Dark Legacy (Dark 27)

Liv, drop down now. He gave the child instructions, knowing the vampires could also hear. At one time they had been Carpathian, born into the species just as he was, yet choosing to give up their souls. That didn't mean they weren't able to hear along the common path.

Liv's dragon followed him toward the ground. Dragomir took one small eighth of a second to glance down. He'd been in the air three minutes acquiring both little girls, but thanks to the lesser vampires blocking Emeline's escape, Vadim had caught her again. Below him, he glimpsed the teenagers trying to pull Genevieve from the play yard bench. The boy turned toward the threat of the vampire coming at them, shouting to his sister to run.

Emeline fought Vadim viciously, punching and kicking. There was blood on her neck, trickling down her arm and shoulder. Evidently, Vadim couldn't fully control her mind, or he would have stopped her from fighting him. The master vampire had clearly taken her blood, thinking that would force his will on her. Dragomir's belly knotted at the knowledge, but he didn't have time to dwell on what was happening to her.

Fireballs continued to streak from the clouds, the trajectories straight at each of the children. He had time to turn his back, hunch his shoulders and protect the two little girls in his arms as streaks of white-hot molten fire tore into his shoulders and dripped down his back, creating long grooves. He cut off the pain and kept moving toward the ground below, his gaze on Liv as her dragon dodged the fiery streaks falling around her.

He had a newfound respect for the dragons. It would be good to sit on an animal while he protected children and the beast outmaneuvered Vadim's attacks, dodging the threads of fire raining from the sky.

The boom of Matt's rifle was steady now as more vampires joined the first ones. Matt, keep your men undercover at all times, tell them to choose their target, aim for the heart. Take out as many as they can. How many more minutes before he had aid? Danny, Amelia, get to the grate and call your dragons. Liv, lead the others to it.

The vampires, former Carpathians, could hear his commands to Liv, and she provided the instructions to the other children. They couldn't hear his instructions to Matt because Dragomir had forged their own path when he'd taken the man's blood. Immediately there was a frenzy as four vampires dove for the ten-year-old. She cried out and bent low over her dragon. The beast spun around in a tight circle, going right through the vampires. Sharp claws scraped the shimmering green scales, leaving a trail of blood in the air. The dragon didn't hesitate, but spun back, his wedged head extended as he bathed the vampires in a steady stream of fire.

They screamed, engulfed in the flames, dropping almost on top of Dragomir as he found the ground with his feet and ran toward the grate, holding the little girls tightly to him. Above him the sky erupted in streams of red-hot magma, shooting down at the children and the Carpathian hunter. He was forced to maintain a shield over Matt to keep Vadim's retaliations from killing him, and additional shields over the children. The threads of dripping lava hit the exposed dragons and just missed him as he ducked under the umbrella of the shield protecting Danny and Amelia.

We can't wake Genevieve, Danny protested.

Leave her. Get to the grate. Get the dragons to follow you.

The two dragons, brown and orange, were hurt and they sat just outside the play yard, their great sides shuddering, heads down, trying to pant away the pain. Danny caught Amelia's hand and yanked hard, pulling her toward the building to the left of the play yard. It looked like a large garage or storehouse. The long wall had no windows, and beneath it, running along the structure, was a long grate built into the ground. As Danny and Amelia raced toward it, the grate popped open, slamming against the outside wall of the storage house. Liv urged her green dragon straight at the hole in the ground the grate had covered. Lourdes's blue dragon and Bella's red one followed her.

Three vampires raced the children and dragons to the opening, their mouths stretched in vile grins, revealing spiked, stained teeth as they spread out, hovering just above the dark pit below them, their backs to the grate. As Dragomir ran with the girls, two vampires rose up in front of him, almost at his feet: one had his hand outstretched in preparation to tear at the ancient's flesh. At Dragomir's silent command, both girls, hands circling his neck, slid around to his back to cling like two little monkeys and he continued forward, driving his fist deep into the nearest vampire's chest. He kept his forward momentum, even as he jerked his arm free, the withered, blackened heart in his fist.

He ran straight at the second vampire. The vampire's eyes widened with shock. No more than a second had passed. The heartless vampire screamed and clutched his chest where black blood spewed. He dropped to his knees, shrieking for his heart.

Danny. Amelia. Dragomir timed his moment, whirling just before he reached the vampire threatening him. He tossed the two little girls into the air, straight at the teenagers. Both had their hands up, and Lourdes and Bella fell into their arms. Danny ran with Bella, Amelia with Lourdes, straight toward that yawning hole and the three vampires waiting for them. Liv led the parade of dragons, although the red and blue ones stayed behind Danny and Amelia.

Simultaneously, as Dragomir leapt into the air, coming down with his fist driving forward straight through bone and sinew to find the vampire's heart, three missiles flew straight to the vampires waiting for the children. Rolling in the air as they flew, flames erupted and they burst through their chests, straight to the hearts, incinerating all three on contact. The vampires stood with their mouths open, shocked looks on their faces, and then they toppled backward. The grate fell, covering the hole, and with it dropped the side of the building, revealing a cavernous lift.

Liv and the injured dragons were swallowed and then Amelia and Danny with the girls and their dragons followed. The grate sprang back up, slamming the wall into place. The entire exchange had taken seconds. Dragomir dispensed with both withered hearts, hurling them to the ground and incinerating them immediately. He turned his head to see Emeline running for her house, with Vadim one step behind her.

3

This had been her worst nightmare, the dream occurring over and over for the last month. Emeline knew she shouldn't run to her house. If she did, the Carpathian known as Dragomir would die. He always died saving her. She'd tried to avoid this destiny. She'd made certain not to meet him, never to speak to him, yet here she was, forced to make a split-second decision. If she didn't make it to her house, Vadim would have her again and there would be no stopping him.

"Don't follow," she pleaded, rushing up her steps. She knew Dragomir would. He was one step behind Vadim. She knew coming after Dragomir was Vadim's army of horrible creatures. Vadim had already weakened her, taking her blood. Her neck burned, a fierce, intolerable pain that spread through her like wildfire.

Vadim waved his hand and her door stuck as she tried to jerk it open. She turned to face him, despair moving through her. Despair. Sorrow. Fear--although she was almost beyond fear. Back to the door, she slid down until her bottom hit the porch, knees up. She already knew exactly how the scenario would play out. Dragomir was on the stairs, and Vadim swung around to face him.

Emeline forced herself to look at the ancient warrior. He was the opposite of everything Vadim was. Roped muscles, scars, waist-length salt-and-pepper hair. He looked rugged. Tough. Scary. He had tattoos drifting up his neck so he looked a little like a modern-day outlaw biker. Vadim, despite his head being blown off repeatedly, always managed to restore his flawless, model looks. At first glance, one would be terrified of Dragomir, not Vadim, and that would be a very big mistake.

Her breath caught in her throat as Dragomir continued right up the stairs toward Vadim. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't. She'd witnessed his death over and over in her nightmare. She always woke up when he went down and she never saw the outcome, only that he sacrificed his life for hers. She felt the least she could do was watch. More--this time, she planned to aid him.

Her hand dropped to the pocket of the long dress

she wore. Once before, after continually trying new things in her dreams, she'd changed the outcome of the future. She was determined to do the same this time, or die trying. Time slowed down. Just as she knew it would, the air exploded with more vampires, and as they appeared, the Carpathian hunters joined in the fight.

She knew the children were safe. Genevieve was still out in the open, slumped over the bench in the play yard, but everyone was too occupied with the fierce battle to notice her. Emeline's world narrowed until there was only Dragomir and Vadim. They moved as if in slow motion, but she knew it was really just the opposite. Dragomir didn't so much as hesitate. He came up the stairs leading to her verandah with a steady pace. To her shock, he used a human weapon, one developed by Tariq for his security forces. That was new, not in her dream.

As the missile streaked toward Vadim, the vampire leapt into the air and rushed Dragomir so that the fiery bullets missed him. Dragomir flung the weapon aside as he took to the air to meet Vadim's attack. Emeline crawled across the planks of wood beneath the two snarling opponents to get to the strange gun Dragomir had discarded. Blood dripped down onto her shoulder, and she knew immediately it was Dragomir's. Vadim's blood would burn, a terrible acid, going through skin to bone. She caught up the gun and kept crawling, moving to the far side of the porch and the relative shelter of the wide railing.

"You can't have her," Dragomir said softly.

The words carried to her despite the low tone. The two men were close to each other, fists driving deep into chests. Two primitive fighters going for the kill. The moment she heard those soft, determined words, his statement absolute, her heart fluttered. So did her stomach. She looked up at his face. He had to be in pain. Vadim's talons were digging through flesh to get to his heart, but Dragomir's scarred features gave nothing away. He stared directly into Vadim's eyes, his fist in Vadim's chest.

Emeline pulled her gaze from the two combatants with difficulty, lifting her weapon and turning slightly to face the threat that always came and prevailed in her dream--Vadim's brother, Sergey. He came up behind Dragomir as the master vampire kept the Carpathian focused on him. Before Sergey could reach Dragomir and attack, Emeline rose up onto her knees and pulled the trigger. The gun bucked in her hand, driving her backward. Shockingly, the weapon was hot as the missile left the barrel, rolling, fanning the accelerant so that it burst into flames just before it entered Sergey's body.

She couldn't believe she'd actually scored a hit. It wasn't his heart, but she'd aimed for the chest, the largest target on him. She knew it wasn't a kill shot, but it did drive him away from Dragomir. It also got her Sergey's attention. His lips drew back in a terrible snarl and he slapped the fiery missile away from his body. It left a hole in his chest, flames still licking up his torso.

She steadied her hand and her nerves, placing the weapon on the railing to keep from ruining her aim. She pulled the trigger and a second missile spun through the air. Sergey howled as it struck his stomach, penetrating much deeper than the first. Furious, the vampire dove at her, uncaring of the fiery hole in his body. She bit off a scream and ducked as he raked at her face. The claws ripped at her scalp and snagged in her thick, wild, very tangled hair. The vampire dragged her halfway across the porch back toward her front door before he let her loose to get the burning missile from his body.

The moment she was attacked by Sergey, Dragomir ripped his hand back, taking part of Vadim's heart with his fist locked around it. Vadim screamed, throwing his head back and then forward to crash into Dragomir's forehead. Dragomir fell back, hitting the floor of the verandah. Blood poured from wounds in his chest and neck where the master vampire had ripped at him. In his fist was part of the blackened heart and he kept his fingers closed tightly around the prize.

Vadim, spraying acid-like blood over the flooring, rails and even the side of the house, staggered back and fell, landing almost in Emeline's lap. She dragged the ice pick from under the railing where she'd stashed it after her third dream. She rolled once, bringing her right against the master vampire. He caught her head in his hands as if he might break her neck. Staring into his eyes, she thrust the ice pick into his heart, using both hands and every bit of strength she had. Simultaneously, Dragomir tossed the bit he held into the yard as he called down the lightning, directing it at the little piece of Vadim's heart. Instantly it was incinerated.

Vadim howled, fury overcoming his perfect good looks, now long since vanished. His face was a mask of evil, eyes glowing red. His teeth, sharp and terrible, bit deep into her neck. Pain flashed through her. He wanted it to hurt and he gulped at the blood, even as he pulled the ice pick from his chest and tossed it to his brother. Sergey caught the weapon and slammed it down on Dragomir's thigh, pinning him to the floor as he elongated the blade. His hand morphed into a second ice pick, and he did the same with that blade, deliberately hitting the artery as he struck the other thigh.

Emeline tried to fight, to get Vadim off her, but he held her to him, gulping at her blood while Sergey swallowed the blood spraying from Dragomir's thigh. Vadim thrust Emeline aside without running his foul tongue over the twin marks in her neck, allowing the burning holes to continue to bleed freely. The master vampire crawled to Dragomir, shoved his brother out of the way and pressed his mouth over the wound on the Carpathian's thigh.

Dragomir's eyes met hers. She'd never seen a man more ravaged. The hot threads falling from the sky had burned him over and over. Vadim had shredded his chest and neck and put a hole in his chest near his heart. Both legs were pierced through. He looked tired and pale, the lines etched deep into his face, his scars proclaiming his many battles standing out proudly. He didn't look defeated, only tired.

Sergey turned his head toward Emeline. He licked his lips, staring at her neck, Dragomir's blood staining his teeth and jaw where it had trickled down. He started toward her, and her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't even scream. She just watched him come at her, aware that the other hunters and the human security force were fighting off Vadim's army and wouldn't come to her rescue.

Dragomir moved then, with sudden blurring speed, catching Vadim by the back of the neck and slamming his head into his leg and then into the floor with shocking strength. He flung the master vampire backward again and was instantly over top of him, his fist driving deep into the vampire's chest.

Vadim screamed, shrieking for his army to come, to kill Dragomir. He fought, pounding at the wounds on Dragomir's legs, lunging forward to bite at him savagely with his sharp teeth, tearing chunks of flesh from him.

Emeline realized she had rolled right over the gun. It dug into the back of her leg. She caught at it in desperation, pulled it out from under her and fired almost point-blank into Sergey's chest. The missile blew him backward right over both Vadim and Dragomir. She fired a second time, straight into Vadim's back.

Sergey scrambled off his brother, yanked him up and kicked Dragomir in the head. Pulling Vadim with him, they stumbled to the stairs where three of their army were just hurrying toward them. Sergey snarled at them to hurry, to kill both.

"Just the hunter," Vadim objected, "but bring me the woman."

Emeline's heart stuttered as Sergey grinned evilly at her and then caught up Vadim, thrust him onto his back and streaked into the sky. She took a deep breath. There were at least two cartridges left. Three vampires. Dragomir wasn't moving. She wasn't even certain if he was alive. She'd altered the course of her nightmare, but as far as she could tell, he'd suffered more, not less.

Her body felt frozen, every muscle locked with fear. She forced herself to take another deep breath and then move. Blood still leaked down her neck to her shoulder in two steady trickles. She felt it and shuddered at the crawling sensation on her skin. It was difficult to move, to force her cramped, frozen muscles to work. She managed to get to her hands and knees and crawled to Dragomir. It was only a very short distance, but it felt like the length of a football field.

She could no longer hear or see the res

t of the compound. Her world had narrowed to the three vampires and the helpless Carpathian she'd vowed to save. She put her body over top of his, making certain the vampires would have a difficult time killing him without getting her off him first. That might only buy him a few moments, but every second would count. If she was lucky, one of the other hunters would notice the drama playing out on her porch.

The three vampires gained the porch and spread out, coming at Dragomir from various angles. She couldn't keep them all in her sight, so she chose the two closest to each other to watch. She lifted the gun. "Go away." She hated that she sounded so scared.

One waved his hand to remove the gun. She felt the pull, as if a great magnet had attached itself to the weapon and yanked, but in her mind, she countered the magnet with an opposite one, pushing the powerful compulsive drawing-away. The smile vanished from the vampire's face, and his two comrades looked at each other.

She felt the one coming up behind her. His energy was evil, oily, a filth spreading across her porch and reaching her before he did. She turned and fired a missile right into his chest. Flames raced up his torso and he screamed, sprawling backward, rolling and then jumping off the porch to run. The wind fanned the flames as he raced away.

She felt movement and tried to turn back around to face the double threat, but Dragomir moved then, his arms going around her as he rolled, tucking her body under the weight of his, one hand smoothly removing the gun and firing at the vampire closest to them. He staggered back into the rail and fell backward over it, clutching his chest where the white-hot flames incinerated his heart.

The last vampire was on them, coming down on one knee beside Dragomir as he slammed his fist downward. Dragomir rolled both of them once more, taking Emeline out of the vampire's reach and shoving her away from them as he used his legs as a vicious vise, catching the lesser vampire around the neck and squeezing mercilessly. The vampire thrashed and kicked while Dragomir held him down. Emeline sat up slowly and realized Dragomir was trying to sit up as well in order to get to the vampire's chest.