by J. C. Diem
“After her!” Igor roared. Geordie threw a panicked glance at me then ran for the window. The others were still picking themselves up when Geordie jumped. Strangely, I was right behind him. We landed on the dewy grass three floors below with twin thumps. My legs didn’t shatter on impact when I hit the ground as I’d half expected them to. I was constantly surprised by how much damage my body could take and keep on ticking.
Geordie brandished his sword, turning in a frantic circle as he searched for the imposter. I had my hands empty, ready to use the holy marks. They were a far more effective weapon than a sword would be with my utter lack of training.
Spying footprints in the grass, Geordie pointed. “Quickly, she went this way!” The last thing I wanted to do was follow the crazy cow but off I went anyway. We found her discarded leather suit, still steaming from the holy water, about fifty feet away. Her bare, delicate footprints led to a small woody area then disappeared.
Luc and Igor caught up to us as we halted dejectedly. “She got away,” I explained apologetically.
“How did she survive the holy water?” Geordie asked.
“The leather suit protected her well enough,” Gregor answered as he ambled toward us. The suit, a ruined mess now, hung gingerly from his fingertips.
“So, she’s running around out there naked?” I asked then sniggered. Geordie shared my humour even if the others didn’t. We sobered when Igor directed a frown at us and lifted his hand in warning to his protégé.
“She’ll have backup clothing,” Luc said, eyes searching the woods for our quarry. “We should hurry. She’ll be heading for the Comtesse’s estate next.”
Gregor didn’t look happy about possibly saving the Comtesse and I agreed with him wholeheartedly. The praying mantis had made me strip down in front of the whole Court the one and only time we’d met. I was planning on having words with that bitch once everyone knew who I really was. She’ll be grovelling at my feet then, I gloated inwardly and mentally rubbed my hands together. I couldn’t imagine anyone that arrogant actually grovelling but in my fantasy she did a pretty good job of it.
“Are you coming, chérie?” Geordie called. I had been so wrapped up in thoughts of revenge that I hadn’t noticed they had all left.
Running to catch up, I automatically checked that my cross was in its usual position nestled in my butt crack. It was fairly securely wedged in there and I hardly even knew it was there anymore. You could get used to almost anything over time.
Our small convoy of cars took off from Strovovsky’s place. I assumed the man himself was dead because no one had introduced us. The few guards who had survived had fled upon our arrival.
We travelled along rough country roads with almost reckless speed. We’d left any major cities behind us long ago. The Comtesse must like her privacy when she left the Court. It made sense for undead nocturnal creatures to shun humans. Except when they needed food. I wouldn’t be surprised if the praying mantis had a stable of ‘volunteer’ human cattle just like Vincent had. If so, I hoped they were housed in better conditions than in a cold dungeon cell.
The Comtesse’s estate was a two hour drive away. We didn’t see any cars ahead of us during the journey but I could almost feel the imposter’s presence. I really wouldn’t mind it if she took down the Comtesse but I felt a duty to at least try to stop her. It was my job to decimate vampirekind, not hers. Yeah, if anyone gets to whack the living dead, it’s going to be me.
Keeping his foot to the floor, Luc drove with grim determination. I drank in his profile, his straight nose, his pasty white skin, his inventive lips and was stricken with a sudden bout of grief. I’d never been in love as a human and didn’t even know what the feeling was like. I felt something for Luc but had no name for it. Infatuation would probably be the closest. He was handsome, foreign, enigmatic and for a brief time, he had been mine. But I sensed that was all about to change. I glanced away so he couldn’t read my expression when he turned his head.
“We will be there soon,” he said and I wasn’t comforted by that knowledge. My destiny was rushing at me too fast. All I wanted to do was savour my existence for just a little while longer.
Luc pulled into a long driveway and I saw a dazzling white castle in the distance. Lights blazed from the lower levels. The upper levels, where the bedrooms were, would be shuttered. As we drew closer, we saw no signs of panic. A pair of guards stopped us halfway down the driveway. “Lord Lucentio,” one said in amazement as he bent to look into the car. “May I ask why you have appeared unannounced?” He seemed nervous about questioning vampire royalty but he had a job to do and was determined to do it right. The Comtesse would probably have his skin removed if he failed in his duties.
“Some dumb cow who thinks she is Mortis is on her way to cut you all to pieces,” I replied pleasantly.
“We are here to try to stop her,” Luc said with a frown in my direction at my choice of wording. Whoops, I’m being uncouth again.
Exchanging looks, the guards abandoned their posts and ran toward the castle. One was screaming like a superstitious peasant of old; “She has come! She has come to kill us all!”
The castle was beautiful yet imposing and I had only a few moments to study it as we sped past the sprinting vampire guards. Four towers rose toward the cloudy night sky. A thin moon was revealed for moments at a time then hidden again by thick clouds. The grounds were extensive and perfectly groomed. That was all the time I had for gawping before we lurched to a halt.
·~·
Chapter Thirty-Four
This time I was right beside Luc as he dashed toward the castle with his sword in hand. Confused guards leapt out of our way as we entered. Vampires, dressed in ballroom finery, stared at us in momentary shock then tittered behind their hands as we headed toward the back of the castle.
I saw the décor in flashes; opulent furniture, priceless rugs, even more priceless paintings. I was disturbed at the sight of white marble everywhere. It tickled my memory but I couldn’t remember why. Then we were standing on a red carpet and heading for a throne. I remembered where I’d seen this room before as my dream came back to me. I had an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu. It was the same white marble, red drapes, blood red carpet and gold throne as my dream from a couple of days ago. Unlike in my dream, the pretend Mortis wasn’t standing defiantly before the delicate chair.
The Comtesse, clothed in another golden gown that showed off her tiny waist and voluptuous hips, sat on the throne. She wore a look of mild contempt for those around her that she probably wasn’t even aware of. The other Councillors stood behind her. At the Court, they might be equals but on her turf, she ruled. Making them stand had to be her not so subtle way of putting them in their places.
“What is the meaning of this, Lucentio?” she demanded when Luc strode forward. He dropped to a knee but this time I just stood there. I admit the look I gave the Comtesse could be best described as insolent. This time I wasn’t going to grovel on my face for her and I definitely wasn’t going to take my clothes off. Her eyes narrowed at my lack of respect but Luc drew her attention before she could order my death.
“Comtesse, the person who believes she is Mortis will be attacking your estate at any moment.” I had to hand it to Luc, he didn’t waste any time in getting to the point.
Flabbergasted, the Comtesse waved the information away with an arrogant toss of her small, white hand. “Nonsense! Who told you this drivel?” Beneath her annoyance were the first threads of fear. “We left the peasant behind in France. There is no reason to believe she is even in the country let alone about to attack my estate.”
“She has recently attacked Gregor’s, Isabella’s and Strovovsky’s estates,” Luc informed her coolly. His gaze roamed the room, probing the faces and forms of the guests. Anyone dressed in black received his hard scrutiny before he moved on.
Startled murmurs spread through the room. Several vamps began making their discreet escapes. They were the smart ones. The rest of the Court se
emed to think this was all just an entertaining diversion from their eternal boredom. The other Councillors huddled into a circle, whispering and throwing worried looks at the Comtesse.
Gregor entered the room and backed up Luc’s claims. “I’m afraid Lord Lucentio is correct, my Lady.” He gave the Comtesse a courtly bow but he, too, searched the room warily. “Isabella and Strovovsky have been slain, as have their guards and servants.”
“Guards!” the Comtesse screeched in a very unladylike manner. She had suddenly become a believer that she might be in danger after all. “Search the castle for the intruder. I want her found and executed immediately.” I rolled my eyes at the theatrics as Luc stood. His sword was drawn and held at the ready but I didn’t think he would need it. Instinct told me that the next fight would belong solely to me. Whether I was ready for it or not, it was my turn to shine. Or to be utterly humiliated first before hopefully then shining.
An itch started up between my shoulder blades. Someone was staring at me and I knew who it had to be. Craning my head back and pivoting slowly, I spied the imposter me crouched in a window high above us. What did she do, scale the building and somehow pry open the shutters? Apparently, that was exactly what she’d done.
Her eyes were locked on me as if sensing I was the biggest threat in the room. Someone else spotted her then and pointed, letting out a shrill scream. In ye olde times, half the women in the room would have swooned upon seeing the leather clad killing machine about to swoop down on us. Since they could no longer retreat into unconsciousness, many of the female vamps grabbed their male counterparts and used them as shields instead. I had no one to shield me even if I had been craven enough to use anyone in that fashion.
A quick thinking guard sent a crossbow bolt whistling toward the window. With grace that I was sure would make me look like a blundering hippopotamus, the imposter dove headfirst toward the ground. Falling thirty feet, she flipped in mid-air and landed on her feet like a cat. Court members cringed away from her and huddled closer together. The diversion was losing its appeal even if it did cut through the boredom.
Sauntering over to me, the pretend Mortis held her spear casually in her right hand. “You were the one who threw the holy water at me,” she said in her clear yet accented English.
“That’s right,” I agreed. Luc waved back the guards who rushed forward to surround us. They might be able to keep her busy for a few minutes but why bother? I had to face her sooner or later and I might as well get the confrontation over with.
“Yet you were not harmed,” she said with a small frown, completely ignoring everyone else in the room. Her new suit was identical to the last. A mask covered most of her face but I detected slowly healing burn marks on her forehead. Some of the holy water had splashed on her skin but it hadn’t been enough to kill her. Like the sunlight that had burned my finger to a crisp, it must take time to heal wounds made by holy water.
“Nope,” I agreed.
“There is something...strange about you,” the imposter said thoughtfully. She walked in a wide circle around me and I turned to keep her in view. I wasn’t about to turn my back on her.
As I turned I saw Luc, Igor, Gregor and Geordie standing about fifteen feet away. Igor and Geordie looked confused about why I was the one standing ready to fight when I had no actual fighting skills. Luc and Gregor stood ready to take up the battle if I failed. They wore identical expressions of concern. The Comtesse still sat on her throne but the other Councillors had drawn back against the walls. Their eyes darted, searching for an escape. Hemmed in by the Court, they would have to claw their way to freedom if they tried to leave.
The truth had to come out sooner or later and I was frankly sick of the wait. In the simplest, quickest way I could, I showed the entire room exactly who I was by holding my hands up, palms out. Noises of astonishment ran through the room and even the imposter’s step faltered at the sight of the twin crosses. “Anyone could fake the holy marks,” she spat. Sudden hate for me shone in her black eyes. In them I read the knowledge that, deep down, she knew she was nothing but a sham. She was being used by the Japanese to put an end to the Court. I doubted her emperor even cared what happened to her after she had attained her goal.
“Like you did?” I asked pleasantly. “I know all about how the Japanese marked you before turning you. They might have trained you to be an assassin but I am the true Mortis. You,” I pointed out with a rare streak of cruelty that was unlike me, “are just a fake.”
“We’ll see about that,” she huffed. Hefting her spear, she sent it whistling through the air in the blink of an eye. I had time to sidestep it but why bother? It stabbed through my heart and the roomful of vampires went still. I bore the holy marks but so did the imposter. Proving I was the one and only Mortis, I pulled the spear out and threw it to Luc. He caught it and passed it to Gregor.
“You’ll have to try harder than that,” I mocked her.
With a screech of rage, she launched herself at me. Vampires couldn’t actually fly but she did a good imitation of it. This time, I did move and wasn’t where she expected me to be when she landed. Whirling, she pulled a knife from her belt and slashed me across the face with it. I retaliated by bitch slapping her. She shrieked and steam rose from her mask. Yanking it away, she dropped it to the ground. It lay on the immaculate white marble, still smoking from the contact with my holy mark.
“If you really are Mortis, you don’t need knives,” I taunted her. Her eyes went to my exposed palms and she touched her cheek in disbelief. A red, blistered mark in the shape of my cross marred her otherwise pretty face.
I read confusion, desolation and resolve in her expression before she renewed her attack. Her knife sliced me across my face, neck and arms before lodging in my chest. Just like I’d expected and dreaded, she was kicking my arse. As promised, Luc and Gregor didn’t laugh. In the few glances I had of them, they were tight lipped and anxious. Gregor’s advice came back to me, not much could hurt me now. Every cut I endured healed almost instantly. The imposter could stab me with a thousand knives until I looked like a vampire version of a pincushion and I would still be standing.
“What are you?” the imposter cried as she pulled another knife from her belt and slashed at me again.
“I’m what you’re pretending to be, but the real thing,” I replied and pulled the cross from its hiding spot down the back of my pants. Cries of dismay rang out through the throne room and most of the vampires cringed away. The cross went spinning out of my hand when the imposter did a fancy spinning kick. A Court member screamed and leaped to safety as the cross skittered across the floor in his direction.
Pummelled by feet and fists and being repeatedly sliced by the new knife, I was beaten backwards until my back hit the wall. The second knife came to rest beside the first one, directly in my heart. I decided I’d had enough of the arse whooping and blocked her next punch. The imposter’s eyes were wild and insane. I had a brief moment to wonder if she’d lost her mind before or after she’d been chosen for this fate. Then it was time for my great comeback.
Grabbing the imposter’s forearm, I held her tightly even as she stabbed me in the shoulder with yet another knife. Smoke began to rise from her leather clad arm. I grabbed her other arm before she could reach for a fourth knife. Smoke instantly started billowing from it as well. Our gazes locked in a silent staring match, neither of us would give an inch. The imposter’s eyes widened when the leather burned away. She began to shriek when my holy marks touched her flesh.
In seconds, the leather was gone and her flesh had melted through to the bone. I had to fight back the urge to dry heave at the gooey feel of her flesh sliding through my fingers. Black gore spurted sluggishly from her vastly shortened arms. Staring at the useless stumps, she turned in a dazed circle. Cries of horror flew around the room when the Court saw what I had done to her. Staggering back to me, the imposter implored me for mercy with her eyes. “Finish it,” she whispered.
The hand of desti
ny was on me now and even if it hadn’t been, I still would have ended her life. I felt pity for her but it was more than that. She had killed dozens if not hundreds of our kind and she had to be put down. No one was going to do my job but me.
Placing my hands on either side of her head, I winced a second before her skull disintegrated beneath my hands. “By the power invested in me as Mortis,” I said quietly, “I pronounce you dead.” Something metallic fell out of her hair and I clenched my right hand around it instinctively.
Giddy with relief that I had survived the ordeal, my brief moment of happiness was quickly replaced by unease. Every vampire in the room was staring at me as if I was a diseased dog. Um, that’s probably because you’re fated to kill most of them, I reminded myself. Of course they weren’t going to celebrate my victory by cheering and carrying me around on their shoulders.
“What is this creature you have brought into my home, Lucentio?” the Comtesse whispered. Her gaze shifted from me to Luc. She pointed at him with one shaky finger. “Traitor! Seize him!” The guards hesitated, shifting their dismayed glances from me to Luc. At a glare from their ruler, they rushed forward.
“He has saved you!” Gregor shouted as Luc was surrounded by sword wielding guards. “If he hadn’t found Natalie and brought her here you would all be dead!”
Holding up a hand, the Comtesse put a halt to Luc’s imminent death. “There is only one way you can prove to me that you are not a traitor, that you are not collaborating with this creature to end our existence.” I knew where she was going even before she continued. A smile, small and vicious, flickered across her face and was gone. “Cut off her head.”