As Shadows Fade (The Gardella Vampire Chronicles 5)

“Ready,” she called over the rising gale, turning toward Sebastian. He struggled for a moment, pulling out his own store of holy water as she sliced at one of the black creatures. Again the unbearable cold shocked her, staggering her.

Sebastian caught her arm before she lost her balance on the unsteady ground and spilled her holy water. They looked at each other for a moment, barely able to discern the other’s features in the maelstrom of leaves and fog, gauging the moment.

“Go!” shouted Victoria, and they both whirled, winging the holy water from their bottles up and around into the hurricane about them.

Sizzling sounds, fizzing and even a scream of rage… The winds settled as the water spewed into the clouds and onto Anton?n, who’d remained huddled against one of the taller gravestones.

Victoria considered leaving him, but instead, she grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him haphazardly behind her as they dashed around and through the cluster of headstones. She had to swing up with her sword only once more before they found the cemetery entrance. The cold wasn’t as daunting as before, but it slowed her enough that she gasped in pain.

Once they were out of the cemetery, as before, the demonic cloud lost its strength and remained behind them, rumbling and gurgling wickedly. Then, as Victoria watched, it swirled into itself and settled into the darkness below.

“Did you have to do that?” Anton?n cried.

Victoria turned and saw that the holy water had caught him straight in the face. His skin had peeled away, leaving one of his eyes sagging in its socket. He held a hand to his destroyed flesh, but seemed less concerned over that than the mass of evil they’d left behind.

And indeed, as before in London, they’d left it behind, weakened by the holy water.

Or it had chosen not to follow.

Victoria wasn’t sure which.

She shivered and whirled at the vampire. Before he realized what had happened, her stake was poised over his chest and a great handful of his shirt was clumped in her fist. “What kind of trick was that?”

“No trick, no trick!” he cried. “I swear it! Do you think I would have gone into that if I had known?”

“If you don’t take us to Katerina-” Sebastian began, but Victoria interrupted.

“No, he’ll come with us now, and we’ll find Katerina in the morning. When the sun is risen.” She bared her teeth at the vampire, furious. “We’re in need of undead blood, and he looks more than willing to share.”

Sebastian nodded and helped Victoria bind the undead’s hands together behind him.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” he whined. “I’ve never seen it. I swear it. I heard something… Just let me go, and I’ll take you to Katerina.”

“You heard something?” Victoria repeated as they climbed back onto their horses. She glanced back over the cemetery and saw that the angry cloud had all but dissipated. She hadn’t noticed the malingering fog when they’d arrived at the cemetery, although she’d been more distracted, having expected an ambush of undead… not one of the frightening demons. “What do you mean, you heard something?”

“Recently,” Anton?n said, “there have been incidents… I’ve heard about them. And Katerina seemed to be a bit worried about her cemetery. I didn’t lie about that,” he added defensively. “She usually is there at night. But I didn’t know. It was horrible.” He shuddered. His vampire countenance twisted with fear, made all the more grotesque by the ragged flesh near the one side of his mouth.

Victoria ignored his last statement and looked at Sebastian. Her rising worry was reflected in his set face, even though she couldn’t see the details of his expression.

More demons-demons that even frightened the undead.

Demons that had driven a powerful vampire from her cemetery lair.

That realization as much as anything else worried her. Vampires hated demons, but they didn’t fear them.

At least, they never had before.

Twelve

Wherein Sebastian Is Reminded That Hell Hath No Fury

“The only way you’ll get the ring from Katerina is by killing her,” said Anton?n companionably, apparently having recovered from the unexpected demon attack. His face had also begun to show signs of healing, the peeling skin falling away to reveal fresh baby pink flesh beneath.

Victoria swallowed a drink of wine from where she sat on the edge of the bed and replied, “I don’t anticipate a problem.”

She’d kept Anton?n out of sight and quiet while Sebastian found a room at a small inn, and now the three of them had settled into the chamber for the night. At least, she and Sebastian had settled in. The vampire was well and truly trussed in a corner, yet he seemed to be feeling rather talkative.

“I wouldn’t mind something to drink,” he said at that moment. “Perhaps a wrist or arm?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sebastian said, looking up from a sheaf of curling papers. A dusky blond curl fell from his forehead and into his eyes, reminding Victoria that he still had the ability to make her insides go soft.

“I’m thirsty. Unless you wish to offer me even a drink of wine if you won’t give me a wrist? You could hold the cup.” His voice lifted in a bit of a whine.

Victoria ignored him and looked over at Sebastian, wondering not for the first time what he was reading. He’d pulled the pages out more than once during their trip, even late at night, often sitting in the small circle of candlelight to pore over them, while she and Max pretended to ignore each other.

Or, at least, she pretended. She didn’t know about Max.

“She’s not so easy to kill,” Anton?n persisted.

Victoria looked at Sebastian. “If I give him something to eat, perhaps he’ll stop talking.”

He glanced up, and she noticed that the gleam of humor was missing from his eyes. “You could knock him on the head, too,” he said. “Or, better yet, stake him. We don’t need him to find Katerina.”

“But I have other plans for him,” she replied, looking at the vampire speculatively. The more she thought about it, the more pleased she was with the undead candidate for Max’s Trial. Max could take him blindfolded and with one hand behind his back, even without a vis and after three days of fasting.

“I see.” Sebastian looked back down.

Victoria had traveled since dawn, and had slept little for the last ten days while they journeyed, so she was tired. She’d ordered a bath earlier, using another chamber for privacy. More than a week’s worth of grime and dirt had layered her skin, and it was the first chance she’d had to wash in more than a small basin.