Heiress to a Curse

by Zandria Munson

  Marius tried reasoning with her first. “Alexandra, I never harmed your family and I could never do anything to hurt you. I can explain everything later, but we must leave here at once. You are in danger.”

  She wasn’t hearing any of it. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

  He tried again. “You must listen to me. You will be harmed if you stay here!”

  She shook her head, tossing her wealth of black tendrils. “No, you listen to me! I’ll report everything to the authorities and see to it that you pay for everything you’ve done!”

  Marius was losing patience. Of course, she had every right to feel the way she did, but time was wasting. He had no alternative to breaking his family’s curse and no idea where to start searching. His father had given him two days, but by the look Simion had fastened on him, he was sure that their father’s decision would be disregarded. After more than five hundred years of enslavement, his brothers were thirsty for freedom and were willing to do anything to obtain it. He was the only one who could save her.

  “Alexandra, I am not making a request. You will be coming with me. Whether you go willingly or by force is your choice,” he told her firmly.

  His demand seemed to scatter the bits of lucid thinking she’d been clinging to and she screamed, charging at him with the blade held high.

  Without moving, Marius watched her desperate advance. Did she really think she could ward him off with his own weapon? He waited until she got close enough, then he snatched her wrists together and effortlessly slipped the knife from her hands. It was tossed to the floor, and he pushed her backward onto the bed. She jumped up and tried to scramble away, but he grabbed one slender ankle and rolled her onto her back.

  Alexandra fought like a banshee out of hell, clawing and kicking—anything to be free of him. He placed one knee on the foot of the mattress and crawled over her, pinning her hands above her head. She heaved and strained against him, but it was to no avail. Her strength was nothing compared to his.

  “Let me go!” she screamed.

  Marius glared down at her. All her fighting had caused the skirt of the red sundress to ride up well past her thighs and he had a clear view of the lace panties she wore. Many nights he’d envisioned her in his bed, twisting and heaving beneath him, but not like this. Her screams should be cries of passion and her writhing should be from the pleasure he’d be administering. Yet despite their present circumstance, he felt the first stirring sensation of an arousal.

  “Stop this,” he warned her in an ominous tone.

  She looked up at the dark expression on his face and her movements stilled. Her eyes were wide and she trembled.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” She sniffed. “Why me? Why my family?” Tears streamed down her temples.

  He hung his head, his expression solemn. “There is much to be explained, but it will have to be done later. Right now I need you to trust me. You are in danger and you cannot stay here,” he said in a gentle voice.

  Her tears tugged at his heart. He’d never wanted her to learn the truth this way, not by accident. He finally realized that the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, especially after all that had transpired between them.

  He met her frightened glare. “Please, trust me. I will take you to safety and no harm will come to you by my hands.”

  He sat up but remained above her, his massive body straddling her thighs. Her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath and she quickly shoved her dress down.

  Just then, a scent, mingled with the fragrance of the rain, drifted in on the wind and Marius’s head snapped toward the sliding door. His eyes narrowed and he went still, listening.

  He returned his attention to Alexandra, his eyes imploring. “You must remain within my chambers. No matter what, do not leave. When I return I will take you to safety.”

  Her mouth opened, probably to protest again, but she was intercepted by a loud crashing noise, like glass breaking.

  Marius jumped to his feet and stalked to the door. His keen gargoyle senses hadn’t failed him. His brothers had come to finish the ritual themselves. They’d broken through her sliding door and were in her apartment. She’d be safe as long as she did as he’d instructed, for although his brothers knew her address, they didn’t know that he’d rented an apartment in the same building. Ducking his head beneath the doorway, he glanced at her one last time before leaving.

  Alexandra scrambled from the bed. If Marius thought for one minute that she was going to sit and wait for him to return to take her to only God knew where, then he was a fool. She still couldn’t believe that creature with horns and fangs—that beast—was Marius! There was even the possibility that he’d killed her parents and intended the same fate for her.

  She ran through the apartment and opened the door to the hall. She would need to contact the police, then April. April’s phone number was programmed into her cell phone. She would retrieve it from her apartment and go down to the foyer to wait for the police before Marius returned for her.

  With shaking hands, Alexandra pulled her apartment key from her pocket. She slipped it in and turned the knob. Frantically, she looked about the room for her phone and spotted it on the accent table next to the couch. She snatched it up and quickly went to the menu and engaged April’s number. It rang once before her friend answered.

  “Hello?” came April’s voice.

  “April, it’s me. I—”

  “Alexandra! Oh, thank God! Where are you?” April interrupted, sounding frantic.

  “In my apartment.”

  “I’ve been trying to contact you forever,” April continued. “Listen, you have to stay put, okay? And don’t let anyone in. It seems you’re being stalked. I know this sounds weird, but Tyrese did a background check on you and realized that a few months ago someone else had accessed that same information and more. They knew about your parents, too—before they got killed. Just stay where you are. We’re on our way over right now.”

  Alexandra couldn’t breathe. It was all true! Marius was trying to kill her! She began shaking anew and moved toward the hall that led to her bedroom. If April and Tyrese were on their way, then she had time to pack some clothing. She’d stay with April until Marius was apprehended.

  “How long will it—” Alexandra turned the corner and froze.

  “What?” April asked, sounding worried. “Hello? Hello?”

  Alexandra’s hand fell away as she absorbed the tall figure standing in the doorway at the end of the hall. There was a scuffling noise behind him as if some wild animal was contained within her bedroom and fighting to be released. She took a step backward and felt for the light switch on the wall.

  The narrow passageway lit up and the gargoyle before her sneered. Only he wasn’t Marius! He was an inch or two taller and wore leather straps crisscrossing his bare chest. Behind him, she caught sight of Marius and another gargoyle locked in mortal combat. The one in the doorway took a threatening step forward, his dark eyes flashing as he raised his arms and aimed a crossbow at her. She screamed just as he pulled the trigger.

  Chapter 13

  The arrow flew through the air and Alexandra dropped to her knees. The moment she hit the floor she heard the splinting thud of the wall being penetrated. The gargoyle glowered at her and drew another arrow from a quiver strapped to his back.

  She jumped up and ran by her dining room. An arrow whizzed past her and shattered the bulb of a contemporary floor lamp that stood in the corner. She screamed and headed for the door. This couldn’t be happening! It was like a scene from a horror movie—or a nightmare. She hoped to God that she’d wake and find herself safe in her bed, shaken but relieved.

  Another arrow splintered the door as she swung it open. Either the creature had poor aim or he was deliberately missing her, for she was certain she should have been hit by now. She ducked and raced down the hall toward the elevator. Once there, she began frantically pressing the button.

  “Come on, come on.” Her voice trem
bled.

  The gargoyle appeared in the hall and aimed his crossbow again. The doors to the elevator slid open, and she was momentarily shocked to see April and Detective Beckford staring out at her. She dived in, and the arrow smashed against the door just as it closed. They all got a glimpse of the huge creature racing toward them.

  April’s face was contorted with fear. “Alexandra, what is going on? Is that thing shooting at you?”

  Detective Beckford pulled a walkie-talkie from the holster on his hip. “Officer in need of assistance at the Petersburg Building on 102nd Street. Shots fired—well, arrows fired. I don’t know what the hell’s going on, but send everyone you got!” He removed his gun and took off the safety.

  Alexandra was pressing the button marked F for foyer. She was in a state of shock. She’d already surmised that this was no dream, and she couldn’t believe that there was more than one gargoyle in the city. And that Marius was one of them! And they all seemed to be after her.

  April grabbed her hand. “Stop that before we get stuck in here! Now tell us what’s going on!” She gave Alexandra a brain-rattling shake.

  Alexandra took deep breaths and tried to still her racing pulse. “That creature, the gargoyle…it’s Marius! But not the one that shot at me. There’s more than one, and I think they killed my parents and now they’re after me! I should’ve never trusted him!”

  “Slow down!” April gave her another good shake. “Now, start—”

  Her statement was cut short when a loud boom resounded above them and the entire elevator shook, sending them collapsing against the walls. They looked up to see a huge dent in the roof. The lights flickered, threatening to quit.

  Detective Beckford aimed his gun above them. “Stay down! That thing’s on the roof!”

  Alexandra grabbed April’s hand and pulled her to the corner near the controls. She looked up at the dial above the door: Six, five…

  She exchanged looks with April and knew that they shared the same agonizing concern: how would the elevator hold up against an apparent three-hundred-pound Goliath? A moment later, and their unspoken question was answered when the thick blade of a broadsword lacerated the metal above them.

  Detective Beckford dived to the side, the blade just missing his shoulder. “Damn! This thing means business.” He aimed his gun and fired off a round, putting out a light in the process. The loud bang bounced off the four walls that surrounded them and Alexandra and April were forced to cover their ears. They huddled together as two more shots were fired, each preceding the scraping sound of metal tearing through metal.

  Half-shrouded in darkness now, Alexandra glanced up at the dial again. The number four was illuminated. She knew that they’d never make it to the ground floor in time. The roof of the elevator was already riddled with bullet holes and wide, jagged lacerations. If they stayed there, they’d be facing the gargoyle and their deaths.

  She knelt and pressed the button to open the door. “We have to get out of here!” she screamed.

  Above them, a shower of silver sparks rained down and the elevator came to a screeching halt. The door had partially opened and the fourth floor met them at eye level. The wires had been cut!

  A middle-aged couple who’d obviously been waiting for the elevator looked in at them. “What happened? Did the power fail?” The woman’s friendly smile faded into terror and she screamed when her eyes fixed on the huge claws that were peeling back the roof like the lid of a sardine can.

  Detective Beckford fired two more rounds, momentarily stalling the creature. “Get out of here!” he shouted.

  Alexandra didn’t have to be told twice. She heaved herself up while the man outside extended a shaking hand to April.

  Her friend scrambled out and turned back to Detective Beckford, who was busy reloading his gun. “Tyrese!”

  He fired off two more shots then backed up, ran and leaped onto the fourth floor. “Run!”

  They raced down the hallway, which was lined with glass windows on one side and apartment doors on the other. The only escape would be down the stairway. Alexandra glanced over her shoulder to see the gargoyle with both arms braced on the metal doors as he pushed them open. The man and woman who’d helped them were huddled in the corner behind a potted palm. The gargoyle spared them only a brief glance before he charged through the hall. Another couple was at their door preparing to enter when they spotted the creature. The man tossed up his keys and, grabbing his screaming wife’s arm, dived behind a soda machine.

  Detective Beckford slammed through the door of the stairway and held it open for April and Alexandra. “You ladies get out of here! I’ll hold this bastard off.” He raised his gun and was about to shoot when a large figure crashed through one of the glass windows, ramming into the advancing gargoyle. They smashed through the wall, shaking the entire floor.

  Detective Beckford cast Alexandra and April a look over his shoulder. “There are two of them! Go, get out of here!”

  They took the stairs two at a time. Alexandra knew that it was Marius who’d taken the other gargoyle down. She wasn’t sure what to think about him. He’d warned her of this danger and now he fought to protect her, but for what reason? Perhaps while the others sought to harm her, he wanted her to fulfill another purpose. What still puzzled her was, why? Why was she so important, dead or alive?

  They were nearing the door of the third floor when the sound of screams echoed up the stairwell.

  April paused, her hands gripping the iron railing. “Do you think we should go back?” she squeaked.

  Before Alexandra could respond, the door burst open and three tenants ran through, their eyes wide in terror. They headed down the stairs, stumbling over each other in the process. She eased toward the door and took hold of the handle, pulling it open just enough to peer through. The hall was trashed; doors had been kicked in, and items possibly dropped by frightened occupants littered the floor.

  April was already on the third descending step and was poised to run. “What do you see?” she asked in a nervous whisper.

  “Nothing yet, but something’s there. I can feel it.”

  As the words spilled from her mouth, a tall figure emerged from one of the doors that had been left ajar and began stalking up the hallway. It was the third gargoyle!

  His long hair fell to his waist in a thick braid and in his right hand he held what looked like a Japanese machete. He’d only taken a few steps when he turned his head slowly and looked toward the stairwell. She was acutely reminded of the day she’d spied on Marius through the peephole in her door. He’d turned and looked at her in the same way, as if he could sense her presence, which this gargoyle seemed to have the ability to do, as well.

  She pulled the door shut and ran toward April. “Let’s go, we have to keep going down! There’s another one up there!”

  “How many of those things are there?” April asked hysterically.

  “I don’t know,” Alexandra replied in a shaky voice. “So far I’ve seen three.”

  “Three!” April screamed and picked up her pace. “I don’t know if I heard you correctly, but did you say that Marius is one of them?”

  “Yes,” Alexandra replied. “I went into his apartment and found weapons and information about me and my family in an old trunk. And then he—the gargoyle—came in.” Her vision began to blur and her heart constricted with pain.

  “What the hell do they want with you? What have you ever done?”

  “I don’t know!” She stopped and leaned against the wall as she tried to banish the agony that was tearing through her. “He knew everything, April.” She sniffed. “Even the day my parents were arriving in Romania and their SUV rental car tag number.”

  April’s mouth fell open. “You don’t think he’s responsible for…” She trailed off.

  Alexandra shook her head. “I don’t know. He told me that he had nothing to do with their deaths. I want to believe him.”

  April gripped her by the arms and gave her a shake. “Listen to m
e. This is the same guy who deceived you. He made you believe he was human and he played with your emotions. There’s absolutely no reason for you to believe him.”

  “I don’t know.” Alexandra shook her head in frustration. “It seems like he’s trying to protect me from the others. He had all the time in the world to harm me, but never tried.” Tears were running down her face as she fought for control. Now wasn’t the time to have a nervous breakdown.

  April pulled her into a hug. “We have to keep moving. We are going to get through this and we’ll find all the answers, but right now we have to get out of here.”

  Alexandra nodded and brushed the tears from her cheeks. April was right. The only way she was going to find out the truth about her family and Marius was if she got out of there alive. She had to survive to avenge her parents, and to save a little girl who needed her.

  They continued down the stairs. The muffled sounds of gunshots could be heard and they realized that Detective Beckford was still fending off the first creature.

  The sound of the door to the third floor slamming open echoed in the stairwell. Alexandra glanced over her shoulder and saw nothing, but she knew without a doubt that they were being followed. The hairs on the back of her neck were raised and there was a churning in the pit of her stomach. The gargoyle was approaching!

  There was a smashing sound and the lights flickered out, flooding the passage in darkness.

  April screamed and Alexandra reached for her and clamped a hand over her mouth. She tried to still her own labored breathing as she listened intently for any sound that would verify the feeling she had.

  When her efforts were met by the scraping of heavy boots, she took a step down. “Let’s go, we have to be quick. It’s up there,” she whispered breathlessly.

  She realized that she was still holding her cell phone and quickly activated the light to guide them. They moved as fast as they could. The gargoyle was taking his time as a lion would while stalking his prey. A tremor coursed up her spine, for she knew that when the creature did attack it would be sudden and violent. Guilt washed over her—she would never forgive herself if anything happened to her friend. She was the one they were after, for what reason she couldn’t begin to imagine, and she’d inadvertantly put April in danger.