Vampire Princess of New York (Arnhem Knights of New York)

by Susan Hanniford Crowley

  “Yes, Father,” David said.

  Max hung up. He didn’t believe in saying goodbye.

  “Lily,” David asked, “do you happen to know where they will be flying from?”

  “Max said they were in Rome when I called.”

  “All right, since Kaz will be back at any time, we must plan. Mina, please, take Noble and get Donovan’s scent off her. We don’t want Kaz knowing what she’s been doing with him. See if you can get the green to fade. Laura, go with her.”

  The three left and the others moved to the far end of the room to the war table while David laid out their strategy. Then they went to Noblesse’s apartment to rearrange the furniture to their advantage, putting the mirror in the center. All other vampires locked themselves in their rooms.

  Chapter 15

  Noblesse’s fingers shook as she typed on her laptop that rested on the little French desk.

  “Are you afraid?” Laura looked up from her printout and saw Noblesse shaking.

  “No. I’m angry that a creature that impersonated a vampire said he was my lifemate to get revenge on Max. Most of all, I’m angry for not challenging him and doubting myself when he felt cold.”

  “Are you angry with my father?”

  “No. I love Donovan. When I am with him, I am peaceful and happy inside. When he hugs me, I melt.” With blood-tinged tears, she said, “I’ve never melted for anyone before. I wish he would not fight Kaz.”

  “Papa is very experienced in fighting Keres. If he wasn’t so brave, I wouldn’t be here. I would not be with David.”

  Noblesse nodded and hoped that experience would keep him safe. “You know there were so many signs that he was my lifemate, and I missed them all.”

  “You mean like his abundant joy in your presence?”

  They burst out laughing.

  Laura stretched out her hands and lightning danced between her fingers. “Sydney was nice enough to alter the dampening field to allow my ability. But we don’t know if that would allow some special secret ability of Kaz’s. Still he won’t be able to teleport, go invisible, or mist.”

  “I hope this works.”

  “Me too. David’s right hand has become a Kere’s claw and won’t change back. Ever since he was bitten that time years ago, he knows when a Kere is around. It’s a painful transformation. He’s angry because he feels he should have been suspicious of Kaz when he met him and started being affected.” Laura whipped an arc of lightning around them and then absorbed it again.

  “I envy your Telkhine powers.”

  “It’s a responsibility. We don’t unwind every storm. That would unbalance nature. Being a bolt thrower does come in handy though. If he tries anything with you, I’ll fry him. Once the knights come in, the game changes.”

  “Maybe he won’t come back.”

  Laura looked off in the distance. “Curtis, just signed him in. Put on your game face and lockdown those thoughts.”

  Kaz burst into Noblesse’s apartment. She had her eyes fixed on the budget on her computer screen.

  “Oh, Laura. You’re here.”

  Laura stood at Noblesse’s side, looking at the screen. “We’re working on the company budget. We have a strict deadline.”

  Kaz frowned. “I thought only men did mathematics.”

  Noblesse smiled. “Kaz, this is a new age. Women are mathematicians and scientists.”

  Laura added, “Noblesse has three degrees in accounting, two in business management, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy.”

  “The green is fading, my love.”

  “When I woke up and felt well, Mina said I could resume my work. She said the green after-effect of the silver poisoning will fade, and I shouldn’t worry. Besides, in an hour I have a budget meeting to attend, and I need to be prepared.”

  “Laura, could you leave us for a few minutes? I need to talk to Noblesse privately.”

  “She’s fine here, and besides I need her help to get this done in time. Laura and I can work, and you can talk to me.”

  “But it’s private.”

  “I won’t breathe a word.” Laura remained standing, leaning over Noblesse but focused on the computer screen.

  Kaz stood there gazing at them with a confused look. “Laura, didn’t you go to Connecticut to oversee the repairs on your sister’s house?”

  “I did.”

  “Where is your father?”

  “Who knows? He said he had to go to the store.”

  “I really have to talk to Noblesse.” He paced in front of them.

  “Just say it,” Noblesse said.

  “Okay. Your brother is going to accuse me of crimes I did not commit. I haven’t killed anyone since I’ve been here. I’ve abided by the laws of the Arnhem Society.”

  “Well, just explain it to him.”

  Kaz shouted, “Do you believe me, Noblesse? I had nothing to do with anyone getting killed.”

  Noblesse stood up at her desk, but Laura maintained her position between them.

  “Say you’re mine, Noblesse. Say you believe me.”

  “What . . .?” Before she could get the words out, David and other Arnhem Knights burst through her door. The assortment of armaments, swords, spears, baseball bats, and axes, puzzled her. Donovan held a spear. Lily stayed by the door holding a book.

  “We are here to take Kaz before the Council. He is charged with murdering the five humans that were ripped apart in the city in addition to the murders of the people and vampires at Gino’s.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Kaz shouted, moving closer to Noblesse. Laura wouldn’t budge.

  Noblesse turned toward him. “You can clear this all up by going in front of the Council.”

  “No,” he roared.

  “Why is that, Kaz?” David bared his fangs ready for battle.

  “Why, Kaz?” Noblesse pleaded.

  “Tell them you’re mine, Noblesse. Don’t you love me? Tell them I’m your lifemate.” He reached for her. The Arnhem Knights rushed him, pushing him toward to the mirror and away from Noblesse.

  “You are not her lifemate,” Donovan roared, brandishing a spear, more relic than weapon. He ran at Kaz, who with one punch landed the human into the opposite wall, the spear clattering to the floor.

  David and the others jumped Kaz, stabbing and striking him. Laura pulled Noblesse’s left arm. Kaz grabbed her right.

  “You are Kazbiel,” David growled.

  Kaz’s fangs grew larger.

  “You fell with Lucifer into the dark, but God in his grace, gave you a second chance when you were made a vampire.”

  Kaz roared, slamming the Arnhem Knights against the walls, throwing them to the floor, the ceiling, anything to get them off.

  “You joined Dr. Mengele in experiments against humanity. You experimented on our kind.”

  Kaz’s hands became claws. Laura tried to pull Noblesse away but could not. She tried to zap him with a lightning bolt. Too many Arnhem Knights were in the way. He grew wider, taller.

  Snap. The air around Noblesse’s head buzzed, as David swung his baseball bat and slammed Kaz’s head. Blood filled the air.

  The vampire changing to beast groaned and wobbled back. In that second, Noblesse was free of his grasp. Laura pulled her rapidly across the room.

  Laura, let me at him. I want to fight. Kill him. Beat him to death for all his lies.

  No. Laura maintained a firm grip on her.

  “Max was part of the Council that sentenced you to the realm of the death spirits, the Keres, for crimes against humanity and vampiric kind,” David shouted. His right hand was now becoming a larger Kere claw.

  “I will never stand before a council again. Noblesse is mine, and she’s coming with me. Max will never see her again.” Kaz’s ro
ar shook all the windows and walls. He grew even bigger. Every knight jumped on him, cutting and slicing him. Throwing them off, he laughed, “You are nothing to me, and you won’t save her.”

  He rushed toward Noblesse. David grabbed him and swung him back against the mirror. David’s fangs grew, both hands extended into claws.

  David’s baseball bat connected again. The beast groaned and stumbled. Donovan, his head and ear bleeding, saw his spear too far from him. David threw him a bat, and Donovan slammed Kaz again and again, faster and faster.

  “This isn’t your battle, human!”

  Slam. “She.” Slam. “Is.” Slam. “My lifemate.” Slam. Slam. Slam. Donovan kept beating that bat over the monster’s head, his rage roaring fiercer every second. The Arnhem Knights pushed Kaz’s back against the mirror.

  The bat broke.

  The creature laughed, “You can’t be her lifemate.”

  Taking what was left of the bat, Donovan rammed the long sharp point into Kaz’s heart.

  Kaz pulled it out and tossed it on the floor laughing. “You can’t stab me in the heart, if I have none.”

  David picked up Donovan’s spear and ran, piercing the monster in the side. He pulled it back out with such force that Kaz stumbled backward into the mirror. Kaz stood glaring out at them, a bleeding, screaming image clutching his side.

  “What is that spear? What is that spear!”

  “Destroy the portal,” Lily yelled from the back of the room.

  Every Arnhem Knight crashed their weapons into the mirror shattering it into a million pieces.

  “Remember, try not to bleed on it, or it will reform,” Lily instructed.

  A million shards of silvered glass lay on her living room floor. A million faces of Kaz screaming and crying tears of blood. “Fix it, Noblesse, and I can still come through. You love me, Noblesse. I know you do. Only one drop of blood will free me. Free me, Noblesse, and let justice reign. I love you, Noblesse.”

  Gritting her teeth and with the spiked heel of her stiletto, Noblesse crunched a piece of mirror. A million more tiny pieces with his face screamed to her for help. Donovan crushed the pieces into powder, so did all the Arnhem Knights. Lily pulled several vacuum cleaners into the room and the knights started vacuuming.

  “We must get even the tiniest piece.” More knights came in with even more vacuum cleaners, buzzing around the room, checking everywhere. Others took axes to the mirror’s frame. “Remember, burn the wood. Divide the glass powder into the sea from different beaches. Bury some in the ground. Once permanently divided, the mirror can never be used as a portal again.”

  Drapes were taken down, every nook and cranny sucked clean. The same with everyone’s shoes. “Take off your shoes and boots and put them in this bag. You’ll have them back in a few hours all cleaned and polished.”

  With the growing force of the vacuum crew, the room was cleaned until it meticulously shone with no dust of any kind anywhere, not even the ceiling with its small chandelier. Lily led the way out and barked instructions even after the door shut, leaving Donovan, Noblesse, David, and Laura in the bedroom. David’s features had lost their Kere look, his fangs and hands were back to normal.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t get a lightning bolt off, honey. There were too many in the way,” Laura said.

  “You did a great job keeping hold of Noblesse. I was afraid, he’d grab her and pull her through with him,” David said.

  “Thank you. I can’t express how much I love you two.” Noblesse hugged them with tears in her eyes. “David, you’re sure he was guilty?”

  David patted his sister on the back. “We have witnesses that saw him torching Gustave’s. His victims wore the ravages of a Kere. Bless, he came here to destroy the world Max built and everything connected to Max. I’m so sorry he went after you.”

  Noblesse smiled. She found that she liked that name after all.

  Donovan fell into her chair. David helped him over to the bed. Blood seeped from a scalp wound and another above his ear.

  “I can take care of this. See you two later,” Noblesse said.

  David pulled a protesting Laura out.

  “He’s my father.”

  “Let his lifemate take care of him.” David pushed Laura out of the room and closed the door behind them.

  Noblesse licked the two wounds like a cat savoring cream.

  “Am I badly hurt?”

  “Not something a little licking won’t cure.” She licked until each wound closed. Then she lay beside him. “Feeling better?”

  “Yes, Sha. Thank you.”

  Noblesse caressed his face, a blood tear fell down her cheek. “You are a fierce warrior. So many times I had David tell me the story of how you went with him to rescue Laura and battled the Keres and their sorcerer king. Today I saw you fight a Kere for me. I can’t believe there is a human braver than you. You are a demon slayer. You are a male masterpiece, Donavan Dupre.”

  He grinned and brushed his mouth against hers. “I’m sorry I lied by omission. I should have told you that you were warm in my arms. I went to the library to find out what it meant. I was wrong to think I couldn’t be your lifemate.”

  “I should have challenged you. We read each other minds so well, but sometimes I blocked you. And sometimes I pretended I didn’t hear you.”

  His eyes widened. “You’ve been listening in on my thoughts and not telling me?”

  “I heard what you thought of me outside the antique store.”

  “Wow. Um, you knew I was having trouble staying your friend, and I wanted more? You saw that in my mind?”

  “Yes, I wanted more too. I practically live in your mind, though sometimes I think you block me.”

  He grinned. “Sometimes I do. Laura taught me how. And sometimes I don’t.” Donovan chuckled.

  She poked him. “What?”

  “You’re probably not having the erotic dreams I’ve been having.” He winked at her.

  She whispered in his ear, “You want to bet on that?” Then Noblesse pulled him from the bed. “We need a shower. We have blood all over us.”

  Donovan allowed her to pull him across the room and into the bathroom. She rubbed against him as they undressed. “Remember my age. I might be disappointing.”

  Grinning from ear to ear and showing her fangs, Noble answered, “Not a chance.”

  He was the first one in the shower, setting the temperature. She scooted in behind him, putting her arms around him.

  Chuckling, Donovan said, “This is just like one of my dreams.”

  “I know.” She nibbled his shoulder blades and reached in front of him.

  He spun around. “No, you don’t, Sha.” With a surprising strength, he lifted her into his arms and kissed her. Then his eyes widened. “Where did that come from?”

  “The kiss?”

  “No.” He kissed her on the nose and smiled. “The strength to lift you like this. In case, you didn’t notice, I took a beating fighting your Kere ex-boyfriend.”

  “I noticed. It’s my saliva in your system. I’m very good for you, Donovan, just you wait and see.”

  Holding her against him, he pressed her against the wall of the shower. The hot water pounded on him with a thousand tiny erotic fingers. All the lust and love he felt for Noble burned through his body. He didn’t wait to soap them up. Carrying her in his arms, he went back into the bedroom and lay her on the bed.

  Noble reached up and caressed his wet hair. “I thought we were going to express ourselves against the tile wall.”

  “No, Sha. You are too sacred to me. You are mine. I want this to be perfect.”

  She inched up further on the bed, and Donovan climbed up her body like a jaguar on the hunt, a fierce light in his eyes. Oh, all the things I will do to you.

 
David burst into the room, then he turned his back. “Get dressed you two. You have to be moved. We have to go through every inch of the apartment.”

  They flew off the bed and grabbed clothes.

  “We’re dressed.”

  David rolled down a carpet which led all the way to the door. He handed them slippers. “Put these on and be ready to move.”

  When he opened the door, all motion in the room stopped. “We don’t want to raise any dust that may alight on you.”

  They were almost to the door.

  “You’re going to regret rejecting me, Noblesse. All of the Arnhem Society is going to die,” the tiny cracked face of Kaz shouted from a piece of mirror in the corner.

  Noblesse was about to step on it with her slipper, when David stopped her. “Just get out.” He followed them into the hall.

  Donovan kissed her hand. “Let’s go to my room next door.”

  Donovan’s other hand reached for the knob, when David shouted, “Stop.” His eyes widened. “There’s a bomb. Get outside. Everyone get outside now!”

  His shout both voiced and unvoiced caused an avalanche of vampires racing downstairs to the front doors. The dampening fields still in place prevented flying and teleporting out.

  Within seconds, most of the members of the Arnhem Society were outside and across the street. Calling everyone to get out, the Arnhem Knights rushed for the entrance.

  Noblesse grabbed Donovan and got him outside. Once on the sidewalk he pushed Noblesse in front of him. Laura and David were the last to get out the door.

  The building blew up then crashed down with a deafening roar.

  Donovan fell on top of Noblesse, shielding her from flying debris. The force of the explosion knocked David and Laura flat in the street. As the dust settled, a limo pulled up in front of the pile of stones, bricks, and mortar. Vincent got out and opened the door.

  King Maximillion Vander Meer and Queen Evelyn stepped out. They helped David and Laura to their feet. Noblesse and Donovan went to greet them, as did all of the Arnhem Society. Noblesse hugged Max.