“Tonight I will call upon the spirits of my ancestors to help us in our quest. You must do the same. Tomorrow we will meet here, the same time as today. We work this out together.”
“That’s easier said than done. How do I call on my ancestors?”
Sofie rummaged through the contents of a cabinet until she found what she needed. Before handing Anna the white candle, she waved her hand over the wick and said a silent prayer.
“Sit in a darkened room. Light this candle. Close your eyes and meditate. The answer will come to you.” Touching Anna’s cheek, she added. “Take care, sweet Anna. Until you open the door to your powers, you will be unprepared for any attacks from the grave. Unfortunately, once you embrace your gift, the danger will come tenfold.”
“Great. That makes me feel so much better.”
Sofie walked to the door and held her hand against the frame. She visibly shuddered and turned towards Anna. “There are many shadows outside tonight. Don’t leave Derrick’s side. No matter what happens.”
“You’re scaring me.” Anna peered outside but the street was deserted except for Derrick who stood, arms crossed and looking annoyed. “What did you see?”
“Nothing.” She pat Anna’s arm. “Just be careful.”
Anna leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sofie’s cheek. “Lock up behind me. Tomorrow we’ll get to the bottom of this, once and for all.”
Chapter Sixteen
Anna awoke the next morning alone in an unfamiliar bed. She had a vague recollection of sitting on a sofa, being offered a glass of Scotch and downing several while Derrick kept her wrapped in the warmth of his embrace, but no memory of how she ended up in this room.
Sunlight peeked through the lace curtains. This was obviously a guest room. Neither Derrick nor David would have been able to stay in a room that wasn’t sealed from the sun.
To her surprise, she also noticed that she was wearing a cotton nightgown. Derrick could have taken advantage of her inebriation and taken her to his bed but he had dressed her in a modest nightgown and given her privacy. The act of a true gentleman. Why then, was she disappointed? The thought of him running his hands over her flesh sent a wave of heat through her. Carnal thoughts stirred. Her skin warmed to the thought of sharing his bed. She remembered the pleasure he had brought her with his magical hands. She slid down under the sheets, closed her eyes and began to fantasize until a knock on the bedroom door shattered her fantasy.
“Miss Anna. I have your breakfast.” There was a pause. “May I come in?”
It took Anna a second to remember where she was. “Yes, Evan. Please come in.”
Evan shuffled into the room balancing a breakfast tray. He placed it on the bedside table while Anna struggled to sit up.
“Let me help you, Miss Anna.” He picked up a cushion from the settee and placed it behind her shoulders, propping her up before he unfolded the legs on the tray and positioned it across her lap.
Anna inhaled the enticing aroma of the English breakfast and sighed. “Evan, you shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.” She smiled broadly as she added, “But I’m glad you did. It smells wonderful.”
The elderly man returned the smile. “It feels good to have someone to cook for again.” He paused, his face showing concern and tried to correct his mistake. “Um, the masters eat out a lot and rarely entertain guests.”
“It’s all right Evan. I completely understand.”
Evan studied her face. “I’m not sure I understand your meaning, Miss Anna.”
“Firstly, I would like to think that we could be friends…” She noticed Evan was nodding. “So I would feel more comfortable if you cut out the Miss and just call me Anna, okay?”
“As you wish, Mi—Anna.”
“And we both know the real reason why the masters don’t eat,” she raised her hand and wiggled her index finger to stop Evan from protesting. “But … I’ll respect your desire to keep that confidential … as long as you don’t try and pull the wool over my eyes.”
The old man shrugged and slipped from the room closing the door behind him while Anna attacked her bacon and eggs with enthusiasm. She had missed the home cooked breakfasts that her father always prepared on Sunday mornings. Since living alone, she rarely took the time to eat breakfast let alone cook up a big meal. She dipped a toast soldier into the runny egg and smiled while she savored the flavor and texture of her breakfast but the smile soon faded when her thoughts returned to Derrick. Since her realization that Derrick was a vampire, she had often wondered if she would be able to live his lifestyle … hiding in shadows, having abilities that surpassed her own, but, until now, she hadn’t considered the eating part of the equation. Do vampires eat food at all or do they survive on blood alone? Must they take the blood from humans and animals or do they purchase it from some specialist store? Mid chew, she lost her appetite.
Evan tried unsuccessfully to keep Anna from calling a cab and leaving the mansion but she was adamant she wanted to return to her home in case Susie called. On the journey home she watched as the sun rose higher in the sky promising a glorious day. An experience she would never be able to share with Derrick. As her taxi slowed down to a stop outside her house, Anna fought back a sob. How would they be able to make this relationship work?
****
“What do you mean she left?”
“I’m sorry, Master Derrick. I pleaded with her to stay but she wouldn’t listen.”
Derrick ignored the old man and returned to the living room where his brother was finishing his breakfast IV bag. The sun was still high in the sky and his patience was in short supply.
“Don’t you think you’re being a bit hard on the old man? It’s not like he could physically restrain her, she is a little powder keg.”
“I’ll apologize later.” Derrick downed his own drink and refilled his glass. “But I can’t help but worry about her, especially after Sofie’s warning.”
“What warning?”
“Sofie believes that Torke has found a protégé and this man lured Susie out on her blind date. She wasn’t sure if he has been turned yet, but that is his wish.”
“We know his kind. Blind, stupid, greedy. She could be describing half the town.”
Derrick nodded. “There’s more to her premonition. Torke has made up his mind to kill Anna but he’s undecided on whether to turn her.”
“Then, there’s hope.” David smile quickly turned to a frown when Derrick snapped.
“No. Neither of those scenarios are acceptable. Either way, I lose her.”
“Well, we’d better put our heads together and work out a third option.” David drummed his fingers on the kitchen bench. “We know that Torke has gone to ground but I’ve contacted every member of the coven. We’ll find him.”
Derrick turned to his brother and sighed. “She’s pulling away from me. I can feel it. I know she has feelings for me but I don’t believe she could ever accept our way of life. She is so determined to live a normal life, a life that would only become more paranormal with me. We can never truly be together.”
“Give her time.”
“I’m afraid that time is running out … for her and Susie.”
Chapter Seventeen
Anna heard the phone ring but allowed the answering machine to take the call. She needed space to think. Life just wasn’t fair. She had finally found the perfect man, a man who treated her like a goddess and made her feel like a woman at the same time, but … being with him would involve the biggest sacrifice she could ever make—her life.
Anna shook her head. As much as she loved him, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to give up the sun on her skin or the pleasure of tucking into a cheeseburger or the jogs down to the beach on a beautiful summer’s day. Being around him confused her thoughts. When he touched her … she believed that being with him was enough, but, he represented everything she hated about her life. Worse still, if he turned her, she may become a killer.
The answering machine instructed
the caller to leave a message. Anna was startled out of her thoughts by a familiar voice.
“Anna? Are you there?”
The voice whimpered, barely above a whisper but Anna recognized it immediately. She ran for the phone and lifted the receiver.
“Susie? Is that you? Don’t hang up.”
“Anna. Oh thank God you’re there.” The whimpering evolved into crying and Anna heard the terror in her friend’s voice. “I’m sorry to involve you but he said he would kill me if I didn’t call you.”
“It’s all right honey; just tell me where you are?”
“I … I don’t know but it’s really dark and smells foul.”
“Are you hurt?”
The answer came in heavy sobs that tore at Anna’s heart. “He bites me Anna. The monster actually bites me and it hurts—”
Anna heard a struggle for the phone and muffled protests before Susie spoke again.
“He says … he says that if you want to see me again—alive—you must come here alone, tonight. If he senses Derrick with you, he will… Oh god, Anna, he says he will kill me.”
“Don’t worry Susie…” Anna hoped the terror she was feeling wasn’t evident in her voice as she tried to comfort her best friend, “I’ll be there, just tell me where.”
There was a pregnant pause and then Susie’s tone changed; her voice became stronger, more direct. “No! Don’t come here or he’ll kill you. Don’t trust him An—”
Anna heard a loud smack and then the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Her heart raced as she waited for Susie to pick up the receiver. The phone crackled and then another familiar voice, one that sent a chill of ice water through her veins, spoke to her.
“Hello, Anna.”
“What have you done with Susie you foul monster?”
“She’s having a little nap … but I assure you she is still very much alive … for the time being.”
“If you hurt her, Torke, I swear I’ll—”
“Kill me?” Torke’s laugh turned Anna’s stomach, the bile caught in her throat as she tried to remain calm. “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”
“I’ll find a way to end you, that’s a promise.”
“Little Anna. Didn’t your mother tell you that it’s rude to make promises you can’t keep? Oh, that’s right. I killed your mother.”
Bastard! You’ll pay for that. “What do you want, Torke?”
“You know what I want. I want you to pay for what they did to me.”
“You’ve already had your vengeance. Why can’t you leave us alone?”
“Because when I see your face I see your mother. We could have been happy together, Elena and I. She was beautiful and powerful. We would have made an undefeatable couple.” He snarled. “Your mother and her coven of bitches changed me from a handsome, desirable man into a repulsive monster. Do you know how it feels to slowly starve to death, Anna? Or see those who once sought out your company, recoil from you? I will not be satisfied until I destroy you and every witch in the country!”
“From what I hear, you were already a repulsive monster,” Anna told him. “The witches only made it possible for people to see the real you.”
“Your little friend is going to pay for that remark.” He warned her. “I’m sure my disciples will have a fine time with her before they actually eat her.”
Anna heard fabric tearing and Susie scream.
“No! Stop, Torke!”
Torke shouted a command and the sounds of screaming were replaced by protests from the other vampires as their voices faded.
“You will come to me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“If you come to me, I will spare your friend.”
“I want more than that Torke.”
“Ah, you wish to bargain with me. I like a little bit of spunk in my women. Yes, go ahead … ask away.”
“If I come to you, you must promise to leave all my friends alone. Forever.”
“And by all your friends you mean the brothers Grimm.” The sarcasm in his voice made Anna angry and she used the anger to drive home her conditions.
“Yes. I mean Derrick and David Corel, plus all my other friends. And, as far as I am concerned … everyone in this town is my friend.”
“No. That would be inconvenient. I need to feed, as do my disciples.”
“Then you’ll have to do that somewhere else.”
“I am content here, Anna. I have no wish to leave this place—”
“Then I have no wish to come to you.”
“You forget about your little friend.”
“No, I have not forgotten about Susie nor would I.” Anna silently prayed that her gamble would pay off without costing Susie her life. “But if you want me to come to you, you must be willing to make sacrifices as well.”
“Bravo, little Anna. You are quite the little blackmailer.”
“Do we have a deal or not?”
“Yes, of course my dear, as long as you come to me tonight, after the sun has set—I have waited long enough to taste you. We both know this is inevitable, Anna. Blame your mother for your fate. Her hex was powerful and I have since learned that it has only one antidote, one way to restore my looks.” Anna held her breathe already knowing in her heart that she was part of the solution. She listened in silent horror as he told her. “The answer is in your blood.”
Anna shuddered. The thought of that vile creature pressing his body against hers made her physically ill and now she had promised to go to him willingly. She opened her curtains a little and peered out the window, noticing that the sky was turning a warmer shade of pink. It was almost dawn and she knew this would be her last day in the sun.
“Give me the address before I change my mind.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Torke has ordered his minions to leave town.”
Derrick’s elation suddenly turned to horror as he realized the significance of the revelation. “David, he wouldn’t leave unless he has what he wanted.”
“You think he has Anna?”
Derrick’s inner demon struggled to surface as he visualized his beloved Anna in the hands of a monster like Torke. If he killed her, he would no doubt do it in the cruelest way he could imagine but Derrick suspected that he would choose to turn her and use her blossoming powers to take back control of the town. The conversion would be painful not just physically but also emotionally for Anna. She wouldn’t want to live as a vampire but Torke wouldn’t care about her objections. A ruthless killer, Torke had a reputation for taking what he wanted in the most brutal way possible. Worse still, she would be tied to him through the sire bond.
“Derrick.” David shook his brother until he came to his senses. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“What?”
“I asked if you think he has Anna.”
“I don’t know … it’s possible I guess. She hasn’t answered my calls.”
“Then we had best try and locate her before Torke does.”
“Contact the others.” Derrick headed towards the front door of his home but swung around when David grabbed his elbow, preventing him from leaving. “What are you doing?”
“Are you so anxious to die brother? Surely you can feel the sun.”
“But Torke—”
“Torke will be underground, as will our allies. There is nothing we can do until sunset.” He slapped Derrick’s back. “I will instruct Evan to continue ringing Anna and check on her whereabouts.”
Derrick nodded. He would be of no use to Anna if he allowed the sun to burn his skin. The last time he was exposed, it took a few days of healing in the soil before he recovered fully. No, he couldn’t take the chance. He would need all his strength in order to defeat Torke. Reluctantly, he followed his brother up the stairs towards their separate sanctuaries.
****
Before the sun had set, Anna had finished packing all her belongings into cardboard boxes and covered the furniture with sheets. There was no ti
me to draw up a legal will so she hoped that the note left on her bedside table would suffice. If Susie lived through her ordeal, she would inherit the house and car. It was the least she could do after putting her friend’s life in danger. She closed her eyes. Stay strong, Susie. I’ll be there soon.
As she peered out the window, she made a decision. She would not waste a single hour of daylight indoors today. Every second of the day would be committed to her memory, something she could look back on fondly in the afterlife, if in fact there was one. She wondered if dying would be a painful experience, especially at the hands of a monster like Torke. She wondered if he would allow his followers to assault her and feed from her as he had mentioned in his threat against Susie. The thought made gag. She barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting. The bile burned her throat and she wondered if human blood tasted as vile. Good. She hoped that her blood tasted disgusting and that the vampires would choke on her as she died. Once again, she wretched into the toilet and remained on the bathroom floor until she could push the thoughts of Torke far enough out of her mind to get on with her day. After a thorough cleaning of the house and twice brushing her teeth, Anna headed for the front door. She had barely opened it a crack when the phone rang. This time she rushed to answer it.
“Hello?” She answered, half expecting to hear Susie’s voice.
“Anna?”
“Sofie,” Anna sighed and instantly hoped her friend didn’t hear the disappointment in her voice. “What can I—”
“Don’t do it, Anna. It’s a trap.”
Realizing that there was no point in fabricating a story, Anna sighed and admitted, “I know Sofie, but I can’t let him kill her.”
“You really believe he will let your Susie go free if you give yourself to him? That monster … he’ll kill her anyway or worst, he’ll turn you and make you kill her. That is his way.”
Anna gasped. Torke could probably compel her to kill her friend. She covered her mouth with her palm, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a sob. The tears burned behind her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. What could she do?
Kiss of Death (Blood Brothers Book 1) Page 17