Blood Lust (6 page)
“Out of the question,” Andrew snapped. “Next?”
Dakar shrugged. “I could take you, you know.”
“I doubt that. You may look like my lover, but I know now you are a long way from being anything like him in nature. Who are you anyway?”
Dakar reached inside Tommy’s bomber jacket and withdrew the tarot card he still carried. “I am the demon, Dakar, second in command, and answerable only to Kardis, Lord of the Underworld, Himself.” He waved the card in front of Andrew’s eyes. “The task I have been set is to take down Marcus Verano, your leader, the self-proclaimed Master Vampire, and any other vampire who gets in my way.”
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BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
38
Andrew’s laughter was tinged with derision, but at the same time he sent out a silent warning to any and all vampires within reach of his mind.
“I would wish you good luck, but it would be a wasted one. Marcus has survived countless attempts to destroy him. Nor is he a self-proclaimed master vampire. He is revered among those who know and love him. You will be torn to pieces should you so much as attempt to harm him.”
“Well now, brave words.” Dakar’s lips curled in a sneer. “But you have to admit I hold the ace, Andrew. As long as I will it, Tommy lives. If you do not assist me in my task, he will die.”
“Assist you? You must be mad.”
“Not mad, merely insistent. Assist me or your mortal lover dies—horribly, I might add.
Without me to keep his body alive, he will become a hollow husk. He will shrivel up before your eyes, screaming in agony all the way.”
“Monster,” Andrew hissed, baring his fangs.
“Ha, look who’s calling the kettle black. Sophisticated, and oh so gentle when you drink mortal blood, but you are still vampire, still abhorrent in the eyes of most humans, still a
monster
.”
“Why do you wish to do Marcus harm?” Andrew knew that if he could play for a little more time his thoughts he sent out would be intercepted and a vampire, perhaps even Marcus himself, would come to his aid.
Dakar shrugged. “I am simply carrying out the task set before me,” he replied with a nonchalance that Andrew found remarkable.
Surely even demons as powerful as this one knew that a confrontation with Marcus and his loyal vampires would not end well. Dakar might be strong enough to inflict damage, but Andrew could not imagine that even demon power could overwhelm Marcus. And the thought of the wounds that might be inflicted on Tommy’s beautiful body sent a fury through Andrew he found hard to control.
Dakar grinned. “Kardis, the Lord of the Underworld, finds you vampires, and especially
Master
Vampires like Marcus Verano, to be too arrogant beyond your worth. Some time ago, Marcus and his cohorts thwarted Lord Kardis’ plans to rule this earthly realm by placing a demon of his choice on the Papal throne. For that insolence he and all those who abetted him, must perish. It’s as simple as that.”
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BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
39
“Simple is hardly the word I would choose for the task set for you.” Andrew stared at Dakar, remembering that he had heard of this story from his friend Jared. “My friends told me that one of those who abetted Marcus was a demon like you.”
Dakar sneered. “
Constantine
, a half-breed spawned in a petri dish and a traitor to his own father. He is to be dealt with, never fear.”
“I don’t think you have any idea of the kind of power Marcus wields,” Andrew said quietly. “I promise you, you will not walk away from the confrontation unscathed. But let me offer you this solution. Release Tommy, forget about the task Lord Kardis has given you and I will ask Marcus not to harm you.”
For a long moment, Dakar gazed at Andrew as if he could not quite believe his ears.
Then his laughter filled the room. “
Fool
,” he bellowed, reaching for Andrew. “You will—” He reeled back, the blow from Andrew’s fist connecting squarely with the demon’s jaw. Andrew hated striking what looked like his lover, but he knew Tommy was now a mere shell, unable to free himself from the demon’s possession.
Dakar spat blood from his cut lip and cursed at Andrew. “Now you will wish that all I wanted was to fuck you,” he snarled, ready to attack Andrew, but sprang back, startled, as the door to the apartment was flung open and four men rushed into the room.
Andrew blew out a sigh of relief as he recognised Marcus, Roger his companion, Joseph, Marcus’ right-hand man, and his companion, Micah.
“Marcus,” Andrew exclaimed, “a demon inhabits Tommy’s body and—”
“I understand.” Marcus stared steadily at Dakar and Andrew’s eyes widened as Dakar took a step backwards.
Is he already afraid
? Andrew watched with some amazement as Dakar hesitated
. Does the
power Marcus exudes give the demon pause as to the wisdom of meeting Marcus face to face?
Dakar seemed to pull himself together. “So, vampire…” The smug sneer, so alien-looking on Tommy’s face, was back in place. “Had to bring reinforcements, eh? I thought you would be vampire enough to meet me
mano a mano
.”
“Fuckin’ demons!” Roger interrupted before Marcus could reply. “Anyone of us could take you—shithead.”
“Roger.” Marcus held up a hand to silence his hot-headed companion. “I believe Andrew has not tried to ‘take him’ because of the danger to Tommy.”
“Oh yeah…right…that,” Roger muttered.
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40
Dakar snickered. “It seems you know all, Marcus. So then, how do you intend to save the mortal?”
“There are many ways,” Marcus said calmly. “The most obvious would be to force you to release Tommy before I kill you—and mark what I say, Dakar, if you do not listen to reason, I
will
kill you. You and your kind cannot be allowed to walk about freely, taking over mortal bodies and using them to wreak revenge on your supposed enemies. And if your death results in more demons being sent against us, they will also die. I would suggest you return to your Lord and tell him what I have told you. But before you go you will release Andrew’s lover. If you do not, you will die here, in this room.”
Andrew curled and uncurled his fists in frustration. If Marcus killed Dakar then Tommy would die with him. Dakar had to exit Tommy’s body and seek a new host if Tommy was to live.
But Marcus knows that
, Andrew reasoned. He would not deliberately endanger Tommy’s life. His eyes darted back and forth between Marcus and Dakar, then Joseph stepped forward and Andrew knew that all three were engaged in a silent mind struggle for dominance. He sent out a mental probe and quickly wished he hadn’t. Pain, as sharp as a hot knife, seared through his skull, causing him to stagger back with shock.
“Let them do it,” Micah said, grabbing Andrew’s arm to steady him.
“I could hear Tommy calling to me.” Andrew looked at Micah in anguish. “He has to let him go!” Cursing in his native Hungarian and before anyone could stop him, Andrew launched himself at Dakar, taking him to the ground.
The demon was weakened by the power exerted by Marcus and Joseph yet he still managed to croak out a warning. “You will never get him back now. I have killed him!”
“No!” Andrew screamed as the other vampires pulled him off Dakar.
Marcus lifted the demon to his feet as if he weighed no more than a child and pinned him against the wall. “You will release him,” he said, his voice low but commanding. “He is not dead. I feel his life force still. Release him, Dakar, or suffer the consequences for the rest of your vile existence—short though it might well be.”
Dakar squirmed in Marcus’ grasp, but his eyes blazed with defiance. “No, I will not!”
“So be it. Joseph, open the door to the balcony.”
“What are you going to do?” Andrew asked him as Joseph opened the glass sliding door.
“You will see. You may follow, if you wish.”
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BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
41
“I wouldn’t miss this for all the tea in China,” Roger said, with a grim smile.
Marcus locked his arms around Tommy’s body, strode over to the window and out onto the balcony before lifting off and disappearing rapidly into the night sky. Andrew and the others took off after him as fast as they could. Andrew could see Marcus and the struggling figure he held hovering hundreds of feet above the earth.
“Now, Dakar,” Marcus was saying as Andrew drew close to them. “We all know demons cannot fly. The human body you now inhabit will not survive the fall. So the choice is yours, release Tommy now or I will drop you. What do you say?”
Andrew saw the fear in Dakar’s eyes change to a look of cunning. “Then drop me,” he growled, “but you will only kill the human!”
Marcus opened his arms. A scream of terror was involuntarily dragged from the demon’s throat, but at the same time a plume of black smoke erupted from his mouth and spiralled off into the darkness. Andrew dived down through the night air towards Tommy’s body as it hurtled earthward. He grabbed Tommy’s arm with one hand then his jacket collar with the other, pulling him up and into his arms.
“Tommy, Tommy…” Andrew peppered his lover’s face with kisses. “Tommy, can you hear me?”
“’Course I can hear you,” Tommy groaned. “You’re yelling in my ear somethin’ fierce!
What’s going on?”
Andrew grinned at him. “Look down.”
Tommy looked. “Yikes! What the heck are we doing way up here? You know I can’t stand heights, ‘less there’s a ladder under me.”
Andrew kissed him again. “You have no memory of what has happened?”
For the first time Tommy noticed the other vampires hovering near. “What the heck is happening? Is this some kind of vampire party?”
“I’ll tell you all about it when we get home.”
“We’ll leave you to make the explanations,” Marcus said. “I want to make sure Dakar isn’t hanging around trying to find another human host. Goodnight, Andrew, Tommy…”
“G’night,” Tommy muttered. “Get me down, will you please?” he whined as the vampires laughingly left Tommy and Andrew still hundreds of feet above the ground. “This explanation better be good!”
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BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
42
Tommy stared wide-eyed as Andrew related what had happened that evening. “Jeez, the last thing I remember is a little old lady reading some cards over at Lorna’s place. Sylvia, I think her name was. Then everything else is a blank. You mean some kind of
demon
was inside me?”
Andrew nodded. They were sitting on the couch, arms round one another, Andrew gently stroking Tommy’s hair. “If it hadn’t been for Marcus and Joseph gaining dominance over Dakar’s mind, the outcome might have been very different.”
Tommy shuddered and laid his head on Andrew’s shoulder. “I’m just glad I can’t remember what that felt like. Wait…” He lifted his head as part of what had taken place in the restaurant came back to him. “There is something. You and me in Ron’s restaurant. You were trying to read my mind. Jean Claude was there too.”
“Yes, you were acting strangely, being bolder than you generally are in public.”
“What d’you mean?”
“Well, usually you are reticent about showing me too much affection in front of strangers, but you kissed me, twice, in the restaurant.”
“I did? Were people watching?”
“Everyone,” Andrew said, teasing him. “You were all over me, and I knew then that something was very wrong.”
“Huh. All over you?”
“Yes, your reputation is ruined, I’m afraid.”
“You’re joshin’ me, aren’t you?”
Andrew chuckled, then his eyes became serious. “Yes, I’m trying to make light of a situation that could have been extremely ugly. I can only thank the gods that Marcus and Joseph are as powerful as they are. Also that the demon Dakar is a bit of a braggart. He may be cunning and devious but I think he weakened himself by taking over your body. He might very well be stronger in demon form—however, I have a definite feeling that when he returns to his Lord, having failed in his mission, he will not be kindly received.”
“I’d like to punch his lights out, the son of a bitch.”
“That was my inclination also.” He laid a gentle kiss on Tommy’s lips. “But now, having you safe in my arms, I’m somewhat else inclined…”
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43
“Oh, yeah?” Tommy’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “And what would that be?”
“Guess,” Andrew whispered before his lips took Tommy’s.
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BLOOD LUST
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44
Dakar strode through the cavernous halls of Lord Kardis’ palace with a great deal more bravado than he felt. His imposing height and appearance hid the nervous flutter in his stomach as he approached the throne room where he was to make his report. Of course, Lord Kardis would already know Dakar had failed in his mission, and failure was not something Kardis particularly cared for. Dakar’s punishment would be either death or exile—death either way, for exile meant he would be cast out of the Underworld with no place for him to go. Demons were not welcome in any other realm, and the idea of a half-life of hiding and disguising himself, was not one Dakar could stand.
However, there was, perhaps, just one ray of hope…
After Marcus had dropped him and he had escaped only by leaving the mortal body everyone seemed so intent on saving, he had hidden in his essence-like existence trying to find a suitable human shell to inhabit. He had waited several hours until he was sure Marcus and the others had given up their search, then he found a vagrant sleeping with his mouth wide open. He had entered him, but even a demon has standards. The stench inside the vagrant was unbearable and Dakar had exited the drunken man, cursing. He’d decided the best move was to descend to the Underworld and regain his own form.
