Kade's Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (22 page)

Sydney crouched as dust and debris flew ubiquitously throughout the stairwell. Coughing up dust, she charged after Kade. At least twenty vampires flew at the doorway, fangs drooling and snapping at Kade and Luca. Immediately, a fight ensued into the large, spacious area. Sydney backed against a wall and systematically began picking off vamps with wooden darts to the heart. She was a good shot and ashes flew as they disintegrated on the spot.

Sidling up next to Sydney against the wall, Luca was impressed. “Remind me to stay on your good side, woman. You’re damn good with the darts. Kade and I are heading toward the basement. Etienne and Xavier are taking the second floor. Now! Cover me!”

Luca dashed across the room with unnatural speed, catching up with Kade who was already at the basement door. Sydney took aim at a vampire lunging after Luca. Pop! The hit to the leg slowed him down, but Luca was struggling to shake him off. She didn’t want to come off the wall just yet, but two more vamps were descending on Luca and Kade.
Where the fuck were they all coming from?

Hoping she’d be fast enough, Sydney sprinted across the room nearing Luca. In a last minute decision, she leaped onto the vamp’s back and shoved a silver stake deep into its heart. Luca struggled to his feet. Grabbing Sydney’s arm, he pulled her up with him. Sydney shook off the ash and backed against the doorjamb next to Luca.

Catching a breath, Luca glanced over to Sydney, surprised by her courage. “Going old school with these guys, Sydney? While I appreciate the save, don’t get reckless. Kade will whip both our asses if something happens to you. Stay close. Kade just staked that second vamp. Looks like he’s already headed downstairs. Let’s go with him. I go first. Stay behind me,” he ordered.

Kade was already three quarters of the way down the basement stairs when Luca and Sydney started down. Moving quickly, they caught up with Kade as he rounded the corner. The first thing Kade noticed was a heavy change in the air, almost smothering. Illuminated in candlelight, the room appeared as a stark, void space. An audible hum resonated from the walls, yet no apparent source could be seen.

Across the room, a thin, wiry man, who wore a glowing, crimson robe, was perched upon a stone pedestal.
Asgear.
Kade attempted to maneuver toward him, but he slammed against an invisible barricade.
Dark magic.
Asgear released a wicked laugh. “Foolish vampire. Did you really think it would be that easy to capture me? My Mistress has anticipated your every move thus far. And while I’ve had great fun playing with you, the time grows near. She will ascend. You will be no more.”

“Your Mistress, Simone, was banished over a hundred years ago. She has no right to be here and will soon be exterminated as punishment for her crimes. Give yourself up Asgear. Tell me where she is. I will be fair meting out your sentence,” Kade demanded.

Insidious laughter filled the room. Asgear ascended from the pedestal. He floated across the room toward Kade, his feet not touching the floor. “You are quite an arrogant vampire. You think you are strong but you are so weak against my magic. I have been honing my craft for decades. Now, my power is growing exponentially every day. Her power grows too. You will be begging on your knees in agony as she drains the blood of your whore!” His eyes shot daggers at Sydney.

Luca and Kade pounded their fists against the barrier seeking a weak point, but it was unyielding. Attempting to kick at the invisible blockage, Sydney unexpectedly penetrated it, falling to her knees. Scraping her hands, she started to bleed. Asgear laughed maniacally, amused by how easily the spider caught the fly. “Ah, Sydney. Welcome to my inner sanctum. We have such plans for you. You will serve a greater purpose. We have almost perfected the ritual.”

“You must be out of your fucking mind if you think I will be part of any plans you have. Now that I'm in here, I will take great care when I bring you down. There are a few girls back in Philly who have a message for you and that bitch you call a Mistress. Now, do you want to come willingly or are we going to do this the hard way? You should know that I'm more than pissed, and could care less which way it goes,” she spat at him. Sydney aimed her dart at Asgear, guessing a few holes would loosen his lips.

“Tsk. Tsk. Must you be so vulgar? You are a mere gnat to me. Yet the Mistress seeks revenge for taking her husband. When she rules this city, he will lick her feet and beseech to do her bidding. You are less than nothing, a simple harlot. One who will serve nicely in our next Voodoo ritual. Mistress will consume your spirit as you writhe in pain. Oh yes...your life force will add to her power quite nicely. The spirits will reward her greatly for the ritual. Now, come to me, Sydney, the portal awaits...we will take hedonistic pleasure at the palace of Voodoo. The spirits will bless us!”

Clearly, Asgear was demented.
A portal? Hedonistic pleasure? What the hell was he talking about? 
Fuck that.
Sydney had no plans of going anywhere with this psychopath, let alone to some pleasure playground for dead people. She caught a glimpse of Luca and Kade, who were still pummeling against an invisible enemy. Sydney drew her pistol crossbow and fired twice, score. The darts tore through Asgear’s leg and shoulder. He tumbled to the ground, spitting obscenities at her.

But, as she attempted to approach him, he rose off the floor wickedly grinning at her. He was unharmed. “Did you really think a few darts would hurt me? You stupid, stupid little whore! I am done playing. This game is over!” He lifted his hands into the air mumbling chants that Sydney couldn’t understand.

A rush of confusion washed over Sydney as she began to feel dizzy. What was he saying? More importantly, how the hell did he get back up? Sydney started to waver as she desperately tried to retreat to Kade, but the pull of the air whirled around her immobilizing her limbs.
Shit. This so can’t be good.
She flailed her arms and legs struggling against the air current, but it was of no use. The air spun around and around stinging her face. Screaming into nothingness, Sydney hoped Kade could hear her. “Kade! Help me! I can’t move! Please!” She stole one last look at Kade before she faded into blackness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kade and Luca choked on the stale dust as they rushed to Sydney, but it was too late. She was gone.

“Shit!” Kade was outraged. “She’s gone. She’s fucking gone. My God. Asgear took her. They must have transported through a portal of some kind. We’ve got to find her.”

Luca searched the basement and returned to Kade’s side. “Sorry, Kade. There is no trace of her or Asgear. Think about what he said. Where would he take her?”

Kade rubbed his head. “I don’t know. Voodoo. Simone is going to use her as a doll. Something about using her spirit. I need to think. Simone wants me. She wants power. She won’t be satisfied by killing Sydney. No, she wants more. Asgear and Simone both want more. They want control over all the supernatural beings in New Orleans.” He started to pace, trying to think where Asgear took Sydney. “But where? This city is a hot-bed of supernatural activity. They could summon spirits literally anywhere.”

Luca blew out a frustrated breath, as Tristan, Etienne, Xavier and Dominique joined them in the basement. “She wants us to find her Kade. So she can get to you. Asgear, he said, ‘palace of Voodoo’. A Voodoo museum? Maybe he meant the field where you burnt down the barn where Simone tortured the girls?”

With ferocious intensity, Kade’s eyes met Luca’s. “The cemetery, St. Louis cemetery. Marie Laveau. Her mausoleum. It is the one place in New Orleans where even humans go to give sacrifices in the name of Voodoo. They could be anywhere on the grounds. Don’t ask me how she’s using the sacred cemetery to garner evil spirits, but that is where she’s going. I just know it.”

Sydney moaned in pain, realizing her hands were shackled in rusted, metal cuffs linked to a two-foot chain above her head. Her body, sans clothes, slumped against a cold, steel wall. A surge of panic rushed through her veins as she struggled to remember what happened.
Asgear. Portal.
Where the hell am I?
She stretched her legs thankful that she still had on her underwear. Unable to reach down to her torso, Sydney jostled, hoping to feel the Kerambit knife still hidden in her bra.
Hello, baby, still there.
Not sure what to do with it yet and unable to reach it with her hands, she left it in place, saving that little surprise for later.

The room was pitch-black dark, and she sensed she wasn’t alone. She nearly gagged on the stench of urine and vomit that permeated the room. Hearing a moan, she called out into the darkness. “Hey, is there someone in here with me? Who’s there?”

A small, feminine voice answered. “Over here. I’m Samantha. Please don’t hurt me,” she begged.

“Willows. Detective Sydney Willows. I’m with the police. Listen, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you. How long have you been here? Are you injured?”

“I’ve been here a few days. Lost count after being beaten. I think I can walk, but I'm bruised. The cuts are healing. It’s hard to see,” she whimpered. “I was taken. My friends and I went to Sangre Dulce for fun. I’m not even from New Orleans. I was at a computer conference. It was my first time at that kind of club. We were just dancing. Then I met him…James...he seemed so nice. He bought me a drink. I don’t remember anything else except for being here…him beating me. Oh my God. I'm going to die in here.”

Sydney heard her crying. “Listen, Samantha, this is not your fault. There are some sick people out there who do bad things. I’m going to get us out of here. If they take me, just stay calm, okay? I promise I will come back for you.” She sighed knowing things were about to get worse before they got better, and didn’t want to lie to the young woman. “I’ll be honest, I'm not sure how this is going to go down, but my colleagues are coming for me. I’m sure of it.”
I sure as hell hope they come soon.
“I need your help though, okay? Who else is here? Who have you seen since you’ve been here?”

“James. He brings me crackers and water. I tried to hit him the first day, tried to escape. Then he beat me. I haven’t seen anyone else. But I think there might be a woman. I think I’ve heard her voice. I don’t know though. I haven’t seen anyone else. I feel like I'm going crazy...maybe dreaming it. Even though I hear a woman’s voice, I’ve only seen James.”

“Good girl, Samantha. Okay then, this is how I'm going to play this. When James comes for me, I'm going willingly. I don’t want him using me as an excuse to hurt you. You stay quiet okay? Just let him take me, got it?” Sydney had to keep the girl alive.

“Okay. Please don’t leave me here though. I've to get out of here. He is going to kill me. You promise you will come back for me?”

Sydney didn’t want to freak the girl out, but she figured she better warn the girl there were
others
, other supernaturals who were coming for her. “I promise. Now listen, I have some friends who are vampires. They won’t hurt you, and there's a very large, black wolf. They are friends. You’ll be safe. If they come for you...if I don’t make it back, you go with them okay? They're the good guys. “

Samantha sniffled in the darkness. “All right. Oh my God. Shhhhh. I hear him. The keys. You hear the keys? It’s him. It’s James. He’s coming.”

Silence fell over the small closet-like prison cell as the girls awaited their captor. Feigning sleep, Sydney lolled her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. The sound of clanging of keys was followed by a creaking door. “Wakey, wakey, little whore.”
Asgear.
Shivering, she felt his clammy hands on her skin, then the unmistakable feel of handcuffs on her wrists. Guess he wasn’t as stupid as she was hoping.

With a hard jerk, he yanked her up to her bare feet. “The Mistress was so pleased with my success. You are going to make a fine offering. Your smooth skin...ahhhhh.” He ran a wet finger over the swell of her breasts. She repelled from his touch. “Now, now, little whore. You will not get away from me so easily. Consider yourself lucky that I cannot take your body for my own carnal pleasures before giving you to my Mistress. So greedy she is...she wants you all to herself.” Asgear propelled her forward into the bright hallway. “Go. No funny business. I would hate to bruise your pretty skin before Mistress has her way with you.”

Shuffling ahead, Sydney squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. The cold linoleum floor appeared oddly clean. She’d take small favors at this point, given her lack of shoes. The hallway was only about twenty feet long, which indicated the space was small. A frigidness chilled Sydney’s nearly, naked body.
What was this place? A basement?

A small vestibule led into a large, cathedral-like room made entirely of smooth, grayish limestone. Large silk scarves in various shades of blacks, purples and greens draped the walls. A shiver of terror tingled up Sydney’s neck as Asgear dragged her across the chilled, stone floor. Sydney spied a long, planked table with ropes attached to its legs and an enormous white chalk pentagram drawn underneath it.
Hemp and human hair rope?
At the front of the room stood an altar of some sort. Black and green candles burned brightly illuminating a modest, wooden box covered in black cloth, a golden chalice, and a long, silver sword.

Asgear grinned widely, as if he was high as a kite. With grandeur, he started speaking into the open space. “Oh great Mistress! Our offering has arrived. She will serve us nicely so that the spirits of the dead will grant us their powers.”

Sydney rolled her eyes. “Delusional much? Asgear, even if you do manage to conjure up some evil spirit, do you really think that bitch mistress of yours plans to share the power with you?...little mage that you are! Get real! So not happening,” she sneered, hoping he would fluster and make a stupid mistake. Sydney yanked herself away, unsuccessfully trying to free herself from Asgear’s firm grip on her upper arm.
Where was Kade?

Asgear spun Sydney around by her shoulders and backhanded her across her face. She fell to the floor as blood sprayed out of her mouth onto the planked table. “Now look what you made me do, little whore!” He screamed violently. Asgear was enraged. Sydney spat blood at him as he reeled her up and thrust her onto her back upon the splintered wood table. Immediately, he uncuffed her wrists one at a time and bound her hands to the legs of the table.