Authors: Berni Stevens
Josephine snorted with derision. ‘If Khiara couldn’t hold him, then
you
definitely have no chance at all.’
‘Khiara hasn’t been with him for a long time. What can I say? Except he obviously prefers a younger woman.’
Both female vampires were suddenly very close, and invading my personal space.
These women were out to hurt me for reasons I knew nothing about. I couldn’t believe it was just because of Will – gorgeous though he certainly is – there had to be more to it than that.
Will is only two rooms away
, I reassured myself. I didn’t really believe they would dare try anything with him so close. They might be psychotic, but I didn’t think they were suicidal. Thoughts flew around inside my head at manic speed, whilst I kept both women in sight.
They began to circle me in opposite directions, for all the world like hungry sharks, making it really difficult to keep them both in my sights at the same time.
Katarina ran long, red-painted fingernails down my cheek, whilst Josephine came close behind me, pulling long strands of my hair between her slim fingers. She began to pull my hair gently at first, then harder, and finally she twined it around her fingers, so she could force my head back to expose my throat. I struggled to free my hair but she only held it even tighter.
I could feel their icy breath on my face now. They were so close they hemmed me in, and I didn’t think I’d be able to fight them both off, but I’d make damn sure I took one of them down.
Katarina laughed suddenly, a sound like shards of ice shattering. It was the same laugh I’d heard in my nightmare weeks ago. I recognised it. My nightmare had suddenly become real life.
‘Oh poor little fledgling. So young and so
afraid
,’ she mocked. ‘How will you ever become a
real
vampire?’
‘I have a good teacher.’ I struggled against Josephine’s vicious hold on my hair.
Both women laughed nastily. Katarina suddenly dug her fingernails deep into my cheek, and raked her nails down my face and exposed throat with one swift malicious strike. I screamed as loudly as I could, and shoved her away from me with all my bodily strength. She lost her balance and fell to the floor, but sprang to her feet again in seconds. She’d grabbed my arms before I had a chance to do anything to Josephine.
The door behind us crashed open.
‘What the fuck is going on in here?’ Will’s voice.
Relief flooded through me at the sound of his voice. Katarina and Josephine let go of me instantly as if I’d burnt them.
They turned to look at him innocently, and Katarina smiled sweetly. ‘Just a little female bonding,’ she purred.
Will came further into the room and, grabbing an arm of each woman, hauled them roughly away from me. They hissed and spat, which had no effect on him whatsoever.
He put his body between us and looked at me properly for the first time, noticing the scratches on my cheek and throat made by Katarina’s talons. I felt the cool blood as it seeped from the wounds and trickled slowly down my skin.
Will narrowed his eyes. ‘Which one of them did that?’
Both women looked really afraid now. I wasn’t sure I should give him the answer, I felt afraid of what he might do.
‘Elinor?’
I shook my head slightly.
‘I see.’
With a blur of movement, he punched suddenly backwards, hitting both women simultaneously.
Both fell to the floor.
‘Now
that
is a definite improvement.’ He came close and kissed the blood from my face. ‘Blood-thirsty bitches. Always have been, and always will be, unless they cross me again, in which case they will cease to exist altogether.’
Katarina and Josephine chose that moment to stir, and Will released me to go back to them. He walked forward and stood on each woman’s arm, to prevent them from moving.
‘I shall now tell you the same thing I told Honyauti.’ His voice sent chills down my spine. ‘If you ever –
ever
attempt to hurt Elinor again, I shall have you both destroyed. In fact, I will personally end your miserable existences, with very great pleasure.’
Katarina tried to move, but Will ground his boot heel into her arm to prevent her. She screamed and snarled, her face bestial. ‘Khiara will be so angry you’ve hurt us,’ she spat.
‘I think not. You drew first blood amongst my people. Not just any person either, but my chosen consort. I could have you both torched for this,
with
Khiara’s approval, and you know it.’
The women looked terrified.
Luke came into the room at that point and surveyed the scene before him without emotion. ‘All right Ellie?’
‘Yes, thank you.’
Will turned to look at Luke. ‘Everything sorted out in there?’ Luke nodded. ‘Then let us get the hell out of here.’ He turned back to the women still on the floor ‘Have I made myself clear,
ladies
?’
‘For now,’ said Katarina, her pretty face spoilt by the evil hatred that twisted her tiny features.
Will reached down and pulled her up by her hair. ‘Do not presume to think I do not know who attacked Elinor,’ he said. ‘I ask again, have I made myself clear?’
‘Yes,’ she replied. Her eyes wide and scared now. ‘It’s just that … I … love you Will.’
He made an exclamation of disgust and, lifting her up by the arms, flung her across the room. She hit the far wall with a crash, but landed like a cat on all fours, hissing.
‘Keep. Away. From. Elinor.’ Emphasising each word heavily, Will grabbed my arm, and pulled me toward the door, which Luke opened for us. Keeping a firm grip on me, he opened the front door, and bundled me through it.
Luke closed the door behind us, and pressed the remote on his key fob to open the car doors. I clambered thankfully, but not terribly gracefully, into the back seat, and Will followed me in.
Luke got in the driver’s seat, and we pulled away from that horrible house and its hateful inhabitants.
I slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Will turned my face to his. ‘Poor Elinor, it is difficult being with me is it not? First Honyauti and then the bitches from hell.’
‘Would it be anyone you were with, or is it just me?’
‘You are a very young vampire and I am a very old one, plus I am Elder of the city. It is not protocol for the two of us to be together as partners. Fledglings are usually kept around merely as amusement for the older ones to share – especially the pretty ones.’
‘Which is why Honyauti—’ I began as realisation dawned on me.
‘Which is why Honyauti thought he could join you in the bath.’
‘Honyauti did
what
?’ asked Luke.
Will laughed, putting an arm around me, ‘It will never happen again. Bad mistake on his part.’
‘Just a bit,’ said Luke with heavy sarcasm. ‘What happened?’
‘I showed him the error of his ways.’ Will calmly lit a cigarette.
‘
That
I believe.’
We pulled up outside the house. Will opened the car door and sprang lithely out.
He leaned back in, and held his hand out to me. I put my hand in his, and slid out of the car. As I shut the door I smiled at Luke. ‘Thanks.’
He flashed a grin at us as he drove off.
Once inside the house, Will went through the usual rigmarole of locking the door and setting the alarm before he turned his attention to me again. ‘I think I am going to start killing.’
‘What? Who?’ I felt startled.
‘Anyone else who tries to hurt you. Enough is enough.’
He grabbed my hand and made for the stairs going up. OK, this was different. I’d never been up those stairs. A few weeks ago, Will had nearly given me a tour of the house, but we’d got a bit distracted.
He ran up the first flight of stairs, pulling me behind him. Then we were on the first floor’s spacious landing, carpeted in the same dark blue as downstairs.
A Knole sofa, upholstered in a heavy blue brocade fabric, nestled in an alcove, and a wooden settle stood underneath a large, shuttered window. There were four doors, which led off the landing.
‘Bedrooms,’ said Will without stopping at any of them. He carried on up a narrower staircase, which opened up onto a tiny carpeted landing. A single door faced us, which Will opened and pulled me in after him.
We were now in a small windowless room, which had a large domed skylight made entirely of glass instead of a more conventional ceiling. It looked absolutely amazing.
I could see the velvety night sky through the skylight and the stars that twinkled down at us. Almost like our own private observatory.
‘How beautiful,’ I said, and felt a little perturbed when Will gave a bitter laugh. I gave him a startled look.
‘It is at night.’ He put his hands on his hips, and looked upwards. ‘But come daybreak, it is not a nice place for vampires.’
I stared at him in horror. ‘You’ve actually
left
people in here?’
‘Only anyone who overstepped the mark.’
‘No … no … no …’ I shook my head as I backed out of the room, and Will moved swiftly forward to grab my arms.
‘I did not show you this room to scare you, merely to illustrate what I intend to do to anyone who steps out of line in the future.’
‘But they’d disintegrate—turn to dust—it would be cold-blooded murder.’
‘Elinor, sweetheart, there are people out there who would torture you for simply existing, and some who would certainly destroy you for even speaking to me. Others would rape you in ways more horrific than you could ever imagine, just for fun.’
He cupped my face in his hands. ‘I will not tolerate anyone else hurting you
ever
, so examples have to be made. It is a show of power and as such is vitally important.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘One more false move from the vile Katarina, and she will be dust. I intend to put her in this room, and shall then make the decision whether to allow her to leave the next night, or whether to extend her stay, and force her to greet the dawn.’
I looked into those pitiless, green eyes and I knew at that moment in time he was in a different place, and it was nowhere I wanted to be.
25 March
I would have loved to drive the nearest fence post through that evil bitch Katarina’s heart. Tonight she tried my patience beyond belief. Drawing blood from Elinor has sealed her fate as far as I am concerned, it is just a question of when …
Something will have to be done and done swiftly, to show the rest of Khiara’s foul entourage they simply cannot undermine my authority in my own city.
Punishment
The nights had at last turned warmer and lighter, so the sunset was now much later each evening. Although Will had assured me I would eventually wake earlier, it hadn’t happened yet, and it meant I had less time with him, which I really hated.
I knew Will, as a Master vampire, could pretty much pick and choose his hours, almost like a human, and I desperately wanted to be with him all the time. Will, as usual, dealt with my frustration with his customary patience and sensitivity. He spent a lot of time reassuring me about his feelings for me. My own confidence as a vampire had grown, thanks to his patient teaching, and I grew stronger every night. At long last, I had begun to embrace my immortal status, although I still could not –
would
not – feed directly from a human, a fact that only Will and Luke were aware of. This was probably due to the fact that I found the very thought of it abhorrent. Drinking blood was bad enough, but drinking blood from a
person
?
Several weeks passed, and there had still been no sight or sign of Khiara. Grigori had recovered from most of his injuries now, although he would always bear the cross-shaped burns. Apparently, injuries caused by holy items do not heal on vampires.
My face and neck no longer bore any sign of Katarina’s attack, although it remained all too fresh in my memory. Will hadn’t mentioned the incident since, and I hoped his threat to turn her into a pile of dust had been forgotten.
I should have known better.
One night when we came back to the house, a figure emerged from the shadows by the front gates to confront us.
Katarina herself. Joy.
Will instantly pushed me behind him, and regarded her coldly. ‘Why are you here?’
She widened her dark eyes reproachfully. ‘You are the Elder of this city and in Khiara’s absence you are responsible for us.’
Will lit a cigarette, blew a plume of smoke directly at her and narrowed his eyes. ‘There is such a thing as an invitation, and to my knowledge, you have not been issued with one.’
‘We still need your help to find Khiara. Josephine and I are afraid.’
I suppressed a snort.
Afraid?
Somehow I didn’t see the Twins of Evil being afraid of very much at all.
‘Why don’t you go back to Italy?’ I said, unable to keep quiet any longer.
Katarina shot me an evil look, and continued talking to Will. ‘We have no protection in the house here.’
‘Then I suggest you either join Grigori, Honyauti or Luke, in one of my other houses,’ replied Will.
‘Or go back to Italy,’ I said again in my most helpful manner.
‘Elinor,’ chided Will softly, then turned back to Katarina. ‘You will be far safer with Honyauti than with anyone else. I am not prepared to have either of you near Elinor.’
‘We won’t hurt your precious little
fledgling
,’ said Katarina viciously.
‘I wonder whether my feelings are clear enough on the matter.’ Will pushed Katarina away from the gates, so she couldn’t see when he entered the code into the panel to open them. As they swung open, he turned back to her. ‘Why not come into the house for a while and we can discuss everything more fully?’
Katarina eyed him warily, but his face was impassive and devoid of expression.
He looked outwardly as calm as ever, and his eyes gave nothing away.
However, I knew Will well enough to know that anyone with even a modicum of sense would have declined his kind offer, and run away as fast as possible. Katarina, quite clearly, had no sense whatsoever.
Tossing her head she flounced through the gateway in front of him. Stupid woman.
She’d been around for a hundred years or more, and still had no more sense than she’d been sired with.
Will closed the gates and walked toward the front door. As he unlocked it, Katarina pushed in front of me so she could get behind him. Childish, for someone so old.
We all went into the drawing room, where Will flopped gracefully onto the sofa and pulled me down beside him.
Katarina’s eyes narrowed jealously at the gesture, and she pouted as she sat sullenly in an armchair opposite us. ‘We would prefer to stay here.’
Will gave a short laugh. ‘Of that I have no doubt. But you would never be my first choice for a house guest.’
‘You have plenty of rooms.’
‘A castle would seem too small if you were in it.’
He stroked the back of my hand with his thumb while Katarina watched.
‘Your upstairs rooms have wooden shutters.’ She tried again. She’d clearly had a better nose around than I had.
‘I really would not want my housekeeper to have a heart attack.’
Housekeeper?
I’d never seen one, but I had always wondered how the house always looked so clean. Somehow I couldn’t picture Will wielding a Dyson, and I laughed suddenly.
Will turned to look at me in surprise and raised his eyebrows.
‘Sorry,’ I said at once, ‘I was just picturing you cleaning the house.’
His lips twitched, but when he turned back to Katarina, his face became impassive once more. ‘I do have one room I am prepared to allow you to stay in.’
He stood and walked over to her. She immediately gave him a provocative look with wide eyes. So transparent. He went towards the door and Katarina rose gracefully to her feet and followed him.
I followed both of them, hoping he didn’t have in mind what I thought he had.
Naturally he had. He headed straight upstairs with the vampire gnome behind him, and, reluctantly, I followed.
Will opened the door to the skylight room and, grabbing Katarina’s arm, pulled her inside.
‘Will …’ I began, but he shot me a warning look.
‘Now Katarina,’ he said in even, dangerous tones. ‘This is a room you are most welcome to stay in. Elinor thinks the view of the night sky is beautiful.’
Katarina looked upwards at the skylight, and drew in a hissing breath. ‘You cannot kill me. Khiara would destroy you – you
and
your little fledgling.’
‘You drew first blood Katarina, against Khiara’s express orders,
and
after she had warned you,’ replied Will, his eyes glinting dangerously. ‘I simply will not tolerate this kind of behaviour. An example has to be made, and you are it.’
Katarina gave a feral snarl as she lunged for the door, but she could never be faster than Will. He hit her violently with the back of his hand, sending her hurtling back into the room. She fell to the floor, where she lay like an exotic, broken doll.
‘Will—’ I said again, but stopped when he turned to face me with a muttered curse.
‘Elinor, please do not interfere in matters you do not understand.’ He sounded angry. ‘Either keep quiet or go downstairs.’
I stared at him, stricken. It had been a long time since he’d been short-tempered with me, and my first thought was to get the hell out of that room. I turned to walk out, but he crossed the room swiftly, and wrapped his arms around me to prevent me from leaving.
‘Forgive me,’ he said. ‘Being an “evil elder” is rather too much responsibility with you watching me.’
When I looked up at him, he gave a rueful smile. ‘You may, however, go downstairs if you prefer.’
‘Would the outcome be any different?’
‘No.’
Releasing me, he crossed the room again, and opened the door of a built-in cupboard. He pulled out some heavy chains with handcuffs attached, and snapped the handcuffs onto Katarina’s slender wrists. He then secured the other end to a ring on the wall I hadn’t noticed before.
‘She will be secure enough for a while now. Shall we go?’
He held the door open, and motioned me to go through. I went back out to the landing. My thoughts were muddled. The fact that Katarina and I had a mutual hate thing going was undeniable, but I really didn’t want to be instrumental in her ultimate destruction.
I had started down the stairs blindly, when Will caught hold of me around the waist and stopped me. ‘You really hate all this, don’t you?’
I turned to face him and the unhappiness must have shown on my face.
He put his hand against my cheek gently. ‘I do not want you to see me as a monster,’ he murmured, ‘but I have to be strong in this matter. Any sign of weakness will ultimately threaten our future together.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Then I shall attempt to explain.’
When we were back in the drawing room, we sat on the sofa, and he took hold of both my hands as he faced me. ‘I have already allowed Honyauti to survive after he attacked you, theoretically he is on our side, and made a genuine mistake, so I got away with that.’
‘You just tore his throat out.’
‘The fact is, I still allowed him to survive. We heal fast Ellie, you know that.’
I nodded.
‘Katarina, if you like, is on “the other side”. If she goes unpunished, others will hear of it, and it will be seen as a sign of weakness. Other Elder vampires will come to London. You certainly won’t be safe, and eventually, neither will I.’
With his words, I realised for the first time what a dangerous game he was playing, if, indeed, it could be called a game.
‘But do we really have to kill her?’
Will’s eyes sparkled. ‘My lovely, sweet Elinor, you are still far too nice to be a vampire.’
‘You’re just making fun of me now.’ I was getting seriously pissed off. ‘It was a reasonable question.’
‘I apologise.’ He didn’t look remotely sorry. ‘What would you have me do rather than kill her?’
I really didn’t want the responsibility of choosing Katarina’s fate, but I knew Will would insist on an answer. ‘Perhaps do something that wouldn’t heal, then everyone could see she’s been punished.’
Will smiled at me, pleased. ‘Exactly right and a very intelligent deduction. So what do you suggest?’
I suddenly realised he was skilfully backing me into a metaphorical corner. I looked down unable to meet his probing gaze.
‘Elinor?’
‘Why do I have to say?’
His lips curved. ‘Because, my sweet, it was you she attacked, and it is
you
who does not want her turned to dust.’
Oh. Lucky me
.
‘I think you already have an idea, but you just want me to say it,’ I said miserably. ‘Will, I can’t do this.’
Well, if I’d thought he would relent, I was sadly mistaken. He just reached for his cigarettes and lit one, watching me steadily as he smoked. ‘You have to, I am afraid, otherwise she is dust.’
I looked at him reproachfully, but he was unmoved.
‘No amount of reproachful looks from those beautiful blue eyes are going to get you off the hook either.’
I stood up and crossed the room, staring unseeingly at the rows of books on his bookshelves. It was easier than sitting uncomfortably under Will’s steady stare. I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes briefly.
I felt Will’s hands touch my shoulders and jumped. I hadn’t heard him move. He pulled me back against him, and brushed my cheek with his lips.
I turned in his arms. ‘A Holy item.’
He nodded approvingly. ‘Yes.’
‘A cross … holy water perhaps …’ My voice faltered.
‘Somewhere visible naturally. So where do you suggest?’
I balked at the idea of disfiguring Katrina’s face, much as I hated her. ‘On her arms?’
To my consternation, Will laughed. ‘Well maybe as an added bonus.’
‘Not her face—please—not her face.’
Will moved in closer, pinning me against the bookshelves with his body.
He tunnelled his fingers in my hair, looking down at me with a serious expression. ‘I am very much afraid it has to be her face. Surely it is better than being reduced to dust?’
‘She’ll be back for revenge.’
Will smiled grimly. ‘Then she will definitely be dust. We simply cannot afford any sentimentality as far as she is concerned. We have to give a show of strength. Khiara would have no qualms about punishing her, and, indeed, if she ever deigns to come back, I have no doubt that Katarina will be on the receiving end of more wrath from her mistress.’
‘Why is she so stupid?’
‘Well, as with humans, not all vampires are intelligent. She has probably only lasted this long because of Khiara and Josephine, otherwise she would have been dust long ago.’
He walked away from me and over to the pine chest, where he swept the magazines on its top to the floor with one swift gesture. Opening the lid, he riffled through the contents, eventually pulling out a large black box and a phial of water.
‘You keep those things here?’ I was horrified.
‘Never know when you might need a holy item. It is our secret though.’
That was one secret I could have done without. He put both items in his jacket pocket, and replaced the lid and the magazines.
I suddenly remembered what he’d said earlier about a housekeeper. ‘Do you really have a housekeeper?’
He gave me an amused glance. ‘Of course. How else do you think the house and our clothes get clean? Elves?’
I laughed.
He touched my hair gently. ‘It is the first time you have laughed for hours, and pleasing to hear.’
I ignored the comment because I wanted to know more. ‘Doesn’t she wonder why she can’t see you?’
‘But she does see me. She just does not see you yet.’
‘How can she see you?’
‘I am often around in the afternoon as you know, I have to pay her after all. She thinks my wife is at work all day, and she knows I am a club owner. It explains my nocturnal lifestyle. She only comes in three times a week, it is really not a problem.’
‘How can she clean the bedroom and the bathroom?’
He gave me a long-suffering look. ‘I move you to the dressing room and keep the door locked.’
He made everything sound so easy, and I suppose for him, it was. Plenty of practice at being devious made him perfect. The thought of Will having to move my ‘dead’ body around did make me smile though. It was like some old Ealing Comedy farce.
An unpleasant thought suddenly struck me. ‘Please tell me I don’t have to torture Katarina myself.’
‘No, that is something I can help with, although unfortunately you must be present. It will not be pleasant for you, I am afraid.’ He walked towards the door, expecting me to follow. Reluctantly, I did. If it would make us safer, then there was no choice. I followed him back upstairs, feeling worse with every step.