Be Still My Vampire (23 page)

He lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. “General MacKay.”

Angus nodded once. His old enemy had two bodyguards. He recognized Jedrek Janow on Casimir’s left, perhaps to protect Casimir’s weak spot. That was how Casimir worked. He sacrificed others to keep himself alive. With a pang, Angus realized he might have done the same thing with Emma.

Katya stepped forward and bowed from the waist. “We are honored by your presence, my lord.”

Casimir’s cold gaze wandered to Katya. “You kept calling and pestering me until I agreed to come.”

“I meant no disrespect.” Katya bowed again. “I merely wished to give you these gifts as a token of my gratitude and allegiance.”

“You were told to deliver the slayer to Jedrek, and yet you did not. Is that how you display your allegiance?”

Katya gripped her hands together. “I wanted to deliver her personally, so I could assure you of my loyalty. And I have a special gift for you—General MacKay. I also saved your servant Jedrek a trip toNew York .”

“Your kindness is overwhelming,” Casimir muttered. “Tell me, how did you display your allegiance to Ivan Petrovsky?”

Katya stiffened.

Angus knew she was in big trouble. If he could get these vampires busy killing each other, he might have a chance to get close to Emma and teleport her to safety. “Katya murdered Petrovsky,” he yelled. “I saw it myself. She and Galina staked him through the heart when he was unarmed.”

Katya shot him a venomous look, then turned to Casimir. “MacKay is a traitor to our kind. He was helping the mortal woman slay my men.”

Casimir glanced at Emma with a dismissive look. “A mere cockroach, easily disposed.” His gaze returned to Angus. “But to have the general who defeated my last army—I shall savor his death.”

“Then remember that I am the one who delivered him to you,” Katya insisted. “Iam your faithful servant.”

Angus tilted his head. Was that an owl hooting in the woods? It sounded like the signal Ian and Robby liked to employ. “Ye canna trust her, Casimir. She betrayed ye once. She’ll do it again.”

Katya turned to Alek. “Kill him!”

Casimir lifted a hand, and Alek froze. “Are you giving orders, Katya, without my permission?”

She winced. “Forgive me. MacKay’s lies make me forget myself.”

“Lies?” Casimir’s dark eyes shifted to Angus. “As much as I detest his kind, I have to admit they are disgustingly honest.”

A blur of motion caught Angus’s eye. A dozen people were standing on the three-foot-high stone wall that encircled the courtyard. Relief swept through him as he recognized his friends and employees—Ian, Robby, Jack from Venice, Mikhail from Moscow, Austin and Darcy Erickson, Jean-Luc Echarpe from Paris with two from his coven, and Zoltan Czakvar, the coven master of Eastern Europe, with two from his coven. Austin and Darcy had revolvers. The ten Vamps drew their swords.

Jean-Luc swished his foil through the air. “Let us settle this now, Casimir.”

Casimir paled. He glared at Katya. “You traitor! You led me into a trap.”

“No!” Katya shouted.

Casimir zoomed toward her and grasped her by the throat. “I will remember this betrayal.”

Jedrek dashed forward and whispered in Casimir’s ear. Casimir released Katya and stepped back.

She fell to the ground. “I didn’t betray you. I swear I didn’t.”

Angus’s friends jumped from the stone wall and slowly advanced.

Casimir eased behind his bodyguards and glared at the Russian vampires. “You will die tonight. You deserve to die.” He and his bodyguards shimmered.

“Nay!” Angus ran toward Casimir just as the evil vampire vanished. “Damn!” He’d wanted to kill Casimir tonight. A sword swiped close to Angus’s ear, and he jumped back. Alek was trying to kill him. “A sword!”

Alek lunged, aiming his sword at Angus’s heart.

Angus leaped to the side and caught the sword Ian tossed him. Ian whipped his dagger from his sock and ducked when Burien took a swing at him. Robby jumped in to engage Burien and protect Ian.

Angus parried with Alek, drove him back, then skewered him through the heart. He watched with satisfaction as Alek turned to dust. No longer would the bastard stick a knife to Emma’s throat.

Angus swiveled, looking for Emma. Jean-Luc was fighting Miroslav. Jack was taking his time with Galina, no doubt uncomfortable with the thought of killing a woman. But where the hell was Emma? Burien cried out as Robby stabbed him through the heart. The two mortals dropped their rifles and ran for the woods. Zoltan and his men chased after them. Galina screamed. Jack must have gotten over his hesitation.

Angus froze when he spotted Emma. Katya was dragging her toward the barn. Emma struggled, but was too weak to escape. He zoomed toward them, but Katya saw him coming and vanished, taking Emma with her.

“Nay!” Angus halted where they’d disappeared. There was no telling where they’d teleported to. And Emma was too damned weak to fight. It was all his fault. Guilt slammed into him, doubling him over.

Robby lay a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find them.”

Angus nodded, unable to speak.

“Spread out and search!” Robby yelled.

The Vamps blurred as they all zoomed around the property and into the woods, hunting for Emma. Minutes ticked by but felt like hours. Robby and Ian ran from the barn, declaring it clear. Seconds later, Jean-Luc and his two coven members emerged from the manor house, yelling that it was clear. The others had fanned out into the woods.

Angus jumped onto the stone wall and listened carefully. He turned north. Was that a scream? A woman’s scream.

“This way!” He dashed into the woods. His companions spread out behind him.

“Emma!” Angus heard no response. God, he hoped he wasn’t too late. If Katya kept teleporting, she could be far away.

He charged into a small clearing and skidded to a halt. His heart stuttered.

Ian stopped behind him. “She’s still alive.”

Barely. Angus knelt beside Emma. His heart twisted at the sight of her torn neck. Damn that Katya. She’d almost drained Emma dry.

A large amount of dust covered Emma. Her stake lay in her limp hand. She’d managed to use it while Katya was feeding. The slayer had killed one last vampire. Angus thanked God he had made her a stake. But he’d also made her weak.

“Oh, Emma.” He pulled off his T-shirt and pressed it against her bleeding neck. His eyes welled with tears.

Tree branches and bushes rustled as more people rushed into the clearing.

“How is she?” Austin demanded.

Darcy gasped. “Oh my God. Are we too late?”

Robby squatted beside Angus. “I’m so sorry.”

Angus gritted his teeth. “She’s no’ dead yet. We can give her a transfusion.” He looked at Ian and Robby. “Doona ye have some bottles of blood in yer sporrans?”

Robby looked at him sadly. “We doona have the equipment for a transfusion.”

“Then we’ll teleport her,” Angus said. “Roman can fix her.”

Jean-Luc knelt on the other side of Emma. “It’s still daylight in New York. There’s only one way to save her, Angus, and you know what that is.”

“Nay!” Angus blinked back tears. “I canna transform her. She couldna stomach being a vampire. They killed her parents.”

“But she can be changed back,” Darcy suggested. “I’m living proof of that.”

Angus blinked. Of course! He’d been too panicked to realize there was another option. Did Emma still have the scrap of stained cloth? If not, he could leave her his T-shirt. It was soaked with her mortal blood.

“She’s going fast,” Jean-Luc warned him. “If she bleeds out, it will be too late to transform her.”

Angus rubbed his brow. What choice did he have? And Roman could change her back. “This is all my fault. She’s going to hate me.”

“She’ll understand.” Ian touched his shoulder. “I always understood.”

Angus looked up. “I trapped ye in the body of a fifteen-year-old for all eternity.”

Ian smiled. “Ye saved my life.”

Angus took a deep breath, then unwrapped the shirt from Emma’s neck. He’d have to drain the last drop of blood from her. It had to be done by a vampire in order for her to slip into a vampire coma. Then he’d have to feed her his own blood. If she accepted it and drank, she’d become one of the Undead. If she rejected his blood, she would die.

“Can I borrow asgian dubh ?” He’d have to slice his arm to feed her.

Ian handed him a knife.

Angus glanced at all his friends. “Could ye leave us alone?”

Emma remembered pain and darkness. Fear and terror. Katya’s fangs ripping into her neck. A last cry for survival and the desperate use of her stake. More darkness. Murmuring voices. More fangs. How could Katya be back? Hadn’t she killed that bitch? More darkness as Emma slipped deeper into a black pit.

Then a strange dream. Her mouth tasted of blood. She choked on the metallic bitterness.

“Swallow,” a voice urged her. “Ye must swallow.”

More blood drizzled into her mouth. She was drowning in blood. Katya was killing her. She turned her head and coughed.

“Emma,” the voice pleaded. “Drink it, please.”

Angus?She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She couldn’t even open her eyes.

More blood poured into her mouth. She swallowed, and a comforting warmth spread through her body. She swallowed again, and it tasted sweet. What a silly dream. This couldn’t be blood. It tasted too good. She drank and drank.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Ye’re doing fine.”

Angus was happy with her. Angus loved her. Emma smiled. Angus was with her, and Katya was gone. This time when the darkness descended, she wasn’t afraid.

With a jolt, Emma woke up. Her heart pounded in her chest so loud, she could hear it. A moment of panic seized her. She must be having a heart attack. She felt so strange, and she didn’t know where she was.

“She’s awake, Darcy! Get a bottle ready.”

Emma sawAustin standing by an open door. He had found her? Then she and Angus must have been rescued.

“I just popped it into the microwave,” a woman’s voice yelled from a distance.

Emma sat up. Black dots swirled around her head.

“Easy.”Austin stepped toward her with a worried expression.

“I—I guess I’m still weak.” Emma blinked and focused onAustin . He seemed sharper than usual. She could see the stubble on his chin and every individual strand of hair on his head. And his heart was beating so loud. How could she hear that? How could she hear her own heart? She pressed a hand to her chest and noticed she was wearing flannel pajamas. “How did I get these?”

“Those are Darcy’s,”Austin answered. “She tried to clean you up a bit.”

Right. Katya had attacked her. Emma suspected her old clothes were covered with blood. Her stomach rumbled. “I feel so hungry.”

“I’m sure you are.”Austin eyed her warily.

She looked around the room. It was a nice bedroom. Blue comforter. Full-sized bed. No windows. Only a night light in a wall socket. How could she see so well? Her stomach rumbled louder, then cramped. She pressed a hand to her belly. “Ouch!”

Austinstrode toward the door. “Hurry, Darcy!”

Emma inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “Where am I?”

“Zoltan Czakvar’s house inBudapest .”

“Who?” Another hunger pang rocked Emma. She grimaced.Austin ’s heart seemed to pound in her ears. She could hardly hear. Hardly think.

“Zoltan Czakvar. He’s the coven master ofEastern Europe .”

“I’m in a vampire’s house?” Emma noticed the vein inAustin ’s neck. It was pulsing. And it smelled so good. Like food. “What’s happening to me?” A hunger pain struck her hard. With a cry, she fell back on the bed and curled into a ball.

“Is she all right?” Darcy rushed into the room with a tray and set it down on the bedside table.

Darcy was so close, and she smelled so good, Emma fought an urge to grab her.

“I have your breakfast.” Darcy offered her a glass. “Type O. A little bland, but you should start off with a simple diet.”

Emma’s eyes widened. The glass was filled with blood. “No!” A sudden jab of pain pierced her mouth. She cried out.

Darcy set the glass down. “You poor thing. The same thing happened to me. They always come out the first night.”

Emma covered her mouth and whimpered. Her gums were ripping in two. With a scream, she felt them rip. She lowered her hand and saw blood splattered on her palm. It was horrible! And it smelled delicious. The pain in her mouth subsided as another hunger pang struck her.

Darcy plopped a straw into the glass and handed it to Emma. “Here. It’s hard to use a glass when the fangs are out.”

Fangs?Emma touched her mouth. Her canine teeth were long, pointed, and sharp. “No!” She shook her head. This was another bad dream. It couldn’t be true.

“I know it’s upsetting.” Darcy perched on the bed beside her and pressed the glass into her hand. “You’ll feel better once you eat.”

Emma’s hand shook as she took the glass. She had a terrible desire to throw it away and sink her teeth into Darcy. Oh God, it was true. She was a vampire.

She stared at the glass, stunned. The blood actually smelled good. Was this the sort of agony Angus had endured all night when he’d refused to bite her? She closed her mouth around the straw and sucked. The blood was sweet and warm. It flowed into her, filling her with an energizing sense of strength and power. Too soon, she reached the bottom of the glass.

“I need more.” Her gums tingled, and she realized her fangs were retracting.

“I’ll be right back.” Darcy stood, taking the glass. “It’s normal to be very hungry the first night.”

“You were a vampire,” Emma whispered.

“Yes, for four years. But you needn’t stay this way for long. Roman can change you back. You’ll be all right.”

Emma nodded. She watched Darcy leave the room.Austin smiled at his wife as she passed by. A gentle, loving smile. And Emma knew exactly what she needed. “Where is Angus?”

Austin’s smile faded. “He’s, uh, not here right now.”

Emma looked around the room. She still felt strange. Sort of numb. Maybe this was all a dream. She’d had a lot of them lately. Or were they memories? She’d made love with Angus. Katya had dragged her away and attacked her. Good heavens, Katya had killed her.

She lifted a hand to her neck. The skin was smooth and unbroken.

Austinwalked toward her. “You healed during your death-sleep. One of the advantages of being undead.” He smiled. “You look great, but you’ll have to take my word for it. You can’t see yourself in a mirror. One of the disadvantages of being undead.”

“There are no disadvantages.” Giacomo strolled into the room, sipping blood from a wineglass. “Buona sera, signorina. I came to see how you are faring.” His brown eyes twinkled. “And to welcome you to the club.”

The full extent of her circumstances sank in. She was dead. She pulled the blue comforter up to her chin. Where was Angus? She wanted to see him. She wanted his strong arms around her. She felt her neck where he’d fed from her while making love. The puncture wounds were gone. As if it had never happened.

Robby sauntered into the room. “How are ye, Miss Wallace?”

I’m dead. Emma wrapped her arms around herself underneath the comforter.

“I think she’s in shock,”Austin whispered, but Emma could hear it.

She could hear everything, even the whir of a microwave across the house. “I want to talk to Angus.”

Robby exchanged a worried look with Giacomo. “He’s no’ here. He went toParis with Jean-Luc and Ian.”

“Then callParis and ask him to teleport here. Please.” Emma shuddered under the blanket. She hated being this needy. She’d always been strong and decisive before. But then, she’d never had to handle beingdead before.

“He was going on toNew York ,” Robby continued. “He willna be awake now.”

New York?She was going through a crisis, and he was inNew York ? She gritted her teeth. He needed to be with her. She was dead, dammit. He needed to show respect for the dead. And for the woman he loved. “I need to talk to him.”

“I’ll send an e-mail,” Robby offered. “He’ll see it when he wakes.”

“I bet you’ll see him soon,”Austin added. “As soon as you’re strong enough, you can go toNew York and have Roman change you back.”

“Aye.” Robby nodded. “Angus left me his T-shirt coated with yer blood.”

“Your ticket back to mortality.” Giacomo sipped from his wineglass. “Although I cannot imagine why anyone would want to be mortal again.”

“Then you have a lousy imagination, Jack.” Darcy strode into the room, holding a glass filled with blood. “Here you go.” She handed it to Emma.

How could blood taste so good? Emma could drink easily now that her teeth were normal. It was like drinking raw power.

Another man entered the room. He was shorter than Angus, of medium height with dark brown hair and almond-shaped, amber eyes. “How are you, my dear?” He had a slight accent.

“Okay.” How come her bedroom was Grand Central Station? Everybody wanted to come and gawk at the brand-new vampire. “I’m not performing any tricks today.”

The man chuckled. “I’m glad you’re all right. We were worried about you.”

Obviously Angus wasn’t too worried. He’d gone off toNew York and left her alone to adjust to her new undeadness.

“I am Zoltan Czakvar.” The man bowed slightly. “You are welcome here as long as you like.”

“Thank you.” Emma’s gaze wandered over Zoltan, Robby, and Giacomo. “You’re nice guys. It makes it easier to be… like this when I know how nice some of you are.”

Darcy perched on the foot of the bed. “You don’t have to stay like this, Emma. You can be mortal again.”

But Angus was a vampire. If she stayed a vampire, she could be like him. She could zip around at incredible speed, levitate, and teleport. She’d be stronger than ever. She’d been a good slayer as a mortal, but as a vampire, she’d be a super slayer.

But if she stayed undead, it could be centuries before she saw her parents, or her brother, or Aunt Effie. That was bad.

But then again, that was centuries that she could love Angus. And he could love her. Her reservations about their relationship would be gone, now that they were the same.

“I need to talk to Angus,” she repeated. Why couldn’t these people understand? Why didn’t Angus understand? Why did her leave her? She noticed the worried looks everyone was exchanging. Something was going on.

A sudden thought occurred to her. “Oh no! Was he injured?” She scrambled to her feet. Black dots circled her head.

Darcy reached out to her. “You should stay in bed tonight. It takes time for your body to adjust.”

“No! I want the truth. Was Angus injured? Is that why he rushed off to see Roman?”

Robby shifted his weight. “He’s fine. I’ll send him that e-mail now.” He rushed from the room.

“I’ll show you the computer.” Zoltan hurried after him.

Giacomo shook his head. “He should have stayed. I told him that, but… ”

“But what?” Emma asked. “Why did he leave?”

Giacomo looked at her sadly. “He feels guilty.”

“He left you a note.” Darcy pulled a piece of paper from her pants pocket and set it on the bed.

A note? Emma frowned at it. After all they’d been through, he’d left a note? She gave Giacomo a confused look. “Why would Angus feel guilty?” It suddenly dawned on her. “Oh, he feels bad about Katya attacking me? But we were all under attack. I understand he had to protect himself.”

Giacomo sighed. “He feels bad about making you weak.”

“It’s not his fault Katya killed me.”

Giacomo winced. “You actually killed Katya.”

Emma stared at him. She must have been alive to kill Katya. Then how did she end up a vampire?

“I should go now.” Giacomo hurried out the door.

“He had no choice, Emma.”Austin left the room, too.

He? There was something terrible the men didn’t want to say. She turned to Darcy. “Katya didn’t do this to me?”

“No.” Darcy’s eyes were full of sympathy. “You would have died if he hadn’t done it. He really had no choice.”

He? God, no. Emma’s knees collapsed, and she sat on the bed. Her eyes welled with tears. That was why he’d run away, plagued with guilt.

“I’m so sorry.” Darcy touched Emma on the shoulder. “He insisted on doing it himself. He felt… responsible. And he knew you could be changed back.”

A tear rolled down Emma’s face. She caught it on her finger and saw the pinkish tint. Bloody tears, just like a vampire.

Darcy patted her on the back. “He gave you a second chance at life.”

Emma swallowed hard. She’d become the kind of creature that had murdered her parents. To be transformed into a vampire, she’d had to die first. Her stomach cramped. “Angus killed me.”

Her stomach heaved, and Emma lost her first meal as a vampire.

“En garde.” Giacomo saluted Emma with his foil, then pointed it at her.

She attacked with a flourish of thrusts and lunges. Giacomo defended himself easily enough, but Emma knew she was making progress. Three days ago, during her first fencing lesson, he could have defeated her blindfolded. Now he was fully engaged.

“Remember, the Malcontents do not fight fairly.” With a flick of his wrist, Giacomo sent her foil flying through the air. It landed with a clatter across the exercise room.

“How will you handle this?” He charged at her, his sword pointed straight at her heart.

She pushed off the ground as hard as she could, thinkinglevitate . She soared up so fast, she clonked her head on the ceiling. “Ouch.” She hovered, rubbing the crown of her head.

Giacomo grinned up at her. “You’re a natural.”

Austinstood by the door, chuckling. “I think she’s underestimating her strength.”

She glared at him. “I pinned you yesterday in forty-five seconds.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but you could whip me when you were a mortal, too.”

Giacomo laughed. “La signorinais a fierce one.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Emma whipped the dagger from her belt, teleported behind Giacomo, and poked him in the rear.

“Ouch!” He jumped forward, spinning to face her.

She smiled sweetly. “How am I doing, teacher?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Do I detect some latent anger,bellissima ?”

Emma sighed as she stuffed her dagger back under her belt. Maybe she was angry. She was certainly frustrated. She’d been at Zoltan’s house for one week, and Angus hadn’t returned any of her e-mails or phone messages. She’d read his note so many times, she had it memorized.

Dearest Emma,

I do not expect forgiveness for the terrible thing I’ve done to you. I only hope you can be changed back as soon as possible, so you can reclaim your life. You deserve a happy life, filled with light and peace.