Dominion of the Damned Read online

  Hannah heard the soft hiss of air being sucked through his teeth as he cut his own palm open. She let Zach doctor her cut as Chris bled into the glass, then she dampened another paper towel and cleaned his cut in turn as he held the knife out to Zach.

  He stared at it for a moment, turning a shade paler. Finally, he swallowed, and took the knife. Grasping its handle, he muttered, “Anything for Doc, right?” and then let out a small moan as he drew the blade across his palm. He closed his eyes and turned even paler as his blood poured into the glass.

  Hannah brought him a stool so he could sit down before he passed out. “You work with blood,” she pointed out.

  “Other people’s blood,” he said. “It’s the sight of my own blood that I have a problem with. Oh, and by the way,” he opened his eyes and looked up at her accusingly, “that did hurt.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell Alek when he wakes up.” When he finished, she picked up the glass and carried it into the living room, leaving Zach to be tended by Chris. She set the glass on the coffee table and slid out of the rest of her body armor before gently edging herself onto the sofa. She lifted Alek’s head into her lap and helped him sit up enough to drink, then picked up the glass and held it to his mouth. He lay so still, his bruised and torn up body lifeless and cold. Hannah wondered for a second if there was even anybody left in there. She stroked his brow. “Wake up, Alek. You need to drink this.”

  He didn’t move, didn’t respond. But as she parted his lips and tipped the glass so that a small trickle flowed into his mouth, he suddenly came alive. His eyes opened, and they glowed a bright white, like crystals illuminated from within. His hands grasped the glass and he drank greedily. “Slow down,” she told him, but he’d already drained the glass.

  He licked his lips and let it fall to the floor. “More.” His voice sounded weak and ragged, but at least it sounded alive. “Need… need more.”

  “That’s all there is.”

  “We’ll get you some more.” Hannah looked up to see Paula coming out of the hallway. She crossed the living room to retrieve her purse from the end table nearest the door. “We’ll go round everybody up and have an emergency blood drive. The baby’s sleeping,” she told Hannah, “so you shouldn’t have to worry about him for a while.” She turned toward the kitchen. “Chris, you come and help your mother.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, coming out of the kitchen. He opened the door for her, but lingered there, looking at Hannah. His eyes drifted down to Alek, lying in her lap. When they met hers again, they were filled with uncertainty.

  “Thank you,” Hannah told him, and he nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it, and followed his mother out the door. Hannah felt a pang of guilt as she watched him go.

  “I guess I should see what I can salvage from the lab and get ready to draw some blood,” said Zach, coming out of the kitchen. “I’ll send some over once we collect a few pints.”

  “Thanks,” Hannah said as he let himself out. Once they were alone, Hannah looked down at Alek. The progress he’d made seemed to be fading as his breath became so shallow it was barely there. He couldn’t wait for them to organize a blood drive, that was plain to see. Hannah tore the large Band-Aid off of her hand and squeezed the cut until it started to bleed again. She pressed her palm to his mouth. “Drink.”

  A shiver went through her as she felt his tongue dart out and taste her cut. But then he turned his head away. “No.”

  “Alek, you have to.”

  When he opened his eyes again, the glow was gone. They were back to their usual shade of crystalline blue. He pointed at the glass that still lay on the floor. “Whose?”

  “All of ours. Chris’s, and Zach’s, and—”

  “Yours?”

  “Yes.”

  He closed his eyes again and turned his head the other way. “Swore I’d never drink you.”

  That surprised her. She looked down at her good hand and realized she’d been absently stroking his hair this whole time. “You didn’t swear it to me,” she said. “Besides, it’s not like you had a choice. You still don’t. You have to drink.” She placed her good hand across his forehead, and pressed the bleeding one to his lips. “It’s okay, Alek. I want you to.”

  She felt a soft sigh against her palm as he took hold of her hand. But instead of drinking from her cut, he surprised her by kissing it. Hannah went still, her heart pounding, her breath coming in shallow gasps, as he pressed another kiss to the center of her palm. Then he held her hand to his chest, near his heart. “I don’t need it,” he said.

  At first she thought he was just saying that to be stubborn, but as she looked down at his torso she could see that he was telling the truth. His cuts and scrapes were already healing, and new skin was growing over the areas where it had been flayed off. It still looked pink and raw, but that was a big improvement. His breathing grew stronger as well. He lay in her arms like that for a few more moments, his eyes closed. Then he opened them and struggled to sit up.

  “Careful,” she said as she helped him up. “I don’t care how fast you heal, you’ve been through a lot.”

  “Tell me about it.” He swung his legs over the front of the couch and leaned over, resting his head in his hands.

  “Alek, I’m so sorry. Eddie… I never even imagined he would… that he even could—”

  “Don’t blame yourself. There’s no way you could have known.”

  That didn’t make her feel better. “Carl, and the others… I’m so sorry, Alek. I know they were your friends.”

  He leaned back and let his hands fall in his lap. He stared at them as he said, “I told them when they came on board that I’d protect them. From Esme, from the Council… I thought all of the danger came from our own kind.” He closed his eyes and swallowed. “Once again, I failed. I can’t protect anyone.”

  “That’s not true. You’ve done a pretty great job with me and Noah.”

  He looked at her. “Why did you come for me?”

  Hannah suddenly felt self-conscious as his gaze bore into her. She looked down at her lap and shrugged. “We weren’t about to leave you there.”

  “But why did you come, Hannah? The others could have handled it without you.”

  She gave a scornful laugh. “What, because I’m a girl? I’m a good shot, probably the best marksman in this whole damn camp. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve gotten pretty good at kicking shambler ass. I’ve certainly had the practice.”

  He gave a frustrated shake of his head. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it. You didn’t need to risk your life for me, but you did anyway. Why?”

  Hannah’s heart sped up, and her stomach fluttered. This was it, wasn’t it? There was no more denying it, no more putting it off. Still, the words wouldn’t come. She forced herself to meet his gaze. “Don’t be stupid, Alek. You know why.”

  “Do I?” He leaned closer, his eyes searching hers. “The other night, in my kitchen, you were about to tell me something before we got interrupted. What was it? What did you come there to tell me?”

  Hannah licked her lips and swallowed. “I came there to finish what you started.” He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes in confusion, but before he could say anything else, before her courage could fail her, she took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his.

  His mouth was both strong and soft, and it responded eagerly, without hesitation. She welcomed his tongue as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his lap. He tasted like copper. She realized with a start that it was blood she tasted. Her blood, and Chris’s and Zach’s. She pushed that thought away. She knew what he was, what she was getting into, and she was no longer afraid. Kissing him felt too good. It felt right.

  It felt like coming home.

  She tried to be mindful of his injuries as she straddled his lap, but he didn’t seem to care. He wrapped her in his embrace and pulled her close against him. “Hannah,” he rasped as he trailed kisses along her j
aw and down her neck. When his mouth reached her throat, coming to rest near her jugular, she tensed up.

  Alek paused, and placed a slow, deliberate kiss on the spot before pulling back to look her in the eyes. His gaze held both a promise and a question. The promise, she knew, was that he would never hurt her. Not on purpose, not like that. She had nothing to fear from him. His eyes also seemed to ask if she was sure, if he should keep going, or if he should stop. In answer, Hannah pulled her tank top over her head.

  His eyes roved her body, drinking her in. Then he caught her and pulled her back to him. She let her head fall back, giving him better access as he tasted her, trailing lingering kisses across her collarbone while his hands, strong and large, explored her flesh. She gasped and shuddered as his thumb traced her breast through the thin cotton of her bra, and she reached back to unclasp it just as a knock sounded on the door.

  She and Alek both froze, and as the door opened Hannah dove for her shirt. Alek tried to jump to his feet, but stumbled, and did a poor job of blocking her from view while she struggled back into her tank top. She got it on and turned to see Chris standing there, a mix of surprise, hurt and betrayal on his face. “Chris—”

  “I brought some fresh blood for the doc,” he said, cutting her off. He looked Alek up and down, not bothering to hide his anger. “Although it looks like you’re doing just fine without it.” He tossed the bags to Alek, who caught them effortlessly, then turned and walked out the door.

  “Chris, wait!” Hannah started to go after him, but Alek caught her arm, just as effortlessly.

  “Let him go.”

  “But I should talk to him.”

  “Hannah, you broke his heart. He doesn’t want to talk to you right now.” He let go of her arm. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault. I should have been straight with him. I should have broke it off with him as soon as I started....” She let her voice trail off. Started to what?

  Alek asked the same question.

  “Started falling for you. I should have been straight with myself about that, too.”

  She felt strong hands on her shoulders, and cool breath on her ear as he nuzzled her hair. “I know I haven’t made it easy. I know you had good reason to hold back.” He was quiet a moment, then said, “It wasn’t easy seeing you and him together.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” Hannah went to lock the front door, then crossed back over to Alek and leaned into him. “I hate that I hurt you. And I hate that I hurt Chris.”

  “I know.” He wrapped her in his arms and held her, burying his face in her hair. “But I can’t say I’m sorry you’re with me now.” He leaned back to look down at her. “You are, aren’t you?”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “I am.” He kissed her then, long and deep, and she remembered where they’d left off.

  Then Noah started to cry. They broke apart with a sigh. “You should drink that,” she said, pointing to the blood. “You should rest, too. The curtains are still closed in my room if you want to lie down in there.”

  “Thanks,” he said, and she started to leave. He caught her hand and drew her back for one more kiss, making her laugh.

  She was still smiling as she walked into Noah’s room and lifted him out of his crib. “When you’re older, your big sister’s going to have to teach you about a little something called timing.”

  By the time she changed and dressed him and took him to the kitchen for his breakfast, Alek had already gone to lie down in her room. As she heated Noah’s bottle, she wished she could join him. She was exhausted after being up all night, and with all that had happened, but Noah was obviously up for the day. She briefly considered asking Paula to watch him for a few hours, but she had been up all night, too, and had other responsibilities. Besides, after what had just happened with Chris, it would be a long time before Hannah felt right about asking Paula for anything again. As she settled onto the couch with Noah and his bottle, she yawned and fought to stay awake. His afternoon nap couldn’t come soon enough.

  When it finally arrived, she put Noah back in his crib and crept into her room. There was enough ambient light from the hall to see Alek, sound asleep in her bed. She watched him sleep a moment, glad to see him looking peaceful for once, before turning on the baby monitor and climbing into bed with him. Without waking, as if by instinct, he turned over and put an arm around her. Hannah smiled and snuggled closer, and closed her eyes.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  They waited another night to hold a service for the fallen. After consulting Alek, Ned had burned the bodies. It didn’t feel right to bury them without their heads. Alek seethed with a desire for vengeance, to track down Eddie and his people and take back the heads of his friends, and bring back all of theirs as well; but what had vengeance ever gotten him, except a stained soul trapped in an immortal body? It wouldn’t bring them back. It wouldn’t erase his failure.

  But that didn’t mean he couldn’t seek justice. Someday, he and Eddie would meet again. And somehow, Eddie would pay for the lives he took.

  Ned and Paula had found urns for each, and they sat lined up on a table at the front of the main dining hall. The base’s residents each entered the hall and filed past the urns to pay their respects before taking their seats. Once everyone was seated, Alek moved to stand next to the table.

  As he looked out at the faces of all those in his care, he felt overcome with shame. He’d failed them all. He’d let an enemy into their camp, and this was the consequence. These people depended on him to keep them safe. And now he was alone in that task.

  His gaze found Hannah, bouncing Noah on her knee to keep him happy. She met his gaze and smiled. In spite of everything, he found himself smiling back. No, he wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

  Forcing his gaze back to his audience, Alek smoothed his tie and took a deep breath. “Carl. Stephanie. Antony. William. Juliette. I recruited each of them personally for this project. I’d met them all years ago, and all of them were my friends. It’s not easy to find those among my kind who remember what it means to be human. Or who still care.” He looked over at the table, at each urn. “But they were good people, and they believed in what we were doing here. They were happy to put their lives on the line for it, to provide a safe place for us all to rebuild our lives. They patrolled the fence, they manned the gates, and they made sure nothing got in that wasn’t welcome. But then they were fooled.” He looked at Hannah as he emphasized, “We were all fooled.” Alek shook his head. “I know it doesn’t seem fair, that I survived and they didn’t. I also know that I wouldn’t have, if you didn’t come for me.” He looked out at Hannah, Chris, Zach and the others who’d been involved in the rescue. “I owe each of you a debt of gratitude for that, but I owe everyone here so much more. And I promise each of you here today, I won’t be so easily fooled again. We’ll have to pull together and find the strength and courage to continue their work.” His voice caught. He swallowed, and pushed past the hitch in his breath to add, “If anyone would like to say a few words, go ahead.” He took his seat beside Hannah. She reached over and took his hand, and it was all he could do not to pull her into his arms then and there.

  As Zach got up to speak, she leaned over to whisper in his ear, “It wasn’t your fault, either.”

  He looked at her, and at the baby in her lap, and knew at that moment that there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect the life they had here, to give them a chance at happiness. To give Hannah that big house out in the country to raise Noah in peace and safety, even if he couldn’t give her children of her own.

  At the front of the room, Zach addressed the assembly. “Carl was a buddy of mine. He was there with the doc the night he pulled my butt out of the fire, and I mean that literally. My building at MIT was burning, and it was surrounded by shamblers. There was no way to escape. I would’ve been a chicken-fried happy meal if it weren’t for them.” He looked over at Carl’s urn, and smiled. “I remember this one time, when we were still setting up the camp here, w
hen Carl dared me to…”

  His voice trailed off as the doors at the back of the hall opened. A stranger dressed in black fatigues entered and marched deliberately up the aisle. “Alexandr Konstantin,” he called.

  Even from a distance, Alek could sense his own kind. The other vampire had the air of official business. He stood up. “What do you want?”

  “You’ve been summoned,” he said. “The Council has assembled, and you are to report to them at once.” He looked past Alek at the memorial display. “It’s true, then? You’ve lost some of our people?”

  Alek’s jaw tightened. “My pilot was among them,” he said. “The Council will have to wait until I can make the trip by ground.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I have orders to fly you back myself.”

  “Tonight?” Hannah came to stand next to Alek. “Can’t it at least wait until we’re done here?”

  “My orders are to bring you back immediately,” said the vampire, not deigning to so much as glance at Hannah.

  “I’m coming with you,” she said.

  Alek looked at her. “Absolutely not.”

  “Actually,” said the vampire, “I have orders to bring the girl, too. Esme felt that her presence would ensure your cooperation.”

  Alek laughed at that. “If Esme thinks I’m just going to hand her a hostage—”

  Hannah grabbed his sleeve. “Alek, I want to go. I don’t want you going alone. You need someone there to watch your back.”

  “It’s not my back I’m worried about, it’s your neck. If we fly there with him, they could keep us both there. Esme wants to use you to control me. That is not going to happen.”

  “Esme thought you might say as much,” said the vampire. “She instructed me to inform you that this is your one and only chance to convince the Council that your project is progressing satisfactorily. If you and the girl don’t come back with me tonight, then tomorrow they’ll send a task force to shut you down and deliver your charges into Esme’s custody.”