Legacy of Darkness (9 page)

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Summer pulled her horse up right outside her log cabin home, jumped off her steed and ran inside, but she was already too late. Her five year old son lay dead on the floor right by the doorway, his tiny neck had been twisted round and broken, snapped like kindling. Summer crouched over her little boy

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But there was still no sign of her little girl,
please God Summer begged not her too

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“I want you to know Mummy loves you so very much

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“I know” came the cold emotionless voice of Lucius as he strolled nonchalantly through the front door.

“Then why?” Summer sobbed, as she looked up at Lucius with tears streaming down her face.

“Because it’s the ultimate failure. Not only were you unable to protect those you love the most but your only daughter the key to the continuation of the Demon Hunter linage is now one of us, it is the end for your kind. Now during the years when man reaches up and touches the stars the Vampires shall rise and lay waste to the world. So it has been written so it shall come to pass.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Summer asked practically begging for it.

“Yes. But not yet first you must suffer, wallow in your misery and failure a fate far worse then death I think you will agree.”

Darla pushed her self out of her mother

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“Soon but

Summer awoke in a cold sweat, this latest dream had been more disturbing and felt more real than the last. Though something inside Summer was telling her they were much more than mere dreams, she needed to talk to Giles Price if anyone could offer her some answers it was him. Right now it was still late Summer decided to make herself a hot drink before going back to bed she would ring Price in the morning.

Summer arrived at Joe’s just moments before Price, they both cued up and ordered a drink before sitting at their usual table near the back of the shop. Price wondered if other regulars thought he was having some sort of an affair with this beautiful younger women. It wasn’t something that really concerned him but he could imagine the gossip as the other patrons tried to work out what was going on between the very secretive couple.

“I‘ve been having dreams” Summer spoke first as they sat down with their hot mugs of coffee.

“What kind of dreams” Price asked intrigued

“Dreams involving me fighting Vampire’s in times long since past. But these dreams I’m having their so visceral, so real its like I am actually there. I can feel every punch and every emotion like the dreams are really happening to me”

“Sounds to me like they are manifestations of the memories of Demon Hunters that came before you” Price explained

“You mean I’m experiencing the memories of my ancestors who were also Hunters in my dreams”

“That’s what I said”

“But why” Summer wanted to know “Why am I experiencing these manisfest….. whatever’s

“Manifestations” Price completed for her “It’s certainly not uncommon for Demon Hunters to experience these memories especially newly activated ones. Some have even been known to see portents of the future. There is also a chance these dreams are trying to tell you something, I mean what did they involve”

“Oh great” Summer bemoaned “So I could be a pre-cog now as well”

“The dreams if you will” Price pressed ignoring the Hunters moaning.

“Yeah sorry” she apologised half heartedly while shaking her head.

“The first one I experienced was a couple of weeks ago now”

“A couple of weeks ago” Price cut in “why didn’t you tell me before”

“I didn’t think it was important at the time. Anyway it involved me leading an army of men against an army of Vampire’s during the time of the crusades. Although unclear in my dream it seemed like the Vampires had a some sort of grip on the world and I was sent with this army to wipe them out. In this dream me and my army defeated all the Vampires including their king, apart from one who managed to escape.”

“I don’t suppose you got the escapes name by any chance” Price asked more in hope than anything else

“Actually I did, the Vampires name was Lucius and that’s another thing that very same Vampire was in my other dream, the one I had last night. He had killed a Demon Hunter and her family trying to end the Hunter linage. Obviously he didn’t get the job done for whatever reason, because here I am”

“He must of missed a blood relative somehow” Price theorised “Maybe a cousin, niece or someone. But that’s what it could be, your having these dreams now because this Lucius is back trying to finish the job he started over three hundred years ago. The Vampires are getting ready to make their move, whatever that may be.”

“So what are you saying exactly. I slay this Lucius dude and perhaps we can put a stop to the Vampires plans?” Summer suggested

“I would say it’s a good bet” Price said “Sever the head and the body will fail. If nothing else it will slow them down while we go about thinning the heard.”

“So how do we find him” Summer asked

“We will have to force a Vampire to tell us” Price told her.

“I’m sure that will be easier said than done” Summer sighed “I mean how do I question a Vampire?”

“Your resourceful I am sure you will find a way”

“Thanks” Summer said sarcastically, she was hoping for a far more informative answer than the one Price gave. But he was right Summer was sure she would find a way to extract the information she needed from a Vampire one way or another.

It had been two days since Summer’s dream and she hadn’t seen head or tail of any Vampires since. It was typical really when you want one to show they are no where to be seen. She knew the Vamps would show themselves at some point but unfortunately patients wasn’t one of Summers strongest suits. She wanted to get Lucius dusted and over with so she could try and get back to some sort of normal life. The novelty of this Demon Hunter gig had started to ware off. Plus she was due back at work the following week and didn’t fancy having Vampire’s getting in the way of her police work. So Summer had taken to scouring the streets at night in the hope of coming across some of the un-dead, again so far she was having no luck at all.

Summer was growing tired and it was getting on for midnight so she decided to have one last sweep of the town before heading back home. As she walked through town she saw him again the man she was convinced was Steve. He walked out of a pub in his leather jacket and made his way down the street in the opposite direction to Summer. Seeing the man once again only made Summer more certain it was Steve and she quickly made her mind up to follow the man.

Maybe she was losing her mind or maybe somehow Steve had survived and had amnesia or something. Maybe he was living a life with no memory of Summer or anything at all. Keeping a reasonable distance Summer trailed Steve through the town past a couple of housing estates and down an all too familiar road, one which led to the town cemetery. Why was he going there? Summer wondered as she continued her pursuit. She stopped for a few moments hiding behind as tree as Steve walked into the cemetery, waiting there for a couple of minuets before following him in. Thankfully the snow that had fallen during the funeral had long since melted away and the ground was relatively dry.

Summer took a deep breath not knowing what to prepare herself for as she walked into the cemetery. At first she thought she had lost her man as she saw no sign of him. But then after taking a another more calculated look round she spotted him, standing at Steve’s grave of all places. As silently as she could Summer walked towards the man getting within a few feet before he turned round to face her. Again she had no doubt that this man was Steve and as he looked at her he had an unsurprised look on his face. It was as if he had known she had been following him all along.

“How was my Service” He asked nonchalantly “I’m sorry I couldn‘t make it but…..well you know”

“Steve!?” Summer said confused, her voice cracking under the intense mix of emotions she was feeling at seeing her dead boyfriend standing before her.

“Your not real” She said defiantly trying her best to convince her self “Your just a projection of my mind as I try to cope with your death.”

“Oh I think you will find that I am very real” Steve attempted to assure her “come touch my face”

Unsure Summer reached out slowly and tentatively and placed the palm of her hand on Steve’s face. He certainly felt real enough if not a little cold.

“I…..I don’t understand” Summer gasped “why didn’t you contact me”

“Lets just say I am different now” Steve said as he let the features of his face twist and contort revealing his now true visage.

Summer stood in stunned silence for what seemed like hours as her once handsome boyfriend now wore the hideous face of a Vampire.

“No!” Summer finally let out in a low whisper “They turned you”

“I know” Steve spoke softly “But I’m still me or at least part of me is still in here, its hard to explain but I still have feeling’s for you. That’s why I had to lay low I knew you would reject me if you knew what I had become”

“You’re a Vampire!” Summer screamed

“Yes. But not all Vampires are monsters, that’s why I escaped from the one’s that turned me so I could find you. We can still be together Summer, I love you”

“I love you!” Summer said as she walked closer tears once again forming in her eyes. She was beginning to wonder if this was all a dream as it all seemed so surreal. Steve had come back to her and although he was a Vampire he was still the same man that she loved. She pinched herself several times to be sure, but that only confirmed what she already knew, that this was really happening. Could a relationship with a Vampire really work? She continued to ponder as she took another step closer to Steve who was now unbuttoning his shirt.

“What are you doing?” asked a puzzled Summer as she stopped in her tracks

“I want to show you something” Steve said with sly smile as he opened up his shirt revealing his ripped torso “If I turn directly into the moonlight my skin will sparkle”

“Huh” Summer said as she wondered where she had heard something similar before, all of a sudden the penny dropped but it was too late as out of the blue she caught a right hook from Steve which knocked her off her feet.

“I’m just playing with you” Steve laughed menacingly as he stood over her. “I can’t believe you fell for all that Twilight guff.”

“You led me here to kill me” Summer stated as she remained on the floor

“Your good” Steve announced as he waved a finger in her direction “Though I was under the impression it would be much more difficult than this” he boasted. But his arrogance was misplaced as Summer stunned him with a hard kick to his knees, knocking him off his feet. Summer nipped up fist’s held out in a combat position as Steve sprung up seconds later. A maniacal grin etched across his demonic face as he threw a hard punch towards Summer. Almost instinctively Summer caught Steve’s on coming arm and used the Vampires own momentum to throw him over her shoulder in a judo style throw. Visibly frustrated by Summer’s counter Steve climbed back to his feet. Summer didn’t move she stayed rooted to the spot staring at the monster that used to be her lover as he glared back angrily at his former girl friend.

Mad yet undeterred Steve ran towards Summer and launched a high kick at her head, but Summer was too quick and caught the leg and kicked his standing leg from under him. Steve fell to the ground hitting with a hard thud. Thinking fast Summer reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the wooden stake she had taken to carrying on her at all times. Clasping the stake tightly in her hand Summer prepared to drive it through Steven’s heart. But as she did so Steve’s face suddenly turned back. His hideous Vampire face replaced with the handsome chiselled good looks that Summer had fallen for. As she saw the face of the man she had once loved Summer hesitated and Steve capitalised on her apparent weakness sweeping a stunned Summer off her feet. Picking himself up Steve decided to flee rather than carry on the fight, turning tail he made a run for it.

Climbing back to her feet as quickly as she could Summer set off in pursuit of the cowardly Vampire, but as she gave chase he was already out of sight. Summer carried on running through the empty cemetery but it was hopeless the Vampire had vanished and as she stopped to look around she realised she had no idea in which direction he had gone.

Frustrated she had let Steve get away Summer decided to go back home to her Mothers and get some rest, she had a feeling she would be seeing Vampire Steve again in the near future.

Price sat in his private study that was hidden up in his attack researching all he could on the Vampire from Summer’s dreams Lucius. Over the centuries the Guardians of Knowledge had documented and collected as much information as they could on all things supernatural. Recording and transferring the information into various books and dairies in the hope the information may prove useful to future generations. Thanks to the fact that the book’s had been kept safe and had been passed down from generation to generation Giles Price had many of these tomes in his possession. A few of the books had been lost or misplaced down the years their importance unknown but fortunately Price still had most of them in his possession.

It had taken days of looking through books and ancient transcripts before Price had found any concrete information on the Vampire known as Lucius and now Price carefully examined what he had found.

But the facts that Price had been presented with weren’t exactly comforting. Lucius also known as Lucius of the Fall was as old as they came. Legend has it that he was Sired by the Vampire King himself sometime in the Pre-Christian era. At the time he stayed by his masters side, though his main priority was always looking out for his own interests. When the ancient Vampire King was slain Lucius the Survivor, another well earned nickname fled to the shadows and that was where he stayed orchestrating and manipulating events from the sidelines. But when he did step out of the shadows all but briefly it was usually to kill and maim. He was a viscous and sadistic creature who enjoyed to torture his victims both mentally and physically.

So not only was he going to be hard to find he would prove even more difficult to defeat and there was no telling what evil Lucius was capable of. He would be a far greater test than the soldier Vampire’s Summer had already vanquished and Price was concerned that Summer wasn’t yet ready for such a challenge. Almost wishing he hadn’t bothered with the research Price began clearing up his books and notes when his phone began to ring. Seeing that it was Summer who was calling Price didn’t hesitate to answer picking up the phone to speak with what sounded like a very distressed Demon Hunter. Price hung up the call and ran down the stairs, something terrible had happened and Summer needed him urgently.