Vampire King of New York (34 page)

David whispered to her. “Max isn’t going to like that.”

She leaned closer to David to whisper back. “Max, left the safety of the elven charm. He’s not going to like what I have to say to him about that.”

“He probably did that to protect us. He may have made an agreement with his maker and sacrificed himself. Max is like that.”

“Well, that was stupid then. And he broke his agreement with me, never to leave me again.”

“He left you before?”

“Not on purpose, but that also had to do with an unwise decision. Anyway it’s a long story.” Evelyn turned back to the other vampires. David also resumed his prior position. The courier hurried off.

David cleared his throat. “I’m going to track Max and lead a small group of knights to his location. We haven’t homed in on him yet, but when we I do, I will need three squads flanking my left and three on my right.”

“I smell the ocean where he is?” Evelyn interrupted.

Everyone turned their attention to her.

“Is he facing the ocean or is it behind him? Is he very close to the ocean? Can you sense how close?” David asked.

Evelyn closed her eyes. She still couldn’t hear Max’s thoughts, but she caught glimpses of boats needing repair. The clear sound of the surf filled her ears. “He’s in a building facing the sea. There are boats and parts of boats in this wooden building. He is chained to an anchor, but that can’t be right. A vampire can’t be held by a chain, can he?”

“If there’s a spell on the chain, he can be kept prisoner that way.” Noblesse sniffed, a blood tear ran down her cheek.

“He’s being tortured. David, are we ready to go get him?” Evelyn turned to her brother-in-law. Everything now depended on him.

After giving out the assignments, David led the group through a hidden door down the steps and into the armory. “I want everyone armed just in case.” Vampires chose guns with wooden bullets, swords, and bows with arrows.

Evelyn stood there with her hands out and open, waiting to receive a weapon too, but the armory clerks kept passing her by.

“David, I want a weapon too.”

“You won’t need a weapon. You are staying here at the Arnhem Society, where you can be protected.”

“No, I’m going too.” All the members of the council turned toward them. Evelyn stood even straighter. “Max needs me, and whatever happens to him, happens to me.”

Laura hugged her. “Don’t do that. Max would want you to be safe.”

“Laura, if David were in trouble, you wouldn’t stay behind and be protected.” She pushed her sister aside. “David, give me a weapon.”

“Give me the Crueler,” David said to the clerk.

After going through a darkened doorway, the clerk reappeared with a sheathed dagger, which he handed to David.

The vampire shook his head. “Max would kill me if he knew I was doing this.” He handed her the sheath. “Evie, be very careful with this dagger. It’s carved from obsidian and it’s been dipped in sea salt and red wine. Do not get it anywhere near us! It will kill a vampire with even the smallest nick.”

The clerk handed David a leather pouch. He opened it, closed it, and handed it to Laura.

“What’s that?” Evelyn looked up from fumbling with tying on the sheath.

“The antidote. Just in case. Laura, help her with that sheath, please.”

Laura helped while the rest of the vampires armed up.

They waited for sunset together in a room just below the roof. Evelyn sat with Noblesse, Laura, and Hatcher, while David talked strategy with group leaders. A sharp pain made her wince. Tears streamed down Noblesse’s face.

“Please, don’t cry, Noblesse. Max needs you to be strong.” Evelyn dabbed the vampiress’s eyes with a tissue.

Noblesse never cries unless it’s very bad.

I figured that out, Laura.

“That’s a misconception,” Hatcher said. “Tears at the proper time denote wisdom and an abundance of courage preparing itself to act.”

Noblesse patted Hatcher on the shoulder. “Thank you. I don’t know what got into me really. I never cry.”

“It’s because it’s Max. He’s your father.”

She nodded.

The courier came into the room and stopped in front of Evelyn. Everyone grew silent to hear his announcement. The vampire bowed before Evelyn. She thought this unnecessary but didn’t bother to correct him. After all, she wasn’t up on all the vampire protocols. Max would have to teach her more about these things.

“Your Majesty, his Majesty of New Jersey sends the kindest regards. He welcomes the force to retrieve King Max and will release some of his guards to assist. King Vladimir is honored by your gift.”

“His name is Vladimir? Oh, God, Max is going to be mad at me.”

Noblesse laughed so hard that she cried.

“You see what I mean.” David shook his head.

The sun was setting. Even Evelyn could feel it.

David growled, “Time to go!”

They rushed up the stairway and leapt into the sky. With Noblesse on one side of her and Laura on the other, Evelyn joined the air bound knights.

Chapter 23

Hiding behind an empty summer home that was in ill repair, David, Evelyn, Laura, Noblesse, and Hatcher spied on the boathouse. They watched savages going in and out. The other knights were in position, and on David’s command, they’d attack.

“You’ll need a diversion.” Evelyn could feel every bite, every cut Ruxandra inflicted on Max.

“No. We’ll attack together.”

“She’ll kill him rather than give him up. See her minions are going somewhere.” Evelyn inched backward.

“Where are you going?” Laura frowned.

“Bathroom.” Evelyn kept her mind focused on the restroom sign at a gas station a little down the street and around the corner.

“Okay, but be fast.”

“Okay.”

Evelyn inched further back and then went through the backyard to the street behind. This was going to be difficult. How was she going to get past the vampires to the boathouse?

“You’re going to need a diversion.”

Evelyn jumped and turned, her heart in her throat, the dagger out. Noblesse stood in front of her.

“Be careful with that. You could kill someone.”

“You scared me.”

“I’m nothing compared to what you’re going to see in that building. You shouldn’t do this.”

Evelyn sighed. “Why are you here?”

“David told me to watch you.”

“So you’re going to create a diversion and watch me go in?”

“Something like that.” Noblesse smirked, showing off her fangs.

“Why are you going to do this?”

“Because you’re angry enough for this to work.”

Evelyn walked briskly down the street. All the lights were out. The area was strangely deserted for a beachside community nearing the end of summer. Stopping at the closed drug store, she peered around the corner.

What happened to all the humans?

The master vampire probably had them all move out.

Evelyn laughed when she heard Noblesse in her head. Probably the proximity made it possible.
Are you sure the savages just didn’t eat them?

No. Even an ancient is wise enough not to leave dead humans around. You think like a vampire. You really should consider asking Max to change you.

I like being human, thank you.

I did not mean to offend.

Six savages came out of the side door of the boathouse.

Noblesse, how do you say, Oh crap, in French?

Merde.

Noblesse burst in front of the savages, screamed, and led them shrieking down the street. Totally out of character for the vampire, who was once a French patriot.

Evelyn raced across the street in the mayhem that ensued and leapt into the bushes beside the side door just before more savages rushed out. She waited in the silence, one hand on the dagger, one hand over her mouth. When the growls stopped, she dared to peer out.

A savage grabbed her by the throat and dragged her inside. Gasping for breath, begging God to keep her from passing out, Evelyn stabbed it in the stomach.

It shrieked. Quickly, she cut off its head to stop the sound. Black blood saturated the old wooden floorboards. Growling approached. Evelyn had to be quick. With all her strength, she threw the body out the door. Hopefully they would think he was killed outside and never realize their security was breached.

With the lightest steps she could manage, Evelyn rushed down a hall and hid behind a boat. Savages ran past seconds later. Trembling, she clutched the dagger in her tight fist.

Moving through the boathouse was awkward, forced to stop and hide at every sound. Finding a stairwell, Evelyn decided to chance it, practically sliding down it. She threw herself behind a boat.

Through a crack, Evelyn saw a woman enter a far door. Only this was no woman. Tall and slender, raven haired with piercing dark eyes, this alabaster queen glided, swaying her hips. Well at least they had that much in common.

The woman turned glaring all around her.

Damn, wall. Wall. Wall the brain.

Satisfied no one was there, the ancient vampiress who didn’t look a day over sixteen focused on a man chained to an anchor. Blood was everywhere. Evelyn tried to creep to the other side of the boat to get a better look. The woman leaned over her victim. Evelyn was about two feet away.

“Your Arnhem Knights are outside, and they’re about to make a fatal mistake.” She drew a knife and cut his upper arm.

Max didn’t make a sound. Evelyn could feel panic wash over him. It must be for the knights. He shook his head, when Ruxandra bent to lick his arm. His eyes darted around the room, searching the darkness. Then she realized. He felt her presence.

Ruxandra lifted her dagger again. “I was hoping to take you with me, but if not, I will leave you in pieces, too many to resurrect.”

Evelyn jumped on the vampiress’s back with dagger raised.

Chapter 24

She swung her dagger, missing Ruxandra who tossed her off. Evelyn rolled and jumped to her feet still holding the dagger.

You should not be here.
Max’s anger stormed through her head.

Savages emerging from the shadows jumped her. Evelyn stabbed and jabbed, killing a few, but the ones left managed to subdue her and take the dagger. They gave it to their mistress who held it with a cloth.

Evelyn was dragged to a bollard and tied to it. Max wasn’t happy to see her. She couldn’t hear his thoughts at the moment but didn’t really need to. The miserable expression on his face said it all.

Ruxandra paced between them, all the while examining the dagger. “It doesn’t make sense. We got rid of all the humans. Then you show up wielding the Crueler of all things. I haven’t seen this dagger in centuries. It was last the property of a vampire slayer. Are you a slayer?” She bent down into Evelyn’s face. Her eyes widened, and her lips twisted in a snarl.

“Your pet has come to rescue you, Max. Isn’t that precious!” She burst out laughing.

“Let her go. She means nothing.” Max lunged against the chains holding him to the anchor, but they held fast.

Ruxandra twirled her fingers in Evelyn’s hair. “You mean something to her, or she wouldn’t be giving up her life for you.” She straightened and paced again, carefully holding the Crueler with the cloth. “And she had this. Max, did you take up with a slayer? A baby slayer by the looks of her obvious inexperience?”

Evelyn didn’t want to be scared, but her insides were shaking. This idea had been a bad one. Laura was frantically shouting in her head, and she dared not answer with the vampiress so close. She didn’t know if she could put up a wall with the woman on top of her. At the same time, she hoped to feel more from Max, more than sadness.

“No. That’s all the more reason to let her go. She’s helpless, not even worth killing.”

“Are you sure about that? She killed some of my minions. She knew where to find you. If she could, the Arnhem Knights can’t be too far behind. We’ll have to leave soon.”

Ruxandra thrust her face into Evelyn’s. “Did he tell you about all the times we had sex? How I used him for my pleasure? That’s the great thing about vampires, the boundless stiff energy. He was pitiful before I made him.”

Evelyn struggled against her bonds. “He was never pitiful. You don’t appreciate real talent when you see it.”

The vampiress laughed. “Oh, Max, you have a real fan here. It’s a shame you didn’t turn her into one of us. Then she might have presented a challenge.”

“You have no idea who I am or what I’m capable of,” Evelyn growled.

This delighted their tormentor even more.

Max pushed against the chains that burned his skin. He tried to concentrate on shifting into something small and fast like a mouse. He couldn’t shift. His sides shuddered but he remained the same.

“You know in all the years since you left me …”

“I escaped you.” Max corrected her.

“Aw, Max, you make it sound like I’m an evil person.”

“You are.”

She giggled, waving the dagger in the air. “No, you are. You ruined my perfect record of no escapes. I’m going to have to punish you. Especially after I gave you years of special attention, it’s just insulting.” She waved the Crueler in front of Max’s face. “If anything, you owe me a debt.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Everything you have today is because you are a vampire. I did that for you.” She put the Crueler on a nearby barrel. Drawing another almost needle-like dagger from her sleeve, she sliced his arms again.

He didn’t wince or make a sound. Max fixed his gaze on the only thing in the world that mattered to him—Evelyn. In looking past Ruxandra, he could see his lifemate’s delicate face, those ever faithful summer blue eyes.
Evelyn, I love you.

I love you too, Max.

You heard me.

Yes, and we weren’t even making love.

Evie, I’m going to get her attention. Can you free yourself and get away? Work on the ropes with your fingers. Maybe you can ease them loose.

I won’t leave you.