Wilder, J. C. - Shadow Dweller 5

by Sins-Flesh(lit)

  She shuddered again.

  "I thought it was a bad dream," she whispered. She rubbed a spot on the inside of her arm as a slow itch began deep beneath her skin.

  "Sun-"

  She held up her hand to stem the flow of words. "Why me?" She raised her gaze to the man she loved. "Why did she pick me?"

  "Because of me. She wished to get back at me, make me dance to her tune." Alexandre leaned against the tattoo chair, his expression exhausted. Fine lines bracketed his mouth as he ran his hand through his hair once more.

  "What am I going to do?" She was dismayed to hear the wobble in her voice so she cleared her throat. "What are we going to do?"

  "I don't know yet. For now, she holds all the cards. Sinjin is looking for her lair. We're hoping to get to her through Miles."

  "Am I going to die?"

  He shoved out of the chair, advancing on her. "No. We're going to try a transfusion. If we rid you of the tainted blood, we're hoping we can reverse some of the effects of the serum."

  Panic gnawed within her chest. "That seems awful nebulous."

  "For now, we don't know what else we can try." Frustration and anger laced his words.

  Sunni closed her eyes, slowly wilting as the sun began it's inexorable ascent. She couldn't resist the lure of the darkness calling her to her lair. Exhaustion pulled at her and she wobbled on her precarious perch.

  Alexandre reached her side and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. She sighed and rubbed her face against his shirt, relishing the familiar scent of his skin, his heartbeat comforting in her ear. She could have had an eternity in his arms and now, in a matter of hours, she could lose it all.

  "I've only just found you," she whispered against his shirtfront. "Don't let her win. Don't let her part us now. I need you to be my hero once more..."

  Alexandre's grip tightened as she slipped into her dark sleep, her body limp in his arms. Around the edges of the dark window shades, narrow strips of light filtered in, heralding the sunrise. For the first time in his life, he cursed the coming morning. Time was slipping away and, taking with it, Sunni's life.

  "It's done." Her medical bag in one hand, Sasha exited the inner sanctum where Sunni now slept.

  Alexandre looked at the fey redhead. Who would have thought that the tattooed and pierced young woman was a pre-med student at Tulane University?

  "I drained her, then gave her almost ten pints of O negative blood. She's still asleep. Will she sleep until the sun sets?"

  Alexandre nodded. "She should. In vampire years, Sunni is young and her biorhythms are still tied to the sun."

  Sasha shook her head. "It's so unbelievable. I mean, Sunni told me she was a vampire. She even showed me when I didn't believe her. It just never occurred to me that her world could have such upheaval and destruction. I mean, you guys have it all."

  "How so?"

  "You have immortal life. You're literally a witness to history as it unfolds. How cool is that?" Her eyes were shining with excitement.

  "True. We're also prey to those who wish to take advantage of our powers. We lose those we love as they age and die while we remain young. We're subject to long, lonely years of existence in the darkness and we feed on the life blood of others." He shook his head as the light in her eyes dimmed. "The immortality side is interesting, but the drawbacks are plentiful as well. We don't get our cake and eat it too. Just look at your friend. She could lose her life due to the greed and corruption of another."

  Her expression grew solemn. "I understand what you're saying. Being human or vampire has its good aspects, but both have as many shortcomings." She laid her hand on his crossed arms.

  The warmth of her touch spread along his skin, the very humanness of her surrounding him. Her pale green eyes met his, her expression earnest. "Take care of her as Sunni is very dear to me."

  She further stunned him by brushing a quick kiss across his cheek before slipping to exit the room. His skin tingled with the warmth of this extraordinary human.

  He approached the door leading into Sunni's lair. His gaze swept her chamber, lit by a single candle. Persian rugs covered the floor; the walls were painted a light color that was indistinguishable in the candlelight. Bookshelves covered one end of the room, stuffed full of tattered paperbacks, hardbacks and leather-clad tomes. A comfortable chair sat in front of the shelves beside a small table with a vase of yellow roses. He picked up the paperback, smiling when he saw it was Pride and Prejudice.

  There was much more to Sunni than met the eye. He scanned the titles of the books arrayed on the shelves. His brow arched at the sight of a well-thumbed book by his favorite French poet. He scanned the next shelf crammed with German philosophy, eastern mysticism, and impressionistic art. He grinned when he caught sight of a romance novel tucked between Freud and The Art of War.

  He turned to gaze upon the woman asleep in the bed on the other side of the room.

  He'd misjudged her.

  He'd been so caught by what he thought she was-an airhead with no substance-that he'd failed to see who she really was. Her clothing, her zest for life and how she made her living had fooled him. He'd misjudged her spirit, preferring to see her externally rather than digging inside for the true woman.

  He approached the bed. Asleep, she looked frail, her skin winter pale against the cream- colored sheets. She was amazing and he was head over heels in love with her.

  Humbled, he lightly skimmed her cheek, her skin cool to touch. Relieved, exhaustion pulled at his eyes and he dreaded going home to his empty house. Empty because she wasn't there.

  He needed a few hours of shut-eye and then he'd feel as right as rain, able to face what stood before him. He shed his shoes and stretched beside her, not touching, yet taking comfort in her presence as he closed his eyes.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?"

  Cass ignored Miles as she filled the syringe with serum from an earlier, failed batch. "I'm hedging my bets. If Alexandre double crosses me, I'll kill him." She set down the bottle and capped the needle. "Give this to Gerard and tell him to inject Alexandre upon my command."

  Miles was clearly reluctant as he reached for the syringe. "Are you sure the antidote works?"

  "Oh yes, it works but we'll never need it." She smiled as Miles' fingers curled around the shaft. She didn't let go, causing Miles to lift his gaze to hers. "He'd better not fail me."

  * * *

  Chapter 13

  The Chat Noir was packed to the rafters with every type of preternatural imaginable. Sunni was glad that many of the Shadow Dwellers had left New Orleans or she wouldn't have fit into the building. She noted with interest that several werewolves had made an appearance. Three men, clad in leather and resembling bikers, stood nearest the door, their gazes alert as they watched the proceedings.

  Across the room was a group of werecats, hissing and throwing uneasy glances at the wolves who seemed oblivious to the stir their presence created.

  She rubbed her stomach, feeling queasy, and she was terribly jittery. She wrapped a trembling hand around the gris-gris-the startling sensation which poured from the amulet was what had awoken her an hour before. It felt as if a low voltage current ran down her arm, urging her to move. The closer she got to the Chat Noir, the stronger the sensation became, almost as if the charm were urging her forward toward something that awaited her. Not questioning the feeling, she threaded her way through the crowd, looking for familiar faces. She nodded to a few people she knew, but didn't stop to speak. Then a particular face caught her attention, stopping her in her tracks.

  A witch? Here?

  Quinn Montgomery sat near the stage, his fingers laced with the hand of a woman who sat by his side. Maeve. Sunni smiled when she caught sight of the redhead. A few months back, they'd all been involved in the latest upheaval in the preternatural world. Quinn was the son of Mortianna, one of the most powerful witches to ever walk on earth. After Maeve had made the disastrous mistake of believing Mortianna's lies, th
e witch had tried to use Maeve to replace her dead daughter and had unknowingly given her the greatest powers a witch could ever hope to possess.

  If what Sunni had heard was true, then she was standing in the same room as the most powerful witch on the planet and she wasn't referring to Quinn. But Maeve was reticent to talk about her experiences and Sunni hadn't pressed her for information.

  Alexandre walked onstage and into the awareness of everyone in the room. Her heart swelled as she watched him cross the stage, every Armani-clad inch of him appearing self-assured. His gaze swept the crowd, stilling the spectators, before meeting hers. She smiled, trying to put all of her love and pride into that smile.

  He stepped from the stage onto the main floor, people parting as he approached. "You shouldn't be here." His expression was remote.

  She stuck her chin out. "Well, I am and I'm not leaving."

  His mouth tightened. "I hope you have the good sense to beat a hasty retreat when things turn ugly."

  "I won't be treated like a child, Alexandre," she shot back. "I'm a woman who can take care of herself."

  "Hmm." He captured her arm and steered her to Quinn's table. "Keep an eye on her will you?" He pushed her into an empty chair. "She has the misguided belief that she can help."

  She jumped up from the chair. "I can-"

  "Sit." He shoved her back down, leaning over her to prevent her from rising. "Stay," he growled. "I have enough to do without having to worry about you." He gave her a quick, hard kiss on the mouth before walking away.

  Sunni started to rise, but stopped when a hand on her arm restrained her. She turned to snarl at Quinn and he appeared undisturbed by her show of teeth.

  "He has enough worries without you distracting him," he said.

  She shook his hand off and turned, presenting both he and Maeve with her back. She scowled at Alexandre's retreating figure.

  Damn fool!

  "Good evening."

  Her lover stood in the center of the dance floor, his back to the stage. The house lights were up so no spotlight was needed to see him clearly.

  "I've called this meeting to discuss recent developments that all of you should be aware of as they will affect our entire world." He paused, scanning the audience as if to ensure everyone's undivided attention. "First, I'd like to acknowledge someone who needs no introduction. May I present, Cassiopeia." As he spoke, Cass stepped onto the stage and whispers raced through the crowd.

  Clad in a black Chanel suit and a strand of fat pearls, she was a picture of maidenly decorum. Whispers rippled as she advanced across the stage, a benign smile curving her mouth while her eyes remained dark, cool.

  Behind her were six massive male vampires, none of whom Sunni recognized. Miles brought up the rear. His eyes watchful, he scanned the crowd as his mistress approached Alexandre. He barely spared Sunni a glance.

  Anger sprang to life at his non-acknowledgement. The infernal man had tried to kill her only two days prior. It would behoove him to at least acknowledge her presence.

  "I'm sure that everyone is curious as to why I've gathered you here this evening." The crowd stilled as Alexandre continued. "As most of you are aware, there was a challenge to my rule by Mikhail and his consorts." He glanced at Cass. "This challenge cost lives and was summarily defeated.

  "At that time, death warrants were issued for Mikhail, Cassiopeia, Edward and their followers. Edward is now dead."

  More whispers flowed through the crowd.

  "For the past few months, we've been looking for the others when Cass approached me a day ago." He moved toward the stage as he spoke. "Her proposition is to join forces-she and I-on the Council as we did once before. However, this time she brings an army with her."

  More voices, this time louder.

  Sunni glanced at Cass to see a beatific smile on her face as she looked around the room at the assemblage.

  "Why do we need an army?"

  "Who would be in this army?"

  "Good questions, both of which will be answered shortly," Alexandre interjected, once again bringing silence to the crowd. "As some of you may have heard, there've been a rash of mysterious vampire deaths in New Orleans. These deaths varied little. The victims died by fire, but they weren't trapped in the sunlight nor were they set on fire. It looked like spontaneous combustion and, in a way, it was true. Their hearts ignited in their chests, killing them."

  Whispers raced once more and he made no attempt to hush them. Sunni noted with some satisfaction that Cass was beginning to look annoyed as she looked from Alexandre to Miles.

  "What caused these deaths?" Someone called from the back of the room.

  He smiled. "I was hoping someone would ask that very question. A serum introduced into their bloodstream caused the deaths. The purpose of this serum is to enhance a vampire's powers. One victim was thirty, yet had the powers of a two-hundred-year-old."

  Rustlings of unease joined the murmurs.

  Cass stepped forward. "I really don't see what these unfortunate incidents have to do with-"

  What's purpose of this experiment?" called a young woman.

  "To create a vampire army with which to rule the underworld. A desire to create a mindless army robbed of its will and victimized by its enhanced powers. They could be used to enforce this person's will upon all of us."

  The volume grew louder and Sunni saw Sinjin working through the crowd toward Alexandre.

  "Who did this? Who's responsible for this despicable thing?" A shrill voice rose above the throng.

  Cass stepped back and snarled something at Alexandre as Miles moved to the door at the rear of the stage. She turned to leave when Alexandre locked his hand around her wrist. He yanked her off the stage and onto the dance floor beside him. She staggered as she clawed at his grip, cutting bloody furrows in his hand, yet he didn't flinch.

  "May I present-"

  Someone screamed and the crowd parted. Sunni turned to see someone shuffling toward Alexandre and Cass. Her eyes widened as she recognized Raphael. His gait was odd, uneven, as he shambled toward them.

  "Murderer," he hissed.

  His skin was gray, slick with blood-tinged sweat. He shook with each step as he grew closer. Then he raised his arm and pointed at Cass. "You've killed me," he denounced. "You killed the others." He took a deep breath and it was noisy, like the death rattle of an old emphysemic man. "You must kill her."

  His eyes rolled back in his head and he swayed. He clamped his hand over the area of his heart as a puff of smoke appeared between his fingers and he collapsed. Sunni ran to his side, ignoring the slack-jawed observers as she rolled him to his back.

  Within seconds, flames shot from his chest, forcing her away. The scent of scorched flesh permeated the air as the fire burned a neat hole where his heart should have been. Then, miraculously, it extinguished itself.

  And Raphael was dead. Just like that.

  Appalled, Sunni placed her hand over her own heart. Would she die the same way? The blood transfusion had lessened her symptoms but some remained still. Was there an antidote?

  Her stomach rolled and she looked at Alexandre. He was staring at Raphael, his expression saddened.

  Unobtrusively, Cass caught the gaze of one of her vampires and she gave him a subtle nod. Sunni watched as he approached her distracted lover. Reaching into his pocket, the thug withdrew a syringe.

  A scream caught in her throat as she hurtled across the room. The vampire raised his hand to plunge the needle into Alexandre as she threw herself between them. She barely felt the bite of the steel but she saw the vampire's eyes widen as he realized his mistake. But it was too late, she'd already taken the poison.

  Alexandre screamed her name as her knees gave way and she fell, the club erupting in chaos. The werewolves leapt onto the stage with a few werecats joining them a heartbeat later, and the sound of battle roared overhead.

  Sunni saw Maeve trying to make her way toward her. A body flying off the stage blocked her progress as a dead vampire land
ed at her feet, his throat missing.

  People were scrambling for the front door while others backed away from the crush, reluctant to leave the spectacle yet reluctant to lend their aid. Sinjin and Quinn ran for the stage yelling Miles' name. Sunni's head swam as she pulled the syringe from her shoulder to drop it to the floor. She rolled to her back in time to see Alexandre grappling with Cass.

  With his free hand, he grabbed the vampire by the back of her neck, forcing her to her knees. Then Alexandre raised his head and nodded at Maeve. Clearly torn, she glanced at Sunni and she weakly waved to show that she was okay.

  Maeve nodded and joined Alexandre, who still struggled with Cass. He'd released her wrist but retained his grip on her neck, keeping her on the floor in an awkward, hunched position. She flailed, trying to grab anything but Alexandre's much longer arms kept him out of reach.

  A young woman moved in close, reaching for something around the vampire's neck. Sasha! What was her partner doing here? Silver caught the light as she grabbed the pendant and snapped the chain, causing Cass to jerk. Sasha flashed a triumphant grin as she pocketed the charm and melted back into the seething crowd.

  Cass managed to raise her head just enough to glare at Alexandre, her teeth bared. "I will destroy you."

  He gave her a mocking bow, his eyes hard. "I relish the challenge."

  Maeve reached his side, her expression steady until he nodded. Sunni forced herself upright, resting her back against the stage, unable to manage more than simply sitting and watching. The sounds of battle faded with one last, heavy thud from the stage as Maeve circled the pair. She withdrew a small bag and reached inside for a pinch of the contents. As she walked, she spoke in low tones, words in a foreign language.

  The preternaturals grew still as the tension in the room increased. Sunni's hand curled around the gris-gris, the bag familiar in her palm.

  When Maeve nodded, Alexandre stepped away from Cass. On her knees, the vampire was held immobile by Maeve's spell. Only her eyes, dark with venomous rage, followed Alexandre.