We probably looked like a hand-holding middle school field trip as we made a mad dash out to the parking lot. Fang playing the part of the not so Little Engine Who Could as he towed our asses across the asphalt full speed ahead.
"What about Brittany?" I puffed, trying to keep up with his hectic pace and not end up being dragged behind him. "Aren't you worried she'll remember?" After all, there were a plethora of images of him I will never forget. They are burned into my memory cortex forever. For instance, that glorious memory of him the other morning...or...um evening came to mind. How his firm, naked butt swaggered in the dim light as he went to go fetch my coffee. How he looked in those silken pajamas hanging off his lean hips, his muscles still slightly glistening after his shower. How his lips felt on mine...
"Her mind was as empty as yours," he snapped, coming to a sudden halt. His angry retort snapped me out of my reverie and caused a derailment when Courtanya and I plowed into his back.
Aaaaaand he opens his big, fat mouth and officially popped the fantasy bubble.
"Oh, really nice!" I yanked my arm away from him while I rubbed my shoulder, hoping there were a few tendons left still holding it on. "My head is not empty," I huffed, moving to rub my throbbing nose. Seriously, running into him was like running headlong into a brick wall. Though I never had the desire to find out, I now knew how a road test dummy felt after a collision.
"The jury is still debating on that," he muttered distractedly, his eyes searching the parking lot.
I was about to give him what for, but I quickly shut my mouth. Fang stood stalk still. His jaw tight. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air like a bloodhound, every muscle in his body going taunt as if he was about to explode at any moment. I didn't think this sudden change of behavior had anything to do with me having blown our cover, but it was so intense, it gave me the willies.
"What are you looking for?" I asked in a hushed whisper as I mimicked him. Taking a deep inhale of the chilly evening air, I got a snoot full of grease, waffles, bacon and something so foul, it tickled my nose. Whatever it was made my face crinkle and my lips curl up into a pre-sneeze snarl as my whole face took on that awkward, rather weird look it gets before I blow like Mount Vesuvius. And then...nothing. The building sneeze disappeared with maniacal laughter at leaving me hanging with only a stupid look on my face and a tingly sensation.
"You are an idiot, aren't you?" Courtanya questioned, her eyes growing wide as she looked at me as if I was a circus freak. "You really are a terrible vampire."
"What is this? National Pick on Mel Day?" Sniffing, I folded my arms across my chest and gave them both the most contemptuous look I had in my arsenal, which really...wasn't that impressive. I could never totally pull haughty off completely. I only ended up looking mildly mad and slightly confused. And really, who would find that intimidating? Frankly, the fact I couldn't only pissed me off more.
"Just because I turned into a vampire overnight doesn't mean I automatically became versed in being a super spy. How the heck was I to know they would stalk my credit cards?" I shivered at the thought. Talk about creepy.
Fang blinked down at me for a few seconds and I took advantage of his momentary silence to plead my case. "I mean, give me a break here guys! This is my first time of ever having to be on the lamb. I don't know what the protocol is!" I waved my hands irritably in the air. "Considering nobody tells me anything, I'm doing the best I can to cope with all this...this...freaking bullshit!"
I started pacing around, warming up to my topic as my frustration and anger joined forces. "Look, just a few days ago I was pumping gas and selling Slim Jims. Now, you're expecting me to be the next Mara Hari." I laughed and it sounded a bit hysterical, but I didn't care. "Seriously, I'm just a girl that worked at a gas station. If you need to know the difference between regular and premium, I'm your girl. You can't decide between Nacho flavored or Cool Ranch, I can help you with that. You want some free toilet paper, I can hook you up and keep you stocked for eternity."
"But I'm new to this whole vampire business. A week ago all I wanted was to be able to buy some cheap sweaters at Old Navy using my two for one coupon and now you're wanting me to choose sides in some kind of freaky game I don't understand, but am pretty damn positive I will lose no matter what I do. I don't want to choose sides. I don't even want to be a vampire! I just want my life back and grow Sea Monkeys!" My bottom lip quivered and to my horror, my eyes started to water. Drat! I was about to cry and I don't cry pretty. I mean...I really...really...REALLY don't cry pretty. We're talking full tilt boogie crazy wailing, blotchy face, red nose, slobber and copious amounts of snot kind of crying. I waved my hands frantically in front of my face trying to stop the ugly deluge from starting.
Before the dam broke, I found my face plastered against Fang's massive chest. His arms were locked around me, squeezing me so tightly it was difficult to breathe. But air was highly overrated anyway. Slinging my arms around his neck, I held him closer. His scent, the feeling of him against me, the sound of his heart beating...soothed away the threat of tears like one big pacifier.
"I'm sorry, Melanie." His voice rumbled in my ear and it kind of tickled. "I forget how very new you are," he sighed, "to all this."
Pulling back, I tilted my head up. He was looking down at me with his eyes at half-mast. The diamond irises soft and considering, instead of the sharp and annoyed I was used to seeing. A girl could get used to a guy looking at her like that. When he added a little grin to his mesmerizing gaze, it buckled my knees and had me breathing like an asthmatic during allergy season making an obscene phone call.
A lone, slow applause echoed in the darkness and snagged my attention away from his hypnotic panty melting stare. Frowning, I searched into the darkness, seeing nothing.
"That was so incredibly touching," Nicolai's sarcastic voice filled the parking lot before he stepped out from behind the Waffle House joined by the five gorillas who had trussed me up. His hands still slowly clapping as he came to a halt.
"It almost made me weep."
My head spun the opposite direction towards Druilla who sauntered out from the other side of the Waffle House. Five more goons following in her wake. For some reason the voice of Count Von Count from Sesame Street popped into my head. "Ten! Ten big, burly bad guys! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!"
"Mistress!" Courtanya exclaimed. With a squeal of excitement, she made a break for it, running towards the sneering Druilla with arms opened wide, so damn happy to see her, I thought she might pee herself.
Quickly reaching out, I latched on to the back of Bubbles tunic top and yanked her towards Fang and me. I hated to break it to her, but judging by the look on Druilla's face, the happy reunion between Master and minion was not reciprocated.
"You dare speak to me?" Druilla hissed. Her black, spiked, leather boots clicking sinisterly as she walked towards us.
She looked like a Fredrick of Hollywood assassin dressed in tight, shiny, black leather pants and long sleeved corset. The sleeves starting out puffy at the shoulder, as if she was smuggling football pads, and gradually growing tighter down her arms until it ended at a sharp point at her wrist. Flowing behind her was a long black cape accented in glittering red and sliver which caught the light from the street lamps as she moved.
A cape? Really? I snorted. With that outfit, hair done in a severe ponytail and the shimmering circlet headband tiara thingy...she looked like she had walked off the pages of some medieval fairytale. I did a quick search just to make sure she wasn't holding a poisoned apple. I had to admit though, I kind of wished those goons lurking behind her where dwarves right about now.
"I...I...," Courtanya stammered, shocked by the malevolence oozing out of her Mistress. "I am forever your servant." She dropped to her knees. Or, at least she tried to drop down to them. I still had a hold of her shirt, so mostly she just dangled there like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Rolling my eyes, I tried to jerk her back up to her feet, but she only swung there, hanging like a wet noodle. "Get up," I whispered harshly, giving her a good shake, but she paid me no attention and continued to sag limply in my grasp. "Oh, for Christ sakes." Deciding I needed both hands for dealing with this situation, I dropped her and she fell to the pavement. Scurrying to her knees, she tucked her head down and laid her hands out in front of her.
"Your sniveling will not save you," Druilla sneered, giving her minion a contemptuous glare that made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Man, I was jealous, she had that look totally nailed.
"I am forever your faithful servant," Bubbles claimed again, though it was kind of hard to hear her with her face kissing the parking lot.
Druilla took a couple of sharp steps towards her and I could see her small shoulder starting to tremble. A low growl rumbled up my throat.
"Leave her alone," I warned, trying to wiggle out of Fang's arms. Even though she had tried to kill me on countless occasions, I had sort of bonded with the murderous minion. Call me crazy, but I wasn't about to let Druilla lay a finger on her. Not if I could help it.
"You have nothing to say demon. I will kill her when I am through ridding the world of your presence." She gave me a sadistic smile. With a flourish she held up a wicked looking stake as long as my leg. Holy Moses on a pogo stick! Talk about your overkill.
"I thought the whole wooden stake thing was a myth," I muttered under my breath at Fang.
"Oh it is," Druilla answered, running her hand over it in a lover's caress.
Drat! I had forgotten all vampires had super sonic hearing.
"Anything would work to kill you if plunged into your heart, but I just really enjoy the look and feel of the classics," Druilla explained, her red lips turning up into a sinister smile.
"You'll die before you can touch her," Fang snarled, pushing me behind him.
Gulping, I peeked out from under his armpit as everyone started to circle around us. I hated to sound pessimistic, but I would have to place my bet on the Elders. I didn't know how many vampires it would take for them to kill us, but I sure as hell knew how many they planned on using and it didn't look like it was going to go in our favor.
"Enough, Druilla," Nicolai said, straightening his ever present bow tie. Apparently, tuxedos weren't just for dinner anymore. They were also acceptable for murder. Very fashion conscious these vamps were.
Druilla bowed her head gracefully at him and stepped back a pace or two, but her eyes and that merciless smirk on her face remained focused solely on me.
"The Elders have discussed your traitorous behavior, Drake and have decided to overlook your abhorrent conduct." Nicolai beamed at him as if this was good news. "All you have to do is hand over the girl and all will be forgiven." He opened his arms in a sweeping gesture. His smile, though wide, was tense and completely fake. "The Colony will welcome you back into our fold with no hard feelings."
"I have no intention of ever returning to the Colony," Fang drawled." So you can stick your forgiveness up your ass."
"Drake! Think about this," Druilla pleaded. "You are outnumbered and have been bespelled by the redheaded witch."
Who was the bitch calling a witch? I stepped out from behind Fang only to have him shove me roughly back.
Pointing her accusing finger at me, she curled her lips and tilted her head high in the air. The pious look on her face made me feel like we were back at the Salem Witch Trials. "You would not feel this way if you were of your right mind. She has clouded your better judgement with her trickery."
Fang threw his head back and laughed. A deep, belly chuckle which was sexy as hell, but I had a feeling it was at my expense and I was rather confused on if I should be offended or laugh with him.
"I am under no spell, Druilla. If anything, Melanie has shown me the truth. We can no longer cling to these old ways and traditions. It is time for our species to step out of the dark ages and into the dawn of a new beginning."
"A new beginning?" Nicolai sneered. "And who will lead this new beginning?"
"You are stepping forward to claim your throne?" Druilla asked, her eyes growing wide in shock.
A loud, dry laugh came out of Nicolai. Not a trace of humor in it. "You? As King?"
"If that is what the race chooses, then I will lead my people," Fang growled, his eyes so stone cold, he looked as if he had just gotten a gander at Medusa. "I am not your enemy, Nicolai. The true enemy is the one the Colony has protected all these years. He is the one who needs to be destroyed, not us."
"I disagree, Drake." He shook his head sadly. "The Stoker family has been at peace with us for generations, until now. A true leader would assess the situation thoroughly and make an educated decision that would be best for the Colony. The only logical conclusion is to destroy what Stoker has created so this can never happen again."
"If you would have destroyed Stoker in the beginning, we would not be having this discussion now," Fang interjected. His tone was calm as if he was simply talking about the weather, but his expression was fierce and burning. The heat of it made me shudder and slink behind him.
"That is the soldier in you talking, not a King. A leader cannot rule on emotion." The look he sent Fang was one you would give a child who got caught doing something naughty. Exhaling dramatically, he continued. "You lost Aurora and it blinded you in rage." Fang's deep throated snarl had him stepping back slightly. "It was most unfortunate, but hardly worth starting a war over, Drake. It's not like he kidnapped her. Aurora's suffered her own consequences for her betrayal."
"Spoken like a true politician." The words coming out of Fang's mouth dripped with sarcasm. "Aurora's death suited your needs, didn't it Nicolai? It gave you the foothold you needed for the Elders to step in and take over." He laughed drily. "How very convenient for you."
Nicolai shrugged, denying nothing. "Somebody had to lead. You had no wish to be King, you never have." Nicolai walked up to him. "The right to gain the throne may flow through your veins, but you lack the ability to live up to the obligation. You turned your back on your legacy, Drake and I cannot allow you to destroy our people because you have a sense of misplaced duty to this abomination against our species." He gave a hefty sigh and ducked his head to his chest, resting it there as if it was too heavy to hold up. "I'm afraid you have given me no choice," he murmured softly and slowly rose his face to Fang's.
"Oh shit!" I gasped. Nicolai's eyes had transitioned into two black pits. Quickly, I hoisted my hand up from behind his back, slapping them over Fang's eyes in an attempt to keep him from going Sleeping Beauty on me. We didn't have a great chance of making this out alive as it was, but it would be even worse if our only chance went down for the count.
"Grab her," Nicolai snapped.
Several hands gabbed me from behind, dragging me away kicking and screaming to the middle of the parking lot.
"Hey! Get your hands off me you creeps!" I kicked out and tried biting a few, but they held me firmly. One of them winding his hairy palm into my hair and jerking my head back, keeping my fangs useless. "Seriously, haven't you ever head of moisturizer?" I bitched as another few pairs of hands held my arms and pulled in opposite directions, giving Druilla a nice big target to sink her stake into my chest.
Without me, Fang was a sitting duck to Mr. Goo Goo Eyes and my heart sank as I watched him met those obsidian pools head on and sink to the ground.