Always the Vampire (41 page)

At five fifteen, we were in Maggie’s spacious parlor where the wedding ceremony would be held. Maggie would descend her grand, curved staircase, join her dad there, and proceed to the podium that would be at the opposite end of the room, near the dining room double doors. I got a bit misty imagining the picture she would make, but then the doorbell rang, and Saber and I kept busy admitting rehearsal guests into the house and chatting.

The rehearsal itself was brief and went perfectly. Even DennyK, who I’d heard was a wild man, behaved himself. When the minister took his leave, I passed out the drachmas, explained the drawing, and we headed out for the festival. Maggie didn’t blink that Saber wanted to take his car. She didn’t even fuss when I gave her the drachma game prize and asked her to give the gift card to the winner. Maybe because I lied through my fangs and told her Saber was a bit under the weather.

The western horizon blazed with reds bleeding into purples when Saber and I reached the topmost ramp of the parking garage where Triton waited. He assured us that Lia had worked her magick on the security cameras, so we quickly arranged the trucks, hoods up, and connected jumper cables to Saber’s SUV. As I’d thought, a small car might squeeze by our staging, but the driver would have to be desperate or extremely well insured to brave the tight space.

I went to Triton’s truck, to the open passenger window, and smiled at Lia. “Any sign of Starrack? Is he still cloaking himself?”

“Surprisingly, we had a faint ping fifteen minutes ago. Not near here, but he’ll come. I can feel it.”

So could I, so I didn’t argue. Lia gave us the thumbs-up from the cab, and Cosmil muttered what sounded like a blessing. With that, Saber, Triton, and I descended the northwest stairway.

On the festival field, Saber peeled off as planned to patrol the right side of the main tent. He’d glance into the vendor booths, proceed to the food tents at the west end of the grounds, then circle to meet Triton and me as we came up the left side.

I thought as we first began the stroll down our side of the tent that the double row of vendor booths wasn’t spaced as widely apart as those I’d seen on the right side. The aisle between the rows seemed more jammed, the shoppers moving clumsily. And then I caught eau de Void, that distinctive hot-oil odor that clogged the back of my throat.

I instantly began sipping its energy, but damn it all. If the Void was nearby, Starrack couldn’t be far away.

The Void. It’s here
, I thought at Triton and Saber, Cosmil and Lia.

We don’t see Starrack in the spell,
Lia responded
. He must be dampening his presence.

Triton grabbed my hand.
Is it by the tennis courts or closer?

My nerves more taut with each step, my well of power stirring at the base of my spine, I waded with Triton through the throng to the large tent. We wove our way around the poles and supporting cables, and the six-foot tables filled with diners. I didn’t see any of the wedding party and hoped they were in the long lines at the food tents. Anywhere removed from the Void.

We’re east of the bandstand.
I sent the message to Saber just as a man announced that the members of the Nisiotes Greek Dance Troupe would be out to teach a dance to anyone who wanted to learn.

Stealing ouzo?
Triton sent the thought.

I craned my neck, found Starrack, and reached for his energy, siphoning just a bit and hoping he wouldn’t notice. His life force didn’t taste like hot asphalt and didn’t burn my throat. No, his aura tasted as bitter and dry as cold ashes, and froze my heart.

My chest clenched. My breathing grew ragged. But only for a moment until the well of cool power shot up my spine. I drew one deep, clean breath, then another. Just in time, too, for. six men and six women dancers in blue and white costumes emerged from one side of the stage, recorded music blared through speakers, and Triton grabbed my hand.

We’re going on, Saber,
Triton thought to both of us.
Keep us posted.

Triton and I joined the lively dance at the end of the long line, falling right into step. I was glad we’d practiced, though, because it was a strain to drain energy from two sources, listen for Saber’s intel, and stay in rhythm.

Triton caught my eye, squeezed my hand twice, and we danced to the middle of the circle. The dance troupe members looked surprised, but the learners seemed to think our breakout was normal. Maybe the “oompahs” being yelled from the audience helped sell us, but Triton put on the performance of a lifetime. He executed his small leaps and foot slaps with flair, and I dipped and twirled, all the while keeping in step. The spins were a bitch to do and still look for Starrack. Faces of the dancers and the crowd zipped by with dizzying speed, but I didn’t see Maggie or Neil or anyone else in the wedding party, and that was reassuring.

Triton signaled to rejoin the line, which mercifully stopped a few stanzas of music later.

One of the men in the dance troupe moved to intercept us, but I captured his gaze and gave him the suggestion that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. He relaxed, and we slipped out of the tent to take off for the parking garage at a pace that was slower than I’d like but not brisk enough to raise suspicions that we were fleeing a crime scene.

Ironic, since we were on the way to create one.

As we hustled toward the exit, I kept pulling the Void’s and Starrack’s energy. The Void’s was more filling, but then the oil-slick taste was more noticeable.

Silence.

More silence. My fear flared so fast, I grabbed Triton’s arm and stumbled to a stop at the open fence gate.

“Wait, Triton. Saber’s not answering. Do you see him?”

Triton stepped in front of me and scanned the area. “No Saber, but evil wizard is following. Halfway down the vendor aisle.”

I peered around him, spotted Starrack, and took a big sip of energy. A sip so big, I would’ve had brain freeze had I been sucking on a milk shake. No brain freeze, but something far worse, far more confusing hit me. The energy I took in didn’t taste like ash. It felt hollow, like I was sucking a shell. As if Starrack were there, but no one was home.

Shit, the Starrack chasing us was a damn decoy. An illusion.

Saber, please answer.
I listened to dead air.
Lia, Cosmil, Pandora, is anyone there?

I heard the faintest of whispers, but it wasn’t Saber’s voice.

“Did he answer?” Triton asked, still looking over the crowd.

“No, and neither did the rest of the crew.” I clutched Triton’s wrist, dread crashing in waves. “God, could Starrack have snatched them all?”

“You track Saber, I’ll track the others. Wherever Starrack has gone, we’ll meet up there.” Triton laid a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Now focus. Where’s Saber?”

I closed my eyes and sent my senses in all directions searching for Saber. His laughter. His touch. His love. Two seconds passed. Five. Then I felt it. That core of his essence.

“The fort. Starrack’s taken Saber to the Castillo.”

“They’re on the grounds?”

“No, inside. In the courtyard. But Saber’s energy is barely there.”

“Then go save him,
tyranoulitsa.
I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

I wheeled and dashed across the street, running at vampire speed through the west entrance of the parking garage, and dead on through the pedestrian entrance on the east side. Then I flew, straight up and fast. Screw bugs in my face. Screw being spotted. Only Saber mattered.

I flew over the Huguenot Cemetery, over Castillo Drive, over the Green. At the San Pablo Bastion on the northeast corner of the fort, I banked a hard right to skim along the inner wall of the terreplein, the gun-deck. My vampire vision sharpened as I searched the inky darkness of the courtyard more than thirty feet below. The near-full moon had risen close to three hours ago, but it’s pale light barely breached the Castillo parapets, and Saber’s energy signature weakened by the moment.

There. Movement in the shadows. Two figures in the center of the courtyard. One standing, one prone. The urge to dive-bomb Starrack was strong, but caution won out. I zipped down the long, wide stairs, touching down at the south edge of the courtyard, and willed my vampire vision to adjust to the gloom.

In seconds, it did, and I faced Starrack from no more than twenty feet away. He said nothing, but his expression was one of pure, evil glee as he gestured to the body on the ground.

It took my brain a stuttering second to make sense of what I was seeing, and then I staggered in horror, a low, anguished wail rising from the gash in my soul.

Saber lay wrapped in a black chain from neck to ankles, his eyes closed, his arms pinned to his sides, barely breathing. And as I watched, each link of the chain writhed and shot out tiny, skin piercing thorns.

Dear God. The black chain and the Void were one and the same, and it was eating Saber alive.

Power burst up my spine as a river of rage, and only the pulsing amulet in my left pocket kept me from rushing Starrack and tearing him apart. He would die, but we had to kill him right.

“You sick son of a bitch.”

I hadn’t spoken loudly, but my words echoed off the courtyard walls.

The wizard clicked his tongue. “What coarse language coming from such a proper little vampire princess. If you wanted your pet human safe, you should not have left him alone.”

Do not let him bait you, Francesca
, Cosmil said in my head.
Take the energy of your enemies. Distract Starrack.

Hearing Cosmil’s voice steadied me, and cold, controlled power flooded my limbs. I took slow steps toward Starrack, sucking his aura and the Void chaining Saber with every tread.

“Why are you doing this? What do you want?” I demanded.

“Fortune, fame, and the amulets. Not necessarily in that order.”

“Why the amulets?” I asked, buying time.

“Did I not mention the fortune and fame? Certain parties will make me a god when I deliver them.”

“These parties want to destroy darkness? That’s what the amulets do, or didn’t you know? You’ll be first on the hit list.”

Starrack shook his head. “The amulets respond to intent. One could rule the world if one desired.”

“It won’t be you,” I said as I moved closer and drew more energy from both Starrack and the Void chain. “You die tonight, bastard. The walls of the fort will muffle your death cries, and I will dance in your blood.”

Starrack laughed. “Such fierce talk when you’re all alone, and I wield the weapon created to destroy you.”

I snorted. “Looks to me like the Void is busy, Starrack. You’re on your own, unless you want to call it off Saber.”

“The Void? Is that what you named it?” He clapped his hands once, and a black sphere appeared in his open palms. “Did you hear, my friend? You are the Void.”

Oh, shit. The Void had two forms simultaneously? I mentally sent the images to Cosmil, then I sucked energy harder. I sucked at Starrack’s aura until my tongue was coated with his bitter essence. I sucked at the Void chain until my throat burned, and the globe rippled in response.

“I see my pet is eager to meet you.” He tossed the sphere lightly in the air and caught it again. “Shall I release him now? Show you his full power?”

He took a taunting pause, as if he’d challenged me to play ball. Oh, we’d play all right. I’d play in his entrails given half a chance.

I risked a peek at black chain. Were the links thinning? The thorns retracting? I took another long pull of the chain form’s energy. When I did, the ball form of the Void squirmed in Starrack’s hand.

The wizard looked approving. “Yes, it is time to finish this. I do want to return to my ouzo. Void, my pet, meet the Princess Vampire.”

Starrack threw the globe at me and intoned a spell. I dove out of the way just as the wriggling black glob transformed into a sevenfoot black blob. I started to unzip my right pocket for a magical marble bomb, but the blob came after me, moving faster than I had dreamed possible.

I jump-flew to escape the attack, leading the blobby Void away from Saber. My fountain of power coursed through me even as I opened my super-Hoover suction to continuously draw energy from both forms of the Void.