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  Lost Souls

  The Cardkeeper Chronicles

  A. C. NICHOLLS

  Chapter One

  I could almost feel the sharp fangs pierce the back of my neck as I huffed and puffed. Willing my legs to pump faster, I peeked a cautious glance over my shoulder to gauge the distance between me and them. Damn thirsty pack of blood suckers had succeeded at closing the gap. My immortal strength let me run faster than any human could, but it still wasn’t fast enough.

  These boys were hungry.

  And I’d set myself up as human bait. As a woman in my thirties, I knew they couldn’t resist the scent of my blood. I’d even gone out of my way to snag my arm on a thorn bush, exposing a fresh gush of blood to waft on the air. Vampire nirvana.

  Like hounds to a fox, they’d given chase.

  My panting breath clouded into the night sky as I dashed through the woods. Vines and branches whipped at my skin, slowing me as I made my desperate escape. With laser focus on my momentum, I knew they were close behind, and my mind kept returning to them. I kept shooting looks behind me, but I couldn’t see them all.

  I had counted four in total, but there could have easily been more. They dashed quickly between the trees, some hot on my tail while others took to the treetops, leaping weightlessly from branch to branch. The moonlight cast their shadows on the ground beneath me, fueling my motivation for survival.

  Safety loomed just within my grasp but remained out of reach. I had my plan in place, and if I didn’t make it then I’d die. My skin was tougher since I had become a Cardkeeper, but even I wasn’t safe from the razor-sharp fangs of a vampire.

  I pushed on, passing trees at a blurring speed as I ran. Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm me, shortening my stride. A faint glimmer of hope that I would make it played with my consciousness.

  In an instant, my feet flew out from underneath me and I was falling. My chin hit the dirt with a thud, and a sharp pain shot through my jaw. Never mind, I thought. It would heal, as long as I got up fast enough to get out of there. But the hooting laughter around me sent a jolt of fear straight to my pounding heart.

  “Oops, don’t trip,” said a teasing, taunting whisper from between the trees.

  Laughter ensued, chilling me to my core.

  I pushed myself off the ground, studying my surroundings. The darkness made it difficult to see, and I had a feeling they knew that. My eyes scanned the tops of the trees, then down at the ground. I spun around, hearing twigs snap under the weight of these monsters. As far as I could tell, they had me surrounded. A shiver crept up my spine as I contemplated why they hadn’t attacked.

  But then it suddenly hit me: they were playing with their food. Toying with their human prey like a cat with a mouse.

  I jerked my leg as if to run, testing for a reaction from the vampires. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a brief glimpse of movement from the distance, but nothing approached. The echoing snickers increased, however, and I seized that opportunity to get the hell out of there. It was my only hope of staying alive.

  Without warning, I broke into a sprint and continued my escape through Deer Grove. This nature reserve – a half-hour drive from my home in Chicago – had been teeming with vampires. I had only come here to confirm the rumors, and now here I was; their target – their victim.

  Their food.

  A terrifying minute or so passed, and I made it into a clearing. I leapt over a puddle and backed toward a large tree, my eyes straining to make sense of the shadows in the woods. If I was going to stand and fight, this was my best chance. All I needed to do was draw them out and bring them down here to me, where I could keep an eye on them.

  “Run away,” one of them mocked, hissing through the trees like a ghostly snake.

  “No,” I said, defiant. “Come out and fight me like men.”

  More echoing laughter. Enveloping me in a verbal cloak of torment.

  “Oh, but we’re not men.” This voice came from my left.

  I glanced over, tried to keep an eye on every angle, but it was damn near impossible. These creatures moved like lightning but hid in the shadows. Standing my ground against them was a risky move. It was either confront the direct challenge, or let them leap onto my back as I ran, sinking their teeth deep into my neck.

  “Then what do you have to be afraid of?”

  The laughter abruptly stopped.

  I heard a sudden thump, like something hitting the dirt beyond the clearing. I focused my eyesight on the direction of the sound, watching the lingering shadow. I swallowed, trying to stifle it under a sigh.

  From the darkness, a figure emerged. A tall, wiry male vampire stood with his open black jacket swaying by the sides of his ghostly white body. Like an animal caught in headlights, his eyes glinted for only a second before returning to normal.

  “Is this what you wanted?” he asked, moving slowly toward me.

  I opened my mouth to mutter a snarky comment, but when I heard more thudding and saw four companions walk to his side, I bit my tongue. One vampire against one mage was harsh odds, but five? I steeled myself for the onslaught, clamping my eyes shut against the possibility of my early demise.

  “Easy now, guys.” I took a step back, my spine pressed against the tree trunk.

  The first vampire – a male who seemed every bit their leader from the way the others followed him – rubbed his hands together, grinning. He exposed his fangs, two-inch pearly white daggers protruding from its mouth. “You made a mistake by coming here.”

  “I didn’t know you would–”

  “What?” he spat. “Find you?”

  I nodded, fear rooting me in place. I just needed to wait a moment longer.

  “It was easy,” the vampire said, he and his pack creeping closer still, spreading out to surround me. “We can smell you. The flesh is revolting, but the blood underneath smells…” he sniffed at the air like a curious dog, “tempting.”

  Swinging my arm out to face them, I summoned the fire from my magicard – my source of power – and felt the tingle in my arm. The heat in my palm. “Oh, yeah? I bet you couldn’t smell the gasoline though, huh?”

  In the instant that his eyes widened, I aimed my hand at the pool by their feet, and shot a streak of fire directly at it. It ignited immediately, climbing up their legs in a heartbeat. Howls of pain wailed into the night as they thrashed around, trying to escape from their agonizing execution.

  “The hunter,” I said, lowering my hand and stifling a triumphant smile, “becomes the hunted.”

  I watched as their bodies began to glow. Seconds later, piece by piece, they turned to ash and were swept into the winter breeze. After the first three had floated away, I let down my guard and made my way toward them, letting the heat of the last two warm my cold skin.

  Big mistake.

  I had been so caught up in enjoying my victory, that I hadn’t noticed the sixth. It bounced among the flames, out of harm’s reach, eyes aglow and teeth bared. It moved so fast that my eyes could barely register it.

  It leapt at me, zipping round the fire as a black shadow. Hands gripped my shoulders like eagle talons, piercing my skin. I howled in pain, screaming up at the sky as it pushed me back with its great strength. I lost my balance, tumbling along the ground with this violent creature on top of me.

  Hand burning and ready to shoot, I recovered my balance and tossed the vampire onto the ground behind me. I raised my hand, blasting fireball after fireball at my assailant. But he moved too fast. Each shot landed a second too late, and the vampire dodged them easily, coming closer, until its hand launched forward and wrapped around my throat. The force of the impact knocked me back, helpless, pinned against the large tree.

  “I knew you would be worth the effort,” the vampire hissed, extending its
fangs.

  “Go to hell.” I tried to wrangle free, kicking and heating up my arm in a desperate attempt to weaken its grip. Nothing worked. Before my magic could burn hot enough, the creature leaned in for its meal.

  I felt its hot breath graze my neck, and closed my eyes to accept my fate as a vampire’s dinner. All I could do was assure myself that I had tried my best to fight this pack, but my best had not been enough; I had tried. I had failed.

  And now I would pay for my mistake.

  Chapter Two

  The tree branch shot through its chest, bypassing its ribs and obliterating its flesh. Those cold, dead eyes looked deeply into mine, widening, holding my gaze for a couple of seconds.

  Those seconds felt like an eternity.

  Its grip loosened and blessed fresh air expanded my burning lungs. The vampire stepped back, and its body began to break apart. A blood-curdling scream pierced my ears as I watched the torso tear apart like a bursting pool of atoms. A bright light shone through and, in the blink of an eye, its entire body became a mere pile of ash. Seconds later, the winds carried it away.

  “You looked like you were struggling,” said my savior.

  I laughed, part-humor, part-relief. “I was. So what kept you?”

  “Distance.”

  Link was my best friend in the world, which most people found unusual. Then again, most people weren’t used to seeing a five-inch-tall faery with a receding hairline and a British accent. Most people would freak out if they did.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, flapping his wings and drifting up to land on my shoulder.

  I winced as his tiny feet landed on the skin that the vampire’s claws had penetrated, but let him carry on. I didn’t like to complain too much, especially not to Link. “I’m fine. And you? No birds chased you while you were watching me battle monsters from afar?”

  Link laughed. “No, no birds.”

  Shaking my head and grinning, I dusted myself off and looked at the aftermath of my fight. The soil was burned where the vampires had taken their final steps, and the moon glowed through the trees as if to highlight the battlefield. I had fought plenty of different creatures in my time as Chicago’s guardian, but this one had really tested me.

  “It won’t make much of a difference,” Link said.

  “What’s that?”

  “The vampires. They’re still going to fight the werewolves, no matter how many you take out. I’m with you every step of the way, but I hope you know that it’s completely bloody useless.”

  I shrugged. “Six less vampires in the world isn’t a bad thing.”

  “But six more will take their place.”

  “Then I’ll kill those, too.”

  Link let out a tsk, but said no more. He didn’t have to – I knew when he was judging me, and although I would usually try to convince him that I was doing the right thing, I couldn’t summon the energy to argue.

  “Come on,” I said. “Let’s head back.”

  I jumped onto the next available bus. Link rode atop, to stay out of sight from humans and avoid another exhausting scene. Once dropped off, we made our way back to my VHS store, where the doorway to an unearthly realm awaited. When the door’s bell rang and I stepped inside, I stopped to take in the familiar air.

  The dark and gloomy room, filled with dust-coated towers of old VHS tapes, produced a peculiar odor that I’d adjusted to over the past year. I knew that videos were a thing of the past, but that was the point; we only needed a front for the tax records.

  Exhausted, I trotted through to the back, past the red curtain and into the stock room, where nothing but a clothes rack full of silky robes filled the open space. I pulled one down and wrapped it around my jacket and jeans, while Link floated down to my feet.

  “Remember,” he said, “take it slow.”

  I didn’t need to be told, but I appreciated the support. Since I had been left in charge of creating portals to the Vault, I’d struggled to come to grips with the spell. Give me a magicard to use its magic – I could usually do it with ease, providing the soul I bonded with was pure – but portals were tough.

  Raising my quivering hands, I targeted the air with my fingers and traced a perfect circle with my spare hand. As if from nowhere, a paper-thin line burned into the air. When it was complete, the image of a rocky mountain range lay in the center.

  “Go on,” I said, and then followed Link through.

  I stopped on the other side, sealing it shut and clutching my arms in the cold air. My robe billowed out behind me, reaching out as if to flee from the aggressive wind. Thank God I was made of tougher stuff; mortals would need decent clothing to survive out here. Providing, of course, that they could figure out where here was.

  Freezing, I ran up the dirt path that led to a tall, stony tower. Link flew on ahead, eager to get into the warm security of the Vault. By the time I reached it, he had the door held open for me, ready for the candlelight to caress my cold skin. I headed inside and shoved the door closed behind me, immediately feeling warmer.

  I desperately needed to see Dalton, a powerful elderly mage, and also my leader. He’d entrusted me as Chicago’s Cardkeeper twenty-eight years ago. Since then, I hadn’t aged a day. It only left me to wonder what would happen when all this came to an end. Would I begin to age again? Would those thirty years catch up to me all at once?

  I considered the implications and when my belly filled with dread, I swept the thoughts away.

  Two spiral staircases and a long series of corridors later, I found myself in the Grand Hall. Gigantic marble pillars supported a soaring ceiling and the dark walls extended as far as the eye could see. I laid my eyes upon Dalton. He stood before a fire, gazing into it as if in a trance.

  I wondered if he thought of his brothers, who had been murdered by a mage only three months ago. The trio had always acted as one, and seeing him alone broke my heart. I truly felt for him, and I think that it showed. Perhaps that was why we’d grown so close since the attack.

  “Are you all right?” I asked, coming to stand by his side.

  Dalton looked up, his hood slipping back to expose his age-worn face. His eyes were gentle but hosted a great sadness. “Lady Keira. Forgive me. I was just… remembering.”

  “You don’t need to apologize to me,” I said.

  “Nevertheless, I do.”

  I smiled, unclipped the robe and let my body breathe. “Your fire is going out.” I extended my hands and sent two blasts of flames downward, granting the burning embers new life. I had grown fond of this fire spell, but it wasn’t always suitable. When up against a troll, for instance, fire was practically useless. However, given the interference of the souls trapped within the magicards, I was unable to take two at a time. I had to choose my powers wisely, depending on my given task.

  “How was your mission?” Dalton asked, warming his hands above the fire.

  “You’ll be pleased to know that I killed some vampires.”

  Dalton smiled. “How many?”

  “Six.”

  “A strong number for a day’s work.”

  “I thought so, too.” From the corner of my eye, I caught Link flying up and down the hall. He hadn’t long had his wings, so I imagined it was great fun for him to spread them every now and then. I wondered if it was tiring to keep them fluttering, and would be sure to ask him later. “Do you need anything?”

  Dalton looked at me, questioning.

  “I just mean that I’m here if you want some help.”

  “I will be all right, but thank you for asking. You just keep on protecting those magicards. Everything else will resolve itself in good time. And should it boost your spirits, I am delighted to tell you that you are doing an excellent job.”

  I felt myself blushing. “Thank you.”

  A metallic clunking sound interrupted our tender moment as the main doors to the Grand Hall swung open. A silhouette appeared in the doorway and lingered there for a second, as if assessing the scenery. When it stepped forward,
my heart began to pound.

  “Loc…tis,” I stammered, awkwardly welcoming a forgotten face. It had been years since I’d seen those dark, beady eyes. His swollen cheeks lifted as he smiled. His gaze settling on me before he bowed in my direction.

  “Lady Keira,” he said. “Just who I wanted to see.”

  “It’s been a long time. What brings you to the Vault?”

  A slice of impending doom infiltrated my every cell. Loctis’s work boasted creativity and great imagination, making me a fan of him and his unique spells. But his presence spelled trouble. He was known to only come by when things were bad. When he had nowhere else to turn.

  “Actually, I was seeking your assistance.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  Loctis crept further into the hall with his head down. I held my breath, waiting for him to speak. Heart racing, I could only imagine the severity of his request; something far more dangerous than any of his previous ones.

  If only I could resist a challenge, I thought, and smiled.

  Chapter Three

  Dalton excused us and we left the Grand Hall. I showed my old acquaintance to a vacant room, where we lit a candle and sat with a pitcher of mead between us. Until then, we hadn’t exchanged a single word. I’d been too anxious.

  Link stayed quietly at my side, refusing to drink, while Loctis and I told tales from the past few years. I thought that my stories would have trumped his, but it seemed that his travels around the world provided much more value for storytelling.

  When the pitcher was half-empty and an uncomfortable silence fell in the room, we finally got down to business.

  “Why did you come here?” I asked him.

  Loctis cleared his throat and looked deep into my eyes. “Tell me, Lady Keira, how familiar are you with the spirit world?”

  This didn’t sound promising. I probed the recesses of my mind, digging up dust. “Hmm. I’ve encountered one or two in the past. Nothing major – just brushing shoulders, really. Why do you ask?”