Rising again, he ignored Pallas and Abbott as he walked over to Tempest. He rested his hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention to him once more. “I have to go now, if this is going to work.”
She closed her eyes before releasing the curtain and stepping into his arms. Holding her close against him, he inhaled his scent upon her and savored in the warmth of her body. He could smell his blood flowing through her, marking her as his, and that was exactly what she was. His. They hadn’t discussed it yet, there would be plenty of time once they were free of this town, but he planned to keep her by his side for the rest of his life.
He hated the idea of leaving her unprotected here, but there were no other options. Not if any of this was going to work.
“If something goes wrong, and you don’t think you can complete your part of it, call it off and get yourself to safety,” he told her for the hundredth time.
“I will,” she murmured.
He pulled back to look down at her. “I mean it,” he said as he brushed back a strand of her hair. “You have to get free of here and alert the others. It will all be for nothing if they don’t learn of this.”
She closed her eyes, her hands twisted in the front of his shirt before she gave a brisk nod. “I will get word to them.”
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry about me, just worry about yourself.”
That would be impossible, but if he stayed here any longer, he could lose his chance. He kissed her cheek before forcing himself to release her and step away. He couldn’t look at her again; he might rethink what he was doing and stay. It will work, he told himself again. He’d get to see this so-called queen, have a chance to size her up, and if everything went well, he’d be free again by nightfall.
Slipping out the backdoor, he pulled the hood over his head and made his way toward the busy streets in search of Kane. Everything hinged on him being able to find the man he’d been plotting to kill for months now. He moved through the crowd easily; he watched for Kane amongst the vampires as he walked. He wouldn’t be able to do anything until the sun began to set, but he had to find the vamp as soon as possible.
Passing by the prison, he spotted two vampires in the stocks who hadn’t been there yesterday. Hopelessness filled their eyes when they lifted their heads to look at him. His fingers itched to smash the locks keeping them in place, but setting these vampires free wouldn’t get him what he wanted.
Turning down the side roads, he continued to mill through the crowd. As time passed, and he made his way through the town for the third time he began to become increasingly agitated when he still didn’t see Kane anywhere amongst the masses. The sun was nearing the horizon when he turned onto the road leading toward the orphanage again.
He was beginning to think he would have to return to the orphanage, and try to come up with a new plan, when he finally spotted Kane amongst the throng. The ugly vampire was walking toward the orphanage with two other vamps.
He stopped any pretense of trying to blend in as he shoved his way through the crowd toward Kane. He was still thirty feet away when Kane placed his foot onto the first step of the porch. He couldn’t allow Kane to go inside, couldn’t take the risk of him finding Tempest.
Shoving aside a woman in a white cloak, he ignored her startled cry when she sprawled onto the ground. Tugging the crossbow free of his side, he jerked it up and leveled it at Kane. Bloodlust pulsed through him; red filled his vision as his fangs tingled with anticipation. He’d waited months for this moment. The idea of it had driven him through the uncertain and arduous nights and days following his death. It would be so easy; he could have him now.
Don’t kill him, the thought blazed across his mind as he bellowed, “Kane!”
The vampire froze on the step; William fired the bolt in his crossbow when Kane turned toward him. Dropping the crossbow, William jerked two stakes from his cloak and raced across the distance separating them. He’d been fast as a human, now preternatural strength and rage fueled that speed.
He could feel the pulse of Tempest’s blood in his body, flooding him with a power he’d never experienced before. The bolt hit Kane’s shoulder, knocking the vampire back a step seconds before William leapt at him.
He soared through the air over the last three feet of space separating them and slammed his shoulder into Kane’s chest. A humph of surprise escaped Kane as the two of them smashed through the stair railing and toppled over the side of the porch. He couldn’t kill Kane right now, it was necessary he remained alive, but he would enjoy pummeling the crap out of him while he got the chance to.
His punches shattered a cheekbone with the first blow and Kane’s nose with the next. Kane threw his arms up to try to dislodge him, but William continued to deliver a series of staggering punches that would have left a human with only mush for a face. Leaning back, he grabbed hold of the end of the bolt and twisted it, driving it deeper into Kane’s shoulder.
Kane howled, but the howl was cut short when William drove one of his stakes straight into his solar plexus. Kane’s arms and legs jerked straight up in unison in reaction to the instrument piercing his flesh. Blood splattered over William in warm, wet droplets that he barely noticed trickling down his face. He savored its coppery scent as it filled his nostrils and fell upon his lips.
Kane’s skin turned beet red, beads of sweat trickled down his face as his hands clawed at the offending instrument. William bit back a laugh of maniacal glee as Kane’s body writhed and squirmed beneath his.
What he wouldn’t give to end it now, to finally have the revenge he’d worked for so persistently since his human death. All he had to do was drive the other stake straight into Kane’s blackened, cowardly heart. And then what? He’d be dragged to the stocks and locked away, or perhaps burned at the stake before he could ever tell anyone who he was, or have a chance to see the queen.
Tempest, he reminded himself.
Her name alone calmed some of the frenzy simmering within him, but his fangs still tingled, and he couldn’t shake the bloodlust thrumming through his veins as red suffused his vision. He couldn’t leave her alone; he couldn’t fail her. He was counting on his capture to work as a distraction for her. However, he wanted to dig in with his bare hands and rip Kane’s heart out so badly he could almost feel the weight of it within his palm.
He could kill Kane; his vengeance could finally be complete. Tempest’s wintry scent teased his nostrils as with a guttural shout, he drove his remaining stake downward. It had taken all of his unraveling restraint, but the stake was centimeters off being a fatal blow to the heart when it plunged into Kane’s chest.
Kane’s hands clawed at the stake, his feet kicked against the ground as he choked and gurgled. A vicious smile curved William’s mouth as the realization hit him that the stupid ass believed it to be a killing blow. Then Kane’s feet stopped kicking, and the freaked sounds escaping him abated a little as reality sank in.
“Remember me?” William taunted.
A snarl curved Kane’s mouth, just as three hundred pounds of muscle plowed into William. The other two vamps smashed him to the ground. Fists and feet rained down upon him as the two vampires pummeled him. He’d attacked Kane in order to be captured, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. He didn’t care if he killed one of these bastards, they had no idea who he was and wouldn’t be of any use to him.
Grabbing hold of one of their feet, he smashed his forehead down on the man’s knee. The force of the blow caused the joint to bend completely backward with a loud crack. The vampire screamed and grabbed at his leg before falling to the ground. Rolling to the side, William managed to avoid the feet of the other vampire before coming up against the side of the orphanage.
He lurched back to his feet as the other vamp leapt up and drove a solid punch straight into his back. William bit back a cry as one of his ribs gave way beneath the blow. He spun around, swinging his hand out and backhanding the vamp across the cheek. The vampire staggered back, but three mor
e white cloaked vampires surged forward to take his place.
The fist that landed on his cheek knocked him back. He crashed into the wall of the house. He didn’t have a chance to recover before more punches drove into his stomach and chest. Bending over, William tried to protect himself from the group now surrounding him the best he could. Blood filled his mouth; his chest felt as if it were collapsing beneath the battering fists. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought a vertebra broke in his back when a boot pummeled it.
He realized they might beat him to death before Kane stopped them. His plan may have been more insane than he’d first thought. He couldn’t allow them to kill him where Tempest might be able to see it. Launching himself off the wall, he threw his arms out and managed to tackle two of the men beating on him. They crashed into the snow and rolled away from the house.
Don’t be watching. He hoped Tempest was nowhere near the window anymore. That she had fled the living room when Kane had started to approach the building. He hadn’t planned on any of this to happen near the orphanage, but he’d had to stop Kane from going inside.
Hands grabbed at the back of his cloak, jerking him to his feet where more blows landed on his stomach and face. Blood exploded into his mouth when his cheek smashed up against his teeth. His nose shattered with a loud crunch. Agony lanced through his head; his vision blurred, but he couldn’t grab at his nose like he wanted to do as his arms were being held by two other vampires.
Another one stepped forward, but before the vamp could start to beat on him too, a commanding voice rang out, “Stop!”
Distorted and a little garbled most likely from blood in his mouth, William still recognized it immediately as Kane’s voice. Parting the vampires surrounding him, Kane stepped before him and grabbed hold of William’s chin. He tried to jerk away from Kane’s repulsive touch, but Kane’s fingers dug into the flesh of his chin and held firm. The left side of Kane’s face still looked like a smashed pumpkin. The right side had fared better, but not by much.
Kane’s eyes were questioning as they searched his battered and bloody face. “How are you still alive?”
William could feel the blood from inside his mouth smearing across his teeth when he smiled at him. “Funny little thing about my family, we’re tough to kill.”
Kane’s eyes glistened with red, his jaw clenched so tightly that William could hear his teeth grinding together. He continued to smile at Kane, even with knowing what was coming next. His head shot back when Kane punched him square in his already battered nose. Blackness swept over him, threatening to drag him into its depths, but passing out now would get him nowhere and ruin everything.
His head lulled on his shoulders; stars burst before his eyes. He blinked back the blood trickling from his forehead into one of his eyes as he strived to keep his eyes open. The broken vertebra was making it difficult for him to continue standing. It felt like someone was digging needles into his spine and twisting them around in there.
“You have no idea what you walked into here boy, but you will most certainly come in handy,” Kane replied.
He’d been hoping Kane would think him useful when he’d set out to find him. Kane casually wiped his hand on the front of William’s robe, drawing his attention to the once pristine material. Splatters of blood had turned the white robe into a macabre painting of red and pink that matched the snow beneath his feet.
Certain he wouldn’t pass out, William lifted his head to meet Kane’s gaze. “I am going to kill you,” he vowed.
“Doubtful, especially with your aim.” Kane gestured at where the stake had pierced him just shy of his heart. The only sign he’d been impaled there was the hole in his shirt and the large bloodstain around it. “Not as tough or as lethal as you thought you were.”
William smirked at him in response; he’d never missed before, and he hadn’t this time either. Kane’s scar pulled awkwardly at his lips when he sneered at him.
“Are we taking him to the prison?” one of the men holding his arm inquired.
“No, he’s going to the hotel. The queen will want to meet him,” Kane replied.
“Why would she care about this little piss ant?”
“He’s far more than what he seems.”
“Then what is he doing here?”
Kane grinned as he leaned closer to him. “I killed him once and apparently it didn’t take. It will next time. A pity, you made it this far, survived for this long, and all for nothing. How does that make you feel?” he taunted.
“Like a champion.” William smiled back at him before spitting a gob of blood into the snow at Kane’s feet.
Kane’s hand lashed out to strike him across the face so fast he barely saw the movement before his head jerked to the side with enough force to give him whiplash and make his head spin even worse.
“Search him!” Kane commanded.
Before William could recover, the cloak was ripped from his body. The harsh jerk caused the cloth to cut into his neck. He could feel the line of warm blood tickling down his neck and back. Hands searched rapidly over him, grabbing at his armpits, waist, groin and legs. The stakes and crossbow still on him were thrown into the snow.
“This way.” Kane jerked his head down the road toward the hotel.
William struggled to keep his feet under him as he was propelled down the road in between the two men. Four more men flanked him, two on each side. He remained as unresponsive as possible, searching for weaknesses in the guards surrounding him. He had to play opossum, even though he could feel his broken bones knitting themselves back together already. Tempest’s blood in his veins helped to accelerate the process; he hoped it would be fast enough.
He subtly stretched his back, relieved to find the vertebra completely healed. He didn’t understand the strange power of Tempest’s blood continuing to swirl through him, but he knew it would help to get him through the rest of this.
***
“Tempest, you can come down now.”
Tempest’s head snapped around when Pallas’s whispered voice floated up the stairs. She’d fled to the attic when she’d seen Kane walking toward the home and spent the past ten minutes restlessly pacing the floor. Her nails would be nothing but nubs if this continued. She glanced in disgust at the dried blood on her index finger from where she’d bit her nail to the quick. She forced them down to her side before rushing over to the other door.
How could she possibly go down there? Kane had been about to enter the house when she’d last seen him, unless William had somehow found him before he could come back inside. She’d never heard the front door open, or the sound of their voices. She had no idea what had happened, but she couldn’t shake the certainty something had gone wrong, and now she’d be separated from William forever.
Fighting back tears and the lump in her throat, she opened the door and poked her head around to peer down at her friend. The color of Pallas’s face and the haunted look in her hazel eyes told Tempest immediately her concern that something had gone wrong was correct.
“What is it?” she demanded as she practically flew down the stairs to her friend. She didn’t think her feet touched a single stair on the way down.
“They have William,” Pallas murmured.
Tempest fought back the waves of panic trying to drown her. Her stomach twisted in such a way she feared she might vomit for the first time in her life. If this didn’t work, if William couldn’t get free, she may have just lost him forever. A sob lodged in her throat, a strangled sound escaped her as her hand flew to her mouth.
What had they done? Why had she agreed to this plan? She should have tried harder to get him to agree to leave. Then she recalled his words about war and saving lives. Recalled the haunted look in his eyes when he’d spoken. She knew he didn’t sleep well at night, knew his memories of battle haunted him, and he was determined to prevent that from happening to someone else. This was the right thing to do. She kept telling herself that, but all she really felt like saying was screw it all; none
of it mattered, she wanted him back.
“Come,” Pallas said and rested her hands comfortingly upon hers.
Tempest’s legs quaked as she followed her to the steps and down to the first floor. Abbott stood by the front window with the same appalled look on his face Pallas had. “Where did they take him?” Tempest demanded.
“The hotel,” Abbott replied.
“At least that has gone right,” she murmured.
Abbott glanced outside before focusing on her again and giving a brisk nod. “Yes it went… ah… well.”
“What happened?” She hurried over to join him by the window.
Abbott tried to hold her back, but she nudged him out of the way and pulled the curtain aside to peer out. Her eyes went instantly to the shattered porch railing and the blood stained snow. There was so much blood. Streaks of it stood starkly out against the gray exterior of the orphanage and a thicker red puddle had formed beside the porch. She couldn’t think about the cause of it or who had lost the most; she knew her answer would be William.
“Oh.” Her hand flew to her mouth. She took a step back before moving forward and practically sticking her nose to the glass of the window.
Pallas rested her hand on her shoulder. “It was what he planned, and not all of the blood is his.”
“How bad was it?” Her voice squeaked when she spoke through the lump in her throat.
“Bad, but if he hadn’t planned to be taken alive, he would have killed Kane. Kane never saw him coming and got an ass whooping he won’t forget anytime soon,” Abbott gushed out. The excitement in his voice caused her to shoot him an angry look. “What?” he asked as he held his hands innocently out before him. “It sucks that’s the way it was supposed to play out, but it was pretty awesome to watch. I don’t know where or how you found him, but he is freaking impressive.”