Page 101 of Shadows of Eternity

Josiah made a sweeping motion with his hand. “Then why are they here?”

“Wedding guests.”

Josiah snorted. “Maybe I’ll leave a couple of them alive to witnessmywedding. What do you say, Leia, my dear?”

“In your dreams, you creep,” she retorted, her fear momentarily swallowed up in her hatred.

Eyes narrowed, Josiah glared at her.

Leia felt his power move over her, dark and heavy. It raised the hair on her arms and made her stomach churn with revulsion.

“Come to me!” he commanded.

She felt a faint pull in his direction, but that was all.

Rohan grinned at his sire. “Your power seems a little weak tonight.”

Leia flinched as she heard Josiah’s voice in her mind again.You will come to me now!

With an impudent grin, she sent him her answer.What are you going to do if I don’t?

Outraged by her ability to defy him, Josiah launched himself toward her, his outstretched hands like claws, his fangs extended.

Before she could move out of the way, Rohan sprang forward, blocking Josiah’s attack. The two vampires slammed into each other with a sound like thunder. Preternatural power blasted through the room, driving Trent and the other hunters to their knees.

Leia sensed the hatred between Rohan and Josiah like a palpable presence in the chapel as they came together time and again, fangs ripping into flesh that healed almost immediately. Dark-red blood sprayed across the walls, the ceiling, the stained-glass windows. Leia gasped as several drops slid down her cheek.

Both men were liberally soaked with blood now. Their taunts and growls echoed off the walls, sending icy shivers down Leia’s spine. With a savage cry, Rohan tore a chunk of meat from Josiah’s shoulder and gouged a deep gash in his right arm, while Josiah raked his nails down Rohan’s back, ripping through cloth and flesh, splattering blood over the pews and the floor. It was like watching two jungle cats fight to the death, and yet Leia couldn’t look away.

She glanced fleetingly at Trent and the other hunters. One and all, they were transfixed, seemingly incapable of movement. Trent could have been of help, if necessary. Why had Rohan incapacitated him?

Leia was on edge, poised to strike if the opportunity presented itself, but when it came, she discovered she couldn’t move. Rohan had rendered her powerless, so that, like the hunters, she could only watch, unable to interfere. She felt asudden rush of anger. She wasn’t a puny mortal anymore. Why wouldn’t Rohan let her help? After all, Josiah washerenemy, too.

The fight seemed to go on forever. There was blood everywhere, leaving Leia to wonder how much longer the confrontation could last. She had never seen anything so violent, or so brutal. Their clothing was in rags, their bodies streaked head-to-foot with crimson. Both were breathing hard now, but they didn’t seem to be tiring.

Rohan, let me help. He’s my enemy, too.

No way in hell, love, was his quick reply.

The end, when it came, came quickly. Rohan feinted left and lowered his guard. Confident of victory, Josiah darted forward, let out an unearthly howl of pain and disbelief when Rohan plunged his hand into Josiah’s chest, ripped out his heart, and threw it across the room, where it landed on the floor with a sizzle like that of frying bacon.

Josiah stood there a moment, his eyes blazing with hatred before he slowly spiraled to the floor. He made a last, feeble attempt to rise, and then lay still.

With the end of the battle, the preternatural power in the room faded and disappeared. The hunters glanced around, muttering among themselves.

Heaving a sigh, Rohan stared at the body of his sire.

Leia, freed of his hold on her, hurried toward Rohan, only to let out a shriek when one of the hunters drew a pistol and shot him.

She screamed, “No!” when he collapsed.

The gunshot echoed in the air as Trent drew his own weapon and fired at the hunter who had shot Rohan. His gaze moved to the others. “I’ll kill the next man who makes a move,” he warned. “We had a deal. No killing except for Josiah.”

Leia glanced at Rohan. He wasn’t moving. Was he dead? As much as she longed to go to him, something warned her not to move.

“When did you become a vampire lover, Frumusanu?” asked one of the hunters.

“We had a deal,” Trent repeated. “A deal that included Rohan.”

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