In the loading bay adjoining the building, the three teams spray everything inside with flame throwers before locking the dock doors and walking away into the night. Anya watches as the teams fall back and set up a perimeter in case anything escapes. “The target is torched,” the radio cracks and the screen goes black.
“You should see this with your own eyes.” Vorn rewinds the video and while Anya watches he paces.
Anya loses all her color while watching the soldier mutate. She pauses it and looks over at him. “If one creature could spread it that quickly, what will happen if he has more?”
“We need to strike as many of his sites as we can and destroy the Pex before they are released.”
“Pex?” Anya asks.
“Apex predators. I am sick of calling them, creatures. These are not immortals. They are merely a tool for the spread of the contagion he has created.”
Anya nods and stands up pacing as she talks. “The soldier became something new, sentient with one thought, to attack and spread, not kill. So, each time a Pex is created it will become a new variant. Like a virus, it will mutate the host making a hybrid.” Anya goes pale just thinking about the cost to humanity. If this happens and they can’t stop it, humanity will never be the same again.
“I have to go warn the Fae!” Vorn stands as Sebastian returns.
“Where is my Dad?” Anya asks staring at Sebastian.
“He is checking in with the Hunter’s Guild. They need his help in tracking down the other locations Caius might have.”
A thunderous look crosses her face as she approaches him. “I wanted him safe, here, dammit!”
“I understand that, but if this isn’t stopped there will be no place safe on earth.” Sebastian sits and wonders what this means.
“Are all these creatures capable of spreading this infection? How do they spread it, by touch, bite? If they are all unique how do, we stop it?” She demands.
“We don’t stop it, Anya, you do.” Vorn answers quietly.
Anya turns and stares at him. “How do you propose I do that?” she snaps.
Sebastian looks at Vorn in astonishment and rises to his feet. “Of course!”
“Of course what?” Anya demands. “I can’t possibly run around biting people. Even my abilities will only go so far.”
“True, but you are the Herald. Right now, I need to go see the Fae Queen and see if they will help. You both should rest and feed. I will return as soon as I can.” Vorn walks to the door and turns back to look at Anya.
“Stay out of trouble, while I am gone,” he orders and disappears.
Sebastian laughs startling Anya. “What’s so funny?” she asks.
“That poor boy is in way over his head and he doesn’t even know it.”
“It doesn’t matter does it?” Anya grumbles. “What does this mean for your people, our people,” she corrects herself. “I am an inbred creature myself. Born of two immortals, a mistake, one that would not have been tolerated. Now the very thing you fought to prevent, is spreading and I’m not so sure I should stop it.”
Sebastian snarls and is before her in an instant. Grabbing her by her upper arms he gives her a gentle shake. “You are not a monster. You were born out of a deep love two spirits had for each other.” His grip lightens as his voice does, “Anya you are a gift. Those creatures were created to destroy all the species on this planet. All Caius cares about is chaos. He must be stopped, no matter the cost.”
Anya drops her head to his chest. “I know that your right, but I don’t know how to stop him.”
“We will figure it out together, daughter.” He says smiling at her.
“Together then,” she whispers and hopes she doesn’t disappoint them all.
Chapter 31
Caius wakes with a start. He searches for the gate in his mind, one of the perks of finishing the final pod. Some of Lailah’s abilities are now his. It is as he hoped, they destroyed the gate for him. Now they are his! Stepping out into his suite energized and refreshed he glances at his body and finds all of his wounds are healed. The theory of harvesting an angel became a reality when he captured Lailah. After years of practicing on different species of immortals, they perfected it with her. He was careful to use her essence a little at a time, thus giving his body a chance to absorb it slowly. Walking naked to the windows overlooking New York City, he grins.
“The legends of The Herald may be true, but the only thing she will herald is the change I create,” he says with a grin. The phone rings drawing him back to reality.
“We lost Hawaii and Dubai,” the voice says when he answers it. Rage flashes in his eyes turning them completely black.
“Release New York.”
“Everything, sir?”
Caius hisses, “Yes, Everything.” Hanging up he turns to dress quickly and laughs as he thinks of the chaos that will ensue. They will be so busy trying to save humanity that they will never see it coming.
Below the high rise building over Times Square he watches large buses, bright yellow cabs, and fast moving cars zip along, distracted by massive T.V. screens, and the daily hum of noise. The humans run around busy living their lives. Soon, they will be running for a totally new reason.
“Time to get to work.” He sits in his leather chair and closes his eyes. Lailah’s memories were transferred during the harvest. Intense and scrambled with his own, he has to sort through them. Jumbled with his
