Mortal Bite (Golden Vampires of Tuscany)

by Sharon Hamilton

  Paolo nodded.

  “And with this war coming on, you owe your best efforts to defeat the dark forces descending upon us. In short, we need you. Too many of our kind are disappearing. Something evil is happening.”

  “The apex.” Paolo whispered into the fire.

  “Yes, I feel it, brother. Something has shifted. I feel like this is the last stand of our species. We are under open attack.”

  “I pledge to protect the family. Protect my flesh and blood.” He extended his hand to Marcus. “You have my solemn vow, brother. No harm will come to you or your family, our family, as long as I’m alive.”

  Chapter 20

  Dag transported himself to his flat in San Francisco so he could pick up his Harley Road King. He liked to scare the mortals as he fired up the beast and drove at midnight over to the little coven library his uncle ran in the heart of the Tenderloin. His black leather spiked saddlebags were full of mayhem, but he also kept a spare change of clothes in case his encounters got messy.

  The storefront said Mystical Books, but everyone in the coven knew it was just a ploy to bring in young unsuspecting college-age coeds who wanted to dabble in the black arts. It was a storefront even the homeless didn’t dare sleep under.

  They’d had séances in the library. But after the séances, there were some mighty fine orgies, which usually left half the attendees dead. For those who survived, unless they were special, and it was getting difficult to find special ones, their memories would be wiped and they’d never return.

  No one ever commented about the fact that the store was only open at night. Daylight hours were spent recovering from the roaming nights of sex and death. Although most the dark vampire hordes didn’t sleep in coffins as the old myths described, they did have to stay out of the sunlight. Even a pinhole in a shade or drape could cause burning and pain.

  It was another reason Dag never brought any mortal to his own bed. And he detested other dark vampire women, mostly because they were not easily scared. Therefore, he would be heirless, since darks could only successfully breed with other dark vampires. And unlike Goldens, darks became blood-sucking babies and toddlers prone to feasting on their nannies and housekeepers.

  So be it. Dag didn’t want the little shits running around his household causing chaos, anyway. Besides, it could be something someone could hold over on him. He made a point of not having anyone around him he couldn’t do without. The little blonde was already becoming a problem, messing up his focus as his anticipation heightened for their next encounter, but he knew it was way too early to tell how that would turn out.

  Colin was sorting a box of books that had come in the mail. He was “made” later in life, so he looked more than twice Dag’s age, more like Dag’s grandfather than uncle, despite the fact that they would both live forever. The older vamp had been despondent over the theft of his younger wife’s life. She’d been turned by a warring coven that used her as a pleasure doll for nearly a year before she was found. The fact that she had strange desires and needs after the turning made their reunion pure hell, so Colin begged the Supreme Leader to be allowed to join her in vampiric form, and was granted the request. It was Dag’s last turning before he himself became Supreme.

  And then Dag and his cohorts took care of the coven, eliminating its members one by one in a slow and excruciatingly painful death, as an example to other covens. No one ever questioned their power again, until the Supreme Leader began to make nice with Golden vamps, which was something Dag and his family could not tolerate, so they eliminated him as well.

  And now there would be a satisfying, blood-spewing purge to take the final solution to its last stages. It had been foretold in the book. The book Dag needed to find in order to complete his plans.

  “Uncle Colin, what have you found for me today?” Dag knew his uncle didn’t necessarily like him, but he respected his power and authority. Colin had no taste for the vampire wars or politics.

  “‘Fraid nothing, Dag. Everyone’s into eBooks these days, and we haven’t had any large scale invasions lately, so no looted libraries, sorry to say.”

  “What have you got here?” Dag pawed through the opened brown box with the Priority Mail sticker on it.

  “Not much you’d like.” Colin took a leather-bound book from Dag’s fingers, “King Arthur’s Witch—somehow I think that wouldn’t interest you.”

  “Pictures?” Dag smiled. “Even black and white ones? Naked mortals?”

  Colin flipped through the gold edged tome and shook his head. “Not a one. Sorry.”

  “You know we’ve heard the Bat Book has surfaced?”

  This got Colin’s attention. “Yes, I know. Where is it?” Dag wondered if Colin was keeping something from him.

  “A bookseller in Prague has sold it to someone. We’re trying to locate it now. Can’t believe it was there practically under our noses all this time.”

  “Was beginning to think it was another urban legend. You really think this book exists? Sure it’s not a hoax?” Colin asked.

  “Not many mortal men can withstand the kind of pain we dispensed to find out.”

  Colin frowned and mumbled something to the armful of books he took back to his desk. It didn’t bother Dag in the slightest that Uncle Colin was afraid of him. He liked it that way.

  “So you will let me know if you hear of this book, or anything about it, won’t you, Colin?”

  “Of course,” Colin said to the desk.

  “How’s dark Vicky?” Dag was referring to Colin’s young vampire wife, who had been spared death by the competing coven because of what she could do in the bedroom. Whispers still surrounded her whenever there was a gathering.

  “She’s shopping.”

  “At midnight?” Dag noticed Colin’s expression was pained and suspected that his aunt, who had expressed an interest in her own nephew, was not exactly faithful to her dumpy librarian of a husband.

  The front door opened with a tinkling bell. Two very thin male vamps in their twenties with spikes in their ears and lips entered. Dag regarded them carefully. There was something a bit off about their appearance, and he didn’t recognize them. They also had the smell of Vicky on them.

  “Hey pops, we found a couple books at a garage sale and thought perhaps they might be worth something,” the slightly taller one of the two said. He nodded to Dag, obviously not realizing he was the Coven Supreme Leader.

  Dag considered a punishment, but decided to table it. If these two were Vicky’s new playthings, then perhaps Colin might enjoy the sport at a later time. He doubted it, but stored it away in his memory just in case.

  “Boys, first I’d like you to meet the Supreme Leader, Dag Nielsen,” Colin blurted out before the young vamp could hand him the book. “You’d be wise to address him with respect,” he continued. To Dag, he added, “They’re Vicky’s progeny.” His uncle’s bloodshot eyes shifted from side to side. Dag could tell Colin was nervous as hell. “Just babes, really.”

  Colin shrugged and started to examine the first of two large books he’d been handed.

  The young vamps bowed and left their heads cowed, avoiding eye contact.

  That’s way more like it.

  “Sir, we mean you no disrespect,” the other vamp whispered. “New to this fiefdom.”

  Dag inhaled briskly, like he’d been slapped. The younglings darted quick glances at him. “That smacks of attitude.” Dag pounced in front of the taller boy. “You like fucking Vicky? What’s she like?”

  “S-s-sir. I’m sure I don’t know.” The boy was trying to get Colin’s attention and help.

  “Liar.” Dag grabbed him by the collar and shook him until the boy’s head rocked back, exposing bite marks under his jaw line and purple hickeys like a collar of blueberry jam around his neck. “She’s a mean bitch, isn’t she?”

  Dag heard the sound of water running and realized the youngling had peed his pants, and all over Dag’s shoes. The boy’s friend stepped away, out of Dag’s reach and separa
ting himself from the whimpering vamp. Dag took a bite from the boy’s neck and only drew a mouthful before he released him and spit the blood out.

  “You filthy, dope-smoking, pieces of shit. What’d she do, offer you free sex for the rest of your miserable lives? Tell you to bring her husband books to keep him happy and occupied while you fucked her brains out?”

  “Dag—” the librarian pleaded.

  “Why do you let her humiliate you so, uncle? Wouldn’t you love to watch your wife’s lover have his dick torn off?”

  Colin looked horrified. Dag wasn’t sure if it was the retribution Vicky would bring down upon him if the boy were harmed, or whether he was really averse to the violence. In an uncharacteristic act of mercy, Dag released the young vamp, sending him to the floor. The two scrambled out the door.

  “This is getting out of control, Colin. You have to teach your woman how to respect you.”

  “I know. I am just not her type. Ever since—”

  “First you begged us to turn her so she wouldn’t die. Then you begged the Supreme, which really pissed him off, to turn you so you weren’t such a disappointment to her, with her new appetites. Now what? I can’t undo what is already done. You’re gonna have to man up, Colin. Or, do you want me to show you how it’s done?

  “Dag, she’s your aunt!”

  “By marriage only. But believe me, I’d have to hold my nose if I fucked her. No telling where that twat’s been. Most men, especially vamps, would love a woman who wants to have sex 24/7. And you’re complaining?”

  “Not when she’s—“

  “You think I’m stupid, Uncle Colin? I know she doesn’t fuck when she sleeps. But I’ve done it. Left my cock inside them while we slept and resumed screwing at sunset when we awoke at night again” Dag picked up one of the books and fingered the spine. “Of course, now I only fuck mortals. I have no taste for vamp whores. You should try young human flesh again. Perhaps give you good practice for Queen Vicky.”

  “Dag, it’s no use. She doesn’t fancy me.”

  “Then glamour her.”

  “I don’t have the gift.”

  “Then get a potion.”

  “Where?”

  “Damn it, man. You’ve got books all over the place here. Do a little research.”

  “I suppose—”

  “Tie her up, make her submit to you. I think she’d actually like that. You’re too easy with her. She liked it rough before, am I right?”

  “Yes. A little.”

  “And that’s what you liked, too.”

  “She got rough with me. I didn’t—”

  “She was trying to egg you on, get you to be a man. Don’t you get it?”

  “I just want to love her. I don’t want to cause her pain. I don’t care if she hurts me. If that’s what she likes, I can take it, especially now that I am vampire. I heal within 24 hours. I just don’t want her to leave me.”

  Dag spat on the wooden floor. “I can’t believe we are even blood related. You are a fuckin’ disgrace.”

  For the second time today he took pity on someone. Dag hoped it wasn’t going to be an annoying trend. Looking at the shaking form of his uncle, his hair disheveled, shirt barely tucked into his banana slug yellow-brown corduroy pants, his jiggling pot belly taking up all the extra slack and making it impossible for him to wear a belt, Dag felt sorry for him. He knew Colin to be a gentle soul. Not many vamps had any real family, so they would have eternity to work out their relationship.

  He gripped Colin’s shoulder and stared back at him across the length of his outstretched arm. “Let’s talk about books, shall we? That’s a more pleasant topic.”

  Colin’s eyes lit up. “Yes.”

  “How can I get a track on that book? Where it got shipped to?” Dag asked.

  “If it was a credit card order, they would have the record. If you get me that detail, I can perhaps have an answer within a few hours. Will the bookseller cooperate?”

  “Not now.” Dag said with a scowl.

  Colin backed up just a hair. “I see. Well, then, perhaps someone else who manages the shop can find it. He has a family?”

  Dag cleared his throat. “That’s a problem, too.”

  “Ah. Well then, take his computer. It would all be done online. He have an Amazon account? It would be easier if it were through eBay or Craigslist. But the credit card company would be best.”

  “I’ll get the computer and see what we find and have it emailed to you.”

  “No problem. I’ll drop everything and devote my day to it. I promise, Dag.”

  “Thank you, Colin. You’ve been a great help already.” Dag slapped his uncle on the back. “We’ll work on that other problem, too. I think I can help you there in exchange.”

  “No. Not necessary, but thanks anyway.” Colin was in visible distress again.

  “No? Well then, I want you to promise me one thing.”

  Colin hung his head, clearly afraid to hear what kind of an order Dag was going to deliver.

  “I want you to try tying up your wife when she’s asleep. Bind her hands and feet to the bedpost. Let her squirm. Use silver if you have to. You have some silver chain?”

  “I do. I know Vicky has some in her underwear drawer.”

  “Your wife’s a fuckin’ freak, Colin.”

  “I know this, but I love her.”

  “Well, tie her up with the silver—her own silver for fuck’s sake—and make it really secure. Don’t worry yourself about the wounds; you know she’ll heal. But she’ll think twice before hurting your heart again, believe me. Let her stay there for a day. Careful not to let any light in while you are taking your sleep. Ask her first to be more docile and tell her you’ll let her go if she can act convincingly. She’s going to be mad as hell, but she’ll like the game I think. See if she’s interested in playing along. Can you do that for me and report to me in a day?”

  Colin appeared to hesitate.

  “Colin. You know you are required to master her. Otherwise, she’s a loose cannon. I cannot afford to have someone out of control so close to me. You understand how it would look?”

  “Yes.”

  “Try it. You might discover a part of yourself you never knew existed.”

  Dag chuckled as he rode his Harley back to his rented flat. There was going to be one of two outcomes in the next twenty-four hours. Either the problem of wild Vicky would be solved, or Colin would wind up with a hatchet between his eyes.

  Either solution worked for Dag. Now that he was close to finding the book, the need for a coven librarian was soon going to be redundant.

  Chapter 21

  Lionel Jett searched the sparkling lights of the City of Healdsburg from his loft apartment overlooking the square. A trio of young men laughed sharply, and it drew his attention to the sidewalk below, where fall tourists had descended upon the little wine country town to feast at one of the two hundred wineries nearby. There weren’t many days he wished he was mortal. He didn’t often wish he was Golden vampire, instead of the dark vamp of his ancestors. But today, he definitely wished he possessed the powers the Goldens enjoyed.

  His weariness was beginning to creep into his everyday consciousness, almost like a kind of aging process. Of course, he would never age. He’d seen changes in the world, especially with the explosion of the mortal population over the past four hundred years since his birth. The Golden population had remained about the same, or perhaps decreased slightly recently. But that was just something he sensed, rather than knew. He wasn’t privy to all the inner workings of the Golden society, which was as it should be.

  He’d been hired on roughly four hundred years ago to help Marcus and Paolo’s father establish his little estate in Tuscany and raise his eight children, and sadly, watched both Sr. Monteleone, a lion of a mortal man, as was his namesake, and his beautiful wife, who was Lionel’s contemporary in school, die as mortals, without taking the change. He wondered if the brothers he now served understood the depth of his feeling for the
ir mother. His service was the least he could do for a kind lady who took pity on him as a young, struggling waif trying to raise two orphaned brothers after the death of their parents.

  Serving the Monteleones had given his life purpose, and the routine hadn’t bothered him one bit. He served at night, unless he was given an unusual night off, like tonight. During the day, he was dead to the mortal world, locked in a special bedroom that might be impenetrable to anything but a direct RPG attack. It would withstand a 9.0 earthquake.

  No, the vulnerabilities were happening within. Something was brewing inside him. A sense of loneliness and perhaps a little despair. He’d scented down dark coven lords who wanted to do injury to the Monteleones, and “liquidated” their blood, as he was fond of saying.

  Sending them back to the source.

  That part of his life wasn’t what was causing the problem. It was the living forever, alone, that began to eat a small hole, like a pinhole in a curtain during daylight.

  This war felt different from all the other attacks he’d survived and protected the Goldens from. More than about power, this war almost seemed like a planned annihilation of the Goldens and their progeny. And for what purpose? He didn’t like fighting a mission he knew nothing about.

  So, though it was his night off, he decided to do a little R&R, check out some haunts some of his dark brethren frequented on the fringes of mortal society, where it was dangerous, but sometimes delicious. He was in need of information, but a sexual liaison wouldn’t be half bad, either. It might even release the tension dwelling in his loins.

  He decided to connect with his brothers, Jeb and Hugh. He picked up his black cell phone and pushed number two. Jeb’s voice came on the line immediately.

  “Hola.”

  “Hello, brother. You available?” Lionel asked.

  “You need me tonight? Thought we had the night off.” Jeb’s husky voice was somehow reassuring to him.

  “Yes. But I’m going to go mingle, see if I can pick up some information on the currents I’m feeling.”

  “You too, huh?”