.
.
Not wasting any more time, Kim pushed the door. The smell was the first thing she noticed. It was awful. If death had a smell this would be it; rotten, spoiled and bloody. The stairs spiraled down into what she assumed was the cells.
Cautiously taking a step down, Kim hesitated still expecting a group of guards to rush in. however nothing happened but a torch lighting up along the walls. Deciding it was as safe as it could be, she darted down the spiral steps, torches lighting behind her.
"What are you doing down here?" A deep voice snapped right as she stepped off the last stair. The guard must have heard coming down, even though she didn't make any obvious noise. Quickly glancing over his shoulder, she noticed he seemed to be alone, just as Maximus said.
"I said wh--" he didn't get to finish that sentence. Kim took him by surprise by swiftly reaching forward and breaking his neck. Talon had taught her how to properly snap a neck and it was the first time she had to do it on a vampire. She wasn't sure if that killed him, but his body wasn't moving; good enough for now.
The prison was lit only by torches and cells ran along both side. The smell of blood was stronger down here. Kim stepped over the guard's body and went right to the cell Maximus informed her of. What he failed to mention was what exactly she would find in the cell…
Yes, it was Talon but he looked barely recognizable….
Talon lie on the floor of the cell taking shallow breathes. His skin was a sickly pale and covered in sheen that appeared to be sweat. The hand over his stomach was covered in blood. Kim instantly remembered when Maximus stabbed him, but she didn't understand why he wasn't healing.
"Talon?" she whispered through the bars. Talon slowly turned his head in direction of her voice. She gasped when she saw the faint metallic silver veins crawling up his neck to his face.
"Hot stuff? I see you made it to the party" he rasped weakly.
"What happened to you?" she asked fearfully and angrily. Kim reached for the handle but the cell was locked. Gazing around frantically she spotted the guard whose neck she snapped. The cell keys must be on him.
"Maximus stabbed me. All elite army blades are forged with platinum and upon impact and removal they inject liquid platinum into you, ensuring the kill." Talon explained voice barely above a whisper. While he spoke, Kim had found a key ring on the guards back pocket. The problem was it was nearly a hundred keys jangling from it. One by one she quickly went through them trying to open Talon's cell.
"I heard" Talon rasped on "When a turned vampire dies slowly their body begins to act human again. Taking them back to mortality before ending their existence. Guess that explains my sweating and the need to take a breath every fucking second!" He yelled angrily but it only caused him more pain as he started coughing uncontrollably and spitting up blood.
Kim had finally found the correct key and rushed to his side. The blood from his wound was so dark it looked black. Judging from the way it pooled around, she realized he lost too much and he needed help immediately.
"Fuck!" she cursed lifting his body into her arms. Kim knew if she didn't get him help he would die. The problem being she had no clue how to save him. Blood was the only thing that might save him. Too bad the castle was swarming with vampires.
Suddenly she remembered something…
The servants hustling about had heartbeats, meaning they were human. A plan began forming in her head faster than she ran up the stone staircase. Carrying Talon slowed her down, but not by much.
When she reached the top, she eased the door open making sure the coast was clear. The hall was empty luckily and they crept out. Her plan was to find a servant and let Talon drain her/him until he healed. It wasn't much but it was all she could think of.
Kim used her vampire speed to dart down one hall and then another. Only pausing to make sure the coast was clear before moving to the next.
Their luck ran out in the form of a blast of energy slamming into her body! The force of it was so hard it slammed her against the hallway wall causing Talon to slip from her grasp.
"Hello Kim Walker" A slightly high pitched feminine voice greeted.
Kim shook off her haze from being practically knocked out by an invisible force and jumped to her feet. She spun to face her attacker and froze by what she saw. A woman, or what she assumed was a woman from her voice stood a few feet away. But that wasn't what stopped her mid step. The "woman" was dressed head to toe in all black. Long black skirt, long black shirt, even her face was completely covered by a black veil. It was creepy gothic.
"How do you know my name?" Kim demanded preparing to launch herself at the weird woman
"Wrong question. The right question would be who am I? And what can I do for you? But I'll save us some time by answering them both. I am Raven. A dark witch. Or should I say, thee best dark witch. Oh by the way, sorry for slamming you into that wall. You vampires are fast, I didn't have another more polite method of stopping you" she said casually. Kim tilted her head not following the point of this "Oh yes as to what I can do for you, well I can save him" Raven added pointing a thin pale finger to Talons body. His eyes were closed and his breaths sounded more shallow erratic. Kim desperately wanted to go to him but she didn't want to turn her back on Raven. Now that she announced herself as a witch, Kim wasn't sure what she was capable of.
"How and why? I don't even know you" Kim pointed out. This was all really strange. Considering all the bad karma she racked up, she knew this wasn't a something for nothing offer.
"I know you, all of you. And you'll know me soon enough. As to how…" she trailed off reaching up her sleeve. Kim tensed, ready to dodge if she pulled out a gun. Instead Raven withdrew a syringe filled with a yellow liquid. She wondered for a moment how she hid that up her sleeve with the needle attached but didn't ask. "This is shifter venom. Very rare considering the werewolves have been extinct for more than one thousand years. See the shifters were created by Celeste and the fairies to help protect the humans from vampires. It was a long time ago when the vampire population got out of hand and began using the portals from Nexus to have a feeding frenzy on humans. Anyway, one bite from a wolf would inject the purest form of platinum into the vampire and kill them in seconds. Let's just say after the shifters emerged, vampires cleaned up their act. Well until Erebus started a war but that's beside the point. One very special werewolf named Lycus was leader of all the wolves. He was bigger, stronger and a personal guard of Celeste. Because of this his venom was more unique; he could use it kill but he could also use it to heal a platinum infection, just in case Celeste was injured. What I hold in my hand is the last known healing venom from Lycus himself. I stole it from a light witch a long time ago" She stated proudly.
Kim scoffed. None of what she said made any sense to her! What is it about these people talking about things she didn't have a clue about!
"Werewolves? Fairies? Celeste? What the fuck are you talking about?! You know what I honestly don't give a crap about your crazy ramblings! What I want to know is if that stuff does what you claim it does, then what do I have to do to get it out of your hand and into mine?" Kim snapped frustrated. She didn't have time to stand in this hallway and talk to some freaky ass witch. The longer they stayed here the more they risk not getting out. From the corner of her eye she could see Talon quivering on the floor. Time was running out…
"Right to the point. I like that about you. Well, all you have to do is give me your left hand and agree to be my link" Raven explained simply taking slow steps to close the gap between them.
"Link? What the hell is that?" She questioned. Raven stepped closer
"I could bore you with the details but Talon has about 90 seconds before he's good and dead. So I suggest you make you decision fast" Raven taunted holding out her hand, waiting. Kim hesitated. But after seeing Talon's dying form, the decision made itself. She placed her palm into Ravens outstretched hand.
"Ok. I agree to be your link or whatever. Now save him" Kim urged when Talon began convulsing. Raven was standing so close now that Kim could see her smile behind the veil.
"Then it shall be done. Sealed in blood." Raven tightened her hold on Kims hand and then used one of her sharp nails to pierce the skin. Blood surfaced in Kim's palm; Raven repeated it with her own and then clasped their hands together in a tight blood handshake. Kim tried to pull away but it was like she was glued to Ravens hand.
Suddenly the blood from their palms wormed its way out like it was alive and wrapped around both their hands in thick red rings. An unpleasant coldness snaked its way up Kim's arm and she had to bit her lip not to scream. This was a huge mistake! Whatever she agreed to was anything but good. But she continued to struggle to free herself while Raven just stood still, smiling...
After what seemed like an eternity, but was more like thirty seconds, Raven released. It didn't stop the coldness from spreading up her.
"What'd you do to me?!" Kim cried clutching her arm. Raven moved past her and knelt by Talon. She watched him for a second before diving the syringe into his neck. Almost instantly the silver veins covering his face faded.
"The pain will pass and Talon will be as good as new in a few minutes. Pleasure doing business with you Kim Walker. We shall meet again" And with that Raven glided off in the other direction down the hall.
As the pain in her arm began to fade and the color began to return to Talons face, Kim wondered what the hell she just got herself into now.
Meanwhile her mind was screaming that she had just made a deal with the devil…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
.