The Witch Hunter (34 page)

"No," Katrin gasped in disbelief. "How did you? You can't. The Celestines are dead."

"Goodbye Katrin," Aya's voice soothed. "You'll face your judgment from the true founders. You'll answer for the eradication of my kind and the evil you spread in this world. I am honored to be the one who delivers you to them."

Gabby shielded her eyes as a pure white light began to gather around Aya's form, the power that emanated from her was overwhelming. She was vaguely aware that Katrin was begging, her voice becoming more desperate as the light grew. The anchor that was holding her spirit was being severed, the power that Gabby had sensed earlier was dissolving. 

The drain on her was extreme as she wavered on her feet, desperate to hold on, her trust now completely in Aya. She felt incredibly sleepy and struggled to stay alert. Aya wouldn't let anything happen to her, she was safe. Through the link Gabby could see the whole universe. The stars. Aya really was one of them, just like all of the stories said.

And just as suddenly as the vampire had changed, Katrin was gone. The power that she'd sensed, the anchor, was completely gone. Whatever Aya had done, it had worked.

Abruptly, they were back in the between place, just the two of them. All pretence of the house and the mist had fallen away. Aya stood before her, clasping her hands, worry etched into her face. She was back to normal, familiar features of deathly pallor and hair that was black as night filled her vision. The creature she had become was buried again, but not gone.

"Aya," she whispered, clutching the vampire’s forearms to steady herself. "I don't understand who you are."

"I'm the last of my kind, Gabby. A horrible, incomplete hybrid," Aya said with a note of sadness that was so deep, it made tears fall from Gabby's eyes.

The young witch would probably never fully understand the woman who stood before her, but she had learnt much that made most of what she knew of her make complete sense. Why Aya was the way she was. Her peaceful existence had been torn from her in the most brutal way possible, turned by the creature that killed her family, destroyed her home. It was no wonder that she had sought vengeance on those that would abuse their gifts. 

"I... We all came from you, your family... didn't we?" she stammered, not quite believing that the people Aya had come from had given the first witches their power.

"This is important, Gabby," Aya said, deadly serious. "You must keep this secret. It's not for others to know. What I am, what you've come from, this is a secret that must be learnt. If you were to tell anyone something horrible will happen."

"Like what?" she asked, a note of fear in her voice.

"I don't know. I've never known anyone foolish enough to try. That is enough warning in itself."

Gabby sunk to the ground, exhausted, as the edges of the forest started to reappear. Nodding feebly, her head sunk to her knees. It was done. They had won, but she'd learnt a deadly secret in the process. She couldn't fathom any of it.

Suddenly, there was a gust of wind that blew her unruly hair into her eyes. Scraping it away from her face, she gasped as she saw a dark shadow flying around them. It had the semblance of a person, emanating a dark malice that penetrated deep into her bones. She knew that it was trying to get back into reality, back into the forest where her friends were. Zac, Sam,
Liz
. But her power was spent; she could do nothing to help them. 

"Stay down," Aya cried, standing over her. "It's not over yet."

Aya had risen to her feet, positioning herself over Gabby, raising her hands to fend off the shadow, but now that she had returned her power to Gabby, they were equal. A stalemate. Nether the less, she tried to fend it off, but her fingers slid through its inky blackness. It had to remain in the between place. She kept trying desperately, aware that their reality was coming back into focus, the presence of the three vampires waiting for them pressing on her senses.

Abruptly, the wind dropped and the shadow thing wailed out into the forest and collided with Zac, disappearing into his body. Gasping in shock, he fell to the ground and began convulsing. Sam dropped to his knees beside him, holding his shoulders down, calling for Aya.

Liz fell to her knees beside them, grasping his shaking hand, "He's dying, his skin is turning grey!”

Aya dropped into a crouch beside them, placing her palm on Zac's forehead, "She's cursed him. Katrin has cursed him." Tears began to well in her eyes as she gazed down at him and she brushed them away furiously. Katrin knew exactly what she was doing when she sent the curse, a last ditch effort to hurt her. She knew Zac was her weak spot, that she would do anything for him. Even if it meant giving him her blood, the only thing that would save him from the curse. And she would do it, knowing full well the consequences for doing so. Leaning close, she brushed his messy hair from his forehead and whispered, "Please let me save you, Zac."

She bit the vein in her wrist open and went to place it at his mouth, but Liz grabbed her arm, "What are you doing? Your blood will only make it faster!" That's right, she'd lied and told Sam that her blood was poison to vampires, with good reason.

Aya pulled her arm free and glared at the vampire who Zac had once loved. "My blood is the only thing that will save him now," she growled. "Do you want him to die?" Liz edged away, fearful.

Turning back towards Zac, Aya leaned in close and whispered, "Please let me do this for you. Trust me, Zac."

His eyes were wide as he shook his head. She couldn't bare to force him to drink her blood after they had all been turned against their will. He would have to choose to live on his own and she hoped that he would. He was a dark grey now, his body almost desiccated. Time was running out, and fast. All she had left was the truth, and she hoped it was enough.

Her blue eyes were full of sorrow as they pierced his dying muddy green and she whispered, "I love you, Zac. Please let me save you." Stroking his face, she kissed him softly on the lips, her tears dripping down onto his cheeks. When she offered her wrist again, he willingly took it and drank and drank until his convulsions began to still. Color began creeping back into his skin as her blood purged the curse from his body.

Sam relaxed his grip and looked sidelong at Aya, concern etched into his features. She couldn't look at any of them. Such an admission tore her apart and her blood... She was alarmed at what Zac might see once he recovered. She stood hastily and backed towards the line of trees, her knees shaking. The loss of blood had drained her physically after her transformation, the emotions flying about the clearing overwhelming and it was all she could do to focus herself.

Liz was back at Zac's side, stroking his hair from his eyes, her hand against his forehead and she felt a stab of jealousy. His skin was almost back to normal, the curse disappearing as her blood circulated. Zac was out cold, his breathing so slight it was a miracle his heart was still beating.

"Thank you," Sam murmured, looking up at her.

Aya shivered with exhaustion and wavered. "He will sleep a while," she said detached. "When he wakes, he will be well."

Sam nodded his acknowledgment. His eyes focused on a point behind her, widening in surprise and she knew that she had made a fatal mistake. 

The last thing Aya saw was a hand bursting through her chest clutching her heart. Then there was nothing.

Sam and Liz stared in shock as Aya fell to the ground, eyes wide and vacant, a gaping hole through her chest. But she couldn't die, she just couldn't! Liz grasped Gabby's hand, she was still exhausted from the fight with Katrin, deathly pale.

Sam hissed and stood over Zac's unconscious body, glaring up at Aya's murderer.

He was shorter than Sam by a head, deathly pale skin, close-cropped dark brown hair and a hard face. A long scar from forehead to jaw marred his otherwise good looks. He had blood up to his elbow, a heavy hand still clutching her heart. He threw it nonchalantly to the ground beside him, a sly smile on his lips. "So, the witch made some friends. How
quaint
."

Sam growled deep in his throat in warning to the vampire who stood before them, "And who the fuck are you?"

The man bared his fangs, eyes turning black. "I am Arturius. I was her maker."

Epilogue

A
rturius stood inside the tree line watching the group of vampires. Their witch was calling forth the void. The void where Katrin's soul dwelt. Her vampires had been watching them ever since Alistair had been staked. He wasn't sure if the man who had managed to kill someone that was three hundred years older should impress him. It was almost unheard of.

He stood and watched the show, hidden by witches' magic. As long as he didn't move from the tree line, he would be hidden from everything. Katrin wanted Aeriaya dead and he would see it to the end. He was here at her bequest, but he would have done it anyway. After all, it was his mistake to fix.

Aeriaya was just as he remembered. It had been hundreds of years since he had laid eyes on her and he could scarcely remember the circumstances, but he would never forget that day he sat with her in that dungeon. His lips on hers, her soft translucent skin under his hard calloused hands. He would never forget the moment he held her head in his hands and snapped her delicate neck.

After so much time, it was hard to separate the lies from the truths. There was never any hope for him. As soon as he set foot in Britannia, it had disappeared forever.

As she vanished into the void with the witch, he remembered the blood between his fingers and grimaced. He had ripped Aeriaya's brother to pieces at Katrin's command. He had no choice. That was the moment when he realized that he would never be able to escape. She had trapped them all.

It wasn't long before he felt a pull at the edges of his mind. He felt disoriented for a moment then the clarity hit him like a ton of bricks. Gasping, he clutched his head. For the first time in two thousand years, he felt free. Aeriaya had done it, as he knew she would. Even he knew that this time was different.

As the void slipped away, Arturius watched as Katrin's curse wailed out into the night and collided with the man who'd killed Alistair. Now he would wait and see what she would do. They assumed that she would save him. After watching them so closely, he knew that she cared for this vampire and that would be her greatest mistake.

Sneering as she knelt over the vampire whispering how much she loved him, he rolled his eyes as she gave him her blood. Stupid woman. He had thought better of her. Vampirism had turned her into something cold and heartless, so how could she justify to herself that this was the right thing to do? Even if she loved him, it would give away everything.

Aeriaya stumbled back towards the tree line where he stood hidden by witches' magic. He didn't have to do it anymore. Katrin was gone and the compulsion had evaporated along with her. But, he would never forget his dead brothers and his poor, dear sister. Men he had known in life and death; brothers in both. He hadn't loved her for a long time.

As Arturius stepped out into the clearing, he caught the eye of the younger male vampire, whose eyes widened in surprise. He didn't hesitate. Plunging his hand into her chest from behind, his hand grasped her heart and pushed it straight through into the humid night air. She would see her death, just as his brothers had.