“How do you know Lord Reginald and Sir Marcus?” she asked at last.
Chase let out a dry chuckle. “I was honestly expecting you to ask me if I’d killed them,” he said.
“You couldn’t hurt Lord Reginald,” Elizabeth said with a small smile. “He’s way too powerful.”
Chase raised his eyebrows. “What about Marcus? I never said that I knew him.”
“That’s his sword,” Elizabeth said, indicating to the hilt over her right shoulder. “Whose blood was that?”
Chase slipped off the couch and knelt before her so their eyes were on the same level. “Whose do you think it was?”
Elizabeth’s grip tightened on the hilt of Demetrius’ knife, but she did not reply. She did not like the look in his eyes.
“What would you do if I had killed Marcus?” Chase asked.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and studied Chase’s expression carefully. “I would say you’re lying,” she said.
“How do you know that?”
“I can see it on your face,” Elizabeth said. “And I think you know that if you had hurt him, I’d probably try to kill you.”
A smile flitted across Chase’s face as he replied. “Not a very strong threat, Lizzy. You’ll have to work on that.”
Elizabeth frowned and glared at him angrily.
Chase’s crooked smile returned as he watched her. “Pretty feisty, aren’t you? But you are right. There’s no way I would have been able to hurt either of them.” His smile faded slightly. “Would you have really tried to kill me?”
Elizabeth gave him a small smile and shook her head. “You know I couldn’t, Chase. You know the only things I can kill are bugs.”
“You helped me kill Demetrius.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I just tripped him, you did the rest.”
“You moved faster than any human I’ve ever seen,” Chase said. “You could have been a hunter.”
Elizabeth looked into Chase eyes. She wished, as she often had before that she could somehow see through him.
Chase looked away. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he said.
“Do what?” Elizabeth asked.
“I can feel you pressing against my mind,” Chase said with a grimace. “You don’t even know that you’re doing it do you?”
“I’m not doing anything,” Elizabeth said. “At least I don’t think I am.”
Chase massaged his temples gingerly and sighed. “Look into my eyes and tell me what I’m thinking right now.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “You’re kidding me right?” she said.
“Seriously,” Chase said. “Just don’t push too hard.”
“Okay,” Elizabeth said. She took a deep breath and looked into Chase’s eyes. Her brow furrowed as she frowned.
“Part of you thinks it would be best for you to kill me right here and now,” she said after a few minutes. “You think I’m far more dangerous than I realize, but you don’t actually want to hurt me. You gave me this knife to defend myself in case your instincts overwhelm you rational thought.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Chase said through gritted teeth. Beads of sweat had begun to form across his forehead, and his face was twisted with pain.
Elizabeth forced herself to break eye contact with Chase and focused on her own breathing. She could hardly believe it, but somehow, she had been inside his mind for an instant.
Chase stood and backed away from her, clearly shaken.
“I’m sorry, Chase,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve never done that before.”
“I knew I liked you for a good reason,” Chase said with a chuckle. “God damn, you’re powerful.”
“How can you laugh?” Elizabeth asked. “We’ve gone from being a couple friends who liked to hang out and eat to-to…to being I don’t know what.” She shook her head as words failed her.”
“To enemies?” Chase asked just above a whisper.
Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t want to be enemies,” she said. “I don’t think we have to be. You obviously allied yourself with the Wolf Clan.”
“At least temporarily,” Chase said. “But you’re right; I think we can be friends. We’re at least being honest about who we are now.”
“I figured that you’d just think I was crazy if I told you about Lord Reginald and Sir Marcus.”
“And I figured you’d think I was crazy if I said I was a guy who goes around killing vampires.”
Elizabeth smiled in spite of herself. “Maybe we should just start over again. I’m Elizabeth; I’m apparently descended from a clan of ancient vampires.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Elizabeth,” Chase said sitting down next to her. “I’m Chase. I’m a vampire slayer descended from a long line of hunters.”
Chapter 12
It didn’t take long for Chase to tell Elizabeth all about meeting the Wolf Clan in the orange groves and their hastily formed alliance.
“The fact that I was your friend was the only thing that saved me,” Chase said. “Marcus could have easily taken me apart.”
“I’m glad he didn’t kill you,” Elizabeth said with a smile. In spite of everything that had happened, she found that she still really liked Chase. Things would never be the same between them, but then again maybe they would end up being better. Once they had gotten over the initial awkwardness, it had been easy for them to talk to each other. “So Sir Marcus loaned you his sword, and he and Lord Reginald gave you some of their blood so that you could be protected from Demetrius?”
“Exactly,” Chase said. “And here I am.”
“But how did you get in without Demetrius knowing? He was just as surprised as I was.”
“That was partially thanks to you. I think he was having so much trouble keeping you under control that he wasn’t as aware of his surroundings.”
Elizabeth frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Didn’t you tell him that you were invited in?”
“Elaine let me in,” Chase said. “She was Demetrius’ human companion.”
There was something about the way he said it that made Elizabeth shudder.
“I didn’t hurt her,” Chase said seeing Elizabeth’s reaction. “She’s fine; she’s tied her up in the next room.”
“Chase!” Elizabeth said reproachfully. “She’s probably scared out of her wits! How long has she been in there? And why didn’t you tell Demetrius that she was okay? He probably wouldn’t have-”
“I needed him to attack first,” Chase interrupted. “And I said she’s fine. I just put her into a trance. She won’t even have a headache when I wake her up.”
“Sorry,” Elizabeth said. “I just spent all day chained up in a basement, and the idea of someone being held prisoner just doesn’t agree with me.”
“Understandable,” Chase said. “But trust me; you would not have wanted to deal with both of them at once. Elaine is pretty fierce.”
“What’ll happen to her now?”
“It depends,” Chase said coldly. “I don’t know how long she’s been under Demetrius’ influence. It could be she’ll be able to go to whatever her life was before he came around, or it could be that she’ll end up going insane now that he’s dead.”
“That’s not very helpful.”
Chase shrugged. “We’ll have to talk to her to find out. I’ll bring her out here; hold onto that knife in case she tries anything.”
Elizabeth nodded. “And then we can go to the Wolf Clan?”
“If all goes well, they’ll be able to come in here,” Chase said. “They’re waiting outside right now.”
Chapter 13
Chase emerged from the next room a moment later with a confused looking woman in a green silk robe. She might have been fifty, but she seemed much older. Ragged tangles of blonde hair with conspicuously dark roots fell down past her shoulders.
Her dark glassy eyes seemed way too big for her emaciated face. She had the look of a woman who had been sick for a very long time and had lost way too much weight way too fast. Her skin sagged limply from her protruding bones.
“Elizabeth, this is Elaine,” Chase said as he ushered her into the room.
“Chase, what the hell is going on?” Her voice grated on Elizabeth’s already frayed nerves.
Chase pointed to Demetrius’ body beside Elizabeth.
Elaine inhaled sharply at the sight. Her right eye twitched. “What have you done?”
“We killed him,” Chase said. “He had you mesmerized and was using you as his human servant. Do you remember anything?”
Elaine threw back her head and laughed a velvety laugh that was disturbingly familiar. “I remember everything, Chase.” She spat out his name. “I remember promises being broken. I remember long nights alone in the dark not knowing if the man I had loved was alive or dead. I remember that bastard’s whelp growing inside me like a disease.”
“You told him that you wanted a child,” Chase said bitterly.
“It should have been HIS child,” Eliane screeched; her eyes burned with fury. Elizabeth unconsciously tightened her grip on Demetrius’ knife. The hatred that radiated from Elaine was so thick that it was almost visible as she continued, “If I had known what was inside me, I would have ripped it out of me myself.”
“You should never have even thought to attempt it,” Chase said. He seemed to be having trouble keeping his voice steady. “Especially now. It would have never worked.”
“We’ll never know now will we?” Elaine replied. Her voice was softer now but still thick with emotion. “But she still has to die. You know that.”
Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat. Her every instinct told her to get out of there, but her feet where rooted to the ground as her gaze kept darting between the two of them. It was clear that they had known each other for a long time.
“She won’t die as long as I’m around,” Chase said calmly, though his grim expression did not match his voice. “I swore to her clan that I would protect her.”
“Her clan,” Elaine sneered. “The same clan that almost wiped our clan off the face of the Earth.”
“Yes,” Chase said. “She can’t be blamed for something that happened centuries before she was born.” He looked at Elizabeth, his face troubled. Elizabeth could see that a small part of him agreed with Elaine.
Elaine did not reply. A look of something like pride flitted across her sickly features.
Elizabeth relaxed slightly. Surely this woman could be reasoned with somehow. Everything was going to be fine. She glanced at Chase. He was watching Elaine warily.
“You’re a fool, Chase,” Elaine whispered. She looked at Elizabeth. Her lips curled back into a smile that suddenly turned into a snarl.
Without warning, she leapt at Elizabeth with her arms outstretched.
Elizabeth instinctively lifted her hands to defend herself.
Elaine let out a hoarse cry and looked down at the knife protruding from her belly.
Chase rushed forward.
Elizabeth’s fingers slipped off of Demetrius’ knife as she backed away in horror. She had forgotten for an instant that it had been in her hand.
“I-I-I’m,” Elizabeth could only stutter in disbelief. What had she done? “E-E-Elaine?” She shook her head and continued to back away, not knowing what to do. She could not take her eyes off the stain that was slowly spreading across Elaine’s flimsy robe.
The older woman dropped to her knees and wrapped a pale hand around the hilt.
“Don’t!” Chase shouted, but it was too late.
Elaine twisted the blade and wrenched it out of her body. “I’ll see you in hell, bitch,” she gasped as her lifeblood gushed onto the carpet.
The room spun around Elizabeth. She felt like her heart would burst out of her chest. She was hyperventilating and trying desperately to process what was happening in front of her.
Chase was on his knees, vainly trying to staunch the bleeding, but there was not power on Earth that could have saved Elaine. He was saying something, but Elizabeth could not hear him. All she could hear was her own pulse pounding in her ears and the rasping breath of the dying woman.
Chapter 14
The front door was ripped off its hinges as Lord Reginald burst into the house. In an instant, he was beside Elizabeth.
“It’s okay, young one,” he said. He wrapped his arms around her protectively. “You’re safe now.”
She buried her head in his chest and burst into tears. The realization of what she had just done swept over her.
“I killed her,” she gasped between sobs. “I didn’t mean to kill her.”
Lord Reginald rubbed her back and whispered soft words of comfort into her ear.
“Marcus,” he said sharply, looking up suddenly.
Elizabeth lifted her head and turned to see Sir Marcus holding Chase in the air by his throat. He must have come in just after his father without her even noticing.
“I’ll kill you, hunter,” Marcus snarled at Chase.
Chase kicked his legs and clawed at Marcus’ arm in an effort to break the vampire’s grip. He seemed to already be too weak to reach up and unsheathe his swords as the life was slowly being choked out of him.
“Marcus, no,” Elizabeth whimpered. She had never seen him this angry. The air around him shimmered with his rage.
“Marcus,” Lord Reginald said again.
A muscle twitched in Marcus’ cheek. He threw Chase across the room as if he weighed nothing.
Chase grunted as his back hit the wall and he slid to the ground.
“Chase!” Elizabeth yelled hoarsely. She tried to break free from Lord Reginald, but he would not let her go.
“It’s okay, Lizzy,” Chase said. He was clearly in pain, but he managed to struggle back to his feet. “I’m okay.”
“Not for long,” Marcus growled.
“Please don’t hurt him anymore,” Elizabeth said. “He saved my life.”
“That woman could have killed her,” Marcus said without taking his eyes off Chase. He acted like he hadn’t even heard Elizabeth. “If you weren’t under my father’s protection, I would rip out your liver and make you eat it.”
“See, Lizzy,” Chase said with a crooked smile. “That’s a good threat.”
Elizabeth could only stare at him in astonishment.
“Rest, young Elizabeth,” Lord Reginald said, ignoring the thick tension between his son and the hunter. His power began to flow over her like a warm flood washing away her pain and fear. Her body felt delightfully weightless. She could feel him offering her the gift of sleep without dreams.
“Thank you, my lord,” she whispered. She was more than happy to accept his gift; her eyelids were already beginning to droop. “Please don’t let them kill each other.”
“You have my word,” Lord Reginald replied.
Elizabeth sighed in contentment as she drifted away on a calm sea.
Chapter 15
“Thank you for your assistance, Slayer Chase,” Lord Reginald said as he lay Elizabeth’s sleeping body on the hotel room bed and tucked her in gently. Romulus hopped onto the bed and curled up at her side.
Chase nodded, his jaw clenched.
“I still say that this is a foolish thing to do,” Marcus said. If looks could kill, Chase would have been diced into tiny bits on the floor. “How can we possibly continue to trust him? We are putting Elizabeth’s life in his hands yet again?”
“And where else would you take her to keep her safe?” Chase asked. He was a good six inches shorter than Marcus, but still he stood toe to toe with the tall vampire without batting an eye. “Into your coffin while you sleep? You know that she can’t go back to her dorm, and you can’t leave her with only a wo
lf to protect her. He may be powerful, but he’s not more powerful than the Council. They would be able to track her down within a day, and you know that they’d kill her long before you could reach her. And then what would you do? Have another little massacre of hunters and their families? You would start another war.”
“The Council would not have even been an issue if you had simply let us deal with that woman,” Marcus growled.
“You?” Chase said with a snort. “She’d still be dead then wouldn’t she?”
“At least Elizabeth wouldn’t have been involved!”
“How could she not have been involved?” Chase’s voice rose angrily. “Do you really think that the Council would care about who actually killed her? The mere fact that she was there. Hell, the mere fact that she is what she is-”
“She is not-” Marcus started to speak over him.
“That’s enough,” Lord Reginald said, silencing them both with a wave of his hand. “I would have left them both alive if they had released Elizabeth as I requested. That was what we discussed, and the word of a Wolf is binding. Marcus, you know that. And Chase, you should not have baited Demetrius into attacking. You knew that you would have been justified to your Council, but they are not here. You went in there under my protection, and now, one of my oldest friends is dead.”
“I told you-” Marcus started to say but stopped at the look on his father’s face.
“Furthermore,” Lord Reginald continued. “You knew that woman was once a part of the Council. You had no right to put Elizabeth in that kind of danger.”
“I know,” Chase said. He looked at the ground, unable to meet the ancient vampire’s eyes. “I just didn’t think she would have been that far gone. I thought I could help her. She was my mother.”
Marcus’ jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke. “If you wish to avenge her, I alone will claim the responsibility for her death. You may challenge me if you wish.”
Chase let out a chuckle in spite of himself. He looked at Marcus with a look of mingled respect and disgust. “She might have been my blood, but she was never my family. I would have killed her myself after she attacked Elizabeth.”