You Both (Vampire Assassin League Book 29) (8 page)

Ethelstone might not have been virginal – that was impossible to prove either way – but one thing was certain. The guy knew nothing about women’s figures and less about fashion and sizing. Six-foot women were not all built the same. This Sasha – whoever she really was – was a lot curvier than Stephanie ever thought of being. She had a larger bust. A smaller waist. And they might have the same hip size, but the woman’s waist to crotch measurement was an inch less than Stephanie’s, too. Apparently, this Sasha also liked to show off her hourglass figure. Her pants were all tailored, her skirts were micro-mini-length, and her tops were cleavage-baring. And everything was in the same shade: black.

Stephanie considered one of the skirt outfits on herself for a bit before changing. Mid-thigh length was not a good look on her. She was a reporter. She wrote on a laptop. Alone. She dressed for comfort, not show. She finally found a pair of black stretch pants that covered her, and, with the addition of a black sweater dress as a tunic, it worked.

Hmm
.

She supposed if she had the figure this Sasha had, she would probably dress like this, too. The only thing they had in common was inseam length. And shoe size. But the woman apparently had a heel fetish, too. She liked stiletto heels, the higher the better. It took some searching to find ballet flats, and they were in with the loungewear area of one closet with the robes.

All in all, Stephanie figured she probably looked all right. It depended mainly on where she planned on wearing this attire, and in what company. But trying on clothes, and hanging them back up, took time. Even if she could move at hyper speed and had a problem with strength when a couple of the satin-covered plastic hangers broke in her hands, it had probably taken hours to find an outfit. That’s when she decided she was hungry.

And got more surprises.

Ethelstone needed better descriptive skills. He’d said she’d prefer rare red meat. He hadn’t mentioned a word about how anything else would make her gag. Even the chocolate-covered strawberries got that reaction. And chocolate was her friend. It had been there when her parents and kid brother were killed by a drunk driver. It helped when she’d been dumped by her first boyfriend. For a guy.

A guy
.

That had hurt.

Why...chocolate had even been there when she found it difficult to find a job in New York and existed on noodles and protein powder. Chocolate was her friend. And now, just like that, the smell of cocoa made her gag?

Unfair
.

Stephanie looked over the plate of chocolate covered fruits, and swallowed the unpleasant reaction.

“This is so unfair.”

She announced it aloud, and then picked up another chunk of rare beef from the shish-kabob platter. The moment the juice hit her mouth she was salivating, trembling, and had to sit down. She’d never had such a reaction to any food, and now had to discover it came from tasting blood?

Ugh.

The kitchens in this hotel were superb. They had an outstanding chef. The kabob had featured huge chunks of rare steak, along with a selection of barely-singed vegetables. It was probably a dish for two or more. Stephanie didn’t care. She’d attacked the platter the moment the waiter left. They didn’t use bamboo skewers. These skewers were wood, and it looked like aged oak or something. They were thick, brown-toned wood, charred on the ends. She had seven of them. They were all bare now. And set neatly beside her plate.

She was trying to keep the mess to a minimum. The shish-kabob platter was the fifth meal selection she’d requested. The kitchens probably thought she was beyond fickle. Impossible to please. The table was covered with meal selections she’d ordered and tried and put a napkin atop.

The vegetarian yogurt special had been first, complete with a fruit cup,
du jour
.

Yuck.

A bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich was next. From the pub menu. It was a mouth-splitting size. Grilled. Came with a huge helping of fries on the side.

Yuck.

She’d ordered a large pepperoni pizza after that. Taken one bite from a cheese-filled slice. Split it back out.

Double yuck.

She’d even tried the barbecue special. The smell had turned her stomach before the room service waiter even got it set out. She’d asked him about rare meat selections then. He’d looked over the table and suggested the kabob.

Thank goodness.

Stephanie sighed, swallowed the bite of meat and stood. Ethelstone was still gone. She didn’t know what time it was, day or night, and this could get very boring. And lonely. And she missed him terribly.

That was a strange thing to admit. She barely knew him, but already it felt like she was missing part of herself. Like the sun hadn’t risen yet. She was sleep-walking. Just existing in a cocoon of luxury. Something was truly weird about this, too. She rubbed her arms. Just thinking of him gave her goose bumps. He was just so handsome. So endearing. So manly. So...fantastic in bed.

And out of it.

Stephanie giggled. Stopped almost the moment she started. She was mooning over the guy?
How is that even possible?
There was no such thing as love at first sight.

“Actually, it was love at first bite, Stephanie,” she said aloud, and then giggled again.

Oh. Brother.

She might as well be a fiction writer. And that reminded her. She was investigating the story of a lifetime here. She could always try mentally composing some of it. She crossed to an alcove across from the fireplace. There was a window seat along the bottom of the wall, covered with over-stuffed red velvet cushions. There wasn’t a window. The seat was backed by huge panels that hung between sections of fake ice walls. The panels depicted scenes of black mountains silhouetted against blood red skies. If she squinted, the scenes looked a lot more like flames. Invoking an image of fire. It was vivid. Powerful. Dramatic.

No wonder they called this the Inferno Suite.

Stephanie settled into a corner of the long bench, shoving a pillow behind her for a backrest.

Okay.

Every good news story began with a fantastic opening. It needed a feel of action and tension, but had to also cover the basics: Who, what, where, when and how. She thought for a moment.

‘
Throughout the world, there exists a league of vampires who kill for profit. They’re covert. Dangerous. Sexy. This reporter knows...because she is a half-turned one now.’

Not bad, but ‘half-turned’ didn’t have much impact. Maybe she should end it with: ‘.
..because she is one now.’

Oh! That was much better. But not entirely accurate. She’d have to wait until Ethelstone returned, and maybe consider...oh.
Holy hell
. That thought was not getting finished. She was not seriously considering letting him turn her into a vampire...

Was she?

A sonic boom sounded through the chamber. Stephanie jerked to her feet and was in the center of the room within a blink of time. It took a moment to figure that out. She wasn’t used to moving this quickly or easily. Her reactions needed work. Nor was she used to hearing at such a volume. She might need ear muffs. Another boom came through the chamber, followed by a series of taps.

Oh.

Maybe it was room service returning for their mountain of service-ware. Stephanie crossed to the door. Looked through the peephole. Caught her breath. Her heart immediately ticked up a notch, and she almost giggled again, this time with joy. She couldn’t stop the smile, however. It was Ethelstone. His full face wasn’t in view, but she’d recognize that chin, throat, and those trapezoidal muscles anywhere.

And look
.

Her smile widened as a small nose peeked from beneath his fur-lined tunic and then became a small furry face.

He’d brought her a puppy.

~ ~ ~

Ethelstone had heard Nigel when he was excited. Angered. Annoyed. He’d never heard him at quite this level of emotion, however. He scrunched his shoulder up defensively against the tone of the kid’s voice.

“...frickin’ time! Have you located Athlerod?”

Nigel spoke rapidly. And loudly. The speaker on the phone vibrated in Ethelstone’s palm. He pulled it away from his ear slightly before replying.

“Yes.”

“Is he all right? No Hunters?”

“He is fine.”

“Then why the hell doesn’t he answer his phone?”

“He wants to quit VAL.”

“He
what?
”

Nigel put so much volume into the word that it hurt to hear. Ethelstone moved the receiver further away from his ear.

“He said we could call it a leave of absence.”

“We don’t give leave of absences. We don’t, do we, Sir?”

The volume went down substantially as Nigel moved his mouth from the microphone. Akron’s answer was even louder, however. Ethelstone moved the cell phone a fraction more away from his ear. This elevation of hearing was one thing about regeneration he could do without.

“
It’s your show, Nigel
.”

“Okay. He can have it.”

“
If you do that, Nigel, Athlerod is your responsibility.”

“Mine? That’s rather heavy, isn’t it?”

“That is a price of leadership, my boy.”

“All right. Fine. Hey, Ethelstone? You still there?”

“Yes
.
”

“I’ll grant him leave. But you’re going to have to take his place! Got that? I need you in Nepal. Stat.”

Ethelstone immediately tensed. “The baby? It is time?”

“Exactly! I am about to be a god-father, and we need all kinds of extra security, and what the hell are you guys doing? Playing hide and seek in the land of ice! Mandy and I are already en-route. I need you to grab your mate and...wait a minute. I’m getting a very weird feeling here.”

“The baby?”

“Is Athlerod...still with you?”

“No.”

“Please tell me you didn’t leave your mate alone.”

“That
pokker!
”

Ethelstone cursed beneath his breath, tossed the phone, and took off. He didn’t hear Nigel’s warning.

He didn’t need to.

She knew it was the wrong twin instantly.

Stephanie leapt backward, gaining the center of the main room before he cleared the threshold. She didn’t have any grasp over this super-human stuff, and she really needed it right now. Her eyes widened as he stepped into the light. He had his sword drawn. His features pinched. Eyes narrowed menacingly. He had the same cobalt-shaded eyes, but Athlerod didn’t have any life behind his gaze. Instead, they resembled multi-faceted jewels.

And looked about as hard.

Oh, shit.

She didn’t have to ask what he wanted. She knew. There was no large form of Ethelstone between them this time. She was going to have to save herself. And something told her having a big vocabulary and a way with words wasn’t going to be of much use.

Think, Steph!

What did she have? The fireplace was on her left, its flames long since banked. The window seat area on her right held nothing but pillows. The table was behind her left shoulder, covered in menu selections. It fronted a bar area. There might be something in there. The rest of the suite was through the hall behind her right shoulder. She had a lot of clothing that way. Some fabric covered hangers. She had lots of stiletto heels. They’d make potent weapons...if she could reach them.

“Wasn’t expecting me, were you?” he asked.

“Get out.”

Crap
. Her voice trembled. Athlerod looked at her for a long moment while her heart rate got quicker, and her breathing more shallow. Then he bent to place his pup on a white fur rug. The animal snuggled into the softness and warmth, making a small dark spot on a lot of white. Stephanie glanced at the pup. Back up. And stumbled backward a step.

Because Athlerod was right in front of her.

Holy hell
.

She could move fast, but Athlerod was unbelievable. He wasn’t sending out any kind of heat signature, either, but she was definitely getting a reaction. Standing this close sent cold shivers racing her skin. They were unpleasant. Frightening. At this range, his eyes were like looking into vacant, dark-blue glass.

“I don’t even know your name,” he said finally.

Stephanie didn’t answer at first. She let her expression do it for her. He appeared to have read her correctly, because a ghost of a smile touched his lips. It didn’t reach his eyes.

“Are you going to tell me or not?”

“Stephanie.”

And then it hit her. She had skewers on the table.
Wooden ones.
All she had to do was reach them.

“Good name.”

His sword arm moved before he finished. Stephanie dropped, slamming front-first into an impromptu push-up on the floor. That hurt. She kept the cry to herself as the air stirred above her from his swipe. He’d been that close?

“You are very quick, Stephanie. That is a surprise.”

She didn’t answer. Stephanie pushed upward, launching toward the table. His sword slashed fabric before grazing her ankle, before it skittered across the floor where she’d just been.

She probably should have spent time testing her skills and strength rather than trying on clothes and tasting food. She may have been gifted with super abilities, but she hadn’t much control over them. She careened off a chair, sending it flying toward the wall. A clumsy lunge took her aloft and across the food-laden table. She landed with the remnants of several menu selections on the far side.

The skewers were scattered like sticks. She snagged three in her left hand, one with her right before the table shuddered as something large and heavy hit it. Stephanie was on her feet before the structure split in half and separated, sending more dinners onto the floor from the blow. And then Athlerod materialized again, coming right for her.

His sword arm lifted.

The blade glinting.

Sharp.

Close.

She didn’t wait for him to arrive. Giving a deep cry that tore her throat, Stephanie launched at him. Stabbed the handful of skewers into his chest. Then sprang back. Out of reach.

And fell onto her butt.

Shit.

A somersault gained her feet beneath her. A second later, she was upright. It took a flash of time, but she expected the cold slice of steel on her neck. Between her shoulder blades. Through her heart. Across her belly. Somewhere.

But no blow came. Nothing.

Athlerod wasn’t attacking. She’d shoved three skewers into his right pec. Nothing vital had been hit, but it looked like they’d gone almost entirely through him. Three, inch-long projectiles stuck out of his tunic, pinning the leather to his chest. As she watched, the holes turned dark with blood. Athlerod staggered, dropped the sword, and grabbed at a spike with his left hand. His right arm appeared to be affected.

Massively.

A wooden stake weakens a vampire?

She didn’t ask it aloud. Athlerod’s expression was easy to read as it went from shock to amazement to anger. And something else. He looked like it pained.

“You used wooden...picks on me?” he asked. “On me?!”

A rush of something potent hit her, strengthening everything. It stiffened her spine. Stilled any tremor. She felt invincible. It was heady. Invigorating. Addictive. If this was what the feeling of power did, no wonder it was pursued. Treasured. Fought over.

“Well...I did save one for your heart.”

Stephanie lifted her hand to show him. He spit in her direction.

“You are worse than a
Midgard
serpent! You are an incarnate of
Loki’s
daughter,
Hel
!”

Stephanie twirled the skewer. He stepped back. The feeling of power swelled.

“You don’t understand! You took my brother from me! Now he has
munuo.
And
elska.
And I have what? Nothing. I hate you. You hear me, Steph. A. Nie? I hate you.”

He split her name into three distinct parts and emphasized it, almost like he was pronouncing a curse. Stephanie knelt and picked up his sword in her free hand without moving her gaze. Then she stepped out from behind the table. And stalked him. He backed toward the entrance. Pulled a skewer from his chest. Flesh came out with it. He dropped the skewer to the floor. Started on another one. Stephanie couldn’t help glancing at the discarded projectile as it rolled, leaving a trail of gore. That should have been repugnant. Ghastly. Grisly. The feeling she experienced was exactly the opposite. The sight was exhilarating. Thrilling. Her heart rate sped up. Her breathing deepened. Her mouth even watered.

“I do not know why I came here. Killing you does not change anything.”

“It does for me,” she replied.

He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I cannot stop anything. Don’t you see? I have lost the only thing that ever mattered to me! Without reason. I did not even get a warning! And now? Now...I am sentenced to loneliness. It’s complete. Total. I have never been alone. I don’t even know how it will feel. I am actually...afraid.”

The last word was barely audible. He swiped a forearm across his face, hiding it momentarily. Stephanie lowered the sword tip.

“Athlerod?”

“Oh. Hell. Forget I spoke, all right? And don’t you dare pity me! I will not accept that!
Ever
. Not from you. Or anyone else.”

He yanked the last skewer out. It fell near the rug where he’d set his pup. He bent and snagged the animal with his good arm. She watched him cradle it just beneath his chin and then he looked over at her. His eyes were hard and cold. No emotion showed on his face.

“Tell my brother I was right. You are a feisty
vif
. And I hate both of you.”

He turned around. And left.

Seconds passed. Nothing moved. No sound filled the void. And then all sorts of physiological reactions started up. A trembling started in her belly and spread outward, sending unbelievable weakness. The sword fell from her nerveless hand. Then the skewer. Her heart started thumping heavily. Each breath came quick and harsh. She covered her face with her hands. And stood shaking. She was very close to bursting into tears.

She needed to stop this. It was stupid. And if Athlerod returned and saw her...?

“Where is he?”

Ethelstone’s yell was frightening to hear. The chandeliers even jumped. Crystals sent lights glinting everywhere. Stephanie’s head snapped up. The difference in the brothers was readily apparent. Ethelstone exuded intensity. Heat. As he stood there, sword upraised, hair flying, and every muscle bulging, he appeared the epitome of a Viking warrior. Her jaw dropped. A series of thrills ran her limbs, raising goose bumps.

“Athlerod!”

This time, his roar sent a tremor through the suite that caused rattling and breaking sounds as more than one thing fell.

“Ethelstone.”

Stephanie’s whisper got swallowed by a swell of encroaching darkness. A weird fog enwrapped her ankles. Grabbed at her knees. She wavered in place. And then Ethelstone was there. His arms went about her, lifting and holding her against him. The fog sensation dissipated.

And then disappeared.

“Oh,
Elska!
My
elska!
”

Ethelstone’s arms cradled her close to him. Secure. She’d never felt such wonder. Their hearts were even beating in tandem. It was a feeling like nothing else in the world.

“You are safe?”

Ethelstone’s words rumbled through his throat where she had her nose pressed. The sensation was pure heaven. Paradise. And bliss. All rolled into one emotion. Stephanie nodded. She didn’t move beyond that.

“Oh,
elska.
You are my
vif.
My entire world. I love you. It is the most amazing feeling...and also the most painful. If he’d harmed you, I would have torn him apart. I have never been so frightened. And he had a head start!”

“Who?” Her mind wasn’t working while a humming sound filled her ears, making it difficult to hear. But her heart heard just fine. He’d just said he loved her!

He loved her!

“My brother was here. That is his sword.”

“Oh. Yeah. That. He, um...dropped it.”

“Athlerod dropped his sword?”

“Yes.”

“He did not hurt you?”

“Actually, he is the one with wounds.”

“Oh, my
elska.
What—? How—? I do not understand. My brother is a vampire. Before that he was an Icelandic Viking. He is a warrior to the bone. I know. I fought at his side. He would never run and leave his sword.”

“Well...if it helps, he didn’t exactly run.”

“How is this possible? You are a person who uses words not weapons. And you are not even fully turned.”

“Well. Um. I ordered the shish-kabob.”

He lifted his head. Studied her with his brows lowered. And then he shook his head. “I do not understand.”

“They come with thick wooden skewers. Pointed and charred on the ends.”

His eyebrows rose. And then he grinned. Oh! She really loved his grin. And him. Her heart swelled. Her breath caught. It was absolute magic.

“You stuck him with a meat skewer?”

“Um. Yeah. Three of them.”

“Oh,
vif.
You are amazing! Wondrous. And I am so grateful.”

His arms tightened about her. He started spinning. They left the floor. And that’s when she knew. Life wasn’t worth living, if she wasn’t with him. And the story about vampires being real entities could be written by someone else.

“Ethelstone?”

“
Ja?
”

“Will he be able to hurt me if I’m a vampire?”

“I was lax. You are my
vif.
I love you. I will never fail you again. He will never harm you. He’ll perish first. I give you my word.”

“But...if I become a full vampire, he can’t hurt me? Or...he’ll have a lot more trouble if he tries again? Right?”

“You bested him already. Once you become a vampire,
elska,
I think it is Athlerod who should worry.”

Stephanie giggled. “Fair enough. Then, I’m in.”

“In what?”

“I want to join you. Be with you. Become like you.”

“You are certain?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Oh, Stephanie!”

Ethelstone started shaking. And moving. His moves took them up, back down, and then he circled the chamber. The swooping and diving turned the Inferno Suite into a visual feast of color and texture before she closed her eyes. And then a strange vibrating noise filled the room.

“I have to get that.”

“What?”

“I have a call. It will be Nigel. He has terrible timing. And I have been remiss. We need to leave. Now.”

“Now? Right when things are getting good?”

“Forgive me,
elska,
but it is an emergency assignment.”