“Someone’s coming,” he whispered, rolling off her.
Selu quickly refastened her top as Kanati came up in a crouch. They crept along the bank until they could use the trees for cover. He motioned for her to stay in place as he climbed up the bank. Crouching beside a tree, he caught a glimpse of the first horse; he counted six in all as they passed. Their casual banter drifted to him over the breeze.
“Horace, didya realize where’n we are?”
“Course I do, Mickey. Yer the only one o’ the bunch that gets himself lost on a regler basis.”
This caused the group of strangers to laugh.
“If you head due south from here, it’d take us pert near straight to that lil’ injun town, whatchamacallit… Tally tee skee, Toweln’ tuskee , sumtin like that.”
“Tahlonteeskee,” someone offered.
“Yeah, that one.”
“So?” a different voice asked.
“Come on, Gordon,” Mickey pressed. “That’s a whole lot of red tail flitterin’ about o’er there. Wudn’t ya like to knock you a piece or two off?”
“Ah, hell. I wouldn’t poke a squaw with your pecker,” another voice chimed in.
“Fuck you, Sean.”
“Now he would be more your speed,” yet another voice added.
“Keep it up, Kurt, and you’re gonna be next, you lil’ shit.”
“Ladies, please,” someone else intervened. “The point is moot. We don’t have time to stop. I plan to rest my head in Durant tonight. Any of you have a problem with that?”
“No, Rich,” they all replied almost in unison.
Kanati waited until he was sure they were out of sight before he returned to Selu’s side.
“Ruffians,” he grunted. “I’m relieved they didn’t decide to pay our Talwa a visit.”
“I know,” she let out a long breath. “There’s no way we could get back there to warn them in time.”
“Hey look!” He pointed at the taught line zigzagging back and forth from the end of his pole. “We caught another one.”
“Maybe we should pull that one in and call it a day,” she suggested.
“Yeah, they may not be coming today, but we should let the elders know what we heard in case they decide to return.”
Chapter Nineteen
Niccolo awoke with Lana nestled against his bare chest. Careful not to disturb her, he gently brushed the hair away from her face. She looked so peaceful and content, almost innocent with her features relaxed in sleep. He toyed with the idea of letting her and Nessa stay, but eventually dismissed it. It would only be a matter of time before they crossed paths with Mr. Chaffey and the rest of his brood and though the thought of a good fight might be appealing, he had no desire to kill the motley band of vampires for trying to right a wrong he knew he was guilty of committing.
Not to mention his feelings about taking on yearlings still hadn’t changed. As peaceful as she looked now, eventually she would wake and then it was only a matter of time before the incessant questions began. No, it was best to send them on their way as soon as they woke.
Untangling himself from Lana’s embrace smoothly, he rose without waking her. He scanned the others and grunted when he realized he was the only one undressed. Lana wore only his shirt, but Pavlo and Nessa were near fully dressed. He strode to the mouth of the cave and watched the sky turn from the purple of twilight to the deep blue of night.
“Please assure me, you do not still yearn for a sunset even after all these years,” Pavlo’s smooth voice spoke behind him.
“Humph,” he replied without turning. “I was just enjoying the view and some quiet before the barrage of questions only a yearling would think to ask.”
“We may need to handle them a bit more gently tonight.”
Niccolo turned to find Pavlo staring at the still forms of Nessa and Lana.
“They must be utterly exhausted to remain in the dream world when there are not even the faintest traces of sunlight left to push them to slumber,” he continued.
“I’m sure they’ll be able to rest tonight. I plan to send them on their way shortly.”
“What?” Pavlo spun on him with lightning speed.
“We both know they can’t stay with us.” Niccolo let out a slow breath. “We discussed it when we first met these two.”
“Have you gone mad?” He threw his hands up in the air. “After the trouble I went through to procure us proper…diversions, you just want to brush them off as if they were nothing more than dust on your collar?”
“Trouble?” Niccolo regarded him with one eyebrow raised. “I was under the impression they found you.”
“Semantics,” Pavlo flashed a wide smile. “Either way, we have been blessed by their presence and should indulge ourselves for as long as they can continue to hold our interests.”
“Ah, you always were all about indulging yourself,” he laughed.
“Of course,” he said with a shrug. “What good is living for an eternity if you fail to enjoy as much of it as you can.”
“If they stay, there will be trouble.”
“Think about the possibilities,” he pressed as if sensing a weakening of his resolve. “They are so young, so full of life—or at least un-life. Their wide-eyed wonder alone should be enough to entertain you for days, even weeks on end.”
“Speaking of wonders,” Niccolo pointed with his chin. “They rise.”
“What’re you two talking about?” Nessa asked as stood and stretched, her hands reaching above her head.
“The prince of surly over here,” Pavlo jabbed a thumb in his direction. “Was just weighing the merits of the company of two lovely creatures such as yourself against the perils of enlightening yearlings to the ways of our world.”
“Which side is winning?” Lana asked through a yawn.
“I fear the scale is leaning toward dismissal,” he answered in a sad tone.
They exchanged a quick glance before moving closer to the mouth of the cave. Nessa wrapped her arms around Pavlo and Lana embraced Niccolo.
“Have we already become nuisances?” she asked with a pouty face.
He shook his head. “Not at all, I’m just relying on past experiences. Historically speaking, yearlings are usually more of a handful than an old man such as myself can keep up with.”
She laughed and batted her eyes at him. “You didn’t have any problems keeping up with me last night.”
Grabbing his hair in both hands, she pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him feverishly. He tried to pull away, but she just pushed herself against him more frantically. She finally released him of her own accord and placed her head against his chest.
“Let’s go back into the cave and get more…” she paused as she looked up and caught his eye, “comfortable.”
“Don’t we need to take you to feed first?” he asked before kissing her on her forehead. “Your thirst must be near unbearable by now.”
Casting a glance over her shoulder, she replied, “I think we have a little time.”
He followed her gaze and spied Nessa sitting atop Pavlo, their clothes strung in a loose trail leading from the mouth of the cave to their writhing bodies.
“We could go elsewhere if you want a bit of privacy,” he suggested, motioning to the forest below.
“No,” she shook her head quickly. “To be honest, I find it deeply arousing, not only knowing that my best friend is doing the same thing I am, but being able to see her do it as well.”
He allowed her to lead him to a spot right next them, laid on his back and patted the ground beside him. Rather than oblige, she straddled him in a move so quick, it was even hard for him to follow. She slid out of his oversized shirt before placing her hands on his shoulders. Her brow crinkled almost imperceptibly as she stared down into his face, then she cut a glance from the mouth of the cave back to her friend already moaning in ecstasy.
“Change your mind about the privacy?” Niccolo asked, barely resisting the urge to probe her thoughts
. Tapping into the chaos the made up a yearlings mind for any period of time was usually an experience that was almost painful.
She offered him a lopsided smile. “No, but I was wondering how much longer I will last without feeding. I’m quite famished.”
“Perhaps we should rebuild your strength with a hunt before we go about taxing even more of your energy,” he suggested, stroking the side of her face.
“Perhaps, I could feed from you,” she paused as she kissed him softly on the lips. “Just a snack as it were, something to hold me over until we can hunt good and proper.”
Niccolo chuckled, remembering her hesitation from the night before. “Feeling a little braver today, are we?”
She leaned even further over him and nibbled on his ear before whispering into it, “You have no idea.”
“Then by all means,” he turned his head to the side, fully exposing his neck. Before he could elaborate, he felt Lana’s teeth pierce his skin. The familiar wash of euphoria swept through his system as the venom in her bite spread.
“Wait!” he said, when his eyes locked on Pavlo’s vacant stare. It was clear that Nessa was already feeding on him.
He struggled against the pull of the venom, trying to will himself out of the trance before he sunk too deep. It wasn’t safe to let yearlings feed without someone there to keep them from taking too much, and Pavlo was clearly too far gone in his bliss to be roused by anything short of Nessa releasing her hold on him. Why hadn’t he given them warning? Did she take him by surprise?
His mind swam. He tired to focus on the fleeting thoughts, searching for something to latch onto, something to keep him tethered to reality. He experienced a moment of clarity, for just an instant. Someone else had pierced his skin and was now feeding from him. The initial pain was nearly enough to bring him back to full consciousness, but it quickly faded as his body was bombarded by twice the venom. Who else was feeding from him? Did that mean Pavlo was awake now? Nessa? Surely, Pavlo wouldn’t let the other yearling feed from him as well?
Something was amiss. He couldn’t place the source, but the answer danced at the corner of his reason, taunting him, daring him to unravel its meaning. A dark fear took root as he replayed the moment before Lana began to feed. Her head twitched from Nessa to the mouth of the cave over and over in his mind. Was she really only yearning for a meal, or was she awaiting a signal? Why were they alone when Pavlo happened across them? Where were their masters?
Trap! Trap! Trap! his mind screamed at him. Redoubling his efforts, he visualized his body moving. Nothing happened. The draw of the venom was growing, becoming nearly irresistible. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he was certain there wasn’t much more before he would be too far gone to resist the lure of surrender. Pushing against the sensation, he tried again. If only he could rise, could find his footing, he would be able to shake free of the venom’s powerful grip.
He was focused on rising with such determination that when a third set of teeth pierced his skin; it lifted the fog of his mind entirely for a fraction of a second.
It was enough.
With a mighty roar, he sprang to his feet. Pain stained his vision red as broke free, chunks of his flesh staying between the teeth of his assailants.
“What? How?” Adam Chaffey stammered as he took a step back, blood trickling down his chin. Charlie and Lana still crouched over the spot where he lay moments before, staring up at him with wide-eyed wonder.
Niccolo spotted the still body of his friend. Annette and Tommy had joined Nessa and were steadily draining him of his life’s essence. He shot forth with all the speed he could muster; crashing into the group with such force, the walls of the cave trembled. He rolled to his feet on the other side, gripping Tommy’s throat with one hand and Annette’s arm in the other, but Nessa was still firmly attached to Pavlo’s neck. He felt his legs tremble as his vision dimmed. They had taken too much blood. He didn’t have much strength left in him. He slung Annette into the trio of advancing vampires as he bit into Tommy’s shoulder. Knowing he could feed enough to regain all his strength, he hoped it would be enough to keep him alive.
He drank greedily, doing everything in his power not to lose himself in the story of Tommy’s life as the blood entered his system. He failed, reliving with morbid fascination as one by one scores of powerful vampires fell victim to Adam Chaffey’s coven. They were trophy hunters of a sort, collecting the memories and lives of both the most famous and infamous vampires who ever earned a place in vampiric history.
Searing pain severed the connection and Niccolo separated Tommy’s head from his body before dropping the pieces to the floor. As his senses readjusted to the presence, he saw that he now had four vampires biting and clawing at him, fighting for the life of their brother. Succumbing to his building bloodlust, he unleashed on them a spinning whirlwind of fangs and fury. They flew away from him almost as one, tattered and bleeding.
Adam clutched a gushing wound on his forearm and stared at him, a smile growing across his face. “You sir, have truly lived up to your reputation.”
Niccolo growled as he dropped into a crouch. “That was just a taste of what I have in store for you.”
Before Adam could respond, he sprang forward like a bullet and shoved his hand beneath Annette’s ribcage and yanked her heart free. It was still beating as he tossed it to her mate. Adam caught it, stared at it in disbelief and let out a wail of despair. He dropped to his knees cradling the heart with both hands.
Charlie and Lana launched themselves at Niccolo, but he was already in motion again. Lana barely missed him, her claws grazing the side of his neck as he collided with Charlie. They soared through the air, gnawing and slashing, searching for a weakness. Niccolo clamped down on one of his flailing arms and began to drink as he held Charlie’s teeth away from his own vulnerable skin.
He nearly bit through his forearm when they smashed into the wall of the cave.
They both crumpled to the floor in a heap. Niccolo was the first to recover. With the fresh supply of blood pumping through his veins, the strength began to return to his limbs and his mind began to clear. As he grabbed Charlie by the throat, he spied Lana closing the gap between them. To his heightened senses, she appeared to move no faster than an average mortal, though he was sure she was pushing her body forward with all of the supernatural strength she could summon. He clenched the hand with which he held Charlie, ripping his neck wide open.
Lana stumbled to a halt as Niccolo smacked the barely attached head, sending it skittering across the ground toward her.
“Think about it, yearling,” he warned. “It doesn’t have to end this way.”
She stared at him, clenching and unclenching her fists as a bevy of emotions warred across her face. Niccolo took advantage of her hesitation and leapt into the air. He blew passed her before she even had time to register that he had moved. Grabbing Nessa by the hair, he kneed her in the side to make her release her grip on Pavlo before pulling her to her feet. She hissed at him in defiance.
Niccolo reared back to strike, but Lana latched onto his arm before he could swing. Apparently, she had made her choice. Her teeth sunk deep into the meat of his bicep. Even as her venom began to work at his system, he pulled her forward and bit the top of her head. The skull broke easily beneath his fangs, but still she held strong. Pulling a chunk of her hair and scalp free, he spit it onto the ground. Plunging his fangs into her exposed brain, he drank deeply until she released him. He let her go and she crumpled in a lifeless heap.
Nessa squirmed with renewed fervor at the end of his extended arm, but his focus landed on Adam. He had crawled over to Annette’s body and cradled her head in his lap. Even in the midst of the attack brought on by this man, he couldn’t help but pity him for the pain that was so apparent on the old vampire’s face.
A sudden pain in his arm drug him from his moment of sympathy. Nessa had dug both sets of claws into him and was trying to rip the muscles from his bone. His first instinct was
to crush her throat, but he knew he needed her blood to completely heal his wounds. Keeping his eye on Adam, he caught her wrist and brought it to his trembling lips.
Reliving her life as her essence passed into him, he realized this was her first trophy hunt. She was frightened when they told her the plan, but assured her they had performed a similar ruse countless times and had yet to lose a member of their family. Adam had trained her to keep her true intentions buried deep within her mind and warned her that as long as she didn’t think about them ever again, she would be perfectly safe.
When he saw himself lay beside her as she rode Pavlo, he broke off the connection. Her hand fell away from his mouth limply. When he released her throat, she collapsed at his feet, her eyes vacant, all but lifeless.
He moved in a blur to kneel beside his friend. Pavlo hadn’t moved at all during the entire altercation. Pressing two fingers against his throat, he searched for a pulse. As long as his heart still beat, his body could pull in the blood he needed to recuperate. Nearly a second had passed and he still couldn’t feel anything beneath his touch.
“I’m too late,” he whispered, the pain of loss already searing his chest. “I should’ve pulled them from you sooner, old friend.”
Then he felt it, a solitary throb, weak and feather light, but it was still a sign of life. There was hope. He leapt his feet and ghosted across the cave to stand above Adam’s shuddering body. He didn’t even bother to look up.
“On your feet,” Niccolo growled.
“Just get on with it. I haven’t the time for games.”
He was taken aback. “Will you not defend yourself?”
Adam looked up at him with accusing eyes. “What’s the point? You’ve taken away from me everything I cared about in this world.”
“I’ve taken—” Niccolo let out a mirthless laugh. “You attacked us, you unscrupulous bastard.”
He nodded absently. “Yes, but I’ve never witnessed anyone who has resisted the euphoric pull of our venom for so long. Your face clearly showed signs that you were lost in a state of bliss, but you managed dredge yourself up out of the depths.”
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