Of Scions and Men

by Courtney Sloan

  “And what about their levels?” He pointed at us.

  She snapped her fingers. “Carson is set on his own. Hannah is significantly lower. If it’s a matter of a specific sequence, I’ll wager we can inject Teen Beat with a sequestered dose from Brady since she has the highest levels. Then the bond should take. If it does, we’ll have a method to bolster prospective candidates within, say, a ten percent mean. Perhaps even candidates the Basement has rejected.”

  “It would make the larder larger,” Chuckles agreed. “Will this damage Rowan or make her less useful?”

  “No, she’ll replace her reserve, especially with a vampiric link.”

  “What will taking the bond do to their vampires?” Chuckles gave a quick glance at Nadia and Devon.

  “Do we care?” Martha answered.

  “I do. I care,” I said, but they didn’t even glance at me.

  “Do it and prove to me you can forge link.” He pointed to Walton. “Link third to Walton.”

  The room erupted in a cacophony of angry voices. Walton got in Chuckles’ face and yelled at him about his “claim” on me, unaware of Chuckles’s men circling them both. Hannah screamed and cowered back into her blankets and corner. Carson and I were both on our feet, screaming at our captors.

  “You can’t do this,” Carson pleaded. “The bond is sacred. It has to be a choice.”

  “Leave her out of this. Can’t you get your own girls without forcing others? What kind of vampires are you?” I taunted, hoping they’d get distracted.

  “I was promised Rowan,” Walton continued. “I have already prepared for her. I will not be cut out again.” He was nearly spitting in Chuckles’s face.

  “Quiet!” The vampire’s voice rang out above everyone, causing even Nadia’s and Devon’s attentions to shift from the bottle. “We are doing this.”

  He stepped forward, forcing Walton backward. “We have done work for this. You are allowed who I say, or we will take all of them back with us.” He stared down at Walton, who, after a few seconds, glanced away and nodded. “Good. I will take Rowan with me if she has most of these… hormones, you called them.”

  “Oh, just wait until you meet my hormones, asshole,” I muttered.

  He glared at me, then continued. “If we bond her and can use her blood, we do not have to work with governments in South America. We will save our old ones and take control.”

  Devon emanated a low growl, words seemingly beyond him. The buzzing in my head was getting worse. He was fighting, but he had expended too much.

  “Yes, Shuvalov,” Chuckles said. “You named us enemy for we did not fight your Master’s war. We will take this and still win.”

  Devon fought his bonds, his pupils now blood red and his lips revealing his teeth and gums as he snapped at the group. I’d never seen him like this. This was the monster he kept in check, and, for once, I was on the monster’s side. We needed to put these guys down.

  Chuckles smirked at him and turned his back on the raving beast. He addressed Martha. “Do it.”

  hey all began moving. The South Americans, minus Chuckles, cleared the center floor, moving the cots to the wall. Martha collected her gear and began putting vials of–what I assumed was–my blood into her science gadgets. They were going to use my blood to alter Hannah. Nothing about this was right.

  Hannah screamed in the cell beside me. Walton opened her cage and moved inside with Mr. Stocky Brazilian blocking the doorway. She crab-walked backward, but Walton was on her in an instant.

  I reached between the bars and grabbed Walton’s clothing as he pulled Hannah out of the cage. Taking a fistful of his collar, I used what strength I had gathered from Devon and slammed his skull into the bars with a reverberating clang.

  Stunned, he let go of Hannah. She took off for the door while I wrapped my arms through the bars and held his thick neck in a sleeper headlock. Making sure his head was secure, I kicked out his knees, taking away all of his starch and following him to the ground.

  “Everyone back the fuck off,” I screamed.

  Mr. Stocky grabbed Hannah, forcing her toward the center.

  “Get away from her, or I swear I’ll break his neck.” I wasn’t sure if I could from this angle, but I was more than willing to try.

  Chuckles put up a hand, and everyone froze. He stared calmly at me, his stupid, amused smile still on his lips. “Do it.”

  I clenched my jaw to keep it from falling open. He’d called my bluff way too fast.

  White hot pain exploded up my limbs, into my stomach, my chest, my head. They had turned the cages back on, and I was wrapped completely around the bars.

  Pain raced through me, following every synapse, frying me inside and out. My screams were joined by Walton’s, caught against the bars with me, and Devon roared like an animal from the other side of the room. Tears blurred my vision. The taste of blood burned on my tongue.

  This, right here, was how I was going to die.

  And I’d be taking Devon out with me.

  I’m so sorry, Devon.

  After what seemed like an eternity, longer than any of the torture sessions had been, the fire inside of me stopped, and I flopped to the floor, coughing. How could I have forgotten about the stupid electrical bars? Sound and vision slowly returned, blurred and distorted. Every muscle begged to stay right where I was, every limb now weighing a ton and a half.

  Yes, lying right here was the best option.

  Hannah’s terrified screams reached through my shaky senses and bore into me. “Please, don’t do this. Please. I don’t want this. Stop,” she went on. The sound of someone smacking her flesh transformed her words into whimpers and moans.

  “Tom, get over here,” Martha snapped from somewhere beyond my current vision.

  “Leave her alone.” I sounded weak, even to me.

  “Shut up.” Walton growled as his shadow rose above me. “You had your chance.”

  So much for our great love affair.

  Squinting as light replaced his shadow, I tried to ball my hand into a fist in frustration. My weak grip closed on a small object. Smooth. I brushed my thumb against the stone, and my heart ticked–the Tiger’s Eye necklace Masterson had given me. It must have fallen off when they’d first brought us in here. He’d said it would help, but what did it do?

  “Get the dress on her. They must do it in the ritual for some reason. Let’s not take any chances,” Martha ordered.

  A new struggle sounded through the room, and Hannah’s cries reached panicked levels, punctuated by gasping sobs. At the sound of ripping fabric, something snapped inside me.

  “Leave her alone.” It was still more of a strained, hoarse whisper than the demanding shout I had intended. Dammit. I grasped the pendant tighter, strength returning to my hand.

  “Stop!” The girl’s humiliation painted horror through the word. They were treating her like less than an animal. No care. No choice.

  I had to end this somehow. Only hunger–not words–came through my bond with Devon, but I had to believe he would help. He always had.

  Focusing on the bond between us, I summoned every cell in my body to pull power from Devon, praying he would hear me through his haze. Without him, this would never work.

  “Leave her alone,” I said, louder this time.

  I twisted my ankle, putting my foot on the floor and bending my knees. They worked better, but I was still far from standing.

  “Leave her alone.” My mantra fueled my will.

  The stone warmed in my hand. I focused on it, driving all my determination through it into Devon.

  Ignoring all my bluster, Chuckles ordered, “Get the athame for the ceremony.”

  Hannah moaned through hiccupped sobs.

  That did it.

  Fire flashed through my veins again, but the kind of heat that gives you strength, not roasts you alive. In fact, my pain all but vanished. The ping of a bell sounded in my ears. Power, like I’d never felt before, filled my muscles, and my senses once again raged
into overdrive.

  Thank you, Devon.

  Unnoticed by everyone but Carson, I stood, my hairs dancing on my body.

  In a controlled scan, I surveyed the room in two heartbeats. One of the visiting vampires held Hannah’s arms outstretched, keeping her in place. Martha inserted needles and tubing into Hannah from a bag of my blood. Another darker-skinned vampire buttoned a white dress around her. Walton caressed her cheek and put my choker around her neck like he was bestowing a gift rather than taking her against her will. The craze and anticipation in his eyes were impossible to miss.

  Hannah’s face was colored with emotion and fear. Her previous clothes were strewn on the floor. My gut twisted. They had stripped her before everyone. No care. No dignity. No thought.

  There was no way in hell I was going to let my blood help these sociopaths play with the global social order of humanity. Romaric might be a prick, but he had nothing on these guys. Anger pulled everything into clearer focus.

  I turned my attention to the loose bar. “Leave her alone!” I screamed full-voiced, more at the bar than at the people gathered around her.

  “Oh, look who bounced back,” Martha quipped. “Sit down, and shut up.”

  I ignored her. I threw my foot out hard in a side kick and screamed when it contacted with the metal.

  “Leave. Her. Alone!”

  Again, I kicked. Pain echoed up my leg, and sparks flew. The bar moved.

  The room was silent for a moment, then Martha spoke. “Don’t worry. Look at Devon. She’s getting nothing from him. Let her hurt herself and tire out.”

  Devon must have been playing possum for them. I was getting an open flood from him. I smiled, but kept my attention on the loosened bar.

  Energy swirled within me, growing with each cycle through me. When the power crested, I spun and kicked the bar with as much strength as I could. A shower of sparks lit up the dark room, and the bar flew to the right wall.

  “How the…” Martha wondered aloud.

  I turned to face the group as euphoria and determination sang through me. I slipped through the new opening and strode out through her open cage door. I met Chuckles’s eyes and moved for him first. He needed to go down before I was too hurt, or I was going to be toast.

  As he saw me coming for him, he took a step back. but smiled like he was amused by my childish antics. “Restrain her.”

  Halfway to their boss, the two foreign vampires from our alley adventure, Mr. Wiry and Mr. Stocky, and Walton moved to intercept me. Martha kept a hold of Hannah. Chuckles never moved.

  The three rushed me, surrounding me with their immense speed. Walton wrapped his arms around my shoulders. Mr. Stocky grabbed my wrists, while Mr. Wiry covered my retreat from my right. Walton’s lack of training was written all over his overextended body. I loosened my stance, and thrust my hips back into his groin while simultaneously circling my hands around Stocky’s wrists, breaking his hold.

  A quick back kick put space between Walton and me. I advanced on Stocky with a series blinding jabs and a quick elbow across his jaw. He staggered. Walton reached out again for my neck as Mr. Wiry bent and raced to jam his shoulder into my gut. Smiling, I grabbed Walton’s wrist and arm and swung him in a circle before letting go.

  Walton yelled as he found himself careening toward Mr. Wiry. The goon tried to jump out of the way, but part of Walton’s head caught Mr. Wiry on his hip, tripping him. Misters Wiry and Stocky were now separated.

  I danced around the room. Keeping the others in sight had become my focus. Mr. Stocky circled me, watching my every move after my opening gambit. He was waiting on his partner.

  Dammit; he wasn’t as stupid as he appeared.

  Mr. Wiry let out a sharp shout and rushed me. I just smiled as Mr. Stocky also put on a burst of speed to flank me. They were both quick, and I held my breath and my position.

  They underestimated my speed, and only I knew it.

  Stepping to the side when Mr. Stocky threw a high kick at my head, I caught his leg and twisted. With a snap, I sent him stumbling, his ankle broken. Not enough to keep him out of it, but, since he didn’t have a scion to dump the pain into, it was enough to slow him down until he healed.

  With my attention on Mr. Stocky, Mr. Wiry’s fist slammed into my right temple. The momentum sent me reeling backward, but the pain was muffled. Mr. Wiry continued his attack, kicking me several times in the chest. The sounds of cracking accompanied several of the kicks. My breathing became difficult. Thank God for whatever was keeping the pain at bay.

  Dropping low, I swept my leg out, breaking his momentum. He dodged my counterattack easily, but at least it put some distance back between us.

  “Don’t kill her,” Chuckles admonished. “I still want her.”

  Taking his orders like a good little minion, Mr. Wiry altered his attack to come at me from a more conservative stance. I took advantage of his hesitation and closed on him. Mr. Wiry feigned right and moved hard left into a roll to dodge my knee. I predicted his movements and dropped a knee on his chest. It cracked. Tit-for-tat.

  “Bitch,” he hissed, rising to his feet.

  Without waiting, I faked a high punch and, while he blocked it, drove a devastating round kick into his exposed gut with every ounce of energy I could muster, expecting him to merely growl and attack me again. To my surprise, the man’s air rushed from his lungs, and he lost the strength in his legs, slapping the floor as he fell to his knees. With a quick twist and push of power, I snapped his neck until his spine gave completely.

  The harder of the two put down, I turned to his semi-broken counterpart. Goon Two’s face was bright red and his eyes hard. Saliva gleamed off his now exposed canine teeth, elongated over his lower lip. An angry scream barreled from his chest as he rushed forward to attack. I swatted aside the jab and, using Mr. Stocky’s momentum against him, captured his shirt and rammed my foot into his sternum. Once again, I’d turned his body into my weapon.

  Dropping my weight backward, I threw us into a controlled roll, flipping him forward, over me, while I backward somersaulted. As his head and shoulders made contact with the floor, I kept hold of his clothes and followed his momentum, landing squarely on top of him.

  Straddling the dazed moron with my legs over his arms, I let go of his clothes and took hold of his head. He tried to kick out, but, at the awkward angle, he couldn’t get the leverage. With another crack, I twisted his neck until he was able to stare at the floor below him. I had severed his spine completely, like his partner. Neither was getting back up.

  A slow grin crossed my face as I peered up at Walton. “Your turn.”

  Pleasant satisfaction spread through me at the fear on his face. The other two stared in shock. Guess they didn’t know what we little human scions were made of.

  Standing using my legs alone, I let the dead goon drop and stepped over him. Walton ran for the door, leaving Chuckles and Martha behind. On instinct, I raced after him, dropping down momentarily to pick up the bar I’d kicked into the side wall. His speed was intense, but he had to go farther than I did.

  As he scrambled up the first few steps, I leapt the last few feet through the air and plunged the bar through his back. Aiming between the middle of his left scapula and his spine, I drove it through, sure it would pierce the heart enough to render him dead. The bar went through the stairs, pinning him. Walton collapsed under me. How the hell…

  Letting go of the bar, I stared at the impaled vampire and tried to catch my breath. I had moved faster and harder than ever before, and it was taking its toll. Three down, but I didn’t have enough power left to take out the last two.

  I couldn’t let them know that.

  I stood up to full height and turned around to examine the remaining vampires. My eyes narrowed as I realized they’d gathered closer to Hannah. Both Chuckles and Martha had also put on their game faces, their lips pulled back, exposing their sharp teeth. As a show of overkill, Chuckles held the ritual dagger to her throat. Ceremonial or not, it would
kill her.

  “Really, Chuckles?” I took hold of the bannister rail and began slowly plodding down the stairs, hoping I appeared more calm and in control than I felt. “Hiding behind a human? Isn’t that a bit beneath all your pomp and circumstance?”

  “How do you do this?” His eyes were wide and confused, his stupid smile finally off his face.

  “What–kick the ass of your little boyfriends? Easy, really.” I sauntered forward, slowly. Eight feet. I just needed to get within eight feet. “Guess they don’t make lackeys well in South America. Oh right; I forgot. You don’t have scions in South America.”

  “There is no way you could have escaped your cage,” Martha said.

  “Guess your drugs just aren’t up to the job either.”

  Just a little farther.

  “Stop, or I kill her.” Chuckles jabbed the blade further into Hannah’s neck.

  She gasped, and a small droplet of blood dripped onto the white dress, marring its pristine white.

  I put my hands up in a show of peace, though she who blinks first loses. There was no way I was going down this easily. “Why don’t you put down the knife? You and I can settle this.”

  “You won’t kill the girl, defender of humans.” Chuckles snarled at me.

  “I wouldn’t. Look, I’m not moving.” It was the truth. Now that the adrenaline was gone, so was my strength. The world was getting dimmer. In just a few minutes, staying on my feet was not going to be an option. Maybe Devon was working himself free, and that’s why I was without mojo.

  “You want to save others. We need you to save a continent,” Chuckles pleaded.

  “Then you ask! I would have said no, but at least then I wouldn’t have killed two of your men, and all those girls would still be alive.”

  “You don’t understand.” He shook his head.

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. How the hell could they be so far gone to not see the problem with this? My laughter sounded maniacal even to me.