Neon Spark (Dark Magic Enforcer Book 5) (20 page)

"And who gave you that information?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Aha," Dancer tapped his nose, "just someone who I can rely on."

"Okay, what did she do?"

"Oskari was here in Japan on business, right before he got given the new post as Head back home, and apparently Kimiko did him out of several million. Pulled a fast one on him. He was furious. Before he had chance to try to get it back, he had to leave to take up his new spot."

"So he told me instead and hoped I'd deal with her. Makes sense."

"Makes perfect sense. Or, he told you, thinking you wouldn't stand much of a chance, and that it would be better for him if you failed."

"Gee, thanks for that. Kick a guy when he's down, why don't you?"

"Sorry, but you know how it is in our world. Actually, it's a good move on Oskari's part. If you win, then she's been dealt with and he's done you a favor. If you lose, then you're out of the picture and his life is that much easier. Plus, he can take the credit for it, which makes him look good to the vampires he's now in charge of. Win, win."

"For him," I replied glumly.

Dancer kept quiet and silence settled over us like a shroud, the air practically humming with vampire vibrations, that ethereal coldness and disdain for our puny lives that the old ones wear like a badge of honor. I knew we were little to her, less than nothing, and as she slept soundly she would do so with utter confidence that she could deal with us if the need arose.

My main concern at that moment was the bloody aftermath outside the house. Could we stay here? Would more come? What about the police? Then I understood something—there would be no police. She owned the city, which would mean she owned enough people to ensure her home was left well and truly alone. Maybe more of her own people would come, but somehow I doubted it. Her retinue was modest in comparison to some, most of her people spread through the city and beyond, carrying out her orders, doing business at her bequest.

After an hour of heavy silence I had to go look for myself. We could have hundreds of angry vampires at the door at any moment, and we may be strong, but there are always limits.

With my legs numb from sitting in the same position for so long, I shook them out and let the circulation return to normal, then stood and stretched. Wow, my muscles were tight. Bunched up like knots a fisherman would be proud of. "Just going to check around," I said, Dancer nodding in return. He was a true friend, waiting with me like this when it could very well mean his death. It counted for a lot, that trust, that friendship.

My footsteps echoed loudly in the empty space, the only sound apart from a quiet buzzing outside, the cicadas getting louder as the day warmed.

I opened the door. Nope, not cicadas. It was the sound of a few hundred vampires grinding their teeth as they waited impatiently for an order. They fanned out in a wide arc all around the front of the property. Amassed on the drive and the grass, all staring with cold hatred at the house, and now at yours truly.

I shut the door, walked back slowly to Dancer, and said, "We may have a slight problem."

"I know, I can sense them. Quite a lot, aren't there?"

"You could say that, yeah. Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugged. "What would be the point? It's not like we can do anything about it. Oh, actually... Yes, we could summon a demon," he said, looking hopeful. "Nope, stupid idea. It would just eat us along with them. Anyone owe you any favors out here?"

"Afraid not. I hardly know a soul apart from Mitsu."

"She's such a nice lady. I took a shine to her, got myself rather flustered in her presence."

"Oh, really? I didn't notice."

"Are you being sarcastic? You are! Anyway, she is lovely."

I sat back down, but kept my legs uncrossed. "She is, very lovely. Which is why we can't involve her."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Dancer looked hurt I could even suggest he was thinking of asking her to help.

"Don't suppose you have any secret hidden magical powers I don't know about?" I asked, doubtful.

"Not really, no. Necromancy has always been the focus. I was born to raise the dead."

"Shame."

"Hey, think maybe Intus could help? The little rascal must know loads of demons. Maybe some owe her a favor and would attack the vampires but not us?"

"Seriously? I hardly think a three inch demon is going to be much use, and she sticks to imps exclusively. Something about them having to live in their own realms."

"Shame. But you're right, she is a little undersized for this kind of work."

"Oi, I heard that. Don't you go casting aspersions on my size. That's... er... that's bad... Blimey, I must be having an off day. Hello, Mr. Dancer. Hello, Spark."

"Hey, Intus. How you doing?" I wafted away her noxious fumes. "Thanks for calling me the taxi the other day, it was just what I needed."

"My pleasure," she replied, beaming.

"Hi, Intus. Sorry about what I said, I didn't mean it to come out that way."

"That's okay, I know you humans are a little simple at times."

"Intus, that's rude!" I couldn't help but smile at the shocked expression on her face. For a creature that took offense at just about everything you said, she never saw it that way when she insulted us.

"It's not rude if it's the truth." Intus jumped down from my shoulder, allowing me to wiggle my ear to try to get rid of the ringing, to no avail. "So, vampire in a box eh, that old classic?"

"You've seen it before?" I asked.

"Of course, loads of times. All the really clever ones have proper protection when they sleep. Not guards, as you humans, or ex-humans can be killed, but magically fortified three feet, human feet, thick steel, now that is smart."

"Tell us about it. But the hundreds of vampires outside don't help, either."

"Look, I'm busy, I only came because you so desperately needed me, but you're so dense at times." Intus stood, hands on hips, staring us down, although she was very much staring up at us.

Dancer and I exchanged glances, neither of us having a clue what she was talking about. The silence stretched out, Intus' ears twitched then flattened to her bald head in disappointment. "Seriously? I have to spell it out for you?"

"Yes, please," said Dancer.

Intus looked to me and I said, "Afraid so."

"They can't come in," she said, then looked around, scared. "I can't say anything else, you know the rules about interfering. This could get me into trouble already, but it's different here in Japan. You know how formal things are, how everyone is polite no matter what, and that they stick to the rules."

"Ah, she's right," said Dancer.

"You watch your step, mister. Don't you go labeling me with your ridiculous stereotypes. It's Intus. I'm a person, not some 'she' that doesn't have a name."

"But you are a she, I know you..." Dancer trailed off as he saw me shake my head. It was an argument you couldn't win, shouldn't even try to. "Sorry, Intus."

"That's better. Now, as I was saying, don't worry about them. Not until you go outside, anyway." With a nod of the head she was gone.

"Think she's right?" I asked.

"I guess so. After all, they haven't tried to come in yet, have they? Maybe Kimiko has never given an invitation as it would mean offering a general invite to the local vampire population, and one thing she is not, is trusting. And certainly not without enemies."

"Guess that makes sense. But back home it's not like it's impossible for a vampire to enter uninvited, it just means they are basically stepping over the line and asking for a fight. Ah, but this—"

"But this is Japan, and things are different here," Dancer said, finishing my sentence. "Guess it's more of a real rule that maybe has consequences for the transgressor, so ingrained into their way of doing things that something bad would actually happen."

"Well, that's something, I suppose." It was better than them all storming in, that was for sure.

Chhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk.

The loudspeaker system crackled into life, making us both jump.

"You are both entirely correct. Congratulations. This house is protected against other vampires entering uninvited, for my own safety, and for privacy. Maybe an oversight on my part, but not to worry," said Kimiko, voice sounding more alert than it had earlier. Guess her dozing was agreeing with her.

Kimiko spoke in Japanese—I couldn't understand a word. But all too soon it became more than apparent what was happening when a litany of names began to be called like she was taking the roster before the human biting class began.

"She's inviting them all in by name," I said to Dancer. Okay, I shrieked at him, but I think it was understandable.

"I think you may be right."

We turned at the sound of the door opening, to be greeted by a crowd of eager, grinning vampires of all ages and levels of experience. No truly ancient ones because of the time of day, but that didn't mean some of them couldn't have a few hundred years of killing behind them.

"About that plan B," Dancer said.

I really should have had one.

The Animals Went In...

"Two by two, hurrah! Hurrah! The animals went in two by two, hurrah! Hurrah!" sang Dancer as we ran to the doors and all hell was unleashed.

The only thing we had going for us was that we were inside and they were out, so they had to enter just a few at a time.

With one of us either side, a few steps back from the doorway, we were ready as the first of them entered. No way would we be able to deal with them all, but we'd make a damn good try.

As the onslaught began, Dancer stabbed out fast and hard, blade coming from nowhere. A cocky looking guy went down on Dancer's second thrust, dodging the first but choosing to go in for the kill straight away. Letting Dancer get him before the inexperienced vampire bit.

Bending dark magic to my will, I shot out hard with a slice of death as if I swung the mighty Hondo itself. The vampire was dead before he even had the chance to do the shimmer shuffle. More came, and more, and soon we were retreating against a pile of dead bodies, some still looking young in death, others turning to ash.

"Blast the roof," shouted Dancer. So I did.

I aimed at a truss high above the doorway and the entire beam split in half with a loud crack like thunder and moments later wood and roof tiles smashed down onto the heads of the clamoring vampires. Darting forward once the initial collapse had finished, I blasted through the door and then hurled chaos at the veranda roof. I watched in satisfaction as more vampires that were spilling up the steps were crushed beneath the weight.

But moments later the rubble stirred and many were up again, clothes torn, bodies mangled, gashes and dents to heads already healing, broken bones clicking back into place with loud snaps like the timber breaks in reverse. I backed away from the entrance just as more of the building gave way, taking more vampires out, many permanently, as they were utterly pulverized beneath the monstrous weight.

Yet still they came, hissing and spitting, moving in that stutter way they have. Here one minute, at your throat the next. But we were deep in the throes of stolen magic, immersed and with a special kind of sight the adept can use to get the faintest glimpse of the future, and we knew their moves moments before they made them. Stabbing with steel, and jabbing with magic, we destroyed more and more creatures that refused to call themselves human beings and now would never have a chance at redemption.

Dancer did something strange then. He grabbed a dead vampire and pulled it back away from Kimiko's suddenly hesitant followers now waiting for the building to stop raining down on them.

"Grab the dead ones and pull them back away from the others," he ordered. I didn't question, just acted.

Heaving and yanking bodies half covered in ancient timbers as hard as iron, muscles screaming and magic making it difficult to focus on anything but fighting, I kept on pulling them away until Dancer said, "Enough."

Between us and the now approaching vampires lay a pile of death, caused by our own hands. Dancer began to chant under his breath, secret words, not to be known by those outside of the necromancer's mind. Private to him only, unique and allowing him to focus. He grew pale, coated with a sheen of sweat he kept brushing from his eyes as he went deeper and deeper under a spell of his own making.

The dead vampires began to stir. Awful, unnatural movements as limbs realigned and heads snapped up and to attention, their gaze upon him. They had hate in their eyes as they remained focused even as more of them returned from what should have been their final, hellish resting place. They began to untangle themselves from the mess of bodies.

"You better hurry up," I warned, glancing nervously at the living vampires now cautiously clambering over the debris at the threshold of destruction.

"Don't... worry... Got it... covered." Dancer spoke through tightly clenched teeth, his jaw bulging under the strain of concentration, face now soaked as he staggered under the weight of his own magic. His eyes turned up in his head and I thought that was it, that he would lose consciousness, but he came back to himself, focused just as his hold weakened, and the resurrected vampires howled their hatred for what he had done.

Then they were silent, bodies jerking in unison as they arranged themselves then stood in a line like misshapen and already defeated soldiers, eyes locked to his as his chanting droned on, mesmerizing them, the words seeping into their half empty minds, the power of the necromancer doing something I had never seen before.

Not only did he bring them back, but he took control of them. An undead unit under his command.

"Turn," he ordered, and they turned. Understanding his intent if not the word.

"Attack," he barked, and boy did they go for it.

As Dancer sank to his knees, fighting to keep control of the resisting dead, the small army under his command went wild, the savagery knowing no bounds as they tore into their own kind without a moment's hesitation or an ounce of compassion. They were unstoppable, obedient to their master's orders, Dancer's power more dangerous than I had ever imagined.