I am definitely not myself. Maybe I am still experiencing some effects of the drug.
“Hello,” he repeated more softly and stared at the beautiful Native mortal. Dressed in only a thin shift, she trembled from the cold. He removed his leather coat, closed the distance between them and wrapped her in the garment. “You are freezing. Why are you outdoors without protection? Where do you live?”
She smiled, her teeth chattering. “I was told you are a god, and I am your sacrifice.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him between two tall trees. “M-m-my lodge is this way.”
What the hell now? Laurence and Elliott have gone too far. Even for them.
He followed, frowning. “I am not a god, and I require no sacrifice. We must warm you, or you will die from exposure.”
They walked quickly to a small shack a short distance from where he’d landed. She opened the door and entered.
He paused in front of the entrance. Detecting no signs of human or vampire brain signatures within, he pushed inside, closing the door behind him.
Animal skins covered the walls and floor of the small room. Flames crackled in the fireplace, and the stuffy air was thick with the smell of wood smoke.
The woman pulled a thick brown skin — bear? — from the pile in the corner, and spread it out along the center of the space. “Please, sit.” She twisted her hands, her breathing quick and shallow.
Fear radiated from her, as much the cause of her trembling as the cold.
Why is she so afraid? He sat, shifting his eyes around the room, looking for the source of her terror.
She removed his coat, folded it next to him, and moved to stand in front of the fire.
He watched her for a few minutes in silence, studying what he could see of her frail body, as the warmth soothed her shivering. Her shiny long, dark hair flowed down her back to her knees. She turned to face him, and his eyes were drawn to the beautiful beaded headband she wore, which was adorned with three small feathers.
She eased close to him and knelt. “I am Eena, your gift.” She stroked her hand along his cheek, then tucked his hair behind his ear. “I must do as I am commanded. I will please you. And feed you.” She spoke in a lifeless tone, like a bad approximation of a human voice. Her frightened eyes were unfocused.
What has happened to cause this panic?
“Who commanded you?” If this was some kind of sick joke Elliott and Laurence had set up, they were in real trouble when he got home. Someone had drugged or entranced the woman.
“I do not know.” She climbed into his lap, straddling him. “I will give you pleasure.” She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Unwilling to participate in an obviously forced encounter, he pulled away. Gently but firmly, he grasped her upper arms to hold her at a distance. He gazed into her eyes, attempting to catch her with his hypnotic vampiric gaze, but failed. “Eena, stop.” He lifted her from his lap. “I do not understand. Who said you were my gift?”
She covered her face with her hands. Her breath caught. The trembling increased. “I do not know.”
Something is very wrong here. The woman is obviously altered.
Now he was certain his friends had nothing to do with this strange development. They would never cause harm to an innocent on purpose. Recalling situations he’d witnessed in the past, he turned his attention to Eena’s brain, seeking evidence of vampire control, and quickly found what he was looking for.
“Eena? Where are the vampires?”
“Vampires!” She covered her face again and rocked up and down for a moment. Then, with an almost primal scream, she bolted up, pulled the door open and ran into the cold night, her long hair flying out behind her.
“Fuck!” Devereux scooped up his coat and dashed after the woman.
He ran with vampire speed and caught her easily, but she collapsed, unconscious, the moment he touched her. He knelt beside her where she lay on the icy ground and checked for vital signs. She was alive, her pulse faint but steady.
Suddenly his senses flashed a warning and a series of bright outdoor lights flared, illuminating a wide circle around him.
“Well, there you are,” a deep, sensual female voice said.
Devereux looked up at the smiling Marilyn Monroe look-alike standing over him. Dressed like she’d gotten lost on her way to a penthouse cocktail party or a movie set, her full-length white fur coat draped open to display a sparkling black gown. The plunging neckline barely concealed the nipples of her large breasts. Blonde hair framed her striking face. Harmless-looking light-gray eyes glittered in amusement.
“Here, darling.” She shifted her long silver cigarette holder from one hand to the other and reached out. “Let me help you. That can’t be comfortable.”
Could this night possibly get any more surreal?
He took her hand and pulled himself up, then glanced down at Eena, trying to make sense of what was happening. And, just to see if he could, he tried to think himself back to The Crypt. He would return for Eena with reinforcements.
Nothing. Damn Houdini.
The woman kept smiling, her brows raised. “I know we vampires don’t get cold, or at least not any colder than we already are.” She laughed. “But we really should go inside where it’s less arctic.”
Ignoring her, he once again knelt next to the unconscious Eena. “What have you done to her?” He dispensed with his usual charm, his tone sharp enough to cut a diamond. Something about the over-dressed woman put him on guard.
“Me? I haven’t done anything to her. She’s one of the local natives. I don’t know why she’s practically naked, or lying in the snow. I’d say since you were obviously the last one to see her, you ought to have some explanation. What did you do to her?”
He lifted Eena into his arms and rose. “I did nothing. She needs warmth and clothing. Now.” He added a layer of mental push to the suggestion and instead of immediately obeying, the woman gave a low-pitched laugh.
How can she ignore my command?
His shock at not being able to control her made him pause. “Perhaps there has been a mistake and you believe I am someone else.”
“No.” She shook her head vigorously. “No mistake. I know exactly who you are. I’ve been expecting you.” She removed the burning cigarette from the holder and flicked it into a snow bank before tucking the holder into her coat pocket. “Nice to meet you, Devereux. I’m Mary. Bloody Mary to my friends. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
He wasn’t sure why he’d taken an instant dislike to her, but he had. He tried to read her mind and was repelled by strong — unusual — boundaries.
Abnormally powerful. Not a good sign.
“Bloody Mary?” Was this merely a colorful nickname or something more ominous?
“Yes, but you may call me Mary for short. It has a ring to it, don’t you think?”
Laurence and Elliott. So dead. He re-fortified his mental barriers, just in case she might pose a threat to his privacy. He intended to end this meeting as quickly as possible, but, knowing Houdini, there was probably a minimum time limit built into the spell, just to torture him.
“I insist we take this young human inside. I do not understand your lack of concern for her safety.” He hugged the woman more tightly to his chest, wishing he had some body warmth to share with her.
“I have the utmost concern for her physical continuation.” She pointed ahead. “Right this way.”
He looked around as they walked. “Where are we?”
“We’re in the thriving metropolis of Barrow, Alaska, which, according to the local Chamber of Commerce, is the northernmost community in the United States. Actually, we’re a few miles out of the area mainly inhabited by humans.” She stepped close and nudged him as they finally reached a structure. “Come on in. Let me show you our headquarters.”
“Headquarters?”
She pointed at the ramshackle building, which looked like it was built a hundred years ago out of discarded materials. “Yes, it looks bad
on the outside, but that’s mostly for show. We try to keep a low profile here in the frozen north.”
They stepped into a well-lit entryway with a staircase leading underground. The long, narrow stairs creaked under the weight of their bodies. At the bottom was a rough-hewn door, covered with Native names crudely etched into the wood.
Mary pushed through the door and ushered them into a huge stone cavern filled with attractive leather and suede furniture, thick rugs, Native Alaskan art somehow attached to the rock walls, and Tiffany lamps everywhere — a strange mix of primitive and luxurious, both cozy and functional.
He’d been expecting something much less... civilized.
She spread her arms, indicating the room. “Isn’t this something?
“It is, indeed.” His gaze tracked to the excess of desks and office equipment. “You said this was your headquarters?”
“Yes,” she said, smirking. “See? You zeroed right into the business-at-hand. We heard you were a serious guy. Well, okay then. This is the campaign headquarters for my bid to become Governor of Alaska.”
No. That does not feel right. Something else is going on here.
“You want to run for governor?” He frowned. “You would not be the first vampire to choose to become an elected official, but I am curious why you would desire such a thing. Surely you can influence the local politics just by using your mind.”
“That’s true.” She pointed at Eena, who still hadn’t roused. “Lay her down. We will take care of her now.” Mary smiled, exposing impressive fangs. She shrugged the white fur coat off her shoulders and it fell to the floor.
“We?” He’d been picking up vibrations from many vampire minds since encountering the Marilyn wannabe and he had been wondering when they would appear. And what they had in store for him. He almost cursed Elliott and Laurence again, but what was the point? He could only destroy them once.
The moment he deposited Eena onto the rug, a large woman wearing a baggy purple sweat suit lunged from behind one of the many closed doors and pulled Eena by her arms across the floor into yet another room.
He didn’t like the violent thoughts coming from the unkempt woman. “Where is Eena being taken? I do not wish her to be harmed.”
Mary gave a dismissive gesture and a half shrug. “She won’t be. Don’t give her another thought. There are plenty more where she came from. Come on over and sit down and I’ll explain everything.” She pointed vaguely toward the furniture and he chose a plush brown leather chair. He could sense disjointed aspects of her thoughts, which were filled with venom.
“I’m glad your friends put out the call for female companionship for you so that we could have some face-time.” She tilted her head and looked confused. “But I have to say that you’re even better looking in person than in photographs, so I’ll be damned—” She leaned toward him, crossed her legs, then tugged her dress further up her thighs. “Won’t we all be damned?” She slapped her hand on her leg in amusement. “But I can’t for the death of me see why you’d need to be fixed up with women. I’ve heard you have so many lovers you have to buy skyscrapers to house them all. Why the fuck are you trolling for babes? Do you have some kind of problem?” She twirled a strand of her platinum curls around a finger and gave him an innocent look.
Glad she had finally shown her true nature, he didn’t answer, but instead set his mind, laser-like, to searching her brain. But all he could pick up were images of bloody massacres and decimated Native encampments. The idea of a powerless human like Eena being captured by this vicious harpy made his fists clench. Waves of malevolence pulsed off her, and as odd as her energy was, something about it felt vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite remember why.
“Would you like someone to drink?” she asked, with a fake smile.
“I beg your pardon? Someone to drink?”
“Sure. We always have lots of snacks on hand.” She called out, “Joslyn, fetch Devereux some refreshments.” A skinny, gray-haired woman trotted in from a curtained entryway at the far end of the cavern and went through the same door Eena had disappeared through. She came back several seconds later, dragging an either dead or unconscious naked Native male.
Devereux jumped to his feet, the tense feeling he’d had since his arrival exploding. “What is this? You keep donors here? This is how you treat them?”
“Huh — donors? I guess you could call them that. I just think of them as snacks. They serve no other purpose. You have a reputation as a bleeding heart. I guess they were right.”
Joslyn claimed a chair, leaving the human stretched out on the floor in front of her.
Devereux moved to the man and crouched, listening to his very faint heartbeat. The expanse of his skin was riddled with fang marks, showing he’d been repeatedly bitten. He was so near death Devereux wasn’t sure there was anything he could do for him.
He stood and turned to Mary, disgusted. “What is the meaning of this? Why did you wish me to come?” It was clear from the bits and pieces he’d finally been able to read of her chaotic thoughts that she had a nefarious purpose.
“Good questions.” She put two fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly. “Girls?”
Female vampires swarmed from every previously closed door until at least fifty women crowded into the large space.
Devereux took a step back, not because he was afraid, but because he was repulsed. The overwhelming energy emanating from these creatures was hatred. He felt their negativity in the pit of his stomach.
Mary stalked in a circle around him. “Here’s the deal, Devereux. My intention to become Governor of Alaska is just the platform I’ll use to fulfill my larger plan: to have vampires take over the world. I’m going to hit the ground running, representing the Blood Party. Humans are only food. We’ve been in the background long enough. It’s time to switch things up.”
The herd of vampires took a few steps closer, tightening their circle around him, flashing fangs and snarling, their faces twisted into grotesque masks. One woman stuck her pointed and pierced tongue out at him repeatedly in quick movements.
Part of him wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his situation. Were these bloodsuckers serious? But he also knew that even more ridiculous plans had borne fruit throughout history, so he couldn’t take any chances.
“What do you want from me? Why am I here?”
Mary strutted over to him and poked him in the chest with a finger. “I’d think a big shot like you would’ve figured it out by now. We needed to capture you so we could control you and your financial empire. Invading the world requires cash. Capturing and draining millions of humans takes resources. We’re coming out of the coffin!”
The crowd cheered.
“I see,” he said, speaking calmly. “And, just out of curiosity, how did you arrange for my friends to agree to send me here? Did you meet with them?” She’d obviously pulled one over on them; now he just wanted the details. They really were going to be dead — pulverized several times over — when he returned.
She laughed and slapped her thigh with her palm. “The idiots. I sent her to meet them.” She pointed to a very pretty young, big-breasted woman wearing a tight red mini-dress, swaying from side to side in a private dance at the far edge of the circle. “She told them what they wanted to hear. Said she has worshipped you for decades and would give anything to meet you.” She snorted. “What a load, but clever, eh?”
“Oh, yes. Very clever.” He knew his friends could always be swayed by prodigious mammary glands.
“All right, gorgeous. The first step is for us to drink your blood, which we’ve been told will make us twice what we already are, then we’ll just keep you here until we bring all your resources under our control.” She sneered. “Then, after that, maybe I will fuck you.” Her voice dropped an octave. “You’re pretty hot.”
He didn’t bother to suppress his grimace of revulsion.
The deep, rumbling shift of her voice flashed him back to a memory of a confrontation centuries earlier
with a creature like her: a demon-possessed vampire. Of course. He tensed in readiness. At least now he knew what he was dealing with.
The mob closed in and he sent a well-rehearsed mental signal to his team back at The Crypt: Security. Level ten. My coordinates. Now. He’d encountered enough human-hating vampires with agendas to be fully prepared for this situation.
Even though he didn’t believe Houdini’s magic could keep his people away if he called them, the thick silence after he sent the mental command made him anxious. What if the fool had somehow blocked everything?
But he needn’t have worried.
Within seconds, thirty leather-clad vampires, male and female, materialized into the room. Mary’s minions roared and all hell broke loose — literally.
“You’re not leaving!” Mary screamed as she leaped on Devereux. He felt her weight rocking his back as she tried to tip him off balance. Her fangs grazed his neck, seeking a rich vein, but he reached behind, grabbed her arm, and flung her aside. He briefly considered taking her captive so they could uncover all the other pieces of her sick plan and explore her possession, but she charged him, and managed to rake her sharp fingernails down his face. He reacted automatically. With knife-like precision, he ripped her heart from her chest, and then — reminded of the discussion earlier with Elliott and Laurence — he tore her head off and threw it against the wall, where it burst open like a grotesque melon. Her remains collapsed onto the floor.
A dark, whirling energy-mass spiraled up from what was left of Bloody Mary, and Devereux felt a flare of heat scorch his arm as the demon brushed him, seeking entry. Extending and reinforcing his aura, he held the entity at bay as it came at him from all sides, searching for a weakness in his field.
Easily recalling the spell he’d cast those many years ago to banish a similar creature, he repeated the incantation in his mind, then spoke the power words aloud: “Reverto ut abyssus.”
Devereux- the Night Before Kismet Page 5