You Both (Vampire Assassin League Book 29)

by Jackie Ivie

  “Athlerod?”

  “Oh. Hell. Forget I spoke, all right? And don’t you dare pity me! I will not accept that! Ever. Not from you. Or anyone else.”

  He yanked the last skewer out. It fell near the rug where he’d set his pup. He bent and snagged the animal with his good arm. She watched him cradle it just beneath his chin and then he looked over at her. His eyes were hard and cold. No emotion showed on his face.

  “Tell my brother I was right. You are a feisty vif. And I hate both of you.”

  He turned around. And left.

  Seconds passed. Nothing moved. No sound filled the void. And then all sorts of physiological reactions started up. A trembling started in her belly and spread outward, sending unbelievable weakness. The sword fell from her nerveless hand. Then the skewer. Her heart started thumping heavily. Each breath came quick and harsh. She covered her face with her hands. And stood shaking. She was very close to bursting into tears.

  She needed to stop this. It was stupid. And if Athlerod returned and saw her...?

  “Where is he?”

  Ethelstone’s yell was frightening to hear. The chandeliers even jumped. Crystals sent lights glinting everywhere. Stephanie’s head snapped up. The difference in the brothers was readily apparent. Ethelstone exuded intensity. Heat. As he stood there, sword upraised, hair flying, and every muscle bulging, he appeared the epitome of a Viking warrior. Her jaw dropped. A series of thrills ran her limbs, raising goose bumps.

  “Athlerod!”

  This time, his roar sent a tremor through the suite that caused rattling and breaking sounds as more than one thing fell.

  “Ethelstone.”

  Stephanie’s whisper got swallowed by a swell of encroaching darkness. A weird fog enwrapped her ankles. Grabbed at her knees. She wavered in place. And then Ethelstone was there. His arms went about her, lifting and holding her against him. The fog sensation dissipated.

  And then disappeared.

  “Oh, Elska! My elska!”

  Ethelstone’s arms cradled her close to him. Secure. She’d never felt such wonder. Their hearts were even beating in tandem. It was a feeling like nothing else in the world.

  “You are safe?”

  Ethelstone’s words rumbled through his throat where she had her nose pressed. The sensation was pure heaven. Paradise. And bliss. All rolled into one emotion. Stephanie nodded. She didn’t move beyond that.

  “Oh, elska. You are my vif. My entire world. I love you. It is the most amazing feeling...and also the most painful. If he’d harmed you, I would have torn him apart. I have never been so frightened. And he had a head start!”

  “Who?” Her mind wasn’t working while a humming sound filled her ears, making it difficult to hear. But her heart heard just fine. He’d just said he loved her!

  He loved her!

  “My brother was here. That is his sword.”

  “Oh. Yeah. That. He, um...dropped it.”

  “Athlerod dropped his sword?”

  “Yes.”

  “He did not hurt you?”

  “Actually, he is the one with wounds.”

  “Oh, my elska. What—? How—? I do not understand. My brother is a vampire. Before that he was an Icelandic Viking. He is a warrior to the bone. I know. I fought at his side. He would never run and leave his sword.”

  “Well...if it helps, he didn’t exactly run.”

  “How is this possible? You are a person who uses words not weapons. And you are not even fully turned.”

  “Well. Um. I ordered the shish-kabob.”

  He lifted his head. Studied her with his brows lowered. And then he shook his head. “I do not understand.”

  “They come with thick wooden skewers. Pointed and charred on the ends.”

  His eyebrows rose. And then he grinned. Oh! She really loved his grin. And him. Her heart swelled. Her breath caught. It was absolute magic.

  “You stuck him with a meat skewer?”

  “Um. Yeah. Three of them.”

  “Oh, vif. You are amazing! Wondrous. And I am so grateful.”

  His arms tightened about her. He started spinning. They left the floor. And that’s when she knew. Life wasn’t worth living, if she wasn’t with him. And the story about vampires being real entities could be written by someone else.

  “Ethelstone?”

  “Ja?”

  “Will he be able to hurt me if I’m a vampire?”

  “I was lax. You are my vif. I love you. I will never fail you again. He will never harm you. He’ll perish first. I give you my word.”

  “But...if I become a full vampire, he can’t hurt me? Or...he’ll have a lot more trouble if he tries again? Right?”

  “You bested him already. Once you become a vampire, elska, I think it is Athlerod who should worry.”

  Stephanie giggled. “Fair enough. Then, I’m in.”

  “In what?”

  “I want to join you. Be with you. Become like you.”

  “You are certain?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Oh, Stephanie!”

  Ethelstone started shaking. And moving. His moves took them up, back down, and then he circled the chamber. The swooping and diving turned the Inferno Suite into a visual feast of color and texture before she closed her eyes. And then a strange vibrating noise filled the room.

  “I have to get that.”

  “What?”

  “I have a call. It will be Nigel. He has terrible timing. And I have been remiss. We need to leave. Now.”

  “Now? Right when things are getting good?”

  “Forgive me, elska, but it is an emergency assignment.”

  “You know...Ethelstone, there’s a whole other bedroom back there we haven’t even touched. And I think the décor is just begging for destruction.”

  She whispered it against his throat, and then licked the spot. Ethelstone groaned. And then dropped to the floor. His arms held her so securely that her body barely bounced. But he’d made another dent in the floor with his feet.

  “Vaughn is waiting at the hangar to pilot us,” he informed her. His voice was rough. Deep.

  “So?”

  “He has a new plane.”

  “Brand new?”

  “Ja.”

  “Sounds promising. Where are we going?”

  “Nepal.”

  “Really? The Vampire Assassin League does seem to go to the most interesting places. Iceland. The Himalayas. Hmm. Wonder what’s next?”

  “Is that all right?”

  “It sounds like a powerfully long flight.”

  “It is.”

  “Well. What are we standing around here for? Let’s go initiate the plane already. You should probably warn someone.”

  Ethelstone grinned and her heart skipped a beat.

  And man! She really loved his grin.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Stephanie yawned. Stretched. And almost purred. “Do you know what time it is?” she asked.

  “No. Is it important?”

  “Not really. I just realized I haven’t seen the sun in ages. It’s...kind of weird.”

  “You cannot be in sunlight, Elska. It is far too dangerous.”

  “Really? So, that part’s true? Sunlight harms a vampire?”

  “New ones, especially.”

  “That certainly explains the lack of windows everywhere.”

  “There are all kinds of lighting systems available. We will look into it when we build and design future homes. Will that work?”

  “Oh, Ethelstone. We’re building – did you say – homes? As in, plural?”

  “Staying in one place could get boring, elska.”

  “With you? Never. But you just keep raising the bar, don’t you?”

  “Raising the bar?”

  “Setting a new standard. You know, like what a man would need to do to compete.”

  “Compete?”

  “For my affections.”

  He growled. “No one had better try.”

  Stephanie
giggled. “Oh, Ethelstone. You are so...wonderful. So – for lack of a better word – manly. This is so um. Amazing. Yeah. That’s a good word. I don’t think I’ve ever felt better. Honest.”

  Stephanie smoothed a hand along satin. She was surrounded by absolute luxury, warmth, and comfort. The bed linens were red satin sheets. The duvet was another length of bridal satin, in black. The comforter within it was probably down-filled. Ethelstone hadn’t told her about the bedroom suite at the tail of the private jet. Nor, the size of the bed. She couldn’t even reach the end of the mattress. And she’d tried.

  The plane tilted slightly, as if starting a descent. She rolled closer to Ethelstone. And then she perched with her chin atop his chest to study him. Because the guy was beyond gorgeous.

  She was very fond of just looking at him.

  His arm hooked about her, lifting her atop him. Stephanie shimmied into place. Nose-to-nose. Breast-to-chest. Belly-to-belly. His groin was below hers, but with him, that was a decided plus. Her toes reached him about mid-calf. She’d had a recent paradigm shift. Ethelstone was the perfect size for her.

  “I love you, vif. The feeling grows stronger with each passing moment. I am very grateful to have found you.”

  Stephanie reached up and brushed a mass of dark gold hair from his forehead. “You’re not going to get all maudlin on me, are you?”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Sentimental. Overemotional. You know...mushy.”

  He straightened. His chest puffed out next, lifting her with it. His features went stern.

  “I was an Icelandic Viking. Our skoruligr was known and feared throughout the world. We were a scourge to humanity! And that was before I became a vampire! You don’t want to know what I’ve done in the thousand years since.”

  “Oooooh. Scary,” she replied.

  He grinned. “Very well. You win. I may get a bit mushy now and again. Will you mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  Stephanie put a finger on the bridge of his nose and followed it to the tip. She was just heading to his lips when the sound of an intercom stopped her exploration. Both of them turned to look at the wall from where it emanated.

  “This is Vaughn, your fantastic pilot speaking. You may need to prepare for landing. We’ll be arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu in about...twenty minutes.”

  “Already?”

  Stephanie put her finger atop Ethelstone’s mouth. He nipped it. Warmth flooded through her, reaching just about everywhere.

  “Already?” Vaughn replied. “We have flown hours to get here. Took the Northern route. That gives us plenty of time to reach Pokhara before sunup.”

  “Where?”

  “It’s a small airport. Near Annapurna. Most climbing expeditions to Manaslu leave from there. It’s a famous peak. Eighth highest in the world.”

  “That’s where we’re going?”

  “Good deduction.”

  “I am a reporter,” she replied.

  “Right. And, I have to tell you, the Vampire Assassin League has a hangar with beautifully maintained Otters fueled and ready to go. I can’t wait to fly one!”

  “Do we have to change planes?”

  “We’re heading into the Himalayas, sweetheart. Landing amid glaciers. Can’t do that in a jet.”

  Stephanie cleared her throat. “Didn’t I warn you earlier about calling me that?”

  The last of her words warbled because Ethelstone had lifted her slightly and was licking his way along her throat.

  “Okay. Fine. Apologies. So. Tell me. Did you two play nice during the flight? Or am I going to need to order another jet when we land?”

  “You talk too much,” Stephanie answered.

  Vaughn sighed. The speaker amplified it. And then it shut off. And that was just fine with her.

  ~ ~ ~

  It might be a guy thing. Or a vampire thing. But Vaughn seemed to have the same problem with information that Ethelstone did. They didn’t explain things with completeness. That left a lot of open-ended territory. Like...the flight from Pokhara took much longer than he’d specified. The glacier where they were landing looked way too small for that, even as they passed over it. Daylight was just starting to shade the sky a light yellow, too. Stephanie watched the peaks about them with a worried expression.

  “What is it, elska?”

  “The sun is coming up,” she told him.

  Ethelstone looked at the silhouette of the mountain against the lightening sky. Back at her. “Ja,” he replied.

  “How far do we have to climb? And how long will it take?”

  “We aren’t climbing.” Vaughn answered from over his shoulder, obviously eavesdropping. “We’re going down. Takeshi built his compound into the mountain beneath the glacier. The entrance is impossible to spot. Not even with a drone. The guy is smart, keeps up with all kinds of innovations despite the Eastern theme. I think you’ll like it, sweetheart.”

  Ethelstone sucked in his cheeks. Stephanie tilted her head. Considered the pilot for a long moment.

  “Oh. Oops. Did I just call you sweetheart?” the pilot finally said. “My bad. Now, hang on everyone. This is one of the most exciting landings I get to make. And, since you haven’t been around for most of my landings, I’ll just tell you – that’s saying something.”

  They passed over the glacier. Dropped altitude rapidly. Flew out into the gap, doing a one-eighty while her belly matched it, and then headed straight for the ice-covered mountain ledge. Stephanie sucked in a gasp. Gripped tightly to Ethelstone’s hand, and was about to scream, before Vaughn tipped the right wing up, and flew into an unseen crevice. He leveled off. And touched down.

  They’d built a landing strip inside a glacier?

  What a perfect design.

  Every surface was probably ice. Strips of LED lights ran along the floor, sending multi-colored glints onto the surface. Another section of lights lined the cave roof. Two planes were already parked. Vaughn taxied between them, stopped, and shut off the engines.

  “We’re here,” he announced, as if it was necessary.

  Stephanie gave him a deadpan look. She didn’t know what expression Ethelstone wore. Vaughn winked, shoved his door handle down and jumped out, slamming the door shut behind him.

  “If you ever want to hit him, elska, I do not believe I will stand in your way,” Ethelstone commented.

  The cave was eerily quiet. Silence descended and grew. The sound of their steps got sucked into a vacuum of nothingness. Vaughn waved them toward a cavernous door, and once inside, the change was astonishing. Everything wasn’t just Eastern décor. It was far-Eastern. Silken fabrics lined the walls. Mats covered wooden floors. Furnishings were low to the ground, and looked to be mainly pillow-covered couches, tables, and chests. Everything was lacquered in black enamel, covered with scrollwork, or painted with gold.

  “Wow,” Stephanie stated.

  “Takeshi is Japanese,” Ethelstone told her.

  “Takeshi?”

  “This is his compound. He...likes all this soft stuff about him.”

  “Soft stuff?”

  “The hanging cloth. Pillows. Scented smoke. Little waterfalls that go nowhere.”

  “I think it’s called Feng shui,” Steph replied. “It’s meant to harmonize, calm, and ground emotions.”

  “Like I said. Soft.”

  “Is Takeshi a vampire?”

  “Ja. A ninja.”

  “A ninja vampire? Holy hell. I bet he’s scary.”

  Ethelstone picked her up and held her against him, stopping their progress. Vaughn disappeared through an opening between paper-thin walls and she ceased to care. Ethelstone’s eyes were mesmeric. His features beyond beloved. Stephanie gazed at him, completely hooked. And wouldn’t change a thing.

  “You are mated to an Icelandic Viking vampire, and you think he is scary?” he asked.

  “You are very competitive, aren’t you?” Stephanie remarked.

  “Life is a competition!” he anno
unced.

  “Like I just said...”

  Stephanie was just starting to nuzzle along his lips with hers when all kinds of clamoring started. Beginning with a shrieked greeting from a young male at a fairly high pitch.

  “Ethelstone! There you are! Finally!”

  Both Ethelstone and Steph looked up. Any quality of calm was obliterated as a young man rushed toward them, a clipboard in one hand, phone in the other, and a pencil stuck behind one ear.

  “Nigel.” Ethelstone commented.

  “And you must be Stephanie. Hi. Glad to meet you and all that jazz. I gotta get back. Here’s the situation. We have an expedition in our perimeter, with all kinds of camera and sound equipment. They’re doing a documentary on the yeti. Of all the times—! Brother! I’ve got a nervous dad-to-be driving me crazy. One twin is already on the ground and the other is due any second!”

  Ethelstone placed Stephanie on the floor, simultaneously pulling his sword with the other hand. “Athlerod is coming?”

  “No weapons! Geez! This is a birthing situation.”

  “When Athlerod arrives, it will be a death one.”

  “Who said anything about him? I don’t even know where he is! Look! I need help diverting that film crew. Darryl’s already there, making fake yeti tracks and trashing the camp nightly. He’s trying to get them to relocate. I need you to help him. What I don’t need is you slashing your way through anything.”

  “You said a twin was on the ground.”

  “Oh, for the love of—! Yes. It is. It’s a boy. Five lbs., even! And his sister is due any second.”

  “Takeshi and Christine are having twins?”

  Ethelstone looked thunderstruck. That was cute. Stephanie started smiling.

  “You got it, big guy. Talk about your surprise. And I’m the frickin’ godfather! Now, I have to get everything doubled! Shit.” The phone in his hand started ringing. He shoved it to his ear. “Excuse me, you two. I gotta take this. Look, Ethelstone. I need you to go make yeti tracks. Reika has all the info. Okay?” He turned sideways and spoke into the cell phone. “Yes, Sir?”

  ‘How is the situation progressing?’

  Even if she didn’t have vampiric sense, Stephanie would have heard the caller. Easily. He had an acoustic ability that transcended normal hearing range. Her heart gave a start as she recognized Akron Profit’s voice.