Bloody Heretic (23 page)

    “
You didn
’
t ask me to confess, Michel,”
she stated boldly. What was she thinking now? Michel turned toward them.

    “
What could you possibl
y say that I don
’
t already know? I have followed your progress throughout the years you know? I might not have been able to take you until now, but it wasn
’
t for a lack of wanting.”

    “
The Council?”
She sneered. “
Do you honestly believe they won
’
t hunt y
ou for this? You
’
ll have every member of each branch, Vampire and Werewolf after you. Killing us only ensures your own death.”

    “
Normall
y I would agree. I think though
that if I could be ki
lled
, it would have happened in the last twenty five hundred years,”
he answered smugly. “
They have tracked my whereabouts, just as I have tracked yours and theirs. It has been a game of sorts and I tire of playing. I
’
m ready to win. If I can
’
t have Gabriel,
s
o be it. But I have you, my dear, and your merry band of Royals and serfs. It will have to do.”

“
Michel,”
Ethan ground out. “
Leave Alex alive. She is more valuable as a hostage. The King will do whatever you say to get her back safely.”
Dom thought the idea was a good one but Michel obviously did not, or she wouldn
’
t be positioned across from Claude, ready to fight.

    “
A nice sentiment Ethan, but I don
’
t wish to u
surp the King. Working the strings from be
hind the cu
rtain has worked ou
t thus far. No need to change things so drastically just yet.”

    Without prompting Jeanne interrupted Michel. “
Gloria,”
she said looking to the woman, “
I want you to know I only forbid your seeing Orleans for your own good. I wanted you to be absolutely
sure it was worth leaving behind all you
’
ve known thus far to have him. I see now that you braved my wrath to be together. If you get out of this you have my blessing.”
Michel snickered at that but Gloria shed another tear, nodding her understanding. Jea
n
ne looked at Orleans. “
Take care of her. Let her take care of you.”
He nodded as well. Dom could see the doubt behind both of their eyes. They knew they weren
’
t getting out alive. The pain Michel had sent his way had lessoned but was still
there just behin
d his eyes, threatening to break over him again. Jeanne continued to stroke his face as she looked around at the rest of the group. “
Adam, Vic. Take care of Elliot. He
’
s going to need your guidance. The Council will come to inspect him soon.”
Before they
c
ould comment she looked down at Dom again. A new tear slid down her cheek, falling off her chin to splash onto his chest. What was she up to?

    “
You want to know what will break me, Michel?”
She asked without looking up at him.

    “
Yes, my dear. Do tel
l,”
he said, clearly bored with her. She smiled at Dom.

    “
I
’
m sure you were wondering why if Michel wiped us last night he would have let us go.”

    “
I didn
’
t wipe you last night,”
he said, confused now.

    “
I know.”
She smiled again. “
I wasn
’
t
wip
ed at all. I had to wipe Dom myself after what happened in the club. I knew he wouldn
’
t be able to go on tonight if he knew...”
She clutched him tight as she flooded the memory of what he had done, what they had both done, back into his consciousness. Fro
m
the moment he entered the Velvet Room until his head had hit the pillow in his hotel room. Adrenaline flooded his blood stream, sensation of what they had shared warred with the tidal wave of guilt he felt at his actions. Beyond his memory of the scenes
u
nfolding he was briefly aware of Jeanne and the feelings she tried to convey. Her acceptance of him. But wave of wave of sensation crashed down and he was helpless to stop it.
A second of terror and then he was gone; a monster in his place.
With a snarl of
rage and remembered blood lust h
e reached up and snatched the woman
by the back of her head. Suddenly he was on her, twisting her neck to the side, barring down on her perfect white flesh. A cry rent the air but he was immune. All that mattered was being
inside of her. Feeling her essence, her soul, her life
,
flow
ing
into him. The grating of metal on stone was a
background noise, mixing with the symphony of flesh tearing and cries of anguish beyond. The creature beneath him curled around his body, moaning
as they rode to a higher plane. It was the only place he had ever felt alive and he revealed in it. A hand reached out from beyond the red fog of his world and snatched him from the source of his pleasure. He was thrown against cold metal and concrete and
even that wasn
’
t enough to startle him away from his prey. He rose and flew at the Vampire keeping him from his goal. The man was strangling his meal; that much he could tell. A vicious snarl escaped as he slammed into them both, pinning the Vamp between
h
imself and the woman. He didn
’
t think, wasn
’
t even sure he was in control of his own body anymore, he just acted
. His fangs slammed down into the Vampires neck from behind a
nd he tore at the flesh, desperate
to get at the source of his power. The man didn
’
t let go of his meal but neither did he stop him from drinking down as much blood as he could swallow at one time. A surprised cry escaped the man and he clutc
hed at his shoulder, pulling him
closer instead of pushing hi
m away. He looked up at the woman
th
e
Vamp was still strangling. Through
the red haze he could see she was gifting him with a smile, even a wink. A crunch and a startled grunt echoed from the Vamp
. A tiny hand rose before them, a pulsing heart within her grasp. The pulse of his victim slowed
to nothing. B
efore
he
knew what he was doing his hands were reaching up to grasp the Vampires head, jerking quickly, tearing the flesh from bone as he removed it. The body dropped, the woman with it. She sputtered and gasped, clawing the hand still attach
ed away from her throat. He dropped the head from his hand and let it roll away. His prize lay before him
,
pink and white, still pulsing with life
.
The cries of surprise fell to the wayside as he descended upon her again, pulling her into his arms and biti
ng into her flesh with the ease and precision of a
snake. He could fee
l her mind attempting to soothe his, he could feel the hands pulling at his back, could just make out the cries of alarm but none of it mattered. Nothing mattered but claiming the woman
in his arms. Hands grasped him by th
e shoulder and head, pulling him
away from her.

    “
Mine!”
He snarled at the Vampire trying to steal her. He fought them as they pulled him from her but they were too many. Another fe
male rushed in to heal the tearing m
ark he had placed at his woman
’
s throat.
He raged anew, tossing
men right and left. More cries rang out, this time he could just make out what was being said.

    “
The guard
s
are coming!”
Someone yelled. The hands holding him down fell away and he stood q
uickly, accessing the situation. His female was struggling to stand up, pushing the others away with a weak hand. She flew to him, grasping his neck and pulling him down to her. He snatched her around the waist and raised her up to his level. They kissed
f
rantically, desperately, before she pulled back.

    “
Dominic,”
she grasped him between both hands, “
I am all yours. But first you have to help us fight. We have to get clear of the guard, do you understand?”
She searched his face for a sign he understood
. Vaguely he did understand. If they got away from this place, he could have her all to himself. He nodded. “
Good. Let
’
s go. He
’
s okay, I have him.”
She spoke to the group stationed around him. They watched warily as he walked past, following his female o
u
t of the cage. Some of the group were injured, bleeding from various cuts and scrapes. He sniffed at one female as he walked by and she growled at him.

    “
Don
’
t even think about it, Dom,”
she said.

    “
Come on. We need to move, now.”
Another female bru
shed by, looking out into the hall. “
They
’
re coming. At least twenty by the sound of it
.”

    “
You have to admire blind loyalty,”
another Vampire said. “
They
’
re still willing to die for that bastard. Me, I
’
d have run screaming the other way if I had watche
d some
one rip the head off of Le Solei
l Noir.”
He chuckled and slapped Dom on the back. He snarled at the Vamp, who snatched his hand away.

    “
How much longer is he going to be like this?”
A large Were asked.

    “
Hours, maybe a
full
day. He sobered up
quickly enough last night but drinking from Michel will have him pretty wired for awhile,”
his female answered. He remembered again what they had shared already and he moved to snatch her to him. She danced out of the way, pinning him with a glare.
“
Pas m
aintenant.”

    “
I think we should make our way towards the river exit. I remember the way. If we have to fight our way through the
n so be it.”
The red haired female stood in the doorway, watching them with tired eyes.

    “
What about the girls? We can
’
t leave them,”
said the tiny female who had warned him away.

    “
I don
’
t know, but we can
’
t stay and fight them all. We
’
re too weak, too drained.”
Before anyone could argue the point the sound of booted feet
echoed down the hall. They turned as one to wai
t.

    “
Give it up Ms. Darke. You
’
re out numbered ten to one,”
a male voice called out.

    “
Val,”
his female answered, “
You know better than to confront me yourself, don
’
t you?
”
All was quiet for a second before he cried out. A thump and some confused s
huffling ec
hoed from down the hall. The guards seemed to argue between whether to attack or flee after their leader collapsed, seemingly for no reason.

    “
Stay or go boys. We don
’
t have all night,”
she called out to them. Someone roared in indignation a
nd the attack commenced. The tall red haired female was the first to meet the guard as the
y
poured out into the hall. She wailed like a banshee as she snapped necks right and left. His female was right beside her, crushing chests and knocking men aside, cu
tting a path through them with ease. More men came from behind as they worked their way forward. Being trapped from each end didn
’
t seem to slow the group down. The men held their end efficiently. Dom especially reveled in the bloodshed as he slashed at t
h
e men, tearing throats and removing limbs. A wicked glee filled him as the light left the Vampires eyes, and though the men in the group cut him a wide berth, he could easily tell friend from foe. His bloodlust was being given free reign by those who woul
d
attack him. He wouldn
’
t risk losing his female by killing those she allied with. He could retain insight on that much. A shiny orange object flitted across his vision and he turned to
inspect it. Another female, with
more behind her.