Tarnished (14 page)

“You’re a forward bitch, for a virgin.” He grinned down at her, not bothering to hide his fangs.

Fangs?
Shit.

She swallowed and said, “Some virgins aren’t too keen on staying that way, if you get my meaning.” Inside, she groaned.
Did I really just say ‘keen’?

He looked around to see if anyone was watching and knelt next to her, taking a lock of her hair in his fingers. She spotted the small knife on the other side of his belt. She’d go for it first.

“Do we get to pick?” She ran her hand over his bent knee and gave it a squeeze. It was warm. For some reason, she’d expected it to be cold. The urge to jerk her hand away almost overpowered her, but she willed herself to keep it resting on his leg.

“No, you don’t, and I don’t get to fuck you. You belong to Ivan, and I don’t mess with anything that belongs to that control freak.” He jerked his head to point Ivan out. Then he turned back to her. “He’s initiating his apprentice, and at the end of the ceremony, you’ll be dead. Like all the others.”

Fiona eyed the man he’d mentioned. He looked about forty, well-built, good-looking. He leaned against the wall with arms folded, waiting for whatever they had planned to begin. She watched as he reached behind him and yanked down on his toga.

“I’m Vlad’s apprentice.” The gladiator’s eyes strayed to the young girls huddled against the wall. “I’m going to get her.” He pointed to one of the young girls. As he grinned, Fiona couldn’t stop staring at the long teeth in his mouth.

This is not a normal man
. Her mind added everything she had seen together and made the connection. Then, not believing the answer, she ran it through again.

Vampires?
Ohshitohshitohshit.

Fiona plastered her grin on her face and held his gaze. Her hand reached for the blade.
Please
, she prayed,
for once let the movies be right.

She slipped the knife from its sheath. Took a breath. She plunged it into his chest where his heart should be located.

He looked down for a second, dismay on his face, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. His sword clattered to the ground.

“Shit!” She slapped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late. One of the girls started to keen, loud and high. It wavered in the air for a second, and then became a full-fledged, hair-raising, bloodcurdling scream.

Everyone in the room turned toward them. So much for sneaking out.

It’s now or never
. Fiona grasped the pommel of the long sword with two hands and stood, lifting it in front of her. She took her fighting stance.

“Get behind me, now!” she commanded the girls over her shoulder. They scrambled to their feet and against the wall.

It was completely insane, but it felt totally right. Not the naked part, of course. That was creepy, and oddly, she felt both vulnerable and excited.

Thoughts of possible paths crossed her mind. Fiona didn’t know whether some unknown force or God’s grace had brought her, of all people, to this place, but she knew she was meant to be here and to fight.

She meant to win.

A Roman guard advanced on Fiona, his shorter sword drawn. She held her ground, waiting for him to make the first move. The girls were a silent mass behind her, their eyes wide in terror.

The vampire held his sword like a baseball bat, ready to swing if she threw one past home plate. She grinned. He didn’t have a clue how to handle the weapon. It was meant for stabbing, not swinging. Fiona stepped forward and spun to gather speed and momentum. Using both hands, she swung the longer, heavier sword. Both the guard’s arm holding the sword and his head were lopped off in one smooth motion.

Thank God the sword was razor sharp. The man disappeared in a puff. The metal sword fell.

Shit, that’s freaky
. Fiona made a promise to God that she’d go to church, any church, if she could just get them all out of there alive.

An older vampire grabbed one of the younger naked men by the arm, put a sword in his hand, and pushed him toward her.

She focused on the next man, telling herself these were not real people. Killing them didn’t count.

“Come to mama,” she muttered. Two down, six more to go.

He was smarter than the first but still untrained. The swords must have been for show, not used as actual weapons. He moved toward her, his sword at waist height and to the side. Another mistake. She feinted left. He moved his arm out to block her blade. Twisting at the last minute, she swung from the other direction at his unprotected side.

The blade struck him in the chest. Fiona felt it sink in past real bone and tissue. Before she could shudder, he was gone. Another mound of dust. It almost wasn’t fair.

Fiona began edging her way to the stairs. The girls, like some mutant spider with three heads, six arms, and six legs, scurried behind her.

“Vlad! Romero! Ivan! Get that bitch!” The older vamp, who Fiona figured for their leader, waved his hand at them, directing the action.

The remaining vampires pulled their swords and advanced. Between Fiona and the exit was a wall of cold steel and,
aw shit
, sharp teeth. Their long canines kept their mouths from closing. Their eyes were cold, but she could see the hunger in them. These toga guys held their swords as if they knew what they were doing.

Okay, so it’s a fair fight now
. She let go of the sword with one hand and held out the other, motioning for them to come at her with a wiggle of her fingers.

“Bring it on, you bastards.”

She swung the sword using her wrists in a lazy circle, like a batter taking a practice swing before the pitch.

— • —

The black velvet curtain closed behind Nicodemus. He stood in the wide hallway where fifteen minutes before, he’d entered the chamber of the Council of Twelve to receive his latest assignment.

As always, the same old man, dressed in a plain black suit, waited in the hall. In the palm of his translucent-skinned hand sat a sleek, green lizard about nine inches long, its tail wrapped around the old man’s thin wrist.

“Thanks for watching Cho. He gets into trouble if I leave him alone.” Nicodemus held out his hand, palm up. The sleek lizard jumped across, skittered up his arm to ride on his shoulder, and curled its tail around his neck.

The color of Cho’s skin turned in a rapid gradation from dull green to matte black to match Nicodemus’ clothing.

Cho spoke to Nicodemus, the only human who could hear him.
“It’s because I get so damned bored with no one to talk to.”

“You have the attention span of a gnat,”
Nicodemus answered with his thoughts.

“Now, you’re making me hungry, Nic. It’s my high intellect; I crave stimulation.”

“The only thing you crave is food, Cho. We have some work to do tonight.”

“I knew it! The Council of Twelve wouldn’t drag you here unless they needed your skills. Same as last time?”

“Yeah, find the virgins. Kill the vampires. Rescue the virgins.”
Nic sighed. Same old thing.

“Yeesh, virgins! All those young girls passing out, weeping uncontrollably. We get to kill, right?”

A quick flick of Cho’s tail signaled his excitement.

“Sure, and if we’re lucky, we’ll be outnumbered.”

Nic stepped out into the night, hit the remote, unlocked his black Jag, and slid into the driver’s seat. Turning the key, he gunned the motor and drove down the alley to the street, where he stopped and slipped the gear into neutral.

“Where to?”

“Not sure yet. They gave me an orb again. Why can’t they just tell me where the fuck the vampires are?”

“Adds to the mystique, Nic.”

“Fuck mystique. I hate these things.”

He pulled a small, blue orb from his pocket, and as he stared, it glowed brighter. Images formed in his mind.

Darkness. The moon was hidden by a cloud. As the cloud moved, rows of tombstones and large crypts emerged. Another cloud slipped across the moon, and it was dark again.

Nic dropped the orb on the passenger seat next to his sword and rubbed his eyes to force away the headache the orbs always gave him.

“Why is it vampires always use cemeteries?” Nic asked Cho aloud. “Is it their lack of imagination?”

“Maybe it’s because they’re close to home. Everyone knows commuting sucks. Get it? Vampires? Suck?”

“I get it, Cho.”
Nic rolled his eyes. Of all the talking enchanted lizards in the world, why did he get stuck with the one with the bad jokes?

The lizard’s tongue flicked against Nic’s neck in a soundless version of a raspberry.

“And I just thought it was the creepy atmosphere. All those dead bodies.” Nic shrugged.

“
Hurry up Nic. If we don’t make it in time, the virgins will be dead meat. Literally.”

“Cute pun, Cho. Dead meat. I get it. We’ll make it, buddy, and take out all the big, nasty vampires.” Nic edged the car’s speed up, but only to five miles over the limit. Being stopped by the cops with a four-foot sword leaning against the front seat would not be good.

“Don’t forget all those naked, helpless, grateful virgins. I emphasize naked and grateful, Nic.”

“Forget it, Cho. This is strictly business. Take it from me, women are nothing but trouble. All they want to do is use you, tear your heart out, and leave you bleeding.”

“It’s not always going to be like before, Nic.”

“Right. Someday my princess will come?”

“Yes. When she does, will you let her save you?”

“Save me? From what?” he grumbled.

“Maybe yourself.”

Nic was silent. He hated when the lizard got all philosophical on him. Hated it more when the damn lizard was right. But this time, Cho was wrong. No princess waited for him. Besides, she’d have to be crazy to hook up with a vampire killer, and he’d sworn he wouldn’t let that happen. Being with him could get a girl killed.

His gut and his grip on the wheel tightened at the thought of losing anyone else he loved to those blood-sucking bastards.

“Bet it’s the last place we look.”
Cho loved to bet, but Nic was no sucker.

The car came up to the first cemetery, and he slowed as they passed the locked gates. Beyond them, a wide expanse of lawn was dotted with small markers in hundreds of rows.

“This won’t do. No mausoleums, no crypts.” He shook his head and laughed. “You were right, buddy, it’s the last place we look.”

“Can I still win that bet?”

“No, sorry. I never bet with lizards. They’re notorious cheaters.”

“Bite me.”

Nic eased the Jag onto the expressway, floored it, and headed east.

After a short drive, Nic pulled up to the next cemetery. A guard stood at the open gates. Not normal. A sure sign of vampires.

He let the car roll up to the entrance, and the guard approached, holding a clipboard. After slipping a knife from his boot sheath, Nic thrust the blade into the guard’s chest as he leaned into the window. The vamp disappeared, and the clipboard clattered to the ground. Nic drove through the gates, down the winding road, and up to a long line of vehicles.

“Town Cars? Vampires in Lincolns?” Nic shook his head.

“Dealer plates. Makes sense.”

“I always suspected those dealerships were just a front.”

“Sure, the financing there usually sucks.”

“Good one, Cho.”

Nic got out with Cho riding his shoulder, strapped on his sword, and walked toward the crypt. A bare-chested guard, teeth bared, came up to him.

“Hey, man, this is a private party.”

Without breaking stride, Nic pulled his sword, decapitated him with a casual swing, and sheathed it. Reaching the door, he pulled it open.

The sound of steel-on-steel met him.

He paused for a second and then headed down several steps without a sound. No guards were posted at the bottom.

“Time to go to work, Cho.”

“On my way, Nic.”

The lizard leaped off his shoulder and onto the wall. In moments, Cho had blended into the gray stone walls. He skittered down to the opening and disappeared around the corner. “
Shit! You’re not going to believe this, Nic!”

“What’s going on?”

“Get down here now! You’re not going to believe this.”

When Nic got to the bottom of the stairs, he froze.

It was turmoil. Three vampires in togas were attacking a naked, sword-wielding woman. Gloriously naked. She fought like a hellcat, blocking their thrusts, spinning around to attack, her full breasts bouncing with each swing and each block. Her body glistened with a fine sheen of sweat. Her muscles corded as they strained, her dark hair flew wild around her head, and her eyes glowed as if they were on fire.

“God, Cho, I’m in love.”

“Forget it, she’s mine. I saw her first!”

“Out of my way, I have work to do.”

“Go get ’em, Nic. That is, if she leaves any for you.”

Nic stepped into the room.

“Son of a bitch! There’s more than one! Vlad! Ivan! Romero!” An older vampire waved his arms about wildly.

The woman froze for a moment, her brows furrowed as she took Nic in, perhaps trying to decide if he was here to help or hurt her. He winked at her, and her eyebrows shot up.

Nic locked his gaze on the woman’s sweat-streaked face. The corner of her mouth rose in the barest hint of a smile. He nodded once. It was as if they were so finely tuned to each other they needed only the merest nod, the blink of an eye, or the curl of a lip to communicate.

She gave him a nod of her head.

He gave his best slow, lopsided, dead-sexy grin.

They began their attack. The two fighters advanced, closing ranks with the three vampires between them. Swords sang as they cut the cold damp air in the crypt. Steel rang with each blocked blow. The three vampires, fighting for their lives, stood back-to-back in the center of the room, swords swinging and slashing.