Heart of Ashes

The Backup Plan

Caine enjoyed sitting on the sand with Freya in his arms. She traced the scar on his chest with her finger.

"Why a raven?" she asked.

He smiled, "It's difficult to explain."

"Try?"

He flopped back and put his hands behind his head, "Alright. Well, an elder vampire has two forms. In your case, a humanoid form and a mist form. Mist Walkers don't have a true form because you are shape shifters by nature. Now the rest of the elders, we have a humanoid form and a true form. Vlad for instance became a d..."

A piercing scream penetrated his thoughts and stopped him then someone was calling his name, hysterically. Evelyn had found him or, rather, his body and it wouldn't be long until his spirit crossed back. Evelyn's voice was shortly joined by another, Mercedes.

"Caine," she called him, "Caine, good heavens what have you done to yourself?"

He rolled his eyes and looked at Freya, "A kiss before I go?"

She frowned, "Time already?"

He sighed, "Unfortunately."

She bent forward and kissed him, "Until next time then?"

Caine swallowed, he didn't know if there would be a next time, "Until next time."

"Goodbye, Caine."

"Farewell, my dear."

Caine squeezed his eyes shut and when he opened them again he was lying on the bathroom floor, drenched in blood, with what was left of his family around him.

Evelyn looked genuinely frightened but her fear was soon replaced by anger, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Who me?" he smiled, "I was just... taking a nap."

He saw her jaw clench but before, she could say anything, Mercedes stepped in, "Are you bloody mental?"

He forced his smile to broaden, to the point he looked deranged, "Yes, actually. Now what's happened."

Mercedes put her hands on her hips, "Somebody named Dmitri has been trying to reach you for over half an hour, you remember him don't you, Caine?"

Caine's eyes widened, "Oh damn, what's happened now?"

She held her hand out. In her hand was a sleek, black object. It looked cold and very much like something that, when he touched it, would absorb his soul and devour his time. He reached out and took his cellphone from Mercedes. He pressed the unlock button, a photograph of Freya flickered to life on his screen. He tapped in his pass code and a notification popped up. There were, indeed, thirty two missed calls from a blonde, rugged-type named Dmitri Vasilescu and, as it sat in his hand, began buzzing again. Caine slid his thumb over to the green phone icon and put the device to his ear.

"Dmitri?" he said, "How are you?"

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" the voice of a very flustered Romanian male burst from the speaker, "This is the thirty third time I'm calling!"

Caine waited a moment to reply for he heard the sound of a battle in the background, "Dmitri, what the hell is going on there?"

"Yes..." Caine heard the distinct roar of something going up in flames, "that's why I've been trying to... hold on." Caine held for a minute and fidgeted as he heard the clash of steel then, eventually, a grunt and a loud smack, "The Blood Witches are attacking again."

Caine's eyes widened, "What? That's impossible. I distinctly remember killing more than half of them just a month ago."

"Yes, exactly... Katrina, I thought I told you to lock yourself in the tower... no, I don't bloody think so! Get back up there! Sorry about that, Katrina wants to fight and I told her she shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"She's human... oh f... don't touch me!" another thump and the sound of running footsteps, "Theodore! Get that bloody thing away from me, I'm talking to Caine! Anyway, I don't want Katrina to get bitten."

"Bitten? I thought you said they were Blood Witches, are the werewolves with them again? Traitorous filth."

"No... no! Adrian, take her to the tower! No, not werewolves, worse. Zombies."

Caine blinked, "Z... zombies? They're the easiest things on this earth to kill. Cut their heads off, burn them and you'll be fine."

"Oh hell, I never would have thought of that," Dmitri retorted, "they're not dying!"

Caine frowned, "What? That's not right."

"No sh... Look out! Caine we need help. Do you know anything that could give us the upper hand?"

Caine thought for a moment, "Yes, but I can't do it from here."

"Are you coming again?" Dmitri asked, sounding a little uncomfortable.

"Well, I'll have to."

"Is there anything I have to do in the meantime?"

"I assume you mean other than to defend yourself? Yes, you can gather the Nekrosenti and prepare for a surprise."

More clashing, "Alright... hurry, there are more coming."

"I'm on my way."