Be Still My Vampire Heart(99)

 

Alek came in, followed by two more Russian vampires with revolvers.

 

"Burien and Miroslav have an endless supply of silver bullets," Katya boasted. "You will accompany them up the stairs."

 

Alek grabbed Emma and pressed a knife to her neck. "And if you teleport away, I'll slit her throat."

 

"I'll behave." Angus gave Emma what he hoped was a reassuring look. "So have ye decided to let us go?"

 

Katya snorted. "Casimir is coming to take you and your mortal whore. I'm sure he has lovely plans for the two of you."

 

Alek dragged Emma toward the door. When he had her halfway up the stone steps, Burien motioned for Angus to follow.

 

"Slowly," Katya reminded him. "Or I'll shoot you with nightshade."

 

Angus went up the stairs. The two mortals had hunting rifles aimed at Emma. Alek had released Emma, but stood on one side of her with his sword drawn. Galina was on the other side, also with a sword. That made a total of seven bad guys, Angus counted, including the two mortals. And they were all armed. Still, if he could get close enough to Emma, he could teleport her away. He sauntered across the grassy courtyard, hoping they wouldn't notice.

 

"Stop, or she dies," Katya warned him.

 

He halted. Emma looked far too pale in the moonlight. He'd left her too damned weak.

 

And if things weren't bad enough, three figures shimmered in front of the stone manor house, then solidified. Angus's breath hitched. He hadn't seen Casimir since the Great Vampire War of 1710, but there was no mistaking that harsh face and those cruel eyes. The war might have left him weak and injured, but he appeared fully recovered. Or was he? His left arm seemed bent at an odd angle, and he was wearing one glove. His dark eyes scanned everyone, his face blank until he spotted Angus.

 

He lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. "General MacKay."

 

Angus nodded once. His old enemy had two bodyguards. He recognized Jedrek Janow on Casimir's left, perhaps to protect Casimir's weak spot. That was how Casimir worked.

 

He sacrificed others to keep himself alive. With a pang, Angus realized he might have done the same thing with Emma.

 

Katya stepped forward and bowed from the waist. "We are honored by your presence, my lord."

 

Casimir's cold gaze wandered to Katya. "You kept calling and pestering me until I agreed to come."

 

"I meant no disrespect." Katya bowed again. "I merely wished to give you these gifts as a token of my gratitude and allegiance."

 

"You were told to deliver the slayer to Jedrek, and yet you did not. Is that how you display your allegiance?"

 

Katya gripped her hands together. "I wanted to deliver her personally, so I could assure you of my loyalty. And I have a special gift for you—General MacKay. I also saved your servant Jedrek a trip to New York."

 

"Your kindness is overwhelming," Casimir muttered. "Tell me, how did you display your allegiance to Ivan Petrovsky?"

 

Katya stiffened.

 

Angus knew she was in big trouble. If he could get these vampires busy killing each other, he might have a chance to get close to Emma and teleport her to safety. "Katya murdered Petrovsky," he yelled. "I saw it myself. She and Galina staked him through the heart when he was unarmed."

 

Katya shot him a venomous look, then turned to Casimir. "MacKay is a traitor to our kind. He was helping the mortal woman slay my men."

 

Casimir glanced at Emma with a dismissive look. "A mere cockroach, easily disposed."

 

His gaze returned to Angus. "But to have the general who defeated my last army—I shall savor his death."

 

"Then remember that I am the one who delivered him to you," Katya insisted. "I am your faithful servant."

 

Angus tilted his head. Was that an owl hooting in the woods? It sounded like the signal Ian and Robby liked to employ. "Ye canna trust her, Casimir. She betrayed ye once. She'll do it again."

 

Katya turned to Alek. "Kill him!"

 

Casimir lifted a hand, and Alek froze. "Are you giving orders, Katya, without my permission?"

 

She winced. "Forgive me. MacKay's lies make me forget myself."

 

"Lies?" Casimir's dark eyes shifted to Angus. "As much as I detest his kind, I have to admit they are disgustingly honest."

 

A blur of motion caught Angus's eye. A dozen people were standing on the three-foot-high stone wall that encircled the courtyard. Relief swept through him as he recognized his friends and employees—Ian, Robby, Jack from Venice, Mikhail from Moscow, Austin and Darcy Erickson, Jean-Luc Echarpe from Paris with two from his coven, and Zoltan Czakvar, the coven master of Eastern Europe, with two from his coven. Austin and Darcy had revolvers. The ten Vamps drew their swords.