A Dance in Blood Velvet (34 page)

“I was attacked,” Andreas said. “Some devilish vampires leapt on me and drained me... I don’t know how I came here. I remember crawling from the house, starving, in torment. I fed on some boy in the street but it wasn’t enough. I fell and I couldn’t move.”

“Hush,” said Katti. She pressed her wrist to Andrei’s mouth and he drank, eyes closed, an expression of relief on his pallid, delicate face.

Karl simply stared at him. He thought he’d seen everything, that there was nothing left that could shock him, but this was a miracle he could not grasp. He hadn’t seen Andreas for forty years, yet here he was, perfect. More stunning than Katti’s rebirth because he hadn’t witnessed the stages... And vaguely horrific. He felt as a human might on discovering a long-dead relative alive again, unaged. Then Karl thought of his own human family, how aghast they would have been if they’d ever discovered he was a vampire.
Thank God they never knew. Only Ilona knew, and look what has happened to her...

He came back to the present and watched Katti, cradling Andrei as he fed. Karl touched her pinioned arm. “Don’t give him too much.”

Katerina freed her wrist. Andreas fought for a moment, lunging with fangs extended. Then his head fell back and he sighed as blood coloured his cheeks.

“If you need more, we’ll find you someone else,” Katerina said softly.

“No. I must go back.” Lifting his head, he tried to stand; Karl and Katti helped him. They stood in a circle, embracing each other; together again, outside time. Lips on each others’ skin. Exchanging the miracle without speech.

“These vampires that attacked you,” Karl said at last, “where are they now?”

“I don’t know. They were not like us... don’t ask me this now.”

“But where are you going?”

“I have much to tell you.” Andreas’s lips thinned in a smile. “Come and meet my friend Benedict.”

* * *

The footsteps seemed to approach from a vast distance. Ben’s control was loosening. His shirt clung to him with sweat, an unvoiced scream clawed up his throat, but he must hold himself together.

The intruder was reaching the first landing... crossing it... now mounting towards the attic.

I mustn’t take my eyes off the vampires,
he told himself. He called aloud, “Andreas, for heaven’s sake, say something!”

Mustn’t look, but I can’t help myself...

Ben turned, and almost leapt out of his skin. A stranger gazed down at him. A tall man, dark overcoat unfastened and swathing his lean form like a cloak. A mass of glossy hair shadowing a face of incredible beauty, expressive eyes under dark eyebrows... Astonishing eyes like auburn jewels; tranquil, questioning, contemptuous, all at once. Obviously a vampire.

Benedict was riveted. While his attention was on the stranger, one of the attic creatures leapt for the doorway.

Ben saw it from the corner of his eye, felt a sword-thrust of despair. Nothing he could do. He flung up his arms - but the pale form went straight over him and hurled itself onto the stranger.

Benedict stared, petrified. The succubus was tearing at the stranger’s collar, straining to attach itself to his throat with open jaws; but the stranger seized its arms, forcing it away. His calm face was suddenly feral.

Now he gripped the creature’s head, wrenching it to one side. There was a horrible grinding noise, then the snap of its neck breaking as he exposed its throat... lowering his own mouth and biting savagely... but the creature was ashen grey. No blood left. The stranger flung the bony husk with such force that it went clean over Ben’s head, crashed through one of the remaining temple panels and collided with the rafters on the far side.

The beings in the attic retreated, groaning.

The look the unknown vampire gave Benedict was both horribly calm and furious. He had an aura of power that Andreas had never possessed...

Of course! Obvious who this was!

Benedict stood up. His numb legs almost gave way, but he clung to the doorway and said, “Good evening. You must be Kristian.”

His voice shook, but his words stopped the vampire in his tracks. He looked astounded. Then he smiled, and the smile was not pleasant.

“What gave you that idea?” Beautiful deep voice, a slight Germanic accent. Ben shivered involuntarily. Such a presence about him. “Who do you think Kristian is?”

“An immortal of great power.”

“And you are -?”

“Benedict Grey.” Ben drew himself up and folded his arms; he matched the vampire’s height, which made him feel less intimidated. However, he was aware of being dishevelled and exhausted, and that he stank.

“Well, Mr Grey, count yourself lucky that I am not Kristian. If I were, you wouldn’t be talking to me now; you would be dead. My name is Karl.”

“Andreas’s friend?” he said in sudden excitement. “Karl - I can’t recall your second name -”

“It doesn’t matter. Just Karl.”

“But have you seen Andreas? Where it he?”

“On his way,” said the vampire, gazing into the attic. “We found him at the castle. He can tell you what happened, if he wishes. He told me how he came here, and how you summoned these others...” His tone was deceptively conversational, so when Ben looked round, he was stunned by the hostility in Karl’s face. “Have you the faintest idea of what you’ve done? How long do you think you can control starving vampires? You are a damned fool to meddle with this.”

Ben responded thinly, “I don’t answer to you.”

The too-perceptive gaze raked over him. “Andreas says you have a hold on him that he doesn’t understand. Perhaps you do have power, but it isn’t enough. You should look at yourself, Mr Grey. You’re on the verge of a breakdown.”

As Karl spoke, Ben heard the front door open. The noise jolted his raw nerves. After a few seconds, a woman mounted the attic stairs, followed by Andreas. Another of them, Ben realised in dismay. Her radiance was unmistakable. She had one arm around Andreas’s back, the other hand stroking his shoulder... suddenly Ben knew that this must be Katerina!

Andreas looked ill, disorientated. Ben found himself both angry and relieved to see him. “Where the hell have you been?” he said. “The Book, have you got it?”

“No,” Andreas said flatly.

“What? Why the devil not? What happened?”

“Don’t ask!” There was a crazed look in his narrow green eyes. “I’ll tell you later. Not now!”

“Let him be,” the woman said protectively. She was as extraordinary and unnerving as Karl, and Ben felt like an outsider in his own home; acutely aware of being in the presence of unholy angels.

Trying to regain command, he said, “Excuse me, madam, I’m delighted to meet friends of Andreas, but would you please explain how you found him?”

Her eyebrows rose. “You called us, I believe.”

“Didn’t your invitation extend to all vampires?” said Karl. He stepped past Ben and entered the attic, looking around unhurriedly.

“Be careful!” Katerina said, but the creatures played dead and made no move to attack him; perhaps they didn’t dare.

A flame of resentment lit in Benedict’s brain.
I called these beings to serve me, not to act as if they own my bloody house...

Karl’s face was impassive as he moved among the vampires, but his eyes were dark - with pity? Presently he came out and said, “This is disgusting.”

Benedict was startled. Could a vampire feel disgust? He didn’t understand these beings at all. He tried to stare Karl down, to prove himself equal, but Karl - to his annoyance - wouldn’t play the game. When Ben asked, “How so?” Karl addressed his answer to Katerina.

“This is cruel, keeping them in a state of starvation.”

“Yes,” she said. “I know how it feels. It is horrible.”

“But we cannot bring them back to life.”

She gazed at Karl, dark eyes expanding. “Why not?”

“It would be irresponsible. Restoring these old vampires would be as bad as creating new ones. How do we know what we might unleash?”

“What are you saying? There’s no alternative.”

“Yes, there is. Behead them.”

“Would that end their misery?” she said passionately. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“No, not absolutely,” Karl replied, “but I believe it would.”

Ben watched impotently as she seized Karl’s arms. “How can you even contemplate this? They aren’t animals, to be put down! They’re immortals; some may have been my friends, and others may have knowledge of the old times, before Kristian! How can you throw that away?”

“Because the price is too high!”

“Would you have struck off my head, Andreas’s too, never realizing whom you’d slaughtered? You can’t want to do this, Karl!”

He shook his head, not answering, clearly troubled.

Benedict listened grimly, gathering his strength. “Excuse me,” he said sharply, “The decision is not yours to make. I summoned them here and their fate rests in my hands, not in yours.”

“Does it, really?” Karl said. “What in heaven’s name do you plan to do with them?”

Katerina gazed at the undead husks with revulsion. “I was like that when Karl found me,” she whispered. “It seems unbelievable now.”

“So was I,” said Andreas, moving to her side. “It took me a few days to recover, although I can’t enter yet the Crystal Ring.”

“Days? My healing took weeks!” she said. “We must help them.”

“Why?” said Andreas. “Kristian put them in the
Weisskalt
because they were trouble. If we bring them back, they’ll be nothing but trouble to us.”

“Not to mention their victims,” Karl murmured.

“So behead them,” said Andreas. “Put them out of their misery.”

“What if you or I or Karl had been among them?” Katerina exclaimed.

“Help them, then,” Andreas said, off-hand. “It’s all the same to me.”

Karl sighed. “Very well, Katti. We’ll revive them. I’ve no right to pronounce death upon them; even Kristian didn’t do that.”

“I am glad you realise it,” Ben said, trying to re-assert his authority. “Their right to survive was never in question.”

Karl fixed him with impassive jewelled eyes. “Then would you like us to go, and leave you to it? How will you cope? You’ll have to take them out one by one to feed - assuming their first victim is not you. The process could take months. Perhaps you have the strength, Mr Grey, but looking at you, I doubt it. And if these creatures don’t kill you, we might. You
may
have the means to control us as you control Andrei - but do you really want to put it to the test?”

Benedict hated Karl, because every word he said was true. He glared at him in frustration. Then he leaned on the wall and pushed a hand through his unwashed hair, sighing deeply. “You are correct, sir, and I don’t want to make an enemy of you. I have one powerful enemy, and that’s enough. I need help. I’d be grateful for your assistance.”

“Our pleasure,” Katerina said archly.

The three were close together in the doorway, excluding Ben. Seeing only each other. The change in Karl’s expression was striking; no longer hostile, he looked as tender as a lover. Ben watched in fascination and resentment as they whispered, caressing each other with an abandon no human displayed in public. An unholy trinity.

He burned to break them apart, to re-establish his leadership. He persisted, “It must be understood that we work as a team.”

“Benedict,” Andreas said mildly, “go to bed.”

Ben felt chains of fatigue on him and decided to take this advice before he collapsed. In a softer tone he said, “Do me one favour, Andreas. Go and find Holly.”

* * *

Holly woke with a jolt of shock, wondering what on earth she was doing in the shop, in darkness... Her neck ached and her right arm was numb from sleeping on the floor.

Her heart sank as she remembered. At that moment, she became aware of someone standing over her. A thin black figure with a long, pallid face...

With a gasp of terror, she sat up.

“It’s me,” said Andreas’s voice. “Whatever are you doing here?”

She crouched miserably over her knees, trying to rub life back into her arm. When she didn’t answer, he leaned down to help her to her feet. His face was close to hers, and in the dim glow of predawn she saw he was smiling.

“Oh, God, have I been here all night?” she said, her mouth thick. “Has anything happened?”

“Ben is all right. You look so worried, Holly, but there’s no need.”

“And you look happy,” she said suspiciously. Being close to him was like being drugged by an exotic poppy. She fought the feeling.

“Because my friends arrived last night.”

“Friends?”

“Katerina and Karl.”

At that, her legs almost gave way. He helped her to a chair and she sat, fingers pressed to her face, unable to speak or breathe. He left her, and she heard him in the little kitchen at the back of the shop. Returning, he placed a glass of water in her hands.

“What’s wrong?” he said. He was being so kind.

“I - I tried to reach Raqia last night, and summon them. Your friends, I mean. But nothing happened - I thought - I can’t believe -”

Andreas crouched beside her and stroked her knee, looking at her in wonder.
“You
brought them?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“But you must have done! Why else would they appear now? They’re helping Benedict with his guests, so the poor man can sleep. Did you know they would help?”

“I hoped - but I was afraid I might make things worse.”

“No, you did the right thing! Dearest Holly, how can I express my feelings? I’m in awe of you.”

His gratitude embarrassed her. “Please don’t be. They may have heard Ben’s summoning, not mine. But if you think it was me -please don’t tell Ben!”

“Why not? Might it dent his ego?”

She smiled wanly. “That’s one reason. Besides, I’m in enough trouble already.” In her distress, she forgot what Andreas was; he became a simple, human friend. “Ben and I used to be close. I don’t know what went wrong. Now he’s fixated on higher beings, and he doesn’t see me any more. Lancelyn’s the same. Yet I still can’t believe Lancelyn is evil... I suppose it’s true, but I can’t accept it.”

“The death of illusion,” he said, his cold breath brushing her cheek. Suddenly he hugged her, kissing her cheek and then her mouth, holding her tight in a paroxysm of emotion. Holly received the embrace with a shivering mixture of alarm and excitement. Then he drew back and looked at her. “Men are wicked, human and vampire alike; don’t let them make you so sad.”