Finding Grace: The Guardian Chronicles Book One

Chapter 45. Hurt*

Reaching the entrance to the first level holding cell where rogues, or recently turned Newborns, were housed, Tourneau and I communicated silently with our eyes. He sped to the far side of the doorway, pistol at the ready. I waited, my back to the wall where I stood. Tourneau lifted his empty hand and raised one...two...three fingers. We both spun through the door and were greeted by the sight of dozens of humans piled in a far corner. In this room, fluorescent lights flickered ominously, hanging haphazardly from their moorings, as if a tornado had ripped through the room. Blood was splattered on the concrete block walls. A drain had been installed in the room on purpose and now the congealed blood that had found its way to the drain effectively clogged it, causing blood to pool in a shallow pond. The humans' bodies were a tangled mass of naked flesh, torn and bruised, but white in death. What blood wasn't on the floor had fed our enemies. Considering the number of bodies in front of us, the amount of blood on the floor was minimal.

Tourneau stepped up closer to inspect the bodies, carefully skirting the blood.

"Their hearts have been ripped out," he said softly. He looked around at the floor. "There."

I looked to where he pointed and saw a repulsive pile of purple blobs I knew to be hearts. I felt sick. What the Hell were we dealing with? I spun around as I heard a low, evil laugh and the sound of clapping hands. Cursing myself for not paying better attention, I put myself between Tourneau and the pure evil that had just entered the room.

Romley and Rafael were standing shoulder to shoulder in the doorway backed by so many mindless vampires I could not count them. Tourneau came to stand beside me on my left. I welcomed the challenge they brought, as spikes of red and orange flashed from around them in my vision.

"Welcome to Hell, boys! I have been waiting for this day for as long as I can remember. You two are the only things standing in my way now. The Council is done and the Guardians are no more. Except for the two of you. I have been so patient, watching you as the golden boys of the Brethren for almost a century. Well, today all of that will change. I want to introduce you to the new ruling class," Romley said as he stepped aside and ushered in the first of his disgusting horde. "Have fun with my little family, Emil. I made them just for you. My children, time for some fun, kill them for me."

As Romley addressed his contingent of vampires, as he backed out the door.

Rafael's eyes danced with merriment. "May I join in the fun, Master?"

"By all means. I don't know how you could stand it pretending to love that disgusting fag," Romley answered. He had always hated Tourneau, and always threw little digs Tourneau's way whenever we had met in public in the past. I thought perhaps he was trying to cover some of his own inner insecurities. As was his typical fashion, he let someone else do his dirty work. I cursed him as I heard his laughter echo down the hallway.

Rafael joined the ring of vampires that surrounded us. Tourneau and I stood back to back now, about three feet between us, at theready to fight. Despite the fact we were outnumbered ten to one, a thrill ran through me. The muscle memory of battles past had me balanced on the balls of my feet, muscles coiled and ready for the first attack. I heard the double slithery snick of Tourneau unsheathing his swords. On my side were several male vampires and one female. All of them had flat lifeless eyes, as if more than their soul had left them. None of them emitted any colors evidencing an aura. They moved together in unison shuffling on their feet as if controlled by one mind. Suddenly, a male dressed in black leather pants and a white tank top lunged at me, triggering a chain reaction from the rest of the damned creatures. My three blades hit their marks as they began to move. The three targets halted in their tracks as a stunned look identically masked each of their faces. My axe was in my hands next and I swung at the three who had blocked the others progress for a matter of seconds. Their heads bounced to the floor and black blood oozed out of their necks. It was almost comical the way their bodies crumpled to the ground as if they were just sitting down.