“Gone. It’s just us.”
That drew her gaze back to his. “My God. Judson Tuxbridge? And Eva Hazard? They’re both . . .”
“. . . like me, yes.”
“But what happened? This place looks like a battlefield, and you look like the last man standing.”
He smiled, but it was as bleak as the surroundings. “I guess I am. For now, anyway.” He stood up and extended his hand to her. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
She looked at the long fingers curled upward like an inverted spider. No matter how good he looked, she couldn’t forget the memories of the evening—of being abducted from her house. Of having her will subjugated to that of another being. Of thinking she was going to die at the hands of someone she had given her trust to.
The moment of death was something she had felt only once before in her life, when, during a physical struggle with a suspect, the man had put his hand on her holstered weapon and was attempting to draw it and use it against her. But in that instance she had been able to fight back. Tonight, she had been helpless. A moment of certainty, of inevitability, had held her tightly in its grasp. She saw her whole life in that drop of time, sealed and suspended like a thing over and done with. The moment had hung before her, and while it seemed to stretch into eternity, there hadn’t been time for fear or regrets or sadness. But now the moment had passed, unfulfilled, and she had time once again for anger and questions.
“No. Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
He took a long breath and stared at the fireplace.
She bit at her lip, impatient, but realized with a sudden dawning that conversation with a vampire was like interrogating a suspect. It was an art form unto itself. She had to be patient and persistent and remember that he wasn’t intentionally trying to ignore her or avoid her question. She hoped.
Her patience was rewarded. He turned back to her. “I was stripped.”
She stared at his chest and laughed in spite of herself. “I should say so.” The pale skin of his lean torso glowed like a marble statue, naked and pure.
A deep stillness seemed to pervade him, but it was more like a vessel emptying than filling. More than ever she was reminded of a sculpture, perfect and cold. The laugh died on her lips.
“I was stripped of my rank. I’m no longer Overlord. And I can’t stay here any longer.”
“Stripped? Why? For not killing me?”
“No. For killing the vampire who attacked you in the woods.”
“Which you did to save me.”
He nodded.
“So, let me get this straight. You saved my life not just once, but twice, and as a result you lose everything?”
“Not everything. I was retired ‘with grace.’ The hierarchy doesn’t have a retirement policy. ‘Retirement’ from an elevated position is normally nothing more than a euphemism for the final journey to Hell.”
Even with the blanket Ric had draped over her, she suddenly shivered with cold.
“Take me home.”
SHELBY WAS QUIET on the drive home. Thoughts were streaming through her head so fast that if the drive had been five hundred miles instead of five miles she still wouldn’t have had enough time to make sense of them all. But one thought kept returning. Ric had saved her life twice, and he had sacrificed himself to do it. No man had ever risked anything for her—not in Milwaukee, and certainly not in Shadow Bay. This man had risked everything.
Ric parked his SUV behind her house and exited the vehicle when she did. He was clearly intending to stay, though whether it was to protect her or simply be with her, she wasn’t sure. In any case, she certainly wasn’t going to ask him to leave.
A new thought came to her as she reached the front door. She put her back against the door and looked up at him. He was standing close, but his head was up, as if he were an animal testing the wind.
“How do we know it’s safe? What if someone’s here waiting for us?” she whispered.
He bent his head, and his gaze found hers. “It’s safe. I would be able to sense were it not. The Undead give off a very recognizable scent to others of their kind.”
She nodded and turned, unlocking the door. As she stepped into the house, she realized she was questioning fewer and fewer of his statements. “Ric, remind me never to become too complacent around you.”
“That’s something, my sweet, that I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about.”
She smiled, but a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. Now that she was home, the desire for certain creature comforts was all she wanted to concern herself with. Leaving Ric to his own worries, she shrugged out of her clothes without her usual care, leaving them in a pile on the bedroom floor, and started running a hot shower. She stood under the pelting heat and blanked her mind, concentrating instead on the warmth and cleansing power of the water. It sealed her from the world, and for a few moments she was more than happy for the privacy. But she couldn’t lock herself away forever any more than she could numb her mind from all the disasters of the past few days.
When she stepped out of the shower, the first cold thought hit her. Ric had said something about leaving. And she didn’t remember him saying anything about wanting her to come with him. She pulled on a clean tank top and drawstring pants and sat down on the bed, her legs having little strength left to support her. He came into the room a moment later. As usual, he made no sound, but even with her eyes closed she sensed him.
She felt the mattress dip with his weight, and she opened her eyes. He had changed clothes before leaving his house, and he wore a white T-shirt and black sweatpants. But somewhere between her living room and bedroom he had lost the shirt. He was holding out a sandwich to her.
“You lost some blood. You should eat.”
She smiled. She wasn’t particularly hungry, and had she been, his half-naked body was more appealing than what he held in his hand. But she did as he said and ate about two-thirds of the ham and cheese sandwich. When she was done, she stretched out on the bed, and Ric joined her.
“Why, Ric? Of all the men that have come in and out of my life, why you? Why did I have to get involved with a vampire?” There. It was said. She didn’t really expect him to be able to answer such a question, but it made her feel good that she had at least been able to at last voice the words aloud.
He was silent for only a moment. “Vampires are basically static beings. We don’t grow, and we don’t age. We’re nothing more than reflections of humans. When humans interact with vampires the things they see reflected in us often result in personal disaster. In change. That’s what we feed on—the changes we force the living to make. I never guessed when I met you that you’d be the one to bring disaster to me. To force me to change.”
It was Shelby’s turn to be silent. Was there any future at all for two beings whose opposite natures seemed predestined to bring ruin to each other? Her mind cast around for something positive in what he had said. Change.
She reached out and stroked his arm, feeling his hard muscles. “But, sometimes change is necessary. It doesn’t always mean destruction and chaos. Maybe our meeting was meant to force us to face our fears . . . to force decisions on how we want to be—with ourselves and in relation to one another.”
“I’ve spent most of my existence avoiding just such a thing, but perhaps you’re right. It was time to change.”
But his voice carried no hope, no joy. She took a deep breath. Now was as good a time as any to get specific. “You said before that you were leaving.”
He lay on his back, one hand across his abdomen and the other behind his head. His long hair spilled over the bedding like another cover, and his gaze appeared focused on an invisible spot on the ceiling. She wanted to wrap herself in that glorious mane, wanted to press the length of her body to his, but her statement hung between them.
/> “I have no choice. I no longer have any authority here. If I stay, it will mean certain war between myself and all the others, with the human population caught in the middle.”
Still he made no mention of wanting to take her with him. Her throat tightened, but she forced her questions out. “If you leave, will I be safe? Will they leave me alone?”
He shook his head, though his gaze never wavered from its focal point on the ceiling. “No. You’re more of a danger to them now than ever. You know who and what they are. It would be far too easy for them to just make you disappear.”
She tried to swallow, but the constriction in her throat made swallowing just as hard as talking. It was just as well. She had no idea what to say. She thought about giving up her life here. What did she really have? Now that Uncle Barry was gone, she had no family here, and certainly no close friends. But she had a career she loved, and if she sometimes lacked the respect of her peers, it was a job she had worked very, very hard to get. Still, she had started over before. She could do it. But to do it alone again? What good was all the change if she didn’t have Ric? “So . . .” She cleared her throat and tried again. “You would advise me to resign my job and move?”
Finally he turned toward her and propped himself up on one elbow. “Forget this place and move as far away from here as you can.”
“I don’t want to lose you.” The six words were all she could get out.
Ric’s amber eyes stared at her, unblinking. They were such strange eyes, more animal than human. The beast in them should have made the primate in her shiver in fear, but all she saw was their exotic beauty.
“You haven’t had a chance to experience—to truly know—what I am. I’m nothing but a shadow image of a mortal man. What is natural and right for me is what is destructive in your world. You’ve only seen the face I present to the human world—that of the good doctor—but if you knew all the things I’m capable of, you’d fear me. For instance, when you looked into my eyes just now I could feel your thoughts. Your desire for me is strong, and desire in a human is like a telephone wire. You were thinking I remind you of a wild beast in a zoo, but one you don’t need bars to get close to.”
She could feel the skin of her face flame with heat. It was indeed very close to what she had been thinking. “I don’t think of you as an animal.”
“You should. Does it not frighten you that I can feel what’s in your mind?”
“Fear. Maybe that’s what I need. I’ve buried my fears for so long. I thought I needed to in order to stay strong, but maybe I can learn from my fears.”
He smiled and turned on his back again, drawing her to his side. “I saved your life. You feel gratitude. And you’re tired. Tomorrow your cynical, practical self will return, and you’ll realize there are easier ways of getting in touch with yourself than sleeping with a monster.”
RIC WOKE SUDDENLY, unsure at first what it was that had touched his senses. He heard it again. It was his own name, carried softly by the night. He looked at Shelby. She faced away from him, still wearing the top and pants, but her back was bowed and pressed against his side. He bent forward and put his mouth against her ear.
“Shelby.”
“Umm.” She brushed at the side of her head, as if something was tickling her, and he caught her wrist.
“Shelby, get up. Someone’s outside.”
She twisted toward him, her eyes open and searching the darkness. “Now what? I thought it was over.”
How he wished anything could be that simple. “No, but I didn’t think it would start up again this soon.”
She huffed. “That what would start? The war you were talking about?”
He nodded. “It’s Tux. I don’t know how many more are with him. Shelby, I can’t confront Tux and watch over you at the same time.”
She stared at him, her eyes round and gleaming in the moonlight filtering through the curtained windows. The fears that she seemed so happy to embrace only a couple hours before filled her eyes and overflowed across her face. Fear was as easy to read as desire. He knew she was worried about him even before she answered him. “Go. Do what you have to do.”
“I’ll have to kill him.”
“As I said . . .”
“Stay in the house. Do you have any silver knives?”
She looked away and knotted her brows. “There might be some packed away with my set of silver flatware.”
“Go look for one. If anyone comes toward you, aim for the heart and call out. I’ll hear you.”
She hesitated. “Aren’t I safe inside? I thought vampires couldn’t cross a threshold unless invited.”
He would have smiled at her naiveté had the situation been less urgent. “Vampire lore, probably tied to the notion that the devil couldn’t go where he wasn’t welcome. A threshold might stop a very young vampire, but not one with any age and power. Hurry now.”
He started to slide from the bed, but she caught his arm. “Ric. Make sure you come back. I don’t want to lose you.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her on the mouth. He took his time, refusing to let the situation rush him. Tuxbridge could wait.
He heard his name being called again, and he couldn’t help smiling. It broke the kiss.
“What’s so funny?” Shelby whispered as she stroked a finger down his face.
“Our guest doesn’t appreciate being left waiting.”
“Then he shouldn’t have come.”
He touched the corner of her mouth with the pad of his thumb. “I’ll tell him so. In the meantime do as I said.”
Still wearing his sweatpants, Ric quickly pulled his shoes on and left the house by the rear patio doors. Tux was standing across the yard at the edge of the tree line. It was the time of the night that Ric didn’t like—the hours just before dawn when the moon had set, the air was damp, and dew covered everything with a cold, wet film.
“Already violating your sanction, Tux? I’m sure Revelin Scott told you to stay away from me.”
Tux laughed. “His sanctions don’t mean anything to me. Dear, departed Alek Dragovich could have sanctioned me, and I wouldn’t care. I also don’t care if you know the truth about me now, because it no longer matters. Either I’ll die the True Death, or you will.”
“I’m listening. This is about your brother.” Ric knew Tux was as willing to die to avenge his brother, as Ric was willing to do the same for Shelby.
“You’re French. Have you ever heard of la société du feu follet?”
“No.”
“I thought not. We’ve guarded our secrets carefully. The society originated in France and came to America with the fur traders and adventurers. The legends have spread from the bayou to the north woods, but it was the children’s version that I told you before. There used to be many of us in Michigan, but with Joel gone, I’m the last.” Tux spread his arms wide, as if he deserved a curtain call and spotlight.
Ric remained silent. He had never heard of the society that Tux referred to, but that didn’t surprise him. The Undead were by nature isolated creatures, distrusting and disagreeable. They were as deceitful with their own kind as with humans, and yet Ric knew that vampires loved nothing better than to form their little cloak-and-dagger alliances and secret societies. They weren’t formed for friendship, but to establish dominance. Those with power well tested in private advanced and survived. If they were lucky, those failing to establish dominance found a master to serve or apprentice with. The weakest, and those unable or unwilling to spend eternity in servitude, perished. In their own way, the Undead of Cristallia County had recognized strength in Tux and had gravitated to him. It was no wonder they had aligned themselves with Tux over him.
“Tell me more about this society.” The longer Ric could keep him talking, the more time Shelby had to prepare, and the longer he had to plan.
; “There are no lanterns, no torches, no flashlights. Didn’t you even wonder what my brother used to lure the sheriff into the woods? He used himself. The feu, the fire, was within him, as it is within me. It was our gift in crossing. When you humiliated me by using the Hand of Death on me, I could have fought back, but the time wasn’t right to reveal myself. I didn’t know yet if I could trust you. So don’t think you can best me as easily as you did that night. The feu is powerful, Ric. You’re going to have to come to me to lay a hand on me, but I can hurt you from a distance.”
Tux held out his right arm and cupped his hand palm up. Ric saw the flesh take on a pink glow, as though a powerful beam of light were being pressed against his hand from the other side, and a luminescence started to shine from between the fingers. Greenish orbs of phosphorescent light rose from his palm and started to drift toward Ric. He changed position, gliding to his left, but the light shifted course and followed him.
Ric knew little about the feu follet other than it meant something that was elusive and misleading. Did the dancing light that wafted toward him have the heat and deadly burning capacity of real fire, or was Ric just meant to believe so? He didn’t particularly want to find out the hard way.
He moved again, and the orbs followed, but before they could reach him, they unraveled into feathery streamers of radiance that dissipated on the breeze like smoke. When Ric looked again at Tux, the creature was standing twenty-five feet deep into the woods.
“I won’t follow you, Tux. You’re not going to lure me into the woods like some unsuspecting traveler.”
“No? Then you can’t defeat me, can you? Well, whether you know it or not you are unsuspecting. You have no idea what I can do. If you want to just stand there and let yourself be destroyed, that’s all right with me.” Tux raised both arms, and this time two balls of light rose and floated toward Ric. They pulsed like beating hearts of brightness before dissolving into a shimmering mist that rolled over the ground like fog. Ric moved around the yard, staying just ahead of the light.
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