“It doesn’t look like much, does it?” Natchook stroked his hand across the top. “It’s amazing how such a little gadget can do such a wondrous thing.” His eyes glittered, lips stretching in a broad grin. “Ain’t technology grand?”
“Just what is it you hope to achieve?” Tobias knew Natchook’s goal on their home planet had been to overthrow the government and ensconce himself as some sort of dictator. The assassination attempt had succeeded, but instead of the people rallying around Natchook they had cried for his death. So he’d fled, Tobias on his heels.
“I told you. It’s about what I’ve always wanted to achieve. It doesn’t matter where we are, my goals have never changed.” Disdain flattened his mouth. “Humans are weak and easily distracted. They’re so concerned about the politics of things they aren’t keeping their eyes on the ball. I’ll have my chance to run things the way they should be. The way I want them to be.”
“You couldn’t screw up our world, so you thought you’d try this one?” Tobias dropped his hands to his sides, hyper aware of the vamp behind him inching his way closer. Another few seconds and he’d be back in a fight to the death with these two. “You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.”
He heard MacMillan groan and glanced around in time to see Nix pull the vamp off the detective. Blood streamed down MacMillan’s shoulder from a bite but he was steady on his feet. The vamp hadn’t been able to take enough blood—MacMillan would be fine. Well, fine as long as he and Nix could take care of the guy. Tobias put his attention back on Natchook.
“You just can’t ever leave well enough alone, can you?” Natchook paused, his eyes narrowing. “What name is it you go by these days? Tobias?” He smirked. “That’s rather a girly-man name, isn’t it?”
“And what’s your name now?” Tobias paused for effect. “Sally Sunshine?”
Instead of getting a rise out of him, Natchook only laughed.
Tobias shook his head. “This is a new world, Natchook. We’re guests here. You have no right to—”
“Don’t stand there, drowning me with your two-bit morality.” Natchook scowled. He slipped the small rift device back into the pocket of his jacket. “I have the right to do whatever I feel is necessary. It was my birthright to lead.”
“Just because you have royal ancestors doesn’t mean squat. If you look hard enough, I’ll just bet you find that a lot of our people have ties at some level or another to the royal family. Hell, I think I had an eighth cousin twice removed who was the son of a grand duke. But we chose democracy over monarchy centuries ago.” Before Tobias could say anything more, the vamp behind him attacked. Tobias staggered forward. Expecting Natchook to take advantage, he was surprised when the other man took several steps away from him. And as teeth sank into the side of his neck, Tobias had to turn his attention to the vampire on his back. He punched his fist into the vamp’s face, but couldn’t get any real power behind the blows.
Without hesitation he straightened his index and middle fingers and jabbed backward as hard as he could, right in the vamp’s eyes. The vampire shrieked in pain and dropped off Tobias’s back. Tobias whirled around and with a quick twist of his wrists broke the vamp’s neck. He let the body drop to the ground, knowing the vampire would die within seconds without a fresh infusion of blood to help him heal.
He lunged at Natchook and slammed him to the desert floor. Before he could sink his fangs into his old foe’s throat, Natchook got his feet between them and catapulted Tobias into the air. Tobias hit the ground, hard, several yards away. He rolled to his feet and charged forward, catching Natchook in the midsection and knocking him down again.
Tobias managed to get in a couple of blows before Natchook twisted, getting on top of Tobias to straddle him. His fist to Tobias’s jaw twisted his head to the side. As fangs slid deep into the side of his neck, Tobias growled and tried to buck Natchook off him.
Natchook raised his head, holding Tobias in place with one arm across his throat, and opened his mouth wide to bare fangs stained by Tobias’s blood. “You’re a pathetic weakling, Tobias. This is what comes…” He leaned close. “…from not drinking live,” he whispered. “You. Are. Nothing.” He leaned back slightly, his laugh low, full of disdain. He bent forward again, his black eyes reflecting Tobias’s image.
“Hey!” Nix stood a few feet away, blood dripping down her right arm, a long gash across her left cheek. Her eyes glowed with demon fire, horn buds parted her bangs, and the structure of her face was harder. Alien.