Moonlight Denial: Shades of Moonlight Book One

Nicoli was busting out a beat in his head that he harmonized with taps from his pencil and foot. He imagined the sound of his history teacher’s voice was the back up chorus and he repeatedly had to stop himself from laughing out loud at his private jam session.

The day was going quite well and he felt better than he had in awhile. It all started that morning where he was pleased to find that his mother had snapped out of the overprotective funk she had been in. He supposed the family movie night did the trick and he was grateful to his father for coming up with the idea. With the overall atmosphere of the house lighter it did wonders to boost his mood through the roof.

Plus, thanks to Amelia and Preston, he was very confident that he passed his make up test for math. He went into it actually knowing how to work most of the problems and he left with the feeling that he had done well.

What was interesting to him was that he was even happy about what had transpired with Ethan yesterday. When it came to their past encounters he had either been embarrassed, indifferent, or just plain frustrated, but this one was different. He figured that by going along with the sexual advances he could have his fun too. With all that was going the stress around him was building and building and building and now he saw an opportunity to have a stress release. And the perfect stress release for him was a sexual outlet.

Nicoli admitted it. He was a man and men were mostly driven by their libidos. It had been quite some time since he had been with anyone; the last being his most recent ex-girlfriend, who he had spent the night with a couple of days before he moved. Nicoli smiled. That had been a very good night.

From his perspective there was not a high chance of him getting any action now that he was in Whixton. Most of the school still held him in great disdain and there was no way he was going to try anything with Amelia. The very thought made him shudder. It would be like sleeping with his sister. No, so far his only options were Ethan, Ethan, Ethan, and possibly Preston, if he was ever able to catch some time alone with the older red head.

Nicoli thought Preston’s nerdy, twittery disposition was cute and the sneak attack kiss had not been all that bad, so there could be possibilities there. Plus, Nicoli could be very persuasive if he wanted to be. The chances of Preston saying “No” for long seemed unlikely.

But realistically Ethan was the only one he had immediate access to, and one he knew would be up for a little lovin’ at anytime. With that opportunity before him he felt much more at ease. Of course, that did not mean he was going to give it up the next time Ethan came sniffing around. No, the fun was going to be letting him know that Nicoli was now open to the idea, but that the vampire was going to have to work for it that much harder.

Nicoli took a break from his mental concert to check his watch. The class was almost at the halfway point. Once the class was over Nicoli was free for the day. He was feeling so good he was going to bribe Amelia to hang out by taking her out for ice cream or something. He knew he did not need to bribe her, but it just helped seal the deal.

Nicoli was pondering what Amelia and he could do after school when the classroom door opened. Every head turned and a buzz began when the Vice Principal stepped into the room. Her name was Angelique McKinley, but everyone called her Mickey. She was an older, portly woman that was highly liked by the student body for her kindness and tendency to let students slide on minor offenses. At the moment, though, her presence was confusing at best and she immediately had everyone’s attention.

“Mrs. McKinley? To what do we owe the honor?” Mr. Turnic asked, just as curious as his students.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I fear I have to pull one of your students from class,” the woman said, adjusting her wire rimmed glasses.

“Um, who?”

Mrs. McKinley cleared her throat as she addressed the class.

“Mr. Vurkeshaun, could you please come with me.”

Every pair of eyes in the classroom turned to Nicoli and all he could do was look like a deer caught in the headlights. His sunny day abruptly clouded over.

“M-Me? W-What did I do?” he asked.

“Oh, you did nothing, Sweetheart,” Mrs. McKinley assured him with a kind smile, but there was a hint of sadness to it. “Just please gather your things and come with me.”

“Um, okay.” Nicoli gathered up his textbook and supplies and shoved them into his backpack. He then stood up awkwardly and made his way to the front of the room. It was the longest walk of his life. He stared at the ground but he could feel that all eyes were on him and he could hear the students mutter amongst themselves. What was going on? Why was he being called out of class?

He was wracked with these thoughts as he finished his walk of shame and followed the Vice Principal out of the classroom. Once they were out in the hallway and the older woman closed the door she faced Nicoli and gave a great big sigh. Now that they were away from prying eyes Nicoli saw that her face was gravely solemn, something that was rare for the cheery woman.

“Mrs. McKinley, what’s going on?” he finally asked after a few seconds of silence. “If I’m not in trouble then why am I being pulled out of class?”

The woman was silent as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. When she had herself together she took another sigh before looking up into Nicoli’s eyes.

“Nicoli…there was an accident at your father’s worksite,” she told him softly.

Nicoli’s backpack fell to the floor with a deafening thud. Ice seeped into bones and limbs and it felt as if the ground beneath his feet were about to crumble. His father? An accident? No, it couldn’t be. Not his dad.

“An…accident?” he said breathlessly. All at once panic filled his system and threw him into overdrive. “What happened!? Is he okay!?” he yelled as he grabbed the Vice Principal by the arms.

“Nicoli, calm down,” she told him, gently trying to pry off his hands that had a death grip on her. “One of the walls that they were working on in the new museum suddenly collapsed. Some men were injured, including your father, but from what I was told he’s only injured not…” she trailed off unable to say the word “dead” in case it only upset the boy more. “He’s been taken to the hospital. They sent one of the workers to come get you and take you there. They’re waiting for you out front.”

That’s all Nicoli needed to hear. Without so much as a word or gesture he darted off to the front of the school.

“Nicoli, wait!” Mrs. McKinley yelled after him. “Your bag!” She held up the backpack, but the boy was long gone.

Nicoli could not think of anything but his father. Flashes of Lance’s broken body lying on a hospital bed danced across his eyes and made his feet fly faster. His sneakers squeaked and beat against the tiled floors of the hall and when he reached the front doors of the school he used his entire body weight to throw it open.

He caught a glimpse of a car that was parked right along the sidewalk and was running. His brain told him that had to be the one who would take him to see his dad and he bolted towards it. He took the stairs two at a time and stumbled more than once on his descent. When he made it to the car his momentum had him slamming into the side of the vehicle. His one track mind would not let him register the pain as he opened the car door and scrambled into the passenger side.

“Hurry! Take me to the hospital as fast as you possibly can,” he told the driver as he slammed the door shut.

“Whatever you say, Boy.”

Nicoli froze. He knew that voice. It haunted his deepest, darkest nightmares. The boy whirled to face the drive and pure terror shot through his heart when his fears were confirmed.

“Omen!”

As fast as he was to get into the car he was now equally as frantic to get out, but before he could even grab the handle the door locked, sealing him inside.

“No! No!” Nicoli cried out as he clawed at the lock to pry it open, but it would not give.

Omen’s mocking laughter filled the car as the boy continued his attempt to escape in vain.

“Oh no, too much planning went into setting this up. You don’t think I’m just going to let you waltz out of this car, do you?” the man asked.

The words struck Nicoli and he stilled.

“Set this up?” he said as he turned towards the vampire hunter. “You set this up?”

Fiery hot rage filled Nicoli and he launched himself at Omen and began beating on the man with his fists.

“You bastard! You fucking bastard! I hate you! You tried to kill me dad!!!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to hurt Omen to match how he was hurting. His ferocity was nothing compared to the man he was attacking as, with one swing of his arm, Omen flung Nicoli from him and a dull thud sounded as the back of the boy’s head smacked against the window.

This did not deter Nicoli as he made to strike at Omen again, but the gun the man produced and pointed at him deterred him greatly. Nicoli never thought that he had weapons other than his axe and crossbow and this was the worst time to find out.

“That’s right. Settle your ass down, Boy. Wouldn’t want this going off, now would we?” Omen asked, his finger poised on the trigger.

Nicoli stayed plastered against the passenger door, but glared vehemently at the man across from him.

“Why are you doing this?” his demanded through clenched teeth. “Why–Why would you try and kill my dad!?”

“Stop being so melodramatic,” Omen said with a roll of his eyes. “I made the wall fall, making sure your dad was in the area, but I had it so it wouldn’t kill him. I just needed him to get a little banged up to make damn well sure that you would be right here, right now.” A sinister smirk upturned the man’s lips. “And it went just swimmingly.”

“What do you want with me?” Nicoli asked. His chest felt like it was in knots and he was trying hard not to cry in front of Omen. His father had been hurt just so the bastard could get to him. If his father had been seriously injured he never would have forgiven himself.

“Don’t play dumb,” Omen said, his superior grin disappearing. “You know exactly why. You have something that doesn’t belong to you and I want it back and it will be returned to me. One way or another.” Omen pulled out a long black cloth from his trench coat and set the gun in his lap.

Before Nicoli had time to react Omen grabbed him by the hair and forcefully pulled him closer. The boy tried to twist out of his grasp, but the grip in his hair held him in place. The next thing he knew the cloth was wrapped around his eyes and tied at the back of his head. Once done the hands left Nicoli in a world of darkness. He attempted to lift his hands to take it off, but when the barrel of the gun was jammed under his chin he paused.

“If you even think of removing that, well, let me just suggest you keep it on,” Omen’s disembodied voice told him.

Nicoli obediently left the blindfold alone and rested his hands on his thighs. His nails bit into the fabric of his jeans. Now that his eyesight was cut off his fear heightened. He did not know what was happening around him, what Omen was doing, or what was going to happen and that terrified him.

“What are you going to do to me?” Nicoli asked, a noticeable quiver in his voice. He let out a shaky breath when the gun retreated.

“Well, for now we’re just going to take a drive and have a little chat. I won’t say what comes next because that would ruin the surprise.”

The level of cruel mirth in Omen’s voice made Nicoli shiver. There was no telling what the man was going to do to him. The vampire hunter was capable of anything and that meant the possibilities were endless. He jumped when he felt Omen’s arm go around him.

“Relax. Just making sure you’re buckled in for safety,” the man said as the seatbelt was pulled over Nicoli and it clicked into place. Relax. Right. Omen was a riot.

Nicoli felt the car lurch forward as they pulled out from the school. Now that he was rendered blind he would not be able to know where Omen was taking him.

“Now, let’s make this as easy as possible, shall we?” Omen said as casually as if they were having a normal conversation. “Where is the book?”

Nicoli clenched his jaw and turned his head away from his interrogator. His defiance was met with a light backhanded smack to the face.

“When I ask you something I expect an answer,” Omen said, his tone taking a much lower and more dangerous pitch.

“You’re wasting your God damn time,” Nicoli snapped. “Was this your big plan? You thought you’d get me out here and I’d just tell you anything you wanted? Fuck you. I’m not telling you anything.”

Nicoli cried out and cowered into the car door when Omen hit him again, only harder this time.

“I know from experience that fear makes the tongue loose,” the man said. “Now, if you don’t want me to show you what real fear is you will tell me where they’re keeping that book.”

“I don’t know, okay! You think they’d tell me?” Nicoli said, trying a different approach. He braced himself for another hit, just in case, but it never came.

“Oh, I’m sure you know plenty more than you’re letting on,” Omen answered. “It appeared to me after your visit with our little undead family yesterday they went into a flurry of activity. Something exciting must have happened, hmmm?”

Nicoli’s throat clenched. Omen must have been keeping the clan under close surveillance, but that did not mean he knew anything. The man could only speculate.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was only over there because Ethan wanted me to get to know his family a little better. I haven’t seen the book since that night at Deloris Mary-Weather’s house. I’m not going to be any help to you.”

Silence followed his statement. For awhile all Nicoli could hear was his own breathing and his rapid heartbeat that thundered in his ears. He couldn’t believe it, but the deafening silence was worse than Omen’s threats. As time went on all the hairs rose on Nicoli’s body. This was torture. He gave a little jolt when the man finally sighed.

“How much longer are you going to keep lying to me, Boy? I’m giving you all the chances in the world to cooperate with me, but if you keep proving to be difficult I’m going to have to resort to other measures.”

Nicoli had to beat down a whimper that rose in his throat. Never mind. He liked the silence way better.

“Lying? Who says I’m lying? I haven’t seen the book since–ow!” Nicoli shook his head after another smack. His face was really starting to sting.

“Enough!” Omen barked. “I happen to know from a very good source of mine that Conrad recently acquired an ancient device used to decode spells.”

Nicoli swallowed hard. This was not good. Maybe he did have more than speculation.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he’s using it for. Now, because of the book itself no vampire is able to touch it. That means they’d have to get someone else to use the decoder. Now, who do they know that would be able to do that for them? Any ideas?” he asked and the leer was evident in his tone.

Nicoli could only sit there and chew on the inside of his cheek nervously. His chances of talking his way out of this were dwindling by the second and when all of his options were gone he did not know what he was going to do or what was going to happen.

“I thought so,” Omen said smugly. “Let’s try this again. Where in the house is the book?” he inquired, his words came slow and over enunciated, as if he were talking to a very small child.

“Well, if you know for sure it’s in the house why don’t you go get it yourself?” Nicoli replied flippantly than instantly flinched and guarded his face. He was laughed at for this action and he relaxed when there was not another strike.

“Do you think I’m suicidal? Someone as puny as Ethan I can handle, but even I wouldn’t go against a whole clan. Yes, I know the book is in the house. I may even have a general idea of where they’re keeping it, but I need to know exactly where so I can get in and out as easily as possible and that’s where you come in, my young friend,” Omen said and the back of his fingers brushed across Nicoli’s cheek, which made the boy cringe in fear.

Any physical contact with his kidnapper was pumping Nicoli’s heart rate higher and higher. He was sure he was going to have a heart attack soon, but he would rather have that happen than whatever Omen had planned for him.

“Look, I’m not going to help you. Ever. You’re wasting your time by doing this. I would never betray the others like that,” he told Omen with as much conviction as he could muster.

“Oooooh, Little Nikki. Little, Little Nikki. You’re making a big mistake. You seem like a good kid. You’re just a bit…misguided and disillusioned by those monsters. So, tell me, why are you helping them? It’ll only end in disaster for you,” Omen said and Nicoli thought the man was trying to sound compassionate, but the compassion was hollow.

“They’re my friends,” Nicoli answered simply.

“You’re friends?” Omen echoed with a roar of laughter. “That’s rich. Let me tell you one thing. You are nothing to them. You are a toy that they can manipulate to do their will. As soon as they’re done with you they are going to throw you away like you’re little more than garbage. Actually, you’ll be lucky if that’s all they do.”

“That’s not true!” Nicoli yelled at him. He was instantly reminded of his feelings from before when he woke up and Ethan was not there. How he felt that Ethan did not really care about what had happened to him. He was sure those feelings were false and he was not going to let Omen rekindle them.

“Just because they’re vampires doesn’t mean they’re evil. I’ll tell you what, in the entire time I have known Ethan, and even his family, for that matter, none of them have raised a hand to hurt me and since I’ve met you, you have tried to kill me on two separate occasions and you’ve already hit me three times. Who’s the better person there? If you ask me you’re more of a monster than they are,” Nicoli told him.

The car jerked on its path and a wave of pain washed over Nicoli as Omen’s fist swung around and caught him full in the face. He was so surprised by the show of violence he went numb for a split second before the pain truly set in and he cupped his face.

“Ah, Fucker,” Nicoli gurgled when the coppery tang of blood hit his tongue as his nose gushed and spilled into his hands.

“Call me what you will, Boy,” Omen snarled. “I am a brute and I’m not afraid to use extreme force if I need to, but you are sorely mistaken if you think I am anything like them. They are much more cunning in their deceit. They will draw you in with their web of lies and make you feel as if you can trust them and rely on them, but it’s all a ruse, I can assure you. As soon as you feel safe with them they will take everything you hold dear and tear it apart right before your eyes. That is why vampires are evil, Boy, and the sooner you rid yourself of them the sooner you’ll be free from that cruel fate.”

“…you just have issues, don’t you?” Nicoli grumbled after a moment of tense quiet. He realized, a bit too late, that he should have said nothing. He squeaked when Omen grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him so close Nicoli could feel the man’s breath on his ear.

“Let’s not beat around the bush. Are you going to tell me where the book is?”

“You’re wrong about Ethan and the others and I am not going to betray their trust,” Nicoli hissed through blood soaked lips.

“Fine, have it your way. We’ll just go right along into Plan B.”

Nicoli was thrown against the passenger door as the car took a sharp turn and sped along a new direction with a sense of purpose. Fear crept up along Nicoli’s spine. Before they seemed to just be driving around aimlessly, now he was sure they had a set destination.

“Where are you taking me?” he demanded, trying to ignore the dull throb in his shoulder.

“Ah, ah, ah, like I said, I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

Nicoli shivered involuntarily. There was now a new, sinister edge to Omen’s voice. Something bad was going to happen. He was truly scared now. He was blind and alone and what was worse was that no one knew that he was in danger. He had no way to contact anyone for help…

A shimmer of hope shined through the clouds of fear and helplessness. What was he thinking? There was a way for him to get help. He had forgotten all about the mind link! There was no way Omen knew of the bond between Ethan and him. It was his only hope of getting out of this alive.

“Ethan!” he screamed through the mind link. “Ethan! Please, answer me!”

A cold sweat broke out over his brow. The one time he really needed Ethan he was not answering. Had Omen done something to the vampire to make sure he would not interfere?

“Wha? Nic? Wa-sh goin’ on?” Ethan’s groggy voice finally answered.

Nicoli had to hold back a sigh of relief.

“Ethan, thank God! Please, you have to help me!” Now that he was able to call for help his panic was released and purely evident in his cry for help.

“Nicoli? What’s the matter? What’s going on?” Ethan asked, now sounding fully awake.

“It’s Omen! He’s taken me hostage and he’s threatening me and–and.” Nicoli jumped when music blared throughout the car unexpectedly.

“Hope you don’t mind if I put on some music,” Omen said with a dark chuckle.

Nicoli gulped, but was brought back to his secret conversation when Ethan exclaimed in alarm,

“What!? Why–How? Where are you?”

“I don’t know. He has me blindfolded so I can’t see where we’re going.”

“How in the world did he get his hands on you?”

“He caused an accident at my dad’s work. When I was told they said someone was waiting for me outside to take me to go see him in the hospital and it was Omen! He hurt my dad, Ethan!” Nicoli had to bite his lip to prevent him from giving into tears.

“Calm down, Nicoli, everything is going to be okay,” Ethan tried to reassure him.

“No, it’s not! He wants me to tell him where you’re keeping the book. He’s already hit me and now he said he has a surprise in store for me. Who knows what he’s going to do to me…Ethan, I’m scared.”

“Just hold on, Nicoli, I’m coming. I’ll come get you. Are you sure you have no idea where he’s taking you?”

“No, none. Please, find me,” he pleaded feebly.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to let him get away with this.”

Not much more was said after that. The music blared in the car, making sure there was no conversation between Nicoli and Omen, but because of the music the boy had no chance of hearing outside noise that could give a clue as to where he was. Ethan continuously spoke reassuringly to Nicoli, to try and keep him calm, but for all of his effort the human was terrified.

Nicoli perked his head and gripped his seatbelt tighter when they finally came to a stop and Omen turned off the car. A slight buzzing was left in Nicoli’s ears from the absence of music.

“Well, we’re here,” Omen said and Nicoli heard the click of the man unfastening his seatbelt. His soon followed.

“Where’s here?” he asked.

“Depends. If you cooperate it’s just a little visiting spot. If you don’t, well, let’s just say you’ll get well acquainted with the area.”

The chuckle that followed the statement made Nicoli suck in his breath and shiver uncontrollably. He heard the car doors unlock and one opened. The car rocked slightly as Omen exited. When the door shut Nicoli was left alone with his racing thoughts. This could be his only chance. He could tear off the blindfold and make a break for it.

He distantly heard the trunk pop open and Omen riffle around inside it. As he listened to the man move around doubt and hesitance clouded Nicoli’s thoughts. How far could he really get before Omen caught up to him? Would he just be making his situation worse?

Soon his slim window of oppurtunity shut completely as the passenger door opened and Omen grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

“All right, let’s go, Boy,” the man said as he hefted the boy out and as soon as the door closed he roughly pushed Nicoli against the car on his stomach.

“What are you doing?” Nicoli asked when the man yanked his arms behind his back.

“Just a little guarantee that you don’t get any smart ideas and take off running. Can’t be too careful, now can we?” Omen replied.

The boy grunted and fidgeted as his hands were bound with a rough, scratchy rope. When Omen’s hands left him Nicoli pulled against the binds to see how tight they were. He was disheartened to find that there was no way he was going to be able to wiggle out of them.

He yelped when Omen grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him from the car and made him start walking out in front of him.

“Just walk straight ahead and you’ll be fine,” Omen instructed. His hand was ever present on the back of Nicoli’s neck.

“Seriously, where are we going?” Nicoli asked as he trudged onward.

“You’ll know soon enough.”

Nicoli grunted. His fear bubbling up again and he tried hard to keep it down. When the man went quiet he took that time to reach out to Ethan again.

“Ethan! We’ve stopped. Now he’s tied up my hands and is making me walk somewhere.”

“Okay, this may be good,” Ethan replied. From his little reports Nicoli knew the vampire had started at the school and was now trying to track them down. “Now, this is very important. Try and get a sense of where you are. Sounds, smells, anything that will help me find where you are.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

Nicoli took in a deep breath and tried to focus on his other senses. The first thing he noticed was that the ground was soft and spongy from yesterday’s rain and that there was the occasional snapping of twigs from his and Omen’s stomping feet. The thick musk of foliage and dirt reached his nose and he could hear the sounds of birds above him close by.

“Okay, Ethan, I’m pretty sure we’re in a forest, so that means we’re not in town anymore,” he told the vampire, but that knowledge did not help his nerves any. Whixton was surrounded by trees. That meant they could be anywhere and that Ethan had miles and miles of forest to comb through. The prospects were not good.

“That’s great news,” Ethan said, confusing the boy.

“What? How is that good?”

“In the woods there will be less distractions of unnatural smells so I’ll be able to pick up on your scent easier. Hold on, Nicoli, I’m coming!”

The mind link went quiet and Nicoli had to focus on his steps as he trudged on. He could not see where he was going and he tripped and fell more than once and without use of his hands he had no way to break his fall. It was a long, tedious ordeal and Omen certainly showed him no pity. Whenever he fell the man would simply grab hold of the back of his shirt and lift him off the ground and to his feet. Then Nicoli was pushed and prodded to keep moving.

After a while Nicoli realized that they were going uphill. He could feel it in the strain of his calves and the burn in his lungs. A vague suspicion of where they were going started to formulate in his mind and he prayed he was wrong. He wanted to be anywhere but there.

“Stop,” Omen ordered and pulled the boy to a halt.

Nicoli looked from left to right. Even though he could not see he wanted to try and absorb his surroundings. To see if he could know where he was just by feel.

“Where are we?” He knew that it was about the thousandth time he had asked and there was little chance of Omen giving him a straight answer, but he had to ask for the sake of asking.

“Oh, you don’t recognize it? I consider this spot to be where we had our first date. Here, let me refresh your memory.”

Nicoli gasped as the back of his shirt was caught in a vice grip and he was thrust forward. One step, two steps…and then there was no more ground. A terrified shriek ripped from his throat as one foot was on solid ground while the other was left dangling in the vacant air and all that was preventing him from tumbling into oblivion was Omen’s hand.

“Oh God, no. No!” Nicoli screamed as he struggled and fought to be back on the ledge, but the hand holding him would not budge.

“Banshee Cliffs! Banshee Cliffs!” he screeched into the mind link. “He’s going to throw me off Banshee Cliffs! Help me!!!”

“Shit. I’m coming, Nicoli, hold on!”

It was of little reassurance though. One slip of Omen’s fingers and he would be plunging to his death for the second time in his life. He was gasping for air. He could not breathe. The fright had coiled in his throat and was choking him.

Before he passed out from hysteria he was pulled from the brink and brought back to sweet earth. Omen’s hand stayed tangled in his shirt, but his other arm came around the boy and held him close.

“Breathe, Boy, breathe,” he whispered in Nicoli’s ear. With coaxing, the boy’s breathing slowed, but did not quite return to normal. “Do you see what will happen if you refuse me? This cliff is a representation of the choice that lies before you. Either choose the side of the vampires and fall, or choose to help me and you’ll be saving yourself from death and from being in the control of those monsters. So what will is be? You or them?”

Nicoli could no longer control his emotions and choked out pathetic sobs. What was he supposed to do? He did not want to turn his back on Ethan, but he did not want to die.

“Please, no,” Nicoli sniveled helplessly. “Don’t make me choose. I can’t. I just can’t.”

“You’re going to have to. Think it over carefully. Are those blood suckers worth dying for? Are you willing to forfeit your life for people who don’t give a damn about you?” Omen asked, resting his cheek on the side of Nicoli’s head.

The blindfold was now damp with tears and trails were forming down the boy’s reddened cheeks. Now that he started he could not stop crying. He was staring death in the face again and this time he may not be able to escape the reaper. But through all of his fears there was one truth. He could either give in and save his own skin like a coward or he could suck up all of his courage and take the bull by the horns.

“N-No, you’re wrong. They do give a damn. I don’t care what you say. I’ll never believe that Ethan thinks of me as nothing but a puppet…I won’t tell you where the book is,” Nicoli said. He was terrified, but he had to stand up for what he believed in and he believed in Ethan.

Omen sighed irritably.

“Stupid child.”

Nicoli was spun around and the hand fisted into the front of his shirt. With a good shove he was pushed back until he was balancing on the soles of his feet over the edge of the cliff and again only Omen’s hand prevented him from falling into the arms of death.

“No! Please, don’t do this!” Nicoli screamed as he wobbled and fought to stay balanced on the rim of rock. His newly found strength crumbled instantly. He was learning that all noble acts were torn away when face with the end.

“This is your final chance. Where–Is–The book!” Omen demanded and to show he meant business he loosened his grip just a tad so Nicoli leaned back more.

“No! No! Please! I don’t want to die!”

“And you don’t have to. Just tell me and I’ll make sure you are safe and sound at home with your parents. That’s where you belong. Now tell me!”

Nicoli took in deep, heaving breaths. He could not think clearly. Fear had paralyzed him and all rational thought left him. The only thing that mattered to him now was to survive.

“Th–The book–The book is–”

“Omen, stop!”

Nicoli gasped. That voice. It was the greatest voice he had ever heard.

“Ethan!” he cried out in joy. His happiness was not shared by his captor though.

“You! What the hell are you doing here?!” the man snarled.

“Stopping you. Now, just slowly pull him back up onto the cliff and let him go,” the vampire directed.

“Oh, and what are you going to do if I don’t?” Omen asked mockingly.

“I’ll tear you a new one, that’s what,” Ethan growled. “He doesn’t need to get hurt. For God’s sake he’s just a kid!”

“Really, I hadn’t noticed,” was Omen’s cynical reply. “Believe me, letting him fall would be the most merciful thing I could do rather than leave him in the hands of people like you.”

“Omen, please,” the vampire begged.

Quiet descended and in Nicoli’s world of darkness that was the worst possible thing that could happen. He could not see Ethan or Omen’s faces. He could not tell what they were thinking. All he could do was balance on his thin ledge and pray for his safety.

Then, to Nicoli’s horror, Omen said three words that sealed his fate.

“Forgive me, Boy.”

The fingers tangled in his shirt loosened and the fabric slipped from their grip. Gravity took care of the rest.

“No!” Ethan yelled.

Nicoli heard the cry and the gunshots that followed, but then the rushing air filled his ears as he plummeted to the lake below.

He screamed. He was sure he screamed, but he could not hear it. All he could do was feel. Feel his descent. Feel his beating heart. Feel all of his emotions swell within his chest and feel the last seconds of his life slip through his fingers like grains of sand. He felt the end.

==========================================Ch. 30 End