Not Another Vampire Book (37 page)

“Yes. 
I will aid you in your quest, Kara-Lynn-Don-El-Eee, for I have foreseen
alllllll
.” 
A broad and dramatic hand gesture punctuated the words.

“Good
for you.  Just to clarify, though, did you –like--
foresee
Slade and his
Eternal-One getting locked up in Vampire jail?  Because I sure coulda used a
heads-up on Eugene going Dark Side
before
he pulled out the gun.”

“Oh,
that was all ordained by fate.”  Grandma Dawn sniffed.  “Completely beyond my
control.”

“Uh-huh.” 
As allies, Ware-Cats obviously ranked even lower than Vampires.

“Do
you not believe me?  I can prove it to you!”  She seized hold of Kara’s arm and
pulled her to her feet.  “Come with me.”

Fictional
super being or not, Kara wasn’t going to get into a scuffle with someone’s
grandmother.  Even Slade’s.  She allowed herself to be tugged deeper into the lush
depths of the greenhouse, batting aside the leaves that slapped into her face
as she passed.  “Look, we really don’t have a lot of time, so…”

“Here
it is!”  Grandma Dawn propelled Kara towards a small round table, covered in a
gypsy patterned cloth.  On its surface sat a crystal sphere the size of a
bowling ball.  “This is my window into the universe.”  The old lady hurried
over to lay her gnarled palms on either side of the clear orb.  “In its magical
depths, I have seen your destiny and I know you are here to put the world
aright.  You will get rid of the last Wizard-Warlock and eradicate them from
our dimension forever.”

Maybe
it was better that Damien
wasn’t
here for this part.  He’d be laughing
his ass off.  “Actually, I think I
married
the last Wizard-Warlock.  So,
he’s not going anywhere.  Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Grandma
Dawn shook her white head.  “There is a fog over this world.  It has grown
thicker of late, controlling far too many of our actions.  It wants to achieve
something here and it will do anything to meet its goals.  Even sacrifice my
beloved Slade.  We need to be free of its power and the only way to do that is
to be freed from Damien.”

“This
is about To’kel, not Damien. 
To’kel
is to blame for Slade execution.”

“Yes. 
My grandson has an evil soul.”

“Vampires
don’t have souls until they mate with their Eternal-One.  Keep up with the
mythology, grandma.”  And Jesus, it was sooo sad that Kara actually remembered
the back story.

Grandma
Dawn ignored that.  “You must pierce To’kel’s heart with this.”  She reached under
the tablecloth and pulled out a glowy blue dagger.  “It is the only thing that
will kill him, now.”  She handed it to Kara.  “You must stop him before he murders
my precious Slade.”

Kara
turned the Crocodile Dundee style knife from side to side.  The ruby encrusted
hilt felt warm in her hand.  “What about the whole death-by-diamond-sword
thing?  I thought
that’s
how you killed Vampires.”

“Oh
no.  Only
blue
diamond blades can kill Vampires.  Everyone knows that.”

Kara
ground here teeth together at the rewrite.  “Okay.  Fine.  So, I’ll stab To’kel
with some
blue
diamonds, rescue Slade and save the world.  Not a
problem.”

“And
you must stop the sorcerer.”

“Listen,
you know
nothing
about Damien and me.  If you
did
, you’d already know
that I am one hundred percent on his side about the general suckiness of
Vamps.  So I’m not going to…

“I
have seen his sister.”

That
cut Kara’s tirade off pretty quick.  “Wh-what?”  She sputtered.  “Amalie?  She’s
dead.”  Visions of zombies danced in her head.  Shit!  Damien would not like
his sister being part of Eugene’s brain-eating army.  “
Where
did you see
her?  She wasn’t she lurching around, shrieking a lot, was she?”

“I
saw her inside my crystal ball.  I have seen her often.  That’s how I know that
you’re here to save our world from Damien.  Amalie had abilities beyond anyone
else in this dimension.  More than just a member of the Wizard-Warlocks, she
was a powerful Witch and she knew much about the future.”

“Nifty. 
Another recap.  Look, I’ve heard all Amalie before.  I’m sure she was great,
but what the hell does she have to do with me?”

Granny
Dawn looked exasperated.  “Well, who do you think sent you here to find Damien,
in the first place?”

“Wait. 
You’re saying –What?-- Amalie’s ghost did something to my elevator? 
She’s
the one who dropped me on Melessa’s lawn?”

“I’m
saying Amalie found you for her brother and brought you to his side to be his
mate.”  Grandma Dawn smiled.  “You are his
cari
.  You are the only one
who could reach through his haze of revenge and get close to him.  The only one
who can destroy him.  This is all ordained.”

Kara’s
insides slid down to her toes.  “
I’m not going to destroy Damien!
”

“Of
course, you are.  You are his doom.”  The old lady shrugged, nonchalantly.  “It
is your destiny.”

“
Oh Slade.”  Melessa wrapped her arms around his
neck and clung to it for the final time before it was severed by the
guillotine.  “I will miss your head.”

“Worry not, my gentle flower.  I shall be this
handsome come the morrow.”  Slade petted her soft auburn hair.  “I have a plan
to stop the sorcerer, before my execution.  He is doomed.”

“Really?  That’s good news.”

“Yes.”

“So, I may not have to become Damien’s unholy bride,
after all?”

“Hopefully not, dearest heart.  In the meantime, let
me just hold you against my manly chest. No matter what happens, having you in
my arms has made this the best birthday ever.”  He sighed.  “If only Damien
hadn’t stolen my beautiful cake.”

Eternal Passion at Sunset- Chapter
Eighteen

Damien
was pretty good at sneaking into places where he wasn’t welcome and surreptitiously
tracking victims.  It was kind of second nature, really.  Plus, it never took
too much effort to outmaneuver the Vampires, especially when they were all
distracted with regicide.  Once the damn dragons got him to the Vampire Isle,
it was fairly easy to get into Slade’s tacky palace and begin his search.

Damien
stalked through the pastel hallways of Castle Dracula, looking for his missing
bride.  Most of the Vampires seemed to be gathered in the courtyard, so no one
tried to stop him as he prowled the corridors.  Not that they could have, even
if they’d wanted to.  Damien
would
find Karalynn.  For centuries he’d
plotted out ways to infiltrate Slade’s fortress and now that he’d finally done
it, it meant absolutely nothing.

 He
didn’t even consider a quick detour to hunt down Slade and kill him before
To’kel got the chance.  All Damien wanted was Kara back in his arms.  The
Vampire could live or die on his own.  Damien was out of the vengeance
business.

A
movement up ahead drew his attention.  A concentrated beam of light shone on
the floor, so bright it could only be magic.

…Or
Kara’s LED weapon.

Damien
stopped moving, his heart lurching in hope.  A second later he heard her voice,
alive and well and obviously annoyed.  It sounded like music to his frantic
heart.

“Stupid
Vampires and their stupid twisty hallways.  Stupid Slade for not having stupid
electricity in his stupid house.  If he gets beheaded before I rescue him, it’s
his own stupid fault.”

Damien
closed his eyes in relief.  He’d found her and she was safe.  It was miracle.

Now,
he was going to kill her.

Or
at least scare her enough that she’d never do anything this reckless, again.

Damien
stepped to the side of the hall, using his magicks to cloak himself in the
shadows.  He was all but invisible when Kara turned the corner and started
towards him, oblivious to everything except her mutter complaints.  She was
wearing that damnable short skirt again, which just made him more irritated.  She’d
also seemed to have lost her shoes.

“Stupid
old lady.  What do stupid cats know about anything, anyway?  I don’t even believe
in stupid destiny so…
Shit!
”  Kara let out a shriek of panic as Damien
grabbed her.

He
swung her up against the wall, pinning her there.  His free hand covered her
mouth, stopping her from screaming.  For about two seconds, Kara was completely
at his mercy.  Damien tempered his strength so he wouldn’t hurt her, but it
struck him again how fragile she was beneath her never-say-die determination. 
Karalynn could be harmed so easily, no matter how tough she thought herself. 
Maybe that would be a lesson for her about why she shouldn’t storm supernatural
islands without her much bigger, much more powerful husband on hand.

Damien
wasn’t holding his breath, though.  His
cari
tended to act first and
think later.

If
at all.

He
just wanted to show her that –had he been an
actual
villain-- she’d be
in many bloody pieces, all over the floor.  Of course, it never paid to
underestimate the hidden, vicious streak inside his delicate little mate.

The
LED slammed out towards his eye socket.  She wrenched her arm free and struck out
like a viper.  He’d forgotten that she still had the metal cylinder in her
hand.  Kara couldn’t even see him, but the girl had a hell of an aim.  Damien
automatically reared back to avoid losing an eye and, right about then, she slammed
her knee into his groin.

Damien
saw stars.  “
Shit
.”  His voice was probably three octaves higher than
usual.

“Vlad?” 
Kara stopped fighting.  Which was a good thing for Damien, because she was
kicking his ass.  “Is that you?”

“Yes.” 
He cleared his throat and tried to concentrate on something besides agonizing
pain.  “If we ever have children after this, it will be a medical marvel, Kara
Lynn.”

The
tension left her body when she realized it was him.  “Oh thank God.”  She
tugged against his loosened grip and he released her.  “Thank God, you’re
okay.”

“I’m
not okay.  You nearly killed me.”  Damien wasn’t sure what reaction he’d
expected next, but it wasn’t for her to throw her arms around his neck before
he was even visible, again.

“Not
that
.  I mean, you’re alive.”  Kara clung to him like she was trying to
absorb him right into her body.  “You’re an asshole scaring me and for coming
here when I told you not to.  You deserved to almost get castrated.  But, I am
so glad to see you, right now.  Or
almost
see you, anyway.  I’m having
such
a bad day.”

“Really? 
Did your
cari
run off to fight Vampires, without even a wave good-bye?” 
Damien tried to sound sarcastic, but it was hard to be suitably pissed-off when
she smelled so good.  He removed his cloaking spell so she could at least tell
when he glowered at her.  “Because that kind of abandonment would just be a
nightmare, I’ll bet.”

“I
didn’t abandon you.  I left you a note saying I’d be right back.  Don’t be so
dramatic.”  She lifted a hand to touch his face.  “Now, are you really
alright?  You don’t feel –like-- doomed or anything, right?”

“What?”

“I
just…”  Kara looked frazzled, her words coming out too fast.  “It’s going to
sound crazy, but I met this old woman, okay?  Slade’s grandmother, who’s really
a cat.  And a fortuneteller.  And an alien.”

Damien
sighed.  “This really is a terrible book.”

“I
know, but she said that I was…”  Kara swallowed.  “She said I was going to
destroy you.”

Damien
froze.

“And
I really can’t think about anything else now, except how I don’t want to see
you dead.”  Kara ran a distracted hand through her hair.  “I mean, To’kel has
the manuscript and Slade’s going to be executed.  And Eugene’s turned into the
necromancer with an Uzi.  But I
so
don’t care what happens to them, just
so you’re alright.”  She gazed up at him worriedly.  “What if all this stuff
I’m doing is somehow leading you to your death?”

Damien
hesitated, choosing his words carefully, so as not to frighten her with the
truth.  “You are my destiny, Kara Lynn.”

And
she would absolutely be the one to destroy him.  He’d known that from the
first.

He
just didn’t care.

“But
Slade’s grandma said…”

Damien
cut her off.  “Do not worry about some woman’s prophesy,
cari
.  I know
more about my fate than she does.”  He pressed a kiss into her hair.  “You
would never intentionally hurt me.  We both know this.”

Kara
let out a shaky breath.  “Of
course
, I wouldn’t hurt you, Damien. 
Never.  You’re right.  But, this old lady was really convincing.”

“Vampires
always are.”

“Yeah,
but she knew about Amalie.”  Kara swallowed.  “She said your sister sent me
here to find you.  I mean, I
know
that sounds crazy.  Why would your
sister send you a girl who was destined to kill you?  But, still, there was a
crystal ball and… it all just really seemed real for a minute.”

Damien
stared at the wall over Kara’s head, his mind racing.  “She claims that Amalie
sent you to me?”

“Yeah. 
I guess Slade’s grandma thinks Amalie’s spirit –like-- played matchmaker.  But
the more I think about it, the more I think you’re right and granny is just
nuts.”  Kara sounded like she desperately wanted to believe that.  “Even if she
could exert powers from the other side or whatever, your sister loved you.  She
wouldn’t do anything that might get you killed.  She wouldn’t want you mating
with a girl who was your ‘doom.’”

Damien’s
mouth curved at the realization that his little sister was somehow still with
him.  “Amalie would always want my happiness.”  He murmured.  And she’d understood
him so well.  She’d know that he’d want Karalynn, no matter what the cost.  A
short time with his
cari
was worth any price.  Even death.

“Are
you sure?”

Although
Kara hadn’t heard his silent assertion, Damien answered as if she had.  “I have
never been more sure of anything in my entire existence.”  He leaned down to
kiss her gently.  “You are the love of my life, Kara Lynn.  If Amalie brought
you to me, it was because she knew you would bring me nothing but joy.  And you
have.”

She
relaxed a bit.  “Lair.  I drive you crazy.”

“Yes. 
But, it a joyful craziness.”

Kara
gave a misty smile and stood up on tiptoe to hug him.  “I love you so much.  If
you ever feel like I’m dooming you, say something and I’ll stop, okay?”

“I
will be very vigilant about reporting it.”  He needed to change the subject
before she pressed him for answers that he couldn’t sidestep.  If Karalynn
thought she might hurt him, she would try to leave.  He knew that.  Damien
really would prefer death to a life without her in it.  She was the only thing
in the world that gave him peace.  “So, since we’re here anyway, I don’t suppose
we could sneak into Slade’s execution and watch the fun.”

“No. 
We’re still going to save him, wiseass.”  Kara made a visible effort to refocus
her attention, like she didn’t want to think about what their ultimate destiny
might be, either.  “Or at least,
I’m
going to save him.  Which reminds
me… How do you kill a Vampire?”

“Diamond
sword.”  Damien answered, instantly.  “Or… wait.”  He frowned.  “Does it have
to be
blue
diamonds?  Am I remembering that wrong or has something
changed here?”

“No. 
It’s changed.  Just wanted to make sure grandma wasn’t lying to me.”  She
pulled out a wicked looking blue blade and held it up.  “This is what I need to
kill To’kel with.  The Hope Diamond Knife, I guess.  Or Smurf Blade.”

Damien
arched a brow at the elaborate weapon.  “Very subtle.”

“I
know, right?  The Vamps like their stuff blinged out like Liberace.  Still,
it’s sharp, so I figure it can’t be
too
hard to skewer To’kel with it. 
I just gotta find him first.”

Damien
debated for a moment.  “I will tell you where he might be, if you let
me
kill
him.”

“No!” 
She hid the knife behind her back like he might try to grab it and run off.  “I
don’t want you fighting Vampires, Damien.  That’s why I came here without you. 
If you and Slade get into a death match, it could end this whole world.  Or
worse.  It could end
you
.”

Damien
met her concerned eyes, squarely.  “I give you my word,
cari
.  I will
not harm Slade.”

Kara
bit down on her lower lip.  “What if
he
hurts
you
?”

“If
I’m stupid enough to allow that idiot to injure me, I might stab
myself
in
shame.  That’s really the gravest danger I could face.”

She
made a face at his attitude.  “
The book wants to kill you, Damien
.  We
can’t take the risk that something will go wrong and it’ll succeed.  Don’t you
see?  You need to go home, where it’s safe, and let me handle this.”

“No.”

She
swore at his inflexible expression.  “You’re being really difficult here.  I
hope you know that.”

“Well,
if it would make things any easier for you, I do have about two dozen armed men
who can act as my faithful bodyguards.  They’re waiting down on the beach for
my next order.”

“You
have –what?--
goons
working for you, now?  Aren’t you trying to be
less
villainy inclined?”

“I
hired the dragons for the day.”  Damien shrugged.  “It turns out they can fly,
so they brought me here.”

Chocolate
brown eyes widened in outrage.  “Wasn’t that
my
idea?”

“Oh,
I doubt it.”  As bizarre as it seemed, given the circumstances, Damien was
actually enjoying himself.  Now that he’d found Kara, he didn’t particularly
care what else happened today, so he might as well have some fun with her.  “Enlisting
an army of henchmen sounds like a plan only a dastardly evildoer would conceive
and you’re just an innocent human girl.  What’s Slade’s line, again?  Ah, yes.
‘Like a flower in a storm.’”