Callie's Shadow Ch. 14

Marcus let out a huge roar, his sword singing as he swung it once more. All around him, the stink of vampire pyres let off a heavy heat, bringing a sheen of sweat to his skin. His hair was plastered to his head and he bled from many wounds on his body.

He was tiring, something he'd once thought an impossibility. It seemed that he killed them and another ten took their place. Staring at the leather clad night walkers, he narrowed his eyes. "What, does Dorian have some kind of machine popping you assholes out? When did he have the chance to turn all you dickweeds?

He wasn't answered. A heavy growl of blood lust filled the room as Marcus was rushed once more. He killed two, garnering himself more bloody wounds. Loss of blood was starting to affect his strength and for the first time in centuries, he contemplated not coming out of this one alive.

"Dorian will be please."

Marcus looked up, hearing the soft English accent spoken in such dignified tones. He narrowed his eyes at the man dressed in Dorian's uniform of black and red. "I know you," he said before turning and decapitating a vampire trying to sneak up on him. "Who..."

"Aidan Kent," the man said. "I'd shake your hand and offer you some refreshments but you seem a bit busy at the moment." He chuckled at his own joke, moving further into the room.

"You're the guy that Callie was supposed to marry."

"Not supposed to, will marry." Aidan crossed his arms over his chest, watching in amusement as four vamps attacked him at once. "You look like you're tiring. You almost didn't get your sword up in time for that last one."

"I don't need a play by play from some British asshole. Why don't you go bow and scrape before Dorian and then drop your drawers so he can bugger you right." Marcus killed another two, seeing the door open behind Aidan and breathing a huge sigh.

"Dorian doesn't own me," Aidan growled. "He's my partner, not my boss."

"It's good to hear you say that, Aidan. I couldn't figure out who my father was afraid of, or why. I still don't know the why, but it won't matter once I'm done with you." Callie stepped up behind him, her eyes glowing, the fangs growing in her mouth making her voice deep and a little garbled.

"Ah, there's my bitch," Aidan said with a smile. "Did you come to play?"

"No, I came to kick your ass. Oh, and to return the ring. Damn thing was way to gaudy for me." She watched as Aidan narrowed his eyes. "You okay, Marcus?"

Marcus was staring at the next wall of Vamps that were now standing between him and the door. His sword hung so the tip was barely held above the floor. He was weaving a little now. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The vampires started to attack and he brought up his sword. Suddenly she was there in front of him, her back to him, a hissing snarl of rage coming from her lips. "Back off!" Angel growled.

"Why should we?" one leather clad woman asked. "He's a god, his blood will keep us alive forever."

"Touch him and I'll kill you," Angel snapped. "Fucking half breed maggots. You want to party, you come play with me."

The one who'd spoken first took a step forward. "I'll play."

"She's Angel," another one said, taking a step back. "He'll kill us if anything happens to her."

Her name was spoken, whispered, even snarled through the newest ranks of the killers sent in to take care of Marcus. They backed away holding up their hands and exiting out the door of the room.

Angel waited until the door shut behind them, turning and grabbing a sagging Marcus. "You ass! I should..."

Marcus grabbed her, drawing her close, holding her as tightly as he could. He hadn't expected to ever see her again. "I love you," he whispered into her hair, holding her close.

"I love you, Marcus. Why did you do this? You could have been killed?"

A snarl of rage came from behind them and Marcus brought his sword up, ready to defend Angel with his life.

Two wolves circled each other, one black, small and swift. The other was a reddish brown, his eyes glowing with amber lights. Stiff legged, they growled and snapped, finally the bigger male rushing in to attack the female.

But Callie was young and fast, knowing more about combat and hand to hand then Aidan could ever possibly learn. He snapped and all he got was air as Callie turned, going to the other side of him and knocking him down. Her bite drew blood, but he rose before she could get a hold of his throat.

Callie backed off, her teeth showing in an impressive snarl, the hair on her neck and back standing up in a ridged ruff. She was ready for Aidan when he attacked again, slipping under his snapping teeth and knocking him down once again.

Yipping, he drew back, a new wound leaving him bleeding from his stomach. Callie stalked the floor in front of him, her muzzle wet with his blood. Her eyes swirled silver fire, glaring at the wolf that had somehow threatened her father.

But Aidan wasn't done yet. His movements were slower; he limped on his left front paw. But his snarl was loud and his anger very easy to see. He leaped at her, his fangs bared. Callie jerked to one side but this time she wasn't quite fast enough. Aidan's fangs bit deep into her shoulder, ripping into the muscle. Blood foamed from the wound even as Callie yipped, falling to her side.

"Callie!" Angel cried, starting to run toward her friend.

Shadow became like his name, a silent follower, carefully keeping Dorian Amante in his sight as he trailed him. Something was about to happen, Shadow could feel it as he watched Dorian stop to speak to some of the red and black garbed vampires.

A woman, obviously drunk, staggered into his path. Shadow reached out and grabbed her before she could fall, standing her back up. He looked into her eyes, startled at the way her pupils had dilated. "Are you all right?"

She stared at him, stared through him then stumbled off, weaving and almost falling again. Shadow glanced around, noting that more than half of the people in the bar were the same way, one lady falling out of her chair. "What the...?"

Then he saw the first of the attacks, a man struck from behind, his head bent to the side. "Oh shit," Shadow hissed. Yanking out his communicator, he hit the button. "Shadow to base, Shadow to base."

"This is base."

"We need back up at our loca..."

"No, no, no," the female voice said, plucking his communicator out of his hand. With one quick move, she destroyed it, opening her hand to let the pieces fall to the floor. "I don't think the boss wants company tonight."

"I don't fucking care what your boss wants," Shadow growled, yanking his taser out of its holster. He stuck the two metallic prongs in the wide vee of the vamps shirt, hitting the trigger. A loud scream came from the vamp's mouth, mixing with the screams of those who hadn't imbibed enough of the drugged liquor to meekly let themselves be made into food. She burst into flame, quickly turning to ash.

Shadow took one look at the ruined communicator and then stepped over the pieces, heading in the direction he'd last seen Dorian. Moving swiftly he raced through the drugged crowd, his eyes searching faces.

He found himself standing in front of a thick steel door. Without a thought, he reached through the door, almost pulling his body through it to stand on the other side. Stairs led up to a small loft high above the bar floor. Shadow raced up the stairs, ignoring the sounds of the carnage that was happening below.

At the top of the stairs was a wide balcony looking out onto the bar. Standing there, watching what he'd wrought, Dorian smiled faintly. "What are you?"

"The agent that is going to bring your skanky ass to justice," Shadow said without missing a beat. "Let's see what you can do with someone who isn't afraid of you."

"You're not afraid of me? I suppose Angel hasn't told you of my powers." He shrugged his elegant shoulders, smiling wide enough to show off his fangs. "You'll learn." He leaned over the balcony, his eyes gleaming as he watched the horde below. "It's quite a show, would you like to see?" Dorian stepped back, waving Shadow forward.

"It's just more that will put another nail into your coffin, Dorian. What you are doing is illegal, it's immoral and it jeopardizes everything that ASP has been trying to do for decades." Shadow stopped talking as he walked up to the Old One. Black eyes met icy blue and locked.

"I don't think so," Dorian said in a soft almost guttural voice. "Instead, I think you should grab hold of the top of this railing and jump over."

Shadow turned, taking hold of the railing. His hands trembled, his body tensed and he readied himself to jump, his eyes on the floor so far below.

Callie felt the pain tear into her shoulder, burning as his teeth ripped into her. Blood began to flow, the heat of it coating her leg and the floor beneath her. She saw Aidan coming toward her once more and forced herself to her feet, ignoring the pain as best as she could. Looking at him, all she could see was lies and evilness. She couldn't think of him as anything else.

He came closer, his teeth bared, a look in his eyes that told her how much he was enjoying making her suffer. His fur was matted, a big hank torn out from one of her passes, blood matting and dripping off of him as well.

Callie waited. She knew she didn't have much more in her. She had to take him down this time and keep him down. Otherwise...

"Callie," Angel called.

Callie could hear the concern in her friend's voice. She gave a sharp bark, knowing that Angel would know what she meant. They had to stay back. This was her fight and she was going to win if it killed her.

Are you done? Aidan asked, his accent prevalent even as he sent her his thoughts.

Are you an idiot? Callie threw back, snarling her eagerness to rip him to pieces.

Your father would be so proud, Aidan smirked. Aren't you even curious about why he wanted you to marry me?

I'm betting you lied. I'm betting that you told him Dorian was after me because of my proximity to Angel and the only way to save me was to get me out of town. So you were doing the noble thing, after finding out about Dorian, and offering me the famous Kent name. Callie snapped at his leg, turning her head when he tried to bite her and getting his ear in her teeth. Ripping backward harshly, she found a large piece of the pink flesh still in her mouth.

Aidan's yelp turned into a roar of rage and he turned back on her, ignoring the blood that dripped over his face and into his eye. You fucking bitch!

Ya know, that endearment is getting a little tiresome. Let's try something new, huh?

I'm going to kill you, he growled, shaking his head and hissing at the pain in his torn ear. While you're lying there, bleeding to death, I'm going to fuck you. My face and my cock will be the last things you remember from this plane.

Well at least I'll die laughing, she jeered, seeing the scored point in the way he stiffened even more. Then he was attacking, his sharp teeth aiming for her throat, his eyes dark and full of blood lust.

Callie refused to move, watching as he came closer, readying for the last move of this dance of death. Her body was loose, her legs braced. Her tail was high and so was her head. Her eyes tracked his movement, everything seeming to slow down until it was almost like slow motion.

His mouth was wide open, his fangs gleaming. He dug in his feet to stop his attack, slipping in the puddled blood on the cement floor. Callie jumped to the side, her teeth snapping, getting hold of his throat. The momentum of his attack tore him away from her, leaving Callie with a huge hunk of flesh left in her mouth. She spit it out, turning quickly.

But the fight was over. Aidan lay defeated at her feet, his body twitching as the last of his life's blood drained from him. His eyes were already dead and staring, his body slowly changing back from wolf to human. One last gasp was forced from between his lips and then he was still.

Callie turned away, going to where she'd thrown her clothing and slowly changing back to human. Her shoulder showed the bite that she'd taken, blood flowing over her torn flesh. She pulled her pants on easily enough but that was as far as she got.

Angel hurried over to her. "Come on kid, we got to get you dressed before Wings over here gets ideas."

Marcus grinned. "Don't worry Callie, I only get those ideas now when Angel shakes her tits at me."

Callie managed a chuckle, the sound turning into a groan as Angel slowly pulled her jacket on over the wound. "I hope the fabric staunches some of that blood. The idea of walking into vamp party central smelling of blood isn't one I relish."

"I'll protect you, little one," Angel said, winking at her.

"Thanks so much, mom." Callie used her good arm to drag herself up to her feet. "We've got to find Shadow." She headed to the doorway, weaving a little before steadying herself. Pulling open the door she took two steps into the main area of the bar and gasped.

Bodies lay everywhere, there heads turned, necks showing the wounds where they'd been sucked dry. The younger, prettier woman had been stripped, their bodies showing the other uses the vampires had put them through before finishing with them.

More humans were being rounded up, many of them stumbling and almost incoherent. They were being led through a door and into a back room by the vamps while others went through the bodies on the floor, checking for any sign of life in any of them. Those that still breathed had their heads raised and were forced to drink from an ornate bottle decorated with gems and gold leaf.

"Oh shit," Angel whispered, her eyes taking in the carnage with revulsion.

"You can say that again," Marcus groaned.

"We've got to do something. That bottle, it must be what is changing them." Angel stepped forward, her eyes on the vamp holding the bottle.

"What's in it?"

"Dorian's blood, herbs and a bit of nightshade. If it doesn't kill them, it'll turn them," Angel told Callie.

Callie nodded, shuddering. A bit of movement above her caught her attention and she gasped. "Oh God!" she cried. "Look!" She pointed above her head where Brian had hold of the railing on a balcony, readying to jump over it. "Brain, don't!" she screamed.

Dorian waited, watching the man as he stood at the railing. "What are you waiting for? Jump!" he ordered.

Shadow turned, his taser in his hand. "I don't think so, he said with a small smile. "I just had this uniform cleaned."

"That's not possible," Dorian growled. He glared at Shadow. "What are you? No mere human could resist me."

"I've never really considered myself a mere anything," Shadow said conversationally. "I've always managed to excel at everything I do. I don't expect kicking your ass will be any different." He started forward, eager for the battle.

Dorian streaked into the apartment, his sharp nails cutting through the tape that was across Armand's mouth. He unlocked the locks with a thought. "Fresh blood, my friend. Just what you need to heal yourself."

Armand's face was white, pale even for a vampire. He'd lost so much blood that the pain inside was a cramping horror. All he could think of was blood, the smell, the taste. He needed it. He growled with blood lust, shaking free of the shackles and ripping the rest of the duct tape from his face.

His eyes were hard, black dots, staring at Shadow as he came through the door. Then he was on him, knocking him to the floor and dragging Shadow's head back.

Shadow managed to get one hand up and under Armand's chin, using that to keep the vampire from his throat. How long he could withstand the vamp's rage induced extra strength he didn't know. He also didn't know what was under him. He could let himself fall into the floor and end up a stain on the bar floor far below.

"Armand Rand!" he shouted. "Don't do this."

Drool dripped down onto his throat and he felt the brush of those brutally sharp teeth against his skin. Adrenaline spiked through his body and he managed to get one more hand under the vamp's head, pushing his chin so far back that a normal human would have had his neck broken.

But Rand was like a slathering beast, his body so starved for blood that he couldn't control himself. He snapped and snarled, pushing his mouth ever closer to Shadow's exposed throat.

"Daddy, no!"

Callie raced to the back of the club, her eyes on the door she knew had to lead to the upper floor. She hit it hard, her uninjured shoulder taking the brunt of the blow. But the heavy steel door didn't budge.

"Watch out, Cal," Marcus said, stepping back and hitting the door with his foot. His leg vibrated and he swore, but still the door didn't move. "Fuck, what's that damn thing made of?"

Angel walked up, reaching out and turning the handle on the door, pushing it open and then turning to look at her teammates. "Did you ever think of trying the knob?"

Callie pushed past her, not answering. The man she loved was up there, his life at stake because of a renegade Old One that needed his butt kicked. Callie wanted her chance at a piece of his ass, after she saved Shadow that was.

Marcus flinched, brushing past Angel. "Smart ass," he growled, hearing her laugh. "Come on, this ain't over yet."

They were half way up the stairs when they heard the first of the back up teams break through the metal grating, forcing their way into the club. A loud roar could be heard and Marcus grinned. He knew that roar. "Carmella is here," he said.

Angel sighed. "Thank God. She'll take care of those vamps."

The balcony was empty. Callie glanced over the edge, her heart in her throat. He wasn't laying there, bloody and broken. She gave a sigh of relief and another for the sight that greeted her showed that their agents were winning the day.

Angel turned toward the door, knowing that Dorian was inside. She could feel him, like a maggot, wiggling around in her brain. Her heart was in her throat but she stepped determinedly, readying herself for the confrontation.

"Daddy, no!" Angel shouted, her body frozen by the sight of her father's face. He'd always been kind and supportive, keeping his lusts and his feeding habits private. Now, seeing him snapping at Shadow's neck like some kind of rabid dog shocked her.

Marcus moved in behind her, pushing her to the side as he went to rescue Shadow. He lifted Angel's father into his arms, holding him tightly as Armand fought to escape.

Callie rushed by them, going to Shadow's side. "Are you hurt?"

"No," he said, studying her face. "But you are."

"It's nothing," Callie insisted, helping Shadow up. "Where's Dorian?"

"I was a little too busy to be able to keep track," Shadow said. "We have to get Armand some blood. He's being driven mad by the lust for blood. His body is drying up. If he doesn't get blood soon, he'll turn to dust. Angel...Where's Angel?"

Marcus almost lost his grip on Armand as his eyes searched the room, looking for the woman he loved. "Angel!" he called, not hearing her anywhere. A sound came from the bedroom and he cursed loudly. "The bedroom," he shouted at Shadow.

Callie and Shadow ran down the hall, hearing the sound of a struggle coming from behind the door on the end. Throwing it open, they stared around the empty room. Callie hurried into the adjoining bathroom, shaking her head since she'd found no one,

A sudden flurry of noise had her looking toward the high ceilings, the shock of what she was seeing causing Shadow to turn also.

Both were stunned. Kendra hung from the wall, blood still dripping from the stakes that speared her flesh. She laughed, coughing up a thin stream of blood to fall on the floor almost at their feet. "Y-you're t-too l-late," she whispered. "D-Dorian will s-show that b-bitch."