Darkness Comes (35 page)

Her blood pumped through her veins as the vampires just stood there. What were they waiting for? “Make sure she doesn’t go anywhere; I’ll go let the mistress know that we found her.”

That did not sound reassuring. Did Taella blame her for the eviction of her vampires? It was hard to imagine her not blaming Mal. Well, if it was a fight the Aradian wanted, it was a fight she was going to get. Stepping out of the shadows, she took the two remaining vampires by surprise, stabbing the one in the heart before he even realized she was there.

She smiled as the vamp imploded, its face sinking into its head, its body collapsing in on itself. She managed to pull the stake out before it disappeared with the vamp. Turning, she faced the other vamp, whose eyes had widened considerably. It held its arms up but it was too late; the stake was in and out of its chest before any words came out of its mouth.

The second vamp imploded like the first and a thrill ran down her spine; she had forgotten how invigorating a quick pounding could be. Unfortunately, it was only going to be a matter of time before the other vamps started to wonder what happened to their missing brethren. Before they came searching for her.

Needing to assess the situation, she raced upstairs into one of the bedrooms, the green and gold one that Feryn had…. Clenching her jaw, she shoved the memory from her head, making her way to the window and peeking out. Vamps were everywhere, turning the expensive cars over, smashing the windows of the houses, tormenting the captured humans, chasing after the ones that tried to run.

She cringed as a vamp tackled a woman to the ground. Its strength was far superior and it tore the woman’s dress open, batting her hands away as she fought. Queasiness turned her stomach and Malorie pushed the window open. Without a thought, she flung a blade through, watching as it sunk into the vamp’s back. A small smile tilted her lips as its back arched and it turned around moments before it imploded.

A cry went out, high pitched and horrible, making goose bumps cover her flesh. Instinctively, she wanted to cover her ears and shut out the ghastly sound. Instead, she forced her body to remain relaxed; how had she forgotten how devastating the vamp war cry was?

Vampires swarmed into the streets, emptying the houses as they were drawn to the vamp that had cried out and imploded. As one, they turned their heads and looked up at her, their dead eyes sucking up the surrounding lights. There wasn’t much time left; it was now or never.

Saying a quick prayer, asking God to watch over her loved ones, asking God if He might see fit to let her into Heaven, she screamed her own battle cry. And with a stake in either hand she spun and raced down the stairs. If she was going to die, she was going to take as many vamps with her as she could.

They met her at the door, clawing and grabbing for her. Screaming just as much as the vamps, Malorie swung her weapons, taking out the vamp on her left, her right. She was pure warrior with no other thoughts in her head. It was going to be her last battle and she was going to fight until the very end. She was barely aware of the tears coursing down her cheeks, the way her heart ached in her chest.

A blur of time passed with vamps imploding before a vamp managed to grab her left arm. Before she could stab it, another grabbed her right arm. She struggled mightily, kicking out and twisting, trying to break free but more vamps grabbed her, trapping her with their strength and numbers.

Her body was slammed against the hard ground, knocking the wind from her lungs. The stench of death and blood filled her nostrils as the vamps converged on her, their blood-stained fangs gleaming in the street lamps. Cold, rancid breath moved over her face as one leaned closer, one that had been male in life. It ran its hand along her ribs, across her breast, down to her stomach. Its dull eyes almost laughed, “You’re with child.”

“Fuck you,” she spat, trying to twist out of its reach, hating the feel of cold fingers touching her. It slid its hand beneath her shirt and the cold, clammy skin trailing over her bare skin made her shudder in disgust. The thought of a vamp forcing itself on her was sickening and she fought harder.

The vamp only laughed, its fingers going to its pants and opening them, releasing its gray and mottled erection. Malorie swallowed and turned her head to the side. It leaned over her, its breath snaking along the skin of her throat, “I think I’ll take my pleasure while you’re still living and then, if you’re very lucky, I’ll turn you.”

Malorie squeezed her eyes shut wishing it would just kill her and get it over with; the only thing worse than being raped by a vamp was being turned into one. She cringed as its cold fingers slid beneath the waist band of her cargo pants and though she tried to fight, there were too many of them holding her down. Through a fog, she felt the fabric of her shirt being raised, the warm night air against her lower belly; it was such a contrast to the coldness of the vamp’s fingers.

“You fool!” Taella hissed, stepping into Malorie’s line of vision. The sadistic vampire scrambled to its feet and faced its mistress, quivering in fear. “I did not want this one injured.”

“Forgive me, mistress,” it whined. “She fought like a banshee; I did not know….”

Taella’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the slavering vampire. Before Malorie could blink, Taella’s arm shot out and an instant later, the vampire’s heart was in Taella’s hand. As the vampire imploded, its heart did as well and the other vampires took a cautious step back.

The Aradian turned to Malorie and smiled, the cool confidence making Malorie go cold. Taella held out her long-fingered hand and ignoring the instinct to shy away, Malorie slid her hand over the cool palm. Taella jerked her to her feet but caught her before she could stumble. “Forgive me; I forget how fragile humans are.”

Malorie didn’t speak, desperately trying to keep all of her wits about her as she tried to figure out what was going on, what game Taella was playing. If there was a way to escape. She could almost believe she had misjudged the Aradian but the piles of bodies suggested that Taella was truly a diabolical fiend. “Mm-hmm.”

“But you’re not like the rest of these pathetic creatures; you’re the magnificent Malorie Sinclair, former Blade Soldier and wife to the delectable Jack Sinclair.” Taella’s eyes sparkled as she lowered her voice, almost cheerfully. “Of course I knew who you were the moment I saw your son.”

Malorie’s gaze snapped to Taella; she remembered the encounter, how Taella suddenly had to be somewhere else. She hadn’t thought about it because so much had happened in the interim. Licking her dry lips, she asked, “What do you mean?”

Taella tapped her elegant fingers against her chin, studying Malorie for a long, drawn-out moment before her smile widened, “Not just yet, I think; you and I have much to discuss first.”

Frantically, Malorie ran through her options and quickly dismissed each one. She was standing before a formidable opponent surrounded by a horde of vampires, all fiercely loyal to said foe. If she attempted to take out the Aradian, she was dead; if she tried to run, she was dead. If she begged for her life, she would wish she were dead. But she would still be alive; at least for a few minutes.

If she could stall long enough, maybe Feryn would sense her distress and come to her aid. Risking a quick glance at the vamps, she knew that there would be no mercy from them; their eyes gleamed with blood lust and their fangs glistened with fresh blood. Her only hope lay in having a conversation with Taella and pray she didn’t say anything that would make the Aradian go for her throat.

Malorie’s brain refused to cooperate and the only thing that she managed to blurt was, “I thought your vampires didn’t kill humans?”

Taella smiled slightly, the familiar mocking smile worn by Feryn when he was facing such a young creature. “That was when Feryn had something worth losing; when there were thousands of vampires out there belonging to hundreds of other Aradians; it made sense to… safeguard my pack. It was fortunate young Varick had been with me when your fellow Blade Soldiers attacked; it was the perfect opportunity and I could not resist.”

“How did he die?” Premonition stole down her spine

“One of the soldiers nearly took off his head,” Taella smirked. Sliding into a mask of sorrow, she murmured, “I held the poor boy as he bled all over my carpet. Feryn was beside himself in his grief, demanding the head of the man who took his son.”

Malorie tilted her head to the side, ignoring Taella’s lies about Feryn, she heard Jack’s words crashing through her head, ‘I staked him, Mal. I staked the vamp that got away.’ Her mouth lined with cotton, she swallowed and met Taella’s eyes, seeing the great chasm of darkness inside. “No… you were the one who killed Varick.”

“Impressive.” Delight curved Taella’s lips further as she clapped her hands together, absurdly pleased with Malorie’s deduction. “I knew there was a reason I liked you so well. I am surprised that Feryn has grown tired of you so quickly; he was so fond of you. Oh, well; what is it that you humans say, ‘All’s well that ends well?’ Well, as long as it ends well for me. And it always does.”

She chuckled to herself, her eyes glistening as she looked at Malorie with appreciation. Sincere curiosity colored her words as she asked, “Why did he dismiss you?”

Malorie pressed her lips together, refusing to answer the question. Unfortunately, one of the older, more powerful vampires stepped forwards, “She’s with child.”

Taella threw her head back and laughed, the wicked sound grating against Malorie’s skin. “That explains it; Feryn never could abide a faithless lover.”

Malorie realized that it had never occurred to Taella that the baby could belong to Feryn, that it was an Aradian. She also knew that Feryn wasn’t coming; too much time had passed. She wasn’t going to get out of there alive. With an insouciant shrug, she sighed, “It was so difficult being Feryn’s pet; he’s just so… he’s so….”

“Perfect. Taella sighed in commiseration, letting her animosity show to her new best friend. Nodding, agreeing with her particular choice of words, she shrugged her delicate shoulders, “He’s always been that way, for as long as I have known him. I am nearly as old as he is, and yet his power is vastly greater than my own. It is hardly fair. I mean, he was the one who figured out how to create vampires to increase our power and yet he turned his back on it. On us.”

Malorie’s jaw dropped and she simply stared at the woman; she was jealous! And hurt. And insanely brilliant; she used Feryn to eliminate the competition in order to eliminate him! Damn him; he should have listened to her when she told him Taella was not to be trusted.

Not that it mattered much now; she would just have to figure out some way to warn him so he could be prepared for the attack when it came.

“Would you prefer to be converted with the bastard still inside of you belly or do you wish for it to be removed?” Taella was solicitous, her behavior towards Malorie much warmer than just a few minutes before.

As if either option was viable; as if becoming a vampire was something she wished for. “I think I’d prefer to remain human.”

Taella’s unnatural eyes sparkled with suppressed amusement as she smiled, “I think you will change your mind when I give you my gift.”

She snapped her fingers and the swarm of vamps parted. “I think you will like it; I told you about him before, how he wept when I brought him into my family?”

Malorie’s body flinched as a vamp stepped forward, its face familiar if not distorted by dead, brown eyes and pale skin. His familiar blond hair mocked her memories and her love for the boy he had been. She moaned, “Oh, God.”

“It is delicious to be the one to reunite husband and wife,” Taella’s voice whispered but Malorie couldn’t take her eyes from the vampire.

“Mal, my sweet.” Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, held her, as if he were still human. But he had no heartbeat, no warmth and tears slid down her cheeks. Stepping back, he looked at her with genuine concern, “Don’t be sad, Mal; I remember everything. I remember my life from before; I remember you.”

“Jack,” The name barely made it past her desiccated throat.

“I couldn’t return to you; it was too risky,” he continued as if he hadn’t been dead for almost six years; as if he wasn’t a vampire. Reaching out, he brushed a strand of hair from her face, his hand lingering in a loving manner as he smiled ruefully, “You have no idea how wrong we were; being a vampire is… it’s exhilarating.”

“You’re dead,” Malorie told him, twisting to break free and unable to do so.

“I’m strong,” he retorted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at her. His hand slid over her cheek, down her neck, until he wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed slightly, not enough to choke her but enough to make her aware of the latent threat. “When you are converted we will be together once again.”

“You’re a vampire.” She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that her husband had been converted instead of simply killed. They had seen the body but they hadn’t known; why didn’t they know?

He chuckled, the grip around her neck not lessening even as his fingers caressed her. “My lady didn’t bite me in the usual place.”

Malorie’s brows drew together in confusion, making him laugh harder. Reaching between his legs, he cupped himself with his free hand, “She bit me down here after we had sex and then arranged matters so I wouldn’t rise until after my burial.”

“How?” Her brain was slowly working its way through discovering her husband had been turned into a vampire; it was a very slow process and she was still stunned.