Invierea Read online

  Invierea

  Bruce T. Jones

  Koehler Books (2014)

  * * *

  ÎNVIEREA

  by Bruce T. Jones

  © Copyright 2014 by Bruce T. Jones

  ISBN 978-1-63393-022-3

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The names, incidents, dialogue, and opinions expressed are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

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  This book is dedicated to my family and friends. If you have ever shared a laugh or a smile, tears or anger, or even a hangover, you have influenced me more than you know.

  To my publisher John and editor Joe, thank you for your patience, wisdom and faith.

  The roads we travel and tales we shared, all go into the creative process that unwinds in the pages that follow, and will follow for years to come.

  I am grateful for the time spent and The Lord for bringing each one of you in my life

  For the memories and those yet to be,

  Thank you.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Journal of the Ursuline Guardians

  27 August 2010

  Final entry

  Învierea, in native Romanian tongue, is The Resurrection. It is the raising of Lazarus, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, and at the Final Judgment, the multitude of our beloved dead. But it can pertain to an unholy curse, an enslaving misery that can only beget darkness … or does it? I have lived a lifetime, serving the affirmations of my ancestors, bearing true witness to the miracles of Învierea, both the good and the evil. It is from this duty, I take my leave, the obligations of my ancestors now fulfilled.

  Daniel Constantine

  Order of the Dragon

  The Old Ursuline Convent

  New Orleans, Louisiana

  CHAPTER ONE

  CAST INTO THE bowels of Hell—Dante’s words so understated my torment. For three days I willed myself to die, but God would not answer, nor did Satan. With each hour I grew weaker, decimated by a lack of the forbidden nutrition my body yearned. Curled up in darkness on the bathroom floor of this vacant room, I was consumed with rage, self-pity, and thoughts of self-destruction. All of my grand plans for a life renewed with Samantha would never come to pass. My fate was sealed.

  There had been many opportunities for the Reaper to claim me. Cheating death, this retribution was cruel beyond compare. I deserved this fate, but Samantha did not. Why must she suffer love’s callous heartbreak again? Not knowing what evil I was capable of, I could not trust my ability to control this growing, unrelenting appetite. For her safety, I could never see her again.

  Renaldo had given me the key to this room two days ago. In the process of being refurbished, the workers were not scheduled to return for another week. Laying in the dust and scraps of construction debris, feebly, I battled to repulse blood lust. Into the darkness of night I would venture for quarry, but first I needed to seek out Daniel. After nearly fifty years of attending to the vampires of the convent, surely he could help supply the sustenance I required.

  Secondly, I would track down those responsible for my hideous transformation and finish my work. Then, when all was done, I would decide how to end my own miserable existence.

  My senses of smell, hearing, and vision were intoxicatingly keen. I pushed my key card into the lock of my original room, returning to the scene of now bitter memories.

  Before the door opened, I sensed I was not alone.

  “Good evening, Mitch.”

  “How’d you know I was here?” Lacking the stealth he desired, his voice was tempered with disappointment. “Renaldo tip you off?”

  I should have been happier to see Mitch. After all, it’s rare having a seasoned cop on your side while committing murder. True, arresting me at the Chamber proved to be a rocky start, but once convinced of the lethal blood-sucking tendencies of our adversaries, his assistance with the NOPD and Sam proved invaluable. “I have not seen Renaldo in two days,” I replied wearily.

  “Where in the hell did you disappear to? We’ve seen no signs of the others. Did you kill them without me?”

  “No, I have not seen them, and I have been just down the hall the entire time. The million dollar question you’re about to ask is why.” I walked to the dresser and tossed the contents of my pockets on it. “How long have you been waiting?”

  “About six hours. I was determined to find you. Your boy in the lobby, I don’t think I could have beat the information out of him,” Mitch smiled. “Fortunately, I know a certain lady that was more than eager to assist in locating you.”

  “Please don’t tell me she is back in New Orleans.”

  “No, she’s still safe in New York. What the hell’s wrong? You look like shit.”

  I pushed past Mitch and stared through the window. I knew I had to return to the world outside. “Something has gone wrong, Mitch. Horribly wrong.” I glanced to him, as he searched my expression for a clue. “I do not know how … but I am one of them now. I am a vampire.” The words rolled off my lips all too easily, lacking any apparent anguish.

  “You’re kidding … right?” Mitch nervously smiled.

  “Look at me. Does this look like I am kidding?” I pointed to my face, directing him to study the image surely altered by the newborn evil within.

  Mitch studied my appearance, then tensed as he saw … something. “How? When?”

  “I blacked out after I killed Monique. It must have happened then. But as far as I can tell, she never drank my blood, and I do not recall drinking hers. I don’t know how I became …” The repeated confession proved to be too painful to vocalize.

  “Are you sure?”

  I walked back to the dresser. “Come here.” I waved him towards me.

  Mitch looked uneasy. Having seen the viciousness we were capable of, I did not blame him.

  “It’s okay, Mitch, if I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead.” As we gazed into the mirror I held onto a fading hope; two familiar faces would be looking back.

&
nbsp; “Holy shit,” Mitch exclaimed as he waved his hand in front, and then behind me, observing the anomaly with fascination. He turned and poked me in the arm, while watching in the mirror. “Damn Brian, what in the hell are we supposed to do now?”

  “I need to … feed … then I need answers, then retribution. Then you will have to finish me.”

  “Finish you?”

  “Yes, you know what I am saying. I cannot be left like this.” I knew Mitch was going to have a problem with the concept, but at this point, he was the first person I thought capable of actually completing the task.

  “You’ll forgive me if I seem less than enthusiastic, at the moment. You don’t seem so evil to me, yet.”

  “Yes, I know. But keep the yet in mind.”

  “I’ll think about it, if you promise to do me a huge favor,” Mitch said as he stepped back and studied my familiar attributes. “Let me know if you start feeling hungry,” he smiled uneasily.

  “Mitch, I am incredibly hungry.”

  “What can I get you?”

  “How about some O negative?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Forgive me if I refuse to acknowledge that request, in fact, I’m going to pretend like I never heard it,” Mitch said, shaking his head.

  “You do that Mitch.” I stepped away from the mirror scoffing, “I can only assume I need to clean up a little. Mirrors are pretty damn useless now.”

  “You have looked better, my friend, or should that be ‘my fiend’?”

  I hissed at Mitch, revealing my canines. “You are killing me, Mitch.” I opened the drawer and pulled out some jeans. “Oh never mind, I forgot. I am already dead.”

  We both grinned and tensions eased. “Seeing as how you are refusing to pick me up some dinner, I could use your help with something else.”

  “Name it.”

  “Find Isabelle. Have her bring what I need to their secret playhouse. Make sure she understands it is not an option. Maybe she can shed some knowledge as to how this happened to me as well.”

  “I don’t think she will voluntarily acknowledge the existence of said nutrition or the location of their secret crib. We’ve raided the Chamber over the years, and have never found one single drop. Doing so would confirm our suspicions, and she knows that would eventually lead to us close down their clubhouse.”

  “Try your best, Mitch, but don’t tell her what it’s all about. With or without the blood, I need her there.” I picked up my cell phone and scrolled through the missed calls.

  “You might want to call that pretty lady and those friends of yours. They’re really worried.” Mitch had his hand on the doorknob to leave. “Brian, get yourself cleaned up, you look, and worse yet, smell like one of the homeless right now. And that pains me more than knowing what happened to you.”

  I flashed a crooked smile. “Hey Mitch, if the dispatcher calls about a Red Cross break-in, how about taking care of it buddy. I’m ready to bite the first …”

  “Don’t even think about it. We’ll hook up after I have corralled Isabelle. I’ll get you what you need. Last thing I need is you committing any more crimes. That will only make more work for me.”

  Leaving the door slightly ajar, Mitch left me in a somewhat better mindset than I had arrived in.

  I gazed at my phone. Samantha, Phillip, and Jimmy had all called, multiple times. Jimmy would be first, as he and Chuck would be instrumental in completing clean-up duty. As for Samantha and Phillip, I was ill prepared to speak with either, if I chose to speak with them at all. What could I possibly say but goodbye?

  CHAPTER TWO

  I CALLED JIMMY while en route to the Old Ursuline Convent to find Daniel.

  The call could have gone better. He and Chuck were pissed off over my disappearance. Jimmy sounded relieved, but he was not about to concede it. I did not elaborate, other than I would meet them at Crawdads at twenty-three hundred.

  Having discovered it painful to tread before the sacred symbols of the Ursuline Convent, I was forced to leave a phone message for Daniel. Would he receive it, or respond to my request? I didn’t know. But I knew I would have to adapt to my newfound limitations, and I needed help.

  Passing through the French Quarter, scents I once found appealing no longer aroused my desires. The variety of rhythms, which previously blended, were now isolated, down to a single stroke of a guitar string. I could pinpoint the origins of conversations deep inside crowded bars. The night had a new brilliance, the darkness exploding in hues previously undetectable. These phenomena occurred in microseconds, previously impossible to fathom, much less comprehend.

  As I traversed Bourbon Street, one element was painfully absent; the presence of another of my kind. They were gone. Quite possibly, Chuck and Jimmy had completed our mission. A more somber thought: The remaining vampires had fled from New Orleans. Either way, I could send Chuck and Jimmy packing. With Samantha safely in New York, there was nothing more to lose. Gone was my anxiety; no loved ones or innocents to suffer my foolishness and fate. Approaching the safe house, I spotted Daniel standing a block away. Once he recognized me, he approached.

  “Daniel, I am glad to see you got the message. It is good to see you again.”

  “Likewise,” he said, as he extended his hand. “I have missed you over the past few days.”

  Extending mine out to greet him, he withdrew his hand and stepped back. “Apparently all is not well with you.” His hand retreated into his trademark Armani sport coat.

  “Please don’t. I mean you no harm.” Obviously he could sense the curse and was preparing to defend himself. “All is not well, and for that, I am prepared to die. But first, I need answers.”

  “Then you are as I suspect, one of the undead?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did this happen?”

  “I don’t know. Three nights ago, before I killed Monique, she drugged me with something. It burned inside with excruciating pain. I was so disoriented, but never passed out. She never drank my blood—unless she drank it through some kind of telepathic osmosis. I have no bite marks, anywhere. Believe me, I checked.”

  “How did you kill her?” Daniel stepped cautiously forward.

  “She took me to an abandoned house. We had sex,” I explained, images flashing like a broken movie reel.

  Daniel cut his eyes in a glare of disapproval.

  “I was drugged. I would never have done it otherwise. I was completely under her powers. But somehow, when she tried to bite me, I overpowered her and killed her with my bare hands and maybe, my teeth … I think.”

  “Did you drink her blood?”

  “Drink no, swallow … maybe. When I defended myself, I think I may have bitten her neck, attempting to sever an artery.” Justifying my actions, I foolishly hoped he would tell me it was okay, just a temporary thing. Something a transfusion would fix.

  “Vampires use their own blood for two purposes. The first is mind control. She must have had you ingest her blood at some point. When did you first begin to feel ill?”

  “In the bar, I let her have some of my drink. She must have spiked it then, shortly after the burning set in.”

  “I am unaware of any painful effects. Usually, the victim becomes acutely susceptible to the vampire’s will for several days. In larger doses, the effects can last for weeks or months and sometimes, bring on complete madness.” Daniel paused, allowing me to absorb his wisdom. “The other purpose is to turn its victim into the undead. But to succeed in the process, the victim’s blood must be drained to the point of death. I am thinking you probably would have remembered such an event. Unlike simple ingestion, as I told you before, this process is most painful.”

  “Is that it?” My disappointment was obvious.

  “It is all I know,” Daniel said “But a book exists, The Journal of the Ursuline Guardians. It’s locked away in the Convent. It contains much history surrounding the ten women. We have no need for it anymore. The book is yours; there you may find the answers within its pages.”


  I turned my head away, distraught with my predicament.

  “Do not be downcast. All is as it was meant to be. Remain true to your purpose.”

  My expression did not convince Daniel I was onboard with his optimism. “Have you located the remaining four?”

  “No, I was hoping you would tell me they were dead,” he replied. Daniel added more rain on my parade. “If they are, I am unaware of it.”

  “Great! They are gone, and I am … I am a fucking vampire. And you want me to believe this was God’s grand design for my life.”

  “You walked the steps that led you down this path. At any time, if this was not your destiny, God would have intervened. The fact we are here is all part of a scheme too divine for either of us to comprehend. Monique’s death could not have been accomplished by just any ordinary man. You must look past your own perception of circumstances, and forge ahead with the task that is of your own making. In that journey you will answer the call of your purpose, my friend.”

  “Play the hand you are dealt. Always comes down to that, doesn’t it?”

  Daniel nodded, confident I would follow through with my mission.

  “You will bring the book to me?”

  “I will leave it with Renaldo, at the front desk,” he said.

  “Is there anyone in this town you do not know?”

  “I do not know Samantha, yet,” he confessed. Daniel turned to leave.

  “Daniel?”

  “Yes,” he replied, turning back.

  “I don’t suppose you might know where an average guy with a drinking problem might find a little type A?”

  “As a matter of fact, I had not thought about disposing of the Convent’s supply, just yet. Do you know of someone that might be in need?”

  “Possibly.” I pulled the office key out of my pocket. “There is a fridge inside.” Daniel snared the key with cobra-like reflexes. “Just leave the key inside, I have a spare.”

  Daniel hesitated as he began to leave. “Brian, I know God’s purpose, although shrouded in mystery, will ultimately reveal goodness in the end, when all has come to pass.”