B00528UTDS EBOK Page 14

  Closing her eyes, Sarah’s thoughts drifted to the one person she should not let herself think about. There hadn’t been a single sign of Darrien since leaving Sutter Point, but what had she expected? It wasn’t as if he would have the slightest idea where to find her. In fact, he wasn’t supposed to know where to find her.

  When she thought of Darrien, she could not help but remember back to that night in the hedge maze. She remembered how magical it had felt to be in his arms - to feel his touch and how easily he had brought her to a place of pure bliss. Never in her life had she felt as safe as she had in his arms.

  But then there was the darkness that had crept up on her - the craving for his blood, and the fear that she had turned. The shadow of uncertainty still taunted her, while her heart continued to call out to him. She yearned for his nearness and the safety of his arms, but then there was Caroline. Could she live with his love for this witch that had lived so long ago?

  “You are Caroline.” A voice echoed in her head.

  In her dreams she relived Caroline’s horror and felt the utter hopelessness of loving an immortal. She felt the fierce need to protect her child, but was she remembering or simply picking up on Caroline’s energy with her own psychic abilities?

  How could she ever know for sure if she really was Caroline, or just a reflection of the witch?

  Blinking rapidly, she tried to hold back the hot tears that stung her eyes. If only Darrien loved her and not someone that he wanted her to be. Sarah was pulled from her thoughts when Summer slid the glass door open and stuck her head out.

  “Just wanted to let you know that I was home.” The smile on Summer’s face faded when she saw the tears in Sarah’s eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Summer asked, stepping out onto the balcony.

  “Yes.” Sarah tried to smile. “Just feeling sorry for myself.”

  “Well we all have a right to do that sometimes. Is there anything I can do?” Summer took a seat at the small patio table that sat in the middle of the balcony.

  Sarah shook her head. “It’s nothing that won’t get better with time.”

  “It’s a guy right? It’s always a guy!” Summer frowned.

  Sarah shrugged. “Yeah, but he’s not just an ordinary guy. It’s a lot more complicated than that.”

  “Isn’t it always?” Summer grinned and stood up. “I’ll get us a couple of sodas and you can tell me about it?”

  A moment later, Summer returned with the sodas and took her seat. “So … tell me, what is so special about this guy?”

  “How much do you know about me?” Sarah asked.

  “Well … I know you are in trouble and that you are a friend of Lex’s. I also know that your father is a member of the vampire race. But I have to tell you, I’ve never actually seen a vampire.”

  “Well you have now. In a way … I’m a vampire,” Sarah told her. “Darrien is a vampire. He was turned hundreds of years ago. He thinks I am the reincarnation of a witch that he loved back then.”

  “Are you?” Summer asked, before taking a drink of her soda.

  Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “She is one of my ancestors. I’ve had dreams of her and what happened to her, but I don’t know if it’s just something I’m picking up from her spirit.”

  “And you want this guy to love you for you, and not because he thinks you’re someone else?”

  Sarah nodded.

  “I know how you feel,” Summer admitted. “There’s this guy … I think I fell in love with him years ago, when I was just a little girl. He doesn’t know I’m alive … he still thinks I’m a child.”

  For a time, Summer seemed to be lost in memory, but then she smiled. “You know, the two of us shouldn’t be sitting here pouting about the men we can’t have. We should be out having fun.”

  “Oh I don’t know,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “I’ve never been too good with the whole social scene.”

  “Nonsense!” Summer stood up. “It’s too late tonight, but maybe we could hit the town tomorrow night. What do you say?”

  A sly smile spread across Sarah’s face. “On one condition. You let me try a spell first. One for me and one for you.” Now that she had been initiated into the coven, she’d been anxious to try out a spell. Why not one that might help both of them?

  “What kind of spell?”

  “A spell to find true love,” Sarah was already looking around for something she could use.

  Summer laughed. “Okay. But if we do happen to find our true love, how will we know that they are not just bewitched?”

  “The spell would bring our true loves to us, but it won’t make them love us. That will be all up to us.”

  “Okay,” Summer shrugged. “I guess it couldn’t hurt. I sure need a way to open that man’s eyes, or at least get him here so I have a chance to open them myself.”

  “And I need …”

  “For him to see Sarah as Sarah,” Summer finished for her.

  “Yes,” Sarah smiled. “That’s what I need.”

  “Okay … let’s do it.”

  “Do you mind if I pick a couple of your roses?” Sarah asked.

  Summer shook her head. “No … go ahead.”

  Sarah broke off two white roses and placed them side-by-side on the table. She then picked up one and placed it in the palm of her hand. Closing her eyes, she gently blew on the flower. Magically, each petal began to separate from the flower and float in the air, before drifting away into the night sky. Soon all of the petals were gone.

  “What was that?” Summer was in awe at what she’d just witnessed.

  “It’s a spell. The flower petals will go in search of your true love.”

  “Oh.” Despite the magic she’d just witnessed, there was still uncertainty in Summer’s voice.

  Sarah repeated the spell. This time she sent the petals into the wind to bring back her true love.

  “I guess we’ll put this to the test tomorrow night.” Summer got up from her chair. “This should be interesting.”

  “It may not work right away,” Sarah informed the other girl. “But it does work. I’ve seen my Aunt Jeanie do this hundreds of times for others.”

  “Mine has a long way to come, so it probably will be awhile for me,” Summer frowned.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Sarah asked.

  Summer shook her head. “No, you would never believe it, besides I can’t talk about my home. That’s what Lex told me.”

  Sarah frowned. “Why is it such a secret anyway?”

  Summer made a face. “Old rules. It’s been like this forever, but maybe one day.”

  “Yes … maybe one day.” Sarah agreed, but her thoughts were already miles away. She wondered where Darrien was at that moment.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nicole peered into the thick darkness of the catacombs, but she couldn’t see a thing. Once again she cursed the human weakness that kept her from seeing in the dark. Taking a deep breath, she switched the flashlight on. With the flashlight, she could see that the stairs continued to descend into the old catacombs below Rome.

  “Are you sure this is where the priest said to go?” Dash asked, his voice full of doubt. They had managed to find a priest that had spoken to Alec recently. The man had sent them into the catacombs, where he’d told Alec to go in search of the Book of Anu.

  “Nicole … are you even listening to me?” Dash asked again.

  “Yes,” Nicole answered in a low voice, as she tried to keep from breathing in too deeply and gagging. The stench of decay that mingled with the musty air in the tunnels was nauseating. Nicole found that it took extensive concentration to keep from vomiting. Suddenly she felt as if the room was spinning and she reached out to steady herself with the wall, but then she remembered the corpses that lined the tunnels of the catacombs.

  “Do you need me to hold you up?” Dash asked, amused at her human frailty.

  “No … I’m fine,” she told him, though she was anything but fine. Someone was watching them
- she could feel their eyes drilling into her head. The evil that radiated from those unseen eyes was so strong that a chill made its way up her spine.

  It was waiting for them!

  The thought jumped out at her as if someone were screaming it in her ear. In that moment she was tempted to turn back. But if Alec were in the catacombs, he was in as much danger as they were. Taking a deep breath, Nicole moved forward. She’d just find Alec and then they’d get out.

  If she could find Alec! The dark voice of doubt forced its way into her head.

  “Stop,” Dash hissed.

  Nicole froze.

  “There’s something up ahead,” he whispered.

  “I know. I’ve been feeling it for a few minutes now.”

  “Let me go ahead,” Dash said, stepping in front of her.

  Nicole moved aside so that he could get ahead of her.

  Dash came to a sudden stop. “Turn off the light.”

  Nicole did as he asked. “What is it?”

  Dash motioned for her to be quiet, but after a few moments he started moving again. “I still think there’s something down here,” he told her in a low voice.

  Nicole didn’t respond. She continued to listen intently for any sounds that seemed out of place, but all she could hear were their footsteps echoing through the tunnels. She felt a chill on her arm. That’s the first thing that her mind registered - the touch was so cold. Then she felt pain as the hand clamped down on her arm and pulled her into the darkness.

  Nicole screamed, and Dash caught sight of her just as she was being pulled into a passageway. She was being dragged across the rough ground. The rock and dirt dug at her bare flesh, but she did not feel the sting of her wounds, only the terror of the unknown.

  Dash was following as quickly as he could, but the creature that had a hold of her was faster.

  Though she struggled to pull her arm away from her captor, she knew if she pulled anymore, her limb would come right out of its socket. Again she screamed, hoping someone - anyone would hear her.

  * * * *

  Sarah was unaccustomed to so many people crammed into one place. Though she’d gone out with friends while at school in Portland, she’d not done so frequently. The Tiger’s Lair was one of the most popular clubs with the students in Reno, at least that was what Summer had told her. With the crowd dancing almost shoulder to shoulder, Sarah thought for sure every student in Reno must be at the club.

  Summer had already introduced her to several of her friends, but a moment after she walked away, Sarah couldn’t even recall their names. Her mind was hundreds of miles away, in Sutter Point. The flashing lights of the nightclub couldn’t hold her interest like the memory of Darrien’s lovemaking. Even as she tried to force the memory away so that she could at least try and enjoy her night out, she kept seeing his face, and how his passion could set fire to his cold - mesmerizing eyes.

  Sarah kept to the dark corners of the club. From where she was sitting, she could see Summer with a group of people. The men seemed to flock around her, but Summer appeared to be completely unaware of the power she wielded over the opposite sex.

  Sipping at her drink, Sarah was content to watch Summer have all the fun. Her friend tried to get her to come with her while she mingled with the crowd, but Sarah just didn’t feel comfortable. She much preferred the dark corner.

  “Would you like to dance?”

  Sarah’s attention was drawn to the man that stood at the side of her table, a smile pasted across his face. He was the exact opposite of Darrien. He had a deeply tanned complexion and sun bleached blond hair. His blue eyes seemed to dance with mischief. Sarah found this a refreshing change from Darrien’s dismal moods.

  Sarah hesitated only a moment before nodding and setting her drink on the table. The man held out his hand to her and she took it. His hand was warm, so much different than Darrien’s cold touch.

  Why did she keep comparing this stranger to Darrien?

  He led her through the crowd to the dance floor and then pulled her into his arms. “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Sarah,” she said, forcing a smile. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be dancing with such a handsome man, she just wished she could stop thinking of Darrien.

  “Well Sarah, I’m Anthony,” he told her as he was leading her into a slow dance.

  A moment into the dance, Sarah felt eyes on her. It was that tingling sensation that you get when you know someone is watching you. Sarah’s eyes scanned the room, searching the faces of the crowd to see who it was that had their attention on her.

  Finally she spotted him. He stood in the shadows - away from the crowd. His eyes were like blades, and at that very moment, they were slicing her to shreds. She could feel his anger, even from across the club with a swarm of people between them.

  Sarah caught her breath. His was the last face that she’d expected to see in the crowd, but there he was. Darrien had found her.

  Had it been her spell, or would he have found her anyway?

  Sarah now wished that she hadn’t cast her spell the night before. Darrien was moving toward her, but she pretended not to notice as she snuggled closer to the guy she was dancing with. A little jealousy wouldn’t hurt him, particularly after he’d called her by another woman’s name.

  Then he was standing next to them, glaring at her dancing companion. “Do you mind if I finish this dance?” he asked Anthony. Though it was a request, it was clear that he would take the man’s place, even if he did have any objections.

  Anthony nodded his head and turned to Sarah. “It was nice meeting you. I hope I get the opportunity to see you again.”

  Sarah smiled at him. “Yes, it was nice meeting you too.”

  Anthony disappeared into the crowd and Darrien wrapped his arms around her waist. “What are you doing?” he asked, his words alive with fury.

  “I was dancing,” she answered, forcing a light tone to her voice.

  “You are out here where anyone can see you, when you know that you are being hunted.”

  “No one knows where I am. At least no one knew until you found me,” Sarah told him, her mouth turned down in a frown.

  “If I can find you, so can they.” Darrien glared at her.

  “How did you find me?” she asked, but without meeting his eyes. She knew it had been her spell that had led Darrien to Reno.

  “The lycan that brought you here felt compelled to divulge your location to your father. Donavan Ashe sent me here to take you back to New Orleans. He feels that you would be safer under his care.”

  “If he was so worried about my safety, where has he been all these years? Why didn’t he come to get me himself?” Sarah’s bitterness was evident.

  “I asked if I could come for you,” Darrien told her. “As for the rest of it … you’ll have to bring up your questions to your father.”

  “Well I think I’m just fine where I’m at,” she told him, lifting her chin defiantly.

  “Regardless of what you think, you will be coming with me.”

  “And if I don’t?” Sarah asked, knowing what his answer would be.

  “Then I will take you against your will,” he growled. To prove his point, he started pulling her toward the exit.

  “Wait! I have to tell my friend that I’m leaving,” Sarah insisted.

  Darrien shook his head. “I have already taken the liberty of collecting your things from her apartment and leaving a note for you.”

  Sarah glared at him. “She will think that something happened to me.”

  “No … she doesn’t realize that you are being hunted by vampires. Lex only told her that you were having some family problems. That is … unless you’ve told her otherwise, and I don’t believe you have.” Darrien was smiling.

  Sarah found his arrogance infuriating. “Why don’t you go chase Caroline’s ghost and leave me be?”

  “I am … chasing Caroline’s ghost that is.” Darrien’s eyes turned cold. “Now why don’t we enjoy our dance?” he
said, pulling her closer so that his lips were right next to her ear.

  Darrien gently caressed her back while his lips went to her neck. He was kissing her and biting at her flesh. Sarah began to shake, her need for him overcoming caution.

  “Want to go somewhere?” he asked, even as he was skillfully moving her toward the exit of the Tiger’s Lair.

  “Does my father know what we have been doing when we’re alone?” Sarah questioned him, but she didn’t resist when he pulled her out the door and into the night.

  Darrien’s dark laughter unnerved her. “If he did … I probably wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Before Sarah could respond, she found herself in his arms and rising above the nightclub. The view of Reno was breathtaking from such heights, but she saw none of it. Darrien’s kiss drew her in, refusing to let her experience anything but his desire - his utter and complete need of her.

  Sarah was barely aware when they landed on the top of a tall building. Darrien drew her into the darkness so that they would be hidden from the lights of the city. His teeth were on her skin, piercing at her flesh, as he violently tore away the silk dress she was wearing. Cupping her bare breasts in his hands, he fell to his knees and took one hard nipple into his mouth.

  The searing need between her legs erupted into an inferno of pure lust when she felt his fangs scraping against her tender flesh. Her hands strayed to his hair. She delighted in the feel of his silky mane as she ran her fingers through it, pulling him even closer.

  “I’m not Caroline,” she breathed. She wanted him so fiercely that she was like a woman possessed, but she needed to hear her name on his lips when he took her.

  “I don’t care! I must have you now.” Darrien’s voice trembled with his barely controlled lust - his need to possess her.

  Darrien pulled her to her knees and his mouth took hers. He kissed her deeply, sucking and biting at her tongue until she was squirming just to keep from demanding that he fulfill her need with this flesh.