Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 140

Suddenly a perplexing expression crossed his face. His mossy green reptilian eyes questioned me.

I smiled back at him with an all consuming devilish glare. I summoned every ounce of anger, frustration, humiliation, and fear I had ever experienced thanks to this man and let it merge into one force of fury. One line drawn in the sand. One way out, or one last stand.

With panic rising in his voice, Father said, "Daughter, I can't move!"

I extended my fangs and nodded, looking deep into his eyes. "Yes, I know."

"Search his mind," I said to the voice inside my head. "Find out where G is. See if J is missing too."

"How dare you? You can't read my thoughts! I won't tell you," Father yelled. "I won't!"

The telepathy reached out and took hold of Father. The voice inside my head answered, "I have him. Give me a moment. I'll get the location."

Stepping back from Father, I wiped his blood off my hand and crossed my arms over my chest, admiring the sight before me. "Send it to Michael when you have it. I want to make sure they are all safe," I said to the voice inside my head.

Father stood frozen in his tracks, screaming and shaking his hands at the sky, at me, threatening, swearing, essentially freaking out. He looked like a frightened rat caught in a mousetrap. "You'll pay for this treachery, daughter!" Suddenly, he stopped shouting and twitched in pain. His arms fell to his side. His head collapsed forward from exhaustion as he dropped to his knees.

I knew we had the answer. The voice inside my head sent it to me. "G and J are both on a remote island on the outskirts of Purgatory. Stephanie has them."

"Send it to Michael," I repeated to the voice inside my head.

"Already done," the voice replied.

"Then we end this now," I said to Father. I looked at my hands and envisioned b.a.l.l.s of fire centered in the palms. Come forth, I said to myself. Instantly, flames surfaced on my skin. Rings of fire started twisting, growing larger around my hands, whirling, buzzing, crackling with energy.

Father staggered about, trying to regain his wits. The mind meld had probably fried part of his brain. "You can't stop me," Father hissed as he wobbled on shaky legs. "I'll admit your powers have grown, but you can't defeat me. Not now. Not ever!"

As the fire intensified swirling around my hands and the lower parts of my arms up to my elbows, I lowered my head and set my footing for a running start at him. I replied, "We'll see about that." I rushed towards him and tackled him, throwing us both to the ground.

He groaned loudly as the back of his scaly, bald head smacked the gym floor, dazing him momentarily.

Summoning every ounce of confidence I prayed I had, I pinned his arms to the wooden floor and shoved the weight of my body into his belly. "Goodbye, Father." In one fluid motion with flames burning wildly around us, I drove my right hand deep into his chest and yanked out his heart.

Quickly, I rolled away from him as he convulsed and went into a fit of spasms. I found refuge against a nearby wall, holding his heart as it pulsed in my hand. Blood dripped onto my pants and stung my flesh. Flames enveloped me. I couldn't control it anymore. I was engulfed in fire.

Out of nowhere, Michael and Blick appeared. Cautiously Michael approached me as Blick, still in savage werewolf form, sniffed the body of my father.

Father's skin had turned an ashen gray and he had ceased to move.

"G and J are safe. You're okay, Rayea. Can you hear me? You're okay." Michael's gentle voice brought me back to reality.

His blue eyes widened in surprise. "Is that his heart?"

I nodded, still in shock, realizing what I had done.

"Give it to me," he said. Then as he knelt down by me, he quietly added, "Please."

I shook my head at him, resisting his request.

"Calm down, you are literally burning up. Calm down! How long have you been on fire?" he exclaimed.

"Don't hit me," I screeched. "Please no more!"

"Oh sweetheart, what did they do to you? I won't hit. I promise. No more. Please calm down."

Hearing the concern in Michael's voice boosted my confidence. Slowly I concentrated on my breathing and listened to the sound of my own heart, pounding in my chest. Ashes flew in front of me as I realized Father's heart was burning in my hand. It disappeared into a flurry of smoke and glowing particles.

Blick stood guard over Father's body. He growled a warning and thumped his paw on the gym floor. Vibrations from the hit jostled me and Michael. Michael regained his balance.

"Blick, is everything okay?" Michael called out.

Suddenly Father's body turned to a heap of ashes. We watched as a ball of light emerged from the pile. Small serpents twirled and whirled in the emerald glow, shrinking in size as the ball slowly dimmed. Then it completely vanished.

I breathed a sigh of relief and let my body relax. Instantly the flames that had been sizzling every part of my body extinguished their a.s.sault on me.

Being sure to not touch me, Michael commented, "You're covered in soot. But are you okay?"

I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to comprehend his question and find my voice. Finally I said, "I am now."

He returned a brilliant smile and my heart skipped a beat or two.

Blick bounced over to us, gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth at me when he arrived. Large drops of drool fell on my pants.

"Hi there, stranger," I said, ruffling his black fur behind his ear. "Ouch." I winced in pain as I extended my burnt arm. A few cracks in my blackened skin separated and exposed pink flesh underneath.

Michael and Blick halted their actions and stared at my arm.

Without asking my permission, Michael scooped me up and headed to the doors with me curled up in his arms. "I know something that will fix you right up."

The pain was unreal. I wanted to scream out, but instead I hid my face in the crook of Michael's strong neck and thanked my lucky stars that he and Blick were both alive and safe.

Chapter 17.

You Deserve A Break After Michael's blood healed my wounds and a long bath brought me back to my sanity, I composed myself and re-entered the world anew. Everything seemed so glorious, so bright and s.h.i.+ny knowing my father was dead. I walked around Blick's living room in a new change of clothes, basking in the warmth of our victory.

I did make a mental note that being low on blood could mean my emotions would wreak havoc on me. I'd have to figure out a way to get steady meals and keep that at bay in the future, without siphoning blood from Michael. I added a calendar item on my iPhone, denoting when I'd received his blood as I joined everyone on the terrace.

"Do you realize how much paperwork I'm going to have to fill out?" Death asked me as I walked past him, busy with my phone. I wanted to return to some normality after the events of the day.

I flipped him off.

"I think that means she doesn't really care," Michael replied to him.

"Geez," Death grunted.

I glanced up from my phone, smiled at Michael as he sat in a patio chair with his long legs stretched out, and then resumed checking a few text messages from Lynn. I leaned against the railing feeling the wind of the ocean against my back. I was on cloud nine. The freedom, the weight now lifted off my shoulders was difficult to articulate to anyone. But I knew they could see it in my face. I had a devil-may-care att.i.tude and it clearly showed.

I caught Blick gazing at me while he sat near Michael. Blick spoke up, "How many red smoothies did you make this time?"

"A fair amount," I snickered, struggling to avoid Michael's stare.

The confident, proud look in Blick's golden eyes startled me. Thanks to a few whispers in his ear from J, Blick had resumed his human form. The only remnant of his werewolf form was a full black beard that replaced his goatee. He and Michael both were dressed in crisp white T-s.h.i.+rts, dark jeans, light gray Italian suit jackets, and matching loafers. They had somewhere to go, I could tell.

I shoved my phone in my pocket and beamed at him, letting the wind catch my hair. I wiped a few raven strands away from my face.

Saying not a word, Blick rose from his chair and held his arms out to me, offering me a hug.

Immediately I rushed into his arms, returning his strong embrace. "Papa," I whispered, giggling under my breath.

He rocked me slowly, quietly humming "The Pretender," by my favorite band, the Foo Fighters. "We're rid of him, aren't we?" he whispered in my ear.

"Yes." I closed my eyes to savor the moment with my best friend.

"We've got to get going. The Medusa look-alike is on the move again." J stepped onto the terrace, motioning for us to join him inside.

As we gathered around the computer in the living room, Death offered, "I'll get Ra and the other dragons to join us. Where was she last seen?" He leaned over J's shoulder, studying the image on the monitor.

I flew off the couch and joined the guys as they huddled around the computer. "Ra is a dragon? What?"

Michael b.u.mped me in the arm. "We can talk about that later." Quickly he winked at me and resumed his serious demeanor.

J nodded and swept a wisp of his light brown hair behind his ear. "Thank you, Michael. Yes, Death, we'll need their help. That's a great idea. I'm sending Blick and Michael on a separate task before they join us."

What did that mean, I wondered, gazing in Blick and Michael's direction.

"I think the Medusa look-alike is lost," J continued. "It seems, however, she's heading back in our direction. Here." He pointed to an elaborate map of a satellite image on my computer monitor.

"That's the caves underneath the Dragons' hideaway leading to Purgatory," Michael stated, avoiding my gaze. "She can't find her way back to h.e.l.l going that route."

"We can cut her off before she gets there," J said.

While the guys were busy formulating a plan of attack, I sent a few text messages to Lynn to see if she had found anything.

"I'm still working on it." Lynn answered in a text message.

I clicked my tongue against the holding cavity for one of my fangs in the roof of my mouth and considered the appropriate answer to that question. Okay, I thought. Maybe that was a silly notion.

"I'll call you later. K?"

"Good deal!" Lynn replied.

A knock sounded at the door.

I answered it while I continued to play with my phone. As far as I could tell, the guys didn't even notice the sound.

A small, burly man dressed in a Hawaiian s.h.i.+rt, khaki shorts, and beige loafers greeted me. He had long white hair pulled back into a pony tail and his cheeks were sunburned from the sun.

"You must be the vampire," he said thrusting his hand out in my direction.

I raised an eyebrow at him cautiously, staring at his tanned hand. Then it registered with me who this could be. "G? I mean, sir, are you G?"

A large smile brought wrinkles to the corners of his eyes. His face was weathered from too much sun, but his gentle gray eyes sparkled. He took my hand in his, shaking it enthusiastically. "I should be thanking you for saving my life and the life of my son. Though I'm so sorry to hear about your father's death.

I didn't say a word. Instead I leaned forward and tilted my head slightly in disbelief as we stood in the doorway.

His deep voice boomed with laughter. "Oh not really! That was a joke, at your expense I'm afraid, my dear. My apologies."

I shared a grin with him and escorted him in.

Before we reached the others, he quickly turned to me and grabbed my elbow. "Would a vacation interest you? You've been through enough, my dear. And I'm sure we can take care of your sister. You deserve a break, don't you agree?"

I glanced over at Michael and Blick with a huge grin on my face and my eyes as wide as saucers.

Michael and Blick smiled at me. Death and J ignored the computer for a moment and chuckled.

"Ex-sister, sir," I replied to G. "I'm disowning her."

"Nothing wrong with that," G agreed. Directing his question to J, he asked, "Gentlemen, have we come up with a plan?"

J and Death nodded.

"Good then. Let's get the vampire on her way. Michael, Blick, return straightaway once you get her settled." G inclined his head in my direction. "Good luck, my dear."

"Thank you, sir." My resounding good mood had just taken on new heights. I wanted to jump around the room, singing, 'I'm taking a vacation, I'm taking a vacation.' But I maintained a cool demeanor for everyone's benefit.

"We need to get busy moving." J paused for a moment and leaning out of the desk chair, he reached for my elbow, brus.h.i.+ng it lightly. "Thank you. That wasn't an easy task for you to do. I know. But thank you and congratulations." He stood up from his chair and brushed the creases out of his slacks. "I've decided to add you to our team," he announced. "Having a vampire, such as yourself, will certainly be an a.s.set to our army. Welcome aboard." He descended the stairs to Blick's weapon storage room.

Death winked at me and said over his shoulder as he followed J, "Stay out of trouble, Ray."

"We've got to act fast. The first blow has been dealt. The war has begun," Michael spoke up. He and Blick b.u.mped their fists together, and then looked away.

"What are you talking about, Michael? It's over. Father's dead. You don't think he's alive, do you, after that? I ripped his heart out!" I yelled, only to realize I had said a curse word in the presence of G. "He's dead. I saw his ashes fly away in the wind," I quietly added, glancing around to see if my social error had been noticed.

Both archangels towered over me, closing in around me. "We don't have time to explain. We've gotta get you out of here," Michael said. "Let me see your phone."