Page 18 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part

His private mausoleum stood as a testament to a bygone era, but retained its grandeur after all this time. The stone walls were pitted and weathered by time, but seemed to tell a story in their own right. This was no ordinary burial site; it was a place of reverence for a vampire and was a reflection of the prestige he held within his clan.

The door scraped the stone loudly when Rene opened it and cobwebs stretched out before breaking their silky threads.

Inside, the air was a heavy mix of mustiness and antiquity as dust particles floated in the air from our intrusion. A hushed silence lingered around us, as if the walls held their breath in respect. Vines draped gracefully over the stone from a crack in the rear of the chamber, making a green latticework of the interior.

My footsteps echoed through the cool and damp air. It embraced me like a comforting presence as my eyes were drawn to the centerpiece—an ornate sarcophagus, adorned with delicate engravings that seemed to dance in the half-light. The details were exquisite, a testament to the craftsmanship of its creator.

“Where do we look first?” I asked, breaking the ancient silence.

Manu went to the vine-laced walls, sliding his hands over them. “There don’t appear to be any unnatural indents. Look for anything that appears out of place and may have been added after Vladir’s death.”

We all inspected the walls, but after fifteen minutes, we had covered every nook and crevice without any success. I dusted the dirt from my hands.

“Any idea what to try next?”

Manu pointed to the sarcophagus. “We need to open it.”

Rene’s lips pursed slightly and while he said nothing, I was sure he was not thrilled with the idea of disturbing Vladir’s eternal slumber. “I will breech the seal.” He moved to the side of the intricately-carved sarcophagus and pushed on the top. There was a grating sound as a burst of stale air fermented the room and Vladir’s body was exposed for the first time in fifteen hundred years.

The desiccated body of the ancient vampire lay inside the sarcophagus, wrapped in tattered remnants of what might have once been regal attire. The fabric clung to the fragile bones, reluctant to release its hold even after all these years.

He held a simple wooden staff in his hands and Manu gently took it from his grasp as Rene stared at the remains of the former clan member. It was a stark reminder that the undead were not truly immortal. They simply had a different life cycle than humans.

Manu inspected the thick circular piece of wood. It looked unimpressive except for a few strange symbols etched in a line. “This is it, but I am unsure how to open it. There doesn’t appear to be a device.”

Rene pushed the lid of the sarcophagus back in place. “How can you be sure that contains the page?”

Manu pointed at one of the symbols. “This one is on the first page. Vladir’s seal is the last one in the line. There are a few I don’t recognize.”

Rene dusted off his hands before holding one out to Manu. “Let me see.”

Manu handed the wooden baton to him. “Do you know what the other symbols are?”

Rene rolled the staff over in his hands. “One of these is the symbol for the overseer. I have not used it in over a thousand years.”

“Why would you change your seal?”

Rene rolled his shoulders slightly. “I did not like what it represented.”

I touched his back slightly. “What does the symbol mean?”

“Supremacy.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Over the human race?”

“Over all races. It was the creed of the previous overseers. I changed it after the Lycans were destroyed. Victory is hollow when you have eradicated an entire species.”

I pursed my lips. “Do you have a new seal?”

He nodded. “It is a symbol from the old language. It means harmony.”

I smiled. “I like that.”

“As do I.” He continued to turn the staff over in his hand.

I felt a slight tingle and turned to glance outside the mausoleum. The breeze sent a leaf fluttering over the stone floor, but nothing was amiss. Still. The sensation in my chest continued to grow. “Do you feel that?”

Rene and Manu both turned to stare out the open stone slab that doubled as a door.