Anything For Rachel – Episode 38

#Episode_38

 

 

 

 

I had desperately hoped we’d be able to find the man, then we could get information from him to bring down the rebel force even faster, thus keeping Rose in the clear and safe to go and live with Logan.

 

I turned to walk to the door, but Patrick called back to us.

 

“One of the men wasn’t here.” He told Calvin, and I started to turn back to face them, but the kitchen door swung open and the man we had been looking for walked in, looking down at his phone.

 

 

“You.” I whispered, and he shot his eyes up, looking shocked to see me and Calvin here.

 

He cursed, then threw his bag at me roughly with enough force to knock me off my feet and he bolted from the room, Calvin flying out right behind him.

 

“Are you alright?” Patrick asked as he and Octavia helped me from the floor.

 

“Go!” I shouted at them. “Go help catch him!”

 

Octavia made sure I was steady on my feet before they both disappeared as well. I looked around at the room full of vampire strangers, and I shook slightly when I noticed so many of them with darkening eyes. I felt something run down my arm and I glanced down to see one fat drop of blood roll from my elbow down my forearm and drip off of my hand, sailing down to splat loudly against the stone floor in the silence around me.

 

What Calvin had been saying about a severely low blood supply echoed around in my head as I stood very human in the middle of this room with a bloody sore on my arm. I swallowed hard as I backed slowly out of the room, the door swinging shut in front of me. I covered the spot and broke out into a run up the hall. I knew I needed to call for a guard, but I feared how hungry that guard might be when he found me, so I ran on alone.

 

I pulled my hand back to see if the bleeding had stopped, but instead I found my hand covered in the scarlet red of my warm blood. My stomach was cramping from running so fast and I doubled over trying to pull precious air into my lungs as I got onto the elevator.

 

“Majesty, you’re hurt.” Cromley gasped when the doors opened on level six.

 

Two other guards were by the doors and both of them dropped into a crouching position and snarled at me with black eyes. Cromley spun around with lightning speed and dropped the closest man to the ground. “Run, Rachel!” He yelled. “Get into the room and lock the door!” He shouted as he grappled with the second man. “Don’t let anyone but Calvin in!”

 

 

I rushed by them, one of the men nearly grabbing my ankle before I hopped out of the way. I fumbled with the key at the door with my hands shaking and the snarls and gurgling noises coming from behind me. Finally I turned the lock and pushed into the room, fidgeting the key back out of the lock and seeing Cromley being overpowered by the other two as I got it free and slammed the door shut, sliding the lock back home again.

 

I ran into the living room and grabbed the pager from the table and called a 9-1-1 into Octavia and Calvin before I rushed into the bathroom and began washing off my hands and arm. I dripped blood all over the white sink and tub, but I tried to clean it up as I went.

 

I covered the wound with a towel when I heard banging on the door.

 

“Whose there?” I yelled shakily.

 

“It’s me and Octavia!” Calvin shouted back.

 

I looked back at my arm for a moment with my hand on the lock. “I’m bleeding, Calvin.”

 

“I’ll stay out here.” He said with a strained voice. “Octavia can come help you.”

 

I unlocked the door and cracked it open, letting Octavia creep in.

 

I peeked out and I could see Calvin doubled over, leaning against the other door, and a pair of men’s legs stretched out in front of my door. “Go.” Calvin muttered through gritted teeth. “Let her clean you up.” He whispered.

 

I shut the door and followed Octavia into the bathroom again and she quickly got the bleeding to stop and ripped off a piece of her t-shirt to use as a bandage around it. “It’s alright.” She sighed.

 

“It’s just a deep scrape.”

 

“I know.” I muttered. “I just couldn’t get the bleeding to stop.”

 

 

Octavia’s usually easy going face looked strained. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Did you lose him?”

 

“No.” She shook her head, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. “We caught him, but he’s a sick bastard.” She snarled. “I don’t think we’ll be able to get him to talk. He’d rather die.”

 

“So he’s a dead end?”

 

“Looks like it.”

 

I huffed agitatedly. “Dammit.” I said under my breath. “Can’t we catch a freaking break?”

 

Octavia put her hand on my shoulder. “Finish cleaning up the blood.” She sighed. “I’ll go let Calvin in.”

 

I followed her direction, making sure that every trace of it was gone, then going back over it with bleach before I met them both out in the living room.

 

Calvin came to me, wrapping me in a hug. “We shouldn’t have all left you.” He whispered.

 

“I’m fine.” I promised. “It was just a cut, and I wanted you to catch that asshole anyway.”

 

“Lot of good that did us.” Calvin frowned.

 

I nodded. “We’ll just have to keep trying to get him to talk.” I said after a minute. “Is Cromley…?”

 

Calvin shook his head. “No, he’s alright.” He assured me. “Small injuries, and the other two are alright too.” He said. “I’ve sent them all to feed.” Calvin said, his own eyes darkening slightly even at the mention of it. “I shouldn’t have let your guards go hungry for so long.”

 

 

“Speaking of going hungry,” I pointed out. “I’m fine, so you need to go eat.” I told him.

 

“I’ll stay with her.” Octavia added and I smiled up at Calvin reassuringly.

 

He looked conflicted, but finally he gave in, leaning down to kiss me quickly. “I’ll be right back.” He told me, then walked to the door.

 

He pulled it open and came face to face with Cromley.

 

“Majesties.” Cromley whispered in horror, his eyes wide, and his shoulders slumped forward, something very strange for him.

 

Octavia and I stepped closer behind Calvin, looking at the grave look on Cromley’s face. My mind ran wild, and my heart thudded loudly as I held my breath.

 

“What’s happened?” Calvin demanded, his voice higher than usual.

 

Cromley shook his head. “It’s back.” He muttered. “I don’t know how, but it is.”

 

“What?” I asked, but the looks on their faces told me it was something very bad.

 

“Please don’t tell me….” Calvin whispered, putting his hands on both sides of the

 

doorframe and leaning forward helplessly.

 

“What’s back?” He asked him.

 

“The Lamia Mortem.” He whispered lowly, a shake in his voice.

 

“It’s already killed.”

 

Calvin shook his head back and forth slowly, his eyes squeezed shut and his face crumpled. “How many?” He whispered. “How many have already been affected?”

 

Cromley looked down at the ground. “Fifty already dead.” He said. “Dozens more falling ill by the minute.”

 

 

I turned to look at Octavia and I saw the fat tears in her eyes and her mouth hanging open. She looked over to me desperately, then back to the men. “I don’t understand.” She whispered. “How is it spreading so quickly?”

 

Calvin pushed himself away from the doorway and turned around, yelling loudly as he yanked his hands through his hair.

 

“Dammit!” He screamed. “God dammit!” He cursed, flipping the dining table to his right like it was a feather and sending it flying across the room where it splintered off against the wall. “The blood!” He snarled. “It was all connected! This was the plan!” He turned to Octavia.

 

“What are you talking about?” She asked him, putting her hands on her hips and breathing heavily while Cromley stayed frozen in the doorway.

 

“Our sudden loss in blood supply?” He said. “Someone was purposely getting rid of it, knowing we’d have to ask England to supply us!” He shouted. “The Lamia Mortem is in the blood!

 

They sent us poisoned blood!”

 

Octavia’s eyes searched Calvin’s. “Oh my god.” She whispered.

 

“The people have been hungry…they’ve swarmed the new blood.”

 

“They’re all going to die.” Calvin muttered plainly. “Probably everyone in Castrum de Petra.”

 

Calvin turned to look at me, his eyes scanning my face, looking at me like he may never be able to do it again.

 

“That metaphorical dagger over my head just dropped, didn’t it?” I whispered.

 

“It’s dropped on all of us, Rachel.”

 

“Someone please explain to me what the hell is going on now?” I groaned. I could tell by the looks on their faces that this was a real impending doom, not just the doom that always felt impending. This is obviously the real deal. Never have I ever seen such fear on Calvin’s perfect features. “What’s happened?”

 

 

Calvin dropped down to his knees and Octavia walked clumsily to the couch and sat down, her face expressionless as she stared forward at the black TV screen ahead of her.

 

“Rachel.” Calvin whispered. “I don’t know what to do.” His voice broke and I felt like I was seeing that break in his spirit as well.

 

All of the pressures, all of the pain, it was crushing him now. I dropped down beside him and pulled his face over to my chest and he clung to me as he breathed heavily. “What do I do?” He said weakly. “Our people…”

 

I stroked his hair and Cromley came in closing the door behind him and leaned against the wall, putting his hands on his knees.

 

“I need to understand what’s happened first before I can help you.” I told him and he sighed, unable to speak.

 

I glanced up at Cromley and he shook his head to me.

 

“Majesty…It’s very bad.” He said. “The Lamia Mortem,” He whispered it, like even speaking it out loud could have catastrophic repercussions. “It’s a sickness that spreads very quickly through vampires.”

 

“A sickness?” I said confused. I’d never given any thought to there being anyway to weaken a vampire other than the juniper and killing them.

 

“It’s practically the plague, or even mad cow disease.” Cromley explained. “Years ago, during the witch trials, there were hunters looking for us as well, we just weren’t as publically known because so few humans ever lived to tell the tale if they met our kind.” He muttered in a monotone. “Somehow, a doctor who was obsessed with proving our existence came up with a new virus. When we’re bitten, we are basically infected with the chemical that merges with our blood, and destroys it, replacing it with the vampire blood virus.”

 

“So being a vampire is a virus?” I asked and Calvin nodded against me and leaned back to look at me, his eyes distant.

 

 

“In a lot of ways.” He sighed. “The bite, plus the release of our saliva into the wound, is what passes the infection from one to another.” He explained.

 

“Right.” Cromley nodded. “So since our very existence is in fact a type of viral change, this doctor/hunter, was able to manufacture a new virus that is able to infect even our blood.” He said. “In a human, it would go unnoticed, which is why the doctor infected residents of his town with the virus without them knowing, and then all he had to do was wait to test out his theory. There was a small coven traveling the area at the time, and when they fed on the residents of this doctor’s town, they fell ill, and the doctor was able to prove our existence.”

 

“Unlucky for him, the king had the entire town, plus the surrounding ones massacred, including the doctor, and eventually the virus worked its way out and there hasn’t been a case in so many years.” Octavia chimed in from the couch.

 

I shivered at the thought of a sickness that could weaken, and even kill Calvin. I could also picture the little old town, and the people all being murdered to protect his kind. “So how has it come back now?” I asked.

 

Calvin put his hands up into his hair and fisted it between his fingers. “The rebels.” He muttered. “They are obviously dead set in putting my reign in complete and utter disarray. They are making me look weak and unprepared, and honestly, I am. I never saw something of this scale coming, especially not from such a small group. These rebels are obviously much more together and ready than we ever gave them credit for.” Calvin stared passed me at the wall across the room that was still smeared in his dried blood. “Someone recreated the virus, and now they’ve let it loose in the capitol.”

 

“What are they thinking though?” I asked, yanking my own hair up into a messy bun to get it out of my face. “Won’t they risk being infected too?”

 

Calvin looked almost hopeful for a second as he glanced at me, and then his shoulders slumped and he shook his head. “No.” He huffed. “Because they know that I’ll have to lockdown Castrum in order to prevent the spread.”

 

“Lockdown?” I shuttered.

 

 

Calvin rubbed my arm and tried to put on a brave face. “Don’t worry.” He said. “I’m moving you to the cabin before I make the announcement.”

 

“And you?” I demanded.

 

He furrowed his brows at me. “Me?” He asked.

 

I leaned back on my hands and stood myself up. “Don’t be so obtuse, Calvin.” I rolled my eyes. “This is a vampire disease that has been released here. One that has already killed people.” I pointed out. “You can’t stay here either.”

 

“She’s right.” Cromley agreed.

 

Calvin stood in front of both of us and he rubbed his jaw. “I couldn’t possibly abandon my people.” He said softly.

 

Octavia dashed over and she hit him in the shoulder. “Don’t be stupid.” She demanded and I wanted to give her a high five. “The king’s life is always more important, no matter how backwards it may seem.” She said. “You know the first thing that should be done is to remove the royal family from the threat, and then lockdown the infected area.”

 

I looked over at Calvin with a hopeful look in my eyes, but he still looked conflicted as he watched my face carefully. “Please, Calvin.” I begged. “You can’t put yourself at risk.”

 

“Fine.” He gave in, shaking his head. I could tell it felt wrong to him to be leaving his people in a crisis, but it isn’t even like he’s really leaving. “No one can know where we are.” He said to Octavia and Cromley. “Octavia, you know how to use the cameras and make broadcasts, so you need to stay with us as well, so that we can stay in contact with our people to prevent riots. They need to think we’re still here.”

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“We will still be here.” I reminded him. “It isn’t like we are just taking off, Calvin.” I said soothingly. “I know this is difficult, but like Octavia said, the first thing to do is get you to safety.”

 

 

 

To_be_Continued

 

 

ANYTHING FOR RACHEL