Microsoft Word - TheStormyLoveLifeofLauraCordelaisSusanCfinal

by Tonya Nagle

  Together we'll find some way out of this." He paused. "Wait a minute. Why didn't I think of this before? Just bite her. You don't have to bite her hard. Just a nip would do it. It's the easiest way to control a human, and it's easier than trying to mesmerize."

  "I don't know." Laura chewed her lower lip.

  "Laura, beloved." He kissed her mouth slowly and tenderly. "Just sneak up behind her, bite her, and free yourself. You're a vampire. You can do this."

  A smile crossed her lips as she pressed against him. "Yes. I will try. Now let's stop talking." She gazed into his eyes. Oh, how I could lose myself into those dark endless eyes of yours. "I want you, David Hilliard."

  This time he didn't stop her hands from reaching down and guiding his way.

  Except she teased. His firm shaft almost touched her core, but she moved away ever so slightly, caressing, stroking him slowly.

  David narrowed his eyes and growled, "Laura, don't do that."

  She giggled mischievously then moved him to her core. She gasped. He thrust into her. Their joining unleashed waves of a fast, fiery passion. He kissed her hair, lips, 86

  eyes, held her in a tight embrace, pulled her upward and plunged deeper. Laura clawed the sheets desperately. Arching his back, David fiercely pulled her up with him, until they were sitting entwined. He felt her fangs against his shoulder. Raspy little breaths came out of her.

  Please. Now who's the tease?

  David smiled and gently released her back to the bed then covered her with his body. Slowly, deliberately, he caressed her. He withdrew slightly. She moaned and pushed against him. Their movements grew ferocious. In a mad, fast flurry, he filled her. She eagerly accepted him, and then . . . in that moment of ecstasy between lovers, they collapsed into their own private bliss. Laura's cheek was soft against his face. He inhaled the fragrance of flowers in her golden hair and turned her face gently to kiss that mouth that waited only for him. Laura smiled in her sleep. David closed his eyes to savor every exquisite second of being inside her. The dream dissipated, but his hunger for her was satisfied at least for the moment. His heart would never be satisfied until she was safely home with him again.

  ***

  Night has its own refreshing fragrance of lilies and stars. David breathed it in and sat up, stretching out his arms. He knocked the wooden stake out of the younger priest's hand.

  David jumped off the cot. "The other priest said this was a house for all souls."

  "Not for the undead," sputtered the frightened man.

  Moving away to increase the distance between them, David grabbed his bag. It was surprisingly light. He looked inside. Only the other coat remained. The bottles were missing. "What have you done with my bottles?"

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  "Shrivel up and die, Monster." The young priest flattened with fear against the far wall.

  "Don't you know what happens when a vampire wakes up? He's hungry. What a damned dangerous thing to do. Now where are my bottles?"

  Trembling, the priest said, "I poured your vile collection of human blood down the drain."

  "That was cow's blood, you fool."

  Terrified, the priest began to cry.

  David closed the bag and put on his coat, leaving by the side door into the night.

  He couldn't believe it; he couldn't get a break. Distance. That's what he needed. And he needed it now. Leaping into the sky calmed his agitation and allowed him a better view of the problem. A large lit parking lot drew his attention, and he flew closer. What luck!

  A supermarket. He landed between two parked cars and walked into the grocery story as if he belonged there. Placing his bag on the bottom rack of the cart, he headed off for the in-house butcher. On arrival, he pulled a number. While waiting to be called, David admired the delicious choices in the case. The last time he had been in a grocer's was in New York. He missed New York now almost as much as he missed Laura. Then he saw a reflection over his shoulder.

  "Hi," purred a young blonde woman in a tight blue dress. "Are you new in town?

  What's your name?"

  "Married." He turned away.

  She laughed. "Unusual name."

  The red head behind her whispered, "What a shame. He's so hot."

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  David was flattered on one level, but at the moment he could only think of one thing. He really needed Laura.

  "33," called out the butcher.

  "Yes," said David. "What's freshest?"

  "The sirloin."

  "I'll take two thick steaks." They looked very bloody. "And two quarts of pig's blood. Everything in plastic, please."

  The butcher worked quickly. David put his purchases in the cart and then went to the checkout. As soon as he was out in the parking lot, he packed everything in his bag. He was so hungry. David walked around the corner of the building. He took out a quart to sip.

  A woman got out of a nearby car. David looked up with blood on his mouth. The woman screamed and ran. He replaced the container back in his bag and took off.

  Above the city, David searched for the ribbon of light heading east--Highway 10.

  A few minutes later, he saw it and followed. So much had already gone wrong. For a while, being part of the sky released the worries and constant vigilance necessary when traveling in the human world. As the night wore on the intensity of his longing for Laura increased.

  David came to the first large ribbon of light going south. Several hours later, he made the turn east to Orlando. It wasn't as tough as he thought. He considered landing at one of the theme parks, but decided instead on touching down at the airport. It was easy. He opened a door and quickly went in. He read the signs and followed the one for ground transportation. In the middle of the night, it was still a hectic place with humanity scurrying here and there.

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  "You just get in?" asked a pretty blonde flight attendant.

  David could only think of his own blonde waiting for him in the Keys.

  "Excuse me." He hurried away.

  David walked briskly down the moving stairs and rushed out a door. The cabs were lined up. As he opened the door to one, an alluring feminine voice said, "Do you want to share a cab?"

  "No, thank you." Without turning, he climbed in. David was relieved when the cab sped away toward his requested hotel.

  ***

  The cool green shades of the furnishings in the hotel suite calmed him. A painting with palm trees caught his attention but for only a moment. The sun was rising, and David hurried to close the thick, brocade drapes. The containers went into the fridge, the bag and two coats into the closet. After putting the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside doorknob, David collapsed into the huge, soft bed. His last thoughts before sleep were on the women who had approached him. Women had hit on him before, but today was just strange. From everything Marchon had told him about voodoo, the events smacked of something Brilla might try. He sighed and stretched out into the cool sheets. It was so nice not to be sleeping in a coffin. Yawning, he closed his eyes and reached for Laura's embrace, but the bed was shaking.

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  Chapter 8

  The bed was shaking. Startled, Laura leaped out onto the floor. Her blurry eyes focused on Brilla who was standing on the other side of the bed.

  "What were you doing?" Laura yelled angrily, standing in her underwear. The shaking destroyed her dream, and she needed that dream.

  "Child, you were moaning."

  "Brilla, leave me alone. Get out," she growled.

  The mambo left the room, and Laura sat on the bed. She was tired of tears, tired of being a prisoner. The anger inside burned into a white, hot fury. Three things call fangs to react: blood, arousal, and rage, and rage roared through Laura's heart. She felt all vampire—all the darkness that she hated, and was ashamed of, reared up like a beast.

  Now was the time to act. She dressed and left the room heading for the kitchen.

  Brilla's back was to her, as she washed dishes at the sink. Laura crept closer with purpose.<
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  The mambo turned suddenly and handed Laura a cup of blood. The vampiress moved back gasping for air.

  "What's that terrible smell?" Laura backed up.

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  Brilla took off her sweater. "Hot in here, isn't it?" A necklace of garlic cloves hung around her neck.

  "Why are you wearing that?" Laura refused the cup and backed up further.

  "To keep away the evil spirits." She smiled, and in that smile Laura knew the mambo suspected something. Shaking her head, Laura pushed open the kitchen door and walked out into the night.

  There had to be a way to get away from Brilla. There had to be.

  The mambo came outside, wearing that horrible necklace, and started a fire under the large cauldron. "Do you want to help me with the wood?" she asked Laura.

  "No."

  "Then tie the knots."

  Laura growled but complied. Her hands nimbly tied 20 or so knots in her hair.

  "Fifty. There should be at least 50. Oh, come here."

  "Not until you get rid of the necklace."

  Brilla mumbled something unintelligible and took off the offending necklace, hanging it on a rake that stuck up out of the sand. Then walking over to Laura, she tied the remaining knots. This was Laura's chance. Now. She could bite her.

  But she couldn't. When Laura looked, there was no beast inside her. She just couldn't do it.

  "Now fly and work on your storm unwinding." Brilla turned and walked back to the cauldron.

  Laura hated the idea of following Brilla's command but flew off anyway. She just wanted to be away from her. Hovering high in the unsettled night sky overcast with clouds and a brewing storm in the distance didn't bother her. It was the irritating 92

  person on the ground that riled her. She didn't know how Brilla managed it but the barrier moved and imprisoned her even in the air. Laura was restricted to a corridor of flying toward and around any storm. When the storm ended, Laura felt a pull, as if a rope tied to her ankle was pulling her down. Although she couldn't see anything there, she kicked at it angrily.

  Far below on the ground, Brilla's bonfire illuminated the sand and undulating surf. The old woman called up to her, "Go ahead, Child. Call the storm."

  Laura sighed. She stretched out her arms and closed her eyes. "Come to me, little one," she called to the tropical storm. She waited. Nothing. Again, nothing. She had been trying since sundown, trying for the last two nights without success.

  Laura floated down to Brilla. "It's not working. Maybe I don't have the power you think I do."

  "La-la, your power is sleeping, that's all. You haven't used it in a long time, and it needs some shakin' to awaken. This time do the dance."

  Unhappily floating upward, Laura stretched out her arms like a scarecrow, closed her eyes and began to sway.

  "Come. I call you, Little Storm," she sang, twirling to the right. "Come. I call you, Brother Wind." She twirled to the left. "Come and dance with me. Come and soar in the endless night, Little Storm, Brother Wind." Her fingers and toes started tingling.

  "Come. Feel the power of the rolling world," she continued, "where humans live and die in a blink. Come. Join the dance of eternity. Dance with your brother spheres in the splendor of space. Come. Dance with me in an endless sky." Laura felt the lightning before it struck. The wind grew stronger, but she merely hung in the sky like a painting on a wall.

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  "Now," yelled Brilla, who was getting soaked below. "Do the unwinding."

  Closing her eyes once more, Laura's fingers searched her hair.

  As she untied each knot, she chanted, "Unwind the wind. Return to your home, your beginning. Untie the power. Loosen it from the earth. Breathe deeply. Your time is spent. Rain gently upon the receivers of your gifts. Rain fade into the sea." After seventeen knots were untied, Laura could feel the difference. It took thirty-two knots before the storm dissipated entirely, and Laura floated down. The sky was growing pale on the horizon.

  "Very good. Very good," applauded the old woman. Brilla was drenched from head to toe.

  "It took a long time."

  "The time will lessen as you increase your practice."

  Landing on the sand, Laura sat down. Her fingers searched her ankle. She could feel something there but couldn't untie it. "Brilla," she said in exasperation, "I want to go to bed."

  The voodoo mambo waved her hand, and the invisible rope fell off.

  Laura immediately leapt into the air, but something slapped her back to the ground.

  "Don't do that, La-la. You'll only hurt yourself."

  Laura grumbled as she lifted herself off the sand. Brilla walked over holding out a glass of blood. Laura refused.

  "Please, go shopping and bring back some pig or cow blood. Fish blood is disgusting."

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  The old woman only laughed, as if Laura had made a joke. "Better get inside, Child. The sun is peeking on the horizon line."

  Laura hurried into the house, slamming the door. First she went into the bathroom and into the shower. The hot water poured over her in healing droplets mixing with her tears. I need to be free. What's wrong with me? I'm a vampire. Why can't I control Brilla? I'll just have to catch her off guard, but that's going to be a hard thing to do. Brilla never wore garlic before in her life. Laura ran her fingers through her hair. Wait a minute. Even when she took it off, I just couldn't bring myself to nip her—not even to control her. The water sputtered. Oh, God, what if she's been tapping into my mind and overhears what David and I say to each other. What if Brilla has more than trapped me? What if she's controlling me?

  Laura wrapped herself in a beach towel and retreated to her dark bedroom. She felt the heat of the day outside, as she lay on the bed reviewing the evening in her mind.

  She heard a soft rap on her door, but didn't bother to get up. She needed Brilla to stay away from her.

  "You know, La-la, you're not like him," Brilla said from the other side of the door.

  "That's why you couldn't hurt me. It's not in you. He's a monster."

  Laura screamed, "No, he's not." She hugged her pillow to her to hold in all the emotions chewing at her insides. Anger at Brilla. Disappointment in herself. Longing for David.

  "You may not have seen it yet, but it will surface," continued the mambo calmly,

  "and you're not like that, Child. That's why you have to leave him behind."

  "Go away, Brilla," Laura shouted.

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  "Think of the power you have. Think of all the people you can save with your power. Think of all the good you'll do. I'm sorry he hurt you."

  "He's never hurt me, Brilla," she growled, her fangs fully extended.

  "He is right now. Where is he? If his love was strong enough, he would have freed you by now."

  "Go away," Laura roared, jumping up and opening the door to stare down the mambo. "Leave me be."

  "I can't. Don't you see? You're too important to throw your life away.

  "Enough already. I'm going to learn to be a Telkhine, all right? And then you'll free me."

  "And David Hilliard?"

  "Now that's my business, Brilla. Regardless of what you say or what you want, he's my husband." Laura slammed the door. All the strength in her disintegrated into weeping, uncontrollable, body quaking sobs. David would come for her, but in the meantime, she hadn't been able to do anything to help herself and that made her furious. She dried her eyes and lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and tried to talk to his mind but only heard humming.

  If only she had studied voodoo more closely when she was a little girl when she had access to Brilla's spell books. Laura saw what horrors Brilla could create.

  She remembered the day she walked into a room that Brilla normally kept locked.

  The books on the table were ancient and covered with alligator skin. She remembered seeing a book called DESTRO and in it a chapter about destroying immortals.

  Laura smiled. Yes, she remembered. Closing her eyes, Laura
tried to use her vampire powers to bring back that memory so she could read the book again.

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  Mist dissolved and outlines of buildings grew solid. Dark wood paneled walls sprang up around her, and the smell of the shop assailed her nostrils. Death and dust.

  The glass doorknob turned in her hand, and she walked into a room lit by a skull candle.

  The eyes in the skull glowed red. Laura's child-self shivered. The eyes were watching her. Brilla had left to go for groceries, so she had time. Quickly she went to the long table against the wall and looked through the titles. There were so many piles of books and she tried to keep them in their exact piles in case Brilla should notice afterward.

  Then she saw it right on top of a pile. The alligator cover was torn on one side.

  She opened to the table of contents. There was a grand listing of all creatures considered undead. Her eyes fell on the word "Vampires" and page 65. Her fingers hurried to the page. Even now she could feel time passing.

  "How to Kill a Vampire," was the title of one page. Just looking at the list made Laura shiver with fright.

  1. A stake through the heart will kill a vampire.

  2. Decapitation will destroy a vampire.

  3. Vampires cannot abide obsidian. This volcanic stone, if powdered, mixed in a solution with sea salt and red wine, and sprayed on a vampire will dissolve the creature like acid.

  4. Jasper will rob a vampire of their powers, so they can be killed like any human. If the stone is powdered and inhaled by the vampire, the creature will suffocate to death.

  5. Call forth the Keres, who will destroy any enemy of the practitioner including a vampire.

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  6. Call forth the Qudis, who will destroy any vampire first by constricting its movements and than by ripping off its head.