“What took you so long?”
I jumped all over at the sound of Alucard’s voice, but thankfully I didn’t scream. Vincent didn’t appear to be surprised at all. He was too busy looking at the fortress for a weakness. Alucard must have been there for several minutes because he was already soaked through by the rain. His red shirt looked black now and it clung to him, revealing every curve as did his pants. His shoulder length hair hung in wet layers against his throat and his red eyes glowed in the semi-darkness of the woods. How could he look so scary and still turn me on so much? It just wasn’t fair. I probably looked like a drowned rat and he still managed to look elegant.
“What weapons are you carrying?” he asked softly.
All the while he was concentrating on our surroundings just like Vincent. He looked at me, but I didn’t have his full attention. That was fine with me, because I had no idea what we were in for.
“Holy water, some stakes, rosary and a dagger.” I held up the dagger as I spoke.
“Silver,” he said, examining the weapon. “That’s good, because I smell werewolves.”
“Me too,” Vincent said.
“Werewolves? Are you fucking shitting me?”
“It’s alright,” Alucard said. “Stay close to me and keep the coat on. Oh, one thing first. Ask it for my sword.”
“You have a sword in this coat? Well, that would probably help out.”
Just like that I was almost completely weighed down. I opened the coat and found Alucard’s sword inside. I had no idea how any of this was possible. Obviously I knew nothing about magic. The sword matched the small dagger I was holding. Its hilt was also a dragon’s head and its wings fanned out just above the blade. I assumed it was also silver. Why else would he want it to fight werewolves?
“Thank you,” he said, taking the blade from inside the coat.
He held it easily, but I was certain I wouldn’t have been able to lift the weapon.
“I’m going up there,” Vincent said, pointing. “To the incomplete tower on the left side.”
Alucard nodded. “We’ll meet you halfway.”
Vincent hugged me once more, wrapping me in his arms and his wings. He couldn’t really kiss me with his fangs so much longer, but he tried.
“Stick close to Alucard.”
With one flap of his wings he was off into the night. I lost sight of him through the trees and hopefully anyone watching would do the same. After all, we needed the element of surprise.
Alucard took me by the arm and we started through the woods to the lower right side of the fortress.
“The rain will help to cover our scent,” he whispered.
“That’s a good thing, I take it.”
“It is when you’re dealing with werewolves.”
“But if you could smell them, can’t they smell us?”
“I could only smell them because we were downwind. They didn’t have that advantage tonight. Now keep quiet and keep close.”
Even though I did my best to tread softly, Alucard felt like I was making too much noise. Compared to his silent footsteps, I was. He knelt down and took me onto his back. He carried me this way for several yards before putting me down just outside the tree line. Alucard turned to me and pressed a finger against his lips. He nodded toward the fortress and I took a closer look. At first I didn’t see anything. There was a door on this side of the structure and I saw some assorted building materials stacked beside it. I saw the trees, but nothing else. Then a pair of glowing amber eyes became visible and it wasn’t long before the creature materialized completely out of the darkness.
The monster stepped in front of the door and I was awed by his size. He must have been a big man to begin with, but in this form he was over seven feet tall. He didn’t appear to have noticed us. Since I had the opportunity, I got a good look. His hands were enormous and still human in shape, though covered with fur and adorned with long black claws. But his hands were not the only parts of his body that retained a human shape. In fact, the only parts that were clearly wolf were his head and his feet. His legs had transformed so that it appeared a wolf was standing on its hind legs. From the knees up his powerfully muscled body still looked human. He was nothing like those hideous rat creatures that had attacked us before. This beast was impressive, though not lacking in its frightening appeal. If it had been under different circumstances, I might have enjoyed my first glimpse at a werewolf.
He turned his head from side to side curiously, like a dog trying to figure something out. Then he lifted his head. It looked like he was sniffing, checking the air for any unusual scent.
“I know trees don’t wear cologne,” he said. “Show yourself.”
Chapter Twenty Four
“You wore cologne?” I whispered fiercely.
The vampire shrugged and motioned for me to take a step forward.
“Are you crazy?”
I was shocked when Alucard put his hand on my back and shoved. I staggered out into the open and the werewolf’s amber gaze was instantly upon me.
“You don’t look like the type to wear cologne,” he growled, taking a step forward. “What purpose do you have here little girl?”
I was terrified. I couldn’t believe Alucard had pushed me out here. What the hell was he doing?! My anger gave me enough courage to answer and I tried to keep my knees from shaking.
“I just wanted to get a look at a werewolf.” My voice shook, but only slightly. “I had heard rumor that werewolves could be found here.”
The creature cocked his head to one side, studying me. He looked amused.
“Is that so? Then how do you explain your American accent?”
“How do you explain yours?” I countered. I knew he didn’t sound like he was from around here and since his accent sounded more like mine I was taking a chance that he was American.
He laughed, a deep and threatening rumble that sent chills down my spine.
“What are you, on vacation?” he asked.
All the while he spoke he moved forward. It shocked the hell out of me that I hadn’t taken a step back. I still had the silver dagger in my hand, but I made sure to keep it out of sight and held it close to my side.
“Yes. I’m on vacation.”
He wagged a finger at me and clicked his tongue. That sounded strange coming from a wolf’s muzzle.
“You shouldn’t lie. See, the villagers who know about us know better than to talk about it. They would never tell a tourist. So why don’t you tell me what you’re really doing here before I kill you just on principle?”
Shit. I had no choice, I was out of excuses. “Alright, fine. I don’t give a shit about you. I came for Malkye.”
At the mention of his name the werewolf growled. “What business do you have with Malkye?”
“It’s private,” Alucard answered from beside me.
I hadn’t realized he was moving through the trees as we spoke. Before the werewolf could react he moved his sword in a graceful arc, severing the beast’s head. I jumped back to avoid being covered in blood and put a hand over my mouth. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to keep from screaming or throwing up. Probably both.
Alucard held up the blade and to my horror, ran his tongue down it.
“What the fuck was that about?” I asked. “You could have told me what you were planning.”
“Then you wouldn’t have been so convincing. You acted like you were on your own because you thought you were. Werewolves aren’t stupid, you know.”
I was still furious at him for pushing me out in the open and my expression must have conveyed that.
“I would never have let him touch you, I swear it. But I am here to act as your protector and until he threatened to kill you I didn’t technically have the right to act.”
“Fuck technicality. If you see a werewolf, kill it.”
“Now that they know we’re here, I will.”
“What do you mean they know we’re here? We’ve been keeping our voices down.” I looke
d from side to side. “I don’t see anyone.”
“They’re coming,” he said, licking the blade again. “They can smell a fresh kill for miles.”
“Great.”
“He’s just confirmed that Malkye is inside, let’s go.”
Alucard kicked the door down and motioned for me to go first. “I’ll be with you,” he said.
Before I could ask what that meant he had disappeared. My first reaction was panic, but then I reminded myself that he hadn’t let me down last time. A long stairway was in front of me and I put my foot on the first step and took a deep breath. I had no idea what was waiting at the top of the stairs. Somehow this was not what I imagined when I thought of storming a fortress. I guess I was thinking of something a bit more dramatic. This was just flat out scary.
As I began to move I noticed mist curling around my legs, following me up the stairs. There was something familiar in its icy touch.
“Alucard?”
The mist traveled up and down my body in response before settling back at my feet. I moved forward with much more confidence, knowing he was with me just like he’d promised.
The area at the top of the stairs was large and open. There were cracks in the floor big enough for someone to fall through and an enormous chandelier overhead. It was ringed with electric candles, so I knew there had to at least be a generator somewhere. It looked like they were building the fortress around a ruined castle and I had stumbled upon the grand hall. The structure was still quite unstable in places. The mist traveled before me, helping me to watch my step.
I was just starting to let my guard down when a shadowy figure appeared on the far side of the room. His laughter filled the grand hall, echoing off the walls. It sounded like he was everywhere at once. A vampire for sure. Damn, I was expecting a werewolf.
He walked out of the shadows and paused about ten feet in front of me. He hadn’t noticed the mist. His hair was white and long and his eyes looked purple. Was that even possible? Well, I guess it was. He was dressed to the nines and his smile was almost charming.
“What brings you here my pet, blood donation?” Now that was a Romanian accent.
“I don’t think so. And I’m not your pet.”
He observed me for a second or two. “You seem disappointed. Were you expecting someone else?”
I held up the dagger as I spoke. “Sort of. You see, I was expecting a werewolf. Now I’ll have to reach for the holy water in my coat and you’ll probably be on me before I can do that.”
I had no idea where this bravado was coming from. I didn’t know I had it in me, but I liked it.
“Yes, probably,” he agreed.
I could hear snarling coming from the staircase. The werewolves had tracked the scent just like Alucard said and now they were coming up behind me. The vampire smiled as their hungry growls reached his ears as well. About that time fighting broke out in one of the rooms above us.
“Vincent,” I gasped.
His purple eyes flashed red at the name. That let me know more than anything else that I was standing in the presence of Malkye.
“You may not have come alone, but you are alone here,” he said. “Your friend cannot save you. He will never reach you in time and you will never reach your holy water.”
While he spoke the mist was filling the room. I suppose he thought it was coming in from outside. But for whatever reason it didn’t seem to alarm him or the werewolves who were filing into the room behind me. I was trapped between a vampire who meant to kill me and what sounded like a pack of hungry werewolves. Alright, Alucard now would be a damn good time to show yourself.
“Why waste your time with me?” I asked. “Aren’t you a master vampire? Don’t you have bigger fish to fry?” He looked confused by the expression. “You know, higher priorities than a human?”
“Of course.” He laughed. “I was just going to have some fun with you before I moved on to your Vincent.” He spoke the name with even more contempt than Vincent spoke his. That was impressive.
Malkye took a step back and opened his arms wide. The sound of thousands of flapping wings filled the room. Bats began to swarm up through the cracks in the floor. They rushed up around me, generating a small breeze in their wake. He laughed again and his voice was even more frightening than before. But he still couldn’t compare to Alucard. After being frightened by him, Malkye couldn’t hold a candle. So, I stood my ground. The bats swirled around me, but I refused to swat them. After all, Alucard had power over bats. They couldn’t really hurt me in his presence, but Malkye didn’t know that.
He seemed impressed. “You are not easily frightened. That’s good. I had hoped for a bit of a challenge.”
He took one step toward me and Alucard’s presence began to fill the room. He was already everywhere in the form of the mist. But now you could feel him in the room. Malkye stopped in his tracks.
“Who’s there?”
Alucard’s laughter echoed through the room this time and I trembled. Even though I knew he wasn’t there to hurt me it was still scary. Some of the werewolves behind me howled and I saw what looked like fear pass over Malkye’s features. Suddenly the bats began to leave the room, flying back through the crevices from which they’d come. A dark shape rose out of the mist beside me and everyone, including myself, turned toward it.
The darkness began to take Alucard’s shape, though it did not become completely solid. He looked like a dark ghost floating beside me. The mist turned to darkness as well and seemed to swallow the room.
“Let me show you how that’s done,” he said.
The shadow spread his arms wide and with his laughter the darkness took wing. Bats were everywhere, thousands of them. But they weren’t real bats, they were a part of the darkness. They only had the shape of bats. They swirled around the werewolves and around the vampire in front of me. Alucard continued to laugh at the chaos he inspired and I crouched down near his shadowy feet. Just the sound of his voice was enough to scare me to the point of a breakdown. I had to close my eyes and remind myself that this was Alucard and he wasn’t going to hurt me.
Malkye swatted at the bats for a moment and then a look of fury passed over his features. He turned to me with nothing short of rage as he yelled, “Alucard! You come here to taunt me with your parlor tricks? How dare you interfere?!”
Alucard’s shadow stepped in front of me. “You have threatened that which is mine, Malkye. It is you who interferes here.”
“If what you say is true, then why is she here with Vincent?” he asked, pointing upstairs to the sounds of fighting above us.
“Because she belongs to him as well.”
His answer surprised me enough that I forgot to be scared. Some of the werewolves started toward me, but the darkness rose up and slapped them back like a great hand.
“If you are going to fight me, then you must take form,” Malkye taunted. “You have to turn the wolves loose sometime.”
One of the doors on the far side of the room crashed to the floor and Vincent stepped inside. Three long scratches ran across his chest, but he was otherwise unharmed. He flew into the air and dove toward the werewolves with a roar. The darkness moved toward Alucard’s shadowy form as if a vacuum was pulling it in. In an instant he was solid again and he had his sword in hand. Malkye flew backward across the room. He didn’t have wings so I assumed he could levitate. He made a gesture with his hands and blades extended from his wrists. Talk about having something up your sleeve. Just like that, the duel was on.
Steel clanged against steel as Alucard and Malkye fought. I ran to the far corner of the room, turned over a table and took cover behind it. I had no idea if the table would offer any protection or not, but they did it in movies all the time. It was all I could think of. I took a phial of holy water from the coat and held it in my left hand with the dagger still in my right. Whatever came at me I wanted to be prepared.
I looked over the top of the table and saw Vincent tearing into what looked like a dozen or
more werewolves. Some of them made the mistake of straying from one fight into another and Alucard slashed them to pieces in a matter of seconds. He did this while managing to fend off Malkye’s attacks as well. To say that we needed his help was more than accurate. He kept leading Malkye toward me. After all, it was his job to protect me. Vincent was supposed to be the one fighting Malkye and Alucard was supposed to be keeping me safe. Thanks to the horde of werewolves occupying Vincent’s time, he was having to do both.
A werewolf head flew over the table and hit the wall beside me. I screamed and kicked it back toward the fight. Alucard laughed and nearly got cut in the process. He was standing between me and Malkye and doing a damn good job fencing. It shouldn’t have surprised me that he was so good at swordplay, but it kind of did. Even with two blades and superhuman speed, Malkye hadn’t managed to land a single strike.
I heard a sickening tearing sound and looked to see Vincent tearing a werewolf in half. He appeared to be the last one. Vincent flapped his wings and blood splattered the walls close by. He was almost covered in it from head to toe. He looked like he’d literally been involved in a blood bath. He moved toward Malkye and two more vampires came in through the side door, a dark haired male and a blond female.
Without hesitation I tossed the phial of holy water like it was a grenade. It hit the vampire closest to me in the shoulder and he screamed. He started stripping off his clothes before it could burn through. Once he was bare to the waist, he still had what looked like a really bad sunburn on his left shoulder. Both of the new arrivals turned in my direction and I reached into the coat for another phial.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Vincent running toward a display of armor and weapons at the back of the room. I launched the second phial of holy water at the woman and hit her right in the chest. She screamed and tore at her clothes, but I could tell she was badly burned. That was it for holy water. I guess Alucard’s coat didn’t do re-fills. I wrapped the rosary around my hand and took off for the weapons display at the back of the room.
Diary of an Incubus Page 20
