Night Unbound

by Dianne Duvall

  “Will you have time to get home before sunrise?” she asked, eyeing the gray that preceded dawn.

  “The way I drive? Yes.” He paused on his way to a Chevy Volt and turned to study her.

  Lisette shifted, uncomfortable beneath his silent scrutiny.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked at last.

  “Ready for what?”

  “Being on Seth’s shit list.”

  Hell no. The thought of facing Seth’s wrath made her quake in her boots. “You survived it,” she replied coolly, but feared she didn’t fool him.

  He shook his head. “Only because Seth believed himself responsible. It’s why he still tolerates my bullshit. And why he won’t hold my helping you against me. He feels guilty about overlooking me and leaving me to fend for myself for two centuries.”

  Whenever a gifted one was transformed into an immortal, Seth sensed it, made his way to his (or very rarely her) side, and aided him in the transition into his new life. Seth then either trained the new Immortal Guardian himself, or saw to it that the newbie was trained by another and received the guidance all new immortals needed.

  But Bastien had escaped his notice. So Bastien had mistakenly believed himself a vampire and had lived among those monsters for two hundred years.

  All knew his violent, troubled past haunted their leader.

  “Do you hold him responsible?” she asked.

  “No,” he said, his voice devoid of rancor. “And I’m sure he’s seen as much in my thoughts. But the guilt nevertheless lingers and pretty much gives me a permanent get-out-of-jail-free card. You, on the other hand, don’t have that protection.”

  No, she didn’t.

  “I learned very quickly,” he went on, “that Immortal Guardians have a pack mentality.” Three years with them, and Bastien still didn’t consider himself one of them. “If Seth turns on you,” he warned, “the others will, too.”

  She swallowed hard. “My brothers—”

  “Have wives to think of. And, in Richart’s case, a stepson.”

  “I know.” She didn’t have a problem with no longer coming first in her brothers’ affections. It just felt a little scary to know they wouldn’t always have her back now.

  “Is he worth it—your fallen angel?” Bastien asked. Again, no scorn or mockery infused his voice.

  She honestly didn’t know the answer to that and settled for saying, “He saved my life. I can’t forget that.”

  “That’s a hard debt to forget.” Turning, he continued on to the car. “You have my number.”

  “Thank you, Bastien.”

  He opened the driver’s door. “Ethan’s jealous as hell, you know.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Asshole!” Ethan called from inside.

  Bastien laughed. “I guess this means you two are on the outs.”

  “You knew?” she asked, stunned.

  How had he known about the affair when no one else had guessed?

  He sank into the driver’s seat. “I may not get along well with others, but I am a keen observer of them.” The words seemed to carry a warning. “And I can feel your emotions every time I brush against you.”

  Considering how many times she had barged into his thoughts in the past, she decided she wouldn’t let that bother her. “Give Melanie my love.”

  He winked. “I’ll be too busy giving her mine.” Closing the door, he started the engine and sped away.

  Chuckling, Lisette stared after him. What an enigma.

  Ethan exited the house and stepped up beside her. “That guy is so weird.”

  “You didn’t tell him?” she asked.

  “About us? No.”

  “Do you think he’ll say anything to anyone?”

  “Nah. Who would he tell, other than Melanie? And she isn’t one to gossip.”

  “I don’t want to end up in the betting books, Ethan.”

  Immortal Guardians, their Seconds, and the mortal members of the network would gamble on just about anything. She didn’t want them to complicate matters between her and Ethan by betting on whether or not the two of them would get back together.

  “If word gets out about your beau in there,” he said, jerking a thumb back at the house, “they’ll be betting on whether or not Seth will let you live.”

  A chilling thought.

  What the hell was she doing?

  Chapter Three

  Ethan left shortly after Bastien did, still grumbling over the non-butt call.

  Zach didn’t so much as twitch all day. His breathing didn’t deepen. His heartbeat didn’t increase in frequency. His eyes didn’t open.

  Lisette eschewed sleep, preferring to watch over him instead and wonder about . . . so many things.

  Immortals tended to sleep more deeply when healing from serious wounds, so his lack of response when she called his name didn’t concern her too much. Particularly since his bruises faded. Cuts and gashes closed by Bastien’s handiwork began to heal, angry red lightening to pink, edges smoothing, scars forming.

  It took longer than she would’ve expected for an immortal his age. There must have been extensive internal damage. And there had been a lot of broken bones in his wings. One wing had nearly been completely detached. Bastien had had a hell of a time setting it and binding it. Those might take another day or two to heal.

  Who had done this to him? And why?

  She didn’t think Seth had. When Seth punished an immortal, everyone and his or her brother heard about it. Although, as far as she knew, only she, Roland, Sarah, and Ami even knew Zach existed.

  Lisette sighed as the sun set, no closer to finding answers. She touched Zach’s hair. “Zach? Can you hear me?”

  Nothing.

  “You can answer me mentally if you can’t speak.” Though the gifts they possessed varied from immortal to immortal, Zach clearly was telepathic. Otherwise, he would not have been able to enter her dreams.

  Silence.

  “I have to leave for the night’s hunt.” She rose, her fingers already missing his silky locks. “I’ll keep my Second away for the night and return as soon as I can.”

  She just had to think of something to tell Tracy.

  Opening the wardrobe, she drew out a change of clothing and headed into the adjoining bathroom to shower.

  The wardrobe actually served dual purposes, just as those in David’s home did. Behind the curtain of black vampire hunting clothing lay a panel that concealed an escape tunnel that led deep into the surrounding forest, allowing her a safe exit beneath evergreens year-round should the need to flee during daylight hours ever arise.

  She hadn’t thought such necessary until Roland, Marcus, and Sarah had been attacked during the day, Roland’s house set aflame with them inside it.

  Lisette didn’t linger in the shower. The sooner she left, the sooner she could take out a few vampires and return home. Surely Zach would awaken tonight. She just hoped, if he awoke while she was gone, that he would linger until she returned.

  Upstairs, she packed on her favorite weapons—shoto swords, daggers, and a pair of silencer-equipped Glock 18’s with thirty-round clips.

  Grabbing her helmet, she headed outside and straddled her Hayabusa.

  “Before I’m Dead” floated on the night.

  Lisette drew out her phone.

  “Did you get a good night’s sleep?” Tracy asked as soon as Lisette answered.

  “I did,” Lisette lied. “Where are you?”

  “I’m still at David’s.”

  Which meant every immortal on the premises would hear both sides of their conversation.

  Instead of responding verbally, Lisette texted her: Can you spend another night and day there?

  Sure. What’s up?

  Will tell you later.

  OK.

  Seconds later, Lisette sped down a deserted North Carolina road, her thoughts consumed with the dark immortal in her bed.

  Ethan prowled Duke’s campus, full of restless energy. He h
adn’t encountered a single vampire all night. Not one!

  Muttering beneath his breath, he slid a dagger from its sheath and began to toss it up in the air and catch it by the blade. It had taken him a while to learn how to do that without cutting himself, but he did it now absently as his eyes perused the shadows.

  He was spoiling for a fight, damn it, and couldn’t find one.

  He’d been spoiling for a fight ever since he had seen that big-ass immortal sprawled in Lisette’s bed. Sure the guy had been bloody and banged up. But he had been in her bed. Her bed.

  And she had been willing to risk her ass to help him. Willing to risk Ethan’s ass, too.

  He scowled. And damned if he hadn’t risked it for her. Or rather for him, whoever the bastard was.

  What the hell was Lisette thinking, falling for someone on Seth’s shit list? Was she crazy?

  No, he answered his own question. She isn’t crazy. She’s fucking smitten.

  Which was why he really, really needed to hit something right now.

  Because he was still smitten with Lisette.

  He had begun to fear he might always be, that he might end up like Marcus. Or like Marcus had been before Ami had come along. Marcus had pined after a woman he couldn’t have for eight centuries and had been miserable.

  Ethan did not want to follow his example.

  Three human women approached. College students returning from a kegger by the looks of them. Giggles abounded as they chattered and staggered up the sidewalk in tiny steps made awkward by ridiculously high heels.

  Lisette wouldn’t be caught dead in those shoes. He loved that about her. She had had to conform to the binding, pinching, uncomfortable clothes of her time when she was mortal and said she would never do it again. Combat boots now dominated her nights, while bare feet were her preference by day.

  Even her damned feet appealed to him.

  Sheathing the knife, he swore and turned his head away so the women wouldn’t see his eyes glow with frustration.

  “Yum,” one of them purred as they passed.

  “He’s so hot,” another whispered.

  “I’d totally do him.”

  A nice stroke of the old ego, but he couldn’t care less about the trio . . . until dark figures slithered from the shadows and began to follow them.

  Finally! Four vampires. A challenge for an immortal his age, but he was up to it.

  Smiling, Ethan strode onward for a few more steps, then hung a U-ey and began to stalk the predators.

  He gave a silent whistle. Two of them were about his size. Six foot four. Broad-shouldered. Packed with as much muscle as Ethan. The other two were lanky and looked as if they had never lifted a weight in their lives. Five-eight and five-ten. Twitchy. Reeking of old blood and unwashed bodies. They must have been infected longer than the other two. The other two wore freshly laundered clothing and had bathed recently.

  The vampires made no attempt to silence their footsteps.

  The students looked over their shoulders with flirty smiles, perhaps expecting Ethan. Those smiles vanished as they took in the menacing foursome tailing them. Exchanging uneasy glances, they huddled closer to each other and picked up their pace.

  The two slovenly vampires produced rusty chuckles and walked faster so the coeds would know they were being hunted. The muscled vampires looked side to side and followed.

  Fairly typical. Newer vamps tended to tag along with older vamps. And older vamps liked to toy with their victims, as enthralled by mortals’ fear as moths were by flames. They wanted the women to tremble. Wanted the women’s minds to conjure images of all the horrific things that would happen to them if they didn’t elude their pursuers. Wanted the women to imagine the unimaginable. Then wanted to restrain them and elicit screams.

  Without breaking stride, Ethan bent and scooped up a couple of the acorns that littered the path and crunched under the vampires’ boots.

  “Call campus security,” one of the students hissed.

  “I don’t know the number.”

  “Then call 911 and tell them we’re being followed!”

  One of the vamps laughed. “You’ll be dead before they get here.”

  The women looked over their shoulders.

  “Oh shit. His eyes,” one whimpered.

  Student housing loomed in front of them. A few more yards and they would be safely through the doors, not that the vampires would let them make it that far.

  Ethan drew back his arm and launched the acorns.

  Thrown with preternatural speed, they would feel like bullets when they struck.

  The two lanky vamps both stumbled forward and howled in pain as the acorns slammed into the backs of their heads.

  “Ow!”

  “What the fuck?”

  Stopping, the women gaped at them.

  Ethan waved a hand to get their attention, then motioned for them to get their asses inside.

  The women spun around and ran (if you could call it that), their heels clickety-clacking on the pavement as their big-ass purses rustled and bounced on their hips.

  Eyes flashing a brilliant blue, the vampires whirled to face Ethan as the students clambered up the steps and dove through the doors of the dorm.

  The muscled vamps followed the crazy ones’ gazes and turned to confront Ethan.

  This would either be fun or painful.

  Ethan backed away, luring them around the corner and out of sight of the women peering through the windows.

  “Immortal Guardian,” the skinny vamp in the gray T-shirt spat, he and the others matching him step for step.

  “Well, aren’t you bright?” Ethan said. Drawing two gleaming sais, he struck before they could respond.

  The vamp in the gray shirt didn’t even have time to retrieve whatever blade he’d tucked into the sheath belted to his pants. As the vampire’s fingers curled around the shiny wooden handle, Ethan swept forward and cut his carotid artery.

  The muscled vampires circled around behind Ethan while the other lanky vamp whipped out a machete and brandished it. (How the hell had he hid that thing in his pants?)

  Ethan gave the lanky vamp his back and spun to face the muscled duo.

  Just in the nick of time.

  He ducked a kick that would have cracked his jaw at the very least and lashed out with a sai. Astonishment gripped him when he missed.

  He never missed!

  Another kick nearly connected with his head. Ethan ducked and swept the vampire’s feet out from under him. The vamp hit the ground hard. Ethan swung. The vamp rolled and leapt up. Sparks danced as Ethan’s blade hit pavement.

  He didn’t know where the lanky vampire was, but saw the second muscled vamp circle around to attack him from behind again.

  Ethan zipped around and placed the first muscled vamp between them, fighting for all he was worth. This man had been turned recently. Nothing ruffled him. And he had skills. He had been trained by a master in martial arts and weaponry.

  But Ethan had trained with a master as well. Lisette kicked ass and had drilled him relentlessly to ensure Ethan could, too.

  The vampire in the gray shirt, clutching the throat Ethan had laid open, staggered away a couple of steps and fell to his hands and knees. Blood poured down his front and pooled on the sidewalk. The other lanky vampire bobbed and bounced on his toes like a boxer, spewing slurs and curses. Muscled Vamp 2 again found his way to Ethan’s back.

  Hell. This was not going well.

  Out of nowhere, a slender figure raced forward, leaped onto the back of the vampire who was down on his hands and knees, pushed off, flipped ass over elbow in the air, and landed behind the other lanky vampire. The vamp jerked around to attack her. Red handles gleamed as Lisette swung both shoto swords.

  The vampire’s head fell from his shoulders.

  She offered Ethan a wink.

  He grinned. How many times had she saved his ass like this in the early years of his immortality?

  Muscled Vamp 1’s dagger slid across
Ethan’s left arm, narrowly missing his brachial artery.

  “Pay attention!” Lisette reprimanded as she dodged a kick by Muscled Vamp 2 and landed one of her own.

  Two vampires. Two immortals. An even playing field now.

  Disturbingly even. Ethan had to fight as though he were sparring with an elder just to hold his own with this prick. In all of his existence, he had never fought a vampire who possessed such skill.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Lisette’s opponent land a fist to her jaw. She stumbled backward, French swear words pouring from her lips.

  A dagger struck Ethan’s side, slipping between two ribs and piercing a lung.

  Hissing in pain, he cursed his own inattention.

  Lisette looked his way, brow furrowed with concern.

  A cut opened along her jaw as Muscled Vamp 2 took advantage of her distraction and tried to slit her throat.

  “I’m fine,” he gritted. “Just kill the fucker!”

  Ethan saw her swing her shoto swords and returned his attention to Muscled Vamp 1.

  Grunts and hisses of pain filled the air as blades drew blood and kicks and punches connected.

  He heard Lisette swear again and swung his sai, ridding the vampire of one of his daggers. Before Ethan could swing again, the vampire jerked and dropped his other weapon. Gasping, the vamp gripped his chest. His face filled with fear. His wide blue eyes fastened on Ethan as he staggered back a step.

  Ethan frowned and held his weapons at the ready, risking a glance at Lisette.

  Falling still, she stared at the second vamp as his weapons clattered to the ground. The fingers that had loosed them clutched his chest.

  Warm blood splattered Ethan’s face as something bounced off his shoulder and fell to the ground.

  Grimacing, he returned his attention to his foe . . . and gaped.

  “Ho-ly shit!” he barked.

  The vamp’s heart had just burst from his chest.

  The vampire collapsed.

  Ethan turned back to Lisette as Muscled Vamp 2’s heart burst from his chest, flew over Lisette’s shoulder, and catapulted to the ground behind her.