Playing with Shadows (6 page)

“
Hell fire.” Christian
answered automatically as if he'd expected it to begin with. “If
the flame touches a vampire's flesh, the burn doesn't heal
supernaturally. It heals as if you were human.”

“
In other words: slowly.”
Nikki responded with a grimace.

He nodded in the
affirmative. “Are you going to be alright?”

Though the burns were
excruciating with the barest of pressure from her scorched
clothing, Nikki managed a diminutive smile. Christian's concern
over her well being made her feel slightly better although they
were far from clear of the demon's reach. Nikki was grateful she
was alive. “I'll be fine, Christian. Truly.”

The apparition didn't look
convinced, but he said nothing else. His eyes seemed to transform.
The gray Nikki was so used to peering into these last few days was
taking on a lighter shade of blue. Blinking in order to refocus her
senses, Nicola looked once more to see the eyes were back to
normal... or at least normal for what he was. Was she seeing things
now?

A low rumble of laughter
pulled on her senses and Nikki turned her gaze to where Carolyn was
still huddled. She was no longer alone, however. The demon was
beside her.

This was the first time
Nicola had ever gotten to see a demon in it's earthly form. Now
that she really thought about it, this was the first time she'd
ever
seen
a demon
at all. He was surprisingly attractive in his mortal skin. He'd
taken the form of a young man, seemingly in his early thirties. His
skin was a smooth cream color without a blemish or scar marring it.
The hair on his head was worn longer so he had to smooth it back in
order to see clearly. It was the color of spun gold and gave off a
coppery luster as the fire surrounding them burned freely. A pair
of metal frames sat upon his nose and gave him the appearance of a
young college professor. He could have passed as any normal human
if it weren't for the unnatural anger in his eyes. Those very eyes
glowed crimson as they stared at her.

“
The pair
of you are revolting.” The demon ground out between clenched teeth.
His voice was scorching like molten lava to Nikki's ears. “With
your sweet words and admiring looks.” He paused for a moment as he
openly studied the vampire and the ghost. A sudden cruel smile
spread across his lips. “I'd gladly kill you if you wanted to be
with your true love for the rest of eternity. I
am
a romantic at
heart.”

Rage boiled in her veins.
It took all of her self control not to leap across the space that
separated them and tear the creature apart. “I'm not here for you.
I came for Carolyn.”

The demon smirked as if he
found her response amusing. Nikki figured he did considering he was
more powerful than she. The vampire felt the fear she'd been
pushing back start to creep up on her.

“
I'm not leaving without
her.” She continued, a little less sure of herself than
before.

The demon's smile only
grew as her bravery waned. What was she doing? Was she insane? This
was only going to end one way.

“
Then you won't be leaving
at all, I'm sorry to say.”

Nicola felt her heart drop
into her stomach as the demon grabbed Carolyn by her arms and
yanked her to her feet. The woman whimpered in terror as the
monster stroked a hand down her cheek. Her eyes were closed tightly
as if she imagined that he wasn't there, he would disappear. New
tears flowed down the same path old tears had once taken. It was
painful for Nikki to watch helplessly as the poor human woman
suffered at the hands of such an evil creature.

Taking a step forward,
ignoring the protests of her burns as she moved, Nicola called out,
“Leave her be!”

The demon released Carolyn
so roughly that the human couldn't keep her footing and fell to the
cold, concrete floor of the warehouse. She didn't make another
sound as she sat there with wide, tear filled eyes as the demon
approached Nicola without a moment's hesitation. Nikki shrank back
as the demon raised his fist to land a blow that would silence the
vampire.

Chapter 9:

A scream was ripped from
Nicola's throat as her body was thrown across the room. The demon
had tossed her away as if she were nothing more than a rag doll.
Her back connected with one of the steel beams that made up the
warehouse. The pain that shot through her body at the contact
alerted Nikki to the broken vertebra in her spine. Of course, in
mere seconds the injury was healed, but the pain was still
real.

Sucking in a sharp breath
between her clenched teeth, Nicola peeked at her surroundings.
Where the hell was her backup? There was no sign of Alistair or
Vlad. She was sure they'd guess where she was since she was most
definitely not outside. Nikki caught a glimpse of Carolyn on the
opposite side of the warehouse. The young human woman had scrambled
away when the fight begun between demon and vampire. She hid as far
away as she could without being in direct path of the fire wall or
in reaching distance of the supernatural creatures battling it out.
Christian was floating near enough to Carolyn to give her some
peace of mind, but his eyes were focused on Nicola. The expression
on his face broke her heart. It was a cross between desperation and
sadness. He was at a lost as to how he could aid her. It pulled at
her heartstrings knowing she would most likely fail him. She
couldn't win this fight.

Her head was yanked up by
a strong grip in her hair. Unwillingly, Nicola's gaze was forced to
meet the cerise glow of the demon's. It was easy to see past the
beauty of his features and into the darkness that resided in his
heart. His cruel nature was reflected in the blood-red irises that
narrowed at her. The monster seemed to be contemplating
her.

“
What am I do to with you,
Ms. Nicola Burroughs?” He purred at her, his rough voice mocking
her helplessness. She knew he was going to kill her. This was just
another part of his torment before he dealt the final
blow.

“
Leave her alone!”
Christian hissed at the monster holding her. “She isn't who you
want. I am.”

The demon turned his
crimson gaze onto the ghost who was suddenly much closer than he'd
been seconds before. His fist gripped Nikki's strands of hair
tighter and tears sprang to her eyes. The demon seemed to be
pondering Christian's words for a moment before he released Nikki.
She collapsed under the pain, her elbows resting upon the cold
concrete of the floor. Tears fell down her cheeks freely as she
rode out the anguish her body felt at the contact with her
burns.

Something that sounded
eerily like a chuckle came from deep within the demon's chest. “You
think I want you, spook?” He was amused as he spoke. “Hardly. Don't
you realize what my lovely Carolyn has growing within
her?”

“
The child is a warlock
capable of wielding demon magic-”

“
Hardly!” The demon's
haunting voice cut through Christian's speech. “Haven't you
wondered who fathered her child?”

The words rang with the
truth. Nikki's gaze shot to the demon and Christian who were only a
few feet away glaring at one another. How could they have been so
foolish? It only made sense. The demon didn't need a warlock. No,
what the child truly was made the situation a million times
worse.

“
You!” Nikki gasped out as
a tremble racked her body. The burns she'd sustained from the
demon's punishment still throbbed with a dull ache, but somehow she
managed to bite back a whimper as she found her footing. Her legs
shook as she stood yet she found the strength to stay upright as
her eyes darted between the demon, Christian and Carolyn, the
latter who looked terrified and possibly nauseated at what was
transpiring.

The demon turned his
burning stare onto her. “Yes?”

“
You-” Nikki swallowed,
her mouth suddenly dry. “You are the father of Carolyn's
child.”

A devilish smile crossed
the fiend's lips. It was the only verification Nicola needed. She
felt her body sink to the ground once more in failure. There was no
fighting the death that was awaiting her. The demon had won and he
knew it.

A spell was murmured and a
ball of flame appeared in the demon's outstretched hand. He cocked
his head slightly as he took in the slump of Nicola's shoulders and
the defeated expression on her pretty face. Third degree burns
marred her exposed skin from where he'd punished her with his
power. The demon detected a streak of black ash smeared on her
right cheek as she stared back at him with her sparkling emerald
irises. Then her gaze moved to the ghost behind him.

Nicola looked to
Christian's ethereal form. The sadness he'd shown before was
replaced with terror. He knew without reading the vampire's mind
that she'd given up. If he'd been alive, Christian was positive his
heart would have crumbled to dust at the look in her eyes. A new
strength pulsed through him. He wouldn't let Nicola die on account
of him. She deserved to live just like Carolyn did.

The flame in the demon's
hand went out in a puff of smoke. The demon spun around to level a
murderous glare in the ghost's direction. With an impish smirk,
knowing he couldn't die when he was already dead, Christian flashed
out of existence only to reappear beside Nikki. The vampire fell to
her backside in uncertainty at what was happening. She scooted away
as fast as her injured body would allow her as the demon spun on
Christian.

“
How
dare
you interfere?” It's voice rumbled in the quiet of the
warehouse. The monster waved his hand towards the phantom. Much to
Christian's surprise, the demon's magic forced him to vanish into
thin air.

Nikki flinched as the
demon's attention returned to her. He wouldn't allow Christian to
distract him from what he was prepared to do. The fire reappeared
in his hand. A masochistic smile curled up his lips and he stepped
forward. Refusing to fear her impending death, Nikki stared up at
him, her mouth a thin line.

Darkness overtook the
warehouse abruptly. Nikki blinked to adjust to the change in the
light. The only illumination was the fireball still posed in the
demon's hand. Only, he was no longer looking at her. Instead, his
attention was focused near the steel double doors that were used as
a loading area for the warehouse. A figure moved in the
shadows.

“
Show yourself!” The demon
roared, stepping away from Nicola's fallen form.

A man stepped into Nikki's
line of sight. Her body froze in fear.
No,
no, no... please no! He was going to get himself killed!
Her thoughts raced around in her mind as her eyes
watched in reverence.

Alistair stood before them
with his hands raised and a collected expression on his face.
Nicola had heard stories of his power, but she'd never had the
opportunity to see it firsthand. The air in front of the vampire
shimmered as the water condensed from it's molecular form into
liquid. Nicola had never seen anything quite like it.

The demon turned his focus
onto Alistair, ignoring Nikki as she moved away. Lifting his free
hand to produce another ball of fire, the monster approached the
vampire who was walking into a battle he couldn't win. Nicola got
to her feet and reaching for the athame at her hip, summoned her
own power. Closing her eyes, she felt the air around her for any
lingering spirits. She could call upon them and command the spooks
to do as she pleased. She felt a tug on her magic which alerted her
to the lost souls of the departed when a hand closed over her
wrist. Pulled from her concentration, Nicola turned her head and
found herself looking into the deep dark gaze of her
master.

Letting out a sharp breath
at the relief of seeing Vlad, Nikki released the last tendril of
her power. It slipped away and into the air surrounding her.
“Vlad!”

Gripping her wrist
tightly, Vlad Tepes pulled her behind a beam and growled, “This is
not your fight.”

Wrath flushing her cheeks,
Nicola attempted to dislodge her wrist from his hand, but he held
strong. “You can't leave Alistair to fight that
thing
without help! Let me help
him.”

Vlad glanced out at the
battle and grimaced as Alistair took a direct hit from a fireball.
“I will aid him-”

“
Vlad!”

His eyes scorched her even
in the darkness. “You will do as I say. Get to Carolyn then
leave
this
place!”

“
Not without you and Al.”
She said stubbornly, yet she knew there was no use in fighting it.
If Vlad wanted her gone, he would see to it that she left... and
Alistair could possibly die if they wasted anymore time.

Pushing her away from him,
Vlad glared down at her. “Do as I say.”

Nicola swallowed back a
retort as Vlad took off in the direction of the struggle between
his oldest friend and the demon that could destroy them all. Nikki
took a step as if she were going to follow her Master into the fray
when Christian's image appeared before her, stopping her in her
tracks.

“
Nikki! Get Carolyn
out!”

Nicola replaced her athame
to her belt before she, with her supernatural speed, rushed to the
human's side and guided her to the exit door. Pushing Carolyn
through the opening, Nikki said, “Go! Get back to the castle and
wait for us to return!”