Vampires Don't Sparkle: Deathless Book 3 (8 page)

Blair had about fifty million questions. Why would Ka help humans take control of the Arks? Why did it seem to be working against its creators? He stifled that line of logic, focusing on the current problem. “So if the Builders didn’t sever the conduit, then who did? And why?”

“The identity of the saboteur is unknown,” Ka said, heaving a very human sigh. “As for motive, there can be only one. They sought the destruction of the Nexus.”

“You’ve been here monitoring things the entire time?” he asked.

“I have only been in the Nexus for a very brief interval,” Ka said, cocking its head. “I returned mere hours ago, as soon as I sensed the flow of power from your Ark. Before that I’d been shunted to the Ark on the continent south of yours, colloquially called the Mother’s Ark.”

“Did you meet the Mother?” Blair asked, shooting to his feet.

“Assuredly,” Ka said, nodding rapidly.
 

“And?” Blair asked.

“And what?” Ka asked, blinking rapidly. Another head cock.

“And what did the two of you discuss? When was this? Is she all right?” Blair asked, all in a rush. This thing was maddening to deal with, like a computer program. It took exacting precision to talk to, and he’d never had the patience to do that. Not with computers anyway. What he wouldn’t give to have Trevor back here, even for five minutes.

“We discussed little, unfortunately. Her Ark was also out of power, and I could not sustain myself there. I was shunted into backup systems until I was able to manifest here,” Ka explained. “Our brief conversation occurred approximately seventeen days ago. At that time she appeared in perfect health.”

“Okay,” Blair said, beginning to pace. He studied the hieroglyphs lining the walls. Part of him wanted to begin recording them, but he knew there were more important things to deal with. “Let’s focus on creating this conduit, then. Is there any way for me to automate the flow of energy from my Ark, so this place doesn’t collapse? How can I do that if I can’t return there?”

“Yes, such a feat is possible. I can guide you through the proper sequence, though you will need to grant me access to the systems in the Ark of the Redwood,” Ka explained.

Blair hesitated. This thing seemed benevolent, but could it be trusted?

“Before you decide, you should know that you are no longer alone in the Nexus.”

Chapter 12- Set

Set swept into the central chamber, backhanding a demon that got too close. The blow shattered its horned face, sending the ebony creature sprawling to the floor near one of the lesser obelisks. Other demons took note, pouncing on their doomed companion the moment they were certain Set wouldn’t visit the same fate upon them. He smiled grimly behind his dark armor, pleased at the palpable aura of fear his servants exuded.
 

His steps slowed as he approached the black throne at the base of the central obelisk, which pulsed with its own inner light. He’d not yet allowed the Ark to surface, so power was drawn exclusively from the Well, deep within the earth. Unlike the other great Arks, his had an endless supply of power, keeping it well-fueled during the long ages when the other Ark Lords slumbered. That had allowed him to grow in both power and knowledge, and when he confronted his enemies they’d find he’d greatly eclipsed their limited abilities.

Particularly in light of the powers bestowed upon him by his new masters. That term galled him, chafing like a collar. It was difficult acknowledging another as master, but the fact that these beings had created the Arks made swallowing such a bitter pill easier. They had immense strength, and if he wished to one day rule this world he would need to learn everything they had to teach.

“What troubles you, my husband?” Nephthys hissed from the shadows.
 

He glanced in her direction, noting the glittering red eyes in the darkness. Even she was wary of approaching him, though she stood higher than all others. “The Nexus should have fallen by now, crushed by the ocean.”

“It has not?” Nephthys said, stepping into the faint light exuded by the central obelisk. Her features were hidden behind a truly horrifying helm, one he himself had designed. It closely mirrored his own, and he longed for the day when his irritating brother quailed at the sight of them. Osiris would recognize the power in the corrupted metal, and know despair.

“It has not,” he snapped, turning from her to face the central obelisk. Her penchant for stating the obvious wore on him. “Someone or something must have forged another conduit, which I find most troubling.”

“Osiris?” she asked, voice quavering at the name—rightly so. His brother’s name often sent Set into a rage, and who could blame him? He’d suffered countless injustices at the hands of his brother.

“Possibly,” Set replied, sitting upon the black throne at the base of the obelisk. “Yet I do not think so. A conduit would require an Ark, and I robbed my brother of his. Either he has found an ally, or there is a new player on the board. Either way my spies will soon know the truth of it.”

Set waved a hand, dismissing his wife. She crept back into the shadows, which writhed with the forms of many other servants. All were careful not to approach the light. The room was silent, save for the crunching and slurping that came from the corpse of the demon he’d slain.

Chapter 13- Intruder

“Can you show me a map of the Nexus?” Blair asked, wolfish ears twitching as he sought some sound of the intruder Ka had mentioned.

“Of course, Ka-Dun,” Ka answered, gesturing with a translucent four-fingered hand. A second hologram sprung to life, hovering in the air not far from the construct. It showed a top-down view of the Nexus, which was much, much larger than Blair would have assumed.

The few corridors he’d explored were just the topmost section. They radiated out from the room where he stood, seven spokes connecting to light bridges that linked the entire Ark network. Below that level were a number of thin passages that connected to outlying structures.

Most of those outlying structures were pyramids, and there were perhaps a dozen of various sizes. If he used this room for scale, at least a few were the size of the great Arks, large enough to contain an entire city. The Nexus could house a million people. Maybe more. Just what the hell had the Builders been like?

A red dot appeared near one of the light bridges. It was advancing up the hallway, coming for this room. Blair sank into a combat crouch, prowling to the edge of the room. He lurked near the door, trying to remain as silent as possible. The red dot was coming closer, but wouldn’t reach him for another minute or more.

“Ka, when the intruder reaches this room, I want you to engage them in conversation,” Blair rumbled, as close to a whisper as he could manage in wolf form.

“Assuredly, Ka-Dun,” Ka said, as cheerfully as it had said everything else.

The next forty or fifty seconds took years to elapse. Blair watched the dot grow closer, and when it was close enough he focused his attention on the corridor where the figure would emerge. He heard nothing. Whatever it was made no noise.

“Greetings, Ka-Ken,” Ka said, causing Blair to jump even though he’d been waiting for it.
 

The instant a silver figure emerged from the corridor, Blair leapt, blurring as fast as he ever had. Time slowed, Ka’s too-wide mouth moving so slowly it might have been frozen. Blair extended both sets of claws, opening his jaws as he came down at the figure’s throat. He had time to register that it was a female werewolf, and that she looked familiar.

Then she blurred, faster than he could perceive. A fist tightened around his throat, and he was jerked like a rag doll. The figure dragged his face close to her own, and he read death in her eyes. He dropped his blur and went limp, quite proud he’d managed to avoid wetting himself this time.

“Hello, Ka-Dun,” Isis said in a low growl. “I’m pleased to see that-”

Something golden flashed. It blurred, not nearly as fast as the Mother had, but still a blur. The figure barreled into him, and Blair felt teeth sink into his crotch. He gave a panicked yelp, struggling in the Mother’s grasp as something chewed on a part of his body he’d very much
not
like chewed on.

“Yukon,
no
,” the Mother growled.
 

Yukon stopped immediately, releasing Blair’s crotch and backing away. He gave Blair a single growl, then turned those big brown eyes on Isis. He started wagging his tail, suddenly a harmless golden retriever—a golden the size of a North American wolf. Jesus. He was twice the size he’d been when Blair had seen him last.

Isis relaxed her grip, and Blair tumbled to the floor. He caught himself awkwardly, scrambling back to his feet and backing away a step or two. After gaining control of the Ark of the Redwood he’d felt incredibly powerful, yet beside Isis he was still just a whelp.

“I’m, uh, sorry about that,” Blair explained sheepishly, giving her a shrug and a grin. “I didn’t know who to expect.”

“I was in on the ruse,” Ka interrupted, cocking its head. “I thought it might be interesting to see how the Ka-Dun fared against you. Not well, it seems.”

“Be silent, Ka,” Isis snarled, giving Ka a baleful stare. “You’ve done quite enough damage. Don’t think I trust you in the slightest, and I’ll see that my progeny is aware of your deceitful nature as well. Do not speak unless one of us queries you directly for information.”

Ka opened its mouth to speak, then closed it. The hologram gave a brief nod, lapsing into silence.

Isis turned back to Blair. “I must know all that has transpired since last we met. Mindshare with me.”

“Of course,” Blair said, though with quite a bit of trepidation. It wasn’t just that he was embarrassed by some of what had transpired. There were memories he’d rather not visit.

Isis stretched out a furry hand, resting it on his forehead. There was a dizzying rush of vertigo, then he floated in darkness. Before him stretched a sea of glittering jewels, each playing a memory just like a different channel on TV. A moment later Isis appeared within his mind, this time in human form.

Her otherworldly beauty struck him like a physical blow. She was a petite four ten with long silver hair and glittering green eyes. Her creamy face was a perfect oval, the kind men everywhere would stop what they were doing to stare at. Yet the instant Blair saw her eyes any attraction died. That gaze had been hardened in a crucible twenty-five millennia deep. Isis was, in every way that mattered, no longer human.
 

Open your mind, Ka-Dun
. she thought, drifting towards him. Her eyes closed, and she came closer until her forehead pressed against his. There was a flash of heat, a rush of emotion. She was in his mind, replaying memories faster than thought.

He saw the pursuit of Irakesh, the battle in Panama when he’d first realized Trevor was deathless. Being intimate with Bridget, and later her death in Larkspur. He saw the final battle with Irakesh, the detonation of the nuclear bomb. The energy being sucked into the Ark, and the lingering devastation in its wake.

Blair felt a flush of embarrassment as the image of giving the key to Steve flitted through his mind, but it was replaced by pride when he accepted the key he managed to steal from Irakesh. His memories moved on, showing Isis the weeks after taking possession of the Ark. Their efforts to gather the survivors on Angel Island, supply runs into the city, and hasty training of a militia. Finally he showed her Steve and Irakesh escaping, the brief pursuit, and then meeting her here.

Isis finally pulled away, drifting backwards into the blackness as her gaze held his. It was unreadable. Then the blackness disappeared and they were in the Nexus again. Isis was a werewolf once more, her ferocity terrifying even to Blair.

“Much has transpired, not all of it bad,” she allowed, crossing her arms. “You did well, given your lack of training. I am less than pleased you relinquished the key to this treacherous Ka-Dun you call Steve, especially given that he delved my sleeping mind. Yet you managed to capture the key to the Ark of the Redwood, and Irakesh’s mad plan has ensured that it has the energy to give you an edge in the coming decades.”

“So, uh, what do we do now?” Blair asked.

“We prepare the conduit Ka has mentioned so the Nexus will not collapse,” Isis said. She barred her fangs, a low growl escaping. One Yukon mimicked. “Then we invade the Ark of the Cradle, and bring justice to the whelp Steve.”

Chapter 14- Sucker

Mark’s gut clenched the moment he sat down. Osiris was already seated at the narrow mahogany table, filigreed porcelain china atop a scarlet place mat in front of him. He cradled a glass of red wine—probably a Cab, from the smell and color. A similar glass had already been poured for Mark, alongside identical china.

“Hello, Mark,” the monster said, swirling his glass as he glanced at the wall-sized television hanging against the far wall. The screen was paused, showing a fanged teen sparkling in the sun. Mark recognized the movie, of course, though he couldn’t remember the name of the actor. Someone all the teen girls loved, no doubt. Osiris turned back to him. “The wine really is quite spectacular. That’s one of the things I most love about this new world. Our beer was palatable, but our wine was barely worthy of the name.”

“What do you want?” Mark asked, slipping the napkin onto his lap out of habit.
 

“A dinner companion. At my age, conversation is one of the greatest treasures left. It’s so rare to hear a different perspective, and few men are as openly hostile as you,” Osiris said, exposing a pair of too sharp fangs as he smiled. “You know what I am, or have some idea at least. This age has some odd ideas about my kind. I don’t sparkle, but the term
vampire
was first coined to describe my progeny. While that may terrify you, the fact doesn’t govern your actions.”

“I’ll play along then. What’s for dinner?” Mark asked, his heart thudding in his chest.

“Filet mignon,” Osiris said, gesturing at a white garbed servant in the corner. The man wheeled a tray over, flicking a latch with a hiss of air. The mouthwatering scent of beef filled the room. “Over the last several millennia I endured many hardships, so one of my rewards is dining well.”