A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series)

by Hannaford, Sharon

  Kyle and Fergus followed the rodent army out of their hideaway. Gabi directed the dozens of tiny minds towards the now open door and then let go. Chaos.

  Werewolves lurched to their feet from positions all around the room, the sudden flurry of movement from the ground and the air both disconcerting and distracting. Gabi took the opportunity to call to their wolves. She sent out a wide net, but knew in an instant that she hadn't caught them all. She threw more energy at them, but felt Kyle next to her, letting his wolf come to the fore. Wolf surged forward, capturing the attention of the ones she'd missed. Within moments five of them were on the floor, writhing as the Change took them.

  Fergus took the dart gun and calmly aimed at each one in turn. As the darts hit home, Gabi looked around desperately. There should be seven; two were missing. In the room with Santiago? Elsewhere in the suite? She cast out her senses, drawing Nex as she did so. Razor pressed against her leg. Bats still flittered haphazardly through the room, the rats and mice had scattered to the safety of dark corners.

  "Kyle," Gabi called urgently as she found the essence of the other two Werewolves, one coming from each side of them. She kicked furniture out of her way, clearing fighting space. Both of the missing Werewolves were Alphas, strong ones. They weren't going to back down from her or Kyle. Fergus was trying to reload the dart gun, it only took two darts at a time, but something seemed to be wrong with it. Gabi didn't have time to help; the Werewolves attacked in harmony, already in wolf form. They were huge, easily as big and formidable as Kyle's wolf, and just as quick.

  "Gabi, go," Kyle ordered sharply. He didn't mean leave; he meant she needed to find Santiago. It wasn't long to sunset. Depending on the age of Santiago's Clan members, they could have an entire Clan of Vampires to deal with if they didn't finish this quickly.

  Kyle ducked the wolf that launched itself on him from a side room, and Fergus threw himself in the path of the second one as it lunged towards Gabi. Kyle and the other wolf rolled across the floor and crashed into a wall, bringing chips of plaster raining down on them all with the impact. As they broke apart, Kyle exploded into wolf form, the speed of his transformation shocked the other wolf, who flinched backward for an instant but then recovered and launched another attack. The two tore into each other with a savagery that made Gabi cringe, even as she jumped out of the way of Fergus and the other wolf.

  Fuck, Athena had been right; the other Vampire must have sensed them coming because Gabi's Vamp-meter was spitting out bad news. Two Vampires were awake and active in the room directly in front of her, and one was old and powerful. Either Santiago had a second vampire guard or his guard had managed to wake him. Either way she was in for the fight of her life.

  Delaying wasn't an option; she and Razor sidestepped Fergus and the second Werewolf and stalked towards the bedroom door. She drew a pair of butterfly swords in her left hand and settled Nex more firmly in her right.

  "Ah, Dhampir," Santiago purred as she stepped into his room. He was standing in front of the bed, smiling at her, dressed in a ruby red, satin robe. The room reminded her of a painting she'd once seen depicting an eleventh-century boudoir. It was gaudy, opulent and garish. A huge bed complete with canopy and frills dominated the centre of the room, though it by no means filled the large room. An unusually small table and chairs sat on one side, complete with teddy bears and dolls in some of the chairs. Bile rose in Gabi's throat.

  Several doors led off the bedroom. They didn't lead to walk-in closets or bathrooms; Gabi could sense the faint trace of Vampire in each of them. All asleep and none even remotely powerful, Gabi could only surmise that these were his 'toys'. The anger burned through her again, clearing her mind, solidifying her resolve. She took a step towards Santiago, and the Vampire guard dropped from the ceiling, where he'd been waiting for her like a hunting spider.

  She sidestepped, spinning, Nex flashing. The Vampire altered his course just in time to keep his head. Nex sliced across his chest instead, drawing blood and a hiss of pain and anger. He collapsed in on himself, dropping into a crouch, but Gabi didn't fall for the ruse. She backed away rather than rush in to finish the job. She was being careful to keep her back to a side wall, making sure to keep Santiago in her sights, but she was convinced he'd wait it out, letting his guard do the dirty work of exhausting or injuring her before he’d step in. She didn't have time for that, but she had a secret weapon.

  Razor had melted into the shadows when she first entered the room; now he lunged, aiming for the Vampire's unprotected Achilles tendons. The speed and ferocity of Razor's attack took the vampire by surprise. He yelped and leapt up, kicking backward, sending Razor flying towards the far wall. The cat hit with a dull thud but landed on his feet and, though obviously dazed, seemed to be in one piece. The Vampire tried to lunge towards Gabi, but his legs failed him, and he collapsed to his knees.

  "Gabi," Fergus yelled in warning. He was still fighting the Werewolf, but had a view inside the bedroom.

  She spun back towards Santiago. She'd momentarily lost sight of him as she checked on Razor, and he'd snuck up behind her. Nex slashed upwards, almost with a life of her own, instinctively protecting Gabi's vulnerable throat and face. Santiago dodged the blade and, in a blur of speed, caught her wrist in one of his large, strong hands.

  "Pretty, little Dhampir," he breathed. "If only you were about two decades younger." His eyes widened at the thought, and his mouth opened as he drew in a deep breath, as though savouring her scent. "I'm sure you would've been utterly delectable."

  "I would've gutted you," Gabi ground out and yanked on her hand, trying to pull him closer, "just as I'm going to now."

  He laughed as he applied crushing pressure to her wrist, making her fingers numb, and her grip on Nex began to falter. She was vaguely aware that Fergus was now fighting with the other Vampire. The sounds of a violent struggle still issued from the room where Kyle and the two Alpha wolves fought. The walls of the bedroom shuddered as something hit them with the force of a wrecking ball. In a lightning-fast move, Santiago caught her other hand as she plunged the spare blades towards his groin.

  "Maybe I'll make an exception for you, Dhampir." He smiled, heartbreakingly beautiful and absolutely vile. "In Vampire terms you aren't that much older than my usual fare. And just imagine what I'd be capable of after feasting on your blood. I'm told that not only will it enhance my current abilities, but it could even trigger new ones." Fervour sharpened his sky-blue eyes as she leaned closer to him. Those penetrating eyes widened in shock as Gabi head-butted him, hard.

  She took great pleasure in the feel of the cartilage in his perfect nose shattering under the blow. The unexpected pain distracted him enough to loosen his grip on her slightly. She yanked an arm free, slamming Nex's hilt into the side of his head and kneeing him in the groin with every ounce of strength she had. Vampires may heal fast, they may heal wounds that killed others, but that didn't mean they didn't feel pain the same way everyone else did. He roared in pain and fury, doubling over. Unfortunately he still had hold of her other wrist. As he crumpled forward, he pulled her towards him. She overbalanced for a second, and that was all it took for him to strike.

  A solid blow across her face with the back of his hand, a blow so hard it sent her flying backwards, the back of her knees colliding with the edge of the bed, sending her tumbling down onto it. She'd not only felt but heard the bone in her cheek crack as his hand connected. Pain exploded in the side of her face, and her vision blurred as she scrambled to disentangle herself from the sheets on the bed. Her vision cleared enough for her to watch as he stalked towards her, rage twisting his features as his nose began to realign itself, the bruising disappearing with each step. He suddenly growled at her, fangs fully extended. He held two short swords in his hands, taunting her with them. Behind him, Fergus and the other Vampire still tussled, both were bleeding, but they seemed evenly matched.

  "Enough," Santiago hissed, drawing back her attention. "You are not powerful enough to take me. Give u
p, and I promise to kill you gently." His robe had come loose, exposing the fact that he wore nothing beneath it. He noticed her eyes travelling the length of his naked body and gave her a predatory smile. "I'll make sure you even enjoy it." His voice had dropped, and the reaction of a certain part of his anatomy left Gabi in no doubt of what he meant. His body was as perfect as his face—sculpted in muscle, toned, flawless—and he knew it. Gabi forced back her revulsion, allowing female appreciation to soften her expression. Victory gleamed in his face as he got to within a few feet of her on the bed.

  "Gabi, stop toying with him. We don't have time." Kyle's voice sounded a little strained.

  Santiago took his attention from her for just a tenth of a second, but it was enough. She'd lost the pair of butterfly swords when he belted her across the room, but Nex was still in her grasp, hidden in the folds of the bed linen. She rolled, transferring Nex to her left hand, her right next to useless after Santiago's crushing grip. As she completed the roll, she jerked upright, thrusting the blade directly into Santiago's heart. Surprise coloured his expression as he looked down at the blade protruding from his flesh.

  He didn't go down, though, and Gabi couldn't believe he was still standing. She leapt at him, jamming the blade further into his chest, twisting it slightly as it sank in to the hilt. Hands suddenly gripped her throat. She looked up to see him glaring maliciously at her as his grip continued to tighten, blocking off her air and beginning to crush her trachea.

  "Gabi." Fergus's urgent voice cut through the blurring of her world. "His head, take off his head, or cut out his heart. He's a Master. It’s te only way."

  Now he tells her. If she'd had the breath, she would've sent him a sarcastic "thanks very much". As it was, she shot him a withering glance.

  It was then that Razor struck. There were many things a Vampire or even a human male could withstand. Torture came in many forms, and strong, determined men could prevail against much more pain than most people expected. Having a large, vicious cat latch onto your dangly bits was apparently not one of those tortures that could be withstood. Santiago reared back from her, bellowing in pain. Razor released his hold and backed out of reach, but the damage had been done. Gabi tried to hang onto Nex, but the blade was jammed deep in the Vampire's chest, and as he flailed backward, he ripped the hilt from her grasp. Both his hands covered his savaged nether region as he gasped like a dying fish.

  "Finish 'im, lass," Fergus yelled urgently. "We hav te go."

  Gabi's head was still spinning from the blow to her face, but she quickly located one of her lost blades, which Santiago had dropped. She dove for it, grabbing it as she came to her feet, slicing across the back of Santiago's thighs, hamstringing him. The Vampire collapsed to the ground.

  "No," he yelled hoarsely. "You can't do this. You will not get away with this. My Clan will hunt you down and take you apart, piece by tiny piece."

  "Oh, shut it," Gabi snarled. "You disgusting piece of filth. I'm more likely to get an award for exterminating you." She brought the sword down on his throat. Blood and gore spurted as the Vampire thrashed around, his tongue protruding from his mouth. Her first blow hadn't severed his head. It took several more attempts to finish the job, and Gabi was having a hard time keeping control of her stomach. Yes, she'd killed before, but that didn't make this particular kill any less horrific. Chopping a living being's head from its shoulders was not a pretty job, and she desperately prayed she'd never have to do it ever again. As Santiago's head finally rolled free of his neck, the rest of his body stopped moving, and a second later it began to shrivel and decay.

  Straightening, she quickly assessed the rest of the apartment as she wiped Santiago's blood from the side of her face. Fergus had cut down the Vampire guard; his remains were shrivelling as she watched. In the main room five Werewolves still lay in unruly piles where they'd fallen, darts protruding from their bodies, the dart gun was smashed into pieces on the carpet, and Wolf was looking strained as he kept one of the other wolves pinned with his superior Alpha gaze. Fergus was wrestling with the other one. Santiago's body continued to degenerate until there was nothing left of him but a large pile of ash and an empty robe.

  Gabi coughed, her throat sore where Santiago had tried to choke her. The side of her face was agony, her right arm weak and shaking, the pain would set in soon. Damn, the apartment looked like a war had taken place. It wasn't going to take long for anyone who walked in to figure out that Santiago had met his maker against his will.

  And the Werewolves, what the hell were they going to do with them? The five who were unconscious they could drag somewhere and leave to wake up and make whatever they could of the events that had taken place while they slept. But the two Alphas were another story. She wondered if she could convince them to leave the castle and not come back. The simple answer was to kill them, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to do that. They'd only been protecting their Master.

  "Stop," she commanded in a rasp, ramming the command into the two Alphas.

  Both wolves turned on her and then froze, eerie wolf eyes boring into hers.

  Razor stalked to place himself between her and them. Kyle's wolf relaxed a little, and with a quick shake, Kyle appeared in his stead. It didn't matter how many times Gabi saw it, it still amazed her how fast he Changed. He was naked, of course, and there were bite marks and lacerations all over his body. He was panting a little from exertion. Fergus sprang lightly to his feet from the floor where he'd been rolling around with the second Werewolf.

  "Kill 'em?" Fergus asked, as she threw him the short sword she was holding.

  "No," she replied, "I'm going to try to force them to leave and not return."

  "And if you can't?" Kyle asked, dragging a pair of jeans off one of the unconscious men.

  "Let me try first," Gabi said.

  "Hurry, there's no time to spare," Kyle warned.

  She blew out a breath, steadying herself, and then gathered her command into a tight spear. Normally she tried to be as gentle and unobtrusive as possible, to make suggestions rather than give orders. This time she knew she had to be cruel. She flung the order at the first wolf and watched as it hit home. The wolf flinched and let out a small yelp of surprise and fear. Gabi had several times forced a wolf to take a back seat and allow the human side to dominate, but so far she had done it with Werewolves she knew and already had some kind of established relationship with. These were hostile unknowns.

  Perhaps she'd been a little overzealous, she thought, as the Alpha's head bowed and his nose touched the ground. She felt his utter capitulation; she knew that when she opened the door, he would run. Run from the castle, run for days, staying wolf until he was many miles from here. He'd never return. She’d be surprised if he ever managed to Change back to human. She actually felt bad, until she remembered that the alternative was death. Gathering the last of her strength, she formed the command for the second one, this time lacing it with an order to keep an eye on the other one, to not attack humans, and to keep the other one from doing the same.

  As she released the second mental command, the expulsion of energy left her swaying. Kyle was at her side, propping her up.

  "Holy cow, Hellcat, you did it," he said, wonder in his voice. He could feel their submission.

  Relief weakened Gabi's knees almost as much as the effort of forcing their compliance.

  Suddenly there was a movement at the door. A figure appeared in the open doorway. Panic froze Gabi where she stood.

  CHAPTER 22

  "Ha, I knew ye'd do it," a voice crowed. The first figure was joined by others, and Sally marched into the room, followed by Athena, Xavier and, of all people, Amelia. In Sally's one hand was a vacuum cleaner and in the other a bucket with cleaning cloths and spray bottles.

  "Get out of the way," Gabi warned in a rasp as the two Werewolves bolted for the doorway. The newcomers scattered, and the wolves were gone in less than a heartbeat.

  "Come, we have to go," Athena said urgently. "Sunset is
coming."

  Amelia's and Xavier's eyes widened at the sight of Gabi caked in Santiago's blood and gore, but Sally just busied herself with the electric cord for the vacuum cleaner.

  "Get goin’," she ordered, making waving motions at Gabi. "We'll take care of the rest. No one will know there was a fight ’ere, not even that bastard's dust will be found." She grinned evilly, and Gabi finally figured out what the vacuum cleaner was for. "Xavier will sort out the Werewolves, and Amelia will take the girls." She nodded at the female Vampire, who was still staring at Gabi with a flabbergasted and slightly fearful expression.

  "What's she going to do with them?" Gabi demanded, not trusting the annoyingly cute blonde, after the few run-ins they'd had. She also wanted to know how Amelia was awake so early. She had to be older than she appeared, but there was no time for twenty questions.

  "I'll take them in as mine," Amelia said quickly. "I swear I'll do my best to help them. I was never lucky enough to be a mother, but the instinct is there. I promise you on my life, I won't let anyone else take advantage of them." There was a note of pleading in her voice, but it was underscored by steel when she spoke of protecting them.

  "Ye can trust ’er in this," Sally assured Gabi. "I'll stake me own life on it. Now get. Get to the entrance ye came in; there’ll be a car wain’ for ye." She began spritzing the room with a heavy citronella-scented spray. Kyle sneezed and wrinkled his nose at the over-powering smell.

  Gabi shook her head in rueful amusement; then she gave Sally a final grateful grin and turned to hurry from the apartment, Razor and the rest on her heels.

  They all but tumbled into the secret passageway, Kyle taking the lead, navigating back by their scent trail.

  Gabi felt the instant Julius woke; she was running through the passages, fuelled purely by adrenalin. There was no way he would fail to know something was going on. His mind was calm for a few seconds; then his connection with her flared. She actually stumbled as his anger and concern pounded into her. Fergus grabbed her around the waist and yanked her back onto her feet. Power flared, and Gabi knew Julius was rousing the others. There was going to be hell to pay for going behind his back, but she would never regret the decision. A quick look back at Fergus told her he would never regret this either. A fiercely triumphant grin lit his scarred face.