Celia took his insult as a compliment. She laughed, delighted, and said, “Perhaps. However, I’m not completely heartless, Nathan. I’m willing to make a deal with you. If you let her stake you without any fuss, I promise I’ll let her go right afterward. She’ll walk out of here without as much as a scratch on her little button nose.”
“And the others?” Nathan asked.
Celia shrugged. “Kiefer, Aaron, and Jason are all forfeit. They belong to me. Aaron and Jason will serve as my slaves, and the sorcerer will die screaming. I care not what happens to the rest.”
Nathan glared at her.
“It’s the only agreement on offer,” the master reminded him. “You should take whatever you can get.”
Nathan nodded at her. What difference did it make? He doubted Celia intended to keep her word, anyway.
Meanwhile, Jessica had almost reached him. She raised the stake higher, aiming for his heart.
“It is alright, Jessica,” he said and spread his hands. “Do whatever you must. I will not hurt you. I could never.” Kiefer will defend you and your friends after this, he added silently. He will bring down Celia and protect you all. He is a great sorcerer, and he will not fail you…as I have.
Jessica said nothing, only stumbled the last few steps and positioned the stake against his chest. She raised her face. He could see her forehead twitching, and the emotions warring in her eyes, as her consciousness, locked away, fought to reassert itself.
Such courage, Nathan thought with a remorseful swallow. Such strength. He touched her cheek, thumbing away a tear. “It is alright,” he repeated, and steeled himself for her blow. “You can let go now. Do what you must.” Nathan knew that when the strike came, it would carry all of Celia’s power behind it, and that would be enough to end him. He would turn to dust in a matter of seconds—or so the legends asserted. His soul ached so badly right now, he almost welcomed his obliteration.
“Now!” Celia cried, practically bouncing up and down from excitement. “Do it now, pet! Stab him!”
Jessica pulled back her trembling hand, gathering momentum. She tilted back her head and looked into Nathan’s eyes.
“Now!” Celia repeated, her voice growing shrill with mounting frustration.
“Do it,” Nathan said, nodding once at Jessica. “Strike, and then run away from here. As fast as you can. Do not look back. Do you hear me?”
She nodded back at him.
And then she winked.
◆◆◆
Dorian’s vampires were fast, but Jason was faster. He didn’t know why. Maybe none of these creatures were Celia’s “get” after all? Maybe these guys had been made by a less powerful master than her? Or maybe Nathan was right, and the bite affected everyone differently. It didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Jason was awesome. He was easily outrunning and outmaneuvering everything these bloodsuckers and Dorian’s thugs could throw at him, and yet he’d hardly broken a sweat.
He’d had some Jiu Jitsu training as a kid, but had abandoned the classes in high school. What knowledge he retained came back to him now, and he used it, along with gut instinct and basic rage, to beat every one of his opponents back with ease. Unfortunately, the thugs, as much as the vampires, seemed immune to being punched in the head. They dropped back, but they never lost consciousness, never stayed down, and he guessed their resilience owed to whatever spell they were under. It was like some sort of magical PCP. But again, it didn’t matter. Jason wasn’t panting, or even breathing hard. He could keep pummeling them however long he needed to. And it seemed like he would have fun doing it, so…hey, that was a plus.
Nearby, he could see Kiefer doing just as well with the aid of his magic, and he could hear Dara and Lucy behind him, chanting at the tops of their lungs, creating a magical fence so strong it was actually visible, at least to Jason’s vampiric eyes. It shimmered like a watery dome over the bookstore, and when the occasional vampire or minion broke through the guys’ defensive line and got anywhere near it, Aaron was there with his cross, his holy water, and his fists, ready to drive them back toward Jason and Kiefer again.
In other words, Kiefer’s plan was working. It was working! Now all they needed was for Nathan to finish his part and waste Celia inside the bookstore.
He’ll do it, Jason thought with an angled grin. I know he will.
Jason felt a surge of triumph as he sent yet another vampire hurtling back across the courtyard, and then he spun to face the next one, launching himself at it with a growl of enjoyment unfurling from his throat.
◆◆◆
Aaron couldn’t get over it. He’d been bitten by the same vampire who’d taken a chunk out of Jason, and yet, for some reason, he’d gained none of the speed or strength that Dara’s husband had. Now the big fight was here, and Aaron was relegated to dribbling holy water on the few strays the other guys missed, and sending them back out onto the battlefield, like some sort of unholy ball boy. Even Lucy was doing more with her magical chanting. It was humiliating.Let it go, he thought, shaking himself. Now is not the time. He could nurse his bruised ego later. Or maybe Lucy could nurse it for him.
The thought brought a faint smile to Aaron’s lips, and he dared a glance over his shoulder at her. She did look super cute standing up there with Dara, reading from her little book, didn’t she? His mind went back to the hug they’d shared just before the battle, and the alluring memory of Lucy’s body molding perfectly to his. She’d smelled so good and felt so...perfect.
Aaron licked his lips. His assistant had been a revelation to him tonight, that was for sure.
It gave him a little tickle of pride—and, yeah, a surge of
