Circle of Death (9 page)

Meeting Lucio’s gaze, I took a deep breath.

“We are safe here. He won’t risk fighting both of us unless he is at full strength. If he threatened you like that, it’s because you can truly hurt him. Together, we may be able to destroy him. He won’t risk coming inside without an invitation, that would weaken him.

Without saying anything, Lucio dragged me close and kissed me, his control almost gone. Shivers of pleasure crossed my body, and I could feel his reaction to my response. Not giving him time to move away or to think, I took off his shirt. Almost instinctively, he returned the favor, and I could finally feel his skin against mine.

In one moment I was above him, in the other I was lying on the bed, pinned under Lucio. He stared at me with that predatory gaze, so intense I could barely hold it. I smiled and ran my hands over his chest and abdomen, feeling his muscles twitch under my touch. He closed his eyes, trying to control himself, but I wouldn’t let him. Not again.

Holding on to his shoulders, I lifted myself until I could whisper on his ear.

“Don’t control it. If you want this as much as I do, don’t control yourself. I’ll take care of myself.” I finished with a little bite to his earlobe.

His eyes opened, predator eyes. Before I could understand what was going on his mouth was on my neck, and he licked the skin over the artery as if he could bite me, driving me crazy.

“Do you know what you’re asking me?” He let me feel his fangs against my skin.

“Yes.” My answer was little more than a moan, as one of his hands had just found a nipple.

He didn’t say anything else, just kept tracing a path down my neck, letting me feel just enough of his fangs to go crazy, until his mouth found my breast, his hand still on my other nipple. I writhed on the bed, wanting more, much more. I put my legs around his hips, forcing our bodies together, but he made me release him. I felt the absence of his mouth on my skin, and then we were both naked and Lucio was above me again.

I thought I wanted to lead the dance, but now I saw that it was better to let him do as he wanted. His mouth went back to a nipple, and one of his hands was between my legs, his fingers moving leisurely, teasing me. I squirmed when he found that spot and stopped his slow movements. Now he was drumming a beat against me, and I could barely hold myself together.

And then the phone rang and Lucio quickly moved away. Wordlessly, he dressed with vampiric speed and, when I understood what was going on, he was already answering the phone.

What? How dared him do that? Furious, I gathered my clothes and went to the bathroom. If that was his choice, so be it. I could still arrive at the university in time for the first class, if I hurried.

“He found you, didn’t he?” Avés said as soon as I answered the phone. “And you’re with the one he is looking for.”

“Yes.” I answered, even though I knew that wasn’t a question.

“Protect her, Lucio. You have no idea of how vulnerable she is.

“A human hunted by Seth? Yes, I have a good idea.” My answer was harsh.

“No, you don’t have
any
idea.” Avés replied, going on before I could say anything. “I have bad news. Seth is getting ready to move, and he is not alone. Human blood no longer feeds any vampire that isn’t one his, and he is reclaiming the old vows. And the symbols of final death appeared in all of our spells and imprisonments.”

I didn’t answer immediately, surprised. Seth was getting ready to do something big, but what? Why would he reclaim the old loyalties, as I made sure I was away from the vampiric community and I was the only one who could threaten him? And where did he find a way to tie the human blood to the old vows, and the power to keep something like that active?

And the symbols… That meant the prison was weakening and I, as the last Keeper, should go to the Sanctuary. It wasn’t something I was looking forward to.

“I’ll go to the Sanctuary tonight.” I finally answered him. “Will you guard Kelene while I’m away?”

“That’s her name, Kelene?” There was a strange curiosity in his voice, and I didn’t understand the reason for that. “Yes, we will guard her.”

“I’ll get in touch when I’m back.”

Without saying anything else, he hung up.

I went back to my bedroom, noticing that Kelene had closed her door, and only then I let myself think about what had almost happened. I had lost control, and then abandoned her. It was true that she attracted me and that she became too important for me, but that was wrong. A vampire and a human? I could destroy her if I just forgot about my strength once! I owed her my apologies.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” I heard her voice, furious, and thought she was talking to me until another female voice, strangely familiar, answered her, even though I didn’t feel another presence in her bedroom.

“It’s your duty.”

“And it’s your duty to keep those who serve you safe. Do you really think I don’t know your vermin is around? Don’t think you’ll fool me using the same person again.”

“This is an order, Kelene. You
will
do this job tonight.”

“Make me.”

I heard the lock turn, and soon Kelene left her bedroom and the apartment, slamming the door on her way out.

Watching her storm away, I went back to thinking about what had almost happened. I should protect her, not use her vulnerability. It didn’t matter how many kisses we had exchanged, I was a vampire and Kelene was human. It was simply impossible that she wanted more than a way to make her fears go away for a while. And when a vampire and a human allow themselves to go that far without a true connection, the consequences were disastrous. Now I had to erase the image of her naked body from my mind and concentrate in protecting her.

And I had been so deep in my own mind that I hadn’t realized the danger when she left the apartment. Seth was getting ready to move, and daylight wouldn’t stop him.

I was out of the building one second later, but I couldn’t see Kelene anymore.

I left the apartment, furious, walking quickly toward the bus stop. First, Lucio’s ridiculous attitude. And now that… I knew the anger was just a way to keep my fear under control. It was easier to be furious than frightened. My greatest fear was back, that suspicion I’d had for a long time.

But I never thought I would be in danger under the sun. Apparently, I was wrong. In a shadow of movement, I was dragged into and alley, out of sight of anyone in the street, at vampiric speed. A strong hand held me by the neck, and I knew it would be useless to fight.

“Hello, Kelene,” a velvety voice I knew too well greeted me. “I thought you would run, but instead you delivered yourself to me.”

I stared at the vampire who held me. At least one head taller than me, he was more than six feet tall, all of him made of defined muscles. His skin still had that dark tone that I just now realized was the same as Lucio’s, contrasting with his bright blue eyes. His hair was still long and braided. He had a victorious expression on his face, his perfect features now distorted by a web of dark scars that covered every inch of exposed skin. Scars that covered all of his body, I was sure. I hadn’t destroyed him, but it had been close.

Seth. My oldest nightmare. But not anymore. Seeing the scars, I raised my head, forgetting my fear and gathering all the power that was rightfully mine. I was unarmed, but still ready to fight him the best way I could.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Seth. Why would I hid, if I still need to finish what I started?”

His hand tightened on my neck, in more of a warning than a real threat. He wouldn’t kill me.

“You can do nothing while I’m touching you.” He smiled, showing his fangs. “And I don’t plan to take my hands off you, my Kelene.”

“You can trust me. I will never let you go, my Kelene. I will always be by your side.”

How could I have ever believed him? But I didn’t blame myself. He had known exactly what to say, how to act, and I was just a village girl, a nobody. Too young, too naïve, too unexperienced.

What could I do against him now? Not much, being unarmed. I only had the same options as before: calling the power Death gave those who served her, to be used in a moment of need, or use my own life force to try to destroy him.

I called upon the power that was Death’s gift and it was denied. Apparently, I was right and had really been living a trap. Death was ignoring me
again
, waiting while someone was about to turn me. And, again, I wouldn’t let it happen. Without any hesitation, I called the power I had negotiated when she asked me to come back, the power that would keep a vampire from touching my blood.

Why didn’t I call the power that would let me attack him with my own life force? Because I didn’t want to give up my life –
again
– because of Seth and Death’s plans. Somehow, I still hoped I could find a way out.

And that way out would have to appear soon, I thought, fighting the despair. Seth was already trying to bite me, and stopping him cost me too much strength. No power comes without a price, I remembered Death’s words, when I was still one of her favorite ones.

When I was already thinking about giving up and calling upon the power that would cost my life, something hit me, coming from above Seth. You never hit a vampire to make him release his prey; you hit the prey. That was my last thought, as Seth released me. I hit something behind me and lost consciousness.

I only found her because I could feel powers of death being used. What was Seth doing? Was he working for Death again? Without wasting time with my doubts, I jumped to the roof of the nearest house and used my own powers to be able to run unnoticed.

They were in an alley, in the end of a street that opened into the avenue. Seth was holding Kelene by her neck, and he didn’t even bother raising her above the ground. She wasn’t fighting at all, I noticed. Smart. It would be easier to try to make him release her. Quickly, I looked at the walls around us. The wall behind Kelene was made of naked bricks, the smoothest of them all. It could be worse.

Without waiting any longer, I jumped until I was on the wall behind Seth, still using my powers to hide myself. I calculated my jump carefully, only then stopping to hide my presence. Still, the other vampire only noticed me when I was already above him.

I went over him, hitting Kelene and throwing her at the wall. One should never try to make a vampire release his prey by hitting him, you need to hit the prey. I hoped Kelene was all right, but I couldn’t worry about her now, otherwise Seth would catch both of us.

And he was already ready to attack when I turned around. His wore his hunting face, that distorted mask that twisted our features when we fed. Quickly, my hands became claws, and my own hunting face emerged.

“Great, I’ll get rid of two problems at once.” He said, with the animalistic voice that came with the transformation.

I didn’t bother answering. In the next second we were locked together, one trying to reach the other’s throat, the only way to incapacitate one of us long enough for the other to escape with Kelene. He was overconfident, as always, and that was what gave me the first advantage. Seth eased his defenses and I threw him at the wall behind him.

Seth hit the wall on his side before falling to the ground. He got up almost immediately, the scratches on his face already closing. He was pale, with fire in his eyes, the strange dark scars standing out on his skin. This time he didn’t say anything, just stared at me before charging.

I jumped to the wall and he followed me, attacking with his claws while I dodged and waited for his next mistake. We went back to the ground and, in a glace, I noticed Kelene was nowhere in sight. When I looked back at Seth I realized that, this time, the mistake had been mine. His hands were back to normal and he held a sword.

That had always been his advantage on fights. Seth had the ability to hide objects near his body. And I had left the apartment so worried that I didn’t remember that, didn’t even think about getting my weapons.

With a smile, Seth advanced. I easily dodged his first blow, but he made it a continuous movement, another move that was typical from him but that I had forgotten. I used my arm to shield by body, and felt the blade hit my bone. I was immune to pain, but that was the kind of blow that meant the end of a fight. The blood loss would weaken me and make me an easy target. Seth knew it, and his smile widened as he readied himself for another blow, which would probably be the last of the fight.

I managed to dodge and grab his arm, but I wasn’t strong enough to make him release his sword. But before he could use his other hand to hit me I saw his hand open, a strange and halting movement, as if he was being forced to do it, and his sword fell on the ground.

“Release him, Lucio!”

Kelene’s voice sounded strong and sure, an order so clear, indisputable, that I released the other vampire before I really understood what I was doing. When I realized what had happened and tried to grab him again, he was flying toward the wall I had thrown Kelene at, hitting it with such strength that pieces of brick fell. But he kept motionless.

I didn’t understand what had happened but, before I could turn around, I felt my strength fail and fell, my hands and face going back to normal. Only then I noticed the pool of blood around me. My blood. And I wasn’t strong enough to stop the bleeding.

“Give me your arm.” I heard Kelene’s voice, without really understanding what she was saying.

When I didn’t move, she made an exasperated sound and crouched before me, forcing me to release the wound. She had taken a piece of fabric and now wrapped my arm, trying to stop the bleeding. It was all I needed to start healing myself.

Wordlessly, Kelene got up and took Seth’s sword in a confident grip, before heading toward the vampire. He was still motionless, pressed into the wall a few feet from the ground, as if some kind of invisible force was holding him there. With a cold-blooded precision that surprised me, she stuck the sword in Seth’s chest, pinning him to the wall. I could see the fury in his distorted expression, but he didn’t say anything. He
couldn’t
say anything, I realized.