Darkling. Part 24

He nodded. "Okay. But, Erin, I still love you. I wouldn't have offered to be your donor if I didn't."

She managed a faint "thank you" as he left the room. We sat in silence until Delilah returned.

"Wade will be here in a few minutes. He said not to bother going to Sa.s.sy's, he's coming from her place, and she's already preparing a room for Erin." A few moments later the door opened and Wade strode in.

"Delilah told me all about it," he said. "You took out the newborns?"

"Most of them, though I think a few might have escaped. We'll have to all be on our guard. We'll talk about catching them after I destroy Dredge. But for now, can you escort Erin to Sa.s.sy's? And will you make sure Tim gets home safe? He's still in danger since he's my friend, and frankly, Erin drank a little too much from him, I think. He's pretty wiped out, even if he doesn't realize it."

Wade shook his head. "I think it would be safer if Tim went back to your house. Iris is more than capable of protecting him, isn't she?"

"You're probably right. Delilah, ask Roz to take Tim back to our house and then return as soon as possible. I'm not sure just how he travels so fast, but the important thing is that he does."

As she headed out the door, I turned to Erin. "Listen to me. Wade is a good friend of mine. He runs an organization that I belong to. You've heard me talk about it. Vampires Anonymous?"

She gave me a vigorous nod of the head. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Hi, Wade."

"Hey, Erin," he said softly. "Welcome to the underworld."

"Wade's going to take you to Sa.s.sy Branson's house. She helps out at the V.A. and she's a vampire, too. She and Wade will keep you there for a while and help you learn how to adjust. I've got a battle to fight tonight. If I win-and trust me, I'm planning on it-I'll come visit you. Probably tomorrow night once sunset hits. Meanwhile I want you to go with Wade and do what he says. You can trust him."

As I hoped, her intense desire to please me reared its head and she held out her hand to Wade. He helped her up.

Dredge had sent me home to destroy my family in the same way I was sending Erin to Sa.s.sy's. Luckily my anger and memories of the torture intervened. I'd managed to lock myself away before I could attack Camille. The OIA had taken it from there. At least Erin wouldn't have bad memories of me, and her transition was running far more smoothly than I'd hoped.

Wade led her away and I followed, watching as he guided her out under the night sky. Erin would never again look on the sun, never again bask under a warm summer afternoon. But it had been her choice-although not much of one. Die or live for an eternity. No vampire I knew of was over five thousand years old, so whatever happened to the ones turned before that... who knew?

Maybe there were none. Maybe whatever forces had started vampirism hadn't existed before then. Maybe... maybe all ancient vamps committed suicide after eons trapped in their bodies. I didn't plan on waiting that long to find out. Until my sisters left to meet our ancestors? Sure. A thousand years? Possibly. Most of the Fae lived that long. Forever? No chance.

After Wade led Erin away, I turned to the others. "She should be okay. I think she'll actually make it. But I wish it hadn't come to this."

Chase cleared his throat. "Yeah. And I'm going to have to come up with an excuse for her absence or the tabloids will have a field day rooting around for what happened to the owner of the Scarlet Harlot."

"We'll help," I said. "At least Erin can call a few friends, say she's taking a vacation. Something like that."

"Well, I guess we're done here," Camille said. "What next?"

I motioned for them to follow me topside. "What next? As soon as Roz returns, we go find Dredge, and obliterate the b.a.s.t.a.r.d." I checked the stakes in my belt. One way or another, he was going down. And I planned on staking the final blow.

CHAPTER 19.

Seattle was beautiful at night, dark and gritty in the back alleys with the brilliant lights of the skysc.r.a.pers and s.p.a.ce Needle glowing over the inlet. I'd grown to love the sights and sounds of the city as it slept. Oh, the usual derelicts and college kids and hookers and pushers wandered the sidewalks. And a few gang bangers and gangstas scattered the streets, low riding in their hopped up cars. But, overall, Seattle kept a hushed vigil through the dark hours.

The rippling currents of Elliott Bay glittered from the reflection of the lights that lined the pier as we swung into the parking lot near the hotel. Silent as the night, the six of us gathered in a shadowed recess between two buildings. To the west, we could see all the way across Alaskan Way to the inlet. To the east, a line of warehouses and buildings waited.

"There." I pointed to the Halcyon Hotel. "Supeville central. I hope Dredge is still there, the motherf.u.c.ker."

We headed across the empty lot, which was really just a patch of gravel punctuated by lines of cement dividers indicating where drivers should park, illuminated by scattered lights here and there. Only a handful of cars besides our own were parked in the lot. One, a Hummer, had a personalized license plate that read, "s.e.xYSUCC."

I pointed it out. "Ten to one a succubus owns it."

Camille let out a short laugh. "Sometimes I think I'd have made a good succubus."

"Except that your first love is magic," Morio said.

I glanced at Delilah. Morio knew Camille better than I thought. "Okay, listen up, folks. You already know Dredge is terribly dangerous. Remember: He's a s.a.d.i.s.t. He enjoys inflicting pain. If he gets a hold of you, he'll do anything and everything he can to break you. Killing's too quick for his tastes."

"Do you really think we can take him?" Camille asked, suddenly sober. "What about the rest of the Elwing Clan?"

"They might present a problem. Odd thing is, we've heard reports about Dredge one after another, but nothing about his marshals. We'd better take him down, though, because if he gets away, we're going to be looking over our shoulders every f.u.c.king day of our lives. And we'll never again be able to have any friends or family nearby without putting them in danger."

Worst-case scenario, I could get away from Dredge. And Roz could probably escape. But the others-Chase was most at risk, but my sisters and Morio weren't invulnerable by any stretch of the imagination.

As we approached the building, I motioned for everybody to move to the side, out of the sight line of the windows overlooking the lot.

"I need to figure out what floor he's staying on. I doubt we'll be able to pry the info out of the registration desk. Dredge is charming, even without the vampire thang. You can bet they won't have a clue as to who we're asking about, or why, and he'll have them charmed into not handing out any pertinent information on our boy."

I scanned the windows, then turned back toward the pier. There-a statue of a figure carrying a large sack over his back as he stepped off a gangway. The Deckhand The Deckhand. That was the statue I'd seen when I'd looked through Dredge's eyes. And right behind it, the Sushirama. That meant... I glanced back at the hotel. "Fourth window from the left. I'm sure of it. Now let me figure out which floor he's on."

Slowly I began to hover, floating up. One story, nope. Two stories-no. Three-maybe, I thought. At the fourth, I snapped my fingers and immediately descended. "Four stories up, fourth window from the left. Come on, let's go." I led them into the lobby.

The Halcyon Hotel and Nightclub was just that-a hotel with a nightclub off the lobby. Like a number of the Supe clubs that had been springing up throughout the city, it catered to Earthside Supes more than Otherworld inhabitants, but welcomed just about anybody as long as they didn't cause trouble. The sounds of music and laughter came pouring from the lounge as we entered the lobby. The Doors were wailing away on the jukebox.

"It looks like an Ecstasy party here," Camille said in a low voice.

"As long as it's not Z-fen," I said, looking around. She was right. The decor was directly out of some psychedelic love-shack dream, right down to the glowing lava lamps and black light posters in the corner. I blinked, thinking that Exo Reed had some pretty kinky turn-ons.

"Do you think Exo's around?" Delilah asked.

"I don't know," I said. "But try to remember, he and his family live on the premises."

"Not exactly the best environment in which to raise kids." Chase glanced around. "If he weren't a Supe, I might think about calling in child welfare to check things out."

A little ticked, I shushed him. "That's not my point. This is their home, there are probably kids on the premises, so let's try to keep from wrecking the joint or putting anybody else in danger. Which is why I don't want to involve Exo in our fight. I don't even want him to know about it until we're done, because if Dredge charmed him, Exo might well give us away without meaning to. Get it?"

"There-the elevator. Or do you want the stairs?" Delilah pointed to the stairwell at the end of the hall.

Elevator would be faster, but his room was only on the fourth floor. "Stairs. That way we won't get a nasty surprise if the doors open and Dredge happens to be standing there. Or any of his cronies."

My thoughts raced ahead as we jogged up the steps. How would we do this? Dredge was terribly strong, and it would take everything we had to bring him down, especially since he was tied to Loki. My heart told me we could win, my head warned me that counting on victory was an invitation for disaster.

As if reading my mind, Delilah asked, "What's the plan? I a.s.sume you and Roz go in first."

I nodded. "Yeah, we have the best defenses against him."

"And we have the most payback to deliver," Roz said, his voice grim. "Don't forget, I lost my family to him. Everyone Everyone in my family." in my family."

"Are you just going to try to stake him?" Camille paused on the landing leading to the third floor. "Is he immune to magic?"

I leaned against the stairwell wall. "If we go in trying to stake him, he'll win for sure. No, it's going to take more of a battle than that. He is vulnerable to some forms of magic. You don't have the ability to resurrect, do you?" I was joking, but barely. Morio seemed extremely well versed in death magic, and I suspected he was far more than the youkai he let on to be. "That would probably kill him."

"You'd need a powerful necromancer for that," Morio said.

Chase glanced at him, apparently running along the same lines of thought I'd been. "You and Camille have been working some mighty powerful hoodoo. Got anything in that spell book for vampires?"

Morio glanced at Camille and shrugged. "Perhaps. We might be able to slow him down a little or to cast an illusion that might catch him off guard. Do you know what he's afraid of?"

I thought for a moment. "Yeah, or at least something that will make him hesitate. Can you create the illusion of Fenris standing behind us?"

"Fenris?" Roz asked, staring at me. "Ah... I think I see where you're going with this."

"Who in the h.e.l.l is Fenris?" Chase asked.

Camille frowned. "A giant wolf. Son of Loki, the havoc monger."

Morio inclined his head. "I could probably keep up the illusion for a few moments, but he's going to figure out it's not the real thing before long."

"A few seconds will buy time. Time when he's not paying attention to us," I said. "When we go in, I want that wolf behind us. Change of plans. Camille, you and Delilah are in front with me. Roz, you're next with Morio. Camille, you shoot a bolt of lightning to fry his senses. Chase, stay back and be ready to grab anybody who gets severely wounded and drag them out of danger. Roz, what have you got?"

"I'm heading in with a stake, but I've got something else up my sleeve." He pulled out what looked like a cherry bomb. "This is a garlic smoke bomb. Ignites on contact with the undead. Yeah, this baby should throw him into a tailspin. If nothing else, it will jolt him into a world of pain while we fight. You won't be able to handle it, either, Menolly, so if I end up playing Emeril, then sweet cheeks, get your cute little a.s.s out of the room stat stat."

I grimaced. "Ugh. Keep that thing away from me unless it's absolutely necessary and for the sake of the G.o.ds, warn me if you have to use it." I closed my eyes. There was no sense putting it off any longer. "Okay, let's go. Be careful, please. I don't want to have to sire anybody else tonight, and trust me, you do not want to fall into Dredge's hands."

Another minute and we emerged onto the fourth floor and headed down the empty hallway. I counted doors, stopping in front of the one that should contain Dredge. As we neared the door, the overpowering smell of vampire filled the air. He was here all right. Chances were he knew that his newborns-or most of them-were dead. If we were lucky, he wouldn't know who'd killed them. If not, then he'd be waiting for us.

I glanced back at everyone. "Let's rock this joint." I kicked open the door and rushed in. Camille and Delilah behind me. There was a sudden hush. At first I thought a lot of people had been talking and abruptly fell silent as I entered the room, but then I realized that I was only facing Dredge. There were no other vampires in sight.

"Menolly-" Delilah's voice quavered. I glanced over my shoulder for a fraction of a second, but it was long enough to realize that only my sisters had followed me into the room.

Dredge settled himself on the side of the writing desk that overlooked the window, a triumphant smirk on his face. He was as I'd remembered him, gorgeous and deadly, dressed in a pair of black leather pants and vest.

"Well, it took you long enough," he said. "What? Surprised that I'm ready for you?"

"h.e.l.l. He set up a magical barrier," Camille said glancing back at the door. "Menolly, the guys can't get through." She took two steps back and I could feel her energy flare as she let loose with a blinding light.

Dredge covered his eyes and I leapt forward, but the light fizzled and I barely sidestepped him as he almost grabbed my wrist.

h.e.l.l and h.e.l.l again! d.a.m.n Camille's ever-present faulty wiring. I'd have to buy time, give the guys a chance to break through the barrier. "What's the matter? You're so afraid that you had to separate us?"

He let out a low whistle and shook his head. "On the contrary, pretty Menolly. I wanted to have a small, intimate party. You're going to find that no one without Otherworld Fae blood can enter that barrier. No humans, no demons... Oh yes, I know you're running around with that incubus sp.a.w.n and the fox cur. But unfortunately, for you, the three of you are my guests here. You can't break back through the barrier, so, no girls, it's just us. You, me... and your sisters." He rubbed his hands together. "I'm going to enjoy tonight."

I glanced around. "Where are your cronies, Dredge?"

"Off doing other tasks I a.s.signed to them. Trust me, I don't need them to clean up the mess that I'm going to make of you."

h.e.l.l, then they were still on the loose. "Bring it on, Dredge. I know all about you now. I know who you serve."

Dredge crossed his arms across his chest and waggled a finger at me. "Menolly, Menolly, Menolly, shame on you, girl. You've been running with the wrong crowd and now I'm going to have to tear you to bits. Then I'll take your sisters down, screw them till they beg me to die, and I'll turn them. Then I'll set them loose on your beloved city to terrorize the dreck that live over here."

"Leave them out of this. This is between you and me."

The smile disappeared and ruthless Dredge came out to play. "Shut the f.u.c.k up. I call the shots here, traitor."

Camille raised her arms and, with a feral look in her eyes that I'd only seen a couple times, began to chant.

By the light of the moon, by the brilliance of sun, by the wrath of the Huntress, I command it begun.

By fuel born from anger, by the pain it can bring, I call through my body, a shower of lightning.

A huge crash filled the room as a brilliant blue bolt shattered the window, splintering the desk behind Dredge into shards. A chunk of wood flew up, lodging in his arm. Close, but not close enough. Another fork of the blue fire wove through the metal frame on the bed. The bedclothes burst into flames.

Dredge narrowed his gaze. "You just earned yourself a special place in h.e.l.l, girl," he said, and the next second, he was standing beside Camille.

"No!" Delilah slashed with her outstretched dagger. The silver clipped his arm and he jerked, giving Camille time enough to make tracks to the other side of the room. Smoke was starting to fill the air as the quilt burned brightly and she muttered something under her breath. A deluge of rain filled the room, soaking all of us and putting out the flames.

I took advantage of the chaos to leap forward, stake at the ready. Dredge whirled around and we collided midair, dropping to the floor in a desperate wrestling match. He was on top of me, clawing for my throat, but I managed to push hard enough against his shoulders to keep him from grabbing hold of me.

"Why? Why did you turn on me? You ungrateful b.i.t.c.h, you traitorous dog! You dare to defy me? You dare to sever the cord?" He leaned back and let loose with his fist, slamming the punch deep into my stomach. If I'd been alive, the blow would have killed me. As it was, it knocked me off guard.

"Leave her alone!" I heard Delilah scream. The next moment, Dredge groaned and launched himself off of me, Delilah's dagger lodged in his right shoulder. Still not enough to kill him, but the silver had to sting like h.e.l.l.

I took advantage of the distraction to flip to my feet. Dredge started to turn when Camille let loose with another spell. Unfortunately as the bolt of energy headed toward him, Dredge grabbed Delilah and pushed her in the path of the oncoming spell.

Camille immediately broke off the attack and the energy went rogue, darting to the side, clipping Delilah in the shoulder as it ricocheted toward the open window and went streaking out into the night air.

Delilah shrieked in pain, then turned on Dredge, her eyes wild. "You f.u.c.king bloodsucker!"

At first I thought she was going to turn into a tabby cat, which would leave us seriously down on firepower, but then I began to smell the scent of bonfires. Uh oh. Apparently somebody didn't want his Death Maiden killed. She let out a low growl that rose to fill the room, and Dredge, for the first time, began to look nervous. The distraction was just what I needed, and I launched myself again, stake held high.

Dredge managed to dodge my attack, but he didn't see Camille sneaking up behind him. She had something in her hands-not a stake, but something small-and as she leapt on his back, her arms closing around his throat, she wrapped her thighs tightly to the sides of his waist. Before he could shake her off, she slammed one hand against his mouth and held it there, even as Dredge clawed at her legs.

There was a m.u.f.fled noise and she let go and fell to the floor, rolling away, her calves bleeding profusely from where he'd raked long gashes in them.