Decatur the Vampire (13 page)

“So—what? You swapped stuff with Satan?”

Decatur winked. “Even the devil has needs.”

Bizarro world.
“So why do you want this knowledge, Sumerian?” If not for the solid warmth of Decatur’s body against her, Marduk would have thought she was dreaming all this.

“I plan to use it.”

Of course. She was an angel. That made sense. “So, you’re using it for good.”

“Some of it. Some souls need to find their way home.”

Some?
“And others?”

“Others need to be set free to do as their character intended.”

Marduk understood instantly. “This is a revenge thing.”

Sumerian nodded with a small smile. “You’re smart.”

“This doesn’t sound like a very angelic thing to do.” It sounded like the sort of revenge that would happen at Danby if another office worker used up the last of the milk for coffee.

“Angels are not all that they seem, darling.” Decatur did not appear to be the slightest bit surprised in what the angel said.

“Is this why you fell from heaven?” Marduk asked Sumerian. “Because you didn’t fit in?”

Sumerian laughed. “Oh, Marduk, there are so many misfits in heaven.”

“It doesn’t sound like heaven lives up to the hype.” Not that she ever expected to go there, but Marduk was now not so worried about going to hell for her empty calorie consumption, swearing and overspending on shoes.

“Parts of heaven are as mortals believe but the leadership is another story,” the angel reported.

“Before you ask, hell is very similar,” Decatur added. “Essentially what happens in heaven and hell is exactly the sort of stuff that is played out on Earth. Neither of these factions is any better than the other.”

This had been one hell of a week. Dream sex, a vampire, an evil demon bent on acquiring more evil and now an angel scheming to piss off heaven.
God damn it, I need chocolate.
“So do you plan to get back into heaven using this against them?”

“I only want back in on my terms.” Sumerian appeared very definite on that. Her eyes locked on Decatur. “Now, if you give me the knowledge of how to redeem souls then I will help you destroy Archimedes.”

Decatur smiled. “Unfortunately for you, Sumerian, I am not as desperate as you may think. I have other options. Thank you for your offer.”

Sumerian did not look surprised. “I will get the knowledge with or without you, Decatur.”

“Best you look at how to free yourself from the trap Archimedes has you in. You may be his weakness, but he has the advantage of knowing yours.”

That was true. Marduk hadn’t realized it until then. How much help could Sumerian have given them? As they walked away from the angel, Marduk felt a little more positive knowing Decatur must have a plan. “I thought we were totally screwed there for a while.”

“Oh, we are.”

Marduk stopped dead and looked at him. “Huh?” This was not what she wanted to hear.

Decatur tugged on her hand. “Keep walking, darling.”

She did but it didn’t stop her questions. “But how—what—”

“There is one who will help us. One who has an agenda that may benefit us as well as himself.”

“Who?”

“Vulcan.”

“The other Smith boy?”

Decatur smiled. “Yeah, the other Smith boy.”

* * * * *

“I’m not surprised to hear Sumerian is after the knowledge of the souls you possess. She is quite obsessed by striking back at heaven. She amuses me greatly,” Vulcan remarked as he leaned urbanely against a nearby wall. “The vampire is correct. I can help you.”

“What do you want in return?” Marduk didn’t doubt for a second this demon wanted something for services rendered.

Vulcan looked her up and down in a slow, thorough way that was completely sexual and left no question as to his intention to annoy. “Now that’s a loaded question.”

“Demon—” Decatur’s voice was low and throaty and full of threat.

Marduk knew the demon was playing with her but it was nice to see the instant jealousy in Decatur’s eyes. “I can’t believe you do anything out of the goodness of your heart.” Few humans did. She could hardly expect a demon to.

“Why do you say that?”

“Gut instinct.”

Vulcan arched one eyebrow up at her. “Are you ever wrong?”

“Rarely when it comes to men.” Though Decatur was different. Seething at her side, but different. She knew he wanted to lash out at the demon but they needed him for the moment. Marduk reached over and took Decatur’s hand.

“I bet you burn like fire, Marduk.” Vulcan’s voice was teasing as if he was enjoying the moment.

“And I bet you can be a real pain in the ass.”

“Stop pissing around, Vulcan,” Decatur snapped, his patience limited. “Clearly you are not at Archimedes’ side because you believe in his cause.”

“No, as demons go he’s one of the more megalomaniacal.”

“So what do you want, demon?”

Vulcan straightened up. “Archimedes will be dead in two weeks.”

Decatur looked at him in suspicion. “How?”

“Never you mind, vampire. What I want is something only Marduk can give me.”

She stepped back on hearing that. Giving something to this man, er, demon was not anything she wanted to do. “I’m not having sex with you.”

Vulcan smiled. “I never offered.”

Strangely enough, Marduk wasn’t sure whether to be offended or not. “What do you want then?”

“Your purity.”

Marduk snorted with laughter. “I’m nowhere near pure.”

“I’m not talking sexually. It’s about who you are in your mind and soul,” Vulcan explained. “And before you say it, all humans think they have impure thoughts but few really do, at least not the sort a demon does.”

“What is it you want from my woman?” Decatur stood squarely in from of the other man.

My woman. I like that.
In turn, Marduk moved closer to Decatur.

“Her essence.”

“My what?” What the hell was that?

Decatur sighed. “Why that of all things?”

“It is one of three things I need to get what I want.”

“And what is that? Decatur growled, not in the mood to play games. “Come on, demon. If you ask something of us we have the right to know why.”

“The angel Gabriel will give me the power to go back in time.”

Marduk was impressed but confused. “I thought demons can do everything.”

“Everything but that. It is the one talent I lack and need.”

Decatur looked thoughtful. “Is this about Sumerian? It must be if Gabriel is involved.”

Vulcan declined to answer. “So can I have it?”

This was going way over Marduk’s head. They had come to Vulcan for help. She had not expected a demon to want something from her. She had no power. “If I give you my essence and I have no idea how to do it—does it hurt?” Marduk was no wuss but she wasn’t into the whole sadomasochistic thing either.

“No.”

A simple answer was a good answer. “Will it change me? Do I lose part of myself?”

Vulcan shook his head. “No and you have more essence than you will ever use.”

Okay, time to get down to tin tacks.
“How do you free us from Archimedes?”

“Like most ambitious men, Archimedes has a one-track mind.”

Marduk had to agree with that. “He does appear to be hell-bent on killing one or both or us.”

“So use the angel,” Vulcan told them. “I can guess what Sumerian offered.”

Decatur pondered this for a moment. “Even if Sumerian weakens him for a while, he will still come after us. I’m not concerned for myself. It’s Marduk I worry about.”

She smiled softly at him.
I could just eat him with a spoon.

“No, Archimedes won’t because when he is sufficiently weakened I will place a spell on both of you that will make it impossible for him to find you.”

Demons did spells? Why hadn’t Vulcan mentioned this before?
“You bastard!” Marduk let fly one hand and slapped him hard in the chest. It was like slapping steel. “Why haven’t you done it before this?”

“That would be no fun for me. Besides, the more Archimedes has to occupy him the more time I have to do what I must undetected.”

“And I used to think the intrigue at work was complicated. You people—beings, whatever—are just painful to deal with.”

Vulcan did not seem the slightest bit offended. “It’s up to you, Marduk. Live or die.”

What a great choice. “How do I do this essence thing?” She could see Decatur was not happy about it but it appeared to be their only choice.

“Very simply. I kiss you.”

“Really?” Marduk looked at him in distaste. It wasn’t what he looked like. It was who he was. “I’m picky who I kiss.”

“It would take but a moment.”

Decatur’s hands were in fists at his side. “I’m not happy about this.”

“I’m not going to bed her, vampire. It’s just a kiss.”

“This kiss transfers essence or something?” Marduk asked, partly stalling, partly trying to build up courage.

“Yes.”

She turned to Decatur. “Do you feel that when you kiss me, Dec?”

Decatur’s eyes softened on hers. “Oh yes.”

“And this will save our asses?”

“Yes.”

Marduk blew out a deep breath. “Okay, as long as you save us.”

“I promise.”

“Is he good for that?” She only trusted Decatur’s word.

“Oddly enough, he is,” Decatur replied, his eyes now fixed on Vulcan. “Demons have a strange code of honor when it comes to giving a promise.”

Uh-huh, right, okay.
“How do we do this?”

Vulcan moved toward her. “Just stand still.”

“No tongue.” The demon laughed at her. Before Marduk knew what was happening, she was in Vulcan’s arms and his lips were on hers. As kisses went it was pretty average especially considering the power he was supposed to draw from it.

“Thank you,” Vulcan murmured as the kiss ended. He stepped back from Marduk quickly, his eyes on the vampire.

“Is that it?” While she didn’t expect to feel lust, Marduk had expected to feel something. She edged closer to Decatur, comforted by the arm he wound around her waist.

“Yes, Marduk, you transferred a part of yourself to me,” Vulcan explained. “You do that with any kiss you give but most mortals don’t realize that. If they knew they could do that then they would harness the power of something so simple and use it to their advantage.” The demon’s eyes focused on Decatur. “Now may I suggest you call on Sumerian?”

“I’m here.” The angel appeared in the blink of an eye.

“Always the eavesdropper.” Vulcan’s voice was droll.

The angel scowled at him. “Whatever.”

Marduk could tell there was history there and if it was any other time she would have wanted the gossip. “How do we go on from here?”

“At midnight tonight—”

“Why is it always midnight with supernatural people? In the movies it’s always the graveyard at midnight or the—”

Decatur interrupted Marduk. “Midnight is when magic is stronger.”

Sumerian nodded. “Go home, be together—soon it will be forever.”

* * * * *

“I like sucking your cock, it’s a power thing.” Marduk lifted her head and smiled at him. “I love that all your attention is on me and I have control of your body.” Her head dropped back to her task. The long vein that ran the length of his cock fascinated her. She loved to run her tongue up and down it.

“You drive me crazy,” Decatur growled as his fingers threaded through the hair of the woman who kneeled between his knees. “Bloody hell—”

If not for the fact she had a mouthful of cock, Marduk would have laughed at the violence of his outburst. That Decatur was completely at her mercy made her feel stronger than she had ever been. She alternately sucked and nibbled at the head of his cock. The spongy texture intrigued her.
I wonder what it would feel like…hmmm…well, why not just try it?
Decatur’s cock popped out of her mouth wet and shiny. She sat up and curled her hand around the base of it.

“What are you doing?” Decatur looked on, bemused.

“This.” Marduk placed his cock against her breastbone then squeezed her breast around it. “Move.”

“Have I mentioned how much I love you?” He thrust his cock between the mounds of flesh.

“I would do this for no other man.” The pulsating feel of his shaft sliding between her breasts was strange yet thrilling.

Decatur’s eyes were fierce on hers. “There will be no other men for me but you.”

“Only you, Dec.”

“I have to get a condom now.”

“No.” Marduk wanted to try something else. With Decatur she felt a freedom she never had with any other man.

“Darling?”

“I want you to come on my breasts. I want to feel you against my skin.” It was such a primal need that to do anything but that would have been against her true nature.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Marduk released his sandwiched cock and sat back on her haunches. She watched with fascination as Decatur put her hand on his shaft and worked it back and forward. It was so raw and exciting that Marduk was entranced. As the first drops of cum hit her breasts she felt a wild thrill in the knowledge that she had made this man, her lover, so overwhelmed with need that Decatur would do anything she requested. He groaned with the effort of release, his eyes on hers, sharing the moment together.

As the last drop fell, Decatur stood up and lifted Marduk into his arms. The stickiness on her breasts clung to her skin and his. “Do you remember that first night in your shower?”

“Yes, Dec, you stopped and I was so horny I almost cried.”

“There will be no stopping tonight.” Decatur kissed her hard and carried her into the bathroom.

“I give in.” Marduk lay on her back, arms outstretched and enjoyed the sensuous warmth of Decatur’s body on hers. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and invite him inside once more but she had other plans.

“Excellent. I love an obedient woman.” Decatur’s lips nuzzled at her neck.

Obedient, my ass.
There were swollen red bite marks all over her body. Her skin tingled because of them. It was so kinky and hot.
And I love it.
“Take me, I’m yours.”

Decatur stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “What? Are you just going to lie there?”