Night Huntress - Halfway to the Grave Part 2

"What's the matter? Did I ruin my flavor for you? I'm sure I'll be turning over in my grave worrying that you didn't like how I tasted. I hope you choke on my blood, you jerk."

That drew more laughter. "Good form, Kitten! But enough stalling. How did you know what to use if no vampire told you?"

Another modified shrug. "I didn't. Oh, I'd read a hundred books or more about our...your kind after hearing about my father.

They all varied. Some said crosses, sunlight, wood, or silver. It was pure luck, really. One night a vampire approached me at a club and then took me for a drive. Of course, he couldn't have been nicer, right up until he tried to eat me alive. I made up my mind that I was going to kill him or die trying, and the big cross dagger was all I had on me. It worked, though it took a bit of doing. So, presto, I knew about silver. Later I found that wood didn't work at all. Got myself a nice scar on the thigh to prove it.

That vamp laughed when he saw my stake. Clearly, he wasn't afraid of wood. Then when I was making caramel apples it occurred to me to hide the silver in something a vampire would think was harmless. It didn't seem like such a stretch. Most of you are so busy eyeing my neck, you don't see me pull out my pointy friend. There you have it."

He shook his head slowly back and forth as if uncomprehending. Finally, he fixed piercing eyes on me and burst out, "Are you telling me b.l.o.o.d.y caramel apples and books taught you how to kill vampires? Is that what you're saying?"

He started to pace in short, rapid lengths. "It's a d.a.m.n good thing most of the recent generations are nearly illiterate or we'd all be in serious trouble. Blimey!" Throwing back his head, he laughed in rich, deep peals of mirth. "That's the funniest bleedin' bit I've heard in decades!" Still chuckling, he returned until he was next to me again.

"How did you know he was a vampire when you saw him? Did you know, or did you not find out until he tried to have an artery party?"

Artery party? Well, that was one way to put it. "Honestly, I don't know how I knew. I just did. For starters, your kind looks different. All of you do. Your skin looks...ethereal, almost. You move different, more purposefully. And when I'm near you, I feel it in the air, like static electricity. Happy now? Heard what you wanted?" Desperately I tried to hang on to my courage, but this chattering was eating away at it. Being flippant was all I had left.

"Almost. How many vampires have you killed? Don't lie to me, or I'll know it."

Pursing my lips, I considered lying despite the warning. Would it be better if he thought I'd only killed a couple? Maybe it wouldn't make any difference. If he could tell I was lying, perhaps he'd do more than just kill me. There were so many things worse than death....

"Sixteen, including your friend from last night." Honesty won out.

"Sixteen?" he repeated in disbelief, looking me over thoroughly again. "Sixteen vampires you took out yourself with nothing but a stake and your cleavage? Makes me ashamed of my kind, it does."

"And I would have killed more if I hadn't been too young to get into bars, since they're vampire trolling ground, not to mention all the time I had to take off when my grandfather got sick," I flared. So much for trying not to make him angrier.

In a flash he was gone, leaving me staring at the spot where he'd just been. He certainly moved fast. Faster than any vampire I'd seen. I cursed my earlier impatience. If only I'd waited until the next weekend to hunt again. If only.

Left alone, I craned my neck to see where I was. With a start, I realized I must be in a cave. There was the sound of dripping water in the background, and it was dark even for my eyes. The single bald lamp only shone light in the immediate vicinity. The rest was blackness as complete as my nightmares. I heard slight echoes of him in the distance, how far away I had no idea. Seizing my chance, I wrapped my fingers around the braces holding me and pulled downward with all of my strength. Sweat popped out on my brow, my legs clenched with effort, and I channeled every muscle toward that singular goal.

There was a creak of metal in stone, a rasp of chains clanging together, and then the only light was suddenly switched off.

Laughter from the darkness made me sag in defeat.

"Oh, sorry about that. Those won't budge. They're not going anywhere-and neither are you. Good of you to try, though. Hate to think your spirit's broken already. Not much fun in that."

"I hate you." To avoid sobbing, I turned my face away from his direction and closed my eyes. Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name...

"Time's up, luv."

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done...

My eyes were closed, but I felt him move closer until he pressed lengthwise next to me. Unable to help it, my breath came in short hard pants. His hands moved to my hair, and he smoothed it back from my neck.

...on earth as it is in Heaven...

His mouth sealed on my throat, tongue circling my thundering pulse in a deliberate manner. My back cut into the wall as I tried to disappear into the rock, but the cold hard limestone offered no escape. I felt the pressure of pointed, sharp teeth at my exposed and vulnerable artery. He was nuzzling my neck the way a hungry lion nuzzled a gazelle."Last chance, Kitten. Who do you work for? Tell me the truth and I'll let you live."

"I told you the truth." That high-pitched whisper couldn't be mine. The roaring of blood in my ears was deafening. Were my eyes still closed? No, I could see a faint green glow in the darkness. Vampire eyes.

"I don't believe you...." Softly spoken, yet falling with the weight of an ax.

Amen....

"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, look at your eyes."

So deeply had I fallen into the fervent prayer, I hadn't felt him pull back. He stared at me with fanged mouth open in disbelief, his face illuminated in the new green glow of my eyes. His brown ones were now that penetrating shade as well, and matching rays of emerald connected one shocked gaze to another.

"Look at your b.l.o.o.d.y eyes!"

He gripped either side of my head as though it would spin off. Still in a fog from teetering on the brink of mortality, I mumbled my response.

"Don't need to look at them, I've seen them. They change from gray to green when I'm upset. Happy now? Going to enjoy your meal more?"

As if my head were scalding, he released me. I sagged in my chains, the adrenaline abandoning me and leaving dizzying lethargy in its wake.

The sound of his pacing bounced off the stone walls.

"b.u.g.g.e.r, you're telling the truth. You have to be. You have a pulse, but only vampires have eyes that glow green. This is unbelievable!"

"Glad you're excited." I peeked at him through my hair, which had tumbled back onto my shoulders. In the near-complete darkness I saw he was definitely worked up, his steps brisk and full of energy, eyes fading from feeding green to snapping brown.

"Oh, this is perfect! In fact, it could come in right handy."

"What could come in handy? Either kill me or let me go already. I'm tired."

He spun around, beaming, and clicked the lamp back on. It cast the same harsh light it had previously, flowing over his features like water. He looked ghostly beautiful under its blanket, like a fallen angel.

"How would you like to put your money where your mouth is?"

"What?" To say I was baffled didn't begin to describe it. Seconds ago I was a nick away from eternity, now he wanted to play guessing games.

"I can kill you or let you live, but living comes with conditions. Your choice, your pick. Can't let you go without conditions, you'd just try to stake me."

"Aren't you the smart one?" Frankly, I didn't believe he'd let me go. This had to be a trick.

"You see," he continued as if I hadn't spoken, "we're in the same boat, luv. You hunt vampires. I hunt vampires. Both of us have our reasons, and we both have our problems. Another vampire can sense me whenever I'm close, so that makes it bleedin'

difficult to stake 'em without them expecting the try and running. You, on the other hand, put them completely at ease with that juicy artery of yours, but you aren't strong enough to bring down the really big fish. Oh, you may have beaten some green ones, probably no older than twenty years, tops. Barely out of their nappies, as it were. But a Master vampire...like me..." His voice dropped to a scathing whisper. "You couldn't bring me down with both stakes blazing. I'd be picking you out of my teeth in minutes. Therefore, I propose a deal. You can continue to do what you love the most-killing vampires. Yet you will only hunt the ones I'm looking for. No exceptions. You're the bait. I'm the hook. It's a capital idea."

This was a dream. A very bad, bad dream, brought on by liver poisoning from too many gin and tonics. Here it was, a deal with the devil. At what price my soul? He watched me expectantly and threateningly all at the same time. If I said no, I knew what would happen. Save the gla.s.s, waitress, I'm drinking from the bottle! Happy hour, with my neck on tap. If I said yes, I'd be agreeing to a partners.h.i.+p with pure evil.

His foot tapped. "Don't have all night. The longer you wait, the hungrier I get. Might change my mind in a few minutes."

"I'll do it." The words flew out without thought. If I gave them thought, they'd never be spoken. "But I have a condition of my own."

"Do you?" That made him laugh again. My, what a jolly guy. "You're hardly in a position to demand conditions."

My chin stuck out. Pride or peril, take your pick. "Just challenging you to put your money where your mouth is. You said I wouldn't last minutes against you, even with both weapons. I disagree. Unchain me, give me my stuff, and let's go. Winner takes all."

There was a definite spark of interest in his eyes now, and that sly smile was back on his lips. "And what do you want if you win?"

"Your death," I said bluntly. "If I can beat you, I don't need you. As you put it, if I just let you walk, you'd come after me. You win, and I play by your rules."

"You know, pet," he drawled, "with you chained there, I could just have a nice long drink out of your neck and go about my business as usual. You're pus.h.i.+ng your luck quite a bit saying this to me."

"You don't seem the type that likes a boring drink out of a chained artery," I boldly countered. "You seem like the type who likes danger. Why else would a vampire hunt vampires? Well? Are you in, or am I out?" My breath sucked in. This was the moment of truth.

Slowly he walked over, letting his eyes slide all over me. With a raised brow, he pulled out a metal key and dangled it in front of me. Then he inserted it firmly into the center of my manacles and twisted. They fell open with a clink.

"Let's see what you've got," he said finally. For the second time that night.

THREE.

W E FACED EACH OTHER IN THE CENTER OF A large cavern. The ground underneath was uneven, just rocks upon rocks and dirt. I was dressed again, sans gloves, the stake and my special cross dagger in my hands. He had laughed again when I demanded my clothes back, saying the jeans didn't have give and they would cost me fluidity. Tartly I responded that, fluidity or no, I wasn't battling him in my underwear.

There were more lights strung up around the area. How he had electricity in this cave was beyond me, but that was the least of my concerns. Underground as we were, I had no idea what time it was. It could already be dawn, or still be deep in the night. Briefly I wondered if I'd ever see the sun again.

He wore the same clothes as before, fluidity apparently not a concern for him. His eyes snapped with eagerness as he cracked his knuckles and rolled his head around his shoulders. My palms were sweaty with trepidation. Maybe the gloves would have been a good idea after all.

"All right, Kitten. Because I'm a gentleman, I'll let you have the first try. Come on. Let's do this." Without further encouragement I charged him, moving as fast as I could with both weapons pointed murderously. He whirled in a semicircle that left me sailing past him, chuckling infuriatingly as he did so.

"Going jogging, pet?"

Catching myself, I glared at him over my shoulder. G.o.d in heaven, but he was fast. His movements were almost a blur to me.

Gathering my courage, I feinted a broad overhead right swing. When he raised an arm to block, I swiped low with my left hand and slashed him before getting a devastating kick to the midsection in return. Doubled over, I saw him examine his garment with a slight frown.

"I liked this s.h.i.+rt. Now you've gone and ripped it."

I circled again, breathing slowly to combat the pain in my stomach. Before I could blink, he came at me and punched the side of my head, hard enough for me to see stars. In mindless defense I kicked, punched, and stabbed at whatever was near me. The returning blows came heavily and rapidly. My breathing was ragged and my vision swam as I lashed out with all of my strength.

The room suddenly spun as I was thrown backward, rocks cutting into my skin.

He stood about ten feet from where I was sprawled. Clearly, in hand-to-hand combat, I was outcla.s.sed. I felt like I'd been dropped off a cliff, and there were hardly any marks on him. With a sudden flash of inspiration, I flung my cross. It flew with incredible speed and sank into his chest but too high, too high.

"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, woman, that hurts!" he snarled in surprise, s.n.a.t.c.hing it from his chest.

Blood flowed from the wound before stopping abruptly, as if a faucet had been turned off. Contrary to popular belief, vampires did bleed red. I was dismayed, being down to only one weapon and not even having slowed him. Bracing myself, I sprang to my feet, moving with heavy steps.

"Had enough?" He faced me and sniffed the air, once. I blinked in confusion, never having seen a vampire breathe before. I was panting furiously. Sweat was dripping off my brow.

"Not yet."

There was another blur of motion, and then he was on me. I blocked blow after blow and tried to score some of my own, but he was too quick. Fists landed on me with brutal force. Desperately I jabbed the stake into whatever was nearest, but it always missed his heart. After ten minutes or so that seemed like eternity, I fell to the ground for the last time. Unable to move, I gazed at him through swollen eyelids. I don't have to worry about his terms, I thought dully. I was dying from my injuries.

He loomed over me. Everything was colored red and fading.

"Enough now?"

I couldn't speak, couldn't nod, couldn't think. As my answer, I pa.s.sed out. It was the only action I was capable of.

There was something soft underneath me. Floating, I was floating on a cloud and covering myself with its fleece. I burrowed farther inside when it spoke to me in irritated tones.

"If you're going to take all the covers, you can b.l.o.o.d.y well sleep on the floor!"

Huh? Since when was a cloud both annoyed and English?

When I opened my eyes, I saw with horror that I was in a bed with the vampire. And yes, apparently I had the entire blanket wrapped around me.Shooting upward as though burned, I immediately banged my head on the low ceiling.

"Owww..." Rubbing the sore spot, I glanced around in revolted fear. How did I end up here? Why wasn't I in a coma from the beating? In fact, I felt...fine. Aside from the mild concussion I had surely just given myself.

I backed as far into a corner as I could manage. There didn't seem to be any visible exit to this small limestone chamber. "Why am I not in a hospital?"

"I healed you," he replied blandly, as if we were discussing tea.

Numb with fear, I checked my pulse. G.o.d, he hadn't turned me, had he? No, my heart pounded strongly.

"How?"

"Blood, of course. How else?"

He leaned back on his elbows, eyeing me with impatience and weariness. He had changed into a new s.h.i.+rt, from what I could see.

I didn't even want to know what was under the sheet.

"Tell me what you did to me!"

With a roll of his eyes at my hysteria, he fluffed his pillow and then hugged it to him. It was such a human gesture, it was uncanny.

Who knew vampires cared if their pillows were fluffed?

"Gave you a few drops of my blood. Figured you wouldn't need much, what with your being a half-breed. You probably heal fast naturally, but then you were banged up a bit. Your own fault, of course, having suggested that stupid match. Now, if you don't mind, it's daylight and I'm knackered. Didn't even get a meal out of all this."

"Vampire blood heals?"

He shut his eyes as he answered me. "You mean you didn't know? Blimey, but you're ignorant about your own kind."

"Your kind is not my kind."