The Watchers Wake

Chapter 39 - Judgement Day

This was a portal? 

I felt Scott’s mind drag mine towards focusing on the vampires we had identified.

Instantly these creatures were grabbed by an invisible force.  They fought and screamed and their faces showed their horror.  I watched these five creatures struggle for their lives, struggle against what we had decided, as inch by inch they were pulled towards the breach. 

The first vampire was plunged head first into the void.  He entered one side but did not come out the other.  He simply vanished kicking and thrashing into the surface of the phenomena.  The others followed with screams of terror. 

I dropped my eyes.  I couldn’t watch this. 

Only then did I understand our power.  It was horrible.  And it was made even worse when I saw the quick flash of smug satisfaction course through Scott. 

What had I done?

The portal closed with a sucking sound taking with it the final dying pleas of our victims but not silencing the cries of grief and fear within the hive. 

Natalie, no, we have to do this.

Do we Scott?  Why?

It’s too late for regrets Qaddis, do your job. Adam yelled into my thoughts.  I pushed him back into his pokeball.  I didn’t want him in my head.

The vampires where all shying away from us, so I took the opportunity to see find the others. Aze was in the centre of the room grinning like a Cheshire cat and shining his light at various targets.   Adam and Tur were untying Jari.  In front of him the ceremonial cup was lying on the floor and its thick crimson contents seemed to be soaking into the dirt floor.  Behind us Tur’s boys were still behind us guarding the door. 

I looked up to the vampires.  The one’s that had not fled were regrouping on the ceiling out of range of Aze’s light.

I can’t judge Scott.  I can’t do that again.  I just can’t.

Natalie!  You have to!  This isn’t a game.

You are right Scott, it isn’t a game, and that is why I won’t do this. 

 But I won’t let them hurt you.

We have to find another way.  We have to get Jari out and go.  That’s all we have to do.

“Light the fireworks,” I shouted to Tur’s boys. This was my idea.  Aze had said that they were like cats and distracted by quick movement – what better than fireworks.

The fizz and crackle forced my hands over my ears.  The acrid smell singed my nose and I automatically ducked and moved away from the explosions behind me. I couldn’t look at them.  To bright.  They would burn my eyes. I just had to hope they didn’t set fire to my hair.

Lighting fireworks indoors was a really bad idea.  But it was working.  It was just as well the boys were Egregore and could not be injured by these things. 

 As the bright movements of flares and the sparkling fireworks shot upwards, it did seem to confuse them.   They shied away from the brightness but their eyes were drawn to the movement.  They weren’t looking at us and they weren’t attacking.

Adam and Tur dragged Jari towards the door and we started to edge backwards.

 “No!” Aze grabbed my arm.  “We are not finished here!”

One lone vampire with his eyes shielded to the fireworks, started to sweep down towards us.  He was a young vampire. 

“Qaddis, you must judge them all for what they have done!  None are innocent!”

Natalie, Scott was urging me.

Colours were sparking in all directions.  Jari was unconscious and being dragged, Aze was looking at me insistently, and there was a vampire swooping down on us. 

I had to make a decision fast

Natalie find him guilty!

“Do your job!”

“Qaddis, do it now!”

I let my held breath go.

I released my tension.

I stopped listening to those around me. 

I had to do this.  I had to save Scott. 

We had Jari now we just needed to get out the door, right?

Ignoring everything I made a decision.

I pushed my hands forward and found my light. 

I hit the vampire with a beam in the face.  He screamed and fell his hands protecting his burning face.  But that was all I saw. 

Somewhere next to me I heard furious words being spat in frustration.

But I was lost in my light.  So warm and safe, it was.  Like a soft blanket of love it coated me. 

Scott was pulling me to the door.  I stumbled with him as the light still flooded from me.

Fighting my desire to drown in the light, I instead tried to remember what Aze had taught us.  I focused on the here and now. Slowly, I took control and pulled my light back.  It hurt but I knew I had to do it.

I became aware that Scott was carrying me up the stairs as I finally managed to dull the light. 

There was no mistaking the anger in the men around me.  We burst out into the carpark and turned to face whatever was following us. 

“Do your job Qaddis!” 

“No!  That was wrong!  No, I won’t do that again!”

“You stubborn stupidity will kill us all!” Adam yelled back at me.

“Natalie this was our one chance!  We could have taken them all out in there.  When they come up the stairs you will not hesitate.  Not after what they did to Scott and not after what they did to Jari.  You will Judge them and you will eradicate this infestation for us!”  I could see the fire in Aze’s eyes.  Gone was the relaxed, joking, handsome man.  In front of me stood the effigy of an angel, his face and his body scared and burnt, his wings battered and broken, and his face alive with rage.

I blinked.

In front of me was Aze again. Still looking annoyed but now just his handsome features were corrupted by his anger.

“They are coming!” Adam shouted interrupting our glaring.

I won’t do it Scott.

I know Natalie.

I lifted my hands and prepared to send my light through the door.  Scott stood silent behind me.  I could feel his uncertainty.  Then he stepped up next to me and linked his hands with mine.

I promised you that I would support you.  I love you and I trust you. We do this together.

Adam was swearing and with words that Gordon Ramsay would be impressed with. 

Must be a chief thing, I decided and Scott laughed quietly next to me.

Jari lay on the asphalt still unconscious next to us.  Tur and his boys stood around us and tensed as we felt a cold wind exit the hole in the wall where the door once hung.

We swapped words of love and with our hands linked we waited.

I'm sorry, another cliff hanger... well, I have to give you a reason to come back and read the next chapter... right?

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