David looked on as Charles packed an army duffel with some maps, a few electronic devices which he

thought included a GPS, several bladed weapons sheathed in leather and a few thermoses and a smaller flask. He

wasn’t as well versed in the modern technology as Charles was and he was almost wary of it and it showed in his

face as Charles eyed him suspiciously.

“Can I help you?”"Where's the fire?"

"I can't tell you, David," Charles didn't even look up.

David had noticed his dear friend become more withdrawn since the last attack by the cult. It wasn'tsomething that severe but he seemed to have taken it harder than the virus. He hadn't seen his friend frightened like

this in ages, but there was something behind the fear and he was sure it was anger.

"Why?"

"Why? Because as soon as you leave this house Ezra will read your thoughts faster than you can put up a

defense. You don't know how persistent she can be when she wants to know something and I've given her goodcause to worry and dig deep. She can't know what I'm doing either. I have to go alone."

"So that is why you had that old mad vampire put that barrier on this house. So that our thoughts were

masked from her. No one can enter but you and I in any form, she must be beside herself with worry. Charles don'tdo that to her."

"Just look after her while I'm gone. If I don't come back in a few days, take care of her until she...." Charles

couldn't finish speaking. Until she either dies or is called back to her original body, whichever came first. He shut

his eyes.

"Wait! What in heaven's name are you going to do?"

"Something I've been meaning to for many years and should have done so decades ago."Ezra tried to gain access to his mind again and tried to at least listen to Charles and David speaking. It was

like listening to static with a word or two coming in clear. Why was he cutting himself off and why was he blocking

her out. She couldn't reach David either, but they were in the same house and she couldn't get into that either. Shefrowned as she tried harder to listen. A message chimed on her phone that a friend sent. "He's been training hard

these last few weeks, he's got a battle plan, I've seen them, and he doesn't expect to come back from this." She

responded with "why?" The friend didn't know. He can't go it alone then.

Ezra located Andros and appeared in front of him.

"And what do I owe this visit to?" He was in an old library, probably in Asia, carefully turning pages that

were thousands of years old."Charles. Do you have time to follow him for a few days?"

Andros looked up, obviously having his attention grabbed, "you sound unusually concerned."Ezra had related the past few weeks to him. Charles' strange behavior, the training, the barriers.

"You think he's after Kaneera?"

"It's a very great possibility. Please don't let him face her alone. If I am wrong, you've wandered for a few

days, you look like you need a walk and some fresh air. If I am right, then he won't survive her alone."

Andros face darkened, "she's dangerous and it's just another reason I have to make another attempt at

ending her once and for all. As much as I'd like to reason with her, even the angels can't so I know there is no hopeleft. Hell, she's even tried to kill you off in this lifetime more than once and blocked the only person who ever really

knew her from retrieving their memories properly. You have my word Ezra, I'll follow Charles. I'll give him this

much, he's a valiant individual. His honor runs just about as deep as my own when it comes to fighting for those heloves."

Ezra smiled briefly, "thank you Andros. I'm in your debt."

"If we succeed in ending Kaneera, consider it paid in full."

Charles embraced David and walked out of the house, closing the door gently behind him. Looking up at

the soft white clouds over the French countryside he prayed that the powers that be would allow him to make itthrough this. He knew where he needed to go and he shut his eyes and pictured the cave opening in the desert area of

Arizona. Opening his eyes, he saw the same sky, only pinpricked by millions of visible stars and planets. It was the

 predawn hours here but the sky was already starting to lighten, he could see the glow. Since Andros had taught him

to travel like this, he had only used it a few times and he still felt dizzy for a few moments afterwards. He kneeleddown and pulled out the small flask from the pack. He stood and unscrewed the cap. He breathed in the crisp and

fresh desert air and took a sip from the flask. He had been slowly collecting blood from her over the past several

months and had stored it for this very purpose. He saw her memories, sometimes he saw things that he never

expected but they all made her more endearing to him. She always liked the little, simple things in life. Her bloodwould give him the boost he needed. He downed the rest in one gulp.

 

"Charles? What is going on?" he heard her voice.

"I love you, Ezra. I have to go. I have to go after her. Don't follow."

"I love you, Charles."

He blocked her out again, he hated doing this. It ripped at his heart and mind as much as it did hers and he

felt sick. His eyes closed, and his mind quiet, he sensed someone approaching him. Turning his head quickly he sawa familiar face in the darkness.

"You know, she knew enough not to let you go alone."

Charles observed Andros sitting quietly not too far from him, "so she sent you.""She was about to come herself."

Charles frowned.

"I jest, she knows that in any form she'd just be a distraction at best and she's not that rash thinking."

"I would have sent her packing if she did," Charles said picking up the bag and starting to head to the

entrance of the cave."She's in your heart, Charles, she knows that and that's some incredible armor and weaponry on its own."

"How so?"

"Your maker, Kaneera, was once loved. Truly loved, like you, like Ezra. Her true love, her maker did loveher as did her human family. After she was made into a blood drinker, just like myself, after a millennia or two she

lost her mind. She stopped speaking and she hunted like a feral animal, disregarding rules, civility and morality. Her

maker, while never making another, gave up looking for Kaneera and trying to reason with her. She slowly began to

realize this and she further descended downward into something of a mix of seething hatred and despair. Nothing

could put that fire out. The time came to hunt her down, to save humanity from her. Once her maker caught her on

his own, but he could not kill her. It would have been a loving act of mercy, considering what she has become now but I digress. He loved her, so he had her locked up in a prison he was positive she could never escape from. She

would just fall into a slumber and hopefully be forgotten in time. Before he took his great sleep he divulged to me all

this, where she was imprisoned and what to do if she escaped. After the angels had been asleep for a few hundredyears, their magic began to weaken on things they had built, including her prison. She escaped and has promised, I

hunted her down and imprisoned her again. This happened a few times since naught A.D. and the last time she broke

out was a few years ago. Each time she breaks free, she sets out to make an army of vampires. You were one of

those she chose for your skill in the military, your nobility and your genius intellect. She wanted generals and

soldiers and that is what she saw in you. She also somehow knew that you'd fall in love with Ezra."

Charles face flashed between hurt, betrayal and anger as he thought about how his maker had used his lovefor Ezra as leverage and how she had tried to outright kill Ezra's almost human body. He kept walking further into

the cave."You have every right to feel that way and I won't tell you not to. Love, Charles, that's what she has lacked

for who knows how long. She doesn't know the meaning of the word at this point and that is our best advantage. I

know it sounds cliché but love can bring out side and abilities within ourselves that we never realized we had before.

It has a powerful magic all its own."

"But Ezra said her maker is alive right now."

"Yes, with little to no memories. He doesn't remember most of who or what he is and he certainly doesn'tremember Kaneera or his deep love for her."

Charles' brow furrowed, "perhaps that's a good thing"

"In any case, Kaneera put a block on the memories of the one person who could love her, who really knewwho she was."

"I had no idea"

The two came upon a narrower part of the cave and both stopped before entering.

"She's down there. I can sense her hostility and her maelstrom of a mind. She knows we are here, and that I

don't like. It's like she's expecting us," Andros said quietly, “grab what you need, leave the rest, I'll take something ifyou need me to.”

Charles removed the blades from the duffle bag, which was now covered in a fine reddish brown dust. He

took one and handed it to Andros, and then stuffed the other two into his belt. He took out both thermoses, which

were filled with the blood he kept at home and tossed one to Andros."We might need this, it's not hers but it's something to get us by."

Andros was still in awe of how Charles lived in the world and how he was so modern compared to most but he had

the strength and wisdom of someone far older. He liked him, he had no doubt and he we reminded of what Ezra saw

in him.

 

They walked easily at first and then they had to turn sidewise and shuffle through the narrow passages,

 pretty soon they were on their hands and knees crawling. Suddenly the tunnel seemed to end, but it dropped down.

Charles grabbed a hold of a solid piece of rock and lowered himself down, it was a larger area but not as large as the

first area of the cave. As he dropped down he heard the sound of crushing bones under his booted feet. As his eyes

adjusted, he saw the ground littered with human bones of all sexes and ages."Human sacrifice?" mumbled Charles.

"Don't look at me for this one, this is far too north of the territory I used to rule over long ago," Andros

 jested, but he had left dozens of caves like this across South America and the Yucatan and places in between.Charles shook it off. The world had been a different place thousands of years ago even from when he was

still human. The world now was almost alien to those times with all of its technology and how little time it took for

someone to discover something out in the middle of nowhere, like this, and report it to the news and authorities..

"Do you hear that?" Andros put a hand on Charles' shoulder.

"Water, and someone is taking a swim. Perhaps there are artifacts hidden here?""Perhaps, but those would come vastly secondary to both of us making it out of here in once piece, my

friend."

Charles looked grim but pressed on down the bone littered hallway. He silently apologized for desecratingtheir remains and for their grisly demise. He felt the spirits around him, they didn't seem to mind he was there.

Andros could hear her heartbeat, she was at the bottom of the pool searching through pottery shards and

other trinkets. He sensed something off about her but he couldn't place it. He also felt Charles' rage building. He had

 been training for this. He had brought weapons and knowledge that might actually make a decent dent in her.

Charles had already been infused with Ezra's blood a few times as well as Andros'. Even with this added strength

Charles still may not stand a chance in hell.

"Kaneera!" Charles shouted so loud the cave walls shed some of their loose rock. The water began to bubble and he felt such a darkness emanating from below. She torpedoed to the surface. The water exploded as she

 broke the surface and it blanketed them and the entire cave. She landed a few feet from him and glared at Charles,

her eyes darker than they usually were. He pulled out the two blades from behind him and sliced both of his arms.

Andros looked on in horror as the blood began to take on a life of its own and coated the blades. Kaneera lunged at

Charles with a guttural growl and he simply made slight contact to her jaw with the hilt of one of the blades and she

went flying. Regaining her balance, she lunged again and swiftly made contact with his chest and as he reeled backwards both blades cut deep gashes in her legs. She screamed in anger and this darkness began to swirl around

her. She reached out her hand and in a blink had it wrapped around his neck. She was heating him up from the insideand he screamed but he lashed at her arm that was holding him and another huge gash opened up. In disbelief she

shot backwards and it was this time that Charles lunged at her. With his left hand he sliced at her midsection and

with the right gave her an uppercut to the jaw that sent her shooting upwards. Andros looked on in wonder at how

strong he was against her. He could see the bruises on Charles already starting to form.

Kaneera hit the ceiling of the cave with a thunderous crack and thousands of tiny shards broke off and fell

as she did. Landing on her feet, she summoned the darkness within her and began to swirl the shards into a deadlytornado of shrapnel. She laughed as the tiny razor sharp rocks sliced into Charles and Andros' flesh, ripping deep

wounds all over. She moved swiftly to Charles who was almost blinded and put both her hands on his chest and

again started to heat him up from the inside. Andros could barely see but he could hear Charles screaming in agony.He used all of his psychic force to fling Kaneera off of Charles and into the wall, which sent more rocks crumbling.

Kaneera rose and found a loose boulder that perhaps weighed close to ten tons. She raised it into the maelstrom and

with all the force she could muster she sent it crashing down on Charles. Andros couldn't blast it away before it

made contact but once it had settled on Charles he shattered it so that the weight wouldn't crush him. The air was

getting darker. He sensed someone other than Kaneera behind some of this. Andros knew then it was a trap. Charleswasn't moving, the blood continuing to pour from the many wounds, his eyes stared out fixated on nothing in

 particular.

Please, no, Andros thought, trying to reach Charles through the maelstrom of flying shards of rock and

 blood. He managed to reach him and simply shielded him with his own body while he thought of how to next proceed. Suddenly the air had changed again, this time it was familiar and soothing. Andros was almost blinded as

she appeared in front of Charles and him, and this light emanating from Ezra did blind Kaneera. Struggling to stand,

Kaneera suddenly was twisted in pain and Andros knew immediately that it was Ezra's doing. She turned to Andros

and he saw her usually peaceful eyes glowing with a fire that he had not seen in thousands of years and it was

 

 because she was staring directly at Charles and his wounds and pain fueled her vengeance. It wasn't even vengeance

she had, it was something less ugly.

"Andros, you cannot kill her or that dark spirit within her will possess one of you. Go, take Charles back to

his house in New Orleans, the one near the park. I will bide your time to leave the area. I'll be there soon, don't

worry."The maelstrom ceased and Andros saw this as an opportunity. He picked up Charles carefully and put him

over his shoulder. A few well placed jumps and he broke his way out into the open. As soon as he reached the fresh

air, he checked Charles' life signs. His breathing was shallow and labored and his heartbeat was faint. Androsthought of that house near the park and suddenly he was at the back door that was well lit. He saw a middle aged

woman moving around inside. It was the same maid he met in France, Greta. He kicked at the door and she came

and opened it, stifling a scream as Andros carried Charles' bloody body in and up the stairs to the master suite.

Andros tore off Charles' bloody shirt and jeans or what was left of them and made sure he was in a

comfortable position on his bed. There was blood pouring out of his wounds and he was beginning to lose the littlecolor he had. Andros felt the room chill and Ezra came and sat on Charles' left side. Her eyes were no longer of

ancient fire but of the peaceful glow they usually were. She had on a cream colored long dress that had a visible

growing blood stain on the left side. None of them escaped unscathed."Thank you, Andros," she reached out and took his hand briefly, she sent a wave of her healing energy into

him so that his own superficial wounds started to heal before the blood even dried.

"No, thank you. You gave us time to escape."

She smiled again and he pointed to her dress, "oh I'll be fine, let's get to work on him, shall we?"

Andros sat down on Charles' right side, bit open his wrist and let his blood drip into his parted lips.

Ezra laid her hands on each side of his head and began repairing the damage to his brain and nerves as well as thefractures to his skull. Andros saw a tear escape her closed eyes and streak her face. She could heal him and restore

him, even like this. She was stronger than she ever had been before in this form.

David was sent a message by Ezra to find Andros' energy signature and to go there. What happened? Hecame to Charles' new house and walked up to the door. He felt a slight shock when he touched the knob. She was

there, he thought as he opened the door and stepped in.

He smelled blood and lots of it. This can't be good, he thought. He saw Greta busying herself in the kitchen and back

where the linens and laundry machines were. She was visibly shaken. He noticed the blood trail leading up the

stairs. He walked slowly up the stairs to the master suite and there were Ezra in her very tangible astral form and

Andros flanking the bloodied and broken Charles. David covered his mouth, he was ready to burst into tears. He wasso angry at himself for letting Charles go on his own.

Ezra turned to him and smiled. She was healing Charles piece by piece and Andros was pumping hisancient blood into Charles. All of them had suffered at least one wound, but the oldest were still standing.

"He's going to be fine, David, " Ezra said softly not looking up. She had confidence in her voice that he

trusted and it reassured him. He would have thought Charles was beyond healing, but he was only a drop in the

 bucket in age compared to the two sitting in front of him. Andros stood up and turned to David, "he put up quite a

fight and he'll be on the mend soon. I know he'll want to venture out before he's healed fully so please put that

 binding spell on this house again, like you did the other one. He'll be upset, but it is for his own good." He waswiping the blood off his hands with a towel.

"I think Greta was getting fresh clothes and linens," Ezra commented, "draw him a bath with something

soothing, get all the blood off him."David watched her hold Charles' hand and stroked his cheek and arm. She noticed under all the blood he was still

wearing his platinum wedding band. They hadn't gotten married yet, David thought, but he wore it so that when he

was out the women would know he was off limits. They should have been by now, but so much had gotten in the

way. She smiled at the small gesture.

Charles' veins burned and he was on fire in every cell. He struggled to open his eyes to see who wasspeaking. She was with him, he felt her hands on him. He squeezed her hand and he opened his eyes to see her

smiling. It was a smile of peaceful relief. She looked different, perhaps almost dying changed his perspective. She

leaned in and kissed him as gently as one would kiss a flower. He wanted to embrace her but he couldn't move.

"Glad you came back to us," Andros said still wiping the blood off his face and neck, " I may commandeeryour shower."

"Thank you, all of you," Charles managed to whisper because it hurt to speak, "I was being stupid and

foolish to go alone."

Charles saw David's back descending the stairs in withdrawal. David was upset and rightly so."Don't worry," Ezra said softly, "he will be back. He's just a little shaken."

 

Charles watched Andros walk out of the room and heard him on the stairs. This gave him a few moments

alone with her.

"Ezra, I am so sorry, you don't deserve this. I put you on a shelf to be protected and in the end you ended up

saving me."

"Don't be sorry, I love you, even if you always want to be my knight in shining armor and protect me. Evenif you are the most stubborn creature on earth."

"I promise things will get better, I know you are suffering and this can't be fair to you at all. I love you

more than I ever thought I could love anyone.""You need to rest. Andros is going to get you cleaned up. I'll just be a thought away and I will talk to you

all night, but I need to rest as well."

Charles reached up and pulled her face down and kissed her passionately. He knew that she was only there

astrally, but it was a decent substitute. He wanted to see her in person, soon. He let her pull away and she faded in

front of him.Andros reentered the room with a large glass of red liquid. It was half blood and half wine, "Drink

up, you need this."

"I need to see her.""You need to let those wounds heal."

Charles glared at Andros.

"Hey, this is coming from her orders, not just mine. I've been where you are. Broken and bloody and near

death. I was much older though, but it still took a very long time for me to get back to full strength."

"How long?"

"Years, but you are stubborn and strong, so you can at least start wandering around in a few days if youdon't push yourself in the sun."

Andros helped Charles sit up and put a glass in his hand, "after you finish this, into the tub you go. The

dried blood look doesn't suit you."Charles appreciated Andros' attempt at humor, even if it was terrible. He smiled and struggled to lift the

glass to his lips. His arms burned and his hand shook. Swallowing even hurt but it was getting easier the more he did

it. The wine seemed to make him happy and the blood was doing its work. He would get through this, after all the

worst was over. He was alive.

Ezra opened her eyes. It was dark and warm. She felt weak and her left side hurt. She rolled over and

started to cry. She blocked her mind as she let out the grief. Dante had broken down when he had seen Charles, butshe needed to be strong. He knew it hit her hard though, she had almost lost him. She slowly regained her

composure and rose out of bed to get some ice water from her kitchen.