Vampires Dead Ahead

FIFTEEN



The spring night was cold but Volod didn’t feel the chill as he, Monique, Elizabeth, and six of his Vampire paranorms stood in the Trinity Churchyard Cemetery.

Anger burned beneath his skin at the thought that somehow the Drow bitch had found him.

A sense of satisfaction cooled him again. Whatever the case, she’d been too late.

The waxing moon peeked in and out of thick clouds moving slowly across the dark sky. A breeze tugged at his long hair and at the black coat he wore over his black suit. As far as he was concerned, this was a special occasion.

Volod pushed away thoughts of his plans almost being wrecked—for now. He would deal with that problem soon enough.

In the three-century-old cemetery, many nearby headstones were badly eroded, some too worn to see the names. The remains of the humans would be no more than dust. Humans had not been buried here for over a century.

But Vampires were actively buried here. Only no human or paranorm was aware of that fact.

Volod glanced at Monique and Elizabeth, who stood beside him. Despite the fact they were on either side of him, he could feel the tension between the two, so much so that he found it amusing, even arousing.

Elizabeth had not taken well to Volod bringing Monique into his clan, much less the fact that she had shared his bed from the time he had turned her. That Elizabeth was not pleased was certainly an understatement.

Volod focused on the grave and allowed himself to feel some measure of grim satisfaction that this part of his plan had come to fulfillment.

However, capturing Rodán had been harder than he had anticipated. Even with all his precautions and preparation, he had underestimated the Elvin Proctor.

Volod stared at Rodán’s catafalque as two of the Vampire paranorms shoveled freshly dug dirt on top of the modest coffin.

“Will it be any different for him as to when he shall rise?” Monique asked as she glanced from the coffin to Volod. “He is unlike others of our kind.”

Monique had warned him that Rodán was ancient and powerful. Volod just hadn’t grasped how ancient and how powerful she’d meant. Monique had neglected to mention that to her ancient was over a thousand years. To Vampires, it meant three centuries or so.

Volod was ancient. Yet a child compared to Rodán.

That thought had him grinding his teeth. But he had proven who was smarter, who had control. And now he was Rodán’s Master.

“No, it will not make a difference,” Volod said as he studied her. “Now he is like everyone else.”

Monique said nothing and returned her gaze to the coffin that had almost disappeared beneath the dirt being shoveled onto it.

A feeling of jealousy bit at his consciousness, an emotion that surprised him. The level of respect Monique clearly had for Rodán, and the fact that Monique and Rodán had been lovers at one time, made Volod almost furious enough to eliminate Rodán when he rose and be done with him.

Almost.

He had let Monique bite and take Rodán’s blood last night, but Volod had bitten him tonight. It would allow him to have a mental bond and the control he needed over the soon-to-be Vampire.

Much to his surprise, Volod still felt a bit queasy from ingesting Rodán’s blood. Taking the blood of the human he’d had waiting had barely helped him recover. He had since directed one of his Vampires to discard her drained, lifeless body.

With every shovelful of dirt that landed on the simple coffin, satisfaction replaced his unrest. He wanted to watch until the coffin was fully buried—as if to reassure himself that, indeed, Rodán was dead.

And that he would become one of the undead.

When the coffin was completely covered with dirt, Volod raised his hand. A burst of his power spread over the grave in a hot red shimmer, sealing it and eliminating any traces of freshly dug dirt. It would look like it had been here for a century rather than having been dug that very night.

“This will hurt the Drow bitch more than anything you could have done.” Satisfaction edged Elizabeth’s tone before her voice turned bitter again. “It does not make up for Nyx having murdered my family, but it will do for now.” She glanced at Volod. “You promised I could kill her.”

Volod said nothing. It was true, at one time he had promised to give the Drow female to Elizabeth, but he had bigger plans for Nyx now. One day he would be ready to dispose of her, but not until he turned her, used her as he was using the other paranorms, then made her wish she was dead.

“Hers shall be a painful, excruciating death.” Malice filled every word as Elizabeth continued. “I may cut off each of her body parts one by one and toss them into a vat of boiling oil.”

“You sound like one of the Dark Witches.” Monique gave a shudder from the other side of Volod. “So barbaric.”gave

“Wait to see what I will do to you.” Elizabeth’s green “Wait to see what I will do to you.” Elizabeth’s green eyes flashed an ominous red in the darkness. Monique ignored it and gave Elizabeth a look of bored tolerance.

He could almost hear Monique saying, Whatever. The equivalent of “f*ck you.”

Volod imagined a fight between these two. What male, Vampire, paranorm, or human, didn’t savor that image? No special powers, just a good catfight. Maybe when things settled down he would arrange such a playtime. The winner got vengeance over the loser … and then got him for the night.

Elizabeth flashed her fangs and hissed. Monique ignored her, which infuriated Elizabeth even more.

Volod turned away. His gaze met Reese’s, then Daniel’s. “Guard this site until I return on the tenth day.”

“Yes, Volod,” they each said as they moved toward the grave to stand vigil.

The paranorms he’d turned had taken so well to being Vampires. He was beyond pleased.

Volod walked from behind the church and out of the graveyard to the street, where his limo waited.

A headlight cut through the darkness. The light illuminated the faces of the female Vampire and the Vampire-Elf, their beauty almost breathtaking.

Once the chauffeur opened the back door and they entered, Elizabeth and Monique sat on opposite sides of the bench seat in front of him.

Elizabeth reached into the limousine’s small refrigerator then poured him a blood cocktail. She handed it to him, a seductive look on her beautiful features. She likely wanted to entice him to her bed, but he had no interest as he had in the past. As a Vampire paranorm, Monique could do the most tantalizing things to him.

However, he thought as he looked from one beautiful Vampire to the next, both of them in his bed at the same time would be entertaining. If they didn’t kill each other first. Maybe he could get this and the catfight in the same night. There would be a time for all of this.

“I must feed.” Monique looked out the window and back to Volod and pressed her palm to her chest. Like the other Vampire paranorms, she required paranorm blood. Human blood and synthetic blood just weren’t the same. That much he knew. It was what this rebellion was about. “We are ready to go after our next targets.”

Monique had expressed to him that she no longer thought of herself as a paranorm. She lived for blood and turning paranorms to join what would eventually be a part of his Vampire paranorm army. An army that was slowly growing.

Volod studied Monique. “Are you prepared to deal with all five of the Paranorm Council members?”

“Yes, Volod.” Monique gave a deep nod, lowering her eyes. It pleased him when she showed her subservience to him. “All targets have been identified and our team is ready to go after them within the next hour.”

Volod reclined in his seat, vaguely noticing the flash of lights as the limo drove them to their destination. “Remember, I do not want any left alive but Council Chief Leticia.”

Maybe three in bed he thought. Two paranorms and Elizabeth. Bedtime with paranorms could become rather addictive.

Monique nodded again, but killing the council was not sitting well with her. It was a lesson she had to learn. Lives must be taken when necessary. Eliminating the Paranorm Council was necessary.

“I wish to see their bodies.” Volod let ice slide into his tone as Monique flinched. “I want to make sure none but Leticia survive tonight.”

“Yes, Volod,” she said.

Elizabeth smirked. “If she does not have what it takes to eliminate them, I shall.”

Monique cut her gaze to Elizabeth. “They would be certain to destroy you. You are no match for any member of the Paranorm Council.”

Fire flashed in Elizabeth’s eyes. “If you are not careful you will not survive this night.”

“Should I fear you?” Monique raised an eyebrow. “I think not.”

Elizabeth snarled and raised her hands to claw at Monique, and Volod felt Monique’s magic building within her. In no way could Elizabeth save herself if Monique attacked.

It seemed that Monique’s power grew by the day, a thought that could have been concerning if he did not have such a perfect hold on her.

“Enough.” Volod snarled the word. “You will respect each other. I will not have you fighting.”

Both Monique and Elizabeth lowered their heads.

“I am sorry,” Monique said.

Elizabeth avoided looking at Monique and said nothing.

Volod studied them a moment more. He focused on Monique. “Kurt and Gary—do you have further news of them?”

Monique nodded. “Just before tonight’s celebration, Katy—I mean Katherine—visioned that Kurt is dead. Gary was taken by Nyx and her team of Trackers.”

Fury flowed through him, hot and liquid. He reminded himself that the bitch would pay. She was paying the price already, and the cost had been something more than dear to her.

“Gary must have talked,” Volod said in a growl. “Fools. They should have killed those two tramps the first night. I should have killed them for disobeying me. Now they were captured and they obviously talked.” Volod worked to keep his composure. “But neither of them should have known about tonight.”

“Someone must have told him.” Elizabeth looked from Volod to Monique before looking back at Volod. “Then the imbecile talked.” Elizabeth raised her chin. “If he hasn’t already, he will ruin the advantage you have over the Trackers not knowing you are back and what you have planned.”

“I am aware of that, Elizabeth.” Volod gave the female Vamp a chilling stare that caused her to shrink back in her seat. “I do not require you spelling out what has likely happened.”

Monique ignored Elizabeth. “Only two others knew in addition to the three of us. If not Elizabeth,” Monique said without looking at the female Vampire who gave a low growl in her throat, “then it would be either Elliot or Reese. I cannot see Reese sharing that information. Elliot was friends with Kurt and Gary. He is probably the one who let them have the information.”

“He will be dealt with immediately,” Volod said as he thought of the exact way he would handle that.

Monique’s tone was even, respectful. “I do not think we need be overly concerned with him.”

“I will decide whether or not I need be concerned.” The reprimand in his voice seemed to startle Monique, but he could not let her get away with making determinations for him any more than he could allow Elizabeth to.

Monique snapped her mouth shut, and he saw a flash of something in her eyes before she lowered her head. “Yes, Volod.”

Volod shifted on his seat and crossed his legs. “Does the Witch think she can learn more?”

Monique nodded. “Katherine will scry again tonight and let me know the results.”

Volod turned his gaze to the window again and watched the limo pull up to the brownstone he had declared as a meeting point should anything go wrong at the hotel.

Satisfaction rolled through him as he thought of Rodán lying in his coffin and of the pain that the bitch would be going through at this very moment.

Elizabeth and Monique followed Volod into the brownstone, which he’d purchased years ago. He’d had it gutted and remodeled so that the first level was one huge meeting room. The bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom that had previously been on that level were unnecessary for Vampires.

The basement level had also been remodeled. It served as their sleeping quarters with simple guest coffins lined side by side. Only Volod’s coffin was apart from the others, as befit his position as their Master Vampire. The two floors upstairs served to keep prisoners as well as their human snacks.

Volod walked into the entryway and heard the buzz of conversation coming from the great room. Elizabeth helped him take off his coat and hung it on the coatrack. He didn’t need the coat for warmth, but its style fit the occasion.

When he entered the great room silence fell. His shoes sank into the carpet as he walked the length of it to the fireplace. He’d kept it more to serve as a focal point for the room than for any warmth it provided.

Monique and Elizabeth followed him through the crowd of thirty-plus Vampires who had been waiting for him. When he reached the fireplace, Monique and Elizabeth stood off to one side. As close to him as he would allow yet as far away from each other as possible.

Volod ground his teeth as he looked through the crowd. When he spotted Elliot, he spoke to the Vampire-Werewolf. “Come here.”

Elliot looked surprised but strode forward. The Vampire paranorm was large, what humans called brawny.

“You told Kurt and Gary about our plans for tonight’s meeting.” Volod managed to keep his tone even.

Elliot’s expression changed from casual interest to fear. “Why do you say that, sir?”

“Why? Why do I ask you?” Volod kept his gaze fixed on the pathetic Vampire paranorm. “Do not lie to me and do not respond with questions. I need the truth. Now. You told them, did you not?”

Elliot cleared his throat. The beat of his undead heart increased. “I did. I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure they were back in time to make it to the celebration. It won’t happen again. I’m truly sorry.”

“I will not tolerate this. Were you told you were not to say a word?

Elliot’s throat worked as he spoke. “Yes, I was.”

Volod heard his own words come out in a deadly chill. “Yet you talked.”

“It will not happen again.” Elliot’s eyes had a pleading look.

Volod put power into his voice as he said, “No, it will not happen again.”

The Vampire-Werewolf trembled.

Volod took a step toward Reese who was standing next to Elliot. In one quick move he drew Reese’s sword and swiped it at Elliot.

The blade met Elliot’s neck then sliced cleanly through. The head thumped as it dropped, followed by another thump when the body fell. Blood barely showed in the deep burgundy shade of the carpet.

“No, Elliot, it certainly will not happen again.” Volod raised his gaze to meet everyone’s in the room. “Leave and find your supper. The time is ours.”