After Sundown: Redemption (39 page)

Christian growled and tried to lunge at her, but the vamps held him back.

“We had a deal. Me in exchange for Alyssa and Vlad.”

Bazhena rolled her eyes.

“Oh that. Well, it would be a deal, except for the fact that you’re going to be dead in a few minutes, so you really can’t hold up your end of the bargain, can you, darling?”

Christian roared. He struggled violently against the men holding him. He threw a few of them off, but there were just too many. Holding him in place, they pulled his head back, so that his neck was vulnerable and exposed.

One of the men closest to Bazhena handed her an ancient looking scroll. She unrolled it and began reading it aloud.

“The Light shall fill me with its purity. I take its essence into me. I leave nothing behind. Its power becomes my power. And so it shall be done.”

As she spoke she moved closer to him. He strained against the chains, but the vamps held him in place. He saw Bazhena’s eyes light with anticipation as her incisors elongated in her mouth. She placed her lips near his ear.

“I’m sorry to lose you, my pet. But this power is all I’ve ever wanted. Now all mankind will pay for what they did to me. No one will ever turn away from me again.” She slid her mouth down his neck. Her teeth grazed his skin once, then again. “I will make this as pleasant as possible for you, Cristobal. You deserve that, at least. Goodbye.”

Bazhena’s teeth sank deeply into his skin. He could feel his blood pouring from him to her as she took great gulps of it. Yet he felt little pain, she made sure of that. She kept sending soothing thoughts to him, but he continued to struggle. The vamps around him held on tightly. He fought with all his strength, but soon even that failed him. He felt weakness start to seep into him as Bazhena continued to take his blood. Everything around him started to grow fuzzy and dim.

That’s when he heard it. Christian was sure it was just a hallucination, but he strained to hear it again.

Christian? Please hold on. We’re on our way to you. Don’t let go. Vlad and I are almost there. Fight it, my love, fight it. I’m with you now. Can you feel it? I won’t leave you. Stay with me.

Joy rushed through him as he heard Alyssa reach out to him in this way. They truly were bonded. True mates.

But it was too late. He wouldn’t last much longer.

It’s too late. Stay away. I’m sorry I failed you. I love you, palomita. Goodbye.

With the last of his strength he sent her his thoughts. Then everything grew dark.

Chapter Nineteen

“No!”

Alyssa scream filled the car.

Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

“What is it, Alyssa? What’s wrong?” Vlad asked as he pulled into the parking lot of another rundown, abandoned building.

Alyssa’s eyes were wide with fear.

“He’s fading fast. Bazhena’s close to killing him. We need to hurry. It’s almost too late.”

Alyssa started to get out of the car.

Vlad held her arm.

“You must stay with me, Alyssa. You don’t know what kind of powers are at work here.”

“Then let’s move it, Vlad. I told you, it’s almost too late. Christian can’t hold out much longer.”

Alyssa jumped out of the car. Vlad followed.

Eric and Amy also climbed out.

Vlad turned to back to them.

“No, Eric. You take the car and drive Amy back to the club. It’s only a few minutes from here. Then come back and park on the street. Whatever you do, do not come inside. If Bazhena succeeds with her plan, she’ll be able to control all mankind. That means you too. And I wouldn’t want to have to kill you.” Vlad gave Eric an arrogant grin.

“You wish,” Eric said as he and Amy got back in the car. “Good luck.”

Vlad nodded, then turned back towards the building.

“Let’s go.”

He and Alyssa approached the entrance.

“Bazhena will know we’re here, won’t she?

“It depends on how involved she is in the ceremony. If she is totally focused, she may not. Let’s hope that is the case because surprise is just about the only thing we have going for us.”

Getting into the building was easier than either of them thought. The front door was open. They walked right in. No one was around. Alyssa closed her eyes and tried to
feel
Christian. She didn’t know how she did it, but she could.

“He’s back here,” she whispered to Vlad as she walked down a hallway towards where she sensed he was.

Vlad followed without a word. They reached a closed door. Alyssa grabbed the knob, then turned back with a questioning look.

Vlad nodded silently.

She twisted the knob and slowly pushed the door open. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. Icy fingers of fear wrapped around her heart. Bazhena in all her naked glory was bent over Christian. He was on his knees in chains. His head was thrown back, a pure look of ecstasy written all over his face as Bazhena gorged herself on him.

Alyssa moved into the room. Suddenly four men appeared. They circled around her, growling menacingly.

One of the men smiled evilly, showing his sharp teeth. He ran his gaze hungrily over Alyssa. Then he licked his lips with anticipation in his eyes.

“Great. A snack. I’m starving.”

Alyssa’s eyes widened with fear.

She swung around as she heard a surprised yelp behind her. Vlad picked one of the men up by his hair and threw him across the room. He hit the wall with a loud thud, slid to the ground and didn’t move.

“I’m hungry too,” Vlad said with a leer. “Who would like to be my first course?”

The other vamps looked at Vlad with surprise and more than a little fear.

“Beware, he is an ancient one,” the vamp who had threatened her said to the others. They all nodded as they watched Vlad warily.

Alyssa took advantage of their inattention to slip beyond them. She strode towards the spot where Bazhena leaned over Christian. But before she reached them, Bazhena stood up and slowly turned around.

Alyssa gasped and took a step back.

Bazhena glowed. There was no other word for it. Her body looked illuminated with an energy that surrounded her. It reminded her of some of the holy scenes she had seen on the beautifully stained glass at St. Paul’s church in New York City. Prominent figures were haloed in a holy light. Bazhena had that light around her. But Alyssa knew it was far from holy. It was evil. It was corrupted power that filled the vampire.

Bazhena laughed triumphantly, ignoring the blood dripping from her mouth. Christian’s blood. She looked down at herself and flexed her muscles. She was fixated on the power that surrounded her.

“It is done. I am the most powerful creature on earth. No one will be able to deny me.” Bazhena laughed again. It sounded almost crazed. This time she punctuated her words by swinging her arms around and smashing the two poles holding Christian chained. Alyssa turned away, shielding her eyes as wood splintered everywhere.

When she swung back to face Bazhena, she was gone. Turning full circle, Alyssa scanned the room. When she finally saw Bazhena, she couldn’t believe her eyes. All the vamps in the room, including Vlad were bowed on one knee in front of her. She stood tall, looking down on them with a satisfied smile and an insane look in her eyes.

“Hmm. How nice. You all are bowed down to me, as you should be. Now whom should I begin with? Vlad, I think I’ll save you for last. Your death will be slow and painful, of course.” Bazhena chuckled as she pointed to one of the other vamps.

“You. Come to me,” she commanded.

When the man started to stand, Bazhena stopped him.

“No. Crawl to me like the dog you are.”

“Yes, mistress.” The man obeyed, crawling to her.

“Now kiss my feet.”

“Yes, mistress.” Again the man obeyed without question. Alyssa noticed all the men had sort of a crazed look on their faces. They also were looking at Bazhena with intense desire, as if they all hungered desperately for her.

The legend!

Bazhena had completed the ceremony. Now all mankind would do her bidding and find her totally irresistible.

Alyssa started to back away as she gave the man another order.

“Good. Now kill yourself. Take that piece of wood next to you and pierce your heart.”

Alyssa watched in horror as the man did her bidding without question.

“Yes, mistress.” He crawled to the piece of wood she pointed to, picked it up and drove it through his own chest.

He squirmed on the floor few a few seconds, then lay still.

Bazhena’s insane laughter filled the room.

“Goody.” She clapped her hands like a child at a candy store. “Now you. Crawl to me.”

The vamp she pointed to did so without hesitation.

Alyssa turned back to where Christian lay. Maybe she could help him. Find some way out of here before Bazhena could get to them. She knew she wasn’t thinking clearly, but she thought that if she could just get Christian out of here, everything would be okay. She needed to get Christian out.

She slowly moved towards him, glancing back at Bazhena every few seconds to make sure she hadn’t noticed her. Alyssa finally reached Christian. Looking down at him, everything froze inside of her. A small puddle of blood had formed around him. It was coming from the puncture wound on his neck. Barely. There was obviously so little left in his body that the blood was only coming out in slow, small, reluctant drops.

Her surroundings faded away as Alyssa’s memories came rushing back. Her mother dead on the floor, just like Christian, in a pool of her own blood. No. Not again. She was too late again. Too late to save Christian, just as she had been too late to save her mother.

Too late, too late, too late…

Alyssa didn’t even realize she was screaming until Bazhena appeared by her side. Alyssa clamped her mouth shut and looked at the woman with fear. She waited for the vampire to speak, waited for her to utter the words that would make Alyssa unable to resist.

Bazhena studied Alyssa curiously, like an insect. Then she glanced down at Christian. When she glanced back up, regret was in her eyes.

“If he wasn’t The Light, I think I would have spared him, he was one of the few men I actually cared about. But there was no other way. If I was to gain true power over the world, then Cristobal had to die. I
will
miss my pet.”

Alyssa was surprised by the regret in the vamp’s words. But before she could dwell on it, Bazhena’s expression changed from regret to evil delight in an instant.

“I think I will take care of you now, pitiful human. All but Vlad are dead and he and I have a personal issue to settle before he dies. It may take a while.” Bazhena’s face lit with anticipation.

Alyssa glanced across the room. All the men were on the ground. Dead. Except for Vlad. He still knelt on one knee, bowing.

“I really don’t know what Cristobal saw in you. You look weak and frail to me. I guess I’ll never know. It’s of little consequence now anyway,” Bazhena said with a shrug.

“Bow down to me now, pitiful mortal. Bow down to your mistress.”

Alyssa waited for the words to overcome her, for her to fall to her feet enthralled by the spell and Bazhena.

But it didn’t happen. Alyssa felt nothing. Her eyes widened in surprise as she continued to meet Bazhena’s gaze. The spell wasn’t working on her. Why? How could that be?

Bazhena’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“I said bow down.”

Alyssa obeyed Bazhena’s command. Only so that she could have a moment more to think. For some reason the spell wasn’t working on her. She didn’t find Bazhena irresistible. And she didn’t feel compelled to do whatever the vamp told her.

“Ah, that’s better. Obviously you have some spirit. That’s what Cristobal must have seen in you. But now you are nothing compared to me. Just a fly that I’ll squash and forget about.”

Alyssa kept her head bowed, not moving. Trying to figure out a way to escape Bazhena’s plan for her.