by Lara Nance
“Talia, get behind this weight machine.” Drake pointed to a plastic-draped contraption with metal arms extending in different levels and directions, running with cables and round donut weights.
“I want to help.” She grasped his arm with both hands. Terror froze her muscles, and her lips trembled.
“You aren’t strong enough to fight them. I want you out of the way.” He gently urged her behind the machine until she was hidden. He went to one side of the opening to the bakery with Gosen on the other. Both held their stakes ready.
Ella ducked behind a draped treadmill, her expression intent and her stake poised in one hand.
Talia removed her shoes and clutched them to her chest, so she could squat. She searched for a weapon, but found nothing deadly. She laced her fingers over her shoes and squeezed to keep from screaming in horror as the footfalls and yells closed in.
“They went through here,” a male shouted from beyond the bakery door.
In seconds, five vampires poured from the dark opening. Swords and knives flashed in their hands. Their fancy black clothes had rips and bloody stains.
Talia clamped a hand over her mouth to stop an involuntary cry.
Drake and Gosen made short work of the last two men through the door, stabbing them in the back before they could turn and fight.
That left three against three. Much better odds. Two men spun to face Drake and the elder. Talia swallowed past the constriction in her throat as she recognized the third enemy.
Lucilla.
Chapter 30
Lucilla stared at the dust from her two dead companions and let out a screech of rage. She wore her tight black dress from the ceremony, but its hem had ripped up one side to her thigh and streaks of reddish brown splattered it.
“You!” She glared at Drake. Her heavy black mascara and eyeliner had run onto her white cheeks, making her look more like a member of Kiss than the elegant vampire she had portrayed. Her slick bob was now a tousled mess. “I’ll kill you both with my bare hands for what you’ve done.”
“We’ve done nothing to you woman,” Gosen replied.
“Maron is dead, and I’m sure you’re behind it.” She raised a long dagger and took a step toward him.
“In case you forgot, I have been locked in an underground cell for the past seven years. how do you think I organized an attack from there?” The elder returned her glare.
“I don’t know how, but I do know you hated Maron.” Her upper lip rose, exposing her incisors.
“Of course I hated Maron,” Gosen spat. “I am an elder, and he had me chained in a room like a common criminal. Nothing can absolve such treachery.”
“You’ll die for this,” she shouted, her amber eyes crazed in fury.
She launched herself at Gosen. The male vampires jumped on Drake.
With one sweep of his arm, the elder struck Lucilla and batted her aside like a fly. Screaming, she flew through the air and crashed into the wall of plastic tubs. They avalanched, tumbled around her flailing body.
Gosen grabbed one of the goons attacking Drake. He wrapped his long fingers around the man’s neck. He jerked him like a rag doll and slammed him against the wall. With a snarl, he opened his mouth and latched onto the other man’s neck like a pit-bull. The vampire screamed. A gurgling sound emerged as Gosen twisted his head, ripping out the man’s throat. Red blood sprayed like a gushing oil well, splattering over the plastic sheets in heavy scarlet drops.
Talia gasped and bit her knuckle. Her stomach heaved. The elder had definitely not forgotten how to fight. She peeked around the shield of her hiding place.
Drake struggled with the other vampire, trading blows. They circled each other, alternately lunging in for a hold. Gosen plunged his stake into the heart of the flopping, bleeding man he held, and the body disintegrated into gray ash.
“Well, look what we have here.”
Talia’s head jerked up and she fell back in horror. Lucilla stared down at her, clinging to the ceiling. The vampiress crawled forward, menacing like an evil spider, then dropped to the floor in front of Talia. She grinned a hideous leer and advanced, her white, black and red streaked face a mask of horror. “What? No wooden stake? Poor baby. I’m gonna love to take your blood. After I’ve sucked you dry, I’m going to kill your lover.”
Talia scooted backward, pushing with her heels. Her breath came in short bursts.
Then Lucilla fell toward her, mouth a round ring. Ella clung to Lucilla’s back, teeth clenched. They sprawled on the floor, Ella had Lucilla’s arms pinned, but the evil vampire thrashed, an inhuman growl rumbled from her lips. She bucked until they regained their feet.
“Where’s your stake?” Talia yelled at Ella.
“I dropped it. I don’t know.” She grimaced in the effort to hold onto the twisting woman.
Lucilla’s crazy laughter rang through the room. “No stake? Can you say, no luck, bitches?” She snarled.
Talia glanced at the shoes she clutched against her chest. She took one, and with both hands stabbed the five inch stacked wood stiletto into Lucilla chest. “Can you say, Louboutin, bitch?”
Lucilla’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Then, poof. She crumbled into ash.
Ella fell backward, her gray smeared hands held up before her. She stared at Talia, then a slow smile spread over her lips. “We did it.”
Talia nodded, panting. It was the first time she’d killed anything other than insects. Adrenalin pumped through her veins, and her heart raced. She stared at the ash pile at her feet. Lucilla was dead. Gone forever.
Drake and Gosen rushed over, their faces and clothes splattered with blood.
“Are you all right?” Drake’s gaze went to her immediately. He came to her side and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.
She encircled his neck with her arms and lay her head against his chest. “I killed that bitch Lucilla with my shoe.”
“That’s my girl,” he said in a low voice, pressing her against him.
Ella landed in Gosen’s arms and looked extremely comfortable there. Talia had to smile. Ella the romantic, making the most of the situation.
“What now?” she asked. “Can we get out of here?”
The elder raised his head and held up a hand. “Listen.”
Not again. Talia searched Drake’s face. He tensed and released her.
Before they could discuss the matter, a group of vampires strode through the doorway. They paused when they saw Gosen, and raised their swords. Drake shielded Talia with his body. Then a woman pushed through the men. Carlotta.
“So, you’re still alive,” she said, striding toward Drake. A grin split her face. She motioned to her men, and they lowered their swords.
She wore black pants tucked into thigh high boots and a brown leather padded vest over a white shirt with flowing sleeves. At her side, her sword dripped blood. Her tousled black hair hung in ragged ringlets down her back.
“Carlotta, you attacked Maron?” Drake kneeled before her and kissed her hand.
Talia bit her bottom lip and clenched her hands around her shoes.
“Of course.” The shapely matron raised her bloody sword and waved it over her head. More of her people trailed through the door. “Your little friend, Pip, came to me. He told me Maron held you. I don’t allow one of my flock to be held by another.”
“Pip?” Talia let out a crazy laugh then clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Yes.” Carlotta inclined her head. “He’s quite passionate. I had to have him detained to keep him from coming with me.” She turned to Gosen. “I know you. You were Ivan’s elder. How do you come to be here?”
The elder inclined his head. “Greetings, Matron. Yes, I was with Ivan before he was murdered. Maron kept me chained in my room for the past seven years. Drake and Talia set me free, and we escaped together.”
“I see.” Carlotta glanced at them, her brows drawn together. “Another unforgivable crime to lay at Maron’s feet. I’m so delighted I killed him.�
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“If you will permit it, may I and this female join your flock?” Gosen gestured to Ella who dropped a curtsey.
“I would be honored to have such a learned and powerful elder. If you vouch for the female, she may come as well.” Carlotta lifted her arm, presenting her hand to Gosen.
He bowed his head and kissed her hand. Ella did the same.
“Matron, the sun.” One of her men touched her on the shoulder.
She nodded, a worried look lighting her eyes. “Yes, we must get to my haven at once. The rest of my flock escaped along another route and should be safe by now. We were following that whore of Maron’s.”
“She’s dead.” Talia pointed to the ashes at her feet.
“Very good.” Carlotta’s lip curled on one side. “Then we’re done. The door.” She pointed, and two of her followers rushed forward and knelt in front of it. One extracted a folded leather pack and removed picks. He inserted them in the lock. It only took a few seconds before he had the door open.
“Let’s go. We don’t have much time.” Carlotta waved toward the doorway. “I have transportation waiting outside this building. Hurry.”
Talia clung to Drake’s hand as they passed into a lit laundry room. Washers and dryers lined two walls, and a long table cut the room in the middle. Drake kept hold of her hand as they ran out of the laundry to a set of elevators.
“We can take the stairs,” Carlotta called. “It’ll be faster.”
She pulled open a door and motioned her people to the stairwell. Drake and Talia ran with them, hurrying against the approaching sunrise.
They emerged into a hall that led to the apartment building lobby. They sprinted out glass double doors and piled onto the sidewalk. Dark gray skies with a hint of rose heralded the coming sun. The vampires ran, their faces grim and determined. Here came the one foe they couldn’t defeat.
Carlotta’s two buses sat on the street outside. Their doors hissed open. The vampires pounded across the sidewalk, leaping in.
“Come on.” Gosen took Ella’s hand and pulled her into one of the buses. Drake and Talia followed them.
The bus was dark, its windows blacked out. The vampires quickly found places to sit. The doors swooshed shut and the driver floored the gas, pressing them back in their seats.
Six-thirty. They only had thirty minutes to find refuge. Talia grasped Drake’s hand on the arm rest between them.
“Are we going to make it?” she whispered.
“I don’t know.” He cupped her face in his free hand, leaning close so their foreheads nearly touched. “Talia, whatever happens, I have to tell you how I feel.”
Her heart lurched. She searched his face
“If we don’t survive, you need to know that…I love you.” His eyes searched hers, lit with a tortured light. “With all we’ve been through, that’s what kept me going. I had to protect you and make sure you survived. You’re the most important thing in the world to me.”
“Drake…” Her pulse raced.
“No, listen to me. I don’t know about armantor, but I know what’s in my heart. I love you. I love being with you in your crazy superficial life. I love that we saved Pip and have good friends in Felix and Gerri. I love cooking for all of you and going to stupid Coney Island to win you big stuffed animals. That’s all I have, all I want, and it’s important to me. I will fight to the death to keep that safe. Do you understand?”
She nodded. Of course she understood. She felt the same way. But that didn’t answer how they could have a relationship. A human and a vampire? Even the elder, Gosen, said he’d only heard of such a thing. How did they deal with their differences? She couldn’t begin to imagine.
“Talia,” he whispered, his voice deep and husky with desire. “I love you.”
She closed her eyes, unable to tolerate the depth of passion in his gaze. Her core reverberated with the call of passion evoked by armantor. Her soul ached to merge with his.
He put a hand under her chin. She opened her eyes. His head lowered, and his lips found hers. They should’ve felt cold, but they didn’t. Warmth suffused her and her face burned. She put a hand to his neck and ran her fingers around, pulling him close.
God, it was so right. So perfect. His lips against hers moved in sensual, hungry waves of passion. Their tongues entwined, hot against cool, searching, thrusting. She moaned, and he growled in response.
She finally pulled away, suddenly remembering the other vampires on the bus. Fortunately they were all too intent worrying about the approaching dawn to notice Drake and Talia’s embrace. But, this was something she and Drake had to explore in private. Was there some way for them to have a relationship with all their differences? She rested her head on his shoulder and he draped an arm across her chest, grasping her shoulder. Fatigue inched into her bones and all she could think of was closing her eyes and sleeping forever.
The bus lurched to a halt, and everyone came to their feet en mass. They were eager to be in a safe, dark place as soon as possible.
“Everybody out,” called the driver. He waved an arm urging them through the door.
They piled into the aisle, not pushing, but there was no denying their eager anticipation of being back in their safe environment and escaping the sun. Drake kept a hand on Talia’s shoulder in front of him.
They exited in a dimly lit basement and Carlotta came to greet them. “You can stay here during the daylight. Come with me and I’ll show you where you can rest.”
They followed her up two flights of stairs. She led them down a hall to an opened door on the right. “Here’s a vacant room. Rest well. We will talk when the sun sets. Now I must hurry to my own sanctuary.”
It reminded Talia of a hotel room. A bed dominated the middle of the room, off to one side, a bathroom door stood ajar. A dresser and mirror occupied one wall, and a desk sat against the other.
Drake sighed and threw himself across the bed. Talia yawned and lay beside him. She should try to find a phone and call Felix or Geri, but she was physically and mentally exhausted. She’d faced her own death and witnessed the death of others. Her arms and legs ached and her feet throbbed from running in high heels for the past five days. Her confusing emotions regarding Drake only added to her mental fatigue.
He turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close. Sooner or later, they’d have to discuss their situation and decide what to do. She couldn’t live with this roller coaster of feelings.
“Drake?”
“Hmm.” He snuggled closer.
She rested her head on his chest. His coolness soothed her battered body. “Drake, can we talk?”
“Mmm.”
She sighed. He was too far gone in his sleep to discuss anything. Her own eyelids felt weighted with heavy stones. She closed them over her burning eyes and let the oblivion of sleep wrap her in its comforting embrace.
***
“Dad! Your Majesty!” Pip bounded into their room and launched himself onto the bed.
Talia rolled out of Drake’s arms and welcomed Pip with a hug. Must be dusk already. Seemed like she’d closed her eyes a second ago.
Drake grinned and tousled the boy’s hair.
“Are you okay?” Talia studied the boy’s shining face. Joy filled her heart to see the little urchin.
“Yep, I’m fine. But Carlotta made me stay here when she went to kill Maron.” He pouted.
“I’m glad,” Drake said. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood. “You saved our lives, Pip. If you hadn’t gone to Carlotta and told her what happened, we’d be dead by now.”
“Wow.” Pip slapped hands to the sides of his face. “Really? I did that?”
“Yes.” Talia gave him another hug and slipped out of bed on the other side. “We’re very proud of you.”
He beamed and crossed his arms. “I suspected I was being real brave. Uncle Felix helped, too. He drove me here. Then Carlotta made him leave. She said this was a matter for vampires.” He puffed out his che
st.
Talia shared a smile with Drake.
A knock on the door interrupted.
“Come in,” Drake called.
Carlotta entered appearing refreshed in a frilly white shirt and tight black leather pants, all trace of the bloody fight gone. “I hope you slept well?”
“Yes, thanks.” Talia adjusted her long black dress from the twisting it received while she’d slept.
Carlotta stared at Talia and walked closer, surprise lighting her eyes. “You’re still human.”
“Yes.” Talia glanced askance at Drake, but he looked puzzled.
“Please join me in my parlor. I’d like to talk to you.” She gestured with one hand toward the door, a cold grimness marring her features.
They followed the matron down the hall and up another flight of stairs. This level was apparently one big apartment instead of individual rooms. Carlotta’s “parlor” was an expansive living room with a black leather sectional couch and various leather chairs.
She crossed to a desk and picked up a phone. She spoke into it in a low voice, glancing at Talia. When she completed the call, she went to the panel of plate glass windows covering the far wall and flipped a switch. Metal panels lifted to reveal the sparkling skyline of New York at night.
Talia leaned beside Drake on an arm of the sofa, Pip between them.
Carlotta sank into a chair. “This is my apartment. The rest of the building holds rooms for members of my flock. This entire structure is heavily guarded and secure at all times.”
Talia wondered why the vampire matron needed to tell them this. She didn’t care how great the security was, she wanted to go home, take a bath and sleep for twelve hours.
“Impressive,” Drake said.
“The safety of my flock is my first priority. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course.” He nodded.
A man in a black suit entered carrying a tray he placed on a coffee table between them.
He picked up a covered plate and handed it to Talia along with silverware rolled in a linen napkin. She lifted the lid and breathed in the warm richness of scrambled eggs covered with cheese, bacon and a croissant. Then the server handed large silver goblets to his matron and Drake. Pip got a smaller silver cup.
