“Now, I wouldn’t be so fast as to point fingers Ann, I’ve known where you and your clan were since I moved here over a hundred years ago. I knew where your parents were, your parents’ parents. A good clan leader knows where trouble may come from. And as to why I can get through your wards? You know that as well. I may have tainted blood, but half of it is witch.”
Amelia’s mother was slowly, and carefully feeling around her kitchen behind her, probably for a knife or other weapon. But Kolya stayed still. “You aren’t welcome here! I’ll call the clan! Amelia! Remove this demon at once!” But Amelia was transfixed by what was occurring before her eyes, why was Kolya here? What did her mother know about Gianni?
“Oh, I think Amelia’s a little curious about your association with Gianni as well,” Kolya drawled slowly. “Why don’t you enlighten her?”
Amelia looked to her mother in fear, what had her mother done? Ann blanched and pulled out a kitchen knife. “He’s a demon Amelia! I know you defeated Gianni, you can take him - he’s alone.”
Amelia glanced back at Kolya and narrowed her eyes, “You’re here alone?”
“Just lil’ ole me,” he said with a grin that revealed his long incisors. “But this is a house call…I don’t need anyone else.”
“How did you know about Gianni and me, Mom? I thought you didn’t want me to go after Mona’s killer… Or did you only want me to go after Nikolais?”
“Yesss…do tell Ann. Why were you keeping your charming, and only surviving daughter in the dark. Why, when you know how un-talented as a witch she was, did you let her go after the head of a vampire clan like me - or Gianni? Or did you know Kristoff would help? Would protect her with his life? And hope she killed him when she found out his true nature?” Kolya’s mouth twisted bitterly.
“Mom?” Amelia asked slowly. “Did you know what I’ve been doing these last few months?”
Her mother looked back at her with wild eyes, “I knew you could do it honey, and I knew you would be able to take care of this one’s nasty abomination of a brother when you were done…”
“But I didn’t.”
“That’s because you’re just like your sister was, a vampire whore!”
Kolya glanced to Amelia his mouth twisting wryly, “I think she just insulted you.”
Amelia glared at him, “Why did you come? Not the Gianni thing, but now? Why now when I’m home?”
“Because you are home. I thought you might want to see who the true monster is. And it’s not me, and its certainly not my sainted brother the devoted hunter. No, I think you’ll find your mother is the one who contacted Gianni about her little problem.” Kolya replied with a sneer and a nod toward her mother.
“What does he mean Mom? Were you in contact with Gianni? Did you tell him to kill Mona?”
“No, no…He wasn’t supposed to kill her…he was supposed to kill him.” Ann said pointing at Kolya venomously. “But Gianni decided that killing her would hurt this cold blooded creature and killed her anyway….It wasn’t supposed to happen like this…. they were supposed to be fighting each other over Hell’s Kitchen… so I could mop them up like the toxic poison they are as they weeded each other out… And I could take my daughter back.”
“Look how well, that worked out for you.” Kolya drawled bitterly. “Well, I hope you feel better after getting that off your chest.” He said patiently to Amelia's mother. “They say confession is good for the soul. It’s even part of the last rites. Which you’ll be needing now…” Kolya moved from relaxed to coiled in a spring.
“No!” Amelia said, jumping in front of her mother. “She was wrong, she’s at fault and I know this now, but killing her will just start a war!”
“But,” Kolya said with a nasty twinkle in his eye. “I’m just giving her what she wanted. A war to end the tension between the Dagdas and the Kuryakins.”
“I refuse for you to do this and draw Kristoff into it! If you kill her, I’ll go after you and that will put him in the middle,” Amelia cried desperately, holding her arms out from her sides to ward off his advance.
“Who said anything about allowing Kristoff to get involved? I convinced him that there was nothing here for him - and that he was better off leaving. It’s just you and I, and justice. You know I can’t let her free after what she did to Mona, Amelia…after what she tried to do to my clan.”
Amelia’s heart sunk as she heard that Kristoff was gone, and the look on Kolya’s face showed that he knew it. “Lose something?” He whispered nastily, eyes narrowed cruelly. “Or did you make a mistake? Something Dagdas never do when vampires are involved.” Amelia’s face twisted in pain and her heart ached. “All I have to do is call him back, you know.” Kolya purred. “I’m sure, if you could find him, this misunderstanding could all be resolved…” Amelia was frozen in grief, Kolya wanted her to trade her mother’s life for Kristoff. A knife was pressed into Amelia’s palm.
“If you want forgiveness for your indiscretions I suggest you help me destroy this vampire now.” Hissed her mother in her ear. Kolya just grinned.
Amelia shoved the knife back at her mother, “No, Mona loved him. To honor her memory you will both stand down now. Mona wouldn’t have wanted this!”
But as Amelia was speaking, Ann took her chance and pivoted to throw the knife straight for Kolya’s heart. He smirked. Then raised his hand and froze the blade in its arc through the air. “Ah, ah, ah. Ann. This is not like battling any other vampire. I am older and stronger than you in my power - if only just for all of the years I have been able to practice the craft. But since you threw the first punch, I think - whether dear Amelia likes it or not - the war is on.” Then with another gesture Kolya called the blade quickly to his hand and threw it back at Amelia’s mother.
Behind Amelia, the blade struck her mother’s shoulder and she cried out. “Hellspawn!” she snarled, yanking the blade from her bleeding shoulder and going after Kolya herself. She pushed past Amelia and in a show of impressive athletic capability for her age, swept her leg out to drop Kolya to the floor. She immediately dropped to straddle Kolya and hold the blade above his chest for the plunge. Kolya laughed gleefully and flicked a hand in Ann’s direction. She froze poised to strike. Kolya shoved her over and stood looking down on her where she lay in suspended tension.
“It’s tempting to just end you now, frozen at my mercy.” Kolya mused. “But that would be cheating.” He stood back and flicked his wrist again. Ann’s momentum continued driving the knife into the floor where Kolya’s heart had been only moments before. She jumped up from her crouch to eye Nikolais across the space.
“Your unholy bloodline will only take you so far,” Ann gritted out. And with a wave of her hand, the entire chopping block worth of knives rose in the air to fly at Kolya. He simply stood still watching the blades come, but as they reached him, they stopped in mid air. The knives dropped from the air with a clang, and he reached into his boot pulling out a throwing knife. With a quick flick he tossed it into the air and it pinned Ann’s right palm to the wall.
“I hope you’re ambidextrous Ann,” Kolya laughed cruelly.
“Stop!” Amelia’s father stood. “I know my wife may be a deluded warmonger, but I promise to cease her ways from here on out. I know I have too long allowed her to run amok. But I had no idea how far she had fallen…” He looked at Amelia’s mother in disappointment. Then walking over, he pulled the blade from Ann’s palm and pressed his hands to the wound. With a glow of blue beneath his hand, the wound sealed. “Ann, apologize to this young man, and beg his forgiveness. This ends tonight.”
“No it doesn’t…” Ann growled, and she grabbed the now freed blade from him then whirled Richard to a position against her chest. She held it to Amelia’s father’s neck. “Fool, I’ve put up with you long enough.” She spat. “Amelia, kill the vampire or watch me slit your nice father’s throat.” Amelia stared back at her mother in shock, and eyed her father’s stony countenance.
“Amelia,” he said tightly. “Y
ou know what I would want you to do.”
“Silence! You have been a millstone around my neck for years, with your defective daughters. Amelia! Obey, NOW!” Ann pulled the blade tight into Amelia’s father’s skin and dug until a small bead of red ran down his neck. Amelia looked on in horror then turned to Kolya again. He only looked vaguely amused.
“Such a lovely family you come from Amelia, no wonder you preferred the company of my kind. We at least do not kill our loved ones in spite.” He raised an eyebrow, “Now, I hate to say it, but Amelia, it’s time to pick a side. You obviously have your father’s vote in and your mum’s. But what will you choose?” Kolya bent over and pulled Mona’s hunting knife from his other boot, he must have taken it the night at Gianni’s just for this occasion. “I’m going to kill your mother, Amelia, and you can either step aside - or I can go through you. I would prefer not to kill you. But then I think you might actually be alright if I changed you…eventually… after a few hundred years you’d forgive me and Kristoff would stop moping around…”
Amelia’s heart gave a flutter at the idea that Kristoff missed her so much, but she was embarrassed that she’d think of such a thing at a time like this. Kolya grinned knowingly and she flinched. “I can’t let you do this. Not just for my mother, but for all of your clan and mine that will die if you do. Think Kolya.”
“I did,” he said flatly, and used his power to fling the blade into a blur. It exploded out so fast that it would punch right through Amelia into her insane mother. Amelia closed her eyes for the impact. But nothing came. Instead there was the distinct sound of a knife hitting flesh and a body hitting the ground. Amelia’s eyes flew open. Had Kolya’s throw bypassed her for her mother? She looked to the ground and her breath stopped. Kristoff was on the floor before her, the knife wedged in his chest. With a cry she dropped to her knees.
“Dammit!” Kolya cursed. “Kristoff what were you thinking?!” He knelt next to Amelia who was trying to flip Kristoff onto his back.
“She’s right,” Kristoff gritted out. “As you say, think of the clan.”
In the confusion, Amelia’s father grabbed her mother by the arm and flipped her back. It had been easy to forget that he was younger than he looked. With a yank of his hands, the beautiful trellis vines that grew around the observatory came wrapping around Ann, and though she struggled, she was a problem no longer.
Madly, Amelia’s mother laughed, “Oh Richard, you finally grew a pair, and it’s just too late. Your favorite daughter’s abomination of a true love will die, and you can do nothing about it.”
Amelia’s father knelt beside her, shoulder to shoulder with Kolya, and Amelia frantically tried to see if she could find a way to remove the knife without killing Kristoff. As it was, it was obvious his heart was only held together by the wall of the blade, and if pulled it would be severed and then crushed.
“Daddy,” Amelia quavered pleadingly. “Can you fix him?”
Amelia’s father frowned, and glanced at her in sorrow. “I can’t honey, he might survive the knife being removed, but I don’t have the power to seal such a deep wound - and even then that would be if he survived the blade’s egress.”
Kolya hadn’t spoken, instead, for the first time, he looked at a loss. His always deceptively innocent looks became hauntingly real. He looked lost, and he seemed terrified. Kolya stared at Amelia’s father with horror. “Can you try?” he begged hoarsely.
Amelia's father frowned. “No, I won’t risk killing him. Can’t you do something? You are the stronger mage.”
Kolya despaired, “I’m from a hunter witch clan like your wife…”
Kristoff had lapsed into silence, and his skin seemed to grow ashy the longer he sat impaled, soon the decision of what to do would be moot. Amelia felt helpless, as her mother had always said, she was a failure as a witch. A failure as a hunter. She had so little magic she had been unable to scent the vampires around her, they had tricked her into thinking they were human. She bowed her head and pressed her hands around the wound as if she could press the life back into Kristoff’s still chest.
To her sides Kolya and her father waited for Kristoff’s passing in grim silence. Amelia laid her head down to listen to the last beats of his heart, still pressing the escaping blood back in.
And then her hands began to glow, that happy blue light her father’s did as a creator witch. Only Amelia’s light was brighter. “Amelia…” her father breathed.
Amelia raised her head and looked her father with wide eyes. “How do I do this?”
“I want you to keep the pressure on and slowly remove the knife, focus on imagining the strands of protein knitting as the blade lets free….”
Amelia swallowed hard and looked back down at Kristoff. She pressed harder, and the blood flow slowed, somehow feeling exactly what to do with her magic for the first time, and imagining what her father had described, Amelia pressed her left hand to the wound and slowly pulled the knife free with her right. The blue shimmer enveloped the knife, and it seemed that the flesh around it knit even as it escaped Kristoff’s skin.
In moments, the knife was free. But Kristoff was still silent. Kolya looked up at Amelia in hope and her father grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. Kristoff gave a groan that had all three of them looking down, and with a cough, he rolled to a sitting position.
“Well that was interesting,” He said through a rough throat. “I think I’ll pass on any heart-related injuries from now on.”
Kolya hit him angrily. “Then don’t stand in front of knives I’ve thrown!”
Kristoff glared and shoved him. “Then don’t throw them at my mate.”
“She would have been fine, I would have just changed her,” argued Kolya heatedly.
“Did you ask her if she wanted to be changed?” Sniped Kristoff.
“She was the one who wouldn’t back down,” Kolya almost whined.
“And she was right,” responded Kristoff and Amelia’s father simultaneously.
Kolya glared, then glanced over at Amelia’s mother who had been watching Amelia’s use of power in dismay. “I’ll let her live if you can actually keep a leash on her old man,” Kolya told Amelia’s father.
“And I’ll let my daughter go with you two if you don’t start any unnecessary wars,” Richard replied. “My wife is a madwoman, not worth any more deaths.”
Amelia meanwhile was helping Kristoff to his feet. “I thought you left,” she said quietly.
Kristoff leaned heavily on her, “No, I told my brother I did, I was waiting to see when you’d come around.”
“Hmph. I thought you had Anya for such things.” Amelia responded snarkily.
He grimaced and wrinkled his nose, “Yuck.”
“Yuck?!” Amelia laughed. “I thought you all had a history.”
“Yeah a history of her trying to creep into both my brother’s and my sheets. Unwanted.” He rebutted. “She’s a groupie, and one of our subjects. It would just increase her station if she mated with one of us.”
In the background a tenuous truce between Kolya and her father was being formed, and her mother had lapsed into a livid silence. Both men seemed to have a burgeoning respect growing as well.
“So do you think you can get past my being a vampire?” Kristoff asked carefully.
Amelia glanced at her stony mother, “There are certainly worse things to be… and I think I got over it before you sprung me from Kolya’s swanky jail cell.” She add bashfully. Kristoff grinned.
“I’m taking Amelia home,” Kristoff called to Amelia’s father and Kolya. “Unless you want to go back to your place,” he teased Amelia.
“That shit hole?” she responded. “Besides, I heard you had somewhere I could store my vast wardrobe.”
“Yep, all ten pieces of it,” responded Kristoff. The two of them glanced around Amelia's family home and started for the door.
“So, what was that mate thing you were talking about…”
Epilogue
Kristoff had tak
en the Aston Marten to Amelia’s house, so they walked a few blocks to pick it up. As they went, Kristoff noticed the hole in Amelia’s sleeve and put his finger through it wincing. “I wasn’t fast enough,” he groaned.
“No, if you hadn’t thrown that knife when you did, I’d have a hole somewhere much more important. Besides, I wasn’t the one who ended up at the business end of an uzi.”
Kristoff cringed, “I hate when that happens.”
“So now I know why you seemed stronger and faster that night.”
Kristoff frowned, “I knew you’d figure it out somehow by the end of the fight, so I stopped dampening my strength and speed. It was necessary anyway for us to win.”
“Was this whole last few months a drawn out revenge plot run by Kolya?” Amelia asked musingly.
Kristoff shook his head in resigned annoyance. “Probably.”
“Did you know?” She asked him quietly.
“No,” Kristoff grimaced. “He played me just as much as you, I simply suspected I was being played. I know my brother, he’s a manipulative ass, but he always knows how to use backdoor strategy to get what he wants. He tries not to have anyone hurt in the process, but even I can be a pawn.”
“Is that why you’ve been so pissed with him?”
“Partly,” Kristoff agreed. “But mainly because he drew you into it as well.”
They reached the car and got in, Kristoff opening Amelia’s door for her in his everlasting tendency for chivalry. As Kristoff turned the ignition, Amelia sighed. “I’m tired - can you hurry this up. I don’t care how many police officers you have to enchant out of tickets. I can’t wait to get home.”
“Your wish is my command,” smiled Kristoff. “Home, it is.”
By the time Kristoff and Amelia were tripping though his private elevator into Kristoff’s flat, they were attached at the mouth, trying to make up for all of the fear and separation. So they were both taken by surprise when Kolya greeted them from his careless lean on Kristoff’s banister. Kolya quirked his lips naughtily. “Don’t stop on my account. I can wait.”
A Guide to Vampire Hunting: ...and other failures (Alchemy Inc. Book 1) Page 25