Night's Mistress (Children of the Night)

by Ashley, Amanda

  “A baby!” she squealed. “Is it here? Is it ours? Can we keep it?”

  “Yes, to all three questions. You can see him in a minute.”

  She clapped her hands in delight. “It’s a boy!”

  “Janis.” The warning in his tone stilled her tongue. “Secondly, I want you to be part of an experiment I’m conducting.”

  “What kind of an experiment?” she asked warily.

  “I want to see if you can get pregnant.”

  Her eyes widened. “Pregnant? Me? How?”

  “You don’t need to know the details. We’ll do the procedure tomorrow night and every night for a week. For now, I want you to get some rest.”

  “Not until I’ve seen the baby. Where is it?”

  Ramsden jerked his head toward a closed door. “Be quiet. He’s asleep.”

  Janis hurried across the room. She paused at the door, then opened it quietly before stepping inside. This room, too, was made of stone and cement. A quick glance showed a crib standing alongside a king-sized bed.

  Tiptoeing across the floor, she gazed down at the sleeping baby. When Tom came up behind her, she murmured, “He’s adorable, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah. His name’s Derek, but you can call him anything you want.”

  “Derek.” Janis smoothed the baby’s silky hair, then turned to face her husband. “Thank you, Tom. I’m sorry I’ve been such a shrew . . .”

  Pulling her roughly into his arms, Ramsden said, “Let’s go to bed and you can show me how sorry you are.”

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Like a restless tiger, Kyle paced the floor of his cage. Back and forth. Back and forth, until his legs ached. He rested a few minutes, and then he paced some more. His life had become an endless, waking nightmare. Trying to resist the vampire’s commands was futile. If Kyle refused to do what he was told, the creature simply compelled him to obey. The vampire took his blood every night, his semen and tissue samples a couple of times a week. No matter how many times Kyle begged to know why he was there or what the vampire was doing, the bloodthirsty monster refused to answer.

  There were three women on the premises now, two elderly females, and a rather pretty woman with russet-colored hair, and light brown eyes that carried a hint of madness. Kyle was certain that his son was somewhere nearby. There had been times when he’d heard a baby’s cry, times when he was certain it was Derek. He had to get out of here, had to get his son away from this place, away from the monsters who kept them in captivity.

  He paused in his endless pacing to stare at the door across the way. If only he had something he could use to pick the lock on his cage. He never saw the vampire or the three women during the day; no doubt the creatures slept when the sun was up. If he could only manage to escape the cage, he could find Derek and get the hell out of there.

  He glanced at the tray that had held his nightly meal. There was nothing on it that he could use as a weapon, nothing he could use to pick the lock. The plates and cup were paper, the utensils plastic, the food uninspired.

  Kyle swore a vile oath. He had to get Derek out of here. There was no telling what those creatures were doing to his child, no telling what they were doing with all the blood and tissue samples they had taken from him. Were they doing the same to his son? The thought of Derek being poked and prodded made Kyle’s stomach churn.

  Mired in a pit of despair, he sank down onto the floor, his head cradled in his hands. He wondered what Mara was doing. No doubt she thought he had kidnapped the baby and run away. Was she looking for them? Kyle slammed his fist on the floor. No doubt she was glad to be rid of him. He had seen the way she looked at Blackwood, seen the way Blackwood looked at her.

  Kyle sighed heavily. Even if Mara didn’t give a damn about what happened to him, she loved their son. She would be looking for Derek; he had no doubt of that. To consider anything else would surely drive him over the edge. He just hoped that when she came for the baby, she wouldn’t leave him behind.

  Chapter Forty

  “If you don’t stop pacing like that, darlin’, you’re gonna wear a hole in my brand-new carpet.”

  “I can’t help it,” Mara said irritably. “It’s been over a month. Shouldn’t that hunter have heard something by now?”

  “You should know better than most that if a vampire doesn’t want to be found, it’s damned hard to find him. And if Ramsden’s discovered a way to mask his presence”—Logan shrugged—“it’ll take even longer.”

  Logan had called Lou McDonald every few days, but the news was always the same. Nothing to report. Roshan and the Cordova men weren’t having any better luck. Between the four of them, they had covered every vampire hangout in the country, questioned every vampire they knew, and that was an impressive number. But no one in the Undead community had seen or heard from Thomas Ramsden in weeks. It was as if the doctor, Kyle, and the baby had vanished from the face of the earth.

  Shoulders slumped, Mara sank down on the sofa beside Logan. “If I just knew my baby was all right . . .”

  “I know.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “We’ve been cooped up in this house too long. What do you say we go out for an hour or two? I’ll take you to dinner . . .”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You’ve got to eat something.” She had lost a good twenty pounds in the last month. There were dark shadows under her eyes, hollows in her cheeks. And she was pale, so pale. “You’re wasting away.”

  “Logan . . .”

  “Dammit, Mara, you’ve got to keep your strength up. That kid of yours will need you to be at your best when we find him.”

  She nodded. He was right, of course. This was no time to let herself get mired in depression. She needed to keep her wits about her, to be strong for Derek.

  “That’s my girl. Where do you want to go?”

  “I don’t care.”

  Rising, Logan took Mara by the hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go.”

  He took her to Spago in Beverly Hills. It was a lovely place. A patio graced the center of the restaurant, shaded by graceful pepper trees. A bubbling fountain stood next to two imported one-hundred-year-old olive trees. The kitchen could be seen through a colorful glass wall. The dining room was delightful with its stained-glass windows, brightly colored tiles, and flamboyant carpets.

  Mara glanced at the menu. Risotto with lobster and sweet shrimp, sweet English pea soup, wild black sea bass, Hong Kong-style steamed salmon, roasted rack and loin of Sonoma lamb, salmon and crème fraîche pizza, ricotta-stuffed agnolotti studded with black truffles. She frowned. She had no idea what agnolotti was, or what crème fraîche might be.

  She wasn’t hungry, but knowing she had to eat something, and to please Logan, she ordered the grilled lobster and summer vegetables with spicy herbed butter. Logan ordered a bottle of red wine.

  While waiting for her dinner to arrive, Mara glanced around the restaurant. It was one of the few places she had never been and as she looked around, she wondered if any movie stars or celebrities were dining there that night. It was well-known that, at one time or another, most of Hollywood’s rich and famous had dined at Spago, stars like Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tom Hanks. It was said to have been First Lady Nancy Reagan’s favorite eatery.

  Mara sighed when her dinner arrived. It looked wonderful. Too bad it was going to go to waste. She supposed the least she could do was take a bite or two. To her surprise, she ate every bite, and then she ordered everything chocolate on the dessert menu.

  Logan grinned at her over the rim of his wineglass. “Not hungry, eh?”

  “So, maybe I was, a little.”

  “A little?” He snorted softly. “I thought you were going to eat the plates, too.”

  “Well, the food was excellent. Don’t you ever miss eating?”

  “I thought I did, until you made me try that roast beef,” he said, grimacing. “I’ll stay with what I’m used to.” His gaze lingered on the pulse i
n her throat. “Do you want anything else?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” She was so full, she didn’t think she would ever need to eat again.

  Logan paid the check and then, because it was a beautiful night, they decided to go for a walk.

  They walked in silence for a time before Mara asked, “Do you think he’s all right?”

  “Yeah, I do. I think you’d know if he wasn’t.”

  “I miss him so much,” Mara said with a wistful smile. “I never thought it was possible to love anyone so much.”

  Logan nodded. He doubted if there was any bond in all the world as strong as that between a mother and a child. He recalled his own mother. He hadn’t thought of her in a long time. She had been a warm gentle woman who had brought nine healthy children into the world, and died all too soon. His father had mourned her until the day he took his last breath.

  Logan blew out a sigh, wondering, for the first time in a long time, if his father’s line still survived. He supposed it was highly unlikely after all these years. Still, it was possible. Maybe he’d look into it one of these days.

  “Logan, what if it wasn’t Ramsden who took the baby? What if we never find out what happened to Derek? Or to Kyle?” Mara looked up at him through haunted eyes. “I don’t think I can go on living without knowing what happened to my son. Even if . . . if he’s . . . I just have to know.”

  Her words, the tears shining in her eyes, filled Logan with a sadness he had not known in centuries. He yearned to sweep her into his arms and comfort her, to take her to his bed and make her forget her heartache, if only for an hour or so. But he couldn’t suggest it now, not after refusing her when she’d said she loved him. Damn his honor! What had he been thinking?

  “Logan, please take me home.”

  With a nod, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and willed them to his house. He would come back later, after she was asleep, and pick up his car.

  Materializing inside the living room, Logan continued to hold her, his brow resting lightly on the top of her head. Her warmth engulfed him. The flowery scent of her skin tickled his nostrils with every breath. The way her body molded to his reminded him of all the lusty nights they had shared. The rich coppery scent of her blood and the steady beat of her heart only served to arouse him more. Hard with wanting her, he cursed himself again for having refused her.

  She stirred in his arms and he drew back a little so he could see her face.

  “What can I do?” he asked, thinking he would do anything she requested to erase the sorrow from her eyes.

  “I want you to turn me.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought the last few days. I think it’s the only way I’ll ever find him.”

  “Forget it! You know what the doctor said. It could kill you.”

  “He doesn’t know that for a fact. No one does. Anyway, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  “Well, I’m not.” Muttering an oath, Logan paced away from her to stare out into the night.

  “Please, Logan.”

  He whirled around to face her, his eyes blazing. “Dammit, I said no!”

  She took a step toward him. “Listen to me. There’s a blood link between a mother and her child. I can’t sense it now, but if I was a vampire, I’d be able to follow it. I know I would.”

  “DeLongpre and the Cordova family haven’t been able to penetrate whatever spell is shielding Ramsden. What makes you think you can do any better?”

  “I don’t know,” she said in a voice filled with anguish. “Maybe I won’t be able to. Maybe I’ll die in the attempt. But I have to try.”

  Logan shook his head. “No. There’s got to be another way.” As much as he longed for her to be Nosferatu once again, the risk involved was too great.

  “The longer it takes us to find him, the less of a chance we have. Surely you can see that.”

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  She looked up at him, her green eyes narrowed, her hands fisted at her sides. “If you won’t bring me across, then I’ll find someone who will!”

  “Yeah, who?”

  “I’ll ask Roshan or one of the Cordova men.”

  “And if they refuse?”

  “Then I’ll find someone else!” Closing the distance between them, she placed her hand on his arm. “I’d rather it was you.”

  She wasn’t bluffing and he knew it, just as he knew that he would never let anyone else turn her. He couldn’t abide the thought of another vampire being her master.

  With a sigh of resignation, he said, “Let me call McDonald first and see if she’s heard anything.”

  “And if she hasn’t, you’ll bring me across. Now, tonight. You promise?”

  With a nod, he reached for his cell phone.

  Mara listened intently as Logan talked to Lou. There had been a time when she would have been able to hear both sides of the conversation. Hopefully, that time would come again.

  “Right,” Logan said, and ended the call.

  “What?” Mara asked. “What did she say?”

  “Same as always. She says she’s checked with every hunter and undercover agent she knows, and none of them have any idea where Ramsden might be. They’ve checked all his known hangouts, his last known residence.” Logan shrugged. “His house is closed up tight, his wife’s not home.”

  “Then it’s up to us,” Mara said quietly. “It’s up to me.”

  “Give it one more day,” Logan said.

  “No, I’ve already waited too long.”

  “You’ve been planning to do this all day, haven’t you?” he asked, and then he grunted softly. “I guess that explains all that chocolate for dessert.”

  She didn’t deny it, only continued to look up at him, a silent plea in her eyes.

  He tried to think of some way to dissuade her, to make her wait, but he drew a blank. Mortal or vampire, once she took hold of an idea, there was no changing her mind. He had never been able to deny her anything, but this . . . He raked a hand through his hair. “Don’t let me take too much.”

  She nodded as he took her hand and led her over to the sofa. Sitting, he drew her down beside him.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? I’d say there was no going back once it’s done, but with you . . .” He grinned wryly. “With you, it might not be true.”

  “Just do it.” A sudden attack of nerves made her voice sharp. What if Ramsden was right? What if attempting to become a vampire again proved fatal? If she died, who would find Derek? Who would look after him?

  “You’re having second thoughts, aren’t you?”

  “Of course not.” She told herself it was what she wanted, that it was the only way to find Derek and Kyle. She reminded herself that she hated being human, despised being weak and vulnerable. And yet she knew, deep in her heart, that once it was done, her son would be lost to her in so many ways. She could do what Roshan and Brenna had done. They had lied to Cara, hired a nanny to look after her during the day, let Cara grow up believing that her parents’ aversion to the sun was due to some rare illness. Did she want to do the same? Did she want to let Derek grow up believing that his mother was something she wasn’t? Even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew she couldn’t live a lie like that. Her son, the only child she would ever have, deserved a normal life, and Kyle could give it to him.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Logan said quietly. “Not right now.”

  “Logan, please, just get it over with.”

  His jaw tightened as he brushed her hair away from her slender neck. There was no fear in her eyes, yet her heart beat erratically as she gazed up at him. He had never worked the Dark Trick on anyone. He had been tempted on more than one occasion. He had been understandably curious to see what it would be like to sire a fledgling of his own, but having been turned against his will, he had never been able to bring himself to do it to anyone else. Not that he regretted being a vampire. He enjoyed the benefits, the supernatural powers, his lo
ng existence. But it was a life against nature, not for the faint of heart. It took a good deal of courage and stamina to exist for a thousand years or more. Many vampires grew weary of their existence. After a century or two, they lost the will to go on and walked out into the sunlight. Others went mad and had to be destroyed. Some, like Logan, reinvented themselves every fifty years or so.

  “Wait,” Mara said. “Promise me something?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  “If I don’t survive, promise me you’ll keep looking for Derek and Kyle, and that you’ll protect them as long as they live.”

  Logan stared at her. “Do you know what you’re asking?”

  “I know. Promise me?”

  “All right, dammit, I promise.”

  She smiled at him. “Let’s do it, then.”

  He took a deep breath in an effort to steady his nerves. Though he had never turned anyone, he knew how it was done. His only fear was that he would get caught up in the moment, lose himself in her sweetness, and take too much. If Mara died in his arms, his own life would no longer be worth living.

  Tension coiled deep within Mara’s belly as Logan drew her into his embrace. It had been centuries since Dendar had brought her across. All she remembered from that encounter was her mind-numbing fear of the unknown as she stared into his hell-red eyes, the unrelenting pain that had twisted through her being as her mortal life was slowly drained away.

  She wasn’t afraid with Logan. If his vampire nature took over and he drank too much, so be it. At least she would die in the arms of a man who loved her.

  Logan caressed her cheek, kissed her lightly, and then, murmuring, “Forgive me,” he sank his fangs into the soft, warm skin beneath her ear.

  Her blood, bitter before she had turned completely human, was now hot and sweet as it flowed over his tongue. Would she hate him for what he had done once her son had been found? Would she regret the loss of her humanity? Most troubling of all was the fear that, when she was Nosferatu again and no longer needed him, she would go back to Kyle.

  Her heart was beating in rhythm with his now, her memories were his, and then, as he continued to drink, her heartbeat grew slower, heavier, weaker.