Cast in Blood (Morgan Blackstone Vampires Book 1) (37 page)

Alexander uttered an inarticulate growl, and lunged, closing the distance between them faster than she could move. Morgan spun out of his path, but he still caught her with his blade, pain blossoming in a long line down her right forearm. She dropped to a crouch, making herself a smaller target, pulling her injured arm close, protecting it.

“What’s this?” Alexander chuckled. “Cowering, what would darling Nicholai think?”

“Nicholai would think you should guard your back,” she whispered, glancing over his shoulder, “isn’t that right my love?”
 

“Very true,” Nicholas hissed, pressing the point of his blade into Alexander’s spine. “I didn’t think you’d be this stupid. Give over your weapon, and I’ll offer something you do not deserve, a swift death.”

“Nicholai.” Alexander laughed, wild eyes meeting Morgan’s. She looked into the abyss of his madness, and knew in the space of a heartbeat, what Alexander intended. There was a subtle shift in his balance, and Morgan knew what was coming. She threw herself to the left at the same moment Alexander thrust with his dagger. She screamed, as agony blossomed through her chest, momentum throwing them back. Stars burst before her eyes as her head slammed into the wall. She heard Nicholas’s enraged roar, then felt Alexander’s weight ripped off of her.
 

Hands on her face, cupping it before she dragged her eyes open by sheer force of will, and found Nicholas’s beloved face hovering over her, eyes frantic. “Morgan!”

“Finish him,” she winced, as her voice rasped out, thin and harsh, before her eyes fell closed.

“Don’t you dare go anywhere,” Nicholas ordered and was gone. Focusing on her breathing, Morgan opened her eyes and searched the courtyard. They were at the far end, Nicholas moving with speed and purpose, inflicting countless small wounds on Alexander’s body. Her husband moved like a cat toying with a mouse. Alexander was sloppy, slow to parry Nicholas’s attacks. The dagger burned in her chest, and Morgan could feel her flesh trying to heal itself around the blade.
 

There’s nothing else to do for it, I’ve got to get this thing out,
she thought, and gritted her teeth before pulling the dagger from her chest
. Damn that was too close
, her breath rasped, as her lung tissue knitted and began healing.
 

A shot rang out in the night and Morgan’s head snapped up. She heard Nicholas gasp; her eyes met his as he fell to his knees; the momentum of the bullet’s impact spinning him, a bright crimson stain spreading on his shirt. Alexander’s eyes met hers, and he moved pointing the gun at Morgan’s heart. She felt the blood pounding through her veins, heard Nicholas’s labored breathing, the too fast beat of his heart. Gasping, Morgan found some reserve of strength and stood. She felt the fire curling through her midsection, like a dragon waking after a long sleep.

“You really shouldn’t have done that.” She growled, taking a rolling step toward him, and watched as the gun twitched in his grasp, an infinitesimal movement. Alexander watched her, shifted his aim, leveling the barrel at Nicholas’s neck. Morgan knew that a shot at such close range would sever his spine, a fatal wound.

“If you don’t let me leave, I will shoot him,” he threatened, ice blue eyes flickering between Nicholas and Morgan, never lingering on either of them.

“No, you won’t.” She called on the magic in her blood. In her mind’s eye Morgan saw the weapon Alexander held growing red hot in his grip, and willed it into reality. Alexander gasped, and the gun fell to the ground, glowing bright red. Eyes wild, he spun and took two steps toward the wall, before a barrier of flame blocked his way.
 

Nicholai take care of him. I don’t know how much longer I can continue.
Morgan’s voice sliced through the bright blaze of pain radiating through Nicholas’s chest. He shook himself and rolled to his feet. Alexander darted left and right, searching for a way around the flame, but she was faster, despite the toll it was taking. After a quick glance, to be certain that Morgan was holding her own, Nicholas rushed Alexander. His right arm clamped around Alexander’s torso, while his left wrapped around the younger vampire’s skull, pulling his head back exposing the throat.
 

Nicholas took a deep breath and Alexander’s scent flooded the Assassin’s senses, cold, like the vast wastelands of their shared mother country, laced with the rank scent of fear. Nicholas swallowed his disgust and plunged fangs into the flesh just above Alexander’s collarbone. Nicholas fought the urge to vomit as Alexander’s cool metallic blood flowed into his mouth.
 

As the blood flowed, Nicholas opened himself to the power of the enforcers and thrust it into the younger vampire. Alexander’s defenses crumbled, and Nicholas backed off a little. With cool efficiency, he sifted through Alexander’s memories, seeking the information he wanted.
 

Nicholas saw the cold, impersonal lab with steel tables, medical instruments, and countless implements of torture that would have made the Spanish Inquisition squeamish. Seeing through Alexander’s eyes, he stepped out of the lab, into an alley and then out to the street. As he stood at the end of the alley, Nicholas knew he’d seen enough.
 

I know where to find the Doctor
. It took no more than a few seconds to find the rest of what he sought. Letting his rage take over again, Nicholas ripped a chunk of flesh from Alexander’s throat and spit it on the ground. He released his hold and Alexander staggered, tripping on a paving stone collapsing to his knees. He clutched his hands to his ruined throat, heartbeat thundering in Nicholas’s ears, wild eyes watching the elder vampire. Nicholas laughed and stepped in front of him.
 

“I know what you did,” he growled, “what you wanted to do, but the doctor stopped you.” Nicholas reached out, faster than Alexander could react and caught his arm. “Did you really think you could do those things to
my wife
and not face my wrath?” he asked, using all his strength to crush Alexander’s wrist, taking pleasure in feeling the small bones grind together, then shatter. The younger vampire screamed, and Nicholas smiled. “Oh no, that won’t do,” he laughed, letting the vindictive part of his nature slip his control. Nicholas reached out with his free hand, and crushed what remained of Alexander’s windpipe. Then he let his darker nature play, taking sadistic pleasure in causing Alexander pain.
 

“Nicholas?” Morgan whispered her voice a distant soothing balm to his rage. He blinked, and looked at what he was doing; the dagger was in his hand, and the breathing, aware corpse in front of him was a mass of blood and gore. Morgan laid her hands over his shoulders; Nicholas leaned back steadying himself on her legs.
 

“What have I done?” Morgan was silent, but she stepped to his side and knelt, wrapping her arms around him.
She can’t see me like this, I’m not safe
, Nicholas thought, trying to push her away, but her arms were like satin wrapped steel, and he couldn’t break her embrace.

“How can you stand it? I’m covered in his blood.” Nicholas laughed though it sounded hysterical.

“I can’t let this rip you apart,” she said, while using a clean part of her sleeve to wipe the blood from his face. He took her wrist in his hand, stopping her.
 

“It was too easy,” he breathed, shuddering as the remaining blood began drying on his flesh.

“I know.” She stroked his hair with her free hand.

“It’s not enough,” Nicholas insisted, and released her wrist. He tried to move away from his wife, but she held him in place.
Why isn’t she repulsed? Gods know I am.

“It is. Finish him.” Morgan released him. She stood and stepped back, looking every inch the ancient death goddess, her namesake. Her emerald eyes blazed with fierce determination; blood clung to her clothes and decorated her flesh in bright slashes. Nicholas sighed and regretted it, as a white–hot bolt of pain shot through him; the slug had shifted. “We need to get you inside. That thing’s got to come out.”
 

“Will you call Marcus, Christophe and Charles?”

“I’ll take care of it. Do what you need to, love, and meet me inside.” Morgan brushed a light kiss over his lips, turned and walked out of the garden.

Rising, Nicholas picked up his rapier and turned back to Alexander’s corpse. He made himself look at the corpse, remembering every wound inflicted, and forcing himself to think about the toll.
I have never taken such pleasure in an execution. They are swift, clean deaths, no matter the offense. It’s what makes me so good at this God–forsaken job, I don’t feel, I just do my duty. Apparently, that’s changed
; he thought, placing the tip of his blade over Alexander’s heart. Whispering a prayer to long abandoned Gods, Nicholas thrust the blade through Alexander’s chest, feeling the final struggling beats of his heart reverberating through the steel. There was still a tiny gleam of intelligence in his eyes; the light had not yet gone out, when Nicholas struck Alexander’s head from his body. It rolled, and the light in the eyes went out.

“Go inside Assassin, I will finish this,” Marcus said, from near the door.

“No, I can finish it.”

“Don’t be stupid, Nicholas. Go let your wife take care of you; I can handle this mess.” Marcus took him by the shoulders. For a moment, Nicholas thought he was going to be shaken by the elder vampire, but Marcus turned him toward the house.
 

I will lose this argument, why even bother? It’s a waste of time, and I want Alexander’s blood off me.
“Thank you Marcus.” Nicholas turned and walked into the house, not certain where he’d find Morgan, or what kind of mood she’d be in. He paused and took a moment to open the connection between them, and frowned, before heading to the safe room. The door was open. Morgan was sitting on the edge of the bed, drinking the brew from a goblet. Nicholas closed the door and crossed to where she sat, “How are you?” He dropped to his knees in front of her and wrapped his arms around her.
 
Morgan giggled, and her arms snaked around him. They drew together, and Nicholas tried to ignore the bullet shifting inside him as he moved.

“Better than you love,” she responded, moving her shirt enough to show the healing pink scar where Alexander’s dagger had penetrated her flesh. Nicholas touched it with a gentle caress, noting with a strange detachment that if he had struck less than an inch to one side, it would have pierced her heart. He kissed the healing wound and sat back.

“What’s the plan?” he asked.

“You and I get cleaned up, by the time we’re done Charles and Christophe should be here.”

“Then we decide how to move on the doctor,” Nicholas finished, before taking a long pull from the bottle. Morgan nodded and stood, she disappeared into the bathroom a few moments later.
 

Nicholas felt the rage slipping away, and smiled. The wound in his chest was healing. He frowned, knowing that his call had been as close as Morgan’s. The thought of what could have happened if Alexander’s aim had been better, sent an involuntary shudder through him. He didn’t know how long he sat there, getting his thoughts in order. After a few minutes, he walked to the bathroom and opened the door, letting clouds of steam roll out the door before stepping inside. Morgan was standing in front of the mirror pulling a brush through her raven locks, shining with drips of water clinging to the ends. She moved with careless grace. Her eyes closed, a slight smile curling her lips, a fluffy white robe wrapped around her frame.

“Do you plan on standing there forever?” she asked, watching him in the mirror, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

“No, but I was taking a few moments to enjoy the view.” Nicholas laughed, stripping off what remained of his blood–soaked clothing and tossing them into the trash can to be dealt with later. He ran a hand through his hair, matted with blood.
Perhaps it would be better if I just cut it off? No.
 
That’s a huge pain in the ass too.
Nicholas glanced up and found Morgan’s eyes on him in the mirror. She’d caught him watching her. With a soft laugh, Morgan bit her lower lip and winked. “You little minx!” he scolded, though the smile that curled his lips ruined the effect.

“You knew that already,” she answered, in a low seductive purr she knew drove him crazy. Nicholas reached for her, but she spun out of his reach, laughing. He let his arms fall to his sides, drinking in the lilting music of her voice. There was an influx of cool air over his skin, as she opened the door.
 

“Go minx, and if you can, drink more of that brew. If the doctor is still holed up where I saw in Alexander’s memory, a relaxing end to the night is out.”

“And you don’t want me to take unnecessary risks. Yes, my love, I know. Enjoy your shower.” Morgan cut him off and closed the door on her final word.

W
ASHED
,
DRESSED
AND
feeling much more herself than she had in months, Morgan made her way to the kitchen. As the water heated, she leaned against the kitchen island and closed her eyes. Somehow she’d always known that, as the Lead Enforcer, Nicholas had abilities that passed to him through the blood of his predecessor, but he’d always taken care to hide them from her.
Even now, I know I haven’t seen even a tenth of what he’s capable of doing. Without a doubt, I have no comprehension of the true depth of the power he holds in check.