by Pepper Pace
I had a lot of strings. Some were minor; people I had tasted or fed from once while I was healing from the burns. Those links faded and disappeared eventually.
Next were links to those that I regularly visited, but weren’t emotionally attached to. There were only a few of those; the council mostly as they had tasted me and I had tasted them during my initiation.
Last were the links to those I held dear; Paul Alexis, my Ladies, Tony.
The place where Julie’s link should have been was completely gone, as was Tige’s. The emptiness almost crushed me.
But the link to Monica was present, and so was the link to Tyler.
Frowning, I stood frozen concentrating on how it could be. Was it because they were humans that they were still present in me? Julie and Tige were gone completely, so how could Monica and Tyler still be present?
Ice ran through my veins as something occurred to me.
“Tyler?...Monica?”
“Hmm…help…us...”
I sank to my knees.
Monica and Tyler were still alive.
CHAPTER 16
Neratomay swarmed around me. Tony lifted me in his arms. “Kim!”
“I-I feel them.”
Tony looked at me confused. “Who?”
“Tyler and Monica. They’re still alive.”
“Tyler?!” I called repeatedly but there was no other answer. I called Monica as well. No answer.
I started trembling. I could trace them clearly even though they hadn’t responded. I knew where they were!
Tony was talking to me I looked at him confused.
“Where are they?” He asked.
“They’re here! Not far!” I stood up abruptly. “I’m not going to wait for Paul. I’m going now-”
“Wait!” Twenty Neratomay spoke at once.
“They’re not going to be alone. We need a group to go in with you and another group to sweep through from the outside.” Tony said. “You have to wait for Paul’s arrival.”
“Paul! Paul!’
“Baby! What’s wrong?!”
I kept screaming that they were alive both mentally and physically.
There was only quiet. But I could feel a world of emotion within him. He had pulled over the motorcycle because I could no longer sense motion.
There was confusion, and relief as well as joy and anger.
“I’m not far if you want to come now.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the room of expectant Neratomay. “Paul said now.”
What happened next was incredible. A room full of over sixty Vampires got pumped up. Teeth dropped and muscles bulged. The sound of hissing was loud enough that you wanted to cover your ears.
I concentrated on Monica and Tyler. They weren’t together…but near each other. Separated by a room? I didn’t know.
“Ran, Tony, Kaniji I want you with me!” I gripped Tony’s hand on my left and Ran’s on my right. Tony gripped Kaniji’s hand. I figured Tony could keep any eye on her if needed. I called out six other capable Master’s under me and Tony and we clasped hands.
I disappeared allowing myself to link to Tyler’s location. Since she had communicated with me I figured she may be able to give us guidance on how to proceed.
Together, the ten of us moved swiftly in that strange limbo that felt like the world was sweeping by me.
Flashing was not instantaneous. But for the first time my control was total. There was none of the sickening spiraling that I usually experienced. It was like traveling with Alexis or even Tony. I was told it was something I’d control with experience. I guess I had gained a step up these past few days.
Before I reached my destination the world materialized a split instant before I actually appeared.
As a Vampire I could see everything in slow motion. I saw a room, rather small with a metal bed. There was only one other person…a Were. She was female; this I could tell although she was partially transformed.
The She-bitch seemed to be licking someone on the bed. The creature was nude with hairy pendulous breasts and the strange elongated bones below the knees. On the bed was Tyler. Her hands were strapped to the metal of the bed by thick leather straps and she appeared to be unconscious.
In that brief moment I could see that she was a mess. Her face was swollen. Claw marks had shredded her from the chin down. I couldn’t see exactly how much damage because she was covered by a blood stained sheet.
The Were that was licking her wounds seemed to glance upward just as I materialized.
I gripped her by the back of the neck and yanked her away. The Were’s eyes grew wide and she was completely aware of what I was. Her partial transformation didn’t affect her ability to understand that death was on her ass.
Like dominoes the other Vampires appeared. That’s when the door burst open and seven Weres swarmed into the room.
Using the female Were as a weapon, I struck the closest Were to me. The female’s head shattered on impact. This I barely acknowledged. I no longer saw the Were’s as humans. They were no more significant to me then a mosquito that had bitten me.
Ignoring my own safety I tossed the dead Were and hurried to Tyler. The battle ensued around us as I went to my knees beside her.
“Tyler.” Her eyes moved beneath the lids. I saw her struggling to open them.
“I’m going to take you home. You and Monica.”
“Jason…” She murmured.
I narrowed my eyes and thought about Jason. Yes. My link to him was faint but Jason was here, too.
Something pushed against my back then I felt a sharp pain.
A Were’s claws had scored my back but Ran had it by the neck.
Ran had gone incredibly pale. His eyes were red like rubies and veins stood out like road maps. I had never seen anything quite like it. The Were that he had grabbed out weighed him and was almost twice his size.
But somehow he yanked it to his mouth and sank his teeth into the creature’s neck. Blood sprayed as he ripped its throat out.
Even though he was splattered with the dead Were’s blood I could see streams of red blood streaming from Ran’s eyes.
I turned back to Tyler. I let my talons out and used it to slice through the thick hide straps holding her to the bed.
“I’ll be back.”
I allowed myself to focus on Monica, then I vanished. I know that I should have brought Ran with me but all I could think about was getting to Monica, then Jason.
I reappeared in a hallway and caught a glimpse of white rounding the corner. Someone was on the run. I followed. A Were was carrying someone wrapped in a bloody sheet.
Monica’s long hair was streaked in blood. She was tossed over the Were’s shoulders the way Paul’s Were had carried me. I couldn’t see Monica’s face but somehow I knew that if I could it would be bad. Real bad.
It moved fast, not just running but leaping and bouncing off the walls. I could leap too and I wasn’t carrying a body.
With my teeth bared I gripped the Were’s leg and tripped him. He fell and dropped Monica.
She fell hard and didn’t move but I had to focus on the Were. He turned on me angrily and swiped at me with his talons. Ducking I sprang at him going for his throat.
He caught me in mid air, nails digging into my sides.
I struck out at him with my own talons slicing his face down to the bone. The Were had me four feet off the floor and he threw me hard. We were in some underground area that had dank stone walls. I hit the stones so hard that it couldn’t shatter…so I did.
My skull cracked, something in my back broke and my ribs went through my torso. Blood sprayed from my mouth.
The Were watched me triumphantly.
Stabbing pains went through me. The Were crouched to leap.
Too many people needed me. I glanced at Monica.
She was broken and appeared dead.
My neck split in a familiar sensation. My Creature was coming forth. Not so much pain this time as if my nerves were
desensitized to it.
I couldn’t change quick enough to avoid the Were who was now airborne. But I could dodge out of his reach. He just avoided hitting the wall.
I was wearing a spandex body suit beneath black leather pants so that I wouldn’t be nude if I changed. I was happy for that now because it allowed me to leap just out of reach of the Were. We looked like frogs as we leaped off walls and the ceiling until I was fully transformed into that bad-ass Creature.
I stopped and turned back to the Were who paused long enough to shake his wooly head at me.
We lunged for each other and crashed into each other. We both went for each others throat…I was just faster. I had his throat between my teeth before he knew what had happened. Wide green eyes watched me as I chewed. Then the light went out of those eyes.
Ran materialized next to me. He looked at the dead Were, then me.
“I don’t believe…”
“Jason.” I said in a husky voice.
Ran hurried to Monica and sucked in a loud voice before reaching down to lift her.
“Get her to safety, Ran.”
“But-”
“Please.” I turned and sensed Jason’s whereabouts.
When I materialized again it was to a big mistake. It was to a room of twenty Weres. Jason was chained, unconscious, to a wall and the Were’s were surrounding him as if they had been expecting me.
Flash away, I thought.
But before I could the air grew cold. The Weres looked confused so I stayed to see what was happening.
I smelled something floral and then she appeared in the middle of the room halfway between the Weres and where I was standing.
The woman was drop dead beautiful. Her skin was that deathly white of an old Vampire. Her hair was a luscious black that ran down in curls to the small of her back. Her green eyes were striking against her face and hair.
She couldn’t have been more the 5” 2’, but when she appeared she took up all the available space. Don’t ask me how to describe it any better than that.
She wore a gown of seafoam that glistened with diamonds. It hugged her body like a glove. Obviously an old Neratomay, but she knew how to dress like a modern day heiress.
Ignoring the dangerous Werewolves at her back the woman watched me.
“Do you know who I am?”
I nodded after a moment.
“Athena.”
Athena raised her hand and I braced myself.
She held it out to me.
“Shall we?”
I glanced at Jason. “I’m here to bring back my family.”
Athena looked at the chained Jason. He was barely conscious.
The Werewolves had begun to get over their shock. Growling they advanced toward us.
Athena sniffed and flicked her hand. Twenty werewolves exploded.
I almost peed myself.
“Your friends are coming. They will take him.” She held her hand out for me again. “Shall we?”
I really didn’t have a choice, did I? I put my hand in hers.
***
Athena carried us away so smoothly that I didn’t sense any movement. One moment I was in a little cellar and the next we were standing in a luxurious room. Her home?
I looked horrible, I know. I was a Creature in a ripped up black spandex catsuit. Athena, although she should have been splattered with werewolf gore, wasn’t. She was pristine and looked breathtaking.
She watched me and I had no idea what she was thinking.
“Am I here for you to kill me?” My words were brave but it took all I had not to allow the tremble to show in my voice.
She raised her hand and made a wide sweeping motion. I knew that I was about to implode or become crippled or some other horrible punishment. Instead I felt the bloody gore fall off my body and drip to the floor.
Her eyes roamed over my body. Still I couldn’t read her expression.
“Why do you think that I want to kill you?”
Trick question. My eyes flickered. I shielded my thoughts.
Athena just stared at me. I finally met her eyes when I realized that she was actually waiting for an answer.
“Is this a game? You killed Esmerelda…”
“Yes. She hurt you and tried to hurt Alexis. So yes, I killed her.”
My eyes moved from her to a spot over her shoulder. I needed to absorb what she had just said. I was so confused I didn’t know what to say.
“You’re not going to kill me?”
Athena smiled slightly. “No, that’s not my intention.” She looked around. “Forgive me. Your friends search for you but I have blocked them from your location. This is necessary if we would talk.”
“Okay, I guess I’m confused. Why do you want to talk to me?” I closed my eyes and sighed. The Creature was fading away since I wasn’t angry, or in danger. It took only a few moments and when I opened my eyes again Athena was watching me curiously.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like you Kim Russell. No wonder my Alexis is enamored with you. Our Alexis.”
“What am I doing here? Everyone thought that you were angry with me.”
She nodded. “They were correct. When I learned that Alexis had bound himself to another I was extremely angry.”
I crossed my arms across my chest uneasily. “And you’re not now?”
“Not at you. But I am very angry with your Elder Council. Very angry.”
Athena’s eyes flashed red and for an instant her stony beauty was marred by something else, something frightening.
“My Elder Council?”
“Yes. Your Elder Council; the one that decreed your punishment; the one that exiled my Alexis…forgive me—our Alexis.”
“Athena, forgive my ignorance. But I thought you wanted to kill me because you found out that I’d been with Alexis.”
Athena looked amused. “Alexis has never bound himself to another Neratomay. He vowed to me that he would never wed another if he couldn’t have me. And he couldn’t have me—not like that. Still when he found another I felt that no one would be worthy enough for Alexis. I chose him because he was special. I would not see him bound to someone less.
“So you see, I was very angry with your Council.”
My eyes focused on something other then her as I considered her words. Huh?
“Your Council knew that you were special. It is their will that you not be bound to Alexis.”
I felt my eyes burn. A spike of anger slammed into me. It hadn’t been because we had broken the rules. It was their own will.
Athena nodded. “Should you bond with Alexis then you two would be a force to reckon. In the Neratomay nation there is no room for a force like you.”
“But why would you want us to be a force?”
“My dear, Alexis is my liege…and now so are you. If you are his, then you are mine.”
I wasn’t quite as comfortable as I had been just a moment before.
“Why is that important to you?”
“Because you’re special. Now it’s my turn to ask you questions. You have abilities that I’ve never seen. I know you walk in light; something I saw from Malarias. Did you know that you can not gain a seat on the Elder Board without that ability? Many thousands have tried to attain a seat only to die pointlessly…because they didn’t know that one small secret. Can you imagine how devastating it would be if the secret were known? The Civil War it would cause within our ranks?”
My head began to pound. “Is that what you want?”
Athena clasped her hands in front of her and looked serious. “What I want is you.”
I frowned. “You said that through Alexis’ bond that I am already yours.”
She waved her hands dismissively.
“No, I want to bond with you Kim. I want you.”
I sucked in a surprised breath. Uncomfortable I wrapped my arms across myself again. “What do you mean?”
Athena took a step towards me and I resisted taking a step back. She continued closer and clo
ser to me until a mere foot from me she leaned forward and placed her lips on mine.
Horrified I stared at her wide eyed.
“Uhm.” This was a dangerous woman. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings but I wasn’t gay. “Uhm.”
She tilted her head and looked at me with that curious look again. “Don’t you find me attractive? Most do.”
“Uh, yeah…but Athena, I’m not gay.”
Athena watched me silently. It was an uncomfortably long time before she spoke. “I’ve had male lovers just as I’ve had female lovers. But I’m not gay either. I’m just, as you would call, a Vampire. A physical release for me has no boundaries. My body or shell has little to do with that release.”
She took a step back. “Is this better?” She suddenly transformed into a tall, well built man. He still looked like her with longish black hair and green eyes.
The new Athena smirked.
My eyes grew wider. I didn’t know that we could do that…
“Or what about this.” Her voice was even masculine. She transformed again. I turned my head away.
She looked exactly like Alexis.
“My love.” She said in his voice. Then she placed her hand on my cheek. I jerked away as if her touch was fire.
“No!” I grimaced. “No.”
She backed away. “I’m sorry. How insensitive of me.”
I looked at her. She had transformed back to Athena.
She did look sorry.
“Shall I prove my love? Would that make you happy?”
“Love?” I asked. How creepy. Where did love come from?
“Athena. I’m not in love with you. I don’t want to be in love with you.”
Athena took another step backwards. She watched me without expression. It did remind me of Alexis.
“You’re very young. You don’t understand what you say. I’ll give you time.”
I shook my head. “I don’t need time. I’m not bonding with anyone else.”
Athena flashed me an angry look. “I see. So you reject me? I’m Athena. Nations have fallen and been built over me. I’ve been worshipped as a God.”
“No offense.”
Her face grew dark.
Uh oh.
A sudden strange sensation came over me. Something inside of me grew large. My head lowered and my hands clasped behind my back. I swear, I wasn’t making it happen!
