Tiger's Strength

by Kimberly A Rogers

  Baran looked grimmer than usual as he offered a curt nod. “Precisely.”

  I glanced from him to the plate. “I think we should all eat turkey.” I picked up a slice and popped it into my mouth.

  The TDS must have been worried still because he didn’t protest and scold. Instead, he pressed a kiss against the side of my head before rising to his feet. A moment later, we all froze as the sound of an engine intruded faintly. Baran left the room at just under a true run with Roderick following close on his heels.

  I swallowed the turkey that was suddenly as dry as sawdust sitting on my tongue and forced myself to straighten in my chair. A tense silence fell over the room until I caught the scent of the newcomer. I laughed softly and leapt to my feet only to sway before I hurried to the doorway just as he came through. I grinned and threw an arm around his neck. “Constantine! I thought you would be in Lisbon by now.”

  My brother returned my hug and pulled back to give me a wry smile. “Aita called me. Said I needed to get off the boat and make sure you stayed out of trouble with the Vampyres.”

  “Well, that ship has sailed.” I reached up to tug on his shoulder length reddish brown hair, then eyed his scruff. “Are you trying to be the roguish pirate or just the vagabond down the road?”

  Constantine’s hazel eyes finally lit with true humor as he snorted. “Neither. I am clearly the lovable knave of a highwayman who has come to save the day for the unfortunate rookies.”

  “Oh please!” I rolled my eyes at him. “You aren’t even a part of the main quest. At best, you’re a side quest that distracts from the main goal. At worst, you’re the annoying character who only shows up to be a hazard to yourself.”

  “I am not!”

  I nodded solemnly. “Why do you think no one wants you to play video games with them? You’re a nuisance character.”

  Constantine’s eyes laughed at me even as he sniffed. “Takes one to know one.” He brushed my hair back and frowned at the gauze pad. “Which one of us is a hazard again?”

  I swatted his hand away. “Still you.”

  Baran cleared his throat. “Raina.”

  A glance around the room proved all four Tigers were watching the Emperor and me with varying degrees of bemusement. Tigers. They were so odd about humor, sometimes. Something else Baran seemed to share with his relatives. When the TDS nodded toward the table, I rolled my eyes and tugged on the Emperor’s black trench coat. As much as I wanted to tease him for his fashion choices again, I was extremely mature and refrained. “Come on, let’s run down the basics of Vampyre fighting.”

  Once we all sat around the table, with Baran and Constantine on either side of me, I snacked on a piece of turkey. Happily, it no longer tasted like sawdust, yay me. Then, I exchanged a glance with the Emperor. He tilted his head toward me and I knew he wanted me to start, which was just typical. “Okay, the first thing to understand about Vampyre fighting is to understand the Vampyre,” I quoted Titus, the uptight Tracker trainer who had put my group through the prep work before allowing us to catch the scent of death that hung over a Vampyre. “None of the Lorekeepers have ever been able to share the true origin of the Vampyres. The only thing every tale agrees on is that they first originated in Greece and Mesopotamia, and that everyone worked together to eliminate their clutches. Then, at least one escaped the original purge and that was when everyone learned the creature was able to spread its condition through its bite. No other paranormal species has this capability. However, thank the Creator, the Vampyric bite can only transform a full-blooded Elf or Fae. If a paranormal species doesn’t fall under the Seelie or Unseelie courts, then they cannot be made into Vampyres. They’re just susceptible to being enthralled.”

  “Like what the Lamia do to the men they don’t kill outright,” Madoc interjected.

  Constantine nodded. “The belief is that the Lamia and Vampyres share a common ancestor, but no one has ever gone to interview the queen on how her species came into being. Vampyres were stamped out in the New World, but there are a few stubborn strongholds where clutches still exist in the Old World particularly around Eastern Europe and a few places in Greece. There’s a particular group of paranormals who like to collect rare and deadly specimens. They’re called the Minos Guild, and they’ve helped smuggle more than a few Fringe out of our traps as well. They have some sort of base in the Mediterranean, but no one has been able to find it to eliminate them.”

  “They feed off the blood and life spirit of their victims,” I interjected. “And, Therians in particular are favorite prey because our blood can restore strength to a weakened Vampyre and make a fit one even stronger. If the Vampyre in question is relatively young, under thirty or so years undead, and has recently drained a Therian, then he is able to walk in sunlight for between one and four hours depending on the strength of sunlight exposure.”

  “That is why the female was able to attack you,” Baran stated grimly. “Why she remained outside the cave when the males were driven back.”

  I nodded. “Makes sense from what you’ve told me. The reason you need to know all of this is because you need to understand exactly what they want to do. They don’t want to transform you. It’s impossible for them to do so. But they can turn you into a snack or, worse, a thrall compelled to obey the voice of the Vampyre who bit you.”

  Madoc’s gaze dropped to the gauze on the curve of my neck. “Should we be worried about you?”

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  Roderick stirred in his chair. “What will stop them?”

  I kicked Constantine in the shin, and he leveled a glare at me. I just raised my eyebrows at him. This was his area of expertise, after all. He sighed and stole the last turkey piece off my plate ignoring my outraged gasp. “They can be repelled or destroyed in a couple of ways. You can defend against a Vampyric attack by smearing garlic on the lentils of all doors and windows in the house. Holy ground will repel them.”

  “What about holy symbols?” Madoc asked, looking ever so slightly uncomfortable. He probably wasn’t on the best speaking terms with Yeshua, if I had to take a guess.

  “No,” Constantine said with a shake of his head. “Or rather it takes great and unwavering faith for a symbol like the cross to have a significant impact on Vampyres. Holy water can burn Vampyres, though, if only in small amounts. If a Vampyre somehow fell into a vat of holy water, then he would be destroyed. However, even the use of a weapon doused in holy water won’t kill a Vampyre unless the heart is pierced.”

  The Emperor paused a moment before adding, “A stake through the heart works, but only if it’s carved from aspen or rowan. It’s better if there’s bands of blessed steel that have been imbued with mercury. But even so, there is only one way to permanently destroy the creatures. Decapitation and then burning, which can include full exposure to the sun.” Constantine drummed his fingers against the table, a look of disgust twisting his features. “They are a rather resilient blight upon creation.”

  “Where are we to find these tools? We don’t have a vat of holy water or the sort of stakes you describe.” Roderick frowned slightly as he added, “And we’ve only your vehicle at the moment that works.”

  Madoc propped both elbows on the table before he muttered, “It would be much easier if the books and movies were correct about Vampyres being easily killed by any sort of sharp stick. Or a shovel to the head.”

  Constantine slid his chair back and got to his feet. He rubbed his hands together, looking far too eager, as he proudly declared, “I brought a bag filled with Vampyre killing tools. The clutches in Greece have been rather ambitious so I’ve become a bit of an expert at slaying the pests.”

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Baran

  I took Raina by the elbow as she stood once more. Her coloring was still too pale for my liking and if I were completely honest, the Tiger wouldn’t settle until I initiated some sort of contact. Venetia had gone to the kitchen, and Raina’s brother was bringing his kit inside. Roderick had left to make a
mez call to the reeves and anyone else who might be able to help. Even though we all knew help would never arrive in time. We would need to hold out until morning on our own.

  Raina leaned into my hold and murmured, “You are worrying too much, TDS.”

  “I am worrying the appropriate amount,” I countered.

  Her green tinged hazel eyes gleamed with amusement even as fondness warmed her scent. She raised her chin in invitation, but before I could act a voice intruded. “Baran.”

  Turning my attention to Madoc, I didn’t try to hide my frown. “What is it?”

  To my surprise, he didn’t bristle or attempt to go on the attack. Instead, he ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked . . . sheepish. It was a rather ill-fitting look for a Tiger. Madoc cleared his throat and raised his eyes as he spoke softly. “I’m sorry. You asked me to watch her back, and I failed. And . . . I didn’t know Charlie and Simon had actually acted on their insane plan. I thought the Vampyres were just another rumor Charlie was spilling because he’d had too much to drink.”

  “And the surveillance photos?” I asked gruffly. “You didn’t know they were meant to be surveillance?”

  Madoc grimaced while Raina went still. “You were spying on Baran?”

  Madoc’s cheeks turned a dull red. “And you. For a little while. Just until Baran caught me snapping pictures of you dancing at a party. I thought . . . I have no excuse for my behavior, but I assumed it would be harmless. Give them an idea of when you could best be approached to air their grievances. Or to find a little harmless blackmail.”

  “Harmless blackmail is a nonexistent oxymoron,” Raina snapped. She pointed a quivering finger at him as she hissed, “If we didn’t need everyone to be in excellent fighting shape, I would bite you here and now.”

  She glared at him and then pulled out of my hold to stalk out of the room.

  “Raina, where are you going?”

  “To help the Emperor Vampyre-proof this monster of a house.”

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Raina

  I smeared the garlic paste against the bottom lentil of a window, wrinkling my nose against a sneeze. At the sound of steps behind me, I simply held out the bowl with the garlic paste. “There’s two more windows to go.”

  The Emperor took the bowl from me, and I grabbed the vial of holy water to sprinkle on top. His dry chuckle rolled over me. “That’s not how it’s supposed to go.”

  “They don’t cancel each other out, do they?”

  “No.”

  I smirked at him. “Then stop trying to boss me around, Emperor.”

  Constantine chuckled as he made his way to one of the remaining windows. We worked in silence. Although I did notice that he also sprinkled holy water on top. Score for me. I wiped my hands clean and stated with forced cheer, “That’s the last of it. Now, we just wait for the Vampyres to show.”

  “I wanted to apologize.” Constantine’s abrupt statement froze me mid-step. I watched him closely as he scratched at his scraggly excuse of a beard. “I didn’t . . . I should have had the courage to face my own sister and her husband no matter my difficulties with Amaryllis.”

  “She’s an idiot for tossing you over,” I stated bluntly as I crossed my arms over my chest.

  A wry smile quirked his lips. “Thank you for the vote of confidence.” Then, he gave me a sad look. “But, we were having difficulties last Christmas. When I saw you and Baran make your peace marriage work, it gave me hope that Amaryllis and I still had a chance. I thought if we just made it to the altar, everything would be all right. But she kept delaying the wedding and then . . . Last week I caught her with another man, a pureblood. She told me I had made her feel trapped into obligating to the wedding, but she couldn’t force her feelings.”

  Walking over to him, I wrapped him in a hug. “I know it hurts, and I’m still inclined to scratch her eyes out if I meet her anytime soon, but you never know. Someone better who will love you for you even if you’re a kooky side character can find you now.”

  Constantine chuckled as he returned my hug. “When did you get so wise, darling?”

  I laughed. “Easy. I’m the oldest daughter and that automatically makes me ages more mature and wise compared to you.” I paused then added in a deadpan, “And, Baran requires a wisdom upgrade for proper handling.”

  The Emperor laughed out loud. Slinging his arm around my shoulders, he steered me toward the door. “Come on, darling, let’s join the Tigers for dinner.”

  “But, it’s almost sundown.”

  He shrugged. “The Vampyres will wait a few more hours. It’s part of their game. They want to get us on high alert and wear us down that way before attacking. Which is why it’s time for food.”

  I nodded. “Let’s show them how it’s done.”

  ΘΘΘΘΘΘ

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Baran

  More than three hours crawled by after we finished eating Thanksgiving dinner. My entire body was strained from listening for any hint of the Vampyres’ approach, and it took everything to keep from pacing the entire time. Raina stuck close to my side, something I was grateful for even though I couldn’t bring myself to break the uneasy silence. The irrational fear that I would somehow miss the first sign of attack if I dared to speak held me mute.

  Raina abruptly straightened from where she was leaning against the far wall of the main living area. Her gaze fixed on the southern bank of windows. “I can feel her hunger.”

  Constantine cast a wary glance at his sister’s face. “Is she calling to you?”

  She didn’t answer right away, and her attention never wavered from the windows. I stepped toward her, hand wrapping around her arm as a precaution. “Raina?”

  She raised her free hand and pointed toward the window to the far right side. “She’s out there. I can feel her hunger. Her . . . amusement.”

  “Amusement?” Constantine echoed, a flicker of concern appearing in his eyes as they changed to Therian gold. “Not anger?”

  “No. Only amusement and hunger.”

  Her brother swore under his breath. He waved to the others. “Come on. Stick close to the fire pit and stay away from the windows and doors.” His gaze flicked to Raina and he added, “Especially you. Whatever you do, don’t speak an invitation.”

  Raina scowled and swatted his arm. “I’m fine. It just surprised me.”

  I still kept a hand on her arm as a precaution even as I assessed the windows. Garlic and holy water had been slathered along the lentils inside and out. I shifted my grip on a steel bound stake of rowan. Raina’s focus had returned to the bay of windows, but she hadn’t attempted to approach them. Creator willing, that meant she was not under the Vampyre’s sway after all.

  Two tense minutes slowly ticked by, and then the sound of breaking glass filled the room. I pushed Raina out of the way just as a cascade of snow and shattered glass rained down on Venetia and myself. The stake was nearly knocked from my grip as a wiry body slammed down on me with enough force to drive me to the ground. A roar burst free as I rolled free of the Vampyre’s grasp. I stabbed the stake toward him, but he dodged it.

  I could hear Roderick’s roar of challenge when Venetia screamed, “Enter all!”

  More bodies dropped through the broken skylight. I snarled and shifted my arm to gain claw-tipped fingers, then swiped at the first Vampyre. He dodged once more but when I attempted to ram the stake between his ribs, another Vampyre latched onto my arm. As I struggled to shake him off, I caught sight of two more Vampyres kneeling over Venetia. They were feeding.

  She struggled weakly in their grasp, but couldn’t break free. They had already drained too much of her strength. I roared and nearly broke free of one Vampyre only for his fellow to lunge forward and grab my other arm. They tried to force me down, but I stood firm. The only thing they were doing successfully was keeping me from reaching Venetia.

  Where was Roderick? Where was Madoc?

  A high pitched snarl filled the air, and
then a Leopard landed on the back of one of the Vampyres. She clawed at his neck and shoulders, breaking the skin. Sluggish black colored blood slowly welled in the cuts as he jerked away. She leapt from the first Vampyre to the second forcibly bowling him over and away from my mother.

  Raina whirled to face them, fangs exposed as her muzzle wrinkled, and she hissed. “Cowards. Come and fight!”

  I strained to break the Vampyres’ hold on my arms. I snarled and growled as I pulled against their grips. I couldn’t break loose, but their feet started to slide as I staggered forward one step then two. One of them hissed, “Ivar, Franco, help us!”

  “You are stronger than a single Therian,” came the accented reply.

  Roderick was grappling with another Vampyre although he had shifted into his half-form to do so. The female Vampyre had yet to appear, and Constantine was also in half-form fighting with one of the males while Raina still baited one of the Vampyres that had been feeding on Venetia. There were too many Vampyres in the room. I bit back a curse as I realized there were two more male Vampyres than what I had counted at the cave. Another set of sinewy arms wrapped around my neck halting my forward progress. I felt fangs scrape against my neck.

  Madoc lunged through the air, teeth and claws sinking into the torso of the Vampyre clinging to my right arm. The force of his leap was enough to pull all five of us down into a tangle. I shifted into half-form and grasped one of the stakes. Twisting around, I stabbed up through the nearest Vampyre’s ribcage. The creature gagged as the stake caught its heart.

  I roared in defiance as I grabbed another stake and knocked the second Vampyre to the floor, and then rammed the stake through his ribs with enough force that it was pinned to the floor.

  Madoc was still fighting the third Vampyre. He slammed a heavy paw against the Vampyre’s head and it twisted at an unnatural angle as a sickening crack filled the air.