Chapter Fourteen

Joshua sat in his bed intently studying the pages of the books that Christabela had left behind the last time she had come to visit. He hadn't looked for her or tried to contact her in any way and part of him felt guilty for that, but more guilt lied in the fact that he had let himself get too carried away with her. He'd spent the entire first day after the incident on his knees in the church with his rosary in his hands repeating hail mary's over and over. The second day he stayed home letting some of his guilt wash away and noticed the books that Christabela had brought.

Each one contained information on vampires, their rituals, and the vampire slayers who had rid most of them on this earth. He'd noticed that Petradons name had been mentioned a couple of times in each book and he'd found himself lost in the stories and returned to the Book of Nod once again trying to figure out the latin that was written in the last half of the book.

Still unable to decipher much of the words, he found himself frustrated again and tossed the book to the side, leaning his head back against the headboard, running his hands across his face.

"There has to be some way to understand the scriptures." he mumbled to no one but himself, but was startled as anothers voice echoed across his silent room.

"The answers you need can not be found within the pages of those books."

Joshua searched the ill lit room seeking the owner of the voice and gasped as the figure stepped from the darkness and into the soft light that flowed from the lamp sitting on his beside table.

"The answers to the riddle have been given to you already Joshua. Mahared spent years training you and now your time has come."

Joshua stared at the man before him and instead of fear he found himself eager to know more, eager to know how he could help him uncover the secrets that the man insisted he already had the answers too.

McKeer smiled at the startled express that remained on Joshuas face and clamped his hands behind his back pacing the room as he inspected the items around him, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to peek at Joshua, and although he seemed startled, he had to admit that an ounce of fear never crossed the mans eyes. A kindess surrounded him and McKeer could see why he had been chosen, he had deserved it.

Stopping at the dresser positioned directly across and to left of the bed that sat dead center in the room he ran his finger across the small cross that laid atop a bible that was worn from it's years of usage. Picking up the object he turned to Joshua and tossed it across the room watching as the man quickly caught it.

"Christabela has captured your heart......I think it's time you gave her your soul. She needs you, and together you and I must work quickly to save her, before it's too late. This journey is not going to be an easy one Joshua, but you are prepared and only you can complete the riddle."

**

Christopher stood over Japheth as he laid passed out on the cold concrete floor of the lower level room, and folded his arms across his chest as a smirk of satisfaction played at the corners of his mouth.

Joseph had left the two of them alone to rescue Lance from the clutches of Christabela and Christopher had used that moment to use the strength he'd gained from his feeding to break through the chains and attach Japheth, feeding from him, until his powers were completely restored and Japheth was weak from the loss of blood.

It had only taken moments for Japheth's mind to sink into unconsciousness when Christopher pulled his fangs from him and released him letting his body fall to the floor. With a rumbling laughter Christopher left the ancent to fend for himself and in record time, made his way up the black marble staircase to the main floor and into the library grabbing Christabela by the waist and letting Lance's limp body fall to the floor as he pulled her away from him and floated to the far corner holding onto her tightly.

Justin, Joseph, and Laurent fell to their knees next to Lance and grabbed a hold of him pulling him with them as the three backed against the opposite wall from Christopher.

"Let him die." Christopher shouted, and his voice echoed eerily across the room as stakes whizzed about waiting to make one of them it's target.

"He went against me and helped those fucking ancients hide her, he must pay the price."

The three vampires dodged the stakes that flew about them and Laurent rose to her feet holding out her hands as she walked toward Christopher.

"Give her to me Christopher. I know you can hear me. You don't want to harm her."

Laurents body flew across the room as though she'd been picked up and tossed like a rag doll and her side was pierced with a stake as she fell to the floor in a heap and blood poured to the wooden floor as it seeped from the edges of the wound. Christabela watched what was going on around her, but nothing made sense or seemed clear to her. She was bordering on the edge of insanity and though she'd tried to push it away, darkness was consuming more and more of her mind sending a shiver of excitement down her spine the further she slipped.

Lance's blood had been pure pleasure to her and the more she felt his body go limp in her hands the more excitement coursed through her causing her to crave more and more. The fact that she was killing him was exciting to her, and had she not been stopped she would have drained him completely and moved on to the next available body, but that was not what Christopher wanted, or as she discovered the further she slipped to the darkness, it's not what her father wanted.

Joseph looked between Lance and Laurent as Christopher settled his feet to the floor and quietly called out to McKeer for help. Although he knew that McKeer had to be fully aware of what was going on, Joseph still felt the need to hurry him back any way that he could. The coven had seen Christopher angry before, especially the past couple of years with his search for Christabela, but never had they seen him in the state he was in at the moment and Joseph and Justin were confused as to what exactly to do. To kill another coven member was completely wrong unless the leader had ordered the blood hunt, but in this case it was the leader that the blood hunt needed to be called on and with Christabela slipping away Joseph and Justin couldn't make that decision.

His eyes remained on Christopher and Christabela as he inched his way over to where Laurent laid in a heap and spoke to Justin silently as the two of them blocked their minds from those around them.

Force Lance to bite your wrist. Let him drink from you Justin and give him some strength until we can get more to him.

With a slight nod of his head to let Joseph know he heard him, he casually slipped his wrist over Lance's mouth and pressed the flesh against his fangs forcing them to break through the skin and causing blood to dribble into Lance's mouth. Tasting the sweetness of the crimson fluid, Lance weakly latched onto Justins wrist, grabbing a hold of him, and drank more and more of the sweet juices feeling his veins throb as his powers began to pour through him once again.

Laurent flinched as Joseph pulled the large wooden stake from her side, and placed her hands over the gaping wound causing it to heal instantly. A crashing sound caused each of them to turn their attention back to Christopher and Christabela to discover Christopher standing on the ledge of the window looking through his red eyes to each and every member as he clutched Christabela in his arms stretched open his mouth revealing the long pointed fangs as he positioned them above Christabela's neck, but stopped in mid air as the latin words rang loudly through the library.

"EGO exerceo thee , plurimus nequam phasmatis , valde embodiment nostri hostilis , universus phasmatis , universitas legio , in nomen of Jesus Sarcalogos impetro sicco quod effugio is creatura."

Christophers eyes narrowed to small slits as he peered up to Father Chasez and pulled his fangs away from Christabela laughing with an evil roar.

"Fuck you and your catholic powers. You can do nothing to me. Christabela will belong to the sabat and Christopher shall remain in hell forever and you can't stop that you fucking idiot."

Joshua continued with the exorcism, holding his cross into the air as the winds began to blow furiously throughout the room stirring debris around him.

"He Speciality be high thee who has sequence those depress because love height incomplete hope be the cause of love intelligence incomplete love base. Man be high thee , man who compel love multitude , love be convoluted , with love violence."

Laurent stood from the floor with the help of Joseph and moved across the room to take her place next to McKeers side as the two of them began to chant with their minds in an attempt to call back Christabela.

"Do not deny thy darkness, but turn away from the beast that calls upon you. Return to your coven and cast the evil that consumes to the bowels of hell."

Joshua ran to Justin's side helping to lift Lance to his feet and three vampires watched in amazement at the scene that surround them. Glass shattered and voices of evil echoed all around them and their eyes widened as Joshua stepped closer to Christopher lowering his cross and lifting his other hand to reveal a small vile they all assumed to be holy water.

Christabela blinked from the daze she had been cast under and stared down at Joshua as he removed the cap from the vile and slowly she turned her head glancing back to Christopher. Evil seeped through his pores and she reached down squeezing her hands around his arm that held tightly to her waist and watched him carefully as he continued to watch Joshua with cautious eyes, but was unable to hide the nervousness that sounded through his laughter.

"You know of nothing you fool. Holy water is of no use for you and your damned God cannot harm me, in fact" his smile broadening with a touch of evil "Your damned God can't help you."

Christopher lifted his free hand into the air, but his chants were lost in the sounds of the wind and the cracking of glass as it splintered from the windows crashing all around them and Joshua stood his ground glaring into the eyes of Petradon as he remained unharmed by the dark force.

Slowly a smile spread across the faces of the two ancients as Christopher was shocked over Joshua remaining standing on his feet. His powers should have given a hard blow to Joshua, but the man remained unharmed, and without thinking he tossed Christabela to the floor flying from the window seal to stand directly in front of Joshua.

"Stand back Petradon" McKeer's voice boomed and silence suddenly fell around the room as good and evil stood for battle. "That vile in not that of holy water, but of blood so holy that you would turn to dust at the smallest drop. Release Christabela and Christopher from their darkness and return to the bowls of hell where you belong."

Christopher cut only his eyes to McKeer and in one swift move grabbed Joshua by the throat catching him off guard. His hand tightened cutting off Joshuas air supply and his nosed pressed to the other mans as his words hissed through the air.

" I'll see you in hell."