Blood and Kisses(40)

He snorted into his drink.

She raised helpless eyes to Gideon, and he shook his head, drawing her away. “Give him some time. We still have a job to do.”

They left the bar and walked back toward the car. They’d parked Mina’s car on a side street several blocks from the Tomb, so it would be out of sight of the police that surrounded the club.

As they neared the Cadillac, Thalia was abruptly reminded of the night they’d met. Streetlights sliced luminous circles into charcoal shadows. Food cooking, car exhaust, and cigarette smoke thickened the humid air. Music trickled from nearby doorways, as if seeking other songs with which to spend the lonely night.

The sound of flapping wings intruded on her reverie, and drew closer.

A bat. The creature dive-bombed over their heads and flew off. They exchanged pointed glances.

Akos.



Gideon knew they were being led into a trap, but it didn’t stop his body from springing into action. The killing stopped now.

His jaw clenched. Akos had stolen his last life.

He sped after the bat, careful not to outdistance Thalia. It would be just like Akos to circle around behind. He abandoned his disguise as he rounded the corner. The bat flew into a nearby warehouse through a broken pane in its expansive windows.

Gideon approached the double door. Peeling, gray enamel disclosed dark spots of rust in a pattern that looked like bullet holes or drops of blood. A chain hung useless, its lock broken, from one massive metal pull. An invitation from Akos, no doubt.

He waited for Thalia to catch up.

“Are you ready?”

Her eyes were huge in her small face, but she nodded. He reached out and squeezed her hand.

She whispered a word, and a glowing blue shield sprung up around her. “I can’t cover us both. The shield goes both ways. Akos can’t get through to me, but I won’t be able to strike at him either. I’ll dissolve the shield when I need to jump in.”

Gideon nodded. He wished there were no need for her to dissolve the shield. Damnit, he wished she weren’t here at all. He’d gone over the plan a thousand times in his mind, trying to find a way to exclude her, to keep her safe, but Akos would never approach him without Thalia. Gideon might have tracked a younger, less powerful vampire, confronted him on his own terms, but Akos was an ancient, he could cloak himself even from Gideon’s powerful senses.

He reached out and threw open the heavy steel door. It opened in, leaving a yawning black hole. He stared inside, but all he could see was one vast empty space.

They entered. A rush of stale air and the stink of decaying flesh warned Gideon of an attack, and he stepped to the side. The black object hit Thalia’s shield with a sickening crack. She stepped back, unhurt.

The golem that had assaulted them staggered back, lost its footing, then fell to the cement floor and split into rotting pieces.

“Welcome.” Akos’ voice echoed through the cavernous warehouse, startling a flock of pigeons that had been roosting on the rafters. With a rhythmic beating of wings, they darted around the warehouse and out the broken window in a move so reminiscent of the final act of the ritual of power, a deep shudder of foreboding rippled across Gideon’s rigid back and up his neck.

The shaft of moonlight shining through the broken windowpane illuminated a tall figure standing on a flimsy, heavily oxidized catwalk that spanned the width of the warehouse.

Akos waved a hand. Bright florescent lights flickered on and the door slammed shut. “We want the Champion to be able to see what’s happening, don’t we?” Akos leapt to the ground and landed neatly on his feet like a cat.



Thalia’s heart thudded inside her chest. She fought the impulse to run. Sudden rage took the edge off her panic.

This creature had killed Lily and countless others, stealing their lives without a second thought.

He had used her cousin and discarded her with as much regard as a paper cup. He deserved to die a slow, painful death. Fury boiled up from deep within, urging her to disperse her shield and attack, but she resisted. As much as she yearned to personally deliver the justice of her people—the prophecy made one thing very clear, Akos needed her death before Gideon’s. As long as she lived, Gideon was safe.

“You’re late this evening. I’ve already claimed two more lives, that female bartender of yours and a vampiress wannabe.” Akos made a clicking sound. “One would think you didn’t care. Finally showing your little friend your true colors?”

Gideon circled Akos without answering, obviously looking for an opening. Akos turned as Gideon changed position, keeping him in eye contact, but his hands were planted in his pockets.

His arrogance pissed her off. “Gideon is a better man than you’ll ever be.”

Akos tilted his head toward Thalia, acknowledging her for the first time. “Have you told this young lady about our history together? Does she know what kind of an animal you really are?”

Gideon growled and attacked so swiftly he blurred. Akos disappeared. He reappeared back on the catwalk. Gideon now stood where Akos had been.

“You’ll have to do better than that. You had no problems killing me the first time around.”

“Apparently, I did.” Gideon flew up to the catwalk. The ancient supports groaned under his added weight.

Akos took an exaggerated step backward, taunting Gideon. “Luckily for me, Inanna turned me just as I was about to breathe my last breath. Gods, she was beautiful, wasn’t she? Like these, what do they call them? Supermodels. I wonder what you see in the Champion? She’s got your scent all over her, but she’s not much to look at, is she?”

Thalia sucked in a pained breath and her concentration wavered, but she re-focused, angry with herself now. He was probing for weaknesses, and for a second it had worked.

Gideon lunged for Akos, but caught only empty air. He reappeared, standing on the concrete floor and waved one long finger at Gideon, who stood on the catwalk, his face an illustration of thwarted rage. “Ah, ah, ah. I want to have my say first.”

He pivoted toward Thalia.

What was he up to now? She reinforced her shield.

“Inanna was amazing, but when a mortal falls in love with a vampire, he has to ask himself, is it really love or just that incredible magnetism vampires possess?” His tone was smooth and sincere.

How many times had she asked herself that question? Akos smiled, as if he knew he’d gotten under her skin.

This was the first time she’d seen him in good light. Like Gideon and the other vampires in town, he was almost painfully attractive, but he had an oily, insinuating quality about him that made Thalia feel dirty. When she didn’t answer him, he continued, “Then there’s the beauty factor. Really, my sweet, do you think you measure up?”

Before Akos could say anything else, Gideon struck. He plunged an iron rod into Akos’ chest. Akos threw back his head. His scream echoed through the metal building. He grabbed the end of the rod and yanked it out, dropping it on the floor. It clanked as it hit the hard floor. “Missed my heart. Next time, aim a little more to the left.”

He vanished once more to reappear on the catwalk. Gideon followed. The catwalk began to sway. Thalia stifled a cry as the rusted bolts of the supports gave way, snapping with a harsh moan.

Gideon grabbed Akos by the arm. “Where is Inanna?”

His question drove the air from her body. Her gaze flew to Gideon’s face. Was he still in love with his former wife?

“You see my little dove,”—Akos threw his words at her like a weapon—“Now we know where his priorities lie.” With that, he seized Gideon by the biceps and flew up to the rusty ceiling, ramming Gideon into the unyielding metal of the roof. The force of the impact drove them apart, and Gideon fell to the ground. Thalia moved to go to him, but he held up a broad palm.

Akos touched down gently in front of Gideon. “Did you expect to see her?” He shook his head mockingly. “I hate to crush your fantasies, but she’s dead. One more death on your oh-so-convenient conscience.” Akos swung a fist at Gideon. Gideon blocked it and hit air with a strike of his own as Akos leaned away. “It’s a pity,” he continued. “I think she really loved me, but she made one mistake. She turned you.” Hatred made his final words a venomous snarl. “She said it would make you suffer. Unfortunately I see no evidence of that.”

Thalia wondered why Akos loathed Gideon so much, far more than mere competing generals should imply.

“What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?” Gideon asked.

“You were born.”

Akos used his foot to pick up the rod Gideon had impaled him with. He passed it from hand to hand, oblivious to the blood soiling his hands. “My mother was one of Akhenu’s concubines. When you were born, he had no need of a bastard son. My mother and I were abandoned out in the wilderness to die, but my mother fooled him. She managed to make it back to her own people.

“I always intended to introduce myself to him when my army marched into Elilu, but you killed him and robbed me of that chance.” With that, he hurled the rod at Gideon like a javelin. Gideon ducked, and it pierced the corrugated aluminum wall behind him, sailing out of sight, leaving a gaping hole.