Tim stared at her, his gaze sliding over her features one by one. He inhaled deeply and for a second, she thought he would agree to her terms, but then his nostrils flared. His attention wavered and she realized too late that he must have inhaled Kylie's scent again. With a growl, he flung her away.
She flew back and slammed into the cabinet filled with knickknacks. The glass shattered, littering the floor around her, but she quickly regained her footing. When she did, Tim was already dragging Kylie out of the room. The girl's hair was a tangled mess of blonde curls and her face was tear stained. She met Sloane's gaze, her eyes pleading for help.
"Isn't she delightful?" Tim slid the back of his hand down the side of Kylie's face, ignoring the child's sobs.
Sloane didn't know what to do. One wrong move and Tim could easily snap Kylie's neck and all attempts to save the child would end.
"Don't you want her to be just like us?" Tim tested the words as he glanced at his sister with what could only be construed as affection. He still loved her, but with all his emotions being out of whack, his love for Kylie had turned down a darker path.
"She would remain a child forever," she said, letting the implications speak for themselves.
He didn't seem surprised that she mentioned the drawback to this plan, which made her believe he had thought of it, too. The quiet certainty in the way he held Kylie and the way he didn't even consider the act as perverted, sent a chill down her spine. He wanted to own Kylie, keep her like a momentum of his past.
"We'll never age either," he told her. "She could be our daughter. No matter where we travel, we'll be a family."
"Is that what you truly want?" She kept the horror she felt from creeping into her voice, but she couldn't stop the pain in her chest, the feeling as if a hand squeezed her heart in hopes of stopping it. The thought of making Kylie like them was beyond cruel. Kylie would be trapped in a child's body, while her mind matured to adulthood.
"Of course," he said.
"And you know how to change her without going too far and draining her?" She hoped he didn't say he did.
Tim frowned. "I haven't been able to complete the process. I've drained them before I could give them the third bite."
She shivered at the thought. How many had he tried to change? He had tried to change her. If Derek hadn't stepped in and stopped Tim, and if Tremayne hadn't offered his blood, she could have been another one of Tim's victims.
She had to keep Tim talking until the others were in position. "I'll go with you Tim and we'll be a family as you wish it, but on one condition…"
"And what is that, dear Sloane?" Tim tilted his head and his gaze lazily swept over her, giving her the feeling she looked more like a tasty treat than a person he wanted to spend eternity with.
"We wait to turn Kylie." He stiffened and his nostrils flared. She hurried on before she lost him completely. "Only until she's a teenager. Let her grow up first. Then we'll make her like us." Even if she were really planning to run away with Tim, she knew he would never be able to holdout that long. Heck, she wasn't sure she could. However, what she proposed wasn't real. She would never go with him and she would never subject the child to their fate.
Kylie no longer whimpered, but stood still as if she lost all hope. She'd lowered her head and her hair hung around her face, shielding her expression.
"How do I know this isn't some kind of trick?" Tim eyed Sloane with suspicion.
She lifted her shoulder. "You don't. I guess you'll have to trust me. Besides, where am I to go? I can't go home."
"Yeah." He straightened his shoulders. "That's right."
"You asked me here. I'm assuming so we could be together," she reminded him.
He hesitated a second more before his grip on Kylie lessened.
"Come here, Kylie." Sloane waved to her in a come hither fashion.
Tim gave his sister a slight push. The child kept her head down as she made her way over to her. Kylie's behavior struck her as odd. She didn't run into her arms where she would be safe, and the fast thudding of her heart had slowed considerably, making her believe the child was in shock.
"Where do you want to go first?" Tim's question shifted her attention to him.
Kylie had reached her and she drew her into her arms. She gave the signal and spoke the words the others were waiting to hear. "You're safe." Kylie's scent filled her nostrils and her fangs elongated, her thirst increasing. The child's carotid artery throbbed beneath the flesh like a beacon of temptation. She smelled of blood, rich and thick as if she bathed in the substance. She gritted her teeth and took shallow breaths in hopes of holding back the urge to drink.
In the next second, the windows and doors exploded around her, announcing Tremayne and the other hunters' arrival.
Tim met her gaze, the betrayal burning bright in his eyes and for that she felt a pang of guilt. Then he glanced at Kylie. "Help me, sister. They're going to kill me."
Kylie turned her head away, burying her face against Sloane's T-shirt, her small hands gripping the fabric.
Tim pursed his lips as he realized he was on his own. He screeched, his anguish peaking until it shattered the last shred of his control. He flitted toward Cassandra, who was the closest to him, but a glint of steel in the hunter's hand caught the light before she buried it in Tim's shoulder with a quick jab. He bellowed and stumbled away from her in surprise. Smoke rose around the wound, the iron doing its job to weaken him.
Sloane backed up toward the bedroom, wanting to keep Kylie out of harm's way. She fumbled behind her for the doorknob. She eased it open and dragged Kylie in with her, slamming the door shut. She may not be able to block out the retched cries, but she could at least spare Kylie having to witness her brother's demise.
Your safe," she began to tell Kylie, but then paused. Her nose flared and the scent of blood flooded her senses—too much blood
Her hands slipped from Kylie's as she took in the horror the room held. She reached for the light switch, not because she couldn't see, but she hoped her eyes betrayed her. Her trembling hand fumbled with the light switch, but finally her fingers managed the feat. Oh how she wished they hadn't. The comforter on the bed, which had once been blue roses, was drenched in blood, a stain spreading from the center outward like the petals of a new flower reaching for the sun. Red splattered the walls and floor. The scent in the room made her mouth water and her teeth throb, but at the same time it sickened her.
Her gaze shifted to the corner of the room, shadowed in darkness where the light did not reach. Her hand flew to her mouth with a sharp intake of breath as she realized what she viewed. Bodies piled haphazardly on top of each other like dirty laundry.
"I thought perhaps Tim was wrong about you, but he wasn't," Kylie said. "You're the same as we are in a sense, but…there's also something different about you."
It took a second for Kylie's words to register their meaning. Her gaze riveted to the child, her hair a golden mass of unruly curls and her cherub face full of innocence, except her eyes glowed crimson, and fangs protruded long and sharp from her mouth.
"No." Sloane shook her head in denial and backed up a step. "No." She repeated with sickening dread. Kylie couldn't be a vampire. She had heard Kylie's heartbeat. She concentrated on the sound now and realized the child's heart no longer beat strong and sure. Her gaze shifted back to the bodies, and realized with sickening dread why Kylie's heart had mimicked a human child's. She had just fed.
"Don't be sad, Sloane. I'm not." Kylie's voice was singsong sweet. If she didn't look at her, she could believe Kylie was still the lovely ten year old she remembered, but now wasn't the time for fantasies. She met Kylie's gaze and the girl's lips curved. Not the sweet smile of the child she'd once been, but with a grin that made Sloane's skin crawl.
They stood facing each other with suspicion, while Tim fought for his life... or whatever semblance of a life he had as a vampire. Tim had killed to survive, but what he did to his sister was beyond reproach. "I'm sorry, Kylie. I'm
so sorry, Tim did this to you."
She chuckled, a low guttural sound that didn't sound human. "He didn't change me."
The air caught in her throat. No, Kylie couldn't be suggesting… "Did Trent change you?"
Kylie shook her head and giggled.
She glanced at the bodies. She couldn't pretend the child hadn't partaken in the grisly killings.
Kylie sighed. "It is a mess. I should have cleaned up before you arrived."
She said it with a nonchalant shrug as if she'd been draining people of their blood for years. "I will admit, the first kill was difficult," she said with a pout. "I didn't mean to kill her, but she didn't suffer for long."
"She?"
"My mother," Kylie clarified. "My father put up a fight though." Her eyes narrowed. "He deserved to suffer," she spat.
She had killed her parents? "Kylie…" What could she say to a child killer? Vampire or not, she showed no remorse.
"Did you know my father was cheating on my mother? They were getting a divorce."
She hadn't known.
"Ah… Tim never mentioned it to you. He loves you and yet he kept secrets. Interesting…" she said more to herself. "My mother had me in counseling. Said I was acting out." She rolled her eyes. "My counselor helped me in so many ways." Her smile revealed her devotion.
"Kylie, was the counselor a vampire?"
"He was my savior, my master," she snapped. "He said he'd be with me forever, but hunters killed him." She pointed toward the door, knowing exactly who had killed her master. Her features turned cold and anger spilled into her words relaying her fury.
Funny, Sloane had never thought of Tremayne as her master, but more like a sponsor, a person to rely on for questions and help, not someone who ruled her actions.
Then it all fell into place: The blood in Kylie's room had been Tim's blood. Tim hadn't died trying to defend Kylie against a vampire attack. "Oh God. You bit Tim."
Kylie took a few careful steps toward her, stalking her. "Trent finished the final bite," she said.
Sloane took a step back, hoping to make it to the door before Kylie attacked, but then she remembered. She was a vampire, too. "So what's your plan now, Kylie?" Sloane asked. "Tim's about to be killed out there. Are you planning to sacrifice your brother?"
"You're the one who betrayed him. You brought the hunters here."
"I was trying to save you, Kylie. You're just a little girl." As she said the words, she realized it wasn't true anymore. Kylie wasn't the innocent child she'd babysat. She was a vampire, a killer… "Tremayne can help you."
"Tremayne? Is that your master's name?" she hissed.
"He's helping me, Kylie. You don't have to kill to survive."
"But I like it." Her lips curved, the chilling smile so wrong on a child's face. "I'm in control now."
Bitterness washed over Sloane, seeping into her heart at the injustice this child had gone through. This shouldn't have happened to her. Everyone failed her. First, her father then the man who was supposed to council her. The fiend had taken her innocence and twisted it into this vile creature. Kylie was beyond help now, but she could end the terror the child would inflict on others. She gripped the dagger Tremayne had given her and flitted.
Chapter Thirty
Derek took the front door. Wade and Cassandra stood in front of the window next to the couch, and Tim would have to take down Tremayne to get past the big guy and into the kitchen where the back door stood.
"You can still come with us," Tremayne told him. "Stand down."
Tim's chest heaved, spittle drooled from his mouth, and his eyes were bright red and glowed with anger. The vampire was surrounded and he knew there was no escape. His gaze met Derek's then. "You did this!"
Derek anticipated Tim's attack and let his arrow sail through the air with lethal intent. Tim screeched in pain, clutching his chest where the arrow had hit its mark. His body stiffened and fell back hard. He lay still as a statue, but it didn't end his wails of pain and anger.
Wade strode forward with his sword readied. Tim's eyes widened in fear.
"Ky…lieeeee!" Tim shouted.
Wade swung in a downward motion. For a split second, Derek swore peace eased over Tim's face, before his head rolled away from his body.
"It's over." Derek closed his eyes and wiped the sweat from his face. He squeezed Wade's shoulder in passing as he hurried to the bedroom door, throwing it open. "Sloane, it's over. You're—" his words solidified in his throat as he stared in horror at Sloane and Kylie grappling on the floor for the dagger.
"What's wrong?" Wade asked and came to stand by him. "What the hell?" Wade pushed his way in, his sword readied to stop Sloane from hurting Kylie.
Sloane hissed and spit like a blood-crazed vampire. Derek realized the reason why a second later. He covered his nose and mouth as the blood and stench hit his nostrils. "Stop, Sloane," Derek demanded. "Now!"
She didn't listen and Kylie cried out in pain. "Help me," the little girl wailed and tears streamed down her face.
Wade lifted his sword, his intent clear. He would end Sloane's life.
"No, Wade," Cassandra yelled in horror from the door and at the same time, Derek lunged at his brother, knocking him to the ground.
Tremayne had heard the commotion and flitted into the room, whisking Kylie to safety.
"Dammit," Wade cursed and came to his feet, but Derek ignored his curses and stared at Sloane. She gripped a dagger in her hand. Sloane was a vampire. She could easily take out a child with one bite, but she held her dagger poised and readied as if Kylie posed a threat. His gaze shifted to Tremayne, who left the child in the corner so he could deal with Sloane.
"Give me the dagger," Tremayne demanded, his hand outstretched as he approached.
"No. Kylie's not human," she screamed. "Can't you see that?"
Clapping of hands and a child's chuckle of delight made them turn toward Kylie. "This was more fun than I've had in a while," Kylie said. The girl's angelic face transformed into the fiend she'd become. She hissed and her fangs lengthened.
"Holy crap…" Wade stumbled back as the child leapt toward him.
Tremayne flitted and grabbed the child by the hair, yanking her away from Wade and trying to keep her at arms length. "Let me go." She squirmed, her arms flailing behind her, trying to grab hold of Tremayne. Tears poured down her face, but she still hissed like a feral cat as if she couldn't decide if she wanted to kill someone or cry on their shoulder. Maybe it was both.
Derek raised his bow and reached for an arrow. He glanced at Sloane. Tears slid down her cheeks, too, but her expression was of misery. He let the arrow fly.
Kylie's body stiffened as the arrow penetrated her heart and froze her limbs. Tremayne gently placed the child on the floor.
"Tim, help me." Hearing the childlike voice plead for her brother, who could no longer aid her, proved heart wrenching. For the first time, he couldn't watch as his brother brought down his sword.
Derek strode over to Sloane and pulled her into his arms, her sobs breaking his heart bit by bit. "Kill me, too." She squirmed out of his hold. "Kill me." She didn't look at him, but at his brother. "I'm like them—like Tim and like…" she swallowed back another sob. "Like Kylie."
"No, you're not." Derek reached for her, but she hit his hand away with a hiss. "Don't touch me." She looked to Wade again. "You promised," she pleaded with him.
"So I did." Wade stepped forward.
"You son of—" Derek began, but Wade threw him a glance that clearly told him to back down.
"This is between me and Sloane," Wade said.
"Bull crap."
Cassandra placed a hand on his arm. "Let him speak."
"Fine, but I swear if you raise your sword, you'll live to regret it."
"Whatever." His brother rolled his eyes before he turned toward Sloane. "I agreed to take you out if you were a threat, but today isn't that day." He turned on his heels and strode out the door.
Sloane let out a mournful cry a
nd fell to her knees. Derek pulled her into his arms. This time she didn't push him away. She buried her face in his shirt and mourned for the loss of her friends and perhaps the life she once had.
"I can't go home," she sobbed, her tears soaked his shirt, but he didn't care. If he could fix this for her, he would, but there was no going back.
"No, you can't go home." She knew this already, but maybe it hadn't really sunk in until now. He wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb. "Please don't cry. It will be all right," he told her, but he had a feeling it would never be all right for her. Perhaps tolerable at best.
"You should have let Wade dust me," she said, using the terminology she'd learned in the last few days. "Your brother only hesitated because of you. He loves you, you know."
He glanced toward the door and spotted his brother leaning against the upturned sofa. Wade tilted his cowboy hat back on his head and nodded. Yep, he knew his brother had his back.
He took Sloane's hand and intertwined their fingers. "We will work through this."
"We can't work through this." She yanked her hand away and flew to her feet. He stood, too. "You and I…" She forced back the sobs and angrily wiped away the tears that kept falling despite her efforts. "We can't be together. You're a smart man. You're a hunter. You know what a vampire can do. Tim and Kylie weren't bad people and look what they've done." She choked on her words. "I will either kill you or change you and neither is acceptable."
"You aren't like Tim or Kylie. Don't ever believe you are."
Her fangs were retracted, but he could still see the pointed ends. He had never studied a vampire up close. At least not in the few seconds it took to stake and dust one. This was a whole new territory for him.
Tremayne remained quiet until now. "She's right. She needs to be with her kind."
Derek met Tremayne's gaze. "I want to go with her."
Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) Page 17