“Yet you think I should trust you again.” She paused. “How did you let me down?”
“I left you alone when I shouldn’t have.”
“But the second time you left me was to save Elizabeth’s life.”
He nodded but didn’t meet her eye. “How did you know that?”
“Elizabeth told me a couple of days ago, while you slept.” She pulled one of her hands from his and reached out, touching his jaw. The contact caused a flash of heat to race through his skin. “If you saved her life, it was worth the sacrifice.”
“I should never have taken you to the mine. What happened was my fault.”
“It was my master’s… Jackson’s fault,” she corrected.
They sat in silence for a moment.
“I want to go to this ancient vampire,” she said. “I’ll do anything I can to be normal again. I can’t stand living like this. I’m scared all the time, but that’s the only real emotion I feel.”
“I’ll find out how to make you well again, Serenity. I swear I will, if it’s the last thing I do.”
She studied his face. When she spoke, she did so in hushed tones. “Why do you care so much? I’m nothing and yet you act as though I’m the most important thing in the world.”
He gave a small smile. “Next to Elizabeth, of course.”
She smiled back and this time the expression reflected in her eyes. “Of course.”
He shook his head. “You’re not nothing.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“When you and I first met, we were both lost. I’d been alone for so long I’d forgotten how to feel for anyone else. I saw something in you that I recognized in myself—a loneliness, a sadness. I wanted to help you and in return you helped me to live again.” He paused. “How you feel now—that emptiness, with nothing anchoring you to the world, no connection with anyone—that’s how I’d lived for centuries. It wasn’t until we met that I learned how to live… and love again.”
Her eyes welled with tears. “I can’t believe you’re talking about me.”
He lifted a hand and touched her cheek, brushing away a tear with the back of his fingers. “Believe it. Why else would I still be here?”
She nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow, as soon as night falls.”
When Sebastian rose at dusk the following evening, everyone else in the house was already up and waiting for him. Serenity sat at the kitchen counter, a mug of almost-cold coffee clutched between her hands. She twisted the mug around, staring into its depths. Dressed in her old clothes, her jeans hung from her non-existent hips, and she’d tried to cinch them with a belt. Her previously form-fitting t-shirt hung loosely, as though she wore one of his shirts instead of one of her own. She’d pulled her long hair into a ponytail, exposing her long neck and the myriad of still-pink scars and healing skin. “Been up long?” he asked, entering the room.
She nodded. “A while. Couldn’t sleep.”
He never suffered from such a problem as his body was programmed to sleep from dawn to dusk. Only if his life were immediately threatened would his body ever wake during that time.
In the living room, Elizabeth sat on the couch, Bridget beside her. They were both engrossed in a Disney movie, something involving a girl with very long hair and a prince. They weren’t even aware of his arrival.
Sebastian turned back to Serenity. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. “I guess so.”
He reached out and she took his hand. Her fingers were fragile, her grip slight. Her skin still held the coolness he’d experienced when he’d first found her, but compared to him, she was warm.
Sebastian headed into the living area, Serenity following close behind. Elizabeth turned her head with a ready smile, but Bridget ignored him.
“We need to go now, Elizabeth,” Sebastian said. “You’ll be a good girl for Bridget, won’t you?”
“Yeah, of course. Will Mommy be all better when you get back?”
“I hope so, kiddo, but I can’t promise anything. Just remember that I’ll do my best, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay, Sebastian.” Elizabeth looked at Serenity and gave her a small smile. “Bye, Mommy. I hope you can remember us all when you get back.”
Serenity returned the smile. “I hope so too.”
Elizabeth opened her arms and Serenity leaned down, allowing the little girl to embrace her. She hugged Elizabeth back, but there was no display of the emotion one would expect from a mother saying goodbye to her child.
“We need to go now,” said Sebastian. “We’ve got a long journey and every hour is important.”
“Good luck,” said Bridget with a strained smile. Sebastian knew, whatever their differences, she only wanted what was best for Elizabeth.
“Thanks, Bridget. We may be more than one night, so don’t be alarmed if we’re not back by morning. It’s a long way and we don’t know what we’ll come up against when we get there.”
“Be careful.”
“We will.”
Sebastian caught Elizabeth up and squeezed her tight.
“Hey! You’re squishing me,” the little girl laughed.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll miss you.” He kissed the top of her head, Elizabeth’s familiar scent filling his sensitive nose. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Sebastian.”
He narrowed his eyes in mock annoyance and wrinkled his nose at her. She gave an over-exaggerated sigh. “Daddy.”
“That’s better. We’ll see you very soon.”
Sebastian and Serenity left the house. Sebastian stepped through the big gates of the property and held his arms out to Serenity. With one of the only memories she had being of traveling with Jackson, she knew exactly what was required of her. With her diminished, almost child-like size, she wrapped herself around him, her legs hooked around his waist and her arms around his neck.
He would need to run that way for several hours to reach New York. Even with his supernatural speed, they had thousands of miles to cover, a task which would not drain his inexhaustible strength, but would exhaust Serenity.
He needed to get her in front of Demitrios before she lost who she was completely and irrevocably. Flying would be better for Serenity’s sake, physically, but they couldn’t risk it. The thought alone instilled him with terror. A delayed flight—especially one caught circling above a city—might risk him being exposed to daylight. He’d never taken the risk before.
Sebastian ran, taking comfort in the touch of the woman in his arms. He held her close, protected in the circle of his embrace. Her face was buried in his neck and her breath warmed his skin. The touch of her lips distracted him. Too much time had passed since he’d kissed her and had her return that kiss with passion. If Demitrios didn’t have the answer, he might never get Serenity back. To live with this shell of a woman was almost as bad as not having her at all.
They crossed the country, skirting the big cities. He crossed forest and desert, leaping raging rivers. Where he could, he stuck to the highways, the surface easier to negotiate.
After an hour, Serenity’s grip on him began to loosen and he knew she needed to rest. He leapt up onto the roof of a large truck and allowed the vehicle to take the brunt of the travel for a few miles until she felt stronger again. He hadn’t thought to bring any kind of sustenance for her, something he inwardly cursed himself for. She still wasn’t eating as she should be. Though she thought he wasn’t aware, he’d seen her throw food in the trash and then sit back down with a half-empty plate, trying to convince the people around her that she’d eaten. If she continued to starve herself like this, it wouldn’t be just her mind he needed to worry about.
Her body simply wouldn’t survive.
Chapter Twelve
Even in the middle of the night, New York thronged with people and traffic. Yellow cabs sat bumper to bumper, ferrying late night business people and small groups of clubbers across the city. All night cafés hou
sed party-goers, serving coffee and pie in equal measure. The city had a different feel than Los Angeles. While it still had the designer, metropolitan atmosphere, it was somehow less manufactured than L.A.; it was grimier, more real.
Demitrios’s club, The Danger Zone, was located downtown, hidden down a dark alley. Nightclub owning was popular amongst vampires for obvious reasons—they could live almost as a human would in the same situation, awake at night to run the business and asleep during the day. Though the club was frequented by humans, Sebastian noticed right away the two people guarding the entrance—a man, a burly creature with thick arms and a shaved head, and woman with short, spiky blonde hair and killer heels—were vampires. Both wore white button-down shirts, black pants and black bowties. Above the door, a red, neon ‘DZ’ sign glowed. The vibration of a low, fast bass traveled up through the soles of his feet.
Sebastian stopped short of the entrance. He’d hoped—and expected—to find Demetrios unaccompanied. Vampires were not known for their sociability. Like most other large predators, they preferred to hunt and live alone. Seeing Demitrios with two minions put Sebastian on edge
He wasn’t worried for Serenity’s safety—not yet anyway. These vampires were clearly used to mingling with and passing themselves off as humans. If something did happen, a group of vamps would always prove to be more of a challenge than one alone. Demitrios’s decision to have other vampires around meant one of two things: he either thought he was in danger from others and would be paranoid, or his opinion of himself was over-inflated.
A row of party-goers lined up, waiting to be allowed entry to the club, unaware of the lethal creatures standing in such close proximity. The vampires didn’t smile as they checked I.D.’s and granted patrons access past the velvet rope, allowing them into the cavernous depths.
The two immortals noticed Sebastian standing aside from the rest of the crowd. They turned simultaneously, two sets of eyes flashing yellow at the sight of him, but they couldn’t do anything about him for the moment. They had a job to do and clearly had been instructed not to cause trouble and to act as human as possible. Sebastian could wait, and the two vamps continued to allow the remaining clubbers onto the premises.
As the door opened, the bass grew louder, the music thumping. A few more people trickled up, ignoring the dark, brooding man with the waif-like woman on his arm. They laughed and chatted as they gained entry to the club.
Finally, the two vampires closed the doors.
Instantly, both were in Sebastian’s face, eyes glowing in the dark, the deadly glint of white fangs drawn.
“What are you doing here, stranger?” said the male. “This is our patch.”
Sebastian stood his ground. “I’m here to see Demitrios.”
“He doesn’t see just anyone.”
“I know Demitrios from the turn of the nineteen hundreds—before you were even created. He’ll want to see me. Now run along like good little pets and tell him.”
The blonde got in his face. “We work for Demitrios. We’re not his pets!”
“Is that why he’s got you both trussed up like turkeys?”
The male vamp leapt at Sebastian, snarling, his fang exposed. Sebastian shoved him away with one hand. The much younger vampire flew away, landing on the ground. The blonde paused, indecisive as to whether she should risk continuing the attack or simply do as Sebastian asked.
She made up her mind. “Who shall I say is visiting?”
“Sebastian Bandores.”
She disappeared and it was only a matter of seconds before she was back again.
“Follow me.”
The blonde pulled open the doors to the club, music blasting out at them, and slipped inside, the male vampire close behind. Sebastian followed, holding Serenity close. They entered a windowless corridor before the space opened up into the depths of the club and the volume of the dance music increased a notch. With Sebastian’s sensitive hearing it felt as though someone pounded a drum inside his head. He wondered how the other two vampires could stand being around this volume all the time; it would drive him crazy.
People danced; hot, sweaty bodies jammed side by side. The two young vampires pushed their way between the dancers and then finally ducked through a door marked ‘private’.
Once again, Sebastian followed, his arm still around Serenity’s waist. The clubbers ignored them as they moved between them, allowing him and Serenity through. The floor of the long corridor they now walked through had a distinct slant, leading them below ground. A number of other corridors branched off the main one; a labyrinth beneath the club.
They turned several corners and reached the end of the passage, another set of black, double doors blocking the way. The two vampires paused briefly and then pushed the doors open, holding them ajar to allow Sebastian and Serenity through.
With every nerve on edge and Serenity hugged close to his side, Sebastian passed between them.
They walked into a huge room. Polished, dark wood floors stretched out before them and wood paneling covered the walls. Above their heads, an intricately painted ceiling curved into the center. Murals depicting beautiful, violent, and somewhat erotic scenes of sensual, half-naked women feasting on men and other women filled every part of the ceiling.
Only two items of furniture were in the room, positioned at the far end—a huge mahogany desk and an even larger, black leather chair. Seated in the chair, behind the desk, was Demitrios.
His appearance had changed little since Sebastian had last seen him. With the exception of a change in dress-style from the era of the nineteen hundreds—he now wore an expensive, black, three-piece suit—Demitrios looked the same. His long, raven hair hung in a sheet, the light above his head catching the sheen. His eyes were also black but around the edges were circles of yellow glow, like the sun during a total eclipse. His nose was large but strong, his lips full.
He rose from his chair as Sebastian walked in. “Well, well, Sebastian Bandores. How many years has it been?”
Sebastian smiled, trying to ignore the two younger vampires who now stood either side of the door, guarding the only way out. “Too many, Demitrios.”
“Please, it’s Demitri now. I found the shorter version fits in better in these modern times.”
“Very well. Demitri it is.”
His dark eyes turned to Serenity. “And who have you brought me? A present?”
Sebastian pulled Serenity closer to his side. “Serenity is mine.”
Demitri raised his thick, black eyebrows. “I see. So why are you here?”
“I need your advice. You’ve been around for hundreds of years and you’ve seen everything.”
He sat back in his leather chair and steepled his fingers. “That is true.”
“Did you hear of the creature who could walk in the light?”
“Yes, of course. It was interesting but not unheard of.”
“The creature used to be Serenity’s husband. Another vampire raised him from the dead and made him what he was. The creature took Serenity from me and fed from her repeatedly. I found them and killed the monster, but now she has no memory of her life before she was taken and her condition is getting worse.”
Demitri lowered his chin, his eyes flicking between Sebastian and Serenity.
“And what do want from me?”
“I want you to tell me how to bring her back again.”
He smiled and nodded. “First, we shall feed together, like old times?”
Sebastian stiffened, his grip around Serenity’s waist tightening. “I’m fine, Demitri. I fed only a day ago.”
“But you still love to feed, do you not, Sebastian? I mean, you come here with a human companion asking for my help. I don’t believe it’s polite to turn down a meal when it’s offered. The Sebastian I once knew enjoyed the taste of human blood. Are you even that same vampire anymore?”
“Of course I am. Who else would I be?”
“Excellent. In that case, we will feed together and then I will
tell you what I know. Natasha, Vincent,” he addressed his two minions. “Bring us something to eat. Make them young and fresh.”
The two younger vampires each gave a brief nod and disappeared from the room. Seconds later, they were back again. In Natasha’s grip, a woman in her early twenties struggled helplessly. Vincent had hold of a slightly older woman who had her blonde hair tied up in a knot, wearing a skin-tight leopard print dress. Their eyes darted between Sebastian and Demitri. The older woman’s eyes locked on Sebastian’s handsome face, perhaps thinking someone so beautiful would be incapable of causing harm.
“Help me,” she begged him. “Please, don’t hurt me. I’ll do whatever you want.”
The other girl gave up her struggles and sobbed, limp in Natasha’s grip.
Demitri rose from his seat and shot over to the girls. The younger one screamed, only seeing him vanish from one place to reappear directly in front of her. He put out a hand, his fingernails long and perfectly manicured. He touched the girl’s chin, raising her face to him. She cried, her eyes squeezed shut, her breasts heaving in time with her sobs. Demitri leaned in and smelled along the line of her throat as though he were taking in the scent of a fine wine.
The older woman watched with wide, terrified eyes. The muscles of her neck stood out, her skin strained white. Demitri turned his attention to her. He grabbed her by the jaw, wrenching her face so it was only inches from his. More defiant, she pressed her lips together and dared to stare him in the eye.
Demitri laughed and released his grip on her jaw. “Yes, I think this one will do me. I like them with a bit of spirit.”
Sebastian was in turmoil. He didn’t kill the young, especially not women, but if he didn’t do as Demitri wanted, he may never get Serenity back. A war raged within him. How could he place this young girl’s life above Serenity’s? But then he thought of Elizabeth back home and how she needed her mommy back.
The fresh scent of the women spoke to something deep inside him, the thing he kept under wraps most of the time. Deep down he wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into their sweet-smelling, succulent, young flesh. His forced diet of drug-dealers, pimps and hobos did little for the sensory arousal of feeding. In truth, feeding should be like any other kind of intimate connection. To desire the one he fed from was a natural instinct he’d kept under control for centuries.
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