Always the Vampire

“How could I be a threat?” I scoffed. “I didn’t know about the scam until a few months ago.”


“But the old vampires knew about you. They knew the legends, even though I had destroyed every written record.” Now his voice betrayed an edge of anger. “The virgin vampire princess who would come into all of Normand’s powers and add her own? No, I couldn’t have another of Normand’s royal line alive to challenge me.”

“I’m no challenge.”

“Because you want to live your pathetic little normal life? How long would it have been before you wanted more? Wanted to rule vampiredom?”

“That’s your ambition talking, not mine.”

“No, you would challenge me sooner or later, just as I challenged Normand. I would rather eliminate that threat now.”

He shifted his weight, just a subtle tell, but enough that when he rushed me, I met him headlong. We grappled four feet above the courtyard until I landed a knee thrust to his groin. Legrand grunted, faltered, fell into a crouch. I touched down, gripped his head with both my hands, and brought him to his feet. Then, following another instinct, I held his brown eyes with my gaze and breathed the Void at Legrand.

He laughed, not even bothering to break my hold. “You think to slay me with rancid breath?”

“That’s a bonus.”

He clucked his tongue. “Foolish wench. My blood helped create Starrack’s creature. It will not attack me.”

“Guess again.”

Quick as a striking snake, I raked my nails down his cheeks, then slapped my hands on the welling blood and squeezed his head harder.

“The blood that made the Void will unmake it, but not before it destroys you. Lia,” I called, “say the spell.”

“Don’t waste your time, fair Lia,” Legrand yelled.

“Do it. Oh, and Normand, if you’re hanging around, you’re welcome to join me.”

Legrand smirked, then his cold eyes widened as he stared over my shoulder. He twisted away, but Normand’s apparition tripped Legrand. He stumbled, and I recaptured him in a flash of fang.

With Normand at his back, I clamped Legrand’s head in my hands once more and captured his gaze. I hadn’t believed that one vampire could enthrall another one, but I gave Legrand my idea of the death glare and he froze. Then, with a push of power willing the Void to invade a new body, I exhaled in a long, slow breath. Black fog spewed from my mouth in shiny ribbons that wound around Legrand’s head. His eyes widened first in disbelief and then in horror as the ribbons twisted around his neck and shoulders. His body stiffened and spasmed with seizures, but I held fast and exhaled the Void again and again until the vampire’s white skin began to blacken and shrivel and turn rubbery in my hands.

Normand’s ghost misted away as high, horrible shrieks came from what had been Legrand’s mouth, and his legs buckled. I held on, rode him to the ground, and flung my consciousness to every infected vampire that might yet carry a molecule of the Void. I felt the blackness flow from Ray and Tower and all the rest, even from vampires whose names I didn’t know, but whose energy I touched. I drew every last vestige of the evil Legrand had helped to make and sent it into his decomposing body.

I felt no remorse, no compassion as I watched the writhing figure, and for a heartbeat that worried me. Then Triton stood at my right shoulder, the amulets in his open hands. Our gazes locked in complete accord.

I took the disk, and together we knelt to banish what was left of Legrand and the Void.





“Third invocation for healing,” Cosmil said as Triton and I knelt over Saber minutes later.

High damn time, I thought without filtering who heard me. Since Triton patted my hand, I guessed he did hear, but his sympathetic expression told me he understood.

Saber lay still as a corpse, but his color had improved, and both his body and face appeared less shrunken. That had to be a good sign, right?

“Ready?” Cosmil asked softly.

We gently placed the amulets as Cosmil directed, first over Saber’s heart, and then over his ribs to treat his lungs. The brilliant light cast an aura around his head and torso, smaller pinpoints dancing along his arms and legs in rope beams, just like the ones that had encircled the ailing palm tree. Where the Void chain links had pierced Saber’s skin, the twinkles of light absorbed into his skin.

I don’t know if Saber’s vampire or werewolf blood boosted the amulet healing, but he regained consciousness far faster than I’d dared hope.

“Cesca?” he asked, struggling to sit.

Tears suddenly streamed down my cheeks, and it was all I could do not to hug the stuffing out of him. “Be still, honey,” I said instead. “You’re in rough shape.”

“I missed the fight?”

“Not the one for your life,” Triton said. “Damn, you are one tough SOB. I’m glad I didn’t have to battle you for Cesca.”

Saber’s lips quirked. “So is somebody going to tell me what happened?”





TWENTY-SIX