by L. A. Banks
Vampires hissed and sent black bolts toward the mirrors.
“Kill no Vampires! Evasive actions only!” Sir Rodney’s voice rang out as Dragons spiraled down to hit demon targets.
“You must use the mirrors!” Hunter shouted, tossing a shield to Vlad. “If your legions look at them in the eyes they will go to stone!”
Vlad watched in horror as several hundred of his local men instantly turned to granite, but the Vampire forces from Europe were prepared and slashed at the beasts, using their telepathic senses to guide them.
“Use the Fae shields!” Vlad called out, and entered the battle with his eyes closed, fighting blindly.
Wolves ripped demon appendages as fleet-footed Fae blasted the injured Erinyes with white-light wand charges. Vampires were merciless, ripping out throats and disemboweling creatures so that wolves could finish the job on the ground. Gargoyles funneled up, mixing in with the Erinyes’ flight bursts, savaging them, riding their backs, and sending them to the ground for Dragon consumption. Sasha was liquid motion, moving in and out of the shadows with Hunter as though doing an elaborately choreographed dance.
From the corner of her eye in the flash of a mirrored shield, Sasha remembered the one who had breached the castle as their leader. The screech was the same pitch, her raspy demon voice unforgettable. The moment Sasha was sure she’d identified the one named Megaera, Sasha cut through the battle lines on a mission.
Hunter had a demon by the throat when he saw Sasha break formation and then saw where she was headed. Casting off the gasping demon into the heart rip of a waiting Vampire, he took off after Sasha.
He yelled, “No!” at the same time Megaera turned. Sasha was in mid-air lunging toward her when their eyes met. The stone transformation was instant. Sasha dropped to the ground as granite. Megaera threw her head back and laughed and then called for her Erinyes sister to retreat.
But Hunter tackled Megaera from a sidelong blow and pinned her down on her stomach as Sir Rodney and Queen Cerridwen silver-netted her with Hunter trapped in the mesh.
“Retreat!” Alecto called out.
“Gather Fae bodies so that we shall rise again!” Tisiphone screeched.
And just as quickly as it had begun it had ended. The only things disturbing the stillness were the howling screeches of the demon burning alive in the silver while being savaged by a very angry wolf.
“Get Hunter out of there!” Bear Shadow shouted.
Fae rushed in with Sir Rodney and Vampires hung back from the silver, but Hunter’s fury wouldn’t allow anyone to get close to the mesh.
“Let him finish that bitch!” Crow Shadow said, weeping as he crouched down beside Sasha. “She killed my sister. Let him tear her up—eat her alive!”
“We need the testimony of the leader,” Queen Cerridwen said, and then stunned Hunter with an icy blast from her wand.
Wolves snarled and lunged but stopped just short of an actual attack. Fae soldiers moved quickly to drag Hunter out of the netting but left the screeching demon who was missing an arm, her tail, and most of the lower part of her body.
“Wake him gently,” Sir Rodney said, and then pressed his wand to the demon’s throat. “Tell this court what you have done. Is it true you would use the Vampires as pawns to kill the Fae and then inhabit their bodies as though they’d been sacrificed for you?”
“Yes!” Megaera screeched. “We already have the spell. There are sixty of you dead, if not more! We will rise again!”
“But if you betrayed the Vampires,” Elder Vlad said in a dangerous voice, “then I rescind any sacrifice—those sixty dead Fae are not given unto you, and any dead on this field you cannot claim because my forces never attacked a single Fae.”
“Damn you, Vlad Tempesh!” Megaera screeched.
“Too late,” he said with a bitter smile, “and you shall so owe me for all of this.”
“No,” the demon shouted, growing weaker as the effect of the silver depleted her strength, “it is you who still owes me for the body of the young girl! We still have unfinished business.”
“I have over a hundred and fifty human hostages scattered around lairs in this state—pick a body, any body,” Vlad said, laughing.
“No. ,” Elder Kozlov said calmly as he stepped out of the shadows and summarily beheaded Elder Vlad with a black death charge from his fingers. “Consider this Vampire head your debt paid in full. It was the best I could do on such short notice.” He looked at the legions of Vampires as Elder Vlad’s head rolled to his feet. “I have read disturbing testimony from Caleb that was entered in the court dockets just before dawn. Know that the last thing anyone ever wants to do is lie to me.”
Elder Kozlov drew himself up and then looked down at Megaera. “Lucifer and I are on a first-name basis. care to wager what he might think about your squandering Vampire resources for your own personal gain. his elite fighting forces of the darkness?”
“You wouldn’t,” the demon whispered, now seeming to feel every injury she’d sustained.
“But you know that I would,” Elder Kozlov said with a tight, fanged smile. “You have forgotten your place, demon.”
“What do I have to do to make this right, Your Eminence?”
“The first bargain is void, because you double-bargained over it.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
“This deal is null, because it was based on fraud.” Elder Kozlov looked at the crone. “Enter this into the record.”
The crone bowed as the demon nodded.
“You have cost us viceroys.. Oh, you will so pay me for that offense, plus however many Fae lives that my misguided Vlad ordered executed.”
“Yes,” Megaera hissed.
“And you will return the she-wolf to her human form, all of her unharmed, as the wolves have shown restraint throughout and were peacekeepers to the end. thus avoiding us having additional casualties.”
Megaera lifted her one talon and sent a dark energy charge to Sasha that the Fae quickly rinsed with silver and white light before it entered Sasha’s stone body. Crow Shadow clutched his sister to his chest as her wolf form gave way to a limp, warm, unconscious woman.
“Go to Hell,” Elder Kozlov said with a sneer, and then watched Megaera vanish. “We are much more discreet than this. Release the humans so that it does not become a media issue for our region.. Leave it to the Fae to spin the story and bespell those poor cattle. We don’t play with our food.” He nodded and Caleb slipped out of the shadows of the courthouse. Elder Kozlov crooked his finger, and Caleb smiled and then descended the steps to follow him.
Vampires stepped back and within a slow blink of an eye they were mist, swirling away on the night air with a funnel cloud of gargoyles.
“Awake Hunter gently,’ Sir Rodney said, and then went to Cerridwen to hug her as a unified Fae and wolf cheer rang out.
EPILOGUE
Two Days Later
Doc stood beside Sasha and then extended his elbow. “You ready?” He turned to her and gave her a smile when she didn’t answer. “Me neither, baby.. You look beautiful.”
She couldn’t make her hands stop shaking or get her flowers to stop bouncing. “Thanks, Dad, but I think I’m gonna hurl.”
He kissed her through her short white veil. “Just a little morning sickness, it should pass in a couple of months.”
“What!” she wheezed, now holding on to his arm for support.
“The Fae give a nice party,” Doc said, seeming thoroughly amused as he began the promenade. “Great cake all done up with flowers and such—as the father of the bride, I know this has got to be a hundred-thousand-dollar affair. I never expected to have the luxury to walk my daughter down the aisle, so on my Army salary from years ago I never put away for anything. Things worked out, huh? Smile at the Chens, sweetie,” he added. “They’re still clueless. Look ahead; smile at Hunter; the poor man is faint.”
“You’re sure; you’re absolutely sure,” she whispered, beginning to hyperventilate.
&
nbsp; “It’s not just because I’m a doctor and did your blood work, but don’t you recall Hunter acting really weird? I mean more protective than usual?”
Sasha swallowed hard and kept her eyes straight ahead so she didn’t pass out while the Pixies and Fairies flung flower petals in her path. Her bone-hued silk gown felt like it was second skin as perspiration suddenly leaked into the delicate gossamer fabric the Fae had spun. But Queen Cerridwen just gave Sasha a nod as she passed, and the next thing she knew a cool breeze had dried everything.
The entire garrison had come out and the wedding was being held in the gardens just so Sir Rodney could go nuts and show off what a true summer Fae monarch could do. Rupert wept uncontrollably, and even old Garth blinked back moisture from his eyes. But she couldn’t think beyond the buzzing in her ears. Pregnant. Pregnant? She was a warrior and pregnant. “How did that happen?” she murmured, not realizing her mouth had engaged what was rattling around in her head.
“None of my business how it happened,” Doc said with a quiet chuckle. “And you’re too old for me to discuss the birds and the bees with you, baby. Ask your husband later today; I’m sure he’ll show you how.”
Her father patted her arm, but his wry comment made her smile. Yes. now it all made so much sense. She stared at Hunter and watched his Adam’s apple bob above his crisply starched tux collar. Cherry blossoms littered the lawn out of season as Sir Rodney waved at the flora like a mad orchestra conductor, changing the flowers upon her every footfall, turning the outer palace gardens into a veritable Fourth of July flower show.
Still, nothing was as handsome as the quiet warrior who waited for her at the end of the garden beneath a natural canopy of interlocked blooming trees. He was her friend. He was her guide. He was her lover. He was her dream partner. He was her rock. He was her champion. He was her breath. He was her spirit. He was now the father of her child. Tears rose in Sasha’s eyes. She’d been so blessed, and at different times; both of them had almost never lived to see this day. And that they’d made it this far together was one thing, but that everyone they so dearly loved had made it, caused her to bite her lip to hold back a sob.
Shogun blotted Hunter’s forehead with a white cotton handkerchief and then his own. Her brother-in-law had made it. For the close call, after a few days of rest and lots of good Fae fare, Shogun just looked like he had a bad case of sunburn and was peeling. Amy beamed at her and Clarissa dabbed her eyes as both women clutched their bouquets and waited for Sasha to arrive at the front of the garden to stand beside Hunter.
“She’s all yours,” Doc said quietly as Shogun and Bear Shadow parted.
“I still haven’t had a chance to kiss your boo-boo,” Sasha whispered as she stepped in closely to Hunter.
He gave her a sidelong glance and a sly half smile, chuckling, and then simply turned to her, lifted her veil, and kissed her hard.
The Fae went nuts. The crowd was on their feet with a rowdy cheer. Jennifer began bawling the moment Hunter moved into place, and Mrs. Chen put a supportive arm over her shoulder.
Silver Hawk just smiled and closed his eyes. “You two will have to give me a moment alone with the Great Spirit before I begin the formal ceremony. because witnessing this day, for this old wolf, is truly a miracle.”
The End
LEFT FOR UNDEAD
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2010 by Leslie Esdaile Banks.
Cover photograph © Barry Marcus
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
ISBN: 978-0-312-94302-8
Printed in the United States of America
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / October 2010
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Many thanks to all of you who have joined me on this adventure and have followed this series, as well as followed my Vampire Huntress Legends series. You all made it so worthwhile and it has been an awesome journey into the realm of imagination and fantasy with wolves and pack alliances, lovers and Fae, vampires and witches, and good ultimately triumphing over evil. Thank you for the wild and wonderful ride!
Special acknowledgment goes to: My agent, Sara Crowe (an awesome lady!), my editor Rose Hilliard, and the St. Martin’s team. Of course, I can never fail to mention my dedicated Street Team, the backbone! Plus special thanks to Police Officer Jerry Patterson of Grand Prairie, Texas, for your wonderful expert assistance in helping me understand weapons and ballistics—couldn’t have done it without you, Jerry!
Thank you all!
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21