“You bet your cute arse,” Michelle winked and raced outside to meet her fate.
*
Dante dug a piece of glass out of his shoulder and tried to assess the situation through the haze of pain in his head. Julian managed to wrestle out from under a car door. Alicia struggled to her feet, managing to beat a dazed Creed to standing. Melina had only just opened her eyes when she was kicked a further fifteen metres towards the mansion door by the newborn. The damn kid walked forward, one side of his body smoking, and red raw but he still smiled, otherwise unharmed. His confidence in his newborn powers was at its peak. “One down. Who’s next to try? How’s about you then?”
The nearest person he could find was Stryker, underneath two of Creed’s wolves he had been fighting. The explosion had killed the two of them and their bodies had shielded any permanent damage to Stryker. He picked up Stryker by the scruff of the neck. Before he could respond, the young vampire plucked his voice box free from his throat, a waterfall of blood falling down his chest, tossing him aside. “Guess not. Oh well, what about you, King of Shit?”
Dante launched an attack but missed, the kid managing each time to dodge his strikes. This wasn’t like his fight with Lauren as a newborn last year. She was raging, out of control. This kid was supremely calm and confident, a killing machine who clearly enjoyed it. Truly Julian’s adopted son.
He now grabbed Dante by the back of the neck with his clean hand, the one used to pull Stryker’s throat out at the ready, blood dripping from his fingers, when a roar pierced the sky. The earth under their feet tremored, shaking Dante out of his grip. The newborn turned towards the street as did Dante, spotting a lone figure in the dark sprinting towards the mansion. Huge. Fast.
“Finally.”
The newly forged vampire stepped directly into Nick’s path.
“Come on, you ugly son of a bitch. Come on.” The kid stomped onto the car door Julian had discarded and caught it one handed as it tipped up on its edge. Then he hurled it like a steel Frisbee directly into Nick’s chest, knocking him back to the concrete.
Nick threw the wreckage aside and got to his feet quickly, snarling a challenge to the newborn, his voice as cold as ice. “C’mon, hot shot. Afraid to get close?”
Miller cracked his neck dramatically. “You just won’t stay down, will you?”
Both teens ran at each other full pelt, throwing themselves into the fight with the savagery of lions. Claws and nails ripped flesh, punches shattered bones, only for them to heal just as quick. Both boys’ blood splattered the ground, but they did not stop as they battled into the street among the flaming wreckage of the car.
*
Alicia screamed as she pulled her leg a little straighter in front of her, repeatedly smacking her kneecap back in place, only just managing to get click it back when Creed planted a kick flush on her jaw, sending her sprawling backwards. Alicia was on her own. She tried to crawl, if not to safety, to get her bearings, but Creed would have none of it. He pursued her and dragged her back into the thickest part of the dust cloud and straddled her, knees holding her arms at her side, hands grabbing her neck and squeezing tightly. “I’m going to drag your arse back to Britain where you can watch a real wolf take care of business.”
“You…are…pathetic. I will never be by your side.”
“I said watching a real wolf. I have someone else in mind to be my mate. One who should’ve been to begin with. You were only just one of Wilson’s whores…”
Alicia tried to free her arms, tried to bite him, but it was no use. Her wolf powers meant nothing, as he had the advantage of positioning and applied pressure, in short he had to do almost nothing and Alicia would surely die in less than twenty seconds. I’m forgetting my other powers, she thought, and brought her knee up hard. Creed gasped and moaned. He fell to the side, cupping his balls.
Alicia’s head was spinning, and she hadn’t even properly gotten any sort of breathing rhythm back, but instinct took over. Her arm found its way around Creed’s neck, tightening it the way a boa constrictor would its prey as she lay on top of his back, pressing her weight on him. Creed heaved as he flung his claws to her face and head, managing to scrape her several times before she latched onto his hand with her teeth, sinking her canines into his flesh and clinging on tight. Creed screamed and Alicia, sensing victory, began to shear her fangs across his hand, partly chewing on his skin while holding the weight of her body as far back as she could, stretching his neck until finally it snapped. In a last effort, she clawed at his throat, digging her fingers deep into his skin and muscle until she touched the base of his skull and spine. Pulling hard, spilling pieces of bone and muscle tissue onto the grass, she finally rolled onto her back, exhausted and unconscious.
*
Dante got to a knee when Julian wrapped a thin piece of wire around his neck, yanking it with all his might. A vampire did not breathe, but decapitation was what Julian aimed for.
“You will pay for what you have done to my father.”
Dante thrust himself up to stand on both feet and flipped backwards over Julian’s head, landing behind him. He had sliced a huge chunk of his chin and throat but he was at last free. Before Vincent’s son could teleport away, Dante jumped and pushed his knees hard into Julian’s back, at the same time wrenching his jaw and snapping the spine backwards. Julian screamed, spraying blood as he fell.
*
Nick seethed with rage. Miller had never been anything but an utter dick to everyone, and had been even worse to Nicole. He had vowed to her that he didn’t want this life, but Nick could not contain this rage any longer. Miller needed to die. Nick slammed him into the charred body of a nearby car, partially crushing it, but Miller pounded back with heavy fists, causing Nick to stagger and fall. Miller ripped off the rear door and got to his feet. He attempted another slinging throw but Nick was ready this time, and caught the door mid-air. Nick brought it down on top of Miller’s head, smashing the glass over his torso. Grabbing the now empty window frame, he bashed Miller’s head and face with the car door, landing thunderous blows unmercifully and relentlessly, again and again.
*
Melina brought down the last of the wolves in partnership with Calibos and Matt, who plugged them full of bullets as she finished them with her nails and teeth, ripping out body parts in any way they could. Creed’s wolves dealt with, Melina looked to see what else needed doing. She saw Alicia, still unmoving, but alive, and heard a shout behind her. She turned to see Dante dragging a screaming Julian to the mansion.
“Trent, my son, help me. I’m injured…I can’t teleport. Where the fuck are you?”
But Trent, Melina saw, was in no position to help anyone. He was on the ground, his body motionless, a crimson mess. And the Alpha was continuing to beat his fists into the newborn’s body.
Dante, arm still around Julian, grabbed one of the fallen guns, and raised it over Julian’s neck. Melina realised this was it. Dante was actually going to kill him.
“I only wish…I could make this more painful.”
Dante cocked the gun Melina ran at him, throwing herself on top of them both.
“No!”
Dante rolled to his knees. Julian laughed. Melina held fast as Dante stood to face her.
*
Nick knelt beside Miller’s corpse. Pieces of his bones littered the space around both of them as well as copious amounts of his blood. The red hot anger was subsiding and Nick felt a weariness creep in. A hand on his shoulder nearly made him jump out of his skin.
Alicia stood beside him, eyes alight with pride and relief. His enemy had been finally conquered, as had hers, his father’s killer. Together they had avenged the deeds that had ripped their family apart. Still on his knees, Nick threw his arms around his mother, and she hugged him close, patting his hair, resting her cheek on her son’s head. After a moment, she stepped back and raised her head, as did Nick, stretching his throat up to the sky. Mother and son gave a howl that both celebrated the night and mou
rned the loss of the man they both wished was there with them.
*
Dante stared at Melina, fury coursing through him. Julian continued to laugh and Lauren hobbled over, trying to see what was happening.
“You fucking bitch. Why would you stop me? You have no love for him.” He thrust his hand out toward Julian.
“Alejandro, please… Forgive me.”
“Forgive you? Why should I?”
“I made the go deo commitment.” Melina hung her head.
Dante snapped out of his rage. “No…”
“Oh yes, Dante,” Julian said, struggling to his feet. “She is mine forever. Whoever kills me, she must go after them and avenge me. So go on then. Take me. Then the two of you can have a fight to the death over it. I hope you really are ready to kill her, Dante, because should you take me out, she will have to kill you, and she has no say in the matter.”
“I’ll lock you up forever if that’s what it takes.”
“Ah, so glad you mentioned that.” Julian produced what looked like a central locking car key. “I may have lost my rebellion, but I still intend to win the war.”
“Julian, you wouldn’t.” Melina sounded terrified.
Dante peered closely at the object in Julian’s hand. What possibly could—? And then it hit him.
“Master of the dungeons bids farewell. Happy New Year.” Julian cackled, pressed the key’s button, and popped away with a whip crack, as explosions rocked the grounds from beneath the foundations, flames surging up to engulf the mansion’s lower level and spreading up into the night.
Chapter 48
Hope You Are Quite Prepared To Die
“What the hell was that?” Lauren asked.
Dante felt his knees shake with another explosion.
“He’s destroyed the dungeons.” Melina held out her arms to steady herself. “The foundations were just underneath there.”
Dante bolted towards the door. There were still people he loved in that building, and he had to get them out. The flicker of flames was visible through the entry windows, and Dante called for Alex, Michelle and Nathaniel to hang on. Alicia appeared by his side, rammed her shoulder into the smoking wood. In a rush of heat and light, Dante was blown back by a burst of fire. Alicia thumped to the ground with a broken piece of metal piping lodged in her forehead and moved no more. Dante rolled as he landed, trying to douse the flames that tore at his clothes and flesh. Through the searing pain, Dante heard a thud and crack.
Melina was by his side in an instant, swatting the last of the lapping flames on his shoulders and arms. Dante tried to stand, seized his leg and crashed back to the grass. He couldn’t stand.
“Alejandro, stop. It’s broken—”
“Get out of my way.”
She moved to run inside, presumably to help the three left inside. A gust of wind blew past Dante from behind and above, and whooshed straight toward the mansion. Melina stopped in her tracks, and the two vampires could only watch. The Alpha sailed overhead, through the space that once held the viewing window in the room where Alex and Michelle had been watching from. “We have to help him.”
But it was already too late.
Fire cannoned upward and outward. Dante raised a shaking hand to shield his face against the intense heat. His arm felt unbelievably heavy. But the hardest thing was having to see the nightmare in front of him. The mansion lay in ruins, the roof and supporting walls, crumbled and burning around him. The levels were gone, leaving only a solid screen of billowing flame and heavy clouds of thick black smoke rising into the already pitch darkness of the night.
Dante laid his head back on the grass. Stunned, motionless, Lauren held either side of her face, Melina retched, coughing from smoke. It was as if time stood still for Dante, unable or perhaps unwilling to see or do anything.
His whole life and the lives of those he cared about had just come undone. Julian was alive and Melina had prevented his death because of an ancient binding ceremony. Julian, who had destroyed Michelle’s life, ruined Melina’s to an extent, and was still free to cause as much havoc as he wanted because Dante was forbidden to do anything about it, lest he be forced to fight the first woman he ever loved to the death.
But even with all that, nothing could be worse than this feeling right now. What good was the victory over Creed or even Vincent now? Hollow wasn’t the word. Dante didn’t care about winning. He didn’t care about the city either. The people he did care for, were gone. And he couldn’t do anything about it.
“Oi!”
Dante forced his eyes to focus. As the stars came into view, some part of Dante recognised the voice, but couldn’t make himself move. Melina knelt by his head and lifted it, showing him the speaker.
Dougie. It really is you. Dante’s Aboriginal mentor and oldest friend stood with Alex and Michelle, Nathaniel in Alex’s arms. All were covered in soot and ash, soaking wet. She lowered Nathaniel to the ground to stand beside her. He wore the damage of third degree burns all over his small body. His clothes had been burned to a cinder and he stood there naked as the day he was born. Several bits of his skin were scarred and scabbed the colour of black cement.
Dante had a huge sense of relief, and yet not everyone was accounted for. He looked at Dougie. “The wolf?”
Dougie lowered his eyes and he shook his head. “I only saw him for a second. He threw these guys into the water behind the house, savin’ ‘em from the heat. I came just in time to see ‘em treading water, then the whole back of the house just…” Dougie flexed his hand outward, fingers imitating the explosion. “The whole thing just crashed into the drink. I only just got ‘em outta the way.”
Dougie finished with a slow tone, as if sorrowful. But Dante knew there was nothing more he could do. He guessed Alex felt that way too, but the truth was too much right now.
Alicia had risen, plucking the metal out and flinging it to the side. Blood poured from the wound, over her face and Alicia staggered. Alex took a few quick steps forward but Alicia held her hand up. Dante saw Alicia and Alex look at each other for the longest time, what they were thinking was anyone’s guess. The wound had partially closed, but that wasn’t the wound that needed the most help.
“Creed had something else up his sleeve. I heard it in his voice. I should sort it out before it becomes another of your problems. Take care.”
Alicia straightened her shoulders, turned and walked away. Moving stiffly, as if not trusting her feet to carry her. Alex made to move towards her but was halted by Michelle. “Let her go.”
Alex faltered then, no longer able to hold back the choking sobs. Dante was near to tears himself, seeing her. She clasped her hands together and pressed them to her chest, lowering herself to her knees, gripping Michelle’s arm who had lowered herself too.
“Melina…”
The grip on Dante’s head changed as she adjusted him to look at her. “Place all the dead in the fire quickly. The authorities will be here any minute. We must leave. Get Lauren to help you.”
“Lauren left as soon as Dougie arrived. The dogs and the wannabes jetted too, cowardly pricks. We are the only ones left.”
*
Lauren made sure she took care to cloak herself, sprinting after Calibos. It wasn’t a difficult task, seeing that he was supporting an unconscious Matt. She drove her shoulder into his back, forcing Calibos and Matt to the ground. Calibos was quick, rolling forward and rising with his pistol, pointing it every which way. Lauren thanked her gift again. She knew she could never be truly invisible; she could only bend light. But as long as she stood perfectly still in the shadows, she was as good as completely obscured. Just right for her next move.
She launched an upwards kick directly to Calibos’s wrist, snapping it clean. She clapped her hand over his mouth to muffle his scream, and shimmered into view.
“Shhh, honey. I can’t perform if there’re people around…” She remembered his cocky attitude when he was ordering Matt to shoot her, and launched several punches to his
head and face.
She picked him up and slammed his back into a nearby tree. Calibos spat out a glob of blood and smiled a red smile. “You were planning this all along, weren’t you?”
“You should’ve killed me.”
She flashed back to the humiliation and violation she felt when he cut open her top.
Lauren undid his belt and removed it. She unzipped him and let down his pants and boxer shorts, letting them fall to his ankles, gazing down.
“What a shame. That’s a semi decent cock, pity you won’t ever get to use it again.”
Lauren sunk her fangs into his neck and drunk heavily. She thought about how powerless she’d felt against the kid Miller, but now she’d killed her first werewolf. She wasn’t perfect as a vampire, but she was learning. And getting better.
“Move aside, dead thing.”
Lauren spun around, Calibos’s corpse falling to the ground at the base of the tree. She faced three Aboriginals, two men and one woman. How the hell did they sneak up on me? “Back off. He’s my kill.”
“We don’t care. We’re here for him.” One indicated Matt with a nod of his head.
“What the hell do you want with him?”
“None of ya business. We were told to get him. So we get him.” The two men walked over to Matt and picked him up. The quiet ease with which they moved past her was creepy. As if she was insignificant to them.
“Are you the Forgotten?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“It doesn’t matter. We were also told to find out what happened to Alex Hensley.”
“Why do you care about her?”
“We don’t. Our leader does.”
“And who is that?”
“You haven’t earned the right to know. Answer our question and what you will earn is the right to die another night.”
Day Dreamer (Undeadly Secrets Book 2) Page 38