Vampire Mine - Kerrelyn Sparks [106]
“And take out the whole row at once. Good plan.” Angus removed his cell phone from his sporran. “I’ll text the plan to Jean-Luc, and see if they’ve finished off the guards.”
While Angus waited for a reply, Connor turned to Marielle. “What happened to yer blast?” he whispered.
She winced. “I’m afraid I’m losing my power.”
She was becoming human. And far too vulnerable to be here. “Stay here in the woods,” he told her.
“The other side is ready. Let’s go.” Angus motioned for his team to follow.
Connor glanced back to make sure Marielle was staying put. She lifted a hand in a halfhearted wave.
They moved up the hill to be even with the last row of bleachers. A flash of light came from the woods on the other side. Jean-Luc and his group were ready.
With their swords drawn, the Vamps teleported behind the last row of Malcontents and stabbed them all through the chest.
Casimir and his bodyguards yelled, and the rest of his army faced the Vamps with weapons drawn. The mortals sat eerily still and facing front, their minds still under control.
“Drop your weapons!” Casimir yelled at them. “Drop them or I start killing mortals!”
The Vamps hesitated.
One of Casimir’s bodyguards pointed at Stanislav. “Traitor!”
Casimir’s eyes narrowed. He held his left arm close to his chest, bent at a strange angle with a glove on his left hand, but with his other arm, he motioned to another bodyguard. The guard casually walked up to the bleachers and slit a mortal’s throat.
Connor cursed silently.
“Do I need to kill another?” Casimir asked.
Roman dropped his sword with a clatter. “I surrender. It’s me you want. Let the mortals go.”
Casimir smirked. “I’ll let a mortal go for each one of you who dies.”
Connor glanced at his watch. The second team would arrive in a few minutes. They needed to stall. They’d killed off more than a dozen of Casimir’s men, but he still had forty more.
“I doona believe ye’ll let any of the mortals go,” Angus shouted.
“I’ll prove it.” Casimir pointed at Roman. “After I kill you, I’ll let the first one go.”
“Agreed.” Roman walked slowly down the steps toward the stage.
Casimir grinned and glanced up at Corky. “Be sure to get this recorded. I want to watch Roman’s death every night.”
“Will do, sweetheart!” Corky yelled back.
Roman reached the stage.
“Check him for weapons,” Casimir ordered.
Two of his bodyguards frisked Roman and found two knives, which they tossed onto the stage.
Casimir snorted. “Did you think you were going to kill me, monk? You were always a weakling.” He motioned to his guards. “Bring him closer. Make sure he’s facing the camera.”
The guards dragged Roman over to Casimir.
Connor checked his watch. Bugger. Still two minutes to go. He caught Angus’s eye and motioned with his head toward the stage.
Angus nodded.
Connor teleported to the stage along with Angus, and they killed two bodyguards.
Casimir clutched Roman with his gloved hand and moved Roman in front of him as a shield. “Kill three mortals!”
Three Malcontents in the bleachers slit the throats of their captives. The remaining mortals still sat there, expressionless.
“Drop your weapons, or I’ll kill three more!” Casimir shouted.
Connor and Angus tossed their swords on the stage. A group of Malcontents ran up onto the stage. Some grabbed their swords and took their weapons, while others seized them and pinned their arms behind their backs.
Casimir smiled. “Angus and Connor. Thank you for joining us. Now I can record myself killing you when I’m done with Roman.” With his good arm, he put a knife to Roman’s throat. “Are you recording, Corky?”
Corky screamed as her cameraman suddenly fell off the balcony and plummeted twenty feet to the next level.
Connor spotted Marielle slipping back behind a tree. She must have blasted enough air to make the cameraman fall.
Corky levitated down to her fallen cameraman. “You stupid fool!” She whipped out a knife and stabbed him, turning him to dust.