Immortal Stonekeeper

Chapter 11: Blood Kin

"Who would do this?" Jonathan asked as dark particles swirled around Lucy. Her eyes were closed while she chanted in a low tone. She gradually got louder, until she opened her obsidian black eyes. A shadow of what looked like a claw stretched from her fingers, dipping into the centaur's chest as her hand trembled in concentration.

Bile rose up in Jonathan's throat as the claw pulled out a dark centipede from Axtrrpuq. It squirmed violently, trying in vain to free itself from Lucy's grasp. She clenched her fist in a crushing movement and disintegrated the shadowy bug.

"I... I don't understand." Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. "This is a vampiric curse. I thought I was the only vampire left in England."

"Actually, you're not." Jonathan folded his arms. "Do you know a vampire named 'Michael O'Cornell'? He attacked me yesterday."

"Can't say that I do, though nine hundred years of existence is bound to make me a little forgetful." Lucy soothed the centaur, who was now coughing violently. "Why are you tangled up with another vampire anyway?"

"It's a long story. Let's see to..." Jonathan's voice trailed away into an incoherent mumble, gesturing vaguely at Axtrrpuq. "...'Ax-r-pul' first."

The centaur's eyes shot open at the horrible mispronunciation of his name and let out a fearful whinny. He scrambled to his feet, backing away desperately from Lucy.

"Vampire, vampire!" he screamed in an old Scottish accent. "I truly has't not what ye seek! Hath mercy, hath mercy!"

"Axtrrpuq, hearken to me! Calm thy emotions!" Lucy placated Axtrrpuq frantically. "Tis I, Carpenter! We mean thee no harm. Who didst this to thou?"

"I knoweth not." Axtrrpuq gradually calmed down and propped himself up with his four hooves. He shifted his stall upright and began picking up pieces of paper strewn across the floor with his other four arms. "That vampire cameth not long before thee; his dark magic so potent, I could sense it even from the moment he didst step onto this floor."

"For what hath he attacketh thou?"

"He didst demand a special Fulu to separateth soul from body. But imbuing such foul magic wouldst taketh centuries away from mine own life, and thus did I refuse. In a fit of rage, he tore down mine own store and put a curse on me."

"Well, this is kinda awkward..." Jonathan put a hand behind his head. "We're actually here for protection talismans against holy magic too."

"Ah, but that I doth provide, good sir!" Axtrrpuq chirped, recovering remarkably quickly from the fact that he had just been attacked. "Not all demonic magic is foul. Talismans for thee both?"

"Uhm... just the lady. I'm good." Jonathan replied, hoping he understood the heavily accented archaic English correctly. Axtrrpuq fished out a golden strip with carvings and handed it to Lucy, but she refused it with an intense look on her face.

"He's still here." Lucy's eyes glowed red as she snapped her head around jerkily. Jonathan swallowed a gasp as her head swivelled at an angle that would break most necks. She quickly pulled out a pistol and aimed at a shadow.

A burst of light flashed from the dark corner, and Jonathan rushed forward to shield her. They screamed simultaneously as the light knocked them off the ledge and sent them crashing onto the second floor. Lucy scrambled to her feet, aiming her weapon at the man rising from the shadows on the ground. She lowered it slightly as he stepped into the light.

"Michael O'Cornell, you again..." Jonathan raised his fists hostilely as electricity danced around it. Lucy gave him a confused look and turned back to the man before a look of realisation crossed her face.