The Vampire's Raven
Author: C. Gold
Date: 2017-10-26 04:00:00+00:00
Description: There will be no lamenting this lost Lenore. When his lover goes missing, Adrian engages the help of his necromancer friend in order to get her back. But the way won't be easy, and it may prove too much even for an elder vampire like himself. It doesn't matter though. He will save Lenore no matter the price, even at the cost of his very soul. And neither the warlock, the demon lord, nor the army of the damned will stop him. This story is inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's poem, 'The Raven'. There will be no lamenting this lost Lenore. When his lover goes missing, Adrian engages the help of his necr
Rights: All rights reserved (#1033845931123073)

The Vampire’s Raven

A Paranormal Novelette

By C. Gold

Golden Elm Publishing

Redmond, WA

Copyright © 2017 C. Gold

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

First Edition

The Vampire’s Raven is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or places, is completely coincidental.

Golden Elm Publishing

Redmond, WA

Please visit the author’s official website:

www.thegoldenelm.org

Dedicated to my friends, family, and WoW guild mates for supporting me even when I vanished for long stretches at a time.

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,

And the lamplight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!

― Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

Contents

Lost Lenore

A Stately Raven

Night’s Plutonian Shore

Nevermore

From the Author

Books by the Author

About the Author

CHAPTER 1

Lost Lenore

Moisture hung in the chill evening air in that halfway place between fog and rain.  The denuded trees thrust their claw-like branches upward while their leafy corpses littered the ground—evidence of a battle lost.

Adrian Ravencourt didn’t notice these trivialities as he stalked across the street with long, aggressive strides that radiated palpable menace. He only had eyes for his informant who was standing on the front porch of a two-story colonial. With a predator’s grace, he topped the stairs and wasted no time with niceties. “Where is he?”

“In the basement,” the professional replied, equally terse, and tilted his head to indicate the front door.

“Leave,” Adrian barked. He didn’t want witnesses for what he had planned.

The man stepped back and gave a low-pitched whistle which summoned three masked men from the house. They moved with the silent economy of ex-Special Forces. Expensive to hire, they produced speedy results which, to Adrian, was worth every penny spent.

He watched with growing anticipation as they drove off in a non-descript black car. After scanning to make sure nobody else was around, Adrian entered the house.

The stairs were narrow and led to a cluttered workshop. Books, broken pieces of bric-a-brac, and furniture littered the floor in a clear sign of struggle. But the true prize that seized his attention sat tied to a chair.

The balding, middle-aged man stared sullenly out one swollen eye. His expensive clothes were blood splattered and torn. Currently, he was worrying at the magic-blocking runed cuffs that anchored his wrists to the chair. When he looked up and spotted the intruder, he sucked in a breath and began to bellow with righteous indignation. “You don’t know who you’re messing with!”

Adrian blinked across the space to stand right in front of him.

“What the—”

The man did a good job of hiding his fear, but the sickly stench of rotting meat emanated from the man’s sweat. Bending down to eye level, Adrian used a tone that promised more than simple violence when he asked, “Where is she?”

The prisoner’s eyes widened and his composure fractured briefly, but he recovered and riposted with feigned ignorance. “Who?”

Adrian wasn’t in the mood for games, yet he refused to let this man bait him. He responded with a simple, “Lenore,” yet in voicing that one word, he revealed his fear, love, and desperation to find her.

A spark of recognition flashed in the prisoner’s eyes, quickly snuffed, but not fast enough.

Adrian’s hand shot out, grabbing the other by the throat. He squeezed. “Answer me truthfully, or I will spend all night carving you into tiny pieces.” When the man’s face turned beet red, he let go.

The prisoner wheezed as he sucked in huge gulps of air. His singular eye was brimming with anger and when he finally had breath to spare, he hurled livid words like spears at his captor. “Who do you think you are?”

Adrian flashed a bit of fang and said, “I am Adrian Ravencourt.”

The man blanched and all traces of anger vanished.

When the smell of urine added it’s pungency to the already aromatic room, Adrian wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I see you’ve heard of me. Now, I’ll ask one last time. Where. Is. Lenore?”

“S… she’s g… gone,” the prisoner stuttered.

Adrian leaned in and hissed. “Where?”

The man’s eyes widened and he began to tremble.

The sight of this man’s cowardice fanned Adrian’s rage into a blazing bonfire. How could this filthy pond scum overpower Lenore? She was a strong, capable mage. He grabbed the man’s shoulders and shook. “Where is she?” he howled, in serious danger of losing control

“In Hel!”

“Whaaat?” Adrian’s deep, foreboding drawl sent the prisoner into full-blown body shakes. “What did you do?”

The man clammed up, stubborn despite his petrification.

Adrian used one of the few magic spells he knew to grow a claw from his index finger. He aimed the inch-long weapon at the quivering man’s eyeball. “Speak up or lose an eye.”

The threatened eye widened as it tracked the claw’s trajectory. “I traded her to M… Mordos!” he squeaked right before it touched.

Adrian paused his finger. “And how did someone like you manage to accomplish that?”

The man huffed, clearly insulted. “I’ll have you know, I’m the most powerful warlock in this city. I command the great Demon Lord Halzbragh, himself.”

“Lenore is the strongest mage in this country. So how the hell could you overpower her?” Adrian sneered back.

The prisoner had the nerve to look smug. “I command demons. Many demons. She put up a good fight, I’ll give her that. But really, she never stood a chance.”

At least she wasn’t tricked into going willingly. That was the first bit of good news since this entire mess began. Demons were a nasty lot but preferred deceit over force to get people under their thrall. Lenore would be tortured until she submitted, but Adrian was counting on her strength to hold out until he could rescue her.

Returning to the matter at hand, Adrian growled at his prisoner. “And what did you get in return?” Not that he cared. This scumbag wouldn’t live long enough to enjoy his reward.

“P… power.” The man’s eye looked away as he spoke.

“There’s more. Tell me!” Adrian commanded.

“N… no. He’d k… kill me.” The prisoner stammered.

Adrian pressed his claw against the man’s tear duct. “I think I’ll pop out your eye.” The way he said it, like this was just another boring task, usually produced results. But not this time.

“G… go a… ahead.” While frightened, the man had a stubborn look to him that clearly said he wasn’t budging. Whatever deal he made was more important than his mortal life.

Frustrated, Adrian balled his hand into a first and slammed it into the man’s arm. He heard bone snap right before the man’s high pitched scream. Baring his fangs, he plunged them into the prisoner’s neck at the same time he released the runed cuffs. Magic slammed into him with each swallow.

At first the prisoner tried feebly to draw upon his power, but the combination of pain and the effects of a vampire bite rendered him senseless before he could muster an effective attack. Adrian took in every last drop. Though he had few spells—Lenore promised to teach him more—the borrowed magic would make them stronger. It might be enough. No, it had to be enough. Adrian refused to think of failure.

He ignored the cooling body while thoroughly searching the lab. Surely, there was something useful. But no, all he found were spells on demon binding, blood rituals, and other dark arts. There was no mention of how to open a door to the underworld where she was taken. Apparently, warlocks only pulled demons through gates, they never stepped through. There was nothing in the rest of the house either. He had come to a dead end.

Returning to the corpse, Adrian piled the evil-ridden tomes and scrolls around the base and set it on fire. He retreated to the stairs and watched as the body burned. Flames licked the shelves and began spreading. Satisfied, he went through the rest of the house, setting everything ablaze.

As the still figure under the skeletal tree watched the house burn down, he felt no satisfaction. His Lenore was still gone. Worse, she was in Hel. But this sent a clear message to anyone thinking of messing with Adrian Ravencourt or those under his protection.

The sun was nearing the horizon when the fire truck’s wailing siren approached. There wasn’t going to be much left of the house for them to save. But more importantly, none of the foul artifacts would be left to fall into the wrong hands.

Adrian portaled home as the sun’s first rays crested the horizon and yanked his clothes off in growing frustration. Normally neat and tidy, he left a crooked trail of discarded garments on his way to the bedroom. Here, he paused and raked a hand through his shoulder-length black hair. Adrian fought the morning’s lethargy as he sat on the bed. What am I going to do now? He needed to find a way into the underworld before Lenore… No. He shook his head, refusing to think of that. There had to be a way, he was simply too tired to think of one. Slipping under the covers of his too empty king-sized bed, he grabbed her pillow and buried his head in her scent. Hang on, my heart, I’m coming for you. Out of options for now, Adrian surrendered to the sun’s pull.

CHAPTER 2

A Stately Raven

Once the day’s grip loosened its stranglehold, Adrian sat up abruptly in bed. Marcus! The name came to him immediately and he wanted to kick himself for not thinking of him sooner. A necromancer dealt with death all the time. Even if Marcus didn’t dabble in the darker side of things by stealing spirits—a great way to piss off the truly powerful—he’d surely know how to enter Hel.

With renewed enthusiasm, Adrian dressed and was out the door in no time. October’s dampness couldn’t dash his spirits as he got into his Jaguar and drove over to Lake Washington. Marcus lived in one of those fancy houses in Medina. He’d inherited it along with a fortune from his father, but necromancy was also lucrative in the supernat community. Normally, Adrian would just teleport, but, like most affluent neighborhoods, Medina was shielded. Refusing to walk across the entire city, he cloaked the car and sped through the streets recklessly, relying on his vampire reflexes to dodge traffic. He made good time and arrived at Marcus’ mansion sooner than he probably would have if he’d teleported.

The door was unlocked, so Adrian skipped knocking and let himself inside. Following the sound of voices, he stormed into the study to see Marcus speaking with a rich client. The contrast between the well-groomed man and Marcus’ frizzy brown hair standing on end, threadbare shirt, and holey jeans would have been humorous in other circumstances.

“Get out!” Adrian’s hard eyes bored into the rich man’s, backed by six feet four inches of solid vampire intimidation.

“What? No wait!” Marcus cried out in a futile attempt to stop his client from leaving, but the man bolted faster than a startled jackrabbit.

Adrian blocked Marcus from following and placed a hand on his arm. “Marcus. I need your help.”

Marcus sagged in defeat and said nothing as he watched his client exit the front door. Pulling his arm away, he asked, “What do you want, Adrian?”

Seeing the pissed off look on his friend’s face, Adrian’s demeanor softened. “You know I wouldn’t interrupt unless it was important.” He sucked in a deep breath and gritted his teeth. Even thinking her name was hard, let alone saying it right now. “It’s about Lenore.”

In a flash, Marcus went from riled up to worried. “Oh?”

“Mordos has her… in Hel.”

“What!” The necromancer raked his hand through his already messed up hair and looked like he was ready to throw up. “How did that happen?”

“Belig got to her and used her in a trade.”

“Belig the warlock?” Marcus’ voice kicked up an octave.

Adrian nodded.

His friend let off a string of cuss words that would make a sailor proud before he turned to Adrian with a pitying look. “I’m sorry man, but you know she’s a goner.”

Adrian’s rigid control snapped and he shoved Marcus against the wall. “Don’t say that! She’s still alive and I’m getting her back.” His fangs extended and came within a hair’s breadth of puncturing the necromancer’s face.

Marcus kept his cool though and patted Adrian’s arm. “Ok,” he said softly to soothe the angry beast. “It will be ok.”

The crimson rage abated long enough for Adrian to regain a shaky, temporary control. “Sorry,” he apologized and jumped back, mortified. He hadn’t lost it like that in centuries and felt ill knowing how close he’d come to killing Marcus.  Pacing at the far end of the room from his friend helped drain away some of the tension as the silence grew awkward between them. He busied himself studying the room which looked like it was straight out of the Victorian era with a large fireplace, book case filled with worn and well used arcane tomes, and intricately carved wooden furniture atop a plush red and gold floral patterned rug.

At last, he grew calm enough to get back to the reason he barged in. “I need to open a gate to Hel, and you’re the only person I know who might be able do that.”

“I see.” His friend walked over to the desk and perched on the side. Crossing his arms, he said, “You know, you can’t just waltz into Hel.”

“Why not?” Adrian snapped back, and had to fight off another surge of anger. “How hard could it possibly be?”

“Well, for one thing, you’ll need a spirit guide.”

Adrian groaned and threw up his hands in exasperation. “I don’t have time for your shaman mumbo jumbo.” His friend was into some esoteric beliefs from his years of putting various cultures’ dead spirits to rest. Sometimes he was a little too eager to embrace things when something simple would suffice. “I just need a doorway.”

“And when you get there, what then? Hel is a big place. You won’t find her by yourself.”

Adrian stopped pacing and leaned against the door jam. “Fine. Then you’re coming with me.”

Marcus shook his head. “I have to anchor the portal on this side.” He got up and walked over. Placing a hand on Adrian’s arm, he said, “Trust me. You can’t go in there half-cocked.” He looked away. “I love her too, you know.”

Jealousy surged up, hot and furious, taking Adrian by surprise. Without thinking, his fangs descended and he shouted, “She’s mine!”

Marcus’ head snapped back to look at Adrian. His eyes widened upon seeing the danger his careless words put him in. “Easy. I know,” he soothed. Then he smiled self-deprecatingly. “For some reason she chose you when she could have had me.” He ran his arm up and down his length as if to showcase what a great find he’d be.

Adrian laughed. He couldn’t help it given Marcus’ shabby appearance. His friend joined in and the tense moment passed. Though Lenore would never judge a person by their looks, the necromancer’s current state was a bit over the top. “Why are you dressed like a pauper anyway?”

“I was going to visit a graveyard. Come, let’s see what we can find in my library.”

Adrian followed Marcus into a decent sized room crammed floor to ceiling with tomes of all kinds. “How do you find anything?”

“Oh, I have my own system. Don’t worry.” Marcus pulled out several books from one corner of a shelf and handed the stack to Adrian. “Here, start with these. You look for portal spells while I find the ritual to summon your guide.”

Adrian took his pile over to a plush leather chair and began wading through them.

A good thirty minutes passed in silence, then Marcus flipped a page and hummed in surprise.

“What? Did you find something?” Adrian looked up from a dry recounting of a spell to peer inside another realm—possibly useful, but not exactly what he needed.

“Says here, you could call a bat. Wouldn’t that be fitting?”

That’s all he needed—a pet to reinforce the stupid myth about vampires turning into bats. Adrian glowered murder at Marcus when he began laughing. “I can’t believe people still believe that garbage. That was a rumor designed to scare people a long time ago. It wasn’t meant to live on. Besides, how can people possibly think we could change into such a tiny creature?”

“Magic can do anything.”

“It can stretch the laws of physics, not rewrite them.”

“You’ve gotta admit, it would be funny.”

“No. I’m not summoning a bat. I told you already, I don’t need a spirit guide.”

“Yes, you do. And I found the ritual.” Marcus walked over, book in hand. “I even have all the materials handy. I’ll go gather them and meet you out back.”

Adrian scowled as he watched his friend leave. He didn’t want the burden of a guide who, once summoned, bonded to the caster and stayed with them for life. On the other hand, from what he’d skimmed so far, it seemed Marcus might be right about Hel being confusing to navigate. Grumbling, he stood and made his way through the mansion.

While Adrian had visited Marcus a few times in the past, he’d never been out back. The yard had been left to grow wild—surprising when the rest of the mansion harkened to the Victorian era. He half expected a hedge maze, fountains, and overly trimmed bushes. Instead, tall pines choked with blackberry plants and ferns loomed over a small creek trickling past the back of the property. The dense knot of mixed foliage hemmed in all three sides, forming an impenetrable barrier that even Adrian’s vampiric sight couldn’t penetrate. Only the center, dominated by a large circular concrete slab, was kept clear. He walked over to it, marveling at the lack of pine cones, leaves, or other debris. Pressing a hand against the surface verified it was as dry as it appeared. Even his shoes, wet from the damp grass, left no trail.

“I had it spelled to keep it clean and dry,” Marcus said as he set down a pile of candles and the book.

Adrian straightened. “I expected everything to be trimmed and neat.” He waved to include the surroundings.

“Let me guess… fountains and bushes shaped like animals?” Marcus grinned.

The vampire merely grunted.

His friend motioned to a particularly gnarly section of the woods. “The spirits are more comfortable with untouched nature.”

Adrian watched as Marcus drew a chalk circle and placed the candles in the four cardinal directions. He opened the book to a marked location and began copying runes around the circumference. Humming under his breath, Marcus was completely absorbed in his task.

Feeling useless, Adrian paced as his anxiety clawed through him like voracious ants. Deep down, he knew Lenore didn’t have much time left and the wait was killing him.

Finally, Marcus spoke. “You need to sit in the circle and focus on your quest. The incense candle is infused with herbs that will lift your consciousness to the astral plane where you can seek a guide to help.”

“I’m a vampire. Drugs don’t affect me.”

“Oh, this will. It has a dash of magic to increase the potency.” Seeing Adrian’s frown, Marcus tried to reassure him. “Don’t worry. I’ve tested this out before. Just remember to keep your mind focused on what you need.”

Reluctantly, Adrian stepped over the runes and sat cross legged in the middle. Marcus set a thick candle in front of him and lit it. The way he hastily dashed out of the circle didn’t inspire the greatest of confidence.

“Just breathe deep and relax. Let your mind seek that which you need.”

Opening his mouth to make a final objection, Adrian’s intention wavered and collapsed as he drew in the pine and cinnamon scented smoke. Whatever was in that stuff, it worked fast. He found himself floating, disconnected from his body. Think about your quest. Marcus’ voice (or was it a thought?) came to him as if from a long tunnel. He rose from the ground and floated over the forest. It should have left him peaceful, but the drug stripped away his control and his raw, unleashed feelings exploded outward. Adrian needed Lenore back like a body needed its heart to live. But he was afraid it was too late. He also wanted to rip Mordos to shreds.

Birds fled from his dark cloud of wrath, forest animals hid, and the world turned dark.

You don’t deserve her.

Vampires can’t know love.

You failed her.

The disembodied voices attacked him from all sides. Adrian snarled and lashed out at empty air. “Face me!” he yelled, desperate to land a blow.

You aren’t worthy.

“No. I’m not,” he snarled. “But I’ll find her anyway.” The voices hushed and the darkness dissipated, leaving him standing alone in a small clearing. Across the way, a wolf stood watching. Perhaps this was the guide he sought? Adrian moved towards it but the wolf tucked its tail between its legs and fled.

At first he was wounded by the rejection, but then a surging anger took over. No! I need a guide to find Lenore. I must not fail. He chased the animal across a stream and into a dense forest. The lack of a tangible body let him keep up as the animal led him along a zig zagging path. The wolf finally fled down a narrow chasm which dead ended with a deadly drop off. Got you now!

The wolf whined and cowered. Visibly shaking, it appeared to seriously contemplate jumping.

Adrian was beyond caring—he needed something that could track Lenore and the cowardly wolf would do. As he drifted forward, an oval shaped rift formed to his left. It showed a twisted and scarred landscape, but Adrian had eyes only for Lenore. She stared back at him without any recognition. Beside her, a large demon flayed her skin open with a lash.

“No!” Wolf forgotten, Adrian launched himself at the portal but slammed into an invisible barrier. “Lenore!” he screamed and pounded his fists against the shield until they turned bloody. All the while, blood sprayed from the impact of whip to flesh. “Lenore!” His voice cracked as it grew hoarse from shouting.

“Adrian, snap out of it.”

His bloody fist almost landed a right hook on Marcus’ chin. At the last second he redirected it to slam into the concrete slab which sported several cracks from repeated poundings. His lungs heaved and he cried out in wordless agony.

Gentle hands settled on his shoulders. “It’s ok. You are back now. It will be alright.”

His friend was ever the optimist. “No, I failed. And now she’ll die.” Adrian cradled his busted hands while they healed and rocked back and forth. Wet slicked his cheek, but he had no more pride and no more hope. All was lost.

“C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Just leave me.” Adrian preferred to sit amongst the blood and broken candles. The carnage mirrored how he felt.

“This is about more than the spirit guide isn’t it?” When Adrian remained silent, Marcus quietly asked, “What did you see?”

Adrian shook his head. He didn’t want to recount what happened. But knowing Marcus would pester him until he relented, he told him about the portal scene.

“You were shown the worst thing possible that would destroy your confidence. It was a test, Adrian.”

He shrugged even though part of him felt lighter knowing that Lenore might still be saved. “I still failed to get a familiar. They were all afraid of me.” Adrian looked at Marcus with eyes stripped bare, exposing a rare vulnerability. “Am I really so terrible?”

“No. I’m sorry you had to go through that, but it was all a test to divine your true nature.” Marcus helped his friend up and pointed to a nearby tree. “Look over there,” he said.

Wiping away his bloody tears, Adrian looked at where Marcus was pointing. A jet black bird was perched on a tree limb, its eyes blazing with unnatural intelligence. “A bird?”

“A raven. The most powerful spirit guide you could ask for.”

“So now what?” he said as he eyed the bird uncertainly.

The raven squawked and fluffed its feathers.

“Now we plan a trip to the graveyard.”

CHAPTER 3

Night’s Plutonian Shore

The raven refused to get in the car, so Adrian didn’t bother cloaking as he drove Marcus out to the abandoned cemetery. Speed wasn’t that critical anyway since they had to wait until midnight when the barrier between the living and the dead was the weakest. At least they’d finally found the portal spell.

“Good timing with it being the Day of the Dead.”

Adrian’s grip tightened on the steering wheel and he growled. If Marcus was trying to make him feel better, it wasn’t working. All he could think about was the image of Lenore being whipped.

“I only meant, if this had to be done, tonight is the best time of the year to keep the portal open long enough for you to escape.”

They continued the rest of the way in strained silence. Just as well, since Adrian wasn’t in the mood for conversation, even if a tiny part of him felt guilty for cold-shouldering his friend. He parked outside the tattered gate and exited the vehicle, following Marcus as he picked a trail over the overgrown weeds and ivy. An anemic drizzle started to fall that was able to flatten his friend’s hair but not much else. The raven squawked its dislike and landed on a crumbling angel statue that was sheltered by a crypt entrance.

Marcus walked in the same direction, went up the crypt steps, and pushed past a half-opened door. “This is where I do most of my work. I always keep it ready for emergencies.”

Adrian mentally sneered. He couldn’t imagine what would constitute an emergency. ‘Help, my grandmother’s ghost is rattling the silverware?’ Given other circumstances, he would have teased Marcus about it. Marcus would bristle and reply with some bit about being taken seriously. They would bicker back and forth, eventually ending up laughing. It had happened in the past. But not tonight. Not with Lenore gone.

A narrow set of stairs led into inky blackness. Marcus pulled out a marble sized sphere and said, “Luminus.” The orb began to glow with a soft white lite that dispelled the shadows.

Rolling his eyes, Adrian said, “You know, you could just say ‘light’ like everyone else.”

Marcus shrugged and began to descend. “But Latin is more authentic sounding.”

Adrian snorted and followed behind. “Don’t you mean to say your clients are more willing to fork over their money with such theatrics?”

“Maybe. At least I left off the hand gestures.”

When they reached the bottom, Adrian paused to scan the room. It was larger than he expected and mostly empty. Stone angel statues guarded the four corners and the walls were covered floor to ceiling in runes. Adrian didn’t know what they said, but he could feel their magic crackling against his skin. Dominating the center where a sarcophagus should have been, was a silver pentagram etched into the stone floor.

The raven flew past, almost clipping Adrian’s head, and settled on one of the angel’s heads.

Marcus wasted no time getting to work. He started by walking over to the far wall and placing his palm on one of the larger runes. “Praesidium,” he commanded.

The magic in the room thickened, then exploded in a silent cacophony while the air grew thick and cloying. Adrian could no longer hear the faint rustle of bark on stone from outside and looked at Marcus in silent question.

“I’ve activated the wards so we won’t be disturbed,” the necromancer explained as he began placing items from his pack around the pentagram. Gems and bits of cloth and wood were grouped together and placed at the base of each candle.

Since Adrian knew little of magic, let alone formal rituals like the one Marcus was prepping for, he had nothing to do. With no distractions, his anxiety spiked and he thought of all the ways he could lose his lover forever. Unable to stand still, he began to pace. His hands fisted and flexed as he tried to work off the tension and suppress his negative thoughts. Nothing worked.

The raven cocked its head and watched him with its beady black eyes. It was unnerving—like the thing was looking into his soul and finding him wanting. “What are you looking at?” he muttered.

The raven fluffed its wings and opened its beak in silent chastisement. Once it was sure that it had made its point, the bird turned its back on him and began preening.

Whatever. At least he didn’t feel bonded to the thing. That was something he had dreaded when Marcus first brought up the stupid idea. He didn’t know much about guides, but he did know they usually bonded for life.  Maybe because of his botched experience, their arrangement was temporary. He could only hope so.

Adrian paused to see how Marcus was doing. His friend was furiously drawing runes, burning stuff in each candle’s flame and muttering Latin. It was almost midnight. Would he be done in time? More agitated now than before, Adrian picked up the pace. Eight long steps to cross the room, spin around, and eight more to stand underneath the raven’s perch, glare at it, and repeat.

“Would you sit down or something? You’re making me nervous and I need to be calm before I begin the incantation.”

As Adrian stilled, Marcus began to speak. The Latin words blazed forth, menacing, and the hairs on the back of his neck lifted. Then the light reddened and the smell of ozone invaded the suddenly small-seeming space. Marcus began shouting over the crackling noise created when space itself ripped apart. There, standing man-height and ominous, was a shimmering portal straight to Hel. Every instinct screamed at him to run away, but he stepped forward, determined to get his Lenore.

Marcus finished the incantation and placed a hand on Adrian’s arm. “Before you go,” he said, holding out his other hand, palm up. “You need to take this and place it around Lenore’s neck. It will free her from the spell binding her mind.”

Adrian went to take it and yanked back his hand with a hiss. “Angel trinket!” The holy aura emanating from the thing made his teeth ache.

“Yes.”

“How do you even have one of those?” He stared at it incredulous. Not only were they rare, they were incredibly valuable.

“A man paid off his debt with it.”

“That must have been some debt. You know I can’t take that into Hel.”

“You have to. She needs it.”

Adrian shook his head. “That’s like a beacon. It will summon every evil thing in the entire plane.”

“I have a solution to that.” Marcus rummaged in his pack and pulled out a square bit of silk and wrapped it around the necklace. “Here,” he said and thrust it out towards the vampire.

Adrian took a step back. “You forget. I’m also a vampire. I can’t take something like that.”

“You were born a vampire, you didn’t choose to be one. Nor are you evil.”

“Marcus, I killed the warlock in cold blood just yesterday and I’d gladly do it again. I have blood on my hands. I’ve done my fair share of evil.”

The necromancer dangled the silk package in front of Adrian. “This thing is stronger than you think. Besides, you do God’s work in your own way. Trust me, it won’t diminish at your touch.”

“I wasn’t worried about it being affected,” he muttered. The holy resonance was like being stabbed inside by thousands of tiny needles. Reluctantly, he took it from Marcus and stuffed it in the front pocket of his jeans. Even with the silk muffling the artifact, he felt an unpleasant tingle in his hip. “How long do I have?”

Marcus studied the portal. “Time runs differently across the planes. I’ll hold it open as long as I can. After that, I’ll open it every hour.” Then he nodded at the bird. “The raven will know where it is, even if it’s not open.” The necromancer suddenly gave the vampire a hug. “Take care of yourself and bring her back.”

Adrian stiffened. It wasn’t like Marcus to get all sentimental on him. Awkwardly giving him a few pats in return, Adrian disengaged and gave his solemn vow. “You know I will.” No matter the cost, Lenore was coming home.

Without hesitation, Adrian stepped through the portal into a landscape better suited to a rock. The land was charred black and barren. Fumaroles emitted foul steam that saturated the air with an eye watering concoction that took his breath away and violated his nose. He lifted his t-shirt so he could muffle the worst of the sulfurous stench, and took shallow breaths. At that moment, he wished he was more like the stories told about vampires—undead who didn’t need to breathe.

The raven flew through the portal, squawked in alarm, and beat its wings furiously to get elevation before heading off.

Adrian followed at top speed, eager to escape the foul air. Unlike the bird, he had to weave around the more active fumaroles and watch his footing to avoid stepping in the cracks that marred the pitted, obsidian surface. At times he risked short blinks when he knew the terrain ahead was stable. But he kept those to a minimum—preferring to save his energy for the confrontation with Mordos.

Gradually, the terrain changed from glassy black to crumbly, orange-red sulfurous deposits and bubbling mud pits. Geysers erupted as he ran past, burning him with boiling spray. He ignored the pain as acid and steam seared his skin and ran without stopping. Every passing second was precious time lost.

The raven called out a warning. Adrian jumped sideways to avoid the magical net flung in his path, but he wasn’t quite fast enough and his feet snagged on the edge, sending him into a hard tumble. He slammed into a pitted rock that left stars in his eyes.

“Well, well, well. Master said you’d come. I didn’t think you were that stupid.”

The sound of crunching steps closed in and he looked up. Belig. He should have known. It made perfect sense that he’d wind up here after Adrian killed him. Using the very magic stolen from the man who came to a halt before him, Adrian ripped through the net and lunged.

Belig opened his hand and froze him mere inches from his face. He sneered. “Not so powerful without your hired help are you?”

Adrian flashed a fang filled sneer back at him. “So, one death wasn’t enough? Back for seconds?”

The warlock laughed. “And how are you going to manage that? I have all the power here.” He proceeded to demonstrate that by lifting Adrian up and dangling him over a boiling mud pit. “One waver of my magnificent control, and you get cooked. This is true power!”

While the warlock was congratulating himself on his awesomeness, Adrian pushed stolen magic into his hand and forced it to penetrate the thin barrier cocooning his body. His hand popped through, and faster than a striking snake, he gouged out Belig’s right eye.

“Arg!” Belig yelled out. He grabbed at his face and lost control of the spell.

Adrian twisted in midair and splayed his limbs outward to keep himself from falling into the deadly mud. Another agile flip to get on solid land, and then he rushed the warlock, tackling him.

Belig retaliated with a pure blast of energy that ripped into Adrian’s side and blew him forty feet away.

Ignoring the pain, the vampire stumbled to his feet and lurched towards Belig.

“You won’t win,” the warlock taunted. “I’ve already had a taste of your whore. She begged me for more.”

Adrian saw nothing but red and roared as he charged.

The warlock waited until Adrian was almost on top before he unleashed another blast of energy. This one should have killed him, but a bright white glow surrounded him and absorbed the energy.

“What?” Belig stumbled back.

Adrian thrust his hand through the man’s ribcage and seized his heart. With a yank, he plucked it out and tossed it into the boiling mud. He fell to his knees as he watched Belig die, again. Then he blacked out.

Something sharp poked Adrian’s nose. He brushed at the annoyance with a sluggish arm but it stabbed him again. Groaning, Adrian opened his eyes to see the raven all up in his face. “Get off,” he croaked.

The raven ruffled its feathers but remained where it was.

Adrian’s sluggish mind finally connected the dots. Lenore! He shot up, dislodging the raven who flew up and deliberately clipped his head with its wings to show its annoyance. Adrian ignored the bird and inspected his wounds. He must have been unconscious a while because they were mostly healed. The bad news inspired him to new heights of speed as he raced after the raven, all the while praying he’d make it in time.

A flood of demons waited for him over the next rise. Thousands upon thousands swarmed towards him. He used a bit of magic to grow claws on all his fingers and Wolverined a path through the masses. Heads went flying and severed limbs twitched their death throes as he leapt, slashed, and darted around the slower moving demons. When a huge, fat behemoth stepped in his way, Adrian blinked behind him, and sliced him in half from groin to neck. Seeing the way clear, he ran full-throttle, leaving behind the remaining demons who howled with anger and gave chase.

The raven cried out and Adrian saw it evading an aerial demon. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any ranged attacks, so the bird was going to have to manage it alone. The raven seemed to understand because it dove straight for him, a flying two-headed, pterodactyl-like demon right on its tail feathers. Adrian barely slowed as he sliced through the thick, rubbery neck. Blood and scales went flying as the thing slammed into the ground. The raven cawed its thanks and flew low to the ground, following a straight line towards an ugly sickly-yellow dome. Adrian changed direction to match, knowing in his gut this was where he’d find Mordos and Lenore.

CHAPTER 4

Nevermore

They arrived at the structure without incident. The raven found the entrance and landed on Adrian’s shoulder as he stepped through. The air was hot, humid, and filled with tortured shrieks. As he walked down the narrow hallway, the walls on each side undulated and seemed to press inward. When he had a closer look, he wished he hadn’t. On the other side of a thin, transparent membrane, he saw thousands of bodies crammed together, one on top of the other, and pressed up against the flimsy barrier. Their plucked out eye sockets stared at him in silent accusation and their muffled cries of anguish affected even his cold vampire heart. Mangled limbs stretched the barrier outward in an attempt to reach him. Whether they were begging for help or sought to drag him in with them, Adrian didn’t stick around to find out. That barrier didn’t look strong enough to hold them back if they grew determined. He ran down the hall past the living damned and turned a corner into a large room.

At the sound of crunching underfoot, he looked down and saw gnawed on bones and misshapen skulls. Three two-headed dogs growled in warning and then leaped. Adrian darted to the side and fled past them to a door he spied at the far end. The sound of claws scraping on bone told him he had only a few seconds before they caught up. The door was stuck when he tried to open it, so he wrenched it free with his super strength and darted through right as the front dog lunged forward. He slammed the door in the dog’s face and leaned against it to keep it shut when the second and third plowed against it. Spying a femur close by, he used that to wedge the door shut and took off running.

After several turns, Adrian lost track of direction, though the trip back would be easy enough—just follow the increasingly horrific displays. The hallway he was currently passing through was lined on both sides by men nailed to the wall with huge spikes, and flayed. Their innards were left in piles at their feet and their tongues had been removed. But worst of all, they were kept alive. Adrian shuddered at their agonized groans and kept his eyes on the ground from that point onward.

The screams grew louder as he sped towards the bright light at the end of the hallway. As he crossed the entrance, it opened up into a vast room. He slid to a halt right before slamming into a man nailed to a post. Everywhere he looked, men and a few women were hanging from the ceiling in chains or crucified on posts that lined the center aisle like some macabre row of street lights. Tortured screams ripped through the air and echoed back and forth, creating a hurtful dissonance. Adrian grimaced and moved cautiously forward. The raven launched into the air and circled the ceiling.

Ahead, in all his grotesque splendor, sat the demon Mordos, Guardian of Hel. He had leathery wings and a muscular bare torso that was typical of demons. However, his feet were not the usual cloven hooves of myth. Instead, they were clawed with a wicked back hook like a raptor’s. He sat on a throne made of skulls on a raised dais.

As Adrian approached, Mordos opened his mouth in what probably was a smile that showed hundreds of razor sharp fangs. “I’m curious about what you think to accomplish, vampire. You are in my domain, under my power.” His voice was low and gravely.

Adrian paused at the foot of the dais and settled his weight evenly, ready for battle. “Give me Lenore and I will leave in peace.” His love was standing to the right of Mordos. Her eyes were glassy and unresponsive, but she looked in good health otherwise. He only hoped it wasn’t too late.

Mordos laughed, a foul, ugly sound that assaulted Adrian’s ears. “You will leave in pieces,” he boomed. “Besides, I rather like my pretty prize.” The demon ran a clawed hand up and down Lenore’s arm.

Adrian’s fangs snapped out and he seethed with the intense desire to rip the demon apart. Logically, he knew Mordos was baiting him into an unthinking attack. He needed to play this smart to have a chance. The first thing he needed to do was place the angel relic around Lenore’s neck. Once that was done, he’d have to wing it. That meant surprising Mordos. “I’ll fight you for her in single combat, no magic.”

The demon chuckled. “Why should I bother? I already have her.”

“I see. You’re afraid to fight me on even terms. You know I’ll beat you.”

“Never!” Mordos’ eyes turned black and he snarled. “You are an insignificant insect.”

Adrian crossed his arms and struck an arrogant post. “If I was so insignificant, then you wouldn’t hesitate to fight. Admit it. You’re scared of me!” Taunting a demon at least twice his weight in his own domain was probably the stupidest thing Adrian had ever done. But as he glanced over at his ensnared Lenore, he knew he’d do whatever it took to get her free.

Mordos bellowed a war cry and lunged forward.

The demon was surprisingly fast and clipped Adrian in the shoulder, sending him flying across the room. His back slammed into one of the crucifixion posts. He shook his head to clear his vision in time to dodge the next blow. A long claw sliced through his sleeve, drawing blood, as he rolled to the side. Ignoring Mordos, he sped for the dais.

The enraged demon caught up to him and sunk his claws in Adrian’s shoulder.

Adrian turned and sliced Mordos’ eyes with his own set of claws.

The demon roared and let go.

Adrian fumbled in his pocket for the necklace as he ran for Lenore, but dropped it when he was tackled from behind. The muffled sound of metal bouncing on the floor was swiftly drowned out by Mordos’ shriek of pain when the necklace slipped free of the silk. White light blazed from the artifact and lit the entire room to blinding intensity. The tortured souls shrieked even louder than before.

Adrian shoved off the howling demon lord and dove for the necklace. Before he could grab it, the raven swooped down and plucked it up.

Mordos sunk his claws into the vampire’s calf and began dragging him closer. “You brought an angel relic into my domain?” he yelled. “You’ll pay for that for all eternity. I will eat your flesh while I keep you alive. When your pitiful soul is all that remains, I will take your woman while you watch, helpless.”

Adrian kicked at the demon with his free leg, but Mordos caught it with his other hand and sunk his fangs into the fleshy part of his calf. Adrian screamed at the intense pain which felt like his leg was burning from the inside. He tried to kick loose, but the demon was stronger and held on like a bulldog. Adrian tried to attack with his claws, but he had a poor angle and the demon’s skin was like hardened scales. He pounded on the demon’s head, but the Mordos kept chewing on his leg. Too weakened from blood loss to struggle further, he blacked out.

The demon’s high pitched scream of agony brought Adrian back to consciousness. Mordos’ skin was bubbling and he watched in shock as the demon turned to ash. The foul stench of cooked flesh permeated the room. When the smoke cleared, he looked upon the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen in all his long life. His Lenore stood over the ash pile with the angelic necklace wrapped around her hand. The raven was perched on her shoulder and looked pleased with itself.

She smiled and said, “I thought you could use some help.”

Adrian smiled back. “And here I thought I was to rescue you.”

She knelt beside him and frowned. “You’re hurt.”

He hissed when she touched his leg. “I won’t make it, but you can. Follow the raven.”

Lenore shook her head. “No, we are both getting out of here. I just need to heal you.”

He caught her hand in his. “It’s too late for that, my love. There will be thousands converging on this place to get the artifact.”

She ignored him and laid her hands on his leg. The artifact began glowing and Adrian gritted his teeth as pain of a different sort channeled through his leg. “There.” Lenore patted the healed section. “All good now.”

When she looked at his shoulder in concern, Adrian said, “No. Leave it. We have to run now.”

He stood and scooped her up into his arms and raced back through the demented hallways. When the two-headed hounds attacked, Lenore charred them with lightning bolts. Outside, it was worse than he feared. Millions of demons of all shapes and sizes swarmed them. Lenore blasted a path while he carried her through. When several jumped at the pair, she cast a shield to keep them off.

“I can’t keep this up for much longer.” Her voice sounded weak and strained.

“Do what you can. I’m surprised you have any magic at all.” Adrian also felt a bit weak from all the blood he lost, but he’d never admit that to Lenore.

“He couldn’t drain me while I fought back. But I used up most of my magic opposing his.”

Adrian leapt over a clump of demons that Lenore missed. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

“I knew you’d come. That gave me hope.” Her lightning fizzled out, causing Adrian to veer course and leap over a mud pit. Several chasing demons didn’t make the jump and landed in the boiling mud. Their death was swift and brutal.

Adrian’s strength was rapidly flagging, allowing the demons to catch up. Still, he made it to the fumaroles and he saw the opened portal in the distance. That gave him a burst of needed speed. As if sensing their prey was about to escape, the demons also sped up and began closing the gap. When he was ten feet from the portal he shouted, “Marcus, incoming!” Then he tossed Lenore through and turned to slice the snake headed demon that was on his heels. At least he’d go down knowing that his Lenore was safe. As soon as he completed that thought, hands grabbed his waist and pulled him through. “No!” he tried to object but he was already falling through. A second snake headed demon leapt after. As soon as Adrian’s feet cleared, the portal closed off, slicing the demon in half. The head was still snapping long after the light went out in its eyes.

Adrian lay there gasping for breath. “That was risky, Marcus.”

“A risk worth taking. Welcome back, my friend. And welcome back Lenore.” Marcus hugged Lenore, but quickly pulled away seeing the scowl on Adrian’s face.

Adrian got up and wrapped his arms around Lenore in a possessive hug. He desperately needed the contact to reassure him that she was really there and safe. “I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered, then pressed his lips to hers in a fierce kiss that said ‘you’re mine’. She responded with her own demands and nothing else existed in that moment except their passionate love for one another. A coughing sound brought Adrian back to reality and he broke off the kiss, touching his forehead to Lenore’s. The grin on his face matched her happy smile. Then, remembering another member of the expedition, he glanced around. “Wait, where’s the bird?”

The raven cawed from its spot in the corner. It was sitting on top of a statue of some goddess.

Lenore laughed. “A raven? What’s its name, Poe?”

Adrian frowned. “I don’t know, why would you think that?”

“Look. It’s sitting on a bust of Pallas.” Seeing his confusion she sighed. “You know, like the poem?”

“Oh.”

Marcus grinned and said, “I was hoping he’d summon a bat. Would be more fitting don’t you think?”

“Hah, hah,” Adrian replied when they were both laughing at his expense. “The raven did a good job.”

“I hate to break up the party, but you have something of mine.”

Four sets of eyes turned to see a stunningly beautiful man standing in the room where no one was just a second ago. He inclined his head in greeting to Lenore. She slipped away from Adrian’s arms and stepped forward, holding out the artifact. As the angel took it, he told her, “You owe me a debt.”

Adrian stepped forward, angry. “No. I failed her. Any debt she might owe goes to me.”

The angel fixed him with his cerulean eyes. “You also owe me a debt for your healing.”

“No.” This time it was Lenore objecting. “I healed him. It is my debt.”

“I wasn’t talking about that time. He was healed once before.”

Adrian thought back to how his wounds seemed more healed than he expected after his fight with Belig.

“Yes, you remember now. You both will be called. You both will answer.”

Again Adrian dared to defy the angel. “No, I will go. She will stay safe.”

Lenore crossed her arms and frowned. “I can take care of myself.”

The vampire turned to Lenore. “My enemies are now your enemies. I should have paid closer attention to prevent you from being taken.”

She shook her head and put her hands on her hips. “Belig was my enemy, not yours. He tried to proposition me a few years ago and I turned him down.

Adrian growled. “What do you mean he propositioned you? If he wasn’t already dead, I’d—”

“You will both answer the call,” the angel interrupted. “Or else see this world destroyed. The choice is yours.” While everyone watched in stunned silence, he walked over to the raven. “Wise one, be mended.” He stroked the raven and a soft yellow glow sunk into the feathers. The bird nibbled his finger in thanks. Turning to look at Adrian, he again spoke. “I’ve mended the bond between you. Now the raven is also part of the debt.” Then he looked everyone in the eye before making his final proclamation. “Everyone in this room will have a part to play.” Without further fanfare, he vanished.

Marcus was the first to speak. “Wait, did he mean me too?”

The raven cawed and this time Adrian could tell what it, no he, was thinking. “Huh, the raven says yes, you too.”

“You can speak to it now?”

“It’s a he. And, not in so many words, but yes.”

“What does he think of having Poe for a name?” Lenore asked, a smile on her face.

Adrian paused. “He’s ok with it. I think he’s laughing. Wait, since when do ravens know about poems?”

Marcus chimed in. “Spirit guides are not just animals. Some say they are reincarnated spirits.”

“Gah, not your spirit mumbo jumbo again.” Adrian cut Marcus off before he went on another esoteric tangent.

Lenore asked, “Guys, what do you say we go out and celebrate? I’m starving.”

“Sounds good to me,” Marcus replied.

“Me too,” Adrian chimed in. Even though he also needed blood, human food would knock the edge off.

“And what about Poe? Does he want to go out with us too?” Lenore asked.

The vampire chuckled and waved his hand dramatically. “Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’”

All three erupted in laughter and Poe chimed in with his squawks. As they headed out, Adrian felt blessed that he had his Lenore back. And though he’d worry about the angel’s debt, right now, he intended to enjoy life with those he considered his family.

The End

From the Author

I hadn’t actually planned on writing a paranormal story just yet because I’m still getting my fantasy and science fiction series going and I know from personal experience how hard it can be waiting for the next book. But how could I resist vampires for a fun Halloween tale? Throw in a bit of gothic Poe in the mix, and I had a romp that demanded to be told. The good news is that I enjoyed these characters so much, they will definitely be getting their own book. I just don’t know when that will happen. If you also like fantasy, you can pick up a copy of my novel, The Summoner and the Seer, to tide you over.

Also, if you have time, make sure to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Those really do make a difference.

Finally, thanks for reading this story—I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

C. Gold

Books by the Author

The Darklight Universe

Book 1: The Summoner and the Seer

Short Stories

The Vampire’s Raven

The Archmage’s Eclipse

Unscaled

About the Author

C. Gold is an avid World of Warcraft gamer and book reading junkie. She enjoys reading a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, paranormal, and a variety of romance combinations.

Her worlds are influenced by her background in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science and Math. After a long career in software testing, she began writing the stories that kept clamoring to be told.

Right now she’s writing fantasy in the Darklight Universe and science fiction in a new series still in development.

Ways to contact C. Gold:

Facebook Page

Official Website

Newsletter Signup

Table of Contents

- Lost Lenore
- A Stately Raven
- Night’s Plutonian Shore
- Nevermore
- From the Author
- Books by the Author
- About the Author