DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS:.
LEONARDO.
by MARIANNE LACROIX.
"Oh, Christ, no!" the female vampire frantically pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
"G.o.d isn"t here to help you," vampire slayer, Erin O"Connell, sneered. She shoved the vampire"s weakened body against the alley"s brick wall, then twisted the stake protruding from her chest. The wet, cool surface matched the vampire"s own loss of body heat. Dark, rich blood oozed from the ma.s.sive chest wound. Without feeding, the vampire would become incapacitated as her precious life fluid pumped from her body.
The ancient belief of a stake through the heart was still the most effective way to impair a vampire. Only decapitation would ensure the final death, or the greeting of the morning sun, incinerating the remains into ash to be scattered with the wind.
The vampire lost consciousness and slid down the wall into a heap.
Erin had no time to wait hours for the sun. She pulled a machete from an inner pocket of her long trench coat, the polished blade gleaming in the soft streetlight. What a beautiful piece of equipment for such a dreadful task. But, it wasn"t anything new to her. This vampire marked her fifty-first kill.
Raising her arm, feeling the weight of the weapon, Erin let all the inner hate and pa.s.sion for revenge bubble up through her. With a scowl, she swung the blade and severed the head from the vampire"s body.
She had been a slayer ever since one horrible night eight years ago when a male vampire had eased his way into her parent"s home by dating her older sister, Karen.
Karen had been talking about Michael, a dark, handsome man she had met in the university library. She had thought he was a student, but it turned out Michael was a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Before their eyes, he had changed from the charming man into a bloodthirsty demon.
He fed upon them all, enslaved them under his magic spell as he drank from each at his leisure. When he had gotten to Erin, however, a vampire slayer interrupted him.
The slayer, Casey, a twenty-five-year-old man with dark hair and eyes, and a muscular build, had been delayed by one of the vampire"s minions. He arrived in time only to save Erin from being drained. Unfortunately, Michael had escaped after the ensuing battle.
From that moment, Erin vowed to find the demon that destroyed her family, and all those who shared his lifestyle. Casey had taken her under his wing for two years, teaching her the art of slaying.
Convincing him to allow her to become involved in such a dangerous business had proven difficult at first, but he eventually relented. At nineteen, Erin began to learn how to hunt and kill vampires.
After a year with Casey, Erin began to care for him, wishing she could give into her inner desires. He, however, had been secretly in love with Karen. Teaching Erin the ways of the slayer had been his way to avenge Karen"s death. When Erin eventually discovered the truth, she left Casey to continue her work alone. It hurt too much to see the man she adored yearning for her dead sister, so Erin immersed herself into her work to ease the pain wracking her heart.
Six years on her own as a slayer, she had sent fifty vampires to their eternal rest. She moved about the United States, all the while following Michael"s movements. His hunting grounds became hers. He sought victims, meals for the evening, while she tracked him and those of his kind.
Then, three months ago, Michael disappeared. He had never gone to the ground, but she began to believe that was what he had done.
One night, however, she came face-to-face with him in the streets of Philadelphia. He had just fed off of a hooker in a back alley. Erin confronted him, and it became her most difficult skirmish. She got in a blow to severe his jugular, causing him to run off into the night faster than she could follow. But she hadn"t seen him since.
Three days ago, she decided to visit the American vampire capital, New Orleans. She could almost sense the evil about her, and amid it, Michael, the d.a.m.ned night-walker who destroyed everything she held dear. But, where was he?
While searching for clues, Erin had run into this female vampire. She persuaded the one called t.i.tania to show her the city"s vampire society.
t.i.tania, of course, was apprehensive. Erin tried weakening her with a special potion Casey had created to drain some of the vampire"s strength.
Still, t.i.tania would not willingly reveal the secret gathering places of her fellow demons, so Erin had no other choice but to kill her.
Now, in the alley off Bourbon Street, darkness surrounded her as she stood over the corpse. Not a pretty sight. A grueling, messy job, but someone had to do it. And this one had been tough in the hunt, but again, Erin had triumphed.
A male vampire, still hidden by shadows, burst onto the scene. Erin could feel his anger as he gazed over the staked, headless body.
"Who the h.e.l.l are you?" he asked, rage spouting from his every pore.
"Your worst nightmare, vampire."
Obviously, these two creatures had had a connection, bringing him to her with a pained call for help. Perfect. Now Erin could destroy two of them, making it a very productive evening.
He stepped from the shadows, revealing his handsome features in the dim street light. Erin gasped. His chiseled jaw, dark eyes, and short black hair, matched with a tall stature and a well-toned chest, washboard abdomen, and lean, muscular legs, made her heart leap. It felt as though all air had escaped her lungs. l.u.s.t shot through her body, betraying each and every instinct she had honed in the past eight years.
For the first time, she felt confused. How could her body react in such a way to one of the night-walkers? She had trained to kill them, no matter her feelings. But somehow, she couldn"t lift the machete to strike out at him.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
"The one about to destroy you. d.a.m.n you, slayer!" He approached in ethereal speed, knocking her to the cobblestones. The machete flew out of her hand and into the dark shadows.
His hard, muscled body pressed her down into the equally hard alley. Erin struggled for release, but he securely held down her wrists on each side of her head. She gazed into his face and gasped again. He appeared more striking even closer. Moisture pooled between her legs as her traitorous body awakened with desires long denied.
He hovered above her, those chocolate-brown eyes intense with hate. Yet for a moment, a flash of something else reflected in those dark mirrors to his soul. Had it been her imagination, or had she seen a spark of l.u.s.t?
His body could not hide its reaction to her. She felt the telltale sign of his arousal pressing into her pubis. She eased open her legs, and he nestled his bulging erection close to her core. She moaned as the sensations triggered her body to urge along his contact.
She wanted him, needed to feel connected to him, this vampire, one of the creatures for which she had spent part of her life hunting. d.a.m.n, what a confusing situation.
"Will you kill me now?" she croaked in a small voice.
He continued to stare into her eyes. A bevy of emotions and expressions flashed across his face, as though he couldn"t decide what her fate would be at his hands. He surprised her by lowering his lips above hers. "Perhaps there is some other way to exact my vengeance." He covered her lips in a bruising, possessive kiss.
Erin"s entire being responded to the awakened pa.s.sion. His tongue probed her mouth in a sensual a.s.sault, tasting her in sure strokes. Her body arched beneath his powerful mastery over her senses. His harder body answered the silent pleas of her own by pressing firmly between her legs.
For a moment, she thought he"d take her there amid the alley and the nearby gore of her latest hunt.
That last thought slammed into her senses. She had vowed to track and kill the dreaded vampires, vile creatures that lived off the blood and lives of humans. This one was no different, no matter his allure.
She struggled against his kisses and embrace, refusing to submit to the intoxicating caresses. She would not let the enemy into her life other than in the role of "the hunted."
When the kiss ended, the vampire once again stared into her face. He growled and leapt off her body. In a flash of speed, he collected the remains of the female vampire and dashed off into the night, leaving behind only the dark redness pooling over the ancient cobblestones.
Erin rose from the damp ground just as the sky opened up and rain began to pelt her. She continued to stand within the sudden storm and watched the blood wash into oblivion.
Quickly drenched to the bone, her hair matted to her body, she s.n.a.t.c.hed her lost machete and placed in inside her long coat. No words would come to her. She had killed a vampire, and met another that affected her like no other male--human or otherwise. As she walked home, she couldn"t help but wonder if she"d ever see him again.
Leonardo laid t.i.tania"s remains upon the roof of her resting tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No.1. Many of his fellow beings had tombs in the historic cemetery. Luckily, the heavy stone doors kept them fairly safe from most humans, while rumors of ghosts and vampires kept the curious from finding out the reality of it all. Fear acted the main weapon to survival.
He placed a blanket over the battered body, knowing t.i.tania would rather be remembered for her beauty than her means of destruction. There upon the roof, her remains would greet the morning sun, burn away to ash, and scatter in the winds. Vampires did not rebury their fallen. What was the sense? No, the body was only a vessel for the soul. Cremation via sunlight was the way to ensure the soul found eternal rest.
"I heard what happened." In mid-shift from a gray owl, Raife landed on the neighboring tomb"s roof. "Any idea how Ti met a slayer?"
"No, and we may never know."
Leonardo looked up at the blonde vampire, who had been his friend since they met in England back in 1600.
Then, Raife had been a privateer for Elizabeth I, and questions began to rise as to why he didn"t age while his queen deteriorated. Leonardo had met him in a house of ill repute, drinking from one of the ladies of the night. Lenoardo took the fledgling Raife under his care and taught him the finer points of vampiric life. They eventually left England and traveled to the Americas. As the years rolled by, they considered themselves Americans and had sided with the rebels when the Revolution began.
After the Americans won their independence, Raife wished to return to England for a visit. It was then the vampire told his story of his sweetheart, having been a vampire, and consequently, making him one as well. She had "turned him" during a night of debauchery while he celebrated a British victory over the Spanish Armada. He had been angry with her for a long time, yet wished to find the woman whom he"d never stopped loving. As time pa.s.sed, however, he discovered her true nature--an evil vampire, without any remorse for her actions. Raife was heartbroken, and existed with the knowledge the woman he once loved was a demon.
While Raife and Leo were in England, the residents of Whitechapel were amid panic with a gruesome killer on the loose--the Ripper. The man left his victims in such a horrid state; only a man in possession of a truly deranged mind could have performed such crimes. Of course, the vampire community knew the truth--Jack had been a vampire, the worst of their kind. Unfortunately, he disappeared from the scene before the police caught him and solved the mystery. Leonardo and Raife both agreed, the demon had gone to ground to seek his rest. He would emerge once again someday.
Afterward, they traveled to Leonardo"s home in Florence, Italy, where they stayed until the break out of World War I. At that time, they chose to return to America, having already fought in too many of the human battles. They arrived in New Orleans, and had been there since.
In all his time as a vampire, having been transformed during the Italian High Renaissance, Leonardo had never met a woman to take away the pain of his loneliness. He had relieved his physical urges with numerous women, but none ever stood apart from the rest.
That was what made the encounter with the slayer this evening that much more disturbing. As soon as he had touched her, he felt the connection.
There was no other explanation; she was his life-mate. But after waiting hundreds of years, why did she have to be his enemy?
Her image haunted him. Her softness and scent intoxicated his senses. She had yielded beneath him, as though instinct had taken over. Her body fit to his to perfection, and he grew hard at the thought of her naked, giving into her desires to bond with him.
Her long, dark, auburn hair would flow freely about her shoulders, and fan along the pillow as her body arched upward in antic.i.p.ation of his touch.
He could already imagine her creamy white skin glowing in the moonlight as he bent to taste her erect nipple. He already knew it would taste sweeter than any berry, and his mouth watered to sample its texture against his tongue. He had smelled her womanly arousal, and the scent permeated him. Her nectar would be a delicious treat before he eventually drank her rich blood, combining their souls for all eternity. Yes, the thought of her drinking from him aroused him more than he"d ever dreamed possible.
"Leo, what"s wrong?" Raife interrupted his thoughts.
"It"s the slayer. I can"t get her off my mind."
"We need to avenge Ti"s death. Why didn"t you kill her?"
"I just couldn"t." "But why?"
"She"s the one...the one I"ve been waiting for."
Raife growled. "She cannot live after destroying our own. She must be punished. You know the rules."
"I"ll see to it that she"s punished for her crimes. I promise you that, but only I will deal with her." Leo glanced up into the angry face of his long- time friend. "Don"t touch her, understand?"
Raife nodded in silence as his eyes grazed t.i.tania"s still figure. "We must seek our rest for now. The sun approaches." Raife shifted once again into an owl and flew off to his own resting place.
Leonardo"s troubled mind would not let him rest easily. He jumped down from the tomb and wandered through the cemetery as others of his kind sought their rest.
He spotted Lucius and his mate entering their resting place and securing the door behind them. Loneliness crashed into Leo"s soul as he thought of the few who had found their mates. Never had he dreamed such a demoni like Lucius would fall under the spell of eternal love and devotion. So much had changed in a few days.
Stopping by the tomb of Marie Laveaux, Leonardo examined the several Xs that decorated the ancient stone. Humans believed in the Voodoo Queen and her magic to help those in need. Perhaps he should ask for help this time. It wasn"t everyday he found his life-mate, but for her to be a slayer, it became a deep problem not easily solved.
"How am I to proceed?" he asked aloud, placing a hand against the cool tomb wall. "She is destined to be my mate, but will she love me--or kill me?"
The stone vibrated in response beneath his fingertips.
Erin stretched her aching muscles while she lay in bed. She had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the soft pillow that morning. Glancing at the clock, she realized she had slept away most of the day. It was already three in the afternoon.
It wasn"t as though she had rested easily. Images of the vampire that tackled her to the street filled her mind. By G.o.d, he was everything s.e.xy and desirable. She had always thought Casey was her dream man, but he couldn"t compare to the dark, handsome vampire from last night.
Her body had hummed beneath his touch, and when he kissed her--no, it wasn"t a kiss. He had marked her with that meeting of mouths.
Trying to put the disturbing thoughts of his effect on her senses, she climbed out of bed and took a quick shower. After dressing, she made coffee. Even while she sipped the dark, bitter brew, she couldn"t get the remembrance of the vampire"s body covering hers from her mind.
This would not be tolerated. She couldn"t let a man--a vampire, of all things--deter her from her duties. The problem had only one answer--the vampire had to be destroyed.
But how would she find him?
Then again, if he felt the same powerful attraction as she, he would find her.
Erin smiled. Yes, he would search for her--and she would be ready.
After gulping down the last of her coffee, she set the cup in the sink and proceeded to gather the tools she"d need for her trap.
The vampire would likely come for her tonight, and she"d use herself as bait. She checked her coat for all her supplies--four wooden stakes, her weakening potion mixed in pig"s blood, Holy water, and her trusty machete. Everything was there, ready for use.
She didn"t bother with things like mirrors, garlic or crosses. Garlic irritated a vampire, as well as humans. You didn"t attract anyone with garlic in your pocket. Mirrors were of no use, a silly superst.i.tion that a vampire did not reflect. They were solid beings, therefore they had a reflection. And crosses were only as powerful as the beliefs of the owner. Watching her entire family brutally murdered by a vampire still on the loose ate away at any belief in divine justice.
Now she had to plan the place of the upcoming confrontation. The graveyard? Out of the question, being the worst place to confront a vampire.
You never knew when more night-walkers would show up to join in the battle. What would be a good place for her to set her trap?
As she touched the clean blade of her machete, the answer hit her--the rooftop of her apartment building. The good flat-top roof, high above the city, would be a perfect place to confront the vampire.
Glancing at her watch, she saw it was almost five o"clock. If she hurried, she could get to the roof before darkness fell and the vampire would rise from his rest. When he came for her--and he would come to her--she"d be waiting.
Leonardo rose from his tomb in the St. Louis Cemetery No.1. Sniffing the air, he could almost sense the slayer, smelling her sweet perfume upon the wind. It was a combination of herbal shampoo, body lotion, and her unique scent. Did he truly smell her, or was it remnants of the night before when he crushed her body beneath his? That was something he wanted to do again--and soon.
Attraction to any human was almost foreign to him. Since he became vampire all those years ago, he had touched only one human woman in l.u.s.t or desire. That had been a disaster.
It had happened just after he turned vampire at the hands of another vampire wearing the guise of an angel. The creature had changed Leo into a demoni before he even realized what had happened. The vampire eased him over to this existence instead of deserting him to die in a Roman alley, drained of blood and substance.
His creator did not wait around and instruct Leo in the vampiric ways, but left him to his own volitions. That had probably drew him to Raife years later, who had been left the same way, hungry, alone and scared.
The human woman, a simple servant, had attracted him. He had watched her during his humanity, pa.s.sing her in the marketplace while he ran errands for his master, Michelangelo. Later he found out she served his master"s rival, Raphael. Not to cause problems between his artistic dreams and learning the ways of fresco painting, Leo never touched her--until he turned into a night creature.
The hunger within him clawed and fought for attention, to be sated by none other than the sweet girl. He approached her and coaxed her to his side, using his powers of persuasion and animal magnetism. She came willingly, reeking of s.e.xual excitement and curiosity.
He took her that night, easing the hunger raging within. He became rough and very much the demoni. Her sweet virginal blood tasted like wine over his tongue, and plunging into her tight sheath undid his last hold on control. He realized the ferocious way he treated her in the nick of time, then sent her into a deep sleep and took her home. If he hadn"t come to his senses when he did, he would have killed her. Since then, Leo promised never to become involved with a human woman again.