CHAPTER 45: ATTACK AT SEA

"Why didn't we use a portal or something? I mean, this is a supernatural world, right? Stuff like that should exist," Rachael says. She sits in a white chair and a small white table. The rest of the group sit with her, all enjoying the sun and the luxuries of the ship in form of a glass of juice though Samuel sticks to his canteen.

"There probably is but the time to gather the ingredients for that is something we don't have," Amanda says.

"Except you have the ability to teleport there, no. Dracula's castle is at the edge of the underworld. You can't just open a portal there dear," she adds.

Her hair glows like a weave of gold, blessed and adored by the sun. Her jacket is a match to Samuel's but with lighter shades of color.

"Besides, no portal will take you beyond the Sea of Stars. You'd drop in the middle at best," Samuel says, he stretches his legs and leans into the seat.

"Sammy," Amanda stretches her hand for the canteen and he passes it, she takes a sip and covers the mouth.

"You are growing weak, you shouldn't be drinking" she says and he rubs his hair wondering what may be wrong with her, "Does it matter? That's like water and you are trying to take my elixir, my drink of life. If I am dying I'd like to die drunk," Samuel says, "Nope, you will just die faster. Quit it dummy," she says.

"I am going to fuck up your relationship," he says and she brings out her tongue to mock him.

"So, what is our next move?" Rachael asks, "The captain told me we are going to ride southeast towards Dagan and Ravana, once we cross the Sea of Stars, we will cruise down to Nagas," Amanda says.

"Good thing someone's powers is working fine because I feel exhausted as hell," Samuel says, "Tough it out. You can handle it, be a man" she says, "Being a man doesn't mean I can't take a break. This is why men die more than women," he says with a sigh and grabs a glass of juice.

"Dagan and Ravana, why do those sound familiar?" Elma asks, "Demons, gods whatever they are you must have heard of them. The seven mountains were named after seven demons," Samuel says, "Oh, so that's why the name sounds familiar,".

"Samuel, is Gabriel here?" Rachael suddenly asks, he clenches his fist behind his chair and wears a smile across his face, "No, he isn't Miss McQueen," he says and rolls his eyes.

Rachael nods her head to the side to signal him, he gets the message and the two leave the table to the edge of the deck.

"I hope you don't mind if I tag along," the man with a gun comes to join them with a glass in his hand.

"Quite a lovely boat, eh?" he says as he pulls a sit from one of the free tables close by.

He rubs his full beards with one hand before removing the hat on his head as he sits.

"What is going on with you?" Rachael says, "You only called me Miss McQueen when we were not so close," she says, "And are we close Rachael?" "Aren't we?" "I don't know, you tell me. It didn't take long before you fell in love with my brother," Samuel says.

"Is this what it is about? Me and Gabriel? What is the problem here?" Rachael asks, "There isn't any," his voice lose it's softness.

"Samuel is there something I need to know?" she asks and he turns away, she realizes how much he and Gabriel have in common. What doesn't he want to say?

"No, there isn't Rachael. Let's just go save my brother," Samuel scoffs and walks away.

Evening falls as they spend hours on the ship while the captain navigates his way across the seas. The clouds get thicker as the ship gets closer to the sea of stars but back at the shores of Green Harbor, the enemy watches and prepares to attack.

Alex sees the ship through a pair of binoculars, it has apparently put a few feet between themselves and shore. The winged vampires aligned themselves at the shores, staring far into the waters as if their gaze can see that far. Even the binoculars can barely see them, they are about a mile and a half away from shore, but she still sees the ship and she listens to the hisses of the winged vampires as they await her order.

Alex is prepared to kill them if need be, she wants to find out if the twins are as invincible as they think. After all they defeated her master and he was someone she feared with all her being.

Her desire is great and heavy, unbeknownst to her a darker creature watches and plagues her heart as he manipulates his way into their minds.

A possessed being stands in their midst as if he were invincible but he isn't, yet none of them can see him. He has strange long ears with its edges carve in like he had an old scar.

His skin is pale like the sea wind and his eyes are as black as tar. He has thick black hair and a pointed nose.

He hisses strange words in a low tongue. It is silent but somehow it echoes through the waves of reality. It connects with her mind and the redhead immediately screams her order.

The pale white skin of the winged vampires wriggle and their wings flap, lifting them into the skies with their hungry eyes placed towards the route of the ship.

Samuel stands at the balcony of the ship while Rachael opens her hands and her mouth with pure excitement. Even though the reason for their journey is heartbreaking she still manages to enjoy the new experience.

If there is something she has learnt from the supernatural world, it is that some things can lead you down painful and treacherous roads but you should appreciate the little pieces of joy you pick on the way.

They are precious moments.

Samuel smiles at her and the aura she creates. His heart saddens with the words he spoke earlier but the pain he feels refuses to go.

His envy.

His eyes dazzle with her at the center of his attention, she spins around as the sweet smell of the sea fills the air around the ship. She looks like a little princess dancing with stars around her and laughter makes one almost forget the troubles that come.

The sea breeze blows through her hair as he imagines they were both in a musical. Him with his hands around her waist and she with her hands around his neck. Face to face, breath on breath, lips on lips they hold in a lustful dream.

She stops and looks at him as he leans against the balcony. His eyes are fixed on her and normally it would be weird but somehow it pleases her.

She doesn't know why he was angry at her but she can't blame him. He must be hurt more than any of them. After all, he is the one that has lost his brother, the one who has been at his side for 500 years.

And Rachael knows a thing or two about losing the people you love the most.

"What?" she says.

He smiles and shakes his head, "Why are you staring at me like that?" "You just look nothing like the drunk girl I met at Gallowway," Samuel says and she laughs.

"In my defense, Elma was trying to kill me," she says and walks to join him at the edge.

"How do you do it? How do you remain positive? You are easily consumed by rage and vengeance but you always still have space to enjoy living," he says.

"I don't know. I guess it's my superpower. You have blue eyes and claws while I have..." she pauses as she thinks of what to say.

"Heart," Samuel completes, "You have a heart as well," "Not like yours, Rachael," he raises a land to her face and cups her chin in his hand. She looks at him with some shock, "I could eat you but that would make me a bad person," he says and drops his hand.

"His hands smell nice," Rachael thinks as he releases her face. She places a hand on her chest as she feels her heartbeat scream like a little child.

Joy fills her quickly but so it leaves with the warning scream of the bat-like creatures that glides the air, circling the ship as it stalks its prey.

Samuel stands in front of Rachael, he grunts and growls, looking at the winged vampires with a hard look. His eyes glimmer and his breath is heavy; he takes four steps forward and his black wings shoot out from his back.

"I will be back," he says and flaps himself into the air and turning the predator to the prey. He is a much powerful beast and he soars the air with mighty wings, cutting and gliding through the night's breeze.

"Something is wrong with the passengers," Amanda shouts as she climbs up the deck with different men and women after her.

Their eyes are thick black with no whites in them and dark veins are exposed on their chest and for some on their neck.

They attack Amanda but the sphinx dashes left and right, delivering throws and kicks to her assailants. She overpowers every creature that comes her way until another blond pounces on her.

Elma snarls and tries to bite Amanda but she holds off the erratic vampire, "Snap out of it, Elma" she shouts but the vampire is clueless to the meaning of her words.

"What is wrong with them?" Rachael asks as she pulls out the dagger to defend herself, "They are possessed. But I didn't sense these many demons on the ship," Amanda answers as she throws Elma off her.

They attack Rachael and she swings at them, slicing the dagger against the wrist of two people. Their screams halt the rest while her victims jerk to unconsciousness and the rest suddenly become weary of her.

"Looks like your dagger nullifies the possession. You are about to cut a lot of people," Amanda says, "Right now, it is me or them and I choose me," "I'm with you,".

The ladies fight back but the bodies that pile at their feet becomes their disadvantage, their attackers do not care about the unconscious bodies as they charge while the girls have difficulty with their footwork.

Amidst the building crowd, a lady manages to tackle Rachael to the ground and Rachael immediately stabs her shoulder. The woman jerks in anguish until she passes out.

She struggles to her feet but a kick to the side of her belly puts her down. She groans loudly but her pain is not over. Someone grabs her from behind and slams her against the floor twice before smacking a pipe against her hand.

Rachael screams as the metal connects with her wrist; she lets go of the dagger and holds her hand tightly. Her assailant leaves her and runs for the dagger, he tries to escape but Rachael holds him with her good hand and he falls to the ground.

His thick brown hood falls open and reveals a pair of dark eyes and long wavy brown hair. His beards had grown much and she had almost forgotten him but her memory is quick to remember his face.

Warren Peace.

Warren Peace kicks her with his heel and sprints away with Nightmare, "No," Rachael screams as she sees the only thing that is sure to kill any supernatural leave her in the hands of that traitor.

She stands up and turns around to see most of the possessed people have already been knocked out by Amanda.

"Stop! You have no business here," a man says, the same man Rachael met fighting the vampires at the cliff of the Wild Lands.

His eyes are pure black and his voice deep, "Leave. All we want is Samuel Stone," he says.

"And who are you?" Amanda asks, "We are Legion," their voices echo, "The demon of Garesene. Rachael run," Amanda screams but before Rachael can make a move Elma charges toward her and punches her. The force lifts her off the floor and over the deck, down the sea of stars she falls.

Elma zooms over to the bag and opens it, she pulls out a gun and points it at Amanda.

Samuel lands on the deck and he turns his eyes to Elma, they burn with rage as he roars deeply. The passengers run and try to restrain him but the edge of his wings suddenly sharpen, reflecting little moon lights as he swings them to cut down his attackers.

Gunshots fill the air as Elma begins to shoot at Amanda and the possessed people that attack the sphinx. Elma kills everything without a second thought, her only goal is to waste the sphinx but she dodges. She leaves a trail of dead bodies as she dodges the bullets while the possessed fall to the ground.

Samuel charges and gets a hold of Elma, he lifts her into the air and bites into her neck before they fall over the dark and into the waters.