“Perhaps. But not our death, our destruction. I intend on living.” Dexios again offered his vein to her.
Alisha remembered the richness of his blood, and her teeth sharpened as her mouth watered. “It feels weird to be taking your blood.”
“I offer it freely,” Dexios responded.
“Why? Because Leto told you to?”
“Because it is the right thing to do. To help your sister, you must be strong. Which means you should drink. And there is no finer blood than that of a werewolf.” Dexios actually smiled, and it was pleasant to see.
“And you want to help my sister because you want Aeron destroyed, and that’s reason enough for you to give up your blood?”
“I want Aeron destroyed because he took someone I love and corrupted her,” Dexios answered, the smile fading away. “Her name is Kallos. She’s my mate. Not a full wolf, but one of our kind. To punish Leto, Aeron made her a vampire. She’s a slave to his blood.”
The pain in his voice was obvious and Alisha experienced a surge of sympathy for him. Her thoughts drifted to Sin and the emptiness in her heart since they’d broken up. “Do you ever see her?”
“Aeron doesn’t know she’s my mate. He only sees me as Leto’s foot solider. Otherwise, I don’t believe he’d even allow me to be near Kallos. It is difficult to see her serving him. We sometimes capture a moment alone, but it is not often. I miss her. I long for her. I will do anything to release her from Aeron. I want my vengeance.”
“That seems to be a common theme,” Alisha sighed.
“So drink, Alisha. Be strong.”
“Well, when you put it that way...” Alisha crawled over to him and took his wrist in her hands. Feeling awkward, yet excited, she bit into his warm flesh. The blood filled her, and she relished the magnificence of feeding.
Sheila slid out of the crawlspace. With irritation, she brushed away the hard work of a spider that had spent all day lacing her body with cobwebs. The little bloodsucker had been a little overeager in deciding she was prey. She appreciated its determination. There had to be a certain respect among blood drinkers. She’d left the little creature unmolested but very disappointed.
Standing up in the hallway, Sheila knew at once that they were not alone in the house. At least one presence was not familiar, and it set her on edge. She instantly stilled, her senses sharpening. Alexander sidled out after her and stretched out his long body. It took him only a second to realize what she’d perceived. Twisting about, he bent over and motioned to Tracy and Angel to be quiet.
When he straightened, Sheila and Alexander locked gazes. The questions flared to life between them. What had happened? Should they run or fight? There weren’t any answers to be found without venturing toward the front of the house.
Before the matter was settled, Greg called out. “Hey vamps, it’s cool. Get out here.”
“Greg, is Vanora with you?” Sheila cautiously edged toward the living room. Would the incubus betray them?
“Nope.”
“But you’re not alone.”
“I got the Queen of the Werewolves with me and her pet wolf.”
Sheila and Alexander exchanged wary looks. “Where is Vanora?”
“By this time, she’s at Armando’s place. She took my truck and hauled her sweet ass out of here.” Greg appeared at the end of the hall eating a burrito tucked into a greasy wrapper. “And before you freak out, she’s more than fine on her own. I’m here by her royal edict to make sure you play nice with Leto.”
Alexander, Angel, and Tracy clustered behind Sheila and regarded the incubus with suspicion.
“I’m not too sure-” Sheila started.
“Check your cellphone, toots.” Greg disappeared back into the kitchen.
Sheila pulled out her phone and read through a series of text messages from Vanora’s phone. Handing it off to Alexander, she tried to wrap her mind around what she’d just read. When Alexander finished skimming, he handed it to Angel and Tracy leaned over to view.
“Do you think Vanora wrote those texts?” Sheila asked.
Tracy shrugged, and immediately called Vanora’s phone. “One way to find out.”
A second later, Tracy handed the phone to Sheila as Vanora’s voice emanated from it.
“Sweetie, where are you?” Sheila asked.
“I texted you,” Vanora answered, sounding a little agitated.
The sounds of traffic filtered through the connection.
“Yes, but we needed to make sure.” Sheila faltered, feeling uneasy. “Why are you on your own?”
“Because Greg needed to stay and help explain what’s going on. Also, I can’t have an entourage for what I’m going to do.”
Vanora sounded different, and it unnerved Sheila.
“The spell worked, didn’t it?” Fear flamed around the edges of her nerves.
“Yeah, it did. It’s a long story. Leto and Greg can fill you in. In the meantime, I need to see Armando.”
“You can’t trust him!”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Vanora, I don’t know what happened, but you can’t expect me to just let you run off.” Sheila stared at Alexander in despair. The situation felt all wrong.
“Yes, you can,” a woman said stepping into the hallway.
Sheila froze in place. It was the same werewolf that had killed Emily and had been at Aeron’s side.
“Vanora has acquired her power and learned the truth. She’s more than capable of dealing with any power set against her,” the werewolf said confidently.
“You were with Aeron,” Sheila gasped.
“Sheila, she’s on our side. Listen to her.” Vanora killed the connection, much to Sheila’s dismay.
“I am Leto, the She-Wolf. Come sit with me,” the killer said, then returned to the kitchen.
“Anyone else have a really bad feeling about this?” Angel asked.
Tracy glanced at him. “I think we need to go. Get out of the city. I don’t want to be a part of this fight.”
Angel nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Time to blow out of here. Sheila, Alexander, we’re going to snag a car and head out.”
“If you try to do that, he’ll find you and kill you,” Leto called out from the kitchen. “Aeron will have his people watching for rats abandoning the sinking ship.”
“Damn wolf hearing,” Sheila muttered.
“I don’t like being called a rat,” Angel huffed.
Tracy growled, her hands clenched at her sides. “Fuck this shit.”
Alexander motioned toward the entry to the kitchen. The scowl on his face said it all. He wanted to find out what was going on and didn’t want to dawdle. Sheila held her phone against her chest and sighed. She wanted to call Vanora back and demand answers straight from her, but had a feeling Vanora wouldn’t answer. So much had changed since she’d lain down in Alexander’s arms to sleep.
“Let’s find out what the hell is going on,” Sheila said at last, and stomped toward the kitchen.
The other vampires followed.
Leto was leaning against the kitchen counter feeding bits of fajita meat from a burrito to the giant wolf at her side. Though she was fully clothed and not covered with blood like the last time Sheila had seen her, she exuded a dangerously feral aura.
The four vampires stood clustered in the doorway staring at Leto. Sheila realized they were all waiting for the werewolf to attack.
“So this is all that remains of Roman’s vampires,” Leto observed casually.
“You killed the others,” Sheila snapped, her temper flaring.
“Not all. But many,” Leto admitted.
“Why should we trust you when you murdered our friends and family?” Tracy demanded.
“You should trust me, because if I wanted you dead, you would be,” Leto answered.
“Why did you kill the others?” Sheila dared to take a step forward.
“Two reasons. One, to assure Aeron I’m on his side. Two, there are too many vampires in this city.” Leto finished f
eeding her wolf and tossed the remains of the burrito into the sink.
“What the hell?” Tracy gasped. “Too many?”
“I know Roman had you all drinking animal blood, but there is only so long that a vampire can survive feeding that way. Eventually, you would have all gone feral and started killing humans and exposed yourselves. We must keep ourselves to the shadows of the mortal world.” Leto wiped her hands on her jeans and finally looked at them fully.
“So you think you’re being noble by protecting humans from us?” Tracy asked in disbelief.
“I am not a saint. I am not your savior. I’m an ally. I don’t play nice. I don’t play by your rules, and you are all expendable.”
“Fuck you,” Sheila said, even though her insides felt like they were filled with smoldering coals.
Leto just smiled. “Vanora is our only hope of destroying Aeron. If she can’t find a way to kill him, he will seize control of this world. It may take him a very long time to achieve full domination, but it will happen. Humanity will be enslaved, and a new Dark Age will come. Humans feel so safe with their technology, but what he will unleash will not be stopped. Human leaders will bow at his feet for a chance at immortality.”
Alexander glanced at Sheila, and she saw the dread in his eyes. Leto’s words rang true, much to her despair.
“So what do you need from us?” Sheila asked.
“Vanora wishes for you to protect her sister,” Leto replied. “I had one of my sons hide Alisha from Aeron. She’s in the mausoleum on the Socoli Estate. Vanora wants you to bring her here.” With his body tensed, Angel looked ready to do battle with the werewolf, his eyes glinting red. “Why don’t you do it?”
“Dexios is waiting for me to send someone to escort them to safety. It’s better if the four of you bring them back here, than for him to attempt to bring Alisha back alone. He’s powerful, but if he runs into Aeron’s people, he will need help.”
“Again, why aren’t you going?” Sheila demanded.
Greg rolled his eyes. “Because she’s our spy in Aeron’s ranks. If she goes to save Alisha and the fucker’s people are slinking about, her cover is blown. Use your head, Morticia.”
Alexander silently snarled at Greg and made a sharp move toward the demon.
“Why is everyone into threatening me today?” Greg muttered while skittering around behind Leto.
“You bring it on yourself,” Sheila reminded him.
Greg grinned. “True.”
Leto held up a warning hand in Alexander’s direction, and he backed down reluctantly.
“So why don’t you go?” Tracy asked Greg.
“Vanora told me to stay here,” Greg answered with a shrug.
“So you’re going to obey Vanora?” Sheila laughed. “That’s amusing.”
“Well, if things go down the way I expect they will, she’ll be the top banana on the supernatural ice cream sundae. I’d like to stay on her good side.” Greg caught Leto’s incredulous look. “What? I’m not an idiot. I see how this is probably going to go down.”
“Interesting,” was all Leto said.
“Fine. We’ll go get Alisha.” Sheila regretted what she was about to say, but she knew it was the only way. “We’ll hunt first, feed, then go to the mansion.”
“Excellent. Return here by midnight. That’s when Vanora will arrive. I’ll be back at that time, too. It’s then we shall decide our next course of action.” Leto strolled toward the vampires, and they all withdrew to a safe distance. “Be careful. Aeron’s people will be searching for any of Roman’s strays.”
For a very long time, Sheila had regarded herself as an apex predator and had feared nothing, but being around Leto made her feel as weak as a mortal. It unnerved her and made her doubt if she’d be able to fight off Aeron’s people.
Leto hesitated near the front door, the wolf at her heels. “Remember. You survived the purge last night. Most of the vampires did not. Therefore, you must be smarter, stronger, and maybe a bit luckier than they were.” With that, the She-Wolf departed.
The door clicked shut, and Tracy hurried to lock it.
Sheila almost burst out laughing. A lock wouldn’t keep Leto or any of Aeron’s vampires from invading the house.
“She’s a tough bitch, literally,” Greg said, hopping onto the kitchen counter and swinging his legs so that his heels beat against the cabinet doors. “But you need to keep in mind that she’s trying to get rid of the biggest, baddest mutha fucka you’ve ever had the misfortune of pissing off.”
“We’ve seen him, you know,” Sheila retorted. “We know what we’re up against.”
“We should make a run for it,” Tracy said under her breath.
“There’s no running from him,” Greg said somberly to Tracy. “He eventually finds you. He tends to get what he wants.”
“And he wants Vanora.” Angel sounded uneasy, and he glumly leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
Greg’s feet stilled and the glee vanished from his face. “Yeah. And she was made for Aeron. So let’s hope she wants Armando more. Otherwise…”
“We’re fucked,” Sheila finished.
Houston traffic had to be one of the many levels of hell, Vanora thought. An unexpected snarl had trapped on her on one of the toll ways much longer than she’d liked. With the sun gradually sinking below the hazy horizon, she was hyper-aware of her surroundings. Though Greg had been wary of her borrowing his truck and leaving by herself, he’d capitulated when she’d knocked him into the garage with the wave of her hand. It had surprised Vanora to see a delighted look upon the She-wolf’s face, but if all the supernatural creatures descended from Leto, then Vanora supposed Leto had a right to feel motherly pride.
Shoving a few lukewarm fries into her mouth, Vanora chewed while watching the red lights of car brakes blinking on and off ahead. She was almost to her exit. Glancing at her phone, she wondered when she’d be able to call her sister. Alisha was always a late riser. She hoped Alisha had her phone.
The remains of the setting sun were a sliver of red dashed across the sky. Soon, it would be fully night. Vanora slurped down some soda. She hated how much fast food she’d eaten the last few days but being able to actually sit down to a real meal was not in the cards for the time being. Or sleeping in a real bed. Or having an actual life.
Nibbling on the edge of her chicken sandwich, Vanora tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she switched lanes. Though Armando had never told her, or anyone else for that matter, where he lived, she sensed the path she had to take to find him. It was a strange sensation, almost like a thread tugging her along. She had no doubt she’d reach at her destination. Hopefully, she’d arrive just as the vampire was rising. That should give her a little time before Aeron started his war again.
Smoke spiraled into the sky resembling wispy pillars of darkness. The targets of Aeron’s purge still burned. Sirens were now common place as out of town fire crews rushed to help the beleaguered Houston fire departments. How many vampires and humans had died in the first night of the Purge? How many would die tonight?
Vanora pressed her lips together and steeled her resolve. Although the memory of the human that Aeron had been still lingered in her thoughts, witnessing the destruction wrought by his people helped her harden herself against him. Was there any part of the human man still locked in the black heart of the vampire? She hoped there wasn’t, for then it would be much easier to kill him. Yet, every part of her being cried for him, and if she detected an iota of possible redemption, she feared she’d falter.
The last patches of sunlight vanished from the sky, and night fully descended. Armando would be stirring, if he wasn’t up already. The night before, she’d woken in his arms, her home had still stood, and her sister had been fretting over her. Tonight Vanora was alone, her home was in ashes, and her sister was hiding in their family mausoleum. How quickly the world could change.
The phone rang beside her. Picking it up, she heard Sheila’s voice.
>
The vampires were awake.
Annoyed that Sheila hadn’t believed Greg, or Vanora’s text messages, she tried to reassure her friend, then hung up. Maybe it was wrong of her to feel agitated. After all, for most of her life, she’d been the human little sister of Roman and Alisha. Now she was something different, and the supernatural creatures around her had to adapt to that reality.
Pulling Greg’s truck off the toll way, Vanora drove toward the flashy high rise loft apartments that were her destination. It was very much like Armando to have a place with a view. As always, the thought of the Spanish vampire elicited feelings of yearning within her heart, but were muted by trepidation. How much had she changed since Armando had last seen her? Even she was unsure of how much she had transformed. It felt like eons since she’d left him behind at Carlotta’s, and she’d experienced so much.
Finishing her sandwich, she threw the wrapper into the bag on the seat next to her. A few sips from her soda finished off the drink. Such a mundane, ordinary thing to do, and yet, every meal now felt like it might be her last. She popped a Listerine strip into her mouth, trying to rid her tongue of the greasy aftertaste.
The parking garage to the high-rise apartments was card-access only, but it only took one trip around the block for Vanora to be able to slip in behind another car. Finding some visitor spots, she parked, unhooked her phone from the car charger, slung her bag over one shoulder, and exited the truck. The air was even colder than the night before, and her breath frosted as she exhaled. Locking the pickup, she walked toward the elevator banks while keeping an eye on the people she’d followed into the garage.
Her phone sang out in her hand. It was an unknown number, but she knew who it was and grinned. “You’re up early,” she said answering.
“Sweet Pea, oh, thank God,” Alisha’s voice gasped. “Are you safe?”
“I’m fine. I’m sending Sheila and Alexander to get you. They’ll take you to where Greg is holed up waiting for us.”
“Greg?”
Warily eying the two people waiting for the elevator, Vanora lowered her voice. “The friend of Sheila’s that I went to see last night.”
In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete Third Season Page 13