Blue June Ch.4

Chapter 41

Holt rapidly approached a very large stone cottage, nothing but fields of grass and forest surrounded the eerie home. Marie, still over his shoulder, slept soundly as Holt sprinted to the door. Being fairly muscular with a great deal of stamina, what would have taken hours for most, seemed like jogging less than a mile to him. As Holt entered the house he noticed Markus propping himself up against an extravagant fireplace watching the flames dance and the wood hiss. 2

“You’re late.” Markus said with irritation in his voice. “Cal’s waiting downstairs… with Edwic.” He turned to face Holt, and for the slightest moment the two had the look of worry in their eyes. 3

The men made their way down the narrow hall of stone steps and came to a long corridor. By the looks of this place it had been built long, long ago. After passing a few doors and hallways they came to another set of steps. Light flickered against the walls as numerous candles painted the large room a brilliant yellow orange, both men breathed deep and entered the room. Holt quickly laid Marie on the cold, hard floor. She rustled momentarily. For the most part the room was empty, there were a few old pieces of wood, bits of cloth, and a pair of chains connected to a strong metal hook protruding from the middle of the floor. 4

“Secure her…” Cal insisted. Holt grabbed the thick chains and attached them to Marie’s wrists. Edwic, older than Cal and worn in the face, turned to gaze at Marie. Cal closed his eyes and wrinkled his brow while Edwic continued to hold his constant look of anger and disappointment.5

“Where is my niece, where is Desdemona?” Edwic calmly inquired, yet, even with his calm voice there was something to be feared about him. His crystalline eyes revealed terrors no ‘man’ could ever endure, or execute for that matter. But, then again, Edwic was no mere mortal. 6

“She’s to arrive shortly. About the matter of June? There’s been a change in plans… she… well she’s been…” Cal’s words stumbled upon the air. It was a strange thing for Cal, feeling the slightest bit of fright, but he knew what Edwic was capable of. Cal was many things, strong and brave were at the top of the list, though no one had ever really defeated Edwic before… the thought of overthrowing Edwic had many times occurred to him, but it was far too risky at the moment. 7

Those eyes, those clear diamond eyes pierced Cal like a thousand daggers. He approached Cal slowly and swiftly, as if the wind were carrying him. “What have you done, Cal? What is it you cannot seem to spit out?” 8

“She’s been taken… by Axis.” 9

Edwic’s face turned to an even more unbearable scowl as he became enraged at the incompetence of Cal and his men. “What do you mean, ‘Axis’. I was under the very reassured impression that he was dead! …Is he not dead?” He snarled. 10

“I’m… I’m afraid not sir. He was wounded but not killed.” 11

“By whose hand? Which of you failed to do such a simple task!?” Holt’s face drained of color as Edwic screamed. His heart began to beat faster. Edwic’s ears twitched and he quickly turned to face Holt. “So it was you then?” The both were only inches from each other now. The air grew cold and shadows crept out of hiding. The candles flickered even more now. Edwic breathed deep and closed his eyes, upon opening them the shadows shot forth and clung to Holt. He wheezed and choked and tried to move away, but he was too firm in their cold grasp. The blackness slithered it’s way up Holt’s arms and legs like a poison vine. And when they reached his eyes Holt screamed until they overtook his voice too, no sound but gurgles were left. Holt’s skin was grey and cold now as the darkness devoured his mind, his blood… his very essence. Nothing remained but a hollow shell and a single gurgling echo of what once was.12

Marie shivered as she woke and rose to her knees, only to see the shadows quickly scurrying back into their place. And being so frightened at the sight of Holt’s limp body next to her, she broke into tears and began screaming and tugging at her chains. Edwic bent down to face the girl, he grabbed her chin and starred deep into her eyes. Very soon she was entranced by the light that danced with the darkness in him, she found she could not look away, nor did she want to. Then, darkness escaped from him, and slowly floating in the air it was smoothly swept up by Marie’s breath. Her eyelids grew heavy as it traveled through her like a warm and sensual kiss. Edwic carefully positioned her back onto the floor and exited the room, Cal hurried to join him as Markus watched Holt’s still and cold body for a few moments, before picking it up and taking it away. 13

June was surprised when she exited the basement with Axis, the old building was clean and beautiful inside, very unlike the basement. Axis led her up the steps to his bedroom while Derrick lingered in the doorway. 14

“Let me see your hand.” He said as they took a seat on his bed. June had almost forgotten about the gash. Axis leaned close to it and began to clean it with a warm damp cloth.15

“Really, it’s fine Tom…” She leaned her head down to try and make eye contact with him. “…Why wont you look at me?” She gently touched his cheek. He sighed and brushed her long dark hair out of her face. “Please Tom, tell me what’s happened, what happened to you? What happened to me for that matter, last thing I remember is getting a strange letter and box in the post and then I wake up here with some bloke having locked me in a basement!” 16

“What letter?” Derrick moved farther into the room.17

“Just some letter with a black seal… it said ‘Things are not as they seem, watch the shadows.”18

“I’m not Tom.” Axis interrupted.19

“What? I’m not daft you know, I think I’d remember my own best friend.”20

“No, I mean… Tom isn’t my name, June. I’m not who you think I am.” She stood up and stepped away from him. 21

“…if… your name isn’t Tom… then what is it…and…who exactly are you, since apparently I don’t know a thing at the moment?”22

“It’s Axis, and it’s not so much a question of who I am… more like…”23

“More like?”24

“I believe ‘what’ is the right word.” Derrick butted in. Axis shot him a perturbed look. By then Derrick’s nose had stopped bleeding and there was no sign that it had been broken at all. June’s face was pale and confused.25

“What happened to you Tom… or Axis, or whatever your name is!? What in Hell is going on here, I’m really starting to freak out right now.” Just as June looked away from Axis she saw Derrick and stared in horror at the sight. She quickly looked back to Axis. Both men looked almost dead and cold, with teeth long and sharp. “Oh…bloody…hell…” She’d suddenly came into realization, it crashed over her like a hurricane with so much force she had to take a seat again. “Pl…please tell me this is some sort of sick joke? You’ve got to be kidding me… you’re not kidding me…are you kidding me!?” She could hardly form a sentence. Soon the men were back to normal as she breathed heavily. Axis moved closer to her and tried to offer comfort. “Don’t! Don’t you dare touch me!” He jerked back.26

“June, I know this is hard to believe but there’s more. You’re not a nor…”27

“No, no, no, no, no, don’t say anything! Just…hold on a tick, give me a second to breathe here. So you’re telling me that you’re…a…a…vampire!? Like from the old story books… a blood sucking, night dwelling, holy water hating… vampire!?”28

“Well, in a sense… few of the story books actually got the details right…but yeah… vampires. I mean, sunlight doesn’t kill us and neither does holy water or crosses or any nonsense like that.”29

“We’re really a lot cooler than that fictitious shit portrays us to be.” Derrick chuckled, though June didn’t exactly see it as anything close to being funny. 30

“That’s all beside the point though. June, you’re in danger, that’s why we took you… and I’m sorry for the way it had to be done but I couldn’t risk exposing myself after everyone thought I was dead and I knew you wouldn’t go anywhere with Derrick, so we had no choice, do you understand?” 31

“I don’t think I understand anything at this point… I must’ve fallen and banged my head or something…?” She looked down at the floor as if she were about to faint, then suddenly looked back up. “What do you mean I’m in danger?”