Courted by the Vampire

by Sandra Sookoo

  Chapter Six

  Because of their arrival at the touristy part of the beach, the souvenir stands and food shacks were about to close. Edwin bought bags of snacks and bottled water on the cheap. While Hannah snuck into the bathhouse for a shower, he scouted out a spot around a curve of the beachfront that was hidden from the prying eyes of park rangers. If someone from the park’s department found them, they’d be thrown out until the next morning.

  They did not have time to waste with unneeded delays. Once Hannah returned, he showered. In an uncharacteristic attempt at humor, when he stumbled on an inebriated goblin, he gave the offering to her. A small trace of pleasure slid down his spine when she bound the being into her magical jar.

  She shot him a lazy grin and buried her bare feet deeper into the still warm sand.

  “You look smug and happy.” He let a deep groan escape and satisfaction filled his chest as he regarded his companion.

  “Why shouldn’t I be? I’m clean, I’m hydrated, my wrist doesn’t hurt any more, and my belly is full. Life isn’t so bad after all.” She positioned her back against the sand dune and sighed. “We’re not being chased by rogue paranormals, but you have to admit the view is lovely.”

  Edwin focused on the dark water of Lake Michigan before him. “There is truly nothing as beautiful as the watercolor that Nature paints.” He grinned, pleased at the faint blush on her cheeks. “I find you to be an interesting companion, and I think I have been remiss when I chose to travel alone all of these years. It is good to have someone to talk to in the quiet times.”

  She took a sip of water. “That’s the glory of life, Edwin. Sometimes we realize we’ve been wrong about certain things and can change our ways.”

  He remained silent, but continued to study her. Her red hair, still slightly damp from her shower, danced around her head like a fiery halo. His gaze lingered on the soft curve of her breasts. The green tank top she wore showed signs of dirt and wear as did her jeans, but he uttered no complaint. The soft lines and gentle swells of her figure intrigued him, perhaps more than any woman’s he had ever met. What would she look like, naked in the moonlight? He blew out a frustrated breath. She would be a temptation.

  “Have you ever been in love? I know you told me you would never get involved with anyone but was there a special girl? And please don’t tell me it was that nasty forest witch.” Love and the Witch of the North Forest do not belong in the same sentence.

  His sigh seemed to come from a million miles away. “There may have been the thought of being in love. While in college, I met a girl in my anthropology classes. The knowledge of the cursed genes recently came to light but I did not pay it much attention. I was young; I thought I could change Fate. She and I dated for a year or so until the night when things went horribly wrong.” He absently sifted sand between his fingers, his attention far into the past. “In a moment of stupidity, I told her my life history and let her see into my soul. Needless to say, she ran away screaming, quite literally. I transferred to another school to finish my degree.”

  Hannah traced her initials in the soft sand. “Then it should be obvious the girl wasn’t the one for you. You should be loved for who you are, and that’s it. No exceptions. You are what you are and you can’t change that fact. You shouldn’t have to.”

  Confusion swirled through his brain at her words. No one had ever accepted his paranormal traits so readily before. “I appreciate your faith in me. It is quite an enlightening emotion.”

  She grinned, and he had to resist the urge to touch a fingertip to her lush lips. “What about sexual relationships? You’ve got a very powerful charm and attraction about you—something dark and mysterious. I don’t believe a man as remarkable as you would have remained celibate all this time.”

  “You have a thirst for knowledge that I admire. But, I am not comfortable with your scrutiny.” When she changed her grin to a pout, coils of dormant desire moved through his gut. He could deny her nothing, and that realization was dangerous. “Over the years there have been a handful of women with whom I have had a physical relationship. Those liaisons satisfied a base need of my body, nothing more.”

  “What about love? Did any of those women touch your heart in an unforgettable way?”

  Edwin cleared his throat and threw her a pointed glance. If you wish to go on a fishing expedition, spatzi, you should have brought a pole.

  Is that supposed to be funny?

  He sighed. “I have long ago accepted the fact I will be alone for the rest of my life. That is the way it should be. I am too dangerous, my job is too perilous, and my genes are too terrifying.” He hated the bitter note in his voice.

  “I don’t see why you should deny yourself a bit of humanity. Your parents obviously didn’t.” Her frown deepened. “You’re misunderstood, perhaps, but not dangerous. At first, I thought you might lean toward the that, but after schlepping around a state forest with you for two days, I’m convinced there’s a man with a sense of humor under your starchy exterior. I might get to see him sometime if you’ll just let yourself crack.”

  Her green eyes drew him, and he leaned closer as the floral scent of her soap wrapped around him. “There is nothing to misunderstand. I told you what I am. You must accept that, if not for your own safety, then for mine.”

  She shook her head. “You’ve only told me a portion of the story. You’re hiding a big secret.” She met his gaze with no trace of fear in her eyes. Let me into your mind, damn it.

  No. You are not ready. Maybe he was the one not ready.

  Her huff of disappointment lasted only a few seconds. “What exactly did your grandfather tell you about me? Why do you only wear long pants and long sleeves in the middle of a humid Midwestern summer? Why, when you let me see into your soul in an unguarded moment, do I feel unbelievable sadness and anger as well as longing within you?”

  “Ah, you are too curious for your own good.” He leaned back against the sand dune and wrapped a strong arm about her shoulders then pulled her close to his side. “I will make a deal with you. I will answer one question now, but the rest will have to be saved for another time.”

  “Do I get to pick the question?

  He fought back a grin. “No. I wear the clothes I do because I have found when the sun is at its highest point, my skin tends to be sensitive and will retain a rash. It is a precautionary measure at best, but no need for concern.” Without conscious knowledge, he traced tiny circles on her arm until she shivered under his touch. He feared he was falling down a slippery slope, but was undecided if he wished to stop the slide.

  “But your head is uncovered and I don’t see any rash,” she protested. She lifted a hand, perhaps to touch his face, then apparently changed her mind and dropped it into her lap.

  “I do not claim to understand the phenomenon.”

  “I keep telling you, you don’t have to go through life alone. You just need to relax enough to let another person be your friend.”

  “It is impossible. If you knew the rest of my story you would not think so.”

  Sighing, she snuggled into his side. “Then you’ll just have to tell me the truth.”

  “It is not advisable at this time.” He tucked her head beneath his chin, wondering at the blanket of peace that accompanied the action. “Sleep while you can. I will wait for the ghost.” He would gladly sit on the beach for days, with her in his arms. Contentment such as this was never his for very long.

  *****

  Her heart pounded erratically as she ran. She searched the dark and empty streets for something, real or imaginary, she couldn’t say. Fear clogged her throat, robbed her breath. A man who had no scruples, who knew no compassion, who hunted her for sport, chased her. She darted down an alley and leaned her back against the cold brick wall of a building. It was impossible. She couldn’t out-run him. She was going to die.

  The shadow of her pursuer appeared at the alleyway entrance. She screamed as the long wicked blade of his knife glinted in the streetlight
. She ran away only to crash headlong into the body of another man. His arms enfolded her protectively into his embrace…

  Hannah opened her eyes with a start, puzzled. Her cheek rested on a black denim pillow. Vivid disjointed images skittered around her brain. They compelled and disturbed her all at once. It had been the worst dream yet.

  “Does he chase you in every dream?” Edwin questioned, his voice low, his hand cool and soothing as he tucked a wayward strand of short hair behind her ear.

  She lay still, with her cheek on his thigh. The dark waters of the lake ebbed and flowed and she hoped the gentle action would sooth the upheaval in her mind, but it wasn’t the waves that had the ability to calm her fears. The more time she spent in Edwin’s company, the more comfortable she felt in her own skin, as if she could come to grips with who she was. Maybe having a supernatural power didn’t make her the freak she once thought.

  “Hannah?” He brushed his fingers along her cheek and her insides warmed. “Is Andre present each time?”

  “Not in every dream. Sometimes I feel an evil presence. I don’t know who’s tormenting me. I wake up more exhausted than when I dropped off to sleep.”

  “Andre knows you are close and is determined to find a way into your mind through your dreams. He thinks you will give up.”

  Give up. She’d been doing that her whole life. She sat up and wiped the sand from her clothes with a steady hand. Maybe it was time for a change. “Is it important to you to find this Andre person?” She frowned as she studied his face, looking for signs of duplicity. “He’s the real object of your quest?”

  “He is, and it is extremely important we find him together.”

  Together. That one little word caused a shiver to run down her spine. How long had it been since she’d been able to trust someone? To let another person share her burden? She continued to hold his gaze and saw nothing but honest concern. It tugged at her heart and chipped away at her resistance.

  “The power of your mind is the only thing that will defeat our mutual nemesis. Everything wholesome in this realm and the others needs you.”

  Power. Destiny. Gifts.

  Was it possible she’d been born for this specific time and purpose? Instead of being a curse, was her unique ability a saving grace? When Edwin cupped her chin in his hand, she trembled. Before her, an unmarked path beckoned with purpose; behind laid a darkened stretch of road where she’d spent her life running.

  At that moment, gazing into the sapphire gaze of her vampire companion, Hannah made the first decision she knew she would never regret. She would go on the journey with him for her sake as well as his. She may not understand what exactly an Enhancer was and she may not like what she found once she started digging, but she needed to try. “For some reason, Edwin Mason, I’m here, with you, and I’ll see this thing to the end. I want to know how to use my powers and why I have them. If you can help me with that, it’s a bonus.”

  “I appreciate your support and yes, I can assist you in understanding what it is you seek and what you can achieve.” He looked over her shoulder then nudged her hand. “I believe our ghost is here.”

  The hair at the back of Hannah’s neck prickled as she turned in the direction he indicated. An eerie, bluish-gray pearlescent apparition shimmered about a quarter of a mile down the beach from where they were. She waited in anxiety for the ghost to approach. “I can’t believe she’s real.”

  “Believe it or not, all beings are real. Some just straddle worlds and only a select few see them. People generally only see what they want to see and thereby miss half of what is truly around them.” He stood then pulled Hannah to her feet. “I am assuming you know the story of this ghost?”

  She nodded. “Everyone in Indiana does. Her name was Alice Gray and she was said to have been very beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that the anglers who spotted her swimming naked in the lake compared her to the goddess Diana, thus the nickname. She was a loner and a recluse who spent many hours at the local library and by herself here at the lakeshore.

  “In 1920 she met a drifter and moved into his cabin with him. They were happy together so the local community didn’t say much. In 1922 her companion was accused of murder and but was eventually set free. He and Alice moved to Michigan City and she had two children. The stories say she was beaten severely and that blunt force trauma was the primary cause of her death shortly after her second child was born in 1925. The legends in these parts claim the ghost of Alice returns to the beach she loved so much.” She shrugged. “That’s all I know. It’s gruesome at best. I don’t know if it’s true.”

  “It is enough. Too many stories of people end in tragedy and thus the reason ghosts haunt the places that meant the most to them in life.”

  Hannah stared at the phantom as she came closer. “I doubt Diana of the Dunes is a haunting type of ghost.” Her confidence in that statement wavered as the ghost floated their way. She glowed with a soft luminescence. If I were a ghost, I would like to have a shimmer—not to mention a figure—like hers.

  “Supernatural envy does not become you, spatzi.”

  Hannah glanced into his face just in time to catch his wink.

  The ghost was upon them.

  She looked askance at the attire of the specter. Who dictates that clothing on paranormal types is optional? Edwin laughed beside, her but she ignored him.

  Tall and willow thin, Diana of the Dunes drifted to a stop about five feet from them. Questions clouded her softly glowing eyes. Long masses of dark hair draped in profusion about her shoulders and back to strategically conceal her breasts from view. Soft folds of gleaming fabric slung low on her hips and trailed behind her on the sand as she floated seemingly with little effort over the ground. Did ghostly figures take classes on how to be seductive in their newly dead bodies? When she caught Edwin’s eye, vindication flooded through her when she saw his lips twitch.

  The ghost was not amused. “Why are you not afraid? Whenever humans see me they usually run away.” She continued hovering above the sand to gently bob in the breeze from the lake.

  Hannah shrugged. “After what I’ve seen this week, I’m not going to let a ghost terrorize me.” She tamped the urge to pass her hand through the apparition. “Are you Alice?”

  She nodded but said nothing more, just floated silently.

  “We’re looking for a friend. We were told you hold the secret to his whereabouts,” Hannah continued. She ignored the fact the specter circled Edwin, a look of curious interest on her luminous face.

  “Ah yes, you are in search of the vampire who is being held hostage.” The ghost pointedly ignored Hannah. “I have heard of your exploits, even here in the wilds of the Lake Michigan shore. You are becoming well-known in your field for your skills at tracking rogue paranormal beings.” She circled around him once again.

  Hannah peered right through her to catch the bemused expression on Edwin’s face.

  “I hardly think my skills are superior to any other in my field. I carry out my assignments as efficiently as I can then move on to the next.” He passed a hand through her ghostly middle, curiosity in his eyes. Hannah was immediately envious, as the ghost shivered with apparent pleasure. “Can you answer our question?”

  “Yes, and can you do it soon? It’s rather cold here at night,” Hannah suggested. She dug her blazer out of her bag and thrust her arms into it. She tried not to think about the sweat and other things caked on the garment.

  Alice’s elegant shrug wasn’t lost on Edwin. His eyes darkened. “Some humans are more sensitive to a ghostly presence than others.” She turned her full attention to him and flicked her long bluish tresses over her shoulder to bare a perfect breast. “I can make the human go away. I can make certain I belong solely to you for all eternity. There are ways that beings not quite human may join together.” Her smile was possessive as she gazed at the vampire. She circled around him and drew a spectral finger along his jaw.

  Hannah rolled her eyes. Snap out of it, Edwin! I can’t
believe you’re being propositioned by a ghost!

  She is being polite.

  Annoyed, Hannah waved her arms through the ghost, pleased when her form temporarily dissipated and reorganized itself before Edwin once again. “Enough of the romance and blatant flattery. Do you or do you not know where we can find Duncan?”

  Alice’s sigh whistled like the wind. She glared at Hannah, or would have glared had her eye sockets not been fathomless holes into the fabric of time.

  When she turned back to Edwin, the eyes were perfectly normal once more. “Duncan was being held in a high rise building in Chicago but he has since been moved to another location. I do not know the exact direction.”

  “That’s not very helpful—” Her words were abruptly cut off when Edwin tread on her foot.

  “Alice, can you tell us who will have the answer we seek?” He asked in a diplomatic voice as the corners of his lips lifted upward in a tiny grin.

  When the ghost shrugged, her hair fell into place, hiding her chest. “You will need to rescue a princess. Horace the Black holds her hostage. Once you find her, give her this.” A velvet bag fell out of the air and landed with a dull thud at Edwin’s feet. “She will either answer your question or Horace will kill you. Either way, it doesn’t concern me.”

  “Thank you, dear lady, we appreciate your time.” Edwin nodded.

  “If you change your mind, Edwin Mason, you may find me here at the lakeshore every evening after midnight.” With a last, scathing glance at Hannah, Alice glided over the sand. She disappeared somewhere over the dark waters of the lake.

  “I’m beginning to hate this scavenger hunt we’re on.” Hannah stooped and snagged the bag the specter left. When she untied the strings, a dainty gold watch fell into her hand to gleam in the moonlight. “Why would a princess want this?”

  “I do not know, but we need to keep moving.”