I’ll Be Slaying You

Chapter 13

That day Simon dreamed of agony. Of a snow-covered battlefield that turned from white to red beneath him. Simon twisted on the bed, jerking and shuddering, but he couldn’t make his eyes open. Couldn’t escape.

Hands caught his body. Held too tight. Two men. One on each side. Long braids surrounded their faces. Thick helmets sat on top of their heads and some kind of cape or cloak billowed behind them.

A scream burst from him as fiery pain pierced his back. Simon choked, struggling for breath. He heard a snap, as if a bone were breaking. Again—

What the hell?

Pain, so much pain. Death would come. Death had to come. I will die with honor, I will not—

“Wake up, vampire.”

His eyes flew open at the soft voice and he sprang up, breath heaving. His hands flew to his back. He expected to find the flesh torn open, his ribs ripped out and broken, to look like—

“You dream of him.” Catalina eyed him and shook her head. “His link to you is growing once again.”

Fuck, no. Simon ran a trembling hand over his face.

She glanced toward the door. A cheap motel room door. They were on the Louisiana/Texas border. She’d come with him and Dee. Come with the demon and the Ignitor—the woman who could only sit and cry.

“If you don’t kill him soon, he’ll start to control you again.” No censure there. Catalina just seemed to be stating a fact.

Okay, she was stating a fact.

Simon climbed from the bed. When had the witch come in? “Where’s Dee?” He reached for his shirt. Good thing he still had his jeans on or Catalina would’ve gotten a show.

“With Zane. She wants him to take the human away.” Catalina blew out a hard breath. “He wants to stay by Dee’s side.”

He yanked the shirt over his head. “Do you know what’s going to happen?” He’d first gone to Catalina weeks before. He’d known she was close to the hunters at Night Watch. He’d told her about Grim and asked if she understood what would be coming.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Her first response. “You’re the one who’s come for Dee.”

Her shoulders rolled and she glanced back at him. “I know if I go with you, I die.”

He blinked at that. “You been looking into the future?” There was a price for that. A heavy one. And looking forward took dark magic.

She gave him a weak nod and rubbed her right hand over her forehead. “It was the fire. I had to make sure I wasn’t going to—”

The door swung open. “Well, that guy is a pure asshole.” Dee stormed inside. “Won’t listen to a thing I say, and the woman—Nina—she’s doesn’t even seem to know where she is.” She stopped, blinked. “Uh, what’s going on?”

Catalina’s spine straightened. “I’m leaving.”

Dee gave a fast smile. “Good. I knew you’d see reason, at least. I mean, you could have stayed in the city, you didn’t even have to come this far.”

“Everyone is going to die, Dee.”

Her lips parted. She hesitated. “Wh-what’s that?”

“I looked.” Catalina shook her head. “I saw death. Zane was surrounded by flames. I burned. Nina—her throat was cut.” She swallowed. “And you…”

“What about me?”

Catalina’s eyes darted to Simon.

Shit. Not good.

“You die, Dee.” Said again, softly. Sadly.

“I’ve already died once.”

“You won’t come back this time.” Catalina looked back at her. “You can’t win against Grim. I saw—”

“You’re afraid.” Dee’s arms crossed over her chest. “I know you are. Hell, I’m scared, too, okay?”

Had Dee just admitted that? No way. Simon stepped toward her but she threw up a quick hand. “Just…hold on. When you touch me, it’s hard to think.”

Well, damn.

She turned that hand and pointed at Catalina. “You can’t look into the future when you have fear in your heart. Even I know that.”

Catalina didn’t speak.

“You mess with the Dark, and it’ll show you the things that scare you the most, not what will be.” Dee gave a hard sigh. “I’ve been playing these games for a while, and I know about witches. And what you can and can’t see.”

“I saw death.” Catalina’s hands clenched. “I’m not going to a slaughter for a fight that can’t be won.”

“He killed my family. Simon’s family. Nina’s family. He won’t stop.” Dee paused, then said, “We have to stop him.”

“You’d kill us all for vengeance?”

“Watch it, witch,” Simon warned. The fear in Catalina was new. The fire had ignited the terror and the strong woman he’d met now seemed to have vanished. Fear could do that. Twist you. Change you. “Walk away if you want. This fight isn’t yours.” It was his. There’d be no stopping for him. No choice.

Her gaze held his. Sadness there. “You’ll kill her,” Catalina whispered.

Simon’s heart shuddered in his chest. No, no, he wouldn’t.

He’ll start to control you once again.

His vision dimmed. Fear, his own, licked at his gut and rose to his throat as—

“If you send her after him, you’re as good as killing her,” the witch finished and Simon’s breath came back.

“No, I’ll stand by her. Grim’s afraid of her. He knows she can kill him.” Or else he wouldn’t want her dead so badly.

“Can.” Catalina’s eyes closed. “Just because she can doesn’t mean she will.”

“I will.” Absolute certainty in Dee’s voice.

He’d back her any day.

Catalina’s lashes lifted. “You’re always so sure of yourself. From the first moment I met you, you were so strong—”

“You mean when that idiot warlock came and tried to bind you?”

A warlock like Skye. A former wizard who’d turned to the dark.

“We kicked his ass, didn’t we?” Dee murmured and Simon wished he could have seen that.

Wished he could have known Dee, before hell came calling at both of their doors.

The witch licked her lips. “We did.” A pause. “And I thought—I thought we’d be able to kick ass again. When he”—a weak flutter of her hand toward Simon—“came to me, asking me for the promised Born, I thought we could make everything all right. Thought we’d be strong enough to face what’s coming.”

“We will be,” Dee said. Her voice was sure and confident but Simon happened to glance down, and he saw that her fingers shook.

“I’m not.” Simple and as certain as Dee sounded. “I’m leaving tonight. I don’t even know where I’m heading,” Catalina said, lips curving down, “I just have to get away from here. The fire—”

Fire. The one thing that could scare a strong witch. Grim had known exactly what he was doing. Separate. Yank Dee away from the friends who could help her.

Grim could have gotten the Ignitor to attack Dee at any time. But, no, he’d waited until Dee sought shelter with Catalina.

He’d sent his other goons with fire the first time. But the second time, he hadn’t been playing. Grim had brought out the big guns. Ignitor.

Burned around her.

One down. Grim was working his twisted magic.

Dee stepped away from him and crept close to Catalina. She pushed a hand through her short hair and stared in silence for a moment. “I understand.”

No pleas to stay. No guilt trips that they could use the witch’s magic.

Dee’s arms wrapped around the other woman. “Just be safe.”

He caught a glimpse of Catalina’s face. Simon saw the tear that leaked down her cheek. Her arms clamped tight around Dee. “You, too.”

Friends.

But Catalina was still walking away.

And Dee was trying to force the demon to leave her side.

Friends.

She wanted them safe and being safe meant that she didn’t want them anywhere near Grim.

Catalina eased back and swiped her hand over her cheek.

Then she walked away. The door shut behind her with the softest of clicks.

Dee’s shoulders straightened. “You want to tell me…” she began slowly, then glanced back at him, “why I had a vision of you, dying, in some freaking blizzard right before I stormed in here?”

He blinked. How had she—

She rubbed her eyes. “Damn, Simon, that was bad. One minute, I was talking to Zane—idiot won’t listen to me. The next, all I could see was you and you were—”

“It wasn’t me.” He could give her that much, at least. It had to be their blood link. Grim was trying to tune back to him, but Dee was slipping inside his mind, without even trying.

Her body turned fully toward him. Her gaze dipped over his chest and she crossed to him. “Uh, yeah, it was.” She walked behind him. Her fingers trailed down his back and Simon stiffened at the light touch. “What they did to you—”

“Not to me,” he said again, his breath sucking in. Her scent always got to him. Sensual and rich.

“I saw you.”

Because she’d been in his mind, and the images had taken hold of his consciousness and hadn’t let go. “Grim.” Her palms pressed into his back, seeming to burn his flesh even through the T-shirt. “What you saw—it was him.”

Her breath feathered over his flesh. Warm. His eyes closed. She lifted the back of the shirt and her lips pressed into his skin.

Simon swallowed. “They called it the blood eagle.”

Her fingers slipped down the skin of his back and he knew she’d remember the image from the dream. Vision. Whatever the hell it had been.

Torn, broken, ribs spread to look like an eagle’s wings. “An old Viking torture.” One he knew had been used on Grim. Their link had shown him that before.

Her lips rose and he missed the touch of her mouth. “Why?”

Glancing over his shoulder, he met her stare. “Not all monsters are born, Dee, some are made.” Once upon a time, a very long-ass time ago, Grim hadn’t been the sick twisted bastard of today. He’d just been a man. One who’d been broken. Savaged.

“If the stories are true,” Simon said, watching her carefully, “the first thing he did on rising was to find every man who’d participated in his torture, and he ripped them apart.”

Her gaze held his. “Revenge.” The same thing she sought.

He gave a nod. “There’s a price, you know.” Why hadn’t he realized how heavy the price would be for her? Why had he only thought of himself? Of the way he wanted his life to be?

He’d pulled Dee into this war, yanked her into the blood.

“I’ve always known there was a price.” A mirthless smile tilted her lips. “Why do you think I put a kill order on myself?”

His hands knotted at that. No way. No damn way would that demon Zane ever come at her with death in his eyes.

“I’ve seen death for the last sixteen years,” Dee said. “I’ve always known I was living on borrowed time.”

Not borrowed.

“What I don’t understand is why me?” Pain there, breaking beneath the surface. “Why the hell am I one of the Born? I’m nobody. Nobody. I was a freaking clueless kid when the vamps came after my family. I wasn’t special. I’m not special.”

He caught her hands. Held her tight. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.” True. He’d never seen her back down. A fighter, straight to the soul.

Her gaze fell. “When I was a kid, my family used to go to church together every Sunday.”

He waited. Dee’s life, before the nightmares.

Her stare didn’t meet his. “A lot of people think God cursed vampires. Cursed the Borns and they spread the virus—”

Was that what people were calling it these days? A virus?

“—like a plague. That’s why the holy water works on vampires.”

Yeah, he’d been burned by that once. Holy water and vamps didn’t mix—that one wasn’t a myth.

“So what did I do, Simon, that would have condemned me at fifteen?” Her eyes rose. “What did I do that was so bad, I was cursed, too? I lost my whole family—what did I do?”

Nothing. His fingers tightened around hers. “I don’t know why you’re a Born.” He’d chosen this path. For her, fate had chosen. “I know the stories, too. That the first Born committed a betrayal, that all vamps were punished for his crimes.” He shook his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing, got me?”

Her face was as blank as a doll’s. “But I’ll still wind up like Grim, won’t I?”

“No! You’ll never be like him.”

She flashed a bitter smile. “I think I already am.” A pause. Then, quietly, “And deep down, so do you.”

No. “Dee, I—”

“Fuck!” A snarl from outside. “Dee!” Zane’s voice. His fist thudded against the door. Half a second later, the door came crashing open. “She’s gone.” His chest heaved and his eyes glinted back.

Dee nodded. “I know. I told Catalina that—”

“Not her!” He shook his head and snarled, “We both knew the witch would cut and run. Cat can’t handle fire. That shit just brought up too many bad memories for her and she’s too afraid of burning.” He slammed a hand against the door frame. “Nina’s bolted.”

A curse erupted from Simon’s lips. Her family killed—yeah, they’d had that confirmed by a quick call to Dee’s friendly cop contact.

A massacred family.

An Ignitor who knew the location of the Born vampire behind the slaughter.

“She’s gone after him,” Dee said, and it was what they all knew. “How long of a head start?”

His jaw clenched, Zane gritted, “At least three hours. I thought she was sleeping in her room. She’d been crying so much, I didn’t even think to go in there and check.”

Shit. Three hours.

Hell of a lead she had on them. With that much time, she’d definitely get to Grim first.

Ignitors were so strong psychically. Strong enough to create and control fire with their minds. But nature was a sly bitch. For all their psychic strength, Ignitors were so very weak physically.

A careless touch could bruise them, like when Zane had wrapped his fingers around the Ignitor’s wrists.

And killing them would only take one blow.

If Grim saw her coming, if he felt her, Nina would be dead.

But if he didn’t…

Burn, bastard.

“Simon.” Dee’s voice, vibrating with tension. “Let’s get on the road, now.”

He was already moving. He grabbed his bag. This was it. Final match.

Should have never brought Dee in on this.

He’d thought they would make the perfect team. Same enemy. Same goal.

But if anything happened to Dee…

Can’t lose her.

Won’t lose her.

How had his master plan gotten so screwed up?

Zane braced his legs apart. “He’s gonna kill her. We have to get there before—”

Dee marched up to him, that weird, faint smile on her face. Her hand pressed against his chest. “I told you before, this fight’s not yours. Not yours. Not Cat’s.”

Zane’s eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “You think I’m walking away from you? You’re not going out on a death fight. I’ve had your back before, I’ll have it again. I’m not—”

“You don’t have a choice.” Her right hand snaked up his neck. “Sorry.” Her left hand came up, and delivered a hard, fast hit to his chin. The demon went down. “After all the times with Tony, you should have seen that coming.” She stared down at him, her body taut.

Simon approached her slowly and very, very cautiously. “Wanna tell me what that was about?”

She glanced up. The demon lay sprawled across the threshold. “In case Cat’s vision wasn’t pure shit, no way am I gonna risk him.” Emotion there. Affection. Love.

The fist that slugged his gut told Simon that he was jealous. Had been jealous of the demon from the very first. A bond existed between Dee and Zane. One born from time and struggle. Trust.

What he wouldn’t give for Dee to care enough to punch the crap out of him.

Trust.

Love.

Her shoulders sagged. “I pulled the punch, you know. I used my left hand.” Still, she had vampire strength now, so the punch wouldn’t have been anywhere near soft. She bent, ran her fingers over Zane’s jaw. “But demons are strong and he won’t be out long.”

No, he wouldn’t be. And when he woke, Simon knew Zane would come after them. Because the demon cared for Dee, too. Cared enough to come on his own with a kill-order.

If you cared enough to kill…

Simon lifted his gaze. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” Not lovers. Dee and the demon had never been together sexually, so he shouldn’t even think about attacking the guy while he was out.

But he’ll be there for Dee when this hell is over. When she doesn’t have to fight the nightmares of her past any longer, the demon will be there.

And where will I be?

Would Dee even want him in her life once Grim’s threat was gone?

He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Dee dragged Zane inside the room. Simon grabbed Zane’s legs, and they hoisted the demon onto the bed. Dee shoved a pillow under his head. “Don’t come after me,” she whispered.

Zane wouldn’t be able to hear her.

She reached for his hand. Turned his wrist over. “I-I have to know where you’ll be. I can’t risk you. Won’t. Not for my revenge.”

You’d kill us all for vengeance? The witch’s question.

No, Dee wouldn’t.

She stared at the demon, swallowed, and bit him.

Simon froze. No, no—he didn’t like to see her mouth on the demon. Not one bit. Taking his blood. A growl rumbled in Simon’s throat. Not her. Not him. No—

Dee wrenched her mouth away. Her eyes met Simon’s.

“Not…another.” His snarl was a guttural demand.

“Simon?”

He grabbed her arms and hauled her away from the bed. No time. His jaw locked. “Get in the car.”

And away from the demon.

A demon now forever linked to her. Just what he needed. More competition.

As if he didn’t have enough shit going on.

Simon hauled her out, left the demon, and didn’t look back. As far as he was concerned, there had never been any use in looking back.

They climbed into Dee’s SUV. Zane’s motorcycle was gone. Either courtesy of Nina or the witch. Either way, he knew the demon wouldn’t be slowed down for long.

Backup would come, whether they wanted it to or not.

“Uh, it’s my vehicle, you know, I should be the one to—”

He floored the accelerator and they shot out of the parking lot, leaving a trail of spewing gravel behind them.

The black SUV fishtailed out of the lot. The two in the vehicle were so intent on their prey that they didn’t glance around. Didn’t take notice of the one watching.

Pity.

Another mistake.

The key turned and the ignition kicked to life. Trailing them would be too easy.

Killing them—harder. But not impossible. Nothing was impossible.

The slow twang of country music filled the car’s interior, and the vehicle pulled from the concealing shadows.

“How long until we reach Hueco?” Dee’s voice was steady. The words were the first she’d spoken in the last hour.

Simon kept his foot stomped all the way onto the accelerator. Even burning up the black interstate road, it would still be “after dawn.” A piss-poor time to go riding into the town. He’d be weak. All the vamps would be.

He and Dee would be outnumbered. Grim would have a guard force. Lots of vamps and who knew what else.

“Then if we’ve got nothing to do for the next six hours—”

Probably longer.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s got your butt in such a twist?”

His knuckles whitened around the wheel. “You didn’t have to drink from him,” he bit out. Your butt in such a twist. Nice.

“I wanted to know if he was coming after me. Us.”

He could still see her mouth on the other man’s wrist. Her lips so red against his dark flesh. Tasting him. Taking him.

The SUV swerved onto the median and Simon yanked the wheel so the vehicle slipped back into the right lane. “You took his blood. You linked with him.” Wasn’t it enough that the two of them already had some kind of bond he didn’t understand?

Trust. Yeah, Dee trusted her demon.

“I linked with you, too. I didn’t hear you complaining about it.”

No, that was the problem. He’d all but begged for more. The feel of her lips. That tongue—

Good fucking thing the demon had been knocked out.

“I-I thought I had to do it. After what Cat said, I didn’t want him following us.” Quiet, subdued.

Since when was she subdued? What the hell? He slanted her a quick glance and tried to get the crazy bat-shit jealousy under control.

Fear. That’s what it really was. Fear about facing Grim. Because what if the bastard was too strong? And then…cold-eat-your-soul fear that when the battle was over, he’d lose Dee.

One way or another.

When did she become more important than freedom? He cleared his throat and tried to unclench his fingers before he broke the steering wheel. “I thought you didn’t believe the witch.”

A sound, could have been a strained laugh or just a long sigh, came from her lips. “Sometimes, I’m not sure what I believe anymore. I shouldn’t have let them leave the city with us. I knew the whole time that was a mistake.”

But the demon had been adamant, and he’d herded the shattered Ignitor and the still-dazed witch with him.

“I tried to sleep at the motel, but I just—I just kept seeing Catalina, surrounded by the fire.”

But the fire surrounded you, too. Why wasn’t Dee scared for herself? Didn’t she care?

“I couldn’t make her face the flames again. And Zane—oh, hell, after what I saw—”

His gaze snapped to her. “What you saw?”

Her hand lifted, then fell limply back in her lap. “Every time I bite someone, I’m going to see the person’s life, right?”

Unfortunately, that was the way of the Born. Most saw that as a strength. A way to get into the minds of prey and control them.

Not Dee. He could tell she saw it as some kind of punishment. Another one, for her.

“He’s already been through enough. I’m not going to have him dying for my fight.”

He reached for her hand and linked his fingers through hers. “Our fight.” She wasn’t in this alone. She wasn’t going to ditch him the way she’d done the others.

He wouldn’t leave her side. No matter what. “I’m not gonna turn on you, babe. I don’t care what the witch saw, I won’t turn.” The spell might be weakening. Grim might be starting to find a link again, but it wouldn’t matter. Grim would be dead long before the spell wore off completely.

Her fingers tightened around his. “I know.”

Simple. Certain.

Trust?

His breath expelled in a hard rush and his heart thundered against his chest.

“There’s something you should know.” The leather groaned beneath her as she shifted to stare at him. “I didn’t want to bite Zane. Didn’t want to bite that freak vamp Leo. Since turning, I’ve needed to bite. The bloodlust has been there, no denying it. When I first opened my eyes and saw Jude…” He heard the click of her swallow. “I thought I might even lose control.”

The first cravings were the strongest. The most dangerous. That was why he’d taken her to Pak. Pak knew how to care for vampires. He’d guarded dozens of Taken over the years. Guarded them, and had to put some down.

Simon knew if he’d stayed with Dee, her bloodlust would have flared and instead of calming her, his own control would have broken.

They would have broken.

But now they were stronger. Together, they were stronger.

Not. Gonna. Break.

“You are different. I wanted you. I wanted to bite, and I wanted you to bite me.”

A confession like that, from a hunter…from her.

His gums burned as his teeth grew and the crotch of his pants got way too tight around his expanding cock.

“You’re the one I want, Simon. Only you.”

Their joined hands rested on her soft, jean-clad thigh. “When this is over,” he managed to say, the words coming out hoarse and hard, “you’re not getting away from me.” He’d have to explain, have to tell her everything—

But she wouldn’t escape him.

“Good.” He caught her faint smile. “Because you’d better not even think that you’re getting away from me.”

Ah, damn.

She’d done it to him again. A sucker punch. Tony would never let him hear the end of this one. Zane jerked up in bed. His gaze flew around the room. Gone. Of course. What else?

He jumped up, automatically checking the clock. How long had he been out? An hour? Two? Judging by the faint light trickling through the blinds, a hell of a lot longer.

Dee had used that vamp strength on him.

He almost smiled. Almost.

Then he caught sight of the marks on his wrist. Faint. Small. Two circles.

Sonofabitch.

She’d taken his blood. Gotten a lock on him.

“Fine, princess—so you know I’m coming. What else did you expect me to do?”

He stormed to the door. Car. He’d steal one from the lot, get on the road, and call for backup. Pak might even have some other hunters in Texas that he could send in for them. Easy deal.

Dee wouldn’t get rid of him this easily.

He wrenched open the door and caught the scents too late.

Three vampires. Tall, thick, with teeth ready and claws out. They stood just past his door, smiling.

“Knew we’d find someone waiting,” the one in the middle said, and his fanged smile widened. “Let’s see how long it takes to make the demon scream.”

A really, really long time.

Zane lifted his hands and tossed out a smile of his own. “Who’s first?”

They all attacked at once. Figured.

Dee sucked in a sharp breath and lunged forward. The seat belt cut into her chest. In the distance, the faint purple light of dawn streaked across the horizon.

Weakness.

“Dee? What’s wrong?”

She licked her lips. “Zane. For a minute there, I thought—” She’d thought he called her name.

“You should try to get some sleep,” Simon told her. “Save your strength.”

What strength? She could already feel the pull of the sun. The tiredness, the weakness. “You should sleep.” He’d been driving all night. Even outrun two troopers. Impressive. “Let me take the wheel for a while.”

He glanced her way. “I’m all right.”

She wasn’t gonna get into a pissing match with him. “Slow down and let me take the wheel.” The guy was sexy as hell, but bossy.

Good thing she liked him. Okay, more than liked him.

Don’t go there, not now.

Later there would be plenty of time to sort out the sick, tangled mess of her emotions. To see if there was anything between her and the vampire other than the thick, hot need.

A need she felt even now. Had felt since his fingers pressed against the top of her thigh hours before.

She knew he had to smell her arousal. Just as she’d caught his thickening scent.

And the big bulge in his jeans—yeah, another dead giveaway. But he’d ignored it. She was trying to do the same. Trying.

The car slowed. Finally. The speedometer eased back down, down…eighty, seventy…

They’d turned off the Interstate an hour ago. The SUV snaked down some lonely, twisting road that seemed to head nowhere.

But to death.

To Hueco.

The flash of headlights filled the SUV’s interior. Ah, after all this time on empty roads, they had company.

A motor roared and Dee tensed.

The lights behind them burned brighter, filling the SUV’s interior with a hot glow. The motor roared louder—coming for us. Not the friendly kind of company. “What the hell?” Dee jerked around. Someone was coming, all right, bearing down on them fast. Too fast. “Simon!”

The SUV raced forward, but, too late—

Never noticed the other car. Should have looked back sooner. Too worried about what waited ahead.

The car hit them. A jarring, brutal hit. Once. Twice.

The SUV flipped. Metal screamed. Glass shattered. The vehicle rolled across the road.

The air bags exploded. The world in front of Dee became a cloudy white.

Her claws ripped into the bags, cut them out of her way. She shoved the broken glass aside, managed to peer out the window—

And saw that another car had come from the waning darkness. No, not a car this time. A truck—coming right at them. At her.

Ambush. Fucking ambush.

Dee shoved against the metal, but the sun had already weakened her. Trapped. Pinned by the twisted door. “Simon!”

No answer. She turned to look at him. Not moving, slumped over the seat. “Simon?” A whisper now, not a scream.

No, no, this couldn’t happen to him.

Blood loss, the easiest way to kill a vamp.

The car slammed into them again. Then the truck hit.

Metal tore into her flesh, cutting past the skin, driving into the muscle and all the way down to the bone.

Simon.

This time, before the darkness came, this time, he was her last thought.

And her regret.