Everlasting Kiss

by Amanda Ashley

  “I can’t let him kill my brother!” Alex had always been Daisy’s favorite. He was the one she had run to for comfort when she was in kindergarten and Bobby Thomson called her names, the one who had showed her how to blow a bubble with bubblegum, the one who had taught her how to roller-skate. As a teenager, it had been Alex she confided in, Alex who had stood up for her.

  “Honey, if your brother finds Rhys, Rhys will kill him, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

  Coming to a halt, Daisy looked up at Erik, her gaze searching his. “Can you?”

  “I don’t know,” Erik said after a moment. He had wondered, from time to time, if he could whip Rhys in a fight. Realistically, he hoped he would never have to find out. “He means a lot to you?”

  “Alex? Of course. He’s my brother.”

  “Of course.” Sometimes it was hard to remember how strongly woven familial ties could be. He had loved his wife and children, but that had been centuries ago. In the first few years after he had been turned, he had sometimes spied on other families, torturing himself with what he had lost. He had stood on the outside, watching mothers and fathers gather their children around the hearth at Christmastime, carving pumpkins for Halloween, coloring eggs at Easter. He had ached inside as he observed mothers rocking their babies to sleep, watching fathers tuck their sons into bed at night.

  Daisy started walking again and he fell into step beside her, shortening his stride to match hers.

  “Did you have brothers or sisters?” Daisy asked after a while.

  “No. My mother used to tell me I was all she needed. I always thought she didn’t want any more kids because I was such a horrible child.”

  “Were you? A horrible child?” It was hard to imagine Erik as young and vulnerable. He was so self-assured, so invincible. It was easier to picture him as a young Greek god than as a mortal child.

  “Yes,” he said, smiling. “I suppose I was. I burned down the stable while trying to master the art of conjuring fire. I killed a chicken when I tried to turn it into a duck…”

  “Are those the kind of things that young warlocks do?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s what I did.” Eventually, he had mastered fire, among other things, but on the day he married Abigail, he had put his magick behind him. And then he had been turned and found he possessed supernatural powers he had never dreamed of, inherent vampire magic that didn’t require magical spells or enchantments.

  “Here you are, safely home again,” Erik remarked when they reached her house.

  Daisy nodded. Always her protector, Alex was waiting for her on the front porch. “About time you got back,” he said gruffly.

  “Alex, I’m a big girl now. You don’t have to wait up for me.”

  “Uh-huh.” Alex glared at Erik for a long moment, then turned on his heel and went inside.

  “Big brothers,” Daisy said fondly. “They can be a pain in the butt sometimes.”

  “If you say so. Can I see you tomorrow night?”

  “Erik…”

  “I know all the reasons why we shouldn’t,” he said, drawing her into his arms. “But right now they don’t seem to matter.”

  Happiness bubbled up inside her at the prospect of being with him again. “What time?” It wasn’t the smart answer, it wasn’t the safe answer, but it felt like the right one.

  “Whatever’s good for you,” he said with a wink. “I’ve got all night.”

  “Eight o’clock?” She could have Alex fed and settled down by then.

  “Shall I pick you up?”

  “No, I’ll meet you somewhere.”

  “At the Crypt?”

  “All right.” She gazed up at him, her heart pounding with anticipation as he lowered his head to claim her lips with his. She would see him again tomorrow night. She was already counting the hours.

  “Sweet dreams, my little flower,” Alex murmured as he kissed her lightly on the forehead; then, mindful that her brother was watching his every move from the living room window, Erik walked slowly to his car, unlocked the door with the key instead of his preternatural power, and slid behind the wheel.

  After starting the car, Erik blew a kiss to Daisy, who was still standing on the front porch. And then he waved to her brother, who glared at him from the window.

  Grinning, Erik pulled away from the curb.

  Chapter 18

  “Hey, sis,” Alex called. “Are you ready to go yet?”

  “I’m coming.” Daisy checked her pockets and her handbag, making sure she had everything she needed, including her keys. “What’s the rush?”

  “I don’t want somebody else to beat me to that two hundred grand. Here,” he said, thrusting a can of Scent-B-Gone into her hand, “spray me, will ya?”

  Daisy sprayed her brother from head to foot, then held her nose while he returned the favor.

  Alex grinned at her. “Sure stinks until it dries, doesn’t it?”

  With a nod, Daisy followed Alex out to his car. She had spent the wee small hours of last night and all of this morning trying to talk her brother out of going after Rhys, but to no avail. The two-hundred-thousand-dollar reward drew him like a magnet.

  “I need to be home early,” she said, fastening her seat belt. “I have a date.”

  Alex shook his head as he backed out of the driveway. “I really don’t like that guy.”

  Daisy rolled her eyes. “Are you still harping on that?” It was all she’d heard since Erik had brought her home last night.

  She’d had no intention of going with Alex to look for Rhys, but Alex had asked her to tag along in hopes that her compass would lead him to the vampire he sought.

  “I don’t trust him. If he’s an artist, I’ll eat my Harley.”

  A sound of impatience rose in Daisy’s throat. “He is an artist, you idiot. I have a painting to prove it.”

  “Yeah? Did you see him paint it?”

  “Alex, you’re impossible. Turn right at the next corner.” She stared out the window, watching as the houses grew farther apart. They were in an older neighborhood now, one that looked like it had once been a pricey part of town. The homes were large, but mostly run-down, the lawns unkempt, the paint faded.

  “Okay, he’s an artist,” Alex said. “What do you say we ask him to do a family portrait?”

  “Sure, next time we’re all in Boston. I’m sure Erik’s got nothing better to do. Turn left at the corner.”

  “Afraid to put him to the test?”

  “Don’t be an idiot.”

  “Hey, there’s something about him.” Alex shook his head. “I don’t know what it is, but something ain’t right.”

  Muttering, “Oh, give it up,” Daisy glanced at her compass. “Stop here!”

  The needle on her compass shimmered a bright red when Alex braked in front of the last house on the block. There were bars on the windows, a security screen door, and a ferocious-looking mastiff standing stiff-legged behind a wrought-iron fence.

  “Whoever lives here doesn’t want any company, that’s for sure,” Alex muttered, peering through the windshield. “Wait here, I’m going in.”

  “It’s too hot to sit in the car.”

  “I’ll leave the engine running. I won’t be long.” Getting out of the car, Alex slung his kit over his shoulder, then opened the small ice chest stowed on the backseat. Reaching inside, he pulled a large chunk of fresh hamburger out of a plastic bag. “Pays to be prepared,” he said with a wink and a grin.

  Daisy grinned back at him. It was an old trick, doctoring hamburger with a sedative. She watched Alex toss the meat over the fence. The dog gobbled it down in one swallow; less than a minute later, the animal was out cold.

  Alex gave her the high sign, vaulted over the fence, and loped up to the front porch. Quick work with a lock pick, and he was inside the house.

  Daisy leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. What was Erik doing now? She knew he could be awake when the sun was up, though he preferred to take his rest
then. She wondered what happened if vampires didn’t sleep during the day. Did they just get cranky? Was it only the very young who were compelled to rest, or was it something they all did? What was it like, to sleep by day and be active only after the sun went down? Did it seem normal to vampires after a time?

  Lifting her head, she stared at the house, then glanced at her watch. How long had Alex been inside? Why hadn’t she paid attention to the time? He should have been back by now.

  Grabbing a stake and a bottle of holy water from her bag, she switched off the engine, slipped the holy water and the keys into her pocket, and got out of the car.

  She sent a nervous glance at the dog as she opened the gate. It was the biggest mastiff she had ever seen. More like a small horse than a dog. After making sure it was still sleeping deeply, she made her way to the front porch and opened the door.

  The inside of the house was dark. Heavy drapes covered the windows. There were three sofas and several chairs in the living room. The floors were polished hardwood. An ancient-looking leather scabbard hung over a marble fireplace.

  She paused a moment, listening, but heard only silence. Taking a deep breath, she counted to ten and then called Alex’s name. When there was no reply, she tiptoed across the floor.

  A shiver of unease skittered down her spine as she moved deeper into the house. Most lairs were in basements or, occasionally, in a dusty attic. Vampires didn’t seem to be bothered by dirt, dust, or spiderwebs.

  Her footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors as she peered into one room after another. All were empty.

  She froze when a muffled cry reached her ears. Alex! Another cry, harsher than the first, set her heart to pounding. Alex was in trouble. All thought for her own safety fled as Daisy pulled the bottle of holy water from her pocket and followed the sound of her brother’s voice.

  The vampire’s lair was located in what had once been a walk-in pantry that was big enough to have made a fair-sized bedroom. A shiny black coffin sat in the middle of the floor.

  Daisy came to an abrupt halt just inside the doorway, her mind barely able to comprehend what she was seeing. Alex was on the floor. Covered in blood, he was trying to fight off the vampire hovering over him.

  Galvanized by fear that the vampire would drain her brother dry, or worse, turn him, Daisy uncorked the bottle of holy water and flung it at the back of the vampire’s head. The scent of scorched hair and preternatural flesh immediately stung her nostrils.

  Howling in fury, the vampire spun around to face her, his narrowed eyes as red as hell’s own flames, his fangs dripping with blood. Alex’s blood.

  With a cry of horror, Daisy grabbed the stake from her pocket, charged forward, and plunged it into the vampire’s chest. Snarling, he took several steps backward, his hands curling around the stake as his curses filled the air.

  “Alex!” Sobbing his name, spurred by the need to get the two of them out of there as fast as possible, she dragged her brother to his feet. Sagging under his weight, she somehow managed to get him out of the house and into the passenger seat of the car.

  By the time she got behind the wheel, her hands were shaking so badly, it took three tries to get the key into the ignition. Shoving the gearshift into drive, she slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. The car lurched crazily before she got it under control.

  She didn’t dare look back, afraid if she did, she would see the vampire coming after them. But that was impossible. She had killed him. Hadn’t she? But if she had destroyed him, why hadn’t he dissolved into dust? Oh, Lord, what if she had missed his heart?

  She drove like a maniac, her mind whirling as she headed for the freeway. She glanced at her brother. He was unconscious. She had to get him to a hospital, and soon. Blood leaked from dozens of deep bites on his arms, legs, chest, and neck from where the vampire had savaged him. More blood bubbled from a wound in his stomach, a wound she dared not examine too closely for fear she would lose control of the car.

  He needed help, she thought anxiously. And he needed it now.

  Help he couldn’t get from a hospital. She knew instinctively that a doctor couldn’t save him.

  Erik, she thought. She needed Erik.

  Giving the wheel a hard twist, she sped past the freeway on-ramp and headed for the one man who might be able to help her.

  The sound of someone knocking on the front door roused Erik from his daytime slumber. A deep breath brought a familiar scent to his nostrils, and a smile to his lips. Daisy was there.

  And then he frowned. What was she doing here in the middle of the day?

  Rising, he hurried to the front door.

  “Erik!” Daisy stared up at him, her eyes wild. “I need help!”

  “Sure, honey, come on in.”

  “It’s not for me.” She waved a frantic hand toward the car parked at the curb. “It’s Alex!”

  Erik swore softly as he glanced at the stretch of sun-dappled sidewalk between his house and the car. “Wait a minute.”

  Turning, he grabbed a long leather coat from the rack just inside the door. Pulling it over his head and shoulders, he moved with supernatural speed toward the car. One look at Daisy’s brother and he feared the man was beyond help. He was bleeding from numerous wounds; his face was deathly pale, his lips were turning blue.

  Erik muttered an oath as the sun’s light warmed his back. Any further examination would have to be done inside. His skin tingled uncomfortably as he pulled the unconscious man out of the car.

  Draping Daisy’s brother over his shoulder, he transported himself back into the house.

  Shouting, “Close the damn door!” he carried Alex up the stairs and into the bedroom adjacent to the one Daisy had used not so long ago.

  Daisy was right behind him. She pulled back the covers, then hovered beside Erik as he lowered Alex to the bed. Blood immediately soaked into the Spider-man sheets.

  “What the hell happened?” Erik asked. “He looks like he’s been through a meat grinder.”

  “We were hunting vampires…hunting Rhys.”

  Erik leaned over Alex, his nostrils flaring. “And you found him,” he muttered, disbelief evident in his tone. “How the hell did you do that?”

  “Just by chance,” Daisy answered. They had found Rhys and lived to tell the tale. She swayed on her feet, feeling suddenly light-headed.

  Erik’s gaze swept over her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, don’t worry about me.”

  Erik shook his head. He had once warned Rhys that he needed more security for their meeting place, but Rhys had shrugged it off. He had always been arrogant to the point of carelessness. There had been times when Erik wondered if Rhys kept such an easily breached establishment because he was tired of his existence.

  Daisy tugged on Erik’s arm, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand. “Please, do something.”

  Erik studied Daisy’s brother. Alex’s heartbeat was slow and erratic, barely discernable. The scent of his blood teased Erik’s nostrils, tempting him to take what little blood the man had left.

  “Erik?”

  “I warned you to stay away from Rhys.”

  “You can lecture me later,” she said, choking back her tears. “Right now, Alex is dying. But you can save him! I know you can!”

  “You want me to save a vampire hunter?” Erik exclaimed. “Dammit, Daisy, if he had come here alone, he might have taken my head.”

  “He’s my brother. Please, Erik, I’ll do anything you want!” Tears welled in her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. “Please! You can’t just let him die!”

  Erik waged a silent war with himself. It went against the grain to save the life of a hunter, yet what else could he do, with Daisy standing there, tears streaming down her face?

  “Get him out of those clothes.”

  She didn’t argue, didn’t ask for help, but Erik gave it anyway. Moments later, Alex lay on the blood-soaked sheets, stripped to his briefs.

  “You might not want to watch this,” E
rik warned.

  “I’m staying.”

  “He’s pretty far gone. There’s no guarantee my blood will save him. If it doesn’t…?” He left the question hanging in the air between them.

  “Don’t ask me that,” she said, her eyes wide. “I can’t make a decision like that for him.”

  With a curt nod, Erik bit into the deep blue vein in his left wrist. Dark red blood oozed from the two shallow wounds. Using his fingers, he smeared his blood over Alex’s injuries.

  Daisy watched in fascinated horror as the gashes on her brother’s body began to heal, all but the one in his stomach. She looked up at Erik.

  “Lift his head a little.”

  “You’re not going to turn him?” she asked, horrified by the idea.

  “No. I’ll just give him a little drink, to strengthen him.”

  Swallowing the urge to vomit, Daisy folded one of the bed pillows in half and put it under Alex’s head. She looked away when Erik held his bleeding wrist to her brother’s lips, only to glance back as some shred of morbid curiosity got the better of her. A small trickle of blood flowed from Erik’s wrist into Alex’s mouth, and then, incredibly, Alex took hold of Erik’s arm, suckling as though it were mother’s milk. Within moments, color returned to her brother’s waxen cheeks.

  She glanced at the wound in Alex’s stomach, her eyes widening with amazement as the ugly wound began to knit together. She had known vampire blood had miraculous qualities. Didn’t it say so on her Web site? But she had never actually seen what it could do, never really believed a few drops of Undead blood could work miracles.

  She was a believer now, and even as the thought crossed her mind, the room began to spin out of focus. “Erik…”

  “Steady, girl.”

  His voice curled around her like loving arms, holding the dizziness at bay.

  A moment later, he lifted his arm and licked the bloody wound in his wrist.

  Revulsion swirled in the pit of Daisy’s stomach, and then the world went black.

  Erik caught Daisy in his arms and carried her into the room she had occupied before. What the hell had Alex been thinking, to take his sister with him when he went to hunt the most dangerous vampire on the West Coast? And what had Daisy been thinking when she agreed to go with him? And how the devil was Rhys? Had Daisy and her brother destroyed him?