It is merely a ploy to slow me down,
he sent the assurance to Jaxon.
It could be a fairly deadly ploy.
Jaxon shimmered into solid form on the south side of the mountain, taking deep breaths to remain calm. At once she was sorry. The air was so thick and noxious, she felt sick. It was better than insects, though. If a swarm of giant scorpions had spilled out of the mountain to greet her, she would have gone running for cover instantly.
You are much braver than you think. I hope you’re right.
She knew exactly what he was doing now. He was the one holding the merge, not she. She touched his mind occasionally, but Lucian was the one to stay linked, a shadow in her mind. He was unraveling the next lock, reversing the vampire’s intricate pattern, his eye on the setting sun.
She felt the vampire reaching for her, trying to swamp her with fear, with terror. Jaxon remained immune, able to block out the waves of fear in the same way she had the poisonous gas the creature was excreting into the air. Jaxon simply held fast to Lucian, wishing desperately that she had a gun or two, even though she knew bullets wouldn’t do much good against the undead. A weapon would still give her a sense of security, and she needed that right now. The sun was sinking fast.
At once the wind picked up, the storm increasing in strength, becoming violent, hurtling branches and foliage in all directions. Now the mountain erupted, spewing hot lava at Lucian, the mixture shooting into the sky, seeking its target. The molten, spewing, fiery rocks forced Lucian to take cover. Jaxon held her ground, scanning the skies, waiting quietly for the fiend to show himself.
The creature burst from the ground only a few feet from her, with no real warning, flying straight at her with outstretched talons. With dirt raining down on her, Jaxon had only a split second to react, saw only jagged brown teeth and red-rimmed eyes and razor-sharp claws coming at her. She hurtled herself to one side, rolling away, careful to keep her eyes on the hideous creature. It wasn’t easy, moving so fast and keeping her gaze fixed on the monster. He was grotesque, the most loathsome thing she had ever seen. The vampire’s breath nearly knocked her out. He reeked of decay.
The undead whirled around, his arm extended toward her, lengthening, growing before her horrified stare, thin and misshapen, reaching to grab her. She forced herself to remain completely still, trusting in Lucian. At once she felt incredible power flowing within her, through her. The vampire nearly reached her with one long fingernail. It was grotesquely twisted, long and ugly, a dull yellowish gray. It came within an inch of her skin. Smoke curled up black and strong, and the nail withered black, hissing in the cold night air. The charred blackness spread like wildfire, racing over the gray hand and up the gnarled arm. The vampire screamed, the high-pitched sound hurting her ears.
Jaxon stood her ground, not moving an inch, staring at the monster. His eyes were black empty holes, his nose gone, flesh sloughing off his bones. He hissed at her, an ugly sound of hatred and defiance, a promise of retaliation. Flames erupted on the creature’s body, breaking out all over as it rose, screaming, into the sky. The rains pouring forth from the clouds seemed only to add fuel to the flames.
The vampire raced away from Jaxon, moving across the night sky in a fiery streak of orange and red. Jaxon sagged against a thin tree trunk, her legs rubbery. The monster was fleeing, terrified of Lucian’s power. Even as she allowed her breath to escape, she felt the next ripple of evil in the air.
Chapter Fifteen
Lucian! Do you feel that? The others, his friends, have come to aid him.
Jaxon cried out the warning, her eyes anxiously searching the sky in an attempt to spot the fleeing vampire. If the others had arrived to aid him, the master vampire would certainly return to fight.
The undead do not have friends. Each is out for his own gain. The master vampire will use the others to wear me down. The others can be used by us. How? What do we do? They are seeking you, my love. They wish to find a woman to remove their sins and recover their souls. It is impossible, but they will not accept that. What should I do?
There was warmth filling her mind, strength pouring into her Lucian was close by; she could feel him.
Just look beautiful and sexy. Choose one to be flirtatious with, but do not allow either to touch you, not even a slight scratch. Keep both of them in sight at all times. And my big he-man will come and rescue me?
She was annoyed, and it showed in her sarcastic tone.
His laughter was soft and sexy in her mind, brushing at her skin like gentle fingers.
They will most likely fight each other and save me the trouble. I will be waiting for the strong one . Then you think the ancient one will return. Three against one? He will like the odds and come immediately. Two. There are two of us.
She was even more annoyed with him than ever.
A vampire would never expect a woman to participate in a battle, angel. It is not done. Our women are filled with compassion, not with a penchant for violence.
She wanted to stay irritated but found herself laughing instead.
Then he ‘s in for a surprise, huh? But you think I have a penchant for violence? I’ve been incredibly sweet natured, while you’ve been arrogant and impossible . You do not understand the difference between arrogance and confidence, but I will teach it to you. I can’t wait for the lesson.
Jaxon’s alarm system was working overtime now, the air becoming thick with waves of malevolence.
She searched the skies above her as she moved away from the trees so she had plenty of open space for maneuvering. It was strange to be facing an enemy as depraved as a vampire without so much as a weapon. For a moment her confidence wavered, but instantly she felt Lucian moving within her, strong and assured. He was very close by; his presence was too strong for him not to be near. That made her feel better, and she had his memories of many battles to draw on. While she waited out in the open under the drizzling sky, she examined as many of his encounters with the vampires as possible, paying close attention to the strategies Lucian had used with his brother. One of them often lay in wait while the other drew their enemy to them. Lucian was basically employing the same strategy.
A chilling wind blew through the very middle of the storm, settling close to earth only yards from where Jaxon stood. A tall, gaunt man shimmered into view. He was remarkably elegant and courtly-looking, his clothes impeccable, not at all what she had expected. He was rather pale, and his teeth gleamed at her when he smiled. He was handsome and compelling, much different from the others of his kind she had encountered. Watching his every movement closely, Jaxon searched his features for hidden signs of depravity.
He has only recently turned, angel,
Lucian informed her softly. Do
not listen to his voice with a human ear
, he added as a caution.
The vampire bowed from his waist. “Good evening, ma’am. This is an unseemly place for a woman to be alone.” His voice seemed soft and musical.
You are hearing him as he wishes you to do so. He can manipulate with his voice alone.
It was Lucian’s voice that allowed her to unmask the undead and his illusion of soft gentleness. Lucian’s voice was purity itself, the sound so perfect it was almost not of the world. Now, in contrast, the vampire’s tone grated like fingernails on a chalkboard.