Eternal Pleasure (24 page)

“Yeah, I’ve got it.” Ty couldn’t stay here one more minute. He rose and stalked to the door; Q was right behind him.

“We need to wait for someone to drive us home, Ty.” Q glanced back to where Fin was watching them.

“Like hell we do.” He was tired of being carted around like a helpless baby.

He yanked open the door, reached the elevator in a few angry strides, and stepped into the waiting car. Within
seconds Q and he were walking toward the desk where the two doormen were stationed. “Call a taxi for me.”

Without waiting to hear their response, he strode out into the darkness. Ty drew a deep breath of night air. Sure, it wasn’t the unpolluted air his primitive soul longed for, but it was the air he was stuck with for the present. And when the taxi came, he let Q take care of talking to the driver. He had other things to think about.

Once they reached the apartment, Q tried to reason with him. “Don’t do anything stupid. You know Fin is on this. As soon as he comes up with something, he’ll call us. If anyone can find her, it’s Fin.”

Ty knew his answer was an inarticulate snarl, but he couldn’t help it. He was filled with so much rage and terror that he almost couldn’t hold his emotions in. He had to control them, though. A T. rex tearing up Houston wouldn’t help Kelly.

Once inside his apartment, he couldn’t settle down. Pacing back and forth, he tried to think rationally. But it didn’t work. Ty kept imagining what she was going through. He remembered the horror of finding Neva last night. Only Neva’s werewolf strength and ferocity had kept her alive. Kelly didn’t have that advantage.

But she’s strong inside
. God, let that inner strength keep her alive, because he was going to find her. Damn it to hell, he was coming for her. Flinging himself across the room, he almost ran from his apartment. Kelly’s door was still unlocked. He’d been too upset when he’d left to think about locking it. After all, the most important thing inside was already gone.

Relieved, he discovered her purse still sitting on the counter. Rummaging through it, he found the keys to the SUV. For only a moment, he paused. Was he really going
to do this? Stupid question because his choice was already made. He’d drive into hell itself if he had to.

He grabbed her keys, raced out of the building, and climbed into the car. Ty had watched how Kelly drove. He could do it. He started the SUV and steered it out of the parking lot.

Lucky for Ty, he had lightning-quick reflexes and a good memory. Both served him well tonight. A few drivers never knew how close they came to death as he tried to concentrate on his driving and search for his destination at the same time.

When he finally pulled into the parking lot at Hermann Park, Ty shut off the engine, then took a minute just to breathe. His adrenaline was shooting through the top of his head.

He was way too early, so he sat in the car thinking about Kelly. And sometime during the lonely hours before midnight, Ty made his decision. When he found Kelly, he was going to ask her to share a part of his soul, because he never wanted to be without her again. He was too damn weak to walk away from her.

Finally he climbed from the SUV and walked to the circle with the big statue of Sam Houston in the center island.

Ty waited, afraid his one chance to find Kelly wouldn’t show and knowing exactly what he would have to give up for that chance. He was staring into the darkness when someone spoke behind him.

“I suppose we all eventually find something worth losing our souls over.” Seir sounded dead serious.

Ty turned to face the demon. “The immortal we call Nine has taken Kelly. She’s—”

“I remember her.” Seir smiled. “And I think if you have
to loan out your soul for a night, she’s definitely worth the sacrifice.” His smile widened. “Although you might find being in the passenger seat when I take the wheel more of a rush than you expected.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait. So let’s make the deal. My soul for a night in exchange for Nine’s location.” Ty tensed, knowing that if Seir backed out now, he’d be hard pressed not to tear into the demon. Losing control wouldn’t help Kelly, but it’d feel damn good.

Seir nodded. “My choice of time and place to move in.”

“Done.” Ty knew making that concession could come back to bite him, but he was desperate. He didn’t have time to negotiate.

“No backing out, no matter what?”

“No backing out. Now give me the damn information.” T. rexes weren’t known for their patience.

Seemingly satisfied, Seir got down to business. “I don’t know where he is now, but Nine sent out a call for all his Houston recruits to meet at midnight tomorrow in the Astrodome. He’ll have Kelly with him.”

“Thanks.” Ty started to turn away.

“Don’t you want to hear the rest?” There was definite laughter in his voice.

Seir’s tone had a “gotcha” quality to it. This wasn’t going to be good. “Tell me.”

“By showing up tonight you saved me the trouble of hunting you down tomorrow. I’ve done a few little jobs for this guy. My latest one was to pass on my Astrodome info to you. I not only did that, but I got your soul in the bargain. Nice night’s work. And by the way, he calls himself Mr. Wyatt.”

Ty gathered himself, death in his soul. Seir had played him, and demon or not, he’d pay for that.

“Don’t go all silent-and-deadly killer on me. Hear me out.”

“Talk fast.”
Calm
. He clamped his will around his fury.

“This is what Wyatt wanted to happen.” The bastard was enjoying himself. “I was supposed to talk to you tomorrow night when you were out with your partner. I’d say I knew where Kelly was, but you had to follow me right then because Wyatt was getting ready to kill her. I’d make it clear that you didn’t have time to call for help. I’d claim to know a way to sneak into the Astrodome without alerting the guards. Then once you and your partner were inside, Wyatt would capture you.”

Ty frowned. “What made him think I’d fall for that?”

“Wyatt keeps track of everything. You’ve met Balan. Well, he’s been sneaking around on big cat feet spying on you and then reporting back to the boss. Wyatt suspects how you feel about Kelly. He’s counting on emotion to overcome your common sense.”

Taking a deep breath, Ty relaxed a little and tried to think. “Okay, assuming I’d fall for your story, what does he have planned for Q and me? We’d be damn tough to kill.”

Seir stopped smiling. “He’s one of the most powerful entities I’ve ever seen. He could take all of you except your leader. And he wants to stage the ultimate fight for his followers before he leaves Houston. You and whoever you bring with you. I’d vote for that Spin guy from the other night. If he can make it happen, Wyatt will impress the hell out of his recruits and leave everyone with a can-do attitude.”

“And he doesn’t think Fin will find out?” Ty decided not to say anything about his mental link with Fin, although Seir would probably suspect anyway.

The demon shrugged. “He’s counting on Fin being too late or
his
head guy keeping
your
head guy distracted.”

One more question. “Why are you telling me all this?”

Seir glanced away from Ty. “I get a kick out of making people think I’m something that I’m not. And this Wyatt guy is an arrogant bastard. Besides, I can’t possess your soul if you’re dead.”

That made sense on some demonic level. “Do you know where Eternal Pleasure is?”

“Montrose? Vampire club?”

Ty nodded. “Meet me there tomorrow at eleven.”

Seir looked at him. No smiles this time. “Don’t underestimate this guy.” And then he was gone.

Back in the SUV, Ty opened his link to Fin. It took only a few minutes to fill Fin in. Then he started the car and began the drive back to Fin’s condo.

Kelly fought her way up through the fog, feeling as if she’d been doing the same thing over and over for a very long while. But this time was different. This time she’d break the surface.

When her mind finally cleared enough for her to think, she knew she’d made it. She kept her eyes closed, trying to remember. Gradually it all came back. Walking into her apartment, finding the vampire, the needle, and then oblivion.

Waves of nausea rolled over her. Oh, God, she didn’t want to throw up. Stoically she forced back the urge to heave until her stomach settled a little.

She had to know where she was, so reluctantly Kelly opened her eyes…and met the bright stare of the vampire who’d taken her.

Kelly’s first impulse was to throw out a few damns and hells as she leaped off the couch or whatever she was lying on. After a few exploratory movements, though, she changed her plan. Her wrists and ankles were bound to a…She took a good look. It was some kind of padded table, not a couch. Since she was at a disadvantage here, she probably should hold the curses.

“You cut it close. I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up in time.” The woman grinned at her. “Oh, and I’m Lee. Jude never introduced us.”

Lee was still pretty, with big green eyes and curly red
hair. Unfortunately, Kelly had seriously underestimated Jude’s bodyguard. She was definitely not too cute to hurt anybody.

“Where am I, and why’d you bring me here?” Kelly craned her neck to scan her surroundings. Looked like some kind of locker room. Not in great condition, either.

“You’re in the Astrodome.” Lee pulled up a folding chair and sat down near her. She glanced at her watch. “I guess I have time to fill you in. It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for me.” Lee crossed her legs and looked smug. “I got the idea of snatching you after Jude told us how Yvette had taken Neva out of the club right under everyone’s noses. Sounded easy. Mr. Wyatt loved the idea. Gave me my own hunting territory. No more running around keeping Jude’s ass safe.”

“Mr. Wyatt?”

“You call him Nine.”

Oh, shit. As her mind cleared, Kelly started to get a really bad feeling. “Since I’m still alive, I suppose your Mr. Wyatt needs me.”

“Of course. You’re the bait that’s going to lure the Gods of the Night into a trap.” She frowned. “Or at least the one who’s gone all emotional over you.” Her frown cleared. “I still don’t get the corny Gods-of-the-Night name. Nothing godlike about any of them that I can see so far. Yeah, they can turn into dinosaurs, big deal. But they can’t take down Mr. Wyatt.”

“How?” All emotional over her? Omigod, Ty. They were going to use her to capture him.

Lee shrugged. “I don’t know. Mr. Wyatt didn’t tell me all the details. I only know that a demon who works for him is supposed to leak your location. When your guy comes here looking for you, Mr. Wyatt will be waiting.”

The whole plan was transparent. Ty would have to know it was a trap. He wouldn’t walk into it for her, would he? Her mind raced in circles. How could she escape? “Demon? Does it have a name?”

“Seir.”

Silly, but Kelly felt a moment of betrayal. But that was what demons did, wasn’t it?

“You’re probably thinking about escaping, but forget it. Even if you got past me, someone else would stop you.”

“How long have I been out?” Did she still have time to figure out a plan?

“More than twenty-four hours. Now it’s time for you to meet Mr. Wyatt.” Lee left the room for a minute, only to return with two hulking helpers. “I wouldn’t fight this. The guys here like to hurt people. Don’t give them something to smile about.”

Kelly didn’t take direction well. She fought and screamed while the vampires transferred her to a rolling office chair and then tied her to it. Finally they wheeled her out of the locker room and down to the floor of the Astrodome. Oil-lit tiki torches were stuck into the ground at regular intervals around the arena. The flickering glow from the flames cast shifting shadows across the arena’s dirt floor, giving the whole scene a menacing feel.

The man waiting for her looked disappointingly ordinary. Middle aged, medium height, suit and tie, brown hair.
Ordinary
. Until you met his gaze. What she saw in Nine’s eyes scared her to death.

Lee parked Kelly’s chair beside where Nine stood. His smile was almost fatherly. “It’s so nice of you to join me, my dear. I’ll admit to having warm fuzzy feelings for you. Without you, this couldn’t happen.” He swept his hand to
indicate the inside of the Astrodome. “I apologize for the primitive lighting, but we didn’t want to draw attention from outside.”

Kelly followed his gesture. The Astrodome had been the first domed stadium, the Eighth Wonder of the World in its time. Now it just seemed old and worn. But not quite empty. What looked like a few thousand people sat in a circle around the floor of the stadium.
Waiting
.

Nine beamed at her. “Thanks to your charming self, Ty and one of his friends will rush in to rescue you from my evil clutches—” he glanced at his watch—“in I’d say about ten minutes. When that happens, I’ll be here to greet them. Don’t worry, you’ll see Ty again. After all, he and his friend will be our guests of honor.”

“Won’t they be a little tough for you to handle?” After looking into Nine’s eyes, she didn’t really believe her words, but she wanted to keep him talking while she tried to figure things out.

“Look at me, my dear.” He tilted her head up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Kelly couldn’t help it; she shrank away from him, her heart pounding hard and fast. Billions of years of death and destruction shone in his ordinary brown eyes. She fought back her renewed nausea.

“Now you understand. I’ll handle them just fine. Once I’ve shown them to the middle of the arena, Thadeus, my very capable sorcerer, will cast a circle to keep them inside. Then…” He seemed to pause so he could savor his next disclosure. “Then I’ll take away their memories of everything except their previous lives. The souls of their beasts will consume them. They’ll no longer be human, and they’ll revert to the wonderful predators they once were.”

She stared at him in horror. Wasn’t it enough that Fin had stolen Ty’s memory of another time? Now this creep would take away his memories of this time.
Of her
.

He seemed pleased by her reaction. “You have to agree, it’s brilliant. Primitive instincts will take over, and they’ll try to kill each other.”

“But they’re immortal.” Kelly hung on to that truth.

“Ah, I see that Fin hasn’t told you everything. When their dinosaur souls are dominant, they’re invulnerable to most attacks. But…” He dragged out the suspense, rolling it around and playing with it. “They
can
kill each other.”

Kelly stared back at him, forcing her expression into one of calm confidence, but inside her terror shrieked and babbled.

“And now you’ll have the honor of sitting at my side as I address my Houston recruits.”

He shifted his attention to the crowd, and Kelly exhaled the breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. Panic pulled at her, but descending into mindless hysteria wouldn’t help Ty.

Her flute. She could picture it lying on the floor of her apartment and felt the despair of knowing that her only real weapon was beyond her reach.

Lee leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Mr. Wyatt gave you to me. You’ll be my first live meal in a very long time. I just wanted you to know how special you are.”

Kelly clenched her teeth, refusing to give Lee the reaction the vampire was hoping for. But as Nine picked up a microphone and started talking, she forgot about Lee.

“This night is for you, future rulers of Houston. From this night forward, you’ll reclaim the darkness.” The audience roared. “The humans will disappear, a few more each night. And by the time December twenty-first, 2012 arrives,
the human population will be in a frenzy of fear. At that moment, you, guided by me and the ones who came with me, will rise up and destroy all of them.”

Overdramatic but effective.

Nine paused to acknowledge the cheers.

“Tonight will be my last in Houston. I’m leaving to take my message to another city. But the organization will be left in capable hands. If needed, I can return instantly.” His thinly veiled threat, aimed at anyone who subscribed to the when-the-cat’s-away philosophy, had the desired effect.

Kelly could almost feel the fear radiating from the crowd. What could make a vicious mob of supernatural beings so afraid? Maybe she didn’t want to know.

“As a going-away offering, I’ve planned something special for you. In a few minutes, you’ll witness the ultimate fight, a spectacle no one on Earth has ever seen. Enjoy.”

There was an excited buzz from the audience.

Fear clogged her throat, not for herself, but for the man she loved. Amazing how easy the thought of loving him was now that she couldn’t tell him. Would she ever get the chance? Kelly drew in a deep breath and calmed herself. She’d find a way to help him. Somehow. She’d just have to center her concentration and think. Fin? He’d realize Ty was in trouble in time to do his god act, wouldn’t he? She only hoped he was as powerful as Ty thought.

Ty sat in the SUV with Seir and Gig, waiting until everyone was in place. He knew his backup was out there, but he couldn’t spot anyone. The parking lots were empty. Everyone had parked on side streets where cars wouldn’t be noticed. Come to think of it, he wondered where Nine’s people had parked. It sure wasn’t here.

Q, Lio, and Al crouched behind small trees and buildings close to the Astrodome. Fin never sent all of the Eleven into battle at once if he could help it. No use in giving the enemy a chance to wipe them all out in one attack. Fin had said he’d be nearby, too, if they needed him.

The huge parking lots around the stadium didn’t offer any cover, so Jude and his vampires were pressed flat atop the roof of Reliant Stadium next door to the Astrodome, ready to jump into battle. Macario and his wolves were skulking in the shadows. They must be doing a good job of it because he couldn’t see them either.

“Ready to go in?” Seir glanced at both of them.

“I’m ready to kill.” Gig’s smile was a scary thing.

In fact, all of Gig was scary. Big, with those pale eyes and that wild mane of hair, he had a lust for violence. That was why Fin had chosen him. Gig’s soul was a Giganoto-saurus, a meat eater even bigger than the T. rex. Between the two of them, they’d tear up the Astrodome.

Ty nodded at Seir. “Let’s do it.”

Seir eased the SUV into a spot in front of one of the stadium’s doors. “I don’t know what’ll happen once we get inside. You’ll have to wing it. I do know that Wyatt had his pet sorcerer ward the entrances. Thadeus will be waiting for us so he can drop the ward. The cover story is that he’s my friend on the inside.”

“Right.” Tension coiled in Ty’s stomach. Kelly was alive. He could feel her as surely as he could feel the wrongness of this whole place.

Ty and the others silently approached the door. Then they waited. Suddenly the door swung open and a tall thin man scowled out at them.

“Get in fast.” Thadeus’s eyes were as black as the clothes he wore.

They stepped inside, then waited while the sorcerer replaced his ward. He waved at them. “This way.” He led them down a dark tunnel. At the end, Ty could see a faint light. Somewhere along the way Seir disappeared.

“This doesn’t feel right,” Gig muttered behind him. “We should kill the sorcerer now and then do our own thing.” Obviously, he liked the direct approach.

Ty didn’t get a chance to reply because suddenly light flared in front of them. Within the light stood a man. An ordinary-looking man. But there was nothing ordinary about the power surrounding him, power strong enough to push Ty back.

The man glanced at the sorcerer. “You may go now, Thadeus. Make the preparations.” Thadeus silently departed.

Ty trusted his instincts, and his instinct said to act now. He gathered himself, ready to rush the man. Ty sensed Gig doing the same.

The man didn’t say anything, didn’t do anything, but suddenly Ty felt as if his body were encased in cement. He couldn’t move. What the hell? He strained against whatever held him. Nothing. Gig stood frozen beside him.

The man smiled and shook his head. “If I were you, I’d save my energy. You’ll need it.” The glow surrounding him wasn’t from any light. The glow came from
him
. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed my identity. I can’t believe Fin calls me Nine.” He looked insulted. “Nine really doesn’t speak to all my individual talents.”

Ty cursed himself. He’d been arrogant enough to think he could just waltz in here, catch Nine off guard, find Kelly, and escape with her. Even with Fin and the others waiting outside, he was afraid they had underestimated Nine. And, yes, he’d undoubtedly let his fear for Kelly cloud his judgment. He wondered now whether Fin had
realized he was probably sending two of the Eleven to their deaths.

“But enough of my chatter. We have a show to put on. Follow me.”

Nine didn’t even look at them when he said it, but Ty’s feet started moving. He wasn’t in control of his body anymore. Hell, this couldn’t be happening.

They emerged from the tunnel into the arena to the roar of excited voices. Nine marched them to the middle of the field and stopped.

“If you’ll look around…Oh, wait, you can’t. Well, I’ll tell you what you’d see if you
could
look around. All of my shiny new recruits are waiting for the show to begin. And your friend Kelly is sitting directly behind you. Since you can’t say hello, I’ll do it for you.” The creep waved.

Evidently tired of his game, Nine finally got to the point. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’ll free your animal soul and fight each other. To the death. I promised my people a spectacle, and it can’t get better than that.”

Ty wasn’t able to speak, but he hoped his eyes said that Nine couldn’t make him fight. Besides, he and Gig were immortal. They could fight until they fell over without killing each other.

Nine smiled. “Oh, but I
can
make you. In just a few minutes I’ll take away all your memories of this time. Nothing will remain but your animal soul and the memories that go with it. As I told Kelly, you
can
kill each other. Fin really should’ve explained that to you.” He looked thoughtful. “Of course, there’s always the possibility he didn’t know, but I doubt it.”