Of Blood and Passion

by Pamela Palmer

  Faded blue eyes speared him with a mix of confusion and fear. “How did I get here?”

  “A sorceress of your own bloodline, one of your heirs, has need of your assistance.”

  “Where is she?” the wizard snapped.

  Where is she, where is she? Arturo could think of no plausible lie, so went with the truth. “She is within you. She summoned you and now hosts you.”

  The Black Wizard scowled as he glanced down. “I do not reside in a female body!”

  “Not precisely, no. Still, she is within you and seeks your help.”

  A withered hand flicked his way and slammed Arturo against the wall, just as Quinn might have done. “She will send me back at once!”

  Dio. Arturo hung, pinned, feet dangling above the floor. “And you will return to the dead when she does,” he snapped.

  The Black Wizard stilled. “I cannot die.”

  “You did.” Micah stepped forward, drawing the Black Wizard’s attention. “Nearly two millennia ago. With your dying breath, you cursed your enemy Levenach, and all his heirs. But he was not the one who killed you, and in cursing his heirs, you’ve unleashed a powerful storm of magic that has all but wiped out your own lineage. Few survive. If your curse is not removed immediately, none will survive.”

  Arturo was impressed. Micah had twisted the truth, if only a little. Levenach had created Escalla in order to kill the Black Wizard, but he hadn’t actually struck the killing blow. The vampire Nerian had.

  “And why should I care?” the old wizard growled.

  Micah shrugged. “You may care or you may not. Your progeny need your help. Remove the curse against Levenach and they will live. Do not and your line ends here. It is up to you.”

  “The spell that called you forth is only temporary,” Arturo said, drawing the ancient male’s attention once more. “You cannot remain here. Save your progeny or let them perish. It is your choice. But you cannot save yourself.”

  The Black Wizard’s face contorted with fury. “You would threaten me, bloodsucker?” His hand lifted, his fingers pointed at Arturo.

  And suddenly Arturo felt a band close around his throat, growing tighter and tighter by the second. It was choking him, which was of minor concern since he could live without air. Of far greater concern was the fact that the band was tightening at an alarming rate and might soon be tight enough to take off his head.

  Tesoro, if you are able, I am in need of your assistance. He greatly hoped she was still in there, that her consciousness hadn’t been completely overwhelmed.

  Suddenly he felt the urge to whip his hand up. As he did, the wizard went flying and crashed on his back on the floor. Arturo landed on his feet, no longer pinned to the wall. A blast of emotion hit him, suddenly, Quinn’s emotion. Triumph, as if she were the one who’d sent the wizard flying. How was that possible?

  The wizard struggled awkwardly to his feet. “You will pay for that, vampire.”

  “It was not I, great wizard, but the sorceress within you who acted thus. She would not have me harmed. We mean much to one another.”

  The old wizard scowled. “Then she has poor taste.”

  “She is a fighter. And she deserves to live. The curse must be broken.”

  The wizard scowled. “Explain this curse.”

  Arturo stepped forward, coming to stand beside Micah. “You proclaimed that Levenach and his heirs would never again be able to access their magic.”

  A smirk formed on the old man’s mouth. “And I was successful.”

  “You were,” Arturo said.

  “But he was not the one who killed you,” Micah pressed. “Though you blamed him for your death, it was a vampire who attacked you, who betrayed you both. He stole your power.”

  Faded blue eyes narrowed. “And who is this traitor?”

  “A vampire long dead. Nerian.”

  A wrinkled brow furrowed. “Nerian was the only vampire I trusted. Why would he turn against me?”

  “Power,” Arturo said simply, though he had no way of knowing if that was true. All he knew was that Levenach had used the Black Wizard’s trust in Nerian against him.

  The wizard’s gaze found Arturo. His expression changed, a dozen emotions flying across his face at once—confusion, anger, determination, dismay. Some were the wizard’s. Some of the emotions he felt as well as saw, and knew to be Quinn’s.

  “I would see this world of yours,” the wizard said, suddenly. He looked around the room. “Where is the land of Washington? In what part of the Roman Empire?”

  Arturo exchanged glances with Micah, then had to stifle a groan as the ancient one caught sight of the door and started toward it.

  Sakamoto turned on Tassard. “She was not to have lost control.”

  Tassard just shrugged, a smile playing around his mouth that told Arturo he was enjoying the situation immensely. Had he known this would happen? Or did he simply not care one way or the other? His life was in the balance as much as anyone else’s in Vamp City. But perhaps after millennia, it no longer mattered much to him.

  The Black Wizard strode down the hall, trailed by the six vampires. In each doorway, he stopped and stared, then continued on to the next. Somewhere nearby a television played.

  They had to get him back to the task at hand. This transformation wouldn’t last forever. It had better not.

  “He’s following the sound of the T.V.,” Kassius murmured. “Star Trek, Next Generation, if I’m not mistaken.”

  Micah groaned. “That’s going to be fun to explain.”

  As the wizard stopped in yet another doorway, Arturo peered over his shoulder to find half a dozen vampires and Slavas gathered around a small battery-powered television.

  “What magic is this?” the Black Wizard demanded, but the slight unevenness of his voice revealed that he was getting overwhelmed.

  Arturo almost felt sorry for the male.

  One of the vampires started to rise, but Sakamoto motioned him to sit. “Our guest is not from the current time and has never seen anything like this. Give him a moment to study it.”

  “Things have changed, great wizard,” Arturo said, using his most even tone. “This was not created by magic but by human ingenuity.”

  With a fling of his hand, the Black Wizard slammed the television against the nearest wall, shattering it. Three of the vampires leaped to their feet and found themselves slammed against the same wall.

  “Are you hungry, great wizard?” Sakamoto asked calmly.

  The wizard swung to face him then, to Arturo’s surprise, nodded. “I am.”

  “Release my people and come with me, please.”

  With another flick of his wrist, the wizard did. Sakamoto led them to a small room blessedly free of all technology, then called to one of his Slavas to bring stew, bread, and ale. Arturo approved of the simple fare. Anything the least bit unusual was likely to just get splattered against the wall.

  The wizard sat. As they waited, he turned a gimlet eye on Arturo. “Why do vampires care if my line is extinguished after all these years?”

  Arturo briefly considered his possible answers and went with one that was the truth. “Because our world will die with them.”

  The wizard lifted his chin with understanding, the light in his eyes flaring with renewed interest.

  The food came and the wizard ate with surprising gusto.

  Micah met Arturo’s gaze, his finger tapping his wrist as if he wore a watch. Time was of the essence. Tassard had warned them that the glamour wouldn’t last more than an hour or two.

  But it was a more nagging worry that throbbed in the back of Arturo’s head—a worry that a male as powerful as the Black Wizard could find a way to hold on. That he might be able to hijack Tassard’s limited magic and remain. That Quinn might never return.

  The wizard pushed to his feet suddenly. “Show me to my bedchambers,” he demanded.

  Arturo exchanged alarmed glances with his friends. Thinking fast, he said, “Great wizard, you cannot sleep, for yo
u will return to death when you do.”

  The Black Wizard frowned. “Sleep has become my nemesis?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I would see more of this world—the land, the sky. Where is the door to the outside?”

  Again, the vampires exchanged glances.

  “We would be happy to take you outside, great wizard, but first we would have you lift the curse.”

  But the old wizard started for the doorway as if he hadn’t heard.

  Suddenly, the house began to shake.

  The Black Wizard pressed his hand to the nearest wall. “Show me the way out!”

  With widened eyes, Sakamoto motioned the wizard to follow him.

  Since sunrise was not yet upon the real world, and there was no danger of sunbeams, the vampires led the wizard outside. The rain had stopped, but the ground surrounding the potted plants was saturated, little more than mud.

  The wizard halted at the base of the stairs, staring into the darkness, then strode determinedly forward.

  And disappeared.

  “What the hell?” Micah shouted as they all raced for the spot the wizard had stood a moment before.

  Arturo grabbed Sakamoto’s arm. “Have any sunbeams broken through this area?”

  “Yes. This very spot.”

  Arturo shouted his frustration. “I should have thought, I should have realized that, like Quinn, he’d be able see the breaks between the worlds, and to walk through them.”

  Sakamoto stared at him. “Are you saying…?”

  “The Black Wizard is now in twenty-first century Washington, D.C., yes.”

  Worse, much worse, the ancient wizard had escaped through a door through which none of them could follow.

  Chapter 26

  “Dio.” Arturo flew into the space where the Black Wizard had disappeared, but, unlike Quinn, he had no ability to walk between the worlds through the sunbeams—no vampires did. He and Micah were the only two left that he knew of who could still leave Vamp City at all, but only through the Boundary Circle that rimmed the city.

  Arturo glanced at Micah. “We can find her…him.” He’d put a magical tracer on Quinn weeks ago. He could always find her, but it wouldn’t be quick. They had to reach the Boundary Circle first, then make their way back to this spot in the real world.

  “Dawn is less than half an hour away,” Sakamoto warned.

  “Then we’re going to have to hurry.”

  “Two mounts!” Sakamoto called and almost immediately, two horses were being led to the gates.

  Arturo turned to Kassius. “If he finds his way back here on his own…”

  “I’ll protect her.” Kassius answered the only question Arturo really asked.

  Didn’t I tell you not to walk toward the pretty lights?

  Quinn sighed with exasperation. The Black Wizard was the most stubborn, most infuriating old man she’d ever come across. He’d taken over the moment he arrived, pushing her up against the nearest wall and pinning her there, mentally-speaking. At first she’d been completely muzzled. But then he’d tried to kill Arturo and she’d managed to fight her way free for a few precious moments, enough to help her vampire. The wizard had never regained complete control over her, yet neither had she been able to get control over him. If she had, they wouldn’t have walked through the damned sunbeam!

  At least she was able to talk to him, now, and she’d been giving him an earful.

  You’re going to get us killed, you idiot. You’re in way over your head.

  “What is this place?” he murmured.

  The capital of a great country across the ocean from where you lived. Two thousand years later. And I’m serious about your getting us killed. Do exactly as I say, or we’re both going to die.

  That was no exaggeration. The best she could tell, they were standing in the middle of 16th Street, NW. The good news was that it was barely daybreak and there were few cars on the road, but that would change soon enough.

  Turn around, she told him. Turn all the way around. She needed to know if the worlds were still connected so she could coax him back into Vamp City. The only way she was going to know was if she could look. Unfortunately, he was the one controlling their movements.

  But the man was frozen in shock.

  As his gaze shifted slightly left, she caught sight of headlights out of the corner of her eye, coming their way.

  Wizard, we’re about to get run down by a…chariot. One that goes so fast, and is so strong, it will crush us. I need you to turn around. I can get us back to safety.

  To her ever-loving relief, he slowly did as she commanded, shuffling back around, his body teetering one direction, then the other. As he looked forward, she saw that the dark column was still there, no more than three feet in front of them. Within those dark shadows, illuminated by the flickering torchlight of Sakamoto’s castle, she saw Kassius, Sakamoto, and the twins eyeing one another worriedly.

  Step forward, Wizard. As the sound of the car engine drew closer, she began to get frantic. Move!

  He did, shuffling one small step.

  Not enough! More, more. Keep moving.

  The sound of the engine grew louder. The car was not slowing and she doubted the driver even saw them.

  Wizard!

  As she stared at the spot where the worlds bled together, at the door she could so easily walk through if she had the slightest bit of control of this body, it disappeared. The dark column winked out.

  The break between the worlds had closed with Quinn and the Black Wizard stuck on the wrong side.

  Zack clung to the kitchen counter with one hand, steadying himself as he peered into the fridge. He wasn’t feeling right. Hell, he was feeling seriously wrong, kind of the way he had when the magic sickness first attacked him, back in D.C., his body cold despite the sky-high fever, and kind of wobbly. Not all the time, thank goodness. Not even most of the time. But every now and then, like now.

  He’d decided maybe he just needed something to eat. But he knew that wasn’t really the case. The truth had to do with magic and curses and crap he couldn’t control.

  He was dying. He could feel stuff happening inside of him just like before. As if his organs were getting ready to turn to stone.

  It wasn’t like he cared, except that Quinn would be so torn up about it for a while. The worst part was that with him gone, who would rescue Lily? Yeah, the vampires said they were looking for her. And he knew Quinn wanted to find her, too. But Quinn was so focused on saving him that she couldn’t…or wouldn’t…think about anything or anyone else. And maybe if he died, she’d finally turn all her attention to finding Lily.

  Latching onto a bowl of leftover potato salad, he closed the fridge, and was pulling a fork out of the drawer when the back door opened and Rinaldo walked in, a stranger behind him.

  Zack eyed the skinny, pale-skinned youth with interest. He was young, or appeared to be. No more than early teens. But Zack knew from experience that apparent age had nothing whatsoever to do with real age, not when it came to vampires. And though he couldn’t be certain, his gut told him vampire.

  “Wait here. I’ll get…” Rinaldo saw Zack and stopped in his tracks. “Neo!” he called, instead of going after him as he’d obviously planned.

  Why? Because Zack was the little brother and heaven forbid they not protect him 24-7. Fuck. That. With a grunt of disgust, he turned and left the kitchen, but was only a few steps away when he heard Neo greet the stranger.

  “Alesius,” Neo said warmly. “To what do we owe this honor?”

  Zack stilled. Yeah, definitely a vampire. Who named their kid Alesius these days? Curious, he moved into the shadows just outside the kitchen doorway.

  “I seek Kassius. I bring word on the human he’s had me looking for.”

  Zack felt the fork in his hand begin to bend beneath the force of his sudden grip because, fuck, it was Lily Kassius had sent someone looking for.

  “Kassius isn’t here,” Neo replied. “But he should return soon. W
ill you stay? Or would you prefer I convey the message?”

  “I can’t stay. Please tell him the female is believed to be hiding somewhere in the Anacostia Forest.”

  Zack’s pulse began to pound.

  “How did she get there?” Neo asked.

  “It’s believed she hid in a Trader’s wagon, then slipped out of it before the Traders even knew she was there.”

  “How long ago did this escape take place?” Neo asked carefully.

  “Three days. Two and a half. It’s possible she’s still alive.”

  Possible. Zack’s gut clenched.

  “But unlikely. That forest is no place for humans. The last I heard it was a popular haunt of a splinter faction of the Herewood wolf pack.”

  Zack’s breath lodged in his lungs.

  “I’ll pass your report on to Kassius, Alesius,” Neo said.

  “Sorry I couldn’t have brought better news.”

  “You brought the information we sought. That’s all we could ask.”

  Zack waited until the back door clicked shut before striding into the kitchen. “We have to go after her.”

  Neo turned around, eying him with dismay.

  “We have to go now. She’s in danger, Neo.”

  “Zack.”

  It was all Zack could do to keep his temper in check at the placating tone of Neo’s voice.

  “Your sister will be back soon. Wait until she gets here, then discuss it with her.”

  He was fucking sick of everyone treating him like he was twelve! Lily was out there in a forest somewhere. Alone. With werewolves. But Neo wasn’t going to be pushed. Zack knew that about the male. He was nice for a vampire, and had a crap ton of compassion for humans, but he was no pushover. If Neo suspected he might take off on his own, Zack would find himself enthralled or locked up until Quinn got back. For his own safety, of course. He was too precious to be allowed to leave on his own, which was dog shit. He was nothing.

  Setting the bowl of potato salad and fork on the counter with more force than necessary, he turned and stalked away, descending the stairs to the sprawling underground. Moments later, he pounded on Jason’s bedroom door.