Vengeance of the Demons (24 page)

“Don’t worry about it. I’m done here anyway.” He gathered his things. “We’ve never formally met. I’m Doc.”

“Evan. Nice to meet you.”

He nodded. “Would you mind terribly if I took your blood? William tells me that you were given a vaccine as well some years back.”

Evan nodded. “Sure.” She glanced around and found a table and chair. She sat as Doc set his bag on the table and opened it.

“Not sure what good my blood will do,” she said.

“Never know,” said Doc. “Could be the miracle we’re all looking for.”

She nodded, not understanding his meaning.

He spit on his fingers after removing the needle and rubbed it on her arm. The bleeding stopped immediately.

“William, you stay in bed till I get some answers as to what the hell kind of crap they put in you.” Doc toddled to the door.

“Will do.” He wiped a drip of blood from his nose and smiled at her as the door closed. “Alone at last.”

She returned his smile. “Doc did say you had to stay in bed.”

“He did, but he didn’t say I had to stay alone.” He gave her a charming, bright smile and her heart leapt at the sight. Despite the pale bluish skin tone and the deep purple circles, he looked like William.

For a fraction of a second she became self-conscious about him seeing her naked. It was silly; he’d seen her that way several times now. She hesitated but then stood and dropped her towel to the floor.

William’s ice blue eyes sparkled. She crawled across the bed and sat on his lap. His hands found their way to her rear and he gripped her skin as she threaded her arms around his neck and kissed him. She wondered what he thought of her body. Her scars and tiny stretch marks. Her wider hips and curvy shape. His hand trailed up her spine and pulled her closer. His arousal hardened beneath her told her everything she needed to know at that moment.

She lifted his T-shirt and tossed it aside. His pale, taut muscles quivered under her touch.

“Evan, I want you to know, in case something happens to me, I’m going to talk to Danika to make sure you’re provided for.”

She kissed his chest and licked over his nipple. “I don’t want your money.”

“I know, but if I go—”

She shut him up with another kiss. Her heart couldn’t take losing anyone else. Especially him. His lips grew from soft to needy in a matter of seconds. She lay down beside him and he stripped off his sweats and underwear.

He poised above her and kissed down the side of her neck. “I’ve loved you since you first arrived,” he said. “Every moment of every day since you came here, all I’ve wanted was you.”

She wrapped her arms around him and nipped at his shoulder. “I want you too.”

He slid inside her, making her claw at his back. He filled her so completely that she couldn’t deny the feeling that they were meant to be together. He kissed her hard and his rhythm increased. His thrusts grew more forceful and she tried to hang on.

“Hey,” she pulled his face so he looked her in the eyes. “Slow this time.” She wanted him all to herself. As much as she didn’t want to admit that he might not be around much longer, she knew that there was a chance they’d not have many rounds left.

She kissed him slow, letting her tongue glide across his lips and entangle with his. His muscles shook as he started again, the pace slow, every movement rubbing against her, the friction sending her higher into orbit.

He kissed down her neck, licking her collarbone and then nibbling on her breasts. The sensation sent her into overdrive. She tried to focus but drew closer to the edge of oblivion.

“William,” she moaned. Her body quivering with the anticipated release. “I love you.”

He swooped down and smothered her mouth with his. She grabbed his rear and pulled him inside her. Lights shot behind her eyes as her back arched and her muscles pulled tight. She cried his name and her breath caught in her throat as wave after wave of ecstasy overtook her. She was just starting to come down when William gasped and her name burst from his lips as well.

She rocked him through his climax until he fell on top of her completely spent. Her body hummed from the love-making. Terror and happiness mingled inside her at the thought of what was happening with them. She was opening herself up again. Making herself vulnerable to pain and heartbreak. She couldn’t help it though. William had shown her kindness she didn’t deserve and loved her despite her faults.

He gathered her in his arms and she kissed his chest, pushing away all thoughts of what might come.

“So what do we do now?” she asked.

He snuggled her closer. “I like what we just did. I wouldn’t mind doing that another hundred times.”

She laughed and then her stomach growled.

“But maybe we should get you something to eat first,” he said.

“There’s no ‘we’ in that statement,” she replied. “You have to stay here.”

“I’ll order room service.”

His jovial mood struck an eerie chord with her. She knew that his back to normal nature would only last as long as the blood did.

“I’m sorry about being a monster,” he said.

She looked up into his eyes that held nothing but sincerity. “It’s not your fault.”

He brushed the hair from her shoulder and ran a finger down her arm.

“I suppose this is how the vamp rogues feel. Their all-consuming lust for blood that drives them insane. I understand now.”

Her gut clenched at the thought. “But you’re fighting it. Trying to be better. To not give in.”

“Because of you.” His gaze met hers. “If you weren’t here I’d have killed Sue and Matthew and all the others. I’d have drained them dry without a care.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Only because of you.”

“I don’t believe that. Yes, I’m here and yes, I reminded you of who you were but deep down, you’re still you. You don’t want to kill people. If you did, you’d have killed them no matter what I said. You’d have killed me and Tommy on the way here.”

She could see in his eyes that he wanted to believe her.

She kissed him and rolled out of his arms. “I need to check on Tommy and get some food. I’ll be back soon.”

He watched her as she dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of pants.

“Why do I find it sexy that you’re wearing my ill-fitting clothes?”

She leaned over him and kissed his forehead. “Because you’re thinking about taking them off me.”

“Would it be sexy if I wore your clothes?”

She wrinkled her nose and envisioned him in her T-shirt and camo pants.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so either.” He chuckled.

“Try to get some rest while I’m gone.”

“Will I need it for when you return?” He arched an eyebrow at her.

She smiled and walked to the door. “Try to rest.”

He nodded and leaned back into his pillows.

She turned and her smile fell. A hollow ache settled in her chest. She prayed again that everything would turn out okay with him.

Evan tried to keep herself from shaking as she closed William’s bedroom door and headed to the foyer. Down below Vampires swarmed the entrance hall. She recognized some of them from the coven house but most of them she didn’t. Danika and Mason stood at the entrance, welcoming people and pointing to the large atrium used for parties.

Danika spotted her and she whispered to Mason before heading for the stairs.

Evan met her at the bottom.

“You shouldn’t be down here,” she said. “You should be with William.”

“I need something to eat and I want to check on my brother.”

Danika looked haggard close up. Dark shadows puffed under her eyes. Her skin was unusually pale and several bruises on her forehead were being camouflaged by makeup.

“Why is everyone here?” Evan scanned the crowd.

“We’ve had this many and more arriving daily since Mason’s father announced he was coming. They’ve come to fight.”

Evan fought the urge to laugh. The Vampires that walked through the foyer weren’t fighters; they were businessmen and women. Spoiled rich people who’d probably never scrapped for anything in their lives.

“Your brother went with Sue to the barracks. You know the way,” said Danika. “But be sure to keep to the left barracks. Don’t go near the right one.”

“Why?”

Danika didn’t answer for a minute, she stared at Evan as if sizing her up.

“Because it’s full of newborn vampyr.”

“Excuse me?”

“We gave every human here a choice. They could stay as they were, or they could become vampyr. We’ve taken heavy casualties these last weeks. We need all the bodies we can get.”

“What about the vamps?”

Danika shook her head. “At this point we aren’t telling them. We don’t want to incite panic.”

“But if what you try doesn’t work, they’re in danger as well.”

“I’m aware of that.” Danika held her head high.

“William was attacked by vamps who’d been selling Vampire blood. They said vamps were turning into vampyr. If you want to increase your army, that’s where you should go, not to humans. There’s so few of us left as is.”

“Danika,” Mason called. “Sherman is here.”

Danika looked over her shoulder and then back at Evan. “You and I will need to speak. Until then though you may check on your brother and then you are to go back upstairs and take care of William.”

The hairs on Evan’s neck stood up. “I’m not your slave.”

“No, but you’re in my house.”

Evan bit her tongue. It would do William no good if she got in a fight with Danika and ended locked up in a room in the barracks.

Danika turned and strode across the hall to where a tall, white-haired Vampire waited.

Evan swallowed and headed into the kitchen. She pulled out two plates and opened the fridge. Inside she grabbed food without thinking. She tried to keep calm as she headed out to the backyard toward the barracks. Through the front window, she spotted Tommy sitting on the couch near the television, surrounded by a small group of humans.

She pulled open the door and walked in. Everyone turned to stare at her. Tommy hopped from his spot and took one of the plates.

“Hey, sis. How’s William?”

She glanced at the slaves listening from the couch. “Better.”

He nodded and turned to the group. “I’m sure you all remember my sister, Evan.”

Some of the group nodded or gave a weak wave. Evan said nothing in reply.

“How’s Sue?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Doc went up and tended to her and the others but it wasn’t good. I think she was in shock when I pulled her out of there. She just kept sayin’ she didn’t understand.”

Evan nodded. “She and William used to be…close. I have an old room upstairs. You can have it if you want. Or I can try to see if I can find you something in the house…”

“Nah, I’m good. I’ll hang out here. I want to make sure Sue’s gonna be okay.” A shy grin spread over his face and Evan shook her head.

Leave it to Tommy to fall for a damsel in distress.

“I’ll come back and check on you. If you need me, you know where I’ll be.”

He pulled her into a one-armed hug. “You did the right thing, sis. No matter what happens, you did the right thing.”

“Do you think Pop will come looking for us?”

“I don’t know. Part of me hopes so, but part of me prays he doesn’t.”

She knew that feeling all too well.

Tommy released her, and she backed out the door and headed for the main house and into the front hall. The entourage had convened in the atrium and she was just sneaking back up the stairs when Mason ducked into the foyer. For a moment, they stared at each other, and then he crossed to her.

“How is he?” Mason asked.

“Better.” Somehow knowing what Mason was made her want to run.

Mason nodded and looked at the upstairs landing. “He saved my life once.”

“Yes. He told me.”

“I’ll do the same for him if I can.”

She wasn’t sure what Mason could do for William. She wasn’t sure what any of them could do for him.

“Is it true Selene and Neeman left?” she asked. “They didn’t seem the type to run from a fight.”

Mason’s amber eyes met hers. “After Neeman was injured, my sister freaked out. She’d do anything not to lose him.”

“But where would they go? If the demons take over, no one will be safe.”

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” His eyes held such solid conviction that she believed him.

“You’d go back with your father. To save us all.”

He didn’t need to answer. “You turned your back on your family to save William. Would you go back to them if it would save him too?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Then you understand my position. If leaving Danika is the only way to save her, I’ll do it.” He glanced at the atrium. “I should get back. I only came out to grab something for Sherman. If you’ll excuse me.” He jogged around her and took the steps three at a time, and then bounded down the hall.

Would she go back to Pop and Peter if it would save William? Be subjected to their brainwashing and torture of people… She already knew the answer. She’d do whatever it took to make William well again. Even that.

* * * *

William coughed and a spatter of blood splashed on his palm. The bloodlust was ever-present, but the fullness in his stomach quenched it enough to see and think straight. His time with Evan was more than he could ever hope for. He wished there was more he could do for her, but even with the blood coursing through him, he felt weak as a babe.

The door opened and Evan entered with a plate of food.

“Hey,” she said. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Nope.”

She shook her head, moved to the other side of the bed, and sat. “You want to watch some television?”

“I’d rather talk.”

“Okay.” She picked a piece of beef off the plate and bit into it.

“What’s going on downstairs?”

“I don’t know. There’s a ton of Vampires down there in some kind of meeting.”

“Members of the house?”

“More. Maybe a hundred or more. Most I’ve never seen here.”

He nodded. “I’m sure they’ll be pouring in from all over the US and maybe abroad to find out what’s going on. Did you see Tommy?”