The hand on my shoulder was squeezing tight as I tried to stand up. There was a hand across my mouth as I shouted. Panic over took me and the person holding me found an elbow in their gut and wrapped up in air and flung across the room to the floor in front of me. “Holy fuck!” Ryan cried out.
“Holy Fuck, is only half of it. Why the fuck did you wake me up?” I shouted at him.
He looked a little sheepish. His eyes were soft. “Dude, I’m sorry. You looked like you were enjoying that vision but Ant says, there is a group of vampires attacking the villa. Igor called his man at the villa and requested help because they are getting attacked by vampires. But we have more immediate problems as there are vampires coming up from the basement here. All the humans are outside here. But Gemma doesn’t want to lose the strong hold.”
I let Ryan go and sighed. “Fuck!” Ryan sat up and smiled. I asked, “How many do we have here?”
“You are looking at it?” Ryan gave a wry grin.
“How many vamps?”
“I counted five before I came out here to get you. There could be more.”
“Show me.”
Ryan nodded and drew his sword from a pocket of shadows. I whispered, “I will never get used to that.”
Ryan laughed. “Just like I’ll never get used to the fact you whip fireballs out your ass without sweating. For centuries I’ve fought of Venatori, but none like you thank the fuck.”
I grinned as a fireball floated in front of me. I didn’t want to have to kill these vampires but I would if I had to. I didn’t want to destroy Gemma’s house either, but again I would if I had to.
We rounded the corner and heard the vampires chatting downstairs, “All clear down here. They must have fled outside or up stairs.”
Another voice echoed in the stairwell as he came up the stairs. “I bet they all ran away. Let’s see what we can find here.” That voiced reached the top step and his head fell it bounced from the middle of the stairs down. Each bounce leaving a small squelch as it fell. So much for surprise. I didn’t fault Ryan his actions. He fought vampires all the time. It was his job. I hurdled over the banister and landed in that classic heroic pose – you know it, the one on one knee, one leg behind you. Superman and all those superheros leave cracks in the ground when they land. I’ve seen way too many movies in the past months I had to get out more – fuck!
The vampire in front of me was a baby in comparison to every other vampire I’d ever come up against in a real fight. I could feel the little vampire trying to poke a hole in my shield. I laughed. “Really?” I asked. “I live with a fucking telepath and you think you can just waltz into my mind?” I pushed thoughts at my attacker and he put his hands to his head in pain. There was a shaking of the floor below me and I tured to see another vampire sending waves of rock through the floor each one violently exploding the lamenant floor. Gemma was going to be pissed. I rolled my eyes. I reached out to the elements and I calmed the earth. The vampire’s eyes in front of me went wide with disbeleif and I tossed a fireball in his direction.
The stench of hair and flesh permated the room. The screams brought the other two vampires from the kitchen holding bags of things. “Drop it and get out, or you’ll end up like your friends.”
They didn’t listen and I sighed. They charged me in a great rush faster than a human could see, but I was Venatori. I saw it clearly I may not be able to move like them, but they weren’t going to surprise me. In front of me I strung up a razor sharp line of air and watched as the vampires eyes went wide when they realized they were decapitating themselves.
I called out, “Any more?”
Ryan was waling around the corner. “No. House is clear except for the one behind you.”
I turned to see the vampire in pain. “Good. One still alive.”
I let the mental torture go and knelt down in front of his fallen form. “Do you know who I am?”
The vampire shook his head. He was foaming at the mouth. “Really? in all that I sent you nothing of who I am came through.”
Ryan gave a short laugh. “They think you are a myth out here, Nox.”
“I’m no myth. Why’d they think that?” I asked.
“There is only one thing Il Cane fears.” Ryan said. “Mors Praetor.”
“I always figured that was just a way of saying she feared the final death.” I said as I took a handful of the vampires slick blond hair.
“Magistrate Death.” He said. “In otherwords, you. The Justice of the Clandestine Providence. The one willing to fight for your life if you are right. If you are wrong, death. You attack him. You die. You attack those he loves, you die. Be fair, be kind. Leave the humans alone, and Mors Praetor will return the favor. It is the only thing Cari fears.”
“I’m none of those things.”
Ryan shook his head. “No, you aren’t. But we get it.”
With each word that Ryan had spoke the vampires eyes had grown wider, he knew of this Mors Praetor. His eyes darted from me to the dead vampires behind me and he tried to get away. I held fast and he only jerked me a small distance before the bonds of air were around him and I had full control again. “I’m not done with you yet.”
“You run and tell your master, that I’m coming for him. No one attacks my family and friends.” I let the vampire go with a massive shove in the direction he’d come. “We need to go.”
Ryan nodded and he was leading me out of the house. Ryan looked at Gemma and frowned, “Sorry for the mess. We’ll be back later to clean it up.” He looked at me, “Where to next?”
“Bears.” I said flatly. We had to keep our allies safe. Ant could handle himself.
The Mind of Nox 