The smaller dragon twisted in the air, whipping its serpentine body around Orion’s wing. Orion twisted back, falling toward the ground, dragging them both down. Orion bit the winged serpent and crushed its neck in his teeth.
Narrowly avoiding a crash on the pavement below, Orion pumped out of the fall and landed. He jumped into the air with the next breath, leaving the snake on the concrete. His leap propelled him upward, but he remained lower than the rest of the dragons battling above.
The vampires clashed on the ground. A mass of zombie-like bodies swarmed over the pavement to meet the allied vampires in vicious battle.
Blood and bodies were strewn across the ground. The stench of death filled Orion’s lungs as he shot toward the entrance of Valdis Enterprises. His heart leapt when he landed at the front entrance of the building.
He shifted and walked into the lobby of the skyscraper. The place was a typical modern design. The elevators were past a security barrier that stood at the center of the wide room. Orion started to run, jumping over the barrier without a second thought. When he landed, a single elevator door opened and a dragon walked out.
“Esher Poisonclaw,” Orion growled. “We meet again.”
“Xander will not be pleased. Not pleased at all,” Esher said, his lips red with blood.
The other dragon narrowed his eyes at Orion. The alpha of the Silverdrake clan narrowed his eyes right back.
“And what of Xander’s feelings? He and the rest of The Surge will be removed.”
“Fine words from a trespasser,” Esher said, his lips curling back.
“I will shut down the Dark Sun Machine, Esher. You will not stand in my way.”
“Really?” Esher asked, grinning.
Esher spread his arms and shifted, turning into a black dragon the size of a city bus. The lobby ceiling was tall and the floor wide enough to fit one dragon. But two? Orion didn’t think twice. Instead of shifting, he darted to the side with supernatural speed. Esher shot a bolt of acid breath at Orion, but it missed its mark and pooled on the ground, green and bubbling.
Orion ran around the dragon, headed to the open elevator doors. Esher’s tail swiped Orion and he tumbled on the ground, landing hard. From above, the entire building was hit. Rubble fell all around and a piece hit Esher in the shoulder.
Orion jumped to his feet and darted to the elevator door, hoping it still worked. Esher clawed at him, having recovered from the confusion of the falling debris. Orion narrowly avoided the tips of Esher’s poison claws and tumbled into the elevator.
He shot to his feet and hit the button to the bottom floor. The doors slid shut as the black dragon lashed out, trying to claw at Orion. But the doors shut just in time and the elevator started its descent. Orion let out a small sigh of relief while the lights above the door counted down the floors. Light pop music played as he traveled downwards.
The doors swished open and he was in a parking lot. This had not been what he’d expected. He took his glass pad from his leather jacket pocket and flicked on the screen.
“How do I get down to the lab?” he typed in a message to the command team.
Titus’s face came on the screen, a large gash over his right cheek.
“Your location says you are in Valdis Enterprises.”
“I’m in the parking lot. How do I get to the machine?”
“There must be a security code to get to the bottom floor,” Titus said. “We’ll try to hack it with your glass pad.”
Orion moved back into the elevator and showed Titus the scene. There was a thumb reader on the wall just above the numbers for the floors. Orion held his glass pad over the area.
“The tech team is analyzing it now,” Titus said.
A moment later there was a beep and the elevator started to go down again. Orion brought the glass pad back up to look at his brother on the screen.
“That worked. But how the hell will I take down this thing?” Orion asked, just as the elevator doors swung open.
Outside, the monstrosity of the Dark Sun Machine stretched out before him. A control terminal sat in front of a wall of plexiglass windows, looking over the machine itself.
“So, you want to take down my baby?” a voice said.
Xander stepped out, wearing a freshly pressed designer suit in a deep azure blue. His black hair hung to his waist. He crossed his arms, scowling at Orion.
“You’ve destroyed the veil, Xander. What more do you want?”
“Everything. I want it all.”
“You have no right to the Earth. You are nothing but a pathetic psychopath, Xander.”
“Who is the pathetic psychopath? The demigod who knows who and what he is or the one who gives his power to the weak?”
“The children of Gama are our brothers and sisters, Xander. The Mother loves all her children. Even you. I’m sure… On some level, anyway.”
“The Mother, as you call her, is a traitor. Just like you. She chose humans over immortals and punished us all to save them. She can curse herself for all I care.”
“So you would desecrate her name?”
“And what of your precious Selene, Orion Silverdrake? Does a day go by that you do not long for her? Was it not Gama who took her away from you? Yet you still serve her. Why?”
“You are damned, Xander. Don’t try to take us all down with you.”
“I wonder what my own forefather would say about this. Where are the fathers of the immortal races now? Dahaki and Tartarus have been absent for two thousand years. Just like that incestuous bitch Gama.”
“You owe your very existence to Gama and the human bloodlines, Xander.”
“Immortals were never meant to live on the surface of this planet, Orion. Gama is nothing but a whore who cursed us all to a life in service of her little mortal genetics project.”
“Is that why you hate them? Because they were formed by the Goddess rather than birthed?”
“They are mutant creatures.”
“Yet you fill the world with zombie swarms, murdering everyone.”
“Whatever it takes to bring the human race under my heel, I will have it done.”
Orion gripped his glass pad and squeezed. The nanotech pad reformed into a razor-sharp blade. Xander didn’t draw a weapon, but with vampire speed he charged at Orion. Orion swung on instinct, slicing at the air, but the ancient vampire was too fast. He sliced Orion’s arm with his sharpened fingernails as Orion pivoted to chop at him again. The smallest slice of hair from Xander’s long mane fell to the ground and the vampire stopped to give Orion an appalled look.
“You cut my hair!” Xander protested.
“You needed a haircut,” Orion growled.
The vampire darted at him again, Orion only able to track his movements by scent. Xander’s scent was metallic, like blood mixed with the sickly-sweet scent of death. Xander’s fangs bit at Orion’s throat, sending the first pump of venom into Orion’s veins. Orion roared and shifted, growing to fill half the space of the underground lab. Orion smashed Xander’s body against the concrete wall. The vampire screamed, trying to bite into Orion’s dragon flesh. But his scales were far too hard and thick for even a vampire of Xander’s age to penetrate.
Orion’s dragon strength pushed the venom from his body as he thrashed his tail, smashing Xander against the wall again. The vampire jumped off Orion and landed gracefully on the floor behind him. Orion swiveled around, almost too large for the room in dragon form. It was a tight fit, but he had much better chance against Xander as a beast.
Orion sprayed his silver fire at Xander, filling the room with its heat. The vampire jumped out of the way and landed on top of the control terminal for the Dark Sun Machine. Orion hesitated. He didn’t want to drench the terminal in silver flames.
The Dark Sun Machine had to be shut down, and burning the control panel was probably not the best way to go about it. Xander stared him down, a smug smile on his face.
“Why don’t you join me, Orion? I’m sure I could help you find your w
oman. All the witches who died two thousand years ago will be reawakening from their slumber. They are ripe and ready for the plucking. I think I’ll get myself a harem of a hundred and three priestesses of Gama. How about you, Orion? How many do you want?”
Orion roared, rearing on his back legs, his head almost touching the ceiling. Xander laughed and hopped down to the ground.
The elevator door swung open at the other end of the room and both Xander and Orion stopped to look. Titus walked through, his teeth clenched, his eyes narrow and baring down on Xander.
Titus held a gun that shot wooden bullets. Even a vampire as old as Xander would take critical damage from a wooden bullet. Titus didn’t stop to ask questions. He opened fire. Bullets flew, all narrowly missing Xander.
Xander darted away and flicked his finger over the wall. A door opened and he stepped one foot through.
“It’s been a pleasure seeing you Silverdrake brothers again, but I’m afraid I must be going,” he said, and as Titus shot again the door swished shut. Xander was too fast, for even Titus’s aim.
Orion shifted and stood next to Titus. “How do we shut this thing down?” he asked.
Titus walked to the control panel and set his glass pad against the touchscreen.
“We’re loading the virus now,” Titus said. “It will take down the power system.”
Titus’s glass pad buzzed and the screens on the control panel started to stream data. A moment later, the lights and power systems for the Dark Sun Machine started to power down. Orion watched as each part of the machine darkened beyond the plexiglass window.
The control room went silent as Titus and Orion stood before the sleeping machine. Titus looked at his glass pad and then showed the screen to Orion.
Outside, the daylight was slowly returning to the world. The zombie-like vampires began to disperse. They were weak to the sun but it wouldn’t burn them alive. Xander’s Surge would be a problem for humans for a long time to come.
“We did it,” Orion said.
“It took you long enough to get here.”
“Are you still going on about that? I told you I had to claim my wife. I’m sure when you find a wife you’ll understand.”
“Now is not the time or the place, Orion. We must meet with the allied covens and clans. There is much work to be done.”
Chapter 13
Orion and Titus emerged from the underground lab and stepped into the day. The light stung Orion’s eyes after so many days without sun. He imagined his beloved bride’s reaction to the sun’s light returning to the world. He was proud to have brought life back to the Earth and to her.
With the sun shining again, The Surge had dispersed. The allied clans and covens met Orion and Titus at the doorstep of Valdis Enterprises.
“What of Xander?” Jerith asked.
“He escaped,” Orion replied.
“We will take him down,” Titus said, still holding his wooden bullet gun.
“It will take more than a wooden bullet to rid the world of Xander Valdis,” Jerith said.
After blowing up the Dark Sun Machine, the allied clans and covens returned to the mall where they’d been headquartered. They set up a grand council several hours later. Orion and Titus sat at the head of the Silverdrake clan. His cousin’s children and grandchildren preferred not to take on clan politics and left it mostly to Orion’s side of the family.
Jerith from the Blackrose coven and his brother Kyran were on the council, as were the delegates from the Diamondback clan, the Ironclaws, and the delegates of other allied clans and covens. Most clans and covens were wealthy dynasties that had vast holdings in cities throughout the country.
Most immortal families liked to stay in one place to develop a power base and an area of operation so they wouldn’t impinge on the territory of other immortals. They’d worked it all out centuries ago, but now the world had changed. Plans had to be made.
“We should all go back to our cities and begin repairing the infrastructures. We have a responsibility to the humans who live within our own zones,” Jerith said.
“I’m getting reports that almost every human power grid on Earth is non-operational. Most of the power lines were fried in the solar flare. The human populations are in crisis beyond our capacity for repair,” Titus said.
“We must do what we can,” Orion said.
“And will you be coming back to St. Louis to help repair the damage, Orion? Will you be taking your place as the Alpha of the Silverdrake clan?”
“Brother, this is not the time.”
“Why not?” said Connard Ironclaw. “This seems a relevant concern.”
“If we are turning the discussion to the business of the Silverdrake clan,” Orion said, looking from the council table to the audience of immortals in folding chairs set up in the derelict mall, “then the answer is no.”
“What?” Titus demanded.
“I will make the announcement now if I must,” Orion said with a sigh. He stood. “I have found my wife, Selene: the last arch-priestess of the temple of Gama. The witches have emerged in the world and they will need protection. Just as they did in the old world. My bride has already begun to draw the witches to her. There will be more. And I will honor my vow to keep them safe.
“I will be stepping down as Alpha of the Silverdrake clan and passing that mantle on to my brother Titus. He has been prepared to take the position for centuries. Now is as good a time as ever to start.”
“When will we be able to meet the priestesses of Gama?” asked one of the vampires in the crowd.
“Will it be the same as before?” added a dragon.
“I will discuss this with my wife. We will most likely retain our previous rules in regard to mating.”
“The witches have an obligation to procreate,” said one of the Diamondback dragons. “They should not be allowed to deny their duty. The immortals are weak. We cannot defend against Xander’s Surge if we do not carry on our lines. He will stop at nothing to strengthen his forces. We cannot allow him to out-breed our alliance. “
“You have a fair point,” Orion said.
“We cannot be kept from the only females who can breed immortal young,” another vampire said. “No one will stand for it. If you wish to protect them, you must also compel them to do their duty.”
“Gentlemen,” Orion said, trying to calm the growing number of voices. “We will come to a fair conclusion. We cannot molest the mothers of our children. I think you would all agree to that.”
Most of them grumbled in begrudging agreement. “Most of you at one time had a witch as a wife. Even the female dragons and female vampires mated with warlocks to carry on the immortal lines. We cannot see the witches as less than equals.”
“Just make it clear that they are obligated to produce young. Or there will be a problem. No one will go without a mate now. No one,” said Connard Ironclaw.
Orion nodded and sat back in his chair. That had not gone as he’d hoped, but perhaps it was to be expected. The immortals had been without females for too long. The female immortals who lived among them could not give them immortal children. They needed the witches’ line for that.
Over all the centuries, most immortal females were born as witches even to dragon or vampire fathers. Dragon and vampire females were rare. Over the last two thousand years, the immortal world had become extremely male dominated, the female immortals staying out of politics almost completely. Few had even arrived for the fight.
Orion knew that female dragons and vampires felt like an underclass, but that had never been so obvious as it was during the veil. He mourned for them almost as much as he did the witches. Orion would have to discuss the future of the witches with Lucia when he returned to the fortress. His poor mate would not like what had been said at the meeting, but he would find a way to make it alright with her. There had to be a way.
The meeting continued and the various coven and clan issues were resolved. Everyone agreed to go back to their cities and begin re
pairs on the grids, attempting to bring human life back to normal as much as possible.
They’d learned of the millions of deaths during the two days without light. Murders, suicides, accidents. Not to mention The Surge. They had killed multitudes of people in New York alone. It was a massive loss of human life and dignity that would be felt for generations.
He knew that people would be fractured. He felt for Titus, having to represent the Silverdrake clan at a time like this. Titus had never been a great people person. But Orion knew his brother was a good leader. If anyone could bring the city of St. Louis back from the dead, it was his brother Titus.
After the meeting was closed, the Silverdrake brothers and the Blackrose vampire brothers met again in the steakhouse for one last chat. The Blackrose coven was from Chicago. Their proximity over the years had made their families very close. They had done a lot of business together during the veil. And Orion was sure they would have similar dealings now.
He lifted his cognac glass to his lips and sipped. His brother had a grim look on his face, staring down at the bar. Jerith swirled his brandy, his lips in a hard line. He looked up at Orion.
“When will we be able to choose our brides?” Jerith asked finally.
“They have to arrive first,” Orion said, shooting Jerith a look of irritation. He was about done with questions about the witches for today.
“I thought you wanted to match everyone up with a priestess of Gama,” Titus said sarcastically, lifting his face to level a gaze at his brother.
“Ideally,” Orion countered.
“Then why are you being so tight fisted with all the females, Orion? Why can’t you help a brother out?” he said.
“This is not about the witches, Titus, and you know it. Just tell me you are angry I’m not returning to St. Louis.”
“Of course I’m angry. After all this time, you choose now to pass on Alpha to me!”
“This is the right moment. Aren’t you prepared?”