Warrior Rising (21 page)

Her relationship with Sorin had her thinking too much of days long gone. Her life as a human had been more good than bad, more pampered than hard. A cousin had been queen for a while, which had put Indikaiya among a favored few. There had been golden days of music and plenty, when her children had been healthy and the husband she’d loved had been at her side.

But such wonder never lasted. Her children grew older. Her husband died and she was led into another marriage. And then another, after her second husband had taken ill and died. Good fortune for their island country led many to a quest for more fortune. Soldiers dressed in gold and blue sailed away from Atlantis; they became invaders, which in turn brought the enemy to their own shores.

Indikaiya had sent her daughters to live with a friend in Greece, putting them on a boat in the dead of night and watching them sail away. She could still feel the burn of tears in her eyes; she could still feel the heaviness of her heart. She had intended to join them, when she could. She’d planned to take her sons there as well, to escape a land which had once been so blessed but had been broken by those who were greedy and intolerant. The tears she’d shed that night, the heavy heart that had felt as if it could pull her to her knees… had she somehow known that she was seeing the girls for the last time?

Indikaiya had seen disaster coming, had dreamed of it, and she’d wanted to protect her children. Even though a part of her had wanted, so badly, to take her sons and go with them that night, she knew she would’ve been missed. And in all honesty, she was not a deserter. She could not have abandoned her home when she was needed, not even if she’d known how that battle was going to end.

A skilled swordsman, a fierce soldier for many years before the invasion, she’d led men and woman into battle, defending their shores. For two weeks, they had fought well, but the attackers had greater numbers and a burning zeal to kill. Indikaiya had died by an invader’s sword, as had her third husband and two of her three sons.

If she had not sent her daughters away they would’ve been on the island years later when it was claimed by the sea — as her eldest son had been — and she would have no descendants to call her to this world.

The last few years of her life had been violent and uncertain, as this night — in another time and another world — was for so many. She remembered the terror, the panic, the will to survive. But tonight she also remembered love.

Her time with Sorin had nothing to do with love. That simply wasn’t possible.

Indikaiya had attempted to leave behind the dog that had, for some inexplicable reason, attached itself to her. War was not for small and fragile creatures such as this one. She had planned to leave the animal in Sorin’s apartment with a comfy bed and some cat food, but that had not worked. Cupcake — the undignified name still caused her physical pain — had barked and snarled and cried, and as much as she’d wanted to, Indikaiya had not been able to walk away from the crying animal.

Not far from Sorin’s home, they’d passed an apartment building which was — unlike so many others — alive with lights and the sounds of people. Voices. Even unexpected laughter. Surely the dog would be safer there than in battle. Sorin and Indikaiya had both tried to send the dog in that direction. Cupcake had refused to go.

Indikaiya had to admit, she had been bested by a dog named Cupcake, an animal which weighed significantly less than a bag of sugar. At the moment, Cupcake slept in the bag Indikaiya had taken from the department store, along with the tunic, two bottles of water, and some food.

She and Sorin ran, side by side, toward smoke and fire and the screams of foolish humans. Foolish or brave? Soldiers — as well as ordinary citizens like Kevin Brown — had flooded into the city. They had come here to fight, and they had a fight on their hands. More vampires had come to the city, as well. True, they were showing themselves all over the world, but the initial battle, the one that would determine defeat or victory for the self-proclaimed queen, was happening here and now.

The battle they joined was taking place in a field. A park, a sign near the roadway proclaimed. Green grass was already stained with blood. The blood of humans and the ash of defeated vampires mingled to make a sickly, black mud. Sorin moved ahead of her, sword drawn, long blond hair flowing behind him. He’d disposed of his leather coat, which had been damaged the night before. Just as well. He no longer needed it to hide his sword. There was no reason, as anyone with any sense of self-preservation was always armed.

He moved up — unnaturally up — and then dropped down, sword swinging. Some of the humans feared him to be a new opponent, but as soon as Sorin dispatched two of his own kind in quick order, they celebrated his addition to the mix.

Indikaiya jumped into the battle as well. She could not fly, but few wielded a sword as expertly as she did.

As her enemies soon learned.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

This mansion was hers, taken by brute force years earlier, so why shouldn’t she reclaim it? Marie walked in through the front door like she owned the place. Which she did. One of her soldiers, one of the newer ones who wasn’t particularly powerful but who did what he was told without question, carried the unconscious woman Marie had collected from Atlanta. They were directly behind her.

Glancing about, she wanted to scream. Tempting as it was, she did not. The battle that had been waged here a week ago had caused serious damage to this once beautiful place. Furnishings were in pieces. Once-spotless walls sported bullet holes, as well as sprays of now-dried blood. Someone had attempted to set the place to rights, but they had not done a very good job.

Allies, powerful kindred from around the world, were on their way. She should’ve gathered many of them before getting the war underway, but thanks to Luca and Sorin the timing had not been entirely in her control. Powerful vampires, friends, perhaps a worshiper or two, would join her here. They would help her put this war to rights.

Two of her most loyal soldiers had been sent to collect the pieces she needed to complete her next move. They, too, would come here, to the place where her revolution had begun.

Outwardly, Marie remained calm. Even those closest to her could not be allowed to see her frustration. In spite of the failures, the chaos in D.C. was just as she’d imagined, and her experiments at long-term glamouring had paid off. She had many human soldiers who would do her bidding. They were weak-minded almost to the point of being simple, but they could, and did, fight. They could walk in the sun and they would never, ever betray her. If she asked them all to slice off their own heads, they would at least
try
to oblige her.

This next step… her next step would move this war forward by leaps and bounds. Ahron had promised.

Those who had wronged her were about to pay dearly.

This could not continue. Could not, would not. Indikaiya had been telling herself that for days, to no avail.

In Sorin’s quarters, she fed and watered the small dog that had claimed her, patting Cupcake’s back and praising her for a job well done. The poor dog needed yet another bath. As they all did.

Cupcake had not been content to stay in Indikaiya’s bag during battle. She’d escaped, and nipped relentlessly at the heels of many vampires. Including Sorin, on occasion. If she had been a larger dog the vampires might’ve turned on her, but she was small and quick, and no self-respecting soldier would turn their backs on an armed enemy in order to see to the nuisance.

If anyone dared to attack Cupcake, Indikaiya would quickly end them. She was surprised by the intensity of that promise to herself.

When Cupcake was settled on her pillow, she and Sorin stripped, showered, and then fell into bed. Indikaiya enjoyed the sex, she truly did, but at the same time…

Her lover was a vampire. The enemy, a soulless being, a creature who needed the blood of the living in order to survive. Her purpose — in life and in the afterlife — was to protect humans. He fed from them.

He’d killed. She didn’t know how many lives he’d taken, but he was far from innocent. He had been in Marie’s camp for a long while; he had murdered conduits. Was the fact that he’d changed sides before the fighting started in earnest, that he was an invaluable asset, that he made her feel good — that he made her forget war for a while — did that mean she should forgive his past transgressions?

Was it her place to forgive them?

He slept. He must trust her completely, to sleep so deeply while she was in his bed. She needed to rest, had to, but her mind was spinning. With thoughts of Sorin, of war, of Chloe and her child. Lying next to him, she closed her eyes and willed sleep to come. As though that ever worked. Behind closed eyes she replayed scenes of last night’s battle. She saw Sorin as he leapt and swung his sword with incredible power and killed his own kind without a qualm. She saw him catch her eye more than once. He smiled often, that brilliant, charming smile that had captivated women for hundreds of years. But he did not smile in battle. No, he was focused as he fought. Determined. Deadly.

And distracted by her presence. She had realized that last night, when he’d turned his back on a sword-wielding vamp to check on her battle status, to assure himself that she was unharmed.

The man confused her, so much. It was not at all like her to be confused. Good was good and evil was evil, and there was no gray area in between.

Yet here she was, washed in gray.

Sorin stirred. He rolled into her, above her. “You should be sleeping,” he said as he spread her thighs.

“So should you.” She lifted her hips as he aligned himself.

“How can I sleep when you need me?”

Indikaiya could not, would not, need Sorin or anyone else. She tried to tell him so but he filled her in one long, powerful, wonderful thrust, and words left her.

Sex, not love, she told herself as he brought her to the edge of release and then slowed, teasing her. Pleasure, not need, she thought as he kissed her breasts and her neck softly before increasing the power of his thrusts and bringing her to the edge and over.

Her mind was no longer distracted by memories of battle. There was only this. His body and hers. The way he filled her. The way she responded. She should not, could not need or want him.

In spite of herself, she screamed and clutched at his broad shoulders while her body shook.

He shook, too. He needed her as much as she needed him, and she took some comfort in that knowledge.

She had not experienced real pleasure in a very long time. Her life was pleasant, but simple. Her life in a world far from this one had purpose. She was a Warrior, not a woman to be wooed.

“Can I kiss you on the mouth now?” Sorin asked, moving closer, edging in until his face was almost touching hers.

“No.” He was so close they might as well be kissing. So close. He smelled so good. His lips were annoyingly tempting.

“Pity. It would be sweet.”

“It would be unnecessary.” And dangerous. Dangerous for her, if she allowed herself to think this might be more than sexual release. Dangerous, if she allowed herself to admit that she wanted to know what his lips tasted like. She tried to keep her voice calm, cool, detached, as she rejected his kiss, but she wondered if Sorin heard the slight tremble.

Of course he did. He missed nothing.

If he noticed, he said nothing. For that, she could thank him. But of course, she did not.

“Chloe is with child,” she said.

Sorin’s only reaction was a lift of his eyebrows that indicated his surprise. “That’s not possible,” he responded. Then he frowned.

“I did not think so, either, but I am not mistaken.” She wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to share the news with her lover, but it had been weighing on her and it felt good to say the words.

“The child won’t survive,” he said in a lowered voice.

“You’re wrong. She’s very strong.”

He did not argue with her, but accepted her assessment. “What does Luca have to say about this development?”

“I’m not even sure he knows.”

“He knows.” Sorin rolled from the bed and headed for the bathroom. He returned moments later with a damp washcloth for her. “Nothing that momentous could get past the great Luca Ambrus for long.”

It had been days since she’d seen Chloe and her vampire. It was likely Luca did know about the baby, by now.

“You don’t like him.”

Sorin crawled into the bed. He eased closer to her as he flashed that smile that affected her far too deeply. “I do not want to talk about Luca while I’m in bed with you.”

She turned her back to him, trying to create distance between them, then sighed as he ran one finger down her spine.

“Wake me if you have need of me again,” he teased.

“And if you have need of me?” she responded, rolling over to face him, fully expecting him to laugh at the concept of needing anyone.

He lifted his head and grinned at her. “Indikaiya, I always have need of you.” He placed his head on his pillow, closed his eyes and was asleep in moments.

Surely sleep would come for her now. Exhausted from battle, well loved, safe. Surely her mind would stop spinning. It did not, and long before the sun set she left the bed as quietly as possible, pulled on her clothes and gathered her sword
and
her dog, and left by way of the front door.

He’d heard Indikaiya leave, and had allowed her to go without question, without interference. To be honest, he was not surprised that she’d left. He was only surprised that she’d stayed with him as long as she had.

If he found himself in need of blood or fucking, there were plenty of other women available. There always had been, always would be. He could fetch himself a pretty woman who was enamored of his kind, who would not mind serving in all ways in exchange for his protection. Many of the kindred lived that way, most especially now, in time of war. Duncan and Isaac were both keeping human women who saw to their needs for blood and sex. They, unlike those under Marie’s command, had consorts who chose to be with them, who could leave at any time.