Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh
"Jesus." Sliding away her phone, she moved to the pile with Venom.
She had a very dangerous knife hidden down the side of her boot, the weapon one in which she'd had extensive training. Working in the shadows required that she learn to handle weapons, but she had difficulties with guns; they just didn't feel right in her hands. And, given her speed, a knife worked as well--even better when it came to situations that required silence.
But today, she decided not to reach for the blade. "Keep watch," she said to Venom.
He was stronger, could react faster to the possible threat.
Then, though her stomach twisted and churned, bile burning the back of her throat, she forced herself to move the body parts to one side, trying to think of the pieces not as butchered people but as inanimate objects. It was hard when the skin was sickeningly pliable under her fingers and when the smell of putrefying blood and other, nastier--
"No, no." Horror chilling her skin, she knelt in front of the thin naked woman covered in blood who was cringing into the wall. Knees and arms tucked into her chest and her eyes stark, she breathed in short, shallow gasps.
It was a wonder she could breathe at all--her throat had been slit.
Vampire.
Holly slammed her hand over the woman's wound. "Venom. Feed her." She'd do it herself but her blood was tainted, could well do more harm than good.
"Tilt up her head and hold her mouth open," Venom ordered. "I don't want to have to tear her off if she starts to gorge. I could kill her."
Heart pounding like a racehorse's, Holly used her free hand to squeeze the woman's jaw until her mouth fell open to reveal fangs not much bigger than Holly's, managed to tilt back her head. Blood dripped into the brown-haired vampire's mouth, Venom having cut himself using a pocketknife she'd somehow never expected him to be carrying.
He'd tipped his wrist over the woman's mouth.
When--because the woman's fangs weren't buried in his skin--the wound began to heal, he reopened it.
The skinny woman with pale white skin didn't react for at least five seconds--a near-impossible period for a starving vampire being given an infusion of powerful blood, and then she jerked so hard toward Venom that had Holly not been holding her, she'd have clamped on to his wrist. Venom pulled away his wrist at the same time, cutting off the flow of blood and making the vampire whimper piteously.
"Venom."
"She can't handle any more. I'm not a baby vampire, kitty--my blood's old. And if I were you, I'd watch my throat."
Holly jerked back just in time.
The woman had lurched up surprisingly fast to end up on her hands and knees on the worn carpet. Limp and dirty hair hanging around the sides of her face, her eyes rimmed with red, she hissed at Holly. And Holly traveled back in time. She'd been too scared to hiss at Elena when the hunter had found her, but she'd been as broken. "We're here to help you," she said gently.
The woman screeched and clawed out at Holly, moving with scrabbling speed across the carpet on all fours. Holly scrambled back, unwilling to hurt a traumatized victim.
The vampire crumpled onto the carpet like a doll with her strings cut.
Holly glared up at Venom. "What did you do that for?" He'd taken the brunette down with a simple hit to the back of the neck.
"I really don't have time for you to play chase with a feral vampire," he said lightly. "And this is no longer cop business."
"Why?" She went to check that the vampire was alive, found a jerky pulse. "She looks like a junkie. Probably freaked out after witnessing the massacre."
"Vampires don't hold drugs that long inside themselves," Venom reminded her. "She had to be under that pile of body parts long enough for the parts to go cold and the blood to coagulate on the floor. And I fed her my blood--that should've shocked her back to full consciousness. She was acting . . . Not like a vampire in bloodlust, but close."
Holly shook her head. "She was acting terrified and psychotic." Driven by the primal impulse to survive. "That's how you act when you've been abused, then nearly murdered."
Venom put away his phone after making a call to the Tower. "She is not you." It was an oddly gentle comment.
"Maybe she is." Holly brushed the woman's dirty brown hair back from her face after turning her onto her back. "She's really thin." Thinner than the haunting vampiric slenderness flaunted by the older vampires who'd been so refined by their vampirism that they were ethereal in their beauty.
"Why doesn't Dmitri look like the old vamps? The ones who are all preternatural slenderness and translucent skin?" she asked, the thought one she'd never before contemplated. "He's all hard edges even after a thousand years."
"He's a warrior and he's stayed a warrior through time," Venom said, coming to crouch by the woman. "Vampirism shapes us as we choose it to shape us. For Dmitri, that's meant his muscles are stronger, more difficult to injure."
The woman coughed, her eyelids beginning to flutter.
Venom's blood.
She wouldn't have recovered this quickly otherwise. But she wasn't quite there yet, and since she might go feral again when she woke fully, Holly took this opportunity to scan the rest of her. "Bruises," she said, pointing out the ones visible even through the rust red of dried blood. "Probably from being thrown at the wall." There was a noticeable dent in the wall against which the vampire had been cringing.
"Whoever killed the other three likely slit her throat and threw her at the wall and thought the job was done," Venom murmured. "She's young enough that she should have died--but the throat slit must've been just careless enough to give her a shot at survival."
He angled the woman's head slightly to the side to look at the wound. "It appears the killer didn't cut through her spinal cord. And she would've had blood dripping onto her face from the body parts for a period. Some would've gone into her mouth."
Sometimes, the worst times, Holly wondered if she had blanks in her memory because Uram had made her feed on the blood of her dead friends. Remembering something like that could drive an already half-crazy survivor all the way insane, so maybe she'd chosen to forget.
"These bruises, however," Venom said before the horror could dig into her brain, "they were made by a hand gripping hard and the color makes it clear they're older." He was pointing to marks on the woman's thigh.
"She must be really young if she's healing this slowly."
"It isn't always a matter of age. Some vampires of ten thousand will always be weak. Others will be powers at two hundred."
Holly nodded. At around two and a half centuries of age, Janvier was a walking example of the latter. "It looks like her leg was broken recently, too." There was a jagged scar on her right shin, as if bone had poked through.
Rising, Venom circled the thin brunette. "The bottoms of her feet are burned. Scarred." His voice was cold. "That's torture."
The woman's watery blue eyes, eyes ringed in pulsing blood red, flicked open. And this time, they focused on Venom. Her fear was a vicious curling up of her body, a tiny creature cringing in dread. "Please." A rasped whisper. "No more."
Sliding on his sunglasses, Venom hunkered down beside the fallen woman. Then, to Holly's surprise, the most well-dressed vampire she knew slipped his arm behind the filthy woman's back and helped her up into a seated position with gentle care. The woman shivered violently, her bones rattling. Taking off his jacket--which probably cost thousands--Venom put it around her shoulders.
The brunette clutched the lapels closed over her naked breasts, shooting Holly looks so hopeful that it was all she could do not to cry. Holly thought of what her mother would do if she found someone like this, and reached out to brush the woman's matted and dirty hair off her face.
Sobbing, the vampire fell into Holly's arms. And said, "I thought you were dead. I'm so sorry. I thought you were dead."
The words made no sense . . . and they sent a chill up Holly's spine.
"Holly."
She glanced at Venom, startled at his use of her
He spoke quietly. "Watch her fangs. There's something not normal about her."
13
Holly wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. This woman could've been her not so long ago. But the ring of red around this broken vampire's eyes was a warning she couldn't disregard. Holding her nonetheless, she made sure she was very aware of the woman's mouth and fangs.
The vampire cried until she went limp . . . then jerked back so hard that she tore herself out of Holly's arms. Scuttling backward like a spider crab until her back was to the mound of body parts, she took harsh, hard breaths, her eyes scrunched shut. As tightly clenched as her hands where she gripped the lapels of Venom's jacket.
Holly was almost expecting the blood red eyes that met hers when the woman flicked her eyelashes back up. "Help me." This time, her voice was as rough as coarse sandpaper.
Venom was there before Holly saw him move.
Seizing the vampire's wrists with a single hand, he used his other to hold her jaw with enough force that she couldn't turn her head and try to sink her fangs into him. "Fight it," he ordered. "You have my blood in your veins now. You have power."
The vampire's throat moved as she swallowed. "More," she pleaded in a whispery tone that was eerie in its lack of humanity. "Please."
Holly expected Venom to say a flat no, but he said, "Holly."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Hold her wrists."
"I have them." The woman's bones felt like a bird's, so thin and fragile--but Holly knew not to be fooled. The stranger was still a vampire.
Raising his own wrist to his mouth, Venom tore open a vein and, tipping up the woman's head using his grip on her jaw, dripped his blood into her mouth. The woman swallowed frantically, blood splattering her lips when she missed.
"Enough," he said after a few moments, when his vein began to knit naturally. "You'll die if you glut yourself on me."
Holly stared at him. He was right, of course he was right. He was too powerful for a weak vampire to take--but he'd let Holly drink her fill of him last night. Which said certain things about her that Holly didn't want to face just now.
The vampire licked her tongue around her mouth to get all the splattered drops and at that instant she wasn't human at all. But a heartbeat later, she smiled, and her eyes, they were devoid of red. "Thank you," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks again. "I haven't felt clean inside since . . . a long time."
"What's your name?" Holly asked.
"My name?" The woman looked at her blankly. "I . . . I had one, once. I d-don't remember."
Holly's fury was a cold rage in her heart. "How about Daisy? It can be your temporary name until you remember your real one." Everyone should have a name, should have the dignity of an identity. "Or you can choose another name you like."
A shaky smile. "I like Daisy, it's pretty."
"Look at me, Daisy." Venom hadn't raised his voice, but it demanded attention nonetheless.
Daisy turned her head, and, after examining her face, Venom released her jaw, though he shot Holly a look to ensure that she kept hold of Daisy's wrists. "What are you doing here?" he asked the vampire. "Were you with one of the dead men?"
A hard shake of Daisy's head, hate in the stare she shot toward the decapitated heads lined up on the pool table. "My master gave me to them for a week," she spit out. "To reward them for something."
Holly's stomach twisted. This was why she would've never voluntarily signed up for a normal Contract. Those under Contract had few rights. For a hundred years, they were the playthings of the angels. It wasn't always like that, of course. Dmitri had been with Raphael since the start, and he'd said things that made Holly think the two had been friends even before Dmitri was Made.
Janvier had come out of Neha's court far more educated, and experienced in travel and diplomacy than when he'd gone in; he'd also been trained in how to use the kukri blades with lethal skill. Ashwini was treated like an asset by the Tower. So not all those under Contract were destined for a hellish life--but there was no way to know, was there? You could end up with someone powerful but "human" like Illium, or you could end up with a bastard who lent you out to his friends for them to abuse.
"Who is your master?" Venom asked.
"He'll hurt me if I tell." It was a rasping whisper.
"You're not going back to him," Holly said before she could stop herself.
Venom's head lifted, turned toward her. But she refused to back down. "I'll talk to Elena," she said, speaking to both him and Daisy. "She'll help." The Guild Hunter turned angel was still human inside, didn't look at the world through the jaded eyes of an immortal.
"The name of your master," Venom said, returning his attention to Daisy.
This time, his voice demanded absolute obedience.
Daisy had no hope of standing against him. "Kenasha," she whispered. "My master is Kenasha."
Venom's expression didn't change. "When did you sign up to be his?"
It was an odd question. Vampires didn't get to choose under which angel they served out their Contract--the Tower was in charge of assigning new vampires to angels. And not all angels qualified; they had to be strong enough to control newborn vampires. Holly knew there had to be other prerequisites, but she'd never had reason to find out what.
"He's been my master for . . . a long time," Daisy said lifelessly. "I don't remember." Her eyes returned to Holly. "I thought I knew you. But I don't remember anymore. Why don't I remember?"
"It's all right," Holly soothed before Daisy could panic. "You're exhausted and weak. We'll talk when you're stronger."
There were noises lower down in the house, the sound of steady, unhidden movement echoing up the steps. Venom glanced back over his shoulder. "The Tower team has arrived."
Holly forced herself to release Daisy into that team's care. "She needs medical attention," she said to the powerful vampires who'd responded to Venom's call.
They ignored her.
Holly had learned to live with the reality of being the lowest non-mortal on the Tower totem pole, but it still made her grit her teeth . . . as something inside her whispered: You can kill them all. Strangling that mad voice she tried to pretend didn't exist, she anchored herself firmly to the here and now--where she was weird but didn't pulse with power like those around her.
The Tower vampires turned their cool, dangerous eyes toward Venom. "Take her to the infirmary," he said, indicating Daisy's hunched-up form. "Keep her away from anyone else--and under constant guard. I want her blood tested. It'll have mine mixed in with it."
"Yes, sir." Two of the vampires left with a terrified-looking Daisy, two remaining behind. Holly noticed with a corner of her mind that they were all wearing plastic covers on their shoes.
The last thing Holly saw before the three disappeared from sight were Daisy's panicked eyes as the woman twisted to look back at Holly, tears melting from her irises. Not about to leave the weak and abused vampire alone among strangers, Holly moved to go after her.
Venom closed his hand over her biceps, holding her in place. "You can't help her." An unforgiving statement.
"Fuck you." She tried to wrench out of his hold, failed. "What're they going to do to her?"
"Exactly what I said." Releasing her only when it was too late for her to catch up to the ones who had Daisy, he spoke to the other vampires who'd responded. "Clean up this mess and tell me about anything unusual you find."
"Yes, sir."
"There could be clues here," Holly muttered, rubbing at her arm.
Venom's sunglasses were still on, but she could tell he was looking at the place where he'd gripped her, and where she was now rubbing. She dropped her hand, not about to appear weak or soft in front of him.
"They're a fully trained forensic team," he told her, right as the others said they were going to retrieve their gear from the van. "Let's leave them to it."
Holly had to admit she was glad to be outside; it was still dark gray and drizzl
When Venom glanced at her, she reached out and snatched off those stupid sunglasses. She was half-tempted to throw them in the gutter and stomp on them, but, cognizant that they were probably worth six months of her salary, she folded them neatly before closing her fingers around them.
He smiled at her, tiny water droplets catching on his eyelashes. "When are you going to give those back?"
Never. "Maybe if you answer my question."
She expected him to block her. If this was Tower business, she had no right to the information. She spoke to cut him off as they crossed the road to where he'd left his car. Of course it was still there, not a scratch on it. "I'm part of the team that works in this section of the city. I need to know if something is going on that shouldn't be."
She didn't know if it was her words, or if he'd decided to trust her--after all, she'd made it clear she wasn't about to incur Raphael's wrath by spilling secrets--but he said, "I know who Kenasha is, and, as I suspected, he currently has no vampires listed as being under his care."
The last word was hard.
Holly frowned, her eyes tracing a water droplet streaking down the gleaming viper green of the car's hood. "The Tower didn't assign him Daisy?"
"No. Kenasha is never assigned newborn vampires." Unlocking the car, he waited for Holly to get inside, then got in himself. "If the angel officially in charge of her wanted to transfer her, he or she should've contacted the Tower."
"Why?" Holly's empty hand fisted, Daisy's words about being "given" to the three dead vampires as a "reward" ricocheting inside her head. "It's not like the Tower interferes to stop the newly Made from being abused."
"They make their choice, Holly," Venom reminded her without an ounce of sympathy in his voice.
Holly's other hand tightened at her side, over his sunglasses, something Elena had said to her over two years earlier rising to the forefront of her consciousness. Holly had been feeling sorry for a vampire the Guild Hunter had recently retrieved when Ellie had pinned her to the spot with the silver-rimmed gray of her gaze.