For Love of a Vampire

Chapter 35

I held tight while her dragon carried us swiftly back to her encampment. During the flight, she filled me in on what happened during my absence.

Duncan went into a rage, declaring his regrets about allowing us to convince him to let me go into the cave in his stead. This information was of no surprise to me. Even so, I was sorry to hear it.

Lady Margaret was brought before the coven and her powers were bound. She was then handed over to the Earl of Winter Spring to do with as he will. The fact that she'd tried to kill his only heir and caused him to become vampire didn't sit well with the earl. Although it was a crime punishable by death, he sent her to the dungeon instead. A kind man by nature, he couldn't bring himself to hang the girl he'd accepted as his ward and helped raise.

I'd lost track of the time and learned they'd been looking for me for the better part of a month. Rosalie actually complemented the vampire witches on their cunning ability to hide me as long as they did. She praised me for the spell I'd cast to summon Isabelle, even if she had already found me by then.

I could see Duncan rushing from the encampment as the dragon lowered us to the ground. He pulled me from its back with lightning speed and held me close. I could feel his panic subsiding as he reassured himself that I was whole and fine. Sniffing the air, he growled slightly, but said nothing. I knew he smelled the blood from the miscarriage, but there was nothing I could do or say to change it, so I avoided the topic.

Sliding his hand through the opening of my robe, he cupped my breast and smiled. I knew he was preparing to tease me on my attire to lighten the heaviness of the mood and I loved him for it. Unfortunately, we were overtaken by a swarm of cackling witches seeking to assure themselves that their queen had returned safe and secure before he could do much more than give my breast a quick squeeze and pull me close. We inched our way from the mob and held each other close while we made our way to the tent he'd been occupying.

"I am happy to see you dressed for the occasion," he chuckled.

"I missed you too," I teased.

He stopped and pulled my face to his. After kissing me in the most passionate kiss I think I've ever experienced, he assured me that he missed me more than words could express. I was his reason for being. He couldn't imagine life without me.

I believed him.

We were almost to my tent when Rufus stepped out from behind a tree. I screamed and jumped behind Duncan. He held me possessively behind him while we circled to see how many vampires he'd brought with him. I recognized the vampire witches from the cave and my heart sank.

I whispered their identity to Duncan and he nodded. Unlike me, he seemed hardly bothered by their presence. It gave me a sense of wellbeing that I hadn't felt since the nightmare began.

Balls of fire shot past us as Rosalie and her followers rushed to our aid. Duncan picked me up in his arms and swept me off to safety, leaving me in the competent care of Lady Helen, who'd just happened to stop by to check on the progress of my recovery after dealing with Lady Margaret.

I wanted to help, but I didn't dare defy Duncan. I'd done nothing but cause trouble for him and myself since I got it into my head to save the day and return to the past to prevent him becoming vampire. I now realized just how foolish an idea that was. It cost so many people so much.

Lady Helen helped me clean up and provided me with suitable clothing and we crouched near the tent opening to better view the war that raged all around us. Instead of musket balls soaring through the air, fireballs about three inches in diameter whizzed by us. They dissipated almost immediately on contact, but not without leaving a singed circle in their wake. I could only imagine the pain they could inflict if they came in contact with flesh.

While the witches hurled and whirled supernatural ammunition at each other, Duncan and Rufus circled each other in preparation to face off. I wasn't sure I could witness what was to come. When it came to physical build, they were pretty well matched. Each vampire was a fine specimen of hard lean muscle and each was about the same height. That's not what worried me. Although they were both about the same age in vampire years, Duncan spent the centuries dining on animal blood while Rufus followed traditional vampire fare and drank the blood of humans at least three times a week. Animal blood carried different nutrition properties than did human blood. I knew he'd had human blood of late, but I questioned if Duncan's strength was sufficient to defeat the power Rufus maintained.

I'd seen Duncan take on and destroy the vampires who threatened me in the alley. He was pretty impressive. I clung to that memory as I watched them charge each other.

Lady Helen placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly as she sucked in air to control her own tension.

"He has been drinking the blood of volunteers since you were taken in preparation for this. All shall be well," she whispered, "have faith."

I covered my face with my hands as Rufus lifted Duncan over his head and slammed him onto the hard ground. I was positive the loud crack that permeated the air was his ribs breaking. I poised to rush to his aide, but was stopped by the ever-wise Lady Helen.

Once I calmed down, I realized she was right. I would have been a burdon and a distraction to him at a time when he needed all of his wits about him. I buried my face in her bosom. I wasn't willing to watch my true love be destroyed by the vampire beast who'd forced himself upon me night after night.

The thought of being condemned to live eternity as a vampire mated to Rufus was more than I could bear. I'd rather die with Duncan than continue on without him; with or without being tied to that beast.

I prayed for Duncan to find the strength to defeat him. If not, I was prepared to take my life while there was still a smidgeon of Duncan's blood running through my veins.

A stray fireball entered the tent and we rushed to extinguish the fire it ignited. I was actually grateful for the distraction. Between the war of the witches and that of my lover and my captor, I had barely a nerve left in my body.

Several nerve wracking hours passed before things calmed down. The vampire witches were driven off and the encampment's barrier of protection was intensified. Duncan and Rufus were still going strong when Rosalie entered my tent. I questioned why no one stepped in to assist, but she simply waived her hand and said he had things under control and would never forgive them for interfering.

From where I stood, both vampires looked exhausted and half dead. After closer observation I could see she was right. Duncan did look to be pulling more punches than Rufus, whose movements were drastically slower.

The encampment residents set about to clean up the chaos caused by their battle. If it hadn't been so serious a battle, the way they skirted around and dodged the vampires would a have been comical.

The encampment was almost set aright by the time Duncan finally bested Rufus. My heart swelled with pride as I watched him pull the head of that demon vampire from his body. I know I should have felt bad about it, or even repulsed, but I couldn't. Rufus put me through a tremendous amount of emotional torture and physical pain. Nothing would have satisfied me except his death. I knew that deep inside me. So did Duncan.

I wasn't worried about the condition of my love until he stumbled into my tent and I was able to see the damage Rufus caused up close. He may have killed Rufus, but I questioned whether he was soon to follow. I guided him to my cot and coaxed him to lie down. It was clear he was in need of blood. Without thinking twice about it, I grabbed a small knife off the food preparation table and slit my wrist. Ignoring the sudden horror, I felt as I witnessed more blood gushing forth than I'd expected, I forced my wound against his lips. My semi-conscious vampire sucked greedily.

As I watched the color return to his face, even more so than normal, I felt it drain from mine. The more he sucked, the better he looked and the weaker I felt. I knew I had to stop him, but I was feeling too weak to push him off my arm. His grip was powerful and greedy. Once again I was in danger of Duncan literally draining the life from me.

I looked around the room, frantically searching for someone to help get him off me. We were alone.

Duncan's shocked eyes looking at me when he returned to normal and realized what was happening were the last things I saw before I collapsed in a heap on the floor.