The sun was nearly up, now, which meant that Damien only had hours to live. There had to be a way to save him. She didn’t even care if she got home anymore, just so Damien survived. He believed her about this being a book, but that didn’t necessarily change anything. He could still be headed straight for his own exsanguination.
How could she make sure he kept all his blood inside his body? He was scheduled to die. They hadn’t gotten to that chapter, but it was drawing inevitably closer. It would pop-up any page now and Kara would…
She frowned. Hang on. To’kel’s death had been written, too. Part of the script. But he’d skipped his date with the executioner… and now he was free.
Free of Tanya. Free of the plot. Free to do what he wanted.
Free.
Kara’s eyes widened. Maybe if Damien avoided his death scene, he would be free, too. Maybe all she had to do was make sure that Damien missed his showdown with Slade. If either he or Slade didn’t show up for it, the story would have to change.
If Slade couldn’t kill him, Damien wouldn’t die. No one but the hero would kill the villain at the end. No way.
So how could she keep the Vampire from murdering her new, if-he-wasn’t-lying-about-Wiz-War-customs-(which-he-probably-was)-and-anyway-it-didn’t-really-count-without-a-ring, possible, inadvertent husband?
Well… maybe she should just let To’kel kill Slade.
That would be easiest.
It would be also wrong.
Kara made a face. No. She couldn’t do that. If Damien was real, maybe all these characters were. Slade didn’t deserve an execution, no matter how aggravating he was. And besides, Slade’s death might ruin everything. Kara had no idea how the book would react to that kind of irrevocable event. Everyone in the book might be wiped out existence, anyway.
Right.
So, she had to save Slade, today.
And she had to make sure that Damien didn’t fight him.
The pull of the book was like the tide reaching the shore, though. The strength of it seemed to get stronger as they neared the end. What were the chances that Eternal Passion at Sunset would let Damien just walk away from the big battle scene? That Damien would be able to resist the current dragging him under? Could Kara risk that?
No.
She loved him way too much.
He couldn’t be there for the Slade rescue. She had to keep those boys apart. Vlad couldn’t go to the Vampire Isle, at all.
Unfortunately, Damien probably wasn’t going to see reason on that front, even if she explained it to him. He’d been kind of insistent earlier about her not leaving him behind anymore, what with the ropes and all. And Kara couldn’t hire the dragons to take her to Sunnydale without Damien loaning her their fee. Asking to borrow a couple laundry baskets full of rubies might possibly tip him off that she was up to something. He was quick that way.
Right, so the dragons were out. How else could she get to VampLand?
Who would be willing to help her?
Kara’s eyes narrowed.
Or maybe the question she really should be asking was: Who would be willing to help that dimwit Slade?
… And work cheap.
Chapter Sixteen
Melessa did not know what to do. She was trapped by the vile Damien in his dark and forbidding hotel of horrors. A delicate hand went to her mouth, stifling a cry of terror as he stepped into view. “I beg of you. Leave Slade alone. He is too good a Vampire to be persecuted in this way. He did not kill your sister.”
“Some Vampire did and now you all must pay for that crime.”
“If you believe that Slade will allow this, you are wrong, villain. Good always defeat evil.”
As if her words were a magical spell calling Slade to her side, her dearest love appeared. He leapt through the dungeon window like a muscular gazelle and easily defeated Damien with his incredible skill in martial arts. One graceful kick and Damien fell.
“Ouch!” Cried the sorcerer.
“Ha!” Slade said and swept Melessa into his muscular arms. “I’ve come to save you, my sweetest darling. It was no less than anyone would do for their Eternal-One, but few would have done it so easily.”
“Oh, thank heavens you came to free me from this nightmarish kidnapping, Slade-y.” Overcome with gratitude, Melessa put a hand to her forehead and sunk against his chest in a graceful and ladylike faint. “I never had a doubt that you’d follow me into Hell itself to save me.”
Eternal Passion at Sunset- Chapter Sixteen
Melessa’s shiny red lips formed a perfect rosebud of horror. “So the monster truly kidnapped you?”
“Well, only in the loosest sense of the word.” Kara wasn’t sure that Illinois statutes would bear it out as “kidnapping” if you let your abductor tie you to the bedpost and then begged him to make love to you.
And also maybe married him.
She couldn’t get that idea out of her head.
The immortality and superpowers bombshells were so insane that she had no problem block them out. They just didn’t seem real. Maybe they weren’t. Maybe Damien was mistaken and nothing would happen. But, the whole wedded bliss thing kept slipping into her mind, again and again. Damien had said ‘cari’ translated to something like ‘wife,’ but Kara still hadn’t equated having sex with him to consummating a marriage.
But then it wasn’t sex.
It was mating.
Whatever she had with Damien went deeper than sex, even deeper than love. It went all the way down into her soul. She’d probably felt that from the beginning. God knew, she blindly trusted him, enough. Her instincts had led her straight to the supposed bad guy, again and again and she never questioned the faith she had that he’d keep her safe. When he bit her neck, when he held her, he’d connected them on an elemental level. He’d done something to bind them and it wasn’t going to go away.
And, she didn’t want it to.
In fact, given the opportunity, she’d most definitely let him do it, again.
Kara’s mouth curved, remembering strong hands pinning her down, teeth scrapping against her skin. Oh yeah. She was going to make sure Damien lived long enough to keep her captive for a really long time.
“How terrible it must have been for you, Witch.” Melessa whispered, in a dire tone. “And now he’s kidnapped me, as well. That’s even worse. He truly is a wicked villain.”
Karalynn’s smile grew dreamy. “Oh, he’s very wicked, alright.” She cleared her throat at Melessa’s sympathetic expression. “Never mind. Keep reading the book.”
Kara plan was pretty simple. At least, these first parts. Hopefully, the later steps would be simple, too, but she hadn’t thought of them, yet, so it was impossible to know for sure. For now, she needed some help for the Save the Slade commando mission and it seemed like his romance novel’s heroine was the best choice.
Like Slade, Melessa was supposed to be the star of this book. He always seemed eager to get the plot back on track and it seemed likely that Mel would, too. Especially with the last page looming closer and her time running out. Kara was betting that Mel bought into the idea that she was fated to be queen of her own golden isle pretty damn quick.
“The sorcerer has enchanted me, so I’d forget precious Slade.” Melessa kept repeating Kara’s cover story, each time sounding more and more certain that it was true. Damien wouldn’t mind being the deviant kidnapper in the new-and-improved version of events. He loved terrorizing folk. Melessa shook her head. “I should have known something was wrong. That Wild West Show was terrible. They expected me to clean and work and...” Mel shuddered as if the horror of it all was just too much to bear. “Of course, it was an evil Wizard trying to keep me from my beloved.” She clutched the manuscript to her chest. “Oh, how my dearest love must have scoured the globe for me!”
“Sure he did.” When he wasn’t trying to sex Kara up with his macho charm. Thank God he seemed to be over that phase. “So, that book is –like-- your magic destiny and we need to get it back
for you.”
“Oh yes.” Melessa nodded, vigorously. “I agree.” She was wearing lavender silk and lace today. Kara had no idea where the outfit came from, but Melessa looked like a perfect china doll. Hopefully, hidden under the shiny ebony tresses and heaving bosom, Mel was a girl willing to fight to get her future back.
“So we have to go to the Vampire Isle and save your Eternal-One.” Kara infused her voice with authority. “We can do this, Mel. Are you with me?”
Melessa’s eyes narrowed. “The palace is really made of gold?”
“Absolutely.” Probably. Kara had never seen it, but she wasn’t going to tell Mel that. “With rubies. They’re big on rubies.”
Melessa smiled. “For my precious Slade, I shall brave the Dark Vampires and certain death. Anything to be reunited with him and be safe in his arms... And castle.” Looking satisfied, she flipped through the manuscript so she could reread one of the love scenes.
Right.
“This makes no sense.” Eugene came as close to slouching as the stick up his ass would allow. “Why am I expected to sit here and devise stratagems to help my fiancée run off with a Vampire?”
“Because, if Mel doesn’t marry Slade, she’s gonna marry you. You wanna risk that?” Kara looked pointedly over at Melessa.
Eugene followed her gaze, watching with barely concealed distaste as his future bride read about how pretty she was and twirled her suddenly blonde hair around her index finger. “Touché.”
“I thought you’d see it my way.” Kara needed all the manpower she could get so Eugene was lending a manicure hand, whether he wanted to or not. Satisfied that her “volunteers” were under control, she headed over to Damien’s desk. Unlike Melessa, new outfits didn’t just appear for her. Since Vlad had done a pretty thorough job of ripping that ball gown right off her body, Kara was back to wearing her suit, again. Or at least the bottom half. She’d put on one of Damien’s black shirts as a top. It was as close as she could get to ninja stealth wear. Plus, it smelled good.
She, Mel and Eugene were downstairs in Damien’s office, where he kept his phone. Kara had no idea what a nineteenth century sorcerer did with a home office, but it seemed to require a lot of paperwork. There were files and books and a swivel chair; basically all the stuff of an ordinary work space. The hotel’s standards of “ordinary” always had a life of its own, though. And possibly hidden tentacles. There were a bunch of dead animal heads mounted and staring at them from the wall. Also, the stained glass window over the door featured a hanged man swinging over an open grave.
Really swinging.
Kara swore she could see the glass moving every time she looked at it. If –God forbid-- she wound up having to stay in this tomb, the whole place was getting exorcised by a priest.
She sat down at Damien’s hearse shaped desk and took a deep breath. Okay, time for step two of her plan-in-progress: Get to the Vampire Isle.
According to Tanya, the only way to get there was through the air, and Delta wasn’t exactly chartering flights. So, she needed somebody who could fly. See, under any other circumstances she would’ve been screwed with a requirement like that. Not in Eternal Passion at Sunset, though. Nope. She met a bunch of flying guys, so far. The skies were full of them.
Even one loyal to Slade.
The same one who just happened to have Kara’s cell phone.
Most of Kara’s belongings were safely back in her purse. Everything she’d specifically mentioned to Damien had been returned, right down to the tampons. But, her phone wasn’t there. The last time she’d seen it, it had been with Fibos the Vampire back at the Donnelly Building’s not-so-imminent groundbreaking.
If Slade’s über-loyal little buddy still had that phone, she could contact him.
Assuming, of course, that Tanya’s world accepted modern technology. There probably weren’t cell towers or satellites around, but nothing much made sense here, so why not give it a shot? The cell phone wasn’t part of story. It had come in with Kara. Maybe it was still operating under different rules. Odds seemed good that –since the flashlight still worked-- the phone would, too.
Hopefully.
Kara dialed her own number and closed her eyes in relief when it rang. Then it rang, again. And again. And again.
On the fourth ring it went to voicemail. Kara hung up on her own voice telling her to leave a message and redialed. She repeated the process seven times in a row before Fibos finally answered sounding hesitant.
“...Yes?”
“Fibos! Hey buddy, it’s Karalynn Donelly. Remember me?”
“You talk to me through this small device. You truly are a Witch!”
“Don’t hang up! I’m a good Witch. I want to help Slade. I swear. I found his real bride for him. There’s still time to get his crown back. Melessa?” She held the phone out to the girl. “Tell your future husband’s helpful crony who you are.”
Mel took the old fashion receiver with a pleased smile. “I am Lady Melessa Fairway, destined queen of the Vampires. To which of my devoted subjects am I speaking?”
Eugene’s eyes slid over Kara. “I’m not sure why I woke-up today believing in Vampires. That doesn’t sound like something I do, so I’m still skeptical about much of your story. But, I have repeatedly questioned why I got engaged to her. And truthfully witchcraft does seem like the most likely reason. So if you say you’re a Witch… Yes. I’ll accept that.”
“Great. Thanks for the support.” Kara got tired of defending her non-Witch status. It seemed easier just to go along with it. She snatched the phone back from Melessa. “Well, Fibos? You see what a great queen she’ll be?”
“Oh, Witch, it is a miracle! You truly have found King Slade’s Eternal-One. I knew his bride couldn’t really be you. Not after you’re shameless display with the sorcerer. Not after the way you allowed that creature to touch you, when Slade was there offering safe haven in his mighty arms. No. Only someone sweet and pure as Lady Melessa would be worthy of...”
“Yeah. Super. Moving on.” Kara interrupted. “So, we need to get Mel onto the Vampire Isle and into Slade’s bed by midnight. Otherwise, To’kel gets all the real estate and Slade loses his pretty little head. There’s no telling how long we have.”
“Until midnight.” Eugene reported, seriously. “You just said so.”
Kara slanted him a glare. It was impossible to know if he was joking or just being his accountant-y self. “The timeline shifts. We don’t know when midnight will be.”
He arched a brow. “Usually it’s at twelve.”
“Look, do you want to be Mr. Melessa?”
“Gads, no.” He adjusted his monocle.
“Then stop helping until I tell you to.” Kara turned her attention back to Fibos. “Anyway, we have to get to that island as soon as possible. Is To’kel taking over, already?”
“Yes, yes! He has thrown King Slade in the dungeon. No one knows what to do. Everything seems so off.” Fibos sounded indignant. “Nothing is going as it should. Events make no sense, at all.”
“Uh-huh. There’s been an epidemic of that going around.” Kara didn’t have time for Vampire hand holding. Damien would come back to the hotel sooner or later, and she needed to be gone by then. Otherwise, he’d insist on coming along to VampVille. Kara wouldn’t put it passed him to pull another magic doorknob trick to keep her in the hotel, if he knew she was leaving without him. Right now, everything was all nice and corporeal and she could slip out undetected. Best keep it that way. “So, Fibos, here’s what you need to do...”
*****
Dear Vlad,
Had to go save the world. Be back soon.
Love, Kara
He blinked down at the words, trying to process what the letter meant. Trying to make it mean something different than he knew it meant. Karalynn had definitely written the note. No one else would own a pen that wrote in sparkly lavender ink, first of all. Secondly, no one else could compose something so flippant and insane. And lastly, the handwriting was large and
looping, full of unconventional, feminine curves. It wasn’t a forgery or Vampire trick. It could only belong to Kara. His eyes slipped down to the bottom of the note, where the letters got faster and more emotional as if she couldn’t stop herself from writing the final words.
P.S.-- Don’t be mad.
P.P.S.-- Come on, please don’t be mad, Beloved?
P.P.P.S.-- Seriously, I had to do this alone. I can’t risk you dying. You’d do the same thing in my place. You know you would. Stop scowling at me. I’ll be fine. I have a plan. Almost. I’m working on some of the details, but it’s gonna work.
P.P.P.P.S.-- Small question: Even if we did accidently get married and I missed it –which I’m sure isn’t legal, anyway, especially without a ring-- but if we were sort of maybe married, what would my last name be? Do you even have a last name? And, no, Warlock doesn’t count.
P.P.P.P.P.S.-- I love you.
Damien’s jaw got tight, his thumb tracing over the last sentence. She’d added a heart after it. His Beloved. His cari. His beautiful, odd, softhearted, innocent, sneaky, reckless mate. Who gave him such peace. Who he would lay down and die for without a second thought. Who he loved more than all the other beings who’d ever existed in the history of the universe combined...
…And who he now planned to horribly murder.
The edge of the note crumpled in his hands as his fingers tightened.
She’d gone to the Vampire Isle without him. He had no idea how she’d managed it without his help, but he didn’t doubt for a minute that she’d thought of something crazed and somehow carried it out. Karalynn was too smart for her own good.
He shouldn’t have left her alone, even for a few hours. Damien had spent the morning in the Wizard Warlock’s deserted library ransacking the dusty shelves, looking for answers. His grey homelands were more desolate than ever, now that he was the only one left to wander through them. He never went to that dimension unless it was an emergency.
Learning he was trapped inside a bad novel qualified as an emergency.
Not Another Vampire Book Page 27