Beyond the Grave (26 page)

Vaslov hadn't given up yet. Somehow he was still alive and had actually crawled back to the urn. Since Constantine no longer perceived Drago as a threat he paid little attention to him.

With his fingers dripping with paste, Vaslov lunged at Constantine again and slathered it heavily across the vampire's right temple. Constantine turned wicked, black eyes on him and slammed out one hand, sending the injured Drago into the mirrors on the far side of the room.

The mirrors cracked and rained down on Drago's crumpled body.

Drago might have mastered the paste on others, but it was apparent he had no control over Constantine. The Paste hadn't affected him, but then, maybe Drago had to be conscious for that to happen. Jess scanned Drago. This time he was dead.

"At first I planned to kill you for betraying me,” Constantine said, his attention solely on Jess. “Then I came to my senses. I will have you as my own. And with your expertise at training vampire hunters, we'll turn the tables on your human hunters and wipe them out of existence."

"You assume Jess will let her humanity go. She's too strong for you,” James voice shouted from the doorway. “There's no way you'll make her forget those she loves."

Jess offered a silent thank you for sending help. Regent and James entered the room while Sampson hung back in the office.

Regent bent over and helped Jess to her feet.

"How'd you know to come?” she asked her brother.

"Britt phoned us,” Regent answered, “Sampson is here, too.” She saw the shock on Regent's face when he spied Britt's lifeless body on the floor. He sucked in a breath. “Oh God, hear my prayers..."

Jess felt cold tears forming at the back of her eyes again. Britt must've phoned before he'd broken into the office to save her, forfeiting himself for her.

James moved in front of her, and Jess knew he was giving her time to regain her strength. It was their practice after years of being partners.

"James, be careful. This is Constantine,” she said as quietly as possible.

James's back stiffened. “Are you certain?” he asked.

"Yes, he's the one who turned me, the one who did this to
us
,” she said, all the venom she felt coming out in her voice.

James focused on the vampire. “She's too strong, even for you, Constantine."

Ignoring James, Constantine smiled wickedly at Jess. “Do you think I'm afraid of your pathetic progeny?” He turned his gaze to James, staring at him as if he were an insignificant dust mite. “And you. You'd have impressed me much more if you'd proven your strength to her. You should have mated with her, made her yours. It is our way.” He grinned wickedly. “Of course, then I would have killed you for touching her."

"I think you underestimate Jess,” James said.

Constantine flicked an invisible piece of lint off his black leather jacket. “Enough of this bullshit. I'm tired of words. I want my prize."

He looked at Jess who instantly tore herself from Regent's protective embrace and took a step toward Constantine.

"No! Jess, wait. You're not strong enough. Don't let him control you,” Regent begged.

"I'm fine, brother.” She spared another glance at Britt. “I'm doing this for Britt."

James stepped back, giving her the space she needed. Constantine laughed at him.

"What a weak puppet you are, vampire. Stand your ground like a man. Even the human put up a better fight."

James watched him, anger and hate spilling from the depths of his gaze. Jess blessed her partner for knowing she'd have to do this on her own. She wanted revenge. She needed to kill Constantine herself. To make him pay for what he'd done to Britt. She had to hurry if Britt stood any chance at all for survival.

"You want me? Come and get me, but first let my brother and James, go,” Jess said, straightening her stance in front of him. His gaze moved over her body with salacious intent. In a blur he was on her. Had grabbed her by the throat with one hand while he stared into her eyes.

Gaining eye contact he forced his way into her mind. With an arm around her waist, and Regent protesting loudly in the background, Constantine yanked her closer. His fetid breath washed over her while she mindlessly tipped her head for him and exposed her neck.

"No!” Regent screamed.

"Jess?” James raised his voice to be heard. With one quick sideways glance she sent a silent message and James backed down. He turned his attention to Regent, to calm him.

Constantine waved them off with a flick of his hand. “You can go."

"Go to hell!” Regent shouted.

Constantine laughed, while at the same time delving deeper into Jess's psyche, invading her private moments, her deepest thoughts. She'd never been raped, but now she knew what it felt like. Besides the pain, there was the violation. Violation at a level so profound she writhed in an attempt to escape the hands digging into her upper arms.

Not satiated, he continued, slavering as he read her most intimate thoughts. Thoughts she'd never shared with anyone.

Suddenly, his eyes flew wide and his lips curled back in a snarl. “No! You miserable whore. You ruined yourself with that ... that
human!"

Seeking a weapon against his infiltration of her innermost thoughts, she'd focused on her strongest memories of the night she'd made love with Britt. Pulled forth every scent, every erotic experience, in an attempt to drive a virtual stake through Constantine's heart.

"Only with him,” Jess said softly, lovingly, and immediately sensed the fire of rage that erupted inside Michai Constantine.

He pulled out of her mind and staggered backward, his expression black and volatile.

With only a second's advantage, Jess raised her dagger and attacked him. Before she could drive the blade into his heart, he reached out one hand and picked her off the floor by her neck. The black-hearted look on his face was horrifying even to her.

Her spine elongated and she screamed until her windpipe constricted and she could barely breathe. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she slammed the blade into his flesh. It was only his shoulder, but it hurt enough to make him drop her.

She coughed and sucked in some air. “I've been physically—
sexually
—satisfied in a way you'll never know, Constantine. Heart, mind and soul. No one will ever take Britt's place, no matter how dark and dank my soul might become. You may be able to turn me completely evil, but Britt's given me something more profound than you can imagine. Nothing will ever take that away from me."

With a snarl of rage, Constantine's gaze burrowed into Jess's. The dizzying speed at which he began to corrupt her freewill was almost unbearable.

His eyes were the only thing she was conscious of. The caustic, self-serving stare burning into her soul. Then, suddenly, he gasped, and his eyes flew open.

It took a Jess a moment to realize that while he was distracted, Regent had driven his eight inch cross into Constantine's back with James's help.

It wasn't enough to vaporize him, but it gave Jess a chance to finish the job. She moved quickly, and drove her dagger into his heart with as much strength as she could muster.

He screamed and imploded into a whirlwind of dust that had so much power it completely trashed the room, and left them all gasping.

When he was gone, they rushed to Britt's side. His eyes were open. Glassy. Frantic, Jess dropped to her knees beside him and felt for a pulse.

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Jess fought against the arms that pulled her back from Britt until she realized it was James. He was speaking softly, encouragingly in her ear. “Let Sampson help him, Jess. Give him room to help Britt."

Sampson's serious expression made her knees go weak, and she literally dropped to her knees on the ground beside him. James didn't let go, he dropped with her, his arm still securely around her. She could hear Regent praying, but couldn't tear her gaze away from Britt.

"Is he going to be all right? Jess asked.

Sampson slowly took his fingers away from Britt's carotid artery. His eyes were red-rimmed and watery. “He's gone, Jess."

"No, he's not, Sampson. He's alive,” she said. “He has to be."

Sampson slowly took his cell phone from his belt and phoned for the team. Jess stared at him in shock. “What are you doing? Why are you calling the Black Ops team for Britt?"

Sampson gave her a caring look. “He's been killed by a vampire, Jess. He has to be processed through our lab."

She collapsed on top of Britt. His body still felt warm. “Britt, no! Don't leave me. Dear God, don't take him from me,” she sobbed.

Sampson looked at James. “Get her out of here, James."

Regent sniffed behind her, then placed a loving hand on her shoulder. “Jess, come with us. We should let Sampson do his job."

"No, Regent. It's a mistake. Britt's going to be fine. He saved me. He gave me the time to revive so I could fight Constantine. He's strong. He can't be killed so easily."

James bent down and lifted Jess up. She felt like a rag doll, no vampire anger, no ability to fight back. She felt as if she had no bones left in her body, and her world had gone horribly wrong.

Two days later, Jess came out of her room. Regent was waiting for her in his office.

He jumped out of his chair and met her at the door. “Oh, Jess, I've been so worried about you. Come in and sit down."

She sniffed, her eyes bloodshot and her voice nearly gone from crying. “I can't believe he's gone, Regent. I just can't believe it."

"I know, hon. He was quite a guy."

Jess ran one hand over the settee's leather covering. “Did Sampson get the results yet? Was Britt going to become a vampire?” Her throat constricted. If Britt had been infected, Sampson would have killed him. It was what they did. Britt would want that.

Regent cleared his throat. “Jess, this is going to be difficult, but you have to be told."

She sniffed again and frowned at her brother. “What are you talking about? What could be worse than Britt being dead?"

Sampson sucked in a long, deep breath. “Britt is gone. His body disappeared from the lab."

Jess lurched forward in shock. “What in the name of God are you saying? No one could steal him from our lab, our security is too good."

"Whoever took him had Britt's security code.” Regent paused. “There's more...

Jess stood up and paced to the fireplace. Britt's body had been taken? For what reason? “Dear God, Regent, what about the level of VNA in his blood? Was he going to turn into a vampire?"

"That's the thing, dear. He did have VNA in his blood, but Sampson said there was something else in his blood too. Something Sampson hasn't been able to identify."

"Why not? Sampson's an expert."

"It seems that Britt's blood was in the process of changing. It was rejecting the vampire VNA at the same pace that his genes were changing. Even while Sampson watched them under the microscope."

"That's not possible."

"Whoever took Britt, must have known his body would reject the vampire VNA. Must have known what was left of his blood would be very valuable for research."

Jess felt hollow inside. Someone was using Britt's body to foster more sick experiments!

Not on her watch.

She jumped to her feet and brushed back her hair. She'd get Britt back, and he'd have his funeral. He'd want to be buried in hallowed ground.

She'd do that for him, if her life depended on it.

Copyright 2009 by Lina Gardiner

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