by Kat Cotton
Now, show time. I grabbed Vlad and Kisho by the hands.
Chapter 36: Drowning
We walked into the foyer of the pub.
Most of the lackey vampires had been cleared away by the Germans. Axing them didn’t dust them, it just killed them, so vampire bodies covered the floor. We had to pick our way through the remains.
The first time I was here, I’d only noticed the stench of stale beer, but there was a danker smell under that: the smell of abandonment and damp mixed in with the odor of dead vampire. The carpet beneath my feet must’ve been majestic once, but now it had a damp stickiness. The walls had mildew that dulled their whiteness, and the ornate cornices were missing chunks.
Only a few vampires remained alive, and they only stared. They stayed well back. One fool must’ve moved, though, because I felt a swish of air and then a vampire head thudded to the floor and rolled through the debris. I jumped away from it.
The Germans laughed.
“Vidor!” Kisho called as he approached the grand staircase.
He used the Vampire King’s real name. He wasn’t mucking around here. His voice didn’t waver at all; it rang out loud and clear. That made me proud. I’d expected him to show some fear. But, nope. Everything about Kisho radiated confidence and sureness.
“Father!”
Nice touch.
Something scurried in the corner. One of the lackeys, I hoped. Even though most of the lackeys had been finished off by the Germans, my flesh crawled. More vamps were around. Shapes flicked in my peripheral vision. I could smell them.
Watching.
Waiting.
“Where are you, Father? Ready for a family reunion?”
I smiled. Now we were here, Kisho had really stepped up to the plate. He stood with his back straight and his chin high, looking every bit the warrior. For the first time since we’d started this thing, I began to wonder if maybe he did have a chance of winning.
Vlad and I stood slightly behind him. He needed to do this alone.
What was the Vampire King doing? Playing games with us?
Then I heard the flutter of wings. The air around us vibrated, and I wrapped my arms around myself. The coldness returned. Then laughter. It echoed around the empty building, bouncing off the walls, so that it felt like I was trapped in a cavern of evil laughter. My shivers intensified.
Finally, the King appeared. He stood on the landing of the staircase way above us, his darkness contrasting with the white marble.
I stepped back, almost standing on a dead vampire hand.
The King might have bad points, but he sure had a flair for the dramatic. The eye patch only added to the effect. He should thank me for that.
“My son.” He laughed again. “You think you can defeat me? You don’t even know what you’re going to unleash.”
As he said it, the vampires around us fell back.
I was pretty sure that his lackeys guarding the foyer had only been there for show. Why the hell you’d ever want to be a lackey for the Vampire King was beyond me. He just used them as cannon fodder. Not a lot of job security there. He probably didn’t pay well, either. There had to be some upside to the job, because otherwise it was a fast-track ticket to eternal rest.
I gave the Germans a signal to fall back too but to remain vigilant. I hoped they realized that was what I meant.
Kisho moved closer to the stairs, but I stayed back. I wanted to be able to see the entire room. There were too many doors opening off it for my liking. That made us vulnerable.
Suddenly, vampires fell on me. A whole swarm of them, like pesky rodents. They blurred my vision, there were so many of them. I swung wildly with my knife, but that barely held them off. One vampire I could fight, maybe even five or six. But this was like a vampire army all focused on me.
Instead of fighting, I ducked into a ball, covering my head. That confused the hell of the vamps for a moment. Just for a moment.
A knock up the side of my head sent me sprawling.
I didn’t want to roll around on that filthy old carpet. The grime of decades was embedded in it, cigarette burns, spilled beer and now vampire body parts. I tried to steady myself. I reached out for something stable to hold on to.
Gross. Vampire parts!
I quickly curled up into a ball again.
Was this to get Kisho off guard? Intimidate him?
Then they were on me again. A sea of vampires, drowning me, choking every bit of oxygen out of my lungs. It’d only take one bite, and I’d be done for.
Hands clawed at me. Teeth scraped my skin.
I stayed in that tight ball. I didn’t even try to strike back. I couldn’t fight, not with numbers like that. I couldn’t move my arms. My knife and my stake were useless.
They were clawing and scratching. My arms stung. My legs stung. Fetid vampire breath filled my face. I turned my head, but I couldn’t escape it. I couldn’t even move with the weight of them on me. My body was crushed into that putrid carpet.
They’d kill me before Vlad and Kisho could get them off me. The Germans couldn’t help, either. I didn’t want them swinging axes with me under here.
Screams welled up inside me, but I pushed them down. “Don’t scream, don’t scream, don’t let them know they’re winning.” Those words pounded through my brain.
I bit my lip. I would not scream. My teeth sank deeper into my bottom lip. If I bit harder, I’d draw blood. And if I drew blood, I’d be a goner.
My body buzzed. The pain left me as something stronger took its place. It wasn’t just screaming I needed to control. That power — it surged through me. I had a weapon I could use against them.
Those bastards could’ve killed me easily. I was down on the floor and totally defenseless.
Hell, yeah. They could’ve.
They weren’t trying to kill me!
The truth hit me fair in the stomach.
The King didn’t want me dead. He wanted me to fight. He wanted me to use that evil power. I’d get out of this easily if I just zapped some of those vamps. He’d put me in a position where I needed to zap them or die.
As they crushed me harder, I forced my hands forward. It’d only take a slight push, and this would be over.
No!
I couldn’t use that power. Not here. Not now. Kisho kept saying it was dangerous. It connected me to the Vampire King.
I shut my eyes and searched deep inside myself. They could kill me first. They could scratch me into a million pieces. I’d never be that old geezer’s bitch.
Never before had I been able to control the power, but I had to now.
I’d learned how to do shields in training. I cleared my mind. I let in calmness.
The bastard vamps scratched harder. If they broke the skin, if I started bleeding, not even the Vampire King’s commands would stem their bloodlust.
I tried to roll away from them, kicking out.
I struggled to get my hands free. I couldn’t fight this on my own, but I could hold them off for a while. They might have the numbers, but I had more to fight for. Like life and cake and Kisho.
I got one arm free and smashed faces with the heel of my hand. I kicked and scratched back. Vampires fell away. Vlad and Kisho must be fighting them too. Gradually, the weight on me eased.
Kisho grabbed me and pulled me to my feet.
I gulped in deep breaths of air. I’d need to disinfect the hell out of all those scratches, but it took more than that to keep a demon fighter down.
“Stupid girl!” the King roared. “You have the power, but you don’t use it.”
Kisho squeezed my hand tight, and I knew I’d done the right thing. Using the King’s power would’ve let him inside me. I couldn’t stand by Kisho and support him if I’d used that power.
“It’s time,” Kisho whispered.
He’d began to walk up the stairs. He walked tall, his gaze fixed on the Vampire King.
Chapter 37: Stoney
Kisho was halfway up the stairs when a kid rush
ed down to join the Vampire King.
“What are you doing?” the kid yelled.
I thought he was asking the Vampire King, but he stared at Kisho. It was that ratty kid, the one who’d thrown the rocks at me. Stoney.
Fuck. We needed to get him out of here. He was human. He had no place in a vampire fight.
“Hey, Stoney,” I said. “Come down here and join me.”
He put his hands on his hips. “I like it here. I get food and a warm place to sleep. No one else has ever given that to me before. And I like Papa.”
Hell, he’d called the Vampire King “Papa.” Vlad had done that too, when we’d first found him. The Vampire King might be evil, but he seemed to be able to fill some weird father figure role. Who knew what these screwed-up kids saw? I guessed a bit of kindness went a long way.
“Let him go,” Kisho said.
The King laughed. He didn’t seem to care who got killed in the crossfire. ‘This child is more of a son to me than you ever were. He’s got a fighter’s spirit.”
That kid stood in front of the Vampire King with his fists raised as though he could take us on all on his own. The King wasn’t wrong about his spirit, but the kid didn’t have much in the way of brains.
“Come away,” Kisho said softly, but that didn’t work. The kid sneered at him. “Remember, I told you about my father?”
Stoney kept his fists up. “You lied.”
I wondered why the King didn’t tell the child to leave, but then I caught the slight tremble in Kisho’s hands. The King totally wanted to destroy Kisho’s confidence before they fought. What a dirty trick — but it showed the King had reason to be worried. If he thought he could defeat Kisho easily, he wouldn’t need to resort to these ruses. He wouldn’t have had me attacked, and he wouldn’t be using that child.
“You’re a pretty piss-weak King if you have to hide behind a child!” I yelled. Then I ducked behind the marble balustrade of the staircase. I wasn’t sure if the marble would be impenetrable, but it might deflect some of that power if he decided to zap me.
He just ignored me.
“Look at how loyal he is. He stands by me.” The Vampire King put his hands on Stoney’s shoulders.
This was wrong. So wrong.
Kisho slumped. Hell, even after all he’d been through, it was like he still wanted his father’s approval. That was something I didn’t understand. I’d never had parents, and I’d never had approval. I’d managed just fine without it. Maybe if I’d had it once, it’d be something I craved.
“What do you say?” the Vampire King hollered at him. “You never understood the bonds of family.”
Anger flashed in Kisho’s eyes. That was good. Anger was best.
“You don’t understand the bonds of family,” Kisho said. But his voice wavered.
Damn, the Vampire King’s mind tricks were getting to him. Kisho had to hold strong. If I could gather up all my confidence and all my toughness into a ball and give that ball to Kisho, I would, but that wasn’t possible.
“Tell him about that game we play,” the Vampire King said to Stoney.
Game? What the fuck?
“Vampires. We play vampires.” Stoney laughed.
That wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d been expecting, but Kisho’s trembling became more pronounced.
“We play ‘Kill the Vampire Prince.’” The King’s smile might’ve been the creepiest thing I’d ever seen.
“The bit where the Prince shakes and cries is the best bit.” Stoney giggled. “Then he’s on his back, wiggling like a beetle.”
The Vampire King laughed too. His cackle turned my blood cold.
Kisho froze.
“Is that a tear in your eye?” the Vampire King asked. He mimed wiping away a tear.
Hell, he’d done it. He’d broken Kisho before the fight could even begin.
Kisho didn’t answer, but he quaked.
I turned back to Stoney. The kid seemed to realize that something was very wrong. He’d gone pale and had shrunk away from the Vampire King.
“What am I going to do with this tasty little morsel now?” the King said, pulling Stoney closer to him. "He seems to have served his purpose.”
Bloody hell, he couldn’t feed on that kid right in front of us. He wanted to goad Kisho into action, but would he go that far?
I guessed you didn’t get to be the evil Vampire King by being nice.
As the King’s teeth extended, I got my answer. He’d stop at nothing.
Stoney screamed.
My muscles tensed. I twitched to fight, but that kid would be dead before I got to him. Vlad was the only one who could stop this, but he didn’t have human morals. Would he even care about one small child?
Before anyone could move, Stoney stomped down hard on the Vampire King’s foot. A stupid but gutsy move.
“Damn kid.” The King shoved him, an almighty push that sent Stoney flying down the stairs.
My heart stopped.
Before the kid could smash onto the marble stairs, Vlad jumped up and caught him.
Phew. The little shit wasn’t scrambled on the hard marble. Vlad put him down safely on the floor.
“Run away, kid,” he said, giving Stoney a push.
“No!” Stoney glanced back up the stairs. I wasn’t sure if he still wanted to stay with the King or if he wanted to fight him.
The King smiled at him. Stoney screamed and ran for the front door, jumping over the dismembered bodies.
I nodded to the Germans, and they followed him out. Better that they look after that kid than just stand around. When I turned back, Kisho had started climbing the stairs. He’d pulled himself together. His confidence wasn’t totally back, but he wasn’t crying, at least.
“The fight is on. I’m not sure what you have, though.” And again, the Vampire King laughed.
“He has me!” I shouted. “Kisho, I love you.”
I wasn’t sure if that would help or not, but screw it. I had to say it.
Kisho kept walking. He’d almost reached the landing where the Vampire King stood.
I clenched my fists, digging my nails into the palms of my hands. This was the moment. This was where we’d live or die.
Chapter 38: Light
Kisho stared at the Vampire King, and the Vampire King stared back at him. If I’d known this battle would end up being a staring contest, I wouldn’t have been nearly as worried. They could at least raise the level to some Rock-Paper-Scissors to get a bit of action happening. Hell, vampires could stare for a decade or so without blinking. I wished I’d packed a good book.
Speaking of, I reached for my phone. If nothing else was going on, I could check in on Francine.
It wasn’t in my pocket.
Where had it gone? I needed that phone. I spotted it amongst that debris on the carpet. It looked like the screen had been cracked, but I was sure it was still good. With Kisho and the King still staring, I could probably grab it unnoticed. It’d be a bit risky, and I didn’t want the Vampire King’s attention on me, but I didn’t want my phone getting more smashed, either.
If I got down on my knees, I could stretch out and grab it.
I inched my hands along that manky carpet. I could almost get it. Almost.
I rocked myself forward and got the edge of my phone in my fingertips. Ha, success.
There was a message: Francine saying that Nic and the others were out safe. They’d gone back to the lair. That was something, at least.
Wait, there was movement on the stairs. Kisho had done something.
“Freeze!” the King commanded.
But Kisho didn’t freeze. Kisho was no longer under the King’s command. He had free will. Ah, free will. You don’t appreciate it until it’s been taken from you. Free will is about the best thing in the world.
“That doesn’t work anymore,” Kisho said.
The King sneered. “You’ve always been a disappointment to me. It will be a pleasure to kill you.”
Wow, that was some terribl
e parenting right there. Kisho’s lip trembled, but he didn’t slump or turn away. This guy would never stop fucking with him. He wanted to wound Kisho emotionally as deeply as he could, an evil but totally effective technique for dealing with Kisho. If he were my father, he’d be dead a hundred times over by now. I didn’t play that shit, but Kisho was way too vulnerable.
“I thought maybe you’d be worth something. I’d have happily shared my power with you if you’d been able, but you’ve been nothing but useless from the time you were born. Never a real vampire, just a worthless human.”
That was total bullshit. There was no way the King would ever have shared. He was a power-hungry fiend. Not to mention twisted and totally fucked up.
Kisho’s head drooped. No, Kisho. Don’t let him get to you! I wanted to shout out, give him courage, but any sound would break the moment. I could do more harm than good.
The Vampire King’s cold, dead eye seemed to drill into Kisho. If he kept that up, Kisho would snap. Still, I couldn’t do anything except watch.
“This shouldn’t take me long. Maybe you should just stand there and let me kill you. Save us all some time.”
Kisho shuffled his feet. He couldn’t let the Vampire King kill him. He couldn’t die.
“Remember your mother,” I said under my breath. “Remember all those children.”
Then the King raised his hand. He’d zap Kisho. But Kisho had the hexenspiegel, if only he was fast enough to use it. That hexenspiegel was thrice blessed. Was that enough blessing?
That power shot from the King’s hand. Kisho was standing so close to him that he didn’t have time to react.
I shut my eyes. I couldn’t watch. Then I opened them again, needing to see.
The blue light almost hit Kisho, but he put the shield around himself just in time. The bubble shimmered, and the King’s power shot away. The blue glow rode all the way up the marble stairs, charring the balustrades.
Kisho shuffled again.
“That was more than I expected from you,” the King said, “but you can’t keep that up. It takes great strength to maintain a shield like that. More strength than you possess.”
