Black Heart: Coeur de Sade (Black Heart Series)

by Gallier, TW

  She had a point. Playing games with someone's earthly remains was icky, though. It had to be a sin or something, not that it would matter to my already damned soul.

  "What do I tell Dane?"

  "Nothing. You honestly don't know where she is, so don't have to lie to him," she said. "He doesn't even have to know she is dead."

  "I already told him."

  "You told him you killed her?"

  "Not that part," I said.

  "Don't," Desiree said. "Ditch Dane, get here as fast as you can. You and I can share Kale."

  She was serious. Desiree was thinking about sex. She was horny. After all that blood and death, Desiree wanted to get naked and party. I shook my head, not sure what to think. Even with our link, and her pouring erotic feelings into me, I was not the least bit aroused. My link with Dane flooded me with despair and self-loathing.

  I spent the next hour weaving around North Dallas, on both sides of Loop 635. Then I drove Dane to Gabe's house and dropped him off. Gabe was a little freaked at the possibility of having both of us staying with him. I think he was afraid Dane would cut something important off of him. But I left within the hour, so no uncomfortable questions came up.

  I rode around Gabe's neighborhood a while, too, just in case unwanted company showed up. When their link told me both had gone to sleep, I headed for Kale's house. I did stop three times to change into a bat and search for any undead pursuit. So I arrived at Kale's home very late in the night. I could feel the dawn approaching.

  "Sable!" Desiree cried as I walked in the back door. I left the Ninja a couple blocks away, in a strip mall parking lot. Yeah, I was paranoid. She leapt upon me, wrapped her arms around my neck and legs around my waist, and kissed me deeply. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her back with just as much enthusiasm. Then I patted her rump. "That's enough. You have something for me?"

  "Do I ever," she said, dark eyes sparkling with glee. She dropped back to the floor, reached up under her over-sized sweat shirt, up to her bosom, and pulled something out. It was a while cotton handkerchief. Something was wrapped up inside. "Ta-da!"

  "Thank you," I said, taking it gingerly. Slowly, warily, I unwrapped it. It was the Coeur de Sade all right. I would never forget that ancient talisman. But I still had to know with absolute certainly, so handed it back to Desiree. "Hold it a second. Long enough to see if it entrances me, then give it back."

  "Okay," she said, eyeing it like it was snake.

  Desiree took the talisman from me. My eyes were already on it, and once she had complete possession of it I felt the icy cold of its magic consume me. Desiree owned me, body and soul. A second later she thrust it back into my hand.

  "Take it! I'm so sorry, Sable!" she said, wild-eyed.

  "No, don't be. I had to test it. I had to know without a doubt we had the real talisman," I said. "Now we know. Whew!"

  I carefully wrapped the talisman back up in the handkerchief. A deep sense of relief swept through me. It was almost over. I just had some hard decisions to make. But that could wait. I smiled wantonly at Kale. His libido kicked into overdrive.

  "Think you're man enough to satisfy both of us?" I said.

  Desiree's face lit up in a smile almost as wicked as mine. She cut a sexy look at him. His eyes went wide, and he swallowed hard.

  "I'm man enough to try."

  CHAPTER 22

  It was eleven o'clock, Sunday night, and just ten days since I was first dragged before council. I marveled at all that had happened to me, all that I had done, since becoming a vampire. September twenty-second was the day I woke up a vampire. It was October fifteenth.

  "Just over three weeks," I said, shaking my head. "Way too much has happened in that time. I need a vacation."

  "Go somewhere sunny," a familiar voice said. She didn't sound pleased to see me. "You have something for us?"

  Two dark figures stepped out of the darkness. I was standing in a gazebo, overlooking a pond. The park was heavily wooded and was serene before the coming storm.

  "Hello, Tanya," I said. "Long time no see. Glad to see no one's staked you. Yet."

  Francisco was with her. They were wearing those dark suits. In fact, both wore black suits, with Tanya's skirt a rather modest length. Talk about a lousy vampire. She was going to ruin our reputations as undead wanton harlots. Jeff's other two undead thugs didn't come along, but replacements were sent.

  "Hello Apollonia, Mickey," I said.

  Tara Voorhies’ junior family members weren't so somberly attired. Apollonia wore a red silk blouse, black leather pants and patent pumps. Mickey looked kinda punked out in hip hop clothes, with his hair spiked and a five o'clock shadow. It reminded me of my shortened hair.

  I hadn't lied to Heidi about how fast it grew back on vampires. It didn't grow one inch an hour unless we concentrated on it. I concentrated all day, and part of the evening. Unfortunately, all of the hair on my body grew at an inch an hour. From the waist down I looked like lady Sasquatch. I could braid my armpit hairs. At least I could before preparing to meet the council's chosen representatives. I was nicely shaven and waxed and made up like a good little vamp girl.

  My hair had grown a good eighteen inches, too. I was pleased, but I wouldn't stop until it reached the small of my back. I still needed to go to a salon and have it trimmed and shaped, but that would wait until I grew back more than my preferred length. Desiree was good enough with scissors to make it presentable.

  The evening wasn't all wasted growing and then shaving hair. No, I got out and bought some new clothes. Not much, but I wore a pair of stone-washed Levi 501 jeans, a burgundy tank and running shoes. I bought them at Target. Yeah, I was moving up in the world.

  The handkerchief wrapped Coeur de Sade was stuffed in my right rear pocket. Since acquiring it, I had removed the enchanted ruby from the necklace. Only the ruby was in my pocket. I hocked the gold chain and setting for cash.

  "We're not here to exchange pleasantries," Apollonia said. "We were given the impression you had the talisman. True?"

  I toyed with lying to them. They wouldn't believe me.

  "Yeah, I got it," I said.

  "Then Heidi didn't have it last night, did she?" Mickey said. He looked pissed. What was it to him? "You had it all along."

  "No, Heidi had it. I got it back," I said.

  "Council will want Heidi, too," Francisco said.

  I shrugged. "She's dead. I'm not going to give her body to you."

  "Why not," he said.

  "I don't want her reanimated," I said. That was true. They might do it, just to punish her. Desiree told me stories about council that evening, and some of them curled my toes. Then there was the fact she was drop dead gorgeous. Vampires were known to prefer to Change beautiful people. The world had quite enough vampires in it, by my reckoning. "You’ve might’ve heard that about me. I cut out the heart of anyone I even think might be Changed.”

  The other four vampires tensed. I got the impression they had heard, and maybe didn’t really believe it until I confessed.

  "Council won't like it," Tanya said.

  "Heidi's body is the least of their concerns," I said. The other four vampires narrowed their eyes at me. "I lost everything getting the talisman for them. I want to be adequately compensated. Richly rewarded."

  "This is about money?" Francisco sneered.

  "I lost millions to the Giorgi sisters," I said. Only a small exaggeration. "I want it returned, and then some." I smiled. "And I want certain promises from them."

  "Promises? From council?" Apollonia said. She looked incredulous. "Are you mad?"

  "Maybe, but I have what they want," I said. "And all I want from them is a promise to leave me, my family, and my friends alone."

  “They won’t promise that,” Francisco said. "They could never get everyone to agree to that."

  “Then they won’t get the talisman,” I said. “I won’t negotiate on that point. They do not get the talisman until I get paid, and I get my promises.”

>   “We’ll just take it from you,” Tanya said.

  They grew more menacing, their bodies all shifting subtly into more aggressive stances. I tried to pretend it didn't bother me, didn't faze me. I was lying, but I was a pretty good actress nonetheless.

  “You will try,” I said. I pulled the Coeur de Sade out, shook it into my palm and they all looked. The fools. “Now that you are all my absolute slaves, you understand the power of the talisman. Tell council. Make sure they understand my determination to get those promises, and the money.”

  I might negotiate the amount of “reward” I received, but not the promises of safety. My primary concern was protecting my family and friends. I would kill them all if necessary to achieve that.

  “Go.”

  As one they all turned and left. I smiled as I stuffed the talisman back into my watch pocket, then folded up the handkerchief and stuffed it back in my back pocket. Thunder in the distance made me look up. I could see the flashes of lightning. A front was rolling through Dallas and bringing rain. Everyone was excited to see the rain since we were in a drought.

  I headed back to my bike. It was time to take a painfully circuitous route back to Kale's house. I doubted any other members of council were spying on us, but why take chances. I'd already been followed a couple times in the past week or so, to disastrous results.

  A bat screeched, swooping down straight at me from above. Before I could react she morphed to human form, and Lolita slammed into my chest feet first. I hit the ground and rolled, and Lolita was charging me with a look of wild glee on her face. She was having way too much fun.

  I swung my left arm down, across my body, up and around to block her follow-up kick at my face. My block was paired with a vicious punch in the throat that sent her reeling back. I was so waiting for her attack. The Giorgi Girls couldn't stay away, and I knew they'd make another try for the talisman.

  A roundhouse to the face sent her spinning away from me. Now smiling, I followed eagerly. Yeah, I was starting to enjoy myself. And when she turned to face me again, I kicked straight up into her chin.

  Lolita lay spread eagle before me, unmoving.

  "About time," I said, then dropped to one knee beside her to riffle through her pockets.

  "Fool," she said, and grabbed me. A second later I was face down on the ground, my arm twisted up behind my back. "Ha, you ain't shit, Black Heart."

  I morphed into a bat and was free. She gasped, then growled with frustration. I would've laughed, but bat throats and mouths were not equipped for that. Instead I just flew up to the nearest tree and landed on a limb. I found I couldn't just perch on a limb like a bird, so I had to sprawl atop it.

  "Forget her," Lorelei said, walking up under an umbrella. "She is such a loser wannabe."

  She tossed Lolita a plastic shopping bag of clothes. The sexy little witch was decked out in party clothes: white midriff baring top, short denim skirt and black pumps. She accessorized with wide black belt, half a dozen necklaces of varying lengths, big silver hoops and matching bangles. I swear the earrings and bangles were mine.

  But I forgot all about that when Lolita reached down and plucked the handkerchief out of my abandoned jeans. Then both turned mischievous looks up at me and laughed.

  "Thanks for the talisman, babe," Lorelei said.

  "Thanks for everything," Lolita said.

  "No, thank you," Antoinette said. The ancient French vampire's power swept over the Giorgi Girls. Lorelei gasped, and I believe immediately climaxed. She had that look in her eyes. Lolita put up a bit more fight, but within seconds her defenses collapsed and she belonged to Antoinette as well. "So sweet of you to find the talisman for me."

  Antoinette pulled the folded handkerchief from Lolita's hand, and caressed her cheek with the back of her free hand. Then she cupped a naked breast and smiled wickedly.

  "You will make a great vampire call girl," Antoinette said. She stepped past the helpless vampire and up to her sister. "And you will be my new witch."

  Boney and Angelique stepped out of the shadows and joined her. Angelique immediately shoved a six inch spike of sanctified silver into Lolita' neck, to keep her from morphing. Then she bounded the entranced vampire's wrist behind her back and forced her to kneel.

  Boney handcuffed Lorelei while Antoinette was kissing her. Then he fastened a diamond choker around her throat. As soon as he fastened it the magic came alive. I could feel it. Lorelei's body stiffened, then relaxed. I noticed Angelique was fastening a similar magical object around Lolita's throat.

  "Take them away," Antoinette said, smiling smugly.

  "Did Sable get away?" Angelique said, looking around.

  Antoinette frowned as she looked around. Boney looked right at me, then quickly looked away.

  "It appears she slipped through your fingers again, Mistress," Boney said.

  "You don't have to sound so pleased," Antoinette said, eyeing him evilly.

  "Forgive me, Mistress," he said, then snapped his fingers at the Giorgi Sisters. "You! Follow me."

  Boney led them into the darkness, heading away from me. Antoinette and Angelique turned to watch them go. Then Antoinette started unfolding the handkerchief, to unwrap her prize. I pushed out the branch and spread my wings as Antoinette was absorbed with the handkerchief and Angelique was watching Boney leading their prisoners away.

  I didn't flap my wings or even breathe. There could be no noise as I glided down to land atop my discarded clothes. Within seconds I pulled the talisman out of the small watch pocket with my mouth.

  "What? It's empty!" Antoinette cried. "Where is the talisman?" When Angelique turned to my clothes and started to bend over, Antoinette cried out. "No! I will get it."

  If Angelique touched it, she would own her mistress. Antoinette understood that. But it didn't matter, because both women were looking down at my clothes. Looking down at a small black bat. Yeah, both as a wolf and as a bat I have black fur. Same color as my human hair.

  Clutching the talisman in my feet, I leapt into the air and beat a hasty retreat. Suddenly the night was filled with bats. My first thought was Bat Man had arrived. But there weren't that many bats.

  "No!" Antoinette cried. "Leave her alone! The Coeur de Sade is mine!"

  I realized the other bat were competing vampires. They were all after the talisman, so after me. Seeing them so discombobulated me I almost dropped the talisman. Instead, I veered hard right, flew between Angelique's legs and skirted the ground as I flew as fast as I could. Dallas's vampire leadership was in close pursuit.

  Somehow I didn't think they'd smile upon me if they took the talisman away from me. Oh no.

  The chase was on, so I beat a fast retreat. Can't say I liked being the one chased. Chaser was a much better position. There were lots of big trees to weave through. It slowed everyone down, including me.

  Unfortunately, the park wasn't that large and they were very determined. They chased me right out of the park and northward. I could drop the talisman and they would all go for it. That would ensure I escaped, but only for that night. The council seemed to have a boner for me. It was probably all that post death vampire hunting and killing that got their goat.

  If nothing else, this proved I couldn't give the Coeur de Sade to anyone on council. They were all power hungry monsters. Whoever got the talisman would use it with ruthlessness. That vampire would quickly become king of the vampires in Dallas, and exercise absolute control. Not a prospect I savored.

  Up ahead something was lit up big time. So bright even my bat eyes could discern it. I headed that way, since no other direction offered anything. Maybe if it was a big outdoor event with tons of people I could transform to human and get lost in the crowd. Of course, I'd have to find clothes fast. Naked people in public tended to draw attention.

  A dozen or more vampire bats were spread out behind me. They weren't giving me any other course. It was straight ahead or quick capture. Veering to left or right gave them easy intercept angles. So forward I went, praying
I wasn't being herded into a trap.

  The big light turned out to be a construction site, so no place for me to escape in a crowd. The site was a large hole with construction workers moving quickly to beat the coming storm. There were seven concrete mixer trucks lined up. They were dumping their thick contents into a hopper, and that was feeding a long tube thing. The workers had the other end of that tube and were filling up shafts sunk deep into the ground.

  I recalled something on the news about how they found the ground there too unstable, and were being forced to sink supports pillars down to bedrock to make it stable enough. The whole thing was causing a big brouhaha since some public money was involved and the costs were skyrocketing.

  What was a public tragedy turned into opportunity for me. I squealed with delight as I angled down into that big hole. About half of the deep shafts were already filled with drying concrete. They were in the process of filling three more as I was followed by more than a dozen bats down into that brightly lit site.

  I didn't want the vampires to know what I was doing, or even see me do it. So I started weaving all through the equipment and men. The workers cried out as bats surrounded them. Within seconds I had two bats upon me, all savage teeth and tearing claws. It was exceedingly painful. With the talisman clutched in my feet I couldn't fight back without dropping it first.

  One bat sank his teeth into my throat, another raked at my belly and a third smashed into us and ripped my left wing to shreds. I shriek in agony as we began to fall. We couldn't fly like that.

  I morphed into a human. The bats were flung away from me, and I crashed into the rocky ground a second later.

  "Ooff!" landing butt first. The talisman was next to my right foot, so I snatched it up.

  "Shit fire! A naked woman!" a worker cried.

  They all turned to stare at me. I think they were too surprised to enjoy the sight. Bats wheeled towards me. I held up the talisman.

  "Halt!"

  Nothing. Apparently they were immune to its affect as bats. Or, their eyes were not good enough to see it properly. Didn't matter, that idea crashed and burned all around me. So I shoved the talisman into my mouth and morphed into a wolf.