My stomach fell yet another three feet. “I thought you were gone.”
He shrugged. “I changed my mind.”
“Nicolai . . . what are you doing?” My voice sounded strangled as he came further into the light. I realized his eyes weren’t normal. They were darkening, slowly bleeding to black. Shivers ran down my arms.
“Stay the hell away from her,” Thierry snarled behind his back.
Nicolai raised an eyebrow at me and turned. “Thierry, my old friend. Given your current position, I don’t think you should be telling anyone what to do.”
I was very confused. “Nicolai . . . what’s wrong? What’s going on here?”
“What’s wrong?” He laughed. “Where do I even begin?”
“What about Gideon?” I managed. “I thought he was in town. Or was that a lie, too?” I glanced at Janie,
who now held a wooden stake in her hand.
“Oops.” She grinned. “Is my nose getting longer?”
I watched as Nicolai ran the tip of his tongue along his sharper-than-normal fangs, studying me as if I were prey. Not a good feeling, to put it mildly. What was wrong with him? What was he up to?
“I must admit, Sarah, that when I arrived in town my intentions were honorable. My plan was to assassinate Gideon Chase when he made a move on you. It would have been my greatest achievement.”
“Assassinate him?” I repeated as my eyes widened. “You didn’t say anything about assassinating him. I thought you just wanted to capture him.”
He shook his head. “And hide him away from the world? Perhaps reason with him and let him go? So young and stupid, you are. I truly am surprised that Thierry would give you any attention whatsoever.
When I arrived, I expected great things from the Slayer of Slayers. I put so much hope into it. You have been the ultimate disappointment.” He looked over at Thierry. “Granted, she is young and attractive, but what else is there? Don’t tell me you truly care what happens to this girl.”
Thierry’s expression darkened and he strained against his bindings. “Touch her and you will die a horrific death.”
With a look from Nicolai, Janie moved to stand behind Thierry, running the tip of the wooden stake along the edge of his black shirt.
“I’d put a sock in it if I were you,” Janie advised. “Nicolai isn’t in a very good mood. Frankly, neither am I. Nicolai, I thought you said that if I got them here, you’d handle Thierry and I could have bitch face over there.”
Bitch face? That’s the best she could come up with? If I hadn’t been scared out of my wits, I’d have been seriously insulted.
He gave her a cold smile. “My plans have changed.”
“Oh, and when did that happen?” Her jaw clenched.
“Some time ago.” Nicolai turned to survey me again. I instinctively took a step backward. The look in his black eyes was predatory. What was his problem with me? What had I done to piss him off so much?
“So . . . ” I tried to breathe normally. This wasn’t as bad as I thought. No. Keep telling myself that and maybe everything would be okay. Nicolai was one of the good guys. He’d given me his blood after
Thierry bit me. He was the leader of the Ring, for Pete’s sake. “I’m thinking we have some issues we need to hash out. Why don’t we all go for a coffee somewhere and chat? There’s no reason we can’t all be friends.”
Yeah. Didn’t sound terribly convincing to me, either. But it was worth a shot.
A cruel smile twisted his lips. “Passably attractive. Not terribly bright. Slightly endearing in her naive attempts at humor.” He turned to Thierry. “I still don’t understand. But so be it. You want to know when
I changed the plans, Janie?”
She shrugged. “Actually, I’d rather just get this over with.”
“It was when I arrived at the nightclub the other night. To find Sarah unconscious and bleeding. I knew at once what had happened. That Thierry had nearly drained her and left her for dead.”
I saw Thierry visibly flinch at his words.
“I also knew right then that the rumors about the Slayer of Slayers were false, for this wouldn’t have happened to one with an ounce of strength or common sense,” Nicolai continued, “and it was as if the last hundred years had never passed. It was as if I was seeing my Elizabeth , dead in front of me.
Murdered by someone I trusted. Someone I considered to be my friend. My first thought was to help.
And I revived her. Didn’t I?”
I nodded. “You did. And I appreciate it. But why are you—”
He waved me off. “I should have felt good about my sacrifice. I was the better man. I wanted to help save her. But as she drank from me, as she was revived, my feelings began to change. I saw the bite marks fresh on her neck. They were the bite marks that Elizabeth would have worn. And all became clear to me once again, after so, so very long. All I wanted to do was to finish what Thierry began. To finish you, Sarah, and find some closure to my own tragedy.” His eyes narrowed at me. “Perhaps then I would have learned what he sees in you. Do you taste sweeter than the rest?” He took a step closer to me.
“Nicolai—” Thierry’s voice was edged with violence.
He turned to Thierry. “I told her that Gideon Chase wanted to kill the Slayer of Slayers. That he also wanted to kill you. She was willing to put herself at risk in order to ensure your future safety. Isn’t that foolish of her?”
I didn’t look at Thierry, but he was silent.
Nicolai sighed. “However, he is not here. His plans changed, as mine have. So now there is only us.”
“What does that mean?” I said, my voice now shaky.
“Revenge,” he said simply. “It is finally time for me to seek my revenge. I have tried to put it behind me.
But seeing Thierry after so long. Seeing you with Thierry, with your eyes filled with romantic stars.
Realizing that he cares for you. That he would care what happensto you. It was well worth the wait. He murdered the woman I loved more than anything else.” He looked around the theater. “That’s why I wanted to come here. After Janie told me of your little adventure yesterday, I knew this was the perfect place. My Elizabeth was an actress. Thousands saw her perform in her short life. I gave her immortality and she should have shone onstage for millennia. But that was cut short when she was murdered.” He turned to stare daggers into Thierry. “Do you have anything to say to that?”
Thierry looked down, his chest heaving. Then he raised his gaze. “Do what you wish to me. I deserve it.
But Sarah . . . let her go. As one whom you once considered your friend, I beg you.”
Nicolai regarded him for a moment. “You beg me.” He started to laugh. “Oh, this is too, too wonderful.
He begs me to spare her life.”
Obviously, Nicolai was the only one who seemed to get this side-splittingly not-funny joke.
“Thierry de Bennicoeur begs me to spare the life of the woman he loves. Don’t you see? This makes what I’m about to do so much sweeter. For I never had the chance to beg for the life of Elizabeth , did