Let Them Eat Cake

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Let Them Eat Cake Page 15

by Ravyn Wilde


  He would have wanted the change anyway, and because they were true mates there would be no chance of him growing territorial and wanting out of their relationship. She had worried he would be upset, and been thrilled when he told her it was definitely what he wanted—eternity with Maria. As a couple, they would share everything from this day forward.

  Justin heard Matt and Brian come into the penthouse.

  “Why is it we now have the creepy knowledge of where Justin is at all times, alongside Maria’s little psychic blip? Jeez, it’s like one of those weird heads-up driving displays. You know, like in some of the newer cars, with an image displayed in the windshield with a speedometer reading or gas gauge? Only with our mental screen, the red blip means Maria and this funky blue circle is Justin.” He heard Brian bitching. Justin snorted. Looks like sharing everything also meant sharing Maria’s human servants. He wondered if they would hear him in their heads as well.

  “Brian, come help me in the weapons room.” Justin concentrated really hard on throwing his thoughts to the man.

  “Jesus, Justin! Quit screaming in my head.”

  He heard Maria laughing behind him. “Looks like the bookends now belong to both of us. All you have to do is think of either Brian or Matt…or me, and you’ll be able to reach us no matter how far away we are.”

  “You’re not going to be getting very far away from me for years,” he growled in her mind. “Don’t even think about separate vacations for at least a century.”

  “A century won’t help, love. This panicky feeling when we’re away from each other will only grow worse over time.”

  “Good.”

  Days later they were all frustrated. Maria groaned as she thought about the disappointment they’d all experienced the last few nights. They’d found no new bodies and had no idea if the Empousai was still in their region or if she’d moved on. They all hoped not, but for now they spent time patrolling the night and watching news reports from surrounding regions, keeping an eye out for missing persons or any discovered remains.

  Justin worked on bringing out and honing his newfound vampire powers. One of his gifts turned out to be a unique ability to control the elements, and he got a real kick out of creating wind gusts and either making it rain or snow. The snow had caused a little problem—it was the wrong time of the year for the white stuff and when Justin first created it, he couldn’t make it stop. The city had been blanketed in white flakes before he was able to figure out what he was doing wrong.

  She glanced over at him in amusement. They were on the penthouse porch, where he wanted to try diving off into the night. She’d shown him how to fly up into the air from the ground and they’d jumped off smaller buildings to make sure he wouldn’t just plummet to the earth…but this was the first time they’d be leaping off something this far above the ground. The last few days, while filled with frustration over the absence of the Emp now that they thought they knew how to kill it, were also full of cherished discovery.

  She’d found out her mate loved to sky dive. His vampiric ability to fly and leap off things without a parachute thrilled him. He was constantly asking questions and trying to use his mind to do different things. His sense of wonder and joy at his new condition completely erased the shadows in his eyes. He laughed and joked continually and his rapport with the bookends grew stronger each day.

  She grinned when she remembered his sense of aggravation last night when every time he tried to make their clothes disappear, he instead created a small whirlwind that fanned out their hair and only managed to pluck at their clothes. As his frustration level had grown, so had the velocity of the wind. By the time she collapsed in giggles on the floor he had all the books, statues and pillows swirling in a tight funnel in the center of the room. Justin had not been amused. He’d been only slightly placated when she stripped them both and jumped him. The wind subsided in direct proportion to his growing arousal.

  He spent part of every evening in the weapons room hanging swords and antique battle gear in lovingly displayed vignettes on the walls. She just knew the first time they wanted to use one of the older armaments he would have a heart attack. He’d grown very attached to each and every piece.

  Thanks to Justin, they now had enough ammo and the arsenal to go with it to see them through a very large war. And everything was neatly labeled and stacked according to type, size and color. Basic black or camouflage. His newest purchase had been a gas-powered circular saw fit with a diamond blade that he hoped to use on the Emp.

  He was making noises about knocking out a wall to expand the space. She shook her head and decided it was time to look for a large estate. Something that stood several stories high so they could still jump off the roof, but with a dungeon—um…basement large enough to suit Justin’s need for collecting and displaying weapons.

  A house big enough so the bookends would have their own wing, and maybe she wouldn’t worry so much about the noises she and Justin made when they were making love. Matt and Brian were complaining over the lack of sleep due to her nocturnal activities. A few acres of surrounding land would give their group privacy and help ensure their security. The more she thought about such a place, the more she liked the idea. She would talk about the possibilities with Justin and their sleep-deprived human servants later tonight.

  “Maria?”

  At Justin’s inquiry, she reined in her thoughts to concentrate on the task at hand. Just as she was about to suggest she go first, in case she needed to help him focus on not hitting the ground when he jumped, she felt the overwhelming sensation of evil close by.

  The Empousai was on the move and hunting.

  “She’s moving!”

  Justin didn’t have to ask who she was talking about, as she could feel his warm presence in her mind. In perfect accord they ran inside the penthouse. He headed for his new toy and she ran to get Luke and the boys. It was time to see if all their speculating and planning would pay off.

  “The Emp bitch is on the move,” she cried, as she skidded to a stop in the middle of the living room. The three men jumped to their feet in anticipation, with mingled dread and excitement.

  “Be careful, Maria,” Luke intoned. “Make sure you stick to the plan and just lure her out of the city. Don’t confront her until we can back you up.”

  “We’ll be close, don’t go too fast,” Brian added.

  “Give us two minutes to get down to the tank before you dive off into the night.” Justin hugged her with one arm, holding the gas-powered circular saw with the other as he kissed her forehead. “Love you, babe,” he whispered, and all four men rushed out to the elevator.

  Maria moved back out onto the porch and stood counting the seconds, giving Justin, Luke and her bookends time to get out to the street. They would track her from the Hummer as she located the Emp and used herself as bait. She could feel the Empousai’s hunger and desperation riding on the wave of evil the creature projected. The trick would be to get close enough to taunt the bitch, yet not upset her enough to flee—or allow Mormo to touch her.

  She climbed up on top of the wall that enclosed her little penthouse garden and surveyed the city beyond. The night’s caress was warm and soothing, yet tainted by the evil existence in her city. It ends tonight, she promised herself, as she opened her arms and stood on her tiptoes to lunge into the dark. She could feel Justin in the wind as it swept through her loose hair and moved teasingly over her skin. His vampiric touch reassured her of both their connection and his acceptance of her role in tonight’s activities. His show of power strengthened her.

  She moved slowly toward the deep pulse of malevolence, knowing what horror waited for her at its core. “Mormo is on the western edge of town. There are fields just beyond the city’s limit on that side. Perfect.” She knew Justin, Luke and her servants would get the mental message. The minute the Emp became aware of her, Maria sensed it and rejoiced. She accepted that the beast had turned her focus toward her, probably frustrated at the absence of any other pa
ranormal beings in the city this evening. The Emp might feel the men, but they were traveling in a group. Maria was the only one out alone tonight.

  The Vampire Council had been very successful in getting the word out, demanding every race stay inside or travel in groups over the next few evenings. Mormo’s choice was clear. Stalk a mortal, a group of paranormals…or Maria.

  They hoped the lure of a single vampire would be the creature’s choice, as she must be wounded and weak from Luke’s attempts to kill her.

  As Maria and the men planned, she swerved away from the Emp and headed toward the open fields, trying to draw the creature away from her city. She didn’t want to put anyone else in danger or expose the existence of paranormals to the humans. If they were able to engage the bitch in battle she didn’t want anyone else around.

  “The Emp took the bait! She’s following me.”

  “Be careful, Maria. We are still a short distance behind you.” Justin’s loving concern for her safety rang loud and clear in her mind.

  She settled to the ground in a small clearing just off a dirt road. The area was surrounded by trees and would hopefully be perfect for their plan.

  She dodged the Emp’s first flying attack, screaming as she darted across the suddenly miniscule field. The beast took up too much space for Maria’s peace of mind. “You revolting, slimy-legged ass! Keep your disgusting paws off me.” The creature didn’t even bother trying to hide her true form, appearing in all her scaled and leather-winged grotesqueness.

  Maria couldn’t suppress her snicker as Mormo shrieked in pain, stomping her brass-hoofed foot and shuddering in anger. Score one for the side of good. As it had been the last time Maria faced the creature, the face was a black nothingness and the writhing snake hair seemed to be undulating with a mind of its own. Mormo smelled like decaying chicken guts. Ugh!

  “Jeez, you stink! Don’t you ever bathe? Or use deodorant? It would take a lake of steaming water and buckets of soap to make you smell good, so I guess you don’t bother, do you, bitch? Someone just beat you about the head and shoulders with a hideous stick and threw a bunch of gross snakes in to top you off. I bet when you were born your mother killed herself, you were so ugly.”

  The Emp squealed and seemed to throw a huge conniption fit at Maria’s insults, stomping her feet and waving her clawed hands in the air while she made disgusting, guttural noises in the back of her throat. Maria had to dodge and run again when the bitch lunged for her by flying across the ten feet or so separating them. She could feel the air movement on her shoulder as the thing barely missed touching her. “Hurry up, guys!”

  Thank God the beast was clumsy on her misshapen legs. If she took to the air again, Maria would have to figure something else out. For good measure, when she evaded the sharp talons of the Emp’s claws and came to a stop across the clearing, she pulled the gun from her shoulder holster and shot the Emp several times, ripping through the black flesh of Mormo’s wings. She knew it wouldn’t really hurt the thing, but maybe the bullet damage would keep her from flying and besides…it made her feel good to hear the damn thing cry out in pain.

  “Cadaver-breath, why don’t you get a monster pedicure and see if you can’t do something about those repugnant hooves you’ve got. I’ve never seen such revolting feet.”

  The cavalry had arrived. Luke’s taunt as he appeared from the trees about ten feet to her left took her by surprise.

  “Dear Lord, I’ve never seen such a hideous thing. You need some serious help, girlfriend.”

  “As insults go, Matt, that was weak.” Maria sent the taunting thought to her human servant without taking her eyes off the creature. Matt was a few feet to her right. The appearance of the two men worked as they had planned, confusing the beast as she was now confronted by the psychic essence of three non-mortals.

  “How’s this?”

  “Hey, you bowlegged, pus-hoofed freak of nature, somebody ought to put us out of your misery!”

  As both Maria and Luke started laughing, the Empousai let out a high-pitched squeal and turned her body toward Matt. “Oh, good one, sweetie.” Maria had tears in her eyes she was laughing so hard. She tensed when she felt the wind pick up slightly and caught the sight of Justin and Brian as they stepped out from the woods behind the Emp.

  Luke, Matt and Maria went into their practiced routine, vying for the beast’s attention as Justin and Brian slowly moved toward the Emp. Desperately the trio worked to keep the focus of the creature off the two men behind her, without forcing the bitch to disappear.

  As Justin and Brian moved to within a few feet of Mormo, Maria continued mouthing off. She kept her attention on the creature, covertly watching as Justin raised his hands, the circular saw’s handle gripped in both fists. Justin had upgraded the high-powered saw after they bought it by adding a diamond blade used specifically for hard metal, then he modified it further by removing the blade guard. This left a lethal expanse of the blade’s sharp teeth exposed. They all seemed to be moving in slow motion.

  She saw Brian lift his hand to turn on the switch. The slight click alerted the Empousai to the men’s location behind…just as they’d all feared. Maria held her breath as Mormo tensed as if to turn around. But by having Brian turn on the saw, Justin didn’t have to readjust his grip and he was ready to move instantly. He lunged forward and swept the exposed blade against the creature’s calves.

  Nothing happened.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Empousai turned on the two men behind her. Maria started to run to their aid. “Oh, shitohshitohshit, now what?” she screamed, as her mind searched frantically for another solution. She could sense everyone scrambling to do the same.

  But that movement was the beast’s final act. In one pass Justin had sliced through her calves. When the Emp turned, her body moved…but her feet stayed in place. Mormo crashed to the ground and burst into flame.

  The end result was almost anticlimactic. The rush of adrenaline-laced fear left Maria lightheaded.

  Minutes later, she looked down in satisfaction at the charred ashes of the Empousai. A foul stench permeated the air, the disgusting cinders the last reminder of the monster who’d terrorized her territory. A breeze blew up, swirling the remains and scattering them to the wind.

  She glanced back to look at her mate. “Justin?” she queried. And laughed at the sheepish delight on his face. He couldn’t move a lock or change his clothes. But he was born into the night to control the weather. Something she would never manage.

  “It’s just so much fun to play with the wind, my pet,” he said, as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. The circular saw lay discarded behind him.

  “If you two are through fooling around, we still have work to do.” Luke’s disgusted tone brought Maria back to the task at hand. The monster’s bronze foot lay in the dirt, the only sign of the battle they’d fought against evil. The donkey half of the pair must have gone up in smoke with the rest of the body.

  Brian had been right. Cut off the bitch’s feet and she disintegrated to ash. Hallelujah!

  “So what are we supposed to do with this?” she asked in disgust, as she used the toe of her boot to push the one bronze hoof through the dirt.

  “Oh, I don’t know…how about if Matt and I turn it into a candlestick and give it to you for your wedding?” Brian drawled with his usual insolence.

  “Ugh! No thanks,” she replied hastily. “Luke?”

  He shook his head and shrugged. “We could always send it to the Absolute Sentinel Council. Along with instructions on what to do if another Empousai ever shows her ugly body anywhere in the world.”

  She and Justin shared a quick look of heat. Good. Get rid of the damn thing and they’d have enough time to be alone before the two of them would go meet with Justin’s parents. They would be telling Bill and Nancy tonight of their plans to marry. Nancy had called to chat yesterday, something she’d never done in all the years Maria had known her. Maria really liked Nancy, and it seemed the se
ntiment was returned. Justin’s mother seemed to want to relay little tidbits from his boyhood, and at the end of the call she’d told Maria how wonderful it was to see Justin smile again with real warmth, after the cold pain she’d seen in his eyes when he’d come home from overseas. With that comment, she’d let Maria know she had his family’s support.

  Maria spared a small moment of thought on her outrageous happiness and how perverse that was—the two-hundred-year-plus Queen of France acting like a giddy bride who welcomed and needed her lover’s parents’ approval. She didn’t like the fact that Bill and Nancy were mortal. The thought of them having only a few more years on this earth sent her into a deep depression. She wondered if…well, she intended on bringing it up for all of them to discuss tonight. There were older pairs of vampires out there.

  She wondered if now would be the perfect opportunity to put her little surprise into action? She and Justin had just enough time to quench the ever-present hunger they shared for each other. The rush of adrenaline and danger left them burning with the need to reestablish life and their bond.

  She still couldn’t believe she’d found something as rare as a vampire’s true mate bond with Justin. Bound by blood, by soul…he would never get territorial with her, never grow beyond what they shared to search for something more.

  Veronica had said the ties between them would only grow more intense.

  Their individual gifts would also grow stronger with time. As true mates their strength would be communal and her age was an asset. Because of their bond, Justin didn’t come into his abilities as a “new” vampire, but as one with over two hundred years of living. He would just need to learn to control it.

  And Luke said that someday soon they’d both be able to walk in the sun. She still couldn’t believe she’d missed that important little tidbit of vampire lore.

 

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