Immortals After Dark 12 - Lothaire

drew up short with a scream; Lothaire gave an answering bellow from his room.
    Wendigos blocked her way.
    Their emaciated bodies were hunched and misshapen, their fangs the size of her finger. Pasty skin stretched tight over their skeletal frames, yet seemed to billow in places—
    Horror struck. They were wearing others’ skin.
    Sleeves, vests, collars . . .
    Ellie slapped her hand over her mouth, backing away. Too much. I can’t handle much more of this.
    As they scuttled into the apartment, they licked their lips at her, their red eyes alight.
    With hunger.
    She fled back to Lothaire, pumping her arms, running as she never had before. They were on her heels, grunting, slavering. Into the bedroom she scrambled.
    Eyes wide, Lothaire held out his hand for her, but didn’t move, didn’t try to protect her. She darted behind him anyway.
    “She’s controlling me, Elizabeth! Told me not to move. I’m trapped as I stand.”
    Dorada pulled out Lothaire’s desk chair, taking a seat with a casual air. But her movements were sluggish.
    “How did you find this place?” he demanded.
    The sorceress held the band up to the lamp’s light. “An old acquaintance told me.” She slipped the ring onto her thumb, then waved for Ellie. “Come, girl.”
    She shook her head slowly.
    “Come, or I’ll make your vampire drink you to death.”
    Lothaire gripped her wrist—until Dorada commanded, “Release her.”
    He did at once.
    Seeing how much control the sorceress had over him, Ellie crossed
the room to stand before Dorada. Will she kill me? Turn me into one of those things?
    “Kneel.”
    With no other choice, Ellie did.
    The sorceress scrutinized her with that one eye. “Is that Saroya the Soul Reaper buried deep within this mortal, Lothaire? Was the goddess of vampires the Bride you sought? Perhaps you wanted to make this human host into an immortal with my ring.”
    He remained silent.
    “Do you guard the body so vehemently to preserve Saroya? Or is the girl yours?”
    “Did you come here to insult me? You know the answer to that question.” Lothaire-speak?
    Dorada raised her good hand to touch Ellie’s forehead, commanding, “Face me, Saroya.”
    Ellie recoiled, resisting Saroya with all her might.
    “No, sorceress!” Lothaire yelled. “Don’t do this!”
    “I know you can sense me deep down, goddess,” Dorada said, ignoring him. “Now rise!”
    The female’s gold plates seemed to vibrate as power infused the room. Ellie could feel Saroya skittering wildly in her chest, but still she fought.
    Lothaire too strained against Dorada’s control. “This has to do with more than my crimes against you. What do you want from Saroya?”
    “Revenge.”
    Ellie remained silent, grappling to hold the goddess back.
    “For what?” Lothaire grated.
    “Why do you think I was in that tomb, vampire?” Dorada said. “Because Saroya’s assassins hunted me down without cease! In desperation, I turned to the ring, but she was too powerful for it to vanquish. So I wished never to be found by her killers, to be freed of her torments. And the ring made sure I was forever out of her reach—by having my other enemies trap me in that tomb for ages.” She stared off with her sole eye for long moments, then turned back to him. “Until you came along, waking me. Atonce, I sensed Saroya’s lack of godhood. I refused to let you use my own ring to empower her in any way.”
    “This makes no sense, Dorada. Saroya would have no reason to assassinate you. Who were you to a goddess?”
    Ellie’s vision wavered. She was losing ground, couldn’t hold on much longer. . . .
    Dorada frowned at Lothaire. “You don’t know about the prophecy?”
    “What are you talking about?” he bit out. “What prophecy?”
    Amusement. “Hmm. Just know that it’s about to be fulfilled.”
    With that, Ellie gave a cry, collapsing as her sight went dark.

    Saroya felt herself compelled to rise, blinking open her eyes. She was in Lothaire’s room? Hand to her forehead, she rose to her knees . . . and found herself surrounded by Wendigos.
    Facing her old nemesis.
    The foretelling! Fear surged within her, seeming to swell inside her throat. But Saroya would bluff as if she still had power. “Dorada,” she sneered. “It’s been ages.”
    The Gilded One grinned, revealing rotted teeth among gleaming white ones. “You’re no longer the cat-eyed goddess,” she said, speaking staticky English through some kind of translation