Vlad made a clucking noise. “Yeah. Glad it wasn’t me, if you know what I mean.”
“No shit, man.”
He turned and left pink hair watching the cluster of uniforms do their work. His hidey-hole might be shot to hell but that didn’t mean he was. There wasn’t a trace of him in that house, or not a trace they could do anything with. He wasn’t in any database in the city, let alone the country. He was a ghost.
Losing the house wasn’t a problem, even if he did regret losing the designer clothes. There were lots of houses and lots of men and women willing to open their doors to him. That wasn’t what had him scrambling now. It was Sunny. Not only did her release deprive him of the fun and games he’d anticipated with great relish, but with her on the run, she could cause him any number of complications.
She couldn’t go back to her friend’s home. He’d been so delighted with his gift of a magnificent blaze on that one. Was she was aware of the budding friendship with preacher girl? Would she go to the church?
The more he thought about it, the more he decided she would. It was an open secret in the city that the night services were the nearly exclusive domain of the preternaturals. The National Cathedral would be a logical starting point to track down a vampire. With madness ablaze in every corner of the city, corralling the vampires, werewolves, and every other ilk of preternatural beneath the soaring spires was just the sort of party he’d been anticipating since he arrived. Everything he’d been trying to achieve was at his fingertips.
Maybe this wasn’t a disaster after all. Maybe this was a blessing.
*
Naomi whirled at the sound of her brother’s voice. The fact that he was as loud as a herd of cattle didn’t bother her, but the tone of his voice did. She heard fear, something rarely present in Nathan’s words. Even though she’d been a hunter and had gone up against some of the most ruthless creatures to walk the earth, Nathan was stronger than she was. If she was a rock, he was a mountain.
He was also the guy who always put his head down and plowed forward. He never let anything get in his way. Nothing stopped him, which is what made him one hell of an investigator. Nobody stood a chance against him.
That he’d just crashed her front doors like he was running from the demons of hell, well, that had her scared. For a second, she had an urge to run home and dig out the tools of her previous trade. She might have given up the sword, so to speak, but that didn’t mean she’d actually gotten rid of it. So much of her life was tied to those weapons, she’d found it impossible to part with them permanently. Besides, a little whisper in the back of her mind had made her hang on to them and right now she wished she had them. Maybe this was exactly what the little whisper was all about.
“Nathan.” She rushed to him and grabbed his arm. “What’s happening?”
Before he could answer the doors banged again, only this time it was Angie Oberman, dressed in her blue slacks, white shirt, and blue blazer. It was as close as she got these days to her old Capitol Police uniform. Angie stumbled, but instead of the crisp, clean attire Naomi was accustomed to seeing her in, her shirt was partially untucked and, most disturbing, covered with blood. Her face was blanched a disturbing shade of white. The woman who could leave Naomi in the dust on a run was barely able to stay on her feet.
“Help me,” Angie said weakly as she crumpled to the nave floor. Blood dripped on the tile.
“Fuck,” Nathan spit out as he rushed over and knelt at her side.
Naomi dropped to the floor and felt her neck for a pulse. Angie was so pale and wasn’t moving. Beneath her fingertips, Naomi finally felt the whispery throb of life.
She swept her gaze over Angie’s body, trying to figure out where the wound was located. A disturbing flow of blood was gushing from somewhere on her body. “Where’s she hurt?”
Nathan pulled open the top of Angie’s shirt, revealing a bloody wound just above her left breast. He slipped out of his jacket and, putting it over the wound, applied pressure with both hands. “We’ve got to stop the bleeding.”
“Thank God,” Naomi whispered. “It missed her heart.”
“Yeah, but she’s gonna bleed out if we don’t get this stopped. Looks like she’s lost quite a bit already. Call 911, Meme.”
Naomi locked gazes with her brother over Angie’s inert form. “What’s happening?”
“All hell has broken loose. Armed crowds are everywhere. They’re shooting first and asking questions later. You guys gotta get out of here, Meme. There’s a crowd on the way here planning to kill any preternatural in the church, and nobody is gonna be safe. You have to leave. Call 911 and then get the fuck out of here.”
Naomi rocked back on her heels. “I can’t just leave. What if I’m needed here? Where would these people go?”
“They’re not people, Meme, they’re creatures. You used to destroy them, remember?”
Yes, she remembered, and the thought made her feel ashamed. She couldn’t, wouldn’t leave. This was God’s test, and this time she wouldn’t fail. She looked down at Angie and her resolve hardened.
“I can’t leave.”
“You have to.”
She didn’t even try to argue with Nathan. They’d hashed and rehashed everything so many times already that it was pointless. She wasn’t going to change his mind. He wasn’t going to change hers.
His eyes grew dark. “Meme, I know you feel you have to help. I even understand, at least a little, why you feel you owe it to them, but if you stay, they’ll kill you. There are too many of them and we can’t stop them.”
From behind her, Tory’s voice cut in. “He’s right, Naomi, you have to leave.”
Naomi looked up into Tory’s face and felt something tighten around her heart. Love? Couldn’t be, it was too soon. Still, the feeling was intense, deep—something she’d never felt before.
“I won’t leave you.” She was talking to Tory now.
Tory’s voice was as hard as Nathan’s. “I’m not asking you to…I’m telling you. I will not have you hurt because of me.”
Resentment bristled. “This is my church.”
Tory didn’t miss a beat. “And this is my fight.”
“The hell it is. Maybe somebody out there wants to hurt you. No, scratch that. Someone definitely wants to hurt you for whatever twisted reason. Doesn’t change a damn thing. By threatening those I counsel, he makes this as much my fight as yours.”
Tory ran her hand over Naomi’s hair. Her caress was soft, loving, and Naomi leaned into her touch. “The warrior preacher.”
“You can take the fight out of the girl…”
“But you can’t take the girl out of the fight.”
Naomi nodded. “Damn straight.”
Nathan was still trying to staunch the flow of blood coming from Angie’s angry wound. “I hate to break it up, ladies, but I need some help here. 911, please.”
Colin came over, took one look at Angie, and yelled, “I’ve got a better, quicker idea. Ivy, I need a doctor. Get your pretty brown ass up here ASAP.”
Ivy was already rounding the corner, a first-aid kit in hand. “Move aside, ladies and gentle…”
Colin raised an eyebrow.
“Ladies, gentleman, and butthead,” Ivy said sweetly.
“I love you too,” he said as he stepped back to let her tend to Angie.
When Ivy took control, Nathan stood and wiped his hands on a towel that Naomi handed him. She felt for him as he tried to get the blood off. When he handed the towel back, it was damp with the fresh blood but his hands were still stained red.
His eyes held hers. “I can’t change your mind?”
She shook her head. “Have you ever been able to change my mind?”
He shrugged. “Not just no, but hell no.”
“And it isn’t going to happen now. I say let’s get to fortifying the church before it gets attacked in force.” Her earlier feelings of fear slid away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of determination. She wasn’t staying simply to prot
ect Tory and the others. Not at all. This was as much about herself as anything. It was her hour to stand tall and face evil head-on.
The truth was right in front of her and had been for a long time. She’d used the church to hide herself away. Oh, she’d helped as many as she could and with all the right intentions. She’d done the right thing. To deny that she’d also secluded herself here was pointless. Her time of self-serving penance was over. No more hiding. No more pretending. She was back in the fight, and she was damned ready to be there. For the first time since she’d walked away, she had something to fight for. This time, it was for the right reasons.
Chapter Twenty-five
Getting back in turned out to be far more complicated than his earlier exit. Vlad only had himself to blame for that one. After all, he was the one who set the dogs on the church, and being ever so obedient, that’s exactly what they’d done. The little group of men he’d pointed to the cathedral had multiplied in the short amount of time he’d been gone. It was almost like a horde of grasshoppers. They were coming from everywhere and converging on the tidy green grass that surrounded the church. If he wasn’t so convinced Red would come here, he’d be miles away. She was here, though, he could feel it, and besides, the little bit of danger the crowds presented just made it more fun.
It took a fair amount of stealth to ease in unnoticed. Then again, he was exceptional at blending into the background. Best of all, he had the look. The years spent inside the hallowed halls during his time as a human came in particularly handy now. He could talk the talk, and he could sure as hell walk the walk. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
No one gave him more than a passing glance and that’s all he needed to slide into one of the lower-level doors undetected. He was inside with the door closing silently behind him before the crowd picked up full steam, barely. Even from the crypt he could hear the pounding on the massive doors of the main entrance. He quickly stepped into the shadows as someone zipped by to secure the door he’d just entered through.
A scent wafted through the air and he stilled. He knew it. A smile blossomed across his face. Patience and good planning were going to pay off. At long last, they were about to come face-to-face. Excitement rippled up his spine, making his fingers tingle. He ran his tongue across his lower lip.
This was the night he’d been waiting for and he intended to enjoy every second. By the time it was all done, he would mostly likely destroy her and then watch the city destroy itself. When it was finished and the dust settled, he would be back in the city of his birth—and rebirth—and he would be king. No one, human or preternatural, would question his power. He hadn’t waited, imprisoned in that hell on earth, all those years to be just a common vampire. He would be the king and all would bow to him.
When he brought her to her knees, when he destroyed all that she loved, he would give her one last chance at redemption. He would give her the choice she never gave him: come with him and live at his side or die. The choice seemed obvious to him, but she’d surprised him before. He could very well be returning home alone and he could live with that.
Her footsteps were quiet, quick as she moved from door to door, barricading them against the crowds that circled the massive grounds looking for any way in. He had to give himself credit for the skill with which he’d handled the humans. He’d pushed the perfect buttons and now the frenzied masses were exploding throughout the city. Always did have a way with people.
Finally, her footsteps, which had faded away as she went from door to door, grew louder as she made her way back in his direction. He listened to the delicate tap tap tap of her shoes and thought about what he’d do. So many choices and plenty of time. In fact, they had forever—if she made the right decision.
Vlad stood at the edge of the tomb of one of the many dignitaries buried in the cathedral. Smiling, he waited. He didn’t care who the hotshot was in this particular tomb; all he could concentrate on was her. She was so very close now he had chills. Once again her unique scent filled the air, and for a moment memories of another time and place filled his mind. He’d loved her, as humans do, and had protected her, as humans do. His home had been her home. They’d been happy in those days, or so he’d believed. No, those weren’t just idealistic memories. They had been happy together until she ruined it all.
Now he understood what lies she’d told him, how she’d made him believe something that was all an illusion. She’d used him and then, when he’d needed her most, she’d turned her back on him, leaving him to an unthinkable fate. Even now he couldn’t understand how she could have betrayed him like that.
She owed him and she would pay.
Her breathing was rapid as she approached, yet as she neared, her pace slowed. His smile grew. It was true, old bonds didn’t break. She instinctively knew he was here and could feel him just as he could feel her. The realization made his pulse race. He’d been waiting for so long. He stepped from the shadows and directly into her path.
“Hello, Victoria.”
Only one, strangled word came from her lips as she stopped and stared at him. She was visibly trembling as she whispered, “Roland?”
*
Adriana was helping Ivy clean and bandage Angie’s wound when she jumped to her feet and looked around wildly. “He’s here.”
Colin squinted, drawing his eyebrows together. “Who’s here, Adriana?”
“Him, whoever the hell him is. The bastard who’s been knocking people off. He’s here in the church.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “Outside?” He hoped the vampire responsible for all this was still outside the church. From the loud echo of pounding on the doors, it wouldn’t be long before whatever and whoever was outside would make it in, and then none of them would be safe anyway.
She was shaking her head hard. “No, the bastard is in the building somewhere and he’s got Tory.”
He really didn’t like hearing that. “Are you sure?”
Adriana gave him a look. “Look, I’m relatively new to this whole psychic thing, but I know what I know. I’m telling you he’s here and we’ve got to find Tory now before he hurts or, worse, kills her. This is not a nice guy.”
Naomi, Nathan, and Riah managed to get Angie up off the floor and onto a pew. It wasn’t perfect, but considering where they were, it was the best anyone could hope for. Naomi started toward the stairs as soon as she had Angie settled. Colin stopped her.
“Wait,” he said, his hand on her arm.
“No.” She shook off his grip. “I have to help her.”
He got that. He’d been the same way when Ivy had been hurt. That had been in the heat of battle, though, and this was different. The church was huge and this guy had the advantage. They didn’t know who he was. They didn’t know what he was. Worst of all, they didn’t know where he was. This was going into battle blind and that sucked.
He gripped her arm again, his fingers firm. “Hang on a second. Let Adriana work some of her newfound magic. We need any edge we can get.”
Silently he was chanting, find her find her find her. Adriana had been awesome before her return from New Haven. Afterward, well, she was turning into a powerful weapon in the Spiritus Group arsenal. Time to put that weapon to good use.
“Okay, you guys,” Adriana said to all of them. “I’ve got an idea I’m hoping will help us kick ass. Let’s try another round of that magic we made happen when the werewolf tried to kill Kara.”
Kara Lynch, a hereditary witch born in Ireland and raised in Spokane, had recently managed to break a centuries-old curse by using the power of seven. Though not one of them here tonight was a witch, it sure didn’t hurt to try the power-of-seven philosophy. At this point what did they have to lose, and trying anything that might help was a good idea.
Naomi and Nathan looked confused as Colin joined Adriana, Riah, Sunny, and Ivy in clasped hands.
“We’re gathering power,” Adriana explained as she waved Naomi and Nathan over. “Grab a hand and we’ll
make a power circle.”
While Naomi hurried to join them, Nathan just stared. “Seriously? This is what you think will save Tory? No, this is stupid. We’ve got to do something, not just stand around holding hands and singing ‘Kumbaya.’”
“Two minutes,” Colin said to him. “Man to man, trust me on this, Nathan. Give Adriana two minutes and then run with your Glock if you think it will help. We’ve seen the power of seven work before and it’s worth a try right now.”
Shaking his head, Nathan reluctantly joined the circle. “You’re all nuts but I’ll give you that long. Then I am going to use my Glock.”
“It’s a deal, man. And if it doesn’t produce something, I’ll be running right behind you. I don’t have a handgun but I’m pretty damned good with a knife.”
“Deal,” Nathan said as he joined hands with Naomi and Ivy.
Colin looked down at Ivy and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. His words to Nathan were big and confident, more big and confident than he actually felt. Sometimes half the battle was putting on a brave face.
He hoped to hell Adriana could pull a rabbit out of her hat.
*
Shock had Tory rooted to the floor. Not in a million years did she ever expect to see his face again. When she drove the stake through his heart on that horrible night, it should have been only a matter of time before he crumbled into a pile of dust.
There was nothing dusty about the man in front of her now. Roland Lyle stood before her in the flesh and blood, and Tory wondered if, after all these years, she’d finally lost her mind. How could this be? How could he be?
As she studied the face she’d so loved in life, shivers raced up her spine. His dark eyes that would come alive as he stood in a pulpit and shared God’s word were black and bottomless. Once, long ago, they’d looked on her with warmth and love. Now they were filled with an evil that made her flesh crawl. This was Roland in body. It was a stranger’s soul that reflected in his eyes.
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