Angels and Hunters (Stoker Sisters 2) (16 page)

“I’m not sure I do, but then again, I’ve never been able to understand you much.”

That demonic chuckle rose into the air again as Ruthless leaned back and let his feigned amusement roar. “Well, understand this. That twit wants to save human beings. Save them for what?  For later?” He roared with laughter.

The laughter stopped just as abruptly as it had begun. Suddenly deadly serious, Ruthless looked suspiciously at Ashwin. “Weren’t you supposed to get the Dracule girl? Skars said he was waiting for you to return with her… to turn her.”

“Yeah, I know. What can I say?” Ashwin took a step closer, his hands clapping his thighs. “The girl was a little more elusive than I’d planned for.” 

He set his hand on the tall beast’s shoulder, jovial and pleasant as he smiled up at the monster. “She certainly has Dracule’s blood running through her. She’s really smart. Smarter than I expected. Smarter than…”

In a flash, he pulled out a stake and drove it deep into the tall man’s chest.

Stunned, Sadie gripped the branches around her, reluctant to let out a sigh of relief. Was it over? Had Ashwin so easily saved her from the fate Skars had in mind for her?

“Nice try, Ashwin,” Ruthless said, barely phased by Ashwin’s attempt. “But I don’t really take well to traitors, little man.” He grabbed Ashwin by the throat and lifted him off his feet.

Snarling and now hungry for blood, long fangs, longer than Sadie had ever seen, emerged from the beast’s gums. 

Ashwin grunted and groan, momentarily at a loss. But the moment Ruthless pinned him to the wall, he had the leverage he needed to fight free. Both feet rose to push violently into Ruthless’ chest, leaving the hungry monster angrier still.

Wide eyed, Sadie stared as Ashwin, the prim Lord, the fancy dandy, the bourgeois Bulgarian Prince transformed into his full vampire form…his fangs extended long as Ruthless’, his body became larger, taller until he was towering over Ruthless, and his eyes flashed red. He was no longer the gentleman vampire He was no longer the Georgian era Lord, but the largest vampire Sadie had ever seen. With a roar, Ashwin rushed into Ruthless, lifting him high over his head and tossing him to the ground. Ruthless, stunned for a few seconds, rose to his feet and rushed at Ashwin, baring his fangs. Ashwin sidestepped him and tripped Ruthless. Deftly keeping out of Ruthless’ grasp, he delivered a deadly blow. 

Ruthless staggered back, but found his balance and prepared to face Ashwin again. After a loud and annoyed groan, he bent over and rammed Ashwin, his head butting into Ashwin’s chest.

Both men fell to the ground, rolling and groaning as they alternated in giving each other a wounding blow.  Ashwin had grown larger, but Ruthless was formidable, too, slightly smaller than Ashwin’s full vampire form, and just as muscular, but that didn’t keep the Bulgarian prince from wrestling his opponent onto his back.

Arms and legs flailed about as both struggled to have the upper hand. Ruthless delivered a punch worthy of his name. The blow struck Ashwin square in the face, but the only reaction Ashwin displayed was a slight annoyance.  After a few more exchanges Ashwin pressed his elbow into the neck of the oversized Strigoi, the power struggle shifting.

With his elbow choking the breath out of Ruthless, Ashwin reached for his fallen stake.

Sadie watched, itching to spring from the cover of her bush in order to help him. If she could just give the stake a little kick, a little shove.

But Ashwin didn’t need her help. His fingers wrapped around the stake while his elbow dug in a little deeper.  The eyes of the beast widened as breathing became more and more difficult.  And when he saw the stake, high and strong above his chest, the look of horror almost left Sadie feeling sorry for him.

Ashwin plunged the stake in, deep.

If this didn’t kill him, nothing would, Sadie thought.

With a smile of victory, Ashwin rose and gazed down upon his fallen enemy.

Ruthless let out a death gurgle as blood oozed from the wound. As his life ebbed away, his remains dried, crumbled and accumulated into a large pile of grey dust.

“Sadie,” Ashwin called, still in his angry full vampire warrior form.

Her legs twitched, eager to run to him, but something stopped her, held her back.

“Sadie!” His impatience was quickly evident.

She inched back, unsure where she was to go, but knowing she couldn’t stay.

Chapter 14

L
eaning back against the trunk of a huge elm, Sadie got her bearings. What had just happened? Her prince, so dashing, at times almost delicate, had fought like an experienced warrior, a ruthless and blood-thirsty warrior. How many brutal battles had he won throughout the Dark Ages?

Had she not been with him just seconds before his ire took over, she may very well have thought she was dealing with two completely different men; the charming Bulgarian prince, the man who thoughtfully saved and held onto her
Pride and Prejudice
for her, and the deft fighter, bold, daring and able to bring down a Strigoi almost twice as large as Skars.

She loved Ashwin, but the vampire warrior she had just seen frightened her somewhat. He was like a Strigoi…there was no denying it…his eyes flashed red, and he fought with such brute force, with no emotions or remorse for his opponent. With her hand to her heart she listened to her breathing a moment. It was finally resuming its normal rhythm. Sprinting away from Ashwin, she’d allow a dangerous degree of panic to guide her, and she now find herself lost in the immense grounds that surrounded Ashwin’s palatial home.

“Sadie!”

Her heart jumped and for a moment she felt the longing to be in his arms once again. Watching him fight had been a more exhilarating experience than she would have ever thought. His strength, power, confidence all made him dangerously enticing. Frightening, but enticing. He fought with deadly precision and that thrilled her.

But his conversation with Ruthless left her frightened and unsure. Ashwin hadn’t argued when Ruthless had mentioned Skars’ plan to capture her and turn her. Though she’d hoped with all her heart that he would deny the plot, denounce the ploy and call Ruthless a fool for even thinking up such an absurdity, Ashwin had simply played the inept little prince incapable of getting his hands on the frail little Sadie.

“Damn,” she spat as she set off on another sprint.

Every step brought her more conviction. Keegan hadn’t trusted Ashwin. Surely his years of experience as a hunter was worth something. Keegan had yet to give Sadie any reason not to trust him.

Sadie, get away from Ashwin!

The wise feminine voice was faint and weak as it echoed at the back of her mind.

Get away as fast as you can. He’s going to take you to Skars.

Stronger and more urgent, Delilah’s voice was now recognizable as it came to the forefront. Sadie’s heart fell. Keegan and Delilah had warned her of Ashwin, but still her heart fought against their warning. The Ashwin they knew could not be the Ashwin she had just spent hours with finding out how much he loved her, for centuries, across continents.

Reaching the edge of the expansive property, Sadie scaled the wall and headed for the lights glowing over the nearby road. Running on automatic, she followed the stretch of road until the ocean came into view.

When her bare feet hit the softness of the sand, she slowed, certain she’d lost Ashwin.

“But I don’t want to lose you,” she mumbled as tears blurred her vision.

He’d proven beyond question that he was the man she wanted. She’d even had the audacity to imagine a future with him, the Lord she had originally been intended for, the nobleman whom her parents thought was well-matched for her..

“Stupid, stupid girl,” she said.

Her heart breaking, she glanced back from where she’d come. Her splendid warrior. His transformation had been so radical, so unbelievable. Could he be the Destroyer? It seemed the only logical explanation. He couldn’t simply be a common vampire, not even a run of the mill Strigoi.

A haggard breath choked her, but she refused to cry. She’d simply allowed herself to become enamored with his charm, with the romance of it all.

Her ear caught a hush, the gentle sound of footsteps in the sand. They were coming from the left, and gaining fast.

“You're kidding me,” she muttered to herself, angry she’d not picked up on the sound earlier. Scolding herself for paying more attention to her breaking heart than her surroundings, she turned to run back to the road. Her feet dug into the loose sand, making every step a chore.

The black night became a whirlwind of sand as she was tackled and thrown to the ground.

“Sadie.”

Fighting with all she had, she hit, kicked and bit into whatever inch of flesh she could.

“Sadie! You're okay. Stop it.”

Her body tense and the need to fight immense, she continued her onslaught of punches. When her fist made contact enough to make a nauseating crunching sound, she knew she’d made a dent in her attacker’s armor.

He slacked his hold of her and rose to his knees, but still maintained a tight enough hold of her arm to keep her from wiggling free.

“What are you doing? Sadie, I’m trying to save you. It’s me; Ashwin.”

She’d recognized his voice from his very first utterance of her name. Being honest with herself, she realized she’d even recognized his scent from a distance, but the need to fight him, remained.

“I know.” Sitting up, she looked him straight in the eyes.

“Then what are you doing? Why’d you run away?”  His hand to his nose, he tried to stem the bleeding her well-aimed blow had brought on.

“I know what you’re doing. I know what you're up to, Ashwin.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your plan to bring me to Skars. Don’t deny it, Ashwin. I heard your friend, Mikael, say it. I heard you agree.”

“Sadie, you…”

“You lied to me,” she screeched, unable to contain the wealth of emotions that was quickly gaining control. “You charmed me, you lied, you pretended to care for me, seducing me, making me believe it was possible for a future for us…”

“I do care. I care for you more than you know.”

“Delilah has even been sending me urgent messages to run from you. Why? Why, Ashwin, would she tell me to run if you’ve no intention to harm me?”

“Sadie, you're hysterical.” He gripped her shoulders, effectively keeping her immobile. “The run-in with Ruthless has ruffled you more than you realize. But everything is okay now. He can’t get to you.”

“What are you?” Sadie whispered. The fight had ebbed out of her, but her breaking heart still wanted answers. Her eyes dipped to his nose. It had already healed, quickly, even for a vampire.

“I’m a vampire.”

“You're more than just a vampire, Ashwin. I saw you. I saw the monster you became. You portray yourself as a prince, well-mannered, polite, yet…. I know there’s something you're not telling me.”

Shifting over, Ashwin sat beside her and grasped her hand like the tender lover he’d been earlier. “
I’m a warrior vampire, an Ancient vampire turned by Dracule. I became his warrior, his guard. Dracule found me dying in the battlefield.”

“I thought you were a prince.”

“I was, though not what you would typically expect from a Bulgarian Prince. The battlefield was where I felt the most at home. I’d led many battles, many successful battles. However, when it came to battling Dracule, I had my work cut out for me. One particular battle caught me unaware. I’d allowed my guard to falter and I paid heavily for it. Thankfully, Dracule saw the value of having me in his army rather than dead. He turned me so that I would forever serve him as his warrior. Because he was the greatest of all Ancients, the King of Vampires, his turning of me for this purpose alone left me with the ability to turn into the warrior I am today. I am Gideon, the Destroyer vampire, commander of Dracule’s army.”