by J. C. Diem
“Do we even want to know how that happened?” the Colonel asked.
“Trust me, you do not,” Luc replied. He circled me, trying to figure out how to extract the spear. “You will need to lie down so that I can pull it out,” he decided.
Neither of us was looking forward to the extraction process but I couldn’t leave it in there. We moved into a side tunnel for privacy and Gregor stood guard to keep any curious onlookers away.
Lying down on my back, I kept as still as possible while Luc grasped the haft just above the blade. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“I’m-” before I could finish my answer, he yanked it out in one long, smooth motion. “Ready,” I croaked once the pain had faded.
Luc’s jaw tightened at the sight of the ooze coating the spear. I was just glad that I had been attacked instead of one of the others. The Second planned the whole thing. He knew I’d be the one to fall for the trap. If I hadn’t been the marvellous and mysterious Mortis, the ambush would have been fatal.
I took the hand Luc offered and he helped me to my feet. He dropped the spear at the edge of the pile of bodies. A soldier turned his flamethrower on the wood, burning it along with the freshly drained corpses. I didn’t blame him for his caution, not after I’d seen what my blood had done to the fledgling that had accidentally bitten me.
Igor and Nicholas returned a moment later, looking dejected. “The disciple managed to escape,” the over muscled one said before Igor could offer an explanation.
Cutting an annoyed glance at Nicholas, Igor elaborated. “It is as we suspected. He knows these caves well and led us on a merry chase.”
Nicholas cut in again, keeping his attention squarely on me and ignoring the others. “He jumped into a hole and we heard a splash as he hit water far below. I did not think it would be wise to follow him without backup.”
Igor rolled his eyes, looking so much like his apprentice for a moment that I nearly smiled. Then the implications sank in. This whole thing had been yet another diversion. We hadn’t seen any sign of the Second or the older fledglings that he’d amassed. If I had to guess, I’d bet that he hadn’t stopped here at all and had continued on his northward path. He’d sent his two disciples on a mission to distract us, hoping we would kill them both. One was down and now there were only three more disciples standing between him and a clear run at world domination. There would be only two once we dealt with the other disciple in the cave.
Sending out my senses, I located the fleeing vamp somewhere beneath us. Widening the search, the Second had moved too far out of my weakened range to be able to detect him.
My friends, and Nicholas, gathered around as I strode over to Colonel Sanderson and General Merwe to deliver the bad news. “One of the disciples escaped and is somewhere deeper in the cave below us.”
“We can’t just leave the disciple down there. He’ll start creating new vampires as soon as we leave. What is our best course of action?” Sanderson asked.
“I’ll go after him,” I offered. Since I was the only one with the ability to sense where the disciple was hiding then I was the best person for the job.
“I will go with you, my…Natalie.” Nicholas offered me a smile and dropped his eyes to the tear in my suit where my white skin peeked out.
Luc bristled at my side but had too much dignity to argue with the newbie in front of the humans. Frankly, I’d be far less worried about Nicholas dying than I would be about Luc if he were to accompany me. “Ok,” I said and Luc went still beside me. I’d actually been planning on going in alone but maybe it would be a good idea to take someone with me. As far as I knew, Nicolas only wanted to sleep with me and didn’t have any plans to try to kill me.
Drawing Luc aside until we were out of earshot, I explained my reasons for leaving him behind. “Look, the only reason I’m taking Nicholas with me is that I’m sort of hoping the disciple will kill him for me.”
Luc’s stiffness lessened slightly and one corner of his mouth lifted. “That would be a welcome turn of events,” he conceded.
“Make sure none of the soldiers accidentally set any of you on fire while I’m gone,” I told him.
“Do not worry about us, Ladybug.” He bent and kissed my light scowl. I still wasn’t fond of that particular nickname.
“Take this,” Sanderson said and indicated a length of light nylon rope that one of his men held out. “It sounds like you’ll need it.”
“Thanks.” I slung the rope over my shoulder then made sure the radio was clipped to my belt. I doubted I’d have to call for reinforcements but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Nicholas shot a smug look at my one true love then indicated for me to precede him. With a wave at my friends and a wink at Luc, I took the tunnel that Igor and Nicholas had disappeared down earlier.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Feeling Nicholas’ eyes on me, I stopped to let him lead the way once we’d disappeared from sight. I felt better with my eyes on his back rather than having him skulking behind me, which just proved how little I trusted him.
He unerringly led me to the hole that the disciple had jumped into. Peering down, I could just make out the water below. Nicholas slid the rope from my shoulder, coming very close to brushing his fingertips across my breast as he did. I sent him an annoyed glance, which he blithely ignored.
Securing the rope to a stalagmite, he dropped it through the hole. The tail end hit the water a second later with a tiny splash. Nicholas insisted on going first and squeezed through the opening. He had to work his shoulders from side to side before he managed to make it through. I was tempted to help him by stomping on his head but he slid through the opening before I could offer my services. I waited for him to reach the bottom before following him.
Sliding down the rope, I stopped just above the water and examined the area. We were in a narrow chamber that narrowed even more at both ends. Nicholas stood waist deep in the underground creek, already shivering from the chilly water. Not thrilled with the idea of getting wet, I aimed for land only a few feet away. Jumping clear of the rope, I landed on dry ground. The creek was roughly ten feet wide and we could leap over it easily.
Clambering onto the bank, Nicholas’ teeth chattered until he clenched them shut. “Try to find the disciple’s tracks,” I told him and started casting around myself for footprints. It would have been quicker to just send out my senses but it was an excuse to put some distance between myself and my unwanted helper.
This side of the tunnel was clear so I crossed to the other side. Nicholas joined me and we split up to search in opposite directions. I found scuff marks where someone had recently climbed out of the creek near the end of the tunnel. The body of water narrowed and so did the walls. There was just enough room to walk beside the creek without falling in.
Nicholas came at a run when I beckoned him. The tunnel was short and opened into a confusing labyrinth of caves. My senses pinpointed a lone vampire in the distance and I indicated that we should move slowly. If the Second had been here, he would have felt me closing in on him. This disciple had no idea at all that we were there and was oblivious to our presence.
When we were so close that I could hear a fire crackling, I stopped. Using hand signals, I directed Nicholas to circle around behind the unsuspecting disciple. Waiting for a couple of minutes to allow my unwanted companion to shift into place, I drew my swords and entered a tiny, low tunnel. Bending almost double, I crept forward and beheld my prey.
Still unaware that he was being hunted, the disciple huddled beside a small fire. He fed wood that was so old it was almost petrified into the flames. No vampire in their right mind would fall asleep beside any kind of blaze, no matter how small it was. After his dunking in the creek, he was doing the only thing he could to raise his body temperature again.
I spied Nicholas directly opposite me. He waved to signal that he was ready and the disciple caught sight of the movement. For a moment he was still as he assessed the danger and then he was on h
is feet and moving. I’d thought the disciple I’d chased through the jungle had been fast. He had nothing on this guy. Snatching up a knife that had laid beside him, the disciple threw it.
Nicholas gave a cry of pain when the blade hit him and my heart gave a tiny lurch of hope that he would no longer be my problem to deal with. Turning, the disciple started when he saw me coming for him and scooped up another blade.
Standing on opposite sides of the fire, we circled it slowly, searching for signs of weakness. “How did you survive my spear strike?” he asked me almost casually in his ancient native language.
“I’m Mortis. Stuff like that has no effect on me.”
“I do not understand your words,” the disciple said with a frown. “Why do you not speak my language?”
I opened my mouth to reply and only realized he was trying to distract me after he flicked a hand at my face in a pretend attack. Falling for the ruse, I shifted slightly and a blade was suddenly sticking out of my chest. “The Second warned me that you would be difficult to kill,” he told me as I pretended to stagger back a step. “He was foolish to think that a mere woman could possibly best a true warrior in battle.”
Reaching me, his hand closed around the hilt of his dagger and prepared to pull it out, presumably to turn me into a slushy puddle. My hand moved with startling speed and the tip of my sword was suddenly sticking out of his back. “You should have listened to him,” I said and slid the blade out.
The disciple’s expression of astonishment disappeared right along with the rest of him as he turned into a watery puddle.
Wiping my blade clean on his tattered loincloth, I crossed my fingers and entered the tunnel where Nicholas had fallen. I was immediately disappointed to see he was still in one piece. Then I saw the blade in his chest. The disciple had been very skilled with throwing knives. He’d managed to hit both of our hearts.
Dropping to my knees beside Nicholas, I put my hand on the blade and started when his eyes fluttered open. “How bad is it, my…Natalie?” he asked in a weak voice.
As far as I knew, I was the only vampire who had ever been able to survive a wound to the heart. Bending to take a closer look, I widened the tear in his borrowed t-shirt. I hid a frown when I saw that the blade hadn’t scored a direct hit after all. “Can vampires survive if their hearts have been nicked but not punctured?” I still knew surprisingly little about our kind.
Shaking his head, Nicholas grimaced in pain. “I do not know.” Moving slowly and carefully, he placed his hand on mine then put it on the blade again. “Would you grant me one wish before you pull the blade free, my Liege?”
Wary, I felt a sense of déjà vu wash over me and suspected what was coming. “What wish?”
“Would you give me the honour of a kiss?” His big black eyes did their best to be pleading but he was too arrogant to successfully pull it off.
“Geordie already tried that one on me once and I almost fell for it,” I told him. “I’m not going to be that dumb twice.”
Nicholas’ eyes widened then I pulled the blade free. Doubling over, he clutched the tear in his flesh and came close to swooning from the pain. Disappointment flooded through me when he straightened up and glared at me. Apparently, other vampires could survive a minor wound to their heart.
“We should head back to the others,” I said and stood.
I bent to brush dirt off my knees and then I was suddenly yanked upright and propelled back against the rock wall. Nicholas’ face was tight with rage as he glared down at me. Finally, we get to see the real Nicholas, my subconscious thought with satisfaction. “You lay on your back for Lucentio yet I am not good enough for you! What does he have that I do not?”
“Lord Lucentio has many things that you don’t,” I replied coolly, pretending that the hands biting into my shoulders didn’t hurt.
“Name one,” he grated.
“I’ll name three,” I countered. “He has compassion, honour and the capacity to love. You have none of the above.”
Staring at me furiously, Nicholas changed his grip so that it became less crushing. A look of cold calculation passed across his face, altering it from being ridiculously handsome to almost ugly. “Lord Lucentio is a monster just like me. He has merely learned how to make your flesh hunger rise whenever he wishes. Any vampire with skill could do the same.”
I was a bit slow and only realized that Nicholas intended to kiss me the instant before his lips touched mine. The contact lasted for only a moment before my lust woke. Unfortunately for Nicholas, it wasn’t quite the lust he’d intended to arouse.
Orange light burst from my eyes as my battle lust was ignited. Using all the strength that being Mortis gave me, I shoved him backwards. Nicholas hit the wall, bounced off it and went down to one knee. He’d been bigger than everyone else for so long that he’d forgotten what it felt like to be physically afraid of someone.
Moving with speed that a human eye could never hope to follow, I clamped a hand around his throat and lifted him off the ground. His toes barely brushed the ground at first but settled on the dirt when I brought him in close enough that our noses were almost touching. “If you every try that again, I will cut your heart out.”
Flinching back either from my blazing eyes or from my rage, Nicholas was unable to speak. His mouth opened but no words came out. I realized I was crushing his vocal cords and eased up on the pressure.
“You have my word that I will never touch you again, my Queen,” he forced out.
Dropping him to his knees, I stalked out of the tunnel, not caring if he followed me or not. The sheer arrogance of men astounds me, I thought as I made my way back to the creek. He actually thought he could force me to lust after him.
Don’t kid yourself, my subconscious said with more seriousness and less sarcasm than I was used to. You know what his true intentions were. He tried to force you, period. I doubt he cared whether your flesh hunger rose or not. I knew my inner voice was right and it gave me a sick feeling inside. I thought I was supposed to be his queen. Nicholas had a strange way of showing fealty to someone he repeatedly claimed to be his ruler.
Leaping over to the rope, I managed to wet only the toes of my boots but kept the rest of myself dry. I climbed to the top quickly then watched Nicholas emulate me and leap over to the length of nylon. For more than a few moments, I debated whether to cut the rope and leave him behind. You know the old saying, my subconscious whispered, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Since my silent self was far wiser than me, I listened to its advice.
Chapter Thirty
My friends and the two leaders of the armies were waiting for us when we returned. “Did you get him?” Colonel Sanderson asked.
I nodded, much to everyone’s relief. “He’s toast.”
Disappointment flickered across Luc’s face as Nicholas came into view behind me. He noted the hole in the green t-shirt and raised an eyebrow. “It seems you came very close to death, Nicholas.”
Nicholas flicked a quick look at me, then forced a smile. “It is nothing, barely a scratch.”
“What happened?” Luc murmured when I reached his side.
Telling him the whole story would result in an immediate brawl and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the drama. I went with a half-truth instead. “The disciple was very fast and very handy with throwing knives. He nicked Nicholas in the heart.”
Gregor flicked his hair back in a gesture that I was beginning to realize masked his true feelings at times. He clapped the muscled vamp on the back. “You were very lucky to have survived, Nicholas. Most vampires die from even the smallest wounds to their hearts.”
Looking even more shaken now, Nicholas dropped his eyes to the ground. “I was very fortunate,” he agreed.
“I take it that we’re done here?” General Merwe declared more than asked. I took in the ashy remains that had once been humans and would have turned into fledglings if we hadn’t stopped to roast them. “Do you have any idea where the rest of these
creatures are headed?” he asked me.
I shook my head to indicate I had no idea. “They must have split up at some stage without me knowing it. The Second and his last two fellow disciples could be headed anywhere by now.”
“Can’t you sense them?” Sanderson queried.
“I can only sense our kind at fairly close range during the day. I’ll have to wait until nightfall to try to find them.” I felt inadequate under the soldier’s stares. I was the legendary Mortis and I wasn’t measuring up to the hype.
Igor came to my defence. “At least Natalie can sense them when night falls. Without her you would be forever running after the Second without a hope of ever catching up to him.”
Reluctantly nodding his agreement, Sanderson began to round up his troops. Privately, I thought Igor had summed up our current situation quite nicely. We had yet to come face to face with our quarry. The only time we’d glimpsed him had been from a distance and only because he had allowed us to. I was beginning to feel like a puppet being led around by the strings.
Back at the entrance to the cave, we donned our cloaks and were led back to the armoured truck. The door was slammed shut once we were safely inside and we stripped the heavy black fabric off. Geordie was still slumped in his harness, covered from head to toe. Igor tugged the teen’s hood back but left the cloak on him.
With no concrete information about where the Second was headed, the Colonel took a guess and kept heading north.
Nicholas had been very quiet since our confrontation in the cave. He strapped himself into his seat and succumbed to unconsciousness without a word. Gregor and Igor followed him into oblivion and then it was just Luc and I awake in the back of the truck.
“What happened while you and Nicholas were alone?” Luc asked me.