SV02-06. Slave to a Vampire

by Katrina Kahler

  The cloaked woman shifted in her seat as the man at the bar continued to rant about the undead stalking along the eastern coastline. She needed him to be silent, but several patrons bought him rounds of ale and his lips flapped even worse than before. Her hands clenched on the tabletop, but the figure beside her hissed quietly and she stilled.

  The tavern maid came by with another bright smile and spotted their untouched ales. “Not to your fancy? I can get you something else or bring you some dinner? Neither of you has had a bite to eat yet.”

  The woman’s throat burned with hunger, but food would not quench that. “No, thank you. We’re simply enjoying the warmth of the fire.” She tilted her head enough so her eyes were visible. They flared to life with a deep crimson red and the maid was transfixed. “We need nothing and you will ensure no one bothers us.”

  The woman nodded once, the smile slipping from her face for a moment, then shook her head and continued on her way.

  “Was that necessary?” the deep voice came from beside her.

  “She would not leave us alone otherwise,” she replied tightly. “Where is he? We are running out of time.”

  “Be thankful he hasn’t arrived because as yet, there is no sign of our target,” he growled and his hooded head moved, taking in the tavern. He leaned back against the hard bench and scooted his ale around the table. “Do you hear anything?”

  The woman closed her eyes and focused on the thoughts filling the tavern. Nothing of import brushed against her so she stretched further, out to the street beyond. She winced as a throbbing pain started behind her eyes.

  “Stop, come back to me,” he hissed beside her.

  “No, he may yet be out there. The docks are close,” she whispered, envisioning herself farther outside the tavern. More people brushed against her mind and she shivered from the exertion of searching so far out. Since that night, her mind had grown stronger and yet weakened at the same time. It was infuriating and she was tired of the restraint. “I’m at the docks…”

  “Pull back,” he warned and gripped her hand.

  “Wait,” she hissed and pulled her hand free, scrunching her eyes closed even tighter. “Wait, he’s thinking of the Order and Charles…and Paddy. Paddy’s here, he’s on the ship!”

  “You’re bleeding, stop this before you harm yourself more,” he snapped. “Catherine, listen to me, damn it! I will not watch you bleed out again.”

  She gave her head a subtle shake, revealing her black hair. “Not yet,” she hissed.

  There, she found him, huddled in the Captain’s cabin, speaking with several other men about leaving the harbor soon. They waited for word from St. Augustine, a report on what had happened to his son. Paddy was furious and from the scowls on the other men’s faces, they expected the worst.

  “Catherine,” Bastian snarled in her ear, and suddenly Catherine was back in the tavern, sucking in a sharp breath at the pain sprouting behind her eyes. Something warm dripped onto her upper lip and Bastian cursed beside her as she wiped the blood from her nose. “I told you to stop.”

  “I needed to find him,” she replied as he pushed from the booth. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m getting us a room for the night. We may need it if he doesn’t make it before dawn, and you need to get cleaned up,” he muttered, shaking his head at the blood on her face.

  She squeezed his hand before he left the table and when he turned back, some of the ire left his eyes, showing her the intense worry filling him. “I’m sorry, Bastian, truly.”

  His lips thinned, but he nodded and she let him go. She picked up the edge of her cloak and pressed it against her nose until the blood stopped flowing so freely. Facing Antony had showed her how far her power could reach and what she could do with it, but at the same time, he had wounded her deeply and she could not hold on for long now. Any exertion left her weakened and usually bleeding. The last time…the last time nearly sent her to an early grave.

  One I should already be in, she mused. One we both should be.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” the man at the bar said with a whistle, still shaking, but from the cold or his fear, Catherine could not tell. Bastian would be able to, but when she glanced his way, his shoulders held the same stiff posture they’d had for weeks.

  Ever since they’d caught word of the Order sailing to Boston, his attitude had changed and he hardly spoke unless it was to warn Catherine to cease pushing herself so hard. There was no other option. They made an oath that night and swore they would see it through, no matter the cost. He wanted to go alone, she heard his thoughts often enough, except they had proved time and again that together they were strongest. Together, they were nearly unstoppable.

  Nearly, something she needed to remind herself of frequently. After what had happened at the fort, it was hard to remember that although they had immortal life, they could still be killed easily enough.

  “I have a room for us,” Bastian said, appearing at the table and holding a key in his hand. “Catherine?”

  “I’m fine,” she said and held out her hand.

  He pulled her to her feet, eyes searching her face. If he wanted to say anything, he held it back and led the way to the rear stairs and their room. It faced westward so they would not feel the direct heat of the sun come the dawn. Even still, they took the blankets from the rickety bed they did not need for warmth and hung them over the windows to be safe. He asked quietly if she wished for a fire and after nodding, he started it in the small hearth.

  This room was one of the nicer ones, must be to have its own fireplace. Catherine removed her cloak and let it fall to the floor carelessly. There were so many more important things on her mind than worrying about a cloak.

  Head still throbbing, she stalked around the room, trying to rid her mind of the pain as Bastian removed his cloak and draped it over the edge of the bed. He did the same with hers and when she passed by him again, he took her hand and spun her into his arms with a smirk, one she had not seen in a long time.

  “We still haven’t had our wedding,” he whispered in her ear as she rested her head against his shoulder.

  “Do you still want one?”

  He chuckled, and Catherine relaxed a little more, the pain in her head slowly receding. “Do you?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered with a frown. He stopped their dance and tilted his head so his eyes met hers. “I feel as if we have been together for so long already. A wedding means nothing to me. I am with you and I do not ever wish to be anywhere else.”

  He sighed and kissed her forehead sweetly. “I never wanted you to go through any of this.”

  “No?” she asked with a smile. “Running across the islands, the marshes, fighting off vampires and the Order, and nearly dying several times. That was never in your plans for us?”

  “Not exactly,” he said, and tightened his arms around her. “I wanted you to have a simply life, easy, living with me and running the plantation. Maybe one day I would have asked if you wanted to be like me, but I never…I never wanted you to be…” He frowned when he could not find the words, and Catherine reached up to gently hold his face. His hands covered hers and he shrugged. “It’s my fault all of this happened to you, even where we are now.”

  Catherine stretched up on her toes and kissed him fiercely. “No,” she whispered. “You did not decide to destroy your home and kill so many innocents. You did not decide to drag the Order into this or send for the vampires who killed my brother, his future wife,” she growled. “You did not do this to me. You saved me.”

  “And you saved me,” he said.

  “I will always save you,” she promised.

  “And you, my love. Though I worry,” he said, turning his head so his lips kissed one hand and then the other. “I worry I may not be able to save you from what happens next.”

  “Worry about it when it comes,” she said. “For the moment, let us worry about right now.”

  She kissed him again, languid and ho
t as she led him towards the bed behind her. It was old and lumpy, she could tell before she even touched it, but this was one of the rare nights where they found themselves completely alone and she was hungry for more than just blood. Bastian tugged at her blouse, yanking it over her head as she did the same with his, needing to feel his skin against hers and know they were both alive. They had made it through another day.

  There was no way to tell how many more they would have together and Catherine would take advantage of whatever moments she could make with him in her arms.

  When they reached the bed, he lifted her up and turned so he sat. They fumbled quickly, lips never leaving the other’s as they tore the rest of their clothes away. Their skin, cold to the touch for everyone else, was on fire for Catherine, and she shivered from the intense heat pouring from him. She trailed her fingers down his back as he hugged her hips and brought her against him. His mouth lowered to her heavy chest, the place that was desperate for his touch, and her head fell back on a sigh. Nothing else mattered except the two of them in this room, alone, and together.

  Fear, desire, passion, and anger roiled through Catherine’s mind, and with each caress of Bastian’s lips, the feelings simply intensified. He growled against her body. He felt everything she did and when she stretched out, reaching his thoughts, her eyes flew open and every touch turned frantic.

  Catherine kissed him deeply, digging her nails into his shoulders and the moment they became one, their bodies quivered against each other. Bastian held her tightly to him before he moved against her, driving them both over the edge quickly with their fierce need to know the other was still there. Their connection was stronger than ever before and whenever they joined, it was as though Catherine peered into a whole other world where she felt the sun on her skin again. The intensity should not have been possible, but when Bastian struggled to keep them together, she pushed him back and tackled him to the bed.

  “No matter what happens,” she whispered, staring deeply into his crimson, hooded gaze, “I will never leave you, Bastian.”

  “Nor I you,” he groaned…and she moved faster, his nails digging into her hips.

  Their cries mingled in the room over the sound of the crackling fire. Catherine collapsed against his body and Bastian wrapped his arms around her securely, kissing the top of her head as he smoothed his hand down her hair and back. She traced invisible patterns on his pale skin. As the last tendrils of ecstasy left her body, the darkness closed in again and she feared for the days ahead.

  They could have chosen differently that night, after the last body had fallen dead to the ground. They could have decided to turn and run, start over somewhere far away from the Order. But the last warning rang through her mind and she looked to Bastian as lightning shattered the clouds overhead.

  There would be no escaping the Order, not unless every last one of them burned.

  Chapter 5

  Outside St. Augustine 1681

  Catherine cursed the mosquitos flitting around her face and forced her hand to stay by her side. Any sudden movement from her would set off the ten heavily armed men standing right behind her. She had convinced Charles to trust her and keep Kendi and Tula alive, for now. She played her part as well as she could, spent most of the night with him, proving to him she was still the same Catherine. It killed her to remember what she promised, what she swore to do, but they were only words.

  Words to get her into that fort with half an army behind her.

  Once inside, she would lead Charles straight to Antony and let them distract each other while she, Tula, and Kendi found Bastian and Haddie. All they needed was a way in.

  “You’re certain of this?” Charles snapped as he reached her side, fidgeting with the sword at his hip. “If you’re leading me and my men into a trap, I do not care who you are, I will relieve you of your head.”

  She flashed her fangs with a hiss and the men behind her all drew their swords from their sheaths. “Why would I lead you into a trap?”

  “You are one of them. Impure, unclean. I cannot trust anything you say.”

  “Then why are you following us in?” she asked, genuinely confused. “Why are you listening to anything I have told you?”

  Charles’ eyes slid towards her and he leered. “What choice do I have? But I will have something to hold over you once we are inside. If you lie to me, if you do not stick to your word, I will not only kill the two demons with you, I will personally find Bastian myself and remove his heart before your eyes. Then I will send you to Rome and lock you away for the rest of your miserable years.”

  Catherine matched his glare with a snarl. “You have to get inside the fort first, Charles.”

  “You plan on betraying me now? Please, by all means,” he said and held out his arms wide, encompassing all his men behind him. “I’m not a fool. You are using my men to aid you just as I am using you to get inside.”

  She wanted to assure him she was willing to go with him once this was over. That was the deal. They would kill Antony and those who followed him if they resisted. Once the fort was reclaimed, Catherine and Bastian would return with Charles to Rome and join the Order. She knew they would be thrown into cells and would most likely never see each other again. But she would not let that happen to them, not without a fight. And if Charles saw through her plans already…then she would simply keep her lips shut.

  Charles smirked, taking her silence for giving in, and nodded. “This will go much better for you and your cursed lover if you cooperate with the Order.”

  Catherine remained silent, listening to the orders he gave his men. She glanced over her shoulder searching for Tula and Kendi. They stood not too far away, eyes focused on the fort visible through the trees. Tula’s gaze slipped to hers and he subtly nodded. They knew what to do once inside. All throughout the day while Charles and his men made their preparations, Catherine had focused on Bastian and tracked him within the fort. Her chest tightened, remembering the mess of memories she found in his usually steadfast mind.

  Whatever Antony had done to him since they’d reached the fort had broken Bastian’s mind. She came back from it frantic, tears streaming down her cheeks. It had taken both Tula and Kendi pinning her down to prevent her from bashing herself against the cage in her efforts to break free. She needed to get to him before it was too late, if it wasn’t already. Images flared to life in her mind now, flashes she could not fully understand, but one of them was of Haddie, her headless body crumbling to the ground as her head rolled away. It haunted Bastian and now it haunted her.

  When she tried to reach him, speak to him as they had before, he either ignored her words or was too far gone to hear them.

  Bastian had no knowledge of the plan or that she was with the Order, standing just outside the walls of the fort and waiting for the command to move. Tula explained that the only way in undetected, was beneath the docks. The tide went out at night long enough for them to reach the tunnel created by the Spanish when they first built the place. It was unused for the most part and should not be heavily guarded, if it was guarded at all. Sneaking all of them in would be tricky, but Tula assured Charles he could do it.

  As long as his men could follow the lead of a vampire.

  “We’re ready,” Charles told Catherine. “Tell your man, one wrong move, if he tries to deviate from the plan at all, this will be his last night on this earth.”

  “Tula knows what he must do,” she hissed and her eyes glowed brighter when she noticed the brief glimpse of fear in Charles’ eyes. He might say he was well trained and unafraid of the demons he hunted, but he lied.

  Catherine moved from his side to Tula and Kendi. “Is it time?” Tula asked quietly.

  “Yes and Charles warns you not to do anything stupid,” she whispered with a hiss.

  “Patience, Catherine, we will reach Bastian in time,” he swore, and briefly gripped her shoulder in comfort. “The men must follow my lead exactly. The coast will give us cover.”

  “I w
ill spread the word. Lead on, Tula,” she said, and with Kendi’s help, told the soldiers what to do. Charles listened closely nearby, surrounded as always by too many men for her to easily kill him.

  You still need him and his men, she reminded herself. Tula might be able to get them inside the fort, but from what she sensed while standing outside its walls, the place was overrun. They would get inside and be trapped. You will still be trapped. You know how many are behind those walls and you know Antony controls them all.

  She pushed her doubts away and focused on getting inside. Once in, they would incite the other vampires against the Order, find Bastian, and escape before Antony realized what had happened. There was no reason for them to remain any longer than that.

  Tula and Catherine led the way from the marshes to the coastline, being sure to stay low and beneath the eyes of anyone guarding the top of the fort walls. The men fell in line behind them, trudging through the sand dunes and sloshing through the water as the tide rolled back in. She worried that Tula had timed it wrong. If the tunnel became flooded, the three of them could still traverse it but the men would drown, along with Charles.

  She could live with that.

  As they neared the docks, Tula held up his hand to slow their progress and glared overhead. Heavy booted steps paced back and forth above and the sound of voices reached their ears. Many voices. Catherine closed her eyes briefly and stretched her mind. She felt the five directly above them. If they moved from the shadow of the first dock to the second, the guards above might spot the line of men. She concentrated and made one of them believe they were needed in the courtyard.

  “We were just told to come guard the dock,” a rough voice hissed.

  “No, I remember now,” another said. “He’s preparing that vampire in the courtyard soon.”

  “Which is why we were put on guard duty,” a third voice chimed in. There was a scuffle of boots, but none of them moved. “We must stay here to guard. We will not see him finally breaking under our Master’s hand.”

  Catherine’s mind drifted to Bastian, but she dragged her mind back to what was happening amongst the guards above her, and pushed harder with the idea to move.