In the other room, Cordelia paced to the window and peered through the glass and the mesh reinforcement at the darkness outside. ::I'd rather he didn't get the chance to try, thanks.::
Twining his consciousness around hers in the protective embrace he yearned to give her in the flesh, Karl replied, ::I'll do my best to ensure that doesn't happen. Now that I've found this wondrous union, I have no intention of losing it--losing you.::
Cordelia's heartbeat stuttered, and her breath quickened. The door of her room was opening. She threw herself onto the bed and cringed against the headboard as Josef strode in.
He paced across the floor like a prowling tiger and loomed over her. His shape altered, not a full transformation but enough to render his brows more bushy, his ears pointed, his teeth sharpened into wolfish fangs. Dark fur spread over his hands as his nails elongated into claws. His eyes glowed crimson. When he bared his teeth and growled, his tongue protruded, exaggeratedly long, forked like a serpent's. His shadow became animated with its own writhing life, twice its normal size and pawing at her with obscene eagerness.
Karl knew part of the apparent change was a psychically generated illusion. To Cordelia's eyes, though, the vampire looked grotesquely monstrous. She shivered with chills and nausea. ::Fight it,:: Karl whispered inside her mind. ::See him as he really is, not human, but not the creature he wants you to see.::
With a shuddering intake of breath, she groped for Karl's intangible support. He sensed the shroud of creeping blackness she saw around Josef melting away.
Josef hooked a claw in the collar of her shirt. He fingered the cross she wore and laughed. When she tried to push him away, he trapped both of her hands in one of his. Her struggle to free herself had no effect. As Karl knew, she might as well try to shatter a block of marble with her fists. Josef ripped her shirt down the front and followed up by scoring red lines on her chest with his nails. Quivering with disgust, she closed her eyes briefly but opened them again. A whimper escaped her.
::I don't know what's worse,:: she projected to Karl, ::watching him or not being able to see what he's going to do next.::
Karl choked down his fury and blocked the first thought that sprang to mind, that the worst for him was watching without being able to interfere. His own guts roiled with the pain of every fresh scratch inflicted on her.
No, not the worst. Josef grew bored with that game and augmented it with light nips of his teeth on her shoulders and the upper curves of her breasts. Cordelia bit her lip to keep from crying out at each new assault. Not because the scratches and bites hurt her all that much, as far as Karl could tell, but because not knowing where he would strike next or when he might roughen his play added fear to the pain.
The next phase of the attack, though, didn't involve worse injuries. Instead, Josef licked the thin streams of blood trickling from the tiny wounds. Chills racked Cordelia while his tongue seared her skin.
A scarlet fog swam in front of Karl's eyes. His nails gouged the wood of the door he leaned against. Linked with Cordelia, he felt heat rippling through her to the pit of her abdomen and the hypersensitive core where he had pleasured her that very morning. The flow of her blood and the vibration of her nerves woke an undercurrent of thirst beneath his revulsion.
Tears burned her eyes. He sensed her longing to hide her face in shame as a hot flush flooded her body. ::Go away, Karl! Don't watch, don't listen.::
::Please let me lend you strength.:: As if he had any to spare, but he couldn't stand to let her suffer alone.
::No! Why should we both go through this?:: Her mental shield slammed into place with a reverberating clang.
He battered at it. An iron sphere blocked him. He probed it, pried at its arc, but it wouldn't yield. Behind the barrier she wept, barely audible to his inner hearing.
He realized his siege only worsened her misery. Making her divide her attention between him and her tormentor wasn't helping. If she didn't want him, he couldn't force himself on her.
Sinking onto the floor, he lay on his side, his jaws clenched. A gray shroud replaced the fog of rage that had surrounded him. Severing the link with Cordelia felt like being torn in half.
This agony was no more than he deserved, though. He should have appreciated the joy of their union while he had it, done his utmost to strengthen their bond. Instead, he'd kept her at arm's length, afraid of losing himself in the embrace of an ephemeral. He accepted his punishment as just. But why should his mate suffer with him? How was that just?
Mate? The word struck him like a blow to the diaphragm, knocking the breath out of his body. Yes, the mate he'd waited for through all his centuries of life. Too bad he hadn't recognized that truth in time.
* * * *
Cordelia forced herself to crouch motionless inside her impervious bubble while Josef lapped blood from the bites and scrapes. Her barrier shut out Karl but didn't stop the crawling of her flesh at every flick of the other vampire's tongue. Nausea welled up in her throat, yet her nerves tingled as if they couldn't tell the difference between a beast's lust and a lover's caress. She prayed her shield kept Josef from sensing his effect on her.
Finally he backed off. His face and hands melted into fully human guise. "Enough for now. I want to make you last a long time. I hope Karl has a vivid imagination. I'd like him to suffer a lot thinking about my feasting on you while he's starving." At her involuntary flinch of alarm, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, we can't die for lack of nourishment. He'll go mad from the torment and eventually fall into a coma. How long that takes depends on his strength, and at his age he should have plenty of staying power."
A chill seeped through her, obliterating the last of the unwanted heat he'd stirred. "What do you have against Karl?"
"Besides his self-righteous, human-lover attitude? Nothing, really. I simply can't let him make trouble for me with the elders. More important, if he were loose, he'd try to free you, and I can't have that. You and your sister will attract a choice selection of clients."
"Doesn't it bother you that we're not only half vampire but your own nieces? Those elders you mentioned won't let you get away with this."
"Only if they find out. Karl won't be able to inform them, and by the time my sister gets in touch with anyone who'd care, I will have packed up you and all the other donors and moved to a safer location." He scowled. "I hate to give up this place. That's another score to settle with Karl. Hmm--I wonder if he has to imagine what you're feeling."
Her heartbeat stuttered. "What do you mean?" She firmed up her shield, probably too late to stop Josef from sensing her reaction.
His feral grin confirmed that fear. "So I guessed right. He has actually bonded with you. He'll share every second of pain and pleasure you go through."
"There won't be any pleasure." She raised her head with a defiant glare. "And Karl won't suffer anything with me, because I won't let him into my mind."
"Oh, I doubt you're strong enough to shut him out for long."
He turned with a snarl at a knock on the door. When he opened it, Antonio stood on the threshold. "What now?"
"Howard wandered off."
"What are you talking about? I saw him a few minutes ago. Imogene drank enough that he shouldn't feel like moving."
"That's exactly it," Antonio said. "We left him alone in one of the parlors. Locking him into a bedchamber might have made him suspicious. We assumed his delusion about becoming a vampire would keep him quiet, if the blood loss didn't."
"And?"
Antonio ducked his head as if dodging a blow. "When Imogene checked on him after you went upstairs, he pressured her about how long he'd have to wait for the transformation. Apparently he didn't like her teasing and evasive answers."
Josef shook his head in obvious disgust. "Hellfire, do I have to do everything myself? Well, he shouldn't be hard to track down. He can't get far, weakened as he is."
He stalked away, leaving Cordelia imprisoned but at least free of him for the moment. She visualized dissolvin
g a hole in her barrier and peeked out like a rabbit wary of a fox prowling outside its burrow.
Karl's mind brushed hers. At the tentative touch, the knots inside her relaxed. ::Could you hear what those two were talking about?::
::Perhaps the problem with Howard will keep Josef away from you for a while.::
She gulped, tasting bile. To settle her insides, she stumbled to the bathroom and rinsed her face and hands with cold water. Suddenly thirsty, she drank two full glasses. Plastic, of course, not actual glass she might convert into a weapon. If only she could wash away the memory of the past few minutes. Soaking a washcloth, she dabbed at the tiny cuts and abrasions. Fortunately, the wounds were superficial and had already stopped oozing. She had to choke down nausea again at the revived images of the attack. Worst had been the thread of unwanted excitement that had snaked through her. ::It won't keep him away long enough for me.::
::He can't maintain full vigilance constantly. Eventually we'll catch him in a distracted moment and seize the chance.:: The confidence Karl projected might be only a mask, but if so, he'd crafted it well.
::I don't think I can stand to wait for "eventually." I'll lose my mind if I have to live through much more of that.::
Anger flared in Karl's thoughts before he tamped it down. Instead, he folded her in a psychic embrace like a warm blanket. ::You may not have to. Suppose you aren't here when he returns?::
::Oh, are you going to teach me to walk through the wall?::
::Remember how we practiced reinforcing your illusion of invisibility.::
She walked over to the bed and sat, calmer now that she could plot instead of just reacting. ::I think I get it. If he doesn't see me right where he left me, that might throw him off balance.::
::Yes, and if you move quickly, you may be able to escape while he's confused.::
She immediately noticed the catch in that plan. ::There's no way I'm strong enough to fool Josef. You saw through my "nobody here" trick right away, and you weren't even expecting me that time.::
::Here and now you have something you didn't have then. I'm on your side.:: The confidence Karl projected almost convinced her. ::I'm older and stronger than Josef. While we're psychically linked, my power can augment your talent. We should be able to render you invisible to him just long enough.::
::Long enough for what?:: So Josef wouldn't be able to see her, great, but if she couldn't keep up the illusion forever, what good would it do her?
::What I said a minute ago,:: Karl told her with a tinge of impatience. ::Just long enough for you to sneak out of the room behind his back.::
Karl's communication cut off. When he contacted her again a minute later, his tone held new urgency. ::They're having trouble with Howard. Here's our chance to prepare before Josef comes back.::
::What's up?::
::I just overheard a conversation through the window. Josef and Antonio were outside. They didn't find Howard anywhere in the house.:: Karl went on to summarize what he'd heard. Josef had ordered Antonio to find the man before he strayed too far. With any luck, from the vampires' viewpoint, Howard would collapse from blood loss in the woods. Josef's main concern was that Howard might wander out to the main road where someone could pick him up. It wouldn't do for anybody to get curious about his weakened condition or his ravings about vampires.
::Didn't you say they dump their victims in that condition all the time?::
::Not on their own doorstep,:: Karl reminded her. ::This is different. Howard could lead a stranger straight to them.::
Cordelia sat up straight. ::The more worried they are, the better for us, right? Okay, what should I do?::
::Do what I showed you when we practiced at your home.:: As before, the image of a glittering net formed in his mind. It drifted from him to her and swirled around her like a cloak. She visualized draping it over herself like a veil, shrouding her from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes. ::I'm invisible.::
::Very good,:: Karl told her. ::Now you must become inaudible and unreadable as well.::
Could she extinguish the glow of her aura and muffle the sounds of her pulse and breath thoroughly enough to hide them from another vampire? Karl, after all, might be giving her the benefit of the doubt, which their captor wouldn't. She imagined folding the layers of her aura into an opaque sphere. With Karl's encouragement humming in the back of her mind, she spun a silken web to absorb all sounds and other emanations from her, with a smooth outer sheen to deflect any probes. Reaching for him, she invited his strength to pour into her, making her web impenetrable.
::I hear Josef walking toward you now. Get into position.::
At Karl's direction, she tiptoed to the door, where she stood with her back flattened against the wall next to it. A minute later, the deadbolt snicked.
When the door opened, she had to clutch his mental presence like a life preserver in heavy surf to keep her illusion from slipping. She held her breath as Josef stepped inside.
She could tell the instant he realized he couldn't see her, because he halted and stared at the empty bed. Opening the door wider and taking one pace into the room, he tilted his head as if listening.
::Excellent,:: Karl murmured in her head. ::He's baffled because he doesn't hear you, not even your breathing or pulse. Stay firmly linked with me, and he won't be able to. Now, move.::
She slipped behind Josef, tremulous with fear of accidentally brushing against him. Clinging to her bond with Karl and focusing on the image of the web that enveloped her, she inched her way into the hall. Light-headed, she had to lean on the wall to keep from stumbling.
Josef shut the door. Through it, she heard his footsteps as he apparently searched the chamber.
Before she could take another step, Karl stopped her with a silent command. ::Lock him in.::
She shot the deadbolt into place and took off. While sprinting toward the room where Karl was imprisoned, she already heard Josef rattling the knob and knocking on the panel.
For an instant of panic, all the closed doors looked alike to her. Karl projected a wordless call. Homing in on that broadcast, she rushed to him and fumbled with the bolt until she managed to unlock it.
He flung the door open and threw his arms around her. With her head on his chest and his slow, steady heartbeat under her ear, she allowed herself a second to luxuriate in his strength and solidity. She'd been afraid Josef's attack might have tainted her feelings for Karl, but that hadn't happened. Karl's touch still meant shelter and protection.
He relaxed the embrace to tilt her head up and scan her. He kissed her forehead, cheeks, and shoulders, his lips like burning brands on the wounds. "Damn him," he muttered. "I'd love to rip his head off." He shrugged out of his shirt and helped her into it. "Unfortunately, we can't spare the time for that." Flowing into her mind, he reinforced her illusion and cast the same invisibility over himself.
She blinked, dizzy from the sight of a fading shadow in place of the man she still felt hugging her.
"We have to hurry," he said. "That door isn't vampire-proof. It won't hold him for long." The noise of Josef's pounding and kicking reverberated along the hallway.
Karl scooped her up in his arms and ran along the hall to another locked room. As soon as he unfastened the bolt, Cordelia realized they'd returned to Miranda's room. She lay huddled on the bed but leaped up when the door opened. Karl relaxed the illusion while Cordelia made a shushing motion before her sister could cry out.
When he put her down, Cordelia hurried to Miranda. "Come on, we're leaving."
Her sister glanced from her to Karl. "Great. How?"
Karl put one arm around each woman's waist. "Hold onto me," he whispered, "and keep quiet no matter what happens."
Cordelia twined her arms around his neck, and Miranda did the same. The illusion veil spread over all three of them. Miranda emitted a squeak of surprise but stifled it immediately. Cordelia could hardly keep quiet herself when Karl floated off the floor.
Still holding the two wo
men, he glided along the hallway and down the first flight of stairs with silent speed. Cordelia's insides lurched as if an elevator were dropping from under her. Miranda, she noticed, squeezed her eyes shut and whispered what sounded like a prayer.
At the second floor landing, Cordelia thumped Karl's shoulder. "Wait. I have to get my purse." At his incredulous, "Your what?" she retorted, "I'm not about to abandon my phone, driver's license, and a wallet full of credit cards if I can help it."
As soon as he let go of her, she dashed to their former bedroom, snatched up her purse, and slung the strap over her shoulder. She also grabbed her overnight bag, though she didn't have time to collect the items she'd already taken out of it. They could be replaced easily enough.
She hurried back to Karl and wrapped herself around him again just as a crash sounded from the floor above. He plunged into another vertiginous drop, this one even faster. At the bottom he slowed like a parachutist, glided into the lobby, and floated to the floor. He canceled the illusion and set the women on their feet with a gentle shove. "Go!"
Only a few paces from the foyer, a human-shaped shadow streaked past them. Cordelia clutched her sister's hand and let out an involuntary shriek. The figure coalesced into Josef, blocking the exit.
Before Cordelia could catch her breath, Karl lunged at the other vampire. He grabbed Josef by the shoulders, spun him around, and slammed a fist into his temple. While the enemy lay momentarily stunned, Karl fished car keys from his pocket and tossed them to Cordelia. "Leave while I take care of him."
Instead, she handed the keys to Miranda. "Karl's car is out front. Go start it up." When Miranda hesitated, she gave her a push and said, "Hurry! We'll be right there."
Passion In The Blood Page 12