All Others (Vampire Assassin League Book 27) (3 page)

Everything went into slow-motion. Extreme slow-motion. Sound stopped. The guy with the squirt gun’s expression reflected horror. He couldn’t tell about Scott. His headlamp was too bright. Everyone seemed to watch the arrow slam into Cam’s solar plexus. He did, too. As if it happened to someone else.

Anyone else.

That changed as pain hit and then intensified. Cam forced his mind to cancel it. He needed to stay sharp. Clear. Focused. He had to deny the physical. It was an instantaneous reaction. It’s how he handled pain. He’d broken bones. Suffered contusions. Lacerations. Trauma. He knew if his mind stayed on task, it helped control the body’s response to injury. Reduce trauma. Absorb agony.

It wasn’t working.

His chest was turning into a mass of solid fire. The arrowhead must have exited out his back, almost reaching the woman behind him. He looked down. The shaft still trembled where it impaled him. There wasn’t much blood. Not in front, anyway. His knees wavered.

List damage, Cameron!

He had flesh trauma. Pierced lung. Potential broken rib(s). He couldn’t tell heart damage. He concentrated. His heart was still beating. It sent a throb of pain with each one, but it was still working. He might actually survive this. He had to count heartbeats. Then he’d know for certain.

He started.

One.

Two.

He took a breath. It was a small gasp. Sounded like it contained bubbles. Felt like hell.

Count, damn it!

Three.

Another arrow flew past his left ear, taking a chunk of something with it. Cam didn’t feel any pain. He sensed the wetness as blood slid down his neck. And that’s when the sense of slow-motion ended, turning the place into complete and utter chaos.

He got showered with another burst of water, mainly dousing his head. The woman gave a cry of pain. One of the BPRG men shouted. The other cursed. An extremely loud, unbelievable feral shriek came from somewhere close. It was followed by a flash of something metallic. The primary light source went flying across the cellar with a zigzag motion. Cam’s eyes subconsciously followed as it smacked a far wall and just rocked in place. It took a second to realize it was the headlamp. Another second to realize there was a severed head attached to it.

His legs buckled. He dropped to his knees. His heart gave another beat. This time, it was extremely painful. Protracted. And heavy. He couldn’t recall if it was the fourth since he’d started counting. Maybe the fifth? He tried concentrating again but his chest was being overtaken by fire. It licked its way along his skin and roasted his innards. And it just kept growing.

He had to get the arrow out.

No. He had to leave it there. It was the only thing keeping him from bleeding to death.

Screw that. The pain was unimaginable. He could roast marshmallows with the level of fiery agony overtaking him. He had to get the arrow out.

Cam sent the message to his limbs. His left arm didn’t respond.
Great
. He’d use his right. He gripped the arrow shaft. Pulled outward. And howled with the agony.

A high-pitched scream came from the stairwell, overpowering any sound he made. Cam huffed through another gasped breath. His heart gave another beat. He looked up.

“Oh, Cameron! No! Stop! Leave it there!”

Something resembling entrails and limb pieces spattered through the area in his immediate vision range. The woman came into view. She was covered in blood and looked like she’d been through a meat grinder from the neck down. Her face hadn’t been touched, but it was twisted into a torturous expression he didn’t wish upon anyone. His heart reacted with an agonized thump. And he’d thought it pained before.

For some reason, the knowledge that she’d suffered such grievous injuries made his pain seem paltry. Small. Nothing hurt worse than a burn. And she looked like she was suffering the third degree kind. She knelt beside him. His brain continued gathering data while his eyes grew moist. Her dress hadn’t been affected. That was weird. Had they used some kind of acid? Those bastards. She tossed a hatchet down to the floor beside him. Cam looked at it. Then back at her.

She’d used a hatchet?

Where the hell had that come from?

“Don’t pull it! That shaft is stopping blood loss!”

“I...know.”

He choked on the last word. Froth came with it, moistening his lips. He licked at it. Tasted the metallic tang of blood. Yep. He had a punctured lung. Maybe both of them.

“We have to leave! We can’t stay here!”

“Right.” Cam would have chuckled if his body would support the reaction.

“I don’t know how many Hunters there are!”

“Hun...ters?”

“We have four hours! Maybe a little more. You don’t understand.”

Four hours?
She was being optimistic. He doubted he had four more minutes.

“Oh. My. This is going to hurt.”

Cam stiffened. “W-w-worse?”

She rubbed her hands together. He watched her struggle through two gasped breaths and for some damned reason, he mimicked both of them.

“I have to carry you.”

He chuckled. Absolute hellfire jerked that reaction to a halt. More froth bubbled out of his mouth. Cam mentally cursed.

“You’re covered...in Holy Water.”

She inhaled a large breath and held it. He did the exact same thing. She didn’t look like she enjoyed it, and his was a complete inferno of pain. And then she grabbed him to her.

The move jostled the arrowhead at his back and Cam lost control. He bellowed in agony. The sound almost drowned out her moan. Then she was moving. Rapidly. Almost sickeningly. The scene of carnage in the cellar became a blur of blood and bone. A red wash colored the entire area. And he smelled something horrid.

Burning flesh?

Her arms tightened about his waist. She pivoted, pulling him as they moved backwards. They flew past the ladder. She hit into the double doors, smacking them open. The arrow got jostled again, but for some reason it didn’t seem to pain as much. That could be due to victim trauma. He knew a body could only absorb so much pain before nerve endings cut off sensation. Then again, he could be dying. They said pain ebbed when that happened as well.

He’d like to think it was due to the instant cool feeling of being outside. The BPRG leader hadn’t exaggerated earlier. It was definitely raining. The wetness relieved some of the burning sensation as they moved, the speed of their passage creating their own wind.

Because they were flying.

Oh. No way, Cam
.

This was impossible. Unbelievable. Mindboggling. To an infinite degree. There was no way this could be happening. He had to face facts. Reality. Universal law was just that – universal. But that didn’t stop any of this.

None of it might be real, but that sure didn’t cancel any of it. And he was going to die.

~~~

Tessa had never changed a human over. She remembered how. She’d paid full attention to everything Akron had taught her. The timing was the crucial part. The human needed to hover at death. Take their last gasp. Their heart give a final beat. Only then, could a change work. They needed to ingest a vampire’s blood. A taste first, and then enough to replenish and resuscitate. But how much was that? And once she gave him her blood, was his change instantaneous? And if so, would she still have enough strength to control him? And what would happen if the sun came up? She had a little immunity. She could handle weak sunlight. Especially if it was raining. She’d be fine, if a bit weakened. But she had to consider Cameron Preston. Her mate. The one and only.

Oh. This was impossible! She couldn’t risk changing him. A new vampire would be extremely vulnerable. But...if she waited too long?

She tried to move faster. Raindrops diluted the Holy Water that had drenched them. Made the pain bearable. Her skin was already healed as they cleared the dock area. Raced along the waterfront. Reached the opening to her particular bayou. She moved quicker, becoming a blur of movement. Held Cameron as close as possible. Her arms and legs enwrapped him, as if that would will her strength to him.

It wasn’t enough.

He wasn’t going to make it.

Death had a grip on him. She could tell without looking. He wouldn’t make it to the Dark Plantation. She needed at least thirty more minutes. Or a hiding spot. Dark. Private. Secure. She scanned the ground but rotting trees, wildlife, and swamp filled her vision. The sky grew lighter. Dawn was moments away. She was going to fail. Lose her one chance at love. Companionship. Physical mating.

Tessa began shaking. Tears filled her eyes. Weakness entered her newly awakened heart and then leached into her limbs. She wasn’t capable of doing this. She didn’t have enough training. No experience. She was going to fail and lose again – just like the still-birthed babe that spelt her doom...

They dropped several feet.

Her toes skimmed water.

And then everything hardened.

No. That had been the old Tessa. She wasn’t a scared young woman, pulled from her bed and ordered to attend a brutal birthing. Forced to watch the woman suffer and the babe die because she didn’t know what to do. And all while the overseer stood in the foyer below.

...with his whip.

And then she saw it. A fallen log. With a large dark interior. Hollow-enough. Above the water. Dry. Dark. Tessa held Cameron with one arm while she scooped the area clear. It wasn’t perfect. But it would work. And it was about to get worse. She couldn’t turn him with a wooden stake through him. Tears fogged her vision as she snapped the arrow from the shaft where it protruded from his back. She blinked them back. She didn’t have time for emotion!

Cameron coughed. It was a barely-noticeable gesture. Frighteningly weak. She yanked the shaft from his chest with a swift gesture. His body jerked. He didn’t make a sound. Tessa enfolded him and slid backwards into the enclosure just as a shaft of sunlight pierced the area they been in. It illuminated the man in her arms. The sight was heart-stopping. Terrifying. His skin was ashen. There wasn’t much blood from his wound, either. It was a mere trickle of wetter darkness on his shirt.

She had moments.

Maybe.

Tessa concentrated and her fangs responded, going to piercing length, killer sharpness.

“Cameron?” she whispered.

He gave what looked like a wince. He didn’t breathe. She couldn’t remember when she’d last experienced a heartbeat. Tessa slashed a canine across her wrist and had it above his lips before the blood welled. She twisted her arm. Blood started dripping. Dark fluid coated his mouth. Slid down his cheeks. Dropped uselessly to the wood beneath them.

“Cameron!”

She hissed it against his ear. Jostled his body against hers. She couldn’t be too late! She’d done everything that was required. Even the timing felt right.

And then...

Finally!

His lips moved.

A slim-phone vibrated against her thigh. The holder must have crept up her leg. The slight tremor on her skin was sinful. Delicious. And she could feel it. She could feel and sense all kinds of things.

Tessa pulled in a deep breath. Rain had a fresh smell. She’d forgotten that. It was late afternoon. The waning sunlight carried warmth, deeply hued with humidity. This was such an enormity. She hadn’t experienced sensory things in almost two hundred years. It was amazing. Thrilling. And loud. The swamp was alive with noise. Insects droning, water lapping, birds calling, flapping wings as they took flight. What could be a gator splashing. And above all that was the sound of her heart beating. Continuous. Strong. Steady.

It matched Cameron Preston’s heart. Exactly.

Tessa was smiling as she slid a hand along his leg to reach the phones. Nice. The man had extremely nice thighs.
Hmm
. The phone vibrated again. Her dress might as well be plastered in place. She peeled the skirt up to reach her phones. Slid one out. Pressed the connect button. Held it to her ear.

“Is this Tessa Queen? I have reached Tessa Queen?”

The voice was female. Insistent.

“Yes.”

Tessa answered with a whisper, although it shouldn’t matter. Her mate wasn’t moving. He was barely breathing. She could only tell if she looked closely enough. He almost looked dead. She hadn’t been mistaken. He was a very handsome man. He had light-colored eyes. She didn’t know the exact shade, the cellar lighting had been too poor to tell, but his eyes were striking. He wore his hair a bit long, past his collar. It probably made a small ponytail if he pulled it back. He appeared to have dark blond hair. It had a reddish tint. That matched his barely-there beard and the mustache above his upper lip. She wondered if it also matched the rest of his body hair.

Oh my
.

Her body gave a subconscious lurch alongside his. The movement was instinctive. Strange. And thoroughly enjoyable. Her eyes widened.

“I have Tessa Queen on the line, Sir.”

“Thank you, Lizbeth. Tessa? You there?”

Tessa pulled the phone from her ear as Akron’s voice reverberated through the enclosure. The leader of the Vampire Assassin League had a voice that resonated, despite volume setting and speaker wattage. It was immense. Unforgettable. Spine-tingling. She knew that now, since it happened to hers.

And that was extremely pleasurable.

“You know, Tessa...I usually call an associate when I need to speak with them. And most associates answer.”

“Oh. Sorry, Sir. I’m here.”

“Excellent. Lizbeth? Bring up the file on the Nepal situation.”

Tessa frowned. “You have another assignment for me? Oh, please, Sir. Not now.”

“Why not?”

“I had a bit of trouble last night.”

“Really? Looks like I’ll need the Stephano file as well, Lizbeth. You already have it? Well. Nigel had best not extend his honeymoon with you for competition. Someone should alert the boy. Ah. Yes. Here we are...and look. The Stephanos are very pleased with your work, Tessa. They sent over a bonus.”

“A bonus?”

“Fifty thousand dollars. It’s been transferred to one of your accounts. I also extend my kudos. Not only is the hit being treated as a tragic accident, but you waited until after midnight. You made certain the bride, and her family, won’t have every anniversary clouded with mention of her mother-in-law’s death. Extraordinary work, Tessa. Truly.”

“I have to admit, Akron. I didn’t do anything.”

“Sounds like that was the appropriate response to unforeseen circumstances. So. What seems to be the trouble?”

“Hunters.”

Akron was instantly business-like. His questions were clipped. Precise. Rapid-fire. “Where?”

“Ramsay Mansion.”

“How many?”

“I don’t know. At least two.”

“Dead?”

“Yes.”

“This call is at the limit. Grab another cell. We’ll call you back.”

She slid the phone closed. Held it for a bit before dropping it behind her. She accessed another one without taking her eyes off Cameron. Her mate. It was so unbelievable. So wonderful. So completely unexpected. Her heart felt like it swelled. Moved. Clogged her throat. She swallowed. The phone vibrated in her palm. Akron was speaking when she put the receiver to her ear.

“Do we need a 4-D Team, Tessa?”

“Probably.”

“Lizbeth? Dispatch Blue. And check for any activity on police scanners. You’ve already done that, too? Good work. No activity? Well. That is one bit of providence in our favor.”

“What is?” Tessa asked.

“The Ramsay Mansion is decrepit. Rarely visited. And nobody seems to have registered that a ghost hunt would take place there.”

“I didn’t say anything about a ghost hunt,” Tessa replied.

“I know.”

“Then, how did you know?”

“The moment you said Hunters, I started a mental check. If we have Hunters in New Orleans, there’s a reason. I came up with the Beethan Paranormal Research Group. The Beethans and ghost hunting? Talk about going out of their league. What is the world coming to? So. How is Doctor Preston?”

Tessa’s eyes went wide. The expression matched the tone of Lizbeth’s voice as she spoke up.

“If you can do all of that yourself, Mister Profit, why on earth do you need help?”

“No man – or woman - is an island. I can’t do everything. Not timely. Nor efficiently. And why? Remember this, ladies. There is a finite amount of personal energy available to every entity. That is a universal law. And you didn’t answer my question, Tessa. I take it Doctor Preston is your mate?”

“Yes.”

“Well. That explains the trouble. There isn’t a mating that happens without a bit of it. Do you need an assist?”

“Not at the moment. He’s resting.”

“And?”

“I don’t know what will happen when the sun goes down.”

“You changed him?”

“I had to. He took the arrow meant for me. In his chest.”

“Ah. Chivalry is not dead. I am reassured. Is your mate the gung-ho, take-on-all-comers, ‘damn-the-torpedoes’ type?”

“I don’t think so. He’s a phenomena researcher. Something like that.”

“He’s actually a major player in the paranormal field. He’s got quite the resume. And quite the reputation. Good choice, my dear.”

“You know this?”

“I can access all kinds of data, Tessa. There’s a problem with data, however. It’s impersonal. That means I can guess, but I can’t verify anything about the real man and his personality. If he’s a mild-mannered type, you’ll need back-up. Something minor. Like...Len. He’s half changed, but his wife will be with him. Should work just fine. But if your mate is the aforementioned gung-ho type? Well. The situation might require a couple of 4-D teams. And the twins. New vampires don’t realize the scope of their own power, nor how to manage it. And the last thing we need is a new vampire lost in the Louisiana bayou.”

“I would say he is the former.”

“Lizbeth?”

“Sending Mister and Missus Griggins. Already on it, Sir.”

“Ah. I see I am really going to miss you, Lizbeth.”

“Can’t I work alongside Nigel?”

“I was referring to your eventual departure when you mate, my dear. But put that on the back burner. I don’t wish to go into particulars. Tessa?”

“Yes?”

“Get him to your place. I don’t care how. But don’t let him loose.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“And Lizbeth? Look through the files. We still have the situation in Nepal to handle. Midwives don’t grow on trees, you know.”

“You need a...midwife? That’s why you called me?” Tessa’s newly awakened heart started thudding with what she recognized as fear. Throat-clogging. Heart-stopping. It was just as debilitating as when she’d lived, too.

“Oh, not to worry, my dear. Truly. You’d be moral support. And company for the expectant mother. The league has surgeons on call. And obstetricians. And nurses. Most are on-site, or in transit already. I just happen to have an anxious father-to-be with unlimited resources and massive worry. No matter whom I send, it isn’t enough. What is it, Lizbeth? Takeshi is calling again?”

Akron gave a heavy sigh. Her enclosure shuddered.

“Good luck to you, Tessa Queen. Call if you need anything.”

And the phone went silent.