B00528UTDS EBOK Page 8

  * * * *

  Sarah sat straight up, her screams vibrating off the walls. It took several minutes for her to relax enough to breathe normally. Again she’d dreamt of Caroline, but it had been more like a memory than a dream. She’d been Caroline. She’d felt what Caroline felt, knew what she knew. Sarah was still shaking from the terror she’d felt when she’d heard the child’s screams.

  Something had happened to that child!

  Sarah searched within herself, trying to remember - trying to go back to that lifetime. But everything was a blank after the sound of the child screaming. Taking another deep breath, Sarah tried to calm her frayed nerves.

  The room seemed to be closing in on her, making it difficult to breathe. Knowing that she would never get back to sleep, she decided to get some fresh air. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was only 2:00 AM. Dawn was still a long time away.

  Getting on her robe and slippers, Sarah left her room and went out into the garden. Watching the sea had a way of calming the troubled spirit, and she needed that calm right now. Dreaming of Darrien, had only reminded her of his absence and the void that he’d left behind.

  She barely knew him, why did it even matter to her?

  Because she did know him - she loved him once. A little voice whispered in her ear, the truth that her heart had always known, even if she could not remember as Sarah, except for in her dreams.

  Less than a quarter mile from the garden was the Sutter Point lighthouse. It had been abandoned for almost a hundred years. But tonight a light was shining at the top of the lighthouse, beaconing to those out at sea, and to her. Sarah stared, wondering if she was seeing things. In all the time she’d lived in Sutter Point, she’d never seen it lit.

  A narrow - overgrown path led from the garden to the lighthouse. She and Taylor would play there as children, but they’d never been allowed to go inside. Aunt Jeanie said it was too dangerous. The stairs could be decayed and they might fall through them.

  The beam at the top of the lighthouse called to her. She just knew she was supposed to go there. Sarah could think of nothing but finding out who was in there - who was sending out its light to guide her to the antique structure?

  Sarah started down the path, heedless of the darkness and the dangers of the night. The sound of the waves gently crashing against the rocks below was calming, lulling her - comforting her fears. From somewhere in the darkness, the hoot of an owl serenaded the night.

  The path led away from the house and onto the point. The lighthouse stood on a large cliff outcropping, where it overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Weeds caught in her slippers, making the trek more difficult, but Sarah barely noticed this. She kept walking, as if driven by some magnetic force that she was completely unaware of.

  Reaching the lighthouse, she peered up, expecting to see light flashing from the windows at the top of the structure, but it was dark.

  Had she imagined the light? Was she really asleep, and this was just another bizarre dream?

  Sarah made her way to the large door that was always kept locked. It stood open just a crack, the rusty chain and padlock lay on the ground in front of it.

  Someone was in there, or had been.

  Reaching out, Sarah slowly pushed the door open. The old hinges creaked so loudly that it undoubtedly alerted whoever was inside, of her presence. Even this knowledge did not deter her. Stepping inside, she found herself in almost complete darkness. A small amount of moonlight came in from the top of the lighthouse, illuminating the long - spiral staircase.

  Placing her foot on the first step, Sarah cringed when the wood moaned loudly beneath her weight. Holding onto the rail, she took the steps slowly, waiting for one to give way and send her falling to her death.

  Finally she reached the lantern room. An abundance of moonlight found its way in through the storm panes, making it easier to see. Clearly no one was there but herself. At least that is what she initially believed. As she peered around the room, her eyes caught the movement of a shadow. Then she realized that it wasn’t a shadow at all, but a figure standing at the window, looking out at the sea.

  Darrien had called for her!

  Her heart jumped at the thought, while at the same time her senses were screaming at her - telling her to run and hide. The figure turned to look at her. His eyes were alight, not with hunger. but with the thirst for fear. It would feed off of her terror, as well as the warm blood that flowed through her veins. The evil in those eyes was foreign to her - they were not Darrien’s eyes. This creature was a vampire, but he wasn’t Darrien.

  Sarah’s screams sounded hollow in the glass enclosure. She tried to turn and run, but was shaking so badly that her legs did not want to move. She felt in the pocket of her robe for her dagger, but it wasn’t there. Since receiving the dagger, she’d made a habit of taking it with her wherever she went, but this time she’d forgotten.

  She searched her memory for some type of spell that would ward the creature off, but she drew a blank. She just hadn’t paid enough attention to her aunt’s spells.

  He stepped closer, but his movements were slow. He was in no hurry. The longer she had to feel fear before her death, the more enjoyable the experience would be for him.

  Sarah willed her legs to move and she ran toward the staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. She was breathless when she reached the bottom. Stealing a look over her shoulder, she sighed in relief to see that he wasn’t there. Her reprieve was short-lived. When she turned to look in front of her, the creature was there - blocking her way to the door. His movements had been so fast that her brain hadn’t even registered the fact that he’d flown down the stairs ahead of her.

  A scream of utter terror ripped from her throat. This did not faze the vampire. He smiled ghoulishly, enjoying her fear - feeding off of it.

  Out of pure desperation, Sarah held out her hand and pulled at the energy around her. She gathered the earth’s energy into her fingers and directed it at her attacker. Suddenly the vampire was knocked off balance. It wasn’t much, but enough to give her time to slip by him and out the door.

  As she ran, her slippers caught on the weeds, tripping her. Sarah fell hard to the ground, catching herself with her hands. The skin on her hands was scraped and bleeding, but there was no time to think about that, or to feel the pain. She jumped up and kicked the slippers from her feet.

  Her efforts were in vain. The creature now blocked the path ahead of her. In the moonlight she could make out a deformed forehead and the way his cheekbones protruded so far that it appeared as if they would tear the flesh on his face. His lips were drawn back, revealing deadly fangs. The glowing redness in his eyes reminded her of a demon - a true spawn of the prince of darkness.

  He moved toward her and her screams rang through the air, shattering the peaceful silence of the night. Looking around frantically, Sarah searched for some place to run - some way that she could escape, but she was trapped. The only place to run was over the cliffs and into the sea.

  There was a flash of movement - so subtle that she might have thought it a trick of the eyes, if not for the fact that now the vampire lay on the ground, struggling with an assailant.

  Her relief was so complete that she felt her knees grow weak. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to sink to the ground and let the fear fade from her heart.

  Darrien tore at the vampire’s throat, but as quickly as the blood spurted from the wound, it began to heal. He would have to sever the head to kill the other vampire. Sarah searched the ground for some type of weapon, a stick or branch that she could use to pierce the vampire’s heart.

  From the dark sky, a large raven swooped toward her, dropping the crystal dagger at her feet. Sarah picked it up and ran toward the vampire. As soon as she had a clear shot at the vampire’s chest, she buried the sharp end of the dagger into his heart. Instantly the dagger began to glow with a black light that slowly turned red and then blue. The light was so bright that it cut through the darkness around them.
<
br />   Startled, Darrien backed away. The light from the dagger became so brilliant that Sarah had to shield her eyes from the glare. Then it was gone. All that was left of the vampire was a pile of ash.

  Darrien looked over at her. “What was that?”

  Sarah stepped to the white pile of ash that had once been a vampire, and retrieved her dagger. She held it up so that Darrien could see it. “It was a gift from my aunt.”

  Darrien stared at the magical weapon that Sarah held in her hand.

  “My familiar, Zaltar must have known that I would need it, so he brought it to me,” she told him.

  “Well I have to say it works much better than a wooden stake, which doesn’t work at all by the way. Just so you know, in case this ever happens again.” Darrien encircled her waist with his arms.

  Sarah gazed into his eyes. “I thought you were going away?”

  A smile touched his lips. “Did you really think that I would leave you to these ghouls?”

  Before she could answer, he leaned down and brushed her lips with a soft kiss. “We should get you home now. I need to talk with your aunt and see if she will convince you to go away from here.”

  Sarah shook her head. “You will only worry her.”

  “Someone has to talk some sense into you.” Again he kissed her, but this time with more heat. His tongue licked at her lips, parting them so that he could explore her mouth - tasting her. His need surrounded her - burrowing into her pores until she felt the fire spread through her body and into her groin. The wet fire between her legs was agony.

  His arms tightened around her and he devoured her lips with his. Then she felt the ground give way beneath her feet. They were ascending into the dark sky - into the billowing black clouds that were starting to gather over the sea. Sarah held onto him tightly, not caring that she was hundreds of feet in the air, or that she was in the arms of an immortal.

  When she looked at him, she did not see a creature of the night, but a being of pure beauty and divine wisdom. She saw her knight.

  Slowly he brought her to the ground. Sarah recognized the shrub maze in her aunt’s garden. They were in the grass, the tall shrubs shielding them from sight. He leaned over her - a silhouette against the moon. Though a cloud partially obscured the moon’s light, it was still bright enough to see everything around her. The silver beams were magical somehow, as if it was all meant to be, the enchantment - the danger, and her passion for this immortal.

  She was on fire. Sarah felt as if she would disintegrate if he did not quench her thirst. Again he kissed her, his mouth sucking at her tongue - devouring her mouth as he devoured her soul. His lips were on her throat - his tongue licking at her flesh.

  She felt his hand slide up her leg, lifting the hem of her nightgown to expose her thighs. He removed her panties so gracefully that she barely felt them come off, but she could sense his gaze on the glistening wetness between her legs.

  His mouth was on her thighs, licking and teasing her until she began to tremble with the power of her need. Then she felt the sensation of sharp pain when his fangs slit through her skin. As warm blood dripped from her wounds, he gently licked it away. The act was so erotic that it nearly brought her to a shattering orgasm.

  “I can’t take this,’ she breathed.

  His dark laughter floated on the night air, enchanting her further.

  She felt his cool fingers rubbing the swollen lips between her legs, and she arched her hips to him. Darrien obliged, slipping his fingers into her molten core.

  Sarah moaned loudly. The sensation of his fingers moving within her, as he licked and bit at her flesh, was total ecstasy.

  “I want you,” she gasped, moving her hips in rhythm to his probing fingers.

  The moistness between her legs turned to liquid fire as he brought her the release that she so desperately needed. The pleasure was so unbelievable that she could not stop the screams that escaped her lips.

  She felt him move away from her, but for the moment all she could do was close her eyes and try to bring her breathing under control. All around her the night seemed to be alive with sound. In the distance, she could hear the roar of the sea and a gust of wind disturbed the shrubs that surrounded them. The sound of the blood rushing through his body was bewitching – it called to her - tempting her.

  Sarah sat up and grabbed his arm. She could think of nothing but tasting his blood on her tongue. Baring her teeth, she prepared to sink them into his flesh, but he pulled away from her abruptly.

  Darrien stared at her in shock. The horror on his face would have been comical, if not for her insatiable hunger for his blood.

  “Sarah stop!” he hissed.

  Sarah blinked as if coming awake. She reached out for him, but he backed away from her.

  Pain wrapped around her heart and squeezed until she felt as if she would die. “What have I done?”

  The expression on his face softened and he pulled her into his arms. “It is not what you have done, but what I have done.”

  Sarah shook her head, confused by his words.

  “You are turning Sarah.” His words were full of all of the horror she’d seen on his face when he’d looked at her.

  “I’m becoming a vampire?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he answered, the agony he was feeling caused his voice to crack as he spoke.

  “Because you fed from me?” she asked, her fear at battle with her desire to understand.

  He nodded. “But there is something wrong. It shouldn’t have happened unless you fed on my blood.”

  Sarah was speechless. Had she given up her life to be loved by him? Did she even care?

  “It seems to be happening slowly. Probably since the first time I pierced your skin.” Darrien seemed to be talking more to himself than to her, as he tried to make sense out of what was happening.

  A million thoughts raced through her mind. Foremost among them, was the sun. Would she ever see the sun again?

  “I have to take you some place safe, and I have to go away from you,” he declared. “Maybe it isn’t permanent yet. You recovered from your hunger last time.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I would prefer to turn than be away from you.”

  “No you wouldn’t.”

  “Why didn’t you make love to me?” she asked, realizing for the first time that he had not really taken her completely.

  A deep sadness entered his eyes. “I could not do it to you again Caroline … I mean Sarah,” he corrected himself quickly.

  Sarah was shocked by his words, though she knew she should not have been. Even as he had brought her such pleasure, in his mind - she was Caroline. She got to her feet and turned away from him. She shook with the effort it took to keep her anger and hurt from erupting.

  “I’m sorry Sarah. I know you don’t believe that you are Caroline, but I know that you are. I can feel it whenever I am with you.” He tried to reason with her.

  “You are delusional,” she told him, her voice hard and unyielding. “Go away Darrien. Go dream about Caroline and leave me be.” Sarah walked away, without looking back at him.

  “Sarah please … you are still in danger,” he called after her.

  Sarah did not turn around - she did not even let herself listen to his words.

  “Don’t go into the light Sarah,” he yelled. “It will make you sick and could kill you.”

  Sarah left him in the shrub maze and ran to the comfort of home. With each step she took, another piece of her heart seemed to fall away from her.

  Chapter Nine

  Glancing at her watch, Nicole saw that it was nearly 9:00 PM. Already late, she took the stairs two at a time. The French Quarter building where Ethan kept his office was beautiful, though she wished that she lived a little closer. Having a boss that was a vampire had some advantages, but having her nights free was not one of them. She often worked long hours at night, helping Ethan with whatever project he was working on. Right now that happened to be the disappearance of a little boy.


  Ethan’s contacts in the police department thought the boy’s disappearance might be connected to vampires, but Nicole didn’t think so. This crime had predator written all over it - the human predator variety. That wasn’t to say that there were not plenty of deaths that could be attributed to vampires.

  Most of the members of the New Orleans Police Department were unaware of the vampires that roamed their city, but there were a couple of officers that knew, and they would seek out Ethan’s help. Those in the police department that knew the truth about the death that plagued their city, welcomed Ethan’s expertise.

  Ethan was a Light Seeker, a vampire that fed on animals while searching for a way to end their curse. Ending the curse of the vampire, and finding the Place of Light was one of Ethan’s ongoing projects, and the one that Nicole spent most of her time on.

  She knew Ethan was busy right now with the boy’s disappearance, and she hoped that he wouldn’t have a problem with her leaving for Romania.

  Reaching the top of the stairs, Nicole frowned. The office door was shut. Ethan always kept it open when he was in. From behind the door she could hear the soft murmur of voices. She brought her hand up to knock, but hesitated. If the door was closed, Ethan obviously didn’t want to be disturbed.

  Finally she knocked, knowing that she didn’t have a choice. She had to tell Ethan she was leaving.

  A moment later the door opened and Ethan stood there, staring at her. “Why didn’t you just come in?”

  “I thought you might be busy.”

  Ethan motioned for her to enter and then shut the door. Nicole was startled to see the lycan sitting in front of Ethan’s desk.

  “Well hello again,” he smiled.

  “Hi,’ she greeted him, unsure of what else to say.

  “Lex has some news for us,” Ethan informed her.

  “I have information that the Fabre Witches relocated to the coast of Oregon, in a small town called Sutter Point,” Lex explained.