The Blood Order (Fanghunters Book Two) (24 page)

Vincent rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I've heard it all before. What harebrained scheme is it this time? Nuke the sun? Please remind me what the last plan was? Oh yes, using commercial jets to spray particulate into the stratosphere to block out sunrays."

Leviah shrugged. "It nearly worked."

"Pah! All you did was make it rain even more!"

Leviah's stare turned obsidian. "You won't be laughing when we win."

"You've already won, Leviah. Your Order is the most powerful on earth. Be happy. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

Leviah pursed his lips. "To be truthful, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he uttered, trudging back to his recliner. He slumped back down in his seat. "The nights are long, the days even longer. I'm surrounded by incompetence, which makes matters worse. Strictly between us; Sammy's a good guard, but he's not the full pack. Makes mistakes. And that's the problem with building an empire. You need workers, slaves, even companions. But as time passes, the slaves gain influence and power. They then become invested. And then, they begin calling some of the shots. Exactly what happened with Veronica." A glum expression fell on his face. "And what I fear has happened to my siblings. I put the word out to them long ago; the time has come. We all have enough power. Give in. Join me, bring the relics together so we can free ourselves of this burden. Maybe what the Mad Monk meant by the 'darkness' was
our
power, our stranglehold over the human species, and not a physical darkness as we'd previously assumed." He shook his head. "But, I've heard nothing from some of them. Instead, I've had to appease the lower downs in the various orders--upstarts and psychotics--just to keep them at bay. Those idiots will forever be stuck in war mode, while I'm ready to end it all. What irony. Alas, it becomes increasingly apparent that I have no choice but to go to war on all the other orders to achieve peace. So be it."

Vincent watched Leviah rub his head as if a migraine was forming. Was he watching the slow demise of the world's most powerful vampire? It seemed almost surreal to think such a thing. Something was different about Leviah, that was true. The last time they met, Vincent was the broken one, and Leviah was the one on the rise.
Were their roles about to be reversed?

It was too early to tell. Vincent decided the best course of action was to wait and let events unfold.

Leviah then lifted his head again. He took glances to the left and right. An embarrassed laugh escaped him. "Feast your eyes on all this
stuff
I've collected over the centuries, Slayer." He waved a hand across the air. "Junk. Trinkets. Entertainments garnered from every corner of this pitiful planet that serve to alleviate my suffering for mere seconds before I crave the next fixation." He slumped back in his recliner with a heavy sigh. "How fortunate humans are to only experience this universe for so brief an interlude," he said to the air ahead of him, his eyes glazed. "How blessed they are to be constrained by time. The spark of life engulfs them and in a flash it is mercifully extinguished, not allowing them time to reflect, to bask in the horror of interlude. Every waking moment for them is a ride; an adventure into the unknown where all that is known is the thread of life may be severed at any moment. In a mere instant, everything can become darkness. What a thrill it must be to acknowledge this as reality, what better motivator to enjoy every last waking moment? Yet they waste the gift bestowed to them; take it for granted. Treat every minute as if they are in infinite supply, unappreciative of just how precious their time truly is." He let out a hot sigh. "Why do you do it, Slayer?" he asked. "Why do you protect them? Fight for them? They're nothing but greedy, self-serving insects."

"They're misguided," Vincent countered. "They've been led astray by you and your siblings for far, far too long."

"Possibly, but it doesn't take much to sway them, does it? They willingly allow us to turn them against one another. I must admit, it is quite amusing to witness, if not tragic." He stared at Vincent with a smirk painted on his face.

"You fear us.
I
know it,
you
know it. I sense the fear all around me. The whole building stinks of it."

Leviah's mouth scrunched up into a tight ball, and his eyes burned with ire. "It is
you
who are in fear, Slayer. It is
you
who lives in secret, in denial, isolated, powerless. Look around you." He held his arms out to the sides and turned in a full circle. "Look what we have. Look what we've built. A megalopolis of order, of control, of structured chaos that my father would envy to oversee." He gave Vincent a contemptuous glare. "And what do
you
have? Faith? Pah, a pitiful human self-delusion. A delusion that we've used against you for centuries."

Vincent's back straightened. "Yes, we have faith, Leviah, and alongside it we also have honor, love, kinship, we have an instinct for survival which usurps your own. And you know it. What do you have, you ask? Let me tell you. Lies, deceit, hatred. Self-hatred. Look at you. Confined to this building, skulking in the darkness, unable to experience the beauty of the light of day, unable to feel the warm rays of the sun on your skin. It'll destroy you in a blink of an eye. What's good always kills what's evil, Leviah. You cannot possibly enjoy the beauty of this world and in your fit of jealousy, you choose to destroy it."

Rage began glimmering in Leviah's eyes.

"No, it's not hate I feel for you," Vincent continued. "On the contrary; it's pity. I pity you and your kind, which is why I choose to put you out of you misery and end the misery you inflict upon us."

Leviah nodded, his face contorted with hatred. "It is
I
who pity
you
, Slayer. You are the one at the mercy of
me
right now."

Vincent held his chin up. "I don't fear death, Leviah. Unlike you. Go on, step out of this chamber. Open a window, I dare you. Let the good consume you, let the light cleanse you. Let the sun caress your skin."

"Hold your tongue!" Leviah hissed.

"You perform your evil deeds because you have nowhere else to run. You're a cornered rat. Which is why you have to make progress with such baby steps. Such painfully slow steps to reach your goals."

"And those steps are finally coming to fruition. As you will see in good time."

Silence fell between them for a few moments.

Leviah stepped back toward his chair. He slumped back into it. He lifted his glass up to his nose and gave it an absent sniff. "You know something, Slayer. This conversation has made me realize just how alike we are."

"We're nothing alike!"

"Oh, indeed we are, whether you accept it or not. We're both slaves to our own kind. We exist to serve. Do you have any idea what it's like to be a prisoner in this darkened chamber day after day, century after century?"

Vincent met his stare. "Yes," he replied, his face like stone.

"I know you do," Leviah said, pointing his glass toward him. He took a sip of blood and let out a small sigh. "I find the high life helps to cope. Good blood, fine clothes, comfort, luxury. I'm sure you understand."

"I understand, Leviah. I understand how frustrating it must be for you to live in such deep anxiety and paranoia. You'll never have your world order. No matter how hard you try, the human spirit will overcome your long-decayed soul."

"Fine words, Slayer, but they are hollow. Your brethren are already overcome, it is just a matter of slotting the final pieces in place. But, there's a small snag, a tiny obstacle and it is sitting in the chair opposite me. So, just tell me where the relic is." Leviah switched on his powerful stare. Vincent watched his dark eyes glow like firelights, the tiny mesmerizing glints encapsulated within them dancing on the air.

Vincent's top lip curled up. "You know that doesn't work on me."

Leviah switched off his eyes. "Ah, yes, I forget, you're a holy man aren't you? Tell me, what kind of holy man takes people under his wing, knowing that they'll eventually die?"

Vincent lowered his head.

Leviah gave him a mischievous nod. "Ah, yes, the scars of regret never heal do they, Slayer? And this now will be the worst for you. I have word your daughter and your new apprentice are about to meet their doom."

Vincent's head snapped up. He squinted his eyes, zoning in on Leviah's smug countenance.

"They are walking into a trap as we speak," Leviah informed him. "A trap, Slayer. Just like those you've laid over the years." He put on a pleasant smile. "They'll meet their demise, and it will be on your head. Forever. But, of course, you are a holy man are you not?"

Vincent began breathing hard; his heart started thumping. Anger was building inside him again.

"It hurts, doesn't it, Slayer? Think of them, right now. Being hunted, slain in cold blood. I might even request their blood to be preserved. I'll sit here and drink it right in front of your eyes."

"You let me go, you parasite. And you let
them
go."

Leviah tilted his head back and laughed. Revulsion bloomed in Vincent's heart.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. I'm going to enjoy every moment of this. And you're going to join me for the ride."

A smug grin spread across Leviah's cheeks. Vincent eyed him with suspicion. There was no way he was about to believe a word that spilled from this creature's mouth. He knew Leviah would use every trick to get what he wanted. He had to keep his cool, and his wits. But, the thought of Trixie and Dom in trouble caused spasms of guilt in his heart. He'd already lost Rufus, he didn't want to lose them as well.
Please don't let it be true,
he thought to himself. And if it was the truth coming from the black heart of the vampire opposite him:

Please pull through, Trixie. Please...

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

T
rixie thumped the dash. "Goddamned Troy!" she fumed. "He betrayed us!"

"Why?" asked Dom, weaving in and out of traffic. "I thought this Troy guy was on our side."

Trixie shook her head. "Troy's on no one's side except Troy's. Remember that."

"Okay, so what reason would he have to do this now?"

Trixie groaned. "I don't know. He's always given me good intel. He can smell vamps a mile off, the perfect vamp detector. Why he's turned on us is anyone's guess."

"The Order must have put him up to it."

"Absolutely!"

"But why?"

"I said I don't know, Dom!"

"Okay okay. Calm down. I'm just thinking out loud."

Trixie grabbed her head. "I hope Dad is okay." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell. She checked the screen. "I got a message from Dad!" she exclaimed.

"What does it say?"

She pushed a few buttons and began reading. "Item in safe. Not safe here. 20 L. 94 R. 63 L."

Dom frowned. "Item? Safe? What kind of cryptic crap is that?"

"He's taking about the safe in his freaky room at the back of the lab. The numbers are the combination." She huffed. "Not safe here?" she echoed to herself. Her eyes then widened. "
Oh no...
"

Dom gave her a quick glance. "What's wrong?"

She slapped a hand on her forehead. "They must have stormed the mansion as well."

"Oh
,
Christ."

"Step on it!"

Dom sped up, hitting the highway.

"I hope he's okay," she said while dialing. She held the cell up to her ear.

Dom gave her an anxious look while she waited for an answer. "Well?"

"His phone's switched off," she replied, pulling the cell away from her ear.

"I'm sure he's okay," Dom said, hoping to reassure her.

Trixie's eyes welled up. "They can't kill him. There's a pact. They can't kill him."

"They just tried to kill
us
."

"Yeah, but
we're
not as important as Dad." She sighed, her green eyes darting left and right. "I hope we're not too late."

"Call Eddie," said Dom. "Make sure he's all right."

Trixie began dialing. Dom flicked his eyes from her to the road and back again, worried about Eddie's safety. As far as he was concerned, none of them were safe.

"Eddie?" Trixie said.

Dom snapped his head around to face her.

Eddie's voice came through on loudspeaker
.
"Trixie. Everything okay?"

"No, it isn't. We were attacked by Blacklake mercs."

"Black what?"

Trixie shook her head. "It's a long story. Are you at Sun?"

"Yeah."

"Everything okay there?"

"Fine."

"Good. Get Ralph to beef up security. Tell him we've got an ongoing situation."

"Okay. Where's my brother?"

"I'm right here, buddy," Dom said in a loud voice toward Trixie's cell.