The Dark Messiah Read online

  Yet.

  Michael pulled his sword out. Gerry was agitated, angry, hostile…

  All the anger he had inside, pent up with the months, and years of worry.

  Michael looked at the building ahead, maybe forty yards away and back at his companion, when a growl erupted out of Gerry’s throat in anger. A desire to rip apart all that stood between him and his daughter. They could see Jacqueline, her body being dragged out of the building right after the pack Alpha stepped out into the street. She was awake, but was healing and in no shape to do much.

  Michael’s eyes narrowed, and he listened to the heart’s desire in the man, no - the father next to him.

  “Fuck it…” he murmured and switched the sword into his left hand.

  Michael turned and pushed his palm against Gerry’s shoulder, “Take, Gerry, Alpha of the North American Council,” he hissed, his eyes blazing red, “Ravage those ahead of you, protect one last time that which you love more than any other here on this Earth.”

  Michael pushed energy, a conduit from the Etheric through him and into Gerry, the Nanocytes inside Gerry feeding in a frenzy on the power of Michael’s gift…

  And merging it with the fury of the father they were housed within.

  Then, those Weres, who could see the two men, mouths dropped open as the roar of battle echoed one more time from the fables, from the myths…

  From a Pricolici.

  “YOUUUEEEEE DIIIIEEEEE TOONNIIIGHGTTT!” Gerry screamed, fully eight feet tall, eyes blazing yellow orange as he ripped the rags of his clothes off his body. Then, he started running, careless of the danger straight towards Joshua.

  Jacqueline, ignored when the other Weres saw the vampire, crawled against the wall of the building. Her eyes, one good and one half-healed, saw the Dark Messiah and then the man beside him.

  Her father, and she felt shame. Her father had come to the Fallen Lands and left everything behind to find his lost daughter. He had searched until old age had almost taken him. Standing beside the Dark Messiah himself, attacking Weres to save her.

  Then, he changed. Her father wasn’t the Alpha from the past, but rather he was one of the stories he had told. He was Nathan Lowell, he was Peter, he was…

  Coming for her!

  His eyes blazed in anger, in power, in retribution and the destruction of violence he was unleashing fed her soul as the first Weres who had changed were torn apart as easily as wolf cubs might if they got in the way of a mother grizzly bear.

  —

  Michael, sword still in his left hand, pulled out a pistol in his right and casually turned the power to eleven. He was infused with energy left over from pushing so much into Gerry, but the man deserved the chance to go out as he was in life.

  A protector.

  Michael aimed at a window on the third floor and shot once. The window cracked and he felt the life of the one behind it evaporate. He kept walking forward, watching and listening to those around. Allowing Gerry to have the capability he had been missing these last years. The power and ability to return the injustice back to those who hurt others.

  With justice at the end of his claws, and his teeth.

  The first wolf jumped at Gerry’s neck and received a size fifteen or twenty, clawed foot to its chest, cracking its rib cage and booting it the thirty five feet back to the building. Its back cracking as it slammed into the stone siding, it slid down to land in a lump at the bottom, unmoving.

  Michael raised an eyebrow, apparently Gerry was seriously pissed. A Pricolici’s power often had to do with how angry it was. The eight-foot tall Werewolf of legend was screaming obscenities during the decimation of all who came between him and the alpha, Joshua.

  Michael pivoted and shot twice at the Warehouse. One into the opened door where a gun was coming out and once into the metal door next to the opening.

  Two more lives snuffed out.

  One of the wolves, perhaps believing that the vampire behind Gerry was an easier target, had run around Gerry and was now racing towards him. Michael smiled, his fangs growing. “Idiots,” Michael spoke, “you know not who your injustice has called out to.” Michael, hands blazing with speed, holstered his gun and tossed his sword into the air. He reached forward as the wolf jumped at him, jaws gaping huge, teeth ready to tear into him.

  “You should be happy…” Michael told the wolf when he blocked the teeth with a quick arm under its throat, then punched it hard before the claws could do anything. With a bark it flew back, rolling over three to four times across the torn up concrete street, before changing back to a human male. One who clutched at his chest, coughing up blood, “…that I’m in a good mood,” Michael finished.

  Michael put out his hand to catch the sword, then he continued walking. He casually cut off one of the Were’s arms, “Regrow that,” he told the now screaming male as he walked on, “and stay out of the rest of this fight,” he suggested back over his shoulder.

  —

  Gerry felt the power coursing through him, the animal inside of him released, merging his abilities and his anger and he felt like God himself had given him the opportunity to bring justice to those who had harmed his daughter, his baby girl.

  This was it, and he knew what Michael had done. This was his last battle, his last chance and he would be forever grateful to the vampire for allowing this father to bring such violence to those who had dared hurt her.

  He went through those who would stand between him and the Alpha in a destructive orgy of mayhem and pain. Both delivered and occasionally felt, his body regenerating.

  Then Joshua was in front of him, the gun shots hitting him…

  The bastard was shooting him with silver!

  —

  “DIE MOTHERFUCKER!” Joshua yelled, unloading his pistol with the silver shot, “You think I’m not prepared to protect my people? NOT PREPARED TO FIGHT?” He screamed at the Pricolici as his gun unloaded into the chest of the eight-foot-tall monster.

  CLICK CLICK CLICK.

  Joshua looked down in surprise when his pistol refused to fire any more bullets.

  “Iii Wonnnnn’tt waassstte worrdds ooonnnnn yyyouooo!” The Pricolici spit, his long legs bringing him to Joshua, who aimed the gun again.

  CLICK CLICK CLICK.

  “Motherfucker!” Joshua screamed, but then his mouth lost the ability to speak when the clawed hand wrapped around his throat. He grabbed a silver knife but the creature batted it away with its other hand.

  Joshua changed to his wolf form, and the hand still held his wolf throat. But now he had claws and he pulled them up to try and mutilate the beast’s chest.

  “You cocksucking motherfucking asshole!” Joshua heard a woman yell as the silver knife entered his side. “DIE YOURSELF, MOTHERFUCKER, AND LEAVE MY FATHER ALONE!”

  The excruciating pain of the silver knife, fully twelve inches long was too much. His eyes, closing, never noticed he turned back human again when the monster reached forward and stuck claws under his jaw to rip his head from his body.

  —

  “Have you seen that shit?” Izzy asked, peeking out at the fight going on, “that shit ain’t normal!”

  Hank bit his tongue and looked behind them, “He has to dodge the light, right?”

  The other two shrugged.

  “He can’t be this strong in daytime. Fall back and we will do this right.”

  The three humans stepped back into the shadows, waiting for the sun to become their ally.

  —

  Jacqueline cried out when the monster dropped first to one knee, then the other as the blood seeped out of the bullet holes. The beast was now short enough to look into her eyes one more time, she reached out, and enveloped the monster. Hugging it regardless of the blood and gore between the two of them. Her tears washing down the face of the beast.

  Who changed to become her father one last time.

  “Jacqueline,” he coughed out, “my precious, precious daughter…”

  “Father, forgive me, I never beli
eved you,” she cried, rubbing his head, “I never…”

  “Shhhh,” he told her, “Shhhh baby.” He held her tight, the silver in his chest poisoning his system.

  The two of them heard the crunch of Michael’s boots as he stopped beside them, scanning the surroundings.

  “Michael,” Gerry turned to look up at the man, “I give you my daughter, to protect, to teach, will you accept this charge?”

  Michael weighed the commission, “Gerry, where I go there is only danger, there is only death. Justice is the demon inside me.”

  “Then, if she agrees, she will be living in Honor, and she will be Justice’s Vengeance and it will be what it needs to be.” Gerry agreed, his voice soft, his pain evident.

  Michael turned to the young woman, “I don’t live a blessed life, Jacqueline.”

  Her eyes opened, “Oh my God,” she turned back to her father, “him?”

  Her father nodded as she cradled his head, “It’s Himmmm….” His voice, weakened.

  “NOOOO!!!” She cried out, “Can’t you do something?” she begged Michael, rocking back and forth, holding her dad.

  “I have Jacqueline,” Michael answered, softly, “I gave him his heart's desire and it became more than I thought possible.” Michael turned and looked at the building, “I have unfinished business.”

  Her shoulders jerking as she sobbed, Jacqueline held on tightly as Gerry’s arms went limp around her, “Father, why did I not believe you?” she cried, while stroking his hair over and over again.

  Michael pursed his lips. He would have to wait here until she was finished grieving. He would not, could not, leave her behind and she wasn’t ready to leave her Father behind.

  Michael allowed his eyes to glow, his fangs to shine in the night.

  It was a warning to any looking in his direction to stay the hell away, or suffer. He was curious if any would be stupid enough to ignore the only warning he would provide.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The sky was breaking from black to gray as Michael laid the last piece of rock, he had ripped out of the street, onto the cairn for Gerry. Rock being a relative term. In the city, he was actually ripping up huge chunks of concrete.

  Jacqueline had tried to help but realized quickly that her rocks, while huge for humans, didn’t touch the massive rocks Michael was ripping out of the ground, the street or the walls.

  To get the materials he needed, he would crack apart or widen existing cracks in the concrete. Using pipes, hammers and the occasional shot from his pistol he loosened the material to the point that he could grab it.

  The show of strength wasn’t lost on those who were watching. Once Michael had asked Jacqueline to hold his coat and shirt, his muscular shoulders and six-pack stomach weren’t lost on a few, either.

  “Thank you,” she told him when he placed the last rock on the top. He dusted his hands off and reached for his clothes. His shirt first, he carefully buttoned it down before accepting his coat. He had never allowed his pistols to be out of his reach.

  He had allowed her to hold the sword.

  “My future is among the stars, Jacqueline,” he told her as he reached for the sword, which she handed back to him. Then, he turned his head just a bit and handed it back, “These assholes are just stepping on my last nerve.”

  She looked back at him, confused.

  “You know how to use that, right?” He pressed, she nodded. “Good, take it out. It’s silver laced, but our problems are human at the moment.”

  Michael listened as he checked his pistols, turning them down to seven, he didn’t want to possibly hurt others if the loads slammed into walls.

  “Big bald fuck out there isn’t getting out of the way, can’t be so smart as all that,” one of the male voices chuckled.

  Michael ran a tongue around his teeth, trying to contain his temper.

  He looked back over his shoulder to the East, noticing the sun cracking the morning sky and shook his head. They thought the sun would do what, weaken him?

  Michael turned back and noticed Jacqueline, her face nervous, her lower lip in between her teeth.

  He nodded toward the building, “It’s three humans. They are some sort of Vampire Hunters that believe I’m the mother lode.” He explained.

  Her eyes flicked towards the building, “Blood Hounds?” Michael shook his head, not comprehending, “I thought them rumor. Humans who grab Vampires to drain and drink their blood. For medicine and…stuff,” she finally stopped.

  Michael’s eyes narrowed, “Blood bags?” He turned towards the building and started walking, outrage plain on his face.

  “More like Human Forsaken,” he spat out.

  —

  “Ah, Hank?” Calvin called out, “Looks like we got cue-balls attention.”

  Hank brought his AR-15 around from the quick-sling, “Ok, the sun is peaking, let’s see if we can get him to stay out there for a few more minutes.”

  Calvin yelled out, the glass on the door broken sometime during last night’s fight. “Hey!”

  The Vampire stopped in the middle of the street, his arms by his side, staring at the doorway. The three men were behind half-walls or super large planters whose greenery had died decades before, leaving behind the large concrete behemoths.

  The man smiled, “Yes?”

  “Just curious who you might be, seeing how it’s obvious we aren’t going to be friends and all,” Hank called out.

  Izzy snickered behind him.

  “Not sure you’re going to know the name, stranger. But, I’ll play with you three for a few seconds longer,” the vampire agreed.

  “Oh my God!” Calvin whispered, “Jackhole’s intelligence must be affected by the sun!”

  “Please, oh please,” Izzy added, “let him monologue, that would be priceless!”

  Calvin turned to his friend, “What the hell is a monologue?”

  Hank interrupted, “It’s in books, Calvin. The bad guy lays out his plan so the heroes can foil it, now shut up you two!”

  Michael slowed down pushing out the feeling of contentment, the feeling there was nothing to worry about. From the sound of their discussions, it was working.

  Good to know.

  It was time to go back to old faithful as his eyes blazed red.

  —

  Izzy bit down on his tongue. The fear he suddenly experienced, as the eyes of the man in the street started to glow red while he simultaneously grew a set of fangs, was too much! “Hangth!” He called out, his ability to control his muscles compromised, “I juth bit my tongth.”

  “Shut …up and fire!” Hank ground out. Pressing the trigger on his own gun and the three of them shot through the door.

  Not that far away, Jacqueline was forced to duck down behind her father’s cairn, a few bullets ricocheting off the stones. She peeked around the corner, but Michael wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

  She noticed that the window on the second floor above the door was shot out. She gripped her sword and looked around. For now, she needed to keep her head, but soon enough she vowed, she would know enough that she wasn’t just baggage to him. Not be someone who needed to be kept safe when he went out and dealt justice.

  “I promise you, father.” She whispered, her eyes looking around her, “On your grave, I’ll make you proud.” She wiped a tear tracking down her face, “No more,” she spoke aloud, “the time for crying is passed. Gerry’s daughter has grown up!” A bullet pinged off a wall near her, causing her to duck quickly, “And developed a healthy respect for cover,” she added.

  —

  Michael crashed through the remaining pieces of the window as the asshats below fired at shadows. Their ability to resist his fear was annoying, but frankly, it wouldn’t matter in the end. He found the stairs down and opened the staircase door, jumping over the rail to drop to the floor below. His knees bent on landing, then he stood and grabbed the door handle and pulled it open to peek through.

  “Cease fire, cease fire!” Hank called out, stil
l struggling with the impulse to fight or flee. And, fleeing seemed a better choice all the time.

  What had Izzy said earlier? Better to be alive than to be profitable? This seemed like it was going to be one of those fights.

  “Where the fuck is he?” Calvin called out, looking around.

  I’m everywhere. A voice spoke into their heads.