Blood Bond (PULSE, Book 5) (15 page)

“Didn't look so temporary,” said Mal. “In any case – I see you've delivered the vials of Life's Blood.”

“As promised,” Olga said.

“But you had some too, didn't you?” Kalina heard Mal take a step closer. “I can see it in your eyes.”

A pause. “Yes,” Olga said at last. “I did.”

“I told you it was forbidden!” Mal grew angry. “I told you it was for Molotov's men – and them alone. Do you realize how much a single vial of that stuff is worth?”

“Consider it a finder's fee,” Olga said promptly. “I did what you asked, didn't I? Risked my hide going all the way from St. Petersburg to Beijing to deliver the vials! Kept them safe, too. Do you realize how much danger I was in, trafficking that much Blood across uncontrolled territories? You're lucky I didn't drink the whole thing. I just drank enough to stay safe and make sure I could fight anyone else seeking the blood.”

Mal grunted. “We have the source now, in any case. But when we drain her, don't even think about taking another drop.”

“That's the problem,” said Olga. “Molotov doesn't want to drain her. We can't steal the vials – he wants the girl alive. If she even is alive – I think that girl's been turned...”         

“Impossible!”

“He wants to sell access to her to desperate vamps who want to turn human. A few hundred thousand rubles a day for time to fall in love with the girl. And to do whatever else besides.”

Kalina shivered at the memory of Molotov's plan.

“Does he know you're not with him?” Mal's voice grew quieter. “Does he suspect?”

“The Life's Blood broke his hold on me – he can't read me the way he used to.” Olga snapped. “So don't complain that I took your precious Life's Blood; if I hadn't, Molotov might've seen right through us, and then where would we be?”

Kalina clapped a hand over her mouth. So Mal wasn't on Molotov's side after all. From the looks of things, Olga and Mal were both working to subvert the plans of their maker.

“You're sure he doesn't know? About the Carriers in custody.”

“I'm sure. No, not Molotov. I'd know if he knew. He's a fool. If he were wise like you, he'd drain the girl and make an army of Life's Blood vampires to serve him – but he's a different kind of evil. He likes money and doesn't like getting his hands dirty. Sends us to do it for him.”

Kalina's heart almost stopped. So Mal had managed to get his hands on some of the Carriers.

“Did you find more?”

“We've searched all over the world,” said Mal. “Sniffed out whomever we could. We searched every village and every city. We played it safe – any girl who had the slightest whiff of Life's Blood about her we took. They're in the compound now.”

“And if they turn out not to be Carriers?”

“We always need more slaves. And I'm sure at least half of them will turn out to have Life's Blood.”

Kalina felt sick to her stomach. The thought of those girls – why, they couldn't be more than sixteen years old – kidnapped, frightened, taken away from their homes, from their families, from everyone they loved made her want to throw up. She couldn't even begin to imagine how they must be feeling – how afraid...

“I'm thinking of making a deal,” said Molotov.

“A deal? With Molotov? After all...”

“Don't be silly, my pet. It will work out to our advantage. I'll give him two or three of the Carriers when they age – two or three times the profit for him – and I get Kalina. These children will manifest their abilities in a few years – what is a year or two to a vampire? He'll surely wait – and while he waits, we'll manage to have the rest of the children along with that girl.”

Kalina could stand it no longer. She turned and ran down the rafter once more, flying down to Octavius’ side. He had just finished staking one final guard; the guard exploded into dust at their feet.

“I did warn them to run,” said Octavius sadly, “But they insisted on fighting until the end.”

She tugged at his sleeve. “Mal has them,” she cried, her breath catching in her throat.

“Mal has who?” Octavius turned around.

“The Carriers,” Kalina coughed and spluttered, her worry choking her words. “The latent Carriers – the children. I heard him talking...”

Octavius’ expression turned to stone. He turned to Kalina. “Where is he?”

“Mal – they're in the other room. Him and Olga. I was eavesdropping.”

Before Kalina could finish explaining, Octavius had rushed into the other room, Kalina and the other vampires following behind. Octavius made straight for Mal, his large, muscular hands wrapping tightly around his throat, pinning him to the wall.

“Where are they?”

Mal looked confused. The last he had seen of Octavius, Kalina knew, they had been fighting a supposedly unwinnable battle with Life's Blood vampires. He hadn't expected any of them to make it out alive.

Olga stood in the corner, her fangs bared. She made no effort to help Mal. Rather, she was looking Octavius up and down, clearly in awe of his superior strength, looks, and courage. Kalina seethed inwardly. Olga apparently didn't care who it was that she was serving – as long as she managed to get something out of it.

“How did you get out...” Mal began.

“No time for pleasantries, Malvolio,” said Octavius swiftly. “Listen to me – you will tell me where the Life's Blood children are, and if you don't, I swear you'll receive a stake to the heart that will turn you to dust.”

There was a long pause. And then Mal started to laugh. “You're going to stake me!” His laugh grew louder. “Really, Octavius – what a fool you are. You must know it won't do me any harm. We've been through that already.” Yet his laugh grew nervous. It was obvious that Octavius had some reason behind this show of fierce confidence. “Life's Blood makes me invincible. As you would know, if you'd only drink from that delectable girl there...” He turned to Kalina.

“You want proof?” Octavius said. “You want to go back into the main room, to look at all the vampires turned to dust on the floor. You wondering how I managed to fight off five Life's Blood vampires without a scratch on me. Not one of them has chased me in here, Mal, have you noticed that? Why is that. Perhaps maybe they've just gotten bored. Or perhaps they're dead.”

Mal's eyes widened. “How...” he sputtered.

“Ours is not to reason why,” quoted Octavius, pressing the stake against Mal's chest until it drew blood. “Ours is but to do –
or die.
”

“Tell us where the Carriers are!” Jaegar and Stuart stepped forth. “And we might decide to show you some mercy.”

Mal glanced over at Olga, fury mingling with wild fear in his eyes. “Olga – do something! Get them off me.”

Olga did nothing, but merely scanned the situation, looking up and down at the vampires.

“Olga! I am your Master – I command you! I made you! Got you out of St. Petersburg before those filthy proletariats had you shot with the rest of the Romanovs...”

“The Life's Blood took care of that, Mal,” said Olga. “If Molotov can't hear my thoughts, then neither can you order me around. I'm a free woman. Which was, I suppose, your objection to me drinking it.”

“Olga, we can argue later. Just get me out...”

“I can't say I'm too interested in risking my life and limb in order to serve as a little nanny to your new little girls, Mal. I don't do bedtimes stories, and I don't do glasses of milk. I'm not interested in coddling Carriers for your benefit – not if it means risking my hide.”

“Don't be a fool, Olga. I know you love me.”

“I did love you once, Mal,” said Olga. “As all vampires love their makers. But you never knew what love meant, did you? You had no interest in love. You simply desired to kill or feed. And in all the Carriers you've slaughtered over the years, all the Life's Blood you've encountered – not one girl ever loved you. Oh, you’ve tried. You’ve even claimed to have loved a carrier once. But not one girl ever gave you a shot at being human. Why? Because you don't know how to love. Hundreds of years alive and you still don't know how to love.” She looked over at Octavius. “See, this vampire – far more ancient than you are. More powerful – he can kill Life's Blood vampires. But this one can love. I can see it in his eyes. He has that power...”

“Taken!” Kalina couldn't help but shout, stepping firmly to Octavius side.

“I'll give you one last chance,” said Octavius, pressing the stake in deeper. “I'll count to three. And if you don't tell me where the Life's Blood Carriers are, I'll have you killed right now.”

Mal gave a twisted smile. “Then let them die. If you kill me, you'll never find them. And then they'll starve to death in my compound. No food. No water. No light. Maybe some vampire will come to feed and put them out of their mercy...”

“I think you might want to reconsider your position.” A voice came booming from the room. Kalina turned around in surprise. There was Molotov, clad in furs. “Anything you'd like to tell me, Mal?”

Chapter 16

M
olotov had retreated from the fight in the beginning. It was custom, Octavius had told Kalina, for particularly strong or powerful vampires in this part of the world to retreat into their chambers while a battle was being waged, sending lesser vampires out into the fray. Only if the threat became truly serious would a strong vampire deign to wage war on those he deemed lesser. Clad in his furs, his eyes flashing and dark, Molotov looked truly intimidating even without his army. Kalina shivered. Life's Blood or not, she didn't want to face him.

“I see you have made short work of my men.” Molotov's tone was expressionless. He betrayed no anger, no hatred, only a mild curiosity. “It seems you have great power, Octavius. And you are currently threatening my offspring.”

Octavius tightened his grip on Mal, squeezing his neck and grimacing. “Mal and I have a feud of a personal nature that needs settling,” Octavius said through gritted teeth.

“Ah yes,” said Molotov. “I remember. This one managed to destroy all the major members of the Consortium, was that it? Excepting you, of course.”

“That's it,” Octavius scowled. “Great men and women – my friends. My colleagues. My comrades-at-arms. All slaughtered by this brute.”

“I know the Consortium. Many times throughout the years I considered joining. Indeed, I was briefly affiliated with it – long before you were even made. Long before you transformed the Consortium into what it was – a society for order and the protection of human-vampire relations – I knew Isaiah, your maker. Back then, the Consortium was a mere collection of the powerful. And I see it did not change. Many a time would I hear of some illustrious or great vampire only to discover that he, too, was a member of the Consortium. While younger, reckless, foolish young vampires would get into trouble – they'd get massacred by villagers by making themselves too well-known, or else try to go out in the light with counterfeit Life's Blood – Consortium members knew how to survive. They were wise. Loyal. And so they were like you and I, Octavius – old ones? Ones who have managed to outgrow our foolish bloodlust.” Molotov turned to Mal. “A lesson we have not all learned, evidently.”

“It is not too late,” said Octavius. “Stuart, Jaegar, and I – three of the leaders of the Consortium – still live. Nearly all of the regiments still exist – needing only a new leader to survive. They await my orders. You could still join us. I am willing to pay you a salary – not, perhaps, as great as you would earn by this...ah...
prostitution
of the woman I love, but in a far nobler profession than that of vampire procurer.”

Kalina looked on, fascinated. As repulsive as she found Molotov's plan, she couldn't help but respect this very ancient vampire. He wasn't rushing for her blood, or crazed for power and an army like Mal was. He simply wanted cold hard cash, and was open to how he got it. She wouldn't feel safe around him, she knew, but watching Octavius and Molotov talk, she realized quite how ancient, quite how rich, the vampire civilization was. These were two of the greatest vampires of all time, trying to resolve their disagreement with courteous words and fine diplomacy.