The King's Vampire (27 page)

“Saints preserve us,” Beth said, pulling her apron over her head and dashing out of the great hall.

Darius nodded to Lance. “I’m glad you made it here before the vampires. I’d like to be certain we can count on your allegiance to us in our battle against the psychic demons.”

Lance stalked toward Darius. He spoke with an animal-like ferocity. “Listen, Your Lordship, we shape-shifters are in allegiance only to ourselves. We’ve agreed to stand beside you vampires because the psychic demons are quite mad and a threat to everyone.”

“That’s true,” Darius said, “but we must be prepared. We have to know we can count on all the shape-shifters because the vampires must leave London right away. That leaves only me and Elizabeth to defend against the demons, unless your pack agrees to fight alongside us.”

Lance gave Elizabeth a questioning stare, his topaz eyes seeming to drill a hole through her. “Are you quite sure that My Lady can stand up against the psychic vampire demons. They’re a vicious lot, they are.”

She tossed her hair away from her face and stood more erect. “I’m well aware of the danger. You needn’t have a care about me, Lance. I’ve dealt with Julian and his minions before.”

He raised his long, thick fingers in front of his face and bowed. “My apologies, My Lady, but I thought you looked a bit delicate and slight for this kind of work.”

Angered by Lance’s slightly mocking tone, Elizabeth said, “I’m more capable than you think.”

Darius’s voice hardened around the edges when he said, “Her Ladyship’s strength or weakness need not concern you.”

“Neither of you need worry on my account.” Eager to change the subject, she said, “What about the rest of your pack, Lance? Why don’t they ever turn human?”

Lance’s mocking look collapsed, and his shoulders sagged. “Our pack is only half the size it was before the Great Plague struck London back in ’65. Twelve of our pack caught the plague when they were in human form. They suffered horribly, and couldn’t die like humans, but they didn’t heal from the plague either. I had to shoot them with silver bullets.”

Elizabeth held out her hand and touched his arm. “I’m sorry for what happened to your pack.”

He shrugged. “It had to be done, but the rest of the wolves vowed never to turn human again. I’m not even sure they can shape shift now.”

The pack of wolves got to their feet, as of one accord. Growls escaped their throats. Flecks of foaming spittle formed at their mouths, while their eyes gleamed golden in the firelight.

Elizabeth wondered what had caused such a reaction. She looked toward the entryway, waiting for what might happen next. No matter what took place between the immortal vampires and the psychic vampire demons, she would be by Darius’s side in battle.

Chapter 28

Godfrey entered the great hall along with the gravediggers, Digby and Greaves. “What hey, it smells like a bloody zoo in here,” Godfrey said. The wolves in the pack started snapping and snarling once again.

Lance made a quick gesture behind his back, and the wolves sank down, watching the immortal vampires closely. “Yes, the stench of rotting corpses is much better,” Lance said.

“Listen, we don’t smell like no psychic vampires.” He paused and sniffed under his arms, “Maybe a little musty is all.” Godfrey pulled back his bony shoulders and strutted toward Lance, who still wore the toga he’d made from the tablecloth. “Who do you think you are, anyway? Julius Caesar? Have a care, werewolf, remember the Ides of March.”

“We’re shape-shifters, not werewolves.” Lance glowered at Godfrey.

“A thousand pardons for calling you a wolf,” Godfrey said. “Just because you happen to be one,” he muttered.

Darius stepped forward. “We don’t have time for petty bickering.” When the vampire and shape-shifter ceased arguing, the rest of the vampires glided into the great hall, sitting toward the back of the room. Darius escorted Elizabeth to the lectern and motioned her to sit beside him.

The only sound to be heard was the exclamation of welcome Elizabeth gave Amelia, who walked up to Elizabeth. “Darling, are you all right?” Elizabeth stood and kissed her cheek.

“I’m ever so much better now I’ve seen you,” Amelia said. Instead of the bright colors she usually wore, she had draped herself completely in black from head to toe. She looked like a marble statue. Her aquamarine eyes, instead of their usual sparkling light, were flat and dull, her mouth pinched and white.

Darius watched both women, observing how quickly Elizabeth responded to Amelia’s look of devastation by wrapping her arms around her friend and rocking her like a young infant. “It will be all right, I promise you,” he heard Elizabeth say.

Moved by Elizabeth’s selfless compassion for Amelia, he thought what a wonderful mother she’d make. He’d been alive for over eight hundred years, and the thought of a having a child with a woman he loved had never crossed his mind, not until now. Elizabeth was the only woman he’d ever wanted to live with forever.

“All right then, since the love feast is over, can we get on with the business at hand?” Godfrey’s mouth curled downward.

“I’d appreciate it if you and your brutes,” Darius motioned toward Digby and Greaves, “sit down and listen.” He gave Godfrey a withering look. The wolves in the pack growled restively. The three men sat down abruptly onto the front wooden bench.

Godfrey’s chin sunk down upon his chest and he appeared thoroughly chastised by Darius. After some minutes, he did find the courage to raise his head up and say, “So what does the great demon slayer have planned for us?”

Darius moved behind the lectern, and the vampires kept their hypnotic eyes fixed on him, listening to him in that uncanny way vampires had. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the disaster across the channel. King Louis’s jaded aristocrats have been praying to Satan. It’s obvious the psychic vampire demons have infiltrated the highborn in Paris.”

“What has that to do with us?” one vampire shouted out.

“It should be obvious the fury and fear will be carried over to London,” Darius said, his eyes hard and cold with challenge.

This time Digby ventured to speak. “We needn’t run away in fear. The psychic demons will protect us. Their leader, Julian, saved me and Greaves from being burned by the witch finder. The great demon slayer, Darius, did nothing for us. He stood back, willing to let us burn.”

Darius blushed furiously, glancing at Elizabeth, ashamed for her to hear this accusation questioning his courage. “That’s what Julian wants you to believe. I had every intention of saving you and Greaves. He’s tricked you into thinking he’ll protect the immortal vampires. It’s all rubbish, because Julian only cares about unleashing the demon forces and ruling the entire world. Can you want that for England? Can you want that for the world?”

“There are only twenty-six of us vampires left in London. Darius forbids us to make more vampires, so what are we to do?” Godfrey held out his arms in supplication to the crowd, but his face wrinkled up into an expression that looked far more demoniacal than pathetic.

With another look in Elizabeth’s direction, Darius noticed her squirming in her seat, before she leapt up. Her voice trembled a little, but she made herself heard above the noise of the crowd. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I trust Darius to look out for the immortal vampires. Who in their right mind would choose to become a rotting corpse damned to hell the way all psychic demons are?”

Before she sat back down, her gaze lingered on Godfrey, who raised his hands as if shielding himself from her accusation.

Darius couldn’t take his eyes off Elizabeth. He watched the way her lavender eyes shimmered like fine amethysts. He loved how her auburn hair waved and tumbled about her shoulders and flowed down her back. When she’d spoken to Godfrey, she had stood taller, her slender white neck accentuated, looking as soft and smooth as silk. He loved her most of all for defending him so passionately.

He smiled. Thank God, she didn’t think him a coward. “I’d like to thank Elizabeth for her show of confidence and those kind words. My plan is to have all the vampires form a caravan, head to Southampton, and then procure a ship that will take them to Constanta, Transylvania. Since this is the homeland of vampires, it should be a safer haven.”

Amelia stood up beside Elizabeth. “I think this a logical plan which can be implemented by us. Please raise your hand if you agree.”

All vampires, except for Godfrey, Digby, and Greaves raised their hands. Darius sighed in relief when he saw the others had decided to support him. “I thank you all for your good faith. I wish to elect Amelia to lead our caravan.”

“She’s a bloody woman, she is,” Godfrey cried out.

“Nothing gets past you, does it, Godfrey?” Amelia said.

A few vampires chuckled, and then a stench of rotting corpses created a miasma of foulness that caught everyone’s attention. Julian and ten of his minions appeared in the great hall. Julian, who remained in his putrid, rotting body form, stood in front of the lectern beside Darius. He snaked his boney arm around Darius, causing him to recoil.

“We’ve heard of your troubles and came to reassure you that you can count on the psychic vampire demons,” he said. He tried to convey sympathy in his ragged, rasping voice.

Godfrey stood. “That’s what we’ve been waiting for. Who’s in favor of joining forces with the demons?”

The silence in the room throbbed, only the gasping, gurgling breath of the demons could be heard. When no one spoke, Julian started changing into and out of form. Suddenly, his leathery wings spread out, and he engulfed Darius in his wingspan.

Elizabeth cried out just as Darius raised one mighty, muscled arm and aimed it toward Julian, hurling flames from his fingertips.

Darius sliced through one of Julian’s wings before the demon had time to pull away. Julian shrieked and then raised both skeletal arms, shooting bands of evil energy from his boney fingers. Darius raised his arms to deflect the flames, but he was struck on the shoulder by a spark and the smell of burnt, sizzling flesh filled the air.

“You’ve been hurt,” Elizabeth screamed out.

Darius winced, but quickly slapped out the sparks.

Julian aimed another bolt of flame toward Darius, but Elizabeth pulled up her skirts and managed to give him a sidekick that caused him to stagger back and threw off his accuracy. He aimed a stream of energy at her, but she dropped to the ground, and with a twisting motion, evaded the force of the flame.

The psychic vampire demons attacked the immortals, whose powers were nowhere nearly as strong. Lance transformed himself into a wolf. He and his pack attacked the demons in defense of the vampires. One wolf ripped directly into a demon’s throat and the creature exploded, leaving only dried dust forming a cloud around him. The smell of rotten corpses rose, making the great hall nearly unbearable in its massive stench.

Four demons surrounded Amelia, who used a delicately carved dagger to keep them from closing in on her. Lance leapt forward in a blur of black and silver fur, grappling with one of the demons, and then another one, to keep them away from her. Amelia focused on the demon closest to her, aiming for his throat, but he managed to keep just out of her reach.

Four psychic demons circled Darius while he battled Julian. Darius’s feet moved in a circular motion as he evaded the demon attacks by shooting flames at those surrounding him.

Elizabeth shouted out, “Look out. Julian’s right behind you.”

Darius back flipped over Julian’s head at the same time he felt another scorching flame hit his shoulder. Darius grimaced, but managed to raise his arms one more time and hit Julian full in the face. Julian shrieked and hissed. Two of his minions dragged him away from the fight.

Elizabeth jumped onto the back of one of the demons attacking Amelia. Elizabeth’s full skirt entangled with his leather wings, making him incapable of fighting back. Even while battling Julian, Darius, ever alert to Elizabeth, shot a flare of energy toward the demon who threatened to overtake her.

The demon exploded into a haze of dust. Now Darius started disintegrating the psychic vampire demons surrounding Amelia. The fight turned in favor of the immortals and the shape-shifters. A piercing scream from Julian caused the few remaining demons to cease the battle and flee. Just like that, the psychic vampires vanished, leaving a palpable haze of dust and a foul stench swirling where Darius and the wolves still stood strong.

Amelia turned to Lance. “I thank you for your help.” Her mouth twitched with a ghost of her usual humor. “Or maybe I should say, Hail Caesar.”

Seldom at a loss for words, Lance tugged at his makeshift toga and mumbled, “You’re welcome, Your Grace. I’m glad I could help.”

Both Amelia and Lance dashed to Darius’s side, while the remaining vampires stood at a respectful distance.

Amelia turned toward them with her hands fisted on her hips. “Does anyone dare now challenge Darius’s right to decide what’s best for the vampires? Or would you rather follow the demons?” Glancing over at the damage, she saw that three vampires had been decapitated. “We’re down to twenty-three vampires now. We must leave London before we lose any more.”

Godfrey looked like a scarecrow with his clothes disheveled and hanging loosely on his thin frame. “Your Ladyship,” he said, “it looks like we’ll all be taking a fine ship journey soon. We’ll have much more power once we reach the Carpathian Mountains, our homeland. Let them demons try to attack us there.”

“Brave words coming from a coward,” Amelia said, turning away in disgust. When she looked at Darius, she paused. “What’s the matter?”

“Has anyone seen Elizabeth?” he asked, his fierce gray eyes desperately searching the room for what he couldn’t find.

“The last time I saw her, she had jumped onto the back of that demon, just before you blew him to kingdom come,” she said.

His face turned whiter than that of any vampire. “You don’t think she was destroyed when I killed the demon?” His heart squeezed tight, until he believed it might explode. Inwardly, he cursed himself. With dread, he knew he couldn’t live if he’d harmed Elizabeth.