Not Another Vampire Book (12 page)

Kara’s
eyes met his, catching him staring at her.

Damien
looked away and cleared his throat.  “Why would Slade’s love life feature so
prominently in my book?”

She
hesitated.  “It’s not really
your
book.  Well, I mean, you’re in it. 
But, you’re the bad guy.  It’s really Slade’s book.  He’s the hero.”

Damien’s
mouth dropped open in indignation.  He didn’t really believe a word of this
novel thing, but still… “That bastard is the hero and
I’m
the villain?!”

“Kind
of.  Yeah.  The number of times you say ‘vengeance’ is a dead giveaway.”

Muttering
ancient curses under his breath, Damien began scanning the text for his name. 
There was no way he was the villain.  None.  He was fucking
justified
in
his quest for vengeance.

Kara’s
brows drew together thoughtfully as Damien read.  “Ya know, the more I think
about it, the more I think reuniting Mel and Conan
is
the key to this
whole thing.”  She continued, almost to herself.  “I gotta get the plot back on
track before it’s completely out of hand.  I mean, the book has to end, right? 
And when it does, all the characters need to be in the right spots.  Romance
novels have happy endings.  If this one
doesn’t
, than it can’t end.  And
if it doesn’t end, I can’t get out of here.  You see?”

“Not
really.”

“Fine. 
Simple, straight forward, cut and dry version of my new plan.  We need to get
Slade in bed with Melessa, Eternally-Bonded and deliriously happy, before the
last page of this book.”  Kara tapped the manuscript with her fingernail. 
“Otherwise, I’ll be trapped here in the Bates Motel forever and you’ll be…
Actually, I have no idea what will happen to you.”

Damien
ignored that.  His heartbeat slammed in his chest as he read his own words and
thoughts printed in the pages in front of him.  Things no one else could have
known about him were spread out for the world to see.  Twisted to make him
sound obsessed, evil, wrong.

Like
a creature.

“Did
you write this?”  His lips barely moved as he spoke the words.  He hadn’t felt
furious since he came back home from battle to find his people massacred.

“No. 
Tanya St. Clair wrote it.  She’s my step-mother’s gym buddy.  They met in
pilates.”  Kara eased back from him as if she was wary of his reaction.  “That
part where it says you’re salivating to capture Slade’s bride is kinda harsh,
but…”

“It’s
bullshit!”  He surged to his feet, rage continuing to fill him at this new
Vampire trick.  “All of it.  Pure fiction!”

“Exactly. 
Fiction
.  It’s a romance novel.  You see?”

“It’s
vampire propaganda!”  He waved the manuscript at her.  “This is not how our
history went.  The Vampires were not heroes, they were merely more plentiful. 
That’s
how they defeated my people.  The Wizard Warlocks were the victims of
prejudice, persecution and unimaginable cruelty.  How can anyone not see
that?!”

“Hey,
I’m not a Vampire apologist.  The Wiz-Wars had it bad.  I’m just saying that
this book is from Slade’s point-of-view, so…”

“The
Vampires killed my family!
”  His sister’s name started up at
him from page three.  Amalie.  The only bright spot in his world.  An innocent
child, butchered by the Vampires for just being born.  Damien couldn’t stand
it.  Slamming the book shut, he threw it into the fireplace, wanting to destroy
its fabrications and deceit.

Kara
let out a shriek of pure panic.  “
NOOOOO!” 
She launched herself across
the room as the flames engulfed her blasphemous novel.  “
Are you insane?!
”

Damien
blinked.  The woman stuck her whole hand into the fire trying to save the book,
yelling like he’d consigned her to burn along with the pages.  Human skin
couldn’t touch flames.  Didn’t she know that?  She’d be burned.  “Kara Lynn,
stop.”

She
didn’t stop.  “I need that book!”  The melting blue cover stuck to her skin and
she shouted in pain.

Damien
swore.  He had no idea why, but he dropped down to his knees beside her and
pulled her away from the fire.  “Stop!  You’ll be hurt.”  His arms wrapped
around her, trying to catch hold of her hands and examine them for damage.

Kara
fought to get free.  “I don’t care.  Damien,
please!
”  Desperate brown
eyes locked on his, tears running freely.  “I’m so scared that I won’t get
home.  You have no idea how scared I am.  I
have
to save that book. 
It’s the only thing that I have to help me.”

That
had to be the truth herbs at work.  She never would have admitted how deeply
terrified she was without the drug.  Not Karalynn Donnelly.  From what he could
see, she hid any sign of weakness behind laughter and sarcastic remarks he
didn’t understand.  “No, it’s
not
the only thing you have.  I will help
you.”  He must have been out of his mind, because he meant that.  If she’d just
be happy again, he suddenly would have done anything.

The
woman was so dangerous.

“How
can
you
help?!  You’re the one who just ruined my life, asshole!”  She
slammed a fist into his shoulder and then cried out at the agony it caused. 
Her palms were already blistering.

“I’ll
fix it.  I promise.  Please, calm down.”  Damien tugged her against his chest
and wondered what the hell was wrong with him.  Why did he care that she was so
upset?  Why did he suddenly hate himself for making her weep?  How could this
woman affect him?  He made a soothing sound as she sobbed against his shirt,
his lips grazing her hair, speaking words without even hearing them.  “Don’t,
cari
.” 
He couldn’t stand to see her tears.  He needed to rectify what he’d done.

Damien
glanced over at the fireplace and stretched out his hand.  He was a sorcerer. 
The flames didn’t burn him.  He easily pulled the manuscript from the cinders
and gave it a shake.  It was severely singed, the edges blackened, the strange
blue cover bubbling and shrinking with a vile, rubbery smell.

Damien
concentrated for a beat and used his powers to restore it.  It was so simple. 
Any Wizard Warlock could have done it.  Except he was the only Wizard Warlock
left.  “Kara Lynn.”  He nudged her face up from his chest.  “Here it is back,
again.  Please don’t cry.”

She
gave a soft gasp as he held up the pristine book.  Damp eyes flashed to his
face in astonishment.  “How did you do that?”

“Magicks.” 
He tried not to notice her soft, trembling mouth inches from his own.  “I am
sorry.”  Damien hadn’t said that in longer than he could remember, but he meant
it.  He shouldn’t have tried to destroy her offensive one-sided story.  How
could he have taken something so small from a defenseless woman?  It was
something the Vampires would do.  Something a creature would do.  “It’s fine. 
Exactly as it was before.”

A
pack of spiteful lies against his people.

 “Oh
God, thank you.”  She reached for it.  “You really saved it!”

“I
did.  Just wait, though.”  He set it aside before she could grab hold.  “Let me
heal your hands first, before you’re injured even worse.  The literary masterpiece
is not escaping anywhere.”

“You
can heal me?”  She sniffed, her eyes staying fixed on the book like it might go
up in flames again at any second, even just sitting on the rug.  Still, she
willingly held out her palms for his inspection.  “How?”

“I
was trained as a doctor.”  Damien said, flatly.  The burns on her fingers
looked serious and it had been a long, long time since he’d healed anyone
else.  His instincts screamed that he help her, no matter what the cost.  There
was a deep, primitive part of Wizard Warlocks that caused the Vampires to label
them animals.  The sorcerers were less civilized, closer to their primal
ancestors.  Damien felt the wildness rise at the sight of the scorched flesh. 
A savage fury that she’d been hurt.

It
was because she was his prisoner.  Because she was in his care.

That
was the only explanation he’d accept.

“You’re
a doctor?”  She sounded surprised.  “Really?”

“I
suppose your precious book skipped that part of my story, too.”

“I
suppose so.”  Kara swallowed.  “But, I didn’t really read the whole novel, so
maybe Tanya was going for a Hannibal Lector thing.”  She released a long shaky
breath and ducked her head, so she could meet his eye as he examined her
wounds.  “Thank you, Damien.”  She whispered, in a sincere tone.  “Thank you
for understanding how much I need it.”

He
grunted, uncomfortable with the gratitude.

His
powers easily erased the blisters and redness from her skin.  Taking the pain
from her meant transferring it to himself, though, which didn’t help his mood. 
That was one reason he’d never been a very successful doctor.  Damien wasn’t
altruistic enough to want to take on the suffering of the world.  He’d made a
much better warrior.  It was usually easier to kill than to heal.

Kara’s
lips parted in amazement as she surveyed her smooth, unblemished skin.  “Wow.” 
She shook her head.  “My God.  That was amazing.”

He
shrugged and discreetly flexed his now aching hands.  “It was a simple
matter.”  But, it would take several hours for the pain to work its way out of
his system.

“No,
I mean it.  It was
amazing.
”  Kara insisted.  “You have such a gift. 
You fixed me.  Thank you for that, too.”

“You’re
welcome.”  He stood up and nearly held out a palm to assist her to her feet,
only to think better of it.  He didn’t want her to know that healing her had
cost him anything.  “You should be more careful.  Next time I might not be
there to save you from your recklessness.”

Standing
over her, he was abruptly struck by how fragile humans were.  How much smaller
and weaker than the Vampires or the Wizard Warlocks.  The woman would fight,
but she was completely helpless against the monsters of the world.  Slade or
some other man could easily overpower her.  Take her against her will or harm
her.

Use
her for their own selfish purposes… Just as Damien was.

She
was so vulnerable.

If
Damien could have felt anything beyond vengeance, that would have terrified
him.

“Do
you have a human male, back wherever it is you come from?”  Slade’s Eternal-One
should have been having an engagement party that night, but something still seemed
off
about that, now.  Would another man be searching for her, too?

“No. 
I’m single.”  She gazed up at him.  “Do you have a girlfriend?”

He
hadn’t been expecting that question.  “No.  Wizard Warlocks only have one true
mate and I never found mine.  I feel she must be long dead.”  Killed by Slade
and his brethren, no doubt.

The
heroes
.

“You
have Eternal-Ones, like the Vampires do?”

“I
am
nothing
like the Vampires.”

“But,
you guys both have the one-true-love thing?”

“Well,
yes.”  He admitted.  “Wizard Warlocks have an entirely different system for
bonding, though, with much less blood.”  He stalked back over to his chair.  “We
know the woman, but there is still freewill involved.  Like the humans, we can
choose to accept or deny the mating.  Your people can bond with anyone, yes? 
‘Marry’ them?”

“As
long as that anyone marries us back.”

So,
why hadn’t some man claimed her by now?  Were the humans even stupider than the
Vampires?  Sometimes, Damien greatly feared he was the only being with a brain
left in the entire world.

There
were more important things to discuss while the truth herbs were still working,
but he still heard himself ask the one question he most wanted to know:  “Why
did you refuse Slade and come with me, instead?”

“I
told you, I like you better than him.”

“
Why
,
though?”  It made no sense.

Kara
tilted her head, still sitting on the floor.  As usual.  The woman hadn’t used
a chair since she arrived.  “I feel safe with you.”

No
one had ever said that to him before.  Damien didn’t know what to make of it.  Did
the woman still not understand that he’d abducted her?  She was his prisoner.  His
leverage over Slade.  Sooner or later, she’d want to go back to the Vampire and
Damien would stop her.  Kara wasn’t leaving his side.  How could she possibly
smile at him and say he made her feel safe?

He
glanced away from her and cleared his throat.  It didn’t matter.  Her confusion
worked to his advantage.  It was nothing to feel guilty over.  Damien couldn’t
even feel guilt, just vengeance.  “And you
really
believe this is all a
book?”  Maybe she was crazy, after all.

“It
is
all a book.”  She got up, grabbing the manuscript and moving to stand
in front of him.  “Why do you think there’s so much weirdness going on?  You’re
smart.  You have to see the plot holes.  Why is there a neon sign outside and
in here we have no electricity?”