My Wicked Vampire

by Nina Bangs

Within seconds everyone else had left, too. Only Cinn, Dacian, Asima, and Cinn’s plants remained.

  “Everyone’s worried about Stephan, but what about the plants? No one cares if Airmid comes in here and makes tossed salad of them.”

  “I care, Asima.” Cinn took a deep breath to steady herself. But lord, she cared about Dacian more.

  Dacian paced. “Not only useless, but dangerous to everyone around me.” Self-disgust filled his voice.

  “We’ll deal with what comes.” Cinn didn’t want to think what would happen when Rabid struck. Would there be enough time to secure Dacian, and would those chains hold him? And how the hell would they keep a bunch of humans safe?

  “Yeah, I know.” He reached for Cinn and dragged her into his arms. “Promise me that if I get loose and come for you, you’ll take one of those wooden stakes you use for your plants and drive it into my heart.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” She knew he wasn’t, and that was what horrified her. “Your fangs will fall out before that happens.” He was getting ready to argue, Cinn could tell. “Besides, you’d rip that little stick out of my hand like it was a toothpick. No, if you get loose, all of us humans will hide behind Asima.”

  Just then Holgarth pulled open the kitchen entrance to the greenhouse and almost shoved a small group of hotel guests inside. Without saying a word, he left. The people all carried folding chairs and stood looking at her expectantly.

  Oh, shit. She pushed away from Dacian and smiled at the newcomers. “You can put your chairs along the walls of the greenhouse.”

  Dacian muttered his opinion of Ganymede’s keep-the-humans-safe idea. Some of his curses were in languages she didn’t recognize, but she understood the feeling behind them just fine.

  Cinn waited for all of the guests to be seated. Her mind was a spin cycle of worry about the coming battle. She couldn’t begin to concentrate on making up stories about her plants. So she’d just tell them the truth. “Umm, thanks for coming.”

  “Didn’t have a choice. That wizard guy yanked us outta our rooms and here we are. You better be good, gal.” An old man glared at her from beneath bushy white brows.

  “Well, okay.” She mentally gave the old fart the finger. “The two plants to my right are Jessica and Sweetie Pie. They feed off of sexual energy.”

  “Huh. They’d be dead sticks in our room.” A middleaged woman with a bad perm cast her husband a disgusted look.

  Wasn’t this a happy group. Cinn sighed. “Umm, and the big pitcher plant is Becky. She eats things.”

  A man who looked like he should be teaching a bored class of college freshmen spoke up. “Like what? Unless I’ve forgotten my Plants 101 course, pitcher plants eat insects. There’s nothing spectacular about that. Sure, this one is a lot bigger than the norm, but it’s just a pitcher plant.” Self-important professor guy had his superior stare going for him tonight.

  Cinn smiled at him. “Your hand, if you’re stupid enough to stick it inside her.”

  That wiped the superior expression from his face. He cast the pitcher plant furtive glances, and she knew he intended to test her claim as soon as he could. Cinn figured she was being mean, but Becky couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

  Before Cinn could say anything else about her plants, Dacian interrupted.

  “I think the wind stopped.”

  They all listened.

  “You’re right. And it doesn’t look like the snow is still coming down. Maybe that means the sorcerer has his hands full with Holgarth and Edge.” Cinn kept her voice to a whisper so the humans couldn’t hear.

  “It’s too quiet.” The lady with the nonexistent sex life said it for all of them. “Kind of eerie.”

  Dacian turned away from the audience and spoke quietly to Cinn. “Vampires and demons are quiet killers. The Mackenzies carry these big-ass swords, but they make silent kills. No guns. Things might heat up, though, when the two magic makers go at it. The cosmic troublemakers?” He shrugged. “Who knows?”

  “Hey, lady, the wizard guy said we might get a surprise fantasy. When’s that going to happen?” A young guy over in the corner evidently didn’t get off on strange plants.

  Dacian was looking down at her when she saw his eyes change. One moment they were warm, filled with everything that made her love him, and then they were black with no white showing.

  “I’d say right about now.” Cinn couldn’t stop her voice from shaking as her heart skipped a beat and then began to race madly.

  Dacian’s last coherent action was to shove her away from him. She sailed into one of the counters and fell to the floor along with about five of her plants.

  “Wow, cool.” The young guy was finally entertained.

  Asima leaped into action. Cinn didn’t even see her move, but she was suddenly between them. Whatever power she flung at Dacian drove him backward until he was pressed against the post. “Put the cuffs on his wrists and ankles while I hold him there.”

  Cinn didn’t waste time with words. She scrambled to her feet and rushed to the post. Asima had managed to keep Dacian from flailing around, but Cinn could almost see the energy the cat was expending to hold him immobile.

  She cuffed his wrists and ankles and then stepped back.

  Her audience cheered. They didn’t have a clue how close to death they were.

  “A bondage and discipline fantasy. Are you paying attention, Clyde?” The bad-perm lady was feeling it. Her husband? Not so much.

  “I can’t keep this up, so I’m going to release him. Come stand by me in case he breaks the chains.”

  Cinn didn’t waste any time in getting behind Asima. Then she remembered the other humans. “Everyone stay behind the cat. She’s the messenger of a goddess and has unspeakable powers. She’ll keep us safe from …the mindless killing machine.” That hurt to say.

  The old guy was into the whole fantasy thing. “Woo-hoo! You go, kick-ass kitty.”

  Cinn stared with tears in her eyes at what Dacian had become. He growled and hissed at them, his eyes black and filled with hate, his lips drawn back to expose his fangs. He’d kill her without hesitating now.

  “Vampire!”

  “How’d they get those fangs to look so real?”

  “Wonder where he got those neat contacts?”

  Cinn ignored the comments floating around her. Dacian was in there somewhere, helpless. She’d just turned to look at Asima when the door crashed open and a strange vampire filled the doorway. Cinn could see others crowded behind him.

  Asima didn’t hesitate. Cinn felt the flash of her power as she hit the vampire with it. He staggered back, but he didn’t go down. He smiled, and it chilled whatever parts of Cinn weren’t already freezing.

  The human audience cheered Asima’s efforts. Cinn wondered how long it would be before they realized this was the real deal.

  “Interesting. What is the cat, Zane?” He moved aside so the man behind him could step in beside him. “Oh, and up your power. I felt that attack.”

  Cinn recognized the newest arrival. The sorcerer.

  “You don’t have to ask him. I can speak for myself. I’m Asima, the messenger of the goddess Bast, and you are not welcome here, vampire.”

  The vampire seemed to think that was a hoot. “Well, I’m Stephan, cat. And I’m not welcome in a whole bunch of places. But that doesn’t bother me much.”

  “Stephan?” He’d caught Cinn by surprise. He didn’t look like the description Dacian had given them. This guy had short dark hair and no mustache.

  “I know, I know, you were expecting someone who looked completely different. But my good friend Kyla told me you had my description, so I simply changed a few things about myself.”

  Stephan waited while Asima hurled another blast. This one bounced harmlessly away from him. Zane had done his job. Frantically, Cinn sent out a mental cry for help.

  “I’m blocking your Mayday, plant lady, so don’t expect anyone to rush to your rescue. My people are keeping your people busy while I visit here. A
nd I’ve brought a few of my special friends along.” He moved farther into the greenhouse so the ones behind him could enter. When it didn’t look like there was enough room for them, he swept some of her plants to the floor and shoved the counter aside.

  Up till now, the humans had been cheering and boo-ing, enjoying themselves. Now some of them grew quiet.

  Cinn had thought she’d felt hate earlier, when she’d found out what Stephan had done to Dacian. But it was nothing to what she felt now. Dacian wasn’t the mindless killer in this room. She tried to calm her mind, to think logically. Dacian and her plants were helpless. The sorcerer was neutralizing Asima. No one would bother with Cinn. They wouldn’t expect a human to pose a threat. Hell, she probably didn’t.

  She watched Kyla step inside. Not a surprise. Then Rabid. Not a surprise. But the woman he held in his arms shocked Cinn. Sparkle. But this looked more like a wax figure than a real person. Pale and limp, with eyes closed, Sparkle already looked dead. Rabid brushed more of the plants to the floor and dumped Sparkle’s body on the counter.

  The rogue grinned at her, and it was the scariest thing Cinn had ever seen.

  “I’ve helped myself to Sparkle’s life force. But I didn’t take all of it. I’m leaving a little for a bedtime snack.” His laughter was an evil rumble that worked its way up through his massive body.

  Stephan rubbed his hands together. “Now, what shall we do first?”

  “I have an idea.” Kyla sidled over to Dacian. She licked her lips as she pushed his shirt aside and drew her long nails down his chest, leaving bloody furrows behind. She glanced at Cinn to see her reaction.

  Cinn met her gaze, mimicking the mask vampires seemed able to put on at will. It wasn’t so easy for her. She was sure her hate and fury must be oozing from her very pores. But the creature watching her wanted a show of emotion. So Cinn showed none.

  Kyla’s moue of disappointment looked strangely feline. She shifted her gaze back to Dacian. He growled and bared his fangs at her, but his black eyes showed no recognition.

  “Make Rabid take away his rage, Stephan. I want Dacian aware when I drain him.” She licked her full lips, her expression equal parts pouty and sensual anticipation. “My lovers never walk away from me”—she offered Cinn a phony woman-to-woman glance— “alive.”

  Stephan looked at Dacian. “He’s not going anywhere, so we’ll leave him till last.” He grinned at Cinn. “Too bad he’ll never know the truth. All those centuries he thought I wanted him to fight by my side, when all I really wanted to do was destroy him.”

  “For God’s sake, why? He couldn’t kill you. You’re his maker.” She chanced a glance at Dacian. No help there. Yet.

  “True. But he was always more powerful than I was. The night feeders would only follow the strongest.”

  “Idiot. He didn’t want to lead the night feeders.”

  Stephan’s expression turned ugly. “Be careful, bitch, or your little life will end a few minutes sooner than I’d planned.” He seemed to have trouble getting his temper under control. “In fact, I think I’ll kill you first.”

  Zane spoke for the first time. “Why kill the human? Send her on her way.” He glanced at the wide-eyed audience. “Send them all on their way. This vampire is the one you want. Let’s take care of business and get out of here.”

  “I have to make sure his brother dies, too, or else I’ll have to put up with centuries of tiresome revenge attempts.” Stephan turned thoughtful. “This castle will make a perfect Texas headquarters. We’ll wipe out every nonhuman and move in.” He cast the humans a contemptuous glance. “The humans, too. We don’t want anyone telling tales.”

  “I can wipe their memories.” Zane didn’t look as though he cared one way or another.

  “But I enjoy the killing.” Stephan wore the same pouty expression as Kyla had when she’d talked about draining Dacian.

  Great. A match made in hell. Cinn hoped her disgust didn’t show.

  One of the humans giggled nervously, but none of them had panicked yet. Cinn recognized that most of them still thought this was just a particularly scary fantasy. And about to get a lot scarier.

  “That wasn’t in our agreement, vampire. You hired me to help destroy this vampire and his brother. That’s all.” Zane didn’t sound happy.

  A rift? Cinn dared to hope.

  Stephan waved the sorcerer’s comment away. “Then go when we’ve finished with the two vampires. I won’t try to hold you.”

  “That’s because you can’t.” An edge of threat ran beneath Zane’s calm voice.

  “You’re right. I can’t.”

  Cinn figured what Stephan left unsaid was that Zane had better not ever turn his back.

  Rabid seemed to have heard enough of the bickering. “We don’t have all night. Kill the woman because that’s what you want to do. Then kill the vampire. Take care of the humans later. Zane can make sure they don’t go anywhere.”

  Stephan shrugged. “I suppose so. Too bad I won’t be able to take my time with her.” He glanced around and then froze. “Where’s the cat?”

  Everyone looked at where Asima had been. She was gone.

  A timid cry of, “Run, kitty, run,” sounded from the audience.

  “How did you let that happen?” Stephan was working up to another mad, this time at his sorcerer.

  Zane shrugged. “I can’t control everything at once.”

  “Fine. Let’s get to it.” Stephan reached for Cinn.

  Cinn was no dummy. It was run or die. She raced for the door leading to the kitchen and…

  Smacked right into Airmid, who’d suddenly appeared in front of the door. The goddess held Asima in her arms.

  Airmid scowled at Stephan. “You will not murder this woman. She has a part of my godhead.”

  The audience cheered.

  Zane looked intrigued. “A demigoddess? Cool.”

  To hell with the demigoddess crap. Fat lot of good it would do her. They all needed to get their butts out of here. And she wasn’t leaving without Dacian.

  She cut her glance to him and blinked. He was gazing back at her with awareness in his dark eyes. He was back. Quickly she looked away so Stephan wouldn’t notice.

  Stephan wasn’t noticing much of anything because he’d finally lost his temper. “Fuck all of you. I’m killing the plant bitch and then I’m taking out the cat. And if you know what’s good for you, big-shit goddess, you’ll go back to Mount Olympus or wherever damn place you came from.” He threw an order over his shoulder. “Zane, make sure the cat doesn’t disappear again.” He charged down the aisle toward them, clawed fingers extended and lips drawn back from his fangs.

  The audience gasped.

  Cinn watched him come, her mind a frenzied tangle of thoughts. She didn’t have the power to stop him. She was going to die. And she could only hope Dacian would be able to break free and Ganymede would get here in time to save him. With death staring her in the face, or in this case, the throat, she could only regret that she hadn’t told Dacian she loved him. How romance-novel-clichéed was that?

  Suddenly, Stephan tripped. Surprised, Cinn looked down. Vince’s pot lay cracked and broken beneath Stephan’s boots. She pressed her hand across her mouth to hold back her scream. Unnoticed, Vince had dragged his pot into the middle of the aisle in a pitiful attempt to save Asima. Up until now, Cinn had held back the tears because crying didn’t solve anything. Vince’s bravery did her in, though.

  Cursing, Stephan regained his balance and started up the aisle again, leaving the periwinkle crushed in the dirt.

  But he didn’t get far. Out of the corner of her eye, Cinn saw Teddy slowly bend back like some prickly slingshot. She couldn’t imagine the effort it took for him to do that. Then he let fly.

  It was an incredible act of self-sacrifice, because Teddy shot every one of his jointed arms at Stephan. Parts of Teddy hit and stuck everywhere on the vampire’s body. His clothes didn’t protect him, because Teddy had managed to put so much force behind his flin
g.

  Screaming in pain and fury, Stephan changed his course. He reached where what was left of Teddy rested. Already insane from the pain, he tossed Teddy onto the floor and stomped on him.

  “Hey, leave the plant alone.”

  Professor guy soared to hero status in Cinn’s mind.

  Then Stephan turned, a walking pincushion, and charged toward Dacian. “This is all your fucking fault. I should never have turned you. But I’ll fix that right now.”

  Shouts of, “No! No!” erupted from the fully engaged humans.

  Dacian had finally pasted all the pieces of his brain back into the right places. Once he’d realized what was going on, he’d almost panicked and made his move before he’d pulled his focus together.

  Cinn was in danger. He wouldn’t let Stephan touch her. When Cinn’s plants slowed Stephan down, Dacian had a moment to gather himself.

  Now with his maker bearing down on him, he’d run out of time. He heard Cinn’s scream as he roared his fury and broke the chains.

  The audience’s screams blended with Cinn’s.

  Free. Dacian took a quick inventory of everyone else in the greenhouse. The sorcerer and the big guy who must be the rogue cosmic troublemaker—because he sure as hell wasn’t a vampire—seemed to be enjoying the show. They weren’t making any moves to interfere. Cinn seemed okay with Airmid and Asima. The hotel guests still lined the wall of the greenhouse. All alive. Good.

  Why wasn’t Asima trying to help? He glanced at the sorcerer.

  The guy offered him a nod. “Yeah, I’m keeping the kitty out of the fight. Don’t want her ruining the fun.”

  And then Stephan was on him. Dacian couldn’t kill his crazed maker, but he could hold him off until he figured out what to do. Which was probably nothing. Unless one of the good guys showed up, he’d have to keep Stephan at bay until dawn. Not an easy thing, since Stephan was going for the kill.

  As Dacian backed up, he tripped over something. With a curse he went down, Stephan on top of him. Some of Stephan’s cactus spines dug into him.

  That was when he heard the sound of running feet. Glancing past Stephan’s body, he saw a sight that scared him shitless. Cinn had picked up one of her plant stakes and was leaping toward Stephan’s back.