Devlin's Curse (14 page)

Sara Fenn’s head thrashed back and forth fever glazed her eyes. There was no answer from the woman. Esmeralda pulled the thin blanket up to cover Sara’s savaged flesh.

“You need to call for a doctor, this woman’s injuries are beyond my skill”

Ma shrugged, her bloodshot eyes shifted from side to side. “But them said you was the one ta heal her.” 

“Them? Who are you referring to?”

Ma moved her bulk away from the doorway. Two of Peabody’s guns stood there. One had greasy blond hair and the other wore a short beard.

They both look hateful, like no account trash, liquored up and ready to do mischief
, Esmeralda thought.

Ma cackled as if she was plum satisfied in doing her part to lure Esmeralda into Peabody’s trap.

The blond man backhanded her out of the way.

“Beat it, Hag!” 

While Ma stumbled against the doorjamb then scuttled away Esmeralda reached into the pocket of her skirt. She gripped the butt of the pepperbox and slid it out.

“Get out of my way or I swear to heaven I will unload this in one of your filthy hides.”

“Git yer hand ofen that gun woman, ya ain’t gonna git both of us and we’s got orders ta brung ya alive.”

“What about the boy?” said Short beard.

“Ain’t got no use fer him.” The blond shrugged. “Kill him.”

Before they could follow through on their threat Esmeralda pulled the trigger. The bullets shattered the knee of the blond gunman and he cried out in pain. She dove to the floor and pulled Jamie with her. Short beard fired his gun but the bullets tore over their heads.

A loud bang shook the house and the door was kicked inward. Short beard whirled round. Devlin burst into the house. He blasted the man twice in the chest and watched as he flew backwards and landed across the bed.  Esmeralda and Jamie rushed for the doorway. The first gunman scrambled to his feet and grabbed Esmeralda’s skirts. He pulled her back. She kicked him in the shin.

“Duck!” shouted Devlin.

She flung herself to the side as his sword swished through the air. It lopped off the gunman’s head where it bounced and smeared across the crusty wallpaper. Devlin pulled Esmeralda and Jamie behind him.

“Run, get the hell out of here!”

By now Short beard had got up from the bed. Eyes wide, mouth agape he fumbled for his gun. Devlin swung his sword once more and parted his head from his body before he even cleared leather.

Sara Fenn screamed, and with superhuman strength, she rose from the bed and with her hands curled like talons flung herself towards Devlin. He kicked her against the wall then chopped her head from her body. He wiped his blade on the grimy sheets then went out after Esmeralda.

Esmeralda and Jamie stood just outside of the front door. She had reloaded her pistol and Jamie held a hunting knife in his hand. She looked up at Devlin.

“What in God’s creation was that?” 

Jamie nodded. “Ain’t never seen the like, them were Devils.”

Devlin grasped her arm and pulled her outside.

“Not Devils, undead flesh eaters, Zombie’s, Peabody’s spawn, they don’t die easy. Come, I will take you back to the salon now.” 

Esmeralda pulled her arm away. “I can make my own way back. Jamie, let’s get out of here.”

Devlin grasped her arm again. “No, you must let me escort you It’s not safe while Peabody and his gunmen walk the streets.”

He whistled for his stallion. When the black steed came galloping up he lifted Esmeralda into the saddle.

Walking Ghost materialized from the shadows and the four of them walked back towards B Street and the Emerald Salon.

The whole way back to the salon Devlin remained silent. A red haze clouded his eyesight as his thoughts dwelled on the events that had just happened.

Big Jim and his assassin Peabody have crossed the line. The situation has become a runaway
train
,
one that I intend to derail for good this time.
 

When they reached the Emerald salon he told Jamie to double up the security. Then he escorted Esmeralda upstairs to her private rooms.

Esmeralda flung her reticule down on the bed and unpinned her hair. Devlin placed his hands on her shoulders but she whirled around like a cat.

“What now, Devlin? They will try again to get to you through me. You should have seen what those depraved beasts had done to that woman.” She put her hands over her eyes. “It was horrible! Unspeakable!”

Devlin pulled her close.

“What is next? How can you fight against such horror?”

Devlin looked into her eyes. He pushed some stray strands of hair from her face and caressed her cheek.

“Tomorrow night is the Vampire Ball. Peabody and Big Jim have struck at one of the vampires. They murdered and eviscerated the undertaker Thaddeus Meeks. Ligea, their queen will not let this go un-avenged. I want you to come with me because I think they mean to join forces with us. I would be foolish to reject any help they could offer, at this time.”

Esmeralda pulled back. “I am not ready, Devlin. Don’t even ask it of me, not now…”

“Shhh…Angel. You will come as my donor, no one will be the wiser, and they would not dare question me.”

Esmeralda gave a small exasperated laugh. “Your donor? Do you mean a real donor? Otherwise I am quite sure that Ligea and her vampires could spell me out as a sham”

“It is the most immediate way that I know to protect you,” he said.

“What if leave? Take the first train out of town?”

“Is that what you wish to do?”

Esmeralda looked away.  “I cannot stop you from leaving Virginia City but I am not sure at this point that running will put you out of danger.”

Esmeralda’s heart filled with emotion

I am deceiving myself, how can I possibly leave and let him face this battle alone?
she thought
.

Chapter Twenty

Red Ribbon

A
fter he had disposed of that old buzzard Boots, Big Jim hired an army of rough and ready miners to chisel and pound their way through the Lily Ann to the shaft of Gilded Bird. 

His progress though had been slow to non-existent filled with delays and bizarre mishaps. As soon as they had made ten feet of progress the drill punched through the rock and a stream of scalding water exploded through the rock to burn and drown five of his men. The shaft was flooded and it had taken 24 hours to bail it out. Even the most hardened men he had hired started to balk at going back down into the mine. He had to shell out extra money to keep them working. He had gone down to the mine himself to harangue and cajole them but they had just stared back at him with sullen eyes. 

Finally he’d sent Peabody to whip the miners into shape. He was so close to the union that would bring him ultimate power. As for Devlin and his whore, well he planned to make a sacrifice of them first.

He stared into his fireplace. In the flames he could see glowing reptilian eyes and they seduced and fascinated him. He could almost feel himself transforming, peeling out of his mortal body like a snake shedding its skin. He was filled with anticipation. The small insignificant kernel that had once been his innocent self, the hopeful love starved boy, had been completely consumed over the years until not one tiny speck remained.

The hall clock chimed waking him from his daze.

Now he waited for the news that he would soon have Esmeralda Jones in his grasp. He called for his pipe and filled his brandy glass to the brim. But the news never came. Finally he passed out from his cocktail of brandy and opium. The next morning when the sun blazed through the parlor window he woke, sweating and furious.

Down on the boardwalk Dahlia flitted through the shadows. The two gunmen she had poisoned in the shooting gallery had refused to die and now they hunted her like a rabbit. She dared not get close to them again because she could smell their hunger and see it in their bloodshot eyes. If they caught her they would tear her to pieces. She should have listened to her Lord and beat it the hell out of Virginia City. She would have been halfway to Louisiana by now if she had. 

She heard the
clop, clop
of their down-at-the-heels boots and whisked around the side of the Lutheran Church. Then without warning, she was snatched from behind and a hand was placed over her mouth. She bit down hard and heard a grunt.

She heard a harsh whisper. “Quiet woman! It’s Walking Ghost.”

Dahlia went still. “What do ya want, Injun?”

Shhh …” 

From the shadows they saw the two gunmen pause, look hard in their direction, then move on down the boardwalk. Then Walking Ghost gripped her arm.

“Devlin sent you away. Why are you back, woman?”

Dahlia pouted. “I ain’t finished here, an that’s that.”

“I think Devlin must decide. You are a burr under his saddle blanket. Come, he will know what to do with you.” 

Before Dahlia could protest he pulled her along with him and they headed up to the Emerald Salon. When they arrived they were told that Devlin and Esmeralda were upstairs in her private salon.  They found Esmeralda dressed for the day eating a light breakfast while Devlin drank from a tumbler of brandy. When he saw Dahlia his brows drew together.

“Why am I not surprised? I should have known you would not do as you are told. Where did you find her Walking Ghost?”

“I found her behind the Lutheran Church. She was being hunted by the Windigo’s men.”

“What do you know of these men?” Devlin asked.

Dahlia gave him a coy look from under her lashes.

“Them’s a bunch of flesh eaters, murderous swine of the likes I ain’t never seen outside of New Orleans. When I saw them at the depot I knew they was coming for ya, so I followed um, thought ya might need Dahlia’s help.”

Devlin was touched at her words. The girl had more heart than brains.

“ No more Dahlia, after this stunt I should send you packing, have Walking Ghost take you to Carson City and see that you get on that train”

Dahlia wrung her hands. “ Oh please My Lord.”

He felt Esmeralda’s light touch on his shoulder. He smiled. “Well, since you are already here and they are after you, you will have to stay with us. No more mischief though, this is not a game we are playing. Tonight we will be attending the Vampire Ball and you will accompany us.” He saw her lips turn up into a smile. “It’s only because I don’t trust you to stay out on the streets alone.”

The last thing he needed was another complication. He had his own psychic powers and was able to see things. He knew all hell was going to break loose and he wanted no distractions when it did. He would make sure that everyone was heavily armed before tonight. Both Esmeralda and Dahlia could both handle a gun. He sent Dahlia and Walking Ghost downstairs to find Jamie to prepare for the trouble that was sure to come.

He and Esmeralda were once again alone in her parlor. Without a word she rose and came over to him. She reached for his hand and took it in hers.

“Come Devlin, I have something for you.”

He followed her to her boudoir. Esmeralda sat down at her vanity and opened a small jewelry casket. Inside were two items a red ribbon and the Queen of Hearts playing card. She took out the ribbon and handed it to him as she met his dark gaze. Devlin closed his eyes then opened them and stared back.

“No, I cannot trust myself.”

“You must, you will need your strength and the Vampires will know I am mortal and not a donor.”

Devlin looked away. Esmeralda took his face in her hands. “You must, I trust you.”

Devlin’s nostrils flared then he crushed her to him.

“I want you, all of you. I’m not sure I can stop.”

Esmeralda rose and turned her back to him.

“Unbutton me,” she commanded.

Devlin, his hands unsteady, made short work of the dozens of tiny buttons and in seconds he had shimmied it off her and into a silken puddle on the floor.

Esmeralda turned to face him and then unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

“There is no turning back,” he whispered. 

She closed her eyes as if afraid she would lose her courage. When they had both shed their clothes he lifted her in his arms and took her to the bed. He laid her down on top of the coverlet. Esmeralda stretched out like a cat. He took the red satin ribbon; he tied her hands together, and then to the bedpost above her head.

  Devlin began to kiss her starting at the inside of her knees. Slowly, tortuously, he made his way up to her honey colored mound. Esmeralda quivered and when his lips tasted her center she gasped. Waves of ecstasy rolled over her as his tongue flicked the bud of her desire. Tension built within her and she felt like a swollen dam ready to burst. When he lifted himself up and slid into her she bucked like a wild mare. She met his thrusts with a fiery, frantic energy. When he placed his lips to her neck she stilled. His next thrust drove her over the edge with a shattering climax.

At that precise moment his teeth sank into her flesh.

Devlin savored the gift of her blood. Even though a mad hunger pulsed through him he forced himself to take only a taste.  In the few seconds as he drank of her essence darkling dreams swam before his eyes. They became shared dreams, in which they walked side by side in a green meadow, free of the tendrils evil that surrounded them.

He abruptly drew back and sat at the edge of the bed. Esmeralda’s eyes fluttered open with her lips slightly parted. Blood from the twin puncture holes in her neck slowly seeped onto the bed sheets. She felt euphoric, lighter than air as if her very bones were as hollow as a bird’s.  When Devlin untied the red ribbon she watched his every movement. It was as if the world moved in slow motion.  The expression on his face was one of inner turmoil, emotions that mirrored her troubled thoughts. She was silent when he gathered her up in his arms.

“I love you, Angel,” he said. “My love for you is absolute, a universal truth like the cycles of the moon and the rising sun”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Please Devlin, please don’t say those words.”

“That is my truth, whatever happens next.”