Vampire King 2 Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen


He knew it! He knew that there would be a way to get her back! How he kept from crumbling to the ground crying from joy was beyond him but he was glad he managed it. He didn't care what they wanted in return, he would go through hell to have her back, to see her one more time. He had lost everything special in his life; his family, Raya and now Abby. He wasn't going to lose them again. There was no more time to be cold and indifferent, to be afraid of pain.

His life had always been about pain, always so dark until she came. He said he wouldn't go back and he wasn't. "Abby was... the most amazing person I had ever met. She had a way of making you smile and just forcing out depression and bad moods..." He murmured. He wasn't surprised she made an impression on the other side, she had stolen his heart the moment they had met. So full of life and eager to live it. She made him want to live even though he had been alive for millions of years, hating every minute of it. She made him want to give it another try.

"She said she'd troll Nicole for me... she was like the little sister I never had." Cassy said quietly. Poor Cassy, he thought. He hadn't even spoken to her since they had gotten back and he was sure she was scared and upset. "So, shall we discuss the terms and conditions of this deal, Mr. Church?" Camael asked, taking a sip of tea. He immediately looked toward Apolon after drinking it, almost furiously. There were no words spoken between the two but the smile on the other Step's face led Adrian to believe he had perhaps added too much sugar.

"Please." Adrian said and smiled, he couldn't help but be happy. He almost wanted to do something insane like hug his brother to release some of the emotions inside his heart. Camael sat his cup down and clasped his hands together as he leaned forward. "First, let me say that this will require the cooperation of your family. Someone must be able to care for your body while you are away." He said.  Mael glanced at the Step with a raised brow then simply said, "What?"

"We are going to take your brother's soul away on a trip to the Heaven Plain, his body must be keep alive so he can be revived. This will only require you to keep him in a room with a cool temperature and a blood IV. The training will take exactly ten years to complete." Camael explained. Adrian blinked. "Ten years?!" Mael gaped. "Yes, ten years. During this time, Mr. Church, you will be healed and ascended to your new form. Because it's too dangerous to allow you so much power while you are still... unwell in your mind, we will first work on your mental state.

This task alone will take some time. After that we will move on to knowledge and wisdom of everything. There are no secrets in the universe, only uneducated minds. Once you know what you will become, then we will train your mind and spirit to use the power. Finally, we will then bestow the power to your physical body and you will be awakened as if you had had this power since birth. The darkness in your soul will be gone and you will be able to say, I deserve that girl, when you see her again." Camael explained, smiling at the last part. Hadn't he thought those very words? Adrian mused.

He could be the man he always wanted her to have... "If I am gone for ten years, does that mean that Abby will be... a child?" Adrian asked. He had no idea how this was to work. Would she know him at all? "If you happened to find her immediately after waking, she would be ten years old. But that's neither here nor there." Camael said. Adrian didn't like the sound of that and he knew better than to completely trust these things. "Do you accept?" Camael asked. Adrian suddenly wanted more time to consider his options.

"I won't drop dead after I find her, will I?" He asked, wary. "Oh please Mr. Chruch. I'm not Da'ath, I do not make cruel bargains like he does. This is not my bargain anyway, it is handed down by Lord Mai-Kael. He finds your survival so far intriguing and he will be handling your training personally." Camael said. "Wasn't that the guy that beat Mael up when he went crazy?" Cassy chimed in. Mael seemed irritated by that but didn't say anything.

"Yes, he is." Camael said. "I know there is a catch somewhere... but, if Mael and Cassy agree to watch over my body, then I accept the offer." Adrian said. "Of course we agree, Adrian!" Cassy said, hugging Mael's arm. "If that's what you want, you can count on us to see to your needs." Mael said. "Wonderful... well, I'm sure that you all would like to get back to your normal lives to some extent but we will have to begin this journey within a month's time." Camael said gently.

"We will make funeral arrangements as soon as possible." Mael said, putting an arm around Adrian. "Thank you..." Adrian said. "Oh, I wanted so badly to see you two getting along. I'm so sorry it had to happen like this." Cassy said, pressing a well used tissue to her eyes. "It won't be the last time you see it, love." Mael said in a promising tone. Adrian agreed, though if his brother tried anything stupid he was going to kick his ass, getting a long or not.

"Good. You shouldn't have to worry about Hanzazal or Raya for quite a while, so take this time to rest. They have a labyrinth of dimensions and portal to try. I'd wager they won't find their way back to this realm for several years. Apolon and I will be going now, unless there are any more questions?" Camael offered. "Oh, damn! It's almost time for Bones!" Apolon cried, checking his watch. "I thought you had it set to tape on the DVR?" Camael snapped. "... I forgot." Apolon said biting his lip.

Adrian raised an eyebrow, wondering if it was even safe to pray for things anymore, considering who was listening. "For crying out loud...! Alright... you have my number, please use it if you have a question or something happens, Mr. Church. Good night." Camael said. He grabbed Apolon's shirt and they vanished from the room. "That was weird." Haedren said suddenly, breaking the silence that had begun to fill the room. "Haedren, would you like to stay? We have plenty of rooms." Cassy offered, visibly putting pressure on her husband's hand when he made a face at the offer.

"That's okay, I have to be going... drink off the shit I just heard tonight." Haedren said. "I'll walk you out." Adrian said, following him into the main room just outside. "Dude, your brother has some weird decorators..." Haedren mumbled as they walked to the foyer and out onto the front steps. "Yeah, he does it himself... Haedren, thank you. Again." Adrian said stiffly, he wasn't good at saying those words, he needed to learn how to be, though. "Yeah... uh," Haedren started then paused, shifting awkwardly. "It's going to kinda suck, you and Abs not being around and shit..." He muttered, rubbing at his neck.

Adrian smiled, realizing how close they had become. He always thought he had no friends, yet Haedren had always been his friend, through thick and thin. "We will see each other up until the funeral. We have gone longer without seeing each other, Haedren." Adrian reasoned, they had been alive for millions of years, they had gone hundreds of years without so much as a letter. "Yeah, but I was kind of enjoying how things were now... I mean, with Abs around, it felt like... I dunno. Listen, I better go before I start getting weird and shit. If you need me I'll be home, drunk." Haedren said and laughed uneasily.

"As if it hasn't already gotten weird." Adrian mused. He waved goodbye to Haedren as he made the trek down the long drive and vanished outside the gates. The news of getting Abby back had been wonderful, unbelievable but now he had to cope with the fact that his Abby was gone and he had to see to a proper burial. He had to put things in order so he could go on his ten year hiatus. As always, he'd put his emotions aside to do what had to be done, to prepare. He could hardly wait to start this new journey. The promise of a healed mind and having Abby back overtook any misgivings about what tricks the Step had in store for him.