Iris Johansen - Blood Game

No one.

The first thing Eve saw when she entered the sanctuary was the golden goblet.

She inhaled sharply. In the darkness of the huge chamber, the candles on either side of the altar caused the goblet to shimmer. She couldn’t stop staring at it.

She shook her head to clear it. This was no time to be caught up in all the evil that goblet represented. Where was Jelak?

Her grasp tightened on the gun in her hand.

And where was Joe?

“You couldn’t wait to see me?” The muzzle of a revolver was pressed to the middle of her back. “I didn’t expect you. But this is much more convenient than Allatoona. You will have to tell me how you found me. But, first, give me that gun.”

“Why? If I do, you’ll kill me. You’ll kill Joe. Go ahead, shoot me. Then you won’t have your damn final ritual.”

“You’re right. So instead, I’ll shoot your hand, you’ll drop the gun. But then you’ll be wounded and won’t be able to defend either yourself or Quinn.”

He was right. It was better to be without a weapon than wounded. Caleb must be around somewhere. She’d have to rely on him. She dropped the gun.

He scooped it up. “And now let’s go see Quinn. I have to make sure you’re secured before I go looking for Caleb. I’m sure he’s with you. I’m surprised he let you come in by yourself.”

“You shouldn’t be surprised.” Caleb stood in the anteroom doorway. “It was always going to be between the two of us, Jelak. That’s why you’ve always been afraid.”

Jelak stiffened, back arched, as if struck by a whip. “I’m not afraid of you, Caleb. I’m beyond it. It’s true I was counting on the resurrection, but I don’t need it. I’m strong now.”

But he was afraid, Eve could tell. He was staring at Caleb in defiance, but she could see the faint tremor in the hand that was holding the gun.

She didn’t blame him. In this moment, Caleb was truly intimidating. She had become accustomed to him in the past days and was no longer constantly aware of the power she had noticed on that first meeting. But it was as if he’d suddenly shrugged off a casual cloak to reveal authority, menace, and a deadliness that shocked her. He exuded, radiated, shimmered with it.

He started to walk toward Jelak.

“Stay away.” Jelak lifted his gun in panic.

“Why? You’re so strong. You used all their blood to make you that way. All their strength and intelligence and will.”

“You’re still angry about Maria Givano.” His lip curled. “She was nothing. I thought I’d get a jump start to the resurrection with her. It was too good an opportunity to miss. I had to experiment when I found out that she might have the power.”

“You made a mistake.”

“Yes, she had no power.”

“No, your mistake was killing her. It’s going to bring you down.” He took another step forward. “You’re still so much weaker than I am. You’re shaking. Your blood is pounding. You’re feeling it, aren’t you?”

“No.” Jelak’s voice was hoarse. “I’m strong. And I’ll be stronger when I kill you.” His finger started to squeeze the trigger.

“No!” Eve jumped forward, jerking Jelak’s gun aside.

“Bitch!” His hand swung around and knocked her to the floor.

“Keep down, Eve,” Caleb called as he moved forward. “It’s okay.”

Okay? Jelak was going to kill him.

“Stay away from me, Caleb.” Jelak was firing as he dove behind a pew.

Caleb had a gun, Eve knew. Why wasn’t he shooting back?

Another shot.

The wood on the pew next to Caleb splintered as a bullet plowed into it.

“I told you that your hand was shaking,” Caleb said.

A bullet suddenly grazed Eve’s cheek.

“Stay away, or I’ll kill her,” Jelak said. “I’ll do it, Caleb.”

“The hell you will.” Joe was suddenly beside Eve, shoving her to one side and putting his body between her and Jelak. “Stop wasting time. Get the son of a bitch, Caleb.”

Joe. Safe. Alive. Her arms closed around him.

“Keep her out of the way.” Caleb’s gaze was fastened on Jelak. “Put the gun down, Jelak.”

Two shots plowed erratically into the altar to the left of Caleb.

“Missed again. Give up, Jelak.”

“I won’t give up. I’ll be as strong as you. Stronger.”

“Well, it wouldn’t matter if you gave up anyway. I’d actually prefer that you didn’t. But you know what’s coming, don’t you? Your teacher Donari told you what to expect if I caught up with you. That’s why you’ve been on the run.”

“It won’t happen.” He fired again at Caleb. “That was a lie. Even if it wasn’t, I’m too close to resurrection for you to be able to-stay back!” It was a scream.

Caleb kept coming. “It wasn’t a lie. Donari told you many lies, but that wasn’t one of them. I knew the night that you killed Maria Givano that was the way you were going to die.”

“I won’t die. I’ll be a god.”

“No, you played the Blood Game all these years, and now you’ve lost. It’s time to give the blood back.” He was within a few feet of Jelak now. “No resurrection. Never.”

“No!” Jelak jumped to his feet and started running toward the anteroom. “I’ll get away from you. Just a few more kills. I’ll start again and-” He stopped, his hands going to his throat.

He screamed.

Eve wanted to scream, too, as she saw his face. It was contorted, flushed, and, as she watched, blood began to trickle out of his eyes like dark tears.

“Just a little blood now,” Caleb said. “I want the pain to start. Convulsions, I think. Do you know that convulsions can break your bones?”

Jelak was falling, his whole body shuddering, shaking with the force of the convulsions.

“Did any ribs break yet?” Caleb asked. “They will, Jelak.”

Jelak was trying to crawl away, but he started howling with pain as the convulsions increased. “Make it-stop.” He looked pleadingly back over his shoulder. “I’ll do anything to-”

“Yes, you will,” Caleb said. “And it will stop soon. I’ve no intention of a having a broken rib shatter and pierce your heart. It would be too easy. Just a minute more.”

Eve flinched as Jelak screamed again. She could almost feel his agony.

“Now it’s time for the blood,” Caleb said.

The convulsions abruptly stopped.

“Give it all back,” Caleb said softly. “All the blood you stole. All the kills, all the lives. First the blood tears, then the rush to the brain that will cause massive strokes.” He was moving slowly toward him again. “Do you feel it? Oh yes, I see that you do. They’re coming. Your eyes are rolling back in your head.”

Jelak was whimpering.

“But you haven’t given up all the blood you took. It has to be everything. Now it’s the end of the game.”

Jelak began to gasp as blood began to pour out of his mouth.

He was choking painfully on the blood, Eve realized. He couldn’t get his breath. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t take her eyes from his face.

He was trying to speak, his gaze fixed on Caleb, blood pouring from his lips. He tried to scream.

“That should do it,” Caleb said. “How’s your resurrection going, Jelak?”

A gurgling, a gasp, and Jelak’s body was jerking, shuddering with the force of the blood leaving his body.

Caleb bent over him and looked deep into his eyes. “It’s over. You’re dying. No power. No immortality. You know that, don’t you? I want you to know that you’re nothing.”

And that desperate realization of final defeat was in Jelak’s eyes.

Caleb straightened. “Burn in hell, Jelak.”

Jelak arched upward, then he was still.

Caleb stood looking down at him for a long moment.