Night settled over the garden in the blink of an eye. It was suddenly quiet, no more chirping, no more singing. All the animals raced to their homes, wary of nighttime predators.
The girl stopped and looked up at the sky. Fear gripped her heart. She had been told to be in before nightfall. She was out past curfew. She wasn't afraid of her employers but of something worse that she couldn't name.
The dark feeling pulsed against Pyre. He felt the other vampire before he saw him. He landed behind the girl, mimicking her every move. She turned to see who was behind her. His actions mirrored her own. She did not see or smell her predator, but she felt his presence all the same.
Her terror-filled eyes turned to Pyre, who had jumped to his feet. Fiannae hid behind him, herself fearful of the newcomer. The menacing vampire pulled the girl off her feet, tucking her like a sack of potatoes under his arm. His black eyes met Pyre's brown ones with a challenge. His lips curled back in a sneer, or was it a grim smile? Pyre wasn't certain.
The strength of the sudden wind knocked both Pyre and Fiannae on their butts. Astonished, they looked at one another. Pyre had no choice. He quickly kissed Fiannae, ordering her into the mansion. Then he was off to save the girl from certain death.
* * * *
Pyre followed the rogue vampire and the girl. It was not an easy feat. The vampire left a trail of wind with forces matching that of hurricane winds. Yet the Egyptian managed as best he could. Pyre wondered if this was the third level, and if so, what exactly did it entail?
The vampire soon landed near a ranch house. It was surrounded with cypress trees and sat near the edge of a swamp. He dragged the girl into the house. The door closed with a loud bang, and silence settled over the house.
Pyre landed at the foot of the steps and looked up. The house was new with fresh white paint. Four steps found Pyre eye level with the door. He went to step on the wide front porch, and a force threw him back onto the grass.
A woman with black hair stared down at him. He smelled the witch's blood, and it smelled of bitterness and evil. Yet she was human all the same, and he was an uninvited guest.
Pyre got to his feet, dusting the blades of grass off his black jeans. Meeting the black eyes of the witch, he demanded, “Give her back."
"Get off my land,” crowed the witch.
The hair on the back of Pyre's neck stood as an unseen force pushed against him. He held his ground. “This is not your house."
The force pulled back like the ebbing tide. Satisfied, Pyre again asked for the girl. Again he was denied.
"I will not let you harm that girl.” Pyre's low voice came from the pit of his soul.
"You wish to take her place, then?” cooed the witch. Pyre studied her, searching for some sign of weakness.
"And what place would that be?” he asked warily.
"Come and enter, then,” she purred softly and stepped aside. Cautiously, Pyre walked up onto the porch, knowing it was a trap but unable to come up with any other plan. When he stood next to the witch, he found her to be shorter than himself. He stared down into her ordinary face. Her next words rang through his ears, deafening him.
"May your exit now be denied."
The force that held him out now held him within. Pyre stood his ground, refusing to panic before this lowly witch. He knew by smell that his power far outweighed hers. The game must be played.
Daringly, Pyre pulled open the screen door. His search took him to the attic, where the now-catatonic girl sat in the middle of a pentagram. The black haired vampire held her limp hand over a bowl into which her blood slowly dripped.
The sight enraged Pyre, and he flew at the vampire. The two wrestled for dominance, and when Pyre finally ended up on top, the laughter of the witch stopped them both. They looked at her with heated red eyes.
"I love watching monsters fight,” she laughed. “Please. Continue."
The other vampire used the distraction to his advantage and grabbed Pyre's throat. He crushed it, instantly sending Pyre into a coma.
* * * *
"Two sacrifices for the price of one,” cackled the witch. “I love bargains."
Pyre's eyes flew open as consciousness returned. The face of the witch hovered before him, and he pulled back his head. She laughed and stepped back from him. The other vampire took her place, holding a shiny silver sword before him.
Pyre realized he sat in a sacrificial chair. His arms were tied to the chair's arms in a downward position. Two silver bowls waited for his blood. Across from him, the young girl was tied to a similar chair. A large pentagon encircled them both. Pyre realized he was in deep shit.
"I thought you were going to let her go."
"I lied."
"To what god am I to be sacrificed?"
The vampire knelt before Pyre, shoving a small silver funnel deep into his right wrist. Pyre bit back a scream. Bright red blood dripped one slow drop at a time down his hand and into the bowl. Pyre bit through his lower lip as the second funnel was shoved into his left wrist. He would not satisfy them by screaming.
The vampire smiled, showing perfectly even teeth. He was dark brown, of Cajun decent, not particularly handsome but not ugly. He stared intently at the blood on Pyre's lower lip.
"Don't even think it,” Pyre growled.
The vampire met his eyes. “I don't think you are in a position to give commands."
"Pierre, let it go,” warned the witch. She stood beside the girl with another silver knife. Kneeling, she stuck the tip in the girl's wrist and made a cut about an inch wide. The girl never flinched. Her eyes stared unseeing at Pyre, and he realized she was under a spell.
Pyre realized the process would be slow. He had some time but not much. “Do I get to know the god or not?"
Finished with the girl, the witch stood and looked thoughtfully at Pyre, trying to unsuccessfully measure his aura. “The demon I seek to please is Seth. Now be quiet or I shall cut out that sweet pink tongue of yours and eat it."
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Thirty-eight
Bella and Pierre finally left the attic about an hour later. Rituals were long and tedious and had given Pyre the time to find out the witch's name. He had read her mind. Luckily, her powers weren't great, but Pierre's were.
The demon they called was his father. Pyre was unsure of the purpose, and he really didn't care. He just knew he did not want to be sacrificed to bring back his father. He didn't think the reunion would be too fun. Pyre's only goal was to save the girl and escape.
Though the drip was slow, Pyre had lost a good amount of blood. Cassie, the girl, was not doing so well. Her head rested back against the chair, and her eyes were closed. A paleness crept over her skin. Pyre searched his memory for a counter spell.
From the farthest corner of his mind, Pyre dredged up an ancient spell. Then he focused all his energy on pulling up some power. He wasn't sure how long it would last. He was sure that it wouldn't be long.
Pyre concentrated on Cassie's wrists. The blood stopped dripping, and the wounds healed. The ropes slipped away like they had a will of their own, and though still out of it, Cassie's body was free.
Telepathically, he whispered her name. Several attempts later, the girl woke. She looked around, confused, and Pyre warned her not to scream. Wide-eyed, she nodded.
Pyre continued communicating telepathically. Do not be startled with what I am about to do. I mean you no harm and am only going to send you home. If I do not follow you shortly, you must tell Lord Raven to send help.
Cassie nodded once more. Pyre was a bit surprised that she had not freaked out with the telepathy part. Most humans would have. Perhaps she had already encountered it while working for CEVA. If everything worked out as he hoped, he would ask her once they were safe.
"Strong and silent winds of night, carry this child on wings of light, to her home she pines away, send her swiftly on her way!"
The air about them crackled with energy, and a flurry of wind wrapped around Cassie like a
small tornado. Pyre closed his eyes against the onslaught of air, opening them when a loud clap of thunder reverberated throughout the room. An empty chair faced him. He was alone in the attic.
Running footsteps on the stair made him look at the ceiling in aggravation. “I said silent,” he yelled sarcastically.
Invisible hands threw the empty chair in front of the door, and Pyre forced the locks closed. He hoped to buy himself some time to escape.
"Strong and silent winds of night."
The doorknob jiggled as the witch tried to gain entrance.
"Carry me on wings of light."
Hands beat frantically against the door.
"To my home I pine away."
The door crashed open. Pierre's panic-filled face quickly surveyed the room. The witch looked anxiously around the tall vampire. She screamed angrily when she saw Cassie was gone. Pyre met her eyes arrogantly.
"Send me swiftly on my way."
The room remained perfectly calm; no wind, no crackle of thunder, no zapping back to his own home. Pyre's transportation spell had failed.
After a minute of silence, Bella pushed past Pierre and laughed in Pyre's face. “My spell's stronger than yours,” she sang gleefully.
Weakness rushed over Pyre, as his own power slipped away. Once again, he silently cursed Bianca for putting him into this predicament.
Bella took the bowl with Cassie's blood and mixed it with Pyre's. Then she motioned to Pierre. He pulled the funnel from Pyre's wrist and slashed it open with the sacrificial knife. Blood poured like a waterfall into the bowl.
God, please don't let them take my fangs.
Unable to fight the darkness, Pyre's chin touched his chest. His last thought was that at least he had saved the innocent.
* * * *
Lord Raven's pale face loomed over Pyre. He blinked several times, unsure of the sight before him. Slowly, he realized that he sucked at the delicate wrist of his beloved. He stopped instantly and pulled his lips away from her. Turning his head, he looked at her concerned face.
With a relieved smile, Fiannae touched his face with trembling fingers. “I thought I'd lost you."
Pyre ran his tongue over his fangs. “I don't understand. I thought I was dead."
Lord Raven and Cristienne helped Pyre to his feet. A single white fang was pressed into his palm, and he looked questioningly at Lord Raven.
"I believe you deserve these,” Lord Raven stated. He pointed to where an unconscious Pierre lay within the pentagon circle in a pool of blood. Oddly, a skeletal arm was sticking out of his chest. In its hand was Pierre's bloodless heart. Beneath Pierre lay the skeletal remains of Bella. It was her hand that had slain the dragon. Pyre shook his head.
"I don't understand."
"Neither do we,” said Fiannae.
"We found them like this,” Cristienne volunteered.
Pyre looked at him in amazement. “You mean, you didn't kill them?"
"No,” Lord Raven replied.
"The demon then. He did not approve of their choice of sacrifice,” Pyre said grimly. He thought of his father. Why had he spared him? Revenge had been at the tip of his fingers. “The blood, my blood, was not innocent enough. Lucky me."
"Cassie came to me immediately,” Lord Raven said. Suspicion clouded Pyre's face. Lord Raven guessed his thoughts instantly. “I did not arrange this, Pyre. It is my belief that those above always arrange the third level."
His eyes furrowed together. “And what is the third level?"
"A test to ascertain how far you would go to save an innocent. You took Cassie's place,” Lord Raven replied solemnly. “You gave your life for hers."
* * * *
The night of the full moon had finally arrived. Pyre stood nervously in the hallway before the great doors. He wore a black and white tux.
Fiannae held his hand, trying to soothe him. Her dress was made of emerald green chiffon and fluttered around her like a butterfly. The members had been meeting for nearly an hour. Pyre looked at his watch for the hundredth time.
"Relax, me love,” Fiannae's Irish accent slipped through. It was an indication of her nervousness. “They'll let us in soon."
As if on cue, the doors opened upon. Cristienne smiled warmly. “Welcome, Fiannae."
"Greetings, Cristienne."
Turning on his heel, Cristienne left them at the open door and returned to his seat beside Lord Raven. Pyre noticed that beside each vampire sat a wolf at full attention.
Following the ceremonial path, Fiannae led Pyre once around the room. Then she led the way straight up the center of the room to kneel before Lord Raven.
"This secret organization must remain forever hidden from all those which would do it harm."
Lord Raven made eye contact with Pyre. “The following are the by-laws of CEVA. One, protection of the innocent. Two, the secret of the sun is never to be revealed outside of this association under penalty of death. Three, applicants must pass all three levels of examination and then must be voted on and approved by all members."
Cristienne handed Lord Raven a small silver box. He opened it, and twelve white marbles slid into his palm. He smiled at Pyre. “It seems all have approved."
Lord Raven poured the marbles back into the silver box and handed it back to his assistant. Cristienne showed the contents to Pyre and Fiannae before taking it to each member in the room for inspection. Then he returned to his seat.
"Words of honor bind you to me and me to you. We are nothing without them. Repeat after me as you pledge your soul to the holy trinity and this association."
Pyre dutifully stated the oaths. “I swear by my very soul to uphold the honor and glory of the holy trinity: God, the Father Almighty; His son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. I swear with my life and soul to protect the innocent against that which is evil."
Lord Raven nodded. “Well done, Pyre. We are vampires. We are sustained by blood. As a symbol of our faith in you, each member offers you a cup of fresh wolf blood."
At this, Lord Raven knelt beside his own black wolf with a golden knife. She placed her paw in his hand and looked trustingly up into her master's eyes.
"Let the secret of the sun be revealed."
The black wolf magically transformed into a beautiful naked woman. Lord Raven turned her hand in his, exposing her wrist. He quickly sliced open her skin and held a silver cup beneath it. As fast as the cup was filled, so closed the wound on the shape shifter's skin. Sliding gracefully to his feet, Lord Raven held the cup reverently in his hands, waiting. A little shocked, Pyre stood as Fiannae urged.
No wonder the wolves didn't smell right. Werewolves.
Pyre accepted Lord Raven's gift. Then, Fiannae led him to Cristienne and his wolf. The steps were repeated with him as well as with the other three vampires in the room. Then Fiannae and Pyre returned to their position before Lord Raven. Pyre noticed that the vampires had placed robes around their now-human wolves. He was at once pleased with their respect.
"And now, we give you a wolf of your own. You are bound to protect her. Misuse is also punishable by death."
Another black haired wolf came from behind Lord Raven's chair. She sat before Pyre and held out her paw for him to take. Astonished, he watched her change into the servant girl that he had saved, Cassie.
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Thirty-nine
Kate pushed weakly against the lid above her. It had been months since Beaux had imprisoned her. She had quickly discovered that she could not pass through silver and endured the sentence in silence. She would not allow herself to scream or beg for release.
Hunger twisted her stomach into a knot. She wanted to bend over but the coffin prevented her. She clutched her belly with both hands as a sweet-sourness filled her mouth. She fought back the nausea caused from days without nourishment. Thankfully, these little episodes were becoming few and far between.
Someone tapped on the lid. “How are we doing in there, Kate? Comfy?"
"I could use a
TV, but otherwise, it's not bad,” she lied.
She rubbed the silver bracelet he had welded onto her wrist. It would prevent her from walking through walls once he let her out. She wondered how long he intended to punish her.
"I missed you,” Beaux whispered. “But now that you're home..."
She bit her lip and then forced the words out. “I missed you too."
Yeah, missed your mouth with that broom handle.
"But is it me you missed or the body?” he wondered aloud.
He became silent, and after several minutes, she spoke his name anxiously. He tapped on the lid again. “I'm still here. I was just wondering what I should do with you now that I have Theresa. She adores me."
Fear twisted in her throat. “What do you mean?"
"It's a toss up. I could leave you in there forever, but then I thought about seeing how long you'd last in the sun."
Her mouth became dryer. “But I thought you loved me?"
"Oh, I do,” he stated matter-of-factly. He sighed. “But you're so ... high maintenance."
He paused dramatically. “Tell you what. Let me think about it, and I'll get back to you in a few days."
* * * *
The touch of fingers on her neck woke her instantly. She had lost track of time while lost in sleep. She was so weak that it took all she had just to open her eyes.
"Wow, you really looked dead."
Seeing that it was Beaux, she closed her eyes, preferring the arms of oblivion. The sting of his hand on her cheek, however, caused her eyes to snap open. She longed to curse but couldn't even lick her parched lips.
He leaned close to her face, his lips feathering her own as he talked. “Waky, waky, my pet. I've a surprise for you."
If I could just move my hand, I could scratch him.
"Are you hungry?” He bit the skin from his lip and kissed her, letting his blood mingle within their kiss.
If only he'd press that bloody mouth to the ruby.
He raised his head. “Awake, my sleeping beauty. I have fresh blood for you."
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