CHAPTER 33 Court and Spark
Alex could feel her muscles tighten and her joints sliding back into place. Her body was like a machine that had performed one function and was now gearing up for another. The soreness she felt immediately after delivering was slowly dissolving, her body regrouping. It sensed danger. She was a vampire, a daemon protecting her own, an animal with physical resources she'd never tried.
With the child there at her breast, Alex wondered what sort of mother she could be. She'd made a certain peace with being a vampire, but now little Andra changed everything. The more she learned about Millennium Road, the more she worried about her own fate. She'd never been one to focus on what happened after death. Yes, she'd been christened at birth, and she'd gone to Sunday school as a child, but her parents were not regular goers, only occasionally stepping inside a church. Hers was the modern, big-city religiosity — recognized but ignored. She felt pushed up against a wall, and this immortality thing, along with the apparitions at the gazebo, forced her to take a more serious look at the situation. For a vampire, Millennium Road was a dream world that became the only reality after death. Quite possibly, life after death was more important than she'd realized.
"We'll have to make our move after sundown," said Catherine. "When I left you, I spoke to a couple in the Colony. They'd heard rumors of feral vampires coming up from down below. I could sense the panic."
They heard an echo of voices off in the distance. Catherine went to the opening and peered outside. "We're in trouble. They're coming."
"I'm ready now. Let's get out of here."
"But it's still light out. We'll fry."
"I'm different," said Alex. "Sunlight doesn't bother me."
"You sure?" Her disbelief was obvious.
"I spent months out of doors before coming here. It's another reason Alu wants me."
"I can go only as far as the exit. You'll be on your own once in daylight. You and the child."
"Not a problem. What will happen to you? They could turn you feral also."
"I'll have to take my chances. I've eluded them so far."
Alex didn't like it. While she fitted the baby pack, she tried to conceive a scenario where Catherine could escape with them. "How long to Shadowrise?" she asked.
"An hour or so, but you're right. We can't wait. You and the baby wouldn't be safe even outside. This mountain will swirl with ferals after sundown. If you can take the sunlight, we must move now."
They took only their clothes, Andra and her blanket. Alex remembered one last item. Her stake. They also took Alex's little phial. It was dim now, but still helped.
"Just outside this chamber, we'll go left," said Catherine. "A hundred yards or so, we'll make a hard right down another tunnel that opens into a small cavern. It looks like a dead end, but I know a way out. Stay close, and if you have any problems, speak up. Ready?"
"Go for it."
They slipped through the small opening. Quickly Catherine turned left and started running with Alex right behind, the pale glow from the phial lighting their way. Alex heard shouting and rapid footsteps back toward the cavern. They'd been seen.
"Faster," Alex said. "I can keep up."
Catherine went at a full run with Alex still right on her tail. Alex had the baby in the pouch up against her bosom. She could feel the heat from its little body, feel and smell its breath, hear its squeals, cries and laughter as they moved forward. Andra was definitely more active than a normal newborn. Alex wondered how she could be so alert just a few minutes after being born. It must be the vampire colostrum, she thought.
Alex could hear quick footsteps coming up behind, but when they made the turn, they ran smack into two vampires guarding the tunnel. They were Alex's security guards. Catherine stopped so quickly that Alex ran into her.
"Out of our way," said Catherine. "We're on orders from Alu Kard."
"Fraid not," said the big vampire. "Alu told us to hold both of you for him."
"Perhaps we could negotiate." Catherine started to turn back. "I'm not good at the violence thing," she whispered.
"I am," Alex whispered in her ear. "Normal vampires. Not a threat."
Catherine went forward as if resigned to being taken into custody, but then dodged and darted past the first one. He let Catherine go, focused on Alex and the child. Alex spun around, kicked his legs out from under him, and drove her stake through his heart, all in one fluid motion. He spit blood, gurgled and died.
Seeing what just happened, the other vampire turned to run, but Catherine grabbed his arm, held him back. Then he turned on her, shoved her up against the wall, and would have broken her neck, but Alex kicked him in the side and knocked him to the ground. Instantly she was on him and again drove her stake through the heart. She waited to make sure he was dead. "Some security force," she said. She hated killing these normal vampires, but they'd chosen sides and soon would have been made feral.
"Wow!" said Catherine. "You are good, aren't you?" She looked into the large chamber, and they started forward. But as they entered, three more vampires, ferals this time, blocked their way.
Alex loosened her pack straps, and handed little Andra to Catherine. "Carry her," Alex said. "I can take these guys, too."
"They're feral, Alex. They'll turn you."
"You're going to have to trust me on this," said Alex.
Catherine took Andra and cowered in the background.
Alex stepped forward. "Come on guys. Let's do this."
The female feral stepped forward. "We're going to eat you like a kosher sausage," she said. "From both ends and the middle."
Alex walked into them. The female grabbed Alex's arm, and Alex threw her off to the side crashing among the stalagmites. But the two male vampires were on her immediately, and their aim was her neck. Alex didn't struggle as the first bit into her, and while she allowed him to suck the other held her still, not realizing that Alex had just driven her stake through his heart. He slumped to the ground dead. The other feral stopped sucking, started choking and stumbled backward. His skin started scintillating, as had Braxton's, and he screamed as his flesh turned to cinders on his bones and he too crumpled to the ground, dead.
"What did you do to him?" asked Catherine, astonished. "Who are you?"
"Someone special turned me," said Alex.
They heard more ferals enter the chamber.
"Quickly," said Catherine, handing Andra back to Alex and leading the way forward. They zigzagged through the stalagmites to a wall with a seam that they squeezed through. They were out of sight for now, but heard the chamber quickly fill with ferals.
Alex peeked back inside and saw a huge bat-like shadow flitting along the walls of the cavern. They heard voices.
"Who is it?" asked Catherine.
"Alu Kard. I should have killed the female. She knows where we are."
They ran another twenty yards to the exit. The light before them was blinding.
"This is as far as I can go," said Catherine. "You're on your own."
"They'll be here any second," said Alex. "Alu will kill you."
"Maybe not. We have a history. He'll take pity."
"He's feral, you won't live two seconds."
"I won't last much longer in sunlight."
Alex knew what she had to do. "I know another way, one where you can walk out with us."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you want to remain a vampire?"
"I don't know. What would I be, if not a vampire?"
"Human again," said Alex.
"I don't follow you."
"Do you trust me? Can you trust me, Catherine?"
"Well, yes. I believe so."
"Then bite me."
"What? Your blood just torched a vampire."
"He was feral. Listen!" She heard voices back in the cavern. "They just found this tunnel. Alu's coming. Suck my blood, Catherine. If you want to live, bite me."
Catherine hesitated.
"Quick! Do it now."
Catherine leaned over the baby and put her mouth to Alex's throat. "This seems so... well, incestuous."
"Just do it."
Alex felt Catherine's teeth break her skin and the blood flow. Catherine made soft gurgling noises, and then stopped. Her eyes opened wide, and she caught her breath. "Oh my God!" she said. "Oh! My! God!" She had tears in her eyes.
Alex said, "I can resurrect the Undead. That is my gift."
Together, Alex and Catherine stepped out into blinding sunlight. They heard a screech that shook the mountainside and turned to look back. Standing in the cave entrance and unable to step outside stood Alu Kard.