Black Heart: Coeur de Sade (Black Heart Series) (33 page)

            "That doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings."

            "I know," he said.  It pleased me to feel his guilt and shame.  Until then, I didn't think he had anymore guilt or shame than a vampire.  Nice to know I was wrong.  "So the hunt isn't going so well?"

            Nice change of subject.  I let him off the hook.  For the time being.

            "No," I said.  "I've come close, and have figured a way to confront him without being captured by the talisman, but he's eluded me so far.  My undead bosses are about ready to toss me trussed up into sunlight, and then go kill all the werewolves in town."

            "Bet that makes the national news," he said.

            "Make sure they spell my name right."

            "No problem, Sabe," he said.  He was happy.  I sensed it plain as day.  "Come on over now, you don't even have to bring the sexy nurse outfit you promised to wear."

            "I never promised to — " I started, then was distracted by a movement overhead.  My breath caught.  Roger was early.  "I don't think I can make it tonight.  As the old saying goes: the shit is about to hit the fan here.  I gotta go, lover.  If I can't get there tonight, and don't expect me, then I'll bring the naughty nurse's outfit first chance I get."

            I felt the tension flash within him.  It was comforting to know he really did worry about me, but his voice was cheerful when he spoke.

            "Great.  Be careful."

            "Bye-bye," I said and snapped the phone shut.  Looking up, I saw Roger circling Victory Square about a hundred feet up.  "Praise the Lord.  I was afraid Fritz would send you somewhere else to suicide."

            Fritz was really getting full of himself.  That was good to know.  He might make a mistake.  I'd be ready.

            Roger started swooping down and flying the length of Victory Square about twenty feet off the ground, getting the attention of the people there.  I watched with a mixture of dread and awe.  Those wings really were impressive.

            It took all of five minutes before the news crews came out with their cameras.  In no time all of the big electronic billboards had turned into television screens, feeding the story to the very people standing there and witnessing it first hand.  I could hear the excited chatter.  They all understood exactly what was happening.  Another vampire suicide.

            Another ten minutes passed, and people began trickling in.  I could hear them talking.  Many were from Deep Ellum or the West End.  Soon the trickle became a flood.  They were all eager to see the vampire commit suicide.  Their excitement was almost sexual in its intensity.

            I realized I was being aroused by the crowds' surging blood and emotions.  They could drive me half mad with desire and need if I wasn't careful.  An old vamp could probably handle it easier, but my libido was already fired up and it scared me.

            "I can't wait for him to land," I said, marching out into the middle of Victory Square as Roger came down for another swoop through the square.  Movement, and my determination finally directed, helped me suppress the emotions the crowd was stoking deep within.  "Roger!"

            Roger swept by overhead without the slightest hesitation.  He didn't even look at me.

            He either didn't see or hear me, or was ignoring me.  I couldn't imagine him not hearing me, since vampire hearing was so keen.  I thought for sure he would attack me.  Had Fritz changed his orders?  And if so, why?

            Everyone around me started getting excited or anxious, most of them sexually excited.  I looked around and reached out with my vampiric senses, trying to determine the nature of the disturbance.  Only a vampire could cause such strong reactions that fast and over such a wide area.  It quickly became apparent I was at the center of the problem.

            I realized I was filling the air with vampire pheromones.  People were being affected by my sexual excitement, caused by their excitement at the prospect of a death.  It was all so sick, but I couldn't stop it.  Not anymore.

            "Yes, it is Black Heart," someone behind me said.  "I've seen her on TV."

            "Black Heart rules!" a man cried in the distance.

            "Vampire!" another cried.  "She's a monster!"

            "She's hot."

            "She kills vampires."

            "She massacres dozens of innocents at a time!" someone cried in outrage.  "Her life is an affront to God!"

            I ignored their argument as it heated up.  Watching Roger make his big loop around again, I wondered at the best way to bring him down to earth.  Probably the surest way would be to morph into a bat, fly up and over, and when he was flying down the length of the square drop down upon him as a human, and drive his butt to the ground before he could compensate.

            That would leave me naked before news cameras, for the world and my parents to see.  Wouldn't my mother love that?  So that was the solution of last resort.

            Roger was diving down for another pass.  I moved to the middle of Victory Square.  Reaching for my pistol, I considered where best to shoot him to bring him down to the ground.  Probably the head.  But nothing guaranteed.  Being shot with sanctified silver might not affect his ability to fly.  Then I realized how low he was flying as he quickly approached my position.

            I dropped into a low squat, arms thrown wide and back.  People jumped back and started talking excitedly, knowing something was about to happen.  Snapping my legs straight, I leaped up and up, and slammed into Roger.

            "Hi, flyboy, come on down," I said as I wrapped my arms around him.  

            I sank my fangs into his throat.

            Entranced or not, Roger freaked.  He forgot he needed to fly.  All Roger wanted was to get me off his neck, so we plummeted to the ground.  We hit hard, and being on bottom I took the brunt of the impact.  The impact left both of us stunned and writhing on the concrete a long moment.

            I recovered first.  Climbing to my feet, and stood up upon shaky legs.  And looked around at all the wide eyed mortals.  They were enthralled and delighted.  I just shook my head.  People.

            "Are you back?" I said.  His wings were gone.  Did they retract without thought when not needed?  Or did he have to want them to vanish?  "Or do you still have an insane need to greet the rising sun?"

            "I'm back," he said with a strained voice.  "Is it really necessary to hurt me so much to break me out of the trance?"

            "Yes, as far as I can tell," I said.  Well, not exactly true, but my options were limited.  "Let's get out of here."

            I offered a hand up, and he gratefully took it.  The audience groaned with disappointment, just figuring out their show was over and no one died.

            "Fritz isn't going to be happy that you saved me again," Roger said.

            "Good," I said.

            "Not good for you," Fritz said from my left rear.

            I whirled around without thought.  Even as my eyes locked on the Coeur de Sade, as icy magic flowed through me, I understood my mistake.  It was too late.  I heard Roger gasped behind me, and knew he was caught, too.

            "Thanks for falling into my trap, Black Heart," he said loud enough for the crowd to hear.  They became excited.  The vampire show wasn't over yet.  "I knew you couldn't resist trying to save him."

            "He's a vampire hunter!" someone yelled.  "And he's caught them both with magic!"

            I felt the excitement of the crowd surge again.  A vicious, almost sexual excitement.  There was fear and worry, too, probably from my supporters and fang whores in the crowd.

            "Black Heart," Fritz said, sending a surge of icy magic through me.  "Hear me!  I command — Ooff!"

            The Coeur de Sade was gone.  Fritz was gone.  I blinked, confused, and released from the talisman's vile magic.  Roger swooned behind me, steadying himself with a hand on my shoulder.  Then I heard them.

            "Roger, close your eyes and don't open them!" I cried, closing my eyes.  "Only use your vampiric senses."

            Fritz was struggling with someone to my right rear.  Dane!  I almost laughed out loud in relief and joy.  Instead, I decided it was time to clear the square.  So I pulled my pistol and fired it into the air.

            Bedlam ensured.  Mortals were running in every direction.  Excitement was replaced with abject terror as they ran from the vampires, gun, and the crazed crowd.  Then a new menace appeared amidst them.

            "Werewolf!" someone cried.

            I felt Fritz morphing.  Dane was kicking his butt, until he started turning into a wolfman.  The tide of battle was changing fast.  So I shoved Roger aside, and charged the struggling men.  Eyes still closed, and going strictly on vampire instincts and senses.

            "Dane!" Heidi cried.

            What was she doing there?  Was he mad?  Dane had lost his last two girlfriends to vampires.  Two girlfriends in a about three years.  Besides, Heidi was too susceptible to vampiric powers and pheromones to be a vampire hunter.

            "Jesus!" Dane cried, filled with terror.

            Three steps and I was there.  Fritz was facing away from me, so I opened my eyes.  He had both hands around Dane's throat, which explained Heidi's feelings of horror and terror.  Dane was strong, but he was no match for an alpha werewolf's insane strength.

            Without thought, I hauled off and slammed my fist into Fritz's back, just to the left of his spinal column and below the shoulder blade.  I hit him with all of my considerable supernatural strength.  My fist penetrated, drove deep into his chest cavity.  My vampiric senses guided me straight to his beating heart, and I seized it and squeezed with all of my strength and rage.

            "Aaaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhhh!" Fritz cried, releasing Dane and arching his back.

            I ripped my arm out of his back, the heart still clutched in my bloody fist.  Fritz staggered forward two steps and turned around.  He stared at me slack-jawed, eyes wide in disbelief.

            "Go to Hell, Cujo," I said, and threw his heart down at his feet.

            Fritz fell straight back, and died.  Dane, Roger, and I stood over him and stared a long minute, then Dane broke us out of our trance by exhaling gustily.

            "Thank God he's dead," Dane said hoarsely, starting to rub his throat.  Then he looked at me.  "You saved my life."

            "Yeah, I did.  Right after you saved mine," I said.

            "Dane!" Heidi cried, suddenly wrapped around him, all kisses and tears.  "Are you all right?  Are you hurt?"

            "I'm fine," he said, casting a sheepish look at me, then turned to Heidi.

            I rolled my eyes and turned away.  Just my luck.  Heidi was becoming a second curse upon my life.

            "Where is the talisman?" Roger said.

            I whirled around and dropped to one knee beside Fritz.  Dane was there a second later, on the other side of his body.  We quickly and expertly riffled through all his pockets and clothes.  Nothing.

            "Where did it go?" I cried, panicking.  We couldn't kill Fritz, only to lose the Coeur de Sade to someone else.  I needed that damn talisman to save my family and reclaim my life.  "It has to be here."

            "It was just here," Dane said, frantic too.  He wasn't acting.  I could tell.  Dane was filled with frustration and anger.  I think he wanted it for himself.  "I had the chain in my hand, struggling with him for it."

            "It must've fallen off," Heidi said, looking around.  She wasn't the least bit concerned.  All she seemed to care about was Dane.  I wanted to stake her.  "It'll turn up."

            "Jesus, you stupid...," I said, but caught myself.  Heidi's big blue eyes narrowed dangerously at me.  Verbally attacking Heidi would not endear me to Dane.  He would feel obliged to defend and protect her.  "The Coeur de Sade is what all this carnage was about.  If we lost it this could all start over again."

            "He must've thrown it at the last moment," Dane said.  "To keep us from getting it.  Spread out and look everywhere."

            "We need to be systematic," I said.  "Dane, you search northward.  Roger search westward."  I turned to Heidi as the two men moved off in their search.  "I'll search southward, if you search eastward."

            "Whatever," Heidi said, glancing at the clearly empty space between her and the American Airlines Center at the far end of the square.  When I turned to begin my search, she grabbed my arm.  "Stay away from Dane.  I mean it.  If you don't, I'll do bad things to you."

            To say I was incredulous didn't begin to describe what I felt.  A mere mortal was threatening me?  A vampire?  Was she mad?  Or did she really love him that much?  Despite myself, I felt admiration for Heidi for the first time.  I was suitably impressed.

            "We'll talk about that after we find the Coeur de Sade," I said.

            Heidi didn't like that answer, but I pulled free and headed off in my search.  I noticed she put the least effort in her search, but it was obviously not over there.

            We looked high and low.  Everywhere.  Roger and I even checked surrounding rooftops.  I couldn't imagine him throwing something that hard and far with no one noticing, but we checked anyway.  The fact was the Coeur de Sade was missing.

            The police showed up not long after we killed Fritz, but held back.  They didn't appear to know what to do.  Vampires were quite beyond their abilities to deal with, and as long as we weren't actively trying to kill someone, they were usual content to stand by warily and watch.

            Roger and I searched until just after five.  Sunrise was around six-thirty, so we had to leave.  We took my motorcycle back to his house.  Once inside, I pulled out my cell and called Jeff.