B00528UTDS EBOK Page 11

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  Closing her eyes, Sarah let the spray of hot water wash away her tension and the grime that had accumulated on her body while she’d held up in the basement. Her mind drifted to the lycan. He wanted to take her away from Sutter Point. Though her sixth sense told her that she could trust him, Sarah could not help but feel that she was moving toward disaster.

  “Go now.” The voice was distant and the words muffled.

  At first she wasn’t sure she’d heard anything at all, or even what the person was saying, but then she heard the voice again.

  “Go now.”

  This time the words were unmistakable. It was a girl’s voice.

  Sarah quickly rinsed the rest of the soap from her body and turned off the water, hoping that she would hear more. After drying herself with the towel, she stepped over to the fogged mirror and wiped the moisture from the glass.

  Gasping, Sarah swung around to see if the image that she saw in the mirror was actually standing behind her, but the room was empty. When she turned back to face the mirror, Gina was still there, staring at her with those dark - angry eyes.

  Sarah began to shake. All of the terror of that horrible night came back, and with it, the guilt for not being able to find a way to stop what she’d known would happen. She may not have known the specifics, but she had known something would happen.

  “I’m so sorry,” Sarah cried.

  Gina shook her head. “Go now.”

  Sarah could not pick up the sound of Gina’s voice, but she read her friend’s lips. It was as if the harder Sarah tried to hear her, the less sensitive she was to Gina’s presence.

  And then Gina was gone.

  Still shaking, Sarah went to her room to dress. So many people were telling her to leave that it would be foolish to ignore the warnings any longer. Last night she’d been attacked by one of Omar’s vamps, but Darrien had shown up in time to intervene. The next time he may not be there to save her.

  Her adept fingers began weaving her long - auburn hair into a single braid. It was not the most stylish way to do her hair, but sufficient for travel, which is what she suspected she’d be doing soon.

  What about Darrien?

  She’d told him to leave her alone, but now she realized that the thought of never seeing him again was too painful.

  Already she felt her heart growing heavy at the thought of leaving Sutter Point without saying goodbye. She had no idea where Darrien stayed during the day, or how she could get a message to him to let him know she was leaving.

  As Sarah stood in front of the mirror, the young woman that stared back at her appeared so normal - so middle of the road American. Why is it that she felt so bizarre - like some type of sideshow freak?

  A male voice from behind caught her attention. “You are missing him?”

  She could see no one reflected in the mirror, but when she turned, Sarah saw Zaltar reclined on her bed. She quickly turned back to the mirror, but his reflection was not there.

  There was deep laughter. “You will not see me in the mirror. I have no human soul. My life energy is on a higher vibration than what exists in this dimension.”

  “Why are you here? I didn’t call you.”

  “I am here to help my lady with her pain.” As the words came from his mouth, Zaltar changed, becoming Darrien.

  “Come … let me relieve your suffering,” he said, patting the area of the bed next to where he lay.

  Sarah reddened. Zaltar wanted to make love to her while he imitated Darrien. He wanted this because that is what he believed she wanted. She was ready to reprimand him for showing up without being called, but then she remembered that he’d helped to save her life the night before, by doing exactly that.

  Sarah shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, but I really need it to be Darrien.” As she said those words she realized that it was true. No one made her feel the way he did. It had to be him.

  “Sarah,” Jeanie called from the bottom of the stairs. “Dinner is ready.”

  Sarah left her room and hurried to the kitchen. Their guest was already seated at the table and Jeanie was serving roast beef and gravy, with mashed potatoes and carrots. Her Aunt Jeanie never failed to amaze her. No matter what was going on, she could still whip up a great meal.

  The whole time she’d been upstairs, Sarah had dreaded the idea of discussing her situation with the stranger. However, as soon as she resigned herself to her situation, she began to feel a certain amount of excitement at the prospect of setting off on a new adventure. It would be a new chapter in her life. She was sure that was what it would end up being. When she left Sutter Point this time, she would be entering a different phase in her life.

  Sarah had better manners than to approach the subject while they were eating, but she could hardly contain herself until the meal was over.

  “Where are you taking me?” she asked.

  Lex smiled, apparently pleased with her eagerness to talk. “Your aunt tells me that you have been attending college,” he said, avoiding a direct answer.

  Sarah nodded. “I’ve been going to the university in Portland, but came home for the summer.”

  “Well … would you mind maybe taking a few summer classes?” he asked.

  Sarah shrugged. “I guess not. Is that the plan … to send me back to Portland?”

  Lex shook his head. “That would never work. If they have tracked you here, they likely know that you have been going to school in Portland.”

  “Then what?”

  “There is a girl I know who is going to school in another part of the country. She is the daughter of a lycan, but she does not possess the ability to change. I have spoken with her and she thinks it would be a great idea if you come and stay with her for a time.”

  “How would I be safe there? Especially if this girl cannot change, as you say.” Sarah was doubtful that Lex’s solution was any solution at all. She would probably be safer if she stayed with Darrien.

  “Because no one can know where you are … not your aunt, your friends, no one. Omar will not have any idea of where to find you,” Lex reasoned. “Furthermore, from what I gather from your aunt, the two of you have quite a lot in common.”

  “What do you mean that my aunt cannot know where I’m going?” Sarah didn’t like this idea at all. If this man turned out to be an enemy, she would be at his mercy.

  “The vampire can probe the minds of some people,” Lex explained. “They will try to discover where you’ve gone by doing this with the people closest to you.”

  “Well I don’t like the idea of leaving my aunt alone here, especially if there is any chance that she may become the target of these vampires,” Sarah told him, stubbornly folding her arms in front of her.

  Jeanie smiled and that spark of good humor danced in her eyes. “Oh Sarah sweetheart, your old auntie is quite capable of taking care of herself. It is you that we must worry about.”

  Sarah was not so sure that Jeanie could hold her own against these vampires. They were so much more powerful than what she’d ever imagined. “For how long?” she wanted to know.

  “I hope that it will not be long.” Lex stood from the table and looked over at Jeanie. “This was the best meal I’ve eaten in years. Thank you so much Miss Fabre.”

  Jeanie was beaming. Sarah got the distinct impression that her aunt had more than a passing interest in the lycan.

  When can you be ready to travel?” Lex turned his attention to Sarah. “I want to be gone before the sun goes down.”

  “What about you?” Sarah asked her aunt.

  “I will go stay with a friend for a few days. By then they will have realized that you are no longer in the area.”

  “Well it sounds like the two of you have already worked out all of the details. You promised to tell me why I crave blood,” Sarah frowned.

  “We have a long drive ahead of us. There will be plenty of time to talk. I know this may seem extreme to you right now, but you will be much safer,” Lex assured her.
>
  Sarah could not help but wonder.

  Chapter Twelve

  The dark was full of the sounds of night creatures, and though Nicole should have found comfort in the tranquility of their presence, the hooting of owls and the chirping of crickets made her feel a little edgy. They stood in the same derelict cemetery where Alec had been only days before. Just like Alec, they stared up at the ancient castle.

  “That’s a long climb,” she said, looking over at Dash.

  Dash shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t be silly. We’ll just sail right up there.”

  “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask … how do you do that? How do you fly?”

  “Have you ever heard of telekinesis?” he asked, running a hand across the skin on his head, as if he were feeling for hair that was not there.

  Nicole nodded.

  “Well it’s like that. Only with the vampire, the power is magnified thousands of times. The part of the brain that controls telekinesis is enhanced by the mutation during the changing.” Dash explained patiently.

  Nicole smiled, happy that he was finally talking. Dash had been unusually quiet during the trip. She’d taken it for disappointment that Sophia had decided not to join them, but now she wondered. It just didn’t seem as if he’d been very close with the female vampire, and it wasn’t like Dash to be so quiet.

  “What’s bothering you?” she asked. Nicole wanted to know that her friend was okay before they went any further.

  “What makes you think there’s something wrong?” Dash frowned.

  “I know you Dash, and I can tell when something is wrong.”

  Giving Nicole a lopsided grin, Dash pulled something from his pocket and handed it to her. It was a folded piece of paper.

  Nicole unfolded the paper, but couldn’t really make out what was on it. “What is it?” she asked.

  Dash handed her a tiny flashlight that he’d pulled out of his other pocket. “Brought this just for you,” he told her.

  “Thanks,” she said, taking the flashlight.

  When Nicole switched the light on and directed the beam onto the paper, she saw that it was a picture of a beach, probably somewhere in the Caribbean. “This is a nice picture.”

  “Sometimes I close my eyes and imagine that I am sleeping on that beach. Feeling the warmth of the sun.”

  Dash stared up at the castle.

  “I will never go to a place like that … will I? At least not in the daylight.” Dash turned his attention back to Nicole.

  Nicole placed a hand gently on his arm. “If there is a way for you to live in the light … we’ll find it,” she promised.

  Dash was still staring up at the dark structure. As Nicole peered at the Castle Arges, a feeling of foreboding tugged at her senses.

  “Well let’s go,” he told Nicole. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Dash carried her with him as he flew to the top of the cliffs.

  They came down in an overgrown garden at the front of the castle. It looked as if no one had bothered to care for the garden and lawns of the castle for years.

  “Appears as if they need a gardener,” Dash said, poking Nicole in the ribs.

  “Ouch!” Nicole glared at him.

  “Sorry,’ he smiled. “Just knew that’s what you were thinking.”

  “Really?”

  Dash nodded and started walking around the exterior of the castle.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Well I’m looking for a way in … what do you think?” Dash scowled.

  “I thought we’d just knock on the door.”

  He stared at her as if she were a creature from another planet. “You can’t be serious?”

  “Well yeah … actually. It just seems the right way to do it. After all, we really don’t want to put this guy in a bad mood right from the beginning,” Nicole told him as she started for the gatehouse, and the entrance to the outer courtyard of the castle.

  “What do you think? That he’s going to ask you in for a spot of tea?” Dash asked as he started after her.

  “Maybe.” Nicole threw him a smile.

  Dash shook his head. “You are nuttier than a fruitcake.”

  Nicole ignored the comment and continued to make her way through the weeds to the gatehouse. The tall wrought iron gate that led to the outer courtyard was not shut and locked, like she thought it would be. But then again, it was not as if anyone local would dare to trespass at Castle Arges.

  Once inside the courtyard, she could see the main entrance to the castle. On each side of the large double doors were stone - carved gargoyles. The grotesque creatures added to the macabre atmosphere of the castle. Though they had probably stood in the same place for hundreds of years, Nicole thought they were an appropriate addition to the residence of a vampire like Luciano. He was not just one of the ancients, but a vampire that was far more powerful than the mythical Dracula. Luciano could have been Dracula, if such a character had ever really existed. Nicole didn’t know a lot about him, but she did know that he was both feared and respected by the other vampires.

  On each of the thick - wooden doors was a brass knocker. Without hesitating, Nicole clasped the cold metal in her hand and pounded on the door several times. Dash stood behind her. She could sense that he was ready to flee, but to his credit he stood his ground, knowing that she might need his help.

  After several moments no one had come to the door so Nicole knocked again. Before she could pull her hand away from the knocker, the door swung open. The small woman could have been no more than five feet tall. She was old. Nicole guessed the woman to be at least in her seventies. She wore a black maid’s dress and a white cap on her head. It was not a uniform that you would expect to see on a house servant in the twenty-first century.

  The old lady stared at them like she was not quite sure they were real.

  “We’ve come to see Luciano. Is he in?” Nicole asked.

  The woman continued to stare silently.

  “Madam?” Nicole prodded.

  “You must be mad to come here … when you are not one of them.” She spoke in heavily accented English. As the woman spoke the last word, she stared directly at Dash. It was obvious that she could tell which of them was a vampire.

  Nicole could not help but wonder why a human would be in the employ of a vampire like Luciano, someone that avoided contact with people as much as possible.

  Nicole smiled. “It is very important that I speak with him.”

  The old lady nodded and stepped aside so that they could enter. She motioned to a door at the left of the entry hall. “Wait in there and I will tell him you are here. Who shall I say you are?”

  “My name is Nicole Ashe.” Nicole paused when she saw that Dash was shaking his head. For some reason he didn’t want her to reveal her name. Ignoring him, Nicole continued. “I’m Donavan Ashe’s daughter.”

  When the woman left the room, Dash turned on her. “Are you crazy? Have you forgotten that a born vampire is forbidden?”

  Nicole shook her head. “No I haven’t forgotten. But if we are to expect any cooperation, I have a feeling we are going to have to be upfront with this vampire. Besides…chances are he would be able to sense what I was anyway.”

  “The young lady would be correct.” The deep - soothing voice seemed to come out of nowhere.

  Nicole’s eyes scanned the room, but at first she didn’t see him - not until he moved. There was a figure standing at the large window that looked out onto the dark courtyard. Dash was standing near Nicole, his mouth agape with surprise. Considering Dash was a vampire, Nicole had to assume that this was extraordinary, even for an immortal. Luciano had moved so quickly that they had not been aware that he’d entered the room. She was positive the room had been empty when they’d walked in.

  Nicole had to catch her breath when she looked at him. He was too perfect to be real. If her heart had not already belonged to another, she could see how it would be too easy to fall under Luciano’s spell.

  The vampire’s blac
k hair was long and silky, falling to his waist. His eyes were almost completely black, but with the glowing light of the immortal. His features were soft, but masculine at the same time.

  “Lord Luciano,” Nicole said, nodding her head.

  “And you would be the daughter of my old friend, Donavan?” Luciano stepped away from the window and closer to them.

  Nicole nodded. “I have come to locate a friend that traveled here a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Would that happen to be Alec Norwood?” Luciano gave her a dark smile.

  “Yes, that’s him. Has he been here?” Nicole asked, her composure cracking slightly.

  “He was here. He invaded my home without the benefit of an invitation.” Luciano’s eyes sparked with anger.

  “Is he still here?” Nicole asked, holding her breath. She was happy to finally get some information about Alec’s whereabouts, but terrified of what might have happened to him for angering Luciano.

  Luciano eyed her curiously. “Interesting that a mortal would worry so much about a vampire’s fate. But then again Miss Ashe … you are not a mere mortal, are you?”

  Dash cleared his throat. “Lord Luciano, Miss Ashe is Donavan’s daughter, so you know what that makes her. We beg that your grace not punish her for the sins of her father.”

  Luciano smiled. “What an absurd assumption. In a way Miss Ashe is no different than myself. She was born to be what she is.”

  Though Luciano seemed to be reasonable, Nicole was guarded. “And Alec … what happened to him?”

  “Oh yes … Alec, your … lover.” Luciano looked into her eyes, reading her as if she were an open book.

  Now Nicole knew he was no ordinary vampire. He could read her far too easily. Probing her thoughts was as effortless for this immortal as pulling files from a cabinet.

  Luciano continued. “He came here to search for the Book of Anu. I simply told him it was not here, and where he might find it.”

  “Where is that?” Nicole asked.