Dead Hearts (Book 3): Vengeful Hearts

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  “Who’s there?” called a male voice from behind the door.

  “Rafe? Is that you? I had no idea you were the Queen’s prisoner. I thought you were dead.”

  Laughter came from behind the door. “Not yet. Are you enjoying Cinder’s birthday party? She invited you tonight to earn favor with the Kaiser. Cerberus’ gambling has gotten out of hand. The feast cost a fortune. We’ll be starving by the end of the week, unless Cinder convinces you to ask the Kaiser for more humans. The little monsters have a voracious appetite.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Raven said. “Cerberus has won a pile of rubies from Pallaton. He can buy all the slaves he wants at the downtown market. Are they feeding you well?” She never liked Rafe, but she was curious.

  “I’m not the one you should be concerned with. While you’ve been living in your little dream world, Raven, the Shadowguard has been searching for Cadence.”

  “I know. So what? She asked for it.”

  “Your ex, Thor, is with Cadence. Heimdall and Baldor are dead, and Loki is in Italy. They were Vikings. If you no longer care for them, don’t you still care about Luna? Wasn’t she your true love? I don’t understand why you haven’t helped her at least. She fights in the arena, yet you could ask the Kaiser to give her to you. I’m sure he would.”

  Behind the door she could hear the clank of chains as Rafe moved.

  “Everyone wants something from me,” Raven said. “I have no power. I’m watched day and night by the Shadowguard. I can’t even leave the Citadel without permission.”

  A fist hit the door, causing a crack in the center. Raven jumped back.

  “Listen to me, you little fool. The Kaiser isn’t who he pretends to be. He’s a demon, Raven, and when I say demon, I mean he’s an Anax demon. That translates into ‘a high demon lord’. He never bit and turned anyone. He can’t. We were created in his image through a damn virus, but we are not like him. He isn’t a Maker. This story he’s been spinning is to make you feel sympathetic to his cause. We’re not immortal, as I’m sure he told you. Nor are we supernatural, though I heard he’s made quite a few in his labs over the centuries; he is. You and I are just infected with a virus he created. Why? To create the perfect immortal female to spend eternity at his side, and it’s my understanding that you’re to be his wife.”

  She placed her hands against the door. “How do you know this?”

  “This comes straight from Rose. Salustra and Pallaton were chosen by the Kaiser and were the first infected. They are Vampire Makers like me, not the Kaiser. Rose was Salustra’s first, but Rose saw things differently. The Dark Angels fled Denver and came here. Rose didn’t expect the Kaiser to follow. He thinks Cadence is the key to what he’s been searching for, the one special ingredient to make vampires immortal. However, you know her blood kills vampires. What sets Cadence apart from the rest of us is that she is immortal. Ask Pallaton if you don’t believe me, though he still may not tell you the truth.”

  “No, you’re lying, like you always do,” Raven said.

  She knew she should not linger. There was a reason Rafe and Jean-Luc were being kept at Miramont Castle, and she had a feeling Cinder and Cerberus were under close surveillance. The Shadowguard had eyes and ears everywhere. She looked up and down the hall expecting to find cameras, and felt no comfort when she didn’t see any. Raven ran from the door.

  * * *

  “I wish we could keep driving,” Raven said, tucked away in the corner of the limo. “We should drive south, to the sea. Go somewhere where we can bathe in sunshine, enjoying tropical breezes, and live our lives without being told what to do.”

  “Did Jean-Luc say something to upset you?” Pallaton sat across from Raven and Salustra. “I told you he is a troublemaker, Salustra. The only reason he lives is because the Kaiser is fond of you.”

  “Jean-Luc is tame,” Salustra said in a cool voice. She put her hand on Raven’s arm. “I think there’s another reason for this outburst. I suspect Raven found Rafe. Is that what happened? Did you speak with Rafe?”

  Raven pulled her cape around her body. “They’re keeping him imprisoned in an upstairs room. Cinder and Cerberus are broke, and they’re going to starve unless I beg the Kaiser for a loan. They need more humans, but what has me upset is Rafe. He said the Kaiser is a demon—an Anax demon which makes him a high demon lord. He said we’re not immortal, but the Kaiser is, and so is Cadence!”

  Bloody tears trailed down Raven’s cheeks. Salustra wiped them away with her handkerchief. The captain sat up, giving them both a disapproving look.

  “This is madness,” Pallaton said. “Tell no one you spoke to Rafe. No one.”

  Salustra patted Raven’s shoulder. “What would you have us do? Run away? We’d be signing our own death warrants. Put this behind you, dear, and don’t think of it again. We can’t help anyone but ourselves.”

  “Not exactly true.” Pallaton leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “Jean-Luc was right. I haven’t been doing my job, so the Kaiser hired bounty hunters to track Cadence. These hunters survive by tracking their own kind, humans. They’ll find her, too. Something I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do.”

  The revelation that Pallaton was helping Cadence by doing nothing gave Raven a spark of hope. He was risking his own life by admitting it, which she found admirable. He trusted her. It was obvious in his dark, brown eyes. A soft hand landed on Raven’s arm, and she turned away from the handsome captain.

  Salustra offered a weak smile. “The Kaiser isn’t a Maker, my dear. He can’t make vampires, not with his bite. He can, however, with his blood mixed with a virus. We will grow old and die, but what can we do? Most of the Dark Angels are dead, and I don’t want to be next. Doing nothing is best. We should never talk about this again. He’s always listening.”

  “Please. Let’s not go back,” Raven said. “Ask your brother to hide us, Pallaton. The wolf tribe would protect us. He’s your twin. We could live in the mountains or just run until we can’t run anymore. I don’t care. I’m too young to be this miserable.”

  Salustra took hold of Raven’s hand. “All you need do is put on a brave face and accept the Kaiser’s marriage proposal. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

  “Never. I’m not going back. If you don’t stop the limo, I’m going to open the door and jump. I’ll find Cadence and tell her everything. You can’t force me to marry a demon! I don’t care if he is a high demon lord. Stop the car!”

  Pallaton hit the back of the seat. “Dammit Raven, be reasonable! We can neither run away nor rush to the aid of your friends. Just do what Salustra says and stop tempting fate. There is nothing you can do to change things, except obey the Kaiser.”

  The limo pulled onto Interstate 25, heading north. Abandoned vehicles on the side of the road were nearly hidden by large snow drifts. The fierce wind and sleet hammered against the limo, requiring the driver to drive at a slow pace.

  “Please don’t be upset, Raven. I can’t tell you what you want to know. I’m trying to protect you,” Pallaton said. “I care about you.”

  “If you do care about me, then you would tell me the truth.”

  Pallaton and Salustra exchanged a quick glance, the female Maker reluctantly nodded.

  “Very well. What I am going to tell you is never to be repeated to anyone. Ever,” Pallaton said. “Every plague in history was designed to create a race of mortal vampires, but the Kaiser’s doctors have always failed in their purpose. Why? The Kaiser is fixated on vampires since they are closest to resembling him. Zombies were an accident. So is Cadence. The virus has a way of determining what its host will become and a few, like Cadence, developed special abilities. Zeus, Poseidon, Odin, and Isis were all infected with the virus, but it changed them into super humans, not into vampires. Great wars were fought by ancient gods and goddesses in futile attempts to defeat the Kaiser, but he cannot be defeated. He’s so single-minded in his purpose to create an immortal wife that he doesn’t care who he kills along the way. He’s killed mil
lions. A handful of teenagers can’t defeat the Kaiser. If Zeus couldn’t, neither will Cadence, nor is there any way to help your friends. The Kaiser is indestructible.”

  “Forget all this, darling,” Salustra said. “Play along like we do, and you’ll be fine.”

  The limo turned onto the road leading to the Citadel. Raven felt an overwhelming fear spread through her body. She latched onto Salustra’s hand, panicking. It was too soon to return to the Kaiser after the night’s events. He would know her secrets the moment he looked at her. Play the game, she told herself as they pulled up to his mansion.

  There he was. A short, bald man casually dressed for the evening stood in the open door, casting an enormous shadow on the wall. As Raven walked up the steps, the shadow separated from the Kaiser. As it left him, she saw a large horned, winged beast reflected on the snow.

  “Welcome home,” the Kaiser said, holding out his hand. “Come, my dear. The sun will soon rise, and you must retire.”

  Raven smiled and took his grasp. As she followed the Kaiser upstairs, she noticed his shadow guardian appear on the wall, making threatening gestures. Supernatural, she though. She said a silent prayer for herself, and then one for her friends.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Four

  Captain Highbrow stood on the battle deck. He gazed through night-vision goggles at a herd of zombies, frozen stiff in the winter wasteland beyond the perimeter. Since Cadence’s departure, Highbrow had earned the respect of his soldiers for his honesty, his by-the-book protocol, and for keeping the camp safe despite the Shadowguard and endless zombie hordes. The living dead made easy target practice for the teenage patrols stationed in guard towers. Now and then, the crisp report of gunfire sent another zombie toppling into the snow.

  “When the storm lets up, send a team to clear out the zombies,” Highbrow said. “Let’s not waste bullets when a club or bat will do. See to it, Sterling. Have the bodies burned where they lay. It’s too cold to make a funeral pyre.”

  Lieutenant Sterling, a dark-complexioned man in his late-thirties, had served in the U.S. Army and had earned Highbrow’s trust for his dependability and effectiveness in combat.

  “Nomad is coming up the stairs, Captain Highbrow,” Private Destry said. He and several other soldiers were trying to get warm around a small propane heater. The new siding and windows kept the wind out, but the inside remained frigid.

  “Hot cocoa, coming up!” Private Odin handed out plastic cups. His gloves made it a difficult task, and he spilled a little on Highbrow’s coat. The captain took the cup without complaint.

  The door to the battle deck swung open, allowing icy gusts and snow before it slammed shut. Nomad’s voice boomed as he shook off snowflakes and stomped ice off his boots. “It’s as cold as a witch’s tit! Got the Beast up and running, sir. If you want to clear out those zombies, I volunteer to run them over with a snowplow. I’ll check on Betsy after it’s done. She’s tending to a bunch of sick kids with runny noses and coughs. I guess Betsy is better with the little kids than Ginger. No one wants a nurse with fangs.”

  “It’s flu season.” Highbrow handed the hot cup to Nomad. “I’d rather have vampires attending to the ill since they don’t get sick. But whatever Dr. Rose thinks is best.”

  Nomad grinned. “Betsy does a fine job rubbing Vicks on hairy chests, too.”

  “I didn’t need to know that,” Sterling muttered under his breath.

  Both Highbrow and Nomad laughed. Nomad was the only man at camp Highbrow considered a true friend. He had been a biker before he was a scavenger, but since coming to camp, he had taken over maintenance and the garage. Big, bearded, and as rugged as they came, Nomad was trustworthy, which made him invaluable. Nomad finished his cocoa and set aside the cup.

  “Is Rose stocked up on medicine?” Highbrow asked. “If not, I’ll ask Tandor and Micah to go out and find fresh supplies.”

  “I believe the Doc has everything she needs.” Nomad said. “Isn’t Tandor overdue at Cadence’s camp? I hate thinking of those kids out in this weather. The storm doesn’t seem to be letting up.”

  Highbrow offered a stiff smile. “Cadence will be fine. Get out of here, Nomad. I’m sure Betsy is eager to see her husband.”

  One of the pleasures of being in command was performing wedding ceremonies. Highbrow felt good knowing he had performed the ceremony for Nomad and Betsy a week earlier. Their honeymoon had been a party in the mess hall.

  “You should be aware, some of the Dark Angels are sneaking out of camp at night.” Nomad leaned forward. “Micah and a few others left hours ago. They take the same path every night. You can see it from the garage. I guess that makes me an old snoop.”

  “No, it’s makes you responsible. You should be in uniform, Nomad, not in mechanic’s overalls.”

  “Not happening, son.” Nomad thumped Highbrow on the back and left the battle deck.

  “This isn’t good, lieutenant,” Highbrow said. “We have cameras on every angle of this camp. The monitors are right here. It doesn’t get easier than this. The Dark Angels have no business leaving camp. Go with Destry, check out the path Nomad mentioned. But I want those zombies cleared out before lunch.”

  After saluting, Sterling left, with Destry and the soldiers in tow. Highbrow glanced over at his young bodyguard at the door. Odin was a former Viking, but he proved loyal. In his uniform and military coat, Odin looked like an Academy cadet. He caught the captain staring and came to attention.

  “At ease, private,” Highbrow said. “We’ll go as soon as the War Gods arrive.” He looked at a red button on the control board. Nomad and Micah had set up a warning system. With one push of the button, sirens would alert the entire camp of an invasion. He was thankful he hadn’t needed to use it.

  “You ever get tired of it, sir?” asked Odin. “I mean, killing zombies?”

  “Zombies rule the planet, and every last one needs to be killed. I can’t afford to get tired.” Highbrow gave Odin a hard look. “I realize it’s been difficult without the Vikings, but you’re in the Freedom Army now. Not growing soft on me, are you?”

  The private shook his head. “No, sir. I’m one hundred percent ready to kick ass, sir!”

  The door opened. Lieutenant Kahn of the War Gods entered, accompanied by his team. He was nineteen and showed gumption. Highbrow had promoted Kahn a month earlier after the last skirmish at the walls. Kahn had killed three Shadowguard, an amazing feat. Vampires were fast, difficult to predict, and even harder to shoot. Patience and accuracy were two qualities Kahn possessed.

  “I left the Jeep running, sir. Figured you needed a bit of shut-eye,” Kahn said. He was olive-skinned with a unibrow running over his dark eyes. “Dawn patrols are out, sir. Snipers posted. Camp is quiet.” He motioned for his team to settle in for the morning.

  Highbrow pushed Odin toward the door. “A few Dark Angels left the compound without permission,” he said to Kahn. “Private Destry is checking into it. Sterling will handle the zombies, so if he sends your team out, keep your eyes open. I’m counting on you.”

  A stocking cap on his head, Highbrow descended the stairs with Odin. A blast of freezing air sent snowflakes swirling into Highbrow’s eyes. He ducked his head until he reached the Jeep. Climbing in passenger-side, he waited for Odin to join him in the warm interior. Highbrow’s bodyguard slipped on the ice, but managed to keep his feet and crawled in.

  “Got to be ten below,” Odin said, slamming the door shut. “You ever wonder if werepumas get cold? I mean, I know they have fur and all, but…”

  “Why do you ask?” Highbrow asked. “Are you curious about werepumas, or is there a particular one you have in mind?”

  Odin nodded. He didn’t say more, leaving Highbrow wondering just who the young man was crushing on.

  The mile back to the camp wound through tall, snow-laden trees and cliff walls that rose and fell in a winter wonderland. Passing the barracks at the former tourist office, they curved around the narrow road, arriving at the sit
e where dozens of R.V.s sat. Sentries stood guard in shacks, shivering. A patrol with ear muffs and fur coats marched by, as the Jeep came to a halt outside the hospital.

  Highbrow and Odin started toward the building but paused when the sounds of a heated argument from a nearby R.V. caught their attention. The wind had eased and the sleet had turned to light snowfall. The lights in the Buccaneers’ R.V. were on and the front door was open.

  “Stay behind me, Private,” Highbrow said, drawing his pistol and entering the R.V.

  A Buccaneer lay on the floor, his head covered in blood, while two teens stood in a tight section of the kitchen fighting over a butcher knife. Highbrow pointed his gun in their direction. They turned and stepped apart, dropping the knife to the floor.

  “Drake is infected,” Black Beard said, panicked. “Ranger and Calico Jack, too.” He pointed at the big teen on the floor. “But I didn’t hit him. Drake did.”

  Drake stood with his arms at his sides, bloody knuckles curled into fists. Highbrow aimed his gun at Drake as Odin’s tall frame filled the doorway.

  “I called for backup, sir,” Odin said. “Lieutenant Sterling is on his way.”

  “What’s this about?” Highbrow asked the team leader.

  “Saber’s in the hospital with the flu. When I came back here, I found these two acting funny. Ranger took off a while ago. He said he was meeting Hawkins. I think they stole chameleon blood from the lab.”

  “You’re a liar and a thief,” Drake snarled. “Tell the captain the truth so he’ll stop pointing his gun at me. You stole my cigarettes. Jack found where Black Beard was hiding them, sir, and then this son-of-a-bitch took a bottle of whiskey and cracked it over Jack’s head. I don’t think he’s dead.”