by Megan Hawke
The only problem with Gabe going all wolfie on me was communication. He understood me perfectly, but his wolf mouth and throat couldn't produce human speech. We've discussed hand signals, but never got around to developing anything. We always seemed to have better, more important things to do, like watch TV or have sex.
An undead girl of the new millennia has to have priorities.
"Is that them?" Heidi said.
We could hear multiple vehicles coming down our street. I could feel my vamps. They were close. It was them in the approaching vehicles. And they weren't alone. I felt five mortals with them.
"Yes. They're here." I shared a smile with Heidi. She looked stoked. I know I was filled with fear and excitement. Honestly, I think part of the vampire curse was a death wish. "This party is officially on."
I pulled out my phone, powered it up and called Sergeant Longhouse.
"Are you in your office?" I said.
"Sable? I can't believe you'd have the audacity to call me. Not after what you did to Parker and Grinstead," he said. Man, did he sound pissed or what?
"Audacity? Me? Perish the thought. Now, I only have a second. Log into this website. Got a pen?" He grumbled, but I heard him riffling through something looking for a pen. When he was ready, I gave him the website's address and then the house's address. "Log in and watch. All the players are here, except for the police."
"What kind of game are – ?"
I hung up. No time to talk.
Five vampires stormed into the house, through windows and doors. They caused quite a mess. The homeowners, and their insurance company, would be pissed. I paused to wonder if they'd try to collect from me.
"We meet again, Black Heart," Chris said.
"Et tu, Christopher?" Did everyone have to call me Black Heart? I am Sable. Pretty name, I thought. "Do you still have that silver bullet inside you?"
"Yes. You'll pay for that, too."
"Why didn't you just take it out?" He froze, confusion on his face. "Momma Zuza just wants you to suffer, I guess. I'll try to break her hold on you tonight, and then we'll take care of you."
"You're crazy, Sable," Mario said. "Momma Zuza wants you dead. We're going to kill you and your friends."
"If you do that, who'll take that silver bullet out of you?"
"I don't have a silver bullet in me."
"Heidi," I said. Heidi promptly shot him in the stomach. I would've aimed for the heart or head, but she's nicer than me. "Ouch. Hurts, doesn't it?"
Mario had an incredulous look on his face. I remembered the first time I was shot with blessed silver. You learn to suppress the pain after a while, but it's always a shocker when first hit.
"You shouldn't have done that," Arthur said.
"That's what you boys get for following Momma Zuza's orders."
"We don't have a choice," Mario said. "But still, I'm going to enjoy killing you and that blonde bitch that shot me."
"The name's Heidi. Don't ever call me a bitch," she said, and shot him again. "I don't like it."
Momma Zuza and her coven had time to circle the house. They were just outside, waiting. Time for them to join the party. I took one step, allowing me to look out the front door. Momma Zuza was standing out in the yard.
"What are you afraid of, Little Momma Zuza? Come on it and join the party," I said. Suddenly five witches just popped into the house. I jumped. Heidi and Gabe jumped, too. "Wow! I didn't know you could do that."
The witch that came in behind me tried to hex me right off. I heard her speaking the spell, and I dodged to the left. Her hex flew past and hit the wall, burning out a three foot hole. I grabbed a javelin leaning against the wall and hurled it at her heart. She waved her hand and it turned in midair, missing her by a good foot.
"Not going as planned, heh Sable?" Momma Zuza said, looking all smug.
I scowled at her. "That's my life. It never goes as planned."
"And yet she keeps dragging me into these situations," Heidi said. "Gotta love her, right?"
"No. I don't," Momma Zuza said. Her eyes narrowed at me as she pointed. "Kill them!"
Zuza's five vamps attacked. Heidi cursed and Gabe roared with battle lust. Really, no one loved to fight more than werewolves. They're just as sick as vampires, in their own way.
Mario reached me first. I sent a roundhouse at his face, which he ducked and scored a solid punch to my ribs. I managed to twist and fall away from the punch enough to avoid any broken ribs. He was more than capable of pounding his fist right though my body.
He pressed his attack, with Arthur coming in behind him to help. Their faces were filled with wicked glee. I wasn't so pleased at the time. So I kicked out, driving my heel into Mario's left hip. He cried out as flesh tore and that sharp heel scrapped across bone. I followed that up with a straight finger thrust into his throat, ripping that open, too.
Mario fell back as Arthur leapt over him. Chris came flying across the room, and crashed into Arthur. I winked at Gabe, who had thrown the vamp.
"Watch out for the witch!" I cried, seeing one of those wicked bitches move up behind him. Too late.
Gabe howled as her spell hit him in the back. His back arched and the smell of burnt fur filled the room. He fell to the floor, writhing and twitching.
"Die, foul werewolf!" she cried.
"Kill him!" Momma Zuza cried. "Kill them all!"
I lunged at the witch attacking Gabe. She hesitated in her killing spell, cutting her eyes towards me. Zuza was speaking furiously, about to hex me. I stopped running, and surged. Zuza's spell passed behind me, and I looped around behind the other witch in a heartbeat.
"Die," I cried, seizing the witch's head and shoulder. I pushed her head to the side, exposing her neck. Her warm, brown skin called to me. I felt her racing, surging blood. I sank my fangs into her jugular, and drank deeply, sucking hard. Then I pulled away without healing the wound, letting blood fountain out as she wailed. "You pay for Momma Zuza's folly."
I didn't let her bleed out. There were camera's recording it all. The police were watching. So I laid my hand on her throat, and healed her. But her blood loss effectively de-powered the witch. She passed out.
"Judith!" Momma Zuza cried. "She killed Judith."
"She is delicious," I said, locking eyes with Momma Zuza. I so wished I could mesmerize her. "Guess who's next?"
"You'll never taste my blood, vampire," she growled. Yeah, it was a growl. Kinda scary, too. "I've decided the best way to spite you, Sable. I'm going to drain your blood and make even more vampires."
"And kill more werewolves?" I said. She just grinned cruelly at me. "Why? Why are you only killing werewolves? You hate both vamps and wolves equally, as best as I can tell."
"You are right," she said. "I want the vampires and werewolves to kill each other off. If it weren't for your meddling, that war would've started a week ago. But after you're gone and in hell, then there won't be anyone left to stop me. I'll have my war, and your blood will help me accomplish it."
"And killing innocents doesn't bother you?"
"Vampires and werewolves are anything but innocent."
"They are not necessarily guilty of any crimes, either. But I was speaking of innocent mortals. Non paranormals. Hundreds, even thousands could be killed or injured."
"Perfect. It'll breed even more hate and loathing for vampires and werewolves."
"You are a monster."
"I am humanity's savior! Vampires and werewolves are a bane on humanity's existence. With my help, humanity will vanquish them once and for all," she said. Looking into her eyes, I realized she believed it. She really believed she was doing good. That she was some kind of champion of the people. "Kill them, and we'll drain the vampires' of their blood."
"Is that irony?" Heidi said. We shared a grin. "You know, draining us of blood?"
"I think it's just rude," I said.
It was just Heidi and I. Gabe was down for the count. He was still alive, but weak. The witch's spell had somehow bound him
up.
Pearl started speaking a spell. I braced myself, not sure who she would fling it at. Then she looked at me, a tiny smile on her face, and Heidi surged into her.
"Yeow!" Heidi cried, and was flung hard into the wall.
She staggered a second, eyes glazed over, and fell face first to the floor. And didn't move. The witch also lay on the floor trembling violently.
I stared at them a second. What happened? Was it a backfiring spell that took them both out? I really needed to learn more about magic.
"There's only one left," Momma Zuza said. She looked at me with triumphant eyes. "Get her!"
Where the hell were the police? If I was the bad guy you know they'd be right there pronto. Hell, I didn't even know if Longhouse bothered to look at the website. I probably should've called 911, and then let the police watch the recordings later.
I was alone against five vampires and three witches. My back was to a wall, so at least I could see them all. They looked confident. At that moment I questioned my decision to go there without a pistol. True, I knew if I had a pistol I couldn't help myself from shooting a couple of the witches. Killing witches wasn't going to help me down the road. Not with the cops, anyway.
"Zuza, you know you're insanely stupid," I said. "Surrender now and maybe a judge will be lenient."
"Kill her."
"That's not the way to earn good will in court," I said, seeing Evan rushing me.
I spun around, sending a roundhouse at his head. He ducked. I completed the circuit, planted my feet and caught his wrist. I flipped Evan over my hip, leaving him sitting on the floor and facing away from me. Inside his guard, I grabbed his head with both hands. I was going to rip his head off, but Daniel charged me.
His attack forced me to release Evan and surge backwards three feet. Daniel cut left to lung towards me. I kicked him in the nuts. He bent over, groaning. My knee crashed into his face, crushing his nose.
Momma Zuza's voice reached me, speaking quickly as she glowered at me. I stepped behind Daniel, put my foot on his butt and thrust him at Momma Zuza. She grunted, and jumped to the side. Her spell was broken before it finished, and I hoped it hurt like hell. She cursed furiously with a strained voice.
"I got her!" Evan cried. He seized my shoulders, then kneed me in the lower back. Really hard. Evan pulled my arms back, holding on tight. "Stake her."
Arthur picked up a javelin and came at me. He looked so pleased with himself.
"Right through the heart, Arthur!" Momma Zuza said.
I froze, eyes wide as he stalked forward. I scowled at his grinning face. I heard Evan chuckle. Arthur held the javelin with both hands. He had no familiarity with that weapon, so held it all wrong. But it didn't matter how he held it. If he thrust it through my heart I was dead.
"It's only fitting," Arthur said, stopping before me. "You killed with a stake, and you will die on a stake."
Arthur raised the javelin high, aimed down at my chest.
"Oh – Shit!" I cried as he thrust. At the same time, I threw my upper body backwards, and then forward as hard as I could. That violent duck pulled Evan off his feet, lying across my back as the javelin came down. Evan grunted as the silver plated head pierced his back, and drove deep and through his heart. "Oh, Jesus Christ!"
The pain was exquisite. I felt that blazing hot, blessed silver head ripping through his body, slicing through his heart. Then the almost equal pain of bare wood in vampire flesh hit me. I felt his shock and horror. His fear of death smashed into me. I felt it all through our blood link.
Evan released me in his death throes. I slipped out from under him, and found Arthur staring at what he'd done. He was confused. I stepped up atop Evan's twitching body and spun, bringing the heel of my left foot into Arthur's neck. I hit him with all my strength, and snapped his neck.
Arthur collapsed bonelessly.
"She got away. Get her," Momma Zuza cried.
Chris, Daniel, and Mario cried out. They rushed towards me, with Keisha following them. But I wasn't through with Arthur. His neck would mend. I couldn't allow that to happen, so I grabbed his head. Looking up, I grinned at Momma Zuza, put one foot between his shoulder blades and ripped Arthur's head off.
The three witches looked horrified. It's one thing to see a corpse, another to see someone killed, and yet another to see a man's head ripped off his body. The vampires never hesitated.
"That's how I am going to kill you!" I cried, throwing the head at Zuza.
I stepped into Chris's attack, kicked at his face to make him cut aside. Dropping low, I lashed out with a foot at Mario's ankles. He jumped over my kick, and I lunged behind him at Daniel. He threw a combination at my face. I blocked the right, and ducked under the left before striking him three times in the ribs as I stepped past him. Mario rushed up and grabbed my hair, so I spun and backhanded him across the cheek.
As Mario fell away, I looked past him and saw Keisha pulling the javelin out of Evan. The vampire's glazed eyes filled with life and he jumped to his feet, looking very pissed. Then Chris cried out as he rushed me.
"I am going to kill you all," I cried, charging Chris.
Just before colliding with the big quarterback, I cut sharply to my left, and right up to Keisha. She was speaking a spell, and I tried to break her concentration. I was half a second too late. As I grabbed Keisha, she grabbed me. A mind-numbing jolt surged through me, freezing me in place.
"I got her!" Keisha cried.
There was nothing I could do. She kept that incredible power flowing through me, keeping me frozen in place and in incredible pain. The three vampires rushed up. I knew my time was up. I could not fight them off.
"I'll teach you to stake me," Evan cried, and ripped me out of Keisha's grasp.
"No!" Keisha and Momma Zuza cried.
Evan threw me across the room, into the wall. The force of my body hitting the wall smashed in the sheetrock. The pain was intense, but nothing broke. I dropped to one knee and waited for the pain to subside a bit. Chris and Daniel were seconds from laying hands on me.
"Oops, missed me," I said, and surged up and between them. I drove straight into Evan. Knifing my open hand into his belly, just below the sternum. The soft flesh parted. My hand was enveloped in warm wetness as I plunged it deep and up, under the ribs. I locked eyes with the vamp as my hand wrapped around his heart. "You'll stay dead this time."
Ripping my hand down and out of his body, trailing spurting veins and arteries, I thrust kicked his corpse into Toya. As that witch went down under the dead vamp, I threw the still beating heart in Keisha's face. She squawked and stumbled backwards as Zuza cried out and rushed towards us. I started for her, but realized that Mario would reach me first, and Zuza's hex wouldn't be far behind.
I surprised Mario by cutting towards him. There was just a second of hesitation on his part. Grabbing his wrist, I spun around and slung him around, letting go to send him into Keisha. The witch wailed as she went down. Zuza was shouting her spell, and glaring murderously at me.
"Holy shit!" I cried when she pointed at me.
I levitated straight up, crashing into the ceiling as she released her hex. It hit Daniel full in the chest. The vampire went up in flames. Daniel screamed like a gut stuck pig.
Daniel's link to me became a weapon. I felt everything he felt. The pain of burning alive was terrible enough, but his horror at what was happening was worse. I dropped to the floor, wailing in agony as he fought so hard to live. I spotted the javelin on the floor, and surged to it. Then I thrust it through his heart, ending both of our pain.
I was the only one so affected by Daniel's death. Before I released the javelin both Chris and Mario seized an arm. Daniel was dying fast, but our link still had me in its grasp.
"Hold her," Toya said.
The witch staggered to her feet and ran over. She came up behind me, and placed her hands upon me. Toya spoke a spell, and intense pain flowed into me. My back arched and I threw back my head as I screamed.
"We
have her now," Momma Zuza said. "Don't let her go. I'll finish her off."
Toya released me from her magic. I sagged in the vamps' arms, dizzy and trembling. Momma Zuza stood before me. There were no sirens outside. No police coming. How did I miscalculate so terribly?
"I suppose you're not planning on surrendering just yet," I said.
"Boys, twist Sable's head off. Slowly," Momma Zuza said.
They released my arms. Chris wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides. Mario stepped before me, seized my head in both hands and grinned. Wild-eyed, I admit I panicked.
"Help!" I cried, trying to call them to me, to reassert my power over them.
Both vamps froze. I rejoiced. Momma Zuza lifted her right hand, fist pointing at us and commanded them to freeze. My eyes locked on the thick gold ring on her middle finger, with a sparkling diamond. Diamonds made the best talismans.
"Heidi! Right hand! Middle finger," I cried. "Get the ring!"
Mario and Momma Zuza whirled around to face Heidi. Toya ran around to cut off Heidi's attack. But Heidi was still laid out on the floor, unmoving. I sank my fangs into Chris's forearm, and ripped it wide open. Pain and surprise allowed me to break free of his grasp as the other two swung back around.
I grabbed Chris by the collar and hurled him at Mario, who jumped back. Chris missed him, and plowed head first into Toya's belly. The witch was down, gasping for breath as Chris jumped to his feet.
Momma Zuza rushed through a spell, speaking so fast I couldn't understand what she was saying. Chris and Mario exposed their fangs and rushed me, putting themselves between me and their mistress. I charged them, but jumped high, over, and past them.
I raced toward Momma Zuza, who continued speaking her spell as fast as she could. She pointed at me with her right hand, which started to glow blue. Waves of cold struck me, radiating from her. Then seeing triumph fill her eyes, I surged forward with all my might and power, seized her wrist and twisted it up behind her back.
"Defend me!" she cried.