He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my lips, taking advantage of the proximity to wrap his arms around me and grab my ass. He spoke against my lips. "No.
We're going to kill them all. Efficiently. The longer it takes for them to notice the bodies, the fewer we'll have to hunt down."
I stared at him. Then I looked around.
The people had been faceless, which was understandable considering the masks.
I saw them now, a mass of bodies, and finally, individuals. A petite woman resting in the arms of a large man, both wearing matching harlequin masks. A stooped old man being helped along by what appeared to be a strapping youth. Three young men exchanging playful punches in the midst of jokes and laughs.
I licked my lips. The smile faded. "All of them?"
Elah nipped my lip when my tongue left it and met my eyes. The look was hard.
I could tell he wasn't pleased. His hands moved from my ass to my arms. He gripped down roughly. "Yes, all of them. Make no mistake, Lydia. Not one of them is innocent."
I wrenched away from him, drawing attention our way. Opening my mouth to rebuke him for being a pushy ass, I closed it just as fast when my back hit a broad chest.
I turned and looked up. Then backed into Elah.
Bruno smiled down at me, no recognition in his eyes. Yet. I scrambled to find a way to let Elah know of the danger.
It turned out I didn't need to. I knew that Elah knew from the way his arms wrapped firm around me.
Bruno's familiar chuckle shot a frisson of fear straight through me. "Trouble in paradise? Say it isn't so! Want me to take her off your hands?"
A hand touched my arm. My eyes shot up. I was expecting the worst. Satan, maybe. Or, if the fates were cruel, Cyrus.
Instead, it was a stranger. "Have you had any refreshments, My Lady? If not, then may I show you to the delicacies?"
I wasn't sure what to say. Elah answered for me even as he gave my hand to the stranger. "That's an excellent idea, Claudette." He nudged me along and gave me a little wink. "A few drinks might help with the brooding. It's quite unattractive."
I had to retort, even if it was shrouded. Holding tight to the stranger with the white half mask, I cocked my head and smirked. "You may be right My Lord. Besides, I may find entertainment . . . elsewhere."
With that, I let the man lead me away. Ignoring Elah's laugh, I turned to study my new escort.
Face clean-shaven, he appeared young, but I knew that in itself proved nothing.
It was quite likely he had decades on me, if not more. His smooth alabaster flesh was the very image of perfection, his pouty lips giving him an effeminate air. With the light blond hair and the fit, but lithe figure, he was far too pretty and boyish for my taste. It did, however, give me some pause. The face of an angel made the idea of him being a cold-blooded killer laughable--a naïve thought, but I couldn't seem to push it away.
Accepting the glass he handed me, snatched from a table swathed in black silk, I took a sip and tried to figure out how to get some answers, without seeming to pry.
Words came to him first. "Your Spanish accent slips quite a bit, my dear. You'd be wise to keep conversation to a minimum if you don't want your deceit discovered."
Stunned I stared at him. "My deceit?" God, I'd blown our cover.
In an attempt to reassure me, he patted the back of my hand. "Yes, but don't look so frightened, young one. I may have been to many of these illustrious events, but I have not forgotten how very coveted an invitation is. I would praise your man on his creativity but for the fact you may pay for my awareness of it."
I almost laughed in relief. He though Elah and I were simply crashing the party.
All I needed to do was make certain I did nothing to make him question further. "I am grateful for your discretion, sir." I batted my lashes. "Or, should it be My Lord?"
He chuckled and leaned close. "Nothing so glamorous I'm afraid. I am simply the provider of delicacies. I'm invited for my usefulness. Nothing more."
I licked my lips and tried to remain calm. "Delicacies?"
Standing straight and proud, he nodded. "Indeed. Many crave a younger fare.
Let me show you."
Closing down emotionally, lest I show how disgusted I was at just the implication, I let him lead me to an adjoining room. Black pillars, a sarcophagus proudly centered in the room, the shroud of a long dead saint, desecrated by blood, surrounded by dancing and laughter. I hardly saw it. All I saw was the cage. The cage he held his arm out to with unconcealed pride.
The bars were made of iron, most likely for effect rather than actual confinement.
Little hands clenched to it. Little faces peered through the bars in fright. It was as though half a dozen children had been chosen to bear witness to the fact that the bogeyman did exist. They had seen him; that much was clear. But the way they cringed away from the bars as we approached told me there'd been more. Their wide eyes, the way they trembled and gathered together, made it pretty obvious they knew what had happened to the others. They knew it was their fate.
A pair of baby blue eyes rose to my face. Blonde ringlets and soft flushed cheeks.
Chosen for her beauty, she showed no sign that she'd been hurt, despite the specks of blood marred her cream-colored flesh. Except in her eyes. She'd given up. There was no hope left; something inside her had died. The image jarred me, took speech from me.
My escort didn't notice.
"Lovely youths. The best I could find on such short notice." He spun me around and pulled me against him, a broad smile on his lips. "Dance with me, and I'll give you the girl. She's prime." He led me into the dance, around and around, a dance I could not remember but my body knew. I flowed into it with him, hearing nothing as he continued to speak. All I could hear was the music, coming to me, warped and distorted, drowned out by a high cackle and a lusty roar. Wide skirts brushed my legs, masks with frozen expressions of happiness hedging on insanity. The noise droned in my ears, nothing discernable anymore, just throbbing, jarring sound.
Blue eyes. I could see them, every time I blinked. My mind seemed to spin with the dance, so shocked and sickened it didn't know how to grasp onto the horror, didn't know how to manage. When my breath became labored and panicked, drawing the gaze of the man holding me to my face, I knew I had, at the very least, to feign some semblance of control.
Thinking of Daederich, I tried to mirror his bored aloofness. To keep with the pretense, I tried to show some interest in the topic, hoping I could hide how very much I wanted to kill this man. "So, how many children were there?"
He smiled, missing how clipped my words were. "A dozen at first. Two were unfortunately lost during transport. Though to be honest, my men simply became overzealous in their need to make an example of them. Feisty little things." He motioned back to the cage. "The little girl, ah, she was a treat. So quiet, except once, when she asked when she would see her mother again. The bruises have faded, but I had to cuff her a few times to stop the screaming when I told her the woman was dead.
She hasn't made a sound since. She should be quite passive whatever you and your man decide to use her for."
I felt as though my eyes would burn through his skull. Through my teeth, I forced out the words that would seal his fate. "I take it you've experienced it first hand?"
He nodded, still oblivious. "Why of course. I sample everything I offer. Easier to assure good quality. I'm not surprised she caught your eye. She was my favorite. Sweet and soft and—" His words drowned out in a gurgle of blood. I smiled sweetly as he looked down in horror at the dagger I'd imbedded in his gut.
Hand slick with his blood, I pulled the dagger out. I watched him fall with grim satisfaction and transferred the blade to my other hand, absently licking my fingers as I watched the blood spill past his parted lips.
Feeling removed from myself, I didn't notice the dancing had stopped, didn't hear the music sputter off. Only a firm grip on my shoulder, whipping me around to see a look of utter
exasperation on Elah's face returned me to myself.
"Amateur!" Elah growled and drew his sword, taking the head of a man who'd finally thought to react. The man's body slumped to the ground, and his head rolled, drawing out several feminine screams from the stunned crowd. "So much for waiting for my signal." He gave me a little shake. "Snap out of it, Lydia. If you want to make it out of here alive, you're gonna have to pull it together. Heart and head. Quickly.
They're waking up."
It seemed a strange comment, but I soon understood what he meant. The shock had held those around us still for several long moments. It fell from them in a crashing wave of rage that rose around us, a deafening chorus of snarls and shouts, cursing, crying out for vengeance and blood.
Vengeance. They had no idea.
Something growled, deep within, the beast that had waited for this moment. It wouldn't let me pause to think things through. Time for thought was over, now it wanted reward for its patience. Like a coiled snake it sprang out, flashing red through my vision as I took my own sword to hand slit it across the throat of the first attacker, the spray of his blood splashing across my face spurring me on.
They came at us, hoping to overwhelm us in sheer number, none reaching for a weapon until they found themselves tripping over the bodies of those who had failed in the first mindless wave. Only then did Elah change his tactics, cutting through the circle of bodies and tugging me along behind him efficiently freeing us from the press.
Gunshots sounded, and I felt one burn its way through my shoulder. It barreled through, and I could tell the exit wound was large, but I pressed the acknowledgment of it to the back of my mind. Pain had no weight now. All I could do was continue moving, continue cutting them down lest they drag me down in a moment of weakness.
The raucous rip of more shotguns being fired caused me to dive for cover, slashing out the leg of a woman who came for me even as I fell. I heard Elah's rich laughter and lifted my head in confusion, wondering if the thrill of death had driven him mad.
He held out his hand to me. "They're not gunning for us, Lydia." He grinned and jerked his chin toward the stairs. "At least I hope not. Daederich and my merry men finally got their invitations."
There were more screams; people were running rather than attacking. No longer confident in their advantage of numbers, they tried to flee from the overwhelming force. My eyes went to Daederich, and I found myself smiling and laughing as well. The five men on the steps looked like a nightmare come to life.
Black masks gleaming with dripping blood, they descended slowly, guns aimed into the crowd, firing at random, not one shot missing its target. Bodies fell and the moaning of those who couldn't die from their wounds drowned out the cries of those fighting to escape.
Daederich ripped off his mask and ran the last few steps to meet me, taking me up in his arms. Crushing his lips to mine in a hungry, violent kiss, he licked the blood from my lips.
Elah gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. "We're not done yet. Once we're assured that none of these bodies is getting back up, we hunt down the strays."
Daederich's lips curved in triumph. "There won't be many. We caught most on the way out."
Elah nodded slowly. He met Daederich's eyes. "Cyrus?"
Now Daederich shook his head and scowled. "I didn't see him."
The news didn't seem to bother Elah in the least. Actually, he appeared to be quite pleased. "Then the hunt's on."
Spreading out, we made quick work of putting the mass of bodies to rest. The wood floor gleamed crimson as the blood pooled on the floor, squelching underfoot as we left the room. Not even realizing I was doing so, I sucked my fingers as though savoring the last trace of some delicacy. It was only Daederich pulling my hand from my mouth that clued me in.
Laughing in delight, he kissed me again and pushed my hand down. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to forget why we're here."
Flushing at his lewd warning, I clenched my fist at my side. It shocked me that part of me was tempted to push him to carry it out, the rush of adrenaline changing from the need for violence to a need for pleasure. A sudden thought ripped both from my mind. "The children!"
Daederich draped his arm over my shoulder. "You'll have to work on that, my love. You were so battle-blind that you didn't notice Elah isn't with us. He and one of his men stayed behind to free them. His man will bring them to safety."
I nodded with relief. "And Elah?"
Daederich frowned. "He'll be here soon." He snapped before quickening his pace.
I grabbed his arm, forcing him to face me. "Don't be like that. We wouldn't be here, victorious, if not for him. He's our ally."
"And your lover." He crossed his arms and looked down at me.
I crossed my own and cocked a hip. "If you'll recall, that was your idea. Don't be petty. We still have more people to kill."
My words effectively cut down Daederich's jealousy. With an abrupt laugh, he pulled me to his side. "Bloodthirsty." He kissed me fondly on the brow. "Let's finish this.
I have some things in mind to use up the rest of that energy."
* * * * *
Clouds had gathered outside of the church, tumbling darkly in threat of rain. The wind dried my hair into course lumps caked with dried blood, and now that the rush had passed, my mind cleared enough to begin craving a shower.
Keening rose over the silence of the night. With not a movement about to show signs of life, we followed the sound, eager to end it. It was a woman. One I knew well.
Bruno's body lay motionless at the edge of the dark pool of water. The muscles in Daederich's arm tensed against my shoulders, and I knew he was bitterly wishing he had been the one to end the foul bastard.
Chrissie was on her knees, hands pressed to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
The large gap between her fingers showed where his heart had been torn out.
So long as he was dead, I didn't care who had killed him.
None of us tried to cover our approach. Finally, Chrissie acknowledged us, her eyes spitting venom as she set them on me. It took me a while to understand the single word that left her lips. "Why?"
A course laugh left me. "Why? You can't be serious!"
Standing slowly, displaying an admirable amount of dignity as she faced her eminent death, Chrissie lifted her chin. "He gave you pleasure, you cold-hearted bitch.
He gave you nothing you didn't ask for."
I shook my head, unable to contain my smile. "Asked for? No, begged for. I was a fun toy, wasn't I?"
She sneered. "Not as fun as Mary."
Both Daederich and I had to be held back. I didn't understand the need at first.
She was going to die either way. Why stop us?
Elah, who had joined us at some point, pressed a bottle of hard liquor to my chest. "Think it through. A quick death won't satisfy you."
It took me a moment, but I finally accepted he was right. Drawing deeply on the harsh liquor, I eyed Chrissie, thinking it over. I wanted to bring her to death in a way that would put the demons of my shame to rest.
Slowly, thoughtfully, I sipped at the liquor. Motioning to Elah to show him I'd be all right, I stepped forward until I was no more than a foot away from Chrissie. I took another sip and smiled at her. Then I pulled a dagger from my belt, and spun it smoothly in my hands. She watched the dagger, transfixed.
I closed my fist around the hilt and smiled when she looked up at me. I had her full attention now. "I'm going to give you a choice, Chrissie." I flipped the blade deftly so the handle pointed her way, just within easy reach.
She eyed the dagger suspiciously. "I'm listening."
I nodded expectantly and took another deep swallow from the bottle. "You can take this dagger, plunge it into your heart, and die with some dignity. We'll even bury you so the animals don't get to you—" My mouth twisted wryly. "Although for all I know, they might not be too fond of putrid flesh."
She scowled at me and then sighed. There was no defeat in it. It was
almost as though she found the whole exchange irritating. "And what's the other option?"
My lip quirked, and I felt my eyes glow in anticipation. I really hoped she would choose this one. "You resist and I kill you. Slow and painful."
Tears clung to her long lashes as she looked up at me. Her lip trembled. I half expected her to beg me to spare her, but instead she bowed her head. "Thank you, Lydia. Thank you for showing me mercy when I know I've shown you none."
Disappointed, but determined to follow through with my offer, I held out the dagger. She took it. Her head rose.
I heard Daederich shout, but it was too late. The dagger gashed over the flesh of my throat, and I felt my blood spill onto the front of my dress. I stared at her, amazed, but not really surprised. I'd half expected as much.
One hand on my throat, holding the wound closed, I used the last of my strength to kick Chrissie in the face and pressed my foot to her chest to hold her on her down.
Fighting to hold myself up, my mind scrambled for a way to end her before I passed out and another finished the job for me.
The idea played out before it was fully formed. I turned the bottle still grasped in my hand and splashed the liquor over her face, onto her dress, emptying it over her, deaf to her protest.
The flick of a lighter sounded near my ear. I glanced over to Elah who had a lit cigarette between his lips. Plucking it out with his thumb and forefinger, he held it to me, giving me a wicked smile. "You look like you could use this."
I smiled back and took it. Setting it loose between my own lips, I sucked the smoke into my mouth, closed my eyes as some of it worked its way into my lungs, and let my lips curve viciously as I leaned down as blew the smoke out into Chrissie's face.
"I think you need it more than I do."
I dropped the cigarette on her alcohol-soaked body and watched as the flames erupted, greedily working through the fuel, and eating through her flesh for more.
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