“Where isss it?” he demanded again. “If you do an anssswer, you will die!”
As though to bring the dire threat home, it raised one three-fingered hand and pointed what looked like a silver pen at her.
Vicky felt her heart freeze in her chest. It was the same weapon she’d seen the alien use to kill the bartender with. The same thing that had cut down a huge lamppost, made a hole in a mailbox, and decapitated a fire hydrant. Clearly, it could cut right through her like butter—and it was about to if she didn’t reveal the location of the alien artifact.
She wanted desperately to speak, but her tongue seemed stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her heart was pounding so hard and her blood rushing so fast she couldn’t breathe. She felt sick—faint. She was going to die because she couldn’t make herself speak, she was sure of it!
“Very well, human—perhapsss you need a warning?” the Varian hissed.
It pressed the button on the back of the sleek silver pen and a golden beam of light shot out of the other end and hit Vicky squarely in the chest.
At once, her entire body from the neck down seemed to go numb. Her tensed muscles relaxed and, to her horror, Vicky found herself sliding deeper into the steaming water. Already it was up to her chin and soon it would be up to her mouth. She tried to move her arms and legs—tried to thrash or push herself up in the water—but it was no use. She was completely paralyzed—her body was dead weight and there was no way to get out of the water.
Oh my God, am I going to drown in my own bathtub? Vicky thought wildly.
It seemed horribly likely as she slid even deeper, her eyes locked on the menacing lizard-like alien crouching at the end of her tub.
“Where?” it demanded in its hissing voice. “Where isss it? Where isss the T’lix-Kruthe?”
“Some questions don’t need an answer,” a deep voice growled in Vicky’s ear.
And then a beam of red light shot past her face and caught the Varian squarely in the chest.
The top part of the scaly alien simply disintegrated, leaving behind only the bottom half with a charred stump at the waist. Vicky watched in horror as the alien hindquarters slowly collapsed, slumping into the water with her.
She screamed in disgust, wanting desperately to thrash and splash and get the hell out of there, away from the dead alien occupying the tub with her. But of course, she couldn’t do a thing—her body was still paralyzed from the neck down.
“Hush,” the deep voice muttered in her ear. “The other one’s around here somewhere—I have to find him and eliminate the threat.”
Vicky turned her head but saw nothing—there was no one beside her, so who was talking to her? Was she going crazy?
“Where…who…?” she managed to get out in a dazed tone.
Suddenly the big Kindred’s face—only his face—appeared in front of her, wearing the red hooded cape he’d had on at the bar.
“It’s just me, sweetheart,” he growled softly. “You stay here and be quiet so I can neutralize the other Varian before he tries anything.”
“Wait,” Vicky begged as she slid deeper into the water. “Please—get me out of the tub first. He shot me…shot me with something that paralyzed me. I can’t move—I’m going to drown if I slide down any further. And that thing’s in here with me.” She looked down at the bottom half of the alien body which was currently occupying the tub with her. A greenish liquid was seeping out of the charred stump at its waist, making cloudy tendrils in the water.
The sight made Vicky feel nauseous but she swallowed hard, determined not to puke. She was pretty sure she would die if she did, considering she couldn’t move enough to clear her own airway if she vomited.
“All right—let’s get you out of there. But quickly!” the big Kindred murmured.
More of him appeared—his arms and hands and he put away the weapon he’d been using that had cut the alien in half. Leaning over the tub, he scooped Vicky out of the water as easily as though he was picking up a small child.
“Hey—don’t hurt your back!” she couldn’t help cautioning him.
But the Kindred only frowned at her.
“How would I hurt my back?” he asked, cradling her close to his broad chest, despite the fact that she was dripping wet.
“Well…by lifting me. I’m, uh, not exactly a lightweight,” Vicky remarked, looking down at her own naked body, which she wished was a whole lot thinner.
“I know…” The Kindred’s gaze followed her own and Vicky was surprised to see the glimmer of desire in those midnight-blue depths. “You’re an Elite,” he told her. “A female blessed by the Goddess with extra-bountiful curves.”
“Okay, um, I guess so.” She could feel herself blushing at the way he was looking at her. When was the last time a man had stared at her with such desire in his eyes? Vicky couldn’t remember. “Nobody said you could stare,” she snapped, unable to help feeling embarrassed.
“Forgive me,” he murmured. “It’s just that you’re so lovely, it’s hard not to look.”
Vicky couldn’t help feeling flattered, which mixed with the irritated embarrassment she also felt to form a very strange emotion indeed. She thought about protesting some more and then just decided to stay silent.
The big Kindred carried her from the bathroom into the bedroom and laid her carefully on the bed. She couldn’t help being impressed by the big warrior’s strength. Kevin hadn’t even been able
