The Guardian Lineage (26 page)

Sepulchra fought with a contorted hatred on her face. It must've been a conveyance of Dementae's feelings; Mike had never seen his mom look like that before. Her assault was so intense that Mike put up a second surfboard, just so he could deflect the flames that were coming from both of his mother's hands. Finally, when she seemed to hesitate for a moment, Mike took down a shield and snuck a telekinetic shot at his mother. Sepulchra did not react in time, and the force of the weapon flung her into one of the knight statues, toppling the metal over her and burying her underneath.

Sorry, Mom, but you're not giving me much choice here...

Mike took the free moment to examine the other battles. Steph was engaged with her stepmother in a purely non-magical fashion. She had grabbed a sword from one of the beheaded knights and was parrying the broadsword, as if she had been taking lessons for years. The two used no magic, seemingly an unwritten rule between them. Mike was surprised – he had experienced firsthand how powerful Steph's attacks were. Maybe, like him, Steph didn't want to hurt her stepmother. Mike didn't know how foolish that might turn out to be – Cassandra seemed perfectly willing to kill her stepdaughter.

Stockton and Dementae, meanwhile, were locked in an epic battle towards the electric chair. Lights flashed brilliantly from that side of the room. Mike recognized some of the normal weapons from his training courses, but mostly there were colors and flashes that he had never seen before, surely more advanced and powerful magics. Neither warrior used shields, instead deflecting their adversary's attacks with other methods that Mike couldn't recognize. It was a battle beyond Mike's skill and know-how, being fought on another dimension entirely.

Mike's attention turned back to his mother, who had freed herself of the rusty iron and was back on her feet again.

Okay, break's over…

His mom grimaced, as if she had hurt something – yes, she was limping on her left side. Mike's first instinct was to run over to help her, but that was muted by a fresh volley of fire, which Mike blocked.

The strength of Sepulchra's attacks increased now, and Mike found it harder to hold his ground. He had never faced an adversary that was stronger than he was. Well, except Steph. It was new territory for him – he struggled and grew frustrated. His mother limped towards him, eyes glazed but focused, firing an ever-constant barrage of weaponry in an attempt to dismember him.

I can't actually shoot back, can I?

Save for one or two well-placed telekinetic attempts to thrust his mother backwards, it was almost impossible for Mike to fire on his mother. And even when he did, he let up a little on his telekinesis, afraid he would snap his mother's ankle or injure her more severely if he sent her flying into another pile of twisted metal.

Problem was, he wasn't going to get anywhere fighting like this.

As Mike was forced into a corner, he realized he had to do something different. His eyes scanning the room, Mike finally realized his way out. Parrying with his shield the whole time, he waited for the perfect moment, the pause in between Mom's attacks…

There
.

Mike slipped a thrust of wind through his mother's defenses, stronger and quicker than the last. She was surprised at the speed of the attack, and again she didn't get up a shield in time. Maybe because Dementae's strength was offense, not defense. Whatever the case, Mom flew backwards and skidded across the white tablecloth. Mike then grabbed the sheet with telekinesis and folded it tight around his mother's body as if she were wrapped in a straightjacket, covering her head as well so she couldn't see. That would buy him some time… Dementae was across the room, behind the electric chair, locked in battle with Stockton. He would never see it coming…

Mike reached out with a hand and grabbed at Dementae's Amp from across the room. But to his surprise, the Amp did not attach itself to Mike's magic. Both Dementae and Stockton stopped fighting and turned to look at Mike, a bemused expression on their faces.

“Oh no you don't,” Dementae called from across the room. “It wouldn't be fair to mix all the battles, would it? Something like
this
might happen!” Dementae fired a black missile at Steph, who was completely focused on avoiding her stepmother's broadsword. The Aneksham slammed into her hip, and she fell to one knee with a cry.

“No!” Mike screamed.

Cassandra used the distraction to race towards her fallen stepdaughter. She lifted her sword as she ran, going for a killing stroke…

Mike threw out an arm just as Cassandra's sword came down—

And just in time, Mike's telekinesis hit Cassandra head on. She jerked backwards and slammed into one of the Dining Hall doors, which refused to budge because of Stockton's locking charm. The leader of the Slayers crumpled against the wooden door and didn't stir.

Stockton quickly fired a weird purple firecracker at Dementae. With everything that was going on around them, the weapon caught him off guard, and Dementae crashed into the electric chair. Remembering what had happened in the Slayer lair, Mike directed electricity at the metal casings, which in turn sent electric shockwaves throughout Dementae's body. His muscles jerked, his face contorted, and a piercing scream shook the room. As the electric field died away, Dementae's body fell to the ground with a thud.

But the scream did not go away. Instead, it turned into laughter – insane, terrifying laughter.

“Stupid,
stupid
boy,” Dementae said as he slowly got to his feet. His face was charred, with black streaks across it. His robes were burned and torn. But clear across his face was a wide smile, a smile that revealed crooked teeth…

“Get him, stab him!” Steph hurled herself at Dementae and shoved her sword into his chest. But instead of piercing him, the weapon thudded against something hard and fell to the floor.

Mike's eyes widened. So
that
was it. That was how Dementae had been reborn. A vampire had removed his heart, thinking he would continue to live inside Dementae's body. And that was why there was a new Brethren-Vampire alliance… the leader of the Brethren had become a
vampire
…

“And a stupid girl to boot,” Dementae said as he grabbed Steph's wrist. He jabbed a hand into the side of her body when the Aneksham took root, and Steph screamed in agony.

Stockton said, “Let her go, Evan!” But Dementae ignored him. He banged a fist against his chest. “NYPD-distributed Kevlar,” he advertised. “Protects from even the worst of shotgun blasts. Really, I have no idea why vampires don't manufacture this stuff en masse. If you've got a weakness, why not protect it?”

Then he put his face close to Steph's, who was wriggling to get free. “You, on the other hand, have no protection whatsoever.”

“No!” Before Mike could react, a burst of green light flew from Dementae's palms. Steph slammed into the stone wall, then collapsed like her mother, unconscious and unmoving.

“Aaarrgghh!” Mike screamed. He and Stockton fired at Dementae, who was a little slower to react than normal. Dementae deflected Mike's fire, but one of Stockton's shots nailed him in the torso, and he dropped to one knee in shock.

Then Mike was hit from behind. He fell onto the floor but rolled through into a somersault, turning to see his mother free of her temporary confines. She stumbled towards him, firing electricity as if she was the Terminator or something. Mike brought up one shield and fired back with his other hand from a crouched position. His mother didn't even put up a defense. The telekinesis nailed her on the thigh and stomach, causing Sepulchra to fall to one knee.

Dementae's losing control over her,
Mike realized. He was getting weaker. It was getting harder for him to control both of them…

Mike again reached back for Dementae's Amp, but he blocked it again. “Stop meddling in my affairs, boy!” Dementae disengaged himself from Stockton for a moment and fired a huge black Aneksham at Mike. Mike blocked the weapon with his shield but was shoved over by the sheer force of the weapon. He fell onto his back. For a moment, he panicked, sure that his mother would pounce and nail him once he was down. But as he scrambled to his feet, Mike saw that his mother was faltering, her lack of balance causing her to stumble in her approach.

“You know what? I'm done playing games.” Dementae deflected Stockton's weaponry with one arm and touched his Amp with the other. In a moment's notice, scores of Black Brethren swarmed into the room, as if they had merely been waiting for their leader's permission.

Stockton took one look at the incoming army and abandoned ship. He ran towards the Dining Hall gates. “Follow me, Michael!” Stockton unlocked his charm and burst into the room.

Mike took one look at Steph, realized he had no choice, then hurried after his teacher. Together they reentered the vampire tumult, which seemed to be more lopsided than before. There were barely any magical weapons being fired. Mike followed Stockton to an unoccupied corner of the room, where three overturned tables were burning… Mike saw fewer vampires than before, but who were all the bodies in the room…

Then Mike realized what he was seeing. “The Slayers are here!” How the Slayers had followed them to Chateau de Vincennes was beyond him, but he was never gladder to see the vampire police than right then.

If Laura's here, she better be okay…

Annabella ran over to his position, along with ten or so Guardians he didn't know. They gathered around the Magus.

“Dementae has called in the Brethren!” Stockton yelled over the roar of battle. “We have to take them out, as well as free the Gargoyles throughout the castle. Annabella, Michael - take separate task forces and find those Gargoyle pens. If the Brethren are here, they aren't guarding the Gargoyles. And whatever you do, don't go outside.” Stockton didn't elaborate. Instead, he ran off to begin battling the Brethren.

Annabella took most of the group off in a different direction, leaving Mike to gather his own battalion. He called whoever was available to come to him, and four Guardians he didn't know made their way over. Mike dashed for the nearest staircase, army in tow, leaving the smell of fire and flesh behind him.

Stockton was right; the rest of the castle was empty, and the fresh air in the corridors was a welcome distinction from the rest of the castle. Problem was, Mike had no idea where to go. He ended up running down four dead-ends before he finally heard a roar coming from the end of one of the corridors. Mike formed a shield as he kicked in a wooden door, his hand ready to blast.

But what he saw caught him off guard. The room was surprisingly spacious. A large door lay opposite the entrance, with two glass windows on either side. It was raining outside now. A flash of lightning lit up the room, aiding torches that lit up the room on all four walls.

Four gargoyles dangled from the ceiling, held by massive chains that made the ones that had held Mike look like movie props. Jakkus, Yaris, Groundhog and Nukes were in suspended animation, their wings clipped behind them by some type of metal binding. Jakkus looked the most beat up – his eyes were glazed, his expression noncommittal. Several other chains lay vacant. The other three Gargoyles were bright and awake, staring at something on the other side of the room.

Mike's gaze swiveled over to the far side, where he saw Amadeus rise from a stool.

“Amadeus! How'd you get free? Help me with—”

WHOMP
.

Mike's world burst into stars as a massive fist nailed him in the gut. Then another arm lifted him high into the air and flung him against the wall. Mike had just enough time to put his arms up before his face collided with solid stone. He fell to the floor, bruised, dazed, wondering why the hell Amadeus was attacking him…

Mike heard a scream from one of the other Guardians. He strained to see through the sweat and tears. Amadeus had cleaved one of the teenagers with his sword.

No…

Amadeus threw the body back down the hall like he was ridding himself some of a slaughtered chicken. The other Guardians took a step back, through the doorway, then turned and fled.

“No, come back!”

“Amadeus, leave them alone,” a voice protested. It sounded like Groundhog, but Mike couldn't be sure. His vision was blurry, his senses jarred…

Amadeus ignored him. He lifted Mike up with another hand and flung him across the floor. Mike collided with the wall, his back feeling like it had been run over by a lawnmower. The world started getting fuzzy.

“Why are you doing this?” Mike said, grasping the slick wall as if it would provide some protection. He thrust an arm at the tremendous Gargoyle, but it had little effect. Amadeus stepped back for a moment, but then continued towards Mike uninhibited. Mike grabbed fire from one of the torches and raised it above his head, spreading it apart, trying to mimic the wall that Stockton had produced in the Dining Hall. This caused Amadeus to pause, to step back and assess how he would attack next.

“Power, you ignorant fool.” Amadeus tried to feel his way around the fire. “How would it feel if you were confined to a twelve-hour day? To be dependent upon inferior creatures for your survival? Would you enjoy such an existence?”

Mike kept the flames on, but he knew it was a temporary reprieve. If he even took them down for one moment, Amadeus's speed would nullify any magical advantage he had…

“But Dementae, he promised me a spell. A way out of this trapped life, so I don't have to fear the daylight.” Amadeus raised his voice. “And so I don't have to be pampered by you stupid humans!”

Amadeus thrust an arm through Mike's flames and grabbed him by the throat. Mike choked, struggling to breathe. Desperate to break free, he guided the flames at Amadeus's face. The gargoyle screamed. The claw loosened, and Mike slipped out of its grasp.