She longed to be touched by him, to be comforted. No one truly wanted her but the bloodsucker.
He lowered his hand to where the latch rested on the window. She reached out and touched it, knowing very well he wanted her to unlock it for him. The cold metal caused a shiver to trail up her spine. All she needed to do was open the window and let him in.
She looked back at him.
His lips moved without making a sound. Crystal. His brow furrowed. Obviously, he held his anger under tight restraint. His inability to control her mind made her more powerful than him in one respect. Robert was right. It was better being a huntress than being human.
She met Nicolai’s gaze, full of longing. He touched the pane again. This time she reached up and placed her fingers against the cold glass to touch him. His lips turned up slightly as the wrinkle in his brow faded.
Chapter 8
With a heavy heart, Crystal turned away from Nicolai, leaving the blinds open. After crossing the floor, she slipped back into bed. Hoping he’d see she didn’t sleep with Robert, she had every intention of trying to protect Robert further. Though she feared her efforts would prove futile. Even so, Nicolai seemed to take some comfort in her being alone as he continued to watch her, no longer scratching to get in.
Despite knowing he could see her just as well in the dark, she left the lamplight on. The illumination provided her some sense of solace. She pulled the soft covers to her chin.
For sometime her gaze rested on Nicolai. He stood straight and tall, dressed in all black, except for his moon-white face. Hadn’t he fed? Probably too focused on getting her in his grasp. The glass between them kept her safe like the iron bars of a cage at a zoo protected her from the tearing teeth of the tiger.
Slowly, she closed her eyes.
Sometime later, the scratching woke her again. She opened her eyes to find darkness cloaked her once more. She reached over and turned on the lamplight. The curtains were closed again.
Robert groaned as he rolled over in bed. She turned sharply to see he’d rejoined her. He leaned over her as he attempted to reach the lamp’s light switch, his hard body, warming her.
He clicked the light off. When the dark enveloped them again, he pulled her against his chest. “Sleep, Crystal,” he whispered. “Tonight you’re mine. Not his. Sleep. I won’t let him get to you.”
Tonight? Only tonight? She couldn’t help desiring more though she knew her need for him was growing way out of bounds. She snuggled closer. With his warm skin against hers, his arms wrapped securely around her. She yearned for a hunter in her life. But being the way she was, she knew it could never happen.
She wanted him always, but her being so different would drag him to his death, like a mermaid lured the sailors to theirs. There was only one way she could see saving his life. Tomorrow, if she could locate him, she’d end Yorovitch’s life. Then Robert would return to Oklahoma, safe from her needy but ultimately deadly grasp as he’d definitely be Nicolai’s most sought after target to kill now.
As far as Nicolai went…she shook her head. Emotionally she wasn’t sure she could terminate him. But she was certain Robert couldn’t tackle him alone, not without family to aid him. And she was afraid she’d be more of a hindrance than a help if the tackled Nicolai together. But if Robert were gone, she’d concentrate on Nicolai again. Somehow the game between them had to come to an end…only she prayed she’d be the victor, not his mistress.
* * *
Early the next morning, Crystal slipped out of Robert’s arms. She quickly dressed, reattached her weapons, then sat down to jot a note to him. Dear Robert, I intend to take care of this matter with Yorovitch for you so that you may return to your family. I will come back to your house when I have accomplished the deed. Yours, Crystal.
She left the note on the kitchen counter. Then she returned to the bedroom. He slept like the dead. This time, she’d use the rope on him to keep him from following her.
With as gentle a touch as she could manage, she tied the hemp around his wrists, then looped the rope around a post on the headboard. One thing he’d learn about her, she didn’t get mad; she got even. She smiled. In reality, she only wished to protect him.
Leaning over the bed, she kissed his cheek. He stirred. She quickly stepped away from the bed. Her heart pounded in her chest. No way did she want to wake him prematurely.
The sun had only begun to peek into their world. Time to find as many of Nicolai and Dimitri’s lairs and do as much damage as she could.
No one would use her to make a superior vampire race. The bile rose in her throat with revulsion. She was determined, no driven, to end it now. And no one would hurt Robert, if she could help it.
She entered the living room. The swords on the wall caught her eye again. Hunter’s swords. Why hadn’t she realized it before? Then she noticed a cane in a stand. She pulled it out. A sword hidden in the cane. It might come in handy. She’d used them in practice before, but never had owned one. Mainly because she’d avoided hunts as much as possible. Maybe it was time to use some different tactics now though.
She opened the curtains to the large glass window. Not being able to see her car down the street, she wondered if she’d parked it farther away than she’d remembered. Or had someone taken it?
With a cautious step, she walked outside, and headed down the redbrick walk. No sign of her car. Someone had stolen it. She ran back into the house and locked the door.
Taking a deep breath, she returned to the bedroom, and rummaged through Robert’s Army trousers. In one of the pockets, she found his keys. Today, she’d be the driver of the white convertible. Once he freed himself of his bindings, he’d find he had no car to follow her either. Perfect. Later, she’d report her car stolen. But for now, every minute that slipped by brought the night closer.
She locked the door to his garage, then climbed into the car. Once the garage door ground open, she backed out, and hurriedly shut it closed again with the automatic garage door opener. She had to ensure every action she did kept Robert safe.
When she drove into the street, she noticed two men watching her from a couple of houses down. Dressed in black with faces pale as ghosts, she assumed they served as human hosts. With the convertible’s windows being so darkly tinted, they couldn’t tell who was driving, or who might be a passenger. She nodded. Time to take control of her life. Determination ruled, despite a slight nagging fear attempting to undo her resolve.
One of the men raised a cell phone to his ear. He couldn’t be reporting to Nicolai. He’d be sleeping. But someone close to him, undoubtedly.
If only she could leave her feelings out of the killing. Emotionless, that’s how the hunters dealt with the vampires and how the bloodsuckers in turn handled them. They were like soldiers, taught to kill their enemy. Only they didn’t suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome afterwards. They just shut off a valve that handled the feelings and turned them back on when need be. But her valve was stuck and the emotions that could get her instantly killed invariably got in the way.
She first drove to Dimitri’s house. Would the human hosts who resided there let her in? Most likely, if they thought she was Crystal Anderson, Nicolai’s claimed territory. But if they thought the driver of the vehicle was Robert Parker, the one who’d kept her safe from Nicolai, no.
She hesitated. Entering a vampire’s home in broad daylight wasn’t normally done. They often moved their families to sleep during the day at other locations to ensure their safety. But she’d known them to return to a party house, even after hunters had crashed it, figuring they’d not think the vampires would return there anytime soon.
The only thing was, killing a vampire while he or she slept seemed barbaric even to the hunters who had no qualms about terminating them. And considering her own problems with dealing with them at any given time, she didn’t know if she could handle it.
She opened the car door and stepped outside. Immediately, the door to the house opened. A tall slightly-built man
stood in the doorway. They expected her. A trickle of dread dribbled down her spine. But what did they expect her to do? And who waited inside for her?
Her heart picked up its beat as the blood pounded in her ears.
After closing and locking the car door, she strode up the path. No backing out now.
A curtain in the front window pulled open slightly. But no one ventured outside to greet her.
Would the human hosts attempt to tackle her when she stepped into the house? She assumed they would. Then they’d keep her hostage until Nicolai could come for her. She shuddered.
Nearly at the door, she paused. Some movement in the house made her figure they were readying themselves for her arrival. Being a welcome guest worried her.
She readied her cane in the way she had learned in martial arts. Cane fighting, she excelled at but it had always been more convenient to wear a dagger at her wrist. Especially since she normally didn’t seek the vampires out. But this time, she took the initiative. This time if the going got really rough, pulling a sword out of the hat could enable her further.
By oath, she wasn’t to hurt human hosts if she could help it. She feared she wouldn’t have a choice this time.
When she stepped into the entryway, her heart beat twice as fast. The house, darkened by the specially-lined curtains that draped all of the windows, appeared almost cave-like in the morning light.
She repeated to herself, she would not be the host for a superior vampire race.
Several shadows moved in the dark recesses of the house. Did they fear her? They’d fear Nicolai more if he found out they’d had her in their sights and didn’t try to take her.
She glanced over at the curtains. They had to go first. She wasn’t working without the light to aid her.
Inching her way toward the curtains, she kept an eye on the shadowy forms that watched her. Reaching with her left hand, she yanked at the black brocade drapes and smiled as the whole curtain rod pulled out of the wall. It crashed to the floor with a bang.
With nothing covering the window, the sunlight streamed in. Now she could see three men and one woman standing, waiting across the expansive living room. She maneuvered in the same manner, keeping her back to the wall and crossed in front of the open door. She glanced outside to make sure no one was coming. Three more men headed up the walk.
They’d called for reinforcements. The thought instantly chilled her. That’s why the others hadn’t attempted to tackle her yet. How many more would come to their aid?
She grabbed another handful of drapes and yanked them to the ground. Let there be light! Keeping active gave her power and helped her to squelch the desire to change her mind and leave before blood was shed.
The three men entered the room and turned to her. Two of them had been at Robert’s house earlier, both black-haired and smooth-faced like the vampires.
“Put down the cane,” the tallest of the men said with a gruff, authoritative voice.
“I wish to see a man named Yorovitch.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two of the hosts look up the stairs. “Only Yorovitch. You don’t serve him. If you consent for me to see him, I’ll allow you to take me to Nicolai.”
The man’s lips moved up slightly. “You’re a huntress at heart. That’s what Dimitri says. So no, we won’t take you to see anyone for the moment. But when Nicolai wakes, we’ll let him know you’re dying to see him. He’ll be so pleased. Then he’ll come for you.”
He motioned to one of the couches. “Have a seat.” Turning to the woman, he said, “Bring the lady something to drink and eat. Where’s our hospitality?”
Crystal bolted for the stairs. Someone slept upstairs. Someone maybe named Yorovitch.
A hand grabbed her arm. She immediately swung her cane at the man’s head, knocking him out instantly. At once, the other five male hosts attacked. Swinging her cane, she connected with one, then another. Both sprawled out on the floor.
The remaining three hesitated. She was stronger than them. But unlike the ones from Nicolai’s party, these hadn’t recently given blood.
“Which room does Yorovitch sleep in? He’s the only one I want.”
The three men exchanged glances then nodded.
They weren’t buying it. She readied her cane as she rushed halfway up the stairs.
“Wait!”
She turned. The scrawniest one pulled out a knife. Nasty. He was one of the rare human hosts who carried a weapon and she wondered what Nicolai would think of his threatening her.
She slid the sword from her cane with a whoosh. The men eyed her weapon. Hers was bigger than his. She smiled.
But her smile faded when the stairs creaked behind her. Swinging around, she faced a vampire. Standing in the dark of the stairway, he glared at her. His bloodshot eyes revealed she just woke him.
His black, silky, slightly disheveled hair hung loosely about his shoulders. A black nightgown reached to his ankles while over this, a black velvet robe hung open at the waist. “Is she the one?” he hissed.
“She is, master,” the woman said.
He glanced down at the men Crystal had knocked out, lying motionless on the floor. Then his raven-colored eyes shifted back to her. “Nicolai will never turn you.”
“I take it you’re Yorovitch.”
His eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”
“A mutual friend wants you dead. I’ve come to help him out.”
“A huntress to do a hunter’s job? Robert Parker will die soon enough. Nicolai or I will see to it.”
Crystal considered the angle she’d have to use to shove the sword into Yorovitch’s heart. He stood too far up the staircase for her to attempt to lop off his head. And she feared she couldn’t penetrate his heart at this distance before he thwarted her with his superior strength.
When more hosts tromped in through the front door, he turned his gaze toward them. She took the chance and thrust the sword toward the vampire’s heart. He jumped out of the blade’s reach. Then he dove at her like an eagle, talons raised. He struck her cheek with his hand, knocking her against the wall. Pain radiated through her shoulder and her skin burned where he’d slapped her face. Faced with death, she had no choice but to kill him.
He bared his teeth. No way would he let her live, despite Nicolai’s desires. Not when he assumed she’d taken on the role of a true-blue huntress, out to avenge a fallen huntress. She slashed at him with the sword only managing to cut his arm. The bloodlust nearly consumed him as he tackled her full force, knocking her down the stairs. She hit her head on the carpeted floor. Briefly, white stars against black satin appeared in her sight.
With his fangs extended, he hissed at her, then leaned against her with every intention of ripping her throat out. But then he hesitated. Her blood would kill him. Was that what he was thinking? His large hand grabbed her throat instead and squeezed.
The vampire’s choice for killing a hunter, crush the breath from him or her. Snuff out their life with a mighty hand.
The sword lay at her side, useless now. Her mind grew fuzzy as she struggled to breathe. Just before she lost consciousness, she managed to release one of her spring-loaded wrist blades and shoved it deeply into his heart.
Immediately, he released her throat and his body sank on top of hers as the dagger worked its magic. She gasped for air and pushed him off of her. When she rose to her feet, her head still ached from the fall.
No one moved toward her as Yorovitch’s body wizened into a wrinkled mess. She turned to see five more men had joined the party. They waited, a wall blocking her escape. She grabbed the sword and ran up the stairs.
After yanking the first door to the right open, she peered into the dark room. Dimitri’s room. She crossed the floor to the curtains on the windows. After yanking two down, enough sunlight streamed into the room to provide her protection from a vampire.
She hurried to the bed, and pulled the curtains off the bed frame. No one slept there currently. But if any wished to, they’d have
to replace the sun shielding curtains first.
Afterwards, she returned to the remaining windows. It’d take awhile for the human hosts to replace the bent curtain rods and fix the damage to the walls where she’d pulled the hardware out. They wouldn’t be using this house for a refuge for some time.
When she finished, she left the room. Light from Dimitri’s bedroom streamed into the hall, illuminating her way. Two of the hosts stood in front of the door across from his. Another vampire must have rested there. Dimitri? Nicolai? Or some other.
The only way she would be safe from Nicolai’s plans were if he and his brother died. And now she realized those who served them would know how valuable a prize she could be. As much as she hated the idea, none of them could be left alive to come after her.
She hurried down to the next room. She didn’t trust hosts. They could act as decoys for someone sleeping in another room.
The door creaked open as she pushed it. As soon as she forced it aside, two of the hosts grabbed her arms. She’d been right. The vampire slept in this room.
She slashed at one of the hosts, who cried out and collapsed to his knees. The vampire would be awake, but couldn’t come into the hallway with sunlight now filling it.
She turned to the other host, who backed toward the stairs.
Facing the vampire’s lair, her skin prickled with apprehension. Dealing with a vampire in the dark remained her worst nightmare. His odor was distinctly male, but he didn’t smell like either Nicolai or his brother. Still, whoever he was, he’d be stronger than a female.
And the notion he could see her when she couldn’t see him sent panic rushing through her system.
He waited for her, most likely not fully awake, just as she’d been the other night with Nicolai. But vampires awakened prematurely were more vicious than when fully rested.
She stepped into the room, hoping to reach a window. If she could kill him using the sun’s rays, so much the better. Besides, she craved the light.
The door to the bedroom slammed shut behind her and her heart stopped dead. The bit of light from the hallway had given her courage. Now, blackness enveloped her. Her breathing sped up. The blood rushed through her ears as her heart thundered.
Terry Spear - Vampire Page 12