Blood Lust (Fallen Angels Book 3)

by Judith Post

  Enoch had to laugh, and Caleb joined him.

  "Take care," Caleb said as his image dimmed. "New vampires are treacherous."

  Enoch sighed. For a few minutes, he stayed on the balcony and watched cars pass on the street below him. He'd worried about Voronika yearning for a child, and now four, young women crowded his apartment. Did the One have a wicked sense of humor? Was He mocking him? No, He wouldn't do that, but free will was a bitch. Multiply it by every soul on Earth and it was a monster. Enoch would just deal with it the best he could. Restless, he went to grab his cashmere jacket to go for a walk. Exercise helped him put things in perspective.

  Chapter 7

  Angel couldn't sleep. Neither could Crystal or Voronika. They tossed and turned, then finally gave up and wandered out to the kitchen. Enoch was nowhere to be seen. He'd knocked on their bedroom door and talked with Voronika earlier, but Angel didn't realize he was leaving.

  She turned in a circle, looking for him. She felt a tiny knot of fear tensing in her stomach. "Where's Enoch?" She felt safer when he was near.

  Voronika glanced to the heavy, metal grids that shielded the balcony doors and the door of the small foyer that led to their private elevator. Her eyes were yellow now, like a cat's. Angel swallowed a lump in her throat. Cats hunted.

  Voronika sniffed and smiled. "I can smell your fear. You don't have to worry. I don't drink mortals, haven't for centuries. He's out walking somewhere. I usually go with him. It's my way of working off energy, and his way of keeping an eye on the city."

  The bedroom door at the end of the hallway opened and Lucinda and Scarlet came to join them. Angel pressed her fingernails into her palms. She didn't trust the two women. She never trusted strangers.

  "Where's your man?" Lucinda asked. She'd changed out of her brothel ware—clinging, black leather—into a long, white T-shirt. "Hope you don't mind. I think I stole one of Enoch's shirts."

  Voronika shrugged. "He has plenty and can always buy more. We'll have to go shopping if it's a gloomy day. You all need new clothes."

  Angel could feel a blush burn her cheeks. "I only have a few dollars. Crystal didn't bring money."

  "We'll take Enoch's credit card. He doesn't care how much we spend."

  This time, Scarlet stared. "How much money does he have?"

  Voronika motioned to all of the antiques and artwork in the apartment. "Enough."

  Scarlet shook her head. "If he's this rich and an immortal, why does he still walk the streets? Why does he care what happens to mortals?"

  "Because that's who he is." Voronika gave a secret smile. "And that's why I love him."

  Angel turned to study Voronika. She meant it. And suddenly, she liked the vampire. Anyone who liked Enoch must be good. Because Enoch was good, she could feel it.

  Lucinda ran a hand through her mussed-up, copper hair. "So what does he actually do? Vampires can't break the rules here, right? That's why Feral moved the club to Three Rivers."

  Angel tried to make herself small. This was "adult" talk, but if no one noticed her, she'd get to listen. Then Voronika skewered her with a yellow gaze.

  "I know you're only eleven, but I don't believe in coddling kids. You know what you're up against, and you might as well know the details. Is that okay with you?"

  Angel's shoulders relaxed. "I'm not as scared when I know."

  Voronika nodded. "That's the way I am. I'd rather know the worst and figure out how to deal with it."

  Angel liked this woman more and more.

  "Enoch came to Three Rivers to hunt a vampire who'd killed his friend. He found me, and when my sire came to claim me, he wouldn't let him. He ended up fighting a horde of rogues to save me."

  Different wines sat in a corner of the kitchen island, and Scarlet poured herself a glass. "So why is he staying here? Three Rivers should be safe now. Why not move somewhere else?"

  Voronika hesitated. She must not trust Scarlet any more than Angel did. She finally said, "Because we like Three Rivers. It's our home."

  "No one needs him any place else?" Scarlet knocked back the wine and poured herself another. Angel had watched old TV westerns with her dad when he came for visits. Didn't people do that with whiskey when they stood at long, wooden bars? Did they drink wine like that, too? But then she remembered all the classy TV commercials with people sipping from glass goblets and realized Scarlet was the only one.

  Voronika reached for a grape in a bowl on the counter and popped it into her mouth before answering Scarlet's question. "If they do, he travels there, cleans up the mess, and comes back."

  Scarlet paused. Finally, she said, "It's that easy for him? What is he—a killing machine?"

  "No, he's an angel!" Angel didn't know why calling him a killing machine bothered her so much, but it did. She wanted to punch Scarlet and tell her to take it back.

  Voronika waved away the question. "When he calls on the Light, he can turn any vampires in the area to dust. But he usually works with Bart and Caleb's generals. They go as a team."

  Lucinda took a deep breath. "Remind me never to piss him off."

  Voronika laughed and reached for another grape. "I do that all the time. He's used to it."

  "So where does he go on his nightly walks now that Three Rivers is safe?" Scarlet asked.

  Angel chewed at a hangnail. Why wouldn't Scarlet let it go? Voronika shrugged and went to dig in the refrigerator for a snack. She returned with a plate spread with fans of beef carpaccio. The new vampires immediately grabbed for the thin, almost-raw slices. "He's probably walking past Feral's nightclub tonight." She glanced out the French doors at the city skyscape. Angel looked, too. Spotlights lit the courthouse dome, its limestone restored to the original, sparkling, bone-white.

  Voronika noticed her look of appreciation and said, "Enoch took me inside to see the high ceilings with their painted murals. If you ask him, he'll take you, too. He considers it one of the finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture in the country, not that I know much about that, but I can appreciate its beauty."

  Scarlet walked to the glass doors and frowned down at the city. "I've always wanted to eat at the restaurant across the street from you guys. I've heard the food's good."

  "We can take you sometime. It's really fun in the summer when you can eat outdoors by the river."

  A fancy restaurant. Angel sighed. She'd never been inside one of those.

  Scarlet motioned to the twinkling, orange lights on the restaurant's outside deck.

  "What's with the orange?"

  "Halloween." Voronika smirked. "Don't let the goblins get you."

  "Never met one." Scarlet shrugged. "I'd like to keep it that way."

  Were they real? Angel hugged herself. She'd never thought vampires actually existed. Were there more creatures walking around who were supposed to be just make-believe?

  "You don't go trick or treating?" Lucinda teased.

  "Won't have time. I need to find a job."

  Angel pursed her lips, thinking. She glanced at Crystal, looking oddly lost and out of place. What would happen to her now?

  Lucinda must have been wondering the same thing. "What do vampires do for the rest of their lives? It's not like we turn sixty-five and collect social security." She nodded toward Crystal. "Can the kid here go back to school and graduate? Can she go to college?"

  Voronika shook her head. "Most vampires start businesses that they can deed or will to whatever new name and identity they take for their next fake lifespan. Enoch can help you with that, and so can Ulrich."

  "Ulrich?" Angel frowned. "Enoch's friend was Danny." He was a detective, and he seemed nice, not that she trusted cops. Her mom told her that every cop was on the take and most of them would be happy for a free quickie before they went home to their wives.

  Voronika went to relax on one of the fancy sofas. She stretched her legs out and put her feet on the cushions. Angel couldn't believe she did that. Didn't Enoch have any rules in his apartment? Voronika pushed a strand of her silky, platin
um hair behind her ear. "Ulrich's one of Caleb's generals. He and Enoch work together a lot. He's going to come here to train you."

  Scarlet refilled her wine glass and came to sit in an easy chair. "Train us at what?"

  "He teaches new vampires."

  Lucinda sighed. "Shit. I have a problem with authority."

  Voronika laughed. "Authority? It's hard to think of Ulrich that way."

  Angel gently reached for Crystal's hand. Her sister stood near the kitchen island, staring outside into the dark night, lost. "Come on. We'll figure things out. Everything will be all right." She led her to an empty chair in the grouping. She helped settle her, then took a seat close by. "Is Ulrich like a teacher? Crystal loves to learn new things."

  "If the teacher drinks and brawls too much." Voronika smiled. "I like him."

  Scarlet's pale brow wrinkled. She looked troubled. "He's one of the generals who came here to help Enoch battle the big three, isn't he?"

  Voronika turned a thoughtful gaze her way. "You heard about that?"

  "Customers talked about it, said that Three Rivers was the biggest battleground between vampires there's ever been."

  Voronika gave a solemn nod. "Caleb came to fight with Enoch to kill Okon, Ragnar, and Yerik."

  Scarlet leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "My customers said that Enoch even blasted mortals with his Light."

  "He blinded them, but they deserved it. They'd sided with rogues."

  "Is that the only time he interferes with humans?" Scarlet asked.

  Did the stupid blonde ever shut up? Angel glared at her.

  "It was a last resort." Voronika sounded defensive, and Angel wanted to kick Scarlet. "The generals don't consider familiars as mortals anymore, but it bothered Enoch. He tries to keep his distance from humans."

  Scarlet nodded, and there was a satisfied look about her that bothered Angel. Okay, she was still mortal. They got it. But what did she think Enoch and Voronika had in mind for her? They'd rescued her, damn it. Angel bit her lip, glad she'd said the "damn" in her head. Crystal didn't approve of her cussing.

  Lucinda asked, "How much sun can a vampire survive? Since it's gray and cloudy, can we go outside? What happens if the sun peeks through the clouds for a minute?"

  "The sun not only burns you, it turns whatever skin it touches to ashes," Voronika said.

  "Is it safe for us to go shopping then?" Lucinda glanced at the night sky.

  A key turned in the door, and Enoch opened it. Angel felt her body relax. She was safe now. He unlocked the grid and pushed it into its hidden panel, then stepped into the apartment. He looked surprised. "You're all up?"

  "We couldn't sleep." Voronika rose in one smooth motion and went to pour him a glass of wine.

  He didn't look happy to see them.

  "If you want us to go to our rooms, we will," Crystal hurried to say.

  Angel stared at her sister. Those were the first words she'd said tonight.

  Enoch shook his head. "No, I'm just not used to having you here. I'm usually a loner. I don't make many friends."

  "It's probably not safe." Scarlet waited for his answer.

  Damn, that woman was a busybody. She had no manners. Angel might only be eleven, but she knew better than to ask too many personal questions. Her mom and dad would backhand her for it, and teachers would put her in her place, but her dad said some people felt like they were entitled—to your lifestyle, information they shouldn't know, or your property. He told her to steer clear of people like that.

  Enoch didn't seem to mind. "I used to travel a lot," he said. "It makes friendships difficult." He hung his jacket on the coat tree by the door and came to sit beside Voronika. She snuggled closer to him. He touched a finger to her cheek. "You're starting to look tired."

  "I woke up earlier than usual today, but it feels odd to sleep at night."

  He smiled. "You look like you're ready."

  Angel yawned. She fought to stay awake, but she'd spent the last two nights in the alley by the nightclub and slept in fits during the day. She hadn't felt tired until Enoch mentioned sleep. Now, her eyelids started to droop.

  Voronika noticed. "Let's call it quits. We can talk more after we get some sleep."

  Enoch came to scoop Angel into his arms. He carried her down the hall and gently laid her on the tall, queen-sized air mattress in Voronika's room. Angel held her breath. Would he lower his head and kiss her forehead? She'd seen that in movies. It had to feel good. But he didn't know her that well and patted her head instead. A tiny flicker of disappointment bloomed until she smashed it out. To him, she was just a stray he'd taken in from the cold, nothing more. She heard Crystal crawl onto the air mattress beside hers, and Voronika turned off the light and went to her canopy bed.

  A door farther down the hallway shut. Scarlet and Lucinda were calling it a night, too.

  What did Enoch do in the wee hours of the morning? Voronika said he never slept. What would someone do to fill twenty-fours a day? Angel was counting off ideas when sleep darkened the corners of her mind, then finally claimed her.

  Chapter 8

  Voronika slid under the black, silk sheets on her bed and thought back over the day. Lucinda and Crystal brought back old memories, horrible ones. She'd been married…and pregnant...when Vlad took her. Her parents had chosen Erik to be her husband. Since he owned a farm, he could afford to forego a dowry to have a wife others considered beautiful. She'd been happy with him. He was a good, honest man. She wasn't sure she'd loved him, but she'd liked and respected him. Back then, that seemed like enough. That was before she'd met Enoch.

  She'd sworn she'd never be with another man after Vlad, and she'd pushed Enoch away for a long time. Afraid. Unwilling to ever feel vulnerable again. But now that she'd finally given herself to him—not just her body, but her love—she'd never known that Life or being Undead could be so good. The wall she'd built around herself kept dangers out, but it kept joy out, also.

  Lucinda's luscious face and body had cursed her. So had Crystal's beauty. Some men admired extraordinary things and treated them with reverence. Other men just wanted to own them. Most vampires were extremely attractive for that reason—a vampire saw something he wanted—a comely mortal—and took it. She wondered about Lucinda's change. She remembered her own all too well…

  She and Erik had been outside, working in their kitchen garden. Thunder clouds rolled overhead, and they were trying to cover the young plants to protect them when a shadow fell from the sky. Vlad, in all of his dark glory, moved so quickly, he was a blur. His fangs sank into Erik's throat. Erik fought, struggled, his body twitched. He'd tried to cry out, but his blood only gurgled. Drained, he fell to the ground when Vlad released him. Then Vlad stalked toward her. She'd turned to run, but he grabbed her and sprang into the air. The height, the fear….she didn't think she'd survive either. And then he took her to his fortress and tossed her on his bed. He drank from her and used her for days on end until her world turned red, and she woke feeling a hunger she'd never known before.

  Vlad kept mortals in cages in the great hall. When he pulled a gray-haired woman out for her, Voronika could hear the beat of the woman's heart. She could hear the blood pulse through her veins. She could smell the copper and life. The scent was as fragrant as a meaty stew. Vlad let her drink from her as an appetizer, then he led her to the next mortal and the next. He didn't let her drain any of them, but used them as one course following another until her cravings were quenched.

  She couldn't control those cravings for a long time. She hated herself for the yearning, the blood lust, but she had no ability to control it. Vlad never let her leave her stone prison. He locked her in the basement when he journeyed somewhere else. Rats and mice shared her cell. That's when she learned that any blood—that from vermin or strays—would suffice. And that was her first step toward freedom.

  Lucinda would have suffered the same fate, only her sire chained her to a wall to control her. Had she drained any mortals? Had she lost con
trol so thoroughly she'd live with guilt and regrets? It wasn't her fault. Control proved impossible when a vampire first turned.

  When Ulrich came, he'd teach the new vamps to live off animal blood. He'd teach them the basics and how to protect themselves from older vampires who'd prey on them. She'd try to help, but Ulrich knew what to do and how to do it.

  That thought released her from some of her fears. These girls would survive. They might even become generals. They'd turn into good vampires. They'd still regret what happened to them, but they didn't need to loathe themselves like she had, century after century. They could find a purpose for their undead lives.

  Chapter 9

  Enoch sat in his big, wing back chair, leafing through one of the many newspapers he subscribed to from around the world. In this life, he wrote articles to earn a living. Not that he needed to earn money. He'd accumulated enough of it over the centuries to never work again, but writing was an occupation he could enjoy one decade after another. Sometimes, he wrote fiction; sometimes, plays or movie scripts; and sometimes nonfiction. In a few previous lifetimes, he'd used pen names and become famous, but lately, he tried to avoid fame. This time around, he satisfied himself with pithy observations with an editorial slant and kept them short.

  He knew he was lucky. Being an angel, he remembered everything he heard or saw. He didn't need to take notes or file sources away. With technology, he could be nearly anonymous by sending his work to his publisher over the internet. Not like earlier times when he had to use a messenger or resort to paying someone to play the part of whatever pseudonym he'd chosen.

  When he finished reading the last paper, he leaned his head against the high back of his chair and listened. Quiet had finally settled upon the apartment. Everyone slept. With a sigh, he walked out to the balcony to breathe in the city's slumber. No traffic hummed on the usually busy street beneath him. His gaze swept over the silent restaurants and businesses. A tiny moment of peace. And then, he noticed a movement two blocks away. It worried him.