Bait

Chapter Twenty-Nine

By sheer luck or the devil’s grace Dragos escaped Rurik’s assault by arching his back. A thin line of blood, from lacerated skin, arose where the razor sharp edges grazed him.

In his escape he’d released his hold on the broad sword. Eyebrows raised he touched his throat and laughed. “Nice move. You almost got me.” Then he gripped the weapon protruding through Rurik’s chest and twisted it.

His pain-filled cry shattered me. Tears spilled from my eyes. The move didn’t work like he wanted it to, now he suffered. I prayed for a miracle but would God help a vampire? If someone from the team came they’d only add to the body count and there were too many corpses in this room already. I lay my head on Colby’s chest too weak to help and needing any comfort I could get.

Rurik dropped his weapons in an attempt to grab and pull out the slick blade. His hands slipped with each try, cutting at his palms.

Dragos strolled around him, a crooked grin on his face. Vindication poured from him. He kicked at the back of my love’s knees so he fell forward onto them with a grunt.

Blood streamed from his wound down his abdomen. It reminded me of the bathhouse where I saw him naked for the first time and watched the water run down his torso in the same manner. Our eyes met and locked. Deep sorrow pooled in his ice blue irises. They asked to be forgiven and offered an apology. Neither of which I wanted.

“Looks like I’ve missed all the fun.” Tane leaned on the cracked door frame, arms crossed over his chest, still impeccably dressed in his white dress shirt and gray slacks. Pale Eric was in tow, subdued in jeans and t-shirt. “What’s going on, brother? I thought you wanted Rurik to watch the dawn, not hack him up to pieces.”

Tangled in conflicting emotions my heart soared with hope and plummeted with dread at the sight of Tane. What was my personal demon doing here? He’d given me the impression he wanted to sit on the fence and watch the outcome of this farce he created.

Dragos ’ grin widened into a smile. “An interesting gift you left me. She’s poisoned.” He gestured to his head. “It affects my mental abilities and slows my movements.”

“Really?” Tane stepped into the room and examined his friend who glared at him from his knees. “How ingenious of Rurik to come up with such a plan.”

Rurik struggled, his movements strong with new ambition to remove the object from his chest. The size made it awkward as it continued to slip through his grasp. It moved a slow inch and caused him to moan with a new wave of agony.

Both Nosferatu circled him like sharks, in slow deliberate steps as if wondering in shared silences what manner to end his existence.

He narrowed his eyes as he glared with defiance at one then the other.

When Dragos came around to face him he shoved the sword back in the inches Rurik fought to bring out. The motion made Rurik fall to his side. His face contorted in a quiet scream.

Tane watched but glanced at me with a small secretive smile. I sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. My demon was up to something but I couldn’t tell if it would benefit or harm me. Either way, I was tired of the mind games.

He strolled across the room and knelt by Colby who lay motionless between us. Tane touched the lump on his forehead. “He should be fine, maybe with a mild concussion.” He directed this soft comment to me then spoke to Dragos. “You should have restrained yourself and not drained her so. It will be difficult to trace the drug once she’s dead.”

“I tire of listening to you preach these beliefs of taking only what we need, Tane.” He kicked Rurik in the head. “This one’s had too much influence on you. Kill her and be done with it. We have a bigger rodent to play with.”

Tane rolled up his sleeve to expose his wrist.

“What are you doing?” His Master approached from behind and glanced over Tane’s shoulder. Dragos ’ eyes flared when he saw what Tane planned and pulled him away from me to fling him toward the broken door.

With an agile dignity Tane unfolded from the floor after being manhandled by his Master. He brushed the wrinkles from his pants. “I was going to heal her.”

“She’d be bound to you.”

Tane rounded on Dragos. “A dead human is of no use to us.”

The still body under me stirred to startle my weak fluttering heart. Colby lifted his head and assessed his surroundings. He pressed his fingers over my lips as I opened my mouth. They traced down my chin to touch the swollen bite mark on my neck. He frowned.

“So what?” Both Nosferatu argued and ignored us mere mortals but Rurik watched intently.

My pulse trembled at the concern on both of their faces. It made me want to cry. I felt awful but now I knew I looked it too. They knew I was dying.

“We can use her to control Rurik. I won’t need to stay in control of this city and can continue to travel with you.”

“I want him dead not controlled.”

With a warrior’s training Colby rolled to his knees and picked me up in his arms. He rose and pivoted but Eric blocked our way.

“She won’t make it to the hospital, Colby.” Rurik’s pain-filled voice croaked across the room. “I can hear her heart weaken with every beat. Bring her to me. I can help.”

For the first time since I’d started working for him, I saw Colby hesitate. I knew my situation was dire. He didn’t need to fight to hide his worry from me.

I touched his cheek then saw Eric over his shoulder. He held murder in his eyes. Something must have shown on my face since Colby twisted us to the side as Eric pointed a gun in our direction.

“Stop.” Tane continued to face-off with Dragos as he spoke his quiet command.

Eric stepped back as if struck by the word.

“Go secure the house.”

The plaything didn’t relinquish his aim at Colby.

“Don’t try my tolerance tonight, Eric.” Tane turned his stare on him.

He slipped the safety back on his weapon and ran from the room.

I’m not sure what Colby would have done if he didn’t have his arms full with me. From the tension radiating around him I’d say Eric just got away with his life still intact.

Tane sauntered around Rurik, his friend, and paused to kick him in the small of his back.

Dragos nodded his approval.

“Enough.” I couldn’t view anymore abuse to my lover. “If you’re going to kill us get it over with.”

“I don’t think we should.” Tane drew nearer and brushed a curl from my eyes. “You’ve all proven to be useful. I’m not a wasteful master.” He glanced at Dragos over his shoulder. “Or a lax one. Place her on the divan, Colby. Then you can tend to your men.”

“I’m not your lackey. Connie is a member of my team. I won’t leave her behind.”

“See what I mean.” Dragos chuckled. “They’re too much trouble.”

Tane rolled his eyes. “Then lay her down and watch as I help if that suits you better.”

“Connie.” Rurik kicked and struggled then reached for me.

In turn, Tane looked at each of us then gestured to the couch. “She’s getting worse. It won’t be long before she’s dead.”

“Let me do this, Tane. I beg of you.” Rurik sat up, he grimaced with the motion as the sword cut deeper.

As Colby sat on the divan he hugged me closer. “I don’t know what to do for you, Connie.” He whispered in my ear. Neither did I. The pressure on my chest grew. It became more difficult to draw breath. The edges of warmth blanketed me, starting from my toes it moved up my body. Exhaustion prevailed over my soul.

“She’s either bound to me or she passes to other side. Decide before it’s too late.”

Colby hugged me. “Connie?” The anxiety mixed into my name called me back to my situation.

“Tane, please don’t do this.” Rurik pleaded.

Tane ignored him. He rolled up one sleeve to expose his wrist and brought it to my lips. With a pointed fingernail he punctured his skin at the pulse site. “You’ll need to drink some of this, Rabbit, if you want to live.”

I pressed my lips together and shook my head.

“You’re being difficult again. Soon you’ll be beyond even my help. Drink.”

I felt my eyes bulge in their sockets. “I don’t want to be a vampire.” My voice so soft I could barely hear it.

He sighed with impatience. “There’s more to that than a little lick of blood. This will strengthen you and heal your blood loss.”

“But I’ll be bound to you.”

“Yes, you’ll be getting your life spark from me.”

“I don’t want—” He dripped a couple of drops into my mouth while I spoke. I tried to spit them out. Being eternally tied to Tane was worse than hell. I’d take my chances.

“I’ve had enough of these theatrics. End it.” Dragos laughed. “She doesn’t even want to be saved.”

Tane shoved the wound to my mouth and coaxed more blood into it. Metallic, salty flavor assaulted my tongue. I fought not to swallow it and tried to make eye contact with my lover.

Rurik stood behind Dragos. The broad sword braced in two hands he dragged it out of his chest. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the muscles on his neck corded with exertion. It glided out. Rurik took the hilt in his hands and brought the huge sharp blade over his shoulder. “Master.” As Dragos twisted at the sound of his title, Rurik beheaded him. The body fell at his feet and the head flew next to the door. It rolled until stopped by one of the bodies blocking the doorway.

Tane rubbed his thumb down my throat which caused me to swallow reflexively.

“Bastard.” Rurik shoved him from me and lifted my head to his chest wound. “Drink from me as well, baby. It might prevent the binding if you drink from both of us.”

Tane staggered away from us. “You don’t know that.”

I drank from Rurik’s heart wound. It tasted different from Tane’s, smoother with less metallic flavor.

“This ends any ties between us, Tane.”

“On the contrary, this shackles you to me.”

Night surrounded me and swallowed me whole. I floated away and waited for the light. The one you hear about on daytime talk shows but it didn’t show up. Someone came toward me and I extended my hand to him. “Rurik, my sweet-souled vampire, won’t you come and wash away my pain?”

He smiled. “Even unconscious you steal my heart. Follow me home, Rabbit. Back to consciousness, I won’t lose you now I’ve finally found you.”

My eyes fluttered open to find myself in his arms, where I belonged. “You did it. You killed Dragos and saved me.” I whispered.

“It’s about bloody time, too.” Tane stood over Dragos ’ body. “You were supposed to spare me this, Rurik.” His voice cracked with emotion. “He may have become mad but I still loved him.” Recent events still unprocessed I watched in shock as he pulled the serrated knife from his rolled up sleeve. He knelt by Dragos ’ body and tore his t-shirt open. With a confident grip on the dagger he made an incision below the breast bone. He reached inside, under the rib cage, and ripped out the heart. It still pumped, slow and steady, his organ as black as his soul.

I retched. My empty stomach heaved again as the smell reached me.

Tane regarded me. “Well done, Rabbit.”

I wiped the spit from my mouth. “Asshole.”

A scuffing at the door caught my attention. Eric waited until Tane acknowledged him with a nod. “The house is secure with his men’s assistance.” He pointed to Colby.

“Good, toss me the head.” The fireplace ignited with flames high enough to lick at the mantle.

I jumped at the sight and Rurik tightened his hold on me.

Eric tossed the head to Tane who waited by the fire with the heart. He dropped both in. The flames died down to just the small intense blue ones as if afraid to touch the flesh.

Tane growled and closed his eyes. “Don’t be so stubborn, Dragos. You’ve lost, your reign is over.” He spoke as if Dragos could hear. The flames returned with new vigor and a dark smoke leaked into the room.

Good riddance. We won, the thought sank in and I twisted to smile at Rurik. Somehow we prevailed against the dark god of old. Even though our relationship was only days old, we’d both been willing to risk our lives for each other, those acts spoke volumes. He never needed to tell me how much he loved me, he’d shown me.

We all watched fire. For what, I’m not sure. Maybe for Dragos ’ ghost to appear or his decapitated body to rise. Neither happened.

Instead, Red stomped into the room. “What the fuck is goin ’ on around here?” He glanced at my blood stained lips. “Colby, you lettin ’ her drink from that thing?” He loomed over everyone, a bandage on one arm and a machete in the other.

Rurik backed away from the two experienced slayers with me clasped in his arms.

Both of them followed.

“I want to stay with him. Red you promised me.” I pointedly looked in Tane’s direction. “You should go. Get the team out.”

“You’re part of that team.” Colby didn’t budge.

“Not anymore.” I slid my hand up Rurik’s healed chest. “I’ve been compromised.”

Colby’s eyes swam with sorrow. He understood. It was the biggest risk to being bait, to get caught. “Damn.”