Part 40 (2/2)

”Huge . . . risk,” Greg said through swollen gums.

”A huge risk for you? Yes. And for me, opening the genie's bottle? Yes. But as I say, we a.n.a.lyzed it first. Thoroughly.” He gestured to Dantalion. ”Of course, my own vampire scientist took part.”

”There's no way it would have ever worked,” Dantalion a.s.serted. ”Sherman was deluded.”

”No,” a voice said brokenly from a third cell.

”Si,” Lucifer insisted. He steered the party out of the human's cell and opened the door to the third. There Dr. Michael Sherman was chained, not to the wall but spread-eagled on the floor. He, too, had been horribly beaten.

”This is how we'll stake you out tomorrow,” Lucifer said. ”After all the humans are dead. You won't get the injection that lets you walk in sunlight.”

”I still wish you'd let me study his blood,” Dantalion said. ”To see how he could do that. How he could help them. I could compare it with Antonio's blood, see if the traitors share anything in common.”

”It was never about helping them,” Sherman whispered.

Lucifer kicked him in the side. Then he gestured for his entourage to leave.

They swept back upstairs into the great hall, where the choicest Allied prisoners of war had been thrown into cages for the vampiric elite to dine on as they stood on the balconies of Castle Bran and watched humanity die. Some of his elegantly dressed guests were sampling American soldiers and Israeli Mossad troops. Others savored the gamey blood of a captive werewolf.

”It's time,” Lucifer said to Dantalion.

With Heather at his side, Lucifer watched Dantalion walk toward the balcony where vampires in gowns, military regalia, and tuxedos were observing the battle. Uneasy smiles greeted him, and the vampires parted, making way for him. The Russian vampire's reputation preceded him.

Dantalion moved regally to the front of the balcony and placed his hands on the railing. His dog joined him. Then Dantalion leaned over.

”Do it,” Lucifer murmured.

”Do what?” Heather asked curiously.

At the upper entrance to the castle, Skye was shaking. She, Lune, and Soleil had just killed a Cursed One exactly as they had murdered Estefan, by forcing the blood to stream out of his body. The vampire had screamed as he bled. Then he had exploded into dust. She hadn't expected their spell to work on a vampire. She remembered how Estefan had bent over her as if he was going to bite her-the way a vampire would. What had he become? Were there more of them inside the castle?

Something was changing in the magickal fabric around them. Not only was there less white Magick, but Skye could feel black Magick s.h.i.+mmer in the night sky, and she s.h.i.+vered. The other witches sensed it too, hesitating in battle. The male witch Gordon looked over at her, just as an enemy werewolf lunged at him, knocking him down.

”Incendio!” Skye shouted, lobbing a fireball at the werewolf. With the elixir singing through her veins, it was bigger and moved faster than she had antic.i.p.ated.

It found its target, and the wolf caught fire, screeching. The animal transformed into a man, writhing in the snow. Skye fought her impulse to heal him, instead running to Gordon. His throat was missing, and his eyes gazed at nothing. She was too late.

”Oh, G.o.ddess, no,” Skye whispered.

Another werewolf growled on the wall above her, and she leaped to her feet as other witches converged on the creature, throwing fireb.a.l.l.s, casting lightning bolts, sending pain its way. It showed its teeth and began to spring.

”Skye!” Holgar cried, racing up behind her with a black werewolf at his side. Skye recognized Viorica, the Transylvanian female pack leader, and she was seized with fear.

”Why are so many werewolves attacking us?” she demanded.

”They're rival packs loyal to Lucifer,” Holgar said. The black werewolf was growling at the werewolf on the wall. Viorica looked over at Holgar, and he gestured to Skye. ”She wants to know if you can help me change with magick.” He sounded desperate, humiliated.

Then an explosion rocked the earth. The werewolf on the wall lost its balance and fell backward, plummeting down the craggy mountainside. A second explosion threw Skye to the ground. She watched as Holgar flattened beside her with a roar that seemed to shake the very earth beneath her feet. And there, inches from her, he began to transform.

”It's the elixir,” he said as he began to howl.

Skye gasped as she watched it happen. It was the first time she'd seen him change, and he was magnificent. When at last he was in full wolf form, she heard herself cheer. He had done it! He had s.h.i.+fted on his own. And the devil help all those who stood in his way.

Evil seethed like miasma around Antonio. It didn't take witchly powers to know that upstairs Lucifer was unleas.h.i.+ng something powerful and terrible. He thought of his teammates, and of Jenn, and yanked on his chains again. The tortures inflicted by Aurora had been nothing compared to what Lucifer had done to him-with one important difference: Lucifer had not tricked him with magicks to drain humans. He was still good, still in command of himself.

He pulled and yanked, lifting his feet off the ground in order to put more stress on the manacles around his wrists. The metal cut into his flesh, and he hissed in frustration. He was a vampire, endowed with superior strength. But still the chains held him.

The evil, whatever magick it was that Lucifer was conjuring, was palpable. It seemed to rise like fog around his ankles, then his knees, then his thighs. Something was creeping up toward his mouth, and he knew that if it got inside him, he would be d.a.m.ned again-possibly forever. In a frenzy of horror he flailed and struggled.

And then the right manacle detached from its chain. With the handcuff still around his wrist he grabbed the chain attached to his left manacle and pulled down as hard as he could.

It, too, gave way.

Antonio was so weak that he fell to his knees. He pushed himself back up, lurching forward, then staggering to the cell door. He thought he would have to force it open, but a swift push against it and he was out.

A sense of doom wrapped around him like a shroud. He s.h.i.+vered, moving forward on his bare feet.

”Vampire,” a voice called softly. It was the scientist Michael Sherman.

Antonio crossed to his cell door and peered through the slat. Sherman was in bad shape.

”I'm here,” Antonio told him.

”It worked,” Sherman said. Slowly he raised his head, and Antonio saw that they had pulled out his fangs. ”My virus worked. My handler's in the next cell,” he added.

Antonio moved to the third cell. A man he didn't recognize was staring at the door. He remembered the name Lucifer had spoken: Greg Ba.s.singwaite. Was this the same Greg that Jenn had told him about?

”What's going on?” Antonio said.

”Setup,” Greg slurred. ”Project Crusade.”

Antonio opened the door. He grabbed the man around the torso and broke first one chain, then another. Hoisting the man over his shoulder, he left the cell. Then he opened Sherman's.

”No,” Sherman said weakly. ”I just want it to be over.” He shook his head. ”It would work. I ran so many tests.” He looked up at Antonio. ”I think they planned this. Project Crusade.” He jerked his head at Greg. ”Why move to Romania? Why so close to this castle? So Lucifer would find us. And he would think the virus didn't work.”

Antonio c.o.c.ked his head. What he was saying made sense.

”I think the Allies have the virus,” Sherman concluded. ”And I think they're going to release it tonight. Wipe us out.”

Antonio listened hard. ”Why wait?”

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