Dead Hearts (Book 2): Forsaken Hearts

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  “Don’t concern yourself, Dragon,” said Salustra, placing a hand on his arm. “You wouldn’t make it ten yards before the Shadowguard brought you down with a tranquilizer gun. Sharpshooters are stationed on every rooftop. We can’t have our new main attraction injuring himself trying to be a hero. I take it you know these humans?”

  “Yes,” Dragon said, bristling with anger. If he’d had his swords, he would have tried to save them. “They’re my friends.”

  “Apparently, the Kaiser has been busy tonight. I wasn’t asked to come along. Not that I mind,” she said, with a laugh. “I don’t like being involved in violence. I only like to watch the Death Games. You’re fortunate that I spoke up when I did. Aldarik wanted to kill you. He occasionally competes in the Death Games, and he has never been defeated.”

  “Can’t you help my friends?” asked Dragon. “They have Star. She’s my best friend. I have to do something. I can’t just....”

  “You’re unarmed. What will you do? Break Star’s chains, pick her up, and run away with her? What about the others? You’ll do far more for them here, Dragon, by keeping the Kaiser happy. I know it seems cruel, but if you’re here, you can keep your eye on them. Leave and they die a worse fate than you could ever imagine.”

  Dragon watched the line of hooded prisoners enter the music hall. “I’ll kill the Kaiser one day,” he said. “That’s a promise.”

  Salustra squeezed his arm. “Maybe. One way or another, we’re all the Kaiser’s slaves.”

  He wondered what she meant as they turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Thirteen

  Blaze was unable to see anything beneath the smelly hood.

  She remembered how the Vikings gallantly tried to rescue them before Logan jumped onto the chopper. The hood was placed on her head as they flew off. Logan had betrayed them. On the flight back to the Citadel, the vampires had talked about Rafe’s capture and torture.

  “Keep moving,” said a guard standing close by.

  The grass under her feet turned to cement, and Blaze stumbled on purpose. The guard grabbed her arm, keeping her from falling and pushed her forward. Nasty, old blood sucker, she thought. She heard a door with squeaky hinges opening, and the line moved forward. She heard music softly playing and paused to listen, but her captor gave her another shove. Blaze stumbled into the person in front of her. Hearing a muffled curse, Blaze knew it was Raven.

  “Take them to the theater,” said a vampire. “The Kaiser is waiting.”

  As another door opened, Blaze felt her heart pounding in her chest. Applause filled her ears. Cement turned to carpet beneath her feet. The line came to a halt and a rough hand jerked Blaze up a flight of wooden stairs. She bumped into Raven, hearing her muffled curse.

  “Good evening, or should I say good morning, as dawn is approaching?” said a man with a deep, booming voice. “Welcome to the Citadel. It’s time for the meet-and-greet. Remove their hoods, and let us see the new slaves!”

  The nasty smelling hood was jerked off Blaze’s head. Bright lights assaulted her eyes. It took a moment of blinking before she could see the large theater filled with its vampire audience. She stood between Raven and Star, with Uther and the Elite standing off to the side with five F.A. soldiers. The music was loud in the theater.

  Hearing a sniffle followed by a hiccup, she noticed that Star, usually so calm and brave in battle, was crying. Her sobbing was unsettling. Stepping closer, Blaze nudged her with an elbow.

  “Cut it out. Stop crying. Don’t give these jerks the satisfaction.”

  Blaze didn’t realize her voice carried to the crowd. The vampires gasped, staring at Blaze as if she’d committed a crime. Star stopped crying, gazing at Blaze in terror.

  “What’s this? Humans may not speak unless I say so!” The Kaiser stomped over, glared up at Blaze with glowing yellow eyes and flashed his yellow fangs. Blaze found her nerve and glared back at him. If she was going to die, at least she’d do it facing her enemy without shedding a tear. “You’re a spirited little thing,” he replied. “What is your name, little girl?”

  “They call me Blaze.”

  “What is your special skill?”

  “Attitude,” she said.

  The Kaiser frowned, causing wrinkles to spread across his wide forehead. “Let me rephrase the question. What is your preferred choice of weapons? And don’t be cute, I don’t like it. Answer me, girl. What weapon do you use in battle?”

  Instead of answering, Blaze struggled to get free. She knew there was no place to run, but she had to try. Things weren’t going to get any better, and she wasn't going to kiss up to the scary, little freak. His eyes glimmered bright yellow. Blaze imagined the Kaiser jumping on top of her, sinking his long, pointy fangs into her throat. She was doomed regardless of what she said or did.

  “Tell him,” said Raven, through gritted teeth. “You’ll get us all killed, you dumb shit. Tell him that you use a crossbow.”

  Blaze rolled her eyes. “You just did.”

  The Kaiser pointed a chubby finger at the two girls. The moment he looked at Raven, his features softened, and his eyes glistened with emotion. “Oh, my,” he said, breathlessly. “I like you. In fact, I think you’re a real dish.”

  Blaze felt her temper rise as the blonde vampire who had taken her prisoner sauntered over to the Kaiser. The two vampires studied Raven, their eyes glowing, fangs hanging out with obvious lust. Raven, for all her pride and bravery, stared at the floor, shuddering. The blonde vampire reached out his hand. He was pushed aside by the Kaiser with a mere finger.

  “This one is for me, Aldarik,” said the Kaiser. “You may pick another.”

  “Only the best for you, my Kaiser,” replied Aldarik, turning his attention toward Star. “I’ll take the China Star.”

  The Kaiser nodded. “So be it, Lieutenant Aldarik. She is yours.” He clapped his hands. “What shall be the fate of the others? Any guardians speak up now. We have a fine selection of Freedom Army soldiers up for grabs.”

  Blaze looked back at Uther and the Elite. Behind them stood Heimdall and the Freedom Army soldiers. The soldiers pressed together, heads hung down, showing no backbone. Heimdall looked as furious as Uther. Aldarik went over to the Elite. The young men were led forward. The F.A. soldiers were ignored.

  “These six are the Elite,” said Aldarik, pointing out Uther. “Battle trained, young, strong, and considered the finest warriors among the humans. Despite their appearance, I found it easy to take them in battle. The soldiers offered no fight at all when Pallaton plucked them off the barricade. Unfortunately, I encountered resistance. The A-Team was eliminated.” He shook his head. “What I would have given to see the A-Team fight against Aries of Athens.”

  “You wasted precious human blood, Aldarik. I ordered the Shadowguard to return with the finest, and you’ve brought me puppies.” The Kaiser sounded as unhappy as he looked. A few vampires in the audience started whispering, but no guardians raised their hands.

  Aldarik fiddled with the hilt of his saber, acting remorseful, but Blaze could tell it was feigned. The guy looked like a killer. He probably killed the A-Team for sport.

  “We’ll talk about that later, but for now,” said the Kaiser, pointing at Raven, “I want this exotic beauty taken to my quarters. With my wife gone, I find myself needing a suitable replacement. Perhaps, I have found her. Take her away!”

  Guards appeared and hauled Raven screaming off the stage. Star started to cry again. Blaze was utterly disgusted at the notion the Kaiser had been married and wanted a new wife. Raven wouldn’t tolerate being pawed by the little shrimp. The moment Raven had the chance, Blaze knew the Viking would to kill the Kaiser. Getting such an opportunity almost made her wish that the vamp had found her attractive enough to send to his quarters. She’d have mashed his ugly face with a chair.

  “Now for the boy with the eyes of ice,” said the Kaiser.

  Uther, a tall, strong young man with short brow
n hair and a square jaw, glared at his captors. His eyes were a piercing steel blue. The Elite all had buzz cuts, green uniforms, and a look of defiance. Uther’s hands were tied in front with wire, and his wrists were bleeding. Aldarik pulled him out of line.

  “You’ll be sorry you ever set foot in our camp,” Uther said, in a voice that neither quivered nor broke. “If Cadence doesn’t kill you, Thor will. All of you fangers will be dead and buried long before the flesh rots from my body. For too long your kind have lived with the idea that you can rule this world unchallenged. The Elite will be avenged, mark my words.”

  At Aldarik’s signal, the guards moved in and struck Uther with the butts of their rifles. He held firm, unflinching, taking the blows. The crowd started to fidget, talking amongst themselves, until Uther was struck at the back of the head. He crashed to his knees without a sound, blood streaming down his face.

  “I have heard about the Elite,” the Kaiser said to the crowd in a high-pitched voice. “Uther is their leader, but now he is my slave. I promised I’d give you all a wonderful show on Halloween evening. We shall all enjoy watching the Elite fight against some of the best Class A fighters in the Death Games.” He waved his hand in the air. “Guards, take Uther and the Elite to their new quarters. Leave them bound to punish their leader's insolent attitude.”

  As Uther was dragged off the stage, followed by the Elite, the soldiers and Heimdall were brought forward. The large Viking fought against his bonds and cussed a blue streak as he glared at Aldarik and the Kaiser. His black skin was covered with red blood, mostly his own, and his amber eyes were filled with hatred. Blaze was impressed. Heimdall defied the vampires, as Uther had, showing the vampires that not everyone was afraid of being beaten into submission.

  “Thor will come for you,” shouted Heimdall. “You will all die!” He spat blood at Aldarik.

  The crowd started to boo. Heimdall growled with fury and charged forward, intent on reaching the Kaiser. Before the guards or Aldarik could react, the Kaiser came right up to Heimdall, lifted his tiny hand, and smiled. The giant froze in his tracks, staring at the Kaiser, unable to move or blink. Blaze and Star exchanged a look of amazement. An audible gasp rose from the crowd, followed by wild applause. The Kaiser walked around Heimdall, fiddling with a large ruby ring on his left index finger. Blaze wondered if the ring had magical powers. It seemed impossible, but she had just seen Heimdall caught with her own eyes.

  “Take those so-called soldiers to the pens,” the Kaiser shouted. “This one who tried to strike me will fight in the zombie melee. We’ll see what he can do against forty of the hungriest zombies.”

  The blonde vamp snapped his fingers. The Freedom Army soldiers were led off by four goons in trench coats. Heimdall was lowered down, straight as a board, and carried away. The Kaiser came over to Star, produced a hankie from his pocket, and dried her tears. Star was too frightened to move. Blaze let out a hiss that startled the Kaiser. He gave Blaze a sharp look before returning his attention to Star.

  “You have chosen well, Aldarik,” said the Kaiser. “Everyone, this is Star, leader of the infamous China Six. They are the same team that came here this evening to rescue the traitor, Rafe.”

  Star gasped, but didn’t say a word. The vampires started to shout and call her names.

  “Come now, my friends. We can’t all be on the winning side in this war. Rafe didn’t want to be part of our club, and he will be brought to heel soon enough.” The Kaiser waved the crowd silent. “China Six, I might add, was led here by Master Dragon. You saw how he fought tonight, and you will see him again soon in the Death Games!”

  The audience applauded, and Blaze wondered what the hell happened during Rafe’s escape. If Dragon was a captive, where was Whisper?

  Aldarik growled. “Rafe is a threat. Logan said....”

  Blaze looked around the stage for the traitor, missing the last of what the vampire said, wanting to see if Logan was present. He wasn’t in the crowd. She imagined he was in a suite, awarded with flowers, champagne, and a girl. Star’s look of alarm kept Blaze from causing a commotion.

  “Since you claimed Star as your slave, you may remove her from the stage,” said the Kaiser. “Do with her what you will, Aldarik, but be careful; she is more dangerous than you think. Pallaton might have taken Star without being wounded, but allow her to sleep beside you, unchained, and you may not awaken.”

  “I can handle her.” Aldarik grabbed Star by the arm, hauling her unresisting across the stage. Star looked back at Blaze, abject terror on her face, before being led out the stage door.

  Left alone on the stage, Blaze glared at the audience, wrinkled her nose, and stuck out her tongue. The crowd shouted, and a few shook their fists. A male stood up and cursed her. Acting bored Blaze gazed up at the balcony, expecting to see more blood suckers. Instead, one lone figure sat in the furthest corner. The Kaiser gazed up at the balcony, but the figure had ducked out of sight. Her heart skipped a beat; she wanted it to be Whisper.

  “You wanted to know my special skill?” Blaze said, diverting the Kaiser’s attention from the balcony. “I’m an archer. Maybe you’ve heard of me? I’m Blaze of the Fighting Tigers. Yesterday, I killed twenty zombies, the same zombies you sent to take out my team. Before that, I fought in the Battle of the Peak and killed a lot more zombies using a baseball bat. I’ve even killed a vampire or two, but I’m not keeping score. You all look the same to me. Butt ugly with fangs.”

  “Aren’t you the least bit afraid of me, little girl? No?” The Kaiser walked over to Blaze. He was interested…too interested. “No? I don’t know why Aldarik brought you here. Archers aren’t formidable, especially not a tiny, poorly-decorated one like you. I wanted Cadence or Highbrow. Who should I give you to?”

  A few hands were raised in the audience. The Kaiser ignored them.

  “I’m done playing around with you fangers. Take me to my cell and give me some chow,” said Blaze. “You want me to fight in the Death Games? As long as I get to kill vamps, I’m your girl.”

  “Very well,” said the Kaiser. “I’ll give you to Pallaton. He’ll know how to handle a savage.” He motioned to his guards. “Take this hideously made up brat away and lock her up. She's repulsive.”

  “You’re repulsive,” Blaze shouted. “Drinking human blood and eating babies makes you lower than zombies, and they totally suck. Just not in the same way.”

  Two guards grabbed hold Blaze’s forearms. Bad mistake. She kicked one in the shin and stomped on the second’s foot. The audience cheered Blaze on, eager for a fight, as fickle as vampires could get. Her revolt didn’t last long. Two more vamps came over and helped drag her off the stage, kicking and screaming.

  Blaze was seething with blinding rage by the time the vampires tossed her into a cell. There had been a pane of glass in the door window, but now it was boarded up. The door was locked from the outside. She had a single light over a bed in an 8x8 room with white walls and framed pictures of dead musicians. The room smelled like a boy’s locker room. She sat on the bed and noticed someone had scratched the name ‘Rafe’ on the wall. That was funny. She was in Rafe’s cell, which had to mean he’d been rescued. Perhaps she would be next. It was possible.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Fourteen

  The Dark Angels were tasked with building a wall between the hospital and the lab, which required a lot of construction and busy vamps zipping about. With all the commotion and increased demands on Rose, she needed some assistance, so Ginger, a tall, red-haired vampire with medical training, was placed in charge of tending to minor injuries. Most of the kids were hurt trying to scale the cliffs after the vampires. The Vikings also arrived for treatment. Rose sent Odin to the Viking RV to be placed under observation. Loki was underfoot, as usual, so Rose sent him on an errand.

  Thor was seated on the surgery table, waiting for his ribs to be examined. The werepumas remained outside the infirmary, patiently waiting for Luna who had slid on a lab coat when she brought the kids inside
for treatment.

  “Is Thor going to be all right?” asked Luna. Her bare feet were muddy. A number of cuts covered her legs, but she’d refused treatment.

  Thor reminded Rose of a kick-boxer from Sweden she’d dated in college. Giving the young man a quick examination, she confirmed the right side of his ribs were bruised, but not broken. A patchwork of old scars covered his back. The late Captain had run a strict camp at Pike’s Peak, and his manner of discipline was legendary. Thor winced though Rose barely touched the bruised area.

  “Nothing is broken,” said Rose. She turned to Luna. “I appreciate what you did for the Vikings tonight. Will your pride stay in camp for a while?”

  “It’s too chaotic around here, Doc. We’ll only be in the way. Cadence wants us here, but I’m taking the pride back into the mountains. We won’t go far.”

  Luna removed the lab coat, startling the young patients with her nudity. It took less than a second for her to turn into a puma. When the door was opened by a Blue Devil, Luna trotted outside with a roar and vanished into the dark with her pride.

  “I like that young lady,” Rose said as she wrapped a brace around Thor’s ribs. “With a little rest, you’ll be back on the front lines in no time.”

  “Rest? My friends are counting on me,” Thor said. “I’m going to lead a mission to rescue them.”

  “Not any time soon,” said Rose. “How about something for the pain? Micah and Ginger brought fresh supplies.”

  Rose held up a syringe. Thor nodded and closed his eyes. She took a cotton pad with alcohol, cleaned a spot at the bend in his elbow, and gave him an injection.

  “Big guys get big doses,” she said. “Any better?”

  “A little.” Thor caught her arm, keeping her from walking off. “Do you think the Kaiser will turn Star into a vampire?”