The Warrior Woman

by Evelyn Lederman

  “They are starving,” Shirl shared with her. “The vampires you met in the penal colony were in better shape than these creatures. Do not say or do anything. Let me do all the talking.” Candy was more than happy to abide by her friend’s instructions as she joined Shirl.

  A tall vampire rose from his chair and approached them. He was shrouded in a black robe and his head was partially covered by a hood. Candy could not stop staring at his eyes. It was almost hypnotic how the vampire’s eyes could bore into hers.

  “My lovely crystal telepath and her soul mate are back,” the vampire said. “I see you have brought another one of your friends and perhaps a snack for me.” Candy hoped she was the friend he was referring to and not the snack. She felt a shiver run down her spine. This was no matinee idol vampire. He certainly did not have the looks of Drake or the blond vampire she had met in the penal colony.

  “This piece of scum did harm to our pregnant friend,” Shirl shared with the vampire. By now Candy figured this was the master vampire Yorik she had heard so much about.

  She knew it was a cliche, but if looks could kill, Raine Narmouth would be dead. It would be a tragedy if Narmouth was given a quick death. Yorik seemed to grow in size before her very eyes. His glowing red eyes transitioned to a browner red, the color of dried blood. “Is the child all right?” the vampire roared.

  “The baby is fine,” Candy addressed Yorik for the first time. Only someone with a death wish would say anything else. Although Candy knew Alex would be examined by a med-tech when she returned home, they left the Troyk universe before they heard any news. The vampire’s anger was directed to the man on the floor being held down by two guards. “I sensed her distress from the womb. That is how we found Alex before Raine Narmouth could do any more harm to her or the baby growing inside her.”

  The master vampire approached her. Candy knew she had to hold her ground against this creature. He sized her up as she was concentrating on staring directly into his face.

  “You are the one they went after,” Yorik said. It was a statement rather than a question. “It was worth our people accompanying your friends to rescue you, even if we were not paid with blood. I sense the warrior within you as I would recognize an old friend.” She assumed that was a compliment given by a man who rarely gave them.

  “We offer his blood to you as thanks for assisting us in bringing Candy back home to the Troyk universe,” Shirl once again addressed Yorik.

  Yorik approached Raine Narmouth. He waived off his guards and leaned down to bring Raine to his feet. The vampire had a hold on his throat. His captive did not struggle. Candy imagined he was either in shock or so scared he was catatonic. Part of Candy wanted to look away while another part relished what was about to happen. Yorik bit into his neck, crushing bones in the process. The scream that came out of Raine Narmouth would haunt her dreams for some time.

  After Yorik drank his fill he threw Raine onto the floor. Raine seemed as light as a ragdoll when the vampire violently released him. By some miracle Raine was still alive. He lay on the floor with his hands on the neck wound. Raine was losing his battle at trying to stop from bleeding out.

  Yorik snapped his fingers and two vampires knelt next to the dying man and ministered to his wounds. One dressed his neck while the other one gave him an injection.

  “What was in the syringe?” Candy asked Shirl.

  “It is a serum that accelerates the production of blood,” Shirl answered. “The heart will pump and replace the blood at ten times the normal rate. They use it in the Troyk universe as well.” Candy vaguely remembered getting the same injection after the knife was removed from her shoulder.

  “Your telepathic powers are no good here,” Yorik informed them. “You might as well ask any question you have directly to me, warrior.”

  Candy was struck dumb. Her brain shut down with the news that her telepathic gift was worthless here. She wondered if her enhanced ability to fight would also be discovered by these vampires. It was time to take Shirl’s recommendation to heart and just stand back and not participate.

  “Bring me Drake, Lorenz, and my daughter,” Yorik ordered. “They too should benefit from this bounty.”

  Great, more vampires, Candy thought. They had delivered Raine Narmouth to the Nightshade universe. It was time to leave this horrifying place. The problem was that Shirl did not seem ready to leave. Candy knew there had been a connection between her friend and Drake. She also knew Shirl felt responsible for Yorik’s daughter being a captive in this world. With her telepathic powers ineffective in this world she could not covertly communicate to her friend that she wanted to leave.

  It was not long before Drake entered the hall. He walked to Yorik and did a half bow. Shirl had told her that Yorik was the master of this hive and Drake was of royal vampire blood. She imagined what Drake did was a sign of respect. Candy saw Drake place a half smile on his handsome face when he spied Shirl’s presence. He walked over and kissed her hand.

  Shirl was quick to retrieve it back. Little wonder, with Starc standing right next to his soul mate. “You remember Candy,” Shirl directed attention back to her. “The two of you only met briefly in the penal colony world before you left with the prisoners.” Candy wondered how many of those men were still alive.

  “Yes,” Drake replied. He then reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. Her legs got a little wobbly in response to the man’s kiss and charm. Where she could only see Yorik as a monster, it was hard to believe the man who stood before her was a vampire. Perhaps just a little anemic.

  “They have brought a gift for us,” Yorik gestured to the man on the floor. Although the vampires were done tending to Raine, he continued to lie on the ground. “This pariah did harm to Alex and endangered the life of the daughter that grows inside her. I turn him over to you since you had the most to lose from his action.”

  Candy had no idea what Yorik was talking about. She glanced at Shirl, who shook her head in response to Candy’s unasked question. Her friends had told her about the genetic marker Alex’s daughter might possess. There had been no mention about Drake’s direct claim to her offspring. She was going to have a long talk with Alex about what transpired here.

  All attention was diverted to a couple entering the vast room. Candy recognized the blond vampire. He had saved her when he fed on Darah. The girl who walked beside him must be Yorik’s daughter Afton. She was as pale as death and looked like she had not eaten solid food in weeks. Candy must have gasped at the sight of the girl since all eyes were now on her. She looked around, not sure what to do or say.

  “My daughter’s appearance shocks you, warrior?” Yorik addressed her. “The solution to her health is right in front of her but she refuses to succumb to what is in her best interest.” The girl did not react to her father’s words. She just stood next to the vampire she entered with.

  “Perhaps if we take Afton with us for a time we can bring some color back into her cheeks,” Shirl said. “We will not return her to Ginkgo Terra if you wish. The Troyk universe is very much like the world she left. Perhaps some time with us will bring her back to health and we will return her.”

  “Do not take me for a fool,” Yorik growled at Shirl. Starc stepped between the master vampire and his soul mate. Although Shirl was the more powerful of the two, Starc still felt the biological need to protect his mate. The same was true where Tolfer and Candy were concerned. “My daughter will stay here and take nourishment as the claiming dictates.” Once again, Candy had no idea what he was referring to. If possible, Afton grew pastier.

  “It is time for you to leave,” Drake said. “I will make sure the man you brought with you suffers in this world. He will not have an easy death. We will keep him alive as long as we can to assure his punishment is severe enough to offset the degree of his crime. He will finally die when the child takes her first breath.”

  Candy went to stand next to Shirl as she opened a temporary portal that would take them back to the Troyk universe
. They would arrive in the Childers’s household rather than through the natural portal on the mountain trail. The fate of the child was still questionable. A special bond was created between them when the baby reached out to her. Candy also wanted to go to Alex immediately to find out what happened when she was in the Nightshade universe. Any claim Drake had to Alex’s daughter would have to be nullified.

  Chapter 22

  The Troyk Universe

  Candy’s senses were assaulted when she re-entered the Troyk universe. She squinted from the light and colors attacking her eyes. The Nightshade world was dark and bleak, while the common room was bright and cheerful. The vampire great hall had been cold and wet, bringing on chills throughout her body. In the Childers’ home she was warm and felt safe. A sigh of relief escaped from her.

  Shirl and Starc went to check on Alex. Candy had one more stop before she went to see her friend. Following her nose to where the tantalizing aroma was generated she knew she’d find Tolfer. Her soul mate must be cooking up a storm for Alex and her unborn child. Only his presence would fortify the strength necessary to deal with the possibility of terrible news about the baby.

  Tolfer was stirring a large pot when she entered the kitchen. When he saw her she was gifted with one of his special smiles. A warmth spread through her body, as it did whenever she was near him. He placed his spoon on a dish and brought her into his arms.

  “I was starting to get worried,” Tolfer scolded her, “you were in the Nightshade universe longer than I thought you would be.” She had communicated to him before they left through the portal. Candy wanted him to know where they were going and for what purpose. Raine Narmouth had to be taken care of so he would no longer jeopardize Alex’s health and well-being.

  “That is one world I would rather not return to,” Candy mumbled into his chest. If it was possible, she would have burrowed further into his body. She hungered for this man more than her stomach wanted what he cooked. She raised her head and placed her lips on his. Candy fantasized about him lifting her on the counter and taking her right there.

  Tolfer did not wait long to deepen the kiss and tighten his embrace. “Your thoughts are leaking through, Canny,” Tolfer communicated through their private channel. “My parents are in the other room. Do not tempt me to do something I would never live down.” Tolfer released her lips and started to lavish kisses on her ear. He took her earlobe and nibbled.

  “Hey,” Candy giggled, “I just came from a world populated by vampires. They were nothing like the movies depicted them.” She looked deep into his eyes and moved her hands to his head. Candy loved to move her fingers through his hair. “You would fit the romantic vampire of my fantasies quite well. Actually, any of my fantasies.”

  “You are going to have to tell me about them and I will do my best to make them a reality,” Tolfer added. She loved Tolfer’s playful manner. Other than the dumb pet names, he had not exhibited this side of his personality in the penal colony. Candy was happy he was back to his old self and was comfortable enough with her to show it.

  To her disappointment he released her and started to stir the stew he was making. She stood back in wonder and watched her soul mate. Candy had structured her life to depend on no one. She had even grown to be independent of Shirl and Alex. That was one of the reasons why the other women had grown even closer. Now she found herself totally in love with a man who nurtured everyone around him. She had fought Tolfer’s need to take care of her. He had started to do little things for her without her even knowing he did them. Every day she found herself accepting more and more from this man. She no longer fought it, but longed for his care.

  “I love you,” Candy said with all her heart.

  “I know,” he smiled and brought a spoon to her mouth. “Taste this.” It did not bother her that Tolfer did not mimic back her words. If there was one certainty in her mind, Tolfer loved her.

  Flavor exploded on her tongue. “Wow!” she exclaimed, “That is really good. Alex is going to love it. How is she doing?”

  Tolfer turned the flame under the pot off and brought her back into his arms. “She is fine. You got to her just in time. We called a med-tech to check her out as soon as we got home.”

  Holding her breath, she asked the question she dreaded asking. “What about the baby?”

  A wide smile graced his face and Candy knew that everything was all right. “Our little wee niece is just fine. No one was going to let the med-tech leave without her thoroughly checking on the pregnancy.

  Relief flooded Candy’s being. A moment’s repose was necessary for her to gather her relieved, near shattered nerves. There were still a myriad of questions she needed answers to.

  “What about Chanz Narmouth?” Candy finally asked. “I cannot imagine he is going to take his brother’s disappearance lying down. He was responsible for mind-raping women so Raine could finish the job.”

  “There had been a witness who saw Raine carrying something into the factory. His finger prints are on the freezer door,” Tolfer told her. “He will imagine Raine is hiding and does not want Chanz to know where he is. Their familial pathway would alert others in his family where he could be staying so it would not be suspicious if Raine is not communicating to his brother.”

  “I guess you are right.” Candy wondered if Raine Narmouth was still alive or was still being used as a blood donor for some starving vampires. Drake had been very specific when Raine would finally meet his maker.

  “What was it like?” Tolfer asked. Candy knew he was asking about the Nightshade universe.

  “Frightening, frigid, and a miserable place I never want to return to,” Candy answered. “We never left the gathering room or whatever they call it. It was like a cold, damp cave. The vampires Drake brought with him were supposedly trustworthy. They were not as bad off as many of the vampires we saw today. Their eyes glow red from the blood lust. They are starving. Yorik and his cronies were more than happy to take Narmouth off our hands.”

  “Something else is bothering you,” Tolfer said. “I can sense there is something you are not telling me.” Her soul mate started to examine her neck and other parts of her anatomy. She laughed and batted him away.

  “I was not bitten.” She lightly kissed his lips. “If they had made a single offensive move, Shirl would have incinerated them. Yorik is not aware of what her power is, he just knows it exists. It was the vampire’s protectiveness of Alex’s unborn child that drove their anger toward Narmouth. I don’t understand it and it is freaking me out.”

  Tolfer frowned. “We know they believe she could mate with them.”

  “When we arrived they were cordial enough. However, when we mentioned Raine had endangered Alex and the baby they went ballistic. The master vampire believes Drake has a personal interest where Alex and the baby are concerned. I asked Shirl what was going on, but she would not tell me anything.”

  “Go check on your friend,” Tolfer suggested. “Tell her we will be eating in twenty minutes. This will tide her over in the meantime.” Tolfer handed her a small plate holding a roll with some kind of spread on it.

  Candy accepted the plate and headed to Tarsea and Alex’s room. She was bursting at the seams wanting to know what was going on with Alex and the vampires of the Nightshade Universe.

  “Tell me again,” Alex said. “How did Narmouth react to the vampires? It is kind of scary I am eating this all up. I never realized I had such a dark side to my nature.”

  “Eat this instead.” Candy handed Alex the plate Tolfer had given her. “Dinner is in twenty minutes.”

  Candy examined her friend as she pushed away the layer of blankets she had cocooned around her. “Yummy, salmon spread.” Alex bit into the roll and leaned back against the pillows with her eyes closed. The color started to return to Alex’s cheeks and she glowed with health.

  “Everything all right with you?” Candy asked. “Part of me wanted to stay with you. The part that wanted to see Narmouth pay ultimately won out.”

&nbs
p; Alex looked up from her snack. “Shirl told me both Yorik and Drake fed from him.”

  “When we told them what his crime was they became enraged,” Candy informed her friend. “They were scary before we told them, but when they found out he had tried to harm you they went postal.”

  “Postal?” Starc asked behind her. He was standing with his arms wrapped around Shirl’s waist.

  “It is a slang term for going berserk,” Shirl answered. “There were a couple of shooting episodes involving present or past postal workers some time ago. The word started to be used when someone goes crazy. I think it’s even in the dictionary.”

  “Regardless,” Candy continued impatiently. “What is up with the Nightshade vampires and your unborn child?”

  Candy could see the look that past between Shirl and Alex. It was a look she knew well. They were silently battling over who was going to have to tell Candy. It was information that needed to be shared. Ultimately, it was always Shirl who gave up and responded.

  “We told you already that for some reason they believe Alex’s unborn daughter carries a gene that will allow them to have children with her.”

  “Can you believe that?” Alex shrieked. “My baby is the size of a pin head and they think she carries that gene. Regardless, my daughter is never going to the Nightshade universe ever. Did you see Yorik’s daughter? That half-human half-vampire girl looks like death warmed over. I am not going to have my daughter or granddaughter subjected to such an existence.”

  “Relax,” Shirl sat on the bed next to Alex. Shirl wrapped her arm around Alex’s shoulder as they did when they were kids. “It takes a crystal telepath to navigate the portal. You and the baby are safe from the vampires of that world. You know Candy and I would never let them get their bloodthirsty hands on you. Not to mention what Tarsea would do to them.”