Bait

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I wedged my hand between the two of us and pushed Dragos ’ chest. Even at full strength I wouldn’t have been able to break free of his hold but I wiggled in his grasp and shoved his face. Another lightheaded spell came over me. It interrupted my weak struggles and felt different than the other ones. This time a wave of nausea accompanied it with a bone deep weariness.

He’d drawn too much blood.

Short of breath, I tried to attract his attention, to make him stop. “You’re killing me. You won’t be able to feed from me again.”

His sucking eased as he pulled away from my neck. “Good point, my little Rabbit.” He cocked his head and licked the wound then paused as if to listen to something.

My heart fluttered like a fledgling batting its wings. Pressure built on my chest as if someone sat on it. It became more difficult to breath.

“It may already be too late.” He traced a finger under my chin to stabilize the wobble in my neck. “I could cross you over as a replacement for Elizabeth, an eye for eye kind of deal.”

“No.”

“Not that I blame you for killing her. She didn’t have the right to destroy what’s mine and you do belong to me, Rabbit. Rurik presented you as a gift, remember?” Our eyes met. “I should reward you for disposing Elizabeth for me. She was such a possessive pest.” A glaze veiled his eyes.

At first I thought him caught up in a memory of Lizzy but his mouth hung open a bit as if stoned. He released me. Unprepared for this unexpected action I slumped against his chest like a rag doll. A cold sweat covered my body.

I was dying.

Dragos gasped and shook his head. “What the hell was that?” He stood and I tumbled to the floor. “What did you do to me?” His hands clutched his head as he stepped over me toward the fireplace mantle and gripped it.

I had enough strength to roll onto my side and watch him.

An explosion of wooden splinters caused me to flinch. The study doors slanted inward and dust floated in the air. Dragos crouched in a defensive position as Rurik strode through the gap bearing a saber in each hand. His wounds appeared healed, which meant he must have fed. Clad only in a pair of briefs with dried blood coating his skin like tribal paint, he swung one blade in Dragos ’ direction.

Dragos stepped into the attack, blocking it with his right arm while the left punched Rurik in the face. The cut in the Nosferatu’s forearm knitted back together. “Who set you free?”

Rurik caught his footing and shook his head. He appraised the bigger vampire then advanced with more care. “I set myself free.” He raised an arm and rattled the manacle that still clung to it.

Pride filled my heart. Even weak from being bled, he managed to break the chains and come to my rescue despite my abandonment of him to watch the dawn. I couldn’t have loved him more.

In one smooth motion Dragos reached above the mantle for the huge double handed broad sword and sliced it through the air with one hand. He glanced my way.

Before he reached me Rurik blocked his path. “Connie belongs to me.” The air rang with the tintinnabulation of singing blades as he attempted to pound and batter Dragos into the ground. Rurik drove him away from me.

I tried to raise myself on an elbow but nausea raged in my gut and the room tilted at an odd angle. My head hit the floor with a thud. The hardwood felt solid and the empty echo it made caused me to giggle. The devil-spawned bastard did this to me. My blood loss affected not just my body but my mind too.

Rurik’s saber slipped past Dragos ’ defense and slashed for his throat.

I silently cheered. If this was to be my last moment then I wanted the satisfaction of watching him kick Dragos ’ ass.

Dragos dodged and laughed as if having wonderful time. “Good strategy.”

Their weapons didn’t make sense to me until then. Being stabbed hurts but won’t kill a vampire, wooden stakes would have been a better choice, but Rurik kept aiming for the neck. Decapitation worked as well as a stake.

When Dragos slashed backhanded in a return blow, Rurik thrust his blade vertically and caught it with both of his before it cut him in half. “Why did you have to come to Budapest? You destroy everything you touch. What have I or my people done to deserve such a punishment?”

“You exist.” Dragos blinked as if coming out of a daze. “You try to change our ways. Make our race docile. We’re predators, not herders.” He lunged with his last statement and missed Rurik’s torso but pierced the wall where he had stood. With a puff of wall plaster Dragos yanked the weapon free.

They circled each other. “The laws want us to stay hidden and not kill humans. I didn’t make those rules, you and your kindred did. Lurking in the shadows, always taking what you want and never giving back. Eternally alone.”

His last word struck a chord in me. I knew what he described and how it felt. Neither of us wanted to be alone anymore. We needed to belong.

“My way makes life more bearable.” Rurik feigned an attack.

Knocking a scimitar from Rurik’s hand Dragos then kicked him in the chest and laughed. Even drugged he remained formidable. We would never have had a chance with him at full capacity.

Rurik staggered backwards toward the study’s shattered doors.

A rumble below us shook the house. I recognized it. Red’s van. It sounded like he drove it through the front door. Gunfire followed shouts as I heard the call to clear for UV light grenades.

I wanted to shout for help but I couldn’t draw enough breath. The Calvary had arrived and I just needed to hang on.

A trickle of blood oozed out of Rurik’s nose from the earlier punch he’d received. He wiped it with the back of his hand. “Sounds like the slayers have found you.”

“They can’t oppose my soldiers.”

Colby stormed into the room with two of his men. “We don’t want them, just you.” With a UV grenade in hand he took aim.

“Stop. No!” I reached out to Colby finally finding my voice. “You’ll kill Rurik too.” My plea made him falter which left Dragos an opportunity.

Would my actions haunt me? Yes. Did I regret it? No, I’d have done it again.

One slice of Dragos ’ board sword cut the first of the mercenaries in half. An arc of blood splattered the other two human men.

Colby grabbed Dragos ’ wrist to prevent him from running it through his other man, who only stared at the carnage. His weight and strength only slowed the ancient vampire as the stained blade extended from the man’s back after Dragos stabbed him. The victim stared at his injury as if in wonder before collapsing.

The howl of fury Colby released vibrated in the room. He pounded on Dragos ’ back with fists and feet, all reason lost in his actions.

I covered my face with my hands unable to witness what would happen to my mentor. Dragos had moved so quick, Rurik never could have helped them. Three humans and a vampire versus one drugged up Nosferatu who seemed to be winning, what a botched up assassination attempt.

Why did I think this would work? Dragos survived millennia because he possessed the strength and the power to.

A loud thump close to me caused me to peek. Colby lay by my feet unmoving. The sounds of battle ensued in the background as Rurik engaged Dragos again. I tried to move. This time I stayed flat as I rolled onto my stomach, my head still spun but I didn’t pass out. I slithered to Colby.

By the time I crossed the few feet to him, my chest ached with heaviness and my breath came in gasps. I needed to lie down next to his body. His chest expanded and hope spurred in me. A nice huge lump grew on his forehead.

I watched the vampires fight across from us. Rurik had regained his lost sword and now held two. He spun around Dragos and landed a blow on his back.

Dragos gave an inhuman growl from the pain as Rurik withdrew the weapon. He raised one of his sabers over the Master’s head, like a headsman, to chop at his neck.

In a move which required centuries of skill and grace Dragos pivoted and ran his broad sword into the center of Rurik’s chest half way to the hilt.

This couldn’t kill him, yet I screamed, despite my knowledge. No one wishes to see their loved one hurt and I knew this only precluded what would happen next. If we were going to die I selfishly wanted to go first. I’d watched too many people I loved die.

With his eyes wide, he gave me a fleeting look over Dragos ’ shoulder and offered me a wink, then stepped forward to drive the blade further through himself.

Dragos still held the hilt, which gave Rurik access to what he wanted. With a barbaric cry, he forced himself closer to the Master and crossed his sabers over Dragos ’ throat.