Continuing Saga--Life After Deep Dark
Chapter 4
As the sun set on the Toronto sky line, Henry rose to begin a new day. He had hoped that once he opened his eyes all that had happened the night before would be just a memory; instead the pain of his heartbreak jarred him to his feet.
He scanned the room as if looking for something that he knew was no longer there. Then to his surprise he heard footsteps and a tap on the door. For one split second he thought it was her and she had came back to tell him she changed her mind. However, his keen senses quickly dismissed that theory. He could tell by the heartbeat and the raspy breathing that it was not her. As we walked towards the door, he knew that it would not be a welcomed visit. He could feel the anger, fear, frustration boiling over from the visitor in the hall. Hesitating for just a moment, he then slowly opened the door to reveal Augustus standing in the hallway.
“Well this is an unexpected surprise. To what do I owe this honor?” Henry thought that I would try and mask his uneasiness of the visit with friendly banter. However, Augustus was not fooled.
“Henry, you know why I am here.” Augustus replied with a hint of anger. “You lied to me about the territory not being compromised.”
Henry’s face turned from the pleasant smile of a happy host to one of concern. He took a deep breath and with teeth slightly clenched, responded:
“Augustus, I am not exactly sure what you are…”
Augustus quickly interrupted him, as he abruptly brushed passed and forced entrance in the condo.
“Henry, do not insult my intelligence. I can feel the evil, smell it. It is permeating every inch of this city. Plus after our last meeting, I did some research of my own about the recent events in this city, as well as, that PI Victoria Nelson that you have become involved with. I know about the increased supernatural occurrences that have happened, as well as, the demonic presences that have been released. Did you honestly think that I would not find out?”
Henry sighed, knowing that he could no longer hide the truth.
“Augustus, I know what this looks like, but I am dealing with it.”
“Dealing with it, by running away. That is not like the Henry Fitzroy that I know.”
“I am not running away. This situation is more complicated than I had anticipated. Sometimes you just have to move on. You should know that better than anyone Augustus.”
“I do, but I still cannot permit you to leave Toronto with this type of treat looming in the shadows. There is no way in good conscious that I can turn your territory over to a new vampire until you have cleaned up this mess that you and this Ms. Nelson have made.”
Henry ran his fingers through his bronze curls, trying to take in everything that Augustus had said. This meant that he could not retreat to Vancouver after all. He would have to stay and face Astorath. This, of course, was not his main concern. It was facing Vicki. To get rid of this demon, he would have to utilize her to do so. She was the key.
“Alright Augustus, I will do what you ask, but once the treat is neutralized, then I want you to allow me to leave.”
“Agreed. Remember Henry, if you cannot turn the tide and send Astorath back where he belongs, then the council will have to step in. This could result in severe consequences for you and Victoria. If they find out about this situation, all of your lives will be in jeopardy. I came here to confront you first before informing them of the breach, but I cannot hide this from them forever. It is only a matter of time before they find out.”
“I understand. Thank you for Augustus. You have been a good friend. I will be in touch.”
Henry walked Augustus to the door, giving him a slight pat on the back. Augustus turned to look Henry square in the eye and said:
“You do that. Remember what I said.” Augustus emphasized his words with a foreboding tone. “Time is running out. You only have a few days to reverse the ritual and send Astorath back to Hell.”
With that Augustus left. Henry closed the door and leaned back against the wood, as if to hold himself up from collapsing. He knew exactly what Augustus had meant by “severe consequences.” There had been other incidents were vampires had mistakenly allowed a demon to pass through to this realm. Henry tried to warn Vicki about these occurrences when they first met. If the council found out that he had been so careless, they would surely eliminate the treat and in doing so, they would also eliminate Vicki. He did not care at this point what they did to him, but he was not going to risk her life. He had to stop Astorath, but the question was How?