Barb Hendee - Blood Memories

But it was difficult not to think of days long past. The sight of Julian brought back memories long forgotten, interfering with my gift. I remembered serving my first banquet at Cliffbracken, when he sat at the lavish dining table… back when the house was still alive. He had seemed so large, and I had felt so small.

Not anymore.

Not unless I wanted him to see me that way.

I pushed the memories away… pushed my fear away, and then moved between him and Wade, focusing hard on emanating my gift.

Concentrate. Get him on his knees .

"Master, please." I reached out again and used the tips of my fingers to touch the back of his hand. "He is not worthy of you. Come. Let me find you a lovely woman." I took a step toward the door, pitching my voice to an even softer tone. "I've dreamed of hunting with you, of learning from you. Let Philip have this one." I took another step toward the door.

Julian's mouth opened slightly as he stepped after me. His eyes seemed puzzled and pleased at the same time as I could see him mulling over the sweet portrait my words painted of him as the teacher, me as his grateful student, working to please him, to find him better prey.

Philip hadn't moved in several moments, and he was watching silently, allowing me to take over.

"Come into the city with me," I whispered to Julian.

He took another step.

Then, suddenly, he glanced over at Wade, and his eyes changed. He shook his head as if to clear it and looked back at me in shock… and then rage. His large hand flashed out and gripped my wrist, jerking me up against him.

"What are you doing?" he snarled. "You would try that on me?"

He whipped his free hand back to hit me, and I braced myself.

"Julian, don't!" Philip shouted.

The blow never landed-but not because of Philip's angry shout. Instead, the room exploded in a deafening sound, and I fell back against the floor, looking around wildly to see what happened.

Another explosion sounded, hurting my ears.

Julian's chest was bleeding from two gaping holes as he stumbled backward. Wade was holding his Beretta out in both hands, beads of sweat trickling down his narrow face.

He fired again, catching Julian in the shoulder.

I'd forgotten about the Beretta.

"His throat!" Philip yelled. "Aim for his throat!"

I twisted over to sit in a crouch, uncertain what to do. Wade fired again, but Julian dropped low, and the bullet missed him completely.

But his pale face was so shocked I wondered how he had the presence of mind to even act.

Philip bolted across the room, his loose flannel shirt billowing behind him. He grabbed Julian by the shoulder and leg, lifting him into the air and throwing him at the window. Julian's body crashed against the drapes.

Glass snapped and crackled.

Let him fall through. Please, let him fall through .

Dropping twelve floors to the pavement might not destroy his body, but he'd be out of working order for a while.

But in despair, I saw his hand catch the drape. He managed to steady himself, pain and confusion twisting his features as he stared back in shock-as if unable to believe Philip would attack him to defend me.

Philip actually snarled at him.

I realized this was a new situation for Julian. Fearing a psychic combat he could not win, he'd always hidden himself away, striking only unaware victims. Physical battles with an equal were almost unknown… and he was wounded, bleeding.

But Philip was strong. He charged forward again and swung hard with his right fist, catching Julian across the jaw. The crack echoed as Julian's head snapped back.

Wade moved past me, looking for a clear shot.

"Don't!" I called. "You might hit Philip."

We needed Philip whole.

"Stay behind me," Wade spat back, still holding the gun with both hands.

Philip reached down to try and get another grip, but this time, Julian swept out with his leg, knocking Philip off his feet. Julian lunged up to stand behind the couch, his face a mask of hatred, and then his eyes grew more focused, emanating his gift.

The fear hit me like a wall.

I started gagging.

Wade didn't even get off one shot. He fell to his knees, dropping the gun. His mouth was open in terror but no sounds came.

Philip cried out from fear, and he tried struggling up to crawl. Julian kicked him in the chest so hard his body flew against a wooden chair, smashing it to pieces. When he hit the floor, his shoulder popped out of its socket and his arm lay at an odd angle.

Julian ignored him and strode directly to Wade. The waves of fear washed over and over me, but despair flooded in as well when Julian grabbed Wade's hair with one hand and the Beretta with the other. He smashed the butt of the gun against Wade's cheekbone.

"You like this gun?" Julian asked. His chest and shoulder were still bleeding, soaking his black shirt. He pressed the barrel to Wade's temple. "Do you like it now?"

He wasn't even going to feed. He was just going to shoot Wade in the head.

And Philip was down, his body broken, his mind lost in fear.

"Master, no," I started begging. I hated begging.

I had to do something.

In desperation, more from instinct than intent, I pushed my own thoughts into his mind with all the force I had once used on Dominick. Only this time, I didn't fire ugly images.

Stop!

He froze, his dark eyes wild.

Let go of him!

He dropped Wade first, then the gun, and his mouth formed a horrified O shape. He half turned and staggered toward me. I felt him trying to force me out of his mind. He focused his gift on me at the same time, trying to bury me in terror.

I gasped aloud, fighting for my hold, feeling him push me out, knowing if he did, we were all dead.

I closed my eyes, blocking out the sight of him, but this time, I sent images… memories I'd seen inside of Philip.

Angelo's face. His smile. The sword arcing, slicing off his head .

All Julian's resistance failed as he cried out. I could feel what he felt in this moment, and he had never felt anything like it. I kept my eyes closed and pushed harder inside of his mind.

Show me .

I was inside his memories, inside his existence, and he could not keep me out, nor could he stop the flow I had started by forcing him to see Angelo. He began to remember it all. I saw so many faces, so many of my kind as Julian butchered them… a red-haired vampire turning in surprise as the blade swept in… a dark-skinned girl, little more than a child. I wanted to weep, but could not.

Instead, I gripped his thoughts more tightly with my own. I altered them, warped them, creating images of the ghosts of his victims. I built a nightmare in his mind as they crept toward him with bloody lines across their throats. He could not escape as they clutched at him… grabbing him, nailing him to a cross, and raising it.

Angelo picked up a torch and set the cross on fire.

Julian screamed and fell to the carpet.

I crawled over to him, with my mouth to his ear.

"Is this what you fear, Master? One of us taking over your thoughts, your body?" I pressed my mouth closer, tasting the stale flesh of his temple. "Then fear me. I could make this much worse, and I could make you relive it over and over again." I paused, watching his face twitch in horror, ashamed how much I enjoyed the sight.

"We want to be left alone," I whispered. "That's all. But if you ever come near me or Philip or Wade again, I will trap you in your own hell. Do you understand?"

I released some of my control, letting him have partial function of his body again. He did not respond, but turned his head to stare at me. I was a stranger to him-as if he could not believe his little servant girl could conjure images ugly enough to make him writhe and force them into his brain. He didn't know me. His mouth was still locked in the O shape.