Blood Moon (A Sable Hart Vampire Slayer Novel Book 5)

by Megan Hawke

  The house didn't give up any secrets. I had no faith it would, not after the police finished with it. So we started visiting the neighbors, none of which appreciated us disturbing them on such a nasty night. No one knew anything. In fact, none of them even knew anyone was staying there until the police arrived and cordoned the property off.

  Just after midnight we piled back into the sedan and started cruising. I sat in the backseat and opened myself up. I felt all of my people. Dane was asleep, and sleeping comfortably, too. Desiree was also asleep, and not feeling any the worse for wear. I felt Kale, up in North Dallas, he was asleep, too. Heidi said that Sabrina was calm, but unable to sleep.

  I kept no other links. I liked keeping my family small. Kale had brought home the fact that it was dangerous living with or around me.

  Around 2 AM the rain started to let up. It stopped an hour later.

  "Are you feeling them?" Gabe said.

  "No."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Of course. Why?" I sat forward, sitting in the middle of the back seat.

  Heidi pointed, but Gabe spoke as he braked. "I don't know. Maybe it's the five vampires standing in the middle of the street."

  "Are they the ones the witches are reanimating?" Heidi said.

  Even in the dark of a cloudy night I could see their faces perfectly. They were the vampires created with my blood. As soon as I saw them I could feel them with my senses, but not a second before. Each of the new vamps held a two foot long wooden stake.

  Gabe stopped five feet in front of them. We got out and Gabe started pulling off his clothes. It's hard to be subtle pulling off your clothes in the middle of the street. The vampires narrowed their eyes and showed their fangs. Somehow I didn’t think our first meeting would start with a big hug and kiss.

  "Can you feel them?"

  They were all men. Three looked terribly young. Two of the three youngest looked like thralls, wearing all black and freaky looking. The third young man was tall, muscular, and clean cut. Of the other two, the blonde looked late twenties and the Hispanic man looked mid-thirties. They both looked like they worked hard for a living, probably construction. Both had three day growths of beard.

  They were all bloody from their murders.

  "Yes," I said. "But I didn't feel them until I laid eyes on them."

  "What? Is it like ducks or something? No link until they see each other, then you bond or becoming imprinted on each other?"

  "Maybe the coven is using magic to mask them from me," I said. I stepped out in front of Gabe and Heidi, right in front of the car. "I am Sable Hart, and it was my blood that Changed you. I am your Sire, so you must obey me."

  "No," the clean cut young man said. "We have to kill you."

  They charged us. I pulled one pistol and shot pretty boy in the chest. He squeaked and fell down, screaming in pain. The other four reached us before I got a second shot off. My pistol was batted out of my hand as two vamps drove towards me. The other two vampires split up and went after Heidi and Gabe.

  As the pistol was batted out of my hand, I spun counterclockwise and sent a brutal roundhouse into his head. That drove him headlong into the older blonde.

  "This is no way to treat the woman that gave you immortality," I said.

  The blonde twisted and leapt over his falling comrade. I stepped into his attack, using my Krav Maga skills. Every part of my body was a weapon to be used when any opportunity showed itself.

  The blonde attacked with the stake, trying to stab me with an over-handed attack. He stood six feet even, maybe two hundred pounds. He looked tough, but I had more experience fighting vampires. I caught his wrist, twisted it behind his back and threw my other arm around his throat. Then I started smashing my knee into his lower back and ribs. Finally, seeing his friend recovering and about to attack me, I released him and twisted the stake out of his hand.

  "This is what a stake feels like." I thrust it deep into his back, but he twisted and I missed the heart. He stumbled away as I turned to defend against the young vamp. He was a little skinny guy, no more than five foot five and a hundred twenty pounds. The boy had absolutely no fighting skills. I kicked him in the chin, and then thrust kicked him back onto the hood of Gabe's car. "Let me show you how to stake a vampire."

  I tore the stake from his hand. His eyes went wide as I smiled at him.

  "No, let me show you," a male voice shouted.

  A stake thrust into my left side. Deep. Very painful. I cried out. The vamp on the hood pulled the stake out of my hand. The blonde had me impaled on the stake I stabbed him with. The other vamp drove his stake into my belly.

  "Hold her steady," the vamp I shot said.

  The two stakes penetrating my body left me weak. They had no trouble holding me still as the other vamp stalked forward, stake ready to drive down into my heart. He wore a mask of pain. I smiled, knowing what he was feeling with that sanctified silver bullet burning the hell out of him. Would his witchy masters know what to do to relieve his pain? Or would they even care or do anything?

  "Who sent you?" I at least wanted to know that before I died that final time. He didn't answer, so I caught his eyes. And a jolt went through me. Through us both. I had him! He was mind to command. "Stop."

  He stopped, which confused the other two.

  "Kill her, Chris!" the blonde said.

  "Stake her, man," the other said.

  He did nothing. Chris was waiting for me to give him an order. He was mesmerized. I turned to the blonde and smiled wickedly.

  "Oops. Guess no one anticipated that happening," I said. He looked at Chris, then at me. As soon as our eyes met he was mine. "Release me."

  "No don't!" the third vampire said.

  He wasn't too bright. You'd think a thrall would recognize what was happening. He just looked into my eyes without fear. And he belonged to me, too.

  "Bring your other two friends to me," I said. "Get them!"

  The three vamps charged their comrades. Two of them went after the vamp fighting Heidi. She wasn't doing too well against him. Heidi was a lover, not a fighter. She was fine against mortals, but didn't quite measure up when pitted against vampires.

  I went with the other vampire, to help relieve Gabe. Gabe was doing pretty well against the vampire. The young pretty boy tackled the Latino vamp, and I jumped on him a second later. I grabbed the tackled vampire's face and forced him to look into my eyes. And it was four down and one to go.

  Gabe stared open-mouth at me. I grinned with wicked delight.

  "Let's get that last vampire to me," I said. "Get him!"

  A moment later the last vampire was manhandled before me. He looked me in the eyes without concern. I had him. And just like that they were all my vampires.

  "What the fuck just happened?" Gabe said.

  "Technically, since her blood was used, Sable is their Sire," Heidi said. "As their Sire, she can mesmerized and command them. They have to obey Sable just as I have to obey her."

  I got them lined up before me and looked them over. They were wet and bloody, but in good shape otherwise. Aren't undead bodies wonderful? I pointed to the first one, the one named Chris.

  "Chris, who are you?"

  "Christopher Webb. I'm a Freshman at SMU. A Quarterback. I'm from Tyler."

  Well, I knew what he thought was important about himself. To me, he was tall, dark, and handsome, with the eyes the same shade of sapphire blue as my own. A few more questions determined he was eighteen, not a thrall, and didn't know how he became a vampire. The last thing he remembered before waking up a vampire was getting out of his car at a club.

  The next vamp in line was Mario Acuna. He was Mexican-American and a construction worker. He had a medium build, muscular, with short black hair and dark eyes. His last memory was being mugged by three African-American women. Or at least he thought it was a mugging.

  Arthur Tadlock was from Garland, only about five foot five, with black hair and brown eyes. He was a Freshman at UTA in Arlington, and was a t
hrall. He didn't recall being attacked, or how he died.

  The blonde was Daniel Long, a truck driver. Really, a rock hauler. He said he got shot when he went to help Mario. After Mario was shot, they shot Daniel. He was on his way home from work, and had a wife and two kids. Of the five, he was the only one with a family.

  The last vamp was Evan Farmer, from the suburb of Carrolton, north of Dallas. He was a high school dropout. His last memory was being robbed at the convenience store he worked at. He was barely nineteen, over six feet tall, and skinny as Arthur.

  "Do you know the names of the witches that did this to you?"

  "Pearl and Toya," Chris said.

  "Judith," Mario said.

  "Keisha Proctor," Evan said. "And Momma Zuza."

  I froze. Surely I heard that wrong. Momma Zuza was working with the police to solve the murders. I looked at Heidi, and then Gabe. They looked just as stunned.

  "Who did you say, Evan?"

  "Keisha Proctor and Momma Zuza."

  "Momma Zuza is their leader," Daniel said. "She's the one that told us to kill you."

  "Can you lead me back to her, right now?"

  "I guess," Daniel said.

  "Guess? What's the problem?"

  "I can't feel her like I feel you," he said. "But she's probably waiting back at the house."

  "It's not far," Chris said.

  I looked at Heidi and Gabe, and smiled. Finally, we caught a break. Gabe looked happy. Heidi looked worried.

  "Maybe we can put it all to an end tonight." I commanded one of the vamps to fetch my pistol. Once it was safely holstered, I had them give us directions to Momma Zuza's house. It was just a few blocks away. "I want the witches captured. I need them all alive for the police."

  "It's easier to kill them," Gabe said, with Heidi nodding.

  "Killing them complicates matters. With them alive we can have them arrested and sent to jail. That will clear us of the crimes. I don't want that hanging over my head," I said.

  "It's going to be a hell of a lot harder to capture them than kill them," Gabe said.

  "They are not vampires, Gabe. We can't just kill them willy-nilly," I said. "There are repercussions for killing any mortal, especially any working as a respected consultant to the police."

  "Momma Zuza was probably the one that said you were killing everyone," Heidi said. "Stupid police. They believed her."

  "Didn't you have a confrontation with her?" Gabe said.

  "Yes. Apparently she doesn't forgive and forget." I considered my options. There weren't many. "This is going to be tricky. If Momma Zuza is my accuser, then it will look bad when I go after her. The police might not be inclined to believe me over her. Her word against mine, you know. Who do you think they'd believe?"

  "Her, of course," Heidi said.

  "But we can't let her get away, either," Gabe said. "She'll keep on Changing people into vampires and sending them against werewolves until war erupts."

  I looked at my new vampires. "Do you know why Momma Zuza is doing all of this?"

  "No," Mario said. "I woke up. She told me to kill you."

  "She told us nothing else," Arthur said. He hesitated, looked nervous, then glanced at his fellow vamps. "We're hungry. We haven't fed."

  Hungry vamps were dangerous. They were more vicious, harder to control. On the other hand, hungry vampires would be more frightening to a coven of witches. Any serious injury or sudden loss of blood sucked away a witch's ability to use magic. The really powerful like Momma Zuza would recover quickly.

  "I hear witch blood is delicious," I said. "Stash the car, Gabe. Go ahead and become a wolfman. We'll go in on foot."

  While Gabe found a parking place and morphed, I gave my commands to the eager-eyed vampires. Heidi and the other vamps where forbidden to kill. Unfortunately, I couldn't guarantee the five newly reanimated vampires would feed and then heal someone. I had to be taught. I had to teach Heidi how to do it. We didn't have time or a willing thrall to teach them. So Heidi and I would have to be ready to jump in and heal anyone we felt might bleed out.

  "Lead on, boys. Take me to Momma Zuza," I said.

  They took off running. I extended my wings and took off. Heidi and Gabe followed the vamps. I wanted to have an overview, and to make sure the witches weren't making an escape. The witches' house was easy to find. It was the only house with lights on, and I could feel five people inside. They felt calm.

  I swooped down in a power dive straight for the kitchen window in back. My wings came forward and folded over my head and shoulders just before I hit head first into the window. Any cuts received were on the wings, which vanished into my back a second later. I hit the floor running.

  Momma Zuza and her coven were kneeling in the living room, in a circle and clasping hands. They were chanting frantically, with a dark mist in the middle of the circle. I think I broke up their little hex fest, and the looks of shock at my arrival turned into pain as the spell backfired or whatever spells did.

  "Zuza, you backstabbing bitch!" I cried. "I'm gonna suck you dry!"

  The others came crashing through windows and doors at that time. Witches screamed, but they never broke their circle. I ran into a barrier two feet from them, feeling like solidified air. I could not push through. The five new vamps threw themselves at the witches, and bounced off the barrier. But I noticed that whenever anyone pushed into the barrier it caused the witches stress.

  "We can wear them down by continually attacking the barrier." And I attacked, kicking and clawing at not so thin air. One of the witches grunted. "We will get to you, and you will pay for what you've done."

  Surrounded by vampires and a wolfman, the witches closed their eyes and began chanting furiously. After a moment, Momma Zuza rose up and guided the two hands she was holding behind her back. She made sure the other hands were touching before she released and let them clasp each other. So the circle was important. If we got one of the witches, we got them all.

  Momma Zuza stood tall in the midst of her kneeling circle of witches. She began a different spell, speaking in a language I didn't recognize. Then the five reanimated vamps froze.

  "She's going after the new vampires," I said. I pulled my pistol and aimed it at Momma Zuza. "Stop it or I'll shoot."

  Her eyes went wide. "Kill them!"

  Chris and Arthur smashed into me from different sides. My gun was knocked upwards, and I fired into the ceiling. Heidi cried out and Gabe growled.

  "I'm beginning to develop a bad attitude towards witches!" I cried. Chris and Arthur each held onto an arm. They were strong enough to hold me, but they weren't smart enough. I drove my left high heel into Chris's right foot, crushing his arch. Yeah, he screamed like a pigtailed school girl. I broke his grip, and punched Arthur in the face. He didn't let go, so I kneed him in the crotch. He let go.

  Mario rushed at me with a wild scream. I kicked straight up and caught him on the chin. His feet came off the floor as his head flew backwards. I let inertia carry him past me. I grabbed Arthur and hurled him into the barrier, making two of the witches grunt.

  "Help me, Sable!" Heidi cried. Daniel had her by the throat as she struggled and tried to claw at his face. His reach was longer.

  "Stop fighting like a damn girl!" I said. Both Dane and I taught her Krav Maga. Or tried to teach her. She had little interest. So I pulled my other pistol and shot Daniel between the shoulder blades. That was enough for Heidi to break free, kick him in the nuts, and throw him out a window. "Better."

  "We have company," Heidi said, looking out the window.

  Gabe got Evan by the wrist, and hurled him across the room. Then Chris plowed into my back, driving me face first into the floor. Mario and Arthur jumped on me as I heard cars screeching to a stop outside. Red and blue flashing lights filled the windows, reflected off the walls. Men were shouting outside, rushing towards the house.

  Gabe howled with rage, and joined the fray on the floor as I struggled to break free of three vampires. Then Heidi charged in. They each
pried a vamp off me, and threw him across the room.

  The door boomed. Battering ram. The police were just going to charge into the middle of a vampire fight? Did they understand what was happening?

  "Run!" Momma Zuza cried.

  The last three vampires just surged out the windows and door. I heard them scattering the startled police outside. Longhouse and Morris were both shouting commands.

  "It's a trap!" I cried. "Run!"

  Gabe growled as he bound out the front door, knocking aside cops as they tried to enter. Shots rang out. Men cussed and yelled. Heidi followed him out, surging so fast I doubted anyone even saw her.

  "I knew it was you!" Morris shouted from the back door, pointing his service revolver at me. "I knew you were no good from the start."

  "She has five more vampires!" Momma Zuza cried. "She tried to kill me."

  "Surrender, Sable!" Longhouse said from the front door.

  I was on all fours between the two cops, off center enough they were safe from each other's shots. There were cops aiming guns at me from every window. There was only one way to go.

  "Idiots," I muttered, eyes narrowed. If they were shooting silver I was in trouble.

  I jumped to squat, and then launched myself straight up. Through the ceiling. Into the attic. The roof was too hard to break through quickly, so I jumped across the attic and crashed down atop Morris. Everyone cried out, but couldn't shoot for fear of hitting their fellow officer. I threw him at Longhouse and surged out the back door.

  Detective Parker was waiting outside, and laid a right cross into my left cheek. That sent me tumbling across the lawn. She was in human form, so no match for me. I rolled to me feet and took off running. Her pistol came out and tried to get a bead on me, so I zigzagged away, turning towards other cops to keep her from shooting.

  I cut away from one cop, jumped over the next and bound off the roof of a squad car as my wings extended. I flew low and erratically until I was out of their sight. Then I rose up and opened up my senses. Gabe and Heidi went straight back to Gabe's car. I swooped down low, told them to go, and went back up to keep an eye out.