Forbidden Feast

by Joelle Sterling

  Despite the lighting in his office, the room became dim when the sun went down. Bradley inhaled deeply. Mr. Chandler would want to confer with him before he was allowed to leave for the evening. Working in this house was like being sentenced to work for the devil in hell. Although lovely music flowed into every room, in a short while there would be pitiful shrieks overwhelming the tinkling piano keys.

  That crazy vampire, Adelaide, and her monster-child refused to drink chilled blood. It was Rufus, the security guard’s, responsibility to select a human from the cages and take the ill-fated person to the guest house, where the famished vampire woman and child would feed until the unfortunate human was completely drained.

  Being that Mr. Chandler didn’t want any vampires roaming around that were sired by crazy Adelaide, it was also Rufus’s responsibility to drive a stake through the human’s heart before he or she turned.

  Wishing that his office was high on the third floor, Bradley braced himself for the screams that were apt to vibrate the floor beneath his feet. He prayed that Rufus would work quickly, and get the poor soul over to the guest house without delay.

  CHAPTER 35

  The vampires awakened one-by-one and emerged from their various rooms, rubbing their eyes, gliding toward the scent of blood while still clad in sleeping attire.

  “Mmm. Smells delicious,” Florencia said as she reached for a glass filled with rich, red blood.

  Travis moved in front of Florencia. “I say ladies before gents, but I’m feeling extra thirsty and that blood has a divine scent.”

  Sniffing the air, four more vampires convened around the tray, but no one took a swallow. No one was allowed to drink until Elson had downed his first glass of blood of the evening.

  Moments later, Ismene glided down the hall, wearing a beautiful silk negligee with a lace bodice. She was carrying two glasses: one for her and the other for Elson.

  Clutching their glasses, the Chandler vampires padded back to their side of the mansion, prepared to guzzle their wonderfully fragrant blood rationing at the appointed time of six-ten.

  Travis stumbled out of his room, holding a hand to his chest. “I’m burning inside,” he gasped. “Elson, don’t drink the blood. We’ve all been poisoned!”

  Smoke seeped from the pores of Lisette’s body. A fountain of blood bubbled inside Florencia’s mouth. Out of their minds from the unbearable, scorching pain, the sisters joined hands and flung themselves out of a second-floor window.

  Torturous shrieks and sounds of frenzied clawing echoed throughout the mansion immediately after the vampires ingested the lethal blood. Howling male voices beneath the high-pitched shrieks of the females created an unholy cacophony of sound.

  Hearing the unearthly commotion, the staff was too afraid to go upstairs and investigate, and one by one, they began exiting the mansion and running for their cars.

  By the time Rufus returned from the guest house, Bradley was waiting for him at the servant’s entrance.

  “What’s causing all that commotion?” Rufus asked.

  “I think they’re all dying.”

  “Who’s dying?”

  “The vampires,” Bradley replied, eyes large with astonishment. “Poisoned blood. You need to unlock those cages. Let those people out.”

  “But . . . suppose Mr. Chandler is okay. Suppose only the others drank the poisonous blood.”

  “Let them out,” Bradley insisted.

  The ding of the elevator caused both Bradley and Rufus to jump. “It’s Mr. Chandler. I know it is, and he’s gonna kill us,” Rufus said, eyes bulging in fear.

  Bradley snatched the key ring that was hanging out of Rufus’s pocket and began unlocking the cages, letting out people, many of whom he knew from around town.

  The caged people escaped through every available exit, and ran barefoot through the night.

  Upstairs on the main level, the elevator doors were open. Bradley and Rufus crept toward the open doors and flinched at what they saw. On the floor, Ismene was curled in the fetal position, writhing in agony, and surrounded by a puddle of brownish liquid. “Help me,” she gasped, reaching out an arm.

  Bradley’s blood instantly turned to ice when he realized that the skin on Ismene’s arm was dripping onto her nightgown, and she was lying in a pool of her own melted flesh.

  “Dear God!” Rufus cried and covered his face with his hands.

  “Where’s Mr. Chandler?” Bradley asked, injecting false concern in his voice.

  “Dying. My great father is upstairs dying; he needs help.”

  “We’ll help him,” Bradley said. He whispered to Rufus. “Where’s your stake?”

  “I left it in the guest house.”

  “Do you have any others?”

  “Yeah, I keep them in the pantry.”

  “Get one. Hurry,” Bradley ordered.

  Rufus returned with the wooden stake. Glancing into the elevator, he could see that there was nothing left of Ismene except a sickly, liquid substance. Even her silk and lace negligee had crumpled into ashes.

  Bradley took the stairs to Elson’s wing. He had to know for sure that his and Tessa’s tormentor was actually dead. At the top of the landing, there was Elson, clutching his chest but very much alive. In an angry, sweeping gesture, Elson knocked the remaining glasses of tainted blood off the table.

  “I only took one sip of that poison,” Elson rasped with blood trickling down the side of his mouth. “Bring me a human from one of the cages. All I need is fresh, warm blood and I’ll be all right.”

  Bradley was so shocked to find Elson alive and pretty much intact, all he could do was gawk at the vampire.

  “Did you hear what I said. Bring me a live human!”

  Bradley’s head nodded involuntarily, as if someone was controlling him like a marionette.

  “Go!” Elson bellowed.

  Suddenly, Bradley whipped the stake out that he’d been hiding behind his back. Elson hissed like a rattler and lashed out, raking his long fingernails across Bradley’s face. Still possessing his superior vampire strength, Elson flung Bradley, sending him crashing into a wall. Bradley slid down to the floor and noticed a wineglass that was only missing the stem. Inside the cupped portion was a sufficient amount of blood.

  Bradley prayed that his plan would work. Panting, Elson leaned against a wall, gathering his strength. Cup in one hand and the wooden stake in the other, Bradley rushed toward the ailing vampire and flung the contents of blood in his face.

  Elson’s hands went up to his face and he went silent—from shock, Bradley surmised. Then he pulled his hands away, revealing that his face had completely melted away. Smoke wafted from the holes where his eyes, nose, and mouth used to be.

  With Elson reeling in unimaginable pain, Bradley ran toward him and drove the stake through his heart.

  CHAPTER 36

  There was no explanation for how all the biters had dropped dead at the same time, but Eden was eternally grateful to have a second chance. True to his word, Leroy drove Charlotte home. Charlotte still hadn’t been able to get in touch with any of her family or friends; they had no way of knowing if the plague had hit Charlotte’s home town. Eden didn’t envy the task that lay ahead for Charlotte. The poor thing had lost her fiancé and had possibly lost her entire family.

  “Do you still want to head for New York or would you like to give Willow Hills another chance? You can stay at my place for as long as you want,” Gabe said as he steered the Explorer, weaving around the dead bodies that cluttered the streets.

  “I don’t know if that would work. I’m not giving up Jane, and I don’t want us to be a burden to you,” Eden murmured, looking down at the baby that cooed in her arms.

  “You two could never be a burden. Don’t forget, I care about Jane, too. And I also care about you.”

  “I want to . . . but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Suppose there’s nothing between us except the camaraderie of battling biters together.”

  “I could accept that. Look,
no strings attached, Eden. No labels. We’ll be roommates. Two people enjoying each other’s company, while allowing the friendship we’ve developed to blossom into love . . . or not,” he said with an adorable smile.

  Eden laughed and gazed down at the baby. “What do you think, Jane?” When Jane gurgled loud and happily, Eden and Gabe burst into laughter.

  Tires squealed as the white van tore down the road.

  Chaos had always planned on visiting New York, but he’d never imagined making the journey with crazy Adelaide and a demanding two-year-old vampire child. He sighed in resignation. Elson Chandler had been a good friend for over a century, and looking after what was left of Elson’s family was the least he could do.

  Chaos gave a groan when Adelaide turned up the volume of the radio and began singing a completely different song than the one pouring from the speakers. The little boy began shouting for blood, but Adelaide kept singing.

  Unable to bear the racket any longer, Chaos pulled to the side of the road. In the back of the van, he popped the lid of the cooler. Before retrieving the packet of blood, he gazed at the twisting and writhing woman that was bound by chains. “As soon as we get where we’re going, I’m going to turn you, Sophia, and we’re going to be a family.”

  Back in the car, he gave the packet to the screaming child, and was relieved when the yelling stopped. Two minutes later, the boy was screaming for more.

  “Is he gonna take a nap any time soon?” Chaos asked Adelaide with irritation coating every word.

  “He sleeps when we do . . . at dawn,” she said in a sassy tone and resumed her loud singing.

  Back behind the wheel, Chaos revved the engine, and shook his head. Rest in peace, Elson. Should we ever meet again, you best believe, you owe me one!

  Rebecca and her coven sisters hailed Holland as a hero, but in Holland’s mind, the real heroine was Tanya Fluegfelder. All Holland had had to do was endure the prick of a needle. What Tanya had done, making sure that the vampires were served Holland’s vampire-killing blood, took true courage.

  Now that Phoebe had been accepted into the coven, she seemed to have a new sense of purpose, and for the first time since Holland’s dad had died, Phoebe seemed truly happy.

  The area of Jonas’s burial site was covered with leaves and brush, yet Holland knew the exact location instinctively. Kneeling, she placed purple mums and cream dahlia upon his resting place, and then stood up and admired the bouquet.

  “I hope you like the flowers. I thought the colors seemed masculine,” she said in a conversational tone, as if Jonas was standing next to her. “The town is back to normal, and you’d never know that Frombleton had been overrun with flesh eaters and vampires. I’ve heard rumors that a few vampires escaped, but no one knows for certain . . .” Holland paused as if listening to Jonas’s response.

  “Mom is in Rebecca’s coven; isn’t that cool? The coven sisters are going to stay alert for any vampires, but I doubt if a vampire would be foolish enough to return to Frombleton.” Holland gave a long sigh. “There’s something I have to tell you. I’m going back to Stoneham. I miss those cool, witch classes, and all I’m doing at Frombleton High is daydreaming and thinking about you.”

  She paused and rearranged the flowers. “I got these flowers at the grocery store. They didn’t cost much, but it’s the thought that counts, right? Anyway, I won’t be visiting you for a while. I won’t be home again until summer break.”

  Holland pushed herself to her feet. “I’m gonna miss our conversations, Jonas. And please don’t forget how much I love you.”

  I love you, too! Holland heard Jonas say. And she smiled and blew him a kiss.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Joelle Sterling lives in Philadelphia, PA. She is the author of The Dark Hunger and Midnight Cravings. Contact the author at Joellesterling3@aol.com

  ALSO BY ALLISON HOBBS

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  Lipstick Hustla

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  Pure Paradise

  Disciplined

  One Taste

  Big Juicy Lips

  The Climax

  A Bona Fide Gold Digger

  The Enchantress

  Double Dippin’

  Dangerously in Love

  Insatiable

  Pandora’s Box

  WRITING AS JOELLE STERLING

  The Dark Hunger

  Midnight Cravings

  Strebor Books

  P.O. Box 6505

  Largo, MD 20792

  http://www.streborbooks.com

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  © 2013 by Joelle Sterling

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever. For information address Strebor Books, P.O. Box 6505, Largo, MD 20792.

  ISBN 978-1-59309-493-5

  ISBN 978-1-4767-0579-8 (ebook)

  LCCN 2012951716

  First Strebor Books trade paperback edition April 2013

  Cover design: www.mariondesigns.com

  Cover photograph: © Keith Saunders/Marion Designs

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