Vengeance of the Demons (23 page)

“He…”

“He was tortured.” Tommy stepped up next to her. “And then he was given a vaccine.”

“A vaccine?” Danika rounded on him. “What kind of vaccine?”

Mason walked over to stand behind Danika.

Tommy’s gaze connected with Evan’s.

“A vaccine to cure vamps,” said Evan.

Danika’s gaze whipped back to hers. “That’s not possible. No one has a vaccine like that. And he isn’t a vamp.”

“It’s my fault,” said Evan. “My uncle and my cousin… They saw us together… My cousin attacked and William was trying to protect me. They were angry—”

Danika’s eyes narrowed. “You. You did this to William.”

“No. I promise. I didn’t. I tried to save him. We tried to save him. That’s why we brought him here.” The words came out weak and childish, but Mason’s imposing aura made her skin crawl.

There was a huge gasp and William lurched off the floor, a tube sticking out of his throat.

“Got him breathing again,” said Doc.

William’s gaze shot around the room as if trying to figure out where he was. His eyes landed on Evan and his body relaxed.

“William.” Danika raced to his side and flung her arms around him. Mason joined her and they all ended up in a group hug.

Tears rolled down Danika’s cheeks. “I was so worried. You didn’t call, and I was going to send someone to find you but your phone signal went dead. I just…” She hugged him again, sobbing.

William smiled but didn’t talk.

“I’m glad you’re back,” said Mason. “I was ready to fly out there looking for you.”

William nodded.

“Okay, okay,” said Doc. “Let the boy go. We need to get him to his room so I can examine him.”

“Yes, of course,” said Danika. She stood and backed away with Mason. She pointed to the guards holding Evan and Tommy. “You, take him upstairs to his room. And get Sue. He needs to feed.”

“No,” William whispered.

Danika turned to him. “What? You don’t want Sue? You want someone else?”

William pointed at Evan. Danika followed his finger and her eye twitched.

“Let her go,” Danika ordered.

Evan yanked her arms away and walked to where William lay on the floor. He held his hand out to her and Danika backed up.

Evan brushed the hair from his face, and he pulled her in to kiss her. She lingered for a moment but then broke the kiss. “Okay, lover, I’m not going anywhere. Don’t worry.”

The guards surrounded William and lifted him. He grabbed her hand but she gently removed it.

“I’m right behind you.”

The guards carried William up the stairs and halfway up he growled and thrashed. They tried to keep their grip on him but William lunged at the nearest one, trying to bite into him. The guards dropped him and backed up.

“William!” Danika chastised.

Evan rushed up the stairs. “It’s all right. I’ll take him.” The guards eyed her suspiciously. She turned to Tommy. “Come on, help me.”

Tommy looked at Danika and Mason for a minute and then scooted around them and up the stairs. The guards headed back down the stairs and Evan and Tommy pulled William to his feet, draping his arms around their necks.

“Lord Danika,” said Evan.

“Yes?”

“William is going to need Sue. And anyone else willing to donate as well.”

“One donor—”

“Trust me,” said Evan. “He’s going to need more than one. And he’s going to need to feed every few hours if possible until he can be cured.”

Danika opened and closed her mouth several times before she nodded.

“Come on,” Evan said. “Let’s get you finally washed up so you don’t scare your dinner to death.”

Evan and Tommy carried William to his room where he proceeded to yank the straw from his throat.

“You can’t do that,” Evan said.

He shook his head. “I don’t need it.” His voice gurgled and barely came out a whisper. He coughed and touched the hole in his throat. Just what he needed.

He hobbled to his closet and an audible sigh escaped him at the sight of his own clothes. He grabbed a crisp navy polo shirt and a pair of clean khakis, held them to his nose and took in the wonderful freshly laundered aroma. He’d never missed a smell so much in his life.

Evan scoffed and took them from him. “Uh, yeah right. I don’t think so.” She hung them back up and grabbed a T-shirt instead. Closing the closet, she then walked to his dresser and grabbed a pair of boxers and sweats.

“There’s no way you’re going to be lying around in those business clothes.”

“I want to look presentable,” he countered.

“You’re sick. You’ve earned the right to be casual.” She shoved the clothes into his chest and turned him toward the bathroom.

“I’m not sick. I’m dying. I don’t want people to remember me in my sweats.”

“Stop that!” she snapped. She rounded to face him, her eyes filled with tears. “Don’t say that. You’re going to be fine. We’re going to fix you up.”

Her tears were as good as a punch to the solar plexus. “Evan—”

“Stop!”

He softened his voice as much as he was able. “Evangeline.”

She shook her head and a tear leaked from her eye. “Let’s get you cleaned up and fed. Then the doctor can come check you out.” She turned to Tommy. “Can you wait here?”

“I’ll wait in the hall.” He stepped quickly from the room.

Evan pulled William into the bathroom and turned on the shower. His eyes traveled up the slender curve of her hip to the rounding of her shoulder and over the patch of creamy skin that covered the throbbing vein in her neck. His stomach growled like a lion and he clutched tight to his clothes to keep from grabbing her and biting into her.

Not Evan. Not Evan. Not Evan. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“It better be a quick shower.” He opened his eyes. “I need blood.”

She nodded and stripped his clothes off. He stepped under the spray and let the shower wash over him. The water dripped down his body and doused everything pink. He tried to keep his breathing even and his thoughts focused on the task at hand instead of the pounding behind his eyes. Evan washed his body and hair. Her thin, strong fingers plunged into his hair line and scrubbed soft spine-tingling circles over his scalp. He tried to relax and let the scent of his favorite shampoo soothe him. But when he closed his eyes, all he saw was blood.

Blood on the front of the lab tech he’d killed. Blood dripping down Evan’s arm as he bit into her. Blood splattering the car as he coughed.

He’d be a fool not to admit that it scared him that he’d passed out on the driveway. Waking up on the foyer floor had been not only painful but disorienting as well. Even now it took all of his strength to keep on his feet. He’d been pulled back from the brink. He didn’t know that he’d make it back if he collapsed again.

“I know I’m not as strong and fast as a lot of vampyr, but this is just embarrassing,” he said, turning off the water.

“Why?” Evan wrapped a towel around him. “You don’t like having a woman take care of you?”

His desire spiked and he pulled her into him. “You can take care of me right now.”

She snorted. “Come on, let’s get you some blood first. Then when you can keep more than just one body part at a time standing up, we’ll talk about going a couple of rounds.”

He kissed her head. “Fair enough.”

She dressed him as he sat on the toilet lid and then helped him into bed. She grabbed a stack of towels from under his sink and set them on the nightstand. She wiped his face, staining the towel red.

“Will it ever stop?” He leaned his head back on the headboard.

“We’ll find a cure.”

“Or I’ll die.”

She gave him a hard look.

He wasn’t trying to be flippant. Over the past week he’d come to terms with the fact that he was as good as dead. He actually welcomed the idea now.

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “But to be honest, the pain, the thirst, the utter lack of control… I wish it would end.”

Her eyes softened and he thought she was going to tear up again, but she didn’t. Instead she set down the towel and stood.

“I’ll see if Sue is ready.”

He grabbed her hand. “You know it’s not her I want.”

She gave him a tight smile. “I know, but you’ve had too much from me already. I need a couple days to replenish.”

She was right of course but with Evan at least he had been able to stop himself from killing her.

“I’m afraid,” he said. “Afraid I’ll kill them all the way I killed that tech.”

“You won’t,” she said. “I won’t let you.”

Evan opened the bedroom door and outside stood Danika, Mason, Sue, Matthew, and half a dozen others that he could smell.

Evan motioned Danika and Mason in; Sue followed close behind.

They stopped at the foot of the bed but Sue stared at him tentatively from across the room. For a moment no one spoke.

“Sue,” said Evan. “If you could please sit on the bed.”

Sue looked at Evan and then back at him. She walked around the side of the bed and sat near him. Her brown hair tucked behind one ear. The vein in her neck pulsed with life. He gripped the sheets tightly in an effort to keep from ripping her throat out.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi.” Was the most he could manage. Everyone stared at him making his skin itch and his gut twist.

Sue laid her hand on his leg. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I missed you.”

He nodded but couldn’t speak. The thirst skittered through his veins and he dug his fingers into the sheets deeper. His gaze darted to Evan, pleading with her to help him.

She stepped forward but Danika stopped her.

“I think he’s fine.”

“I can feed you,” Sue offered. She raised her wrist to him and her arm trembled. He looked from Sue to Evan.

“It’s okay,” Evan said. “You can do it.”

Sue’s vein pulsed with the throb in his head. His gaze transfixed on her neck.

“Bite her, William,” said Danika.

“Feed,” said Mason.

William’s restraint broke and in a flash, he grabbed Sue by the shoulders and yanked her to him, biting into her throat.

* * * *

Sue screamed and Danika rushed to the side of the bed. William gulped down the blood.

“William, that’s not how we feed,” said Danika.

“He can’t hear you,” said Evan. She climbed up on the bed, and Sue’s terrified eyes locked on hers.

William swallowed fast and hard and Sue paled quickly.

“William, slow down,” said Evan. She eased closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

He growled in reply and bit harder, making Sue cry out and tears stream down her cheeks.

“William, stop that,” demanded Danika.

“He won’t hear you,” said Evan. “The thirst is too great.” She leaned over his shoulder and whispered in his ear. “Your mother was clutching her purse. You sat in the hall on the hard bench, remember. The day you met them. The first day. The best day.”

Nothing happened.

“Help me,” Sue whispered.

“William, let go of Sue,” Evan commanded. “Let her go.”

William reared back and slammed into the headboard, dripping blood down the front of his shirt. Evan pressed a towel down on Sue’s neck to staunch the bleeding. Mason swooped her up and carried her to the door.

“I got her.” Tommy took Sue from Mason’s arms.

William’s icy gaze stayed solidly on Evan’s face. She wiped the blood from his chin and the drips from his ears.

“Another,” he panted.

Evan looked to Danika, who was visibly shaken. “He needs more.”

Danika looked to Evan as if she didn’t even see her.

“I’ll get Matthew.” Mason called in the next donor.

* * * *

By the end of the hour, William had drunk from six donors, terrifying one after the next with his behavior. When the last donor left, he breathed a contented sigh and nodded. The bleeding had stopped for the most part, aside from the occasional nose drip. It was no longer liquid and pink but back to its original viscosity.

Danika and Mason stood close together. Danika appeared nervous, while Mason seemed unfazed.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” William said in a voice almost his own. He held tight to Evan’s hand.

“What… what’s happened to you?” Danika asked. “Even when you were newborn you weren’t like this.”

“We don’t know,” answered Evan. “The vaccine he was given wasn’t meant for his kind. It’s killing him.”

“Then why did you come here?” asked Mason. “We don’t know how to cure him.”

“I didn’t know what else to do,” said Evan. “If he stayed there he’d be dead for sure. You have a company that makes synthetic blood. Surely you have scientists that can help.”

Danika shook her head. “My building is gone. Demolished. My company is in ruins right now. The last demon attack was so bad that even Selene and Neeman took off.”

“Took off?” asked William.

“They’ve been gone for three days,” said Mason. “Disappeared right after the message arrived.”

“What message?”

Mason and Danika exchanged a look. “My father is coming. For Selene and me.”

“He sent you a message to tell you that?” asked Evan.

“Yes.”

“But why would he tell you?” asked William.

“To frighten us,” said Danika.

“But Mason’s not scared of anything,” said William.

“Not us,” replied Mason.

“Us. Vampires,” said Danika. “To divide us and weaken us.”

“Has it worked?”

Mason’s gaze landed on her. “My sister ran. So yes, I’d say it’s working.”

“I brought something that might help,” said Evan.

“What’s that?” asked Danika.

“Weapons.”

* * * *

Evan settled William in his bed and then took a shower herself. The week’s events caught up with her and she sat in the tub and wept. She’d been reunited with her family and then betrayed them. She’d fallen for a man only to now sit by and watch him die. It wasn’t fair. But then things hadn’t been fair in the world for decades.

Finally, she stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself, realizing she had nothing to wear. She opened the bathroom door to find the doctor taking blood samples from William.

“Sorry.” She started to close the door and the doctor looked up.