by Jan McDonald
She was at the wall so quickly that even Kat, with her new vampire vision, didn’t see her move. In seconds Lane was scaling the straight wall, though crawling up it would be a more accurate description.
Thoughts flashed like fork lightening through Kat’s consciousness. Her life had changed so dramatically in such a short space of time. Knowledge and awareness of such strange concepts that previously she would have denied without hesitation she now accepted as cold fact. Vampires had been the stuff of legend, myth and fiction, the product of fevered imaginations, and now, in the cold light of day not only did they exist but also she numbered one of them. Now she was watching Lane climb the outside of a building like some crazy incarnation of Spiderman.
Kat closed her eyes. “Holy Mother of God,” she said under her breath.
Beckett reached out to her and took her hand.
“Get used to it,” he said.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Santorini and Nik stood at the dead girl’s window.
“Go ahead, Nik. Jump. It will be fine.”
Nik looked into the ice-blue eyes and knew he spoke the truth. He trusted this man, this vampire who had become his self-appointed friend and mentor. And he knew that he wanted to be more; he wanted Nik to be his lover.
Nik had never before questioned his sexuality, but along with the other changes in him that had developed since he had acknowledged his vampirism and drunk the blood of his first victim, had come this unnerving acceptance of Santorini’s subtle but erotic kisses.
He stood momentarily on the sill then threw his hands high above his head and leaped into the night air.
His vampire senses took over instinctively and he slowed his descent down by the same method that he had risen in the air and in through the girl’s window.
Santorini smiled at him. Well done, the smile said. He stepped out onto the sill and turned back to face the room. Nik saw a subtle movement and a tiny flare of light. As Santo stepped off the sill into nothing, the room behind him began flickering with light and flames soon engulfed the room and the dead girl. There would be no drained body to find, and no evidence of their visit.
Nik sensed disquiet and uncertainty in his friend. Hidden somewhere amongst Santorini’s pride in Nik’s new achievements there was a maggot of doubt. Santo was unsure of him for some reason.
He read the boy and put his hand on his shoulder.
“Very good, Nik, you learn quickly. Yes, I was wondering if you would be so bold on your own. Would you remember to leave no trace? Would you be disciplined enough to remove yourself, in every sense, from the scene? Beware, Nik, none of us is invincible. Almost, but not quite.”
“What about my father? You said he was the greatest vampire on the earth. Is he not invincible?”
“Of all of us, he is the one who is closest to it. But even he has his own vulnerability. Enough of this now, we’re going home.”
Nik’s face fell.
“Come Nik, you think I don’t know where you have been living? You think that I don’t know that besides the clothes you stand up in you have precious little else? That’s in the past now. You are coming home with me.”
“I don’t know,” he said doubtfully.
Again Santorini read the boy. He laughed. “Oh, I see. You think I intend to seduce you and keep you against your will. Is that it?”
Nik’s face, flushed from the feeding, deepened in colour.
“Relax, Nik. There are no strings. Just a comfortable room, a full wardrobe, keys of your own to come and go as you please. Yes, I find you desirable, but not exclusively so. I have taken a liking for you in every sense, Nik, and I want to see you fulfil your potential. Besides, there is much to do if we are to go to Greece. You do want me to take you to your father?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. It’s just …”
“I know. A lot has happened in the past few nights. On top of which you find the mother who abandoned you, a new friend in me, and the knowledge that your father will welcome you. You see, Nik, I do have some slight selfishness in my motives. I want you to tell your father that it was I that taught you to be all that you can be, and I that looked after you and brought you to him.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see, Nik, you’ll see. Now, home?”
Nik nodded. “Home,” he replied.
*
Lane reached the topmost window easily and to her surprise found that it was not locked from the inside as she had feared but that she was able to lever it open far enough to get her hand inside and open it fully. Nik and Kat watched as she disappeared into the dark void.
Andrei’s penthouse apartment was in total darkness but to Lane it may as well have been floodlit. This was the second time in as many days that she had been there and a quick visual examination of the bedroom and en-suite marble bathroom confirmed that the flat was empty and her vampire senses told her she was alone.
She closed the window behind her but knew that if Andrei were to return soon he would detect her scent. It was a gamble she had to take; Beckett was not going to be satisfied until she had searched everywhere and then let him in to do the same. She didn’t know what she was going to do about Beckett. He was dangerously obsessed with what he saw as revenge for Kat’s turning, though she realised it was still as much about Grace. She couldn’t blame him; Grace had been no innocent but the violent degradation of her eventual ‘death’ made her despair of her own kind. This crusade wasn’t going to end quickly and she knew that, before its close there would likely be more tragedy.
Kat was another matter; vampire in essence already, her turning had been inevitable if she were to survive the anaemia and approaching insanity. Beckett was obviously in love with her and he’d found her a convenient hook on which to hang his lust for revenge. She knew him well enough to realise that he wasn’t going to stop until the vampire responsible for Grace and Kat’s condition was dead, and she knew that was going to be almost impossible.
In the sitting room Lane saw and smelled the remains of the absinthe. Traditionally and historically the vampire drink, this would have ensured Kat’s compliance to the advances and undoubted attractions of Andrei. She was reluctant to allow Beckett to see the evidence of the seduction here and in the bedroom but she knew that she didn’t dare to move anything. The less Andrei knew about her incursion into his apartment the better.
Designed to keep people out, the electronic locking system was easy to bypass for her to leave the apartment. She pressed the call button on the lift and heard not only the whirring of the mechanism as it brought it up to the penthouse, but also the buzz of electricity through wire and cable. She dismissed the awareness and transferred her thoughts once more to Beckett.
As the doors began to slide open, she sensed the presence of someone inside less than a second too late to avoid the garlic oil that was hurled directly into her face, blinding her for just long enough for the occupant of the lift to take advantage of her temporary confusion and drive home a wooden stake hard into her chest.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Something’s wrong. She should have been down by now.”
Beckett voiced Kat’s thoughts.
“She’s been inside for over fifteen minutes … I’m going to try again; there may be a way in from next door. You’d better come with me, I don’t want you hanging around here on your own.”
“What if Lane comes back? She’ll be mad as hell with you. She may be trying to talk her way out of there right now if Andrei is home.”
Beckett scowled. “Andrei is it? I don’t have to remind you what he did to you do I? Or maybe you enjoyed it? You have no idea what these monsters are capable of.”
“God help me, I did enjoy it. Does that shock you, Beckett? And I have a very good idea of what they are capable of, or have you forgotten? Perhaps you’d like to rethink your feelings for me; I’m a monster after all.” Her face was pale and, for a moment, the old vulnerability reappeared.
Beckett’s jaw tightened as he foug
ht to gain control of his emotions. He got out of the car suddenly and slammed the door. He’d lost Grace to these foul creatures and it looked increasingly as if Kat was lost to him too. His rage simmered dangerously close to explosion, and he wanted to get his hands on any one of the bloodsuckers no matter what it cost him – and he knew the price was likely to be high.
Kat was out of the car and beside him, her movements imperceptible. Beckett shrugged.
“I’m sorry. That was unfair. I just feel so bloody helpless, not your typical hero. Maybe if I were a vampire too then I could get even.”
“Don’t even think that, Beckett.” She knew he wasn’t in the mood to listen but without Beckett she’d have taken her own life long ago. One day she’d tell him, but not now.
Kat was suddenly on the alert. Someone was approaching the inside of the door and they were breathing heavily, and she sensed something akin to panic. She reached out and held onto Beckett’s arm.
“Wait,” she said.
Beckett looked at her questioningly then followed her eyes to the door. He could hear nothing but was more than conscious of Kat’s heightened senses even though they were still in their infancy. He knew he was holding his breath and continued to do so.
He took a step forward and Kat made no effort to prevent him, whoever was hurling themselves towards the front door of the club was frightened. Badly frightened.
There was a loud crash and the door flew open and the building appeared to forcibly eject the white faced, eye-linered Goth that had helped Beckett earlier. He appeared not to see either Beckett or Kat as he flew towards them in blind panic.
Beckett put out an arm and grabbed him as he tried to run past them. He didn’t focus right away then recognition grew as his pupils returned to near-normal size as his panic began to subside.
“Oh, it’s you,” he gasped. “Well, I’d vanish if I were you. This is no place to be pushing your luck, mate. This place is bad. Real bad. A beating’s not all you’ll get round here. And I’d ‘preciate my arm back. I want some space between me and it. Pronto.”
He tried to pull away from Beckett.,
“Not so fast. What do you mean ‘it’?
“Got me a Sucker, that’s what. Not the one I was after but still a Sucker. Staked her good and proper.”
His eyes were wide and he was perspiring as adrenaline and fear pumped round him in equal quantities. Beckett kept a firm grip on the boy’s arm as he tried to pull away again.
“Let go. I mean it, you owe me. Remember?”
Kat was already through the door, sensing for Lane. Beckett hauled the boy back towards the club. “Don’t worry, my friend, you’ll get what’s coming to you. You’d better be praying that the Sucker you staked isn’t who I think it is. Mate.”
“Fuck you. Let go of me. What are you? Some kind of Sucker lover?”
Beckett’s free hand made hard contact with the back of the boy’s skull and his grip tightened as he twisted the arm behind the boy causing him to yell out in pain. “Move it,” snarled Beckett, “Are you praying yet?”
The club was in darkness and, without the advantage of Kat’s developing vampire sight, he stumbled on the stairs but held on to the boy’s arm, sending him tumbling over his own feet.
“Beckett. Get up here. Quick.” Kat’s voice made his chest tighten. He dragged the boy along on his knees not giving him time to stand. He could just make out a darker rectangle in the gloom. The lift.
Kat was on her knees bending over Lane. Jesus, if this little creep had.… Beckett pushed him forwards sending him reeling against an armchair. His head cracked against the hard floor as he went down. He stayed down.
Beckett pulled Kat back roughly as his eyes fought to focus in the gloom. “Lane? Get me some light, Kat. Now.” His hand was wet and sticky and he could hear the wheezing, bubbling sound as she fought to breathe. She coughed and choked on the blood that was welling up into her throat. “Hang on, Legs. Kat, where’s the Goddamn light?”
A soft glow answered him and he took stock of Lane’s situation for the first time. A wooden stake protruded from her chest where it had mercifully missed her heart by several inches, her eyes were swollen and streaming. Kat leaned over him, horrified at what she saw. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the stake. She reached out towards it.
“Leave it,” Beckett snapped. “It’s the worst thing you can do. Get me something to wrap her in, she’s freezing.”
Kat ignored him and reached out for the stake again. “Trust me on this, Beckett. I can hear her. She’s telling me to pull it, she hasn’t the strength to pull it herself and she can’t heal herself whilst the stake is still in.” She took hold of the jagged wood and tugged at it, pulling it from Lane with a wet sucking sound. Blood bubbled and frothed out of the wound in a scarlet foam.
Lane gasped as the stake left a gaping hole in her chest. Beckett tore open her shirt.
“Sorry, Legs but I need to get to it.” Beckett’s face was grim.
Lane opened her reddened eyes and held up a hand to stop Beckett from touching the bubbling crimson wound. She closed her eyes again as if to sleep. Kat could sense the rushing sound in her veins and her vampire eyes saw the healing begin seconds before Beckett did. Slowly the wound pulled together, muscle and sinew beneath the hole closed first then finally the skin drew together. There was no scar.
“Holy shit.” The white face of the Goth paled naturally as he regained consciousness in time to witness the healing.
Beckett lunged towards him, grabbing him by the shoulder of his jacket. He dragged him towards Lane and pushed his face close to her.
“Look! Look at her, you ignorant bastard. Look at what you almost destroyed.” Beckett’s anger was raw as he pulled the boy to his feet and yanked him around to face him. His jaws were clamped tight together, his fist balled at his side.
Lane coughed as she sat upright. “Leave him, Beckett. I’ll be fine. Thankfully his knowledge of anatomy is lousy.”
Beckett hit him again anyway; it had been a bad night.
He hauled the lad to his feet again. “Be glad she’s okay. Be very glad.”
“She’s a goddamn Sucker man. You her ‘boy’ or what?”
Beckett’s fist slammed home into his solar plexus and he held him upright ready to receive another.
“Beckett,” yelled Lane. “Quit it, Handsome. He may know where Andrei is.” She turned to the boy. “What’s your name? And I can tell if you’re lying.” She stood up and brushed herself down, apparently oblivious to her half naked state. Her eyes were still stinging and full, the garlic having done its job – but she’d been able to avoid the full extent of the attack, instinctively covering her face seconds before the garlic essence was thrown.
The boy was clearly terrified and Lane used the fact to her advantage as she narrowed her eyes and pushed down her canine teeth. She snarled at him and moved right up to him with vampire speed. It was at that point that he lost control of his bladder.
Beckett let him go and stepped back quickly. “Very nice. Not so brave now, are we? Maybe I’ll just leave you to her. Mate.”
“No,” he snapped. “No … please.”
Lane’s eyes twinkled at Kat. Watch me, she said. Watch how you can use your abilities to your advantage. Watch him squirm, he deserves it; that bloody stake hurt.
Lane’s elegant fingernail hooked under the boy’s chin. “I asked you your name Pee Wee.”
He drew himself up. “Darius. Darius Luca and I am a hunter.”
“Tut. Now’s not the time to try and be clever.”
He lost height suddenly under Lane’s glare.
Well, Hunter to what did I owe the pleasure of your attention? Hmm?”
“I wanted Andrei Marinescu; he’s a Sucker… like you.”
“No,” she said icily, “No, he’s not at all like me. Because if he had you here now, I rather doubt that he would resist draining you of all your blood then taking your goddamn head off. I may not do that. Besides,” she
looked down at the puddle by his feet, “I think you’re in the wrong job.”
“A hunter, eh?” Beckett mocked him. “What shall we do with him?”
Lane eyed him coldly. “Let the little creep go. He’s not worth the effort.”
“You heard the lady. Go.” Beckett pushed him roughly towards the stairs. “Go. And take my advice, Hunter, quit whilst you’re ahead.”
“Just like that. You expect me to leave, just like that? After what I’ve seen? I mean, man that stuff is way past weird. If you can all do that, how the hell do I … you know?”
Beckett’s harsh laugh made the boy pale. “You know how to push your luck, I’ll give you that. It occurs to me, Hunter, that you need a few lessons; Vampirism 101. How’s that sound? And you know what; I think I may enjoy being the teacher.”
“My name is Darius,” the Goth said quietly.
Lane sighed, “Okay, Handsome, let’s get out of here.” She turned back to Darius, “I’ll just tell you this once; you’re way out of your league here, and for your future information we do know how to police our own bad guys. Leave it to us, all right?”
Kat had been quiet during this exchange, looking around her thoughtfully. She put a hand on Beckett’s arm and nodded towards Darius. “He may have seen Nik,” she said quietly.
Beckett grabbed the boy firmly by the shoulder again. “This lady wants to know if you’ve seen her son. Think very carefully before you answer.”
Kat described Nik and what he had been wearing the last time she had seen him.
Darius adopted a foppish pose and looked thoughtful. Beckett tightened his grip on his shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah, he was here earlier. He left though, I saw him talking to Andrei just before that. Don’t know what was said but your son looked more than pissed off.”
“They said he hadn’t been here,” said Kat,
Darius shrugged. “The one with in the mask followed him, in case you’re interested.”
