To her horror, the giant reptile shifted into human form, becoming a tall thin man with a beaked nose and graying hair. He reached out casually to the other vampire, helping him to his feet. In Destiny’s mind, Nicolae went very still. Vampires traveled together at times, but they used one another, sacrificed one another. In all the long centuries of his battles, Nicolae had never witnessed one vampire helping another.
“Come, my dear, I grow tired of this little charade,” the taller vampire said. He clapped his hands and the birds fell from the air, plummeting into the bubbling pools to scream impotently as they disappeared under the surface. “Vernon needs blood. I think you had best supply him, since you were the one to cause his distress.”
Destiny settled to earth, shape-shifting to her true form as she did so. “Well, well, it’s old-friend week, I see,” she said, smiling coolly at the two vampires. She kept her eyes fixed on the taller one. He was strong and without a single wound and very, very dangerous. “I’m surprised a big bad vampire such as you would associate with a weakling like Vernon. He seems a bit out of your league. Three times I scored a hit on him—a bit much, don’t you think?” There was taunting amusement in her voice. Her face was a pleasant mask, confident and serene, while inside, her brain was working out a way to escape. The hunter was now the hunted, but she would never, ever allow herself to be taken alive by such monsters.
Vernon snarled at her, exposing his long fangs. “You won’t be smiling when I drain the blood from your veins.” Spittle ran down the side of his mouth and he coughed, holding his hands over his wounds.
“Now, now, Vernon, she does have a point. A mere woman and she stuck you like a pig.” The taller vampire smiled, exposing his sharp incisors. “No need to get nasty with her over your own incompetence.”
Look for something more. Another perhaps. It seems unreasonable that they would be in the same lair, but he is drawing your attention for a reason. They are afraid of you. You have twice plunged a dagger into one of the undead and you are a woman, a puzzle to them. Look with more than your eyes but do not turn away from him. Destiny sensed Nicolae at the cave’s entrance, and her heart began to beat much faster.
Do not show fear, even if it is of me. They will think you weak, and you want them worried. They have never encountered a female hunter before.
She had to trust Nicolae; she had no choice. He had hunted her for years, wanting her for himself or for some plan she could not fathom. She couldn’t imagine him betraying her to other vampires at this late date. And she knew from experience that he was right. Vampires did not share lairs. The situation was unusual and highly dangerous. She scanned the chamber, utilizing all her senses. She scented the third adversary immediately. She couldn’t locate him, but she knew he was there. She shared the information with Nicolae.
Destiny laughed softly, feigning unconcern while Vernon snarled his hatred of her. She turned to the more powerful vampire. “I don’t understand. Usually when one so powerful as yourself enters my home territory, I hear rumors.” Deliberately she flattered him, managing to sound breathless and slightly flirtatious.
The tall vampire bowed low. “I am called Pater. And you are?”
“Not fooled.” Destiny whirled around, crouching low, and extracted a dagger from her boot and drove it up into the newest attacker’s soft belly. As he shrieked, she drove her fist hard through bone and muscle, straight to the heart. Her fingers closed around it and she jerked hard as she leapt backward to avoid as much of the poisonous blood as possible.
Flinging the heart as far from the flopping vampire as she could, she struck a spark off the rock wall, fanning the embers as she raced up the wall, then tossing the flames at the pulsating blackened organ so that it incinerated immediately to a fine ash.