Blood Battles (Fallen Angels Book 2)

by Judith Post

  Gino looked around. "You sure have this place buttoned up."

  "I have lots of artifacts I brought back from trips. Not all of them are valuable, but they mean a lot to me. I don't want to lose them."

  Gino rammed his hands into his pockets. "I knocked on doors, but no one answered."

  "I wasn't home."

  "Does Voronika work during the day?"

  "Since she met me, she does whatever strikes her fancy."

  Gino's eyes widened in surprise. "Must be nice."

  "For both of us. I love making her happy."

  "How rich are you?"

  Enoch raised a dark eyebrow. "Rich enough to do whatever I please."

  "And you live here?" Gino grimaced. "It's not exactly glam."

  "We've had glam. Right now, we like this. When we're tired of it, we'll buy something else."

  Gino watched him walk to the house, unlock the door and grid, and disappear inside.

  When Enoch returned with the purse, he glanced to Gino's car. "I don't mean to be inhospitable, but I have work to do."

  "You work?"

  "I'm a writer. I work from home."

  Gino nodded, got in his Audi, and backed around Enoch's Land Rover, then left.

  Enoch watched him until he was out of sight. Lips pressed tight, he glanced around the property. Had Gino gone to the garage and shed too? Probably. When he stepped inside the house, Voronika called to him. He hurried upstairs to check on her.

  "I'm fine. We're all fine," she hurried to say when she saw his face. "But Gino got the kitchen door open. Thought you'd want to know your alarm works."

  Enoch cursed under his breath.

  Bart and Claudia came to stand in their door. "He's lucky he didn't get in. When he opened the kitchen door without a key, the lights went on in all our rooms and your high-pitched signal went off." Like a dog's whistle, the signal was too high for human ears. Gino didn't even know he'd alerted the vampires.

  Enoch nodded, satisfied. Gino's attempt still made him edgy, though. "He shouldn't have been able to open the door."

  "He had a bunch of gadgets," Claudia said, "along with his crossbow and stakes. When he saw your car coming, he stashed them in his Audi."

  Enoch scowled. "I'd better not leave the house anymore. Gino could come back during the day and do…who knows what? Hell, he could bring a bazooka."

  Bart shrugged. "And what? Put a hole in the house? It would wake us up and piss us off, but it sure wouldn't kill us."

  "But…."

  Voronika yawned, cutting him off. "No one could make us any safer. I'm going back to sleep."

  Bart and Claudia turned to go to bed too.

  Enoch followed Voronika, pulled the blankets over her, and gently kissed her. "When the hunters come, I wish you'd stay in the house and let us fight."

  "I've been there, done that. I'm tired of hiding."

  "Is there anything I can say to change your mind?"

  "No."

  He gave her a final kiss and turned to leave the room.

  "Do you know what tomorrow is?" Voronika asked.

  "Thursday?"

  "It's the fourth day of July."

  Enoch frowned. "And?"

  "July Fourth?" How could her angel not know? "There'll be fireworks. Will we be able to see them?"

  Enoch looked at her, surprised. He'd lived in the United States for a long time, she knew, but he obviously didn't think of it as home. "Fireworks," he said. "I don't pay as much attention to each country's celebrations and customs as I should."

  “Can we see them?” She tried to keep her tone patient. It wasn’t her strong point.

  He tried to think. "The city sets off fireworks on the north side of town. That's too far away for us to see from here."

  Voronika sighed. "The southwest side of the city does a display, and so does the country club not too far from here. I read about them in the newspaper. If we sit on the balcony, we might get lucky, but I'm worried about the trees blocking our view."

  "Are you a fireworks fan?"

  "Aren't you? There aren't that many celebrations that take place after dark. Fireworks are gorgeous. I love them."

  "Then we'll go on the balcony tomorrow night and watch for them." If all she saw were a few lights blocked by trees, she wasn't going to be happy. He'd have to come up with something. And he'd better do it right.

  Chapter 39

  Gino punched numbers into his cell phone. When Manny answered, he got straight to the point. "I went to the house myself and took a good look around. The damn place is a fortress. Metal grids and bulletproof glass, enough room for an army of bloodsuckers. Like I told you before, I need more men."

  Manny's voice was terse. "I need this over now—without attracting attention. You’ve gotta get in that house and finish off everyone and everything that’s in there."

  "And how do I do that? Slide down the chimney?"

  "There has to be somebody he cares about."

  "His girlfriend, but she looks as scary as he is."

  "She's a vamp, stupid."

  Gino let that sink in. Voronika was a vampire. He'd wondered, but he couldn't be sure. "He's new to town, works with a detective, but I don't know if they're close or not."

  "He let your girlfriend in, didn't he? Has a soft spot for people?"

  "He told her not to come back."

  "He knows her dad. It’ll work. Our angel’s nothing but a caring guy."

  "Angel? So it's true. What the hell!" Gino had been raised Catholic. His mama went to confession once a week. Working with vampires was bad enough. But what was Manny talking about now?

  "Hey, this angel can’t be all that good, right? He hasn't sprouted wings, and he kills people. Doesn't sound like he plays the harp to me."

  “I don’t like it. I’m religious, don’t want to push my luck.”

  Manny’s voice turned hard. "I go to mass every Sunday. So what? If the angel doesn’t kill you and you make it back to New York, I'll tell you the whole story. But first, finish off anything you find in that house. And make it fast."

  "There could be dozens of them in there."

  "They'll be asleep. Kill 'em before they wake up."

  The phone went dead. Gino flipped his cell shut and thought long and hard. Anyone who got close to that house ended up on a slab. But Manny wasn't ready to budge. And no one pushed Manny. Maybe it was time to talk to his new floating friend. How deep did vamps sleep? Like the dead?

  Chapter 40

  Enoch poured himself a cup of coffee and went to look out the window above the sink. He watched the sun crest the horizon, shooting fingers of pink into the sky. A lovely sight. What would it be like to live in darkness like his vampire friends did? Caleb missed the Light from Home so much, he turned to blood to renew his energy and strength. Sunlight was the vampires' enemy. It destroyed them. But Voronika still missed it. Why wouldn't she?

  She'd told everyone about the fireworks last night, tried to talk Claudia into a special meal. Well, if she wanted to have a real Fourth of July, by God, he'd do his best to provide one. He gave himself a few hours to meditate, and then drove to Riverdale, a small community on the south side of Three Rivers. It had been a town at one time before the city grew around it and annexed it. He liked the area because everything was handy. There was a hardware store, a grocery, a bank, post office, coffee shop, bakery, and meat market all within five minutes of one another. He started at the hardware store and bought a charcoal grill. Then he went to the meat market down the street, one of his favorites, and bought baby back ribs, hamburger patties, and hot dogs. His last stop was Pyromaniacs where he bought more smoke bombs, fountains, and fireworks than he knew what to do with. The shop's owner had a suggestion for that, though—set them off in groups for one hell of a display.

  He spent the afternoon setting up mortars and connecting fuses around his back yard. Then he got busy in the kitchen. When he heard Voronika start down the stairs, he hurried out the door and lit a match, so that fountains
sprayed sparks high into the air. When she came to the window and laughed, he threw smoke bombs around the perimeter of the patio. Green, blue, yellow, and purple smoke encompassed him. Voronika shook her head, smiling. When he came inside, she wrapped him in a hug. "You didn't have to do that."

  Amado stalked to the refrigerator and jerked it open. "Some of us don't have time to play."

  "But it's a national holiday, and that was only an appetizer." Enoch grinned. "On the Fourth, people barbecue." He went out and carried in ribs, burgers, and hot dogs. He loaded the island with bowls of potato salad, baked beans, and slices of watermelon.

  "How much do you think we can eat?" Claudia asked, pulling Bart into the kitchen with her.

  "We'll find out." Enoch slathered barbecue sauce on the meat and draped a red and white checked table cloth on the dining room table. He put out red, white, and blue plastic plates and cups.

  "You don't do things halfway, do you?" Eva looked at the strawberry shortcakes with whipped cream and strawberries and blueberries sprinkled on top, in keeping with the color scheme.

  "Our friend, the angel?" Bart asked. "He tends to be a bit thorough."

  They all gathered for the meal, and once they were finished, Enoch said, "Stay here. I'll start the fireworks."

  He had the entire display planned out and moved from one group of mortars to the next, sending huge splashes of color high into the sky. By the time the last fuse was lit, Voronika was on the balcony, clapping. Smoke hung in the air, and Enoch heard a fallen branch crack at the edge of the trees. He turned and squinted. Hunters. Lots of them.

  "A perfect touch, old friend!" Ulrich's voice called to him. "Now we're really going to see fireworks."

  The men walked from the woods en masse—maybe a dozen or more of them, all armed with crossbows and stakes. Ulrich and Gunther swept from the basement door, so fast the hunters didn't have time to take aim. Each grabbed a hunter and flew off with him. Eva and Keb rocketed out of the front door and grabbed one each. The hunters were twisting and twirling, this way and that, to shoot their stakes. Nula and Elijah grabbed two more, and then Claudia and Bart. The hunters tried to fire, but the vampires were too fast. Enoch ran toward the two hunters closest to him, but before he could reach them, Amado and Voronika swooped down and took off with them.

  Enoch's heart lurched in his chest. What was Voronika doing out of the house? His breath came fast. He saw a hunter aim upward, ready to shoot. Enoch jerked him off his feet. His crossbow fired, shooting a stake across the yard. It buried itself in the side of the garage. The hunter soon joined it. More hunters came from the field near the bridge. Panic pounded in Enoch's ears. Where was Voronika? He turned to deal with them, all of them if he had to, when two dozen rogue vampires spiraled down to attack Bart's generals.

  A group of them swarmed Enoch. He swatted them off like pesky flies, injuring three of them, killing two. A rogue slammed into Gunther, knocking him sideways. Gunther grinned and put the rogue's head under his arm, then rammed a fist through his skull. Two more came at Gunther as a team. He smacked their heads together and watched them turn to dust. With a happy cry, he grabbed a rogue out of midair. "Here. Your turn." He tossed him to Ulrich.

  "I have plenty of my own!" Ulrich tossed him back. Gunther held his arms together like a baseball bat. When the rogue's head came within striking distance, he hit a homerun. Then he swooped down to entertain himself with mortal hunters.

  More rogues filled the sky. Enoch caught sight of Voronika, fighting back to back with Amado. He took a stance to block the new rogues from her and shot Light from his upraised palms, one blast after another. Dust fell like ashes over the fields. The big three must have decided to send in enough troops to finish off Bart and his men. Enoch had to give his full concentration to the rapidly charging rogues to keep them at bay. He held off the back row of vampires while the generals dealt with the front flank.

  There was a shout from behind him, and he turned to see Amado dart off to stop four rogues who'd flung themselves on Nula and Elijah. Stupid! That left Voronika on her own. Fear gripped him. He was going to blast Light at the rogues circling her when Ulrich rushed to take Amado's place.

  "She's safe with me!" Ulrich called, "but she owes me a kiss when we're finished."

  Enoch gave a grim smile and blasted Light brighter than before, taking out a wave of rogues at the treeline. How many had the big three sent?

  Gunther was methodically smashing hunters when four rogues grabbed him, two on each side, and lifted him into the air. They turned him while he struggled, so that a hunter had a clean shot. Enoch blasted the first stake away, but a second hunter shot from a crossbow across the field. It pierced Gunther's shoulder. Gunther roared with rage. He shook off the two rogues on his right arm, and a second group of hunters stepped forward to finish him before he could shake off the others. Enoch blasted Light in their direction, toppling them over, when he heard something whiz through the air. He followed the noise to its source and saw a hunter quickly step behind a tree.

  "He's over there!" Enoch pointed, and Bart and Claudia rushed forward.

  But everyone stopped in their tracks when a bellow shook the entire area.

  Enoch froze and stared. A stake protruded from Gunther's heart. He reached for it, in surprise, then threw back his head to laugh. He turned to Ulrich. "I'll save you a seat in Valhalla!" And then he turned ashen and exploded into dust.

  The remaining rogues and hunters sent up a cheer.

  A red film blurred Enoch's vision. Heat churned through his veins. He swept his hand skyward and red flames ignited any rogue in his way. In two steps, he reached the closest hunters. He flung them skyward. Kicking and screaming, they shot higher than the treetops and kept going. Faster yet, they hurdled to the ground.

  Ulrich's hiss blasted the air. "By almighty Thor!" He grabbed the rogues circling Voronika and hurtled them toward trees. Then he turned to focus on the hunter who'd shot his friend. One look at his face, and the man tried to run, but Ulrich was right behind him. He grabbed him by the ankles, yanked him close, and showed his fangs.

  "No!" Enoch yelled. "Don't drink him!"

  With a snarl, Ulrich swirled him in a circle and let go so that he shot out like a disc. He thudded to earth in the field down the street. Together, Enoch and Ulrich turned on the enemies who still faced them. The air bristled with panic. Rogues and hunters turned for a messy retreat. But Enoch had no intention of letting them go.

  "Do it!" Ulrich growled. He and Enoch had perfected a maneuver they'd used many times when they battled together.

  Enoch blasted Light in a circle, blocking any route of retreat, and when the rogues turned, they found themselves face to face with Ulrich. Ulrich ripped the wings off one and threw him toward the ground. Claudia caught him on the way and crushed his head between her hands. Hunters aimed at Ulrich, but Enoch rushed them. They shot stake after stake into Enoch, but he never slowed down.

  They turned to run, but Claudia and Bart landed behind them. Nula and Elijah landed on each side. When they raised their crossbows, Enoch blasted them with Light. Their weapons too hot to hold, the hunters dropped them. Enoch didn't stay to watch the carnage. Instead, he searched for Voronika.

  A rogue sped away from Elijah and bumped into Nula. She tossed him to the ground, and with one stomp to his head, finished him. Two rogues dive bombed Eva, trying to push past her. She grabbed each by the neck and squeezed. Their eyes bulged, tongues protruded, and soon they were dust.

  Enoch finally spotted Voronika just as a rogue jumped her. A pair of hunters got in position below her. Enoch covered the ground between them before either man could notch his crossbow. While Voronika finished off her attacker, Enoch slammed the two men's heads together. They broke like squashes. Ulrich swooped past him with the stake that killed Gunther gripped in his hand. He charged one rogue vampire after another, pinning each to it. Enoch had heard of the Viking Berserkers before. Watching Ulrich, right now, made him believe the rumor might be tru
e.

  Enoch scanned the area. Keb and Amado were making short work of the remaining hunters. The few rogues who remained were grabbing stakes off the ground to use as weapons. Voronika was hovering back to back with Nula when a rogue attacked. Nula's sherpherd's crook was longer and sharper than the rogue's stake. Dust fell from the sky.

  Relief drained some of Enoch's nervous energy. The battle was nearly finished, but even as the thought formed, a dark shadow separated from the night sky. A mass of rogues were on their way as reinforcements. Too many of them. "My friends, find cover!" Enoch yelled.

  Bart and Claudia stopped in midair. Voronika and Nula looked skyward. Even Ulrich rushed to where Eva and Amado hovered.

  "NOW!!" Enoch called.

  Bart's vampires ducked behind buildings and trees. The few rogues who'd survived the last battle followed them. No worry.

  When Voronika disappeared behind the garage, Enoch stepped into the center of his back yard and called on the Light, but not as individual blasts this time. It burst from every part of him. It looked like a brilliant nuclear flash that turned every rogue to dust. When it dimmed, Enoch turned in a circle, taking a quick survey of his surroundings. There was no one in sight.

  "Are you guys all right?"

  Ulrich flew to him and wrapped him in a bear hug. "I wish I had a pair of sunglasses, old friend. I've never seen you burn so bright."

  Bart and Claudia came to stand beside him, followed by Nula and Elijah, Eva and Amado, and Keb and Voronika. "We all survived," Keb said. "Everyone but Gunther."

  Ulrich flinched at his friend's name.

  "And the rogues who followed you?" Enoch asked.

  Claudia shrugged. "Gone."

  Enoch should be happy. They'd won. But he couldn't quell his frustration. "I wanted to keep everyone safe. I didn't."

  "With war comes casualties." Bart's tone said that he didn't like it any more than Enoch did. By their expressions, none of them did.

  Voronika looked the most shaken of all of them. Enoch went to her. "Are you all right?"