Key to Conflict
Page 28
Seeing the look on Gillian’s and Kimber’s faces, he added, “I am sorry, my dear ladies, but it does not. There is simply not enough there to be of value except as a food supply. We of the Fey would be pawns and puppets, the muscle, if you will, serving the immortal Vampire reign. You Humans would be housed, fed, even cared for to provide nourishment for the overlords and chattel for the rest of us. Truly you would be only cattle or servants in a organized breeding program, the conditions of which we can only assume would be dismal.”
Kimber started toward the Grael, a murderous look on her face. “You pointy-eared, arrow-twanging, cave-dwelling, arrogant son of a munthridal!!”
The term she used was Dwarvish and particularly vulgar. Trocar’s look grew thunderous and he stiffened. Even Hierlon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Sorry, Hierlon,” she tossed over her shoulder.
Mirrin gave an inelegant snort. He’d spent enough time with Humans and knew just how far they would go in anger.
Gillian stepped between Kimber and the Grael, who was trembling with anger. “Okay, enough. We don’t have time for this. Kimber, he’s right. That’s exactly what Dracula would do and why. Let it go.”
Leaning in toward Trocar, she whispered, “Try to be a little more diplomatic with your observations until everyone is used to the idea.”
He nodded, but his crystalline eyes never left Kimber’s defiant form, even as she turned and walked back toward the blonde Elf still patiently waiting by the river.
Chewing on her lower lip, Gillian thought for a moment. “Trocar, you’re a full wizard now, right?” At his nod, she went on, “So even with your skill, they were hard to track.”
Again, he nodded. “All right, so they used some form of Fey glamour combined with magic, which means an alliance has already formed or is forming. The power of a single wizard is not enough to breach that doorway. This was not a random kidnapping, nor was it accidental that they pulled him through the Gateway.”
Trocar and Mirrin exchanged a glance. Mirrin spoke. “We knew you would have these questions when we discovered he had traveled through our domain. Trocar and I have remained in contact through the years, so I called upon him to find out what he could about any alliances forming among his own kind. Hierlon and I have also queried where we could.
“Unless the Dark Wizard has returned, or another one of his black robed order has come forth, we can find none who have helped them. The only possibility now is one of the older Fey who had possessed a godhead at some point in time or another true Vampire Lord.”
Gillian thought that over for awhile and they all gave her room to pace and think. “If that’s true, we may never find out who assisted in this little venture. The Fey aren’t going to give up one of their own to anyone for any reason, and if it’s one of Dracula’s Vampires, we are at a dead end there too. They’ll settle it themselves in their courts, eventually, particularly if our side wins.”
There were nods and murmurs of agreement within the assembled. No one wanted to go up against Fey Court or have to do with their disciplinary practices. The matter was better left alone. The Elves would make sure that the Gateway was spelled better to prevent it from happening again.
“We need to focus on where Tanis was taken. England, right?” Trocar and Mirrin nodded. “Great. So we’ll start there. I need to know who is available and wants to embark on this little adventure.”
Mirrin gestured to Hierlon who stepped back through the veil to return with three packs. “I will accompany you, if you wish, Gillian.”
She smiled fondly at him. “I know, Mirrin, but your lady will be most displeased with me if I get you killed out here. I don’t want Dorian’s arrows of doom pointed in my direction, thank you very much.”
Mirrin’s lady was a half-Elf with red hair and a bad temper. Gillian didn’t know her personally, but Mirrin had bored her to tears with descriptions of his lady love during his tenure in the service and Gill knew more about her than she cared to. Funny thing was, she was sure she’d like her if they ever had occasion to meet. Dorian Leganth of Penmoor was a perfect grounding influence for Mirrin. Gill wanted him to be happy. He deserved it. Reluctantly, Mirrin nodded.
“I will go, Captain. You have my oath that I will assist you in whatever manner I can.” Trocar’s beautiful voice flowed like the finest syrup and there was a brief sparkle in the air as he spoke.
Elves, like one of the Fey or Sidhe, were inherently magical. When they took an oath or someone gave them one, the Magic that Was simply tweaked it into a binding contract. Gillian was surprised but pleased. The Dark Elf was like all his other fellows: dangerous, treacherous and deadly, but the Grael’s evil wasn’t extraneous as it was with Dracula.
Honorable and lawful were what some called them, despite their vicious nature. If a Grael said something, he meant it. If a Grael vowed something, it got done, even if it was in a most unpleasant manner. The end justified the means in their reality. Their reality was just really scary was all. Gillian thought having someone really scary on their side might just make a difference down the line.
“All right, Trocar, you’re in. You know the rules. Piss me off and pay the consequences.” But she patted his arm anyway and he smiled, his teeth glaringly white against the absolute black of his skin.
“That’s why I’m here, princess.” Kimber had gone and retrieved hers and Trocar’s packs from Hierlon. “I need a little adventure.”
She dropped everything at Gillian’s feet with a large thud. The pack was stuffed and obviously weighed a great deal. Kimber grinned sheepishly at Gillian’s raised eyebrow. “Just a few tools we might need later.”
Gillian didn’t want to know. Kimber had been a sniper in the USMC. She was an expert with primitive weaponry and not too shabby on a flamethrower either. Gillian trusted her to watch her back in all matters. Kimber looked jovial and harmless, but Gillian had seen what she could do when she was pissed off in a firefight. It wasn’t pretty.
“Mirrin…I…” She turned back to the tall, dark-haired Elf. “I want to thank you—” He didn’t let her finish.
“Unnecessary, Gillian. We are comrades and friends. My debt is not yet paid to you. If you need me, you may call.” Mirrin hugged her. “I wish you well, Captain. In all things.” He stepped away, saluted to her and Kimber, then moved back to Hierlon’s side.
Gillian waved. “Namaste, Mirrin, and my thanks, Hierlon, for your assistance in guiding my friends.”
The tall, blonde Elf bowed slightly, then turned and disappeared through the veil. With a final wave, Mirrin followed. The slit in the landscape disappeared as if it had never been.
“Will you be able to get back, Trocar?” Gill asked suddenly. Nothing like hindsight.
“Yes, of course. All dwellers of that domain know how to ask for admittance. It will be granted. I have committed no crime.”
He added the last part for the Vampires. They’d said nothing, nor had Pavel during the conversation, but Dionysus had Maeti positioned behind him, with himself between her and the Grael. Trocar hadn’t missed the gesture. He’d leave well enough alone for now.
“Let’s move, then,” Gillian ordered, already starting for the helicopter. Luis saw them coming and revved up the blades.
CHAPTER
26
T HE attack was abrupt and silent. No one heard anything or scented anything due to the helicopter and river noise, the wind being against them and the relentless odor of gasoline and oil that comes with any machinery. Farther from the helicopter than the others, Maeti suddenly went down under a dozen black shapes, Dionysus racing to her, snarling and tossing bodies like cordwood. Pavel’s silent leap landed him in front of Kimber and he took a Vampire to the face for his trouble. Kimber’s Beretta 9mm turned the Vamp’s jaw into hamburger and it screamed as it fell writhing.
“Thanks,” Pavel growled at her, partially shifting, but she was already scanning the darkness for additional threats.
Gillian was flanked by Troca
r as she drew her gun and moved toward Maeti and Dionysus, firing at the dark shapes as she ran. Luis was already out of the chopper, tossing his headphones to the seat and drawing his own sidearm, moving to help the fallen Vampiress. Dionysus yanked Maeti free and nearly threw her at Gillian and Trocar, who caught her easily, then turned and ran back to the helicopter. Gill hit several of the things, then was jerked back off her feet.
Finding herself on the ground underneath a Vampire, its lovely face contorted and fangs bared, Gillian fought to raise her gun but the thing was kneeling on her wrist. Silently she struggled, getting her left hand up and across her throat, sheer terror lending strength to her efforts.
Luis had holstered his gun and began swinging both fists locked together, knocking the Vampire that was using Gill for a cushion sideways. It snapped at him, growling. There was another yell, this time from Kimber as her arm was raked in an attack pass. An unholy howl came from Pavel as the Werewolf shifted fully, shouldering Kimber back and launching over four hundred pounds of muscle, bone, fur and fury at the Vampire. They rolled together, locked in a deadly embrace.
Dionysus was busy fighting off several Vampires in an effort to keep them from the others. Gillian had her own problems—Luis was raining blows on the Vamp that still sat on her chest. It had its legs locked to her sides, one hand in her hair, and was fending off Luis’s attack with the other. Luis couldn’t yank it off her for fear she’d be scalped or have her ribs crushed. Her hand was pinned so the gun was useless. Just fucking lovely.
There was a flash as two of the Vampires engaged in trying to dismember Dionysus erupted into flame. Nonliving torches, they still managed to shriek and run a few steps before imploding. Another fell to its knees, pressing its hands against its head before it jerked upright and wilted. Cerulean blue lights glowed from Dionysus’s face.
This was the power that separated him, Osiris and, unfortunately, Dracula, from the Vampires under their lineage. He focused on another Vamp, a female, and she repeated the performance of the last, clutching at her temples before collapsing.
Kimber had exchanged her gun for her trusty flamethrower and was busy igniting another three. She’d nailed two that were far enough away from Dionysus not to set him alight. Pavel tore out the throat of the one he was fighting, then disemboweled it for good measure. Kimber finished off the remains with a blast from her veloci-candle.
Gillian, unfortunately, was still in trouble and getting nowhere fast. Her ribs were on the verge of breaking as the Vampire that sat on her tightened his grip. Luis was keeping up his rain of bone crushing blows. Already the creature’s arm was shattered and raw from continually fending him off.
A shadow fell over her and Luis backed up, his eyes wide. Gillian, already arching back in an effort to get air into her strained lungs, looked up into the face of the Greek Lord. Dionysus reached in and forced the Vampire to look at him. In an instant the creature quailed, smearing blood on its face from its mangled arm and tipping over, dead. Dionysus pulled Gillian out from under the now truly dead corpse. He and Luis checked her over for injury.
Kimber had finished making crispy critters out of the last few bodies and waved happily to Gillian and the others. Dionysus moved so quickly to the helicopter that no one saw him take more than a single stride. Inside the craft, Trocar had bound Maeti’s wounds. Dionysus stopped at the door, watching the Dark Elf as he leaned over his mate, ready to dismember him if it looked like Maeti was being harmed. The Elf wizard had magic but he also had the inherent healing ability of his kind. Chanting lightly and touching each cut and scratch, he helped Maeti’s own ability to speed healing. After a few moments, he turned to Dionysus, whose eyes still glowed with a frightening luminescence.
“I have accelerated her body’s own healing, dark one, but she has lost blood. You must replenish her.” Trocar’s voice was a beautiful lure, calming the Greek god.
“I thank you, Elf. There is a life between us.” Dionysus’s voice was no less beautiful but there was a faint sparkle in the air as a vow of truth was spoken before a Fey.
Climbing into the craft, Dionysus cradled Maeti to him, opening his shirt and lifting her mouth to his chest to feed her. She was awake but weak. He hissed in fury when he saw that she’d nearly been gutted on the initial attack and that a dozen bite marks marred her perfect skin. Even a Vampire can be killed by an attack of their own kind. Ancient as she was, Maeti was just as susceptible. Being an ancient was what had saved her. Her power was greater than those sent to assassinate them, but she had been drained.
Gillian poked her head in. “Everything okay, Maeti?”
Maeti’s voice was thick with Dionysus’s blood. “I will be fine, little sister.” She smiled weakly.
“Gillian, give us a few moments, please.”
Dionysus didn’t need to say please, but he did, so Gillian backed out, joining Pavel, Kimber, Luis and Trocar in checking each other out. Trocar was healing Luis’s hands and arms, which had been torn and battered from his defense of Gillian. Kimber was actually more bruised from Pavel knocking her out of the way, but the two of them were busy feeling each other up…er…checking for injuries. Gillian smirked at the two, then turned to thank Luis for his help.
The handsome Vampire was grimacing as Trocar worked his healing. Fey or Elf magic was closer to true healing than the necromancy or whatever it was that held Vampires together. It healed them, but it wasn’t altogether pleasant. Gillian gripped Luis’s shoulder as Trocar worked. “Thank you, my friend. I would have been toast if you hadn’t stepped in.”
“Who the hell were those guys, Gill?” Kimber wasn’t shaken in the least. Had to love their resident near-sociopath.
“Guess,” Gill snapped.
Kimber knew she wasn’t mad at her, just frustrated that they’d all been caught so off guard. “Bad man with pointy teeth, Kemo Sabe, very bad man?” Kimber’s humor rarely missed a beat.
“Thanks for torching them, Tonto,” Gillian shot back, smiling.
The two of them had a friendship that transcended race or any disrespect. They’d been the Lone Ranger and Tonto in the field before, as well as a dozen other famous hero pairings. “Now we have to worry about what else these fuckers know, since obviously they knew we were coming here.”
“Dante, perhaps, Lady Gillian?” Pavel asked. He remembered her telling him the Ghost was responsible for their destination.
Gillian shook her head. “No, he’s an ass, but I don’t think he would have deliberately misled us. Probably he was misled or used to plant information.”
She turned back to the Dark Elf, who’d finished with Luis. “Trocar, thank you. For everything you’ve done.”
The heartrendingly beautiful obsidian face smiled at her. “You are welcome, Gillian. I did give you my word.”
Tapping her front teeth with the nail of her forefinger, Gillian thought for a moment. “Yes you did. Let me ask you something. I have a Ghost with some remarkable abilities locked up in rocks in my pocket—spelled with salt. Can you use divination or something and find out what the hell is going on and also keep him from attacking me?”
Trocar’s brow furrowed briefly. “May I have the packet?”
She handed it to him without further ado. Closing his eyes, he ran his hands over it and the stones glowed for a moment. Trocar actually snarled and tossed the package to the ground.
“What?” Gillian asked.
“An abomination!” he said furiously. “These stones carry the essence of one of my own. This Ghost is Grael, Captain, make no mistake. That is why he can manifest upon these stones thusly.”
“Grael? How in hell is an Italian mercenary swordsman a Grael?” Gillian practically bellowed at him.
“I have heard stories of this but have never seen it. What is this creature’s name?” Trocar’s tone was contemptuous.
“Dante. Dante Montefiore.”
Trocar’s breath drew in sharply. “He is Grael, Gillian. An abomination from a line of abominations.”
Kimber stepped up. “Why is that an abomination, Trocar? Since when are you prejudiced?” She was a mix of a number of Human races and she wasn’t smiling.
He reached for her but she stepped back, bringing the flamethrower up. “Don’t.”
Trocar laughed. “Little demon, we have been friends and lovers and still you believe the worst of me.”
Gillian’s eyebrows shot up at that. Lovers? Well, shit, who knew?
“Get to the point,” Kimber spat.
“It is not an abomination to cross races, layna. It is an abomination to cross a Grael with any but another Fey. We are a harsh and violent people. We barely keep our own emotions in check. Elves have tremendous integrity and self-control, as you know, both light and dark. Think of the inherent power of one of my kind, unleashed into a Human with a Human’s frail willpower.”
Kimber got it. “A monster.”
He nodded. “Not an obvious one, however.” This time when he reached for her shoulder, she let him touch her. “Kimber, interbreeding between species is bound to happen. Elves and Humans have done it for millennia…but not with the Grael. There are reasons some of the legends are in place.”
“That’s where changelings come from then?” Gillian asked.
“Yes. If one of ours took a Human female, impregnated her, the resulting…infant would be taken, another left in its place. That kept your race and ours safe.”
“What happened to the infant?”
“Mercifully killed. It was not its fault to be born.”
Kimber and Gillian exchanged a look. Infanticide was appalling to them both, but it wasn’t their place to judge the customs of another culture thousands of years older than theirs.
Elves called themselves the Dawn People. Existing before man, they had splintered off early, evolving into distinct cultures and groups. The Grael were just darker than any other Elvish group, both literally and figuratively. None of the others had the Grael’s barbaric practices or their affinity with evil. Grael could be as civilized or as vicious as the situation demanded. Most of the Fey didn’t want to find out where that line was drawn.