Chapter:   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

His Lady of the Night

Chapter Twenty

Jake's senses scanned the next chamber and counted four vampires. He recognized one of the vampire's as being one he'd met about the same time he'd been turned. These ones were not like the lesser ones Drake sent before; these were much stronger.

Olivia and Jake entered the room, instantly taking up their fighting stance. His soulmate turned, her back to him and faced two undead ones. She quelled her shudder as she looked into their soulless eyes. Staying back to back, they circled, waiting for the first attack. It came from two directions.

Two of the undead struck at the same time, their speed caught Olivia off guard but she managed to duck down and punched the vampire where it hurt most. The vampire fell to the ground holding his treasured jewels as he twisted and moaned.

"Don't you ever do that to me," warned Jake in her mind as he foiled his own attacker's attempt at getting his heart. His love was truly vicious when she wanted to be.

"And don't you forget it buster," she laughingly replied.

Olivia had no chance to stake the vampire on the ground as the other one came at her, his fangs dripping, that's when she noticed a human lying under a wooden table, he was barely conscious; they'd interrupted dinner. Her face grew hard and she lashed out with a sidekick that hurtled the vampire against the wall. She quickly staked the one withering on the floor and in the background heard Jake stake one he fought.

Wide eyed, the human under the table watched as his saviors separated and advanced on the last two vampires.

The vampire and Jake circled each other, "It's unnatural to destroy your own kind, Jake," he said.

"Well, Pierre, it's like this. I'm not your kind anymore!" growled Jake and he attacked.

Olivia turned to mist as the vampire charged her; she reappeared behind him and put a foot to his butt, sending him flying into the wall. The vampire turned on her, snarling, he bent down and swept his foot under her feet and she crashed to the ground. The vampire immediately jumped on her, his hands around her throat, squeezing.

Olivia fought the blackness and grabbed one of the vampire's wrists, held it in a tight grip while her other hand searched for the stake. She grazed it a few times but could not reach it. Suddenly, her fingers connected with the stake, she wrapped them around it and brought it up between them, and shoved it hard into the vampire's heart. In a flurry of dust it was destroyed.

Olivia coughed and sat up, she turned her head and her gaze fell on the human, he'd saved her by courageously moving the stake closer to her hand. "Thank you," she mouthed and turned her gaze to Jake battling with the last vampire.

Jake disappeared and reappeared behind Pierre. He jumped back as Pierre swept his foot out in a back kick then swiftly turned. They were almost of equal skill. To Olivia, it was like watching a choreographed dance because of the way they seemed to anticipate each other's movements.

Jake would attack and the vampire would counterattack, each would anticipate the move and avoid being struck. Olivia looked around for something that would distract Pierre and aid Jake but found nothing. The only thing she could think of was to use herself.

"Don't even think of putting yourself in harms way, my love. I would not be pleased," growled Jake as he lashed out and connected with Pierre's stomach.

"Huh, I only wanted to help," said Olivia and winced as Jake took another hit. She looked at the stake in her hand and an idea came to her.

"You are helping, by staying safe," Jake grunted as Pierre's fist connected with his jaw.

Disregarding Jake's order not to interfere, Olivia stood up and slowly approached the fighting men.

"Move away Livvie," ordered Jake.

Olivia shook her head and positioned herself behind Pierre ready to pierce his heart the moment he turned her way. So intent was she, that she didn't sense another vampire enter the room and come up behind her. The human under the table and Jake did.

The human tried to speak but his throat was too raw from his earlier screaming.

"Behind you!" Jake shouted, too late.

The vampire grabbed her, put a drug-laced cloth over her nose and she lost consciousness. Then he disappeared, with Olivia in his arms.

"Now I can kill you," said Pierre and he smiled evilly. "You are no longer needed."

The fight didn't last long, for Jake's rage had escalated when the vampire had taken Olivia. Grim faced and with preternatural speed, he plowed his fist into Pierre's chest and pulled out his heart.

Pierre stared at the gaping wound in his chest with a look of surprise on his face. He believed he was stronger than his opponent and had been proven wrong. He fell to the earth, clawing and scraping through the dirt, his eyes fixed on his heart.

Jake built up two energy balls of intense bluish fire. The first he used to set the vampire's beating heart aflame, the second he hurled at Pierre's convulsing body. Jake then left the room, swiftly following the second vampire's trail.

~ * ~

Julius appeared at Drake's side with a flask of holy water, diluted holy water.

"It's about time you got here," growled Drake as he tore the flask from Julius's hand and dumped the holy water in the druid bowl. He pricked the still unconscious Olivia's finger and let her blood drip in the bowl. 

"Chain her to the wall," he ordered Julius after he was done, "I want Jake to see her there when he comes," snickered Drake.

Julius carefully gathered Olivia in his arms and walked to the chains embedded in the wall. He cast a glance over his shoulder a Drake, the Master was swirling a wooden stick in the bowl, mixing the water and blood together. So Julius only put Olivia's wrists in the manacles and made enough noise to make Drake believe he'd locked them and jar Olivia awake as well.

"Good, thank you Julius," said Drake happily as he stared avidly into the bowl. A vision of Olivia chained to the wall slowly appeared and Drake's happy feeling vanished. "Damn it! I forgot, she has to be with Jake if I want to see him." he thundered and hit the bowl off its pedestal. The bowl skittered across the floor and came to rest at Olivia's feet, the blood and water spilled out.

Julius looked blankly at the coat of arms of some obscure medieval Lord on the opposite wall; he suppressed his urge to smile. Seeing Drake out of sorts pleased him, that's why he'd brought the diluted holy water now and not before Olivia had been taken; he wanted Drake surprised when Jake came through the door. Which wouldn't be long now.

 

©2006 Romance at Heart Magazine.

©2000 Angel Young.

Return to Page Top