"So I have at least twelve and a half hours."
"I would think it would be safe to say so, but don't push it to the limit, Tremayne. I cannot warn you enough in this regard."
He clasped Sheerin's shoulder. "Don't worry. I will only use it if I have no other choice."
Sheerin nodded. "Good. Then you best run along. The hunter is most likely growing weary of waiting for you."
He chuckled as he thought of Cassandra outside, tapping her boot with impatience. He glanced at Morris behind the bar, who was handing a bloke a beer and a drink flavored with something a little more for a preternatural being. Morris had everything handled, he thought as he headed out the back door.
One glance at the night sky, and Tremayne knew he had hours before the sun would rise and fry his arse. Plenty of time to catch one psycho bitch Lamia and find shelter from the damaging rays. No need to take Sheerin's experimental serum…yet. He fingered the vial in his pocket. Maybe he'd never use it, but he liked to have a back up plan if the need arose.
He spotted Cassandra, but she wasn't tapping her foot with impatience. Instead, she paced the alleyway until she caught sight of him. Then she stood like an army sergeant. The pent up energy radiating off of her was like a bolt of static electricity. Oh the heavens, she was beautiful. Long limbs, graceful and lethal—a winning combination in his book, except for one tiny little problem… He sighed with regret. Hunters and vampires didn't mix. Funny how he had to keep reminding himself.
When his gaze leveled on her face once more, his eyebrows arched as he witnessed her appraising him in the same fashion. When their eyes finally met, he recognized the interest in her gaze, only because he was sure it mirrored his own. So their shared kisses had made an impression after all. He'd be thrilled, but he had to also keep in mind her interest was for Gerard Green, a hunter not for Tremayne Greer/Graystone from the Oiche Sith sept.
"You ready?" she asked, her voice huskier than usual and she cleared her throat.
He was ready for many things, but he had a hunch there was only one thing she referred to right now, and it had nothing to do with going back to his place for a tumble.
They would take down Lorelei and maybe if they were lucky they would save the human she had secreted away as well. He didn't hold high hopes on the saving department. He had a hunch they'd find another body if not more.
"Let's go," he said and took a step but her hand snaked out and halted his progress.
"We'll take my car unless you want to drive," she offered.
Drive? For a moment, he'd forgotten flitting to the destination would be out of the question. He owned a vehicle, drove into work and back home again, but most of the time he just flitted to where he wanted to go. Saved on time and gas. "We can take your car," he said, sensing she needed the control. "Drove with you once and survived." He gave her a half-cocked smile.
"I'm the best driver you'll ever meet."
"Is that so?"
"No one's lived long enough to tell me otherwise." She threw him a grin.
"Duly warned." He chuckled. "Lead the way."
Chapter Eighteen
Once parked in front of the hotel, Cassandra opened the trunk to reveal numerous weapons she had stashed for safekeeping.
"Do you expect the apocalypse soon?" Tremayne asked in surprise.
"I believe in being prepared."
"No kidding," he murmured.
She reached for a weapon that resembled a crossbow, but much smaller in size. "This is something my brother Derek came up with." She glanced his way. "Do you want to use anything in here?" She inclined her head toward her arsenal.
"I'm good." He palmed his dagger, revealing his weapon of choice.
She nodded as she strapped the full quiver to her back, and then grabbed a thin bladed sword.
She closed the trunk and looked at him. "Let's go."
They made their way to the front of the inn. Cassandra handed him the plans to the building she pilfered, courtesy of her brother. They wouldn't be going in blind. They knew the layout of the rooms, where the elevators stood on each floor, and where the stairs were located for emergency exits. He folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. They'd gone over the plan more than enough times, but something didn't sit well with him. It all seemed too easy.
"Let's do this," Cassandra said, but Tremayne reached for her, halting her progress. Her gaze met his with a frown.
"You take the room from the inside and I'll take it from the fire escape," Tremayne said. He reached in his pocket for his mobile. "I'll text you with 'go' when I'm in position. This way the Lamia won't be able to slip by us." He didn't mention how he'd be able to secure the situation and avoid Lorelei from choosing Cassandra as her next target.
Cassandra appeared as if she'd like to reject his suggestion, but couldn't disprove the solid plan. "Fine." She shook free of his grip and strode to the entrance with sure steps. He hurried to the back of the inn only to find there was one teensy problem with his plan. The fire escape listed on the hotel's plans weren't in place anymore.
Tremayne stared at the window high above with only a ledge and rods where a balcony once stood. He could easily jump to the ledge, but how would he explain to Cassandra how he managed to burst through a window that was more than three stories above?
He knew without a doubt Cassandra would only wait a few more seconds before she'd make her entrance with or without backup.
He didn't hesitate. He jumped and landed with ease on the ledge outside Lorelei's window. He peeked inside, his vision hampered by the curtains, but a there was a small slit where the curtains didn't quite meet. He caught sight of Lorelei staring at the door as if she expected a visitor. He could only assume her attention had been drawn to Cassandra's footsteps in the hall. Lorelei's impeccable hearing would detect movement and would most likely be leery of anyone who lingered too close to her room.
He hoped she wouldn't worry about anyone coming through the window since the balcony and fire escapes no longer existed, probably courtesy of her.
Before he could gain entrance, Lorelei lunged for the door, throwing it open and revealing Cassandra standing there with her handheld crossbow ready. She let off a shot, but Lorelei shimmered out of the way as the arrow whizzed harmlessly by her.
Tremayne didn't hesitate a second longer and plowed through the window, ignoring the glass biting into his arms.
Lorelei whirled toward Tremayne with a hiss and shifted into her true form – serpentine in appearance and quite ready to take their heads – literally.
Cassandra shot off another arrow as she strode into the room. Her light and durable weapon proved a big asset and easy to reload, definitely something every hunter should pack in their survival kits.
Lorelei screeched when the arrow hit its mark. She turned toward Cassandra and advanced.
"Lorelei!" he bellowed her name and for a moment she paused and turned toward him.
Lorelei was a vision to behold even in her true form. She possessed long flowing blonde locks, and eyes like the sea. Her upper half appeared almost humanlike, though her breasts were covered in scales that resembled a bathing suit top. Only he knew it wasn't the case. Her lower half revealed her true nature clear enough as her tail shimmered like jewels from the overhead light.
"So you show your face, my good bartender," she said the last with a hiss.
"Lorelei, you must stop this," he warned for what good it would do. He knew from past experiences, he could not reason with her.
She chuckled and glanced at her latest victim sprawled on the bed. "I think it's a little late for that," she snarled. "Do you want a taste?"
"Don't be a fool," he told her.
"Fool?" Her cackle befitted a witch of legends. "It's only a matter of time before the GOJ come knocking at your door. You're no saint, though you pretend to be."
"What's she talking about?" Cassandra asked still keeping her eyes on Lorelei and her weapon ready.
"Hell, if I know," he lied.
>
"You betrayed me," she hissed. "The GOJ kept me locked up, tried to rehabilitate me for what good it did." She let out a demented laugh, proving her claim.
A woman scorned—be it Lamia or human—it was never pretty.
Lorelei turned her gaze on Cassandra. "How is it you've hooked up with the likes of him, dear sweet hunter?" Her seductive voice now had a musical quality, alluringly so as if she could hypnotize Cassandra like a snake going after its prey.
"Stand down, Lorelei," he tried again.
"Or what?" Her gaze riveted to him. "You'll have me run out of town? Trust me, it's not going to happen." With her promise, she lunged toward him, but anticipating her move, he dove out of her way and rolled to a crouched position with his dagger ready.
Cassandra raised the handheld crossbow to take another shot, but Lorelei swung her tail and whipped the weapon from her hands. The weapon crashed over his head, slamming into the wall. Cassandra already had her sword drawn. The woman's skills were to be admired, but later. Tremayne flew to his feet and dove for the crossbow behind him. He swung around and pulled the trigger.
The arrow hit Lorelei in the back, penetrating the scaly skin. It didn't reach her heart, but it did manage to piss her off further. She whipped her tail, sideswiping Cassandra off her feet before she turned and charged toward the window, taking half the wall with her as she barreled her way out of the room.
"She's getting away," Cassandra managed to find her footing and charged after Lorelei, only to skid to a halt when she must have realized there was no way to follow without hurdling three stories down to the pavement below. She teetered on the edge as plaster crumbled around her feet. Tremayne yanked her back to safety.
"Dammit," Cassandra stared after Lorelei. Once landing on the ground, she'd shifted into her human form and sprinted toward the street.
This would have been the best time to tell Cassandra he was a vampire. He could easily follow Lorelei, but that one little lie about his identity prevented it. It really sucked to be human. Even if it was only for pretend.
Cassandra turned toward him, but then her gaze shifted to Lorelei's latest victim. "Can he be saved?" she asked.
He strode over to the man, who had most likely withered away to a fraction of his former self, if he could rely on the sunken cheeks, and skin paler than an Irish vampire's hide, as a reliable indicator. He pressed two fingers to the man's neck, even though he could hear the slow beat from where he stood. "Pulse is thready," he told her. "We can call it in, but I'm not sure if there is anything they can do. A Lamia is like a vampire and a succubus combine. They feed off of both the blood and the essence of the victim. The more successful the artist the more she can feed. I'd say this bloke had been good at his craft."
Cassandra pulled out her phone anyway. "Hello, we need medical assistance." She gave the 911 operator the address to the hotel then she put another call through to the police.
"We can't stick around here," he told her. "The police will hold us for questioning."
"I know. So let's get a move on it," she said and strode out the door. "We have a Lamia to capture."
"Where are you going?" he asked as he kept up.
"The marina. She's injured. She needs the sea, and I'm betting that's where she'll head."
Of course she was right, but he wished she wasn't. He much rather pursue Lorelei on his own, but for now he was forced to follow her lead, if only to protect her.
Lorelei was wounded, and confronting her now would make the fight in the hotel seem like child's play.
"We should take the stairs," he told her and bolted toward it with her following close behind.
As they made it into the lobby, Cassandra shouted to the clerk on duty without slowing her stride. "We called 911. There's a man upstairs in room 306 who needs medical attention."
They could already hear the sirens in the distance as they flew out the door and hurried across the busy street. Car horns blared and headlights blinded them, but they managed not to get run over as the vehicles swerved around them.
Lorelei needed seawater to heal and the waterfront offered her access.
"I see her," Cassandra said as she took off after Lorelei, obviously hoping to overtake her before she dove into the water.
Lorelei hurried past the boat slots, most likely searching for an open space to enter the water without an onlooker playing hero and trying to save her, but as the seconds ticked by, desperation must have taken root. She shimmered into her true form. A definite no-no in the preternatural world, but then Lorelei was running for her life and protocol would take a back seat.
Onlookers screamed in terror and ran the other way, dragging their loved ones with them.
Tremayne reached Lorelei first. She hissed and lunged like a cobra, but he was ready. He flew at her and plunged his dagger into her neck. She screeched and lashed at him. The swat sent him flying back a few yards as he slid across the pier. Cassandra didn't slow her pace. She flew past him and went after Lorelei. She leapt at the beast Lorelei had become with her dagger arm raised. She plunged the dagger into Lorelei's chest. Lorelei screeched in pain and anger as she stumbled toward the edge of the pier. At the last moment, Lorelei's hand shot out, grabbing a hold of Cassandra's arm as she fell into the inky blackness below.
"No!" Tremayne bellowed as the two fell into the marina. Tremayne charged to the edge and stared at the water still rippling where they had entered. "Cassandra!" he yelled for her and dove into the water after her. It took him a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the murky depths, but then he spotted the two, both struggling to get the upper hand.
Lorelei's body could not fully heal with the silver embedded in her chest. This proved the only reason Cassandra still had a shot to break free from her grip.
Cassandra went for the dagger protruding from Lorelei's chest, but Lorelei anticipated her move and grabbed her arms and prevented her from obtaining the weapon. Lorelei only had to wait until Cassandra ran out of air then it would be over. Cassandra would die and Lorelei would swim away to lick her wounds.
He swam toward them, not caring he swam faster than deemed normal for a human's ability. If he didn't reach Cassandra, it wouldn't matter if she found out if he were a vampire or not. She'd drown. HeHe HHHHHERHEHWE
He plowed into Lorelei with brute force and the jolt made her release Cassandra, but the fool woman didn't swim to safety, and she had to be about out of air. No, Cassandra kicked her feet and swam toward Lorelei who he held in a chokehold. Cassandra grabbed the dagger from Lorelei's chest and yanked it free before she brought it down again, this time hitting her mark straight through the beast's black heart.
Lorelei gasped, air bubbles releasing the silent scream before her body stilled with death. He released her and her body sank lower, her arms outstretched, eyes staring, and her mouth open as if trying to speak.
Tremayne turned away and swam toward Cassandra, knowing she didn't have the strength to make it to the surface. Her eyes closed and in a second she'd lose consciousness and her body would take an involuntary breath regardless that she would take in water.
He grabbed her and pulled her close. He covered her mouth, giving her a breath of air as he swam. Hold on, hold on…he silently prayed.
Once they broke the surface, he didn't let her go, but allowed her to take a well-needed gasp of air. It came in ragged gulps.
He brushed the dark mahogany strands, loose from her ponytail, away from her face. Her green eyes met his. "H-how…did you d-do…that?" she asked, her body shaking, and her teeth chattering from the cold water and the adrenaline overload. "You b-breathed air into m-my mouth. I w-would have d-died if y-you… How is that p-possible?"
"It's an old trick, I learned from a diver. If we hadn't been close to the surface, I wouldn't have been able to do it."
She looked like she wanted to argue the point, but in the end she let it slide. They had killed the target and ended the nightmare. And more importantly, they were both alive.
"
Let's get out of the water," he told her.
* * * * *
With the commotion Lorelei had caused, the police were called to the Marina. There was no covering up what witnesses had seen. So they played along, answered questions, and stated Lorelei had been wearing a costume. "A sea creature?" Cassandra said and chuckled. "There's no such thing. The only monster on the pier tonight was a woman who poisoned young men for kicks."
According to Cassandra, the cleanup crew she'd contacted from the bureau had already put the tale into motion.
Cassandra said goodbye to the detective on the case and headed toward Tremayne. Someone had given her a blanket to drape over her shoulders. She was wet, and dark strands framed her face, making the dark rings under her eyes standout stark against her otherwise perfect complexion. "Good news," she said. "The young man we found in Lorelei's hotel room is Tony Mailard. The officer said Tony has a good chance of pulling through."
"Then why the frown," he asked as her eyebrows puckered.
"The authorities plan on searching for Lorelei's body in the morning."
"Good luck to them," he said. "By then the Lamia will be nothing but sea foam."
They stood there in awkward silence for a few minutes, which probably in all reality had only been seconds.
"I guess I'll head back to the hotel to change." Cassandra finally broke the silence.
"Good idea. You look like you're freezing."
Her lips turned up at the sides. "You could do with a hot shower too."
His eyebrows shot up. Had that been an invitation?
"If it's all right," she continued, "I'll come by the pub tomorrow. I just want to sleep a few hours…or six." She chuckled.
Not an invitation to shower with her then. He couldn't help feeling a wee bit disappointed. "I guess you can go home now with a win. You're family will be proud."
She nodded but she didn't appear happy. "We took care of the threat, but still the other victims… so many."
"There would have been more if we hadn't stopped Lorelei Rivers."
"What about Gunthorn? He's still out there."
Stake and Dust (Stake and Dust series, Book I) Page 10