Templar Vampires - Midnight Sun Part 4

Watching her stride over to a gray SUV, Stephan felt overwhelmed by her spirit. When she climbed into the driver's seat of the truck and started it, the sudden blast of loud rock music pained his sensitive ears.

Even after she sped away, the radiance of her lifeforce lingered, lighting the balmy summer night.

Dismissing Allison for the time being, Stephan sniffed at the air, detecting nothing but the aromas of nature around him. The target of his revenge was absent from the manor, not that he expected to find him home with the night still young.

He'd come here to see where Lucian of Penwick spent his days hiding from the sun.

A slow smile revealed his fangs as he thought about his plans. He'd set the trap well, leaving enough of a trail to lead Lucian right where he wanted him. Come dawn when he returned to this place, his sanctuary, Stephan would make sure Lucian found no solace here. The things he'd do would haunt the n.o.ble warrior for as long as Stephan allowed him to continue to exist.

Turning away from the manor, Stephan moved silently through the trees, heading back to his car, which he'd left down the road. Antic.i.p.ation rode him as he sped toward the abandoned house he and his men occupied for the past few nights. Always one to enjoy a kill, what would make this one sweeter than the others was what might await him hidden deep within his victim.

Following the signs other vampires ignored, Stephan selected the women he'd collected with great care.

Though he had no desire to take the power he sought for himself, he was a man of his word and meant to reward those who served him with the promised prize.

What use did he have for the ability to walk in the sun? He cared not for ultimate power, not when all he wanted was Lucian. Revenge fueled him, burning within as the ages crawled over him, putting him further out of G.o.d's grace with each night that pa.s.sed.

Once a devout follower of the Lord, he'd planned on giving himself to the church. Lifetimes ago, he blindly believed G.o.d protected His children from the demons in the dark. One night of horror proved how wrong he'd been.

The Lord he'd put such faith in abandoned him, leaving him and his family at the mercy of a monster of His own making.

The time was finally upon him to extract his revenge for all that was stolen from him and for what he was forced to become. His revenge would last for ages.

Sebastian kicked Raphael's door open, the need to beat Rogue near to death riding him hard. Raphael, in the process of undressing, seemed unfazed at the intrusion and merely c.o.c.ked a brow at Sebastian in question.

"Did you want something?"

Sebastian bared his fangs in a ferocious snarl. "You are such a b.l.o.o.d.y b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Raphael had the gall to smile. "Actually, my parents were wed when my father tossed up my mother's skirts and begat his sp.a.w.n on the poor woman."

Sebastian wanted to punch the arrogant p.r.i.c.k in the mouth. "You had no right to interfere in my affairs."

"And you have no right to be such a brooding b.a.s.t.a.r.d. It's beginning to wear on the rest of us."

"I don't brood."

Raphael turned away from him and stripped off his jeans. He threw them at him, but Sebastian caught them in midair before they hit him full in the face. "Yes, you do, and it's b.l.o.o.d.y annoying."

Sebastian tossed the jeans on the floor. "Stay the h.e.l.l out of my business, Raphael."

Naked, Raphael faced him without a hint of shame. "You of all people should know better than to allow emotions to get the better of you. Selena was centuries ago. Move on."

"This has nothing to do with Selena and everything to do with you sticking your G.o.dd.a.m.n nose where it doesn't belong."

Raphael snorted as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants. "b.u.g.g.e.r that, Seb. You stay away from Allie because of what happened to Selena and we all know it. What happened wasn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself and put it to rest."

Sebastian backed down when he realized Raphael's obvious concern for him compelled him to be a meddling b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Constantine on the other hand, probably only went along with Raphael for s.h.i.ts and giggles. He'd deal with that a.s.shole later.

"Stay out of things you know nothing about."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "How is it everyone but Allie knows you keep your distance from her because of your attraction to her?"

Sebastian strode over to Raphael, going nose to nose with him as he let out a feral growl. "I'm warning you only once to stay out of this." Turning his back on him, Sebastian stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him. He knew all the warnings in the world weren't going to keep Rogue from sticking his nose in his business. Nor would it pay to bother with issuing a like warning to Constantine. That ornery b.a.s.t.a.r.d did whatever the h.e.l.l he wanted, all warnings be d.a.m.ned.

Heading into his room, he let out a curse when he caught Allie's scent lingering on the air. Grabbing a handful of shirt, he sniffed it loudly, letting it go with a muttered curse.

s.h.i.t, even I still smell like her.

The scent of her was all over both his room and person.

Raphael was wrong, he didn't avoid Allie because of what went down with Selena. He put her to rest the moment they put her in the ground. No, he avoided Allie because she made him remember what it was to be alive and that was a torment worthy of the s.a.d.i.s.tic jailers at Chinon.

Slipping off his family ring, he tossed it on the dresser, wondering why he bothered to keep it. The large ruby winked under the glow of the candles he'd lit earlier. As long as his body bore her scent he'd never get control over the needs thundering threw him. Not that he believed a change of clothes could erase her from his body and mind, but it would help calm him not to be surrounded by her.

Leaving a trail of clothes behind him, Sebastian stripped before quickly replacing them with fresh ones that didn't carry the scent of gardenias. With a muttered curse, he knew he needed to feed before he became a danger to everyone around him. Grabbing his keys and his baldric, he slammed out of the house with no particular destination in mind. As soon as he hit the warm night air, he thought he sensed the faint scent of vampire. With his senses a mess and still filled with Allie, he pa.s.sed it off as nothing more than his mind playing tricks on him.

Once in his souped-up black Charger he hauled a.s.s away from Randall Manor, needing to put as much distance between himself and any trace of Allie as possible. Although Sebastian suspected if he traveled clear across the globe it still wouldn't be enough s.p.a.ce between them for him to get a grip on himself.

What a way to end a perfectly c.r.a.ppy day.

Allie crawled into bed and hugged her pillow, still unable to believe how her day ended. Jude ending things with her after ten wasted months was nothing more than a forgotten dream after the kiss Sebastian laid on her. A kiss that would have never taken place had Jude not broken things off with her. Talk about perfect timing. Never would she have thought such pa.s.sion burned beneath Sebastian's icy surface.

Always the epitome of calm, cool, and collected, Sebastian didn't seem the type to have such fire simmering beneath his surface. Nor would she have suspected his cold lips could melt her with the slightest touch.

With nothing but a kiss, Sebastian of Rydon managed to shake her right down to her soul. As all the Templars did, Sebastian carried the weight of his sins on his shoulders, allowing them to define his existence. The burden of their sins were heavy, their past as much a part of them as the present.

Unable to grasp what it must be like for them, Allie didn't even try. Growing up in a vastly different time, she couldn't comprehend the life they'd led. The events that shaped the Templars as living men influenced who they became in death, which said much for the n.o.bility running strong in each of them. Far from brutal killers, the Templars never veered off the road to redemption. Their oath to G.o.d stayed with them every moment of their existence.

Sleep a long way off, Allie's mind drifted as her body hummed from Sebastian's touch. Thankfully she'd managed to keep her feelings for Sebastian hidden from Constantine and Raphael. G.o.d help her now that her attraction to him was known. Doomed, she wasn't being overly dramatic by wanting to dig a hole and hide away from them. She knew they were going to torture her and Sebastian mercilessly.

Wayne Arnold, the older brother fromThe Wonder Years , had nothing on the two of them when together.

Closing her eyes, Allie cuddled into herself. Usually alone was good since it kept her heart safe, yet after Sebastian's scorching kiss and finding out what it felt like to be in his arms she wished he was here.

After tonight, Allie wondered if she could go on pretending her indifference toward Sebastian. Doubtful, she was a realist with no time for games. She'd played one for five months, the effort exhausting her.

Previously she believed only Constantine knew the depth of her feelings for Sebastian. Though it embarra.s.sed her to know her attraction was now public knowledge, she was glad she didn't have to hold back anymore.

The drawback to being a realist was that she was a firm believer in never fighting for a person's affection. Her own parents taught her it was a losing battle. Still, she secretly harbored feelings for Sebastian for five torturous months. Learning from five medieval warriors that some battles were worth the fight, she wondered what it would take to chip away the ice Sebastian surrounded himself with to get to the fire beneath it.

With a deviousness that would do Raphael proud, Allie came to the conclusion it was high time the Sage came to learn that sometimes, being burned wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Chapter Five.

The moment Lucian of Penwick entered the old, abandoned house the stench of blood and fear hit him like a brick.

The place, a h.e.l.lhole in every sense of the word, was littered with mountains of garbage and other debris. Death crept through him, wrapping around his bones. If he wasn't careful, he'd be pulled down by the weight of it.

The family who once lived here left behind a few pieces of well-worn furniture, remnants of life gone by.

From the condition of things-graffiti covered walls, discarded used condoms, empty crack vials and scorched pipes amid the refuge-it was obvious local kids had been using this place for a hangout.

Stepping over the mounds of waste, Lucian went up to second story. The closer he got to one particular bedroom, the stronger the stench of blood and death was. Blood splattered the floor and smeared the walls of the small bedroom. The sight of all that blood woke the hunger in him. Fighting to keep it under control, Lucian let his gaze cut through the dark, coming to focus on a girl strewn carelessly on a mattress in the center of the room. Nude, her body was a mess of bruises both faded and new. Her body and hair were covered with blood and things he didn't dare want to know.

Her open eyes stared unseeing at the ceiling. In them was a reflection of the horrors she suffered at the moment of her death. It was obvious this was no simple feeding, but a gross brutality that had lasted for days.

Knowing she was tortured before her pain finally ended, Lucian remembered well a time long ago when he'd suffered much the same. After enduring three years of imprisonment in Chinon, his slow, burning death had been a welcomed relief.

Little did he know what awaited him beyond death.

Lucian detected the distinctive scent of renegade vampires. The b.a.s.t.a.r.ds hadn't even tried to hide their stink. If anything they made d.a.m.n sure their stink was detectable over the other odors.

Sworn to respect life, Lucian had to do right by the woman.

More over, the circ.u.mstances of her death needed to be concealed. No trace of a vampiric killing could be left behind. Whoever did this knew it and counted on her being found and disposed of.

a.s.sailed by the stench of her death when he lifted her from the mattress, he carried her outside.

A gross injustice, the senseless slaughter pained him more than he liked to admit.Placing her body on the ground, he pushed aside the long, leather coat he wore to conceal the Templar sword sheathed at his hip.

Pulling the weapon free, he stabbed it into the ground. Gripping the handle, he nestled his hands between the cross pattee pommel and the steel crossbar. He genuflected beside her, suffering the burn in his mouth and throat as he whispered prayers for her.

Though they rolled off the tongue of a vampire, scorching it black with each holy word he spoke, he hoped G.o.d would accept these prayers. Someone had to pray for her, even though with no soul she'd be caught between Heaven and earth.

Finishing the Lord's Prayer, Lucian ignored the blood seeping from his mouth and the awful burning of his tongue. He stood and pulled his sword from the ground. He scanned the area, searching for whatever kindling he could find, and arranged a small funeral pyre around her.

After touching the tips of his fingers to his lips he placed them on her forehead and whispered a plea for forgiveness. Rising, he pulled a Zippo lighter from his pocket and lit the debris. He lingered long enough to watch the girl's body begin to burn.

No soul would be released to G.o.d since the vampire who took her life stole her soul. Seeing the flames and smoke rise into the night sky, he knew it would only be a matter of time before someone noticed it and called the fire department. Lucian bowed his head, said one final prayer, and returned to his silver Maserati Spyder.

He knew he'd never forget what he saw here. He'd carry the girl with him for the rest of his nights. Through his remembrance of her, Lucian would give her the only form of immortality he could.

Someone, even if it were only a vampire, would make sure she was not only avenged, but remembered throughout time.

By the time Lucian arrived at Seacrest Castle his mood turned foul enough to have Tristan taking a step back when he stormed into the great hall.

Tristan Beaumont, the unofficial leader of the Templars, was the proverbial older brother to them all. The one they all followed in life-and nothing changed in death. He shouldered the heaviest burden for their redemption and not one night pa.s.sed when any of them forgot it.

Crossing the hall, a perfect replica of the Beaumont's ancestral home in Northumberland, Lucian stalked to the hearth. Attempting to find some small warmth from the fire, he didn't know why any of them bothered anymore. As long as they were without souls they'd never know warmth.

Turning away from the dancing orange flames, he pinned Tristan with a frosty stare. "Another girl was killed tonight."

Tristan swore under his breath. "b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l!" He let out a heavy sigh of regret. "This makes two now, does it not?"

"As far as we know."

Tristan pursed his lips and shook his head sadly.

"Have you told the others?"

"No. I came straight here."

"I'll call them and tell them." Tristan sat on one of the chairs positioned before the hearth. He stroked his chin thoughtfully before letting out a long and drawn out sigh. "Where did you find her?"

"Off Blackwell Road. Almost everything was the same as the first, except this girl had to have been held prisoner for days. Days, Tris!"

"Jesus Christ. Do I even want to know?"

"No, you don't." Lucian shook his head curtly. "Let's leave it at, 'it was bad'. They didn't merely feed from her. They tortured her and stole her f.u.c.king soul."

Tristan closed his eyes, fighting back the fury the image evoked. More so than the others, he couldn't lose himself to emotions. Their salvation hinged on his ability to always remain in control.

Once his emotions were reined in Tristan opened his eyes. "You think these two murders are connected to the Daystar?" "What else am I to think?" Lucian sat on the couch between the two chairs. "What other explanation can there be for the sudden surge of renegade activity? I tell you, Tris, these vampires aren't only feeding. It's more than that. The b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are searching for something."

This area of Wayne County was extremely rural and spa.r.s.ely populated. The summer was short, the winters long and severe, hardly a place to attract a large vampire population. Yet here they were, coming in droves since it was a hotspot of paranormal activity.

Most vampires kept to themselves, feeding quietly and staying under the radar. Their discretion was what kept the Templars from hunting them down and taking them out. As long as the renegades, the lowest form of vampire in the nocturnal hierarchy, behaved they had no need to rekindle an ancient war put to rest centuries ago.

Besides, a good old-fashioned vampiric war might attract too much unwelcome attention into their world.

"They tortured this girl trying to get information from her."

Lucian wanted to agree with Tristan but he knew the girl's torture ran deeper. "No. I think I was more than that."