Lingerie Shop 10 - Silk and Steel (The Lingerie Shop)

A dark, romantic fantasy
The Tenth Book in the Lingerie Shop Series
Peter and Katya set an ambush for the Vampire Guardians.
copyright © 2013 Trisha Miller.
Silk and Steel
Reflected in the mirror of Katya’s lovely eyes, all in some horrible dream, Peter Helsing watched in morbid fascination, as the two Vampire Guardians slithered under the lingerie shop barrier. The shop fell into a deathly quiet as the vampires rose to their feet. They were the same two that had interviewed him at work, but moved in a manner, that was not anything human, nor of any hunting creature, he had ever known, and with a cold, deadly purpose. The taller of the two: a monstrous male, pointed a finger to his left, indicating to his companion: an ash-blonde woman, to flank him and they both moved to opposite sides of the shop. As they moved along the sides of the shop towards him, Peter realized that all of Katya’s careful planning had come to nothing: that the Guardians seemed to be avoiding the lethal trap that Katya had set for them in the center of the shop. The vampires crept closer, Peter lost sight of them. He reached towards his bow: concerned that he would have no time to draw, but Katya gently restrained him. She had changed: she was not the graceful, lovely woman he once knew: her eyes were yellow fire and her face was set, purposeful and alert. He wondered if her trick with the mirror had worked and if the Guardians had been deceived by the illusion that Katya and he were in the store-room at the back of the shop. They waited, concealed in the changing booth. Perhaps the vampires knew they were there. He imagined them storming into the booth. Something in him wanted to do something: to scream out, to break cover and take them on, anything rather than just to wait: to wait not knowing. The vampire appeared so suddenly, so close that Peter could almost reach out touch his back as it passed the booth. Peter’s heart started to thump and he broke into the cold sweat of fear. He shuddered, hoping it wouldn’t turn round and the hairs along the back of his neck stood on end. Something deep within his memory knew them, knew what they were and the sight of them, creeping the shop, sent a cold shiver of revulsion down his spine. His heart began to pound. He breathed slowly and quietly, as Bill had taught him: the last thing they needed now was another episode of nerves and he knew that the faintest sound from him would alert their hunters. The two Vampire Guardians bore no weapons and Peter idly wondered how they killed vampires. Answering his unspoken question, as the Guardians reached the back wall of the shop, they reached down and drew broad blades, from a sheath strapped to the right ankle. Two jagged blades glinted silver in the shop-lights.