But Eliana could pass for a college student. She was small and wore a crop top with her black pants that exposed a strip of pale bare flesh on her flat stomach. The neckline dipped low enough to provide a glimpse of cleavage. The long black coat wasn’t typical of Houstonians—Houston so rarely saw anything approaching winter temperatures now that he often encountered students wearing shorts in December. But even if the coat roused suspicion among vampires, that tended to vanish once she opened her mouth.
Eliana stopped short and stared at the vampires. Her eyes widened as a smile lit her pretty features. “Jason?” she cried with surprise.
The vampires slowed to a halt a few yards away and glanced at each other.
“Oh my gosh! It is you! I can’t believe it!” Releasing Nick’s hand, she skipped forward and threw herself into the arms of a tall, blond vamp in front.
Eyes widening, the vampire closed his arms around her while his comrades looked on with What the hell? stamped on their faces.
Nick struggled not to laugh.
Eliana released the vamp and stepped back. “I haven’t seen you in like two years!” She glanced at a blond vampire standing behind him. “Wait. Is that your cousin? The one who got you into the fraternity? What was his name? Bill, I think?”
The vampire in question glanced at his buddies, then smirked. “Sure. You can call me Bill.”
Nick didn’t have to be a telepath to read the dark thoughts that entered each man’s mind. All assumed Eliana would make an easy victim. And she was lovely enough to inspire lust for her body as well as her blood.
Immortal males dramatically outnumbered immortal females for a reason: few female gifted ones who were attacked survived the vampires’ brutality long enough to complete the transformation. Were Eliana a human, her fate would’ve been sealed as soon as she greeted these vampires.
But she wasn’t human. She was immortal.
Eliana smiled up at Bill. “Great to finally meet you.” She waved Nick forward. “This is Nick. We’re on our way back from a party with a Matrix theme. Nick, this is Jason and Bill.”
The vampires shared a gleeful look as Nick went from possible Immortal Guardian to nerdy second victim in the space of a heartbeat.
“Are these your frat buddies?” Eliana asked.
Jason nodded. “Yeah. If y’all aren’t ready to go home, we can take you to another party. We’re on our way there now.”
Eliana looked up at Nick.
He shrugged. “I’m up for it.”
“Excellent!” Grinning, she turned back to Jason. “Let’s go.”
The vampires closed in around them and resumed their stroll. Some grinned and nudged each other as Eliana embarked upon a steady stream of mindless conversation. Those who had been infected with the vampiric virus the longest practically salivated in anticipation.
The vampires led Nick and Eliana to a camera-free zone on a less traveled path by one of the auxiliary buildings, then stopped and fanned out, facing them.
Nick and Eliana positioned themselves so that the vampires were between them and the building.
Nick tilted his head. “Where’s the party?”
Jason smirked. “It’s right here, you just don’t know it yet.”
A few of his friends snickered.
Eliana looked up at Nick, her smile shifting into a look of exasperation. “I mean, really. That was way too easy. They don’t have a single clue.”
He shook his head. “None at all. Like taking candy from a baby.”
“Exactly! Where’s the fun in that?”
Some of the vampires lost their smug expressions.
Jason frowned. “What?”
Nick ignored him. “You have to admit though, it does make our job easier.” There had been times when he’d been unable to herd the vampires he fought to a camera-free zone before they attacked. Messes like that necessitated a call to network headquarters. Camera footage had to be erased. The minds of security guards had to be altered, as did the minds of any students or professors who happened upon the scene. Anything uploaded to the internet had to either be scrubbed or debunked. It was a real pain in the ass.
“True,” she admitted, then wrinkled her nose. “But it kinda makes it harder for me to kill them. They’re like lambs who led themselves to the slaughter, you know?”
Jason began to lose patience. “What the hell are you talking about?”
She sighed. “We’re Immortal Guardians, moron. Look how we’re dressed.”
Several vampires’ eyes flared, an involuntary response to spikes in emotion… like anger or alarm.
Bill scowled. “You said you were coming from some geek’s Matrix party.”
“I lied,” she explained patiently. “Seriously, didn’t your parents warn you about talking to strangers?”
Nick nodded. “Particularly those who try to lure you closer with a promise of candy?”
Eliana motioned to her body. “I’m the candy.”
“And when she dangled herself in front of you, you pretty much leapt into our windowless van without a backward glance, sealing your doom.”
She shook her head. “How gullible can you get? You’re adults, for Pete’s sake! You should know better.”
Jason stiffened. Fury contorted his features as his eyes flashed a brilliant blue. “You’re the ones who are doomed!”
“Thaaaaat’s it,” Eliana coaxed as she drew two shoto swords. “Get angry.”
“Or,” Nick added, “you could always surrender. Other vampires have, and we’re doing everything we can to help them.” Not all humans infected with the virus welcomed the insanity. A precious few recognized the monsters they were destined to become and put themselves in the Immortal Guardians’ hands, trusting them to keep them from hurting innocents while the network researched a cure.
“Only pussies surrender!” Jason snarled as he drew a bowie knife.
Bill nodded. “And we outnumber you.”
A particularly sleazy vampire stepped forward, a blade in each hand. “You think you can take all eight of us?”
“Easily,” Eliana countered.
Jason’s eyes glinted with the madness that was slowly taking control of him. “Bitch. Let’s see if you’re still saying that that after we kill your boy here and take turns fucking you.”
The sleazy vamp growled, “Yeah. We’re going to tear you up.”
Eliana’s brown eyes flashed amber. “Now you had to go and make it gross. I’m going to kick your ass for that, you fucked-up fuck.” She shot forward in a blur.
Nick drew his own shoto swords and leapt after her.
Chaos erupted as the other vampires drew blades and dove into the fight.
Nick and Eliana were indeed outnumbered, but he didn’t fear the outcome. The vampires they fought had spent most of their time sitting on their asses, either in class or playing video games at home. Their weapons might be sharp but were of the poor quality one would find in superstores and online. And they swung them with little proficiency.
He and Eliana, on the other hand, had endured months of vigorous daily training after their transformations. Master swordsmen, who had been schooled in battle by the best warriors hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago, had drilled them until they, too, became master swordsmen and -women. Their weapons—everything from swords to daggers to throwing stars—were of the finest quality, crafted by swordsmiths who followed in Masamune’s tradition.