“Don’t make me pick!”
“Whether you choose or I choose will make no difference in the moral implications, Katelina. You have a fledgling of your own to teach. It’s time you embraced all the aspects of immortality, otherwise you can’t instruct someone else.”
She looked past the crowd to a guy standing alone on his phone. “Him. The group would be hard to handle.”
Jorick patted her shoulder. “Good instincts. Now come.”
She reluctantly followed him down the sidewalk. The closer they drew to the bar and the people, the more her throat burned. When they passed the humans, it took all of her self-control not to grab one.
“It’s like walking through a bakery,” she whispered. She’d been to one on a fourth grade field trip. Sick, she hadn’t eaten breakfast. By the time they toured the bakery she’d felt better—and hungry. She’d never wanted bread more in her life. Luckily, at the end of the tour, they’d each gotten a bread roll. That was the best roll she’d ever had. For a while afterwards, she’d demanded her mother buy that brand. Sadly, none of them ever tasted as good as that one roll.
Katelina and Jorick caught up to the lone guy. He snapped at the person on the other end of the phone conversation, “You know what, fuck you.”
With a snarl he hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket. Jorick stepped close. Katelina expected some cheesy vampire lines, or a cliché “do you have a light?” instead, Jorick looked at him and the guy went slack.
Together, the three of them walked the quarter of a block to an alley. Jorick led them about halfway down it. He looked both directions, then motioned to her. “Go first, little one.”
Somewhere in the back of her mind, her good sense was trapped, shouting that this guy was a human being with a family, with friends, with freckles on his nose and a scar on his ear from an old piercing. Only, she couldn’t hear the pleas over the pounding of his heart.
She pushed the guy back against the building. His slight body was warm and compliant—so warm. She swore she could see the vein in his neck pulsing, begging to be bitten, consumed.
Like that fluffy little bread roll.
His flesh sliced neatly under her fangs. She gulped a mouthful of hot fresh blood, then another and another. The alley faded. She saw an apartment living room. A half-naked man was draped across the couch, smoking. His hair was mussed. His expression unrepentant.
The voice came from her lips, but it wasn’t hers. “You’re serious? You’re throwing away three years of us for him?”
“I’d say I was sorry, but I’m not. It isn’t working, Caden. It hasn’t been working for months. You know it, I know it. Stop being a whiny drama queen and walk away with some grace.”
She grabbed a potted cactus and flung it. The pot shattered. Dirt scattered. “How’s that for grace, Devon? Or this?” She grabbed a piece of Pueblo pottery and smashed it against the wall. “How could you?” she screamed over Devon’s shouts. “How could you do this?”
“Katelina!”
She jerked back to the alley. The guy— Caden—leaned against the wall, eyes frozen open, chest heaving with strangled breaths. A wound on his neck bled onto his white pullover. Jorick stood next to her, his hands on her arm. For a second anger flared in her again; the blinding fury.
How could you do this?
Except he hadn’t done anything. The anger, the betrayal, both belonged to Caden, not her.
“I’m sorry,” Jorick said. “Had you continued, you’d have drained him. I assumed you didn’t want that.”
“No.” She wiped her mouth. “Now what? I guess that means you can’t drink from him?”
“I could.” She gave him a sharp look and he shrugged. “I’ve killed before, little one, though as a demonstration I won’t tonight. Come, we’ll find another and I’ll show you how to stop without being told.” The twinkle in his eye said it was a tease, but the heat rose in her cheeks. That she was such a glutton…
“You’ll get better. Come.”
She took an uncertain step. “What about him?”
“He has a phone. In roughly five minutes he’ll come to and immediately call an ambulance.”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to leave them when it was obvious what happened? All of that secrecy stuff?”
“Technically, you’re not. If I followed the letter of the law, I’d finish him, then mangle or burn the body, but I thought you’d object.”
“Obviously. I thought you’d make him forget about being injured altogether.”
Jorick coughed. “At this point that’s impossible, assuming you want him to live. You took a good deal of blood. He’ll need medical attention. If I made him forget he was injured, how would he receive it? Perhaps his injury will heal his broken relationship. People find they care more when near death experiences are involved.”
“If he’s smart he won’t take the guy back.”
Jorick arched a surprised brow, but made no comment as he guided her back to the street. They walked another block before he chose his intended victim. Like before, the human went slack and willingly followed them into an alley. Katelina looked away as he drank, torn between jealousy, hunger, and revulsion. She didn’t want to explore the complex feelings, and was grateful when he finished.
“You can’t get lost in their memories,” he explained as they headed back to the van. “Of course, it won’t hurt you to drink them to death, or to drink from them after they’re dead, but with your sensitivities…”
“I understand.”
“There is one thing.” He looked carefully ahead. “You’re not a whisperer. You can’t control them, and you can’t make them forget. Unless you’re planning to kill them you should avoid human victims on your own, or with someone who isn’t a whisperer, like the Neanderthal.”
“Micah? Why would I be with him and not you?”
Jorick’s jaw tightened. “One can’t know what the future holds.”
She squeezed his hand. “I know what’s in my future: you. So, I don’t need to worry about it.”
When everyone was back at the van, they started off again, classic rock blaring. Katelina stared at the back of Micah’s head and wondered what he did with his victim. Were they stumbling around, cognizant of a vampire attack, or dead on the sidewalk?
She felt the momentary burn of mind reading. Jorick nodded, taking credit, then said softly, “He could have incapacitated them before he drank. The victim might wake and assume it was a mugging gone wrong.”
“Do you think he’d take the time?”
Jorick shrugged. She leaned her head against the window. Feeding was so complicated. She needed blood to live, but taking it felt wrong. Though Jorick compared it to eating meat, it was different. Meat came neatly packaged or, better yet, fully cooked and slapped between hamburger buns. If she had to look in the cow’s eyes, or butcher it herself, she might have been a vegetarian. It was that removal from the truth that made it possible. But with vampirism there was little removal. She had to look at what she drank from, had to crawl inside their heads.
“You don’t have to,” Jorick said softly. “You can choose what to do with the connection, whether to see inside their minds, let them into yours, or send feelings. Right now you’re allowing your subconscious to choose because you don’t want to acknowledge what you’re doing. When you’re ready to accept it, then you can learn to control it.”
It made a certain kind of sense, but she couldn’t accept killing things.
Then don’t kill them.
The thought wasn’t hers. Jorick gave another nod of credit. That sounded good, but how was she supposed to not kill a squirrel? One sip and the thing was dead.
“Look for larger prey,” Jorick said. “Deer. Cows. Horses. Humans.”
Brandle leaned up from the backseat. “Sorry, but even with this racket I overheard you mention horses. Do you have some? I did for decades. More recently they’re out of favor, what with automobiles and airplanes and the like. I miss them. Not that
these aren’t convenient conveyances, but they lose the feel, the companionship of a good horse.”
Katelina hid a smile as he went on with a story about a particularly faithful beast he’d once owned. As he talked, they left the city behind for an expanse of desert. The mountains were dark shadows that rose from nothing, then fell off again. Alien was the only word she could think to describe it, even with the cactuses.
The GPS gave orders in fake feminine tones. Micah turned off on what was more track than road. They bumped along for a couple of miles before a trailer came into view, a dusty red SUV parked next to it.
“Is that it?” Katelina asked doubtfully.
Verchiel glanced from the phone to the property. “So it says. But that doesn’t look vampire friendly.” He squinted. “Wait. There’s another building behind it.”
Micah turned the music down. “A fucking short one.”
“Probably an underground house,” the redhead said. “That would make more sense.”
Katelina closed her eyes and tried to reach out to Samael. Had he found Lilith already? Killed her and Sarah? Was he there, tearing through the underground bunker?
Sorino’s voice came from the very back, “Open the suitcase, Kai.”
A click followed, then Sorino handed out the weapons they’d used in Texas. Zander took the heavy mace without comment. Jorick took the same short sword. He held it out to Katelina with a wink. “Is this weapon enough for you?”
They pulled in next to the trailer. Micah shut the van off. “Things look pretty quiet.”
Verchiel sniffed. “They do, but there’s someone here.”
Katelina eyed the trailer, then shifted her attention to the underground building. Mostly buried under a mound of clumpy grass-like bushes, what was visible was made of concrete. An area in the front was dug out, like a pit. She could just see a set of stairs that led down to a heavy metal door.
They climbed out of the van to stand in a bunch, watching the bunker as if it might explode. Nothing happened. There was no crushing presence of an ancient.
Neither Lilith nor Samael were there.
“Is this the place or not?” Micah asked.
Verchiel shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Then find out. Either knock on the damn door or kick it in. I don’t give a shit which, but let’s get on with it.”
Jorick took a few steps when the bunker door opened. William and Zachariah dashed up the steps, followed by two vampires Katelina didn’t know. The four fanned out in the yard, bodies tense, weapons in their hands.
William’s eyes narrowed at his friend. “Brandle, I told you in Texas that if we met again you’d be my enemy.”
“Haven’t you realized yet that Lilith has no intention of fighting the Sodalitas. I already told you, you’re cannon fodder.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, old friend. We have a deal. Once her ex-lover is defeated, she’ll turn her attention to Munich, as she catered to Sarah’s whims.”
Katelina stiffened. By catering he meant destroying her town and nearly killing her mother.
“Once she destroys the Kugsankal, who do you think will rule?” Brandle demanded. “You? In place of a council, you’ll have a queen.”
“Don’t you mean a goddess?” one of the others sneered.
Micah laughed. “Like anyone would worship her.”
“They already do. They pray to her, sacrifice to her, and celebrate her feast every year,” the vampire said smugly.
“Don’t bother talking to them, Aalot,” the other said. “At their age they wouldn’t know.”
Except they did. Pray. Sacrifice. Feast. Goosebumps ran up Katelina’s spine.
Aalot bounced his weapon in his hand. “Everyone’s heard of the Night Goddess.”
Zander stiffened. “Why do you invoke her sacred name?”
“You call it sacred, yet you fight against her?” Aalot asked.
Zander’s voice rose a notch. “I strive to do her will in all things.”
Zachariah rolled his eyes. “If you want to do her will, then step aside. Better yet, deal with your friends here.”
Zander lifted his chin. “Her will would be to destroy you.”
Aalot laughed. “Do you think so? Wait until she returns, and ask her yourself.”
Zander looked confused. Brandle laid a hand on his shoulder. “They’re trying to goad you. Best to ignore them.”
“No, I’m not.” Aalot stepped closer, still bouncing his weapon. “I don’t need to rely on mind games to disarm an opponent. If he wants to follow the Night Goddess, he’s welcome to join us and fight beside her.”
“Kali,” William snapped impatiently. “Or Lilith, as you call her. She’s the Night Goddess from long before any of us were born. If we’re done here?”
Zander stood motionless. Katelina could feel his brain trying to process the information. “It cannot be true,” he muttered. He grabbed Brandle’s arm. “You can see their thoughts. Tell me! Is it true? Or do they lie?”
Brandle made a noncommittal sound as the door to the underground bunker opened. Angelica climbed the steps to join them. “Acwellen. I thought I smelled you.”
“Angelica,” Brandle said weakly.
Zander ignored the interruption to give his friend a small shake. “Is it true?”
“Zander—”
“What do you see?”
Brandle sighed. “They’re telling the truth.”
“Blasphemy!” Zander practically shoved Brandle away and pointed his rusty mace at William. “Lilith is a destroyer. The Night Goddess brings life, not death!”
Angelica stared. “What in the hell? What is he talking about? Has he heard of the Night Goddess before? Her whole religion is based on drinking as much blood as you can and killing everything in sight. That’s why it’s not popular anymore.”
“Lies!” Zander cried, brandishing the mace like a pointer. “The scriptures of the Night Goddess teach temperance not slaughter.”
“I’ve never heard of her scriptures,” Aalot said. “But I know what she teaches herself. It’s not temperance.”
“Lilith is a demon!” Zander roared. “Not a Goddess!”
Angelica crossed her arms and cocked a hip. “Obviously. But what kind of creature do you think a vampire goddess would be? If you’ve lived long you should know most myths have a foundation, and she’s it.”
“The Night Goddess is not a myth!” Zander shouted. His usually calm face was twisted in a fury that Katelina didn’t know he could feel. She drew away from his anger.
Angelica held up her hands. “Hey now. I was only saying—”
Zander leapt toward her with a snarl, swinging the mace.
Chapter Twenty
William grabbed Angelica. They disappeared, to pop up a few feet away. Zander rounded on them. William vanished to reappear behind his opponent. He grabbed for Zander’s mace, and barely missed getting his head caved in before he zipped away.
Verchiel appeared next to the wind walker, swinging his sword. William dodged at the last second to resurface next to Angelica. She stumbled back into Zachariah. The vampire swore. Adding insult to injury, she wrenched the spiked tonfa away from him and readied to defend herself.
Zander spun in a circle. He slammed his mace into Aalot’s back, knocking him to the ground. “Lies!” He swung in a broad downward arc. Aalot rolled out of the way. Leaving the weapon to slam into the dirt.
Aalot’s friend moved to interfere. Brandle intercepted him with a clash of weapons.
“Fuck this watching.” Micah ran straight at William. The wind walker disappeared. The bald vampire pulled to a stop. He spun in a circle. William reappeared behind him. He swept Micah from his feet and threw him into the trailer where he slid down to land in a heap.
Loren hurried to Micah’s side. The bald vampire waved him off and stood. He shook his head, as if to clear it, then charged with a roar. William disappeared. Verchiel followed, two wind walkers zipping across the landscape in nearly in
visible blurs.
With William’s disappearance, Micah crashed into Angelica. She stumbled back, then surged forward, swinging the tonfa. The blade connected with Micah’s midsection. He stumbled back with a gasp. Blood blossomed against his white tank top.
Katelina pulled the dagger from her pocket and leapt into the fray. Weaponless, Zachariah swung for her. Jorick dodged between them. His sword flashed, stained with crimson. Katelina turned for Angelica, but the vampiress sent her sliding backwards.
Micah jerked to his feet. “Back off, Lunch! I don’t need your damn help.”
“You need all the help you can get,” Angelica said.
Micah snarled and charged. She stepped away, but Katelina tripped her. As she fell, Micah pounced, pinning her to the dirt.
“Who needs help now?” He broke into a throaty laugh.
Katelina looked for Jorick. He and Zachariah circled one another. Meanwhile, Zander swung his mace at Aalot and his friend, chasing them in a circle. “You will die for your blasphemy! Your blood will be a sacrifice to her!”
Aalot bounced out of the way. “What are you? Some kind of fanatic? You can believe what you want, but Mistress is the Night Goddess.”
“How do you know?” Zander swung again, fury blunting his skill.
“Because I’ve been with her for almost a thousand years!” Aalot dodged. “I saw masses worship her. I heard them.”
“Liar!”
The second vampire lunged at Zander’s back. Again, Brandle cut in. Their enemy unleashed a flurry of attacks. Brandle countered each, moving with the speed of a near ancient.
Zander growled and swung the mace into Aalot’s head. Katelina heard the crack of his skull and saw the splash of blood and brains. With a cry of fury, Zander slammed through his chest with a crunch.
Angelica writhed under Micah’s weight, but she was weaker than him. He readied to punch through her. Brandle grabbed his wrist. “No, not—”
His sentence was cut short by an attack. He ducked out of the way, and his foe knocked Micah aside. Free, Angelica leapt up, scrambling for her stolen weapon, Micah’s blood smeared on her clothes. “I don’t need your help Acwellen.”
Goddess of Night (Amaranthine Book 9) Page 32