Bloodlust

by Kramer, D. L.

  “Excellent,” he nodded to me, smiling broadly. “Shall we go inside?”

  “Who’s in the barrels,” I asked him, tilting my head to look at him with my clear eye.

  “A couple of people who didn’t quite measure up to my standards,” he replied easily. “I figured they could serve as motivation for everyone else.”

  “Human though,” I noted. “Hard to motivate anyone tonight if everyone coming has already been infected.” I didn’t bother looking at Gianna. It would only raise suspicions. I did catch her looking at me, though and I felt her unease.

  Hold it together, Girl, this wasn’t the time to get cold feet.

  “There will be a few humans around,” he nodded to me, then stepped past me and opened the door. He knew better than to motion for me to go first, so he let Gianna go first, then followed her in and let me bring up the rear. “We’ve still got a few minutes,” he said over his shoulder to me as Gianna led us to the doorway leading to the back, then up the stairs to the walkway.

  I nodded as Aleksander turned to look out over the slowly filling warehouse.

  “Where’s Rosie?” I asked him, my tone low, quiet. Deadly.

  He would recognize it.

  Aleksander glanced at me. “Somewhere safe,” he told me. “Let’s just say she’s my insurance policy that nothing--” he paused to look more directly at me. “—Unfortunate happens tonight before I can make my leave.”

  “You made a big mistake taking her,” I told him. Below someone pushed up one of the overhead doors, then the other one, letting more people in.

  “Because of her grandmother?” Aleksander waved me off. “I’m surprised she’s even still alive. Besides, she’s not going to attack me. Not with you here, Mikhos.” He smiled faintly at me. “She trusts you and I’ve no doubt you’ve told her you’ll find out where Rosaline is and that you’ll get her back for her, “ he nodded. “And you will, just by cooperating tonight and seeing to it my plans follow through when I leave.”

  He thought I was going to be one of his flunkies.

  Now that was amusing.

  “Why should I trust you?” I growled him. “For all I know, she’s one of the bodies out there in a barrel.”

  Aleksander turned to look fully at me. “I give you my word that she is not. I’ve left very explicit instructions that she is not to be harmed and tomorrow morning she’s to be released somewhere that she can find her way safely back to her grandmother’s.” He paused. “I just need to be sure you won’t interfere tonight, Mikhos. Once you realize what’s at stake here, you’ll understand.”

  I slowly extended my claws, then flexed my fingertips. The burning in my fingertips eased as my claws filled with venom. I could smell it, bitter and oily, potent.

  “Who’s in the barrels?” I asked him.

  He waved me off again, turning to look back at everyone milling about below.

  He was going to go into speech mode. I just knew it.

  I couldn’t let him do that. More than simply because I didn’t want to hear it, but because if he got them all riled up and inspired, it was going to make them harder to kill. I glanced out at the lower level, my eyes moving quickly over the room, noting where people were and about how many had shown up by now. I had to estimate there were approximately seventy people there now. I looked back at Gianna and saw her looking at me, then her eyes widened slightly. She nodded slowly and extended her claws.

  “Why won’t you tell him who’s in the barrels?” she asked Aleksander, leaning into him, her husky voice more of a purr now.

  Aleksander looked at her, then at me, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

  “Or is it because it’s more of your whores?” she demanded, snarling at him. “You had your little bitch Trina out looking for whores for you after I left. I saw her.” She stepped back from him, her eyes full of rage and hurt. I waited, letting her pull his attention.

  Wait. Give it to the right moment.

  I flexed my fingers, exhaling slowly. Then I prayed Jozef, Marcella and Rasmussen were all ready.

  Aleksander turned to look at her and I could hear the anger in his voice when he spoke.

  “You think you’re the only one?!” he demanded, his growl building with each word. “You who lapped up everything I told you like a starving dog. You heard what you wanted and conveniently ignored the rest, then tried to blame me for misleading you.” His anger took over, I could feel it in his heartbeat and hear it in his voice. “They were two of my playthings,” he nodded to her. “Sweet and young and full of life and fight. I had my way with them then waited until they realized where they were. Then I made them watch as I slowly killed them, each seeing their friend die even as they themselves were dying.”

  The two girls. I knew he was talking about the two girls from the night before at his room.

  My rage snapped in me.

  He had gone too far.

  Aleksander never got a chance to taunt Gianna further. I growled and lunged for him, my weight hitting him fully as I slashed across his back, flexing my fingertips and feeling the venom release into the wounds.

  Aleksander screamed and twisted under me. His own claws out instantly as he slashed for my right eye. Below us, there were a number of alarmed yells. I heard a few retreating footsteps, then the sharp crack of a rifle.

  Then hell broke loose.

  I knew Marcella was there immediately. I heard a sound I could only describe as a banshee’s screech and knew it was her.

  I twisted with Aleksander’s swipe, his claws only grazing over my temple and down the side of my head back towards my ear. I tried wrestling his arms around, twisting and grabbing where I could. His strength matched my own and he was able to twist free more than once. I noticed a black flash as Gianna jumped over the railing, landing below. I could only guess she was either getting out of our way or going to help Marcella and Jozef there. Hopefully she found others to help. Even then, they were going to have their hands full.

  I slashed for Aleksander’s arm with my other hand, once more releasing more venom into the wounds as my claws sank deeply through fabric and flesh. He yelled a curse and grabbed for my left shoulder, sinking his claws deeply into the muscle and bone. Pain exploded through my shoulder and down my arm and chest. He used the tight grip to turn me, his other claws coming around towards my throat.

  No, we weren’t going to do that.

  I twisted back against his claws in my shoulder. I could feel the muscles and tendons ripping and the bones straining under the pressure. Blood poured from the wound, soaking my coat and shirt. I could smell the sickening metallic smell of it, the bitterness heavy in the air. I could feel it running down my back in a thick, sticky stream.

  I forced my arm to come up sharply under his then lunged forward. My weight effectively prying his claws out of my shoulder. I felt more muscles tear as his claws came loose in a gush of blood. I swung around with one leg, connecting with his knee and kicking backwards. It wasn’t hard enough to put him down, but I heard the grinding of bones. Aleksander jumped back from me, putting several feet between us. He began backing away from me, limping on the knee I’d just kicked.

  I hissed between my teeth, my vision almost red as I walked deliberately toward him. He was not getting away this time. From below, I could hear the sounds of full out battle and the regular crack of Rasmussen’s rifle. I didn’t let it distract me from what I needed to do.

  “Mikhos, please,” Aleksander said, still backing away from me. “I only said those things out of anger, trying to upset Gianna.” He paused, as if just realizing she was gone. I noticed a faint tremble to his voice and he was shaking slightly. He was holding his arm and through the shredded sleeve of his shirt, I cold see the edges of the wounds turning black from the venom. “I told you I wasn’t going to hurt those girls.”

  I wondered how long I’d have to keep him talking before the venom ate its way through to his heart.

  “Who said it’s about the girls?” I snarled at him.
He turned the corner at the end of the walkway. “You dared even go near Rosie and you run around haphazardly infecting people who have no business being brought into this life!” I vaulted over the corner of the walkway. As soon as I landed, he plowed into me, hitting me with one shoulder below my ribs, trying to knock the air from me. I fell backwards from the force of the hit. His claws slashed and tore at my chest and stomach. Most of the wounds were superficial, meant to distract me and weaken me, but not necessarily incapacitate me.

  I had no problem ignoring them.

  I sank my claws deeply into the side of Aleksander’s neck, rolling to one side, but not having enough room to throw him off of me. I used the position to pin his one arm beneath him. Aleksander let out a deep growl, twisting his other arm under mine and sinking his claws into my chest, directly over my heart.

  Cairo.

  But the roles had been reversed. I’d been going for his heart and he’d been going for my neck.

  Marcella had stopped that fight, not willing to risk him possibly killing me. She knew what was in me, but knew I hadn’t accepted it. She knew I wasn’t ready.

  It was old and it was powerful.

  And it was mine.

  I let out a yell, my other hand coming up to grab his around the wrist. I sank my claws into his arm, feeling the razor sharp edges cutting the tendons and into the bones. I flexed my fingers, releasing more venom into him. He screamed and twisted, squirming under me to get his other arm free. My claws in his neck sank deeper even as I struggled to pull his claws away from my chest.

  Aleksander twisted and rolled slightly to the side. I could see the desperation and near-panic in his eyes now. He knew there was no breaking up the fight this time.

  I had to end this before his desperation made him more dangerous.

  He managed to work his arm free, slashing at my face, trying to gouge at my eyes. I ducked my head away, his claws cutting into my scalp and sending blood running down my face.

  A deep growl came from low in my throat, building in strength and intensity. I ignored the heavy, hard beating of my heart under his claws, feeling them pressing against my ribs. My head pounded with my heart.

  Now.

  It was my life or his.

  My growl turned into a near roar as I closed my hand on his throat, twisting my claws deeply through the flesh.

  Aleksander’s eyes met mine, his gaze locking on me.

  “My—brother--” he managed, his voice strangled, then cut off as my hand closed over his windpipe. My claws cut through the last of the muscle, then forced his skull off his spine with a final twist. Aleksander went limp under me, his heart stuttering to a stop. I wrenched his claws from my chest, holding my hand tightly over the wounds as I stood. Blood poured freely over my fingers and I felt weak.

  Too much blood loss. I could feel it still running down my back and now from my chest. My heart seemed to race. My head still pounded. Metallic, sticky, thick, soaking my shirt.

  I could hear the sound of Rasmussen’s rifle. The yells and cries from below. Gianna screaming something.

  The pounding in my head grew distant.

  I pulled my hand from my chest, unable to tell what was my blood and what was Aleksander’s.

  My heart seemed to stutter as everything around me spun, then went black. I vaguely remembered feeling the rush of air around me, then nothing.

  I could hear a heartbeat. Far away, but growing closer. Slow, but steady. I listened, letting it grow stronger, before I realized it was my own.

  “He’s waking up.”

  It took me a moment to recognize Marcella’s voice.

  Everything hurt. I opened my eyes slowly, half expecting to be completely blind in the right one now. No, wait. I had ducked. Aleksander had missed my eye.

  Aleksander.

  Everything came back to me in a rush. The fight, his claws closing on my heart. Blacking out.

  I think I groaned. I can’t be sure. I might have just wanted to.

  “Don’t sit up, you have a broken pelvis.”

  Wait. I knew that voice. Not Marcella. Not Rosie.

  Gayle.

  Where was I?

  I blinked my eyes, trying to get them to focus. The ceiling of my studio came into slow view, the familiar scent of oil paints and canvas.

  Home. I was home.

  Gayle stood next to my bed, checking a dressing over my chest. I could still smell my blood from it, but it wasn’t flowing freely anymore.

  “What happened?” I managed. My mouth was dry and even speaking hurt.

  “You did it,” Rosie said, sitting next to me on the bed. She took something from Gayle and dabbed something thick on my scalp. “Aleksander’s dead.”

  I shook my head.

  Yeah, that hurt too. At least it was still attached.

  “I know,” I told her. “What happened after that?”

  “You blacked out,” Jozef’s voice came from over by the kitchen. My eyes still didn’t want to focus. “You fell off the catwalk and hit hard enough you practically made the building shake.”

  Well, that explained why everything hurt. A thirty foot drop without bracing or aiming for it would do that.

  “You’re putting too many capers in it,” I heard Jozef say, his tone scolding.

  I made myself take a slow breath. The only thing that made the pain worth it was the smell of Marcella’s puttanesca sauce.

  “He likes it that way,” Marcella shot back.

  “How long was I unconscious?” I asked Rosie.

  “About a day and a half,” she answered, leaning over to lightly kiss my cheek. “Grandma’s been worried.” She paused for a moment to lower her voice. “Your freezer is going to be full of enough meals to last you a year.”

  “You’ve got stitches,” Gayle said. “And a whole host of things broken that I’ve set and I’m just going to recommend laying there until they heal.”

  I shifted my attention to Gayle when Rosie stood up. “How did you get here?”

  Gayle smiled faintly. “Believe it or not by coincidence,” she told me. “The judge issued a request for a home check before Dawn’s released. It came over my desk, so I made sure I was the one assigned to it.”

  “She got here this morning,” Rosie said. “She took one look at you and started issuing orders and getting you taken care of.”

  I sighed.

  Yes, that hurt, too.

  A home check. The judge hearing Dawn’s case must be seriously considering letting me become her guardian. Aleksander was dead, so she was safe from him. But did that mean they were all dead?

  “What about Gianna and Rasmussen?” I asked.

  There was a moment of silence and I could practically feel them all looking at each other.

  “Gianna helped at first,” Marcella said. “But when she saw you kill Aleksander, she turned on us. We had too many others still to worry about. She ended up escaping.”

  I was sure that would bear some importance, but I didn’t know what right now.

  “Rasmussen?”

  Silence again.

  That wasn’t a good sign.

  “Dead,” Jozef said. “He had six go after him. It took me a couple of minutes to get to him. By the time I got there, it was too late.”

  I tried nodding. That didn’t work so well.

  “You need to rest,” Rosie told me. She pulled a blanket over me. “I’ll try to keep grandma from fussing too much.”

  I didn’t have the strength to argue.

  Gayle checked the dressing on my chest once more, then looked down at me. “By the way,” she said. “You’re going to have to move.”

  Yeah, I already knew that. Thankfully I fell back asleep before anyone else could ruin my mood further.

  Epilogue

  Growth

  Six Months Later

  Gayle handed me the bag while she took Dawn. The baby squirmed in her arms before settling down, her mouth working furiously at her pacifier. I knocked on the door to Marcella’
s living area, pausing to take off my hat. When I heard Rosie yell, I opened the door, holding it for Gayle and Dawn.

  Inside, I set the bag down on a table near the door, along with my hat. I shrugged my way out of my heavy coat, then took Dawn while Gayle took off her coat. She left the scarf tied over her head, the inch or so of her hair that had grown back still making her self-conscious.

  “Oh, good, you all made it,” Rosie came around the corner from the kitchen area. She came right up to Dawn, cooing and taking her from me. “We’re back here, just getting the table set,” she said over her shoulder, disappearing back around the corner.

  As time had passed, Rosie showed no signs of being infected from the bite. I suspected it was done just to scare her. Even though Jozef and I both were convinced she was all right, Marcella had grown even more protective of her.

  “Sometimes I think they only invite me over now to see Dawn,” I commented.

  Gayle smiled at me. “You’re right, they can’t stand you on your own.”

  We followed Rosie back into the kitchen and dining room.

  They were both small rooms, but with a little shuffling, could easily accommodate us all for a cozy dinner.

  “Do you need some help?” Gayle asked, stepping into the kitchen. Marcella started giving her instructions on which bread to put in the baskets for the table.

  “You’re still walking with a limp,” Jozef noted, studying me. He was already sitting at the table, obviously trying to stay out of the way.

  “Broken pelvic bones do that sometimes,” I told him. “It’s not as bad as it was.” I pulled out a chair and seated myself.

  Jozef nodded. “You find those two who killed her mother?” he asked me.

  I nodded. “It didn’t take much, they were still causing trouble.”

  “Good.” He turned when there was another knock from down the hall. “Rosie!” he called into the kitchen. “Your date’s here!”

  “Date?” I asked, looking questioningly at Rosie as she hurried by, dropping Dawn into my arms. I sniffed the air, testing it, then smiled faintly.