"Please, allow me to explain. Come back to the room."
"God, you just don’t quit. You’ll do just about anything to get me in there with you." I stepped down another step to get his hand off of me.
"Gwyneth, that painting has been here for centuries. I had an artist paint it before I became what I am now." He sighed and continued, "I had a life before I became a monster, and that is one of the few things left to remind me of it."
My mind raced. I knew he told the truth. I would have sensed him lying to me. But if what Pallo said was true, how was it that I was in the picture with him? It was impossible. It was painted at least two hundred years before I was born.
"Gwyneth, I should have told you. When I saw you standing in my home, I could not think. There you stood, in the flesh, in my home…. He told us we would be rewarded, but neither of us expected you to return. We never expected a second chance at…."
I felt his hand on my shoulder again and I cringed. I pulled away and ran downstairs. I had to keep grabbing the material on my nightgown to keep from tripping. I hit the bottom with such speed that I slid toward the front door. My shoulder took most of the hit from slamming into the heavy door. My right hand went numb and I had to use my left hand to open the door.
"No!" Pallo screamed from the staircase. He was having trouble keeping up with me because he hadn’t fed yet.
I looked back at him coming downstairs. His eyes flashed wildly at me. I stepped out the door, and felt the ground give way under my feet. My stomach rose to my throat. The ground came upon me with such force it knocked the wind out of me. My hair spilled over my face like a curtain. Something crashed onto the floor next to me. My breathing went ragged, and I felt like a caged animal.
"Are you all right?"
I pulled my hair back and looked wildly at Pallo crouched on the floor next to me. He looked sick. He was bent over, holding his abdomen. He looked ghastly white, so much so that I thought he might start to glow in the dark.
"Are you hurt?"
"No, I need to.…" He looked to me and could not bring himself to say the word feed.
"We need to get you back to the park. Come on." I stood, and it hit me that we were not sitting in front of a house, but what looked to be a dungeon. All the joking I had done about his house, and he really did have one.
"This is not mine."
I was getting pretty damn sick and tired of his little mind--reading tricks but didn’t have the energy to fight with him. When I looked at him and saw his body hunched over like a tiger about to strike, I put my hand on his back. His skin was no longer warm. It was cold and clammy. "You’re dying." I bent and wrapped my body around his. In my mind, I thought that my body heat would warm him, but it didn’t work.
"No. I am already dead," he said. No trace of the strong and sure Pallo remained in his voice.
"Well, great, since you’ve already been there and done that we can skip it and go home."
"Home?" He turned his face to me. All of the glory had faded from his brown eyes, only gray ones remained.
"Yes, home. We can fight more after we get there." I helped him to his feet. When I was sure he wasn’t going to pass out, I turned to look around the room.
"So, where are we? And don’t state the obvious again."
"Hell."
"Figuratively or literally?"
"Does it matter?"
He had a point. I started to ask him how to get out of here when he put a finger to his lip to shush me. I listened but heard only silence.
He gestured to a metal door at the end of the room. He whispered in an unfamiliar language. I had no idea what he was saying, but if I had to take a crack at it, I’d have guessed he spoke in Latin.
"What are you doing?"
"Praying," he said softly.
"Vampires do that?" I couldn’t hide the shock in my voice.
Howling pierced the silence like a knife. Pallo pulled me behind him in a protective manner and stood tall.
The door burst open. Two hellhounds leapt inside. They stopped at Pallo’s feet, growling. Red eyes blazed at us, almost glowing. They were twice the size of full grown Great Danes. Pallo pushed me back slowly.
"I see you’ve met the boys," a woman’s voice said.
I looked to see her standing in the open doorway. She was about my height, average. Okay, short, and had long red hair. She looked like she had been dunked in leather: a leather top squeezed her large breast together, and her pants fit her body so tightly I was positive she couldn’t sit down.
She looked familiar to me, but I couldn’t place her. Yeah, you would think that a pair of beady yellow eyes and a chick dressed like a biker-whore-from-hell would be easy to recall.
She spared me a glance then concentrated on Pallo.
"Pallo, Pallo. I didn’t expect a visit from you today." She pulled a knife holder from her back pocket. "You should have called. I could have prepared the room, just the way you like it."
"Talia, it’s been a long time."
"You know her?" I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer.
She took a step closer and caressed the neck of one hound.
"Who is your little friend? Do not tell me you’ve taken to bedding virgins now? I thought you were done with that. They break so easy, don’t they?" She smiled and fangs showed. I was happy at least one vamp I’d met was holding true to a Hollywood image.
"He’s not bedding me, and I’m not a virgin."
"Oh, I see why you like her. You always did have a thing for mouthy girls. Is she good with her mouth in other places as well?"
"Talia, to what do we owe the honor of this visit?" Pallo asked. The muscles in his arms flexed.
"I was running an errand for the Queen, but since I found you, let us just say it is for old time’s sake." She licked the blade of her knife. I could feel Pallo’s fear. He was opening himself up to me. He feared this tiny little redhead.
"I do not recognize these two," he said, looking at the hellhounds.
"They are new. They just completed the initiation process a few days ago. They no longer have any ties to the human world. They ‘severed’ them. I have had to make so many new little ones as of late. I have lost many of my children. The humans hunt us like we are animals."
"That’s a shocker." I bit my lip, but it was too late.
Talia gave me a look. "Show her you are not animals."
The two hounds’ backs curved abnormally backwards as they howled. I lifted my hands to cover my ears. The decibel level was almost deafening in the chamber.
Bones crunched and blood spilled from them as their features became human. A muzzle receded into one’s face. I thought I was going to be sick or possible wet myself. At that stage of the game neither one would have bothered me in the least.
Two naked men stood before us when the transformation was finally over. They were identical in every way. One had a little bit longer coal black hair than the other. They looked to be only five foot seven or so in human form, a sharp contrast to their beast body. I couldn’t help but notice how gifted they both were in certain areas. They could have made a fortune in a twin strip show, but their eyes gave them away. Fiery red eyes still stared out from their well-crafted bodies. The night by the river ran through my head. Those were the same type of eyes that had come rushing towards me.
"Jacob and Jonathan Wilson, say hello."
"Hello," they said in unison. This was too much. I almost burst out laughing. I stopped and thought about what she had just said. Wilson? Jacob and Jonathan--those were Rick’s boys’ names. A horrible thought came to my head. They had murdered their own father because he had figured out what they were and what they had done. That is what Talia had meant by them ‘severing’ their ties to the human world. Oh my God! The room felt suddenly hot, making me sick to my stomach.
Talia stepped between them and ran her hand along Jacob’s body. She turned and did the same to Jonathan. They were both hard and ready when she took another step toward us.<
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"As much as we would love to stay and play with you, we really must be going," Pallo said. I was amazed at how calm he kept his voice, even though I could feel his fear as if it was my own.
"You never used to run off before the festivities began. Are you softening with old age?"
She was really starting to get to me. I wanted to walk up to her and slap her right across the face. Pallo sensed my urge to hit her and shook his head.
"Don’t tell me you do not miss the days of old." She held her knife out threateningly.
He stiffened. "No, Talia. I have left the days of torturing others behind me now, you know this."
She looked pleased. "Yes, I had heard that you gave up your naughty ways. Why is that?"
"I had no reason to hate anymore."
"You harbored much hate for two hundred years, what would change you so? Did you finally get over your little loss?" She talked with her hands, the knife skimming past Pallo’s chest. "I found your circumstance very unique. Tell me--how long after you were made did you have your heart broken? Less than half a year, if I’m not mistaken. To be made immortal and to lose your love…. Tell me, was she worth it? Did she fuck good enough to warrant leading you to the Devil himself?"
"I do not wish to discuss this with you," he said, restrained violence in his voice.
"Answer me, Pallo. I asked you a question." She lashed out and cut his chest. Blood pooled onto the floor, nearing my feet. Jason and Jonathan started to look restless. I could tell the smell of blood was exciting them, and it made me sick.
Talia struck Pallo again, catching his face.
"Stop!" I yelled and took a step out from behind him.
"No!" he shouted, trying to pull me back.
Talia looked at me, her yellow eyes flaring. "The virgin speaks."
"Leave him alone."
"Would you beg for your lover’s life?" Her voice had gotten soft, and that scared me.
It was hard to find the courage to step in front of Pallo, but I did. That put Talia and I eye to eye. Her breath was hot on my face. I made a point of looking directly into her eyes. I wasn’t going to let her see me back down. She was pissing off the wrong girl. I growled low in my throat.
Talia’s eyes flickered and turned green, and then it hit me. I knew where I’d seen her before. She looked different with clothes on, if you could even call them that. She was the woman I walked in and found Ken with.
"I know you! You’re the whore who slept with my fiancé." The words flew out of my mouth with such force I spit on her.
She smiled. "You will have to be more specific if you want to get a rise out of me."
"Kenneth Harpel."
Yellow flooded back into her eyes. "Harpel? The Law." The name slid off her tongue like a snake. The supernatural papers had been referring to Ken as ‘The Law.’ He had gotten the nickname from successfully prosecuting more than a hundred supernatural felons.
"You … you are the one who interrupted me. He was not easy to seduce, but I did. No mortal man can resist me."
"You’ve got to be kidding me." I rolled my eyes.
Talia touched her nose to mine. She licked the corner of my mouth. "I was going to kill him after I fucked him, but you came in and spoiled all the fun. I couldn’t bring him back to me. His love for you was too strong. That took the fun out of it." She said love like it was a dirty word.
"Ha! You don’t know Ken very well. He only loves himself." I started to laugh in her face. I don’t think she appreciated that much. Her knee came up and caught me in the gut. I fell forward and came within inches of running my face into the knife in her hand. Pallo grabbed my body and eased me to the floor.
Talia reached over me and slashed at Pallo again. He must have been expecting that because he dodged it. Her other hand flew up and struck him with such a force he went airborne.
I screamed for him. He was weak enough as it was without this bitch throwing him around. I tried to kick her in her kneecap, but came up short and got her ankle instead. I screamed at her. "Leave him alone!" She didn’t flinch.
"Aren’t you the brave little one?" She spit the words at me. "He is good, but is he good enough to risk your life for?"
Pallo slumped on the ground behind me. He was losing too much blood. He was dying.
"Pallo." I didn’t turn to look at him. I was afraid to take my eyes off of Talia. I got to my feet and tried to focus on calling an element. Some Si, witches, and other creatures of magic have the ability to call upon the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. At that particular time I didn’t care which I got, I just wanted one. A tingle started in my chest.
"Come, Pallo, let us spark the flame of hate in you once again."
She put her finger on my breast and pushed. It felt like a truck had just plowed into me. My feet left the ground, and I flew across the room. My upper back hit the ground first. I was thankful it wasn’t my head, or I would have been knocked out. Being unconscious with she-vamp in the room wasn’t high on my to-do list.
Talia crossed the room and bent over Pallo with her knife. She licked the blood from the end of it and leaned into him. Lifting his arm, she turned his wrist and made a long slice down the center of it. He winced in pain. Blood didn’t pour from it as it should have, and I knew that meant he was close to death, or whatever it was that happened to an already dead guy.
I pulled my aching body off the ground. "Get the fuck away from him, now!"
My power built inside me. I hadn’t learned to control it yet, but I didn’t really care how it manifested itself, just so long as it did. I thought back to Nana’s teachings. She had spent months working with me on this. The most important thing I needed was a target. Talia’s little lap dogs appeared as if on command before me.
"My pets will teach you some manners, young one."
Jacob hurled his body into mine, and we crashed onto the floor. The room faded in and out for minute. I blinked. Jacob’s red eyes burned brighter. He smiled. His body weight had me pinned to the floor. Slobber fell from his mouth onto my forehead. I tried to wriggle free from under him, but he was too strong.
I kneed him in the groin. Pleasure blossomed on his face.
"More," he said, his voice raspy and low.
I struggled to free my arms from under his body and dug my nails into his face. Jonathan seized hold of my wrists from above my head. Jacob’s hands moved down my body as he started to raise my nightgown. I kicked out at him. My foot came in contact with his jaw but it didn’t faze him. He slid the nightgown over my waist, grabbing at my thighs. I kicked him again. Jonathan pulled on my arms harder. The way they were yanking on me, I’d be torn in two in no time.
I heard someone screaming and realized it was me. I looked around the room for Pallo. I was more concerned for his safety than my own. I caught sight of him. Talia dragged his limp body toward me. She had her fingers twisted in the top of his hair, pulling him. She was a vampire, so she made dragging a two hundred pound man look easy.
"Look," she said pulling his head up. "We wouldn’t want you to miss the show."
"Talia, kill me instead. Leave her be," Pallo said, looking at me. I pleaded with my eyes for him to stop. I didn’t want him to sacrifice himself for me.
She pulled his head back further. "I have seen you do worse than this. Why the change of heart, Pallo?"
"Take me and leave her, I beg you."
She let go of his head and started to laugh. The sound of her laugh made me feel like bugs were crawling all over me.
"Pallo, you do not beg. You are holding out on me." She pressed the knife to his throat. "If you are willing to die for her she must be some fuck. Let us all see. Shall we?"
Pallo screamed and lunged towards me, but he was too weak to reach me. I could see the determination in his eyes. He wanted to save me.
Talia stepped over the back of him. "It seems that I have found the match to light your fire of hate again, Pallo."
She left him lying there and started tow
ards the door. "Make Mommy proud, boys," she said and walked out. This woman was too much. If I managed to get out of this alive, I was going to kick her ass--or kill her, I couldn’t decide, right now I was leaning towards the felony.
Jacob lifted my gown higher, exposing my breasts to him. He grabbed them with his hands, cupping me tightly, his claws digging deep.
"Get off me, puppy breath!" I screamed in his face and tried to bash him with my head.
He raked his claws down my stomach, and I felt my skin rip open. I screamed in pain. "Screw you! You are nothing but father-murdering little pricks! Rick should have drowned you at birth, you, you…."
Pallo lay motionless on the floor near me. I closed my eyes and concentrated on him. I visualized a white light between the two of us, connecting our thoughts.
"Pallo," I called his name in my head. "Pallo, please don’t give up." I was pushing this thought at him as Jacob’s hands kneaded my breasts harder and harder. I brought my focus back to trying to connect with the element of fire. I pictured it in my head. I thought of the ingredients used to conjure fire. The smell of nutmeg, lemon, and cinnamon came to me. I absorbed the scents, let them dance about my head until I felt a tightening in my chest. Heat rose to my face and up my arms, wanting somewhere to go.
Jacob had moved from my breasts and was pressing himself against my abdomen. I could feel the rounded tip of him through my thin panties. I screamed for Pallo in my head, screamed and called for my power.
Jacob pried my legs open. I brought my foot up to kick him again, but he caught hold of it. This put my body in the perfect position to accept him into me. He smiled and started to push himself closer to me.
I cold feel Jonathon pulling harder on my arms. He was trying to tear me apart. I closed my eyes. I let the power flow up my body and spill out towards him. Jonathan let go of me and screamed in pain. I could smell burning flesh, but I didn’t open my eyes. I hoped the bastard burst into flames.
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