"I am in the restaurant, Le Chat Gris, downstairs," Tony said. "Come by, I'll buy a glass of wine for you and we'll talk."
"I will be there in shortly," René replied, terminating the call. He was riding in a taxi; he'd managed to get one to take him to the hotel.
Tony drummed his fingers impatiently on a menu as he watched a waiter walk toward his table. The waiter was almost there and Tony was just about to ask for un steak saignant when the front of the restaurant blew inward. In the blink of an eye, although to Tony it appeared to move in slow motion, he was blown away with the rest of it.
* * *
I was mentally screaming for Gabron, shouting they're eating them, as I wound my mist as tightly as I could before releasing it, blasting the roof and the walls of the temple outward. People were screaming inside and out as chunks of brick and mortar came raining down on everyone. The priests inside—the demon ones, anyway, took that as a sign that their dinner might be getting away and stepped up their assault. The guards began shooting into the crowd and total chaos was a mild description of what was actually happening. The crowd was panicked and running—if they could. Many of them were trampled in their haste to get away. The vampires had done a good job, however; only half the original crowd remained when I blasted the temple.
The only ones making their way toward the temple floor (only a waist-high ring of wall now stood around it), were the vampires. I saw them as I hovered high overhead, taking stock of the situation. I couldn't see Dragon any longer; the mass exodus was so confused and disorderly. Demon priests were tearing apart any humanoid they came across, devouring the pieces swiftly as they moved to attack the next one. A news crew situated atop a nearby building was recording it all—and sending a live feed to citizens across Refizan. The noise was almost unendurable, with each of the remaining fifty thousand people screaming at the top of their lungs as they fled.
I dived downward, intent upon helping the vampires who were now reaching the demon priests—more than two thousands of them—all dressed in the red robes of their order. Demon priests were dusting as they met up with the vampires, whose claws were out as they sliced heads off viciously. I saw one vampire go down trying to protect a mother and her child. I went there, first.
"Fuckers!" I screamed in English as I removed the first head before completely materializing. Another priest took his place and he dusted, too. The mother was running behind me, getting away from there as quickly as she could.
* * *
Karzac and many of the hospital's employees were glued to the video screen, watching in horror as people were running away, some of them not getting far before being torn apart by priests in their red robes. "They're eating them!" One of the nurses wept as they all watched. Karzac schooled his face; he'd seen this before, just not to this degree or on his home planet. The cameras, some of them, now focused on the vampires who were fighting the priests, allowing the people to run away as best they could.
"Those are the vampires," another physician said, the awe in his voice unconcealed.
"Those monsters are exploding when they're killed," someone else observed.
"Come, I think we're needed there more than here," Karzac said. "Leave half behind. Those who are willing, come with me." He gathered up as much in the way of supplies as he could and headed toward the door. Several followed his lead. "Look, there's a female vampire," someone said as Karzac made his way through the sliding glass doors of the emergency room. Karzac smiled grimly at the comment.
* * *
Most of the Refizani citizens had gotten away and now the majority of what was left were priests and vampires. The five who'd been standing behind the altar were still there as well, only they'd moved toward the back wall, content to watch as the vampires fought Solar Red. Dragon, when I saw him off to the side, was whacking priests with bricks and bits of wood. He didn't have his blades; those would have been too obvious when we'd come in. Nevertheless, he was doing pretty well with what he had, driving priests toward waiting vampires, who were only too happy to remove heads.
I was getting blasted by demon sand time and time again as I moved among them, slicing off heads. I might have been nicked a little, here and there, but the heat of the battle was too intense for me to notice. A knot of vampires flanked me after a while and I found Gabron fighting at my side. He was fiercely efficient, moving so swiftly no demon priest held the tiniest chance against him.
Emergency vehicles were now making their way to the temple now, sirens announcing their presence. Briefly I wondered what they could do for the ones bitten by demons, but had little time to reflect on that dilemma—more priests came and they were joined by demons that had already sloughed away their humanoid appearance. They boiled out of the underground caverns beneath the temple like angry ants from a mound.
Lissa! Dragon's desperate mindspeech came just as the most recent wave of demons was followed by a huge monster. He had to be at least twelve feet tall with the same ugly, grayish-brown skin that the smaller demons wore. Dragon said they stayed demon for twenty years or so before becoming Ra'Ak. This had to be one of the older ones. I had to go to mist to fight this one; he was sweeping vampires away before him with wide swipes of huge arms—they couldn't get close enough to do any damage.
Coming up behind him, I gave him one good slash to the back of the neck with my claws, severing his spine. He went down with a terrible howl, falling first to his knees before crumpling, crushing two remaining priests beneath him. They'd sought his side as protection from the vampires and died for their trouble.
Finish him Lissa! Dragon shouted encouragement, so I swooped in, letting only my hands and claws materialize as I swept the remains of the head from the torso. The huge demon dusted almost as violently as the Ra'Ak that I'd killed days before. Vampires were blown outward with the dusting and some didn't rise again quickly enough—demons were falling on them, which caused me to scream and go after them.
That was the moment the Ra'Ak chose to reveal himself. The one I'd seen in a field outside the city materialized first; he was one of the five men who'd stood behind the altar and watched as demon priests attacked humans. Now, the other four turned as well—Dragon had five Ra'Ak to contend with, instead of the one that was supposed to be there. Dragon, I learned quickly, wasn't given that name because of his tattoos. I watched, completely amazed as he shouted at the Ra'Ak before becoming a huge dragon, his lithe, well-muscled body covered with red scales tipped in black. Dragon was now facing five Ra'Ak, who were just as large. No way he could fight them all. No way he could take them all down and I almost went still from fear.
* * *
René was doing what he could without revealing himself and the strength he was exerting, tossing aside rubble and debris from the bombed hotel and searching for survivors. He was shouting at medical personnel and anyone else who would listen, anytime he heard the faintest heartbeat or sniffed out the least sign of life. Fire crews were nearby, putting out small fires here and there and René was completely soaked by spraying water. He knew Tony was somewhere amid the destruction and he was desperately searching for the man. He also knew that Deryn and Paul had gone out earlier to run with one of the local Packs, so they would not be buried with the others.
"Aidez moi!" Rene's French was flawless as he shouted for assistance. Two paramedics came as quickly as they could, stumbling around unstable debris to get to René's side. As soon as they arrived to help the woman René had uncovered, René placed compulsion to forget him and continued his search for Anthony Hancock.
* * *
Dragon told me that even brushing against the Ra'Ak in their serpent form would poison anyone; that their scales held poison, even, along with their teeth and spines. What could I do? Watch helplessly while Dragon was taken down? Stay away from the snakes! I shouted at any vampire that could hear me. I didn't know if Gabron was still alive; I'd lost sight of him minutes before. Well, as potential deaths go, I was far from home and I had no idea how deadly the
poison was or how quickly it would react. It might be a horrible way to die, but could it be worse than the sun on a vampire's skin? Been there, done that. I misted toward the monsters—and Dragon, too—he was fighting the Ra'Ak as well as he could, but the best he was doing at the moment was getting out of their way as more than one charged him at once, teeth bared, ready to kill.
Chapter 12
Tony moaned; he couldn't feel his legs and he knew he should be in pain, buried as he was beneath broken furniture and debris. He lost moments as his consciousness became a fleeting thing, coming and going with the sounds of shouting and sirens, and then periods of blankness. He didn't have the strength to call for help, he could only lie there and hope, when he was coherent, that someone would find him soon. He heard the groan of metal twisting and then a crash as a heavy weight was lifted off him. "Mon Dieu," René's voice came and then René was kneeling beside him.
"My friend, this is quite serious," René looked into Tony's eyes. Tony blinked up at the vampire; they'd become friends in a short amount of time.
"How?" That one word was all Tony could muster. He was begging René to tell him how bad his injuries were.
"My friend, I will be truthful. You may not live," René said softly. "Much blood you have lost, here."
Tony watched the vampire's face and knew the truth of René's words. "Don't let me die," Tony begged. René looked about him, checking to see who was close. All the others were busy elsewhere.
"I must take you away from here and honestly, the move itself may kill you," René said, removing the remaining debris from Tony's body.
"Try," Tony moaned. "Please." René gave a curt nod and moved to place his arms beneath Tony's body.
* * *
You can't fight what you can't see. That night, it took on a double meaning. While I was mist, the Ra'Ak couldn't see me. And I was mist until I got right in their faces and sliced through their eyes. I discovered their weakness; hit their eyes and they fall and writhe like the serpents they are. They scream in pain, too, lashing out with their lengthy tails, uncaring as to what they hit or crash into as they struggle and thrash about. Vampires and priests alike were rushing away—the ones that had gotten hit initially were screaming and dying from the poison. I had three Ra'Ak blinded before the last two learned something was attacking them; they began searching for me while trying to fend off Dragon at the same time.
I got one additional eye, causing the one I'd hit to scream and hiss, still looking for me with his remaining good eye. Dragon's huge, tooth-filled head snaked in and snapped that Ra'Ak's head off. The monster dusted, his chunks hitting his brothers and anyone else nearby. Now, only one sighted Ra'Ak remained; the others were still twisting and writhing in pain upon the temple floor. I misted in quickly, hoping to get in a hit with my claws as the Ra'Ak snapped out at me. I barely managed to get out of his way. Dragon took the opportunity to snap the head off one of the three blinded Ra'Ak while the sighted one went after him again. Dragon recoiled and shifted away, even as the one he'd just killed blasted out fist-sized chunks, the bits traveling right through my mist. The remaining vampires were now chasing the few priests that still lived; they'd begun running away from the temple to escape dusting Ra'Ak.
I tried for the eyes of the sighted Ra'Ak again and he snapped at me, leaving Dragon an opening to snap off yet another blinded head, which infuriated the sighted one. He roared—that loud a sound hurt me even in my misted form. Dragon lunged in next but the creature managed to slide out of the way at just the right moment, leaving Dragon exposed. The Ra'Ak, seizing the opportunity, counter-attacked, snapping at Dragon's unprotected neck.
I think I was screaming, whether mentally or physically I cannot say, as I flew toward the Ra'Ak, slicing his eyes first with one set of claws and then the other—I had to come to partial corporeality to do it, running headlong into that horrible, spiked head. My pain-filled shout bounced across the floor of the temple, echoing up and out; I don't think there was anyone within a quarter mile that didn't hear it. Ra'Ak poison truly was as bad as the sun and I was screaming, along with the blinded Ra'Ak, as I dropped toward the floor.
The bone-jarring landing never occurred, however. A very large, black hand reached out to pluck me from the air and I almost didn't have the sense to notice that the fingers on that huge hand had very large claws; I was in too much pain. The scent, however, was very familiar. Kifirin.
Setting me down nearby as gently as he could, he turned toward the Ra'Ak. I whimpered as I watched him. At least twenty feet in height he was, and winged. Kifirin was covered in black scales, was completely naked and smoke was curling from his nostrils. Even the Ra'Ak, blinded as he was, must have recognized the scent because he cowered.
"Ra'Ak!" Kifirin roared. "You have injured my mate! I am aggrieved!" He reached out with one giant hand, gripped the Ra'Ak's neck and squeezed. The Ra'Ak dusted immediately, but the chunks dropped harmlessly to the ground instead of blasting outward. Kifirin roared, shaking the ground with the force of the sound before going after the other sightless Ra'Ak, executing him just as swiftly. Karzac, who'd come from nowhere, was suddenly at my side.
"I will do my best to neutralize the poison," he assured me, but the poison was already working its way through my body; I couldn't feel parts of it now.
"Karzac, I think it's too late," I whimpered.
"No, hush," he said, while light formed around his hands.
"How bad is it?" Dragon was suddenly at Karzac's side, light enveloping his entire body. That was Power with a capital P, I think.
"We will deal with this," Pheligar was suddenly there as well, helping Karzac. "Little vampire, do not be afraid." Karzac reached out with two fingers, placing them against my forehead. I was out in an instant.
* * *
René, who had the ability to fly, just as his cousin and many others among the older vampires did, carried Tony to a nearby rooftop. The scene below had been so chaotic and noisy that his exit with Tony in his arms had not been noticed.
"My friend, if all goes well, I will be your sire from this point forward. You will be my sixth turn, child." Tony was losing consciousness along with his blood; the femoral artery in his right leg had been severed and he would be dead soon if René did not act quickly. René lifted a wrist to his mouth and bit into it savagely. "Drink, child," René placed compulsion as he held his wrist over Tony's mouth. Tony opened his mouth, allowing the blood to drip inside it. He swallowed. And then swallowed again. René was mentally ticking off seconds; he'd done this before without the aid of a watch. He was well-versed on turning.
* * *
"Little King," Kifirin raised Gabron up from the pile of Ra'Ak dust—Gabron had gotten hit and knocked temporarily unconscious with the dusting of one of the monsters.
"Where is Lissa?" Gabron gazed about, somewhat dazed still from the wounding.
"She is safe," Kifirin was no longer in full Thifilathi form; he looked humanoid again. Kifirin had watched with a bit of concern mixed with a little humor; even the Larentii was there, helping his little Queen. The Larentii held quite possibly the best and most powerful healing abilities, although the Saa Thalarr and their own healers were quite talented as well. His little Queen was in good hands, if Kifirin himself couldn't get to her. He was satisfied with the way things were.
"Who are you?" Gabron asked.
"I am Kifirin," the High Lord of the Dark Worlds replied. "Little King, one day I will come for you and your vampires here, and you will help my little Queen rule Le-Ath Veronis. You have all proven your worth this night."
"Lissa mentioned that world. Is it true, then?"
"Very true." Kifirin smiled. "Come. Let us gather your vampires before the news crews descend like a flock of crows." Gabron laughed and allowed Kifirin to set him on his feet.
* * *
Altogether, three hundred of Gabron's five hundred vampires that fought with him died that night. The two hundred that survived were counted as heroes by the population of
Refizan, although no one could seem to find them afterward to offer thanks. Certainly no interviews were agreed upon. Since Refizan had space travel, however, the footage recorded made its way offworld and was seen on many other worlds; eventually coming to the attention of many vampires. Those vampires all witnessed the little female vampire who, with the help of a Dragon and another creature that some named High Demon, (because that was the closest they could come to a true identification) destroyed five huge, snake-like creatures, along with thousands of smaller, flesh-eating monsters. The footage that received the most play was of Lissa killing a twelve-foot monster and then blinding four of the five large serpents so they could easily be defeated.
* * *
"You will take us," René laid compulsion and the cab driver could only nod mutely as René loaded the bloodied man into the back seat of the cab. They would be driving to René's home in the French countryside; it was less than two hours away. "You will be well-paid for your time and efforts, and reimbursed for the damage to your vehicle. You will tell everyone that you took one of the injured to the hospital after the explosion." The cab driver was still nodding as he placed his car in gear and drove away, heading toward the countryside outside Paris. René held his youngest child's head in his lap. Anthony Hancock had stopped breathing the moment René pulled his wrist away, forcing Tony to stop drinking. That was a very good sign. Very good indeed. René lifted his cell phone to make a call. Wlodek answered.
"Honored One, I have just made my sixth turn. We will see if he survives," René informed the Head of the Vampire Council.
"Very well," Wlodek replied and René could hear the scratching of a pen over paper. "Please provide me with the details so I may begin the registration process."
"This one was a victim of the hotel bombing in Paris this evening," René began. "The femoral artery was severed and death was imminent. I managed to get him away without being seen; the rest of the site was in chaos and there were none to pay attention to us. All has gone well so far, Honored One. He will replace my dear, sweet Aubrey."
Blood Domination (Blood Destiny #4) Page 20