The Chimera (Legends of the Dark Creatures Book 2)
Chapter Nine: Stacy Hill Returns

Ashley couldn’t get her eyes off the crystal-blue dress. It had two straps, exquisite gem-like designs, and glitters screamed out to Ashley. It was thin on the waist and spread out all the way to the bottom.

“This is the one,” she said.

“You’re just saying that because blue is naturally your color... the color of the element you control,” Samantha stated.

“Shh!!! Jeez, why don’t you let the whole world know while you’re at it? And FYI... Water is colorless."

Samantha smiled and said, “I, however... I am going with this.”

In Samantha’s hand was an exotic dark red strapless velvet dress. Anything Samantha wore made her look fabulous but Ashley was sure that with this dress, Samantha would rock the floor during the dance.

However, that deep red color suddenly reminded Ashley of Ethan. Richard didn’t show up to school that day and at first, Ashley was worried Ethan had something to do with it. But just after classes ended, Richard had sent Ashley a text saying that there was something he needed to take care of with Sara, who also didn’t show up at school. Ashley had decided not to tell him about Ethan’s surprise visit; she didn’t want him worrying about so much at once.

Richard did, for some unknown reason, tell her to be very careful not to use her powers unless necessary and to shield her aura at all times.

When it came to auras, Ashley had become quite adept in both detecting them and shielding hers. In simple terms, auras were like these emissions of energy that almost everything generated. If one could detect auras they could sense the emotions, intentions, and also; how strong they were...

Ashley became conscious of something. When she stood face to face with Ethan, she didn’t pick up any trace of his aura. Not in the illusion he’d created, not when he was outside her window, and definitely not when he was in her home.

He must be really good at suppressing his aura, Ashley thought. But to do it to a point where he reduced his aura to practically nothing...

“Oh, I am sorry,” Ashley said when she bumped into someone.

“It’s quite alright,” a bald man wearing a white T-shirt and jeans said.

The man was smiling even as he looked at Ashley. There was something curious about the way he was looking at her. That aside, one thing, of course, was for sure; like Ethan, this man did give off an aura. Ashley had to be careful right now. This man wasn’t human and the boutique they were in was filled with them.

“You need not be alarmed, young one,” the man said.

“Who are you?” Ashley asked. Her tone came out delicate and polite. Even if she didn’t sense his aura her natural ability to tell if she was in danger was in the green zone.

“My name’s Deimos,” he said. “My time with you right now is short. Meet me at the place you call, ‘Destiny Cliff’ and bring Richard Thane with you.”

“Why would I...”

“Why would you trust me?” Deimos interrupted. “I believe the reason would be, necessity. After all... you and I share a common goal.”

“What goal?” she asked.

“Ethan Thane,” Deimos replied and Ashley detected contempt in his voice.

“It’s you,” Ashley said. She remembered that Talya had said something about someone who was coming to help fight Ethan.

Deimos stretched out his hand.

When Ashley held it a warm soothing sensation surged through her body. It was exhilarating. She bit her lip and had to resist the urge to fall to her knees and bow. Her heart was beating so fast she almost couldn’t breathe.

She looked at Deimos and in a low whisper, she said, “What are you?”

Deimos smiled and began to fade until he disappeared.

Ashley felt a hand holding her shoulder.

“Hey, you okay,” Samantha asked.

Taking in a deep breath, Ashley said, “I am fine... I am more than fine.”

“But your whole body is shaking,” Samantha said.

“It is, isn’t it?” Ashley said, watching her hands shake. “I think we’re gonna have to save shopping for later... come on.”

“Wait but my dre...”

Ashley grabbed Samantha’s hand and the two left the boutique after they retrieved their backpacks from the counter.

Samantha’s car was parked a few blocks away from the boutique.

However, as they started walking, Ashley noticed someone following them. She threw one quick gaze at the man walking some meters behind them and continued walking. He looked a bit over thirty, wore a black shirt and cream-white jeans, and the aura gave Ashley a nauseating sensation; one that she’d only come across when she faced someone else... Jacob.

The man following them was a vampire, Ashley was sure of it. His aura was cold and sullied with so much death and violence.

“Ashley, what’s wrong?” Samantha asked.

Ashley had stopped walking when she and Sam made a turn around a corner. She could still sense the vampire but he had stopped walking somewhere at the corner behind them. Ashley looked at Samantha and thought about what she was going to do. Right now she had two choices. The first was to walk into Samantha’s car and drive somewhere with a lot of people; vampires rarely attacked in the open. But she wanted to know why the vampire was following them... which brought in the second option; to lure the vampire somewhere secluded and interrogate it. She knew she could easily take on the vampire but wouldn’t Samantha be in danger?

“Um... Sam?”

Samantha did something Ashley least expected. The girl with beautiful brown skin wrapped one of her arms around Ashley’s waist and placed the other on her shoulder.

“There is an alley nearby babe,” Samantha said, in a very not-so-Samantha voice. “No one will see us if we did it there.”

“Samantha what are...”

Samantha put one of her fingers on Ashley’s lips, brought her lips near Ashley’s, and whispered, “It would be very embarrassing to do it here.”

When Samantha winked Ashley understood the message her friend was trying to send in her own... interesting way.

“It would be my first you know?” Ashley said, caressing Samantha’s cheek. God, this was weird.

“There’s a first time for everything right?” Samantha replied in her best flirty voice.

The two held each other’s hands and walked into an empty alley. Ashley slightly tightened her grip on her friend’s hand when she felt it shaking. Samantha looked at her, smiled, and said, “I trust you.”

Ashley and Samantha reached an open space and walking in front of them was the vampire she had seen earlier.

“Sorry to spoil your fun love birds but I appear to be lost,” he said.

“Um... maybe we can help... Where were you going?” Samantha asked.

“That’s the thing,” the vampire said, scratching his head. “I can’t remember. But you see, it is not all bad... I did manage to replace something better.”

With inhuman speed, the vampire dashed and stood in front of Ashley. So she was his target... good.

The vampire’s fangs lengthened and blood-red veins formed in and across his eyes.

“Now be a dear and don’t scream or move alright,” he said.

Ashley felt a wave of power which felt like a burst of warm air hit her. The vampire was trying to compel her but... even if she didn’t have her Suppression Ring on, a vampire with this level of power wouldn’t have been able to compel her.

Ashley, however, pretended to be compelled but watched the vampire closely when he went and tried compelling Samantha. Samantha had been mixing some special herbs that Richard had given her in her tea or drink and these herbs prevented one from succumbing to compulsion.

Samantha too went along with Ashley’s unexplained plan and acted as though she was compelled by facing down and keeping quiet.

“In all my one hundred and thirty years on earth,” the man said. “I have never...”

He swallowed, licked his lips, and said, “You... just what are you? The scent of your blood... oh exquisite. Forgive me, I just can’t help myself. I usually kill my victims quickly but I just have to savor every moment with you.”

Ashley sighed and said, “So, you’re just after my blood? Geez, and here I thought you were one of Ethan’s lackeys.”

The vampire’s eye widened.

“Y-You broke my compulsion,” he said, his voice shaking.

“We were never compelled to begin with,” Samantha said, with a bright smile on her face. Even when she knew she was in danger, Samantha was able to smile like this... she truly meant what she said when she told Ashley that she trusted her. Samantha trusted Ashley with her life.

Angry lines appeared on the man’s forehead and his nostrils flared up. He grabbed Ashley by her neck. Ashley remembered the last time she fought a vampire. It was Jacob and back then she was brutally defeated. Back then, she was just starting to guess a clear sense about who and what she was but now...

Ashley dropped her bag, grabbed the man’s arm, twisted it, and landed a kick in his abdomen; a kick which had enough power to send him flying and he crashed into a wall. He fell, quickly got up, and came at Ashley with his sharp claws. Ashley bent her knees, dodging the attack, and hit her elbow in the vampire’s chest.

The vampire coughed out blood.

“Just wh-what are you?!” he screeched.

Ashley walked to him.

The vampire moved back until his back was literally against a wall.

“No!!!” he shouted and started laughing hysterically. “Power... I have power... I need more power... your blood... I want it... I won’t LOSE!!!”

He launched himself at Samantha. In a blink’s length of time, Ashley had already dashed at Sam. She caught the vampire by his neck and slammed his head into the hard ground. Ashley raised the man and delivered deadly punches on his face followed by a roundhouse kick carrying such an unforgiving force that it snapped the vampire’s neck.

The fight was over and Ashley sighed. Samantha walked to her and held her hand.

“Wow, you didn’t even break a sweat,” Sam said.

Ashley looked at her hands and clenched her fists. Indeed, she had become strong. The girl she was a month ago was scared and other people had to fight her battles. Now she was strong enough to take on a hundred-year-old vampire.

“He’s gonna wake up soon, isn’t he?” asked Samantha.

Ashley nodded.

“So... what are you going to do?” Samantha asked again.

To be honest, Ashley wasn’t sure.

She then recalled Ethan’s words:

“There many others who will wish to get their hands on you; especially if they knew what you are.”

This vampire only wanted Ashley’s blood. He was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.

Once again, Ashley was faced with two options; to let the vampire go and risk the safety of the town... and her own or to kill it right now which meant one less homicidal maniac. The latter seemed sound, but it was easier thought than done. So far the only things Ashley had killed were demons. Those creatures were emotionless, vile, and had no personality. But this vampire...

Suddenly, the vampire made his move first and dived at Samantha. Ashley’s body reacted instinctively. There was a bottle of water in her bag and Ashley controlled that water, tearing the plastic bottle in the process. Ashley slashed the water across the vampire’s neck and severed its head. She quickly grabbed Samantha and they both avoided the blood that gashed out of the headless body.

Ashley couldn’t stop shaking as she watched the body desiccate. She had no choice she thought to herself. The vampire was about to harm her friend and she had to destroy him... right?

Samantha moved closer to Ashley, held her hands, and hugged her.

“It’s going to be alright,” Sam said.

Ashley’s vision became cloudy as tears began flowing out of her eyes.

It took a while for Ashley to gather her words and she said in a whispery voice, “This isn’t going to be the last time, is it?”

“Ashley...”

That’s all her friend could say even as she sobbed. Both of them weren’t naïve. They knew that this was now the world they lived in. A part of Ashley wished that all of her friends had accepted Richard’s offer to compel them and forget everything about the supernatural. Then again, Ashley wondered if she would have been able to get to where she was without them.

“Come on Sam,” Ashley said. “Let’s get out of here.”

“And what about...”

Samantha was pointing at the decapitated body.

“I will be able to take care of that,” a voice suddenly said.

Ashley turned behind her and saw Richard. Next to the blonde guy was Sara and she looked gorgeous in her blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Richard was smartly dressed in a black shirt and dark blue jeans. He walked past Ashley and went over to the body. A flame appeared in his hand and a hot blast of fire shot out.

In seconds, the body burnt until it was reduced to nothing but black ashes.

“What are you guys doing here?” Ashley asked.

“Well... Sara and I were investigating something and I happened to pick up your scent as we passed by,” Richard answered.

“And what were you guys investigating?” Samantha asked.

Richard first looked at Sara and back at Ashley.

“You can tell us on the way,” Ashley said.

Sara made some hand signings. asking where they would go.

“Destiny Cliff,” Ashley answered. “Someone’s waiting for us.”

“Then we better not keep them waiting,” Richard said.

Ashley and the rest left the alley and walked over to Samantha’s car.

...

“I can’t believe there is actually a vampire out there who could possibly kill Ethan,” Samantha said in a joyous voice.

“Yeah... the only problem is this guy sounds like he would definitely end up taking Ravenhill or the entire city of Salem along with Ethan,” Ashley argued with a sigh. “But at least you and Sara got something from your encounter with the Dark Trinity.”

“Yes, knowing that Ethan is about my own age is something,” Richard replied. “But he still is a Chimera... the power of dark creatures may indeed depend on how old they have lived but I don’t believe that alone is enough to conclude that Vladimir and Arius can defeat Ethan for sure.”

“Well, that’s true,” Ashley said. “I just fought and defeated a vampire that’s a hundred years older than me.”

Ashley and everyone had already reached the woods. Samantha’s car was parked by the road. The air was brisk, chilly, humid, and blowing angrily against the trees. Dark clouds hung in the sky and Ashley could hear thunder rumbling in the distance.

A storm is coming...

No matter how much she tried, Ashley just couldn’t get Ethan’s voice out of her head. After hearing about Vladimir and Arius from Richard, Ashley was beginning to realize that there was a lot of truth to whatever Ethan said. Ethan had mentioned that he was someone with many enemies and that soon they would come searching for him; just like the Dark Trinity. Richard and even Sara didn’t know much about the trio but according to what they had heard at the docks last night, the Dark Trinity was supposedly formed as a means to destroy Ethan.

“Richard, you said that you saw Vladimir shape-shift from a wolf into a person,” Ashley said, in a more questioning tone.

“I have heard of a rare vampire species that can shape-shift into different forms but never in my fifty thousand years have I ever encountered one,” said Richard. “They were thought to have gone extinct some millennia ago but I guess some still do exist.”

“There are different types of vampires?” Samantha asked, jumping over a fallen tree.

Richard nodded and said, “Just like with werewolves, merfolk, and even witches. You see, most of these creatures came about when humans tried to play the role of the gods. Many spells and rituals were said to have been invented by the human race and each produced its own kind of creature.”

“So the merfolk were created by humans?” Samantha asked.

“What I just said were only legends told to me when I was young... Some merfolk believe that we are the sons and daughters of Poseidon... Most believe we all came from Ea.”

“Whoa!!!” Ashley exclaimed when her leg almost sunk into a hole. Luckily, Richard caught her and pulled her close to him. His body was so near that Ashley could feel his warmth and on a cold day like this, his body as a Fire Demon naturally produced so much heat that Richard probably never even felt any cold.

“Ahem,” Samantha coughed giving Ashley a suspicious look. “So, Ashley... Who is this person we’re meeting?”

Ashley slowly pulled away from Richard and said, “He said his name’s Deimos.”

“Deimos?” Richard said. “The name certainly does sound familiar.”

“In any case,” Ashley continued. “What surprised me was how he knew about Destiny Cliff.”

Sara went ahead of everyone and walked through a green thicket. Everyone passed through the same and eventually, they were all standing on the cliff... Destiny Cliff. Even with the sky being eerie dark, the view here was still majestic. The ocean water appeared black underneath the sky and the roars of vicious waves reverberated throughout the area. It was on this cliff that Ashley, Richard, Sara, and Adrian fought and defeated Sebastian and the demons he had summoned.

An ache arose in Ashley’s heart when she thought of Sebastian. Not just him, but memories of Claudia began flooding her mind. Claudia was a ten-thousand-year-old vampire that had been living like a human for over four centuries. Ashley and her friends knew her as Coley and she owned a small diner in town. She was kind, cheerful and...

When hot tears started to form in her eyes, Ashley refrained from thinking about Claudia. Once everything was over, then she would mourn; for Claudia, for Alex, for Jacob, and even for Sebastian. Until then she had to keep her head straight and her emotions in check because ever since her power as a mermaid awakened, Ashley had found that her emotions, together with her senses, had become heightened.

“Ashley...” Samantha said, in a startled voice.

Ashley realized that she was staring at the ground. When she raised her head she saw the man she’d met back at the boutique.

“Deimos,” she uttered.

Back when she saw him he was nicely dressed in a white T-shirt and white jeans but now the only thing that covered his body was some tattered clothes made from what looked like sackcloth.

Deimos smiled and said, “You are surprised to see me like this. I thought it best if I appeared as if I were in the spirit realm. I can change my appearance if you so wish...”

“No, it’s all right,” Ashley said with a smile. “As you said, I was just caught by surprise that all. I know you said that I should only bring Richard but I brought...”

“Sara and Samantha,” Deimos said. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

“How do you know our names?” Samantha asked.

Richard walked next to Ashley. He suddenly fell on one knee and bowed his head.

“Richard?” Ashley said.

“How you knew about Destiny Cliff,” Richard said. “How you knew Sara and Samantha...”

Richard raised his head and said, “It is only natural for a god to know the hearts of mortals.”

Ashley’s eyes lit up in amazement. A god, like...

“Yes, Ashley Morgan,” Deimos said. “Just like Zeus, who so happens to be my grandfather. You may rise to your feet, Richard Thane.”

“How is it possible that you are in the spirit realm?” Richard asked. “I thought the gods couldn’t die, let alone become spirits.”

“You’re right,” Deimos replied. “We don’t die the way mortals do but even we can cease to exist. When humans stop worshiping us and when they forget us... We just turn into nothingness. But knowing that wasn’t the reason why you came here, is it?”

“You said you can help us destroy Ethan,” Ashley said.

“I can,” Deimos replied. “If it wasn’t for my being trapped in this dreadful place I would have killed that Chimera ages ago. You are wondering how I came to be trapped in here, aren’t you Sara?”

Sara’s eyes shot up.

“It was Ethan himself who trapped me in here,” Deimos said. “About forty-five thousand years ago, my grandfather Zeus, my father Ares, and the rest of the twelve Olympians were locked in a devastating battle that not only threatened Earth but the whole universe as we know it.”

"Horaren... The Divine War...” Richard said. “Over half the human race fled to other realms during that time.”

“There was nothing divine about that war,” Deimos said. “Kronos, my great-grandfather was freed by Thanatos, and together with the Titans; he wreaked havoc across the world. That war lasted for over a thousand years and Kronos was finally defeated and cast into a place that even gods dare not mention. Ethan Thane was a major factor during that war. Though he didn’t fight for either side, he was responsible for the obliteration of many of Kronos’ minions, and for his efforts, my grandfather wanted to grant him godhood.”

“What?” Richard said in a furious voice.

“I had the same expression on my face back then too,” Deimos said. “It so happened that many of the humans and creatures that existed around that time feared the Chimera’s name more than mine. I am the god of fear and dread and Ethan was to take my place. However, I made a mistake that haunts me to this day. In front of the Olympians, I declared that I would defeat Ethan and earn back my title. Gods may not be absolute beings but what we say is absolute. After four thousand years, it was finally decided that the age of the gods and demigods had come to an end. Apart from me, all the gods and demigods had fulfilled their purposes and they all transcended to unknown dimensions. I remained and there was only one thing I could do in order to go to where my family was...”

“You had to defeat Ethan,” Ashley finished.

“Yes,” Deimos replied. “But Ethan wouldn’t be the Chimera if defeating him was that easy... After a few years of searching, I was finally facing the one who would get me home but Ethan was already ten steps ahead of me. I found him waiting in what is now called the Sahara desert. He led me into a trap for he had transcribed in the ground a magic circle as wide as the desert itself.”

“Magic circle?” Samantha asked.

“There are sacred spaces that most witches and sorcerers use when casting spells,” Richard said. “The channels inscribed in them contain tremendous amounts of magical energy.”

“And with a circle as large as the one Ethan made, I was sealed in the spirit realm,” Deimos said. “For years I have tried to free myself but my power here is far less than it ever was when I was on Earth.”

“But you are on Earth... right?” Ashley asked.

“It is taking every ounce of my power just to appear to you,” Deimos said. “When Richard drove that dagger in Ethan’s heart, the spell that binds me here was significantly weakened. Using every bit of power I had, I was able to materialize myself to a sea-witch who also shared my goals.”

“Talya,” Richard said.

Deimos nodded, “Not only was she able to open the portal to Prodeth, the pocket dimension where Ethan was, but she was able to tether my spirit to Prometheus’ Orb... or rather to the magic that activated it.”

“Richard spoke and said, “You are linked to Ashley.”

“Huh?” Ashley said.

“Ashley, your blood which activated the Orb,” Deimos said. “In a way, I am tethered to your magic... your life. So, as long as you are in this realm I am able to materialize myself as well. I can only last for a few minutes on Earth and since I am not at full strength in this form, I can’t do anything about Ethan.”

Deimos then looked at Sara and said, “Sara is thinking about what would happen if Ashley were to die. The answer to that is, I would forever be trapped in the spirit realm.”

Everyone was quiet for a while.

“But you have a plan, don’t you?” Ashley finally said. “A plan to free yourself from the spirit realm I mean. And this plan obviously involves me.”

“You are quite perceptive, Ashley,” Deimos said. “Indeed I do...”

Deimos suddenly staggered and he started breathing heavily. Ashley and Richard rushed to him and helped him stand.

“What’s wrong?” Ashley asked.

“I have exceeded my... time limit... here,” Deimos said. “I am being returned to the spirit realm... But before I go listen... Find Talya and tell her these words...Yin and Yang... She will understand.”

Ashley’s hands held nothing but the space that Deimos left when he disappeared. Richard was staring at her with a smile on his face. It seemed impossible at first but now they had a plan... a plan to defeat Ethan once and for all.

“You better get going Richard,” Ashley said when she heard rain that would be arriving in a few minutes. Because of the curse, Ethan had placed on Richard, rain or ocean water burnt Richard just like lit gasoline would burn a human.

“I will see if I can replace Talya,” Richard said and he dashed into the forest.

Ashley, Samantha, and Sara walked out of the forest without saying a word to each other. There was probably so much going on that replaceing where to start was difficult for all of them.

The girls finally reached Samantha’s car only to be greeted by three men. Two of them, whom Ashley didn’t recognize, were in the official Salem PD uniforms. Ashley knew the other man who was wearing a brown suit. It was Deputy Sheriff Anderson, Luke’s father. Each one of them ran to Ashley and had worried looks on their faces.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Anderson?” Samantha asked.

“Ashley you better come with us,” Mr. Anderson said.

“Has something happened?” Ashley asked.

No one was prepared to digest the words that came out of Mr. Anderson’s mouth.

Mr. Anderson sighed and said, “I am afraid it’s very bad... It’s Stacy Hill... She escaped from Oregon State Hospital a few hours ago.”

What was this? Ashley thought as she felt her body go numb. Stacy had escaped... so what... Ashley was now strong enough to stop her. But why did that name still send shivers down Ashley’s spine? Why was her vision blurring as the officers came toward her? Why did she feel like her shaking knees were turning into jelly? Samantha’s lips were moving but Ashley neither heard nor made out what her friend was saying. Everything around her started spinning... no... it was her body that was falling.

Ashley fell on the hard ground of the road and her eyelids covered her eyes; sending her into a void of darkness that she hoped she would never wake up from.

...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter guys!!!