Chapter 16: The Dead Don’t Always Stay Dead

  Lamar made two doorways, one that lead to the front of the diner and one that lead to the back. A small group went the front doorway while Lamar, Crystal, and Roberto went to the back one. Serenity gave Lamar and Elle both a set of coms so they can keep in contact with one another.

  “Lamar can you hear me?” He heard Serenity through the earpiece.

  “Yeah, loud and clear, over.”

  “You don’t have to say over fool.”

  “Copy that.” He said and Serenity sighed out of annoyance.

  “Once the fighting in the front starts that’s when you guys are going to make your move for Elle’s car.

  “You guys ready?” Elle said to her group.

  “Define ready?” Daniel joked. Elle rolled her eyes and got ready to open up the doorway. Serenity gave her the all clear there was no one inside the diner all the vampires were still outside, so the wards were still working she thought. The small group of twenty duskers entered the diner. They ranged from all different classes and skill levels, Elle knew this was a suicide mission for most of them, but she had to make a stand, she knew she couldn’t be choosy on who she had to help her.

  “It’s creepily quiet.” Sean whispered.

  “Yeah it is,” Mycal agreed.

  “Serenity what do you see?” Elle asked keying up her com.

  “They are all just standing outside not doing anything.”

  “Can you see the king?”

  “Yeah, he and some other guy are standing next to a black town car towards the road.”

  Elle gestured for Sean and Mycal to follow her outside, while Daniel stayed in the diner with the others ready to back them up. Elle wanted to try talking her way out of this situation, she wanted to spare as much bloodshed as possible.

  She kept some distance between her and the vamps, “do we really have to do this?”

  The king smiled “Not if you give me my son and his little pet.”

  “Not going to happen.” Mycal interjected.

  “Watch your mouth boy.” Jason said to Mycal. They both glared at one another, Mycal was ready to strike but he knew it wasn’t time yet. Elle could practically read Mycal’s mind, she held up a hand to him to keep him from going after Jason. She knew if he tried anything the king would kill him in an instance. She could feel the power of the king radiating off him in these waves that were almost palpable.

  “Why don’t we come to some kind of agreement that we both could be happy with.” Elle suggested.

  “The only thing that would make me happy is you giving me my son. I’m trying to spare your lives here; but you all are willing to risk your lives for a vampire and his human.” The king laughed.

  “No but we would risk our lives for one of are on.” Mycal said, Elle shot him a look. They were trying to keep the fact that Crystal was part dusker a secret.

  “What do you mean one of your own? Are you telling me that girl is a dusker?”

  “It makes some sense; how else would she be able to carry the baby full term like she has been.” Jason said.

  “I thought he might have sired her,” admitted the king. He never thought that a dusker and a vampire could have a baby, but the more he thought about it the more he liked the idea. “Here’s the deal, there is no exceptions to it.”

  “No.” Elle interrupted.

  “No?”

  “No to whatever sideways deal you about to say that is going to be clearly in just your favor.”

  The king was tired of talking he looked at Jason and gave him the nod he was waiting for; Jason cracked his necked and walked forward. Jason was a mage that used magic and potions to enhance his body to be as deadly as a vampire without having the side effects of being a vampire. Mycal handed his axe to Sean who could barely lift it.

  “This thing weighs a ton.” Sean said grunting.

  Mycal ignored him and pushed forward, Elle knew it was no stopping him. Mycal and Jason met up and immediately started exchanging blows back and forth like two titans in a boxing ring going at it as everyone watched on. Even though Jason was enhanced and stronger than Mycal he was still no match for him. Mycal had Jason on the ground, he kicked Jason in the stomach which sent Jason rolling across the ground and hitting the town car causing it to move a few inches. Jason groaned and spat out some blood as he stood up. He wiped the blood from his lips with the back sleeve of his suit jacket.

  “I’ll admit you are good.” Jason said taking off his jacket and laying it on the hood of the town car. Then using his enhanced speed. He went back after Mycal. Mycal threw a wide right hook, but Jason was ready for it, he ducked under the swing getting behind Mycal and wrapped his arms around his waist and suplexed him hard onto the gravel lot.

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  “Damn!” Serenity said.

  “What’s going on?” Lamar asked.

  “Mycal is fighting some guy.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry about that, it’s the perfect time for you guys to get out of here, they are distracted.

  Lamar opened the doorway he made, it led right to back of the diner. Elle’s car was only a few feet away. Crystal was in so much pain, but she was holding it together she just needed to make it to the hospital she kept telling herself. They a break for the car, they only made it a few feet out the door when four very jacked vampires surrounded them.

  “We don’t have time for this, inferno.” Lamar snapped his fingers and all four vampires caught on fire falling to the ground and turning into ash.

  “What was that?” Roberto said astonish.

  “Just something I’ve been working on. It takes a lot out of me, so it’s a one and done for awhile type spell. Let’s get her to the car.”

  “I’m not going to make it.” Crystal now crying.

  “We are almost there my love, just hold on a little longer.”

  “I can’t, the baby is coming.” Roberto picked Crystal up and was now carrying her, she laid her head on his chest crying.

  “I can’t Roberto, please just stop.”

  “We have to get you to the hospital, there is no other choice.”

  “Why have you guys stopped?” Serenity said to Lamar through his earpiece.

  “We ran out of time, the baby’s coming.”

  “Can’t you just teleport her?” Serenity asked.

  “Not right now, it’s to many variables to try and work through.”

  “Madame Chan.”

  “What about her?”

  “I’m fairly certain she is a midwife?”

  “And you thought about that now!” Lamar said frustrated.

  “Just get her inside and I will find Madam Chan.” Serenity ended the communication and ran to find Madam Chan.

  Madam Chan had a small herbal shop in the middle of the market. She was not a dusker but her husband was, they ran this shop together until he passed away from a heart attack five years ago. She was one of the nicest people you’d ever met. She was in her late sixties. A portly woman, with long black hair that came down to the small of her back, she always had a smile on her face. She was really fond of Lamar and the others, she would always call them her grandchildren, she never had any children of her own.

  “Madam Chan we need your help.” Serenity said bursting through the front door out of breath.

  “Now is that anyway to enter someone’s business.” Madam Chan said frowning. She was getting some herbs together and making healing bandages for the duskers that would be fighting.

  “I’m so sorry, but we need your help, there is a lady about to give birth and we can’t get her to a hospital.”

  “Where is she?” Madam Chan leaped into action clearing a space for the expecting mother.

  “They are bringing her now.” As soon as she said that Roberto and Lamar were coming through the door Lamar still carrying Crystal in his arms.

  “Set her down here,” Madam Chan had cleared off a table and Roberto sat her down. He stayed by her side.

  “Should we boil some water and get some clean towels?” Lamar said frantically.

  They all just looked at him like he had two heads or something in his nose.

  “I’m going out front to help the others, Serenity you stay here and give Madam Chan a hand.” Lamar said.

  “You need my help?” Roberto offered.

  “No stay here with Crystal, we should be fine. The sun will be coming up here shortly.”

  Lamar ran out of Madam Chan’s leaving them to deliver the baby. He made his way to the front doorway he made, the diner was empty and it was total chaos out front he could see through the windows, everyone was fighting. Most of the vampires have been taken out and a few of the duskers as well. Shots rang out as Sean took down a vampire, Elle banshee scream pierced through the air. Daniel daggers found a target and Mycal axe took the head off two vampires with one swing. Healing mages were performing healing spells as fast as they could as other duskers fought off vampires. Lamar eager to join the fight ran out the diner. The king noticed him and sent a bloody Jason after him, but before Jason could get even close to Lamar Jason head was now looking behind him at Mycal as his body fell forward.

  Mycal smiled at Lamar, but the smile soon faded as a hand appeared out of his chest. Mycal fell to the ground like a bag of rocks.

  “NNNNOOOOO!” Lamar screamed; the king laughed. The ground begun to shake, dark clouds formed in the air. Lamar eyes were now black as night. The king only seen power like this once before and he knew he needed to get out of there. Lightning begun to strike the ground all around them.

  “Everyone get inside!” Elle yelled over the crackling.

  The king made a dash for it, he was not worried about his town car, but Lamar was not letting him get away he sent a lightning bolt directly towards the king but before it could make contact one of his minions jumped in front of it, the lightning hit and the vampire minion exploded on impact. One after another the vampires jumped in the way to protect their king, until he was out of reach. The handful of vampires that remained charged at Lamar.

  “Inferno!” Like tissue paper catching fire they just disintegrated. Lamar fell to his knees, he was exhausted and just cried. Daniel and Sean came out of the diner by his side, they lifted the gentle giant up off the ground and they all embraced as the tears fell for their brother. Elle came out and walked over to Mycal, stepping over a dead Jason.

  “Boys let’s get him inside.” Working in autopilot they did as Elle said, other duskers that survived came out and picked up other duskers that didn’t and brought them inside as well. They brought Mycal back to Elle’s office and laid him or her desk.

  “This can’t be real.” Daniel said.

  “What do we do now.” Sean asked to no one.

  “We go to war.” Lamar said.

  “We can’t you see what he did to Mycal.” Sean trying to be the voice of reason.

  “All I seen was him kill our brother and then run from like the little bitch he is, if you don’t want to help me that’s fine, I’ll go after him myself.” Lamar stood up. Elle made him sit back down.

  “I know I can’t stop you,” she said as she caressed Mycal’s cheek, “but be smart about this and go prepared. That guy that was with him was a powerful practicing mage, and I’m sure he isn’t the only one he has working for him.

  “Practicing mage not a natural, I’m not worried.”

  “We get you’re an unstoppable fifth class, but you’re not invincible.”

  “This is not what that’s about.” Lamar said defending himself.

  “Then what is it about?” Daniel asked trying to be sympathetic.

  “He killed Mycal, there is no way I’m letting him get away with that.”

  “Like you said earlier he was OUR brother, so instead of you going off all half cocked we make a plan and do this right.” Sean said.

  Lamar reluctantly agreed. Elle, Daniel, and Sean went out to the front to check on the survivors, Lamar stayed with Mycal’s body. Lamar begun to cry again, he placed a hand over the fist size hole in Mycals chest and he closed his eyes. What am I doing he thought, this can’t work, but he tried anyways he tried to heal Mycals wound. But it wasn’t working, so Lamar tried harder. Bright light emanated from his hands; he could feel the wound slowly starting to close. He pushed his powers even harder. The wound closed, he could feel a heartbeat, Mycal eyes sprung open and he gasped for air.

  “I did it.” Lamar laughed he used up so much mana he was utterly depleted, he and Mycal locked eyes right before Lamar passed out.