Taylor shrugged his shoulders and headed off to find him something to eat. I slowly made my way to the bench and sat down. I hoped a little rest would help me get my bearings and stop the churning in my stomach. Leaning forward, I closed my eyes and rested my face in my hands.
“Why are you still here?” The voice came from behind me.
Sitting up straight, I swung around to face him. He was kneeling behind the bench with his arms resting on the back of it.
Dumbfounded, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. All I could do was stare at him.
I was a little surprised that he was smiling. Up until that point, I hadn’t seen him smile.
“Do you like the Ferris wheel?” he asked.
Nodding, I tried to think of something to say but was still unable to find my voice.
“We should ride it then.” He stepped around the bench and held out his hand to me. There was something about him that just seemed to scream at my senses, warning me off, but I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to be near him.
He was wearing black clothes and boots, and although the night was warm, he also wore a long black coat.
“I’m waiting for my friend,” I told him, trying to look away.
He kneeled down in front of the bench and shook his head. “You have been waiting for me, Sarah.”
Was he right?
Was I secretly hoping that it wasn’t my imagination and that he would make another appearance?
I started to shake my head in denial but he held up a hand to stop me. “Sarah, you can’t lie to me.”
His eyes locked with mine and he seemed to look right into my soul, peeling back the layers of who I was until the person that was Sarah Fabre was naked and vulnerable. Blinking rapidly, I tried to look away, but couldn’t.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“If I tell you my name, will you go on a ride with me?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged.
A smile touched his lips. “My name is Darrien.”
“Taylor did a banishing spell on you. How come you’re here?”
“Why would he do that? Are you still frightened of me?” A hard glint formed in his eyes.
“You were outside the truck window while we were driving,” I accused. “You nearly caused us to wreck.”
“I’m afraid that you must be mistaken.” He shook his head.
“I don’t think so.” I frowned. “I saw you.”
Darrien was looking at me as if he were trying to uncover some deception. “Well, it was not me you saw,” he insisted.
I wanted to protest, but I was starting to doubt what exactly it was that I’d seen. It hadn’t actually been a full-bodied person, but more of an apparition that was floating outside the truck’s window.
“So will you ride with me?” he asked again.
Reluctantly, I took his hand. His touch was cool and somehow familiar.
Holding my hand, Darrien led me to the large Ferris wheel. It was not one of the most popular rides so we didn’t have to wait long before it was our turn. Soon, we were in our seat and rising above the lights.
“Why did you want me to ride with you?” I asked.
He smiled. “I wanted to talk to you without being overheard, but in a place you would feel safe.”
Did he actually think I felt safe now?
“You could kill me up here and be gone before anyone even knew what happened. I’m really not that dumb you know. I come from a family of very powerful witches,” she added, hoping to deter any thoughts he might have of carrying out his earlier attempt to kill me.
His laughter was dark but not really threatening. “Yes, I’m aware of that. The Coven of Lazar, progeny of the dark prince himself.”
“What is that suppose to mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes to glare at him.
“You don’t know the stories of the Coven of Lazar and the Fabre witches?” he mocked.
“I don’t know anything about a dark prince.” I continued to glare at him.
“What a shame. This talk we need to have would be so much easier if you were not ignorant of your beginnings.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on and why someone wants me dead?” My temper was starting to get the best of me, and being so close to him was making me a little nervous.
The intensity I saw in his eyes and the way the wind tugged at the silky strands of his hair, made for a compelling picture. I had to fight the sudden urge to reach up and run my fingers through that hair.
As if aware of my thoughts, a smile touched his lips. “Are you a virgin, Sarah?”
Shocked, my mouth dropped open. “That’s none of your business,” I told him as the blood rushed to my cheeks.
Of course, I wasn’t a virgin. How did you get through two years of college without some experience? Remaining a virgin would be impossible for the lusty Fabre women, at least according to everything I knew about my family history. But I didn’t exactly have a lot of experience either. Not that I had any intention of telling him this.
“Let’s find out.” Darrien pulled me into his arms and lowered his lips to mine. Though I knew I should pull away, I couldn’t make myself do it. I was quickly lost in the sensation of his tongue invading my mouth and his hand caressing my neck. But there was something else. I could feel his soul burning with the hunger and his need to consume me - to take in every ounce of my body and spirit.
I had to fight to catch my breath when he finally pulled away.
“You are no virgin. Your hunger for the flesh is almost as strong as mine.” His smile was dark and sadistic, but not like it was a short time ago. Darrien seemed to have lost some of that black poison I’d sensed permeating his mind.
I tried to block out what I was feeling. I didn’t want to think about how his kiss had taken control of me so easily. I couldn’t get caught up in him. He was a vampire, a creature of death.
I had to say something - anything to break the spell of the moment. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you come here to kill me?”
Darrien grabbed a handful of my hair and gently wrapped it around his fingers, caressing it as if he couldn’t get enough of how it felt against his skin.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he closed his eyes. It was like he couldn’t bear to look at me any longer. I waited for him to respond, but when he again opened his eyes, they were ravenous with hunger. Pulling me to him, he covered my mine with his.
While logic and reason scream for me to push him away, my heart was fluttering like I had butterflies in my chest. I returned his kiss, leaning against him so I could feel even more of him. Darrien broke the kiss, but just long enough to bite my lip. He licked the tiny drops of blood flowing from my pierced flesh.
To my surprise, I wasn’t afraid at all. The sensation was too intense to feel any fear. I was overcome with the urge to bite and I started biting at his tongue. A sudden craving for his blood spread over me until I felt as if I would burn up.
Suddenly, he was pushing me away. “Do not taste my blood, Sarah.” His voice was firm but soft.
“Why not?” The hunger was almost uncontrollable. The burning in my veins was agonizing, so I tried to bite him again.
Darrien’s hands went to my shoulders and he shook me gently. “Sarah, stop!”
I came crashing back to the moment so quickly, it felt like I’d crashed and burned. Blinking, I tried to remember where I was.
The ride had stopped and the attendant was staring at us like he’d caught us doing something we shouldn’t have been doing.
Darrien helped me off the ride and led me away from the crowd. I saw Taylor glaring at us, anger sparking in his eyes. Suddenly, I was riddled for completely forgetting about him.
Taylor headed in our direction, taking slow - cautious steps. As he made his way closer, I could hear him chanting something under his breath.
“I’m sorry, Taylor. I didn’t think the ride would take so long,” I apologized.
Taylor sc
owled, his eyes slicing at Darrien. “I banished you! What are you doing here?”
The darkness that I’d sensed in Darrien was back. “No you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did!” Taylor insisted.
“No, you didn’t.” Darrien gave him a malicious smile.
Taylor’s grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Darrien. “We need to go,” he said, his voice shaking with urgency.
Taylor tried to lead me away, but I forced him to stop. Turning back, I looked at Darrien. He was still watching, but apparently, he had no intention of stopping us from leaving.
“You never answered my question,” I called out to him.
Darrien gave me one of his dark, haunting smiles. “I will come and visit you again, Sarah,” he answered; loud enough I could hear him over the carnival music.
“No you won’t!” Taylor yelled back at him. “I’ll put you back in the grave, where you belong!”
I yanked my arm from Taylor’s grasp. “Really, Taylor! You have no manners at all.”
“Manners?” He was incredulous. “Have you gone crazy, Sarah? He’s a vampire! What part of that are you not getting?”
“I know what he is,” I shot back.
“And?”
After taking a moment to think about it, I realized that I had no idea why I’d gone off with Darrien or why I was so attracted to him. “And I don’t know,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
“Did you know that the vampire’s spell over the opposite sex is more powerful than even a witch’s spell?” he asked.
“No, I didn’t,” I admitted.
I didn’t know that much about vampires at all, outside of what was in movies and books. I’d been striving so hard to be normal that I’d ignored my heritage and any knowledge I might have gained from the coven.
“How did you know he was a vampire?” I asked.
“If you didn’t notice, he has almost no color and he has a darkness about him that you can feel as soon as you look at him.”
“Why didn’t you feel it in the truck then?”
He paused as if he wasn’t sure how to answer. “I don’t know. Maybe what you saw wasn’t a vampire?”
Taylor started toward the exit. “That might explain why the banishing spell didn’t work.”
“What could it have been then?” I wanted to know.
“Maybe a warning,” Taylor said, a cryptic note in his voice.
“Why are we going already?”
“We need to talk with your aunt and tell her about this,” he said, tossing the words over his shoulder.
Sighing, I followed him through the exit gate. “I think you’re taking all of this a little too seriously. Besides, Aunt Jeanie already knows about him.”
“Damn it, Sarah!” he yelled. “I was responsible for you tonight. You should have told me where you were going.”
I was shocked. Taylor had never raised his voice to me. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Taylor grumbled something under his breath, but said no more on the subject.
Stopping, I looked back at the carnival. I wondered where Darrien was at that moment.
Was he still watching me?
Why was Darrien all I could think of? Was it because when he looked into my eyes, he’d cast some type of spell and taken control of my mind and body? Closing my eyes, I tried to forget how I’d felt when he kissed me.
It was no use. His presence was so strong; it was like he was standing right beside me. Turning away from the carnival lights, I saw Taylor standing by the truck, waiting for me.
He was obviously still upset, but I couldn’t blame him. He was concerned about me, that’s all. When I reached the truck, I gave him a contrite smile.
“I really am sorry that I worried you,” I said. “But I don’t regret spending a few minutes with him. He’s different.”
Taylor frowned. “Yeah, he’s different for sure. He’s a freaking vampire!”
Chapter Fifteen
Darrien
I watched as Sarah and her friend walked away.
Fury took hold of me, but I pushed it away. Anger wouldn’t convince her of the truth, and the truth was Sarah had to get away from Sutter Point.
For that brief time that I’d held her in my arms at the beach and she’d so bravely faced death, I’d been torn.
Now I felt compelled to kiss her, to love her, and most of all, to protect her. I’d seen Caroline in her eyes, but until tonight I hadn’t been sure she was Caroline. The connection was still there. Sarah was my Caroline; the woman who’d ripped apart my soul and left it open for the darkness to consume.
Caroline had come back, just as she’d promised.
But I’d been sent by an ancient to kill her. Killing her now was out of the question. I wouldn’t be responsible for her death, not again. This time, I would save her, even if she refused my offer of immortality again.
I’d tried to give Caroline life, but she’d refused my blood. Now that Caroline was Sarah, she’d wanted my blood. In fact, she’d wanted my blood with a hunger so great that I was almost swept away by that erotic, all-consuming need. This time, I would not offer her immortality. Instead, I would give her the blessing of being free of my love. Sarah never had to know the pain of loving an immortal.
I would see that she was safe and then I would return to the darkness that had become so much a part of who I was.
But could I hold that darkness at bay long enough to do what was right, or would my hunger for her be too much?
Chapter Sixteen
Nicole
Bathed in early morning sunshine, the Lafayette Cemetery was beautiful. Bending down, I lifted the jug of water and poured some of it into the brass container that was attached to the base of the Trenton family tomb. When it was half-full, I took the blue and white daisies and arranged them in the vase until they were exactly the way I wanted them.
Although it had taken a long time, I could now smile when I thought about Jay. His memory could still bring on tears, but now they were less frequent. I tried to remember the joy my little brother gave me and not just the sadness of his loss.
If not for Alec, I know the grief would have eventually driven me into an abyss of darkness. How ironic that a creature of darkness would be the one to bring the light back into my life.
At the moment, I was worried sick. Alec had been gone for days now and there still hadn’t been any news from him.
“Such a tragic loss.”
Startled by the unfamiliar voice, I spun around to see who it was.
The man stood only a few feet away. His approach was so silent; I didn’t even have a clue someone had been behind me. The stranger’s dark eyes were not unsympathetic, but he seemed guarded. He was an older gentleman. I guessed that he was probably in his mid-fifties by the lines on his face and the white streaks of gray in his black hair.
“I’m sorry. Do I know you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I’m afraid that I’ve never had the pleasure. My name is Lex.”
I didn’t feel the need to flee from the stranger, but I was cautious. I’d grown so accustomed to being on the lookout for Omar’s vamps that now I treated all strangers with suspicion.
“Hello,” I gave him a nod.
“I am an acquaintance of your friend, Ethan,” he explained.
“Oh, are you the …”
“The wolf,” he finished for me. “Yes, that is what I am. My pack is known as the Vilka.”
“What information do you have about my sisters?” I asked.
I’d wanted to meet Ethan’s mysterious informant for some time now, so that I would have the opportunity to question him myself.
“Do you mind?” he asked, motioning to a bench near the Trenton family tomb.
“No, not at all.”
“Please sit with me a while.” He patted the space next to him on the bench.
Hesitating only a moment, I decided he wasn’t a threat and sat down beside him. Although I was a bo
rn vampire and could live in the light, as well as without blood for nourishment, I’d discovered that I still had some of the instincts of the vampire. Wariness of the wolf was one of the instincts bred into me.
“Your little brother.” Lex pointed toward the tomb. “He died from an accidental drowning, as I understand.”
I nodded. “Yes, he suffered a fever induced seizure while in the tub.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s always sad when a young child dies.”
I felt that the wolf’s sympathy was genuine and decided I really kind of liked him.
“Thank you. Jay’s death has been extremely difficult.”
“Yes, I’m sure it has.”
“What about my sisters? What do you know about them?” I reminded him of my question.
Lex studied me for a long time before answering. “I know the location of one of them, but I’m not sure about the other.”
I waited for him to continue, but he said no more.
“Well,” I prodded him for more information.
“My adopted granddaughter is your sister, but I cannot reveal anything about her at this time. It’s too dangerous.”
“The sooner we find them both, the sooner we can stop Omar and his followers,” I reasoned.
“This is true,” he agreed. “But she hasn’t reached the point that she’s ready. To expose her now could be disastrous for all three of you. The one you need to worry about is still out there somewhere, and probably unprotected.”
“What can you tell me about the one that’s still missing?” I asked.
“I can tell you that she is descended from a line of very powerful witches, the Fabre witches. You may have heard of them. They are legend in New Orleans. Some say Marie Laveau was actually the illegitimate daughter of one of the Fabre men.”
I was ready to tell him that I didn’t believe in witches, but then I realized just how ridiculous that would sound. My lover was a vampire and here I was talking to what basically amounted to a werewolf.
“So, if we can trace the descendants of these witches, then we might be able to find her?” I asked.
Dark Enchantment: A Vampire Romance (Immortal Legacy Book 3) Page 5