A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series) (38 page)

Gabi bit her lip but knew that if anyone else in the castle knew what was going on it would be Benedict.  "There are many who will help with this particular mission," Xavier continued, his expression becoming hard, his disgust clear.  "We’ve been selective so far, involving as few as possible, but there are many we can call on if needed." 

Gabi's eyes flicked unbidden to the room where Julius lay, fully in daysleep. 

"I would protect him too," Xavier said simply, following her gaze. 

Finally Gabi nodded.  She could sense no deception in the man.

"Lead the way," she said simply.  She, Kyle, Athena and Fergus followed him into the dark corridor on the other side of the secret doorway, Razor shadowing them on large, silent paws. 

CHAPTER 21

Xavier was surprisingly quiet for a human; Gabi was impressed.  Only Athena's footsteps could be heard as they travelled down corridor after corridor.  The passageways were bare and musty, often damp and laced with spiderwebs, walls crumbling.  Unknown things
squidged underfoot, and Gabi didn't dare look down to see what they were.  Rats skittered ahead of them, distracting Razor though he never left Gabi's side, and they gave her an idea.  She sent out a thread of awareness and began to gather what she needed.  As they walked, she gently caught and held all the tiny minds they came across; lightly, she encouraged them to follow the group.  She felt like the Pied Piper by the time Xavier came to a halt.  In the gloom of the corridor, Xavier used hand signals to indicate that they were in front of the door that would open into the corridor outside Santiago's apartment.  The doors left and right were apartments assigned to his Clan members, but the one directly in front of them was his. 

She gave Xavier a small nod of thanks and then squeezed Athena's shoulder.  Her job was to check for magical security measures and negate any that existed, then to cast a spell of silence over the whole apartment to keep the noise of the fight contained.  She would then remain in the secret corridor and wait for them to return.  If no one returned before sunset, she would go back to the apartment and fill Julius in.  Everyone hoped it wouldn't come to that.  Athena went into a semi-trance while the rest of them waited, motionless. 

After what felt like hours, she swayed slightly and nodded.  "It's clear now," she whispered, "but I think the Vampire was sensitive to Magic.  He may have felt the spell break.  Hurry." 

The secret door slid open.  Gabi noticed with distaste that it was concealed by a life-sized portrait of Santiago with his hand on the head of a young girl.  Gabi held her hand up to keep Kyle and Fergus from moving.  She mentally warned Razor to stay still and put a cautioning hand over Athena's mouth as a small platoon of rats, mice and bats swarmed from the corridor behind them.  Athena gave a start, her eyes going wide, and Gabi removed her hand from the Magus's mouth.  With a quick check of the corridor outside, Gabi stepped out, crossed the main corridor, fitted the key, turned it, and thrust Santiago's door open.

Kyle and Fergus followed the rodent army out of their hideaway.  Gabi directed the dozens of tiny minds towards the now open door and then let go.  Chaos. 

Werewolves lurched to their feet from positions all around the room, the sudden flurry of movement from the ground and the air both disconcerting and distracting.  Gabi took the opportunity to call to their wolves.  She sent out a wide net, but knew in an instant that she hadn't caught them all.  She threw more energy at them, but felt Kyle next to her, letting his wolf come to the fore.  Wolf surged forward, capturing the attention of the ones she'd missed.  Within moments five of them were on the floor, writhing as the Change took them. 

Fergus took the dart gun and calmly aimed at each one in turn.  As the darts hit home, Gabi looked around desperately.  There should be seven; two were missing.  In the room with Santiago?  Elsewhere in the suite?  She cast out her senses, drawing Nex as she did so.  Razor pressed against her leg.  Bats still flittered haphazardly through the room, the rats and mice had scattered to the safety of dark corners. 

"Kyle," Gabi called urgently as she found the essence of the other two Werewolves, one coming from each side of them.  She kicked furniture out of her way, clearing fighting space.  Both of the missing Werewolves were Alphas, strong ones.  They weren't going to back down from her or Kyle.  Fergus was trying to reload the dart gun, it only took two darts at a time, but something seemed to be wrong with it.  Gabi didn't have time to help; the Werewolves attacked in harmony, already in wolf form.  They were huge, easily as big and formidable as Kyle's wolf, and just as quick. 

"Gabi, go," Kyle ordered sharply.  He didn't mean leave; he meant she needed to find Santiago.  It wasn't long to sunset.  Depending on the age of Santiago's Clan members, they could have an entire Clan of Vampires to deal with if they didn't finish this quickly. 

Kyle ducked the wolf that launched itself on him from a side room, and Fergus threw himself in the path of the second one as it lunged towards Gabi.  Kyle and the other wolf rolled across the floor and crashed into a wall, bringing chips of plaster raining down on them all with the impact.  As they broke apart, Kyle exploded into wolf form, the speed of his transformation shocked the other wolf, who flinched backward for an instant but then recovered and launched another attack.  The two tore into each other with a savagery that made Gabi cringe, even as she jumped out of the way of Fergus and the other wolf. 

Fuck, Athena had been right; the other Vampire must have sensed them coming because Gabi's Vamp-meter was spitting out bad news.  Two Vampires were awake and active in the room directly in front of her, and one was old and powerful.  Either Santiago had a second vampire guard or his guard had managed to wake him.  Either way she was in for the fight of her life.

Delaying wasn't an option; she and Razor sidestepped Fergus and the second Werewolf and stalked towards the bedroom door.  She drew a pair of butterfly swords in her left hand and settled
Nex more firmly in her right. 

"Ah, Dhampir," Santiago purred as she stepped into his room.  He was standing in front of the bed, smiling at her, dressed in a ruby red, satin robe.  The room reminded her of a painting she'd once seen depicting an eleventh-century boudoir.  It was gaudy, opulent and garish.  A huge bed complete with canopy and frills dominated the centre of the room, though it by no means filled the large room.  An unusually small table and chairs sat on one side, complete with teddy bears and dolls in some of the chairs.  Bile rose in Gabi's throat. 

Several doors led off the bedroom.  They didn't lead to walk-in closets or bathrooms; Gabi could sense the faint trace of Vampire in each of them.  All asleep and none even remotely powerful, Gabi could only surmise that these were his 'toys'.  The anger burned through her again, clearing her mind, solidifying her resolve.  She took a step towards Santiago, and the Vampire guard dropped from the ceiling, where he'd been waiting for her like a hunting spider. 

She sidestepped, spinning,
Nex flashing.  The Vampire altered his course just in time to keep his head.  Nex sliced across his chest instead, drawing blood and a hiss of pain and anger.  He collapsed in on himself, dropping into a crouch, but Gabi didn't fall for the ruse.  She backed away rather than rush in to finish the job.  She was being careful to keep her back to a side wall, making sure to keep Santiago in her sights, but she was convinced he'd wait it out, letting his guard do the dirty work of exhausting or injuring her before he’d step in.  She didn't have time for that, but she had a secret weapon. 

Razor had melted into the shadows when she first entered the room; now he lunged, aiming for the Vampire's unprotected Achilles tendons.  The speed and ferocity of Razor's attack took the vampire by surprise.  He yelped and leapt up, kicking backward, sending Razor flying towards the far wall.  The cat hit with a dull thud but landed on his feet and, though obviously dazed, seemed to be in one piece.  The Vampire tried to lunge towards Gabi, but his legs failed him, and he collapsed to his knees. 

"Gabi," Fergus yelled in warning.  He was still fighting the Werewolf, but had a view inside the bedroom.

She spun back towards Santiago.  She'd momentarily lost sight of him as she checked on Razor, and he'd snuck up behind her. 
Nex slashed upwards, almost with a life of her own, instinctively protecting Gabi's vulnerable throat and face.  Santiago dodged the blade and, in a blur of speed, caught her wrist in one of his large, strong hands. 

"Pretty, little Dhampir," he breathed.  "If only you were about two decades younger."  His eyes widened at the thought, and his mouth opened as he drew in a deep breath, as though savouring her scent.  "I'm sure you would've been utterly delectable."

"I would've gutted you," Gabi ground out and yanked on her hand, trying to pull him closer, "just as I'm going to now." 

He laughed as he applied crushing pressure to her wrist, making her fingers numb, and her grip on
Nex began to falter.  She was vaguely aware that Fergus was now fighting with the other Vampire.  The sounds of a violent struggle still issued from the room where Kyle and the two Alpha wolves fought.  The walls of the bedroom shuddered as something hit them with the force of a wrecking ball.  In a lightning-fast move, Santiago caught her other hand as she plunged the spare blades towards his groin.

"Maybe I'll make an exception for you, Dhampir."  He smiled, heartbreakingly beautiful and absolutely vile.  "In Vampire terms you aren't that much older than my usual fare.  And just imagine what I'd be capable of after feasting on your blood.  I'm told that not only will it enhance my current abilities, but it could even trigger new ones."  Fervour sharpened his sky-blue eyes as she leaned closer to him.  Those penetrating eyes widened in shock as Gabi head-butted him, hard. 

She took great pleasure in the feel of the cartilage in his perfect nose shattering under the blow.  The unexpected pain distracted him enough to loosen his grip on her slightly.  She yanked an arm free, slamming Nex's hilt into the side of his head and kneeing him in the groin with every ounce of strength she had.  Vampires may heal fast, they may heal wounds that killed others, but that didn't mean they didn't feel pain the same way everyone else did.  He roared in pain and fury, doubling over.  Unfortunately he still had hold of her other wrist.  As he crumpled forward, he pulled her towards him.  She overbalanced for a second, and that was all it took for him to strike. 

A solid blow across her face with the back of his hand, a blow so hard it sent her flying backwards, the back of her knees colliding with the edge of the bed, sending her tumbling down onto it. 
She'd not only felt but heard the bone in her cheek crack as his hand connected.  Pain exploded in the side of her face, and her vision blurred as she scrambled to disentangle herself from the sheets on the bed.  Her vision cleared enough for her to watch as he stalked towards her, rage twisting his features as his nose began to realign itself, the bruising disappearing with each step.  He suddenly growled at her, fangs fully extended.  He held two short swords in his hands, taunting her with them.  Behind him, Fergus and the other Vampire still tussled, both were bleeding, but they seemed evenly matched.

"Enough," Santiago hissed, drawing back her attention.  "You are not powerful enough to take me.  Give up, and I promise to kill you gently."  His robe had come loose, exposing the fact that he wore nothing beneath it.  He noticed her eyes travelling the length of his naked body and gave her a predatory smile.  "I'll make sure you even enjoy it."  His voice had dropped, and the reaction of a certain part of his anatomy left Gabi in no doubt of what he meant.  His body was as perfect as his face—sculpted in muscle, toned, flawless—and he knew it.  Gabi forced back her revulsion, allowing female appreciation to soften her expression.  Victory gleamed in his face as he got to within a few feet of her on the bed.

"Gabi, stop toying with him.  We don't have time."  Kyle's voice sounded a little strained. 

Santiago took his attention from her for just a tenth of a second, but it was enough.  She'd lost the pair of butterfly swords when he belted her across the room, but
Nex was still in her grasp, hidden in the folds of the bed linen.  She rolled, transferring Nex to her left hand, her right next to useless after Santiago's crushing grip.  As she completed the roll, she jerked upright, thrusting the blade directly into Santiago's heart.  Surprise coloured his expression as he looked down at the blade protruding from his flesh. 

He didn't go down, though, and Gabi couldn't believe he was still standing.  She leapt at him, jamming the blade further into his chest, twisting it slightly as it sank in to the hilt.  Hands suddenly gripped her throat.  She looked up to see him glaring maliciously at her as his grip continued to tighten, blocking off her air and beginning to crush her trachea. 

"Gabi."  Fergus's urgent voice cut through the blurring of her world.  "His head, take off his head, or cut out his heart.  He's a Master.  It’s te only way." 

Now he tells her.  If she'd had the breath, she would've sent him a sarcastic "thanks very much".  As it was, she shot him a withering glance. 

It was then that Razor struck.  There were many things a Vampire or even a human male could withstand. Torture came in many forms, and strong, determined men could prevail against much more pain than most people expected.  Having a large, vicious cat latch onto your dangly bits was apparently not one of those tortures that could be withstood.  Santiago reared back from her, bellowing in pain.  Razor released his hold and backed out of reach, but the damage had been done.  Gabi tried to hang onto Nex, but the blade was jammed deep in the Vampire's chest, and as he flailed backward, he ripped the hilt from her grasp.  Both his hands covered his savaged nether region as he gasped like a dying fish.