In the center of the room, on a throne atop a raised dais built of solid gold, sat a single vampire, watching over it all, his back to them. Around him stood a dozen minions, awaiting his smallest nod.
Sam and Samantha took several steps in, and as they did, the seated vampire spun in his chair and turned to them.
Sam recognized this vampire. He had seen him once before, centuries ago, in New York City. Beneath City Hall. It was their grand leader. The ancient one, who had lived for thousands of years. Rexius.
A shriveled-up old man, his face covered in endless age lines, nearly bald, with white hair and drooping eyes, Rexius sat hunched in his throne, looking down on all of it with satisfaction. Sam could see he was living vicariously through all of it.
Rexius fixed his ancient, pale-blue eyes on Sam, and Sam could feel the evil emanating off of them, aiming right for him. Rexius reached up with his huge, golden staff, banged it several times, and slowly, all the motion in the room stopped. The room gradually quieted, as much as it could amidst the screams and moans.
Sam felt Samantha take his hand, and they walked right through the room, through the crowd of bodies that parted ways, and right up to the dais. They looked up at Rexius, who gazed down at them. He was ancient, inscrutable, and Sam couldn’t tell if he was looking at them with rebuke or approval—or both.
The room quieted, as hundreds of eyes turned to watch the encounter.
“So…” Rexius began slowly, in his deep, gravelly voice, “…the chicken comes home to roost.”
He breathed deeply.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for centuries. I should kill you now, just for making me wait so long.”
Sam was not intimidated; instead, he felt a fresh dose of rage rise up within him. He could tear this man apart. How dare he—or any man—talk to him that way.
“And I should kill you for speaking to me this way,” Sam responded, snarling, beginning to walk forward.
But he felt Samantha’s reassuring hand stop him, hold his shoulder, and he hesitated.
Rexius’ eyes opened wide, as an astonished gasp spread throughout the room. It was apparent that no one spoke to Rexius this way.
During the tense silence, Sam braced himself for an attack.
But suddenly, Rexius threw back his head and roared with laughter.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Rexius said. “Good. Very good. I like your hatred. It rejuvenates me.”
Rexius surveyed Sam, nodding.
“Yes, yes,” he said slowly. “You are truly one of us now, aren’t you? Yes, very good. You will serve us well. You will serve our cause very well indeed.”
He sighed.
“You have arrived not a moment too late,” Rexius continued, his voice booming, echoing off the walls. “Now is a time of great urgency. Other forces are close to the shield. We must stop them. You are the final key to attaining the shield.”
Sam stared back, racking his brain, trying to remember. The shield. He vaguely remembered…there was something about this father…. But it all seemed so hazy now, so far away. And with Kyle’s spirit overwhelming him, and with thoughts of Samantha racing through his head, it was hard for him to think clearly.
“We stand at the precipice of history,” Rexius said. “Now is our moment. If we find the shield before they do, we can dominate all humankind, all vampire kind, forever. There will be nothing but wars and bloodshed and chaos and destruction for all time. It is the moment we have all been dreaming for. For thousands of lifetimes. We are as close as we have ever been. And with you here, there is nothing left to stop us.”
He breathed.
“But, unfortunately, your sister is searching, too. And she is very close. So is her husband. Your sister is the one I most fear, though. She is here, back in time. And she’s aligned herself with powerful people. Even as we speak, she is searching. And she is close. Too close. We must find it before she does!” Rexius suddenly screeched out, slamming his staff against the floor, the veins popping out of his face.
The entire room went silent.
Sam tried to concentrate, to remember all the details. His sister. His father. The shield. Somewhere, deep inside, he thought he detected remnants of feelings. Brotherly love. A desire to protect her.
But these thoughts were confused, muddled by other, new, feelings. Rexius’ words hung in his ears, Kyle’s spirit coursed in his veins, and Samantha squeezed his hand—and he found himself unable to focus, unable to think of anything but destruction.
“There is one other, too,” Rexius continued slowly. “Just as grave a threat to us is this rogue, this rebel named Jesus. He walks about as we speak, preaching his idiotic sermons. We must kill him before he inflicts any more harm. He is the one your sister seeks. And if we don’t reach him in time, they will join forces and find the shield. We cannot let that happen.”
Rexius turned and nodded, and suddenly there stepped forward a single vampire, the only one of them dressed in white. He had long black hair, a long black beard, and large black eyes. They were wide, and glowing with intensity as he stared right at Sam.
“Judas here will infiltrate Jesus’ circle, and will help us bring him down. And then, we will catch your sister.”
Rexius turned to Sam.
“But without you, we can’t find her. Without you, we can’t finish her off.”
Rexius stood from his throne, staring down at Sam.
“Samson of the Blacktide Coven, are you prepared to help us in our cause? Are you prepared to help us find the shield, to help us kill Jesus, and to help us kill your sister?”
Sam stood there, feeling his body shaking, rising with thoughts of violence and destruction. He tried to think clearly, but all he could see in front of him were flames, rising higher and higher. It was a vision he could not shake, as much as he wanted to.
“I will kill anything and anyone in my way,” Sam replied. He stared at Rexius. “I might even kill you, if I choose.”
Rexius stared down at him, and slowly, his surprised look morphed into a smile.
“Exactly the words I longed to hear.”
CHAPTER TEN
As Caitlin and Caleb flew over the Israeli countryside, the sun beginning to set, the sky blending in shades of pink and the temperature finally cooling, Caitlin ran over in her head the inscription on the wall. Caleb had explained it to her, but still, she couldn’t quite process its significance.