Apotheosis of the Immortal (26 page)

Chapter 51

I
t was a
long walk to Sara’s house, especially at night, but Solomon had a lot on his mind and was glad for the extra time. Elijah had been in love with the girl for as long as he could remember, and tonight Solomon’s actions would change everything. He had already received permission from her father, and the marriage had been arranged; the proposal was just a formality.

Still, his trepidation grew as the distance to her cottage shrank. Soon he could see her face.

There she was, smiling as she sat on a small wooden stump on the hillside and watched fireflies dance. She truly was a beautiful creature and would make a wonderful wife.

In the years since their betrothal, Solomon truly had fallen in love with the young woman he’d once seen as just a silly little girl. If it only concerned him, this would be the easiest decision of his life. When she noticed him approaching, she gestured gracefully towards the fireflies and smiled politely.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Could we take a walk? I need to talk to you; it’s important.” He took her hand to help her up, and Sara glanced at him again, looking perplexed, but came along willingly. After walking a few minutes in silence in the near dark, Sara grew impatient.

“Solomon, please, we’ve been walking forever. Tell me what’s wrong.” She stopped walking and leaned against a large tree.

“Do you ever think about your future?” Solomon stood beside her and braced himself on a low branch.

“Of course I do, every day. Why do you ask?” She reached around the tree and picked at the bark.

“Just walk with me a bit more; we are almost there.” He began to move faster and Sara did her best to keep up. “Here we are.” Solomon smiled and opened his arms to encompass the landscape. Beneath the moonlight Sara could see a small cottage, an expanse of grass, an old garden patch, and a steep hill capped with a huge stone.

Taking her hand, he led her up the hill to the stone. “Do you remember this stone?” Solomon asked as they climbed.

“Of course I do; this is one of the places Elijah and I used to play when we were small.” As she spoke, she walked around the stone and carefully caressed its side. “It brings back so many memories.” A smile lit her face as she turned back to Solomon.

“How many of those memories are of me?” Solomon already knew the answer.

“Come on! I want to show you something else …” Solomon jumped off of the rock and ran towards the forest.

“Where are we going now?”

Solomon didn’t answer, just watched to make sure she kept pace as he led her into the woods and a few minutes further.

“Do you remember this place?” he asked, his voice cracking. The toppled tree was mostly rotted and sprouted with seedlings, but she remembered it well. How could she ever forget?

“What are you doing, Solomon?” Her voice was also shaky as she tried to hide her emotions.

“Tell me your memory of this place, please.” Solomon knelt down and grasped her hand.

“This is also where Elijah and I used to play.” She gasped for air, and tears sprang to her eyes.

“Is this where I found you two after your father sent me looking for you? Is this where I found you with Elijah the night we all learned you and I were to be wed?” After he finished speaking there was a long moment of silence.

“Please Sara, tell me, is this the place?” Solomon’s eyes were red as he held back tears.

“Yes Solomon! This is the place! You know this is the place!” She sat on the ground and began to cry.

“Does this place still mean anything to you? Does it hold value?” Solomon stood. He could see in her expression as she gazed at every tree, every leaf, every stone, it was still precious to her.

“I only have one more question left.” Solomon spoke quietly as he grasped her hand. “Sara, do you love me?” In the quiet moment, Solomon stared into her eyes, as if trying to see into her mind. Sara looked away nervously.

“Not the way you want me to.” She lifted her eyes to meet his.

“Do you still love Elijah?”

Sara’s head jerked upright, her eyes narrowed, filled with anger and sorrow. “Why would you ask me that? I haven’t even spoken to him in years.” She turned to hide her face, but her feelings were transparent.

“Sara.” Solomon grabbed her by the arm and twirled her around. “Elijah is still in love with you. He loves you as much today as he did yesterday and three years ago. I do love you Sara, but I also love my brother, and I will not stand in the way of your happiness together.”

He pulled her close and forced a smile. “I am calling off our engagement; I don’t care what our fathers say.” Solomon twirled her away, but held on to her hand. “Please, Sara, let’s get back. Let me take you to Elijah.” He was eager to get back to the castle and tell his brother the news.

“Yes, please!” She was all smiles and giggles; her heart leapt with joy. “But we need to tell my mother first.” The pair raced back to Sara’s cottage, even though she was nervous about what her mother might say. As they approached the cottage, they saw two figures standing outside.

Chapter 52

Suddenly a terrible
pain tore through Elijah’s beautiful vision, and then another, but he refused to open his eyes for fear of waking far from the sweet peace that had vanished at the onslaught of pain that ripped at his back and seared through his mind.

“Pick him up.” A deep voice vibrated next to his ear. Elijah could feel bodies on all sides of him, propping him up, and then another vicious sting, this time in his back. Finally Elijah opened his eyes to see a vampire holding the grips of the two long swords protruding from Elijah’s abdomen. He tried to move back, but was met by an iron-like grip around his neck. He didn’t fight; he wanted to die, hoping it would take him back to his vision of Sara.

“Move backwards to the wagon.” It was the same voice. The vampire in front of him took a couple steps back. “Now get out of the way!” The voice grew louder. He pulled the two swords from Elijah’s body and quickly moved to his right. Elijah saw a large wooden wagon with huge iron wheels carrying an iron box. There was a sudden stinging sensation as another sword was pulled from his back. A hand around his neck pushed his head down while someone kicked him from behind, forcing him into the open box.

Why won’t they just kill me?
He struggled to turn, to see enough to figure out their intent, and just before the door was shut behind him he saw the familiar mask and glowing blue eyes. Then he saw it; a scar in the shape of a cross just below the masked man’s ear. Immediately, he was transported to the past. There was someone on top of him, holding him down, and he saw a man holding Sara. The man’s eyes were glowing an icy blue; as he turned his head Elijah saw a cross-shaped scar below his ear.

“It
is y
ou!” he shouted as the heavy iron door clanged shut.

He heard iron scraping against iron as someone locked the door. He heard chains rattling and another lock clicking into place, but he could see nothing, only darkness. Elijah pounded on the walls of his prison; he pushed as hard as he could, but couldn’t get any leverage from his cramped position inside the tiny space. He couldn’t believe the man who had helped his father kill Sara had been so close to him for so long. He was angry; how could he have been so stupid? Why hadn’t he remembered that scar sooner? He had suspected the man’s identity for a while, so why hadn’t he simply ripped the mask off instead of endlessly wondering?

The wagon carried Elijah back to the camp; he heard cheers and laughter as they passed through. Finally the wagon came to a stop. He heard footsteps, people moving around him.

“You were able to capture him?” Elijah knew that voice; it was the Khan. “Good, but now what to do?” Elijah could hear him pacing around the wagon.

“Kill him.” Elijah heard the voice that had caged him.

“He is strong; we don’t even know how strong, but at least strong enough to kill more than twenty vampires single-handedly.” Elijah smiled to hear the Khan’s concern.

“When I got there he was weak, just lying on the ground; but no matter, I assure you that I can deal with him.”

“Nonetheless, I recommend you put that box on a fire and let him smell the stink of his own burning flesh as it continues to heal and burn at the same time. If that doesn’t kill him we will try something else in a few days,” the Khan instructed. “Did the men find his friend?”

“No; it seems he fled the camp when the men left to raid the town,” the man in the mask replied.

Elijah was relieved to learn he hadn’t condemned Hassan yet again to a terrible fate.

“Make sure to station a few vampires here to watch the wagon at all times,” the Khan commanded. Elijah heard someone pounding on the outside of the box. “Elijah! I would have taken you to your father and let him kill you, but now you will die here, all because you couldn’t follow simple fucking orders.” He tapped on the outside of Elijah’s box a couple of times, as if punctuating his comments, before Elijah heard him walking away.

Chapter 53

From the edge
of the forest, Hassan peered down at the Mongol force in the depths of the valley. Earlier that day Hassan had watched the giant in the mask force Elijah into a metal box.

He had been keeping an eye on the Khan earlier when he saw a vampire hurrying through the camp to inform the Khan Elijah needed twice as many barrels. Soon more and more vampires raced into camp, hysterically telling tales of Elijah’s rampage, of his madness.

Hassan had sprinted to the town, hoping to save him, but was too late. After watching them force Elijah into the box, he hurried back to camp, where he sneaked into a guard’s tent and quickly disguised himself as a human soldier. He had been only a few yards away, watching through a slit in the guard’s tent, while the Khan ranted at Elijah in his iron prison.

Hassan himself thought Elijah probably did deserve death for what he had done, but not at the hands of the Khan. Three large vampires were guarding the wagon, which was opportunely stationed at the edge of the camp. Still, Hassan needed a distraction.

As night fell, Hassan descended from his concealment in the trees, down the mountain to the valley floor. He circled the camp and crept through the main force at the rear of the army encampment. The mortals would be asleep, so this should be the easiest way in. His steps were quick and light; he stayed in the shadows, away from the torches.

His plan was simple, but he wasn’t sure it would be as effective as he hoped. Grabbing two oil-filled vases, Hassan slipped between the tents and campfires until he came to the front edge of the vampire camp. From there he could see the two wagons stacked with barrels of blood at the opposite edge of the camp.

The vampires were celebrating Elijah’s downfall and the renewal of their food supply with barrels of wine the Khan had provided, so it was easier than he had expected to get past them. Hassan walked to the edge of the camp and merged with the darkness.

Cloaked in the night, Hassan made his way to the outermost wagon at the front of the camp. He walked quietly around the wagon as he emptied the vases of oil over the barrels, saving only a small amount. The nearest torch was at the edge of camp and there was a vampire walking directly beside it. Hassan immediately saw his opportunity to act as he watched the tall, bald vampire slink past the torch, clearly on his way to get more blood. When he was almost at the first wagon, Hassan raced over. Grabbing the torch, he ran back to the wagon, doused the vampire with the remaining fluid, and set him ablaze.

As his screams pierced the darkness, Hassan torched the wagons and vanished back into the night. He circled the camp towards Elijah and waited for the commotion to draw a crowd. His plan worked; within seconds the fire had drawn all but one vampire away from the wagon. Hassan rushed down the mountainside and plunged his dagger through the side of the remaining vampire’s head.

“Elijah, are you in there?” Hassan whispered.

“Hassan. What are you doing? You need to get out of here!”

“I’m going to free you first.” Hassan quickly unrolled a small cloth parcel and retrieved two small metal tools. Kneeling down, he went to work on the lock. He was finished in a matter of moments and began unraveling the chains around the box. As he dropped the chains to the side of the wagon, the door swung open and Elijah pulled himself out.

“Let’s go.” Hassan grabbed Elijah by the arm and helped him down from the wagon.

“Not yet. I need to find that mask-wearing ghoul.” Elijah turned around and looked towards the Khan’s tent.

“This isn’t the time Elijah, but I’m sure you’ll be glad to see this.” Hassan pulled the Great Khan’s sword from his back and tossed it to Elijah.

“How did you get this?” Elijah asked, his smile warming Hassan’s soul. He loved Elijah the way he imagined a man cared for his son. They were nearly the same age, but Hassan’s experience, wisdom, and maturity, combined with Elijah’s youthful appearance, had left Hassan as the voice of reason, the anchor that held them in place as much as possible.

“How do you think? I am an Assassin.” Hassan was pleased to remind him of where they both had gained their mastery. He longed for those days; he now knew he hadn’t appreciated his life the way he should have. He reached to embrace Elijah and the world disappeared before him.