Sunset

As the sun set and darkness swallowed the clearing where I was held prisoner, Vampiress Anna Bathory emerged from the night as if she were part of it, cut from the shadows and stitched into a blood thirsty seductress with more body than dress. She cradled the Book of Flesh and Bone in her arms, closing her eyes and inhaling the scent of the tome as she approached me. I winced at the thought of the smell of dried flesh, bone, and blood. Sicko.

She rested the massive book on a tall stump that Naill provided for her and unhinged the jaw clasp, flipping the pages. "Ah, here it is. True immortality." She looked at me and smiled her piranha smile with no attempt to hide any portion of her massive teeth. "The spell calls for your heart and lots and lots of blood. Shall I use yours? Or your caretaker's?"

I tried to fix my expression. I didn't want to give her the benefit of knowing she'd got under my skin. But I felt my eyes widen slightly when she mentioned Rick, and I could tell she noticed.

"Yes. I think we will use his blood. Much more entertaining. Plus, a more powerful combination I think. Two deaths are better than one."

Damn, I hated this chick. "Why not two hundred deaths like Monk?" I said. "Worked out well for him. Oh wait, no it didn't. The Book drives a hard bargain Bathory. It will take you down with it, just like Monk."

She stroked her hand down her shiny black tresses, nudging the ends back over her shoulder. "I don't think so. The problem with Monk was he didn't know how to wield the Book. In his heart, he had good intentions. Only true evil can control evil. The price is you, your blood. I will be immortal."

"Have you forgotten our deal?" Kai's deep rumble of a voice came from outside my field of vision, somewhere near my feet. He sounded pissed and I had every intention to use that to my advantage.

I addressed the Nightmare within Kai's body. "She won't do it. If she wastes her first spell on you, the Book will extract a price on her that could make it impossible for her to perform her own spell. It could strike her dead like it did Monk or take her voice so she couldn't say the incantation. She would never risk her precious flesh to give you what you want."

"Shut her up!" Bathory growled. Naill was beside me in a split second, shoving a nasty stretch of rag into my mouth. Hmm. Maybe speaking up wasn't such a good idea.

Kai stepped into view, hooded eyes digging into Bathory. He did not look happy. The vampiress took a step back.

"Allow me to perform the immortality spell first. Once it is done, I can create a body for you without fear of provoking the book's wrath."

"Don't bullshit me, Anna," Kai said through clenched teeth. "Once you get what you want, you will never pay me my due. You must perform the embodiment spell first, as we agreed."

"Or what?" She laughed, low and breathy, in his face. "What are you going to do to me? Need I remind you that Naill's magic restricts who you can possess? No undead. My body is off limits. You knew when you agreed to our arrangement that you were at my mercy. Now be a good little wisp and wait for your queen to finish her business and maybe I'll throw you a bone."

The flush of red that washed over Kai's face made it clear he wasn't down with that plan. I could be mistaken but I think it was the "good little wisp" comment. Even I thought that was offensive.

"Without me possessing the nekomata clan leader, you'd never have gained the book. You owe me."

Bathory shrugged.

The nightmare snapped. I saw him go over the edge in Kai's body. The possessed nekomata hurled himself at Bathory who rolled backward, ass over tea cup, as Kai pummeled her with everything he had.

Upon seeing this, Naill got his miniature, probably golden, undies in a bunch. "My lady? My lady?" he blubbered, dancing around the skirmish.

"Call the others!" she demanded between clawing Kai's face and rolling on top of him. Big mistake. Kai shifted. With a series of blood curdling pops, his bottom jaw elongated into a long, toothy snout, and razor sharp claws extended from his knuckles. One swipe sent Bathory flying, blood pouring from her neck and chest. Kai's nekomata exploded out of the camel hair coat, a tawny haired whirling devil.

But Bathory wasn't born yesterday. Hell, she wasn't born last century. Her wounds healed themselves in seconds and she readied for his attack. Taking advantage of the same weakness I'd detected in the shifters, she waited until he was in a full out run, then leapt sideways, hitching onto the creature's mane and tossing a leg over its back. As her arms clamped around Kai's throat, he bucked wildly. Naill bounced and clapped near the fray like some pre-pubescent cheerleader.

I took the distraction as an opportunity to work on my bindings. By bending my knees, a feat only possible by pressing them together to the point of pain, I was able to slide my back down the rough stone and loosen the ropes. If I strained my neck, the tips of my fingers could reach the gag. I yanked it out of my mouth and cast it aside. With a little more contortion, I was able to move one wrist to my mouth. The rope dug into my bloodied skin, but I set my teeth to work.

As I maneuvered the binding, it occurred to me that my years as a bar rat in college actually might pay off. I'd tongue-tied plenty of cherry stems into knots in my day. This was just the opposite, right? Only I wasn't as drunk or as distracted with whatever fraternity cohort was on the barstool next to me. Still, I had skills. The knot loosened slightly between my incisors.

A growling mass of supernatural rage rolled between the fire and me. I paused momentarily but there was no way Bathory or Kai was paying any attention. Both were bloody to the point of serious injury, even for the undead. She was ghostly white from loss of blood, and he gushed red where she had torn into his front leg.

Victory! The rope loosened enough that I knew I could pull my hand out. Only, now wasn't the time. An army of undead emerged from the woods, at least thirty vampires, some of whom I recognized from the Mill Wheel. Bathory's reinforcements swooped down on Kai, ripping him apart, limb from limb. I watched in horror as the nightmare inside emerged from the beast's body, a smoky black cloud of menace, and pinged around the incompatible undead before racing toward me. The cloud paused as if considering my body, but then plowed into Soleil.

"Get out of her," I seethed.

"Not a chance," Soleil said in a tenor version of her voice. "This is the safest place to be. The fae is the only one on this merry-go-round Bathory can't kill without harming herself.

Soleil was made of sunlight. I guessed ripping her open would be dangerous for a vamp.

Everyone stopped. I flattened on the altar, effectively playing dead.

Bathory glared at Soleil over my stomach. "Smart. Only once I am immortal, Soleil's talents won't be able to hurt me." Bathory staggered back toward the book, weak from the loss of blood.

"My queen," Naill called, wrestling a bound man forward. "I had them bring this for you from the bar."

The human looked around forty with a balding head and beer belly. I had a flash of sympathy, then remembered that if he was hanging out at the Mill Wheel, he was likely paying vamps to compel young girls to have sex with him. My sympathy faded.

Bathory gave Naill a small nod, then sank teeth into the man. There was a moan, gurgles, loud swallowing and then a thump as his drained body hit the dirt.

Slowly, painstakingly, I worked my hand free from its binding, hooking my fingers in it to keep it from falling. I did not want to draw attention. Timing was everything.

"Now," Bathory said, "the cauldron."

Naill dragged a pot almost as large as he was to her side. "Yes, my lady."

Oh dear Lord. If that nugget got his nose any further up her ass, he'd become a permanent part of her backside.

He handed her a silver-hilted dagger. She lifted it in her still bloody hand and strode to my side. Her perfectly arched brow lifted. "Nice knowing you, witch. Too bad about your caretaker. Looks like you won't be coming back from this one." With both hands gripping the hilt, she raised the dagger above her head until her upper arms covered her ears, then with one final gaze at my chest, plunged the steel toward my breastbone.

The movement was lightning quick, but so was I. Some part of me, the goddess of the dead part I suppose, knew what she would do before she did it. Rick had said that everything I needed was inside of me and surely he was right, because at that moment, I knew every undead cell in the super standing next to me. I owned what she was. I had knit her out of the ether in some former life.

Releasing the binding, I rolled out from under her falling dagger. She howled an obscenity as the blade hit the stone and not me. I rolled back, flattening the knife under me while bringing my elbow to the side of her head. Three of my limbs were still bound to the table but I used what leverage I could get to throw my entire bodyweight into it, aiming not for her head but through it. She hissed, and fell to the ground.

Quickly, I began working the knot on my other wrist. I wasn't fast enough. I'd barely loosened it when she popped up next to me. One hand gripped my throat while the other clawed my shirt open.

"There are two ways for me to cut out your heart. Since you've taken my knife, we'll do this the old fashioned way."

I punched into the side of her head as her nails dug in over my heart. Her grip on my neck was brutal, and the lack of oxygen made my vision swim. I thought I was dead, until a black wind blew over me, knocking Bathory's hand away. From my supine position, I watched the darkness collect into a familiar vampire.

"Julius!" Bathory growled. "Back off. The book is mine."

"Over my undead body," Julius crooned. He brushed a stray tress out of his face and lowered himself, ready to brawl.

I turned my head to see the Mill Wheel vamps close in around the two, but Julius hadn't come alone. A small army emerged from the darkness. I recognized Gary right away. His nocturnal eyes passed over me but didn't linger.

"Leave now, Julius, or I will be forced to end you," Anna said.

Julius laughed. "Give it your best shot."

They collided in fast-forward, teeth and claws, a tangle of black fog. The other vamps rushed in to help only to be thwarted by the other side. A battle raged around the book and the fire. I watched Naill slowly back away, disappearing into the woods to save his lucky ass.

I began working on my other wrist in earnest. Yes! I'd moved to my ankle when a beast I recognized crept out of the forest. I supposed it could be any werewolf, but the wound in its side and the way it limped toward me told me it was Silas. I jerked back as his weighty paw lifted and swiped for me. Only his aim was purposefully off. The rope binding my ankles split in two. Silas meant to free me.

"Thank you, Silas," I whispered quickly, then bound off the table and raced for Nightshade.