by Lynn Landes
“Be still or I will drain you dry!” Katie freezes unable to move or help and tears of frustration seep out.
Morgan screams for Liam in his mind, a silent plea ricochets across the planet, seeking its target. Liam’s head snaps up, and he leaps into the air even as Morgan pleads with his friend.
“Release me, brother. What are you thinking?” He gasps holding his bloodied stump to his chest. Katie sobs openly now and with every tear that drops, Morgan’s rage grows. They will pay for putting her through this! Weakened by the blood loss, he drops to his knees, hanging by his remaining arm from the gate. A thick scarlet pool of his blood runs across the stone floor.
“Do you think I am the only one, Morgan? Seven of the Twelve have fallen and even now number eight is before me on his knees.” He laughs at the expression of horror on Morgan’s face.
“Why do you think the gate rejected you?” Balthial demands as Katie struggles.
“Don’t you listen to the lies of a demon, Morgan!” Katie shouts at him. When he slides down to the earth, her yell turns to moans of anguish. “Morgan?”
“Oh, shut up, human. He will heal, he is an immortal after all,” Daria snarls. Her red eyes flash as the scent of Morgan’s blood calls to her. “It seems a shame to waste all that essence,” she growls and releases her hold on the human to step forward. Furious at the vampire’s flippant response, Katie squeezes her eyes shut and hears her grandmother’s lessons in her mind. Use what you have at hand to defend yourself… her necklace! Katie reaches up a hand and whispers a prayer of help, smiling when she feels it heat beneath her hand. Jerking the necklace free, she tosses it at the wall holding Morgan, and Balthial screams.
“Nooo!” Balthial grabs Katie and leaps upwards, into the open air above the crumbled walls. Daria stares in stunned shock as he leaves her. Whipping around she leaps after the necklace, but she isn’t fast enough. When it strikes the wall holding Morgan, it detonates like a grenade, blasting the angel free.
Katie reaches for Morgan and screams as he fades from view beneath a mountain of rubble and dust. Balthial flies away knowing help will come and he must not be there when it does. With a whispered word from him, Katie passes out. He won’t take a chance like that again. How did she know her necklace would free him? No matter, he will be at her home soon. “You will give me what I seek and then you will wish you had not interfered.”
Chapter 7
“How do I look? Can you see my teeth? Are my eyes normal?” Anya is terrified that her father will be able to see a change in her.
“You look beautiful, as always. Now stop fretting and get in there.” Christian grumbles, pushing her through the doorway and into her father’s hospital room.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back…” Keane stares at his daughter and gets up slowly from his chair in the corner of the room. Anya begins to tremble and takes a step backwards, right into Christian’s strong body. His hands squeeze her upper arms as though to say, I’ve got you.
“Da, I can explain everything,” but her voice fades as he gets close enough to touch her cheek.
“Sweet hell, am I too late then?” He sees Anya with the eyes, not of a father, but a demon hunter. She is forever changed. A single tear breaks free and rolls down one whiskered cheek. Anya’s heart breaks, she knew he would see the truth.
“I was attacked last night at Katie’s, Da by a… creature. He bit me.” Keane walks away and drops down into his chair, covering his face with his hands. Anya is confused. Glaring at her father, she pulls free of Christian’s hands.
“Why is it that you don’t seem surprised? What the hell is going on?” He looks up at his daughter and tells Christian to close the door.
“When he bit you, what happened?” Keane demands, ignoring her questions.
“I don’t know, it happened so fast. I thought I was going to die. As he began to drink, it seemed to hurt him. When he tried to break away, I…, I turned on him and bit his throat! Oh, God, am I one of them, Da?”
“What do you mean, it hurt him? Tell me exactly what happened next?” Keane urges.
“He struggled to get away from, but it was almost as if he couldn’t release me. Then, after I bit him, he stumbled out the doorway, vomiting. I blacked out from the blood loss. When I woke up, he was gone, and my wounds were healing.” Anya waits as he processes this.
“Anya you are going to need to listen to me carefully, I will explain all I can, but we don’t have much time before they come for you.” Keane scoots to the edge of his chair, and Christian joins them.
“I was raised, as were my parents before me, to hunt the evil that preys on the innocent of this world. We are called Dalkhu Sharur, or Demon Hunters. We follow the dark shadows and eliminate the threat, wherever, and in whatever form we find it. I was tracking one such shadow, the day I met your mother.” Anya’s eyes go wide, but she does not interrupt him.
“At first, I thought it was a glamour spell, a trick put on to confuse me, but soon I knew she was no demon. Your mother was an angel, Anya, and she was in labor. You were born not long after finding her and I made a promise I would look after you. She spoke of twelve hunters who were too powerful to fight and gave to me a book which tells of the history of her people. It spoke of the one who would be born. It spoke of you.”
Anya is staring at him in open mouthed shock. “I know it’s a lot to process, but you must listen. My sister, Kathleen’s grandmother, protected the book, and she helped me look after you.”
“This is crazy! I’m not part angel, Da. I’m a freaking tour guide!” Panic begins to set it and Anya leaps up to pace. Christian’s mind is spinning as he looks at Keane.
“This is crazy, Keane. Angels, vampires, and demon hunters! What else don’t we know?” Christian wonders.
“The book is buried in the garden at Katie’s. It explains everything in detail. Anya, your mother was judged by her people because of you. She fell in love with a vampire, which was forbidden. A child of the light and the dark would have untold powers. It took years to decipher it. I read the book before I entrusted it to my sister. It spoke of the one who would be able to…”
“No! Stop it right now. I won’t listen to any more of this. This is crazy!” Anya spins and moves so quickly that Christian can’t stop her. She races through the hospital unseen and runs as if her life depends on it.
After a few minutes, Anya begins to calm down and realizes she has run four blocks in a matter of heart beats. “This can’t be happening. I need a drink!” She spies the Temple Bar, one of her favorite places, but she needs to think. Somewhere that won’t be the first place Christian looks.
Anya turns and walks away from the local hangouts. She walks until she notices a blinking red flame on a black sign. The Laisar Mill. Faint memories of being snockered, dancing and drinking, followed by running and passing out. Perfect.
As she nears the entrance, she catches a tantalizing scent on the breeze that has her fangs lengthening and her mouth, watering. Her eyesight sharpens and she realizes that those entering this club are not all human. Too traumatized to think it through, she hopes that maybe she will find some answers here.
The interior of the club is elegantly designed, with its navy, velvet lined walls and black and silver accents. Three intimate dance floors are strategically placed with a mix of table and chairs scattered about. Or for a more private experience, chaise lounges in low lit areas with small tables.
A gorgeous black marble bar with a magnificent waterfall feature is the centerpiece of the club. It is lit from behind, with a dancing red flame beneath the water. Anya is entranced and heads straight to the bar, bobbing and weaving through a throng of people.
It is crowded for this time of day. Her heart thumps in time to the beat of the music and that scent, oh how it calls to her! Parched, Anya finds an empty seat at the bar and waits for her turn to order.
“What will it be?” The bartender asks.
“Vodka, neat,” she replies and
spins her seat around to watch the dance floor while her drink is poured. Her mouth goes dry and her heart almost stops as she glances around the club. Humans dance with demons, unaware of the evil holding them. Black eyes, nails and long teeth. Pain flashes through her head as she tries to remember, but it’s no use. The others terrify her. They are creatures she cannot identify, and they are scattered amongst the vampires and humans, as though they belong here. Surely, she is the only thing out of place. The humans seem to be dancing, laughing and enjoying themselves.
“Here you go, love.” She turns to collect her drink and pay, but he stops her and points to a corner where a male vampire is seated on a chaise lounge. Perfection is all she can think. Long, lean and blonde, with a strong jaw, but that is where the perfection ends. His black eyes give away his true identity. Black and soulless, he stalks her with his gaze.
Anya’s eyes snare his and he blinks as though surprised. With a grin, she watches as a flicker of annoyance crosses his face as the human female with him, tries her hardest to get his full attention. Barely dressed in a tight strapless purple mini, she strokes his thigh and whispers in his ear. Anya watches sipping on her vodka and winces at the bland taste.
The moment she tastes it a flash of irritation has her turning back to the bartender. “Is this some kind of joke?” Anya snaps. “This tastes like water.” The bartender returns and grabs the bottle from under the counter to check the date. He pours a finger full into a shot glass and tastes it.
“I can assure you, miss, this is top shelf vodka. Not water. Can I bring you something else?”
Anya shoots it and grumbles in frustrations. “It has no flavor at all, just bring me a glass of wine, please.” When he returns, she pays and carries it with her to the open air terrace. Maybe some fresh air will wash away that incessant scent.
She moves outside, unaware that his eyes follow her every move. A breeze blows and Anya is thankful to be wearing black jeans, turtleneck, and boots. A young woman around her age bumps into her, almost spilling her wine.
“Oops, sorry.” She blots at Anya with her napkin and giggles.
“No worries, maybe you can help me.” Anya looks at the human girl and steps closer so she can speak into her ear. The girl’s perfume surrounds her and beneath it the scent of alcohol.
“Do you smell something, strange?” Anya asks.
“Sorry, all I can smell is sweat and alcohol.” She waves at her friend and moves away to join her.
As the girl walks away, a gentle breeze blows her perfume away, clearing the air around Anya. She closes her eyes and inhales deeply. When her eyes snap open they are transformed. Once more her ember vision is that of a predator and she follows the scent across the dance floor, straight into a wall of muscle!
“It’s you,” she gasps. His strong hands grasp her upper arms to steady her and Anya leans close letting his scent envelop her. All thought fades as the hunger takes over.
“Indeed, my name is Foster. Would you join me for a drink?”
Anya nods, he takes her hand and leads her to a couch in the corner. He sits down and reaches for her hand to pull her to him. Anya carefully sits her glass of wine on the table beside him. Looking down at him, she can see that he is a vampire, but she no longer fears him.
He tugs and she tumbles against his body with a gasp. Foster grins and says something, but she can only hear the sound of her heartbeat as it begins to slow down to half beats. Her hand moves up his body, and his grin fades as he mistakes the hunger in her eyes for passion.
Anya allows him to kiss her and she tastes him. He tastes of a tangy honey, sweet and enticing. Her hands, fists into his hair and she straddles him, causing his eyes to flash with surprise when she sinks her teeth deeply into his throat. “Oh, God. Yes…” He hisses and his hand cups her ass.
She drinks, siphoning his pulsing nectar into her parched body and with every pull he loses more of his immortality. Anya hums and leans away from him, surprised to see his once black eyes are now blue. He hears a thump in his chest as his heart begins to beat.
“What have you done to me?” He shouts and shoves at her. His strength is gone, and he stares at her in revulsion. Foster looks at his hands and his black nails are now a soft pink. He feels for his fangs with his tongue and finds nothing! Just normal teeth. He tries to run, but he is drained of his abilities and his limbs feel heavy. “NO!!!” He shrieks in agony
Horrified at her actions, Anya races across the crowded room before he can move. She spots the bathroom, ducking inside, she runs to the mirror and rinses her mouth with water from the sink. Using a paper towel, she washes the blood from her face. “What have you become?” Her eyes are brighter, the black ring around her orange is striking. Her skin is dewy, and she can see the power glistening beneath it. Laughter explodes into the room as a group of women enter. Two step into stalls, while one watches and waits.
Anya turns to dry her hands on a towel and that scent once again calls to her. Stronger this time, her head whips around in surprise and she looks at a female vampire leaning against the wall. Anya’s nose flares and her eyes can now see the power pulsing around the creature. Her vision is sharper, allowing her to see in the dim light, and the immortal creatures glow with a power that distinguishes them.
“You look different, why?” Anya asks and moves closer to the red-haired vamp. Her powder white breasts are pushed up in a corset and she is dressed in a tight mini skirt with thigh high boots.
“The question is, do you like what you see?”
Anya grins, she moves closer and the intoxication of her scent surrounds her. Black eyes meet amber and the vampire is caught like a spider in a web. Unable to move, she can only watch in astonishment as Anya’s teeth emerge. With a hand on her waist, Anya sniffs, seeking the pulsing vein that promises her ecstasy. This time, when her teeth sink into the perfect marble skin, Anya savors the flavor and she slowly sucks the strong powerful essence from her prey.
Anya is powerless to resist the urge to feed. Her groan of desire fills the room and when the two young women emerge from the stalls, they are shocked silent. Anya turns and spears them with her new vision. Immobile, the young women are forced to watch in horror as she returns to finish her meal. When the rich blood begins to slow and finally stops, Anya hums in frustration. The beautiful vampire is now a dried up husk that sifts to ash inside a pile of clothes.
“More!” Anya demands. No longer fighting the pull, she turns to the other two women and circles them, sniffing. “No.” They smell to her like the vodka, colorless and flavorless. She slams her way out of the bathroom, heading directly to the great room to seek out more like this one. The young ladies left behind remain stationary, unable to act, speak or move. Anya feels invincible as the power of the blood coursing through her amplifies her new gifts. Once again, the aroma calls to her and draws her onto the dance floor.
The music beats at her and she begins to move, dancing and swaying to the melody. With her arms over her head, she calls to the immortals and they move in. Unable to resist the demand they circle her. The two women in the bathroom are released from the trance holding them and run screaming into the club. Men and women alike grind against Anya’s body, playing with the new human in their midst. If only they knew she was the ultimate predator, but her new abilities camouflage her vampiric skills and she lures them into her orbit.
Intoxicated by the scent of all that powerful blood, Anya only watches when two of the vamps each take a wrist. Her eyes open in a rush of pleasure and pain when they bite her. One whispers to her of a world of pleasure, which is waiting to be discovered. Another touches her body and pulls her against him. Anya waits for the two beings on her arms to jerk and begin to tremble in pain, she laughs.
“My turn!” She allows them to release her arms and jerks the nearest dancing male towards her. Vampires are fast, but none as fast as Anya. She leaps on him and falls to the ground with him as the others dive away from her. When her captive runs dry and explodes to du
st beneath her, Anya growls in frustration, exposing her bloody fangs in a snarl. Her eyes snap to the two males who bit her wrist, both are now writhing in pain on the floor. Like acid, her blood is burning them from the inside out. Anya does not hear the screams around her, nor does she realize the chaos of humans and vampires attempting to get away. Slowly, she stands intending to go after a new prey, but a new scent catches her interest.
Two powerful creatures approach her from opposite directions. Anya cocks her head sideways to look at them. One is a vampire and the other she can’t identify. The vampire does not worry her, but this one has a scent that torments her. “A new flavor?” She taunts, but he simply grins. His ebony skin and green eyes inform her that she is up against something new.
“I am, Drow, witch, and your stare will not work on me. What manner of creature are you?” He asks releasing his whip to the floor and her body reacts with instant blood lust. The powerful vampire moves around behind Anya and she knows it’s time to go.
“Drow? You smell different than the others; more… flavorful.” He cracks his whip at her and the same second the vampire leaps at her. Anya can see the ripple of his power just before he attacks, warning her of his intent. She leaps straight up and backflips over the vamp, coming up behind him. The whips strike the vampire and he hisses in rage.
“Such power,” the Drow gasps.
Anya doesn’t waste a fraction of a second, the vampire’s scent is too hard to withstand. She is on his back with her fangs buried in his jugular before he can react. Like the others, he screams when the burning begins. The release of her venom paralyzes her victim, leaving her free to deal with the powerful immortal. Her eyes never leave the green stare of the Drow. He rushes toward her and she grins as she drinks.
Vorn’s arms grow heavy and so do his legs. Golden light surrounds him and soon he feels as if he is moving throw thick water or mud. This time, Anya is ready for the moment of extinction. When the large vampire drops, she lands lightly on her feet and moves to meet the Drow.
