Zombies?
She didn’t want to know.
“Where are you going?”
“I have a meeting.” Lenore was back on his shoulder. The bird glared at Kara with furious red eyes. Damien’s pet always seemed to appear when he acting more like the villain.
Kara glowered back at it and then at Damien. “Why can’t I go with you?”
“It’s not safe. Besides, aren’t you babysitting the human?”
“So, I need to stay all kidnapped, while you and the pterodactyl head off to the office? You’re such a hypocrite.”
He jammed the hat onto his head. “The Vampires aren’t trying to capture me to be their queen, are they, your highness?”
“No, they’re trying to kill you, dumbass.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll be back in an hour. Entertain yourself by plotting ways to escape my vile clutches, if you like.” He leaned down so their noses just about touched. “It won’t work, though. You can’t get out of this hotel. It’s for the best that you know that. Be resigned and just start hating me for it.”
The finality in his voice caught her by surprise. It was like he thought it was a foregone conclusion that she’d despise him for this stupid stunt. Like maybe that was his point in doing this.
Why was he being this way?
It certainly wasn’t going to work.
She just flat-out wasn’t scared of him.
Kara had been serious, earlier. People got kidnapped in romance novels all the time. It wasn’t totally Damien’s fault that he was part of the system. He didn’t know any better. Tanya cast him as the villain and being an evildoer for several centuries wasn’t something you could cure overnight.
Deep inside, Kara didn’t even want to cure it, entirely. She liked his bad streak. There was kind of a decadent thrill in at least pretending to be the helpless prisoner of a really hot guy. Especially, since she was still the one in control. He wouldn’t hurt her. Wouldn’t force her. Wouldn’t toss her in a dungeon.
Honestly, it was hard to take this as anything more than a game: How to escape and beat Damien. No. Not even escape, because she didn’t want to leave Damien. She just wanted to prove that she could. “Why would you want me to hate you?” She asked, quietly.
He went back to her earlier assertion, not answering that. “And it’s pretty damn hypocritical of you to call me a hypocrite, you know. In fact, I find it amazing that you’re shocked and appalled by my behavior, at all.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Think about it. Even if you do manage to get free, I doubt you’ll be able to carry Millicent with you and you can’t leave her here. He smiled pointedly. “After all, she’s your captive.”
It was pretty easy to get his point. “Me kidnapping Mel is a completely different thing!”
“Oh, obviously.”
“It’s for her own good!” Kara jabbed a finger into his massive chest. “I’m saving her from Eugene the accountant and Buffalo Bill. She needs to be with Slade.”
“Very inspiring. Just be warned, if you leave that human woman here alone with me, I can’t be responsible for how many pieces she winds up in. She’s your problem, not mine.” He loomed there, trying for intimidation and not getting very far, because his gaze slipped down to her mouth and stayed there.
Kara refused to be distracted. “You’re threatening me with my own prisoner? You’re holding my hostage hostage in order to keep me as your hostage?”
“Absolutely.” He was smug, now. “She can’t open the door, either, and my magicks are securing it against every supernatural being there is, so I think you should just surrender.”
Karalynn smirked at the challenge. “Fine. Go and have good day of pillaging Middle Earth, then, Sauron. I’ll stay here and darn some socks for your return.” She leaned up a tiny bit, so their lips almost brushed. “I’m completely terrified of you.”
Damien’s pupils dilated in response to her nearness.
Her eyelashes fluttered. Sucker. “Will you bring back food, sweetie?” She’d made toast that morning in some weird looking toaster, but she had no intention of touching that menacing antique stove or eating food completely produced through magic spells. Neither option seemed healthy. Hopefully, she’d be out of there by the time he returned, but if not… Well, no sense in starving while she plotted her escape.
“Of course.” Damien swallowed hard. “What would you like?”
“Anything with a file baked into it.” Kara lowered her voice to a seductive murmur, just to mess with him. “If I’m gone when you get back, though, don’t worry about it. It was super nice meeting you.”
“If you’re gone when I get back, I’ll just track you down.” He muttered. “I found you once and I can do it again, even if it takes another thousand years.” He gave her a quick kiss that sent heat washing through her.
Kara’s heart slammed against her chest, at the brief contact. His mouth was hard and hot and felt so damn right. She absolutely believed in magic when Damien kissed her. Her whole body lit-up like a Christmas tree around the jerk.
“Gods.” Pulling back before she could respond or hit him, Damien stared down at her and shook his head. “You’re so dangerous.” He blindly reached for the door.
He had no problem twisting the knob and escaping. It crashed closed behind him as he retreated into the unscheduled “evening.” Kara stood there for a beat, her hand on her tingling lips, staring at the closed door.
Thinking.
So the knob was still three dimensional, huh? She and Melessa must be the ones affected by the magicks. Wasn’t that interesting?
She strode back in to the front sitting room, snatching up the manuscript and leafing through the pages. Where was Damien going? Chapter ten was up now, told from Vlad’s point of view, only it was no more a clear picture of Damien than one of those caricature drawings tourists posed for at carnivals. It was distorted and flat, glossing over all Damien’s better qualities. His sardonic sense of humor, and the way he kissed, and how he saved damsels in distress from fire breathing dragon-men…
“That bastard!” Kara’s annoyance with the anti-Damien slant of the novel came to a screeching halt on page 148.
Damien swept into the human tavern, impatient to complete the next step in his vengeance. Al’s Bar was crowded and out of the way, guaranteeing them privacy for their schemes. Here he would meet his Vampiric spy To’kel, Slade’s evil cousin.
To’kel was next in line for the Vampire throne and he was glad to take the traitorous, priceless rubies Damien provided in return for information about the beautiful Vampire Kingdom. He also headed a band of Dark Vampires, the men who would forsake the noble code of their Vampiric ancestors and throw themselves into evilness and darkness.
Slade stood against these vile rebels, but the Dark Vampires numbers grew in secret, thanks to To’kel’s constant duplicity and Damien’s endless evil. They plotted to overthrow Slade and enslave the humans. They would reduce the glorious Vampire Isle into a gigantic mine, ripping the precious rubies from the earth for their own selfish ends.
If Slade did not consummate his bond with his Eternal-One by his thousandth birthday, he could not hope to rule the Vampires. Without an Eternal-One, he could not have heirs and, under their laws, Slade would be forced to step down as King and To’kel, his cousin, would assume the throne. That thousandth birthday fast approached, the very next night.
Beautiful Melessa had dashed all their hopes for an easy coup. Damien had failed to steal the beautiful human. All Vampires knew that she was Slade’s Eternal-One and that their beloved, heroic king would win her fair heart. To’kel’s own men were refusing to back the open rebellion which their treacherous hearts once plotted and the vile plan was in ashes.
Something would have to be done to capture the gentle human girl before she gave her lithe body to Slade and their love was consummated, forever ensuring Slade as the Vampire King and…
Kara made a frustrated sound and slammed
the manuscript closed.
“Son-of-a-bitch!”
Tanya was changing the plot, introducing new information that had nothing to do with the back story she’d setup previously. It made no sense for Slade to try to give up Melessa in chapter eight, if it meant sinking the Vampire Isle into industrial despair in chapter ten. Tanya was just making this crap up as she went along! Suddenly, Slade had an evil cousin?! What the hell kind of stupid twist was that?
Damien should have warned her this was coming.
Didn’t he understand that this was life and death? Did he think she was kidding about the ramifications of Slade and Mel not living happily-ever-after?
As she fumed, a terrible thought entered Kara’s mind.
Wait…
Going by the information in the new chapter, To’kel’s plan had been ruined because Slade found Melessa, right? Only, thanks to Kara, he hadn’t found her. So really… To’kel’s plan was right on schedule, now. If Slade didn’t have an Eternal-One then he couldn’t be king, and his missing Eternal-One was presently passed out on Damien’s sofa, snoring softly.
Uh-oh.
Kara had just ensured that Slade would lose his crown.
To’kel would take over, probably executing Slade or something, and Kara would never get home. Unless she got Mel and Slade back together in the next twenty-four hours, the human race would be enslaved forever and Kara would never see a television set again.
No, no, no, no, no.
Damien needed to stop To’kel. Benedict Arnold was his little buddy, he’d just have to insist that the Vamp stop this take-over bid. It was the only option.
Right.
Kara tried to think. How was she going to get out of here and tell Damien that? Her mind raced, finally settling on something simple and sort of nuts.
If she couldn’t get through the door on her own, then she’d just get someone to open it for her. Someone not supernatural, who the magicks wouldn’t stop. Someone human. Damien hadn’t said anything about his powers keeping the humans out. He didn’t see them as threat.
He was about to learn better.
Kara’s eyes narrowed.
And wasn’t it lucky that she had a working phone to call for some human-y help?
She flipped through the manuscript. Now, which character in Eternal Passion at Sunset was most likely to ride to the rescue?
Chapter Ten
To’kel leaned across the table, his eyes bright with unsuppressed evil glee. “The human woman is still the key. We can kidnap her at the World’s Fair Ball tonight. If we prevent the Council of Elders from sanctifying their Eternal-Bond, we can still prevent Slade from keeping his crown. We can still win, Damien. Still have our revenge.”
“I must have my vengeance.” Damien’s dark voice seeped out from the shadows, his hand curling into a fist. “I have waited centuries to avenge myself on Slade through his mate. Nothing else matters. Certainly not a human woman.”
Eternal Passion at Sunset- Chapter ten
Damien swept into the human tavern, impatient to get back to Kara.
She was too smart to be left alone for long. Not if you expected her to be there when you got back. The woman didn’t think like normal people. You couldn’t predict what she’d do. From the glint in her chocolate colored eyes when he left, he was positive she was already concocting trouble and he needed to be there to head it off.
He stalked over to the bar, casually shoving two humans out of the way, so he could frown at the guy behind the counter. “What sort of food do you have?” He demanded.
The barkeeper stopped waiting on the other customers and focused on Damien with the same wide eyed, frightened stare that humans always seemed to get when he confronted them. It was probably the scar. Or the bird. Or the fact that he really didn’t work hard to keep the contempt out of his voice. Humans were such a noisy, destructive species. He’d never seen the point in keeping them around.
Until he met Kara.
His human.
“Um…” The useless looking bartender scanned right and left as if hoping the question was directed at someone else. “Food? Um… We ain’t a restaurant. We don’t serve meals. Just booze.”
Damien arched a brow. Obviously some sort of magicks were in order. He wasn’t going to let Karalynn starve, so someone needed cook her dinner. “Go find a restaurant and get me some food, then.” He gave the command a compulsive mental push. “Enough for two people.” He started away and then had to backtrack. “No, three people.” He’d forgotten about Melinda. Karalynn would no doubt insist on feeding the woman when she awoke.
“What kind of food, sir?”
He wasn’t sure what Kara liked, so he just dumped a stack of gold coins on the bar. “Just buy a lot of expensive things.” Actually paying for items was frustrating, additional step to his normal way of dealing with humans. Karalynn would probably refuse to eat stolen food, though. The woman was baffling.
Thankfully, the bartender took off to do his bidding with gratifying speed. Why couldn’t Kara’s mind be so easy to control? The thought flashed though his head, logical and desperate. Why did she have to be the one being who could resist his powers? It would make things much simpler if he could just make her want to stay with him. Make her forsake her bond with Slade. Make her desire him the way he desired her.
Damien sighed.
Except, it would all be… fake.
Even if he could have compelled her thoughts, he would never actually do it. Damien wanted her to feel something real for him. He’d rather have her legitimately hate him, than pretend to love him. He didn’t want a paper shell for a mate… He wanted Kara.
Damien made his way through the crowded bar, annoyed by the mass of drunken humanity he was forced to endure. Meeting in busy, low rent, human bars seemed safest. They were anonymous, supernatural beings didn’t drink alcohol so no Vampires would spot them, and the overwhelming stench of the places usually made tracking very, very difficult.
All in all, a tavern was the perfect place to meet a spy.
To’kel huddled in the farthest, darkest corner of the room, hunched over a pint of ale that he hadn’t touched. Like most of his ridiculous species, he had long blond hair, an Old Master face, and wore his ubiquitous white shirt unbuttoned to the navel. The Vampires were even more irritating than the humans for many reasons, but their idiotic appearances definitely made the top five.
“To’kel.” He sat across the Vamp and hated being there. Not just because he detested Vampires, either. He hated being in this dirty, hot, shithole of a bar when his mate was on the other side of town. He hated being away from her, at all. He’d waited over a thousand years to find Kara. A thousand years of thinking she’d never show up. And when he finally got her, he had to leave her and go deal with the fucking Vampires.
For the first time in centuries, Damien questioned his own choices.
What was he doing here? Why had he pushed Karalynn into seeing the truth about her kidnapping? Why couldn’t he have just let her believe the lie for as long as possible? What if she never wanted him now? Why did her warnings that he’d die in this quest for vengeance seem so inescapably correct?
What if this was all the time he’d ever have with her and he was wasting it?
“You’re late.” To’kel leaned closer to him over the table, his grin wide and manic. “I’d think you’d want to celebrate with me. We’ve done it! Done it!”
“Done what?” Damien dumped a small sack full of rubies on the table. The Vampires and most other supernatural beings used the gems for currency, which was a royal pain in the ass when it came time to bribe them. Damien could make rubies with his powers, something he didn’t advertise or everyone would just raise their prices, but it was still aggravating to have to carry them around like a jewelry store. “Did you get it?”
To’kel ignored the second question. “Done what?! We’ve brought down Slade, that’s what! You stole his woman and I’ll have his crown! It’s everything we’ve hoped for. I
never thought it would happen!” He grabbed the bag, lifting his body so he could shove the stones into the pocket of his leather pants.
Leather pants.
In July.
Gods.
Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. “Did you get it?” He repeated, tiredly.
To’kel didn’t seem to hear. “Somehow, I never expected the plan to work, ya know? Not really. I expected Slade to do something and spoil it, but he didn’t! I’ve won!”
To’kel was riding high on excitement, not listening to Damien. Why had he agreed to work with this idiotic Vampire?
Damien frowned as To’kel chattered away, drunk on his own brilliance. In fact… Why would he agree to work with any Vampire? He hated their entire species. Did he think that this moron could actually help him? Why did it matter if Slade lost his crown, since Damien planned to kill him anyway? When had he even come up with this needless step of the plan?
It suddenly seemed… ridiculous.
“Slade is so pissed!” To’kel didn’t even sound like his normal self, the words less stilted and more emotional. “I didn’t know you’d claim the woman as your own. That was brilliant! He’s sure that you’re… you know…” To’kel lifted a shoulder, “screwing the human, trying to mate with her, just to get back at him.” He hesitated. “Are you? I mean, is the woman really your cari, or is it all a…?”
“She’s mine.”
His tone had To’kel flinching. “Well, congratulations.” He muttered, coming down from his high. “No need to bite my head off. We both want the same thing. Slade gone and me on the throne. It’s all coming together, right?”
“I don’t give a damn if you’re the Vampire King or not. I just want Slade to leave my mate alone.” Damien smiled without humor. “And to die horribly.”
Not Another Vampire Book Page 16