Exsanguinate (36 page)

“
H
ang on
, Dakota! We’re almost there. We can help you!” We circled lower and lower, spiraling down toward the earth. The wind speed slowed to the point where I could hear the painful sobs coming from her. She looked weakened, and I wanted to hold her so much.

“What makes you think I want any help, dear sister?” a possessed voice spewed forth from Dakota.

“You can talk?”

“Of course, I can talk, but I prefer my other voice, don’t you?” she snarled.

“Truthfully, no. Not really.” I shook my head at her sarcasm. “The screeching was a bit hard on the ears don’t you think?”

“That’s because you are a weak, prosaic vampire – a lower demon, at best. I am a blood demon. You’ll never understand the power I have over you.”

“Yeah, all right. Look, Dakota, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think you are, or what kind of baby sister payback you’re entitled to, but you’ve got to stop killing people!”

“Why should I care? They exist solely to feed me.”

“We have the blood you need. Regular human blood won’t satisfy you. You don’t have to do this. The military is out looking for you. If they capture you, you’re as good as dead.”

I thought to Briggs, “Don’t let us go – she isn’t friendly.”

Briggs flew into the open hangar doors and dropped to the ground in a perfect landing.

“Isn’t that just lovely, my own flesh and blood turned against me ... and just how do you think I am going to venture anywhere with broken wings, dear sister?” Dakota’s demonic voice shuddered through me.

Khaldon and Ludovic rushed up to us.

Dakota hissed at them both, then her tongue struck Ludovic in the face. “That’s for kidnapping me you, wormy asshole.” She smacked him hard again. “That’s for your insane brother.” Ludovic fell backwards onto his butt. His hands and feet scurried backwards to get out of her reach as she lashed out again, narrowly missing his foot.

Sheridan ran up behind Khaldon with Torchy. He’d already changed back into human form. “Oh, Dakota! Are you all right? Hang on, we’ll get you help.”

Dakota turned her head and hissed at Sheridan.

Her eyes grew wide. She stood frozen, staring at the little angel she once held and cherished.

Torchy grabbed her by the elbow and encouraged her to step back as he pointed towards the ceiling.

“Okay, Briggs, let ‘em go.” Khaldon pushed the control button and dropped the demon snare net down over the top of us. The sheer weight of it hurt my head.

Knowing the plan, we knew Dakota would struggle and entangle herself in the net, but with her broken wings, she didn’t move much.

“Hold on and we’ll help you mend your wings.”

“I hate you, I hate you all – you’ll pay for this I promise. If I have to kill you all, I will.” She thrashed from side to side under the netting.

“Just give us a few minutes. Please calm down. No one wants to hurt you, but we sure as hell are going to protect ourselves until you can feckin’ behave!”

A female, maniacal laugh addressed the warehouse speaker system, “Now, now, Dakota – there’s no need for threats. You’ll have your day.”

“Chyort, the Priestess!” Ludovic shouted. “She’s here!”

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Ludovic, is that any way to greet me? Come now,
please
introduce me to all your new friends.” She lingered on the “s” sounds a little too long. “But that won’t be necessary for most of them, now will it?”

A shroud covered the hangar doors as three dragons stood side by side across the entrance.

Crap, we’re trapped!

Without a warning, Briggs created a brume of protection around us. Khaldon slashed through the netting and grabbed me off Briggs. Khaldon heaved and pulled us down onto the floor. I couldn’t see anything. I knew this was Sheridan’s only chance.

“Torchy, get Sheridan out of here!
GO!
” I screamed through the fog and prayed they heard me.

The brume’s murkiness was thick, but I could hear what seemed like hundreds of boot steps around us. We pushed forward through the haze as I tried to make my way to where Dakota was caught under the nets.

“Dakota!
Run!
Get away – do anything, don’t let them take you again!” I screamed in terror. I heard her screech. I felt her struggle against the snare as she pulled on the ropes we had just dropped on her. Briggs had released Dakota from his back and sidled in behind Khaldon and myself forming a wall around the soldiers.

With the hangar doors opened, the fog dissipated quicker than I expected. Fifty or so young men wearing red and black cloaks surrounded us, dangerous weapons in their hands. I assessed the situation and concluded we were in deep shite.

The voice spoke over the intercom once again with a wicked laugh. I knew that voice, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I looked up at Khaldon and noticed his jaw set firm. Amicula stepped into view as if she were on a catwalk.

“Amicula, be careful. The Priestess is here.” Even though I didn’t care for her, or her evil Aunt, I heaved an immense sigh of relief knowing backup had arrived. “Is Lord Stovall with you?”

That haunting, evil laugh cascaded from Amicula’s mouth once again, accompanied by that practiced smile of hers.

The blood drained from my face.

Unholy hell! Stovall isn’t with her. She’s the priestess!

“Here, here, now my, dear Khaldon.” We both stepped backward a few paces. Dakota continued to flail against her bonds. “You have done me well.” We backed up into guards as she reached out to grab his chin. “Bringing back not only Dakota, but her beloved sisters, too. You are such a hellishly good little boy.” She smacked lovingly at his face. “I shall reward you handsomely, my dearest lover.” She winked and blew kisses at him in the most alluring way.

I looked up at Khaldon and cocked my head in curiosity. Instinctively my body stepped away from the man who’d apparently just sold us all down the river.

“Cheyenne, don’t. It’s rubbish. Don’t believe it, she’s crackers.” Khaldon reached out for me. “These are all lies. I promise you – it’s not true.”

I blinked at him. The love of my life, the man I planned to spend forever with – had this man played me for a fool the whole time?

Have I truly been that blind? This can’t be true – what would Lady Caz do?

My blood boiled. In that instant, I felt every last ounce of torment, pain, anger, and loathing for these
monsters!
I refused to comprehend or believe the betrayal my ears heard. I felt as if my heart was ripped out of my chest and my guts exploded into infinite bits. My entire body shook from adrenaline. My fangs extended as I crouched ready for battle. This bitch was going down!

Amicula stood, laughing at me, encouraging the other vampires to laugh out loud, as well.

“Dakota,
fly!
Get out of here!” I screamed.

Dakota struggled against her bonds. I could see her wings were healing, but they did not appear strong enough for her to fly. As the guards tried to remove the netting, she attacked three of them and ripped their bodies apart. Arms, legs, and intestines burst into the air as if she sent them through a rip saw. Dakota ate the guards as fast as they could approach her.

“Protect her, you fools!” Amicula shouted.

I bolted toward Amicula. I was going to kill her for what she’d done to all of us. As soon as I was a breath away from snatching her in my hands, she jumped up into the air as if she were the Caped Crusader with a fancy tool belt. She left me to dive into her dust motes. I tried to jump after her but failed miserably. I saw Ludovic hide inside a metal locker.

“Pathetic.” She laughed at me. “Why my aunt is hell-bent on you three, I’ll never know.” She bellowed, “Guards, take them!”

She is truly a mad mental.

Immediately Khaldon turned into the fighting machine that I’d only experienced in the game. I didn’t know he could actually fight. With his bare hands, he fought the men who held swords, axes, and knives. Why would he be fighting against them if he had aligned with them?

I didn’t have time to think. I ran after Amicula as she raced down the second floor corridor. I wasn’t letting her get away. I took the flight of stairs three, four at a time. We halted our chase as she stood at the top of the stairs and I stood at the bottom. We were alone, but we were able to see onto the main floor below us.

Dakota screeched as the dhampir guards continued to approach her. She struggled to escape the net and chomped her way through the thick nylon cords. The dhampir henchmen pulled glowing silver bindings from beneath their cloaks. They wore thick leather gloves to protect themselves.

As Amicula watched them, I inched my way toward the wall one step at a time.

Dakota devoured her fourth victim as she stepped out through the hole in the nets. She pulled her wings back into place and crouched to jump toward Amicula.

I advanced one step closer, wishing I had any kind of weapon at all. I put my hand in my pocket to feel for my keys.

Dhampirs used their bows and arrows to shoot silver bindings into the air. The arrows had a boomerang effect and flew around both Dakota’s legs, entangling themselves. She moved forward and tripped over the bindings.

“Stop – no don’t – the silver!” I screamed. Amicula snapped her head and stared daggers into my eyes as I sprayed her with my vampire repellent Dakota had given me the night of Halloween Scream night.

She screamed as she scratched at her face and bent over from the pain. The pepper spray might not be a real vampire repellent, but it still hurt like hell. I kicked her in the ass and attacked her with my fists banging into her back, her head, and face. My blows seemed to have zero affect on her. Her strength was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. She was much stronger than Mr. Flower Delivery guy. Amicula backhanded me, and I felt my teeth fly across to the other side of my mouth. Her one hit sent me flying through the air towards the steel rail. The momentum of the blow toppled me over the railing with a sickening crunch as I crashed on the cement floor, at Dakota’s feet. It hurt to breathe. Something cracked in my ribs.

“Chey … Cheyenne?” I heard Dakota whisper to me.

In the distraction, several guards threw a silver cloak onto Dakota.

“Nooo –
Stop!
” I cried as I stood up holding my ribs and yelled at the dhampirs.

Dakota stopped screeching and fighting. Instead, she sighed in marked relief. The silver seemed to mend Dakota, not burn her. The silver drape thrown over her settled her as if it were mom’s quilt on the couch.

Everyone else in the hangar also stopped. Briggs continued to chew on a guard as a black cloak hung out the side of his mouth. A collection of broken swords and other weapons lay at his feet.

Khaldon had gained a katana from somewhere and mowed down the dhampirs as soon as they were in range.

Amicula sauntered down the steps and over to Dakota as she kicked dead dhampir away as if they were trash at a Mardi Gras parade. Her face looked burned from the pepper spray. Her beautiful makeup smeared - hair disheveled. To me this facade revealed the hideous monster that actually lived inside her.

I moved in closer.

“Don’t worry, Cheyenne, we’ll give her all the adequate care she deserves. She’s quite a remarkable creature, you know. A rare beauty, indeed. We’ll be sure to teach her the way of the Vampyre.”

“Stay away from me, you bitch.” Dakota looked up at Amicula and slapped her in the face with her tongue. “I want nothing to do with the Vampyres. You are nothing but demon fodder to me.”

Amicula’s eyes shot wide open. She looked as shocked as the rest of us.

Oh hell, yeah! Go Dakota!

Howling came from the distance. It sounded as if packs of wild dogs had piled around the building.

Harris! Yes, he’s here with his packmates.

The dragons roared outside setting flames around the back door perimeter, trapping us further inside the building. Smoke quickly filled the entire structure; it wouldn’t be long until this place was gutted.

Everything happened at once, as if it were in slow motion.

Amicula ordered, “General Nicholi, enough of this! Grab Dakota and get her into the dragon cage. It’s time we returned her to her rightful guardian.”

Werewolves crashed through the doors. Torchy and Sheridan followed behind them and back into the building.

Dammit, Sheridan why are you here? I told you to stay safe!

General Nicholi nodded. “And the sisters?”

“We’ll get them some other time. I have the oocytes that I need for now from Sheridan.” Amicula sneered at me. “The sisters are always accessible to us. We’ll pick them up again when we need them.”

I jumped at her again, but Khaldon pulled me back. “C’mon, the building is on fire. We have to get Dakota!”

“Wait, Priestess, where do you want me?” Ludovic shouted as he slithered out from the wall locker. “We have to put out the fire! What about all your breeders? What shall we do with them?”

“As far as I’m concerned, you shall die at the hands of the men you helped bring into this world,” Amicula hissed back at him. “And I can always obtain new breeders.”

“But I called you. I told you they were bringing Dakota back. I’ve got all three of them here for you now.”

I saw three dhampir heading towards Ludovic. He was as good as dead.

Choking on the smoke, I barked at Sheridan, “Get the hell out of here. Grab Torchy and find somewhere safe now. Stay low.”

She turned to leave. I grabbed her arm. “Wait! Try the medical supply room where they keep the blood. There’s a ladder to the roof in there. Torchy can fly you to safety.
GO!
”

She nodded and hugged me fast. She whispered into my ear, “I’ll forever love you, little sister.”

The last I saw of her was a flash of red hair skirting around the corner through the smoky maze of black and red robes.

Briggs tried to douse the flames with his water spray as quickly as the fire dragons re-engulfed the building again. It was a draw, but there were more fire dragons than he could handle all by himself.