Vampyre Blue (20 page)

It really was with all the luck in the world, as the Oracle got on her private plane, Daen stepped off his. He sensed her nearby, but not enough to alert him to her presence. She was trying to sever her link with him and it was working and she knew it. She even saw him and he didn't see her, she was elated.

Daen got back to his mansion, everything of the Oracle's had gone.

'Fucking Bitch!' He screamed.

He smashed everything within reach, thousands of pounds worth of antiques came crashing down around him breaking into a myriad of tiny pieces. Plates smashed and crunched under foot, paintings were torn from the walls, he almost set fire to the whole building. Until he got to a statue of Isis where he stopped dead.

'Right where I left you.' He whispered as he stared at her image chiselled in marble.

'Egypt should be bearable at this time of year,' He said as he softly stroked her cold stone cheek, 'But I need your things with me.'

He left the house just as quickley as he'd left Tibet and back to Tibet he went.

*

'She looks really dangerous.' Said Cleo, 'Like I could cut my fingers on her dangerous.'

'Too right,' Said Blue, 'And don't you forget it.'

'If she woke up Blue, you could easily outmanouvre her.' Said Pierre praising Blue's new capabilities.

'She's my best friend.' Said Blue.

'She WAS your best friend.' He corrected her.

'Can we fix her then?' Asked Cleo.

'There's only one way to find out,' Pierre answered, 'Isis will have answers.' He added as he slid Stars coffin lid shut.

'Blue, you and I should be able to carry this.' Pierre motioned to the stone coffin by their feet.

'Are you shitting me? We need a crane? Seriously?' Blue was shocked, 'I can't lift that, surely?'

'I'm guessing you haven't taken your new Vampy powers for a test ride yet?' Pierre grinned.

'Test ride?' Asked Blue.

'Test ride?' Cleo looked confused.

'Yeah. You know, pushed yourself in everyway you can think of, tried to break yourself?'

Blue gave Pierre a puzzled look.

'Okay, let me put it this way. Cleo over here would struggle to put you on your ass, short of cutting your head off, but she'd struggle to get hold of you to do that. All the same, you are faster, stronger and more able than any human that has ever existed.'

Pierre pointed to the coffin,

'Shall we?'

'Okay, let's pick her up then.' Blue said to Pierre.

Cleo giggled to herself and to her surprise they both lifted the stone coffin as if it were made from polysterene.

Cleo blew an impressed whistle,

'Wow, you guys are crazy strong.'

Blue fixed her a big cheesy grin and Cleo smiled right back at them, it was a welcome moment in an extrordinarily mental few days.

'Now let's get her fat ass down this mountain.' Cleo said.

'Oh only if she heard you, she'd be turning in her coffin!' Replied Blue.

'Oh and what did you pick up in there?' Asked Pierre to Blue.

'You know, this and that.' She smiled back at him, 'I thought some things might come in handy.'

Chapter Eighteen.

The temple lit with a strange luminescence, could not be fully explained by the hundreds of flickering candles. Shadows danced across the walls and each and every stone seemed to radiate an indescribable sense of warmth, love and spiritual energy. A sense of goodness, so pure and so complete that it created an ambiance like no other.

Isis had gathered the potions and ritual accoutrements needed and placed them in their rightful positions. She remembered the incantations and where each pot should be placed at what time. Eliza had gathered the information about the alignment of the stars and the exact location of the changing light needed for the the ritual.

It was going to be the day after this night, the beginning of December for the modern calendar.

'Are we ready then?' Asked Eliza.

'As ready as we can be my child.' Replied Isis.

'I hope it all goes to plan.' Said Brett, 'We've put enough work into this over the last few days. I think my brain is going to explode with all the incantations we've been repeating.' He smiled, 'Not that I'm complaining, it truly is amazing that I've been given this wonderful opportunity to be able to be a part of something that is so important.'

'Shush Brett.' Said Eliza, 'You do go on when you worry don't you.'

They all looked at one another in worried anticipation.

'Only the Gods can help us now.' Said Isis. She looked to the stars and closed her eyes, she hoped that everything would work out, she hoped everything would go according to plan.

*

Blue, Pierre and Cleo had flown straight from Kathmandu to Egypt, they were in one of Star's private jets so there were no questions to answer in regard to the huge coffin they were carrying. Star hadn't even so much as murmured in her stone grave. As soon as they had landed Cleo had stolen a large Jeep from the airport security at Cairo International Airport, their security wasn't exactly up to scratch as far as Cleo was concerned and she figured they needed to be taught a few lessons, she would take it back at a later date and dress down their chief of staff if she got round to it. The coffin was really heavy in the back of the Jeep, it went down a couple of feet over the rear axle, but they were built for the desert and built for heavy usage so a mere slab of stone wasn't a tall order.

They set out for the Temple of Isis, Pierre was at the steering wheel for a change. But, then for once, Cleo was no-longer the one in charge of the mission.

'So where are we going?' Blue enquired.

'You'll see when we get there.' Pierre mocked.

'Seriously.' Moaned Cleo.

'Yeah, well it's all desert and sand, what do you want me to say? It's the second dune on the left and carry on till morning?'

Blue smiled to herself and Pierre caught her in the mirror, he missed his reflection.

*

Daen had returned to the Tibetan retreat to fetch all of Isis's books, if she were alive she would want her possessions back. That bitch the Oracle hadn't taken any of the books with her. But she would probably be going back to Tibet herself to get them before he would even thought of it. When he landed on the run way there was already a plane there. He internally scolded himself for not taking the books with him in the first place.

'The Bitch!'
He thought. He practically ran all the way back up to the palace.

'I wondered where you'd gone.' She said as Daen walked in.

'You wondered where I'd gone!?!' He said repeating her.

'Yes,' She said, cutting him short, 'I told you I'd gone to fetch everything and bring it back here.'

'Yes, you did say that didn't you.' Daen sighed a breath of relief. He should have known he could trust the Oracle.

'Oh Mistress,' He walked up to her and hugged her – took her in his arms.

'Isis is alive.' He said joylessly to her.

'Yes.' She replied in a calm, yet cold tone.

'What do you mean “yes”?'

'I was simply replying to your statement.'

'Did you know?'

'Know what?' That same infuriating calm tone was starting to infuriate Daen.

'That Isis was still alive?'

He grabbed her at arms length and stared into her eyes,

'Well did you?' He shook her ever so slightly. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. Evil glinted there. He knew straight away that she had known all along.

'YOU FUCKING BITCH!' He struck her face and she fell to the floor. She looked up, betrayal in her eyes. The Oracle started incanting something and Daen's head started to hurt. She smiled as she recited the words over and over.

'Agghhh. What are you doing to me?' He cried.

'What I should have done a long time ago!'

'Agghhh!' Daen was holding his head.

'My blood is leaving yours! You'll no longer have a hold over me you vile bastard! You can have your Isis, your beloved fucking Isis, in almost two thousand years, after all that I've done you treat me like this! I curse you Daen and all that you are!'

Daen passed out. The Oracle left quickly taking nothing from the Tibetan Palace. She ran for her life, she knew Daen would kill her if he ever caught up with her and she didn't know how strong he was, if he'd fed recently. He could be running down the mountainside straight after her right now, she couldn't take that chance. She would have to get the book another time. She would have to remain a shadow in the night.

Daen, however, hadn't fed for a few weeks and was particularly weak. He'd just been thrown into a wall by a mere girl, really hard and had just been completely betrayed by another one of his creations, it had been a bad twenty four hours so far. The Oracle walking out on him had hurt almost as much as when Pierre walked out just weeks before, but he never did like the Oracle as much as Pierre. Pierre would never believe that though, even if Daen told him to his face, the past and his recent behaviour would never let Pierre believe that. Daen had been too selfish over the years for anyone to believe that Daen could think about anyone but himself. Daen started to dream as he lay unconscious on the floor in Tibet, he dreamt of Isis and their time together in Egypt. All the memories came flooding back to him. He was with his troops in Babylon and marching through the vast plains of Persia. He dreamt of his mother back in Italy and the peaceful childhood he had. Growing up, playing in trees, running through meadows of wheat in Tuscany, the beautiful sunburst orange red sunsets. A pair of bright green eyes span into focus, the dark chocolate skin, her full mouth, so seductive, so undeniably attractive down to every last molecule.

'Isis.' He called out as he regained consciousness. 'I'm coming.'

*

There was a knock at the door and the door bell rang throughout the mansion. Colin looked a little worse for wear. It had been a couple of days since he'd spoken to Cleo. He'd just let himself sink into the depths of depression, he hadn't showered or cleaned his teeth, he'd eaten nothing but cereal, unwashed bowls littered the house. Empty Jack Daniels bottles were stacked up on the coffee table and empty plastic coke bottles littered the floor, the place was an abomination. He was in desperate need of an intervention. The door bell rang again. Colin slumped forward off the sofa in his cereal stained clothing, gathered himself up and swayed to the door in his half inebriated state.

'You must be Colin!' Said the stranger at the door in his strange accent.

'An' chu mus' bee...' Colin slurred.

'Valentino! Cleo's husband. Ciao!'

Colin slumped into the entrance hall and slid half way down the wall.

'Scuse me for askink, but I really woulda preciate some ID. I 'ave been through a lot recently.'

'Sure! Sure! Here, Cleo said you'd be on your guard, I don't think she thought you would have been this drunk, but needs must dear Colin.'

He showed Colin his driving licence, Colin grabbed it out of his hand and examined the photo ID closely, so closely in fact that he couldn't actually see it himself.

'It's cold out here Colin, can I come in?'

'Course, Course.' Colin slouched over and moved out of the way of Valentino and let him in. Valentino stepped over him and shut the door behind himself. He couldn't believe the state poor Colin was in.

'I'll make you some coffee!' Announced Valentino.

'I'd rather make the coffee, if you don't mind.' Colin said lucidly.

'I'm sorry Colin, I forget that you've been poisoned. I think I would be so worried about anyone else making me anything too.'

Colin smiled. He breathed deeply, he could relax now. Valentino was here to secure the house and make sure everything was perfect for the girls return.

'Thank you for coming. I'm afraid I look terrible. And I think I'm rather drunk. Maybe you should make the coffee, I'm 'aving trouble standing up.'

Colin struggled trying to stand, using the furniture around him to pull himself up, he felt terrible.

'Colin don't worry about it all. You could do with a shower and a shave and sobering up, but let's just start with that coffee, yes?'

*

The moon shone over the Nile as it had done the month before when Pierre had stood there then. He smoked another cigarette and stared into the rippling reflection. Blue walked up behind him, put her arms around his waist and lent her head on his back.

'Hey you.' She said.

'Hey.'

'What are you thinking about?' Blue asked him.

'I was thinking it was just last full moon when I was here before, questioning if I should come and fight for your love.' He breathed in more smoke, 'And now I'm back here with you, and we've got your friend to try to change back into a human and you say Isis has two of your friends captive in her temple. I find that hard to believe. It's like an epic adventure unravelling beneath us, I'm not used to all this and I'm not sure I like all this excitement.' Pierre had a worried look on his face, like he was thinking too much about the world and the consequences of every action taken.