I ripped his heart out and let his body drop as the pain from his bullets seared my abdomen like a white-hot brand. I lifted his heart over my mouth and crushed it, guzzling the steaming blood ravenously. The door beside me opened again and I blindly shoved my hand through the gap, stabbing my claws into another chest and ripping that heart out too—all while still chugging the stream of blood from the first heart.
It ran dry and I flung it behind me, switching to the second heart, barely pausing in my gulping. Both had been vampires. The second vampire’s body dropped to the ground and I quested out with my senses to see if anyone had heard the gunshots.
There was definitely commotion, but none were an immediate threat, and I felt the wounds in my abdomen rapidly draining me of energy despite the blood I was consuming. It ran dry and I threw it to the side. “Not enough,” I growled, feeling the wounds from the bullets burning hotter for some reason. I sank my fangs into the vampire’s shoulder, drinking deeply. The blood instantly flowed to my wounds, but the pain hadn’t ceased, letting me know something was seriously wrong. I needed more—a lot more.
I tapped my earbud, peeling my fangs away long enough to speak. “Where are you?”
Then I sank my fangs back into the guard as I waited for three infinitely long seconds.
“Okay,” Victoria finally replied in a hushed whisper. “I got the scientist. Sneaky little bastard. I ran across another vampire who heard the gunshots, but I managed to stake him through the heart while he was running your way. I got his head. What happened with you?”
“I was shot twice, but I’ll be fine with more blood,” I lied. I glanced down and cringed to see that the two puckering wounds were smoking around the edges. It was almost as if they were burning with fever, getting hotter by the second.
“Chatter on the earbud tells me they’re all coming down here. One of them called in backup after hearing the gunshots and not getting a response from their pals,” Victoria said, right as she burst back through the door and into the room. She was clutching a bloody white cloth. “Figured we could bundle the others up in the scientist’s coat. He won’t be needing it anymore.”
I clenched my fist angrily at her news as she made her way over and bent down to study my wounds. “Eight is not twelve,” I told her, mentally counting the vampires we had killed. I glanced down to see the wounds in my stomach—although absorbing all the blood I’d just consumed—still looked burnt around the edges and were definitely still smoking. “Bullets hurt like hell.”
She stared at it, her face paling. “They usually hurt and kill so rapidly that you never notice the hurt part.” She grew silent, poking at it gently with a gloved finger. “Sorin,” she said nervously.
“Yes?” I asked, reaching out with my senses to check for more vampires. They all seemed to be congregating a floor above us. I counted five of them, but there could have been more out of my range.
“I’m pretty sure they shot you with silver bullets—”
I dropped to my knees, hissing suddenly as my stomach muscles spasmed like she had dug her finger into the hole. I thought my wounds had burned before, but it was nothing compared to what came next. The white-hot brands were back, but this time they were scraping and prodding through my entire wound—from my abdomen to my back. I gritted my teeth, trying to climb to my feet despite the torture. “We need to get out—”
Victoria gripped my chin, waving a small chunk of silver in my face. “Sorin, listen to me. I’ve used bullets like this before. They are designed to splinter on impact. I know you say you’re tough, but these are designed to drop vampires and werewolves with one shot. You were hit twice. If they don’t immediately kill you, they poison you to death.”
I looked up at her, my vision beginning to tunnel. The horror in her eyes caught me off guard. I wanted to reassure her, to tell her we would make it through this, but another flare of pain made my vision flicker with black spots. It was as if all the blood I had just consumed was fighting to keep me alive, but it wasn’t enough to fight the silver fragments embedded in my flesh.
And I could feel my body drawing on my limited reserves to compensate, which was destroying my vampire strengths, leaving me as weak as a newborn kitten.
“Victoria. Get out of here—”
She slapped me. Hard.
And then she kissed me forcefully, biting down on my lip hard enough to make me grunt. She pulled away, but only a few inches. “You need blood, Sorin. Strong blood. I think your only way out of here is to get blood drunk.”
I instantly shook my head, knowing what she was suggesting. “Absolutely not,” I wheezed. “I’m not killing you so I can survive a couple bullet wounds.”
“LISTEN!” she snapped, glaring at me with the same hostility that she’d shown against our foes earlier. “You are going to drink from me, and you are going to drink deeply, you stubborn bastard. Enough blood so that you are strong enough to stand up and drink the first son of a bitch who comes through that door. You are going to chug him down like a can of cheap beer. And then you are going to rinse and repeat with every single creature in this building. If that’s not enough, you are going to sit your ass down at that card table and drink every single blood bag in sight,” she snarled, panting.
I stared at her, struggling to keep her face in my vision through the ever-widening dark spots. “What if your blood is poisonous?” I rasped.
“Then we both die swinging.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself, Victoria. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this kind of pain, and once the bloodlust takes over…”
She squeezed her thumb down on her stun-gun. “Oh, I’ll be fine, Sorin. I’ve dealt with a few vampires before.” She arched her neck and leaned in close, eyeing the door.
I knew I only had moments before the decision would be made for me, and I couldn’t let Dracula get away with his crimes. Couldn’t let my curiosity about Victoria and her shared ties to Artemis go unanswered.
And she’d kissed me…
“Promise me you’ll collect the heads and get out of here the moment I’m done. Anyone left inside will be in danger. Promise me and I’ll do it,” I whispered, feeling dizzy.
“FINE!” she snapped. “JUST VUCK ME ALREADY, SORIN!” she hissed.
I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. “Vuck?” I was pretty sure I’d missed a significant segment of our conversation.
“Vuck. Vampire suck. It sounded better in my head,” she snarled, blushing furiously. Then she simply grabbed the back of my head and slammed my mouth down onto her neck. “Drink, Sorin. Show me what the world’s first vampire can do with a little lead in his pencil.”
She gasped as my fangs sank into her neck.
And my mind exploded with blinding moonlight as liquid ice coursed through my veins, scraping my insides clean like purifying acid. But it didn’t hurt in the slightest. It…was perfect bliss.
Victoria climaxed faster and louder than Natalie had—it was practically instantaneous. Her hand gripped a fistful of the hair at the back of my head like it was her lifeline in a stormy sea, and the fingers of her other hand clawed and scraped at my back, using her armored gloves for better effect. Her body rocked wildly against me as she moaned directly into my ear, clutching me tighter and tighter until I couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying. But her nails kept right on scraping my back, begging for more.
I breathed her life into mine, inhaling her blood rather than drinking it. My muscles twitched and spasmed, my wounds instantly growing cold enough to feel like they were frosting over. I felt my inner demon purring delightedly, throwing his head back and laughing.
YES!
My mind shattered as the demon tried to take control, wanting more of this sensation. To drink every drop of blood in the world, consequences be damned. I was a god, not a man with a curse. And I agreed, relishing in the sudden electricity of her blood coursing through my body. I’d never—ever—felt anything like Victoria Helsing’s blood on my tongue.
It was like my greatest memory of sunlight kissing my cheeks on a carefree day.
But then I felt my lip throb where Victoria had bitten me, and my heart skipped a beat. Before I was even aware of what I was doing, I flung myself back from her, panting desperately.
She sat on the ground, quivering as she gasped and moaned, chills sporadically ripping through her as echoes of milder climaxes struck her at the core. Her pupils were dilated and a sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. The stun guns on both hands were crackling as she clenched her fists, unable to let go. I glanced down to see holes burned in my shirt where she had been shocking me with a million volts from each hand.
I hadn’t even felt it, had I?
I flung my head back and screamed, unable to handle the power coursing through my veins. I didn’t just feel as good as I had in my prime…
I felt like I’d never even come close to my prime until this moment.
A quick scan of the building told me that the vampires were now on the move, heading our way. Victoria groaned, climbing unsteadily back to her feet, her stun-guns still crackling. I let out a shuddering sigh to see that she was alright, but part of me wanted to tackle her to the ground, straddle her, and rip her clothes off before licking up every last drop of sweat from her body. To explore every crevice and crack of her flesh with my tongue.
And only then would I get to her unbelievably potent blood.
And I knew if I asked her right now, she’d probably agree—which instantly killed the desire of the fantasy, immediately clearing my thoughts.
I had long ago vowed to never abuse my powers that way.
“You…didn’t stop,” she murmured, shaking her head to get her bearings. She unclenched her thumbs and the stun-guns stopped crackling. “I’m not sure I wanted you to stop. I just knew I needed you to…” She twitched again, her thighs clenching at an obvious echo of her pleasure. She laughed huskily. “That was nice,” she mumbled woozily.
“Are you okay?” I asked anxiously.
She chuckled throatily, licking her lips very slowly as she met my eyes. “When a girl asks you to vuck her, you sure don’t hold back, Sorin.” Her hair was a tangled mess, the chop-stakes hanging crookedly.
I smiled smugly in spite of my concern, but I was surprised by how clear-headed I felt. My inner demon was railing at the walls of my mind, begging me to finish the job, and I knew Victoria couldn’t have stopped me if she had a gun loaded with a dozen of those silver bullets.
But…I was able to hold him back. Without any apparent effort.
Had I won my eternal struggle against my demon, or had Victoria’s blood changed me in some way? Because I felt something entirely new living inside my soul. A trapped beam of soft, brilliantly white moonlight shining upon a pile of blue gems. And the new tenant was incredibly, lethally potent. Godly.
“Sapphires and moonlight,” I whispered, staring at Victoria in awe.
Victoria set her hand on the table, staring at me. “You said that before, but I pretended not to notice—” Her eyes latched onto my wounds and instantly widened in disbelief. I glanced down to see my stomach coated in a bramble of thorny frost. It was already beginning to melt, since the rest of my skin felt feverish to the touch.
But I didn’t have time to worry about that.
“It’s time for you to go, Victoria. That was our deal. But I really think I’d like to pick up where we left off…” I said, my voice a throaty growl. “Go deliver the heads to Stevie.”
She nodded obediently, scooping up the remaining heads and wrapping them up in the scientist’s white coat. “You sure you’re okay?” she asked, hesitating before turning around.
“Victoria,” I drawled. “I’m pretty sure you vucked me, not the other way around.” Her cheeks reddened and I caught a flash of pride in her eyes. “I can honestly say that I’ve never felt anything as pleasurable as that. Ever. And I’ve never felt stronger either.” I met her eyes, making sure she understood my next words. They might be the most important thing I ever said to her. “You must never tell anyone about what just happened. Otherwise, Dracula would break the world to get his hands on your blood. I need to hear you promise me, out loud, while looking into my eyes. And we’re about to have company, so don’t dawdle.”
“I promise I won’t tell anyone about my blood, Sorin.”
I nodded, turning my back on her. With four holes now ruining my shirt—two from bullets and two from her stun-guns—I tore the fabric off entirely, dropping the clothing to the ground as I faced the door, waiting for the vampires to arrive. “Don’t forget the two heads on your way out, Miss Helsing,” I murmured.
“O-okay,” she stammered.
I glanced down at the torn, bloody, burned fabric on the ground and frowned. I used to wear an elegant cape. Why had I stopped wearing my cape? I closed my eyes and drew deep on my newfound power, curious what limits I had now that I wasn’t constantly struggling to fight against my inner demon. I felt something soft, warm, and dependably strong settle over my shoulders and spill down my back, embracing me like a naked lover pressed against my spine as she draped her arms around my neck and rested her head upon my shoulders.
Then I imagined that it was Victoria Helsing.
I opened my eyes to see a rich cloak of the darkest shadows and hottest, purest blood rippling down behind me, constantly shifting and twitching as if I was standing before a stiff breeze.
Victoria gasped from behind me near the door. But the vampires were close, and I didn’t have time for anymore goodbyes. It was time for the Devil to take his due.
To show these children that their forgotten grandfather was a force not to be reckoned with, and that I had forgotten more tricks than their father—Dracula—had ever known.
I heard the door close behind me and tracked Victoria’s heartbeat as she fled the building to safety. The doors ahead of me burst open to reveal a rapidly widening storm of dazzling flashes of lightning and explosive booms of thunder.
Five figures controlled that storm, spreading out as they unloaded their guns with abandon.
But my cloak whipped and snapped, devouring the silver bullets like a swarm of bats devouring a cloud of flying insects.
Not one projectile struck me as their guns clicked empty. Five stunned vampires stared at me and then down at their guns.
“I’m clear,” Victoria whispered into my ear.
And the Devil burst out with laughter, his cloak hissing and screaming with a fierce hunger.
34
I drew upon my bottomless well of power, burning away an acceptable amount of blood that allowed me to shift into a cloud of thick red mist. Rather than attacking my foes or slaughtering them in a single blast of power, I wanted to have some fun. To wield the powers I had so sorely missed since waking from Deganawida’s slumber.
Knowing what I had once been capable of but being forced to get by on the bare minimum of powers for the last twenty-four-hours—and having to eat scraps like a starving dog to even do that—I’d felt increasingly inadequate. Fraudulent.
Like I wasn’t the man I had once been. Like I would never be that man again.
In more ways than one, Nosh had reminded me of who I once was.
And Victoria had shown me that I could be that man again. That I could be more than that man had ever been. That it was okay to be a nightmare. A cognizant nightmare.
Selene had taught me that a single embrace of true love was worth sacrificing your soul.
Bubble had reminded me that I was a man, first, and a monster only if I chose to be one.
For those lessons, I would forever love them. They were with me even now.
But both of those lessons had left my heart torn and shattered, fearing that I was forever destined to have the desires of my heart ripped from my life and tortured before my eyes while the gods laughed at me.
Then I had met Victoria and had felt that familiar tugging on my heart once again.
Now, filled with her blood, I clearly understood t
he source of her power, the source of our magical ties together. The gift and curse of Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt.
And…I was relieved to suddenly realize that it felt nothing like what I’d sensed upon first seeing Victoria at the auction. That the sensations that had rendered me speechless upon seeing her had nothing to do with her blood or ties to Artemis. It had been…something else. Something innocent and genuine.
Potential.
That wasn’t to say that I was completely infatuated with Victoria, but there was definitely a strong connection between us. A very powerful feeling. Something worth nurturing.
To see if we could keep it safe.
And that terrified me, because I’d lost everything I’d ever loved. Everything I’d ever tried to protect. My clan of vampires, my dynasty, my legend, my first love, my wife and son…
My soul to Hades.
I had epically failed at every attempt to protect what I loved.
But…I now had one more chance to protect something that I loved.
Myself. My new outlook on life. The memory of my countless losses.
Because if Dracula won, I would die. And those losses would be forgotten forever, unavenged. I would fail to not only protect their lives, but even their memories.
And that was simply not acceptable.
It seemed that the most powerful man in the world still needed the minding of strong, independent women in order to attain his true potential. First Selene’s sacrifice, then Bubble’s teachings of inner peace, and now Victoria to bring it all together and remind me that I was the master of the night.
I screamed loud enough to shatter the glass in every single refrigerator. The vampires dropped their guns, clutching at their ears in agony. I screamed again and my cloud of mist exploded in every direction.
My spirit, now unencumbered, focused on the red light on the wall. In a blur, my mist shot from every corner of the room, congregating at the red light on the wall. The mist condensed, crushing it into powder and killing the red glow of electricity.
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