by Jane Cousins
Dash looked just as torn by the topic as his twin. “Vampire assassins? Why couldn’t they just be regular vampires?”
Hadleigh heaved an audible sigh. “Because regular suckers… of any kind, generally only siphon off a little bit of whatever they need to survive, leaving their ‘donors’ alive and kicking with a hazy gap in their memory. This includes the blood suckers, well… except when they have young to feed, then they tend to take a little bit more of what they require and regurgitate it later, like birds do when feeding their chicks. But ideally they don’t kill their victims if at all possible, too messy, draws too much attention.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Serena closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass.
“Yuk, I might join you on that one.’ Flynn looked horrified.
“Why would they send in vampire assassins? Draining the body completely like that must take time. If they just wanted his blood, why not just take a litre or so and then inject Xander with poison or an air bubble or something? With the state Xander was in we might not have known it was murder until we saw the autopsy report.” Vaughn mused out loud.
Drum added his own questions to the mix. “Why kill him at all? And why now when it so clearly links his death to Serena’s escape?”
“I can tell you that.” Marcus looked up from his tablet, his blue eyes laser sharp. “They think Serena is dying.” A buzz rose up around the table and died just as abruptly allowing Marcus to continue. “It’s in the attached file that the head of the facility sent out. I assume he was trying to negate the news of Serena’s escape by detailing that in his opinion she was mere weeks... perhaps days away from catastrophic organ failure.”
The entire table turned looking Serena’s way, her pale cheeks tinged with a becoming flush of pink. “Give me a few days… a week tops and I’ll be fine. Promise.” She reached out absently to caress the dark green leaves of a nearby peace lily.
“But the Chaos brothers don’t know that.” Marcus mused. “As soon as they saw the file they instigated a pre-emptive strike on Xander, the blood of the ancestor. And for some unknown reason they wanted it all.”
“Leaving only the blood of the witch to acquire so they can conduct the ritual to awaken Apep from his long sleep.” Vaughn finished. “They’ll be desperate now. They believe Serena’s dying, she’s the only witch they know.”
“So they’ve given up on the whole imprisoning me for eternity idea and decided to just go for broke and get my blood?” Serena gave the table a resigned look from her dual coloured blue-purple eyes. “You think they’ll send those assassins after me next?” Great, out of the frying pan and into the fire.
“They might send the whole kiss after you, at the very least two will come.” Hadleigh spoke first. “One to drain. One to stand guard.”
“Kiss?” Marcus was the first to voice the query, his bright blue eyes brimming with curiosity.
“A vampire enclave is traditionally a matriarchal society. In their culture the women are stronger and considered more deadly. Most vampire clans are peaceable and very careful about their feeding methods and keeping their true natures hidden. They are governed by a Queen who is ultimately a maternal figurehead for the community. The problem comes every few generations or so when a potential Queen is born lacking the maternal, politically savvy ability to lead the community but craving power and blood. Often when they enter adulthood and their actions begin to threaten the community they are humanely put down. Occasionally though one will escape or strike out on her own, luring as many males as she can to join her, that group is known as a kiss. To get by they invariably contract out their services for money, travelling the world living it up in expensive hotels and leaving behind a trail of inexplicably drained bodies in their wake.”
Vaughn stared at his wife, golden eyes banked with heat. “Sounds like you have first-hand experience.”
Hadleigh shrugged. “I dealt with a vampire assassin kiss two years ago. We fought and killed all the male serfs but the Queen got away. It took me over a month to track her down and make the kill. I’ve done my research since then. The one thing you need to know is that an assassin kiss takes great pride in completing a contract, at any cost. In their line of business, reputation is everything. If Sek and Mot have identified Serena as a target then the kiss won’t stop until she’s dead or they are.”
“How much time do you think we have?” Vaughn queried.
“They’ll need time to regurgitate and store Xander’s blood. Twenty-four hours at least, maybe forty-eight if we’re lucky.”
Vaughn stood up and started barking out orders. “So we don’t have any time to waste. Rafe, order in a ton of medical equipment and round up some medical personnel A.sap. Make a production out of it and bring them through the front lobby. Nate prep one of the spare apartments. Marcus set up a tight security perimeter, then I want you on the monitors. Flynn and Dash you have the roof. Rafe and Nate will take the lobby. Hadleigh, Drum and I will set up in the room itself.” The moment Vaughn stopped speaking the room cleared of everyone but Hadleigh, Locke and Serena.
“You’re seriously going to use Serena as bait?” Locke was appalled at the thought. “Look at her. I doubt she can stand on her own two feet yet.” Her colour was definitely improved but she still had that half-starved emaciated look that only food, time and a stress free environment could cure. “If something goes wrong and the vampires get past you she won’t stand a chance.”
“That’s why you’re going to take her home with you.” Vaughn clipped out in a commanding tone.
“Get serious. I’m a lawyer not a trained bodyguard.”
“And I don’t appreciate being discussed like a helpless child.” Serena protested, forcing herself to sit up straight even though that small action alone caused sweat to break out across her forehead. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
She’d be damned if she would continue to be a burden on Locke Valhalla. Especially when he’d made it very clear where his feelings stood. He’d all but wanted to throw her at Dash when they’d first arrived and make his escape. Oh by the Earth… had he sensed her attraction to him? He must think her the saddest and most pathetic of creatures. Weak little Earth Witch making goo goo eyes at her rescuer. How clichéd. How embarrassing.
“Sorry Sera.” Vaughn looked her way. “But it’s the best possible option at the moment. You can’t stay here, it isn’t safe. Sending you away with Locke, it’s only temporary until we get these blood suckers.”
“But it won’t end there Vaughn. Sek and Mot are still out there and they need a witch’s blood… my blood since I’m the only one they know. So even if you succeed in killing the vampires, won’t they just send more assassins?”
“Let’s just eradicate the current threat first… we can discuss what we do next to protect you once your strength is back.”
Serena gritted her teeth, damning Vaughn and his calm logic. “Fine. But I’m staying here. I can help.” She gave him her best mutinous look that in the past always had him backing down. She knew exactly how to play the female card against the Maat warriors so they were putty in her hands.
Vaughn gave her an exasperated look, followed by a reluctant nod. That’s when Serena heard Hadleigh, Vaughn’s new wife, sigh in obvious disgust.
“Honestly men, you can be such push overs.” Shoving back her chair Hadleigh strode around the table, coming to loom over Serena.
The woman was fierce, gorgeous and as far from the petite little home maker Serena had imagined Vaughn hooking up with as could be possible. He’d found himself a six foot six, red headed warrior woman, who looked far more comfortable with a weapon in her hands than she ever would a kitchen implement. Well, unless she was using the kitchen implement as a tool to gut someone.
“I’ll tell you what.” Hadleigh’s grey eyes were startlingly clear this close up.
Serena automatically flinched back in her seat.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Hadleigh assured gently.
“Says the Amazon looming over the sweet innocent Earth Witch.”
Hadleigh chuffed a soft laugh. “Innocent? Sweet? Have you seen the life sized posters of you in the tiny sparkly short-shorts?”
“Sparkly?” Came Locke’s intrigued amused tone. “Short-shorts?”
“Shut up Locke, I’m trying to prove a point here.” Hadleigh rested a hand gently on one of Serena’s thin shoulders. “All you have to do is stand up. If you can do that you get to stay. If not, you go with Locke.”
“Seriously, don’t I have any say in this plan at all?” Locke sounded peeved and more than a little frustrated. “I have a job you know, a very demanding one at that. And as I recall our agreement was for one rescue. I have delivered said maiden, my work here is officially done.”
Earth, the man had already made it crystal clear he wanted nothing more to do with her, did he have to go on and on about it? Serena swore she’d show Locke Valhalla… she’d show them all she was perfectly capable of looking after herself. Planting her feet firmly on the expensive carpet, she gripped both sides of the armchair and heaved upwards with gritted teeth.
A minute passed and then two. High colour flooded Serena’s cheeks and her breathing started to come in heavy pants. She hadn’t moved a single inch and she was pretty darn sure Hadleigh hadn’t exerted even a smidgeon of her strength to keep her seated. How humiliating.
“Uncle?” Hadleigh queried softly, not a trace of mockery in her tone. “Before you hurt yourself?”
Serena collapsed back, chest heaving, waiting for the wave of dizziness to pass. “Uncle.” She managed to murmur between gritted teeth.
“Best two out of three?” Locke quipped.
“Don’t be an ass Locke.” Hadleigh reprimanded. “It won’t be for long, a few days... a week.”
“Easy for you to say Kitten.” Locke smiled as Hadleigh winced at his new term of endearment.
“You work from home anyway. Plonk Serena in front of the gardening channel and you’ll hardly know you have a house guest.” She grinned watching her brother visibly flinch. He never had house guests. To her knowledge his frequent lady friends never stayed the night. His home was his personal fortress, Goddess she’d only been inside a handful of times herself and each time Locke had followed her around with a hand held vacuum cleaner at the ready. “Just keep her on the down low. Get Nell in to check her over but that’s it. You know how gossip runs through our family. If anything happens… anything at all, I can be there in less than three minutes.”
Locke huffed out a loud audible sigh. Turning to look at Vaughn he suddenly grinned. “This goes beyond blackmail now. You’ll owe me big time, you know that right?”
“What do you want?” Vaughn rolled his golden eyes. Family, they could be such a pain in the rear.
“I’ll get back to you on that one. I wouldn’t want to make any hasty decisions.” Locke got to his feet, smoothing down his creased suit as he mentally squared his shoulders.
He could do this. He could take one gorgeous little witch with hypnotic dual coloured eyes and a bee stung mouth that begged to be kissed home to his fortress of cleanliness and solitude. She’d stay in one of the spare bedrooms that had never been used. He’d work. Except for meal times he wouldn’t even know she was there. A few days, the crisis would pass. His life, his home, all would return to nice quiet normality. Yeah no problem.
“Ready?” He looked towards Serena, huddled in her borrowed blanket looking worn out but resigned to her fate.
“Sure.” She reached over scooping up the african violet pot plant she’d insisted they save from the mental facility, flowering so manically now it had more blooms than leaves.
Right, just him, her and a container full of dirt… no recipe for disaster there.
Chapter Five
Between one inhalation of breath and the next they stood not in the Maat Towers bedroom closet they’d entered but a heavenly smelling, intimidatingly neat, linen closet. Though it was like none Serena had ever had come across before. For one the linen closet was the size of a small bedroom, the floor to ceiling open shelves on either side of them full of the most gorgeous rioting colourful silk throws, crisp white sheets and begging to be touched rugs, afghans and blankets. All folded in absolute precision and stacked according to colour, type and Serena was guessing size. She would have happily made a small nest in a corner of the closet and spent her recovery in this cavalcade of comfort, but Locke hardly paused a beat before exiting.
“Moon and Earth, Locke.” Her eyes feasted on her new surroundings, Locke’s home. “This place.” She took a deep breath, enjoying the spicy clean scents that assailed her. “This place is amazing.” She itched to explore every inch of it.
Even in the dim light provided by the last rays of the setting sun she could appreciate the honey coloured wooden floors, the ridiculously high ceilings and spacious rooms he carried her past. Finally he came to a halt in the main living room where expensive but comfortable looking large cream couches took centre stage, decorated with a series of colourful cushions and silk throws in a mixture of creams, golds, yellows and saffron. The lighting was discreet and kind of quirky, were they gold pineapple lamps? Groovy, and the artwork, she was dying for a closer look but something more immediate caught her attention.
“Why is the sun setting?” She eyed the floor to ceiling glass doors that made up the inner wall of the room. Was that a courtyard out there?
“Because you’re not in Kansas anymore Dot. This is Australia, Queensland to be exact.”
“It really is beautiful Locke. Is that a…” She was so overwhelmed at the idea she could barely form the words. “Is that a garden?”
“Yes.” He strode across the living room floor to a nearby panel. “Press 2.”
She complied and soft golden muted lights in the garden flickered to life. Locke really did have an inner courtyard, the look reminiscent of architecture you would find in Morocco or Istanbul.
A series of arches, supported by aged stone columns edged the square courtyard, providing a shaded inner veranda that would no doubt help keep the house cool throughout the hot Australian summer. In the very centre of the large moonlit courtyard was an ornate fountain, burbling water as stone maidens skipped and frolicked over the three tiers. Surrounding the fountain were large slabs of gleaming white sandstone whilst around the very edges, snug up against the columns was a garden. Bougainvilleas climbed several columns, their leaves a rich green though few colourful flowers were in evidence. Delicate ferns, their fronds dipping and swaying in the night breeze looked under developed to Serena’s knowledgeable eyes.
She couldn’t imagine having all that space and only allowing a narrow strip of garden to exist around the very edges. It bordered on sacrilegious.
“You need to put me down.” She instructed Locke, her eyes never leaving the courtyard.
“How about I put you to bed and get the doctor?”
“I need to go outside.” She started to struggle in his arms, leaving Locke no choice but to place her down, hovering over her ready to catch her if she crumbled. But she didn’t, making her way slowly and steadily over to the glass wall. “I need to get out there.” She placed her hands on the cool glass, resenting the obstacle.
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Please.” She turned, sending him a beseeching look.
Her well deep need hit Locke almost like a punch to the gut, conceding, he hit another button on the panel and the glass slid away. Oh Earth. Serena took in a deep lungful of warm night air laden with the intoxicating scents of the earth. Almost as if hypnotised she took a step outside, the sandstone slab beneath her feet cool and solid.
“Should I..?” Locke wasn’t sure how he had intended to finish his sentence, not when Serena leant over, placed the african violet on the ground and then commenced calmly and with absolutely no explanation to strip naked. Okay this was unexpected… in a really… really good way.
He bi
t back a groan as she kicked the drawstring pants away and stepped towards the centre of the courtyard completely nude, her bare arms raised to the night sky. In response the moonlight glistened off her pale skin making her hair appear the colour of rare white gold. Her back grew straighter with each step, her stance more confident… stronger. Around her the sounds of the night changed, the burble of water, the swish of ferns in the breeze and the far off cooing of settling birds intermingled like notes becoming a song. And just like that she began to dance.
Locke had never witnessed anything so pure... so innocent… so completely hot. What little blood he had left in his upper body when Serena had first begun to disrobe checked out leaving him light headed, the throbbing in his cock louder than his heartbeat. Frozen in place he was unaware of the passage of time, she could have danced for minutes or hours. Not once did she look towards him or give any indication she knew he watched, but there was a tension that hung in the air between them, a sensuality… a challenge.
The temptation to join her out there under the stars was overwhelming. He knew instinctively she’d welcome him. That she would move into his arms as if she belonged there and they’d make love under the moonlight in the garden, a testimony to life and renewal. The act just another note in the song she was dancing that would help her to reconnect with the earth following such a long absence. He recognised the truth and it almost overwhelmed him.
Bloody manipulative Mother Nature!
He grabbed the wall to keep from moving forward. He refused to be a tool of the Gods. He was stronger than that. Biting back another groan as Serena turned and her gorgeous rose tipped breasts were suddenly clearly framed by a blast of moonlight. He was a breath away from caving in when Serena abruptly turned away from the fountain and danced over to the edge of the courtyard. Running her fingers across the sparse ferns and greenery planted there. With no warning she stepped into the garden proper, knelt and then lay down, rolling in the dirt. And just like that Locke’s ravenous desire to join her evaporated.