didn’t answer, her grim expression showing she had understood, and she placed herself in a position from where she could see both Lucio and the Nameless as Kelene and me. I had taught them that enchantment last night, but only Alice knew what it would do.

Without waiting even one more second, I placed my hands over Kelene’s face and chest, and sent my will into her body, fighting the corruption that infected her. Life and Death were deeply connected, but it was possible to count in the fingers of one hand all the times Death, since the beginning of time, had sought Life’s power. I pulled the corruption, restoring Kelene’s body to the same condition it was in when she arrived there.

The Nameless’ power now hovered halfway between my hands and the woman, like a grey-yellow mist. I wasn’t strong enough to negate it, and wouldn’t risk throwing it on the earth, even in the circle that was already affected, as that power might be enough to start a chain reaction that would escape Kelene’s containment. There was only one thing I could do.

“Alice, now.” I spoke, my voice breaking as I felt the price of calling Life’s power fall upon me.

Without looking away from where Lucio was, in front of the still unconscious Nameless, Alice bent down, taking Kelene’s hand, at the same time she grabbed my arm and started singing. Her steady voice rose, without hesitations, and I couldn’t contain a trace of pride. Lucio answered her chant, his line clashing against hers with a dissonance that was almost painful.

I let myself be carried by the melody of power older then the Sanctuary itself, and soon felt power that which made me Death abandon me. In the same moment, I made that mist of power I had taken from Kelene enter me.

I fell immediately, losing control of my body and my senses. How had Kelene been able to stand it for so long? All I could feel was the corruption spreading through my veins and Death’s Power leaving me. In the emptiness, I remembered the day I became Death. There were no Keepers to guide the transition of power, and I had to throw myself against the Veil, holding my predecessor with my own hands, fighting to get the power I would need. Maybe that was why I was one of the weakest to ever take the role of Death.

And then I saw the Veils in front of me. My part was over, at least. For a moment, I was still concerned about what would happen. In the next moment, peace and oblivion surrounded me.

Alice’s voice rising caught me by surprise, but I joined the chant without hesitation, recognizing the enchantment Death had spent the night teaching us, without saying what it would do. But, after what had happened there, I could already imagine what would be its purpose. As soon as our voices clashed in the dissonant melody, I felt that mental bond with Death be activated, the one I only realized existed the day before. I could see K’ujul slowly disappearing from there, while Kelene took his place. It was an effort to keep my voice steady.

We were in the middle of the enchantment when the Nameless moved. I realized we would lose our chance, as I wouldn’t be able to sing and fight him at the same time. I already doubted I would be able to distract him for more than a few minutes, even if I didn’t have to split my attention.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, a strange creature appeared, running to the Nameless. I contained my surprise and kept singing while the creature fought the Nameless. It was humanoid, but his legs were disproportionate, with one extra joint, and its arms ended in long claws. Its skin was an unnerving mix of red and green, and scaly plates covered parts of his body.

A demon, I realized, surprise almost making me falter. And not one of the lesser demons. That one wasn’t one of the lords, but it wouldn’t be far from it in their hierarchy. What was it doing there? I glanced at the limits of the ward around us and finally saw the demons spread on its outer limits. They were keeping it there. How? Alice. This was her doing, there was no other possibility, if she had been raised by the daughter of a demon lord.

And then the enchantment was over and the transition complete. I felt Kelene’s presence getting stronger in my mind, through the mental bond. And it was just in time, as the Nameless had just gotten rid of the demon and was walking towards me.

Some creatures could use any power released around them to strengthen themselves. Apparently, the Nameless was one of those. Seeming completely recovered and unscathed even after fighting the demon, he ran to me in a speed even I considered impossible. I tried to hold him, but it was useless. He twisted my body in a strange angle and I heard the bones breaking. I felt no pain, and he knew it, but a broken arm would slow me and reduce my options for attack or defense. Quickly, I threw myself to the ground, using the strength of his grip to bring him with me. He released me in the middle of the fall, recovering his balance in a way that shouldn’t be possible.

I noticed the energy gathering around him, but there wasn’t enough time to even try to defend against anything he decided to use. But then a dome surrounded me, and I saw the Nameless’ eyes go to a place behind me, his surprise clear in his expression. Still, he attacked, only to have his power absorbed by the dome.

I recognized what he had tried to do, and turned to see what had surprised him and raised that barrier. It was Kelene. Her clothes were still torn, as result of her previous fight, but her body carried no mark. She had assumed a haughty and threatening posture, and the energy she was gathering around herself was almost visible, making her hair fly as if caught in a preternatural wind. In her hands she had the sword that had belonged to Death. No. It was still Death’s sword, I realized.

“I think you’re losing your touch.” She spoke, a childish taunt, but her voice carried so much power and threat that the words didn’t matter.

The Nameless moved to stand in front of her, ignoring me.

“Kelene, Kelene… You could have been great, but instead you have chosen to bind yourself to the laws of the universe.”

She only smiled, somehow looking more like a predator than any vampire I had ever met. Everything happened in a fraction of a second, after his. The Nameless attacked, using the same powers I had seen him use in the time before the Intervention, but Kelene just intercepted his strike, using the sword. The blue veins glowed brighter than ever before. In the next second, the Nameless was on her, trying to win using physical strength.

The dome around me fell, and Alice was beside me.

“It’s not safe to stay here.” She said, opening one of death’s pathways.

I followed her inside, but we stayed on the entrance, watching what was going on. To my surprise, the Nameless didn’t seem to be gaining ground, and Kelene still had that unnerving predator smile on her face.

And then I understood. Kelene had been able to imprison the Nameless, with the Fae’s help, when she was still human, even before she became the White Hand. Now, she was Death herself. It didn’t matter if the Nameless had become stronger, Kelene would be, at least, an opponent he couldn’t ignore.

But, even though she was stronger than K’ujul, she still needed him to lower his defenses before she could imprison him.

“Why, Kelene? You should have been my heir, not my enemy.” He asked, and I didn’t know if it was a genuine curiosity or if he only wanted to distract her.

“Because my father has always been empty. Without a real purpose, without something he truly believe in, completely restrained and moved by his fear. Meanwhile, my mother gave me a reason, a path a could take to be free.” She answered without faltering.

He attacked, throwing her away. Kelene fell with a dry sound and, before she could move, the Nameless was in front of her, holding a sword which had appeared from thin air.

“Your mother died the day you were born.” He lowered his sword in what he expected would be his final blow.

Kelene rolled in the last moment, using the movement to throw her legs under the Nameless and trip him. As when I tried to bring him down, he didn’t fall, but that fraction of a second was enough for Kelene, and she got up.

“You didn’t even know what the woman you married was.” She went on. “My mother was the White Hand of her time, and the last Death’s Avatar. I’m the daughter of Death and the Nameless. Interesting, isn’t it?

Even I was caught by surprise. Kelene, Death’s daughter? Daughter of K’ujul?

She threw her sword away, and the weapon disappeared. This time I could really see the energy that swirled around her, like a cloud made of shadows, growing with each passing second. The Nameless stepped back, retreating for the first time since he defied Death, in times already forgotten.

“Before you do anything, I’ll destroy your precious Keeper! Do you think I didn’t realize what is going on between you both? But I gave him the life he has now, and I can take it back!” He threatened.

“Somehow I don’t think you’re strong enough to do it.” She answered, tilting her head to the side, with a tranquility that was, on its own, frightening. “You interfered with Life once. To affect what you did then, you would need to destroy all vampires. But you won’t do it.” She smiled, advancing, and the Nameless stepped back again. “You won’t risk destroying this army tailored to your plans, because one day you will escape again.”

He took another step back, and this time he stumbled. That was all Kelene needed to throw her Power furiously. Caught by surprise, the Nameless was held paralyzed.

It was a repetition of the Intervention. The Nameless called the elements to free himself. The earth shook and a storm formed above them, the wind so strong it would bring down any other creature there. I heard Alice cursing, and saw the demons running and trying to find cover. Just in time, as lightning started to fall on the grass around the two silhouettes. But Kelene didn’t even seem to be affected by all that.

“She will destroy him” Alice whispered, beside me. “Take a look at the Power she is calling.”

Only then I really paid attention to the whirlwind of energy that surrounded the woman, who was perfectly still in the middle of the storm, looking less human with each second. I didn’t need more than a moment to understand what Alice meant. Somehow, Kelene was calling upon the final death.

“Do you really think you’ll be able to keep me imprisoned? I’m your father, your spirit is bound to mine. It will be easy to escape, far easier than any other time.” He said, unable to see what was happening in front of him.

“That’s why I won’t imprison you.” Kelene replied with a scary smile.

She didn’t use any enchantment, any way I knew about how to control the power. But we saw when a copy of the woman stepped forward, made of that gray cloud, and moved toward the Nameless. Kelene stood still, but the copy put its hands over the Nameless’ face and chest. And then I understood. She had mixed her own essence with what made the final death, and I knew what she would do. The copy stepped back, and a mirror image of the Nameless, made of white mist, followed it. A white rope tied the images together, going from one heart to the other.

That rope was the connection between them, the link between father and daughter. And Kelene would use it to make sure the Nameless followed her, while she took him to the Veils. This time, he couldn’t escape.

Both images disappeared, leaving only Kelene ande the Nameless. The earth stopped shaking, and the storm disappeared in the same sudden way it had began. The energy around the woman started to fade, disappearing a couple of minutes later. Once again she seemed to be just a human woman, as when I had met her. Kelene removed the power that kept the Nameless standing and his body fell, turning to dust even before it hit the ground.

“It’s over.” I whispered.

“It’s over.” Kelene answered, holding my gaze, even though I was still inside one of death’s pathways.

She walked toward where we were, and soon was standing in front of us, without making any movement to enter death’s domains. Only then I really understood what had happened there. She walked between the worlds, because she was Death.