Where the Dead Live

by Marissa Farrar

  Suddenly, the figures of two men—one large and bulky, the other shorter—blocked her view of the road ahead.

  Instantly, her heart started to pound, her breath catching in her chest. This wasn’t good. Something like this was never good.

  The smaller one nudged the larger man with his elbow. “Look what we’ve got here,” he smirked. “It’s one of the whores from the club.”

  “You working out of hours, love?” the bigger guy leered. “Fancy a three-way?”

  Nadine kept her head down, not making eye contact, just hoping they would get bored and go away.

  “Oi! Love, I’m talking to you,” the big one continued.

  “Look, she thinks she’s too good for us,” said the smaller guy. “Fucking slut.”

  They were only a few feet from her now. She could walk around, try to side step them, but she decided to just walk straight through them. Men were like dogs and horses—they could sense your fear.

  As she attempted to walk through, the big one grabbed her elbow. She tried to shake him free, but he held her fast.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” she said, her voice sounded forced.

  “Ha! Your type are all about trouble,” the small one’s voice was full of disgust.

  “So you going to do us a special rate then?” said the big one. “Two for the price of one?” He winked at his friend.

  “Please…”

  The man reached out and grabbed her breast beneath her sweater, his fingers painfully gouging her skin, despite the thick material.

  “Hey! Got the fuck off of me!”

  But he didn’t stop there. Using his grip on her breast, he pulled her towards him. He shoved his hand beneath the waistband of her leggings, delving down between her thighs.

  That was when she knew this was going to end badly.

  Just let them do what they want, she told herself. It’s not much past what you do anyway. Just lay still and play nice and you will walk out of this alive.

  Yet despite the sensible dress down, her body didn’t want to be compliant. She snatched his hand away, and then, when he came in for a second go, she drew back her fist and punched him full in the face.

  Pain speared up through her arm and she clutched her fist, but the man backed off, his own face clutched in the palm of his hand, blood pouring between his fingers.

  “You fucking bitch…”

  Seemingly from out of nowhere, the metallic glint of a blade appeared and all around Nadine the world stopped. This wasn’t kids messing around anymore. Rape was possibly one of the better things that could happen to her.

  “Please…” she said again, stepping away.

  But he kept walking forward.

  “Blake…” the smaller guy warned, knowing his friend was taking things too far. “Just leave it.”

  But Blake was past listening.

  Nadine turned to run, but he lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. She hit the floor, her chin slamming painfully on the concrete. Her teeth jarred together, narrowly missing her tongue. The stench of urine was stronger down here; its ammonia, combined with her fear and pain, made her eyes tear.

  Then the knife was at her throat, the metal cold against her skin. Blake sat astride her, his weight pinning her down.

  For a moment, he withdrew the knife and her heart leapt in hope, thinking he was going to back off. Then he plunged it deep beneath her ribs and it felt as if someone had knocked the breath out of her. There was a strange sucking sensation as he pulled out the knife and stabbed her again.

  Nadine could feel his erection hard against her leg. The dull knowledge that she had been stabbed was tinged with disbelief. The pain hadn’t hit her yet, but she knew it was coming.

  Suddenly, Blake was torn off her. Nadine heard the sickening crunch of neck bones breaking and the thud as he hit the ground. The other man squeaked in fear and then turned and ran.

  What was happening?

  A pair of low heeled boots appeared in front of her face. Nadine found the strength to take her gaze up the curve of brown leather and the voluptuous body above, to see the person they belonged to.

  It was the woman from the bar.

  For some reason, Nadine thought she should be more surprised, yet it was as though part of her had been expecting this other woman’s reappearance, however strange the circumstances.

  But she was dying. The world was fading away. Her blood covered the ground beside her and soaked into the front of her sweater.

  Was this to be it? Was this how it was all going to end? After all of the years of trying to come to terms with the rejection of her parents, the fear and loneliness from being bumped from foster home to foster home. All of that pain and effort and sacrifice, only to die in a stinking alley.

  The woman knelt down beside her, seemingly unconcerned by the blood soaking into the blue of her tight jeans. She reached out to Nadine. Her fingers were long and elegant, her hand pale. Gently, she laid her hand on Nadine’s cheek.

  Nadine was cold, but this woman was colder.

  She was also beautiful. With skin as white as bone, and those dark eyes, she was frighteningly perfect, as an angel or a demon might look. Her lips were full, but they too, were drained of all colour. Her hair framed her face in a mane of fire, its colour so starling against the lack of it.

  Nadine should have been terrified, yet this woman’s presence ebbed calm into Nadine’s tortured and dying soul.

  Her face drew closer. Nadine’s breath stuttered in her chest, believing the woman was going to kiss her. Just the idea of having his stunning, strange creature’s mouth against her skin was enough to drown her fears of dying.

  But her lips did not touch Nadine’s. Instead they brushed against the soft velvet of her ear and whispered;

  “I can save you. All you have to do is say yes.” Her voice, as beautiful as the rest of her, was touched with an accent Nadine could not place.

  Somehow, Nadine knew there was more to this question. It wasn’t just a simple offer to save her life. Who was this woman? What was this woman?

  Nadine became certain she wasn’t even human.

  “All you have to do is say yes,” the woman said again.

  Her strength was fading, soaking into the ground as effortlessly as her blood. It felt like the moment before she dropped into a deep sleep, her limbs heavy, her mind thick. Could she even open her mouth to give her answer? Did she have the strength?

  Her lips were dry. As she opened her mouth to give her answer, the skin stuck together. Using Nadine’s own blood, the woman wet her finger and moistened Nadine’s mouth.

  “Yes,” Nadine croaked. “Yes.”

  She moved too fast for Nadine’s weary eyes to register. All she saw was a flash of white, of fangs elongated and horrifically sharp. Then the woman’s mouth was at her throat.

  Fresh pain speared through her, but it was distant and faint, as though it was happening to someone else.

  Nadine sank into the black.

  She woke with a ferocious hunger. Like a baby seeking a nipple, she clawed out of the darkness, seeking something that would satisfy her need. Her mouth met cool flesh, but she could sense the flow of warmth beneath.

  Something about her had changed. Her jaw felt stronger, her mouth full of sharp enamel. Acting purely out of instinct, she sunk her teeth into the offered skin.

  Fluid flowed, its copper warmth, somehow familiar.

  She fed with a frantic need, drawing the thick liquid over her tongue and down her throat. With each swallow, her strength regained.

  Finally, she broke free and Nadine looked up.

  The first thing she saw was the strange woman from the bar.

  The woman’s beauty stole Nadine’s breath. The red hair was like a halo around her face. The dark eyes were beautiful, yet terrifying. To Nadine it felt like looking into the depths of space. The woman smiled, and somewhere in the smile was a flash of white.

  There was no escaping the woman’s sensuality; her curves, fro
m the bow of her mouth to the swell of her breasts. That pale white skin, as smooth as ice. All Nadine wanted to do was touch her.

  But her memories were confused, disjointed. All she knew was that she thought she was going to die and this woman had saved her.

  “You saved my life,” Nadine said, her voice raw and hoarse.

  The woman shook her head. “I gave you a new one.”

  There was no denying that Nadine felt different. She was stronger, sexier. Her body buzzed with life.

  Nadine looked around. Together, they sat on a huge, four poster bed. Rich, sumptuous materials and fabrics spread out beneath them. Expensive furnishings and dark mahogany wood surround them.

  “What did you do to me?” she asked. “What are you?”

  “I am a legend, a myth. I am something your kind does not believe in?”

  “My kind..?”

  “Humankind.”

  Her heart should have caught in her throat, but Nadine was suddenly aware that she could no longer feel it beating. All of her was different. She could breathe, but she no longer felt the need to breathe. And the blood running through her veins was no longer her own.

  “What are you?” she asked again.

  “A vampire. And now, so are you.”

  Her mind swam. This couldn’t be happening. Yet there was part of her that both knew and accepted what her stranger was telling her.

  “I don’t even know your name.”

  “You are Nadine.” The way she said her name was like tasting something exotic.

  “Yes, I am. But who the hell are you?”

  “My name is Adrienne Gellespie. I am more than four hundred-years-old and I have been searching for you my whole life.”

  Nadine shook her head, unable to look at the striking woman sitting in front of her. Yet her eyes were drawn. Her beauty had something magnetic about it, and Nadine found herself unable to look away.

  “I don’t know what to believe,” she whispered.

  “Believe what is real.”

  Adrienne leant forward, her long fingers tracing the line of Nadine’s lips.

  Should she pull away? Should she fight this? Part of her felt as though she should, but at the same time it was the last thing she wanted. She was drawn to this woman as she had never been before.

  Nadine opened her mouth and the cool fingers slipped inside. Her tongue darted, touching Adrienne’s fingertips, her lips closing around them.

  All she wanted to do was reach out and touch her pale skin.

  “You are so beautiful,” Adrienne said. “The moment I saw you I knew I had to have you.”

  “Have me?”

  “In every sense of the word,” her accent rolled. “You are mine now. I created you, so you are forever in my servitude. I am your mistress, but I will also be your protector, your friend, your lover.”

  Nadine couldn’t hide the cold thrill of lust that raced through her, converging up through her body, finally releasing in the fullness of her mouth. She knew she should be fighting this, yet it seemed she was incapable. Whatever the vampire wanted, she would do.

  Slowly, Adrienne moved towards her, her lips parted. Nadine could see the lethal slithers of her fangs protruding and they filled her with fear. Was this really happening?

  The vampire’s mouth found hers and the kiss was sweet and deep. Their tongues met and Nadine’s tongue tentatively found the fangs that had sparked such terror. The sharp tooth nicked her tongue, the few drops of blood causing Adrienne to moan. She kissed her deeper, drawing Nadine’s tongue deep into her mouth, sucking on the blood.

  Nadine broke away, shock and gasping. Yet she couldn’t deny how strongly she was drawn to this woman, how she wanted to sink into her and never let go.

  Was it magic Adrienne held over her, something to do with what she had done? Nadine didn’t care. All she knew was that in this woman’s arms she finally felt peace. Nadine finally felt like she was home.

  “Now what?” Nadine asked. “Am I what you say I am? Am I like you?”

  Adrienne shook her head. “Not yet. To be like me, first you must kill.”

  She didn’t know how she felt. Her brain and conscience told her this was wrong, that she wasn’t born to be a killer, but the excitement and need rising up inside her at the idea had a whole other plan.

  “I have someone I want you to meet,” Adrienne said, her dark eyes flashed wickedly.

  She rose from the bed, opened the bedroom door and walked from the room.

  Within moments she was back. Held in one hand—carried like a naughty puppy by the scruff of his neck—was the smaller man who had been in the alley. Blake’s friend.

  “You won’t be properly turned until you make your first kill,” Adrienne said. “If you want us to stay together, you must kill him.”

  She dropped the man and he scrabbled away, staring at the two women with a mixture of lust and terror.

  “Do you want us to be together?” Adrienne asked again.

  She wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.

  Nadine looked down at the man at her feet. Moving faster than she had ever thought possible she fell on the man, pinning him to the floor. He shrieked like a caught rabbit.

  Above her Adrienne let out a gasp of pleasure and excitement.

  Nadine turned her head to the man beneath her.

  And bit.

  Please keep reading for bonus material of Marissa Farrar’s new novel, ‘The Dark Road’.

  Blurb

  What starts as an adventure for Sasha Mills turns into a terrifying fight for survival...

  Emotionally blackmailed by the cold-footed fiancé she hasn’t seen in a year, Sasha abandons her life in London to track him in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where he’s teaching.

  While in Bangkok, locals react strangely to her request to travel the following day, insisting it is a not a good day to travel despite numerous posters advertising buses running every day. Ignoring the warnings, Sasha assumes some kind of bank holiday and offers a large amount of money. She secures a seat on the solitary bus heading for Siem Reap.

  Thrown together with a random group of international backpackers, including the handsome Josh, Sasha is no longer certain of what lies ahead as they cross the Cambodian border and the roads turn into dirt tracks.

  Soon after, a storm like none she’s ever witnessed before descends upon them. When one of their group disappears off the side of the road, Sasha realizes she has more than just the warnings of land mines to worry about.

  One by one, the travelers lose their minds as they are plunged into the terrifying secrets of the Dark Road.

  Reviews for The Dark Road:

  There's enough mystery, mayhem, twists and turns to keep you thriller fans happy, while those of you who don't typically feel the need for speed will love the detailed descriptions of exotic locales. There is definitely sense of verisimilitude as you read Farrar's words that evoke sight, sound and smell with seeming ease. The dark story of the dark road has the power to keep you up at night with your heart in your throat. - Thrillers Rock

  Want to get on a thrill ride with a bit of paranormal, fantasy and horror? Then look no further than Marissa Farrar’s The Dark Road! This book is an on edge horror and suspense ride and it’s one you won’t want to miss. I really enjoyed this book, the characters, the plot, it’s one of those stories that you grow to love because you are on the journey with the characters. As the reader, you become their eyes and ears of the characters, exploring with them and plot, dialogue flowed naturally. Farrar has traveled far and wide and after reading the book, I know now why the visions for this book were so clear and crisp. Farrar is an author to watch out for as with her travels, I expect to see more books come into fruition. Go and catch The Dark Road! - The Pen and Muse

  If you like fascinating locales, ancient temples, curses, and long-dead kings, The Dark Road is another MUST read! Join a group of travelers and immerse yourself in a frightening, night time world. A group of backpack
ers take a harrowing bus ride along a “road” that leads from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia. After crossing into Cambodia, one of the group goes missing from the road, and it isn’t long before the remaining travelers realize they will be in the fight of their lives, and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not they will make it through the night. You need to read The Dark Road or you will be missing out on an adventure and a half! - The Scribe's Desk.

  Chapter One

  The Phone Call

  When the phone rang, Sasha Mills was tucked on the sofa, a half-empty glass of wine sitting on the side table, and Merlin, her Siamese cat, curled up beside her. She’d been expecting the call, but all her muscles still tightened in anticipation as she reached across and picked up the receiver.

  “Hi, baby.” Nick’s voice was starting to become more familiar than his face.

  “Hi, you,” she said, squashing the phone between her ear and shoulder, settling back into the comforting arms of the sofa. “When are you coming home?”

  Sasha asked every time he called. The question was usually just her teasing him, but this time she was serious.

  For the past twelve months, Nick had been teaching English to children in Cambodia. In a week, he was due to fly home to the flat they shared in London—the flat they used to share. For the last year, Sasha had been living alone.

  They’d been happy together for almost two years before he left, but Nick had become disillusioned with the rat race and decided he wanted to do something to make a difference in people’s lives. Having gone straight from university into work, Sasha thought him spending a few months discovering the world outside of London was a great idea. She supported his decision and suggested Cambodia. She’d spent a number of months traveling the country in her early twenties and the experience left her with a lasting impression of the innocence and strength of the children.