B00528UTDS EBOK Page 4

  “Why would he do that? Are you still frightened of me?” A hard glint formed in his dark eyes.

  “You were outside the truck window while we were driving,” she accused. “You nearly caused us to wreck.”

  “I’m afraid that you must be mistaken.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I saw you.”

  Darrien watched her as if he were trying to uncover some deception in her words. “Well it was not me,” he assured her.

  Sarah opened her mouth to insist that it was him that she’d seen, but she was starting to doubt it herself. It had not actually been a full-bodied person, but more of an apparition that had appeared outside of the truck’s window.

  “So will you ride with me?” he asked again.

  Sarah took the hand that he held out to her. His touch was cool, and somehow familiar.

  Holding her hand, Darrien led her to the large Ferris wheel. It was not one of the most popular rides, so they did not have to wait long before it was their turn. Soon they were in their seat and rising above the lights.

  “Why did you want me to ride with you?” she asked.

  He smiled. “I wanted to talk with you without being overheard, but in a place that you would feel safe.”

  “You could kill me up here and be gone before anyone even knew what had happened. I’m really not that dumb. I come from a family of very powerful witches,” she told him, hoping to deter any thoughts he might have of carrying out his earlier attempt on her life.

  His laughter was dark, but not really threatening. “Yes, I’m aware of that. The Coven of Lazar … progeny of the dark prince himself.”

  “What is that suppose to mean?” she asked, narrowing her eyes to glare at him.

  “You don’t know the stories of the Coven of Lazar and the Fabre witches?” he mocked her.

  “I know nothing of a dark prince.” Sarah continued to glare at him.

  “What a shame. This talk we need to have would be so much easier if you were not ignorant of your beginnings.”

  “Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on and why someone wanted you to kill me?” Sarah’s temper was starting to get the best of her, and his nearness was making her a little uncomfortable.

  The intensity of his eyes and the way the wind tugged at the silky strands of his hair, made for a compelling picture. Sarah had to fight the sudden urge to reach up and run her fingers through that hair.

  As if aware of her thoughts, a smile touched his lips. “Are you a virgin Sarah?”

  Shocked, Sarah’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not your business,” she told him, her face reddening. The initial shock that she felt was quickly replaced with embarrassment.

  Of course she was no virgin. How did you get through two years of college without some experience? Remaining a virgin would be impossible for the lusty Fabre women, at least according to everything she knew about her family history. But she didn’t exactly have a lot of experience either.

  “Let’s find out.” Darrien pulled her closer to him, and touched her lips with his. Though she knew she should pull away, Sarah couldn’t make herself do it. She was quickly lost in the sensation of his tongue invading her mouth, and his hand caressing the skin on her neck. But there was something else. She could feel his soul burning with the hunger, and a need to consume her - to take in every ounce of her body and spirit.

  Sarah was breathless when he finally pulled away.

  “You are no virgin. Your hunger for the flesh is almost as strong as mine.” His smile was dark and sadistic, but not like it had been only a short time ago. Darrien seemed to have lost some of that black poison that she had sensed permeating his mind.

  Sarah tried to block out what she was feeling, how his kiss had taken control of her senses. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in him. He was a vampire, a creature of myth, and of death.

  She had to force herself to say something, anything to break the spell of the moment. “You still have not answered my question. Why did you come here to kill me?”

  Darrien grabbed a handful of her long red hair and gently wrapped it around his fingers, caressing it as if he just couldn’t get enough of how it felt against his skin.

  He didn’t answer her. Instead, he closed his eyes. It was like he could not bear to look at her any longer. She waited for him to respond, but when he again opened his eyes, they were ravenous with hunger, and his lips claimed hers again.

  While her mind was screaming at her to push him away, her heart was fluttering as if she had butterflies in her chest. She returned his kiss, leaning up against him so that she could feel even more of him. He broke the kiss just long enough to bite at her bottom lip, sucking at the tiny drops of blood that flowed from her pierced flesh.

  The sensation was too intense for her to feel any fear. Sarah bit at his flesh, a sudden craving for his blood spread through her body until she felt as if she would burn up. He abruptly pushed her away.

  “Do not taste my blood Sarah,” he told her softly.

  “Why not?” The hunger was still burning within her, and she tried to grab his lips with her teeth.

  Darrien’s hands were on her shoulders, and he shook her gently. “Sarah stop!”

  Sarah found herself brought back to the moment so quickly it felt like she’d been dropped from the sky to land roughly on the ground. She blinked, trying to remember where she was.

  The ride had stopped and the attendant was looking at them as if he’d caught them doing something that they shouldn’t have been doing in such a public place.

  Darrien helped her off the ride and led her away from the crowd. Sarah looked up and saw Taylor glaring at them angrily. She was ridden with guilt at the realization that she’d completely forgotten about her friend.

  Taylor walked over to them, taking slow - cautious steps. As he made his way closer, Sarah could hear that he was chanting something under his breath.

  “I’m sorry Taylor. I didn’t think the ride would take so long,” Sarah apologized.

  Taylor scowled, his eyes throwing daggers at Darrien. “I banished you! What are you doing here?”

  The darkness that she had sensed in Darrien was back instantly. “No you didn’t,” he told Taylor.

  “Yes I did!”

  “No you didn’t.” Darrien gave him a malicious smile.

  Taylor’s hand shot out to grab Sarah’s arm, and he quickly pulled her away from Darrien. “We need to go,” he told her, his voice shaking with urgency.

  Taylor tried to lead her away, but Sarah stopped and turned back to Darrien. He was still watching, but it didn’t appear that he would try and stop them from leaving.

  “You never answered my question,” she called out to him.

  Darrien gave her one of his dark - haunting smiles. “I will come and visit you again Sarah,” he answered, loud enough that she could hear him over the carnival music.

  “No you won’t!” Taylor yelled back at Darrien. “I’ll put you back in the grave where you belong!”

  Sarah pulled away from him roughly. “Really Taylor! You have no manners at all.”

  “Manners!” He was incredulous. “Have you gone crazy Sarah? He is a vampire! What part of that are you not getting?”

  “I know what he is,” she shot back.

  “And?”

  After taking a moment to think about it, Sarah realized that she didn’t understand why she’d gone off with Darrien, or why she was so attracted to him. “And I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

  “Did you know that the vampire’s spell over the opposite sex is more powerful than even the witch’s spell?” he asked.

  “No I didn’t,” Sarah admitted. The truth was she didn’t know that much about vampires at all, outside of what was in movies and books. She’d been striving so hard to be normal that she had ignored her heritage, and any knowledge she might have gained from the coven.

  “How did you know he was a vampire?” she asked.

  “If you didn’t n
otice, he has almost no color, and he has a darkness about him that you can feel as soon as you look at him.”

  “Why didn’t you feel it in the truck then?”

  He paused, as if he was unsure himself. “I don’t know. Maybe what you saw was not a vampire?” Taylor started walking toward the exit. “That might explain why the banishing spell didn’t work.”

  “What could it have been then?

  “Maybe a warning,” Taylor told her, a cryptic note in his voice.

  “Why are we going already?” she wanted to know.

  “We need to talk with your aunt and tell her about this,” he said, looking over his shoulder at her.

  Sighing, Sarah followed him out the exit gate. “I think you are taking all of this a little too seriously. Besides, Aunt Jeanie already knows about him.”

  “Damn it Sarah!” he yelled. “I was responsible for you tonight. You should have told me where you were going.”

  Sarah was shocked. Taylor had never raised his voice to her before. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t think it was a big deal.”

  Taylor grumbled something under his breath, but said no more on the subject.

  Sarah stopped and looked back at the carnival. She wondered where Darrien was at that moment.

  Was he still watching her?

  Why was he the only thing that she could think of? Had he looked into her eyes, and cast some type of spell on her that had taken control of her mind and body? Sarah closed her eyes and tried to forget how she’d felt when he’d kissed her.

  It was no use. His presence was as strong as if he were still standing beside her. Sarah turned away from the carnival lights to see that Taylor was standing by the truck, waiting for her.

  She could not hold it against Taylor. He was concerned about her, that’s all. Sarah continued to the truck and got in. She smiled at her friend.

  “I really am sorry that I worried you,” she told him. “But I don’t regret spending a few minutes with him. He’s different.”

  Taylor frowned. “Yeah he’s different all right. He’s a freaking vampire!”

  * * * *

  Darrien watched the young man drag Sarah away and a dark shadow of fury descended on him, but he pushed it away. His anger would do little to convince her of the truth, and her need to get away from Sutter Point.

  When she’d been in his arms on the beach, bravely facing death, he’d felt compelled to kiss her - to love her. He saw Caroline in her face that night, but he hadn’t been sure she was Caroline, not until tonight when he’d once again held her in his arms. The connection was still there. She was his beloved Caroline, the woman that had ripped apart his soul and left it open for the darkness to consume him.

  Caroline had returned to him, just as she had promised. But he’d been sent by an ancient to kill her. Darrien would not do it. He would not be responsible for her death again. This time he would save her, even if she again refused immortality.

  He had tried to give Caroline life, but she would not take his blood. Now that Caroline was Sarah, she had wanted his blood. She’d wanted his blood with a hunger so great that he had nearly been taken away by her erotic - all consuming need. This time he would not offer her immortality, but instead he would give her the blessing of being free of his love. She did not need to know the pain of loving an immortal, not again.

  He would see that she was safe and then he would return to the darkness that had become so much a part of who he was. But could he hold that darkness at bay long enough to do what was right this time, or would his hunger for her be too much?

  Chapter Four

  The Lafayette Cemetery was beautiful beneath the early morning sun. Bending down, Nicole lifted the jug of water and poured some of it into the brass container that was attached to the base of the Trenton family tomb. When it was half-full, she took the blue and white daises, and arranged them in the vase until they were exactly the way she wanted them.

  Though it had taken a long time, she could now smile when she remembered Jay. His memory could still bring on the tears, but now they were less frequent. She tried to remember the joy her little brother had given her, and not just the sadness of his loss.

  If it had not been for Alec, Nicole’s grief would have eventually drove her into an abyss of darkness. How ironic that a creature of darkness would be the one to bring new light into her life.

  Nicole was worried sick about Alec. He had been gone for days now, and there had still been no word from him.

  “Such a tragic loss.”

  Nicole was startled by the unfamiliar voice.

  The man stood only a few feet away. His approach had been so silent that she hadn’t a clue someone had been watching her. The stranger’s dark eyes were not unsympathetic, but he seemed guarded. He was an older gentleman. Nicole guessed that he was probably in his mid fifties by the lines on his face and the white streaks of gray in his black hair.

  “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” Nicole asked.

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid that I’ve never had the pleasure. My name is Lex,” he told her.

  Nicole got to her feet. Though she didn’t flee from the stranger, she was cautious. She’d grown so accustomed to being on the lookout for Omar’s vamps, that she now treated all strangers with suspicion.

  “Hello,” she gave him a nod.

  “I am an acquaintance of your friend Ethan,” he explained.

  “Oh, are you the …”

  “The lycan,” he finished for her. “Yes that is what I am. My pack is known as the Vilka.”

  “What information do you have about my sisters?” Nicole asked. She had wanted to meet Ethan’s mysterious informant for some time now. She wanted the opportunity question him herself.

  “Do you mind?” he asked, motioning to a bench near the Trenton family tomb.

  “No … not at all.”

  “Please sit with me a while.” He patted the space next to him on the bench.

  Nicole hesitated only a moment before deciding that he was not a threat, and sat down beside him. Although she was a born vampire that could live in the light, and without blood for nourishment, she still had some of the instincts of the vampire. Wariness of the lycan was one of the instincts bred into her.

  “Your little brother.” Lex pointed toward the tomb. “He died from an accidental drowning, as I understand.”

  Nicole nodded. “Yes. He suffered a fever induced seizure while he was in the tub.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. It is always sad when a young child dies.”

  She felt genuine sympathy from the man. Nicole decided that she really liked the lycan.

  “Thank you. Dealing with his death has been very difficult.”

  “Yes, I’m sure it has.”

  “What about my sisters? What do you know about them?” Nicole reminded him of her question of a few moments before.

  Lex studied her face for a long time before answering. “I know the location of one of them, but I am not sure about the other.”

  Nicole waited for him to continue, but he said no more.

  “Well,” she prodded him for more information.

  “My adopted granddaughter is your sister, but I cannot reveal anything about her at this time. It is too dangerous.”

  “The sooner we find both of them, the sooner we can stop Omar and his followers,” she reasoned.

  “This is true,” he agreed. “But she has not reached the point that she is ready. To expose her now could be disastrous for all three of you. The one that you need to worry about is still out there somewhere, and probably unprotected.”

  “What can you tell me about the other one then?” Nicole asked.

  “I can tell you that she is descended from a line of very powerful witches … the Fabre witches. You may have heard of them. They are legend in New Orleans. Some say that Marie Laveau was the illegitimate daughter of one of the Fabre men.”

  Nicole was ready to tell him that she did not believe in witches, but then she knew just
how ridiculous that would sound. Her lover was a vampire, and here she was talking to a lycan.

  “So if we can trace the descendants of these witches, then we might be able to find her?” Nicole asked.

  Lex nodded. “I don’t believe they are in this area any longer. They were run out of here a long time ago.”

  “Well if they were all that notorious, they shouldn’t be too difficult to track down.”

  “That’s true, but it is true for Omar as well. She could be in grave danger.” Lex gazed at the tomb. “You would not want to lose another sibling.”

  “Why doesn’t my father know more?”

  Lex gave her a cynical smile. “Your father does know more than what he is telling you. To help you out too much would be going against his own species. Have you thought of that?”

  “Yes, but we are his children?”

  Lex nodded. “I suspect that is the reason he wants you to find your sisters. He wants his children protected, but he cannot be the one to go against the vampires.”

  “What about the Place of Light? You come from there … don’t you?” Nicole asked, though she already knew that he did.

  “Yes, but I have been banished from that place.”

  Nicole wanted to ask why, but thought it would be too impolite.

  Sensing her curiosity, Lex volunteered the information. “I was the leader of an extremely powerful warrior society, but I let my hate and bigotry consume the person that I was. It almost cost me my daughter.”

  “And they banished you?”

  “Yes, until such time that I have redeemed myself,” he smiled sadly.

  “This is why you wish to help the vampires?” Nicole was trying to put the pieces together.

  “My granddaughter … she is very important to me. I feel without intervention that all three of you may perish.”

  This wasn’t exactly what Nicole had hoped to hear. “Why can’t the vampires go to this Place of Light?”

  “This is your history … not mine. It isn’t my place to tell you about matters that the elders of your race don’t wish you to know.”