Dark Nights

Chapter Eleven

In the shape of an owl, Traian streaked across the darkened sky. Joie had no hope of fighting off a master vampire, even with Gary’s vast knowledge of the undead and Jubal’s weapon. Often it took two and sometimes three very experienced hunters to kill a master vampire. The most the humans could hope for was to delay the vampires until he arrived.

The wind increased in speed so that gusts hurled branches and twigs into the air like missiles. A funnel cloud whirled and spun ominously from ground to sky, a dark, turbulent monster leaping with greedy outspread fingers toward him. He flew into an invisible barrier, hit the obstacle hard and plummeted toward the ground below.

The black mass stretched wide, forming a ghastly head with a gaping mouth and long, bony arms, reaching for the body of the owl as it tumbled toward the ground. Traian shifted into dark droplets of vapor, merging with the black mass, spreading thin to avoid detection. The tornado dropped from the heavens as if it had never been, leaving behind an eerie calm and a clear sky.

A tangle of silver fell from the tree branches, a fine solid blanket of woven strands. Traian was already shifting again, landing in a crouch on the ground. The silver hit his arm but slid off, landing inches from his feet. Pain streaked through his body. Angry red welts rose immediately on his skin where his flesh had come into contact with the glittering silver. Thousands of stinging insects flew at his face, a solid wall of them, programmed to find and attack. Traian dissolved to avoid them, sliding back into the forest to cling to a tree branch in the shape of a frog.

He reached out with his senses, trying to locate his opponent. Master vampires rarely revealed themselves, especially in battle. Traian knew the undead had deliberately drawn him back to the inn with the hope of trapping and destroying him.

I am in a fight for all of our lives. If you can avoid a confrontation, do so. If not, always go for the most dangerous vampire and go for the heart. Nothing else will put them down. Delay. Stall. Try to avoid a battle.

He waited, his heart beating a little too hard, fear eating at his mind until Joie answered. Her voice was calm and steady, even confident, settling the hard knots in his belly.

Don’t think about us little mortal people, Traian. We can handle the dead guys. You just don’t get a single scratch on you or I’ll be upset—and you’ve never seen me upset.

The relief nearly overwhelmed him. She was unhurt .

You have taught me the real meaning of fear. Always, I have gone into battle with nothing to lose. I do not much care for the feeling.

Well, it’s mutual, Traian, so don’t go feeling sorry for yourself. I’ve got the ugly guys at the door, so I’m going to have to let you go.

Joie made him want to laugh. She sounded like she was talking to him on the phone and a neighbor had dropped by to borrow a cup of sugar. Do not get overconfident. He couldn’t help cautioning her, although he knew it would annoy her.

A walk in the park. You worry about yourself.

He could see the insects scattering, returning, flying through the trees in search of any sign of him. The bugs always returned to swarm around the same rotted trunk of a fallen tree. I love you, Joie, and I cannot do without you. Keep that in mind when you decide how best to handle the situation. You are deciding for both of us.

She hissed at him between her teeth. He could hear it clearly, the irritation and annoyance of a woman beyond her limits of patience. His heart did a curious flip, a strange reaction to her feminine exasperation. For some unexplained reason, he felt joy.

The little frog hopped along the tree branch, taking great care to blend in with the leaves and twigs. He was some distance from the fallen tree, and the ground stretching between was covered with debris. Traian glanced skyward at the black, spinning clouds. At his mental command, lightning shot bright sparks into the massive cauldron overhead. The white-hot energy spun into a large ball, breaking away from the clouds and hurtling toward the ground. The air crackled with electricity.

Traian leapt from the branch, shape-shifting into his true form, his hands directing the spinning threads of energy, launching the ball as he melted back into the trees. The sphere slammed into the center of the rotten trunk, carving a blackened hole as it went all the way through to hit the ground, forming a deep crater. White whips sizzled and crackled inside the depression.

Black vapor rose from the trunk of the tree to mix with the dark, spinning clouds. A terrible piercing howl of rage filled the air. High-pitched and obscene, the voice shredded nerves and pierced eardrums. The trees shuddered and shook. Grass and leaves shriveled. The sound bounced from ground to cloud with the force of a clap of thunder. The blast hit Traian in the back and drove him forward, slamming him into a tree. He just managed to whip his head back before he hit.

He inhaled quickly, took in the noxious, foul smell of burnt flesh, and knew he had scored a hit. Fire rained from the sky, red glowing embers igniting the foliage. Hungry flames licked at the grass and leaves, and then raced up the trees with glee. Traian spread out his arms, gave a command, and the clouds burst open, pouring sheets of water on the rising flames. The sky overhead went black with smoke and whirling clouds. It was impossible to tell where the vampire was. The undead was experienced enough not to give away his presence by blank spots in the air. He chose to blend into the chaos of his surroundings, sidestepping further battles now that he was wounded.

Without warning Traian was hit from behind, a thick branch thunking hard across his back, knocking him to his knees. Instantly, a body was on him, teeth tearing at him, missing his neck and hooking into his shoulder. Using tremendous strength, he drove upward and back, slamming his body down hard over the top of the vicious vampire.

Instinctively he knew, this was the master’s pawn, sent to slow Traian down, a sacrifice the master hoped would wound him enough to allow the kill. He heard the vampire grunt with pain and he rolled. The undead refused to let go, his teeth clamped hard in Traian’s shoulder. As he rolled, he felt flesh and muscle tear. He reached back, gripped the head with both hands and wrenched hard, throwing the body over his shoulder as he leapt to his feet.

The vampire landed with a thud against the same tree Traian had run into. The force of the body hitting it shook the trunk so that branches rocked and leaves and twigs rained down over the thin, stick-like figure. Traian almost didn’t recognize that this vampire once had been a childhood friend. The man was every bit as old as he was and the fact that he was a fledgling, commanded by a master, meant he’d only recently turned. He’d held out against the growing darkness as long as he was able and rather than seeking the dawn, he’d succumbed to the whispers for the rush of feeling a kill would bring.

Deliberately, Traian ignored the blood oozing from the bite marks and torn flesh on his shoulder. He bowed slightly toward the vampire.

“Emilian, I scarce recognized you. It has been many long years since last we met.”

The fledgling vampire climbed clumsily to his feet. His bloodshot eyes met Traian’s and slithered away, unable to see himself in the eyes of a hunter. He dusted his clothes off and made an effort to settle an illusion of who he had once been over his rotting body. His hair changed from all gray to black and gray. His skin, pitted and sunken, filled out to once again look smooth. He pulled himself up to try to look dignified.

“Traian. You have angered the master. Come, join us. He will forgive you if you aid us.”

Traian’s eyebrow shot up. “I never thought to hear you say you have a master. Carpathians are free. We roam the earth, take to the skies, go below the ground, wherever we choose, with no one commanding us, yet you give up freedom to become a slave to a master. That makes no sense to me, Emilian.”

Deliberately he continued to use the vampire’s name, distracting him, perhaps even confusing him from his goal. Traian shifted a bit to his right, a barely perceptible movement that took him a few inches closer to the lesser vampire.

“You are slave to the prince,” Emilian accused, showing his teeth. Once immaculately white, they were stained brown and beginning to take the shape of serrated spikes.

“The prince of our people does not command us, Emilian, you know that.”

“Have you forgotten that he sent us from our homeland, banished us and kept the women for himself and those he favored?” Emilian snarled the words, hatred pouring through his voice.

“Is that what your master has told you?” Traian risked another couple of inches, the glide smooth enough that the agitated vampire failed to notice once again. “Have you forgotten so much? The prince allowed each of us to make our own decision, as is the way of our people. You chose to leave our homeland and I did as well. Do not blame your failure to keep your honor on our prince.”

Emilian bared his teeth, the bloodshot eyes turning ruby red as his temper flared. “If you chose to cow down before him and crawl like a dog at his bidding, more fool you. I will enjoy power and have the world bowing at my feet.”

Traian managed another two inches, within striking distance now. “As you crawl like the dog you have become to your master, whining for a pat on the head as you bow at his feet?”

He moved with blurring speed, streaking across the short distance, slamming his fist deep into the chest of his old friend, fingers burrowing deep for the beating heart. Emilian tore at him with claws and teeth, desperately trying to break free from the hunter’s merciless grip.

Black blood burned Traian’s skin as he tore the heart free and threw it a distance from him. Emilian faltered, staring at his own heart, crying out and reaching toward it. He went down to his knees and fell face down, stretching his arms pleadingly toward his heart.

Traian took a few steps to get clear of the trees to call down the lightning. The ground spewed dirt and rocks into the air just a foot in front of him, a geyser erupting violently. A rock hit his chest, driving him away from Emilian’s heart and back toward the vampire lying on the ground.

Another relatively new vampire sprung at him, leaping on his shoulders, clawing at his eyes. Traian dissolved, or attempted to; Emilian caught his ankle and sank lengthy talons deep to keep him from shifting shape. Gleeful laughter erupted from the sky as the master vampire once more was certain he’d gained the upper hand against the hunter.

Traian turned and ducked forward all in one motion, hurtling the vampire off of him and slamming his fist hard into Emilian’s back, breaking the spine with an audible crack. Emilian screamed and released him and Traian leapt into the clearing, calling down the lightning. The sizzling bolt struck the heart with deadly precision. Emilian convulsed, his mouth opening wide, maggots pouring out, attempting to abandon the dying corpse. The bolt of lightning jumped from earth to sky and back, this time incinerating the body, leaving ash to blow away in the wind.

The second lesser vampire attacked with blinding speed, rushing toward Traian and at the last moment, shifting, taking to the air as a giant, winged bird with a wedge-shaped head, wicked curved beak and claws the size of a grizzly’s. Traian managed to duck, allowing the bird to skim past him, cutting a razor-thin fiery streak across his back and shoulder as the thing went past.

The ground rolled, tossing Traian off balance, a signal that the master helped his pawn from a distance and he had to gain the upper hand fast or the master would come in to finish the kill. He was losing blood and that was the whole point of these attacks by the lesser pawns—to weaken him. No master vampire would risk his existence unless he had an advantage. They always used the fledglings, unless they had no puppets to control and then, as a rule, they avoided hunters.

Around him, in a large loose circle, the ground shook and rolled and geyser after geyser exploded upward. Out of the raining debris vampire after vampire stepped, fiery eyes glowing red in the dark, staring at him, raising heads to sniff the blood dripping from his wounds, pulling back thin lips to bare blackened, stained teeth.

“Join us,” they whispered, hands stretched toward him.

Feet stomped the ground, setting up a peculiar rhythm. The sound echoed through his mind, like the dripping of the water in the cave and the clacking of the branches, a hypnotic, mesmerizing sound evading his mind. The vampires swayed to the beat, blurring images until all he could focus on were the red eyes streaking back and forth as the bodies moved in unison.

“Join us.” This time the entreaty was louder, moving through his mind. “Join us. Join us.” The refrain became a chant echoing through the forest and reverberating from the roiling clouds to the rolling ground.

Traian shook his head, trying to get the terrible buzzing out of his mind. The ensnaring refrain moved through his mind and his blood seemed to respond, reaching toward those calling to him. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement and his brain filled in the pieces. This master, strong enough to command another powerful master vampire, had taken his blood. He could reach inside of him through the blood bond, influence his movements, track him at will and push him toward taking that last step to giving up his honor.

He forced a laugh. “You think to trap me as you would one of your pawns? I am a hunter with centuries of experience.”

“Join me or die an ugly death and I will strip the very flesh from your lifemate and feed it to my dogs,” the voice taunted from the safety of a vantage point close by. There was a hint of anger as the master realized Traian wasn’t as far under his spell as he’d hoped. His confidence was a little shaken.

“You have enough dogs to do your bidding and still, as many times as you have set them upon me, you have failed. Sooner or later they will tire of your continual defeats and see you are all words with no real power.”

Traian clapped his hands together hard and thunder boomed in answer. A white-hot whip of lightning streaked across the sky and slammed to the earth in a large circle, striking the master vampire’s apparitions with a vicious, well-aimed cut. The illusions burned like paper dolls, dust flying into the air along with ashes from the debris.

He spun to face the lesser vampire coming at him out of the dark, springing like a great jungle cat. Before the creature reached him, Traian shifted as well, taking the heavier form of a tiger, teeth and claws meeting the smaller leopard in midair. The two bodies crashed together, raking at one another’s bellies, trying for a throat hold. The force of the larger cat drove the leopard backward and as they fell, the leopard landed on its back.

The two cats rolled together, the growls and roars shaking the ground as they tumbled, each fighting for a hold on the other with vicious teeth. As they rose up a second time on hind feet, Traian gripped the throat with his larger muzzle, driving the teeth deep, puncturing the neck of the other cat. At the same time, he shifted one great paw back to his true form. He drove his fist through the armor of fur, muscle, and sinew to go after the heart of the undead.

The leopard stiffened, arched its back, and tried to shift, but Traian was too fast and brutally strong, ripping the heart from the vampire and tossing it high into the air as the bolt of lightning streaked toward it. The vampire still tried, shifting to the form of a winged bat, great drops of black acid blood trailing behind him, as he tried to reach his heart before the whip of lightning did.

The bat reached the heart just as the white-hot energy struck, incinerating the heart and bat simultaneously. Traian shifted, crouching on the ground, trying to drag air into his lungs and keep a wary eye out for the master.

“I think you are losing your dogs. Perhaps you might want to show a little courage and come after me yourself,” he challenged, standing slowly, bathing his arms in the white light to remove the acid burns. He looked as nonchalant as he could with rips and tears all over his body.

A tree branch snapped off just to his left, coming at him like a large spear. Traian moved with blurring speed, shifting to his right and standing tall and dignified.

“Is that your best? You really are losing your power. Come to me and receive the justice of our people.”

Malevolent silence answered him.

Traian tried one last tactic, knowing the vampire might disappear for many years, avoiding all contacts with hunters in order to survive. There was one last chance to call him into the open, and Traian used it, risking revealing his position to send a summons into the night. His call was pure and commanding, his voice that of an ancient in full power ordering the vampire to ground.

In his ancient tongue he called to the master vampire, naming him for what he was. Te kalma, te jama ńiŋ3kval, te apitäsz arwa-arvo—You are nothing but a walking maggot-infected corpse, without honor. Muonìak te avoisz te—I command you to reveal yourself.

Thunder boomed, the sound so loud it shook the ground and trees. Above him, for one brief moment the hideous creature was outlined in the sky, a ghoul as evil and sinister as centuries of deviant behavior and killing for the sake of watching others suffer could make him. He stared down at Traian with hate-filled eyes, his jagged teeth snapping together in defiance. Just the fact that he’d been unable to stop himself from resisting the ancient hunter’s command made him furious.

Traian went still. The vampire was changed over the centuries of being undead, but there was something familiar about him. Could it be? Vadim Malinov? A hunter from one of the strongest Carpathian families. It was difficult to tell, but if so, he would make a powerful and dangerous enemy the likes of which they’d never come up against. His family was known for their ability to plan battles. Their fighting skills were legendary.

More than any other, the master vampire loathed the hunter he’d tried for weeks, using a small army, to kill and yet still Traian triumphed. The master vampire threw back his head and howled with sheer rage.

A sound burst in Traian’s head, swelling in volume, a counter-command of death and destruction. Every cell in Traian’s body reacted. He was a jangle of nerve endings, paralyzed, forced to stand vulnerable out in the open, at the mercy of the vampire.

I am your master. The echo reverberated through Traian’s muscles and tissue, through every organ.

No! Joie’s whisper was a soft, sensuous counterpoint to the poisonous command. He took your blood. He’s using that as a weapon against you. Shut out his voice. He has no dominion over you, over either of us. I don’t care how strong he is, Traian, or what he is. We’re stronger. He can track you through your blood, but he cannot command you.

A part of Traian recognized that she was there with him, in his mind, ferreting out the memories of what this vampire and his pack had done during those days of captivity in the ice cave. The torture, enduring this master vampire feeding from his veins and taunting him every moment they were awake, always a shadowy figure to make him seem all the more dangerous and powerful.

Foolish woman. I own his mind. The master vampire, now that he had used his blood bond to restrain the weakened hunter, wasn’t about to lose his advantage. He is my puppet, and soon all the others will be too. He cannot touch me, but I can find him anywhere. And through him, I can find you and your pitiful family. Join with me. I will one day rule both Carpathians and humans alike. If you do not, you will kneel before me and I will show no mercy to you or yours.

Joie deliberately laughed, the sound like a breath of fresh air, ripping the dark dread from Traian’s heart and clearing his mind. You are the foolish one. There is only one for me. We will destroy you because you’re nothing but a rotten, empty shell. And you’re just nasty, if you ask me. The only way you managed, even for one brief moment to ensnare him, was through his wounds. He is far too valiant and strong for the likes of you, which is why he managed to command you to reveal yourself when you can’t get him to lie down and die for you. I’d rather be dead than spend a moment with you.

So be it.

Traian felt the monster’s rage, bursting in his head, in his veins, as if his blood boiled, but he was free of the terrible paralysis. He clapped his hands together and spread his fingers wide, arms outstretched toward the vampire, which was already dissolving into vapor. Lightning forked and sizzled, sending multiple bolts across the night sky.

The furious vampire screamed once, and a putrid smell polluted the night air. Clearly one of those white-hot whips of pure energy had struck, inflicting wounds.

Kill her. Kill all of them, the master vampire commanded his followers.

Thunder splintered the sky. The earth rolled and bucked and the storm raged, a wild hurricane slamming into the forest and village as the vampire raged against Traian. Trees toppled and branches fell, some onto the rooftops of homes on the outer ring of the village.

They throw tantrums, Joie said, her breath in her throat. This time there was fear in her voice. She could feel the fury behind the storm, a foul thing bent on the destruction of humans and Carpathians alike.

Traian raced across the night sky toward the inn, doing his best to countermand the killing storm. He was still leaking too much blood, his body weakened by the multiple attacks, a common warfare for vampires against an experienced hunter. Still, he fought back, countering the vicious winds and the onslaught of rain pounding the village.

Valenteen, the vampire at your door, is dangerous beyond belief, Joie, a master vampire long sought after by Carpathian hunters. Whoever this master is, he commands Valenteen, and that is both shocking and terrifying.

I think I really made him angry, Traian, it might not have been such a good idea to tell him I thought he was nasty.

The entire inn shook, the walls swaying as if from the shock of an earthquake. The door to the verandah sagged, splintered again as something struck it with tremendous force.

Hurry, Traian, they’re breaking through the door. Joie’s heart was pounding so hard she was afraid it would burst through her chest.

Whispers filled the room, soft, insidious whispers made with sweet voices entreating them to open the door and allow entry. The bracelet on Jubal’s wrist glowed brightly. A series of curved, wicked looking razor-sharp blades sprang out.

“What is that?” Gary demanded.

“A weapon to kill vampires,” Jubal answered tersely. “Get behind me, Gabrielle.”

Gabrielle cried out and put her hands over her ears. She took several steps toward the door, nodding her head, her lips beginning to move.

Gary leapt to her side, dragged her back, his hand over her mouth. He put his lips against her ear. “They’re trying to command you to invite them in. You must not listen to them.”

They heard something large thump hard in the room above their heads. Someone pounded on the upstairs floor, sending a spider-web of cracks along the ceiling of Gary’s room. Pieces of debris fell and the light fixture swayed and then crashed to the floor. Jubal leapt back as the bracelet slipped from his wrist and spun close to him.

“They’re breaking through above us,” Jubal said. “Gary, keep Gabrielle close to you. If anything happens, get her out and somewhere safe. Joie, I’ll take the ones coming through from upstairs, you keep the ones at the door out.”

Jubal and Joie each knew the way the other worked, what they were capable of and that each would have the other’s back. Gary was an unknown and they preferred to rely on each other despite his expertise.

“I’ve got it,” Joie replied, not certain what she was going to do to prevent vampires from invading the room. “I need a shotgun.” She kept her eyes on the door.

“Gary, do you have one? Where is it?” Gabrielle asked.

“Under the bed.” Gary indicated his bed with his chin, his eyes remaining on the door.

Gabrielle retrieved the gun and handed it to her sister.

The ceiling shook a second time, and more debris rained down. Wood splintered and cracked, caving in just as the door burst inward, splintering through the middle. A swarm of insects flew straight at Jubal, bringing in the wind and the wild rain. Above their heads, a creature with glowing red eyes and stained teeth glared triumphantly down at them. The whirling blades of Jubal’s bracelet rose swiftly into the air, spinning, giving off a low hum as the metal grew hotter and began to glow red.

A second dense cloud of stinging bugs swarmed through the hole in the door, attacking exposed flesh, biting viciously. Gabrielle screamed as she fought them off, slapping at them as they clung to skin and hair. Gary threw a blanket over Gabrielle’s head, wrapping her face and arms to protect her from the worst of the bites.

Jubal cursed and beat at his face and neck in a frantic attempt to keep the insects off of him; at the same time, he refused to take his eyes from the widening hole in the ceiling. The vampire beat at the wood and ripped the beams away. He reached down through the hole toward Jubal’s head, claws lengthening.

Gary dragged Gabrielle away from the danger of the swinging claw. He met the eyes of the vampire. “You cannot enter this room, foul thing. You are not welcome here.”

The arm smoked. Little flames licked up the rotting flesh. The vampire screamed and jerked his arm away, thrashing around on the floor of the bedroom above them before thrusting his head just outside the widening hole and spitting venom at them. The spinning blades rose into the air and smashed into the exposed head, tearing through the face, burning and cutting as it went. The vampire screamed horribly and fell back out of sight.

Jubal closed his eyes, shutting out everything but the bracelet, forming an image in his head of the spinning weapon targeting the vampire’s heart. He was oblivious to the insects swarming over him, Gabrielle’s cries, or Gary’s chanting. The only thing, in that moment that was real for him, was the mage weapon and the vampire.

The scent of burned flesh and hideous screams that cut off abruptly were his only confirmation that he’d been successful. He called the bracelet back to him. It came through the door with the master vampire’s retaliation—hordes of bats. The bats covered his body, driving him to the ground with their weight, teeth biting into his flesh with the intention of devouring him.

Gary shoved Gabrielle behind him, toward the bathroom. “Get in there, cover every crack,” he ordered and turned back to try to clear the bats from Jubal, knocking them to the floor and to incinerate them with a small torch he took from atop his dresser, ignoring the ones using their wings as feet and walking menacingly across the floor toward him.

A vampire appeared in the hole and Joie shot him with the shotgun, blowing him backward. Immediately the gun grew too hot to hold and she dropped it hastily, inhaling sharply when she saw what she faced. The vampire was back, the bloody hole blown through the body spewing maggots, but he was still standing as though unfazed.

Through the door, Joie could see that this was the real enemy. She stood stoically facing the monster outside in the hall. His smile was a terrible parody, as was his bow. He looked smug as he watched the black horde of insects biting the occupants of the room and the bats covering the body of her brother like a living blanket. Joie knew she was staring at something far more foul than the creature she had knifed in the cave. He beckoned to her with his clawlike fingers, and she felt a tremendous pull. It was only the pain from the vicious bites of the insects that kept her from stepping out of the room and into the hallway. She had no doubt that this vampire would kill her—that he would kill all of them.

She struggled to keep her mind her own, rather than allow his soft voice to intrude and command. “You are Valenteen,” she named him. “A master vampire without equal. Tell me why you do the bidding of the other, the one who hides behind your strength.”

The only weapon she had was to flatter the vampire’s ego—stall him in the hope that Traian would come before Valenteen could entice her out to him. “It’s clear you’re much more powerful. Why would you serve such a creature?” She forced interest and admiration into her voice. “I find it hard to believe that a man like you needs someone like him.”

Valenteen’s lip curled, exposing blackened gums. “I allow him to think he commands me. It suits me to fall in with his plans. We both seek the same thing. If he finds it, I will take it from him.”

Joie was being compelled forward, one slow step at a time. She struggled to stay grounded, flinging her hand out to Jubal. Her brother crawled to her in spite of the weight of the bats, clawing his way across the floor, pushing with elbows and toes until his fingers grasped hers while Gary continued to throw the bats off his back and legs. Jubal gripped her hand without hesitation.

“Of course you’ll take whatever it is the two of you seek. He’s a fool to think he can treat you with so little respect. I’ve been all over the world and have never encountered a man as powerful as you.” Joie tried to interject a flirty note in her voice, but her acting skills didn’t stretch that far. “You should lead them all. Everyone would benefit from your knowledge.”

In spite of Jubal’s restraining hand, she was jerked another step forward. Joie felt like a puppet on a string. She couldn’t stop her body from going toward the beckoning hand, even with Jubal trying to hold her back.

Gary flung up his hands to stop her. “Leave this place,” he commanded.

Valenteen sent a thrust of foul air toward Gary’s face. Gary stumbled, grasping his throat and going down to one knee. At once the bats began to climb his legs, biting with vicious teeth.

Ignoring the others in the room as though nothing had happened and his conversation with Joie hadn’t been interrupted, Valenteen nodded his head. “It is true that I have much experience in leadership. Perhaps killing you is not the best answer. Perhaps bringing you to my side would serve us both better.”

Jubal let go of her hand and caught her around the waist, lifting her away from the threshold. At the same time, he tried to send the mage weapon spinning toward the master vampire. At once the vampire closed his hand, staring at Jubal’s throat. Joie’s brother went down hard, choking, coughing, fighting for air. The insects instantly swarmed over him, clogging his throat, attacking his exposed face. The weapon retreated toward Jubal, obviously trying to protect him from the insects and bats without the guidance of his thoughts.

Gary made a valiant effort to stagger to his feet, still fighting the bats, making a grab for Joie, but she shook her head and deliberately stepped into the hall.

“Help Jubal,” she ordered. She kept her gaze on the vampire, trying to appear fascinated. Traian was close. He was with her, moving in her mind, giving her strength. The vampire believed he was still compelling her to do his bidding, but with Traian’s aid, she moved on her own. She didn’t look behind her to see if Gary was able to clear out the bats, she had to trust that he would. Intuitively she knew it was better for all of them to keep the vampire’s attention centered on her.

Her stomach lurched at the prospect of being close to such an evil creature. She could see him clearly now, without the illusion the undead often used on their victims. Flesh hung from his bones. Tufts of hair clung to his scalp. His long, thick fingernails were in the shape of hooked claws, sharp and twisted and black. His eyes appeared red, streaked with yellow. The hole she’d put in him showed the rot in his insides. The black insects and wiggling white worms spilled from inside of him. Malevolence clung to him, sickening her and fouling the air around him. Instead of trying to stop herself from moving toward him, now Joie had to force her shaking legs to take a step.

Impatience crossed his face and he showed his teeth.

Her heart jumped, accelerated in spite of the need to stay calm. “Joining with a man so powerful and knowing he’s certain to rule those around him sounds like a good idea. I’ve always admired strength.” She tried to appease him even when it was obvious her reluctance showed.

Inches from his outstretched hand, Joie purposely tripped on a piece of the splintered door and stumbled. She protected herself with a palm to the ground, her body slightly turned, giving herself precious seconds to slide her other hand along her leg to grab the knife in her boot, the blade hidden flat against her wrist.

Valenteen leaned over her, spittle drooling from his mouth as he caught her by her hair and wrenched her to her feet. He dragged her against his body, jerking her head back to expose her neck, and sank his teeth deep, gulping as he drank.

Joie registered the fiery pain of an acid burn as he tore a gaping wound in her neck. Her vision blurred, and the ground lurched as her legs went rubbery. She could hear the sound of his heart, although she couldn’t feel it beating. She made no sound of protest, made no struggle, giving herself up willingly. Some of the tension slipped from the undead’s body. With every ounce of strength she possessed, everything she was, Joie plunged the knife deep into his chest, driving straight for his heart.

Lifting his head, Valenteen screamed horribly, the sound shattering glass from windows. Gripping her hair, he dragged her backward as his body fought to stay up in spite of the knife in his heart. With his other hand he grabbed her chin with every intention of breaking her neck.

Blood gushed from the wound in her neck so that his hand slipped off. Joie clamped both hands on the back of the fist clutching her hair to hold his hand to her head. Dropping low, she spun around and stood up fast, snapping bones in his hand. He howled as he let her go, raking at her with poison-tipped talons.

Traian emerged from the darkness, his eyes flaming red, dragging the vampire off of her, wrenching his head around hard. The knife handle dropped uselessly to the floor of the verandah, the blade completely eaten away by acid in the blood of the undead. Traian’s fist shot out, plunging deep, following the trail of the knife. Valenteen matched the move, driving his good hand into the wall of Traian’s chest, through the muscle and tissue, seeking his heart.

Valenteen and Traian stood eye to eye, toe to toe, both driving toward one another’s heart. Traian ignored the pain of a claw tearing through muscle and tissue, ripping his flesh. He had one purpose. He had to reach that heart and kill the vampire, even if Valenteen managed to kill him. His lifemate and her siblings had no chance without him succeeding. His fingers burrowed deep. Acid blood poured over his arm, burning through to his bones. The vampire raked at him with his other arm and bent forward to try to tear his neck open with his teeth stained with Joie’s blood.

Staring into the vampire’s eyes, Traian ripped the shriveled, blackened organ out and tossed it aside. “You lose, Valenteen. You are dead.”

“Not yet,” Valenteen’s teeth snapped around Traian’s neck.