Awakening (Fire & Ice Book 1)

by Karen Payton

  His foot tapped up through six gears in three seconds. Careful, I don’t want to break anything. He flirted with the urge to be reckless. If I were human, I’d downshift, wind open the throttle, and drop the clutch when the engine revs hit the sweet spot. He would have enjoyed the rearing of the bike in a metal rodeo ride. The surge of speed would slam his stomach into his spinal cord, and unleash eerie weightlessness which his body would thrive on. But I promised, Rebekah, no wheelies.

  He also knew that to get one hundred percent speed, you needed one hundred percent traction. So, every square millimeter of the tires rubber compound remained glued to the road and eighteen minutes into the journey the motorcycle’s tires were already wearing. The tire manufacturers had not figured on the rider being a well-oiled machine in human form.

  The scream of the engine at maximum speed was unabating, but his only thought was to return Rebekah to the eco-town. It would release him to search for Leizle. Douglas can wait until Hell freezes over. Thomas was safe for now, although the boy’s thin frame and gangling limbs gave Connor pause. Thomas would ride his more sedate 250cc motorcycle back to the eco-town in the lull of cool early dawn. I hope the kid can be trusted.

  When they neared the eco-town, they ran out of road.

  “Hold tight,” Connor said.

  He swerved the motorcycle off the asphalt and they hurtled headlong across the field. He used his legs as stabilizers, providing forward propulsion every time the tires spun on wet grass and the engine note whined. Suddenly finding traction on the hard-packed earth inside the entrance of the eco-town, the motorcycle lurched forward. Connor skidded it to a halt, showering mud up the walls. He cut the engine and, reaching behind, swung Rebekah around onto his lap as he dismounted in a seamless fluid movement, and strode forward holding her close to his chest.

  “I can walk.” Embarrassment made her tone grumpy.

  Connor laughed gently, and said, “Not this fast though, hmm?” And he surged forward, hugging the sweeping curves of the tunnels in an effortless parody of a toboggan run.

  Seconds later, lowering her smoothly to her feet outside the meeting cavern, he raised a smug brow as he looked into her flushed face.

  “You win. Show off,” she muttered, tossing her head and stalking into the cavern.

  Connor’s amusement died when he stopped on the threshold and saw Harry.

  Uncle Harry’s pacing had worn a groove into the packed-earth floor of the cavern, and he ceased wringing his hands abruptly when he caught sight of Rebekah. He directed a fretful glance at Connor’s carefully composed face.

  “Harry.” Connor nodded curtly. His set expression left no doubt he had little sympathy for the man. Leizle, maybe.

  “Uncle Harry.” Rebekah rushed to embrace him. “Where is she? What happened?”

  Connor hung back, waiting. A muscle twitched in an iron-set jaw as he considered biting Harry’s head off. Instead, he wet his lips and carefully swallowed his annoyance, along with the venom pooling in his throat.

  “She went out with the group to raid the vampire crops.”

  Connor was impressed. The joke’s on us, not only are we feeding the farm, we feed free-range humans too.

  “And-?” Rebekah’s face was very still.

  “Greg took four of the guys and went to the lakes at Darenth to see how our fish reserves are doing. He left Leizle and the others within sight of the tunnel, getting back should have been a cinch.” Harry dragged a hand down over his face, making his despair more hideous. “Sandy said she got separated and they couldn’t use flashlights. The vampire farmers come across country so fast everyone had to take cover. All we know is they took Leizle towards London. God, what are we going to do?”

  “Where’s Greg, has he gone back out to look for her?” said Connor urgently.

  “He doesn’t know yet. He won’t be back now, for about a week,” said Rebekah quietly.

  Connor raised a surprised brow. He’s seen the worst. Greg knew the threat of ferals existed; one more obstacle in the war of survival. He’ll use his head.

  “We are stocking up for winter. He’s on a long-range mission. When he has enough fish and root crops to last a month, he’ll head back home. He gets cabin fever.”

  “Ah, so that’s why he leads the away teams. And the others who went with him?”

  Rebekah smiled gently, “Greg drafted a few of the guys. In his book, every man should know how to survive the elements, whether they like it or not.”

  “And Leizle is out there alone,” Harry interrupted heavily.

  “I’ll find her,” Connor said quietly. If they took her towards London, they were not ferals or vampires in grave sleep. It gives me time to track her down.

  “Good. Okay, that’s good,” Harry muttered.

  “And Douglas?” said Connor quietly, in an enticing whisper. “Can he survive the elements?” Comparing the pampered flesh of Douglas to Greg’s flint-hard muscular mass, Connor knew who his money would be on.

  Harry shook his head. “I don’t know. Things were frantic here, and I guess he used the distraction...” Harry glanced across the cavern briefly, focusing on a point three feet to Connor’s left.

  He’s getting vampires mixed up with Medusa. Reluctant amusement softened the harsh planes of Connor’s face.

  “We’ve never kept a prisoner before. We didn’t think he could escape.” Harry spluttered on his own saliva.

  “Douglas is not stupid. I’m not surprised he ran,” Connor said with a reassuring smile. “He knew, at any time, I could decide he’d lived long enough.”

  Connor moved quickly across the cavern, smothering a smile when Harry leapt back a pace. Turning to face Rebekah, and resting his cold hand over her cheek, Connor said, “I’ll find Leizle.” Adding, almost to himself, “Douglas can wait, for now.” He dropped a kiss on her upturned lips. “All you have to do is stay safe.”

  The beseeching look he directed had a serious edge before he dragged himself away.

  Chapter 28

  Breaking out of the eco-shelter and into the moonlit night, the first thing Connor did was sweep the route leading across the meadow and through the forest to the fields of vampire crops. He grimly looked for remains, identifiable or not, since he had come so close to losing Rebekah to a feral. Nothing here suggests a feral. So, I can rule that out.

  He took a crow’s flight back through the countryside. The cold night air buffeted him and tree branches snatched at his coat as Connor used breakneck speed to ease the tension he felt inside. Although, a body that should have arrived back in London battered and bruised, instead, carved a brutal swathe of devastation through the woodland. Connor grinned. When the time is right, I’ll hunt Douglas down, and take my time in doing it. But first, Leizle.

  If she was not on the farm, then another chilling possibility was that she had become entertainment at a rap-sleep party.

  Connor crossed the River Thames at Vauxhall Bridge and headed East towards Covent Garden. Number two Temple Place was an imposing Portland stone building, intricately sculpted in the 19th century, and it was also the primary venue for vampire rap-sleep parties.

  He stood on the sidewalk listening to the rumbling growls of the vampire gathering seeping through the walls. It sounds busy. The lower gallery and the great hall could hold up to 300 guests in each room and tonight, it sounded as though they were at capacity. Connor’s steely gaze dulled as he considered the consequences of that, for both Leizle, and himself. At least, I can fight my way out.

  There were always rumors of humans being ‘kept’ at rap-sleep venues, and the popularity of Temple Place made this the most likely destination. The library which adjoined the great hall, via a concealed partition, provided a perfect place to hide contraband humans. Time to find out.

  Inhaling deeply, he flirted with unlocking the cell door of the aggressive drunk and tapping into the belligerent mood he needed. But taking rap-sleep, and embracing the rioting sensuality was not something Connor wanted to do. Rebeka
h’s scent was still locked inside his lungs, and he was convinced his skin still felt two degrees warmer. It won’t feel like cheating, it will feel like contamination. But, he could only be sure Leizle was not inside by crashing the party. I’ll just have to fake it.

  He passed through the black wrought iron gate, walked up to the solid oak door and pushed it open. His forceful stride discouraged argument as he bowled aside the vampires loitering in the hallway, ran lightly up the staircase and entered the great hall.

  On the threshold, he recoiled at the sight of a naked male vampire with a female bent over a chair in front of him. Her smile, despite the crushing grip he dug into her hips, instantly declared her a vampire, and the sneering mask of disdain her mate wore made the act lurid and degrading.

  Connor turned away.

  Upon the long table which ran down the center of the wood-paneled room sat cut glass pitchers filled with human blood and crystal goblets winking in the myriad of twinkling light cast by huge chandeliers.

  Walking past the fornicating couple, Connor drifted the length of the room, deftly side stepping the male posturing of vampires looking for a fight. He pretended the ruby-red lacquered nails of the few female vampires who had the luxury of choosing which male they wanted to couple with, were not dragging down over his hard chest.

  A tall vampire blocked his path. “Lizbet has chosen you,” he said with quiet authority.

  Connor dropped his gaze to take in the elfin features of a vampiress who looked about twelve years of age and his stomach knotted with disgust.

  “Lizbet.” Connor bowed graciously. “I’m sure you can do better.”

  Spite glittered in her gaze, and Connor heaved a mental sigh. Shit, she’s got me in her sights.

  Vampires came to rap-sleep parties to satisfy one of two appetites, to have sex or to fight. With resignation, Connor looked Lizbet’s escort up and down and allowed a snarl to fold his lip back.

  “Are you here only for her?” As the words grated from his throat, Connor surged forward and pinned the tall vampire against the richly-carved paneling.

  The vampire smirked. Connor allowed him enough room to shrug out of his coat. “If I win, Lizbet gets you afterwards. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.” Connor masked his disgust by shedding his own coat and shirt.

  As if on cue, an attendant with a bowl cupped in his hands appeared beside them.

  Connor dipped his fingers into the fragrant mix and smeared the oil over his chest and shoulders. He beckoned to his opponent. “What’s your name? When I put you back together at the hospital, I’d like to know who I’m saving.”

  “My name’s Hugo.” Suddenly wary, the vampire murmured, “Hospital?”

  Connor grinned maniacally. “It seems only fair.” He stretched out his triceps and the edifice of muscle on his abdomen rippled. “I’m going to rip out your spleen. I think you can manage without that, provided I don’t rupture your stomach.”

  Uncertainty clouded the tall vampire’s eyes.

  Connor almost laughed. “No? Shall I tell Lizbet, or will you?”

  The delicate childlike vampiress suddenly shoved her escort. “Fight, damn you.”

  “I think, Lizbet, on this occasion, you are going to have to choose another mate.” Connor’s gray eyes hardened to flint. He pulled a rag from the shoulder of the fight attendant, wiped the oil from his torso, and tossed it onto the slickly polished banquet table. Picking up a glass of blood, he downed it in one draught and smiled. “My taste runs to sweeter pleasures than you can provide.” Glancing at Hugo, Connor added, “We are friends now, surely?” Grimacing at the cold blood dregs in his glass, he said invitingly, “Is there any fresh blood here tonight?”

  Hugo smiled. “I see. Even a doctor finds human blood stored in bottles unappetizing. I understand.”

  Beckoning for Connor to follow, Hugo crossed the room, extracting from his pocket an ornate silver key which hung from a chain attached to his belt. Checking Connor was paying attention, Hugo inserted the key into a hole in an apparently flat oak panel. He pushed on it until it clicked, activating a spring loaded mechanism, and a door sprang open. The smell of human fear-drenched sweat plumed into the air.

  “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” Hugo murmured, ushering Connor in ahead.

  Connor stepped into the room and Hugo closed the panel behind them. “This is forbidden, you understand. You may drink, but do not kill, or I can’t protect you. But I imagine you know that.”

  Connor nodded absently and he scanned the room. The shadows were thick with cowering bodies. The clink of metal confirmed his suspicion it was not just fear keeping them glued to their seats.

  The rows of books lining the walls made an incongruous backdrop to a vampire who had a human girl hanging in his arms. Her clothes were torn, red marks framed her breasts, and the vampire seemed to enjoy the pain stretched across her white face as he massaged her soft flesh, leaving pearls of blood in the wake of his hard fingernails.

  Relief blossomed inside Connor when he discovered that none of the human girls in the room had the copper-toned coloring of Leizle, and he resigned himself to feeding before he could escape. Quickly, he crossed the room and pulled a thin girl to her feet. His arm around her waist pulled her in close to his body, arched her back and exposed her throat. His nose brushed her pounding carotid artery and he licked salty sweat from her skin as he whispered in her ear, “Pretend, just go limp.”

  His jaws closed over her neck, and the razor sharp edge of his teeth bit into her neck. She gasped and did what he said, letting her body hang slack in his grasp, tears ran over her cheeks and dropped like splashes of hot wax onto the back of Connor’s hand.

  He took one mouthful of her blood, enough to stain his lips and his wing of black hair hid his face while he pressed his muzzle into her thundering pulse. It took all his will power not to feed, but the despair tainting her blood turned his stomach. I’ll get Julian to raid this place. They’ll be better off on the farm. When Connor lifted his face and growled as though replete, the tableaux of the other vampire still feeding filled his vision

  The vampire gripped the girl he tortured by the arm and, hearing the bone fibers creak, Connor lost his temper.

  He released his own prey, letting her drop back down into her seat as he flew across the room. Prising the vampire’s fingers from his victim’s arm, Connor bent them back until three of them snapped inside his palm.

  Shock shuddered through the vampire and he stared into Connor’s fierce white face.

  With blood dripping from his lips, Connor ground out, “You’ve had enough. Go now, before I break every bone in your body.”

  Hugo appeared beside them, his gaze skittering from Connor’s face to the other vampire. “Gentlemen, I think it is time you both left, don’t you?”

  Connor could not have agreed more. “After you,” he snarled quietly as he withdrew, and the aggravated vampire disappeared without a word.

  Casting a glance at the girl who had dropped to her knees on the floor, Connor resisted the urge to show he cared. “At least you won’t have a body to dispose of hmm, Hugo? Better all round I think.”

  Hugo’s narrowed gaze relaxed and he nodded. “Quite.”

  Minutes later, outside on the sidewalk, Connor shrugged back into his coat and set off for Hyde Park. Ignoring the route encouraged by the footpaths, he cut across the grass, through the trees, and across deserted roads until he saw the still, dark surface of the Serpentine, the body of water created in 1730 for the human enjoyment of boating and swimming.

  In the vampire community, there would always be those who, as endless decades unfolded, considered immortality a punishment. And they want to die. With the food supply getting low, who knows, they might get their wish. ‘More blood to go around’ would be Serge’s take on it.

  Suicidal tendencies led to bizarre behavior, and over the last decade, vampires found a more sinister use for the Serpentine. They used it to simulate drowning, and the atmosp
here around it seemed tainted by their desperation.

  They could not drown, of course, but the water filling their lungs and stomachs took days to drain away, during which time they had no appetite. That was where they hoped for success. Suppressing their feeding instinct led to locked-in syndrome, and the first step along the road to the final release of a crushed skull, when the council decided they had suffered enough.

  Standing on the bank of the Serpentine, Connor watched with grim fascination.

  The inky moonlit depths resembled a sheet of black ice crying out to be broken. His eyes were drawn to the gliding form of a vampire slipping into the water. As he hit his stride, plowing in deeper, gray froth-crested ripples raced away as if trying to outrun him.

  The atmosphere of despair anchored Connor there, surreal imaginings crowding his mind like an infection. Connor found the blackened glassy expanse compelling, and before the hypnotic spell could tempt him to join the ranks of the doomed, he dragged himself away. He forged onward across the grass until the smells of life, both flora and fauna, filled him and shouldered suicidal notions aside.

  He grinned as a rabbit scrabbled in the undergrowth and his mouth watered. Normality felt good. He gained momentum when the glistening marble walls of the hospital building beckoned. Relaxing into his stride, moments later he propelled himself through the familiar corridors. His mood lifted, but although the blackened edges of depression dissipated, Leizle’s fate was a dark shroud he still wore.

  I’ve turned up nothing, yet. No rumor of a chestnut-haired, green-eyed addition to the farm inmates. Not a murmur. The blanks he had drawn frustrated him. All that’s left is to wait.

  He put on his white coat and prepared to go through the motions as Doctor Connor. He kept his eyes and ears open until the seemingly endless hours passed, dusk fell, and he was released to begin the search again.

  Impatient to complete the last task on his list, he headed to the operating theater to perform surgery on a juvenile vampire who had sustained sun scorching. The dehydrated limb had hardened to granite and would need amputating. I’ll do the procedure, and then I’ll put Julian in the picture.