by Julie Wetzel
“What?” Vicky asked.
“Nothing.” Josh shook his head. “My brother just made some choice comments that I will beat him for later.”
Vicky raised an eyebrow at this and turned back around in her seat. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what had passed through Jakob’s mind.
Pointing her thoughts inward, she felt along the lines that linked her to the vampires. Since Darien’s power had been stolen, she had started to feel those pathways more clearly. Before, she had to reach for Darien before touching the others. Now, it was like a buffer had been pulled away. Each line had a different feel, almost a flavor she could feel on the back of her tongue. Each responded to her touch, some more energetically than others, but all seemed to be waiting for her call.
Touching a power that was cool and green like dappled sunlight, Vicky recognized Elliot, but there was something different about his power. It was warmer than the last time she encountered it. Turning, she looked at him. Elliot held her eyes for a moment. She thought about asking him what had changed, but a slight shake of his head derailed her question.
“So.” Elliot broke into her contemplation. “Where are we going?”
Shaking her head, she pulled herself away from the vampires. She would ask Elliot about the change in his power later. Vicky focused her thoughts on the one line she should be following. “Downtown.” The line was steadily growing stronger as they drove closer to the center of the city. “He knows we’re coming.”
Darien nodded his head. “We knew he would.”
“He’s confident about this fight.” Vicky pressed at the connection as much as she dared. “More so than the last time we saw him.”
Darien nodded. “He’s up to something.”
“I think so.” Vicky sighed.
Darien took a deep breath and kept on driving. They had done everything they could think of to cover any plans Darcey could have made. They had people spread out to deal with any diversions the man could come up with, and Darien was still a formidable magician, even without his vampire abilities. Plus, they had weapons, both hand to hand and long range. It didn’t matter what Darcey was planning; they would take him down one way or another.
“There.” Vicky pointed to a building off in the distance. “He’s there.”
Darien nodded as he pointed his SUV towards the parking garage.
Vicky squinted as she looked at the building. “About halfway up.”
“Jakob is clearing the area,” Josh added from his spot in the back. “Are you sure you just want us to go in?” Several brave people had offered to go into the fight, but Darien had limited the group to just the five who had to be there. He would have loved to keep Vicky out of it, but she was the only one that could find where Darecy was hiding.
“No.” Darien shook his head. “I have to take him down myself.” Having a large group to help him with this would have been preferable, but Dakine had been very clear on this point. If Darien wanted his powers back, he had to be the one to kill Darcey. And it would have to be up close and personal. If Darecy died without Darien there to take back his powers, there was no telling where the loose energy would go.
Vicky rubbed him on the arm reassuringly.
Darien caught her hand and kissed the back of it.
It only took them a few minutes to get to the concrete structure in the business end of town. It actually wasn’t too far from Darien’s main office. He found a few open spots on the lowest level and pulled in. Allen’s powder-blue Prius pulled in right next to them.
“Shouldn’t we go higher?” Josh asked as they all piled out of the SUV.
Darien shook his head. “He may know we’re coming, but I want to take him by as much surprise as I can.” He opened the back door of the SUV. Pulling out two swords, he handed one to Elliot. The other he strapped to his waist.
Vicky recognized the dark sword that had given Darien his fay name.
“Do I get one, too?” Jakob jeered as he climbed out of Allen’s car.
Darien shot him a withering look. “Do you know how to use one?”
Jakob shook his head and took up a protected spot behind his brother.
“Then don’t ask stupid questions,” Elliot chided as he pulled his belt tight. He tested the draw of his sword and adjusted it.
“Here.” Darien held a gun wrapped in a leather harness out to Josh. “I trust you know how to use this.”
Josh nodded and took the gun.
Darien pinned the more responsible twin with a sharp look. “Don’t use it unless you absolutely have to, and aim for low center mass or legs if you do.”
Josh slipped out of his coat and into the leather shoulder strap. “Yes, Master.” He checked the gun over before stowing it away under his jacket again.
Darien nodded his approval and handed a second gun to Elliot.
This one Elliot fed into a holster he had already placed on his belt.
Taking one more sword out of the SUV, Darien closed the hatch and turned towards the group gathered around. “Now, everyone understands that I have to take him down, correct?” He got a mutter of understanding from the group. “Good. Let’s go.”
The group turned as a whole and started towards the ramp that would lead them up to the next level.
Darien slid in close to Vicky and wrapped her hand around his arm as they walked.
She took a quick glance back at the people following them. They must have been an interesting sight as they walked. Vicky and Darien led the way, with Zak weaving around their feet. Josh and Elliot stood at their backs with hands already on their weapons. Jakob and Allen followed up a few steps behind them. The sound of their footsteps was the only thing that broke through the frosty air.
“How far?” Darien asked.
Vicky turned her attention to the link she has with Darecy. She could feel him above them, waiting. “Two floors,” she guessed.
“Then shut it down,” Darien directed.
Vicky clamped her connection with Darecy down as tightly as she could. She was starting to get good at this control thing. Nodding, she signaled that she was as disconnected from Darecy as she could get.
Darien stopped and turned to the four men following them. “Allen, Jakob, take the stairs up but stay out of sight.” They both nodded and headed towards the concrete steps in the corner of the building. Darien looked back at the three people waiting with him. “Let’s go.” He turned and hooked Vicky’s arm again.
Zak barked his agreement and scampered off up the ramp.
Elliot fell into step next to Darien, while Josh took the side next to Vicky.
Vicky took a deep breath and let Darien lead them up the ramp to whatever Darecy had planned.
The cold December air rustled through the parking garage. Cars of those working late and holiday shoppers filled the lower two levels, but the third level was mostly empty. A few cars were clustered near the corner with the steps, and one lone van sat parked in the center of the floor. Travis Darecy leaned against the van, watching as Darien and his entourage made their way up the ramp.
“I see you found me.” Travis smiled and stood up as they approached. “That’s close enough,” he called. Darien’s group stopped near enough to talk but well outside any type of engaging range.
“I want my powers back,” Darien called.
“And I want you dead,” Travis replied.
“Well, it looks like only one of us can have what we want.” Darien tossed the loose sword at Travis so that it slid to a stop by his feet. “I challenge you.” Tugging off his coat, he handed it to Vicky and drew out his sword.
Travis looked down at the hunk of metal lying at his feet and back up to Darien. “You have got to be kidding me.” He laughed. “This isn’t the Dark Ages.” Travis kicked the sword away and pulled a gun from his pocket. He fired a shot, hitting Darien in the shoulder.
“Darien!” Vicky screamed as things whirled into action.
Dropping his sword with a loud clang, Darien spun aroun
d from the impact and straight into Elliot’s grasp.
Zak let out a roar that didn’t fit his cute dog disguise.
Darien hissed as the pain from the bullet registered.
Vicky dropped Darien’s coat and rushed to check on him, while Travis laughed at the flurry of activity.
“Swords are for relics.” Travis waved his gun around at them. “Your time is over.”
Darien twisted in the grip of his friends to glare at Travis. He pushed Vicky’s probing fingers back from his mostly healed wound and stood up away from Elliot. “I may be a relic, but at least I have the decency to face my foe honestly.” Slipping a small vial from his sleeve, Darien shook his hands next to his side, readying himself for the next attack. “Sneak attacks are for cowards.”
“That may be true, but I’m going to win.” Travis raised the gun to point at Darien’s chest.
Vicky stepped back as she felt Darien pull energy from the world around him.
As Travis pulled the trigger again, Darien threw his hands up, flinging the contents of the bottle out in front of him. He barked a word of command and the air hardened, catching the bullet in its flight. The projectile hung between them for a moment before Darien lowered his hands and the lead lump clattered to the concrete floor.
Travis just stared at the bullet in shock.
“It would be wise if you just surrendered,” Darien offered. “We could go back to the fay and have them undo whatever it was that they did.”
Vicky turned and looked at Darien, confused. She was sure that Dakine had said the only way to break the spell was to destroy the anchor. She opened her mouth to say something but a quick shake of Elliot’s head shut her up.
Travis had lowered his gun as he considered the impossibility of stopping a flying bullet.
Darien took a slow step towards the bewildered man.
Drawn by the movement, Travis shook his shock away and raised the gun again.
Twisting his hands around in the air Darien pulled more magic from the world and channeled it into the gun with another word of power.
Travis let out a squeal as he dropped the weapon; the metal around the grip started to glow.
Elliot pulled Vicky back as the first of the bullets exploded in the heat.
Travis danced backwards as the gun jumped around from the popping of the shells.
Darien stepped back to stand next to where Elliot was protecting Vicky from potential shrapnel.
“Smart move,” Elliot sassed as he released Vicky.
“Had to be done.” Darien shrugged. “I was out of iron filings.” He turned his attention to Vicky. “Are you okay?”
She nodded her head and looked at where the damaged gun had come to rest.
“What the hell are you?” Travis screamed.
Darien looked back at the ruffled man. “I thought you knew.” He smiled at Travis. Once he was sure Vicky was okay, he turned to face Travis again. Tapping into the magic once more, Darien readied himself for a third attack.
Seeing Darien’s unusual stance, Travis held out his cell phone. “Do it and they die!” He held his finger over the button.
Darien paused. “Who dies?”
Travis inched his finger closer to his phone. “Everyone!”
Darien slowly raised his hands; he wasn’t about to make a move until they knew if Travis really had set up a bomb.
Vicky did her best to open herself up and listen to Travis’ thoughts. Maybe she could catch something about his target.
Darien took a step closer to Travis. “What do you want?”
“I want you to know the pain I’ve had to suffer!” Travis screamed at him.
“I know that pain.” Darien’s voice dropped. “I’ve known suffering for hundreds of years. The loss of loved ones. The empty holes they leave in your world. I’ve had to live with the agony of taking the life of the one closest to me.”
Vicky stiffened as she listened to him. She felt Elliot’s power brush against her mind reassuringly. Turning, she caught the sad smile he gave her. She pushed the thoughts away and turned back to the standoff. Darien had stopped just a few steps in front of her.
“I understand your pain, but that is no reason to take it out on others.”
“You have no idea how I feel!” Travis screamed. “You killed my father!”
“Luke, I am your father!” Josh whispered next to Vicky while breathing heavily.
She tried to hold in the mirth, but the inappropriateness of the comment mixed with the tension of the situation drove a snort of laughter out.
Travis turned his eyes to Vicky. “You think this is funny?” he screamed at her.
Vicky shook her head and tried to wipe the smile off her face. “No.” She tucked her hands deep inside her pockets. Anger washed out through their link, coloring the edges of her mind.
Travis waved the phone around. “Damn right, bitch. People’s lives are at stake, here.”
A flash of an image crossed into Vicky’s head, making her gasp. “You wouldn’t blow up the Christmas Village!” She took a step forwards in shock. With it this close to Christmas, there had to be hundreds of people wandering around the city’s largest light display.
“Get the hell out of my head, bitch!”
Vicky staggered back from the force Travis threw down their connection.
Josh caught her before she could fall. The line between them clamped down, but Vicky caught the location of the bomb.
“The main tree,” she whispered to Josh.
He nodded and looked back towards Darien and Travis. His eyes slid past them to the stairwell where his brother was hiding. “Stall for time,” he muttered as he set her back up on her feet.
Vicky nodded and faced Travis. “Why would you endanger the lives of children like that?” She put a hurt note into her words; maybe she could play to his sympathy, if he had any. “Do you really want to put innocent people through the same kind of suffering you’ve had to endure?”
Travis paused and looked at her, confused.
Vicky took a step forwards pushing compassion against the link Travis had closed off. “All of this was to make Darien pay for the wrongs he’s caused you, but how does blowing up innocent people accomplish that? If you do this, you’re no better than he is.” She waved her hand towards Darien, standing silently between her and Travis. Attacking Darien’s character hurt her, but it was the only way she could think of to get through to Travis.
“You’re right.” Travis lowered the phone. “That does bring me down to his level.” He waffled for a few minutes as he studied Vicky. “But, I’m a vampire now, so that makes me evil.” To her horror, Travis pressed the button on the phone.
“No!” Vicky lunged forwards as if to stop the electronic signal, but Darien turned and grabbed her before she could get past him.
Darien pulled Vicky in against him as she sobbed. “Being a vampire doesn’t make you evil.” He looked up at Travis. “Acts like that do.” Turning, he walked Vicky back over to Elliot and Josh.
Zak rubbed up against her leg before growling at Travis.
“Now what are you going to do?” Darien glared as he moved to face Travis again. “You’re down a gun, and you’ve used your bomb. What other tricks are you going to pull?”
Travis actually smiled at him. “You know, I’ve discovered something.”
Vicky felt him open their connection back up.
Travis looked straight at her as he poured malice and hate into her. “Kill him.”
Vicky let out a scream and doubled over, holding her head. Images of Darien lying dead by her hands rushed through her mind, and she felt the urge to strangle him. “No!” she screamed and wrapped her arms around her middle. Dropping to her knees, she fought with the compulsion. Darien’s hands touched her, but she flinched away from them.
He pulled back, not sure what was wrong.
Zak whimpered at her and pressed his face into her chest.
Vicky wrapped her arms around him and buried her face
in his fur as he chased the magic from her mind. The desire to hurt Darien slipped away from her.
Darien stood back up and turned to face Vicki’s attacker.
“Bitch!” Travis screamed at her. “Kill him!”
Shaking her head again, she felt him shift his attention to another.
Josh shuddered next to her and took a step forwards.
Vicky looked up to find Josh advancing on Darien.
Darien’s attention was back on Travis, and he didn’t see the other vampire moving.
“No.” Vicky reached out and grabbed at Josh’s ankle. His shuffling steps stopped as she searched through her mind and found Darien’s mark on him. Travis had shoved his hate into Josh, washing out the man’s own feelings. Vicky shoved Zak out of her lap and struggled to her feet. Grabbing Josh’s face, she turned it to her. Josh’s eyes were empty as if his soul had been plucked out.
“Josh.” Vicky patted him on the cheek. His body tried to move towards Darien, but Vicky held him fast. His eyes shifted, but she pulled him back to look at her. “No, Josh.” Zak gurgled from behind Vicky, but she ignored him as she tried to break the hold Travis had on the lesser vampire. “Josh!” she yelled and slapped him hard.
Josh blinked and stared at her in confusion.
Vicky sighed in relief; life had come back to his eyes. A growl grabbed Vicky’s attention, and she turned to look at Darien, standing behind her. Concern colored his face, but it was the sight behind him that terrified Vicky. Elliot’s eyes were as empty as Josh’s had been. “No!” Vicky yelled just as Elliot’s arms wrapped around Darien, pulling him back.
Darien grunted in surprise as the air was crushed from his lungs.
“Kill him!” Travis’ voice washed over them again.
Vicky felt the power in the compulsion. Had she not spent hours fighting Darien’s power, learning about suggestion, she would have fallen under the pull. She staggered under the press but shook it off just in time to see Elliot tip Darien’s head over and drive his fangs deep into the exposed skin.
“Elliot!” Vicky screamed as Zak roared behind the attacking vampire. Since the move had worked once with Vanessa, Vicky threw a punch straight at his face.
