He hung up the receiver. “Ready?”
Heather nodded, steeling herself. “Just tell me what to do.”
Colin took her arm. “Come on. There’s no time to waste.”
“Where are we going?”
“To the lab.”
* * * *
Colin had a plan.
As they moved through Ravencrest, the others joined them, coming from the different wings of the house.
John fell in step beside Colin and Heather. “Good idea,” he said, nodding at Colin.
“I just hope it works,” Colin said. “What about Madison and Skylar?”
John hissed out a breath. “They’re locked in our wing. Madison has orders not to come out until she’s sure that it’s one of us at the door and we’re still human.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what else to tell her. I can’t get them out of here right now. Who knows how many others are out there.” He slammed his fist against the wall as they walked. “I should have seen it coming. When Ramsey showed up, I should have known trouble would be right behind him.”
“John, you need to focus on now. There’ll be time to sort out the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of it later,” Colin said. Colin could feel John’s guilt at allowing the defenses of Ravencrest to be breached as if it were a physical thing, a dark fog surrounding the man. It cut Colin to the bone to think that John was blaming himself for this. John Raven was a good man who had sacrificed a lot in his quest to protect others from the Horde of vampires. Colin would not allow him or anyone else to sacrifice more.
They all turned into the lab, all of them present except for Madison and Skylar, Eric and Dirk. Casey and Lydia were waiting for them.
“Let’s get busy,” Lydia said, picking up one of the syringes that were lined upon a metal tray in front of her. “Okay girls—who’s first?”
Chapter Nine
Nicolas had sent Ramsey to gather the others. Now, he sat in the large living room of the main section of the mansion, patiently awaiting the arrival of the Raven Clan.
A furtive movement on the couch caught his eye. Nicolas leaned forward in his chair. “It will do you no good to run,” he said, shifting his gaze to Lark. “I am faster than you could imagine. I will stop you from leaving this room.”
Lark settled on the couch and clasped her hands together in her hand. Her eyes blazed with daring. “It’s you who won’t leave this room—vampire.”
Nicolas chuckled and crossed one leg over the other. “You say the word vampire as if it is bitter in your mouth. Are we so bad? Such an abomination that you must destroy us?”
“Yes,” came a booming voice from one doorway.
Nicolas looked up to find John Raven entering the room. “John,” he said, letting the name roll off his tongue. “Good to see you, but where are the others?” Nicolas raised his hand in a gesture of questioning.
“They will be here shortly.” John moved to Lark, taking her hand as he knelt to her level. “Are you alright, Mother?”
“Of course she is fine,” Nicolas answered for her. “Why would I harm the pawn at this early stage of the game?”
“I’m back!” Ramsey announced loudly entering through another door. “I’ve brought friends.” He swung one arm wide.
Nicolas stood and beckoned his fledglings. “Come. There is nothing to fear here.”
John Raven moved quickly in front of Lark. “What is this?”
Nicolas smiled and crossed his arms over his chest as the other vampires gathered around him. “These are my children.” He turned toward a sound in the doorway that John Raven had come through. “Ah, here they are.”
“What is this all about?” John asked.
Nicolas lowered his head, looking out from under his brows. “Those you see before you now are the last of the Horde. We are the only of our species left surviving. You have successfully eradicated the majority of us.” He lifted his head, tilting up his chin. “But still—you have not destroyed the one who began it. Me.”
* * * *
Colin surveyed the room. There were five new additions to the congregation. And Ramsey was also now in attendance. It was obvious he had chosen the side of the undead. Colin felt the barrel of the syringe in the back pocket of his jeans, pressing against him. He glanced down at Heather who stood beside him. Other than looking a bit pale, she was doing fine. Colin had been worried about her and her reaction to facing a vampire again.
He looked at the others, gauging them. All members of the Raven Clan were in tight control of their emotions. The men wore stern expressions that gave nothing away. The women were bearing up well, except for Kaitlyn. There was pure, unadulterated murder in her eyes. Colin hoped everyone held their places until it was time. His plan was definitely thought up quickly but the possibilities of it working would have tremendous results without too much bloodshed.
At least on the side of the Ravens, that is, he thought.
The silent standoff wore on for minutes, the vampires eyeing them. Colin raised his hand to the small of Heather’s back. He could feel her trembling, her muscles twitching. He hoped it wasn’t from fear but was coming from an urge to strike out at the monstrosities before them.
“Shall we be seated?” Nicolas asked suddenly.
“This isn’t a tea party,” Colin said, his anger getting the better of him.
The air seemed to blur for less than the blink of an eye.
Heather gasped.
Nicolas was now seated with Lark Raven on his lap. “Now it is.”
John glared at first Nicolas, then Colin. Then he sat on the couch, in the space where his mother had just been. The rest of them took a seat except for Holt, who stood with his axe dangling from one meaty hand and Colin, who held Heather to his side. The vampires stood behind Nicolas’ chair. Ramsey on Nicolas’ right.
As if the vampire was royalty.
“The Ravens,” Nicolas said, “have been a thorn in my side for centuries.”
“Nicolas—you are the most despicable piece of shit. Let that woman go,” Kaitlyn said, trying to jerk from Rogue’s hold to attack.
“Kaitlyn, my dear,” Nicolas said, speaking as if to a child, “at one time, I thought you would be the perfect mate for me. But now, I’ve changed my mind. There is another that I covet.”
Colin felt a boiling begin in his blood as Nicolas turned his gaze to Heather. His eyes not leaving her, Nicolas again began to speak.
“There is one here who reminds me of a love that was taken from me many years ago. Her name was Larissa. She was an angel. But because she made the decision to live with me through eternity, her family first damned her—then destroyed her.”
“You’re Nicolas Reicher!” Casey blurted out.
All heads turned toward her.
“He … he…” she stuttered.
“I,” Nicolas said, “am the vampire who instigated this war.”
Colin didn’t understand what was going on. All he knew was that he didn’t like the way Nicolas kept staring at Heather.
“What do you mean?” John asked.
With his eyes still on Heather, he said, “Larissa was a Raven. She was the first one taken by a vampire, only what the Ravens didn’t understand was the fact that she wasn’t taken. She gave herself to me.”
* * * *
Heather’s skin was beginning to burn under the vampire’s gaze. He stared at her intently, his fathomless eyes unblinking. He was trying to draw her into his spell, mesmerize her just as the vampiress Catharine had done when she was on Bloody Hell. Heather was wise to the trick now. She was also deeply in love with Colin. That alone grounded her. She was not tempted, though Nicolas was definitely an impressive figure of a man.
Listening to Nicolas speak of the love he had lost, Larissa, and noting the way his eyes never left her, Heather caught the feeling that she reminded him of his love. Turning it over in her mind, she was almost completely sure that it was her that he wanted to replace his Larissa with. Maybe, she thought, I can use this to our a
dvantage.
For the moment, John had Nicolas’ attention. Heather tugged Colin’s arm. “Colin,” she whispered.
His eyes snapped to her.
“We have to get Lark away from him,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I have an idea.”
“Heather…”
Sliding her hand to his back pocket in a feigned caress, she smiled up at him. “Trust me.” Before Colin could say anything to stop her, Heather stepped forward out of the protection of Colin’s arm.
“Nicolas,” she said, putting force behind the word even though inside she was shaking.
Nicolas smiled seductively at her. “You need not call my name in such a way. You have had my attention from the first moment I laid eyes on you, my love.”
“Heather, what are you doing?” Colin asked, trying to catch her arm.
Heather stepped out of his reach and closer to the vampire. “So I’ve noticed,” she said smoothly, meeting his dark ebony eyes. “I remind you of her. Larissa.”
Nicolas nodded. “You are the very essence of her.”
Heather swayed her hips slightly as she approached him, her flowing skirt swirling around her lips. “She gave herself to you.”
“Yes,” Nicolas replied, a fire igniting in his eyes.
Without taking her eyes off Nicolas, Heather noticed a redhead female vampiress move closer to Nicolas. Ramsey put out an arm, stopping the woman’s progress.
Lark eyed Heather narrowly, her thin fingers gripping Nicolas’ arm that held her.
Heather didn’t stop. She sidled up to Nicolas’ side and laid one hand on his shoulder. “If I gave myself to you—as Larissa did—would you let Lark go?” Heather tilted her head, letting her hair tumble over her shoulder.
There was a flash of something that passed over the vampire’s face. “You would give yourself to me? Eternally?”
“Heather—no!” Colin shouted.
Two of the male vampires darted from behind Nicolas’ chair. Heather heard a scuffle but didn’t lose her focus. “Yes,” she purred, reaching out and touching Nicolas’ bottom lip with the tip of her finger. His lip was incredibly soft but barely warm to the touch. “I give myself to you.”
Nicolas dipped his head slightly, parting his lips in invitation.
Heather tentatively slipped her finger into his dangerous mouth, letting it rest on the ridge of his lower teeth. She felt his tongue flick against it, light as a butterfly wing. Though she felt no tremor of sexual attraction to Nicolas, she did her best to fake it. When he sucked gently on her fingertip, she gasped and let her lashes lower. Then she slid her finger from his mouth and inserted it in hers, making sure her lips pouted perfectly around it.
“You’d better know what you’re doing, girl,” Lark warned.
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Heather said, removing her finger. To Nicolas, she said, “Take me out of here.”
Nicolas lifted Lark from his lap and stood. “As you wish.” He turned to John. “You may have your mother as I take this one.” He released Lark.
John drew his mother to him.
Heather looked to Colin. He looked enraged. There was high color in his cheeks and his mouth was pressed into a firm line. The two vampires weren’t holding him but stood one on each side, ready to hold him back. Heather tried to send him a look, something that would tell him this was all for show. Surely he had to know that she would never give herself to anyone except him and especially not to a vampire.
Colin’s face didn’t change.
Heather let out a sigh. Okay, she thought, I’ll deal with this later. After Nicolas has bit the dust.
Heather felt an arm slide around her waist. The vampire stood beside her.
“We shall take our leave,” he said, urging Heather to walk with him.
“You can’t just take her,” Colin growled.
Heather whipped around to face him. “Colin—I’m going of my own free will.” Then she looked up at Nicolas and smiled.
They began to move toward the door. Heather held her breath. She knew all of the Ravens and their woman had armed themselves, secreting various items inside their clothing, but she wasn’t sure that they wouldn’t lose a few members in the fight that was sure to follow. If she could make it to someplace where she could be alone with Nicolas, she could at least get close enough to inject him with the syringe full of Lydia’s serum. It may not kill him but it should at least do enough damage that she could finish the job herself. Nicolas was evidently the most powerful of them all. Heather figured that if she could get him out of the picture, the others would have a better chance of winning the fight.
They were three feet from the door when Ramsey stepped in front of them, blocking their exit. “What the hell, Nicolas,” he said, his eyebrows drawn together. “I thought you wanted to destroy them. Now you’re leaving just because this little number looks good enough to eat?” He gestured toward Heather.
Nicolas only looked at Ramsey, his face expressionless. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ve other things to attend to.” He pulled Heather close against his side.
Nicolas’ body was rock solid against her side but Heather felt no warmth. She willed herself not to stiffen against him. By pure determination, she forced herself to slide her hand over his stomach and melt into him, pretending that all she wanted was to get closer. Her charade must have worked. His long fingers splayed over the side of her waist, stroking her.
“You can’t just walk out!” Ramsey stepped forward, his attitude challenging.
Heather jerked back, unsure of what Nicolas would do.
Nicolas let out a sigh and glanced over his shoulder. “Vincent, you will see that everything is taken care of properly, I trust.”
“Of course,” a gruff voice answered.
Heather heard movement behind her, people shifting positions yet no one spoke. She was afraid to look, afraid the two sides were squaring off.
“Now for you, Ramsey,” Nicolas said, turning back to him. “I believe you have served your purpose. Patricia will just have to acquire another pet.”
There was a blur of movement, then Heather felt something warm and wet spray her face in a fine mist. She reached up to wipe it away but her hand froze in mid-air.
Ramsey, hand to his throat, his eyes rolling, staggered back. Blood began to pour through his fingers as he clutched at the ragged slash in his neck.
Nicolas had torn his throat out with one swipe of his hand.
“Come, my love,” Nicolas said.
Ramsey crumbled to the floor just as the blond female vampire fell upon him.
Nicolas steered Heather around the body and out through the door.
Heather bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming as the sound of shouts and screams rose behind her.
The battle had begun.
* * * *
Colin’s blood was boiling.
Somehow, the vampire had seen Heather and himself together. That’s why Nicolas had said that he recognized him. That’s also how Nicolas had decided that he wanted Heather for his own.
And Heather, obviously reveling in the return of her wild spirit, had taken it upon herself to remove Nicolas from the explosive equation that was building in the room. Watching her walk out that door in the arms of a vampire had been the hardest thing Colin had ever done. He hoped that the inoculation that she’d had of Lydia’s serum held her turning at bay until they could rescue her. He’d already realized that she had furtively removed the extra syringe from his back pocket. He didn’t know her plan. Hopefully it was a good one. Possibly it mirrored Colin’s original plan—to use it on Nicolas.
Colin ducked under the arm of the vampire on his left and spun, reaching inside a hidden pocket on the leg of his pants and withdrawing a long, slender blade.
The battle had begun.
All around him there were growls and shouts. A woman’s scream echoed from the walls. Colin didn’t have time to look, hoping that it wasn’t one of their own. He continued through the motion of
his spin, bringing the knife up just far enough to slice through the tendons at the back of the vampire’s knee, then quickly jerked back.
The vampire’s leg folded and he fell but still, he reached for Colin. “You filthy little…” the vampire said but his words were cut short when Colin, using one of his old college wrestling moves, flipped around behind the vampire and expertly slit his neck. Blood pooled beneath them, leaking out of the wound.
Colin pushed up with one hand but was struck from behind in the center of his back, knocking him down onto the vampire’s body again. He pulled one knee up and placing his foot on the floor beside the draining vampire, he pushed. The person on his back was thrown off. Colin recovered quickly, rolling. Then he was on top of his latest attacker.
She screamed beneath him. “Colin! No!”
He froze, the wicked blade of his knife at her throat. His heart lurching in his chest, he realized his attacker was Ivy, Heather’s sister, beneath him. “Sorry,” he said, rolling off her.
“You ought to be.” She groaned and pushed to a sitting position. “You’re dang heavy.”
Colin didn’t take time to reply. He was on his feet, racing toward one of the couches where one of the female vampires had Casey pinned. He raised his knife high and brought it down, burying it in the vampire’s back, jarring his arm all the way to his shoulder when the blade hit the spine. Not bothering to remove the knife, Colin used one hand to grasp the vampire’s hair and with the other on the hilt of the knife, lifted the vampire then flung it to the floor.
The vampire screeched in anger, the sound ear piercing as she flopped on the floor, her lower half paralyzed and useless. Colin withdrew the knife from its back then turned it over, intent on ripping out its heart.
Searing pain lashed him as the vampire’s claws raked his cheek. He hesitated for one breath, then sunk the knife into its chest. One, two, three twists of the knife and a large hole was opened, the vampire’s blackened heart revealed.
Colin the Conqueror Page 10