The Beast 5: Rock the Line Page 6

  No wonder. He’d tried unsuccessfully to destroy the amber libilis by following the instructions in the tome. He hadn’t told Guillermo yet, because he thought maybe he’d done it wrong or maybe needed all three stones for it to work. “Okay, you have my interest.”

  “I thought that might do it.”

  “Come in. We’ll talk about it some more.”

  Gui stepped between them. “Send the rest of your men home first. I want them completely off my property,” he told Thomas. Then to Nathan, “If you recall, amante, they tried to kill you in the past.”

  “How do I know you won’t kill me?” Thomas protested.

  “You don’t,” Tyr grunted from the stoop. “Of course, we could just kill you now, while your friends are still here. Or you can send them on their way and take a chance that we will let you live. This time.”

  Nervously worrying his upper lip, his pale eyes twitching with indecision, Thomas finally nodded. “Okay.” He turned to his followers. “You all go back to the other side of the gate and wait for me.”

  Nadine sighed. “We need to get new security systems in place.”

  “So talk,” Nathan directed the president and chief of the new order of the Brotherhood. “I’m listening, but the clock is ticking.”

  “Well…” He shuffled nervously. “Can’t we go inside? Be civilized about this?”

  “Nope.”

  “But…” Thomas stepped forward.

  Nathan shoved him back. “No way in hell you’re getting in my house, peewee.”

  “I only wanted to…”

  “Get fucked up.” Nathan stepped closer; his sensitive nose detected the faint scent of smoked opium. He’d been around it once in college -- very distinct. “You’re on drugs?”

  The pasty-faced bastard had the nerve to look embarrassed. “Only to help with the hunger pains.”

  “You’re not feeding either?” The original Brotherhood didn’t feed on blood because they thought it would taint their magic, but Tommy-boy didn’t have any magic to begin with. “You really are a lunatic.”

  “What do you know, Unrein?”

  “You start with that Unrein, unclean crap again, this meeting is over.”

  Tyr cleared his throat. “I don’t know why we let the meeting begin.”

  The tune Blame it on the Bossa Nova began to play, and Thomas Brown managed embarrassment again as he rummaged under his robe. He brought the tiny cell phone out and put in an ear bud attached to the side. “Hello… No, this isn’t a good time… Really?” He eyed Nathan carefully. “I see. Okay. Bye.”

  “Don’t tell me. It’s your agent. You got a gig and your star is sailing.”

  Thomas Brown sniffled his offense. “This meeting is concluded. We, obviously, cannot help each other.”

  Nathan growled and bared his fangs. The skinny vampire jumped then started running, very quickly, off the property.

  “You heard that conversation, right?”

  “Yes.” Guillermo sighed. “They know Rebekah is coming here tomorrow night. No doubt they are going to set some kind of trap and get themselves killed.”

  “Hmm. Probably.”

  Tyr and Nadine had gone in the house as soon as Brown left, leaving Nathan and Gui alone. Guillermo wrapped his arms around Nathan. “I want to be with you always, amante.”

  The words made Nathan acutely aware of the ring he still kept in the front pocket of his jeans. He’d barely had time to think about Gui’s proposal with everything that had taken place. There was no one else, other than the man holding him, that Nathan wanted to be with for eternity, but the idea of a commitment ceremony between two men, let alone vampires, just seemed weird to Nathan.

  “I love you, Guillermo,” Nathan said as a reply. He didn’t want to talk about the ring. Not yet. Not until the situation with Rebekah was resolved.

  Chapter Nine

  Goosebumps prickled up on Nathan’s skin as they waited in the living room together, with the exception of Tyr, for Bekah’s arrival. Tyr manned the security office because Guillermo, on Nathan’s insistence, had sent the security team to Corazon de la Muerte for the evening. No sense in getting everybody killed. “You know, we really could have used their plans to destroy the stones.”

  “A little late for that thought.” Nadine eased herself forward on the couch. “Maybe we should hold off on this little… intervention.”

  “Alas,” Gui agreed. “It might be wise. Rebekah has let us live untouched for these years, but I’m afraid that it is out of skewed loyalty. If we offend her, she might…” He moved his hands, mimicking an explosion.

  “That’s it.” Nathan stood and walked to the window watching the night mist float over the front yard. “I think you should all leave. Just let me handle this. I don’t think she’ll hurt me. You saw how she was last night.”

  Guillermo’s palms smoothed over the creases in his gray slacks. “She did seem genuinely fond to see you, amante, but I wouldn’t mistake it for real emotion.”

  “She’s coming up the drive.” Tyr’s calm demeanor as he walked into the room startled Nathan. His bonded servant really didn’t have a jumpy bone in his body.

  Headlights shone in the window. A large, bulky man, at least six-nine and as wide as Tyr, exited a black Town Car. He held out his hand and Rebekah slid her legs out the door. When her feet hit the ground, the large man lifted her to standing. She was beautifully dressed in black satin, her hair in a tight up-do.

  “I think we underdressed,” Nathan muttered.

  Another man, nearly as tall as the first, got out behind her. He had a smaller man by the back of the neck. Thomas Brown. Idiot at large! And they were bringing him with them as they walked to the front door.

  Then there was the knock.

  Nathan opened the door and greeted his daughter, who flung her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. Again the stones pressed against him, so close he could just reach out and grab them, but then what?

  “Father! So good to see you again.” She looked around the foyer. “This is like old home week.”

  “You look lovely.” The plan was to drug Rebekah and grab the stones while she was out, destroy them and in turn, maybe she’d get… better.

  “Thank you, Father.” She smiled pertly at Nadine, Tyr, and Guillermo. “Hail, hail, the gang’s all here.”

  Rebekah’s bodyguards walked in behind her as the shorter one kept his strong grip on Thomas Brown. “We found this riff-raff lurking around by the gate. He seems to be under the impression that you all, my family, are going to ambush me tonight. That’s completely preposterous, isn’t it, Guillermo?”

  Thomas Brown hung his bloodied, pale face low, defeated, as the vampire holding him shoved him to the floor.

  Guillermo sighed at the display. “Preposterous. Of course, my dear.”

  Rebekah giggled. “That’s what I thought.” She smiled wide enough to show her fully protracted fangs. “Considering you all know my bite is much worse than my bark.”

  “Rebekah,” Nathan warned, and the larger of her guards made a move toward him.

  Bekah shook her head at him then turned to Nathan. “Oh, forgive me, Father, I’m being rude.”

  Nathan walked over to the portable bar. “Would you like a drink?” If they could get her drugged early, she’d be unable to use her magic, and they could easily overtake her men.

  “Mmmm, how considerate. Let me pick my poison.” She tapped her lower lip, and then pointed back and forth between Guillermo and Tyr. “Eenie, meenie, mine.” She stopped, her finger directed at Gui. “Sorry, Auntie Nadine, you’re not my cup of tea.”

  “I meant a drink drink.” Nathan pointed at the bottle of gin on the counter.

  “Oh, I know what you meant.” She stalked toward Guillermo who began to back away. “Stop!” Holding up her hand, she froze everyone in the room.

  Nathan could see, hear, think, smell, but he was locked in place with his hand on a bottle of booze, unable to speak or move, as Bekah approached his
lover. Her magick was instantaneous, powerful, unlike anything Nathan had ever felt. When the Brotherhood had used this type of spell on Nathan and Gui, at least he’d been able to speak.

  Rebekah moved against Gui as if dancing, moving her hips fluidly against his groin and thighs. Her delicate fingers unbuttoned his shirt until his chest was exposed. “Beautiful. Simply delicious. I can see what attracted you to him, Father. He is quite… edible.” She licked the base of his neck, her green eyes amused as Guillermo stood stiff, unable to even avert his eyes.

  Nathan knew now why they all feared her. She was something too unnatural, too powerful. Her fangs nicked Gui’s skin, a small amount of blood welling from the minor wound. “Mmm, that is good. I hear the master vampire’s blood is the best around. Or at least I’d heard when I was a child, every single night, over and over. Oh, God! Oh Gui! You two made quite the racket.”

  A warm tinkle of laughter spilled from Rebekah’s mouth, the sound warming Nathan’s skin, horrifying him. “Oh, but again, I’m being rude. And since Gui’s blood wasn’t offered, I withdraw.” She flicked her wrist, Guillermo stumbled backward as she dissipated the spell she’d placed on all of them.

  Stunned silence followed. Nathan’s hands shook when he released the bottle of gin. She’s playing with me. Just showing me how strong she truly is. A warning. And everything in Nathan screamed to heed the warning and back off. He could see it in Guillermo’s eyes as well, a plea to get the evening over without incident.

  Her gaze turned around the room and settled on Nadine. “Auntie, dear, nothing to say? That’s a first.”

  “Bitch,” Nadine whispered harshly, but Tyr yanked her back into his arms before she could say more.

  Bekah laughed again, a harsh barking noise. “I think this night is played out, don’t you all? Now, if you give me my stone, I’ll be on my way. We can catch up another time.” She clapped her hands. “Another time. Get it? Oh, I so amuse myself sometimes.”

  “I can’t give you the stone. It’s not here,” Nathan lied. He’d retrieved the stone from the pool grate the night before and it was sitting in his pocket again. Stupid, Nathan. Really stupid.

  Bekah’s lower lip jutted in a pout. “I don’t believe you, Father.”

  Nathan shrugged. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

  “Father, surely you don’t believe, like this idiot,” she jerked her thumb toward Thomas Brown, still crumpled on the floor, “That you can somehow use the stone? It takes vampire magic. Real vampire magic. And I’m the only real vampire in existence. The rest of you are simply shells of our race.”

  He’d read that in the Lilin wars text, but if that were true then how did Nathan end up in the future to begin with? How was the stone able to transport him through time, if he hadn’t made it happen? After all, he’d been holding it, thinking about the future, and then he was here.

  “Father. Please, don’t treat me like I’m unintelligent. Give me the stone.” She harrumphed, and then put her hands on her hips in resolve. “Fine, have it your way.” Flinging her hand out, a flash of light flew at Nadine and Tyr, sharp, exploding, their bodies crumpling to the ground, eyes wide and lifeless.

  Nathan felt the tear as the blood bond he had with his servant was ripped from his very being, driving him to his knees as he cried out in pain and horror. “She’s killed them. Oh, my God. Killed them.” His brain couldn’t process quick enough as part of him died with Tyr. “No, no, no.”

  “Amante,” Guillermo called to him, but his head was ringing, a flood of noise, his chest heaving and heavy with sharp ache. He felt her warm hands stroking his hair, and Nathan could see she’d frozen Guillermo again, the look on his lover’s face, that of terror, his hand stretched out toward Nathan.

  “Why, oh God, why…” he cried at the loss of Tyr and Nadine.

  “That was just the appetizer, Father. Give me the stone or Guillermo will be the main course.” Bekah placed her palm on Nathan’s chest. The pain eased a bit. “I don’t want to kill Guillermo. I don’t want to hurt you, Father. Can’t you see? I just want my stone.”

  Stopping Bekah wasn’t worth this, none of this, not Tyr’s life, not Nadine’s. “Bring them back first.”

  “I can’t. It doesn’t work like that, Father. Dead is dead. But if it’s any consolation, you’ll be happy to know their souls will find new hosts. They won’t remember any of this life, just like you don’t remember your soul’s past, but they will be reborn. Isn’t that something?” Her voice sounded sweet, innocent, soothing. “Now tell me where the stone is and you can live out forever with your precious Guillermo Perez. Otherwise…” she snapped her fingers, “…poof.”

  “I…”

  “Make your choice, Father. The stone or Gui, Gui or the stone. Or, you can take Option C where I kill you both and find the stone myself.”

  Nathan looked from Guillermo to the bodies of Nadine and Tyr, then back to Guillermo.

  “He can’t help, now. You have to make this decision all on your own.”

  One of her guards, the smaller one, walked over and toed Tyr’s lifeless arm. “Leave him alone,” Nathan spat through gritted teeth. His beast glowered within, angry at the loss of his servant, angry with Nathan for not fighting harder.

  Someone cursed -- it was the blond guard. Thomas Brown had gotten up, moving quickly, his arm slammed across Rebekah’s head as his free hand snatched her necklace, sending the stones flying across the room. Her eyes widened in surprise, then amusement as she watched him scramble across the floor toward the small crystals. When he had them in his hand, he jumped triumphantly. “Ah ha!”

  “Hmm.” Bekah shook her head. “Not a very bright boy.”

  Brown held out the blue and pale-purple stones in Rebekah’s direction. “Burn witch,” he shouted with conviction. “Burn.”

  Smoke began to pour off Rebekah’s skin as Nathan watched in horror and Thomas Brown danced with joy. “Burn, burn, burn!” It worked. Even without magic infusing the stones, they were working -- she was burning.

  Suddenly, the smoke stopped. She smiled. “Fooled ya.” Bekah flung out her hand like yanking a blanket off the bed, and Thomas Brown gasped, clutching his heart.

  He dropped the stones. “Oh crap. I… I didn’t mean…”

  Rebekah clucked her tongue. “I told you, you can’t use the stones without them being infused with magic. Why do people never listen to me?” She cocked her head at the president and chief of the new order of the Brotherhood. “You want to see a burning? Well, get to barbequing.”

  A look of pure satisfaction washed over her face. She squeezed her hand into a tight fist, and then flicked her fingers. Instead of smoke, Thomas’s body turned into a fireball, his shrieking and screams echoed from the walls as the flame grew hotter making the room an oven. The screams stopped as the flesh from his neck charred, dissolving his vocal cords to ash. Soon the rest of his body followed, dropping to the ground as some horrible unidentifiable mass of charcoal.

  She scooped up the two stones and turned her attentions back to Nathan, who sat against the wall now, staring at Guillermo, body stiff, standing, reaching, tears leaking from his wide open eyes.

  “I have lived two lifetimes with my own kind wanting to destroy me, Father. Can you not understand what that does to a girl?” She held out her hand. “Don’t make me kill you. We are the same, Father. Can’t you see? I’m your daughter. Your own flesh and blood. Give me the libilis and I will make you a god among vampires. I made a promise in my first life to avenge myself against my enemies. I need that stone to get back to the past. Everything will be fine if you just give me the stone.”

  Nathan felt tired, weak, the broken bond draining every bit of energy from his bones, his blood. “I will never… give you the stone… and you will never find it.”

  “Give me the stone!” Her voice boomed, unnatural, her eyes glowing a piercing golden green like peridot in a spotlight, wind kicking up around her body. Symbols, like the ones he saw decorating Lilith’s b
ody, formed on her exposed skin. “You leave me no choice, Father.”

  She’d called his bluff and Nathan, hesitantly, slipped his hand into his pocket to clutch the stone. A blinding light flashed from her torso, moving out slowly in all directions. Even her guards were taken in, dropping to the ground to their deaths, then Guillermo.

  God, Guillermo, I’m sorry. So sorry. It’s the only way.

  Soon, the light reached him.

  “Last chance,” Rebekah offered.

  It didn’t matter now, with Guillermo dead Nathan didn’t care if he survived or not. He felt his beast being dragged, then ripped from his body. He clenched the stone more tightly, biting back the fear until the pain of his vampire soul leaving his body tore in a roar from his lips.

  The light faded, and Nathan inhaled his first real breath in over four years. He tried to keep his mind on the past, squeezing the stone, wishing he could undo all the wrongs -- but the thought had been difficult to maintain after the vampire part of him departed, his beast, his constant companion, taken in the blink of an eye. His breathing became shallow as he tried not to hyperventilate, tears streaming down his face. So much loss, so much.

  “Holy shit.” Bekah staggered back. “No. You’re alive. You can’t be. I killed you!” She screamed loud and long in frustration. Drawing on her power, this time she lashed out quickly, and when she did, Nathan pulled the stone from his pocket and held it up to the oncoming light.

  Chapter Ten

  Nathan appeared in the hallway outside of Rebekah’s bedroom with Tyr, his long blond hair restored, and Guillermo, neatly coiffed. They were all holding the three libilis in their hands.

  It worked. The stones had brought Nathan back to the present. Back to the moment Tyr and Guillermo had first given his daughter the stones.

  Tyr dropped to his knees. “Odin’s breath.” He clutched his chest. Something’s wrong. I don’t feel right. Nathan? What’s wrong with me?”

  Nadine and Nan ran out of Bekah’s bedroom. “Thank the Lord, you’re home, boys. I don’t think our little Bekah has much time.” She wrapped her arms around Nathan’s waist. “She so sick, honey. The poor baby is as ill as I’ve ever seen a child, but she’s a might strong willed. Alfred has been looking in on her, but he says she needs to go to the hospital.”