“Do it,” Keckhaver ordered.
The veterinarian nodded his understand and then sank his fangs into Mueller’s neck, rewarding the fighter with the prize every champion that enters the cage strives for: immortality.
Mavrides looked away, already bored. Wellman climbed back down from his vantage point atop of the table. “I think I got it,” he muttered aloud. “But we’re too far from the stage to tell for sure.”
“So, what did you think?” grinned Smith.
Mavrides glanced back at the stage; Mueller’s body was being carefully removed from the cage and placed in a portable coffin. In three days’ time the fighter would rise from the dead and take his place amongst vampire society. George’s mutilated carcass, on the other hand, was being dragged away by its heels and would be used to boost the protein levels of the club’s cellar.
“I imagine he’s not going to appreciate coming back minus his dick,” he replied with a shrug.
“Ain’t that the truth!” Smith guffawed.
A glimpse of red mane and black satin caught Mavrides’ attention. It was Countess Delphe, looking a bit miffed as she shouldered her way to the bar.
“Excuse me a moment, would you, Smith?” Mavrides muttered.
The Countess was standing to a trembling, watery-eyed junkie whose milk-white body crawled with gooseflesh. Mavrides wondered if it was the effect of the drug or the intensity of the Countess’s expression that made the human shiver.
“I’m sorry your fighter lost,” he said.
Delphe glanced at him as she drew a double shot from the junkie’s shunt. “It happens.”
Mavrides shifted his weight, suddenly feeling awkward. “Yeah, well...Could I buy you a drink?”
She looked at him again, this time a little longer. “You’re not nouveau, are you.” It wasn’t a question. “You’re one of Smith’s protégés, am I right?”
“Yeah. I was converted in ‘69.”
She smiled, exposing the curve of her fangs against her full lower lip. “Nineteen Sixty-Nine? Then you’re still young. Not as immature as these yahoos, though.” She waved disparagingly to the others dressed in their opera capes and Elvira wigs. “But that’s okay.” Her smile widened. “I like them young.”
Mavrides didn’t bother to tell Smith or Wellman where he was going. They were used to his sudden disappearances by now. Although Wellman envied Mavrides’ luck with the females of the species, Smith had long since evolved beyond sexuality. Blood and power games were the only things that held the elder vampire’s interest.
“You have a car?” Delphe asked as they prepared to leave.
“I don’t drive…cars.”
“We’ll take mine, then.”
Her vehicle was waiting for her in the parking lot. A human dressed in a dove-gray chauffeur’s livery opened the door of the vintage Duisenberg as they approached.
“I meant what I said about your fighter,” Mavrides reiterated. “He should have won.”
Delphe shrugged. “The world is full of humans.”
A prepubescent girl pressed herself against the opposite door as they climbed into the back seat. “Come-come, Sherri!” Delphe said as he caressed the child’s pale cheek. “You shouldn’t be afraid of my friends.”
***
They ended up at his place.
The Countess ordered her chauffeur to wait until she returned. The human nodded and said nothing as they took Sherri with them to Mavrides’ apartment. The girl whimpered when Delphe ordered her to leave the car, but that was the only protest she made. Mavrides admired the power the Countess wielded over her thralls.
Vampires, at least physically, are impotent and sterile. They have no need for primitive mammalian means of replicating themselves. But all undead were once living beings, and the drive to procreate is a strong one. Because of that, it is the last of the human instincts to fade from vampire personalities. Mavrides could not imagine a time when sex would be meaningless to him, but there had also been a time when he could not imagine never seeing the sun or his own reflection again.
He escorted the Countess and Sherri into the room he kept for one-night stands, with the black tapers burning in candelabra set at the head and foot of a specially-designed double-width coffin. Delphe seemed suitably impressed.
He climbed inside, fully dressed, and motioned for her to follow. Delphe laughed quietly and herded the frightened Sherri ahead of her.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, my dear,” Delphe whispered soothingly. “All we want to do is love you. Isn’t that right?”
Mavrides smiled to encourage the child, opening his arms wide to embrace her. “Yes. We just want to share our love with you.”
The girl glanced nervously at Delphe as she climbed into the coffin, then Mavrides grabbed her and pulled her close. She gasped as his cold, dry hands tightened on her wrists, pinning her against him. Delphe slid in after her, trapping the girl between their bodies. Sherri started to cry, but Delphe quieted her sobs by stroking her hair and muttering meaningless endearments.
Mavrides was surprised at how much warmth the child radiated. She felt like a hot coal pressed against his flesh. He reached around the human and wrapped his arms around Delphe, pulling her closer. She did the same, squeezing the girl-child between them as if she might lend her heat to their ice-cold flesh.
Mavrides’ eyes met and held Delphe’s for a long moment. He could dimly remember when the sex act had been different, but he could not recall if it had been better.
Their fangs sank into Sherri’s throat at the same time, uniting the vampires in a moment of mutual sharing; the greatest intimacy possible amongst the undead. Sherri cried out as they punctured her, then fell silent. They fed two more times before dawn called a halt to the night’s performance. By the third feeding, Sherri’s eyes had rolled back in their sockets and her lips were blue.
It was the best sex Mavrides had ever known.
***
He woke up that evening to find himself alone in the coffin.
That wasn’t exactly true: Delphe hadn’t bothered to take Sherri’s corpse with her when she left.
“Stiffed again,” he groaned as he crawled over the body, cursing the Countess under his breath. At least you’d think she’d have the decency to dispose of her own empty, instead of leaving it for him to deal with.
As he glanced down at the girl’s body, he noticed the barely perceptible rise and fall of her ribcage. He checked her pulse and lifted her left eyelid. She wasn’t dead, but she was damn close. He contemplated draining her, then decided against it. He could get a better meal from one of the kittens at this point. He pulled her out of the coffin, draping her limp form over his shoulder like a fur stole. If he broke her limbs the right way, she’d just fit in the incinerator chute. He hoped he wouldn’t have to dig out the butcher knife and do it the messy, old-fashioned way.
After all, he didn’t have all night.
About The Author
Nancy A. Collins has authored over 20 novels and novellas, numerous short stories, and worked on several comic books, including a two-year run on Swamp Thing. She is a recipient of the HWA’s Stoker Award and the British Fantasy Society Award, and has been nominated for the Eisner, John Campbell Memorial, World Fantasy & International Horror Guild Awards. Best known for her ground-breaking vampire character, Sonja Blue, which heralded the rise of the popular Urban Fantasy genre, her works include the best-selling Sunglasses After Dark, the Southern Gothic collection Knuckles And Tales, & the Vamps series for Young Adults. Her most recent novel is Left Hand Magic, the second installment in the critically-acclaimed Golgotham urban fantasy series. She currently resides in Wilmington, North Carolina with her fiancé, Tommy, their Boston terrier, Chopper, and an indeterminate number of cats, only two of which she admits to having anything to do with.
Other Ebooks From Hopedale Press
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Aphra by Nancy A. Collins
A married man develops a bizarre fascination for a
medical skeleton he finds at a garage sale. Award-winning horror writer Nancy A. Collins, author of Sunglasses After Dark, tells a bone-chilling tale of sexual obsession and erotic horror.
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Calaverada by Nancy A. Collins
Big Luther and his gang of bounty hunters have been hired by a gold mining company to ride into Mexico and dispose of the Wolf Pack, an outlaw band lead by the notorious Dixie Jim. But when what was supposed to be a shoot-out turns into a bloody massacre, Big Luther and his men discover the hard way that its better not to insult the dead on the Dia de los Muertos. Award-winning writer Nancy A. Collins, author of Sunglasses After Dark, presents yet another exciting tale of the Weird Weird West.
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Demonlover by Nancy A. Collins
Sina is a woman with a history of self-destructive romantic relationships. She is drawn to cruel, heartless men and the danger that they represent. After her last "demon lover" puts her in the hospital, she tries to put her past behind her and settle down with someone safe, sane, and stable. But she soon finds herself bored and unsatisfied--and heads out to the bars once again, in search of the excitement she craves, only to find Feral waiting for her. But is he the man of her dreams--or her nightmares? A tale of erotic horror.
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Easy’s Last Stand by Nancy A. Collins
A serial killer called Butcher John invades the building that houses Easy’s Hot Talk, a phone sex business that advertizes in the back of porno mags. Butcher John is on a mission to kill sluts, and Easy is next on his list. But he soon discovers that the Hot Talkers are anything but easy.
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Furies In Black Leather by Nancy A. Collins
Cissy, Meg and Mistress Alexis are a trio of dominatrices who bill themselves as The Sisters. They operate a S&M dungeon out of a tony brownstone in the West Village that caters to Fortune 500 CEOs with a taste for the extreme.One of their best clients is Rolf--a millionaire who prefers others suffer for his sins. And while confession may be good for the soul, Rolf soon learns it all depends on what--and who--you're confessing to. Nancy A. Collins, author of the award-winning Sunglasses After Dark, presents a tale of erotic horror, nameless sin, and ice-cold revenge.
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Hell Come Sundown by Nancy A. Collins
Meet Sam Hell, a former law man turned professional spook-buster. He and his Comanche medicine woman companion, Pretty Woman, ride the high plains in search of Sangre,the undead conquistador responsible for transforming him into something not quite living, but not yet dead. Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins brings readers yet another thrilling tale of the Weird, Weird West.
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The Ice Wedding by Nancy A. Collins
The Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna was famous for her cruel practical jokes and capricious nature towards those she considered beneath her. Neither peasant nor prince, was safe from her wrath. Prince Mikhail, the scion of a noble and powerful family, found himself forced to become her court jester on the day his wife died. Later, he was forced to marry her chambermaid in an elaborate mock wedding. When the Czarina offers the newlyweds their freedom if they agree to spend their wedding night in the cottage she has had built for them, they eagerly agree, even though it is made of solid ice. Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins crafts a chilling Gothic fairytale based on an amazing historical event.
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Judgment Night by Nancy A. Collins
Four bored teens break into a house on Halloween in order to vandalize it, only to find the trick is on them. Can they survive night, or will they fall victim, one by one, to the blood lust of a depraved serial killer? Nancy A. Collins, one of the masters of modern horror, brings readers yet another tale of heart-pounding terror and suspense. Based on the real-life crimes of Dean "The Candyman" Corrl and Jack Walls III.
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The Reflected Ones by Nancy A. Collins
A murderer uses an ancient book of forgotten spells to escape justice by fleeing through the looking glass, only to discover the world on the other side of the mirror is far more dangerous than he ever imagined. Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins presents a chilling tale of Lovecraftian terror.
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The Thing From Lover’s Lane by Nancy A. Collins
It's the 1950s and Misty Valley is just another sleepy, All-American town, nestled along the Miskatonic River. Unlike sister cities Arkham and Dunwich, Misty Valley has managed to avoid the peculiar occurrences that have plagued the region since the days of the colonial witch trials. That is, until the night Carol Anne Fairweather and her boyfriend, Billy Mahan, parked too far down on Lover's Lane. On that old, foggy night Billy was attacked and knocked unconscious, while Carol Anne was brutally raped by someone--or something--that came out of the woods. Now, in order to clear his name, Billy must discover what really happened that horrible night. But can his mind withstand the awful truth he uncovers? Or will he end up as mad as Old Gooney, the crazed hermit who claims to keep watch against the dark forces that would make Misty Valley their own? Inspired by the work of H.P.Lovecraft, award-winning horror writer Nancy A. Collins adds another tale of terror to the never-ending Cthulhu Mythos. First published in 1995, The Thing From Lover's Lane was a finalist for the Horror Writers Association's prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Best Novelette.
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The Tortuga Hill Gang’s Last Ride by Nancy A. Collins
The Tortuga Hill Gang, lead by "Black Hat" Johnson, was one of the Old West's more colorful, and mysterious, outlaw groups. Rumored to be able to float safes like toy balloons and walk though bank walls, the six desperadoes--Johnson, the twin Chandler Brothers, Horseflesh Donnegan, Coyote Pete and the giant known as "Little Red"--disappeared without a trace in the 1890s. What really happened to the notorious Tortuga Hill Gang? Some say they met their fate at the hands of the Federalis. Others say the Devil came and dragged them to Hell. The only person who claims to know for sure is an old man who says he's the sole surviving member of the gang. This is his story of living the outlaw life in the Weird, Weird West.
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The Two Headed Man by Nancy A. Collins
Louise is a waitress at Kelly's Stop, a greasy spoon diner in a small Arkansas town. When she's not waiting on the locals and the occasional traveler, Louise dreams of the day her Handsome Prince will finally deliver her from her dead-end job by a rich, handsome Prince. But time is slowly slipping away, and the odds of her finding her Prince dwindle with each passing day. Then one cold, wintry night, a handsome stranger named Gary arrives just before closing--and Louise finds herself face-to-face with the man she has fantasized about all her life.She is unprepared, however, for the 'Human Worm' he carries on his back--a man born without arms and legs. Louise invites Gary and his strange companion back to her trailer--and quickly finds herself involved in the strangest, and most intense, erotic experience of her life.
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OTHER EBOOKS BY NANCY A. COLLINS
Premier Digital Publishing (PDP)
Sunglasses After Dark: One spring night in London, heiress Denise Thorne disappears while partying, never to be seen again. That very same night Sonja Blue, a tough-as-nails vampire/vampire-slayer, conceived in terror and blood, is born from the city’s gutters. Saved by modern medicine before she could die, she is a living vampire who still possesses a soul and is determined to fight for what remains of her humanity. In the years following her bizarre resurrection, Sonja Blue travels the globe, hunting down and disposing of those creatures that prey on the innocent while searching for the vampire Noble who created her. But when she investigates the sleazy televangelist named Catherine Wheele, Sonja finds herself up against a powerful inhuman adversary. But as dangerous as Catherine Wheele may be, Sonja’s greatest foe remains The Other, the vampiric personality with whom she is locked in a constant battle for control of their shared body. Can Sonja Blue overcome her inner demon in time to rescue an innocent man from Catherine Wheele’s unholy clutches?
Angels On Fire: Struggling artist Lucy
Bender is at the end of her rope. After being betrayed by both her boyfriend and a jealous rival in the cut throat art world, she finds herself standing on the roof of her New York apartment, contemplating suicide. Her luck is changed, however, when a misplaced angel named Joth plummets to earth, landing at her feet. Lucy’s first thought is to alert the media, in the form of a sleazy reality TV show. But her dreams of instant fame and fortune are cut short when she discovers she’s the only person who can see Joth for what it truly is. Making things even more difficult is the realization that the downed angel is attracting attention from servants of the Infernal Machine, lead by the daemon Meresin, who is eager to add Joth to his roster of imps and devils. Lucy is befriended by Ezrael, who was once like Joth and is now a wandering Muse. Ezrael warns her if Joth fails to find its way back to where it came from, it will automatically become a daemon, unless it chooses to become mortal. The only catch is that angels don’t have Free Will. Can Lucy save her fallen angel from falling further still? And is she willing to knock on Heaven’s door to do so?
Tempter: New Orleans has long been famous for good food, good times, good music--and voodoo. When troubled musician Alex Rossiter relocates to the Big Easy, he soon finds his rock star mojo working again. Not only is his new band attracting notice, he’s also having affairs with two gorgeous women: the sexy voodoo queen Ti Alice; and beautiful businesswoman Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Calder. But when Rossiter stumbles across a long-lost book of ancient spells, he unwittingly invites the evil spirit known as Tempter into this dreams, and, soon, his waking hours as well. Tempter is eager to escape his other-dimensional prison so he can once more slake his perverted lusts on the flesh of the living, starting with Charlie. It’s up to Jerry Sloan—Rossiter’s boyhood friend and Charlie’s not-so-secret admirer—and the one-eyed hoodoo woman known as Mad Aggie to stop Tempter’s evil plans before he destroys not Charlie but the descendants of the voodoo priestess who imprisoned him over a century ago. Together this unlikely duo must travel to the abandoned plantation deep in the Louisiana’s haunted bayou country, and face the dark secret that lies waiting for them, locked inside its rotting heart.
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