L.E. WIlson - A Vampire’s Vengeance: Deathless Night Series #2

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L uukas was jolted back to consciousness as a searing pain tore through his abdomen. His eyes shot open to see a long silver blade carving through the layers of skin and muscle, splitting him open like a gutted deer. Hanging by the wrists as he was, he could do nothing but watch in horror as warm blood gushed down the front of his dirty jeans, soaking through the material to stick to the bare skin beneath.

His fangs punched down in defense, a loud hiss escaping him as he threw his head back, gritting his teeth against the pain. Half a second later, fire burned through the same path as the blade before it, the stench of his own burning skin making his stomach heave. He struggled not to scream, but the hoarse sound ripped from his raw throat against his will, the agony too much for him to bear in silence. The flames sizzled inch by slow inch across his stomach, cauterizing the wound.

His dislocated shoulders jutted grotesquely through his skin as he twisted his torso back and forth, trying to escape the flames, but the silver manacles around his wrists held fast to the wall above his head. Just when he thought he was going to pass out again, it stopped, leaving behind a dull throbbing ache from his ribcage to his hip. He sagged on his chains, sucking in ragged breaths, praying to all the gods that he would pass out again.

Or better yet, that he would just die already. Die a vampire's true death.

Hes awake now, mistress.

At the sound of that sniveling voice, Luukas struggled to lift his heavy head. He detested that voice. Peering through the slits of his swollen eyes, he attempted to locate the source of it, and found it directly in front of him in the form of a young, dark-skinned, male vampire: young in both human and vampire years.

Their eyes met and held, and the young ones own grew wide at what he saw. The piece of shit stumbled backwards, the flaming torch hed pulled off of the wall and used on Luukas falling from his hand to land with a soft thump on the dirt floor. The long, bloody knife he held in the other hand joined it with a clatter a moment later.

Maybe he was surprised that Luukas could still focus on him. Maybe he saw his imminent death in the soulless, black eyes that now had him on their radar. Whatever it was, it caused him to impatiently ask the person on his left, May I please leave now, mistress?

He must have been granted permission, for he hightailed it out of the room, practically running for the open door and heading towards the stone stairway across the way.

Luukas vehement stare followed him across the room, his lip curling up in a sneer when the coward dared to peek back at him over his shoulder. He paled beneath his dark skin when he saw that Luukas was still tracking him, and he kicked it into vamp speed, disappearing up the stairs.

Luuks eyes skittered back across the room after he was gone, coming to rest on someone else huddled in the corner, as far away from him as they could get. He winced as he blinked his raw eyes, trying to focus through the sweat running into them, but he couldnt get a clear view, there were too many shadows from the flickering light of the torches on the walls.

He had a vague feeling that he should know that cowering form, but he was so tired. His head fell forward onto his chest, only to jerk upright again almost immediately. Something pulled his attention to that corner, no matter how he tried to ignore it.

He studied the person again. He could just barely make out a small form with long, dark hair, but little else, as she kept her head down. And it was definitely a she. He could see that even through the blanket she held wrapped tightly around herself.

Did he know her? He tried to remember, but his thoughts were so disordered, jumping around randomly in his head. He couldnt seem to concentrate on any one thing for more than a few seconds at a time.

Gradually, through the haze of his pain, he began to notice other things.

He was in a large, dimly lit room dug from the earth; a cell of sorts, with no windows. The smell of wet earth was heavy in the air, coating the back of his throat, and a consistent drip, drip, drip off to his right tantalized him with the promise of water. He tried to wet his cracked lips with his sandpaper tongue. He was so thirsty.

Where the fuck was he? What was he doing here? His head pounded as he tried hard to remember.

Suddenly, he sensed a darker entity in the room. He could practically feel the evil oozing through the air towards him. Tearing his eyes from the girl in the corner, he rolled his head to the other side until he was able to focus on the female slithering towards him from the opposite direction.

Her blood-red eyes flashed as she met his gaze, a pleased smile curving her lips.

Leeha, he rasped.

Memories crashed mercilessly into his head, banging around his skull until he groaned from the impact.

He remembered now.

Seven Years Ago

Hed left his apartment in Seattle to go meet with Leeha, alone, a female vampire whod been adopted into his colony, and whod decided to leave of her own accord to form one of her own, after hed rejected her amorous overtures.