Night's Kiss

by Amanda Ashley

  CHAPTER 18

  Roger West whistled softly when he saw Anthony Loken's car. "Nice," he said, running his hand over the top of the Lexus.

  Grinning, Loken unlocked the door and slid behind the wheel. As soon as West was in the car, he pulled out of the parking lot, tires squealing as he turned onto the road and headed for home.

  "Hey, buddy, slow down," West said, grabbing the armrest. "I'm not immortal yet."

  Loken flashed him a smile. "All in good time." A whispered incantation gave him green lights all the way home.

  "Is this your place?" West asked as Loken parked in front of a large house and killed the engine.

  "It is indeed." Opening the door, he exited the car.

  "You must be rich as hell," West muttered as he followed Loken up the stairs to the front door.

  "Almost," Loken said. He smiled wolfishly as he opened the door. "Come in, won't you?"

  "So," West said as he crossed the threshold, "how long does it take? To become a vampire?"

  "Not long."

  West nodded. He gasped, startled, as lights began coming on in the room.

  Loken grinned at him. "A little magick, nothing for you to worry about."

  West swallowed hard. "Vampire magic, right?"

  "Not exactly."

  "No?" West frowned. "What kind, then?"

  "I'm a warlock, actually. A wizard, if you will."

  "But I thought… you said you were a vampire."

  "Yes, I did, didn't I? I'm afraid I lied."

  "What the hell's going on here?"

  "I'm sorry, Mr. West, but I'm sure you've told lies from time to time. It's a fact of life that we sometimes have to lie to get what we want."

  West glanced at the front door. "What do you want?"

  "You. For a little experiment."

  "No way! I'm outta here!" With a shake of his head, Roger West started toward the front door, only to find that he no longer had control over his body. He looked back at Loken, his eyes wild and scared.

  "Come along," Loken said, beckoning to him with his forefinger.

  West shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere with you," he retorted, but his feet were following the warlock down a long dark hall, down a flight of stairs, into the basement.

  "Climb up on the table," Loken said.

  "Damn you!" West cried as he obeyed the warlock's bidding. "Let me go!"

  "Lie down. This won't take long."

  Roger West stretched out on the table, his heart pounding. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move, had no control over his own movements. Sweat broke out across his brow, gathered under his arms. "Please, let me go."

  "Too late." Loken pulled a vial out of his coat pocket and removed the seal.

  Pulling a syringe from the drawer of a large tool chest, he filled it with blood.

  West stared at him in horror. "What… what are you going to do with that?"

  "It's a test. For all I know, it just might turn you into a vampire. Then again, it might kill you," he said with a wicked grin. "Or give you eternal life. But we won't know until we try."

  Loken wrapped a strip of rubber around West's upper arm, then poked around for a vein. Finding a good one, he inserted the needle and pushed the plunger home.

  West stared at the blood flowing into his arm, and then looked at Loken. And then he screamed, his body writhing in agony as the vampire's blood seeped into his bloodstream.

  "Shut up!" Loken said. "Tell me what you feel."

  "It burns, it burns," the young man said, whimpering. "Make it stop… make it…"

  He stared up at Loken, saliva dripping from a corner of his mouth. His body convulsed one last time and then lay still.

  "Dammit!" Grabbing the boy's wrist, Loken felt for a pulse. It was strong but irregular.

  Dropping the boy's arm, Loken sat down to wait for the final outcome.

  Roshan prowled the outside of the warlock's laboratory, his senses testing the night. Loken had been there earlier that evening but there was no indication that Roger West had been with him.

  Where had Loken taken the boy?

  Frowning, he dissolved into mist and entered the building. The laboratory was empty. Jimmy Dugan's body was gone, though the smell of fear and blood and death lingered in the air.

  Leaving the building, Roshan regained his own shape. If Loken wasn't here, then he must have taken Roger West home. But why there and not here?

  A thought took him to the warlock's house. As soon as he neared the front door, he caught the heavy scent of the boy's fear. They were here.

  He was wondering how he might gain access to the house when he heard a faint scream from the direction of the basement. Roshan cursed softly as a second scream reached his ears. It was a cry of such torment that it seared his soul. And then it came again, a wordless cry of agony, a heartrending plea for help.

  Even knowing he couldn't enter the warlock's house without an invitation, Roshan couldn't resist the urge to go to the boy's aid. Using his preternatural powers to unlock and open the door, he took a step forward, only to be repelled by the power of the threshold and the wards the warlock had set around the entrance.

  Roshan swore softly; then, knowing there was nothing he could do to save the boy, he transported back to the Nocturne and called the police.

  Roger West's head rocked back and forth as Loken's knife cut into his flesh. The stink of his own waste filled his nostrils, mingling with the scent of his blood. Nausea roiled in West's stomach. So much blood. So much pain. He tried to summon the energy to move, the strength to free himself from the warlock's power, but it was futile. He could only lay there, helpless and afraid.

  Loken watched through unblinking eyes as blood flowed from the deep gash he had made in the boy's forearm. "The wound isn't healing. It appears an injection doesn't work," he said, thinking aloud. "Perhaps the blood has to be ingested."

  Pulling another vial out of his coat pocket, he lifted the boy's head and held the vial to his lips. "Drink this."

  Unable to resist, Roger West opened his mouth and swallowed the thick red fluid, only to vomit it up again. It ran down his chin and chest, sprayed over Loken's shirt, dripped from the table to the floor.

  Cursing, Loken jumped out of the way. "You will drink this and you will keep it down," he said, and pulling a third vial from his pocket, he held it to the boy's lips.

  "Damn you," West said weakly. But he drank the contents of the vial.

  "We'll give it a chance to work," Loken said, glancing at his watch. "Perhaps an hour or two." Tearing a strip of cloth from the boy's shirt, he used it to gag the boy, then strapped his arms and legs to the table. "Rest while you can," Loken said, and turning off the lights, he left the basement.

  Returning to the living room, he was about to go into the kitchen for a bottle of beer when he felt a draft. Walking toward the entry, he saw that the front door was open.

  Frowning, he gathered his power and murmured an incantation. A moment later, a shadowy image took shape on the porch. He recognized it instantly. Roshan DeLongpre.

  Loken grunted softly. What had DeLongpre been doing here?

  He was still considering the possibilities when a police car pulled up in the driveway. Two policeman, both young, got out of the car.

  Loken stepped out onto the porch. "Good evening, officers," he said with a congenial smile.

  "Mr. Anthony Loken?"

  "Yes."

  "We had a report that screams were heard coming from this house."

  "You must be mistaken. I've been here all night and I've heard nothing."

  "Do you live alone, sir?"

  "Yes, I do." He smiled again. "The only screams heard here tonight came from my television set."

  "Do you mind if we look around?"

  Loken shook his head. "Help yourself." He took a step back, allowing them entrance.

  One of the officers went to search the house. The second policeman stayed with Loken, one hand resting on the butt of his revolver
.

  "Can I offer you something to drink?" Loken asked. "A cup of coffee, or a soda?"

  "No, thank you."

  Loken nodded. He listened to the footsteps of the first officer as he moved through the house. There was nothing to worry about. The door to the basement was invisible, protected by a recent enchantment no mere mortal could detect.

  Perhaps five minutes passed before the first officer returned to the living room. "Let's go, Frank, there's nothing here. Sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Loken."

  "That's quite all right." Anthony followed the two officers to the front door and watched them leave. He even waved as they pulled away from the curb.

  And then he closed and locked the door.

  Something would have to be done about Mr. Roshan DeLongpre, he mused. Something permanent. And painful.

  And then he smiled. Perhaps Mr. DeLongpre could take the boy's place in the basement.

  Whistling softly, he went downstairs to see how his latest experiment was coming along.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 19

  Brenna waited up until after midnight and still Roshan didn't come home. It never took him this long to feed. Where was he? She didn't like the answer that came to mind. He was a handsome man gifted with the preternatural allure of a vampire. Women looked at him wherever they went… She shook her head, refusing to entertain the thought that he might be with another woman.

  Moving through the rooms downstairs, she turned off all the lights but one, then went upstairs to get ready for bed. Morgana trailed at her heels, meowing reassuringly.

  Undressing, Brenna pulled her nightgown over her head, then slipped into bed. Morgana curled up beside her, one paw resting on her arm.

  Turning on her side, Brenna gazed out the window, one hand idly stroking Morgana's head. Even though she was growing used to life in this century, Brenna sometimes wished she were back home. Life had been so much simpler there. Harder in many ways, but simpler nevertheless. There was still so much in this century that she didn't fully understand. Wars in places she had never heard of. Diseases that were unknown in her time. Inventions like the washing machine that made doing the laundry easier but somehow robbed her of the satisfaction of washing her clothes by hand. The dryer dried her clothes quickly but they lacked the fresh smell of clothing dried in the sun. With so little to do, the days seemed longer.

  Perhaps she needed to find a job.

  The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of earning her own money. But what could she do? She wasn't qualified to work in an office. She didn't have a college education, but surely there was something she could do. "What do you think, Morgana?"

  With a shake of her head, Morgana rolled onto her back.

  "Perhaps Myra would give me a job at the bookstore," Brenna said, thinking aloud. "Maybe I could sell books or wait tables. Of course, he would not like it" She scratched Morgana's tummy for a few minutes, and then smiled a conspiratorial smile. "Of course, there is no need for us to tell Mr. DeLongpre." Her smile faded. "Perhaps the bookstore is not the right place to look for employment. Mr. Loken visits there all too often."

  Thinking of Anthony Loken brought Jimmy Dugan to mind. She was certain that the young vampire had died in Loken's pursuit of eternal life.

  Thinking of Jimmy Dugan brought tears to her eyes. Though she had known very little about him, it was sad to think that he had died so young.

  Sniffling, she closed her eyes, only to open them again a moment later, certain that she was no longer alone in the room. "Roshan?"

  He materialized beside the bed, his black clothing blending into the darkness of the room. "I thought you would be asleep by now."

  She shook her head. "I was thinking of Mr. Dugan."

  Roshan grunted softly. "I'm afraid Loken has another victim."

  "Oh, no! Who?"

  "A young man he met at the Nocturne tonight."

  She stared up at him, her green eyes filled with concern. "Is there nothing you can do?"

  "I called the police, for all the good it did. They searched his house but didn't find anything. I should have known they wouldn't."

  "At least you tried. That is all you can do."

  He nodded, thoughts of the unknown young man's fate receding as Brenna's nearness filled his senses. She was here, in his house, in his bed, and he wanted her.

  Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he murmured her name.

  Brenna shivered as his voice moved over her. She heard the question he didn't ask. Sitting up, she drew him closer, her kiss the unspoken answer to his unspoken question.

  Roshan drew back a little. "Are you sure?"

  "I doubt if I have ever been more sure of anything in my life."

  "Sweetheart!"

  He dragged her onto his lap, his mouth covering hers, his arms so tight around her she thought her ribs might be in danger of breaking, but then she was kissing him back, pain and pleasure mingling together, until there was nothing in all the world but his mouth on hers. Excitement fluttered in her stomach. Anticipation made her pulses race. His tongue was warm against her throat, his hands gentle as he caressed her.

  Closing her eyes, she surrendered to the wealth of sensations that he aroused in her. Somehow, his clever hands managed to undress both of them, and then he was stretched out on the bed beside her. She had not intended for this to happen again and yet she had known, in her heart of hearts, that it was as inevitable as the sunrise.

  Colors and images flooded her mind, shattering into rainbows of shimmering crystal as his body merged with hers. Her body arched to receive him more fully. Her nails raked his back. She felt his teeth graze her neck and she turned her head to the side, giving him better access to her throat. She moaned softly, her senses overwhelmed with sensation. How could something that should have filled her with revulsion feel so wonderful? In a distant part of her mind, she realized that she was feeling everything that he did, his yearning, not only for their physical joining, but for the sense of belonging that he found in her arms, as she found it in his. Pleasure engulfed her until she felt as though she were drowning in pure bliss, a pleasure so intense it was almost painful, and then she plunged over the edge into ecstasy, and at last fulfillment unlike anything she had ever experienced.

  Rolling onto his back, Roshan drew Brenna up against his side, his arm holding her close. He had no reason to ask if she was all right, not when she was looking at him through heavy-lidded eyes, her expression that of a woman who had been well and truly loved.

  "Is it this way for everyone?" she asked.

  "No."

  "How do you know? Have you taken many women to bed?" It was a foolish question. He had lived for hundreds of years. No doubt he'd had hundreds of women.

  "Not so many, all things considered," he replied. "Certainly none like you." He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "None so beautiful, or so tempting. None that I loved."

  Her eyes widened. "You love me?"

  "More than you can imagine."

  "I do not know what to say."

  "Say that you love me."

  "Oh, I do," she murmured fervently. "I do love you." A soft smile played over her lips. "More than you can imagine."

  "Then you'll stay with me?"

  "Where would I go?"

  "Anywhere you wish," he replied soberly. "Anytime you're not happy here, you have only to say the word I'll buy you a house of your own, if you wish, anywhere you want to live."

  "Truly?"

  He nodded. "Truly."

  "That is most generous of you."

  "It's little enough to give you in return for what you've given me."

  Her eyes widened in surprise. "I have given you nothing."

  "Oh, but you're wrong, my sweet Brenna. You gave me hope and a reason to go on living." He brushed a kiss across her lips. "You've given me the most precious gifts any woman can give to a man. Your innocence, your love, and your trust."

  Turning onto her side, she wrapped her arms around
him. "I do love you. So very, very much."

  He kissed her gently. "Can you accept me as I am, Brenna? All of me?"

  "Yes. I want to share your life, as much of it as I can."

  He crushed her close, his heart overflowing as he rained kisses on her cheeks, her eyelids, the curve of her throat, the tip of her nose. "Promise me you'll never leave me."

  "I promise."

  It was a weighty promise, one he didn't expect her to keep but, for now, it was enough.

  They made love again, more slowly this time, and then Roshan carried her into the shower and washed her from head to foot. They might have gotten out of the shower before the water grew cold if she hadn't taken the soap from his hand and returned the favor. Her soapy hands moving over his body was an erotic sensation he had never known before, one that had the expected results.

  It was the cold water that finally drove them out of the shower and down the stairs. Roshan lit a fire in the hearth, then drew her down on the rug, his arm around her shoulders.

  Brenna leaned against him, sleepy-eyed and content as she watched the flames. No doubt Granny O'Connell would be turning in her grave if she could see her granddaughter now, sitting naked on the floor in the arms of a vampire, her virginity well and truly lost.

  Glancing up, she met Roshan's gaze. "Are you going to marry me?" She hadn't meant to ask the question but, once spoken, there was no taking it back.

  "Is that what you want, Brenna?"

  "Only if you do."

  "And if I said no?"

  Her heart seemed to drop to the floor. If he didn't want to marry her, what then? Could she stay here, in his house, as his mistress? Would it be so different from what she was doing now? She knew it would be, though she was reluctant to admit it. It was one thing to succumb to a night of passion in a man's arms, quite another to make a conscious decision to live with him without benefit of marriage even though, in this time and place, no one seemed to think there was anything wrong with it.

  "You said you loved me," she reminded him, her voice barely audible.

  "I do."

  "But you do not wish to marry me?"

  "I never thought to marry again," he replied slowly. "I never thought any woman would want me, or be able to accept me as I am now." He gazed deep into her eyes. "Have you thought it through, Brenna? Are you sure this is what you want?"