Vampires Dead Ahead

TWENTY-NINE



My thoughts were muddy. I couldn’t see. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t feel.

Something had happened but I couldn’t hold on to what it was. A wispy tendril of a thought that kept eluding my grasp every time I reached for it.

Panic made me shiver. I didn’t know why I felt panicked, only that something was wrong. Desperately wrong.

I tried to take slow, even breaths. Even that was a struggle.

Then I remembered. A dream.

A nightmare.

My eyes flew open. Darkness. Even though I knew I was awake now, the fogginess of my thoughts wouldn’t clear. It was a fight just to think.

The nightmare kept pushing at my mind. I couldn’t quite remember it, but I knew it had been a bad one.

A familiar figure entered my thoughts. The face was shadowy. He stepped forward and I saw him clearly.

Volod.

I held back a scream. Just a nightmare, Nyx. He’s not really there.

I took a deep breath. The air felt close. Confined.

Fear overcame me. I felt as if I had swallowed a mouthful of needles that now stabbed at the inside of my belly.

Pieces of the nightmare started to unfold in agonizingly slow frames. A bridge. Rodán. Volod. Water. Vampires … Vampires … more Vampires.

Hands grasping me. Me, fighting their holds. Volod’s long white fangs coming toward me.

In my mind I heard my own scream as Volod sank his teeth into my neck.

Cold flushed over me from my head to my toes. A nightmare? Or did it really happen?

Of course Volod hadn’t bitten me. I’d be dead.

I’d be buried …

No.

I put my hands up—

And my palms met a firm, padded surface just inches from my face.

I started to scream but put the back of my hand in my mouth, holding the scream in.

Calm down. Calm … down.

The fog of my thoughts wouldn’t clear. I moved my hand away from my mouth and hiccuped.

I felt around me, touching the sides and top of the box. Desmond’s words came back to me. Drow were immune to a Vampire’s bite.

But I was half human, too.

The half-Drow part of me allowed me to see within the total darkness. Above me was the quilted cream-colored satin lining of the inside of a coffin. Each wall around me was padded in satin, and my head was on some kind of small pillow.

It was nighttime and I was in Drow form, my amethyst skin contrasting to the cream lining. I didn’t feel the familiar leather fighting suit hugging my body.

I ran my palms down my belly and as far as I could reach in my position. I was wearing some kind of velvet-like gown with bell sleeves, a dress like the ones I’d seen Elizabeth wear. The gown was the same cobalt blue of my hair.

I brought my finger to my mouth and ran it along one of my incisors. The normally tiny fangs that I had as Drow were now long. I pricked my finger on the end of one. Not only long, but sharp, too. The taste of my own blood made my mouth tingle.

An overwhelming urge came over me to get out of the coffin and to the surface. It was almost unnatural in its strength.

My elements. I felt them stir, waiting for me to call on them. My earth magic was strong. I was surrounded by earth, including the six feet of dirt above me.

Grasping something familiar calmed the nerves inside me, and I held on to my earth magic.

Get me out of here, I ordered my element. Take me to the surface.

The earth trembled and shook around me. I heard loose dirt slide down the sides of the coffin. And then I felt the coffin begin to rise.

Despite the continued fogginess of my thoughts, I was able to focus on getting out of the grave. Right now nothing else mattered.

The coffin burst free of the ground and I heard rocks and earth pounding on the lid as they rained back down.

Even in the cramped confines I was still able to bring my knee to my chest. I thrust up with my bare feet and hit the lid with all I had.

A thump as the lid swung open and I pushed myself up to stand inside the coffin.

Volod was just feet away, and my neck burned where I had been bitten. I felt a pull toward him. A calling. I felt a desire to go to him and kneel as if he were the Great Guardian.

Five Vampire paranorms stood around the circumference of the grave. Dirt was on their clothing, and vaguely I thought it must have been from the earth that had been blown away from atop of the coffin. Behind them stood Elizabeth and Monique.

My thoughts continued to be twisted, confused as I looked at Volod. I felt as if I was programmed to go to the Master Vampire.

I climbed out of the coffin and my bare feet met loose earth and stones. The long skirts I wore brushed my legs as I walked toward Volod. His dark gaze held mine as he waited without saying anything.

Around me trees bowed in the wind over headstones. The smell of Vampires was strong, blending with the scents of the trees and grass.

When I was standing in front of him my thoughts started to clear a little. That face I hated so much was smiling. A satisfied, triumphant smile.

“Kneel, bitch.” Volod’s tone was filled with malice.

The loathing I’d felt for him came rushing back and fed the Drow half of me that was fighting Volod’s mental hold.

But it wasn’t enough to overcome the compelling need to obey him. The human half of me surrendered.

I sank down onto my knees and lowered my head.

Volod laughed. “I control and master the great Rodán … and here we have Nyx of the Night Trackers. Now that I have you both, the rest of what I have planned will be easy.”

I kept my head bowed as he went on. “You will serve me faithfully until you die.” He bent over and murmured, “And you will die, Nyx, if you do not obey me. And perhaps even if I tire of you.”

My Drow half continued to war with my human half but I didn’t say anything. It became more real with every moment that passed … I was a Vampire.

“And in another twenty-four hours you shall have friends join you,” he said and I tensed. “Lawan and Gentry will be rising.”

Shock tore at my insides. Lawan and Gentry had been turned? Volod must have bitten them a second time twenty-four hours after the first.

He continued, “All of you will join me in my ultimate goal of taking over the paranorm world.”

My whole body went still as his words sank in.

The Drow half of me fought harder and harder to take control. But my human half was winning. “Get up.” The contempt in Volod’s voice was clear. He hated me, but now he had triumphed over both Rodán and me.

I pushed myself to my feet. Dirt trickled down the part of my dress that had been covered in it. When I was standing, Volod gestured toward the coffin I’d been buried in.

“Pick it up and take it to the hearse waiting at the curb.” He flicked his fingers in a way that said, Hurry along. “By yourself.”

It was the first time I’d looked at the coffin itself. It was dark blue, huge. How did he expect me to carry it outside the cemetery?

I knelt beside the coffin—and picked it up. To my shock it felt no heavier than a cardboard box. Without help, I loaded it into a hearse parked on the street outside of the cemetery. Then I closed the hearse’s back doors with loud thunks that echoed in the night. I glanced down the street and saw a human couple walking along the sidewalk in the opposite direction.

My mouth watered. I thought about how warm their flesh must feel. How salty the taste of their skin. How easily my fangs would slide into their necks. How good their blood would taste.

Horrified, I jerked myself back to reality. My stomach clenched and I thought I might throw up.

Yet at the same time I hungered for blood.

I wanted it. Needed it.

“I’ll make sure you are well fed, Nyx.” Volod’s voice came from beside me, and I cut my attention to him. “But right now I want you hungry.” He leaned down and scraped his fangs down the side of my neck. I went rigid. “I want you prepared to do anything I tell you to, just to get your first drop of blood.”

He moved away, settled his hand on my shoulder, and began to massage it. “I have other things in store for you as well.”

The sudden change from contempt to sensuality had my head spinning. What was happening?

He turned toward a limousine parked in front of the hearse. “Get inside and sit between Monique and Elizabeth.”

When the three of us were sitting on the bench seat across from Volod, he said, “You’ve met Elizabeth.”

When I looked at the redheaded Vamp, she showed her fangs and hissed at me. Volod gestured toward the Vampire on the other side of me. I turned my attention to her even though it meant putting my back to Elizabeth, and I didn’t feel comfortable with that. But I didn’t seem to have a choice.

“And as you may know, this is Monique,” Volod said.

Monique gave me a pleasant smile. “Welcome.”

I gave a nod. I didn’t know what to say.

She touched my shoulder and said the Elvin word for clean. “Avanna.”

“Thank you,” I said as every speck of dirt vanished from my body and clothing. Considering the situation, I really didn’t care if I was clean or not, but I felt the ingrained urge to be polite.

Volod had an amused look as he reclined across from us. I could feel hatred rolling from Elizabeth—not just toward me, but I was pretty sure toward Monique, too.

It wasn’t long before the limo pulled up in front of a brownstone. Volod had likely been hiding out here all this time.

Volod instructed Elizabeth and Monique to walk in front of us. To my surprise, Monique was leading Elizabeth by a leash. Despite the fact that she must be humiliated, Elizabeth kept her chin raised.

Volod walked beside me, his hand lightly touching my upper arm as if guiding me. I wondered if I still had the Witch’s gift. I had read Rodán’s mind on the bridge, but I hadn’t read Volod’s. I couldn’t hear his thoughts now, either.

As my mind continued to clear, mixed emotions filled me. I felt a warmth like I had when I was walking up to see my family in the Otherworld after being away for a long time. Another part of me wanted to bolt … but I felt a strong contentment here. Like I was home and belonged next to Volod, while somehow I felt disdain for him at the same time.

We walked through the entryway into an enormous room. The downstairs must have been gutted to make the large space.

Fifty or so Vampires were in the room. They went silent when Volod and I entered.

Volod paused at the threshold, and I looked at him. Pure satisfaction radiated from him, enough that my stomach clenched.

“You may remember Nyx of the Night Trackers,” Volod said in a loud, clear voice. “She is now one of us.”

The room full of Vampire paranorms broke into applause. I wasn’t certain if it was because they liked and respected me, or because Volod had conquered me. Probably a little of both.

Volod guided me through the room. My heart leapt when I saw Rodán.

“Nyx.” Rodán stepped in front of Volod, and without seeming to care what the Master Vampire thought, he wrapped his arms around me. “I am so happy to see you,” he said, but I heard his thoughts: I am so sorry. So very sorry this has happened against your will. It will work out, though. I will take care of you.

I hugged Rodán back. “Don’t be sorry,” I whispered in his ear. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Rodán raised his head and looked at me. You can hear my thoughts? he asked in his mind.

With a nod I whispered, “Yes.”

Then know this, he thought, we will rise above Volod and shall end this.

Surprise made my eyes widen. Rodán was planning some kind of uprising. As much as I welcomed the thought, I sensed I could not go against Volod. I didn’t think I had the strength to break Volod’s hold on me.

Volod nearly snarled as he stepped close to us. “You have a team to prepare, Rodán.”

“Of course, Volod.” He gave me one last long look while he thought, Be ready. We have much planned. Be ready. And then Rodán slipped into the crowd.

I followed him with my gaze until I couldn’t see him any longer.

Volod startled me when he said, “Is there something going on, my new pet?”

I jerked my attention to him. “Going on?”

He studied me for a moment. “Come.”

Obediently I followed him through the room to a set of stairs. The entire way Volod was greeted and congratulated on his victory over Rodán and me.

My mind was less foggy as I followed Volod up the stairs to a study. It was more a library than an office. Bookcases filled with both ancient tomes and modern works.

I still wasn’t sure what to think … I hated Volod, the passion of that hatred running deep. But I couldn’t seem to stop following him, to stop obeying him.

Over and over again, I had been telling myself that I was just going along with this whole thing, but the truth was more like I couldn’t stop myself. Volod had a hold on me that I didn’t know if I could break.

“Sit.” He pushed me to a chair but I recovered and sank into the seat. He scowled as he walked around to the other side of the desk and sat in the leather chair. “I have you. Now what to do with you, you may wonder.”

I said nothing.

“You will be trained to lead one of our Vampire paranorm teams.” Volod leaned back and steepled his fingers. “I turned you. I bit you twice. Your allegiance to me will be absolute.”

“Yes, Volod,” I said when he seemed to be waiting for something.

“Tonight I will start releasing greater numbers of Vampires to feed on humans,” he said. My stomach churned more. “We have broken the Trackers. There is nothing stopping us in New York. We will begin sending out additional teams of Vampire paranorms to turn or kill more paranorms.”

He continued, “We know where they choose to hang out and we know how to take them. Then it is on to the next city—and the next, and the next.”

My new allegiance to Volod warred with the need to save those in my prior life. The two worlds were on a collision course inside me, and I wasn’t sure I would survive.

“I am bringing in Vampires from all over the United States and Canada.” Volod sounded pleased with himself. “We will have a gathering, a conclave of Vampire leaders from across the continent. Together we shall plan how best to strike paranorms.”

“Where are you doing that?” I asked.

Volod waved me off. “I will divulge the location to no one. You will not know where we are going until we arrive.”

“When?” I asked.

He studied me for a long moment. I wondered if he was questioning his power over me. “You will learn when the time is right.”

“How many Vampires and Vampire paranorms are there?” I held my hands in my lap and laced my fingers together as I struggled to calm myself.

“Truly all of that is none of your concern.” He waved off my question. “You need not worry about numbers or who leads the Vampires to turn or kill humans.”

He leaned forward and braced his forearms on his desk, his hands folded in front of him. “I will have you work on paranorms.”

I listened to what he was saying with mounting fear and confusion. Everything inside me was so twisted. I didn’t know how to think or feel because my allegiance to Volod was growing and growing.

“Monique and Rodán are each in charge of a territory. You will serve under Monique.” He nodded as if giving himself approval.

“Let us not concern ourselves with talks of our destruction of paranorms,” Volod said. “For now our kind must have a night to celebrate victory.”

Volod got up from his chair and came around to stand beside me. He held out his hand and I took it, and he drew me up to my feet so that our bodies were touching.

He released me and brought his hands to my neck before he slowly ran the pads of his fingers along my skin. The movement was sexual, his eyes filled with raw lust.

“You will do whatever she or I require of you,” he said. “You will even share my bed. Is this clear?”

“Of course.” I forced myself to remain still and to agree with him. “I serve you now.”

“Of course.” Volod echoed my words as he smiled, a slow, evil smile. “I am your Master.”