A deep, guttural growl rumbled in his chest. A second later, the sword went flying across the room, landing with a loud clank in the corner.
Balling my fist, I pulled back and landed a blow directly against his nose. It sent him stumbling back long enough for me to take off toward where my sword had landed. Adrenaline surged through my veins and I can’t be sure I took a breath at all during the mad dash to my weapon. If I didn’t get to it before he regained his composure, I’d have no chance of surviving.
Crashing into what felt like a brick wall a moment later, I tumbled backward, hitting the floor and knocking the air from my body. I managed to open my eyes as I struggled to get oxygen to my lungs. The pain of a possible cracked rib tore through me.
The vampire stood at my feet now.
“You’ve got spunk.”
“I try,” I managed to stammer. Was he really trying to have a conversation with me?
“If I’m being honest, I thought for sure you’d run out of here with your tail tucked between your legs,” he said, shifting his gaze toward my crotch before settling his eyes on mine again. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
“You don’t talk about what’s between my legs,” I said, determined to get to my feet.
A hearty laugh erupted from the vampire. “Would you like a rest, or shall we go another round?”
“Don’t suppose you’d let me grab my sword first,” I said, not expecting him to oblige.
He watched me for a moment, the look in his eyes settling on the line somewhere between murderous rage and ravenous desire. A moment later, he retrieved the sword.
“It’s a good sword,” he said, gripping the hilt. “Don’t fancy the blade at all, though.”
“No, I guess you wouldn’t,” I said, staring at him, trying desperately to convince myself that he wasn’t looking at me like he wanted to tear my clothes off and fuck me right there. No, instead he likely wanted to steal every last drop of blood from my body and leave me for dead. I prepared myself for his next move.
“Guess it’s only fair,” he said, taking the blade into his hand and pointing the hilt toward me. The smell of burning flesh turned my stomach, and I hesitated to take the weapon from him. Was it a trick? Was he going to grab me as soon as I reached for it? “Before I change my mind,” he commanded, his voice deep and stern as his gaze shifted from desire back to murder.
Reaching out, I took the sword from his hand. Maybe it was a trick, but I wouldn’t fare well either way without my sword.
The smell of his burning skin faded as his hand healed right in front of my eyes. I knew vampires had remarkable regenerative abilities, but his was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
I lunged at him a second later, the blade aimed at his chest, but he side-stepped me and I missed. Pivoting on my heel, I swung the sword in a wide arch as I turned, cutting into his arm.
He yelled out in pain.
I drew the weapon back, but before I could land another blow, he stepped to me and took my wrists into his hands and squeezed. The pressure intensified until I could no longer hold onto the sword and it fell to the floor with a clang.
My body betrayed me the instant he pulled me close. As the distance between us closed, I found myself wanting to kiss him again, to pull him to me and explore the muscles decorating his frame. My nipples pebbled beneath my tank top and I was thankful to have the leather jacket covering the display of betrayal.
He leaned into me, brushing his lips feather-light against mine.
Pulling my thigh up as quickly as I could with as much force as I could pull together, I kneed him in the nuts and pulled myself away from him, desperate to ruin the passionate moment brewing between us. I can’t say I was entirely familiar with that part of vampire anatomy, but I assumed it would have the same effect on him as it would a human male.
But it only appeared to distract him for a moment before he regained his composure. I realized then that he’d have me in his grips again before I could pick up my weapon, so I dashed for the door. If I could get outside, he’d at least be weakened in the sun and maybe I could trap him somehow. A silver tip to the heart was one way to take him out, but decapitation worked, too. If I could get him subdued, I could smash his head in with a rock and then sever his spinal cord with the knife tucked into the holster on my boot.
I just hoped I could see well enough without my flashlight to make it up all of the stairs, though I knew he’d be fast on my heels. The effort seemed futile, but I had to try. I wouldn’t give up until I took my last breath.
My feet pounded the stone floor as hard and as fast as they could, every step taking a millennium to complete. The flame from one of the candles to my right almost flickered out, catching my attention as I ran.
I corrected my gaze, aiming it for straight ahead.
But my eyes met his.
My mouth went dry, breath catching in my throat.
Determined to take him down, I made the decision to propel myself forward with all the strength and speed I could muster. I crashed right into his chest, sending the both of us plummeting to the ground. Reaching for my boot, I managed to pull out the small silver-tipped knife harnessed there. The blade wasn’t long enough to fully pierce his heart, but it might give me the advantage I needed to get away. At that point I understood escaping was my only option. No way could I kill him. He was too fast and too strong, and I wasn’t good enough, as much as that pained me to admit.
Scrambling to throw one leg over his body in order to straddle him, I raised the knife over my head and plunged it as deep into his chest as it would go.
He snarled, exposing his fangs, as the blade pierced his flesh. Grabbing me, he flipped me to my back, pinning my hands above my head as I struggled to break free from his grip.
This is it. It’s all over now. All of them were right. I wasn’t ready for any of this. I’ve failed them all, and now the vampire king is awake to spread death and destruction to all those who cross his path.
His lips parted as he leaned closer to me. Smelling the flesh along my jaw, he pulled back briefly, gazing into my eyes.
“Positively intoxicating, you are,” he said and licked his bottom lip. He pulled the knife from his chest and tossed it aside. “You put up a good fight, but it’s over now.”
Closing my eyes, I swallowed hard and waited for the cold kiss of death.
5
Delia
“Is it your turn to sleep now, beauty?” the vampire asked, amusement tinting his words.
I peeped open one eye. He still had me pinned. Why hadn’t he bitten me or ripped my head off or my heart out or whatever other terrible ways vampires liked to kill people?
Opening my other eye, I glared at him and said, “If you’re going to kill me, do it. I have no desire to continue these fucking games with you.”
He let go of my hands, but his legs still held me in place.
“I’m not playing games with you. You wanted to kill me. You failed. I didn’t kill you. As far as I can tell, that means you owe me. See how that works?” That cocky grin he’d flashed at me earlier returned.
“I don’t owe you shit,” I said, scowling at him.
“I spared your life. Doesn’t that at least buy some sort of gratitude if not a favor?”
“Gratitude?” I asked in bewilderment. “I failed my mission, my career as a slayer is pretty much over, I might as well be dead, and you want gratitude? Guess I’ll just head back home and say, ‘Oh, well, yes I failed to kill the son of a bitchin’ vampire, but he let me live, so it’s all good’.”
“Liam.”
“What?” I asked, my brows scrunching together as I looked at him like his hair was made out of snakes.
“I’m Liam, not ‘son of a bitchin’ vampire’.”
“I don’t care what your name is or what you think I owe you.”
“Truly am sorry about all this, but I’d appreciate it if you would aid me in returning to my home. The others will likely know I’ve
been awakened, and they won’t know where to turn or how to find me thanks to that pesky little curse your people arranged.”
“Oh, poor unfortunate souls. Unable to find their vampire daddy… Not only no, but hell no. I’m not helping you,” I said, my head lulling to the side so I didn’t have to look at the vampire another second longer.
What exactly I would do, I didn’t know, but helping him was out of the question. It would go against everything I had ever been taught, but then foolishly kissing a vampire had also gone against everything I’d been taught, too, and I’d done it anyway.
Returning to the council and telling them not only had I failed the mission, but I’d woken the vampire king was not on my list of priorities. Could I even go back at all? They wouldn’t give me another chance after messing up so badly. I’d have to go out on my own and get some job that had no meaning just so I could afford to put a roof over my head and food in my belly.
I’d have to vacate the home that had belonged to my dad. Well, technically anyway. The council actually owned it, but I’d inherited the right to live there after he’d died. I didn’t even have any prospects for roommates, considering everyone I knew lived in Mallory Falls. Anyway, this new existence would be a far cry from the life I thought I was destined to lead, but no way, no how, was I going to accompany this son of a bitch anywhere.
And how could I ever look Harmon in the face? I kissed a vampire. I cheated on him. No matter how great the pull was or the influence the vampire exerted over me, I should have ignored it. Should have followed what I’d been taught. I had no one to blame for my current predicament but myself.
I imagined Harmon’s face distorted by anger and disgust over my actions, his brows drawn together, and his mouth set into a hard line while his cheeks flushed with a subtle scarlet tone.
It was as if I could almost see him for real. Like he was standing in the entryway, candlelight illuminating his features.
I blinked, but the vision of him didn’t fade. Relief washed over me in that moment, like a weight had been lifted from my soul.
But a weight had been lifted from my body because the vampire no longer straddled me. I couldn’t see where he’d gone, but it was no matter now. Between Harmon and I, we would take him out in no time or at least be able to get outside to safety before he had a chance to kill us.
I raised to my feet, scanning the room for my prey. I found him leaning against the stone slab, one arm lounging across his torso, his fingers resting on the arm that relaxed at his side. His eyes never left Harmon. The look on his face was not one of fear, but of curiosity. He studied Harmon studying me.
I focused my attention back to Harmon. Just why had he shown up there? The joy I’d felt at seeing him faltered. Maybe I actually did need him, but him showing up there only told me further that he didn’t believe in me. And though I had proven that he couldn’t, it still stung that he didn’t.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Harmon took a step toward me, but stopped, his gaze turning toward the vampire. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. You hadn’t come back out yet, and I thought maybe…”
I messed up, just like he knew I would, and he had shown up to save me, proving that I did need a protector. That hit me like a punch to the gut.
“You followed me?” I asked incredulously. “You think I’m incapable.”
“Well… You did manage to wake him, which can only mean one thing,” he said, pulling a knife from inside his leather jacket before taking the garment off and tossing it to the side.
My body stiffened. Taking a deep breath, I held it there in anticipation. Expecting him to make his move on the vampire, one that I would follow. I glanced at the king, but he didn’t seem to be too concerned for his safety.
“You truly were the one destined to wake him. You kissed him, right?”
“I.. I..” Shaking my head, a tear welled up in my eye. Struggling to keep it from falling, I said, “Yes.”
“I’m sorry, Cordelia, but you’ve lost all hope of ever being a slayer. You’re a threat to us now and you should’ve been taken out years ago.”
“I’m not a threat. I promise.” I might not have slayed the king, but I posed no threat to the people back home. Why on Earth would he think such a thing?
“You are a threat. One that I can’t allow to exist.”
Fear ripped through me as he launched the knife straight toward my head, and I faced death for the second time in as many minutes.
6
Liam
Ah, mortals… Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
I leaned against the stone slab where I’d spent the last twenty years sleeping and watched the two humans arguing. One had been sent to kill me, the other… Well, he appeared to be sent to deal with her if she made the wrong choice. As far as I was concerned, she’d made the right one.
The man threw his dagger at the beauty who had awakened me, the one who had haunted my slumber, the one who cried out to me in pain and self-doubt so loudly that I had to answer. She was even more beautiful in the flesh than I’d imagined.
I watched the weapon as if it flew through the air in slow motion toward her head, briefly contemplating stepping in to help her. But she didn’t need my help. She was fully capable from what I’d seen of her fighting skills, even if I had gone easy on her. She’d already begun to move out of the way as the dagger left the man’s hand.
She dove out of the way, rolling toward her weapon once she hit the floor. She was back on her feet within seconds, but the man was on her before she could reach her sword.
Thrusting her fist out toward his chin, he blocked her, and smacked her across the face.
Appalling… A warrior shouldn’t stoop so low as to smack a woman across the face. I’d gone a good round with her myself and never once did I think about hitting her like that.
She recovered quickly and kicked him hard in the gut, causing him to double over. Not giving him a chance to recover, she kneed him in the face and slammed her body into him, knocking him to the ground.
Bridging the gap between herself and the sword, she picked it up, turning on her heel to face him. For some reason, she glanced at me, as if I’d distracted her, but I hadn’t meant to if I did.
A sly grin formed on my lips as I tipped my chin toward the man, urging her to keep her focus. “Eyes on the prize, beauty.”
The man struggled to get to his feet as she stood tall and watched him.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Harmon.”
“I don’t want to hurt you either, babe, but I’m bound to the oath I took.”
Babe? Really? She was too good for him, and too good for the nickname he’d bestowed upon her. The thought of the two of them together sent rage coursing through my body and I thought how easily I could have his head detached from his body before his next breath.
But it wasn’t my place to fight her battle. Not just yet anyway since I didn’t believe she was in real danger. She could handle her own, but I’d be there to step in if I thought otherwise.
“What about the oath you swore to my father? The one where you promised to protect me, to love me, to do everything in your power to help me succeed and to travel through life by my side?”
The thought of that sickened me. She couldn’t possibly realize who she was to me yet, but still… She was mine and the thought of her with him sickened me.
“That was a mistake, and your father should have ended you the moment the witch told him who you were.”
Pain distorted her beautiful features. I wanted to go to her, to comfort her and kiss her and take the hurt away, but I kept my distance.
“You’re an abomination, and if I don’t take you out, you’ll end up one of the very same vile creatures we’re trained to hunt.”
“Shut up,” she yelled. “You know me. I’m not evil. I’m not…”
“You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us. Now I see why everyone thought we were so
mismatched. They could probably sense your disgusting nature and the way you’d whore yourself to him the second you got the chance, and I couldn’t because I was blinded by my loyalty to your father. Blinded by the same belief that the witch had made it all up to mess with your father.”
I stood up as the realization of what was going on became apparent to me. He can’t easily beat her, so he’s going to break her down emotionally to give himself an advantage. Coward.
“He would be so disappointed in you and the way you gave in so easily. Probably thought he could brainwash the evil out of you if the witch was telling the truth about you being his mate, but he was wrong. The first chance you got to revive this monster, you did.”
A tear dropped onto her cheek, but her grip on the sword never appeared to loosen as she listened to his words.
“I don’t understand this. I don’t understand any of this,” she said, her voice faltering. “What do you mean I’m his mate?”
I ached to take her into my arms and tell her everything would be okay and explain everything to her, but she wouldn’t accept it right now.
He moved forward, continuing his verbal assault.
“You’re disgusting.”
“Stop it,” she said and ran toward him with her sword held ready to strike.
He stepped aside, sticking out his foot to trip her. She fell to the floor, her sword landing with a clank.
Before she could get away from him, he was on top of her. His hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing. She clawed at him, but it didn’t stop him from trying to squeeze the life from her neck.
That’s enough of that.
My body stiffened. Rage and hunger riled up inside me as I watched the scene play out. The man had only succeeded in besting her physically by tripping her. He was pissing me off, and I hadn’t eaten in a very long time.
Beyond the Veil (Vampires of Velum Mortis Book 1) Page 4