SHADOWLOVE--STALKERS

by Claudy Conn

  Pentim didn’t allow the other vampires near her. He picked her up in his arms while he threw his head back and howled with joy—and Chad’s heart began pounding in fear as his mind moved into attack mode.

  * * *

  Shawna opened her eyes and remembered. Immediately, she closed her eyes again and feigned unconsciousness.

  They hadn’t bothered to tie her wrists—they knew that would be useless against both her vampire strength and her magic.

  She touched the engravings on her silver wrist cuffs, which were still in place. Obviously they hadn’t been able to break the magic that held them in place, and she was pretty damn sure they must have tried, because her wrists felt sore. Okay, that was a tool she still had.

  Cunning would have to be another. She had to stall, because something in her heart told her that whatever Chad might or might not feel for her, he would come after her. He wanted to kill Pentim. The thought of Chad kissing the redhead swept through her and made her grit her teeth, but she couldn’t think of that now.

  She groaned theatrically as she wiggled in place and opened her eyes. Beside her was Pentim Rawley—her biological father. She was surprised at the sudden curiosity that shot through her mind, although she felt no daughterly warmth, no daughterly concern, no ‘feeling’ other than a cold nothingness for the creature seated beside her. What had she expected?

  She needed to buy time. He was a vamp with a humongous ego, so she allowed an expression of interest to flutter over her features.

  Evidently he found that pleasing, for he smiled sweetly at her. She couldn’t know that his charm was an act perfected over the years, and yet, Shawna knew. He was a sociopath—without conscience long before he had become a vampire.

  “Awake are we?” he said softly.

  “No thanks to you,” she said as she rubbed the back of her neck and sat up straight.

  He considered her for a moment before saying, “You gave me no choice. You would not be taken.”

  “And why must I be taken?”

  He chuckled. “Do not play with me, Shawna. You have been running away from me for months.”

  “I am independent. I want to live a life of my own.”

  “And when I discovered that I had a child—my blood—I decided you must be at my side. I am your father, and you will obey me.”

  “You may be my father, but I do not obey…anyone.”

  He laughed right out loud and took her fingers into his cold hands. “Ah Shawna…you will carry the name of Rawley and do me proud. There is a fire in your silver eyes that will not be lost when they turn amber…”

  “I want my eyes to remain silver-colored. I like who and what I am.”

  “Impossible—you are still human. You must be turned. You can’t want to live and die a meager seventy to eighty human years? You can not wish to hide from me now that you have met me.”

  Smart, Shawna—play it smart, that voice in her head whispered. “I will admit to a certain interest in you…a certain feeling…I did not think possible.” She was surprised at how easy the lie dripped off her lips.

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “My daughter, filial loyalty does not strike out your natural independence. You will rule beside me, loyal to my wishes, but I shall deny you nothing.”

  “Father…” The word stuck on her tongue, and she wanted to spit it out and never say it again. It was a calculated risk. If she gave in too much too soon, he would not believe her, but he might enjoy the sound of the word and not be suspicious? “I do not wish to give up the human part of me.”

  She could see he was struck by the sound of the word father on her lips. He answered slowly. “Father—you have accepted that, have you? Eventually, you will accept what you must. This is probably the only time I will not give you a choice. I will turn you.”

  “I will die, as my mother did.”

  He frowned. “She gave birth to you…she lived… She did not die because of me, and she was not turned, although I tried…”

  “Her magic, which is in our genes, kept her alive. She willed herself to stay alive as long as she could to nurture me, but in the end your blood killed her, and she did not turn. She did not come back as a vampire…and neither will I.”

  “Don’t say that. You will be turned. You are already half vamp. You already have my blood in your veins.” His face was distorted by the wickedness of his purpose.

  Shawna sat quietly for a long time and watched the passing shadowy landscape. Would Chad find her in time? How many vamps would she have to fight off? Would her magic work long enough to buy her time?

  * * *

  Chad watched Damon for an impatient moment. “Well?”

  “I am designing our approach.”

  “I don’t need you to design a damn thing. Just tell me where Pentim’s hellhole is located, and I’ll go there and manage them on my own.”

  Damon looked him up and down. “There are a total of ten of his best militant vampires waiting for him there. He has his first lieutenant, WB, with him, two of his personal bodyguards, and Clara. Think you can take them alone, do you?”

  “I bloody well can try, because I will be aiming at only one.”

  “Ah, but to get to that one, you need a plan.”

  “I’ve got one.”

  “Then sharing it with me would be good.” Damon’s dark eyes lit with anger.

  Chad was his own man, unused to working with anyone; however, the love of his life was in immediate danger. He would have worked with the devil himself to find her and keep her safely at his side. “Right then…what do you have in mind?”

  “They are holed up in a warehouse on Douglas Row off the river. When we get there, one of us slips in first, the other brings up the rear.”

  “I’ll go in first,” Chad said on a feral sound.

  “Hmmm, and while you get them all huffed up and ready, I’ll have your back, and then, my friend…”

  “I know what comes next.” Chad reached out and touched Damon’s forehead. Damon stood very still and eyed a silent question at him. Chad smirked. “Getting the location so that we can shift there.”

  “Don’t like this shifting of yours, but…it serves.” Damon grumbled as Chad held his shoulder.

  Once again Chad parted the airwaves, and they traveled through space to stand on a dark street overlooking the River Inverness.

  “There now…” Chad said on a hushed note as they clung to a stone building and peered inside the dirty lead-paned window.

  “Bloody hell, Damon, they aren’t here—this isn’t the right place!” Chad snarled and turned on Damon suspiciously, grabbing his leather jacket by the lapels.

  Damon ripped out of Chad’s hold. He frowned as he returned the snarl and said, “What the hell! Do you think that I lead you false? Don’t be a fool.”

  “If this is some kind of vampire trick, you won’t live to see another night!” growled Chad ferociously.

  “Lovesick idiot—they aren’t here, but I think I know where they might have gone.”

  “Why did you bring us here then?”

  “Pentim likes to keep different places all over town. This is the last place I saw him and his vamps in. I did, however, follow his sorry ass to a house just a few streets away from here yesterday. I just didn’t think he would use it for the ceremony.”

  “What bloody ceremony?”

  “He will want a great deal of fanfare when he turns his daughter. He sees himself as the Prince of the Vampires. He will introduce her as his princess.”

  “We don’t have time.” Chad touched Damon’s head and gave him a half apology. “I get a better picture this way…” And they were shifting once more.

  They arrived this time like bullets shooting out of a dark hole, and Damon shook himself and grumbled, “Don’t like that mode of travel.” And then he shrugged. “But I suppose it is useful.”

  “There are ten of them inside,” Chad commented. “And they have humans with them—nearly past saving…but I don’t sense Shawna
inside or Pentim as a matter of fact.”

  “We’ve arrived before them. Your travel is instantaneous. We shifted. They drove. They’ll be here, and I tell you what, old boy…” Damon pulled himself up to his considerable height. “We might have been too late to stop him from capturing your lady, but we won’t let him keep her!”

  “Aye—you got that right. Pentim dies tonight,” Chad returned grimly.

  “Heads up, MacFare—here they come.”

  “One thing more, English—tell me why you care so much.”

  “Suffice it to say, immortal, that I care—perhaps not in the same vein as you, but strongly all the same. I’ve watched Shawna since she was a child…” He pulled a face at Chad. “Damn, who could not watch Shawna and not care—so don’t look at me like that. I am no competition for you.”

  “Mark me, English—no one is. Shawna is mine!” This said, he put his hand onto Damon’s shoulder and they shifted once more, this time into the old mansion.

  * * *

  Shawna saw the river come into view. Clara drove steadily, and Shawna wondered what she was doing with this crew. She didn’t seem a good fit. The huge vamp Pentim called WB was seated up front beside Clara. He looked like he wanted a fight.

  She and Pentim were seated behind them, and the two quiet, militant vampires—Pentim’s bodyguards—brought up the last row. There wasn’t anything she could do at the moment to escape and make it any distance. She knew she had to sit tight and wait for an opportunity. She had to wait for the lull.

  Clara brought the van down an unlit dead-end road to a corner property. It was a large, three-story house, old and somewhat dilapidated, of an uncertain era and design, that reposed in quiet obscurity.

  There were some dim lights within the old mansion, and Shawna could see through the front panoramic window vampires milling around inside. Shit, shit, shit! How would Chad ever find her in such a desolate location?

  He would have no reason to even suspect she had come to Inverness. He might not look for her in the city until it was too late—way too late. She only had herself to rely on—she was totally on her own!

  Clara parked the van and was the first to get out and slam her door. Shawna could feel the waves of dislike emanate from her. The big one, WB, who was dressed in black leather and black jeans, got out as well and followed Clara inside. The two guard vamps waited for their orders, and without speaking Pentim lifted a finger and indicated for them to follow him.

  Pentim offered Shawna his hand. She took it and tried to give him an affectionate glance with her eyes. It worked. She could see that he was enjoying every minute of this, but she also knew the moment she did not fall in with his plans, the moment he felt betrayed—he would kill her without a moment’s regret.

  She stopped to look up at the mansion, and one of the bodyguards took her arm. She reeled back and came forward with her sneakered foot, landing him a blow to his gut. She had vampire strength, and she had used some of it. He cursed loudly as he bent over his stomach and glared at her.

  “Don’t ever try and touch me!” Shawna hissed and hoped he understood the threat. She meant to sound crazed and powerful. Better to have some of them ‘uncertain’ about what she could do.

  Pentim roared with pleasure and amusement and added his command. “She is my daughter. No one touches her without my command.” He took her hand once more, and although she cringed inwardly, she allowed him to hold onto it as they walked up the broken flagstone steps.

  Somehow she had to lull him into complacency and find a way to escape her situation. Chad’s image came to mind, soiled because the redhead was there, in his arms…and she felt a tear start in her eye.

  Chad had held her, professed his love, told her his secrets—had it all been part of his game to get her to his home, under his control to get to Pentim?

  She had only one hope that he might look for and find her—he wanted Pentim Rawley. He wanted Pentim dead. Would Chad track her? Would he see the signs of the collision? Would that help him to understand she had been taken?

  “What are you thinking daughter?”

  “I was wondering how far I could get if I ran…”

  He chuckled. “And what conclusion have you come to?” He reached for the front door, and as he opened it some of its peeling paint fell to the stone step.

  “Not far…” She shrugged as she peered inside. She followed him into the hallway, which gave off to a large open parlor on either side. She made a head count and discovered ten male vampires of various sizes milling about. There were three female humans languidly reposed on a couch that sported faded maroon brocade. She noticed it was torn in several places.

  She nearly bolted right then. Something inside of her screamed! Her mind and heart shouted out for one another, and she wanted to run and take her chances. She wanted to save those women, but she knew there was no way she could, and it made her sick and horrified.

  As Pentim walked her down the hallway, he bent and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, daughter—none of those are for you. I have one hidden away in my quarters. She is young and will afford you a delicious first meal.”

  He witnessed her expression and either misread it or chose to. “I know, I know—such poor, misshapen surroundings. But when we are done here, we will go to Italy, where the mountains are magnificent and our home even more so.”

  She knew she had Clara, WB, and Pentim’s two bodyguards, plus the ten vampires to deal with. Running would never work. She needed stealth. She needed cunning. She needed the training she had in her to be able to kill at least five of Pentim’s vampires before she escaped. She would have to do it quietly—somehow get each alone and snap their necks before plunging her ‘special knife’ into their dead hearts. Thank goodness she had her knife with her.

  “I only wish we could return to our home in Italy to conduct the ceremony.” Pentim sighed heavily after these words and flicked a finger at the wide-open, foul-smelling bedroom. He led her to a door equipped with a hanging chain and a combination lock. “But I don’t want to travel with you until you are turned.” He smiled wickedly. “Not that I don’t trust you, daughter.”

  Shawna wanted to upchuck. She controlled the nausea and made her plans, amazed that she had any. “Of course, Father.” The words flowed with her most winning smile. “You are quite right.” Then, as though she were conceding, she added, “You are so much more than I had anticipated that I find myself almost wishing I hadn’t run.”

  His ego inflated, and she realized he was too pleased to hear the lie in her words. He opened the door of what she imagined had been a walk-in closet and gently pushed her inside. “I will leave you here until the ceremony.”

  She heard him snap the locks and chain into place and smiled. First mistake, Pentim! Clearly, she thought to herself, you have forgotten that I am a witch…

  Her magic would open the locks, release the chain. All she needed was timing!

  * * *

  Chad had shifted them to an empty room on the second floor. There they waited as they heard Pentim’s crew arriving with Shawna. They knew that Pentim would lock Shawna somewhere inside the old house, and the plan was to get to her and get her to safety first.

  Hurriedly and without interruption they searched all the rooms on that floor and came up empty. Chad went into his mind and tried to connect with Shawna through the tattoo on her neck; he felt that she was below, on the first floor.

  Silently he motioned to Damon, and they stealthy descended the wide, worn wooden steps to the lower level. It creaked terribly, but no one came to investigate. They came to a long and narrow hallway. They knew Pentim and the other vampires had gathered in the front parlor.

  Once again Chad reached for Shawna in his mind, and this time, he knew she was near. He motioned for Damon to follow him as he led them down the back hallway. A door opened evidently to some storage room, and two vampires carrying ceremonial robes came out.

  Their first reaction when they saw Chad and Damon was sur
prise. Their second was to snarl and release low-volume animal sounds as they dove into attack.

  It all happened so quickly and with such ease that Damon leaned against the wall to observe. Chad put up his hand and chanted as simultaneously he withdrew his sword from its shoulder sheath at his back.

  With one flowing and gracefully bold movement he sliced air. One vampire’s head fell and rolled as the matching body collapsed to the floor in a heap of blood.

  The other male vampire backed away, but Chad had anticipated this and was already on him, once more slicing through the air and separating the creature’s head from his body.

  He turned to Damon and grinned. “Two down.”

  “It looks as though you were right and won’t need me.” Damon laughed.

  “Oh but I will. Distraction is always necessary when there are numbers to combat.”

  On cue, another vampire evidently had been drawn to the sound of a scuffle and had come upon his fallen bloody brethren. He growled loudly in rage.

  * * *

  Shawna heard Chad’s voice, and her heart began pounding. Chad was here, but there was someone with him. When she heard clearly that it was Damon, she laughed out loud and chanted for the door to slam open. Timing!

  She stepped into the hallway, and Chad saw her and was distracted for the moment. The vampire charged him, and Shawna screamed, “No…” She put up her wrists and clanked the silver cuffs together to produce a blinding light.

  The male vampire became disoriented as he put up his arm to shield his eyes and back away from the offending brightness.

  Damon grumbled, “Shawna…tone it down…it has an effect on me as well.”

  “Oh, sorry,” she said and parted her wrists.

  The vampire saw her and lunged towards her. Bad mistake! Chad released a death cry and went after him. Another head rolled.

  “Oh yuck….” Shawna wrinkled her nose and looked away from the blood that splattered and covered the walls.

  Damon and Chad exchanged glances and laughed, both now fully in the spirit of destruction. Chad grabbed her arm and shoved her behind him. “You little fool—how could you think…?”