Текст книги "Red Serpent: The Falsifier"

Автор книги: Делсон Армстронг

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

John opened a bottle of pills and shook out two into his hand. He popped them both into his mouth and swallowed them without sipping anything. In the ten years since he’d been diagnosed with stomach ulcers, he’d had a lot of practice swallowing pills like this.

He eyed the container Nikolas had given him. It was beautifully decorated. The silver was exquisitely carved with various designs. One image which caught his eyes was the Emblem of the Red Serpent, the imperial insignia of King Anaxagoras XXIX. The cross glittered in the light, engraved in onyx and the serpent in a bright ruby color.

Jarad interrupted John’s appreciation of the jeweled container, bombarding him with curses. “What the hell have you done? You just handed your nephew over to the vampires! You know what this will mean? It will mean war!”

John looked at him calmly. “You just answered your own question.”

Jarad turned a slight shade of red in anger and embarrassment. The soldiers regrouped and reported to the two generals.

John glanced at them, fifty in all. “Go back, boys,” he said, “This is but a taste of what the vampires are. Prepare yourselves for the real thing. We may be in a full-scale war soon enough.” The soldiers saluted the generals and dispersed.

Jarad opened his mouth to talk but John interrupted him, “I did say may be.”

John had ordered Angel to go somewhere safe, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to be with Alex, to comfort him and to support him. Her fear during the battle was nothing compared to the fear she felt for him now. Nevertheless, she did as Mr. Howe told her and went home to her parents.

“Angel!” her mother yelled from the kitchen window the moment she saw her daughter walking towards home. She put down the dishes she was cleaning and ran out to hug her daughter. “What’s happening over there?” she asked, her face drenched in tears. “Come inside.”

“Is Alex alright?” asked Mr. Stone as his daughter entered the house. He got up and embraced her. “We saw the news. Alex was taken by the vampires!” Ken turned on the holoTV. With a press of a button from the remote, a floating screen emerged seemingly out of nowhere. The TV switched to channel 610, RNN, the Regnum News Network.

“What!” Angel gasped. “I thought he would be fine.”

“I’m so sorry, dear.” Her mother said, wiping away her tears. They sat on the sofa, watching for any more news about Alex.

“What do you know about it?” Angel asked, tears swelling up in her eyes.

“He chose to go, Angel,” Ken said. “He went without a fight.”

“And Mr. Howe?” Angel asked, seeing him on the screen, moving into his limo, followed by a pack of reporters.

“John did nothing. In fact he ordered his troops to hold their fire.” Ken’s eyes darted to the screen, watching John’s face with irritation. Angel watched her father’s expressions, afraid to say anything more. She wondered whether her father’s anger was just about John or whether there was something else bothering him. “We don’t know what’s next,” Ken continued. “It’s all over the news. People are cross with John’s decision and for good reason.”

Angel remained silent and continued to look blankly at the screen. Martha went into the kitchen to prepare some tea.

A reporter at the scene of the battle started to speak as the camera panned to see civilians being treated and carried away on stretchers by medical personnel. The reporter said, “And Leader Howe has refused to comment on the fact that his nephew has taken off with the enemy.” The reporter scurried to get an interview with Jarad, who was walking towards his car. “Oh wait. It seems Mr. Hameed is available for some comments.” The reporter rushed to get a closer view of Hameed fighting his way through other reporters and floating robotic cameras. Finally, he managed to ask the Council Member a question, “Mr. Ha-meed. How are you presently dealing with the situation and what are your comments on Leader Howe’s actions?”

“Well,” Hameed spoke slowly, “It seems General Howe has decided on a rescue mission for Alexander Howe. However, I am strictly against it. Council Leader John Howe’s actions have been questioned long enough and it seems fair to say that he must step down!” At this, several reporters started mumbling amongst themselves. “In fact I think both he and his nephew, if he is to be rescued, must be ostracized from the world of politics!”

“What the hell?” Mr. Stone yelled. “So this is it? That’s all he wants!” He slammed his fist on the armrest of his chair.

Another reporter quickly and loudly asked, “Are you accusing John Howe of treason?”

“The truth is, citizens of Regnum, John Howe is a threat to the very existence of the human race. He has had contact with the vampires till now! He has been in power for too long. If we are to have a man like John Howe who sides with the enemy stay in power, it will spell doom for all of us.”

Ken looked at Angel. “This is insane,” he said. “It’s obvious now that these reporters are probably on his payroll.”

Angel nodded silently. Her mind was hazy. She tried to make sense of what she had just seen on TV.

Mrs. Stone came in with three hot cups of tea and placed them on the coffee table. “What’s happening?” she asked her husband.

“It looks like there’s a really huge scandal going on with the Howe family,” Ken said. “A scandal in the Howe family!” he repeated with sarcasm. “Imagine that. It’s nothing but a damn act.”

“But I’m sure Alex isn’t involved in any of this,” Angel said, wanting to defend her man no matter what.

“...and,” continued Jarad on the television, “If we must, we will arrest Howe and charge him with treason and acts against humanity, since he must have been aware of this whole operation. We, the Council as a whole, think it better if John Howe were to be exiled from the Regnum. He should not be allowed to stay with us in our society.”

Another reporter interrupted him, “But do you have any actual proof, Mr. Hameed? Is this not a matter for the Supreme Court and also for the people?”

“Yes—”

“And,” the reporter added, “what about the nephew? Shouldn’t he be rescued before these procedures?”

“Such an act will definitely provoke war with the vampires, and I’m sure Regnum would never want that. As I was saying, the...”

Angel paid no attention to the holoTV and went to her room, silently praying in her heart for Alex’s safety. The realization that he had been kidnapped was now fully sinking in. She sobbed into her pillow.

When John came home his mother was waiting for him in the hall. “What’s this I see,” she asked him. “Why did you let him go?”

“Mom,” John said, sitting on the sofa in the living room, “just hear me out, will you?”

“Did you hear what Jarad said?” Helen asked. “He wants to impeach you!”

“What?” His back straightened.

“HoloTv on,” Helen commanded the computers of the house.

In front of John, the holographic screen popped up.

Jarad continued with his speech, “The Council and I have proposed a new Constitution. We can promise a better, safer way of dealing with elections, all the way from the Leader’s Chair to the Municipal hierarchies. We have decided to depart from John Howe’s old ways and follow a new plan of action. If John Howe wants to go and rescue his nephew, so be it! But the moment he leaves he will not be welcome back!” Some people clapped at this statement while others jeered.

John shook his head and sighed, “I expected this to happen. But I’ve got other plans.”

Helen muted the TV while Jarad elaborated on his plans of action. “So you have a way to save Alex?”

“All I can say is everything’s going to be fine.” He took the container out from his leather bag and opened it. Helen’s eye glittered at the sight of the beautiful specimen. John unrolled the scroll and read it out loud:

“My dear friend John,

Long gone are the days of old when we fought side-by-side against the tyranny of Anaxagoras. I have never forgotten you all throughout these long years. Right now, I want you to know what I am planning. It has taken me some time to plan and realize how to go about doing what we had originally envisioned. For that, we must be patient. On Earth, the Imperial Vampires want to kidnap Alex. We, as his family, know that Alex is the Falsifier, the Equivocator. Nevertheless, these vampires have no idea of who Alex really is. They think by kidnapping the Falsifier they can study his DNA and be able to create a super-vampire. But that is also being done on us Rebels. We have been tested on and they want us to be the pioneers of this new super-race.

They are foolish to do this because when we join the humans, we will be very dangerous enemies for them. This time we will be unbeatable. I am taking Alexandros with me and I promise you I will keep him safe. No harm will come to him, and no one will know who he really is until the right time comes. So I need you to trust me on this, my brother. You will have to embark on a rescue mission. I will get the Rebels ready once you enter the Earth’s atmosphere and we will start the fight before you come to collect us. When we get to know what the enemy’s real plan is, we will be more than ready; we will use their own weapons against them!

It is up to you now to start the mission. Until you get here, I will try to tell young Alexander everything he wants to know about his vampiric lineage. Good luck, old friend.

Nikolas yus-Faviane Gareng.”

It was clear by her eyes that John’s mother was deep in thought, calculating the next move. “Jarad’s made it hard for you to rescue Alex,” she said.

“I doubt it. I know that the entire Council, except for Richard, is against me. I knew it from the very beginning, ever since the people elected me Council Leader. Jarad’s just jealous and I know he won’t get too far with his plans.”

His mother glanced at the TV and suddenly cried out. “Oh my God!” There were replays of Jarad giving his fiery speech and then getting shot three times in his shoulders and chest.

“Turn on the volume!” John said.

The same reporter that Angel’s parents had been watching appeared after the replays. He yelled, “Could it be that John Howe has sent a message to Jarad Hameed for his candid and shocking statements about the Howe family? This is surely a devastating blow to what we knew as democracy.”

“What the hell is going on here?” John yelled, standing up. “There’s no way I planned that.”

Suddenly the window smashed open and a green can projected into the room, letting out tear gas. John grabbed his mother by the arm and led her out. He opened the door and they ran outside. A dozen people crowded the large iron gates of the Estate, shouting hateful remarks against the Howe family. Numerous reporters wrested to get past each other and get a good story. Security guards tried to hold the crowd back. John realized soon enough they must have been paid by Jarad to do this. They protested, holding up signs and slogans of hatred.

“Enough of this,” John said to his mother. “I’m going out there to face them.” John walked outside of the gates. “People of Regnum!” he said as loud as possible. He repeated his words four times more until the shouting ceased to total silence. “People of Earth! I understand what must be going through your minds right now. You may think of me as scandalous. You may think of my family as scandalous. You want to think that what Jarad says is true.” He was careful not to say outright that Jarad bought them. “Go ahead then. But let me say this. I believe in democracy. True democracy as he does, if not more. But I want to remind you of one thing. I have fought with pride and honor in the line of fire! Do not forget those who died on that fateful day of the last battle. I tried my best and I am proud to say that I fought side-by-side with my fellow Anisaei, my fellow Vampire Rebels and gave my best to win back our rightful place on the Earth.

“And for the last twenty one years there hasn’t been a day that has gone by in which I haven’t tried to fight the Imperial Regime of Anaxagoras. I want us to achieve what we fought for long ago. But we won’t achieve anything with all this bickering. We must join together as one army and fight for our rights! We must fight to regain what we have lost and what is rightfully ours!” At this point the people bowed their heads in silence. They realized that John was right. Even the reporters stopped bickering and just let the silence continue, as the floating cameras panned from John to the audience. The silence became almost unbearable for John. The fear that his speech might not have persuaded them surged like electricity under his skin. He waited.

The crowd suddenly started shouting and cheering for John. Their leader.

John’s face widened into a smile. “So what do you say? Are we going to get the Earth back or not?”

The people cried out, “Yes!”

Alex glanced around the area of the ship anxiously, careful not to make eye contact with any of the crew members. He felt them glaring at him suspiciously. To relieve his mind, he thought of his family and Angel. He smiled at the thought of becoming a father. Nikolas observed Alex and said, “You have your mother’s smile.”

“You knew my parents, didn’t you?” Alex asked in a hushed tone.

“Alex, you don’t have to be frightened of anything. Everyone here is a Rebel. And these punks,” he added, referring to the Imperial soldiers. “They don’t really talk much or listen to anything.” He glared at the one who had turned on his restraining choker and the other Imperials. They returned the aggressive look and ignored Nikolas and his comrades. Every now and then, they would watch Alex’s movements.

“So, what were they like?” Alex asked a little louder.

“All I can say is that they were wonderful human beings.”

Alex opened his mouth, surprised by Nick’s statement, but the Rebel covered his mouth before he could say anything. “Some things are better left for later.” He motioned with his eyes to signify that it was dangerous to talk on such a subject. “Let me introduce you to the Rebels,” he said.

The Rebels now consisted of only twelve members. The rest, Nikolas explained, died in the war. There had been about 125000 alive before the war. The last battle had claimed 120000 Rebel casualties. The rest had been used for tests for the Silver-moon project. After the first phase, 3000 had died. Once the first phase had been completed, only 850 were left. During the second phase, only twelve made it. One by one, Nick introduced them.

The first Rebel he introduced was Varenkoff. “I’ve read lots about you, General Varenkoff,” Alex said, smiling.

Varenkoff smiled back and shook Alex’s hand, “Please, call me Dante.” His black hair was tied in a ponytail and he donned a thin mustache. His eyes were the darkest Alex had ever seen, with a slight tinge of crimson. Alex could not help but look at his scar which ran down the length of his cheek from his left eye to his upper lip. Dante noticed this and laughed, pointing to it with his right finger, “This, my dear boy, was a gift from Adiraan.”

“Oh,” said Alex, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I keep it as a memento; a precious memory of our days in the Rebellion.” Varenkoff’s eyes looked beyond Alex, vacant and dreaming, in the same way that John’s did when he spoke of the war.

“I thought vampires could regenerate,” Alex said.

“If they choose to, yes,” Varenkoff replied.

Nikolas went on to introduce the others:

Efarius seemed to be the oldest of them all. He was lean and tall and his skin was tanned from hard work in the sun. He had worked in the farms as a serf for Anaxagoras. He smiled and shook hands with Alex. Efarius’s hand felt hard and leathery.

Joqetu, a youngish looking Rebel with red hair bowed to Alex and shook hands with him. “Finally,” he said, “after all these years.”

“And this is Davik,” said Nikolas, introducing a tall Rebel with pleasant features. Davik’s fair face smiled at the mention of his name and he shook Alex’s hand. His grip was gentle.

The next Rebel, Gavin, stood with his arms crossed and his back straight. His muscular frame was tight and stiff. He smiled solemnly at Alex.

Noel was introduced next. He had been watching Alex constantly and was filled with awe and respect. His eyes widened as he took Alex’s hand in his own.

Liam bowed slightly and shook Alex’s hand. He had wild ragged hair that fell loose about his face. When he smiled, Alex saw his bright white fangs. “It’s an honor,” said Liam.

Yagnik shook Alex’s hand next and brought him closer to embrace him. He watched Alex with interest. His light blonde hair was cut short and his eyes were the color of blue seas.

Orwen welcomed his leader’s son, bowing and shaking his hand. He looked slightly nervous and his pale face seemed even paler when he looked at Alex with his large golden brown eyes. Moving his chestnut brown hair away from his face, he said, “I never thought I’d see the day, Alex, but I’m glad I have.”

Hektor, a six and a half foot tall vampire, grabbed Alex by the arms, hugged him and laughed loudly. “I’m so happy at last to see you, young Alexandros.” His face was covered under a huge messy beard that flowed down to his chest. The hair on his head flowed all the way down his back.

Finally, Quentin smiled at him and bowed, “Good to see you,” he said. He was thinner than the others and moved quickly when introduced. Quentin was from a noble lineage and indeed had a regal air about him. The others came from humbler backgrounds and some were part of the military of Migra. Quentin was related to Nikolas, on his mother’s brother’s wife’s side, being her third cousin.

Alex noticed that all the Rebels were shirtless and just wore military pants. “Why aren’t you guys armored?”

Nikolas said, “Didn’t you see what we can do? We have no need for armor.”

Alex shook his head.

“Watch.” The Rebels transformed their bodies into silver, like Nikolas had during the battle in the Regnum. Their whole bodies looked like shiny sculptures. Their muscles gleamed as the silver reflected the light. They looked like mechanical, robotic vampires.

“Wow!” Alex said, “This is amazing!”

They levitated in the air, surrounding Alex in a circle like magnificent angels protecting him. They took their right arms and placed their hands a foot above Alex’s head. From each arm came white beams of light, which shot into Alex’s head. The converged light radiated a powerful aura, traveling down his spine and back, finally spinning clockwise around his vertebral column. The radiant light scattered throughout his nervous system and into his bloodstream, finally reaching his brain. It spread around and circled his brain like a bright halo. A thin white light emanated from the center of his spinal cord. It slowly rose from the base and through the cerebral cortex. His eyes shone like fire and he opened his loose mouth slightly. Suddenly he began to levitate alongside the others. The Imperial Vampires watched in awe, waiting for a command to do something, but no such command was given. Even Jacque, the Imperial commander of the mission, stared on in complete shock, watching the amazing spectacle of light and magic.

Alex spoke an ancient magical incantation in ancient Migritic. And at once, the pure white light flooded the entirety of the ship. A faint sound, like the one Alex had heard when he first drank the blood from the fountain, hummed incessantly. After four minutes, the light died out and the Rebels collapsed back down but Alex continued to hover in the air, cross-legged in a lotus position. The light still surrounded him.

The Imperial soldiers snapped out of their trance and the commander ordered the soldiers to bring Migra for those who had collapsed. Plastic packets of Migra, much like stored-up blood, were injected into them and little by little they recovered. Jacque asked Nick, “What was all that about?”

“Nothing. Just something between us. Don’t worry about him. He’s taken our energy. When it wears off, he’ll be fine.” Nikolas said.

“Taken your energy?” Jacque asked.

“In fact, he’s taken everyone’s here on the ship.” Nikolas said.

“I thought only powerful Ancients could do that. And even they needed to have permission first.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s strange,” Nick said.

“So how long will he be like that?” Jacque looked at the hovering figure.

“Depending how much he took from us, I’d say he’ll be fine by the time we land.”

“I hope so.”

Nick left to join the other Rebels. He said under his breath, “I hope so too.”

John was sweating. He didn’t understand anything that was going on, especially Jarad’s statements and the actions after that. What about the assassination? Who was responsible for that? He decided that, politically, the best thing to do would be to go to the Central Hospital. It was only a five minute walk from Regnum Central Headquarters. He needed to show the people that it was not he who had planned the attack. He was painfully aware that other people might see it that way.

As he got out of his limo, the entire press community launched itself at him, bombarding him with questions about his affiliations with the Vampire Regime and rumors of his nephew joining the vampires. They asked him about his family history and his rule of power. He tried to ignore them as calmly as he could but his grim face betrayed the stress that he was under. He placed his hand over his burning throat, as he regurgitated a little stomach acid. Stress always set his ulcer off, although sometimes he wondered if might be the opposite way round. Perhaps it was the ulcer that made him so irritable. His guards did the best they could to protect him.

Once they reached the entrance of the hospital, John felt a sense of relief. The other members of the Council acknowledged him with silence, but he felt their subtle suspicion. At least it wasn’t the lynching he’d feared. “So what’s the situation?” No one spoke. An unnatural silence widened the disparity between him and his fellow members. If he reacted in a negative way, they would surely win. “Would,” he continued in an innocent voice, “someone please tell me what’s happening? How is Jarad?”

At the mention of Jarad, the whole Council looked him directly in the eyes. It was like the stand off at the last battle all over again. He was not going to fall back or jump at the accusations.

Just then, Richard Bacon, another Council member stepped out of an elevator and joined them. He had overheard the question. “He’s expecting you, John. I thought you’d know that,” said Richard.

Richard was tall, taller than John even, and he was lean. His face was aged, as if it had seen too much work. His eyes were perpetually squinted, yet gleaming with wonder. His nose was big and round and his lips were almost entirely covered with a furry mustache which entwined with his beard. He pulled back his dark, red-brown hair and regarded John.

John knew Richard very well. He had taken control as General in the Mediterranean during the Great War with the vampires. He was also John’s right hand man in everything they did. They were great pals in high school and Richard was also the best man at his wedding. Sadly, Caryn died only two years after their marriage and fifteen years before the War broke out. John trusted Richard with his life and he knew his old buddy would never stab him in the back.

“Right, I’m going in to see him. Richard, I want you to come in with me.”

Richard nodded and followed John. The others stared daggers at them.

“Tell me,” John said as they stepped inside the elevator.

“I have to be blunt with you. They want you out. Dead or alive.”

John nodded. A sour smirk appeared on his face.

“But as far as Jarad is concerned,” Richard continued, “I just don’t know. He seems two-faced.”

“Yeah, that’s Jarad for you. I knew he would be against me from the very beginning. I knew he wanted the Leader’s Chair. He wants me dead and now he’s gotten a clear cut chance to show himself without any fear of being discharged. He thinks that under the situation we’re in he’ll be able to take power.” John sighed and shook his head. “Personally I don’t care right now. I just want Alex back.”

The elevator stopped. They stepped out and Richard led the way to Jarad’s room. Once they reached his room, 11203, Bacon opened the door and John entered inside. Jarad lay there in a semi-comatose state with various tubes coming out of him. There was an intravenous drip in his arm that administered medication and a blinking machine by his bedside. His eyes opened slightly, but at the sight of his rival, he closed them again, ignoring the two. John and Richard sat down on the metallic chairs next to his bed, one on either side. Jarad turned his head to John and smiled in a patronizing manner. John controlled himself.

“John,” Jarad’s mouth formed the name without a sound.

“Jarad,” John replied quietly, “What the hell are you up to?”

Jarad said with slow, heavy breathing, “I don’t know what to say.” He licked his dry lips. “I only wanted–”

“What did you want? Power! I thought you were better than this. You should have waited until after I died! And you don’t think I know you planned that bloody assassination? Of course I do! And I think I even know who did it.”

“It’s not like that at all,” Jarad said.

“Because of today’s incident, you are temporarily discharged. I will make sure personally that you don’t interfere with the affairs of Regnum or of my family. Now,” John stood up, “hope you feel better. Take care and please, please, don’t ever think of coming to speak to me.”

Richard and John walked out.

“That was a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Richard said after they left the room.

John shook his head and smiled, “Richard, this is between you and me; I never meant to publicly denounce him. Once he knows that I’m doing it, he won’t do anything to meddle with Regnum politics. And I’ll deal with the rest in the same manner.”

“Well played, old friend!” Richard smiled. They entered the elevator.

John remained quiet, calculating his next move.

The ship started its descent, picking up speed in the atmosphere of the Earth. Inside, Nikolas constantly stared at Alex. He’d always known that the boy was special but the spectacle he had just witnessed had blown his mind. As an aristocrat with a royal bloodline Nikolas had seen a lot of dark magic, sorcery and some very unholy things. Perhaps, here in the boy, was something different. Something holy and good. Alex’s eyes had been closed for some time now and he remained completely still. “Alright!” the commander yelled out, “Move along to your positions! The ship’s coming in for a landing. Secure yourselves and...” he didn’t know what to say about the boy and just left it at that.

A moment later, the interior of the ship turned crimson red. Everything whirled. The sensation picked up momentum until it turned into a hyper speed carousel. In the center of all this, Alex stirred from his trance and opened his eyes, completely white. “It’s happening!” he shouted.

“What?” Nikolas tried to get a hold of himself as he and the others were thrown around in the forceful twister.

“He’s here! I can feel him!” Alex’s eyes flickered.

The shaking wavered and died down until everyone on the ship was jolted back by the sudden stop. They recovered from the fall and got up slowly as the light faded and pitch darkness consumed them all.

John and Richard, ignoring the other Council members, left for the Headquarters of Central Square, half a mile north of the Monolith. “John,” Richard said as they walked halfway towards the Headquarters, “Tell me something.”

“Yeah?” John asked.

“You said that you would do this to everyone. So, I’m just wondering. Do we have enough time?”

“I don’t think now would be the appropriate time,” he said as if he had an epiphany, “Let’s scrap that!”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I think with Jarad out of the way temporarily, the other members won’t have the guts to do anything against me or to try and take over. They’re weak, Richard. All of them. Besides, before they even think to do that, we’ll do it!”

“You mean you’re going to arrange a coup?” Richard whispered as if he said something forbidden.

“Just wait and watch.”

They arrived and entered the Central Headquarters. They were in a huge lobby, the size of a football field. In all directions, there were spiral staircases leading towards various government offices. John walked up to the lobby secretary and told him to call the other Council Members to arrange a meeting in one hour’s time. The secretary got on it right away.

“So where are we going?” Richard asked.

“To the Senate,” John said, still in his calculative mood.

The darkness left their eyes and they saw the remnants of the old planet, the realm of Migra.

Migra seemed desolate, barren, full of death. All around dark shadowy mountains surrounded them. The ground was reddish brown, like the clay of the Earth and it looked parched. Clearly, it had not been nourished by water for a long time. Was this how Migra really was during the reign of the Nyrax Dynasty?

Alex was mesmerized to have seen this scorched land after being so used to the perfect “Eden” that was the Regnum. “You human scum,” Jacque shouted. “What’ve you done?”

“Quiet!” said Alex, his tone indifferent to the offense.

Nick looked nervously at the boy, “Alex, don’t say anything you might regret.”

“Silence, son of Faviane.”

“How...how did you know my–

Alex laughed, “Do you really think that it is he who is speaking? Think again, nephew.”

“Anaxagoras!”

“Is that how you speak to your king?” Alex’s voice boomed.

The Imperial soldiers knelt in respect.

“What are we doing over here?” Nikolas asked, unmoved.

“You have come,” said Anaxagoras through Alex, “because I am going to show you and Alexander alone what happened that fateful day when the Red Serpent made me immortal.”

“Where are you going, my lord?” asked Jacque.

“It is not for you to know.”

The three entities vanished into the air.

“Is that really what Migra is like now?” Nikolas asked, looking all around him to see nothing but darkness. A sudden flash of light appeared and he felt the same spinning sensation from the vortex they entered moments earlier.