by Bonnie Dee
“After I saw what happened on the news, I was afraid. I thought with your political campaign in jeopardy, you might have no further use for me,” she admitted.
“On the contrary, I think you may be more important than ever.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ve got cleanup work of my own to do, thanks to this mess Kaspan created. He may have ruined my chance at a seat in the House, but I’ll call a press conference soon and try to salvage the situation. There’s no denying what people saw, so I’ll try to convince them vampires pose no threat to humans and we can all live in harmony.” He smiled his politician’s smile. “I can be very persuasive.”
“I believe that.” She searched for the right words to convince him she was harmless. “I won’t pretend I’m happy about being kidnapped, but I accept I’m here for the long haul. I won’t give your staff trouble again, I promise.”
“Hm. That remains to be seen.” He regarded her with a cool gaze, then rose from the bed. “Right now there’s a little matter I should’ve taken care of earlier. It’s been pointed out to me that you might not be pregnant. Something I must admit I didn’t consider.”
Because you’re an idiot. Who wouldn’t have checked that first thing?
“Snyder has placed a pregnancy test kit in the bathroom. You should take it now. I’ll wait.”
Akila’s heart went into freefall. Her ass was cooked if the test didn’t prove positive. Slowly she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
“Are you dizzy? I’m sorry about that. Snyder was overzealous.” Overton reached out to take her arm and help her from the bed.
She gritted her teeth but accepted his aid, a baby step in gaining his faith in her. Of course, it might not matter in a few more minutes, depending on how the test went.
“Don’t be frightened, Akila.” Overton stared at her with a mesmerizing gaze like Valarian’s and she found her fears seeping away. “If it’s a negative, that doesn’t necessarily mean your value to me is finished. As a daughter of Ra with the potential to produce valuable offspring, I’m not inclined to dispose of you just yet.”
“Good to know,” was all she managed to murmur before limping off to the bathroom.
“But no more experiments with electricity,” he warned.
She closed the door and leaned against it, squeezing her eyes shut. Valarian, Jacob, where the hell are you? Do you even know where I am? Hurry and come for me!
Chapter Seventeen
Valarian’s face and hands were tacky with blood. He wiped it off as best he could using the tail of his shirt, then stepped over the dead woman at his feet. Counting the guard he’d killed outside, that made seven down and a few dozen to go. He hoped Jacob was faring as well, but he couldn’t let himself worry about how his thrall might be holding up in a fight against vampires. Worry right now would weaken him.
Valarian grabbed the woman’s arms and dragged the body to a corner of the room where it would be less noticeable. Then he ripped a piece off the woman’s blouse and bound the gash in his arm where she’d torn him open. She’d been a fierce fighter and hadn’t gone down without inflicting some damage.
He waited by the entrance of the room, listening for footsteps. When he heard none, he ran down the hallway to check the next room. Each door he opened came with the risk of an enemy waiting inside—or Akila, if she was still alive. He couldn’t really imagine why Overton would keep her, knowing about the prophecy and the danger she posed.
If she was dead… Valarian buried the thought he wasn’t ready to face, but he knew he wouldn’t hold back his retribution this time if Akila had been murdered. He’d leashed his rage after Oxanna’s death rather than slaughter the villagers, but he would not restrain it now. If Akila was dead, he would kill every single being in this building, even though it wouldn’t change anything or bring her back to life. Mercy and forgiveness were not in his nature.
He checked several more rooms—all empty guest bedrooms—before he reached the juncture of the hallway and the landing. A staircase led down to the dining hall and other common areas on the first floor. Distant voices floated from below, but he couldn’t make out any words. At least they didn’t sound alarmed, so it seemed neither his nor Jacob’s infiltration had been discovered.
Valarian paused at the corner and peered around it at another hall. Several doors away a man stood with his arms folded, apparently guarding one of the rooms. Jackpot. With any luck, he could eliminate the guard and free Akila without alerting anyone to his presence. He drew the short sword Jacob had furnished him with, deciding to go in armed with more than his fangs this time.
As his muscles tensed and he prepared to attack, the door opened. Overton emerged from the room with Akila. His hand encircled her upper arm, keeping her close to him.
Valarian’s heart pounded and joy flooded through him at the sight of her, alive and well. He pulled back behind the wall. As much as he wanted to simply launch himself at his enemy, it would put Akila at risk. Overton could snap her neck in a second. Better to wait for a safer opportunity.
He waited for Overton and his prisoner and the guard to descend the stairs before following them. The instincts of a hunter stalking his quarry had not left him despite the fact he hadn’t gone on the prowl for more than small animals in a long time. Valarian moved silently as a shadow from one hiding place to another, trailing the trio through the great room and down a corridor without encountering any other people.
Voices came from an open room and light spilled through the archway. Overton ushered Akila inside. The guard waited outside. He would have to be eliminated in order for Valarian to come any closer.
Valarian hurtled down the hall toward the guard swiftly and silently, so fast that human eyes would register him as no more than a blur. The ability to move at super speed was probably what had given rise to the notion vampires could fly. Well, Valarian couldn’t fly, but he could sometimes kill an unsuspecting enemy before that person even registered he was being attacked. The guard didn’t have a chance to cry out or fight back before he lay in a heap on the floor.
Moving at top speed expended an incredible amount of energy, leaving Valarian exhausted and starved for fresh blood. He pressed against the wall to the left of the doorway and eavesdropped on the conversation in the room. A tantalizing whiff of blood floated to him along with the words.
“You couldn’t wait for dinner?” Overton demanded.
“I was starving,” a petulant female voice answered. “This isn’t your home, Dale. This place belongs to all of us and I’ll eat when I damn well please.” An unspoken you’re not the boss of me accompanied her statement.
Apparently deciding it wasn’t worth arguing, Overton moved on. “This is Akila Massri, the daughter of Ra foretold in the prophecy.”
“Do you really think that matters to us right now?” another disgruntled voice spoke up. “We’re all more concerned about the immediate future. Kaspan has unmasked you and by extension all of us. How are we going to protect ourselves from human retaliation?”
“I’m not going into hiding,” Overton replied. “My intention is to call a press conference and explain my case. The only way we can continue to exist among humans is to convince them we’re not a threat, tell them the vampire legends they’ve heard are outdated. We’re civilized now. We don’t kill their kind. This is a time for diplomacy and guile. But you know my feelings about our supremacy. When the time is right, we will inherit the earth.”
“With the aid of Kaspan’s progeny?” a different woman asked. “What part of the prophecy don’t you understand? The union of Ra and Khan will destroy us all. We need to kill it before it grows—if the girl’s even pregnant.”
Valarian tensed, ready to spring into the room and fight if the group turned against Overton and attacked Akila. But the politician’s smooth voice flowed like oil, soothing the turbulent waters.
“She has taken the test and is with child. As I’ve told you, prophecies are often misinterpreted or flat-out wrong. I belie
ve this child will have a special purpose to serve, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be our downfall. On the contrary, he could be the key to achieving our goals, a powerful tool in our hands.”
Pregnant. Another knot was added to the tangled twine of Valarian’s emotions. It was all he could do to hold himself back from recklessly invading the room and slaughtering anyone who stood between him and Akila, but he might not get her out safely. When Overton brought her back out into the hall, Valarian would be waiting for him.
Jacob flexed his muscles, slowly tensing and releasing, keeping the energy flowing through him so when the moment to strike came, he’d be ready. After hiding in the shadows behind the large potted palm for so long, he was more than ready to take action. He’d been very nearly tempted to attack when the vampires had fetched a human snack and taken turns feeding from the man. But outnumbered six to one, Jacob didn’t dare make a move yet. He hoped Valarian was nearby and working on his own plan of action, but he couldn’t count on his master’s aid.
Then Overton arrived with Akila. Jacob sucked in a breath and his heart bumped against his breastbone. Although he’d suspected she was being kept here, it was a relief to learn he was right, that she was still alive and that Overton planned to keep her that way. The news that she was pregnant would’ve made more of an impact if Jacob hadn’t been far more concerned about getting her free from this place.
Akila was beautiful. She stood with her back straight and her eyes blazing as she stared at the group of vampires who would decide her fate. She appeared every inch the Egyptian princess—proud and unbowed by her imprisonment.
Her gaze lifted for just a second from regarding the vampires to scan the room and take in her surroundings. Her eyes passed over Jacob then flicked back to him, widening slightly before she forced her gaze away. The exchange took only a fraction of a second and her reaction was slight, but it was enough. Overton looked to see what had caught her attention.
Jacob’s period of biding his time was over. He had no choice now but to attack. He leaped from behind the plant and launched himself toward Overton, hoping to wrest Akila from his grip.
But the other vampires were quick to recover from their surprise and react. The dark-haired man surged toward him, flowing faster than water and striking before Jacob could raise his knife. The blow knocked Jacob across the room. His back hit the wall and he slid down.
He scrambled to his feet and raced forward. He might not be equal to a vampire, but he had his own measure of superior strength thanks to Valarian’s blood running through him. Again he clashed with the dark-haired vampire, but this time Jacob had his knife ready and drove it into his opponent’s throat. Dark blood gushed from the wound, showering Jacob. He blinked the warm liquid from his eyes and dragged the knife from its fleshy sheath, spinning to face his next opponent.
A loud crash alerted Valarian that something was happening in the room as Overton broke off mid-sentence and Akila cried out. He didn’t hesitate but burst into the room, assessing the situation in a flash. Overton stood with Akila close beside him. Five other vampires were in the room and Jacob was getting his ass handed to him by at least one of them. He wished he could help him, but Valarian knew Jacob could handle himself, and Overton was his number one target.
The man’s back was turned to him. He’d never get a better chance to take him unaware. He wrapped an arm around the politician’s throat and dragged him backward. Akila darted out of the way.
Overton twisted in his arms like a snake and struck at him with his fangs, scoring Valarian’s cheek. Although he’d sparred with Jacob on a regular basis to keep in shape, it had been years since Valarian fought one of his own kind. The speed and dexterity of a fellow vampire was light years beyond a human’s. They grappled together, pulling back and striking, rolling across the floor and leaping to their feet only to clash together again.
But the combat didn’t remain between the two of them for long. Someone grabbed Valarian, holding his arms in a lock while Overton drove a fist into his gut. Valarian smelled perfume and blood. He jerked his head back and felt it connect with something hard. The grip on his arms relaxed and the woman howled.
Valarian spun and slashed. His blade cleaved through the vampire’s neck, sending her head flying across the room but leaving her pearl necklace undisturbed. As she toppled to the floor, he observed at a glance the action going on in other parts of the room.
Jacob had killed one opponent and was fighting another. The human prisoner the vampires had been feeding on had taken the opportunity to fight back. He was locked in bloody battle with the other female and getting the worst of it as she bit into his throat and shook him like a dog with a chew toy. The last vampire, a man with thinning hair and a well-tailored suit, rushed toward Valarian. But Overton would be back on him in a second, so Valarian turned to him.
Akila stood between Valarian and the politician. She was brandishing a pointed stick and standing her ground. Overton batted her hand aside, sending the stick flying. Then he pushed her out of the way and came at Valarian.
Valarian vaulted toward him and shouted out an order to Akila. “Run!”
Akila hit the floor, the breath knocked out of her. She gasped for air and for a second wanted to keep cowering on the floor while the war raged on around her, melt into the carpet like a helpless puddle of weakness. Then Valarian’s command to run cut through her momentary shock and snapped her awake.
She grabbed hold of a chair arm and hauled herself to her feet. The vampires were blurs of motion as they wrestled and growled like lions. Instinct told her to do what Valarian said and run. But her men were outnumbered. She couldn’t leave them without trying to help. She snatched up the feeble chair rung she’d whittled and concealed in the waist of her jeans.
Valarian was fighting both Overton and another vampire, the action so fast Akila could barely focus on who was doing what. But for just a moment, the blue-clad back of the vampire in the business suit presented itself. She raised her arm and brought her weapon down with all the force she could muster, jamming it into his back.
The flimsy stake should not have been strong enough to shear through fabric and flesh, let alone bone, but somehow it slipped past his spine and between his ribs. He yelled and jerked, releasing Valarian and arching backward. Akila jumped out of the way as he toppled to the floor and convulsed like a dying fish, arms and legs flinging out in all directions.
She thought she’d managed to puncture his heart, but at the very least, she’d gotten him off of Valarian, leaving him in a fair fight with Overton. She’d lost her weapon, which was embedded in the vampire’s back and digging in deeper as he flopped on top of it. Akila searched for something else to use and her gaze fell on a poker by the fireplace. She ran for it.
But the vampire who’d been biting gory hunks out of the man in a Knicks T-shirt intercepted her. The blonde’s face wore a half-mask of blood. Her fangs were bared and she snarled at Akila.
Empty-handed and vulnerable, Akila stood before her without a prayer of saving herself. She should have been terrified, but something odd was happening inside her. The same terrific energy that had first percolated through her that night on the beach when she’d felt like a goddess began to pulse again. In the core of her being, a glowing ball of power gathered and grew, and her fear evaporated. It was as if she was inhabited by something other—something more than Akila, which rose up inside her and coiled through her. How had she imagined she was a mere mortal for all these years? How had she not seen her true nature?
Akila lifted her hands so her palms were aimed at the vampire in front of her. Energy crackled through her as if she was a lightning rod, and shot out through her hands. Light surrounded and bathed the vampire, who screamed and shook as though high voltage was ripping through her. Then she erupted in a blaze of fire that burned the carpet beneath her feet and rose in a column to singe the ceiling.
The jolt of electric force left Akila feeling as drained as if she’d run a five-
mile marathon. She staggered and stopped herself from falling by bracing her hand against the wall. The wallpaper warmed beneath her palm and little plumes of flame licked out from her hand in all directions. She quickly pulled her hand away.
Meanwhile, the fire on the carpet was spreading, creating a wide, irregular circle. It caught on the upholstery of an armchair and began to crawl up the piece of furniture.
Great. She’d happily set this whole place on fire, but first she and Jacob and Valarian had to get out. She checked on her two lovers to see how they were faring.
Valarian had Overton pinned to the wall and was slashing at his face. Meanwhile, Jacob was protecting his body from a barrage of punches his opponent rained on him. It appeared one of Jacob’s arms was injured. He held it close to his body and fought with only one hand.
Akila tried to summon the mysterious force inside her once more. She dared not incinerate the vampire while he was entangled with Jacob, so she threw a vase from a side table at the man’s head and yelled to get his attention. He whirled toward her, displaying a scowling Halloween mask of a face with sharp, curved incisors, and then he leaped at her.
This time Akila didn’t feel the rising power surge through her body. No energy swelled through her to burst from her in a blaze of light. She screamed and stumbled backward, but the vampire was upon her, bearing her to the floor. Searing pain lanced through her at the junction of her neck and shoulder.
Overton was a better fighter than Valarian would have expected, lithe and wiry and as hard to pin down as an octopus’s tentacles. But the politician lacked one thing Valarian had—a weapon. He’d felt too secure here in his own territory and hadn’t bothered to arm himself. In the end, strength and his fangs weren’t enough to overcome Valarian’s blade as he plunged it into Overton’s throat and sawed through his neck.
The would-be Congressman died baring his teeth in a grimace that was a twisted replica of his politician’s smile.
