Chapter 18

Morgaine sensed time passing. When she heard the click of a door opening and the creak of what she imagined might be a coffin, she figured daylight must be near. Malvant would be unconscious soon and she could attempt her escape. If she could get out before Sly got in, she’d turn on the lights and check for traps he may have set for anyone who tried to rescue her. Besides, she couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.

He still didn’t know about their secret weapon—the Vampire Vintage—so he wouldn’t be expecting Sly. He also didn’t realize the witches knew where his lair was all along. Maybe the place wouldn’t be booby trapped at all. But she had to know for sure.

When everything was quiet, she astral projected to the street and confirmed for herself that it was sunrise. Thank the Goddess. It was now or never, but first, she had to be sure Malvant was out cold.

She returned to her body. “Hey, jerk-face!”

No sound answered her. It looked as if the circumstances were right, but just to be sure she yelled, “Your mother was a werewolf!”

Still no response. Good. It was time for a lock opening spell. Since she didn’t have her moonwort powder with her, she’d have to hope the words alone would do the trick.

Feeling around the door, she formulated the words in her mind. When she located the door knob, she kneeled in front of it.

“Lord and Lady, hear my plea…out of this room, I shall be.”

She concentrated as hard as she could, visualizing the door open and herself stepping over the threshold. When she tried turning the door knob, it clicked. Surprised, but delighted her simple spell had worked, she rose and pushed open the door.

“Yeeeuck.” Something disgusting assaulted her nose. The odor smelled like rotting meat. Morgaine held her breath until she absolutely had to let it out and take another, meanwhile she felt her way around the door frame and along the wall. She hoped she’d run into a light switch eventually. Come on, Morgaine. You can do this. You’re Sly’s beloved. Don’t you want to hear him say it?

Then she remembered that she knew exactly where it was. When she and Gwyneth had projected into the space, there was a switch at the bottom of the stairs. Morgaine turned in that direction and felt along the opposite wall until she had it. Oh, thank Goddess!

She flipped the switch and bright light stabbed her light-deprived eyes, almost blinding her. Freakin’ vampires and their dark hidey holes! She blinked a few times until her vision adjusted to it. Thank goodness she could see again.

Casting her gaze around the room, she didn’t see any obvious signs of a trap. When it was time to open the front door, she’d better be prepared to run.

First, she threw open the heavy black curtains, which covered the light blocking shades. Once she opened those, daylight streamed into the room. Still no sound from Malvant. Now’s my chance.

Nathan and Gwyneth sat on Lily’s charred sofa while Sly stood to the side, sipping his second glass of wine—the special kind. He was feeling a little tipsy, but that might not hurt considering what he was about to do. He needed all the liquid courage he could get.

Lily scratched her head. “So, how do you kill a vampire again? And why are you telling me this?”

“Y’all need to burn, stake or behead him,” Gwyneth said. “All three just to be extra sure he never comes back.”

Sly shifted uncomfortably as Gwyneth outlined their plan. He had thought it was brilliant ten seconds ago.

“And what do you need me for?” she asked.

Nathan laughed. “You’re kidding, right? Look, it’s simple. Sly stakes, I chop.” He pulled his long coat aside to reveal an axe. “And you burn the pieces.”

“But why me? I…”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “We all know about your special—condition, Lily.”

Her jaw dropped. A moment later her shoulders slumped, and she gazed at the floor.

“It’s nothin’ to be ashamed of, sugar. We’re all a little peculiar in different ways. It’s just that your…fire-breathin’ would come in mighty handy if you’re willin’ to lend a hand—or a sneeze.”

Lily smiled for the first time since they’d entered her home. “I suppose I could help. I wouldn’t be setting the whole building on fire, would I?”

Gwyneth sat up proudly. “No, ma’am. That’s where I come in. I’ll carry the fire extinguisher.”

“And he’s a really bad vampire?”

“Most are,” Nathan said. “Sly here is the exception, but he hasn’t been a vampire long enough to get cocky. We’re still hoping he doesn’t turn into an ass.”

Sly chuckled. “Some might say it’s too late.”

Gwyneth waved away the comment. “Pshaw. You are the nicest vampire I know, Sly.”

Nathan’s eyebrows shot up. “How many vampires do you know?”

She counted on her fingers. “Well, let’s see. There’s Sly, Vorigan Malvant, Morgaine’s friend Mikhail, and Dracula—but I don’t really know the last two, I just heard o’them.”

Nathan looked relieved, then amused. “So, are we going to do this thing or not?”

Outside his maker’s lair in the alley, Sly began to quake in his boots. He was here to do murder, plain and simple.

He wasn’t used to the hustle and bustle of daytime traffic and exhaust smells. What if someone saw them break in? What if Malvant woke up and shrieked? Or worse, what if he didn’t? Would staking an unconscious, defenseless vampire in his coffin feel worse than killing a vampire able to fight back?

He tried to clear his head, but his brain was foggy from all the wine he had just consumed. Remember, Morgaine is in there. You need to protect her and the rest of the world from this evil bastard—if she’s still alive.

He didn’t want to entertain thoughts to the contrary, but Gwyneth had said she couldn’t sense Morgaine’s energy in there.

“How do we get in?” Nathan asked.

Gwyneth smiled. “Hold this for me, darlin’.” She passed him the fire extinguisher. Then she kneeled in front of the door and took a small glass vile out of her skirt pocket. Shaking a bit of powder into her hand, she mumbled a few words, then blew the powder into the lock.

Click.She rose and tried the door handle. When it opened, she grinned. Lowering her voice she whispered, “Sly, you go first, followed by Nathan, then Lily and I’ll be in the rear. I mean…” She blushed the peach shade of a natural redhead. “I’ll be the caboose on this vampire huntin’ train.”

Sly nodded and entered silently. She had told him the door to his lair would be on his right as they first walked in. He held the stake in his other hand as he tried to open the door, but it was locked.

Gwyneth muttered, “Fiddlesticks.” Then she pushed her way to the front of the line and poured more powder from the vile into her hand. She blew the powdered herb into the key hole and mumbled “Open says me, you S.O.B.”

Those are the words of her spell? When the door clicked and she was able to open it, Sly gave a mental shrug. Whatever works, I guess.

She stood aside and waited while the rest of the line advanced.

Sly was touched that three of his neighbors—even one who didn’t know him well—were willing to stick their necks out for him and Morgaine. Probably more for Morgaine since she was the one held captive in there—he hoped. Why was it so quiet? And why were the shades open, letting light into the living room?

A door to the right of the kitchen stood open. As he hurried over to it, he noticed her scent, but she wasn’t there. She had been though.

“This is the right place,” he whispered to the others. “So where is she?”

“Why don’t you ask her?” Gwyneth suggested.

“Ask?” Suddenly he knew what she meant. “Telepathically?”

Gwyneth nodded.

Morgaine? Honey? Are you hiding somewhere?

“Sly. I’m lost!”

Lost? How did you get lost in Malvant’s apartment?

“I’m not in his apartment. I managed to get out and I ran. Now I don’t know where I am.”

Don’t panic. I’ll come for you. First, I need to take care of Malvant—once and for all.

“Be careful! Did you drink enough Vampire Vintage to be safe outside for a while?”

I *hic* certainly did.

He heard her chuckle.

I’ll let you know when it’s done, meanwhile, look around for landmarks so I’ll know where you are.

“Okay. Good luck!”

“She’s safe.” Sly let out a deep breath. “Let’s just get rid of Malvant and get out of here.”

“Wait.” Lillian held up a hand. “If she doesn’t need to be rescued, why are we still after this guy?”

“He won’t give up. He’ll just come after us again and again—only we might not be as lucky next time.”

Gwyneth put a hand on her hip. “I don’t know about y’all, but I’m not crazy about the idea of bein’ vampire food.”

“Sly’s the only one with matching vampiric strength,” Nathan explained. “We need him to have any hope of pulling this off.”

“And he doesn’t have an unlimited supply of his temporary curative wine, letting him be out during the day,” Gwyneth added. “I reckon it’s now or never.”

“I don’t know that my strength is a match. Vorigan’s centuries old and seems to have me at a disadvantage. But right now, with daylight and Gwyneth’s Vampire Slayer herbs, I have the advantage, so I’ve got to take it.”

“Oh.” Lily nodded and seemed satisfied with everyone’s explanations.

Gwyneth pointed to the far partition wall. “I think his room must be around that side.”

The group crept quietly behind Sly as he advanced farther into the apartment. Sure enough, a door came into view. It must be where Malvant spent his days. He held the stake he’d brought with him above his shoulder, ready to attack if faced with any threat on the other side of the door.

He tried the doorknob. It didn’t budge. “Damn. It’s locked.”

Gwyneth moved to the front of the line and shook the last of the vial’s powder into her hand. She blew it at the doorknob and said, “Open says me, you S.O.B.”

Miraculously, it clicked and Sly opened it easily. The windowless room was dark and smelled disgusting. He flipped the light switch, but it must have been faulty or disconnected. Only the daylight streaming in from the hallway illuminated the area. Even so, it was impossible to mistake what he was seeing for anything else. A coffin sat in the center of the otherwise empty room. Wait a minute…it wasn’t empty. A half-decomposed body lay heaped in the corner, chains around its ankle bones. That has to be the source of the disgusting smell. I wonder if he kept someone to feed on over and over but went too far one time.

“Ouch!” Vorigan’s eyes flew open of their own accord. If the searing pain in his chest wasn’t enough to piss him off, now he was looking up into the faces of four strangers—here, in his private lair.

He recognized only one, his sexy dark playmate, Sly…or he would be his plaything, if he’d just cave in and realize the futility of defying him. Vorigan looked down at the spot that throbbed. “What the hell? Did you just stake me?”

Sly’s jaw dropped. “What the hell? Did you just survive?”

Vorigan rolled his eyes. “You missed.” He yanked on the stake a few times, but it was stuck and he remained pinned to the bottom of his old wooden coffin.

One of the women, a redhead, rested her hands on her hips and smirked. “What’s the matter vampire? Are you too weak during the daytime to pull out a little ol’ stake?”

Vorigan growled. “Damn it. Why did you have to go and do something dickish like that? Now, as soon as I get up, I’ll have to kill you.”

“Not if we kill you first,” the redhead taunted.

The only other male elbowed Sly and said, “Let me chop off his head.” He swung the ax, but the sides of the coffin were high, and the ax broke. The blade flew off and bounced against the wall.

Vorigan chuckled, folded his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles. “Well, I guess I’m safe just laying here and laughing at your incompetence.”

“Not really,” said the young Asian chick. “I feel a sneeze coming on.”

“Hang on,” the other women shouted. She poured something powdery on him.

“You’re going to cover me in germs and saliva spray, on top of whatever this green crap is? That’s disgusting, but not fatal.”

“No. That’s not the way I… I…” She took deep breaths after each attempt to finish her sentence. Like she was about to—

“Chooooo!” Fire roared out of her mouth and nostrils.

The pain he felt in his chest was nothing compared to the harsh sting that spread from his head to his neck and shoulders, then down the length of his body.

Suddenly he smelled charred flesh mixed with burning wood. Fuck.

Sly crossed his arms. “Shall I try again and make it a merciful death?”

Vorigan sighed in defeat. “Whatever.”

Sly took the ax handle from his friend and drove the wooden stake straight through Malvant’s heart.

Sly excused himself as soon as Gwyneth had emptied the fire extinguisher’s foam into what was left of the coffin and the last curl of smoke had dissipated. The others followed.

“Where are ya’ll goin’?”

“To find Morgaine.”

“She ain’t home? I thought that’s where she’d go if she managed to escape.”

Sly shrugged. “Apparently, she panicked, got disoriented and ran in the wrong direction. Or maybe she was so afraid of his following her home, she purposely went the other way. At any rate, she’s lost.”

Gwyneth smirked. “Knowin’ my cousin, it were a little bit of both.”

“Well, I’ve got to go find her. She’s wandering around the city somewhere, trying hard not to lose it.”

“Do you want any help?” Lily asked.

Sly shook his head. “I know this city inside out. All she has to do is describe the area and I’ll find her. Why don’t you give me a minute and I’ll demonstrate?”

The others seemed interested, well, all except Nathan, but that was his default. So Sly closed his eyes and concentrated. Morgaine? Can hear me, babe?

“Yes, I’m here.”

Have you found a landmark or street signs or anything you can describe to me?

“I’m outside a bus station. It’s on St. James Street.”

That’s almost all the way downtown. How did you get there?

“I bolted—and ran—and ran—and walked—and pooped out here.”

Sly laughed. He turned to his companions and said, “I know right where she is. We’ll see you in a few hours.”

Nathan exclaimed, “A few hours? How far did she get?”

“Not that far. But I want some alone time with her—if you know what I mean…”

He chuckled. “I understand. Sometimes when you face death, it makes you want to live more fully.”

Gwyneth folded her arms and didn’t seem all that happy about it. “I can hold off the party until tonight, I guess…”

Sly smiled. “That would be much appreciated.”

Nathan draped an arm around Gwyneth’s shoulders. “Fine by me.”

She looked up at him and said, “I suppose you want to fool around too?”

His smile lit up his whole face. “Well, I did risk my life.”

She let out a chuckle. “Nice try. See y’all tonight. Sly, tell my cousin I’m glad she’s okay.”

He grinned. “I will.”

Without waiting for goodbyes, he turned and ran down the alley. He wanted to go at top speed, but people might notice a black blur, so he held himself to a fast jog that was humanly possible.

A few minutes later, he spotted her. I’m here, darling.

She turned in his direction. As soon as she saw him, she ran toward her love. “Thank the Goddess!”

They came together in the middle of the street, and he swept her up in a tight embrace. He whirled with her in his arms and set her down as cars and buses honked at the lunatics playing in traffic.

They made their way safely to the sidewalk, and she said, “Thanks for coming to get me.”

He touched his forehead to hers. “Would I ever desert you?”

She gave him a quick peck. “No way.”