Chapter Eleven
Perched high in the tree next to Mariah’s lake house, Rathe spread his wings and flew, shifting into his human form as he landed on the cold, hard ground. He walked past the truck and gazed at the beautiful lake. Soaking in the peacefulness surrounding him, it calmed the chaos churning inside him until he heard cars coming down the driveway.
The silver, luxury car parked beside him, and his family exited it. Speeding toward them was the red sports car he’d rented for his brother. It skidded to a stop beside Faeroes’s car. Simon and Lydia got out.
Heart-shaped face flushed, Lydia glared at him. “Why did you have to give Simon a sports car? I swear the damn thing never went under a hundred!”
Simon just laughed. “You do have to admit it was superbly fun.”
“Simon,” Mother asked, giving him a stern eye, “if you were speeding, why then are you late arriving here?”
Reddening, he hedged about. “We, uh, took a detour.”
Lydia dropped her eyes to the ground, just as red in the face as Simon was.
A terrified cry swept through Rathe’s mind, and by everyone’s surprised expressions; they’d heard it, too!
“Rathe, you don’t know me, but I’m Kai Jordan and I need your help!”
“Show me what you are seeing.”
Through her eyes, he saw Kai was in a living room. He heard high-pitched laughter. Sharp nails raked down the side of the house. The screeching sound sent her running to the window and she looked out it. A man appeared. He was upside down, ginning at her, exposing rows of sharp, gnashing teeth. Kai screamed and ran to who Rathe identified as her uncle.
The Damned had found her!
The vamp spoke to her, “Kai, don’t make this harder than it needs be. Jarrod promises to be very nice to you. Don’t worry about Mommy. She’ll be joining us soon.”
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Rathe exclaimed. “How the hell did he know where she was?”
Faeroes drew his gun. “Rathe, what’s happening?”
“Jarrod’s men are trying to take Mariah’s daughter.”
“What? Wait, was it her we just heard?”
“Kai is a telepath. The Damned have surrounded the house she is in. Shit, I made a mistake, a major one where Jarrod’s concerned.”
“How’s that?” Simon asked, drawing his gun.
“Murphy, who tried to kill us in Arizona, really was a FBI agent! Jarrod’s been putting his ghouls amongst the humans and using them to gather information. And he’s found Kai.”
“Rathe, they are trying to break into the house now!” Kai’s voice was nearly hysterical.
“Kai, do not let them into the house. The Damned cannot enter without invitation.”
“Like I’m really gonna do something that stupid! Sheesh.”
Ignoring her retort, Rathe ordered, “Mother, inside the house with Mina. Simon, you and Lydia protect them. Faeroes, Anya, get your swords.” When they were armed, he led the way as they flew into town.
“Kai, show me how to get to where you are.”
Following her directions, he found the house and two vamps on the roof, ripping apart the chimney. The four others broke windows, growling and snarling, trying to scare Kai and her uncle to run outside so they could get them. Signaling Faeroes to one side of the house, Anya the other, he went back up in the air and took out the two vamps. Screams echoed around him as Anya and Faeroes dispatched the others. Jumping off the roof, he withdrew the bottle of Holy water and disposed the bodies. Faeroes came around the corner of the house at the same time as Anya did the other side, but she was dragging a screaming vampiress, who was kicking and screaming, by the hair.
Tossing the vampiress in their midst, Anya snarled at her, “Tell them what you told me!’
Crying, the girl rose onto her knees, pleading to him, “Please, we are only following orders. We didn’t know the kid was under Romulas protection!”
Squatting down, using his sword as balance, he asked her, “Why are you here?”
“Jarrod said the girl and her mother were our only hope to regain our souls. I-I just want my soul back.” She began crying, green blood coursed down her pale cheeks. Sniffing, she straightened her shoulders. “He lied, didn’t he? Once you become Damned, there’s no coming back, is there?”
For the first time since he began hunting the Damned, Rathe found he pitied them. “In the six hundred years I have lived, I have never heard of such a miracle. I am sorry.”
She nodded and faced Anya. “Please, release me from this hell my boyfriend condemned me to. I don’t want to kill anyone, anymore.”
Anya’s hard features softened. She handed the girl a cross. Hesitant, the girl took it. She clutched it in her hands, her face contorted in pain as the cross burned into her flesh. “I hereby free you and may God see your repentance.” She swung her sword and cut off the girl’s head. Faeroes spoke a prayer as he sprinkled Holy water on the girl’s head and body.
Mariah’s words came back to Rathe. He realized his teachings as a Slayer had been black and white. Hell, he’d never even considered those who’d had no choice when they were turned or the torment they suffered.
“Rathe,” Anya asked, “why is Jarrod branching out to remote areas? The Damned always preferred big cities, liking it better to maneuver without drawing the law to their activities.”
“Jarrod’s taken his declaration of war to heart.” Rathe walked to the front door. “He’s recruiting.”
“Worse than that, Rathe. Jarrod has his minions kidnapping people and forcing them to turn.”
Before he could respond, the door swung open and a dark auburn-haired girl with sapphire eyes met him. “You got them all?”
“Yes, but it’s not safe here for you.”
Before she could respond, Kai was pulled back into the house by her uncle, who shouted, “Kai, who are these people?”
Rathe looked askance at Anya. “Please explain to Kai's uncle who we are.”
She gracefully approached the visibly-shaken man. Her silver eyes gleamed, hypnotizing Joe. “Worry not, we were sent by Mariah to collect Kai. You will remember nothing of tonight. Vampires are only in the movies and are not real. Kiss Kai good-bye and forget tonight ever happened,” her soft voice was lilting, musical with the strong compulsion to obey her.
He blinked several times and grinned. “Hey, if you’re Mariah's friends, that’s great! Anne will be happier if I spend time with her and her family. Kai, do you need to pack?”
“No, I’ve got everything ready,” Kai managed to say, staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.
Her uncle cheerfully took hold her backpack and computer satchel, carrying them outside. “Well, I guess I'd better hit the road.” He set them beside Rathe and hugged Kai. “Bye, sweetheart. Nice meeting you all. Oh, tell Rona that I’ll catch up with her next time she’s in town.” He waved at them before getting into his car and sped away.
“Who is Rona?” Rathe asked Kai.
“She’s Uncle Joe’s sister. Aunt Rona is with Mom right now.” To Anya, she said, “That was way cool. Are you like me? Can you read other people’s minds, too?”
“I can ‘read’ people. Some thoughts come across to me, but my specialty is hypnotizing mortals to bend to my will.”
“Can you teach me?” Kai asked eagerly.
“I’d love to teach you my tricks, especially how to encourage men to do as you will.” Anya's eyes sparkled as Faeroes rolled his eyes.
Rathe cleared his throat. “When you are older, please! You already possess far too much charm as it is. Learning Anya's secrets will make you absolutely lethal to mere mortal men.”
Kai's sapphire-blue eyes sparkled at the idea. Hiding her laugh when Anya winked at her, she asked, “What are we going to do now?”
“You will go with Faeroes and Anya back to your house. Your mother needs rescuing as well.”
“More than you know. Mom’s at The Inferno, and its run by vampires! Jarrod is waiting for word that I and Mo
m have been captured, and then he’s coming here!”
“Have you spoken to him?” he asked, worried the teen had been exposed to the evilness her great-uncle possessed.
“No, I saw it in the vampires’ minds, the ones who were attacking us.”
“Never link with Jarrod. Do you understand? He can poison you with his lies. Make you doubt everything and everyone. He is most powerful when he smells fear. Thrives on it.”
“I’m not a child. I know how to protect myself.” Kai crossed her arms, glaring at him.
Faeroes chuckled. “She’s just like Mina. Well,” he said to him, “it’s your call, Rathe. Do we announce you are alive with you going into the club or do we send in Anya to pull Mariah out?”
“I’ll go. Maybe since they think me dead, they won’t take notice of me.” Kai snorted. “What?” he asked, puzzled by her response.
“Highly unlikely you’ll go unnoticed. Mom’s ex-boyfriend is there, with his psychotic wife. She’ll be hitting on you like an addict to crack.”
Unsure how to take that, he looked to Anya for help. “She’s right. You, Romulas boys, are handsome as devils. You’ll cause a quite a stir amongst the females.”
“Well, what do you suggest?”
Anya and Kai exchanged a knowing smirk. Kai said with a big grin, “Have fun!”
“Great. Makes me feel so much better now.” To Faeroes, he said, “Take Kai back to the lake house and secure the area. We’re about to have company when Jarrod learns we’ve killed his men.”
“Watch your back, brother.” Faeroes paused. “Rathe, she needs the spell broken to fight him, you know this right?”
“We don’t have—”
“Make time,” Faeroes said firmly. “It’s her only chance to survive him.”
Alarmed, Kai demanded, “You’re talking about converting Mom, aren’t you?”
Anya took her hand in hers. “It’s your mother’s only hope to survive against Jarrod. With the spell broken, she can save her soul. If not, Jarrod will crush her and make her Damned. To accept the Change, your mother can protect you, too.”
“But she’ll never be able to walk in sunlight. Forced to feed on blood. Is this what my mom wants?”
Rathe laid his hand on her slender shoulder. “I will not do anything she does not what to do, I promise.”
“Okay.” Kai looked resigned and sad.
Slinging her backpack and computer over his shoulder, Faeroes took Kai’s other hand. “Your mom is a pretty tough lady. She’ll be fine. Come on, we need to return to our family. Let’s fly.”
“Fly? You can fly?”
“We sure can.”
“Sweet!”
Shaking his head, Rathe said, “Like mother, like daughter. We won’t be long.”
Anya winked at Kai, her voice low with conspiracy. “Adult translation — we'll see them in a few hours.”
Rathe had the grace to redden at the comment.
Kai giggled. She smiled at Faeroes and Anya. “Let's fly!”
✝✝✝
Candy's annoying voice rose above the conversations and music, “Damn, we should have a celebrity bribe our way in more often.”
Ignoring her, Mariah concentrated on blurring her gun and knife, so they wouldn’t set off the metal detector. Walking through wasn’t a problem, the emotional tidal wave emanating from the people inside the club was as it ripped right through her, taking her breath away. Combined with the raw scent of sweat, sex, and pheromones, her body quickened and hummed with desire. Clenching her teeth, she forced her feet to take her further inside, and that’s when the sickening-sweet smell of death greeted her.
She stopped at the brass railing, struggling to stay calm and focused as she scanned the dance floor. The bouncers were ghouls! Positioned throughout the club, they wore black sunglasses, t-shirts, pants, their bulging arms crossed and stood like statues as people gave them wide berth.
“Rathe I’m in deep shit here!”
“I’m on my way to you. Be calm and just act normal. Are there ghouls or vamps within view?”
“Only ghouls so far. Crap!”
“What’s going on?”
“One vamp. He’s in his office.”
“Can you tell how many ghouls there are?”
Observing them, she cautiously searched who was one and who wasn’t. “Six. Humans are at the door, letting people in.”
“You have your gun on you?”
“A knife, too. Blurred them when I went through the metal detector.”
“You did?”
“Don’t act so surprised. I’ve learned a few tricks hanging around you.”
“Good. Find a place to sit with your back to the wall, face the doors. I’m almost there.”
Leading the way, she went around the throng of gyrating dancers and found an empty table way in the back. Sitting in the chair facing the front of the club, like Rathe told her, she had an excellent view of the entire club here. The bouncers never even looked at her, seeming unaware she was dhampir. Glad the spell was still protecting her, especially since she was severely outnumbered. A waitress approached her and her group.
“What can I bring you, folks?”
David made a suggestion, “How about a couple pitchers of beer for starters?” At their approving nods, the waitress took his money and left to fill their order.
The sensual music stirred her vampire soul, nearly as intoxicating as Rathe’s kisses. Excitement rippled through her, arousing her, setting every nerve and cell on fire as she waited for Rathe’s arrival. The beer arrived, and Jeremy poured the cold beverage into glasses, handing the filled ones around. Candy complained about the bitter taste.
“Rona, David, I’m gonna dance.”
Heads turned as she shed her coat. The sleeveless, black satin shirt clung to her breasts, molded to her curves. Two buttons bound the garment, the material parting to expose her flat stomach. Jeremy stared at the exposed skin, making her uncomfortable. Candy hit him in the shoulder.
“I wanna dance, too.” Candy shot to her feet and dragged Jeremy down to the dance floor.
Ignoring them, she concentrated on the erotic beat of the song played, giving into the darkness of her nature as she danced. Her true nature!
Candy’s nasally voice broke through her fun. “Mariah, get a grip! It's not like you're going to find a man the way you're acting.”
Glancing at her, she saw Candy sneer at her as she clung to Jeremy, who avoided her gaze.
Rona challenged Candy, “I'll bet you a hundred dollars Mariah'll attract the next guy who walks in the club.”
Candy snorted. “Easy money!”
Mariah turned her back to the front entrance and danced.
A few minutes went past, and Candy exclaimed, “Holy shit!”
✝✝✝
Looking to see what Candy was staring at, Jeremy nearly swallowed his tongue. On the brass railing, the tall man braced his hands, his black eyes fierce, penetrating, as he swept the crowd, unexpectedly centering on them. A dangerously sexy smile curved his sculptured mouth. Thick, dark hair fell just above the tall man’s broad shoulders. Clad in a black t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and boots, the man’s casual style enhanced his muscles as he walked, bunching and rippling. There was a sexually charged aura surrounding him, and women congregated around him like moths to the flame. Touching him, begging him to dance with them.
He ignored them.
People dancing moved out of his way. Hot, smoldering eyes never left his prey until he molded his large hands around Mariah's waist, pulling her against him. He moved with her as she swayed to the music. Entranced by their dance, desperate to look away, he caught the man grinning at him, his white teeth brilliant in the black lights. Scowling at the man’s gloating arrogance, Jeremy's anger turned to horror as fangs slowly descended.
What the hell?
Before he could react, Mariah turned around in the man’s arms and kissed him. When she pulled back, he grinned at him again, his teeth looked normal
.
Had he really seen fangs?
The stranger said to her, “Perhaps, you should introduce me to your friends?”
She shifted around in his arms, grinning. “Rona, David, I would like you to meet Rathe, my friend.” The man gave her a sharp look, but she acted as if she hadn’t noticed it.
“When did you have time to meet a guy? This guy?” Roma’s eyes went wide.
True to his outgoing nature, David grinned and held out his hand out to Rathe. “I’m David Ryan and my wife, Rona.”
Taking his hand in a firm grip, Rathe’s smile actually became genuine. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Ryan.”
“Please, call me David.”
Ever the flirt, Candy held out her hand, giggling when Rathe accepted. “I’m Candy Waters. Nice to meet you.” When she tried to draw him closer, he pulled his hand away. Undeterred, she said, “We’ve plenty room at our table. Have a drink with us.”
Glancing around them, Rathe hesitated. Mariah seemed nervous, too. He declined her offer. “No, we need to leave.”
“One drink won’t kill you,” Candy cajoled. She made to take Rathe’s hand again, but was blocked by Mariah.
“Lead the way,” Mariah ordered softly, the warning in her eyes and stony set of her beautiful face clear to Candy to keep her hands to herself.
Wary of his wife’s unpredictable temper and Mariah’s uncharacteristic forcefulness, he let his wife drag him back to their table. Apparently, Candy had gotten the message and she sat closer to him, nervously watching Mariah. Since another chair wasn’t available, Rathe sat down in the one Mariah had used, easing her onto his lap.
Jeremy asked him gruffly, “How did you meet?”
Mariah answered with a slight smile, “I noticed Rathe needed ... food and helped him.”
Rathe chuckled, as if they shared a private joke. He clarified, “We met in Arizona.”
Suddenly, Mariah straightened. She shot Rathe a worried look. He urged her onto her feet. “Forgive us,” Rathe said as he rose to his feet, “we must be on our way.” His eyes darkened, which was scary to see, when he focused on Rona and David. “Please come with us.” They stood, as if they had been pulled by strings upright.
Whisper to Me (Borne Vampires Book 1) Page 18
