Kissed by Ice

by Shéa MacLoed

  I didn't have time to celebrate as another two vamps were on me. I had no idea what was happening with Haakon, and I didn't have time to check. I was too busy fending off my own attackers.

  One came in high while the second went low, trying to take out my legs and get me on the floor. I knew if that happened I was probably dead, so I did a duck, dodge, weave thing and managed to stay out of the vamps' reach. The second one got a little too close, and I swiped at him with my blade, cutting a long furrow down his arm. He snatched back his arm with a hiss.

  "That's what you get for messing with a Hunter."

  He wasn't amused. He snarled and came at me again at the same time the other vamp made another play for my leg. I kicked him in the face and followed up with a fireball at vamp number two. The fire ball missed. My foot didn't.

  Vamp Number One flew backward, blood spurting from his nose while Vamp Number Two rushed me again and got a blade across his chest for his trouble.

  I tried to throw another fireball, but the thing sort of fizzled. Was I running out of energy? Could Fire do that? I had no idea. I'd never tried throwing multiple fireballs before. In fact, the only time I'd thrown a fireball before was by accident.

  Vamp Number One was back, fangs bared. He grabbed my left arm, ignoring the serious damage the Fire was doing to his hand, and flung me across the room and into Number Two's arms. A sinewy arm locked around my throat and squeezed. I struggled to draw in air but I was out of luck. Time to stop playing.

  Grabbing his arm with my left hand, I waited for the fire to burn him. Only it didn't. Apparently I was completely out of juice. Shit. So, I stabbed him in the thigh with my blade. I must have hit the femoral artery because blood sprayed everywhere. The vamp howled, his arm loosening enough for me to draw in a breath.

  I reached down for the Fire again, but what came out was something completely different, something I'd never seen before. A surge of something icy and blue spilled from my metaphorical center out through every pore, mixing with whatever was left of the Fire. For a split second, I was blind, deaf, dumb. There was nothing but me and the swirling, frigid blue.

  My vision cleared, and I realized the entire dome was filled with swirling clouds of white. I winced as it touched my skin, leaving a small red mark. Steam. What the hell?

  Shrieks reached my ears as the vamps were engulfed in clouds of steam. I couldn't see what was happening, but clearly it was causing them tremendous pain. I stepped back, touching the stones of the wall behind me. They were slick and strangely cold despite the heat of the steam.

  I listened carefully to the retreating footsteps of the vampires. They were escaping through the tunnel. Clearly the steam was causing them enough pain they were willing to risk sunlight to get away from it. I'd never heard of steam being used as a weapon against vampires. Perhaps it should be explored further. I made a mental note to mention it to Tessalah.

  The steam began to clear, sinking toward the floor. The air turned chilly. How odd. Then I heard something. Haakon. He was shouting, but I couldn't make out the word. And then it came to me.

  "Run!"

  # # #

  I stared at him dumbly for a moment before realizing the vamps weren't the only ones headed for the tunnel. Haakon was moving like the hounds of hell were on his heels. What on earth? I glanced around, trying to figure out what was going on. And then I saw it.

  As the steam sank to the floor, it cooled and turned liquid, spreading pools of water across the floor. Up from the earth bubbled tiny springs which grew bigger by the moment. The walls were dripping with water. No, make that streaming with it. Water gushed around the fitted stones and through the narrow cracks. There was already a couple of inches of water on the floor, and even as I watched, it climbed higher. One of the burbles suddenly burst into a geyser, followed by another and another. Plumes of water burst through the floor, shooting to the ceiling. I was already drenched to the skin, as wet as I'd been when I climbed out of the ocean. The water was to my ankles now and climbing fast.

  "Move it," Haakon shouted. His hair had turned dark with wet, plastered to his head.

  "What the hell?"

  "No fucking clue, but unless you want to drown, you better move your sweet ass."

  I moved, ducking through the tunnel, I sort of crab-walked as fast as I could. By the time I was halfway through, Haakon close behind me, the tunnel was already half-filled with water. The vamps were nowhere in sight. I was starting to worry we wouldn't make it out in time.

  I saw daylight ahead. We were close. By now the water was up to my chin, and panic was making my heart pound. I'd have probably been sweating if I wasn't nearly submerged. My movements were awkward against the slippery mud and rocks. A chunk of wet earth fell out of the side of the tunnel and plopped into the rising water. The tunnel was collapsing. I crawled faster.

  I was inches from the exit when a sudden gush of water swept through the tunnel, filling it to the top. I barely had time to hold my breath before I was completely underwater. Gathering every ounce of will I had left, I forced down the rising panic and rushed forward, bursting up and out through the trapdoor opening. I drew in deep lungsful of air, gasping and sputtering. I hauled myself out of the tunnel as quickly as I could, knowing Haakon was behind me, still underwater.

  I heaved myself onto dry ground and lay gasping for breath next to the little pool which had formed inside the shed. Outside the sun was climbing in the sky, the light taking on a faint greenish tinge as it filtered through the lush leaves. Where had the vampires gone? Had they stepped outside and immolated? They must have. I didn't see them anywhere.

  The water surged, and Haakon popped to the surface. He, too, hauled himself out of the water and sat, legs still dangling in the pool, gasping for breath.

  "What happened?" I asked again.

  He shook his head, drops of water spraying around him. "One minute we were fighting the damn vamps, next there was steam everywhere. It was burning them, so they ran. And then… water."

  "Maybe we triggered a booby trap?" I suggested lamely. I knew better. I'd caused the steam. And the water. I just didn't want Haakon knowing about it quite yet.

  He frowned. "Maybe. Where'd they go?"

  "Outside, I'm guessing. They should have burned, but I don't see any dust."

  He staggered to his feet and out the door. "No. No remains. They didn't dust. They were pretty old vamps. My guess is there was enough cover they made it into the denser forest before they burned."

  "Damn." I hauled myself slowly to my feet and joined him outside. "That is not what I wanted to hear."

  "Not to worry. I can track them." My face must have reflected my misgiving. He shot me a scowl. "You doubt me?"

  "Um, well, not doubt exactly…"

  He grunted, turning his back on me to scan the trees around the shed. He carefully walked the perimeter of the small clearing, searching for tracks or something.

  "Where's Kabita?" She hadn't been with him when we joined up, and she must be worrying by now.

  "I didn't see her in town. She's probably still back at the rendezvous point."

  And freaking the hell out, no doubt. "I think I'd better get her. We're going to need her if we're going to tromp through the jungle after those things."

  He shrugged, clearly still focused on his self-appointed task. I shook my head. Men.

  # # #

  Finding my way back to town was marginally easier than finding the shed had been. I found Kabita lounging at a tiny round table outside the cafe/bar, sipping a drink and catching some rays. One silky black brow rose at my approach, but she said nothing. Just took another sip from her white mug and let out a long sigh.

  "They really have excellent coffee here." She looked completely at home, but I noticed her eyes never stopped scanning the street. Watching. Waiting. She may have seemed relaxed. She was anything but.

  "Uh, yeah, sure," I said, wishing I had the time to sit down and enjoy a cup. I was running on fumes. "We found the vamp. Sort
of."

  She glanced at me over the rim of her mug. "Sort of?"

  "Well, turns out there was a nest." I gave her a quick rundown of what had happened, up to and including the flooded tunnel and the nest escaping into the jungle.

  She let out another long sigh when I'd finished. "Why me?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "Never mind." She took a long last swallow of coffee, threw a few bills down on the table—I had no idea how she'd kept them dry—and strode down the street in the direction I'd come from like an avenging goddess. "Let's go dust these assholes."

  I raised both eyebrows at that. Kabita never swore. Well, almost never. It had to be pretty serious if she was pulling out the potty mouth.

  "Haakon is trying to pick up their trail." I was pretty sure she could hear the doubt in my voice. Wasn't like I was hiding it. Haakon may be a Sunwalker and a Viking—well, former Viking—but he wasn't a Hunter.

  "Good." She picked up the pace with me trotting along behind her. What was with people and this fast walking crap lately?

  I took the lead, showing her the way through the jungle to the clearing where Haakon waited. Except when we got there, there was no one else in sight. Just the empty shed with water still burbling out the open door.

  "Where's Haakon?"

  I gave an irritated growl. "I told him to wait here for us. Jackass probably decided to go all manly and follow the vamps on his own. Idiot." I ignored the fact I'd virtually done the same thing myself. I strode around the edge of the clearing, looking for the spot where Haakon had entered the jungle. Sure enough, he'd practically left a giant, flashing neon sign for us to follow. Apparently Vikings had never learned the fine art of blending in. I shushed the inner voice that told me he'd deliberately made the way obvious so we could follow. "This way."

  Haakon had left a wide swath through the jungle. Broken branches and vines, bruised leaves, and trampled underbrush clearly marked the way. I really hoped he'd done it on purpose. Otherwise he was just about the klutziest person I'd ever met.

  A giant spider web hung suspended between two large palm trees, its occupant glaring at me. I really am not fond of spiders, so I skirted it as quickly as I could. A low-hanging vine slapped me in the face, its lush green leaves glossy in the dappled sunlight. I batted it away. All around was a profusion of wild color from pink, yellow, and peach hibiscus to the purples and reds of wild orchids. A bird called somewhere in the distance, and I could have sworn I heard the chatter of monkeys.

  Kabita and I must have gone about two miles before we caught up with Haakon. The sun was high overhead, and breathing the jungle air was like inhaling soup, heavy and thick and way too hot. My body was screaming for a bottle of cold water.

  He was crouched behind a clump of bushes. He waved us over, placing his forefinger on his lips. So now he wanted quiet? We scurried over and crouched beside him.

  "What the hell?" I hissed. "I told you to wait for me."

  "And I found the direction of our quarry. I knew you'd be able to follow."

  "Uh, yeah. You left a freaking highway out there. A blind man could have followed."

  He gave me an exasperated look. "Not me. The vampires. They were more worried about getting caught in the sun than being subtle."

  "No shit."

  "Why are we here?" Kabita interrupted our spat.

  "Take a look." Haakon nodded in the general direction of the bushes.

  After exchanging a glance, Kabita and I craned our necks to see around the shrubbery. We were at the edge of the jungle. Below us sprawled a small town built along the hillside, staggered so nearly every house had a magnificent view of the blue waters of the bay below. Beyond the bay, the ocean sparkled in the midday sun. Someone nearby was barbecuing. The scent of charcoal smoke and roasting meat made my mouth water and my stomach grumble. I hadn't eaten in a while.

  "Okay," I said, sinking down next to Haakon. "The vamps headed here. But they couldn't have left the shelter of the trees. Not without dusting."

  "Unless someone was waiting for them."

  Shit. That wouldn't be good. An entire nest of vamps taking up residence in a town this size spelled nothing but trouble. I took another peek down the hill.

  "All right, let's assume someone did meet them. Brought blankets or something. They still couldn't have gone far. For one thing they wouldn't have lasted long in full sun, even wrapped in blankets. For another, they would have been seen. A town this size, the gossip would be all over the place in minutes. I don't think whoever is hiding the nest would want that."

  "Agreed," Haakon said. "That's why I'm thinking that house." He pointed to a pastel pink structure close to where we were hiding. It was only a short walk downhill. Someone moving fast could cover it in seconds.

  "Makes sense," Kabita agreed. "It's the only one with a door on this side."

  She was right. The wooden door had been painted pink to match the rest of the house, but anyone could clearly see there was a door. "A neighbor could still have seen something. There are plenty of windows facing this way."

  "Yeah, but most people will be at work this time of day," Kabita pointed out. "And tourists will be down at the beach. If they moved fast, nobody would notice."

  It made sense. But there was one way to know for sure. "You two stay here. I'll go check."

  "Morgan…" Haakon started to say, but I ignored him.

  I slipped from our hiding place and strode toward the pink house. I walked tall and easy, striding along as if I had every right to be there. I'd learned that, generally speaking, if you acted like you had a right to be in a place, everyone else assumed you did. Of course, that didn't work with vampires, but I was more concerned with neighbors than denizens of the night.

  I walked straight up to the pink door and pretended to knock. Anyone watching would assume I was an ordinary visitor. I took a deep breath and waited for my spidey senses to kick in. Sure enough, there was that gripping tingle at the back of my skull. There were vamps inside.

  Chapter Eleven

  "We should wait until full dark." Kabita shot a scowl at the pink door. "Less likely to be spotted by neighbors."

  "And more likely to have escaped vamps on our hands." I shot her down. "Nope. We need to get in there now."

  "And how do you suggest doing that? It's a thick door. Pretty sure people will notice a giant Viking kicking it down." Kabita refused to give up.

  "I've got other ways," I said.

  "Oh, right. Miss Fire Happy. Let's burn the door down. It's not like anyone will see and call the fire department."

  I sighed. "They might. But it'll give us time to get in there and hopefully dust the nest before anyone arrives to check out the fire." If my Fire was even working again.

  "Because that's worked so well for us in the past."

  We stood there glaring at each other, arms crossed like a couple of kids. This was getting us nowhere.

  "Fine," I said. "We need a diversion. Something that will get the neighbors out of their houses and paying attention to something else."

  "That makes sense," Kabita agreed. "Got any ideas?"

  "Not exactly," I admitted.

  "I've got an idea," Haakon said.

  We both stared at him. "What?"

  "Better I show you." He stood up and whipped off his shirt, revealing acres and acres of taut, rippling muscles covered in golden brown skin. Kabita and I sucked in our breath. Good gods, he was a fine specimen of manhood. His hands went to his jeans zipper. Down it came and off went the jeans, leaving Haakon standing there in nothing but a pair of indecently snug heather-gray boxer briefs and scuffed black combat boots. I closed my eyes, reminding myself I had a boyfriend I loved like crazy.

  "This plan involves you getting naked?" Kabita finally choked out. I opened my eyes. She was staring at him like she wanted to eat him alive. Couldn't say I blamed her.

  "Indeed." He shot us a wide, white smile. "Be ready." And with that he strolled out from behind the bush and down the hill like he owne
d the place.

  "Sweet baby Jesus," Kabita breathed.

  "You're not kidding."

  Haakon sauntered casually between the pink house and its blue neighbor. As he moved out onto the street, he began to stagger and weave like a drunk. Then in a thick Norwegian accent he began belting out, "My baby takes the morning train."

  "Oh good lord," I gasped. "The man can't hold a tune in a bucket."

  "You got that right." Kabita was barely holding back a laugh as doors and windows opened and people began appearing on the street, pointing and laughing at the nearly naked "drunk" tourist. "Guess that's our cue. My bet is we're going to have to stage a jail break after this. You ready?"

  "As I'll ever be."

  It was my turn to stride down the hill toward the pink house, Kabita close on my heels. I laid my palm flat on the sun-warmed wood and reached down inside me for the Fire. I guess it had recovered, because it came in a rush, spreading down my arm and onto my hand. I concentrated on pouring the fire into the wood. Within seconds the door began smoking and charring, and then the Fire caught. Kabita and I stepped back and watched as the door began to burn in earnest. We still heard Haakon belting out songs down the street, a show tune this time.

  "That boy had better not quit his day job," Kabita muttered. "Unless he plans to take up stripping."

  I snorted. "Okay, ready?" The fire was beginning to sputter, and the door was thoroughly charred, even burned through in some places.

  "As I'll ever be," Kabita echoed my words.

  One swift kick, and the door crumbled into so much ash and rubble. Kabita and I stepped inside.

  # # #

  Light spilled through the open doorway, lighting up a narrow vestibule with a white tiled floor and a narrow staircase leading to the floor above. On the left side of the hall directly across from us were closed doors. Somebody had taken the time to weather-strip the crap out of them. Definitely a good place for a bunch of vamps to hang out.