Lynxar Series - The Vampire King: Books 7-13 (7-Book Bundle)

by Hart, Melissa F.

  Etherial raised her wand to give Vlorian the advantage when Lord Vladimus touched her hand to stop her. He said, “Let him win this on his own. We have two more guests to deal with.”

  Etherial turned her head to see Lynxar and Lynxonna leap beside the remnants of the portal with two large boxes in their hands. She realized instantly that they were crystal coffins, designed to capture her beloved Lord Vladimus and his son. Without hesitation, she pointed her wand and cast a powerful spell upon them.

  To her surprise, the incantation rebounded off the coffins and hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her powerfully to the ground. Lynxonna laughed and said to the witch, “Careful, they’re shielded. Now why don’t you step aside while we put your boyfriend back where he belongs?”

  “Never!” Etherial screamed, and used her wand to throw a powerful spell at Lynxonna.

  Thanks to her ability to read minds, Lynxonna knew what the witch was going to do a split second before it happened. It gave her just enough time to use her super-speed to dodge out of the way of the spell. Circling around Etherial in a fighting stance, Lynxonna said, “Okay, we’ll just have to settle this girl to girl!”

  Etherial thrust out her wand, firing a series of powerful curses at Lynxonna. The witch anticipated that she would dodge the first one, and aimed the others on either side of her, so that whichever way she dodged, she would be struck by a spell.

  To Etherial’s surprise, Lynxonna didn’t dodge to the left or the right, but stood firmly in place. With the powers of her mind, Lynxonna levitated one of the heavy crystal coffins swiftly in front of her, to act as a shield. The long coffin rebounded all three curses back onto the witch, striking her hard. Etherial flew across the room, landing in an unconscious heap on the floor, with her long red hair spilling around her.

  Just then, Vlorian and the Ghost went tumbling across the floor, still locked arm in arm in a brutal wresting match.

  “Get the coffin!” the Ghost called out to Lynxonna and she levitated one of the coffins to his side. Vlorian forced him to roll the opposite direction, trying to get as far away from the prison as possible. Acting quickly, Lynxonna levitated the other coffin onto the opposite side of the vampire, basically sandwiching him between the two coffins. Now all the Ghost had to do was get him to roll either left or right.

  It took all of the Ghost’s strength, but he managed to get the upper hand on Prince Vlorian and rolled him just enough to the right that he was then able to push him into the coffin. Lynxonna rushed to his side, pushed the lid shut, and turned the key, locking Prince Vlorian inside the prison.

  “Thanks!” the Ghost said to her with gratitude, gasping to catch his breath.

  “You’re welcome.” Lynxonna said when suddenly she was slammed with a full body tackle. It was Etherial! The witch had recovered from the spells and flung herself at Lynxonna with all her strength, pushing her into the crystal coffin that still stood on the left. The two women both fell inside.

  “Lynxonna! NO!” the Ghost cried out, rushing to the side of the coffin.

  With all the power she possessed, Lynxonna launched herself out of the coffin. The moment she was clear of it, the Ghost slammed the lid shut before Etherial could do the same, locking the witch inside.

  “Thanks!” Lynxonna said breathlessly to the Ghost.

  “Now we’re even,” her friend joked, but they both realized the seriousness of the situation. There were only two crystal coffins, and they were both full. Now they had no way to capture Lord Vladimus.

  Chapter Six

  Lynxar heard his friends embroiled in their battles with Etherial and Prince Vlorian, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Lord Vladimus for even a second to help.

  In his hands, Vladimus held two double-bladed swords which he twirled with alarming speed and skill. Lynxar knew there was no way he could get near him without being cut to shreds.

  With the powers of his mind, Lynxar tried to disarm the vampire, but Vladimus still had the increased strength granted to him by Etherial’s spell, making him a hundred times more powerful than he should have been. He laughed tauntingly at Lynxar’s attempts to use his telekinesis to pull the swords away from him.

  Archer was still tied to a large stone by the remnants of the portal, helpless without his powers. Lord Vladimus took a small step toward his captive, grinning cruelly.

  Vladimus said to Lynxar “Let’s play a game. With every attempt you make to disarm me, I’ll take one step toward your friend. If you can take my swords before I reach him, I’ll let you have him. If you can’t, then I’ll cut off his head while you watch.”

  Behind him, Lynxar could hear Lynxonna and Bryan struggling to capture Etherial and Vlorian, and he knew they were too busy to help him. He was going to have to find a way to beat Lord Vladimus on his own. Archer looked at Lynxar and an exchange passed between them that Vladimus didn’t understand.

  Are you sure? Lynxar asked his friend silently with his mind.

  Yes, I’m sure. Archer thought in his mind, knowing his friend would hear his reply.

  “Okay.” Lynxar aloud said to Lord Vladimus. “Let the game begin.”

  In an instant, Lynxar pushed violently against Vladimus with the power of his mind, blasting him with all the strength he possessed. The vampire laughed cruelly as he withstood the telekinetic attack as if it were nothing more than a puff of wind.

  Lynxar ran out of steam and stopped, slumping slightly and gasping for breath.

  “Is that the best you can do?” Lord Vladimus taunted as he took one large step toward Archer, swinging his swords in eager anticipation.

  “Not by a long shot!” Lynxar yelled out. He turned and picked up a large chunk of stone wall from the crumbled tower and hurled it at Vladimus with all the strength in him. It hit the vampire squarely in the chest, knocking him down and crushing him just a few feet away from where Archer sat. Lynxar cried out, “I did it!”

  “Don’t rejoice yet.” Lord Vladimus said ominously, as he pushed the stone wall off himself and rose up from underneath the debris. “Don’t you know you can’t kill a vampire that way? The only way to harm me is with sunlight or by impaling me with a wooden or silver stake.”

  Archer had been struggling all this while to free himself from the ropes keeping him tied to the stone. He finally managed to get his hands free and held them out, but his body still couldn’t manifest any weapons.

  Vladimus laughed at the pitiful display then noticed how close he now was to Archer. Looking pointedly at Lynxar, Vladimus said, “And look at this; you’ve brought me even closer to my newest victim. According to the rules of our game, it looks like you’ll only have one more attempt to disarm me, before I’m close enough to cut off his head, so make your next attempt a good one.”

  Vladimus crouched into a fighting stance and twirled his twin blades with a blinding speed. Archer worked to unravel the rest of the ropes that bound him as fast as he could, but without his super speed, it didn’t look like he’d be able to escape in time. Lynxar realized he had to risk it all to save his friend. Knowing that he would be bringing himself within cutting distance of the blades, Lynxar charged at Vladimus, running toward the vampire with all his strength and speed.

  As their bodies collided in a tackle, Lynxar felt the blades slashing into him and cried out in agony. Vladimus struck hard against the ground, knocking one of the swords from the grip of his left hand, but the other remained firmly in his right hand.

  Rising up from the ground, now just inches away from Archer, Lord Vladimus grinned widely and said, “Looks like you failed to disarm me. I win the game! Prepare to watch your friend die!”

  Lynxar gripped his bleeding side and staggered to his feet. He had to do something, but he realized with despair that there was nothing he could do. Lord Vladimus raised his right arm high, prepared to cut off Archer’s head, when suddenly his victim reached into the debris and grabbed a small piece of broken wood that had been part of the crumpled fortress.

  Lor
d Vladimus screamed out in rage and pain as Archer unexpectedly thrust forward with the stake of wood. He had aimed to strike the vampire in the heart, but Vladimus moved his arm defensively as he saw the weapon coming, and the wooden stake sunk deep into his left arm instead.

  Vladimus dropped his sword with his right hand to clutch at his wound. Glaring at Archer, he hissed the words, “You have not seen the last of me! I will get my revenge on you and everyone you’ve ever cared about!”

  With his final words still echoing in the night, Lord Vladimus twirled his cape around himself and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

  Archer pulled the rest of the ropes off himself and rushed to Lynxar’s side. Lynxonna and Bryan had just finished sealing the crystal coffin with Etherial inside and joined them. The elation they felt from their victory instantly vanished when they saw the blood on Lynxar’s hand and clothing.

  “Lay still! I may be temporarily without my powers, but I’m still a doctor. We’ve got to get pressure on that wound!” Archer said firmly to Lynxar, sounding far more confident than he felt.

  “No, don’t bother trying to save me.” Lynxar said, pulling his hands away from the wound on his side.

  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Archer insisted. “You came here to save me and you did. There’s no way I would have been able to defeat Vladimus without you. So I’m going to do whatever it takes to save you!”

  Lynxar held up his hands and revealed to Archer that his wound had already fully healed itself, thanks to his powers of regeneration. Bryan and Lynxonna laughed jovially at the surprised look of chagrin on Archer’s face.

  Lynxar slapped his friend on the back and said, “Not all of us take so long to regenerate as you do.”

  Archer laughed along with them and said, “Hey, let’s see you manifest the power of the sun and see how much it drains you!”

  Lynxonna said, “I’ve got a better idea. Let’s take you home to your own little pieces of the sun; Dawn and Aurora can’t wait to see that you’re all right.”

  Archer nodded with tears in his eyes. He couldn’t wait to see them, too.

  Chapter Seven

  “Come away from the window now, Aurora. It’s time for bed.” Dawn Bright called her to her daughter. The sweet little girl had been waiting for Archer to come home for hours, and her eyelids were starting to droop.

  “Just five more minutes Mommy,” Aurora begged. Dawn shook her head firmly and guided her daughter away from the window, when suddenly something caught her eye. Aurora saw it too, and shouted out joyfully. “He’s back! He’s back!”

  Lynxar and Bryan were helping to carry a weakened Archer up the path to the apartment building, with Lynxonna smiling at their side. The four members of the AHF looked exhausted but victorious. Aurora ran outside and tackled Archer with all the love in her five-year old heart, knocking him out of his friends’ arms and causing him to tumble onto the ground, with the two of them laughing all the while.

  “I missed you too,” Archer said lovingly to the child as he hugged her tightly. She helped him back up to his feet and he suddenly saw Dawn standing in the doorway of her apartment, looking lovelier than ever.

  Archer summoned his strength and crossed the path to quickly pull Dawn into his embrace, kissing her passionately on the lips. When at last they paused for breath, Dawn said, “I was so scared that I’d never see you again! I’m so glad you made it home. Are you injured?”

  “I’m not hurt, just temporarily drained of my powers for the next few days. I did what I vowed to do.” Archer said to her softly. “The vampires have been defeated. You and Aurora will be safe now. You no longer have to live in fear.”

  Dawn hugged him tightly and said, “The only thing I fear is living without you.”

  Archer looked deeply into Dawn’s eyes and said, “I never want you to fear being alone again. I asked you to marry me once and you said you would when the vampires were gone, but that was never a proper engagement. I’ve fulfilled your requirement, and defeated the vampires, so now I want to do this right.”

  Dawn gasped in happy surprise and looked over at the small crowd of their closest friends. Lynxar was holding Aurora, Bryan was struggling not to turn invisible again because of the strong emotions he felt, and Lynxonna was openly crying.

  Archer reached into his pocket and pulled out a magnificent diamond ring that sparkled in the moonlight like a thousand suns. Kneeling on one knee, he said, “Now that my old task is complete, my new task is to spend the rest of my life loving you and doing whatever it takes to make you happy. Dawn Bright, will you please marry me?”

  “Yes!” Dawn cried out happily and Aurora and all their friends cheered joyfully. There was a lot of hugging and happy tears, and quite a few congratulatory toasts before the last of their friends finally left. Aurora had fallen asleep in her bed long before, and Dawn and Archer were finally alone together.

  Archer admired the ring sparkling on Dawn’s finger, and then he kissed the back of her hand and led her into their bedroom. Grinning mischievously, he said, “I’ve never made love to an engaged woman before.”

  Grinning back she said, “I’ve never made love to you without your powers. I won’t hurt you, will I?”

  Archer thought for a moment and said, “Not if you’re gentle, but even if you do hurt me, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  Smiling, Dawn kissed him softly, wanting to be gentle, but then her passion grew and she drank him in hungrily, almost desperately. She had thought she might never see him again, and now that she had safely in her arms, she never wanted to let him go. She pushed him onto their bed and climbed on top of him, ravishing him with all the passion and love she felt deep inside. Archer winced slightly, but didn’t dare complain; he wanted her just as much as she wanted him and the pleasure she was giving him far outweighed the pain.

  Straddling him on the bed, Dawn gently worked her way down his body; nibbling his ear, kissing his neck, down the hollow of his throat, and across his chest. She let her fingertips caress the muscles of his abdomen, played with the curly hairs on his chest and then down the muscles of his biceps. Then, at last, she came to his groin. Sexily, she brought her hands and mouth to his most sensitive organ and made love to him with them.

  Archer groaned with the exquisite pleasure of it and ran his hands through her light brown curls, encouraging her to draw him even deeper into her mouth.

  When she feared he would explode, she drew herself away to let him cool off and lay on the bed beside him. Archer grinned and said, “Now it’s my turn to pleasure you.”

  He lavished all his attention on Dawn, just as she had done for him. Not a single inch of her flesh went unnoticed, as his firm caresses and hot wet mouth indulged her. Dawn clutched at the mattress and struggled to keep her voice quiet as his expert tongue brought her orgasm.

  “I want you inside me!” she gasped, and reached down for his throbbing organ. She spread her thighs wide and guided him to enter her most sacred tunnel. A sigh of immense satisfaction escaped from both of them as he sank himself deep within her welcoming folds.

  Dawn wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him as they undulated and thrust in perfect harmony with one another, as if they were one being. Soon, the incredible ecstasy of orgasm overtook them, and wave upon wave incredible pleasure shook through their bodies. Dawn buried her face in Archer’s neck to muffle the screams of rapture she could no longer contain.

  At last, their climaxes subsided and they lay breathless, cuddling each other in their arms. They fell asleep cuddled in each other’s arms, each of them dreaming of their wedding day.

  Deep in the forest outside Colossal City, Lord Vladimus crawled into a dark cave and nursed his wound. The injury was nearly fatal, but it hadn’t killed him. It would take a long time for it to heal; months, possibly years. The vampire hissed angrily and then smiled. The long recovery was good. It would cause Archer to grow complacent and forget that he anything to fear. Then, it would be the perfect time to exact his reven
ge.

  TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK TWELVE: Deceptions of the Heart - Volume 12

  Deceptions of the Heart

  Chapter One

  Dr. Archer Speedlight strode quickly through the halls of Hillman Research Hospital, performing his early morning rounds and checking up on his latest patients. He had a lot to do, and very little time to do it in, if he were going to meet Dawn Bright in time. It had been almost a full year since he had asked her to marry him and she had accepted his ring. In the twelve months since that night, his life had become a whirlwind of meeting with florists, choosing menus with caterers, having fittings with tailors, and much more. He had no idea that preparing for Dawn’s dream wedding would take so much work. It was almost enough to make him miss the peaceful days of fighting vampires.

  The night he had proposed to Dawn had also been the night he had defeated the last of the vampires, seemingly forever. As relieved as he was to have done it, it also marked a huge change in his life. Archer had spend the past three hundred years serving as a guardian against vampires, always searching for them and being prepared to battle them when necessary.

  Most specifically, he had been tasked with protecting the women of one family, as generation after generation passed down the crystal key that could open the coffin prison to Lord Vladimus. The last of those women had been Dawn Bright, the beautiful young widow raising her six-year-old daughter, Aurora. She had captured Archer’s heart like no other woman had before and he fell deeply in love with her. He adored Aurora as well, and came to care for her as if she were his own daughter. When Archer failed in his task and the vampire Lord Vladimus had been set free by his son Prince Vlorian, Archer knew he had to do whatever it took to capture the vampires and keep Dawn and Aurora safe.

  It would have been an impossible task, but Archer had the help of his new friends. The aliens Lynxar and Lynxonna and the billionaire Bryan Hillman who could become the superhero known as the Ghost, invited Archer to join their Alliance of Hero Friends. Together, they were able to capture Prince Vlorian and the witch Etherial and lock them into crystal coffin prisons.