Black Heart: Coeur de Sade (Black Heart Series) (41 page)

            "Sure," Desiree said.  She was serious, despite not liking the idea of me staking vampires.  "Antoinette LaRue.  Want me to help you?"

            "Um, can you think of anyone a little less scary?"

            "Not really."

            "I'll pass.  For now," I said.  I suspected that I'd have to stake her someday, or she'd kill me.  At least I hoped that was her only option.  The Giorgi sisters' fate scared me.  Antoinette could force me into whoredom just as easily, it not easier.  Yeah, she scared me more than any other vampire.  "So that would be a big no.  I'll have to find another way to get money."

            "Then we're staying with Kale for a while," Desiree said, nodding.  She liked Kale.  A lot.  Maybe too much.  "Though, I still might buy a more reasonable house than the one in Highland Park.  I like the idea of a little three bedroom, two bath, two car garage brick in the burbs."

            "Where?  Plano?  Richardson?"

            "Yeah.  That would be sweet, don't you think?"

            I did.  That was more in line with what I grew up with.  I liked big, being a Texan, but smaller homes were cozier.  Besides, if she did buy a house then I'd have yet another house to choose from each night.

            Dane let me know in no uncertain terms I was welcome to stay with him in Mesquite.  It was tempting, but if I moved in with him he would quickly come to expect monogamy.  I was no longer wired for that virtue.  Vampires were in truth serial one-night-standers.  And really, more like three to five a night.  Yeah, I know, kinda icky, but that's undeath.

            If Desiree moved out into her own house, I would go with her.  Naturally.  She was the most reliable, most fanatical about my safety of them all.  I had to be with her, but I could divide my days up between her, Dane, Gabe, and Kale.  Heck, I wasn't adverse to visiting Brandon for some unholy loving and biting.

            I fell asleep around two, but was back up when Kale got home at six.  We piled into Desiree's Charger after sundown and headed for Taco Bell.  After a dinner of Mexican pizza and burritos, we went clothes shopping for me.  I needed a couple more pairs of pants and lots of shirts.

            Desiree had made arrangements with Boney to have a couple boys available to unpack and repack her storage unit.  We were going over the next night and go through everything, get what we absolutely needed like makeup and clothes, and pack the rest back up until she got another house.  My storage was next to it, as well, so I could go through it if needed, too.

            We closed Valley View Mall down, then hit Sonic on the way home.  Sonic burgers were my favorite.  With fries and a peach slush.  Mmmm-mmm, good stuff.  As for my need for blood, Kale already had a new fridge delivered and set up in his garage, and stocked with blood.

            Finally, Desiree dressed up as a sexy French maid, with fishnets and six inch stiletto platforms, and I pulled on my brand spanking new pair of fire engine red patent thigh boots.  Nothing else.  Kale got naked.  And we all plopped down on the couch and watched Letterman, and ate our Sonic burgers.

            Okay, Desiree and I took turns doing naughty things to Kale, but mostly we watched Letterman and ate.  Until just before the Late Show ended when someone knocked on the door.

            Feeling naughty, I got up to answer.  Just as I was.  Kinda hoped I shocked them.  Yeah, I was eager to do some shocking.

            I flung the door open, struck a bold as can be, look at me, pose, and said, "Hello!  How can — Jesus Christ!"

            "Hello, Sable," Heidi said, and punched me in the face.

            Heidi hit me so hard my feet came off the floor and I flipped completely over.  I landed on the floor face down.  She pulled me up by my hair, and kneed me in the belly, then in the groin.  Finally, she threw me across the room.

            "Wahoo!  Heidi's home!" Desiree cried, clapping her hands.

            "What?" I said, dragging myself to my feet.

            Heidi stepped to the middle of the living room, looking me up and down contemptuously.  Then she stopped, tensed, and pointed at my feet.

            "Are those my boots?  Did you steal my clothes?"

            "How can you be here?  You're dead," I said.  "I felt you die."

            "Yeah, I died.  Thanks, bitch," Heidi said, blue eyes narrowing.  I really looked at her.  She was still in her Krav Maga workout sweats, but they were ruined with a frightening about of dried blood.  Her neck was caked with dried blood, as was her blonde hair on that side I ripped out her throat.  "It's payback time."

            That scene where I killed her flashed through my mind. The blow to my mouth, the taste of my own blood.  Then I ripped out her throat, with my
bloody
fangs and lips.  My blood, vampire blood, entered her body.  I Changed Heidi.

            "You knew!" I said, turning to Desiree.  "You knew I Changed her, but didn't say anything."

            Desiree was soaking in Heidi, a new made vampire.  Her mouth was watering and she was highly aroused.  Such a fang whore, in the most extreme definition.

            "Yes, you made me undead," Heidi said.  "Proud of yourself?  Now Dane won't want me any more than he wants you."

            I frowned, feeling a twinge of guilt.  I guess she noticed, and understood what it meant.

            "You've been with Dane since killing me?  You bitch!"

            Heidi flung herself at me.  She was a supernaturally strong and fast vampire now.  Just like me.  I was only a few weeks older than her in undeath.  So we were pretty equal in vampiric powers, though I had practice using them.

            I blocked her wild punch at my face, bringing a knee up into her side and a fist across her jaw at the same time.  Krav Maga training was great.  You learn to block and attack at the same time.  Every part of my body was a potential weapon.

            Heidi hit the floor and rolled right to her feet.  She smiled with an almost insane glint in her eyes.  That was kinda scary.

            "I'm just as strong and fast and indestructible as you, Sable," she said.  "And I am not going to stop coming, until I kill you all the way to Hell."

            I locked eyes with Heidi, and mesmerized her.  She actually squeaked.  Strangely, I found it kinda cute and it made me feel a bit guilty at the same time.

            "Heidi, I'm the vampire that Changed you," I said, trying to sound reasonable and solicitous at the same time.  I stepped up to her, and looked her over.  What a bloody mess.  Dried blood after three days, but still a terrible mess.  "I'm very sorry.  If I had known, I would've removed your heart so you wouldn't be accursed and godforsaken.  But Desiree has her own agenda."  I cut an irritated look at Desiree, who had the courtesy to look abashed.  "Anyway, that is neither here nor there.  You are a vampire, and my responsibility for a short time anyway."

            "What do you mean?" Heidi said.

            "Someone has to teach you how to be a vampire," I said.  "It's not as easy, or cut and dry as you might think."

            I released her from my control.  Heidi squeaked again, and swooned.  Grabbing her shoulders, I steadied her.  She gawked at me.  I smiled reassuringly.  And she punched me in the face again.

            The girl really was fast.

            Heidi twisted my right arm up behind my back, and sank her fangs deep into my throat.  She pushed her vampiric powers deep into me.  I was paralyzed for a long moment, feeling panic flare.

            "No!" Kale cried, startling her.

            Released from her power, I twisted violently and broke free.  Heidi jumped back, dropping into a clumsy fighting stance.  I whirled around and sent a roundhouse to her chin, kicking her over the couch.

            "Idiot," I muttered.

            She was instantly back on her feet, none the worse.

            "Put a Compulsion on her," Desiree said with a warning voice.  She was staring at Heidi wide-eyed and trembling.  Perhaps she was having second thoughts on her decision to hide Heidi until she Changed.  "Or she'll kill you.  We both know it."

            "No, I can't."

            "You have to," she said.

            "What's a Compulsion?" Heidi said, suddenly alarmed.

            "A training tool," Desiree said.  "Please, Sable, she's almost crazy with hate.  She might kill me or Kale to spite you, to hurt you.  You have to put a Compulsion on her."

            "I know," I said.  Wild-eyed, Heidi was looking between me and Heidi.  I caught her with my eyes the next time she looked at me.  "Heidi, kneel."

            Heidi knelt.  She had no other choice.  I was her vampire mistress, her creator, her
Sire
.  I would have power over her for the next hundred years or more.

            She looked up at me with a nearly blank face.  Was that trust I saw?  It wouldn't have hurt less if she stabbed me in the heart with a wooden stake.

            "Look into my eyes.  Deeply," I commanded, and knelt before her.  She obeyed without a sound, though her hands clenched and unclenched.  "Do not look away from my eyes until I say otherwise."

            "I hate you," she whispered.

            That surprised me.  I didn't think she'd have the mental wherewithal to get that out.

            "I know," I said.

            Tears rolled out of her eyes when I held her face between my hands.  My eyes began to burn, and tears rolled across my cheeks.

            "I'm so sorry," I croaked out, barely.  My throat was so tight.  I took a deep breath, swallowed a couple of times to loosen up my throat.  "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

            "Dane will hate you for what you did to me," she said.

            "I know," I said.  Then I looked deep into her eyes.  Those big blue eyes grew rounder.  I felt the bitter cold of my power rolling through her body.  She began to shiver and her lower lip started trembling.  There was no other choice, so I pushed into her mind with all I had, and said, "Heidi, I am your Sire, your mistress.  Your absolute master.  You will obey all of my commands to the letter and intent.  I command absolute obedience."

            "Yes, Mistress," Heidi said.

            And it was done.  Heidi's first Compulsion.  There would be others.  Loyalty.  Ban on murdering mortals, or feeding off them without freely given permission.  Whatever others I found necessary to mold her into a "good" vampire.

            "Call me Sable," I said, and kissed her gently.  She returned the kiss a bit more hungrily.  I pulled back, looked her over.  Took in all the dried blood.  "We'll begin your training after you take a shower.  But first, feed."

            I rolled my neck back.  Using my control over her, I guided Heidi to my jugular.  It was easier than the carotid, and with vampire blood there was no difference in nourishment value between the jugular and carotid.  In mortals it was a big difference.

            "Ummmmmggghh," Heidi groaned, sucking in her first mouthfuls of blood ever.

CHAPTER 25

            There was no moon as I soared above the city of Dallas.  The lights twinkled and flashed below me.  I could hear the rumble of trains rolling over steel tracks, motorcycles zipping through traffic, and barking dogs.  Life went on despite my death exactly one month ago to the day.

            Tomorrow would be my one month anniversary as a vampire.  Only Desiree cared enough to say anything.  She wanted to have a party.  I nixed that idea.  Fast.

            It was four days since Heidi joined my growing "family."  Yes, I had a vampire family.  I was horrified when Desiree first pointed it out to me.  She insisted a vampire family only really needed one vampire.  Heidi was my spare, I guess.

            Heidi melded into our family remarkably well.  She snuck over on the third night and stole all of her clothes out of Dane's house.  That incident necessitated I speak to Dane about her.  I haven't spoken with him since telling him Heidi was a vampire, and it looked like I was the one that
accidentally
Changed her.

            He'll probably stake me now.  I wouldn't blame him.

            Looking south, past Deep Ellum, I smiled.  The State Fair of Texas was in full swing.  In fact, it was almost over.  Today was the last day.  Looked like I missed it for the first time since I was ten.

            "I sure could use a Fletcher's corny dog, smothered in mustard," I muttered, smiling as my mouth watered.

            I never ate corny dogs except at the state fair.  And it wasn't a state fair without a corny dog, a funnel cake, and a trip to the auto show.  I toyed with the idea of just flying in.  Who would stop me?

            Instead I flew over to the West End.  Flying low, but high enough no one could see me in the dark, I looked for vampires.  Three times in the last five days I had caught vampires in either the West End or Deep Ellum feeding on an unwilling victim.

            I don't think they intended on killing their victims, but that was definite rogue behavior in my book.  I staked all three.  Okay, I staked one of them, and chopped off the head of the other two.  Either way, they were no more.  No longer a threat.

            Of the three, only one had a bank card I could use.  I used an ATM that gave balances, and discovered he had six thousand in his account.  It was set up to release up to one thousand a day in cash.  His account was half empty after three days, and it would all be in my new account in a few more days.

            It felt good to be earning a living in the manner I knew best.  Once a vampire hunter, always a vampire hunter I guess.  At least I didn't have to take a night shift job in a gas station or convenience store.

            Spotting a vampire, I pulled up and starting flapping my wings harder.  Hovering as I studied him.  It was Sonny Chang.  I knew him.  He was cool.  And there were no other vampires in that club district, so I headed towards Deep Ellum.