by C. M. Steele
He smiled at me sinisterly. Never had I seen someone so frightening and he hadn’t uttered a word. “Falcon is a fool. Did he think we wouldn’t know he had a mate?” Shit, was this Stavros?
“Who are you?” I asked with a fixed glare. Like when confronted with a wild animal, I knew I couldn’t show any fear. Standing taller, I arched my brow, waiting for a response from this unwanted guest.
His chest was slowly rising and falling as though puffing himself up without picking up his breathing. I closed my eyes, focusing on the layout of the room in my mind. I wanted to find my way around to safety. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. A part of me wanted to call Falcon to me so bad, but I knew he was in the middle of a battle and our calls hadn’t been that good at a distance. He was half around the world, and with blades clashing, he wouldn’t hear a thing.
The dark devil spoke, “I’m Nero Lombardi.”
My mouth parted as I gasped in shock, which was clearly visible on my face. Why was his nephew here? Why was he ready to kill me? Now, I could hear my heartbeat in my chest, beating like a marching drum. Like a cat with its tail standing on edge, so were my hairs on my arms. He was supposed to be at the castle in the middle of the battle. Oh, God. Please tell me that he hadn’t hurt my Falcon. I shook my head because I would know if he died. That was something I was certain of.
I had to find my exit. That had been the only one besides the fire escape, but I wasn’t fast enough for it. With his years and experience on me, he would beat me to the window. I had to outsmart him.
“Why are you here?” I asked, needing to stall him until I came up with a plan of escape. I didn’t have the ability to disappear like they did and I didn’t have the gift of flight or at least that power hadn’t come yet. Falcon said many would come with time and practice, and I wasn’t sure with all the glass if it was worth trying to fly. God, I could see him tossing me across the room as I took off in flight. I pictured the figure skating couples where the guy swings the girl by her feet as he spins in a circle, except this fuck would let me go flying and I wouldn’t be able to stop. This wasn’t going to end well for me, but at least I had Falcon’s love for a short time.
I slowly took a step back as he inched forward.
“Because you could be the one to bring down The Lamia, and we can’t have that,” he roared, his eyes brightened as he stared me down, creeping closer to me. The anger pouring off him was palpable; it was clear he was ready for war.
“I’m not trying to bring anyone down. I’m just a scientist working on the cure,” I pleaded my case.
For a moment, I saw him pause and consider what it meant for us if I found a cure, but then he shook his head. “And bound to Falcon. That sanctimonious bastard. He weaseled out of getting the bloody curse, and he will pay for that with your life. I want him to suffer for eternity.”
“What if I’m the one to find a cure? Don’t you want to be able to walk in the sun?”
“I’ll never be able to walk in the sun; thanks to that stupid bitch, I was born into the darkness,” he snapped. His hatred was strong and misconstrued. He’d been brainwashed. No one knew when the cure would happen or if it wasn’t going to work for the ones born to the darkness.
“You don’t know that. It might work for you,” I offered, stepping back another step and kicking the table leg.
“You don’t know that it will. I’d rather have everyone in the dark than to watch them see light while I’m forced to remain alive at night.” There was going to be no convincing him. This wasn’t good. Fuck. I could feel beads of sweat slide down my neck as the heat of the room increased with the air off. Focus, Nora, I muttered in my head.
I knew I should have waited at home like Falcon told me to, or even waited for Vigo to come in, too. Falcon had to go back to the castle and I was supposed to go to work as normal. Draco had gone with him and Charlotte came here with me. Didn’t she sense I was in danger? What the hell? She had the sight, premonitions or some shit. She was just getting used to it, but she told Falcon of the threat.
Maybe they were being used to keep Falcon and Draco safe right now. The Lamia may not be as powerful as they were before, but they had centuries of planning and hatred growing. Either way, I was in a world of trouble. All it took was one quick and skilled vampire to take my life.
“Leave me alone, Nero. Your uncle hasn’t done anything wrong. We’re not the enemy,” I told him, trying to take a commanding tone.
“The birth of a girl is the key to bringing down The Lamia. You could be the one for that.”
“I’m not pregnant,” I shouted out, trying to get him to leave me alone, but he kept inching closer, his devilish look forcing me to step back.
“Not yet and not ever.”
“If you didn’t believe your grandmother and her visions, then why this part?” I challenged, getting ready to run. I saw his stance change and I knew the talking was at an end.
“Stavros doesn’t want to take any chances,” he said, stalking me. I ran around the large metal lab table, trying to get some distance. We both stood on opposite ends, his hands grabbing the short edge, his white knuckles almost translucent as he clutched the sides in rage. I darted toward the door, but I collided with a stool that nearly tripped me. Thankfully, Falcon’s training had improved my balance. I backed up only to hit my back on the table behind me. It didn’t hurt, but I stumbled before cutting and running around the next table. He gave chase, quickly rushing in whatever direction I ran. I finally managed to gain some distance, having gone around another stool, but then he surprised me by appearing in front of me.
Shit, he had the same ability as Falcon. How was I supposed to defend myself against that? This fucker had been toying with me. This entire time he could have killed me easily, but he wanted to treat me like a mouse.
He smiled at me as he pulled out a large blade from his waistband. I was in deep shit now. His eyes were scary. They were blue like my Falcon’s, but they seemed soulless. Falcon had kept me from the night vampires so I’d never seen one. They were more frightening than Falcon or Draco had ever been during training, but they had trained me on the disappearing act bullshit. The key was anticipation and going where the devil hadn’t expected and keeping my back pinned to the wall.
He lunged towards me as I moved to the side, his blade nicking my shoulder. The warm blood seeped from my shoulder as I stumbled back from the initial pain, hitting my leg on that same damn stool. Thinking quickly, I picked up and tried to use it as protection. I felt like a lion tamer at the old-school circus as he darted forward. The sound of metal on metal rang in my ears, then I remembered the fight wasn’t over yet. I still had a trick up my sleeve and it would be one he wasn’t expecting. Tossing the chair at him, I raced over to the refrigerator, opened the cabinet where all the blood samples and slides were stored, and pulled the cold steel from the corner of the door.
Vigo told me where he kept a blade for protection and fuck face over here didn’t know it. I smiled to myself because Falcon hadn’t taken my safety as a joke. The hours of practice with Draco now came with a purpose. I turned with my blade tight in my grip and swung swiftly at him while calling Falcon for help.
Falcon, I need you. The lab.
I was no match for Nero, but I was going to give it all I had. Something told me that I was stronger than I thought. Falcon didn’t respond back and I didn’t know if he could. I thrusted my blade forward, striking his shoulder, making me smile at my success, which was short-lived. He was quick and appeared behind me. Nero sliced at my side as I anticipated the strike. I felt the sting, but it wasn’t deadly. I ran again, this time heading for the exit.
Of course, he appeared, blocking the door and stopping me in tracks. But as he aimed for my heart, Falcon came behind him, piercing Nero through the back. His eyes widened but then gleamed brightly as he tried to stab me. I gasped as the blade punctured my flesh and bone. Before he could stab my heart, Falcon and Nero disappeared.
I looked ar
ound the room, it was spinning from the loss of blood, but I didn’t see Falcon anywhere. I hoped to all that was good he had defeated Nero. The blood loss was getting to be more than I could handle, and I collapsed, hitting my head on the metal lab table. The world went black.
Chapter Thirty-Seven—Falcon
I dispatched another one of The Lamian soldiers swiftly with my blade. Draco had been battling his own men while I went on the hunt to save my brother, but the mission was for not. Alessio had been bound to the wall in iron chains with a knife plunged into his heart. He was still alive, but just as I entered the dungeon cell to free him, Nero appeared and swung his blade against my brother’s throat. I watched as my brother closed his eyes and accepted his fate.
I raced toward Nero to end him, but he vanished. The burning sting of tears marred my soul and nothing but vengeance would cleanse it. Nero was nothing to me. Alessio was the last bit of my parents left. Now it was a matter of protecting his wife and son. Nero was going pay for what he’d done. He was a disgrace to the vampire name, to the Lombardi name, and I was going to deal with him next.
I teleported back into the main floor, having no reason to stay down there with the ashes of my brother. Draco was slicing through another soldier as I pierced the next one. There were six more charging at us, but we swiftly dispatched every single one of them. The halls were starting to clear as we ridded the world of more vampires. They were fools for their blind following of Stavros, and I had no sympathy for any of them. That sentiment had since disappeared with the death of my parents, and now, with the death of my brother, no Lamian would be spared a meeting with my blade. They wanted a war and they would get one.
The numbers started to dwindle as we made our way up the castle stairs. Where were the rest?
It struck me cold to the core when I realized they had not sent a large group of soldiers to kill us; there had to be an ulterior motive. “Leonora,” I gasped aloud. Just as I was to call for her, someone swung their blade, nearly hitting me, but I vanished and reappeared behind them, slicing off his head then jamming my dagger into his chest, ending another one. As I surveyed the room, I heard my dearest love’s plea.
I called out to Draco, “They have her.” And like that, I was gone.
I appeared in the lab just as Nero’s blade was ready to pierce my woman. With lightning speed, I stabbed him with mine. He was lunging towards her because he hadn’t planned to go down alone. I pulled him close and transported back to the castle all the while whispering, “You’re a fool, Nero. You deserve worse, but I’ve wasted enough time on you.” He hissed when he’d seen where we returned. I pulled my blade from his body and stepped back, just as Draco swung forward and delivered the deadly blow, taking Nero’s head off and turning Nero to dust in front of us.
I heard Mary’s screaming sobs and we transported ourselves to her room. “He’s gone. They’ve killed him.” The tears poured uncontrollably down her face. “Alessio is gone. I wish to join you in your war. I will be one of your soldiers.”
“I cannot allow that, Mary.”
“I have no mate. There is nothing left for me. I will die with honor. I gave birth to the devil, and I must end him.” Her eyes were red with rage and her heart was stone. She died with Alessio even though she was still standing. The need to kill her own child spoke volumes to her sadness.
“Nero is dead,” I offered as some solace.
“Thank you, Uncle,” Dante said, knowing they had lost Nero a long time ago. His heart had been dark from the day he was born and the darkness consumed him.
“I must go. Leonora is hurt,” I said, kissing Mary’s hand goodbye.
“I will help dispatch the rest of the scum,” Dante stated, pulling his blade out of its sheath.
“Stay strong, Dante.” I teleported to the lab to see my beloved on the floor. Rushing to her side, I cradled her upper body close, trying to feel her breath. “Nora, come on, my love. Wake up for me.” Her face had gone extremely pale with the loss of blood. Her regeneration wasn’t as fast as ours yet. Panic set in that I may not be able to save her. I applied pressure to the large gashes on her chest and waist. “Nora, my love. Please wake,” I begged, but she wouldn’t wake. I shook her, but nothing. I could hear her heartbeat and it was still strong. I prayed that her body would heal itself before it was too late.
I tore my sleeve off and wrapped it around her shoulder wound. Then I heard the lab’s keycard lock buzz. Vigo stepped into the room and rushed to us.
“What happened?” he gasped, dropping to the floor to be of assistance.
“Nero,” I said, my words hollow as I pulled my world tighter into my arms and hoped that she would wake for me. Vigo jumped to his feet, probably to go find something to snap her back into consciousness.
I placed a kiss on the large bruise building on her forehead.
“Falcon,” she muttered softly, her body still limp. A smile erupted on my face just as I saw the lights come on. I looked up to see Vigo at the fuse box, messing with something.
“We need to get you to a doctor,” I said, looking down at her. She didn’t look any better than a minute ago and her eyes were still closed. Had I heard her call me? Or was I fantasizing her whispering my name?
Vigo came back to us with a wash cloth in his hands and applied it the wound on her chest. “She’s going to be fine, Falcon. Her pulse is steady and I’m certain her wounds will heal like ours. Let’s stop the bleeding and get her out of here before someone thinks you tried to kill her.”
I nodded, knowing he was right. I couldn’t let any of the humans know that she was hurt. “I will take her back home. Secure the lab and meet me at the house.”
Within a second, I laid her down on our bed. Still nothing. I took off her clothes to assess her injuries. There were two large gashes, one on her shoulder and one to her side. Vigo had been right, they were healing—slowly. I pressed a towel to her chest and held it there, trying to stop her blood loss.
“Please wake up for me,” I sobbed, leaning over her. “Please don’t leave me.”
Book II coming April 2017
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