all shouting for silence.
Alex’s eyes widened as he recognised the blond man. “Hey,” he muttered at Jason.
“That guy was talking to me in the bar last night. And, funny thing is I seem to remember seeing him again later.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jason gave him an appraising look.
“Nothing like that,” Alex said quickly. “I’m trying to remember, but it’s like…just blank. Weird.”
The tall man on the dais held up his hands indicating he wanted silence. “Some of you already know who I am,” he said. “To you I say, the time draws near when you will be the fighting force that will end the reign of the man who has grown weak and worthless. I, Dakar, will replace him and all of you will be richly rewarded. To those of you who are new recruits, I say, come forward and be inducted into my glorious company. Today, you will join the ranks of those who will bring me to victory.”
Dakar held out his hand again and beckoned. About thirty men and women moved towards the dais. Alex exchanged a glance with Jason and gripped the other man’s arm.
“No, this isn’t right. We don’t belong here!”
But even as he said the words, Jason jerked his arm free and followed the others heading for the dais, and despite every part of Alex’s brain screaming “No!” he found he could not resist the powerful force emanating from Dakar and the other men standing next to the—the demon .
Then he remembered. Oh, God, last night! On the street, Dakar and Arturo. I was on my knees before Dakar, pledging my loyalty, giving myself to them for…for… this .
Inexorably, he felt his will slip away again and he stumbled forward, reaching out to grab Jason for support. Jason turned to him and slipped an arm around Alex’s shoulders as they walked together towards the men who now stared down at them with satisfied smiles.
www.total-e-bound.com
BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
73
“I don’t care for the way those two men seemed to be outside your thrall at the beginning of the ceremony.”
Dakar glared with annoyance at the demon who had spoken. “They were drawn in again quickly enough, Bazul,” Dakar snapped.
“Yes, but it shows a weakness within the ranks that we cannot afford.” Bazul looked around at the others. “I say dispose of them now before they cause us problems.”
“We need every man and woman we have recruited,” Dakar said.
“We need total subservience from every man and woman,” Bazul retorted, his small eyes narrowing at Dakar. “What we don’t need are men or women who are not completely under our control. At the moment of our strike against Lord Kardis we must be absolutely sure of our army. Any weakness of will cannot be tolerated.”
Dakar snarled silently as he stared down at the mass of men and women comprising his
‘army’ now being put through rigorous drills in preparation for the first strike against Kardis. He didn’t want to get rid of Alex—he was a link to the vampire he still lusted after. In his mind he’d hatched another plot, one he kept hidden from his supporters. He felt sure that Andrew, at Tommy’s bidding, would try to rescue Alex and would fall into his trap. Once they were face to face, Dakar in demon form this time, Andrew would bend to Dakar’s will and be only too happy to join him after he had taken the throne from Kardis. Together they would rule the demon underworld—demon and vampire—they would make history as the first bonding of its kind.
Dakar was forced from his reverie by Arturo muttering at his side, “Bazul may be right, my liege, and he is powerful enough to cause dissension among the others.”
“There is a way to secure their loyalty,” Dakar replied, turning with an arrogant pose to glare again at Bazul. How dare this upstart even question my purpose? “Give them both a dose of ger . It will bring them to heel, and take away any doubts as to why they are here. Arturo, see to it immediately.”
“ Ger ?” Bazul raised a bushy
Kelly Gendron
Rosemary Sutcliff
Miklos Nyiszli
Anne Rice
Lilith Saintcrow
Ben Coes
David Maurer
Nancy Krulik
Bronwyn Scott
Aaron Kennedy