Meg ducks a bowl that flies at her head. The blonde vampire has gotten over her initial panic and is now a serious problem. There are still enough vampires that Drake is dealing with them while Meg stalks this one. A problem compounded by the vampire's proclivity to throw things. This is more of a ducking contest than one of brute will.
The next bowl irritates Meg as it hits the floor and shatters into a thousand pieces. She snarls in anger and leaps back onto the table. Her feet slide on the linen tablecloth as she runs for the vampire. A few more utensils fly her way but Meg is moving too fast now. She leaps for the woman, her asp slicing out, but missing as they tangle together and roll.
The vampire scrabbles at Meg's neck, trying to get a purchase and the beautiful pearl necklace snaps. The women pause as the tiny black pearls scatter and bounce across the floor. Meg punches her as hard as she can.
"Bitch." She hisses. "Those were a gift."
Another fleeing Councilmember trips over them and knocks Meg off balance. She whirls with the asp and drives it through the vampire's eye. He screams as the ash flares inward and Meg jerks but cannot get the asp out of the man's skull. It falls as his body turns into dust and drags her arm down slightly.
She's not entirely ready as the blonde vampire grabs a knife off the floor and stabs Meg in the bicep. Pain flares up fresh and bright along the muscle of her arm and she reaches for the blade as the vampire pulls it out and drives it in again. The second strike hits Meg square in the shoulder and she shudders as the metal scrapes along the bone.
Meg reaches out with her uninjured arm and drives the vampire's head into the floor. As the two women grapple for control, they roll and each momentarily gains dominance while the other jockeys for position. Another turn and Meg is on the bottom. They strike at each other. Every blow that lands on Meg tires her.
The vampire is winning although Meg doesn't want to admit it.
The blonde traps Meg's arms against the floor and smiles wickedly, her teeth suddenly very sharp in the lights of the dining hall. She leans against Meg, pressing weight down on the blade still in her body.
"Pretty little human, so sweet, so full of life. Is that what tempted him? The life inside of you?"
"Not only that." Meg bucks trying to throw her off but can't.
"You think that killing the Council will let him rule the world unchallenged?" Her voice is full of scorn. "We are a race that prides ourselves on conflict. He will not ascend uncontested."
"You're missing the point." Meg says tightly. "That's not what we're doing."
"You're weak." The blonde licks the edge of Meg's wound and rolls her eyes in ecstasy. "But tasty."
The mouth opens wide to take the final bite when it opens wider into a scream of hatred. Meg closes her eyes tight as ash blows all around her in a wind flurry. Then she is pulled off the floor and the knife jerked out of her wound.
Drake cocks his head at her. "Meg?"
"I'm okay." She surveys the destruction of the room. "These were stronger than the rest."
"They were Council members." He acknowledges as he brushes her hair away from the injuries. "Goddammit, woman. You are not immortal. Not yet." His hands cover her wounds with sudden heat and Meg leans into his body. There is nothing more comforting than this. She smiles into the cloth of his shirt as the pain dims to a muted throb.
There are some things more powerful than death, like this.
"Where?" Caulder looks at Blade and Hannibal like they're crazy.
"Rio."
"Why would a vampire go there?"
"Well, maybe because Europe's out. Along with most of Asia, the Middle East and the U.S."
"Why are they out?" Comes a light voice. Danielle, their newest acquisition hasn't seen a lot of action and Hannibal would like to keep it that way. This girl isn't even half as tough as Abby was.
"Because we've already looked there." Blade's tone is flat. "Breen said that there was some kind of Council gathering two days ago. He called the new Council there and no one has heard anything since."
"So it's probably full of vampires. Lots and lots of vampires." Hannibal looks happy at the thought.
"We can deal with whatever is there."
Danielle grins and bounces up and down on her toes for a second. "Vampires! Finally!"
Blade gives her a single glance and the young woman's exuberance subsides. She settles back down as they all wait for Blade to speak.
"Your job is the vamps and any familiars you find. Drake is mine."
"And Meg?" Caulder has long since been the only one with any concerns about the fate of the errant woman. "What about her?"
"I'll handle Meg." All eyes turn in surprise towards Hannibal and Caulder nods. He trusts Hannibal and since this is the first they've heard from him, everyone assumes that he will be lenient. He turns towards Blade. "Unless you have a problem with it?"
"I want to talk to her." Blade tells him. "When everything is finished."
"I'm sure we can handle that."
Caulder grins as the last box is loaded onto the small charter plane behind them. "Let's finish this. I've not been home to Ireland in six years and it's about time we had a vacation."
The humans are full of themselves as they load up, but Blade waits until the last minute. Miami played out the way he hoped it would, but he hasn't told the others all of what Breen told him.
The vampires thought that something was wrong in Rio. Vampires who went down there didn't come back and there were rumors of death squads seeking out vampires with more determination than even Blade and the Nightstalkers. Breen had been frightened of attracting anyone's attention because vampires had become a rare commodity all over the world. He hadn't been able to tell Blade why, or what Drake and Meg were planning. That worried him. They didn't know what they were walking into, not at all.
Meg awoke with the certain realization that Blade was on his way. She rolled onto her side and let her eyes rest on the sleeping vampire next to her. He was bare-chested on the wide open bed that faced the ocean, one hand still entangled with her own. This was their attempt at paradise for as long as they could have it.
His chest was marked with the veined birthmark he'd been born with. Now, dark from Daystar's influence on him, each one stood out from his skin. When he returned to his normal form they were indistinguishable against the scales but he didn't like to be that way around her. Although they each were unique, they strove for some normalcy, as much as the original progenitor of vampires could have with a hybrid offshoot of a Daywalker. For all of their differences they were still very much in love.
Her bandages pulled slightly and she adjusted her position as she felt him wake.
"What's wrong?" He immediately turned and drew her toward him. His eyes searched hers for a cause. "Meg?"
"He's coming." She whispered softy. "No more than a few hours away."
"How few?"
"Six…maybe eight."
Her lips brushed hers in a kiss and then he drew her in tighter against his chest. "Don't worry."
"I worry." She answered. "I…I…."
"Blade won't hurt you." Drake tells her. "He won't."
"Of course." She tries to hide the concern.
"I have lived for four thousand years. No one will take you from me." His voice deepens with emotion. "Not while life beats in my veins."
She shivers in his arms and he draws her tight against him. Blade is coming and she now understands how vampires feel at the thought of his wrath. Despite the warmth of the morning, she is suddenly very cold.