Iain and Alex sliced and diced on their vampire till there was nothing left to dice. It would have been a bloody mess. Thankfully, vampires dust in a less messy manor.
Dren dashed for the southern most candle, plugging rounds as he went. He dropped the empty guns and went to smother the flame with his hand. Dren had pieced together the clues that were before them. Obscure and convoluted as they were, but now it seemed to be clear as to what needed to be done. Ever since the members of
Cornerstone had been given this case, the signs were there. Subtle, yes. Obscured by design for the workers of this magic designed it to be so.
Music is said to have the power to soothe the savage beast. If it has that power, then could it not be used for other purposes? With twisted minds working, a bit of power can be subverted into nearly any form. Taking the classic song,
American Pie and applying dark magic had proved to be a powerful and useful tool for the thieves of the Mississippi. They formed it into a way to divert attention from their task. But not all of the effects could be countered. The lyrics found their way into the speech of the populace. It even affected they way people could feel and express themselves.
Through an epiphany or some influence from the Powers that Be, or maybe Dren was just as twisted as the casters of the spell, but the strange happenings of the past few days became clear to him. The candles need to be snuffed out. And normal means were not going to be of use. Iona had already proved that. The words of the song and Gonzo’s warning were the clues to success.
song American Pie:
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack Flash sat on a candle stick because fire is the devil’s only friend.
These flames needed to be snuffed out with flesh pressed against them. Sitting on the candles, as the song suggested, might be humiliating, but maybe the palm would do. Dren pressed his hand onto the candle flame. The small fire resisted, holding onto its wick and fought back. Seared flesh and blackened smoke rose. The pain was more then one would expect under normal circumstances. Several seconds passed, but the determined Irishmen endured. The flame succumbed and went out, but not without making its mark on Dren’s right hand.
As the flame died, the magic cloak beneath the Arch faltered. Now only 2/3rds as strong, shadowy figures could be seen running toward the members of
Cornerstone. In front of Alex and Iain, the first man he attacked lay prone, still groggy after Iain’s swift attack. Two others, a man and a woman were charging toward them.
Next to Dren a vampire was struggling to stand. His fine suit was riddled with bullet holes. Obviously Dren had scored some hits, but lead generally only makes vamps angry, not dead.
A fourth vampire, also a woman, leaped from the shadowy edge and clocked Iona with a powerful right hook. The force knocked Iona to the ground in a heap. This woman, dressed in a dark pants suit, screeched and then charged at Johnny, intent on taking him out as well.
Directly beneath the Arch, other figures seemed to be moving about, but they were not easy to see. The cloak spell was still somewhat effective to hide their numbers as well as their features. Two candles remained lit. One near Alex and Iain and one in the mid-span of the Arch. Johnny would be closest to it, but Iona was also nearby.
