Chapter 13

Angel darted between two parked cars, her eyes on the back of the woman's head she was following. She kept her pace, staying about the same distance away, close enough to keep an eye on her, far enough that she could duck out of sight if necessary.

Kendra stopped in her tracks, her head lifting and a smile coming to her lips. Angel watched as she stepped deliberately into the darkness of the alley.

"Oh shit," she breathed.

"Hey baby, you here by yourself?"

The voice came from behind her and startled her. Angel's attention was on Kendra, she hadn't noticed the man approaching. "Leave me alone."

"Aww, don't be that way, baby."

Angel closed her eyes trying very hard to control her fury. "Get away from me," she growled.

"Be nice, baby. Don't you want to party? I got some stuff here, we can..."

Angel whirled, slapping out her badge just long enough to show to the man. "Now get the fuck out of here!"

"Whoa, I'm going baby. Don't get your panties twisted."

She heard his footsteps running away down the sidewalk but her attention was already on Kendra. "What the hell is she doing down there?" Stepping up to the edge of the alley, she quickly glanced down into the darkness.

A scuffling sound came from the black shadows, a small cry that spoke of pain. "Fuck," Angel whispered, her back against the alley. Everything in her wanted to race down the alley and save whoever Kendra was feeding off of. But if she did... "Dammit Marcus," she whispered. "Why did you have to take off like that?"

She pulled her communicator out. "Shadow?"

"Go Angel," was the staticy replay.

"Kendra has found a snack. I'm heading in to intercept. I hope like hell that your homing device works because I'm blowing my cover."

"Roger, Angel. Go."

Slamming the communicator back into her uniform, she spun away from the wall of the alley. "Feeding off of tramps and vagrants? God Kendra how the mighty have fallen."

The vampire rose from the body she'd been draining, letting the old homeless man fall back and into his blankets. He moaned and rolled away from her, getting to his feet, dazed and confused.

"Don't go away, sweetie," Kendra urged. "I'm still hungry."

"Not in my city," Angel snarled. "Get out of here," she all but shouted at the old man who quickly piled his possessions in a squeaky old cart and pushed it away. "Now, what was that crap your were spouting about kicking my ass?"

"Where's your buddies?"

"I've gotten tired of dealing with the furred and the weird. I'm out patrolling on my own tonight."

"You're out looking for Dorian. You want him no matter what you say otherwise. I know, no one can withstand his charms." Kendra looked up, all the brash and bluster gone for a moment from her face. Instead, she seemed almost sad, a young mother who was attacked and made to leave all she knew. But it was gone as quickly as it came and that same sly, evil smile was on Kendra's lips.

"I told you the truth, Kendra. Dorian is a user, whether it be women, drugs or blood. He'll do to you what he did to me. He's only coming after me because I got away from him. I hurt his pride and his gonads, three things Dorian prizes." Angel slowly circled around Kendra, keeping her back to the wall of the buildings.

"I don't believe you. Dorian told me what happened, how he tried to save you from yourself. How you brought all those diseased and putrid men into his bed when he was out. How he finally had to give you the boot because you took it too far. He told me how you begged to stay, how you whimpered and cried like a little bitch."

"The reasons are adding up," Angel said, wishing that Kendra would take the opening she'd left her and run back to Dorian.

"What are you talking about?"

"The reasons I now have to kill both you and Dorian." The words were spoken with deadly calm that was chilling. Then Angel took a step forward and snarled, letting her fangs grow to full length, her eyes glowing in the dim lighting. "Either come here so I can kill you or get the fuck out of my life."

Kendra looked confused for a moment then glanced down at the street behind her. When Angel made to rush her, she screamed, her body blurring as she raced out of the alley.

Angel stood there for a minute. Pulling out her communicator, she put her thumb on the talk button. "Shadow," she said.

"Go Angel."

"She's on her way."

"Are you all right?" Callie asked, her voice full of concern even over the staticy connection.

"I will be when we find Marcus. Angel out."

She tucked the communicator away, wiping away the tears that were leaking from her eyes. Then she was off, running behind Kendra, following her once more.

Marcus stared at the circle of vampires that ringed the cement room. His eyes held no fear, he was poised for battle and accepted the ending, which ever way it might go. But he didn't worry about losing. It wasn't in him to lose. Not to anyone but Angel. The thought of her stiffened his resolve. "You won't be able to terrorize her when I'm done with you," he said softly, knowing Dorian heard him. "Why don't we make this one on one, you and I, winner take all."

A half smile quirked the corner of Dorian's mouth. "That's not the way I work," he said just as softly. "If you've talked to Angel at all, you know that."

"Oh I've done a hell of a lot more than 'talk' with Angel," Marcus taunted. "When I'm through here, I plan to go back to her and do more."

"When you're through here, the only place you'll be going is the hell that the Gods have reserved for the twisted things they've created. I've seen it. You'll just love it there. Then I'll be going to Angel and she'll kneel in front of me and beg my forgiveness." Dorian chuckled. "Get him!" he called to the waiting horde.

Marcus stepped into the middle of the room, turning in a circle, his sword at the ready. "Yeah," he called. "Come and get me. My sword hasn't feasted on the foul blood of you half breeds in twenty four hours. It's hungry."

The first rush was done with more speed than grace, and Marcus let his sword bite deep, taking out three of the renegades. One struck a lucky blow and Marcus felt the flesh on his chest tear away. The pain was swift, sharp, sought after. He craved the pain because nothing had hurt him the way Angel's words had earlier.

He needed the pain to stay sharp. An immortal could die, and if anyone knew the way to do it, it would be Dorian. Marcus sought him out even as he defended himself and attacked those around him. He was standing in the back of the ranks of blood suckers, his face full of the enjoyment he was getting at the blood bath that was taking place in front of him.

Another blow slipped past his guard and he hissed in pain as a dagger sliced deep into his thigh. He pulled it out, using it to dispatch the next vampire, feeling his blood flowing down his leg. He healed quickly but the blood he was loosing would slowly take its toll on him. Dorian had to know that.

A quick spin and he felt the slight pauses in his movement as his sword cut through the bodies of three more vamps. Spreading his wings, he flipped up in the air, spinning above the heads of four more of them, coming down and slaying them with a vengeance that left blood spattering the wall and their bodies blooming into fire. He kicked another vampire, not even bothering to watch as the vamp fell into the burning pile of vampires, catching himself in the flames and screaming as they seared his skin.

The others shielded their faces from the heat of the flames, backing away, one young girl rushing toward Dorian who stood at the other end, the door out of this room at his back. Dorian sliced his hand through the air, catching the girl across the throat with his sharp nails, blood spurting out of the wound and flowing thickly down the front of her throat and over the black leather she wore. Her mouth gaped open and she stared in horror at Dorian before falling to his feet.

"You will fight or share her fate," Dorian said calmly. "Now finish him so that we might go and feed. The club is full. Those that are here are the fat and the spoiled of this country. They are here for your enjoyment tonight, in any way that you wish."

"You sick fuck," Marcus said, his deep voice husky. "You'd kill your own and then set others to rape and kill? What are you, an animal?" He looked around at the remaining vampires, all with blood lust in their dark eyes. Nowhere did he see any sign of humanity, nothing like what he saw when he looked into Angel's beautiful blue eyes. "You're worse than animals," he growled, breathing heavily. "Even they don't attack unless provoked."

"What do you know of humanity?" Dorian laughed. "You were created from a piece of Valoron's flesh. How would you know anything of what it's like to be truly human?"

"I might say the same for you," Marcus snapped. "How were you made? Certainly nothing of you is human, demon. Evil feeds you, evil and lust. You don't even fight for yourself. Come on, come play and we'll see which of us is more 'human'."

Dorian lifted his head suddenly, his eyes on the ceiling of the club. He smiled eagerly at whatever he was seeing. "I would. Oh, there is nothing I'd like to do more than be able to tell Angel how I disemboweled you and watched as my followers fell upon you until there was nothing left but that piece of Valoron. But unfortunately, my other guests are almost here." He turned to the unopened door, waving back at the rest of the vampires. "Finish him."

Kendra passed by the bouncers at the door, two big bald ex bikers that Dorian had delighted in changing. Each of them had been allowed to take Kendra for a night, the experience one that Kendra would have been delighted to be able to forget. But the bouncers saw her, smirking at the pretty brunette.

"Where you been, girlie? I was looking for you last night. I know you want some more of this." The bouncer grabbed at his crotch, thrusting his hips toward Kendra.

"Fuck off," Kendra growled, stepping through the thick steel doors and entering the loud club. She ignored the stares she received from the patrons, most of whom were already half wasted on the extras the club offered. Going to the back, she pushed her hand through a small plastic open ended box, watching as the blue light highlighted the small glyph that was tattooed onto her skin.

A small click sounded and she reached out and opened the door. Climbing the fifteen metal stairs that led up to Dorian's lush apartment, she pushed her hair out of her face, looking forward to a shower and some real blood. The old man had taken the edge off of her hunger, but he was pitifully underweight, his blood thin and anemic, leaving a terrible taste in her mouth.