Hellhound: Prince of Fire (8 page)

Jack stood very still in the middle of the street as I watched on. One by one the wolves came as he howled. It sounded sad and for a moment it made my heart ache as I thought about Dorin and everyone who had fallen. I am trying my best to remain focused
, but it had only been days since Dorin had fallen from the cliff after revealing his love for me. I had not known. If I had, I would have told him to stop, to please not feel that way for me. There was nothing I could have ever offered him. My love has remained true and is for Gunner. I know that Lucifer and I…well, he is the king of lies and deception. I never meant to be with him and if even if a small part of me allowed that night with him to happen, it was all his doing and trickery. I have to believe that, I have too. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to see Finna stepping up next to me and Ari followed. I wanted so badly to tell them about Dorin
. But Gunner had said no, and I had to trust him. If they knew it would only weaken us and I could not bear the thought of them falling because of me. I was not even certain that we would make it, that any of us would see that many more days. For the first time since I fell and became what I am, I envied humans. I envied the ignorance of what was truly happening all around them.

As the rest of the wolf leaders assembled around Jack
, I saw them all start to discuss the upcoming war. The inevitable thing I felt as if I had brought it on. I leaned towards Finna.

“I thought Jack was the leader?” I asked.

“The wolves have many smaller packs spread out everywhere; Jack is the pack leader of all of them.”

I saw Moxy dart in as a black blur and stop behind Jack. She was very protective of him and I could tell. Their bond was more than that of leader and mere follower.

“It is his daughter,” Gunner said as he joined us and held his sword out in front of him.

“I did not know they could breed.”

“Oh yes. They breed like dogs,” Ari said as he laughed and Finna hit him as the circle of people turned and stared at us. I cleared my throat and hoped they did not hear him.

“Behave Viking,
” Gunner said to him as Finna pushed him, almost knocking him over.

“It was just a joke.”

“Yeah, like Dorin,” Finna said and I looked down as Gunner spoke up.

“They look to be done.”

I looked up as Jack walked towards us and the rest stayed behind, all except Moxy of course. She stayed with her Dad.  He stopped about 5 feet in front of us.

“You hav
e our support, fully. I will not say that they are all happy about it and quite honestly it is more to fight the son of Lucifer, than being by your sides.”

I looked at Moxy as she stared a hole through me.

Jack then looked at me. “We need your new, shall we say, appearance… to help us.”

“Help in what way?” I asked and Gunner turned to me.

“We need the vampires to fight alongside us.”

“What? Do you think I can make that happen?”

“Well, you do smell like them,” Moxy said behind Jack and he turned and held his hand up to her. She crossed her arms on her chest.

“Halo, I do understand that D
orin is no longer among you and that leaves but one who can appeal to them. Perhaps you can bridge that gap, because I know that we wolves cannot. It is an old rivalry that will not settle easily.”

I stared at him and then at all the people behind him as they watched me very closely. “What makes you think they will listen to me?”

“I don’t know if they will, but it is worth a try. We need them. We need everyone to fight. Without them the odds are much greater and I can sympathize with you Halo. I cannot imagine having to choose between blood and survival, but this is much bigger than any of us and if you truly are meant to protect humanity, as Hellhounds were created to do, then you will at least try.”

I looked at Gunner who glanced at me and then back to Jack. I almost felt as if I was on my own.

“Fine. Who am I talking too?” I ask

“Oh, a strange pair,
Hunter, and his queen, Vanessa.”

“Queen?”I asked and Gunner nodded to me. “She is
Vlad’s daughter, born vampire and maker of all vampires.”

I threw my hands up. “Okay well that sounds simple enough. So what? I stroll on in and say hey, I am Halo
, a Hellhound and half vampire? Oh and yeah, I mothered the son of Satan.”

Jack laughed and so did Moxy as my sarcasm seemed to amuse them. Gunner did not crack a smile though.

“I will be with you. They fought at our sides while you were in hell …with him.”

I swallowed and looked back at Jack who was quietly speaking to Moxy.

“Okay, where do I go then?” I asked him.

“What, you can’t feel it?” Moxy asked me with some sarcasm in her voice.

“Give me a fucking break, okay? It has not been the best few weeks for me.”

“Moxy,
” Jack said as she took a step towards me. “Go, lead the pack back to the warehouse and welcome in the other leaders. Tonight we rest, tomorrow we fight.”

“Tomorrow?” I asked
as Jack pointed up to the moon hanging large in the sky. I turned to look at it and saw the red color seeping into the white.

“A blood moon. A
n omen. It will be full tomorrow night and blood red. The son and Father will rise at midnight tomorrow.”

I stared at the moon trying to contain the horror of it all. I could not tell if I was relieved to be getting the chance to kill Lucifer once and for all
, or that Jet would finally come back to me? But in what way and what form?

“You need
to understand that when he rises, your son will no longer think of you as his Mother. You will be his enemy, as we all are.”

I shook my head and Gunner took my hand.

“First we visit the vampires, no need to worry about that now,” he said and we walked away from the wolves as Jack’s words made my chest ache.

****

“You are kidding me,” I said as we stood outside a blood bank. Gunner turned his sword and placed it onto his back. Ari turned and stood by the door as did Finna, both holding weapons and looking as if they were on guard.

“It is not what it appears to be Halo, come.”

He opened the door up and I was immediately met with the smell of blood. My teeth elongated inside my mouth and I covered it as I walked behind Gunner and towards the back of the building. My senses heightened, my muscles tensed and my fingertips hummed as the blood was overwhelming.

“I know it may seem obvious
, but that is the way of the vampire. They have very large egos.”

“Thank you,
” I muttered as he stepped up to a large door and stared at it. He then pulled a small knife and grabbed my hand. He sliced my palm open as I hissed and he pressed my palm against the door. The blood started to seep into the wood as if it was a vampire itself and needed to drink. We both stepped back as we could hear the locks undoing themselves one by one and finally the door opened on its’ own. We stared into a hallway and I shook my head.

“Bad idea.”

“This is the only way in,” he said as he stepped in and I had no choice but to follow him. Once inside, the door closed behind us and the lights overhead started to come on, one by one. I looked up and held my hand over my eyes to block it. Light does not kill a vampire, but it is still annoying as shit. Gunner walked along cautiously as I followed him and then once we reached the end, he stared at the door and I shook my head as he pulled his knife again.

“I can do it m
yself,” I said as I took it and sliced my hand back open. I pressed my palm against the door and just as before the locks started to undo themselves. Only this time once they stopped the door did not open. I looked down as the floor started to tilt and both Gunner and I rose up as the floor did. I looked for anything to hang onto, but there was nothing. The lights started to go out one by one and Gunner and I slid down the tilted floor and into the unknown.

I landed on something hard and cried out as did Gunner. I shook my head and pushed myself up. I looked out and realized that we were in a very large room and as I looked under me I saw skull after skull of human beneath my feet. The skulls also lined the walls, and everything around us. Gunner balanced himself on the skulls as I did.

“This is so bad, so very bad,
” I said as Gunner looked across the room.

“There is a staircase.”

“Made out of fucking bones.”

“Yes, but it will get us out of here.”

He took my hand and we ran across the uneven floor of skulls and reached the staircase. I reached out and touched the railing and felt the smooth bone that it was made of.

“I guess they are hungry.”

“Aren’t you?” Gunner asked me and I sighed.

“Don’t,
” I said as I started to climb and so did he.

We reached the top
and as we did the staircase changed from bone to marble. I looked out at a beautiful ballroom. It was decked out in crystal chandeliers on the ceiling and elaborate, oversized paintings on every wall. It looked as if it had been stolen and placed here from another time. The floor was black marble as was the oversized fireplace that flanked the far wall, which could fit at least 5 men standing in it. Then the large doors opened, along the side wall and Gunner and I backed up and hid at the top of the stairs as tons of people came into the room. Women decked out in ball gowns, diamond tiaras, the works. I had only seen this type of thing in the movies. The music started up and everyone took a partner. I remained hidden with Gunner as they started their waltz.

The first few turns seemed normal enough and I almost found it enjoyable as I watched everyone. The dresses were amazing, the men were all dressed in black tuxes and I
glanced at Gunner as he watched, but his look was not that of wonder, as was my own. Then I heard it, the first scream then the second and as I started to stand up Gunner grabbed my arm and jerked me back down as one by one the vampires attacked and drank their partner. Some of them women and some men, but this was a blood bath and I was so disgusted until the smell of blood overtook me and I stood up, pushing Gunner off as he tried to stop me. It all seemed to be in slow motion to me, but I wandered into the room, as the vampires fed on their prey and my teeth ached and grew inside of my mouth. I could not help it, it was not me and yet it felt so natural to be amongst it. I stopped as a man and woman strolled into the room and looked around as if they were proud of what they had accomplished. He was dressed in a black tux, not unlike every other man in the room. The woman wore a white dress, strapless and hugging her curves. A large diamond sat against her pale skin and still did not rival her beauty. I stood there, my teeth long and my fists clinched as the man walked towards me and grabbed my jaw, pushed my head back and inspecting my teeth. The woman who was with him, flashed to my side and jerked my shirt up and saw my branding.

“How can this be?” she asked as Gunner entered the room and spoke.

“Dorin changed her, Vanessa…Hunter,” Gunner said as he nodded to both of them. Hunter hissed at me and then let me go as I stumbled back.

“You smell like nothing I have ever known.”

“There is nothing like her in the world.”

“So what do you want?” Vanessa asked and Gunner looked at me.

“We need your help.”

Hunter laughed and it echoed in the room.

“This again.”

“He does not care that you are
damned, he will kill you anyway. He tried to kill Dorin.”

“Tried.” Hunter said and Gunner stepped forward.

“Dorin is dead.”

Vanessa grinned as Hunter held his
face with his hands and then cried out.

****

Lucifer stood very still as his minions climbed all over him and set plates of red armor on him. Once done they all left him and stood in a circle as he stared into the mirror. He turned slowly, touching the red plate on his chest and then to the other side as the doors opened behind him and Mary came walking in. She reached up and touched the edge of her mouth and removed a small bit of blood. Lucifer stopped and grinned at his own reflection as three minions stepped up and held a large sword up to him. He took it and his grip was firm and unyielding on it. It was his true weapon, one of which he had not utilized in centuries, not since the first of battles between heaven and hell had begun. Mary looked him over and grinned.

“You look like a true King.”

Lucifer turned and smiled at her. He raised his sword and stared at the metal, deeply etched with angelic symbols that now glowed red with his passion.

“I do think that “King” is
something I should get used to now that we have a prince.” He looked to the far corner as a man stepped from the shadows. He had dark hair and green eyes. His lips were not as full as Lucifer’s, but soft just the same. He now had his hair pushed up and back, out of his eyes and his jaw tensed up and then relaxed as he looked Mary over.

“Grandmother,” h
e said as she bowed to him. He walked towards her and then reached down, touching her chin and lifting it up. Her eyes met his and she stood.