The Vampire Jonah

by Ann B. Morris

  Strains of Moonlight Sonata filled the room. She held her breath for several long seconds. She had not been dreaming. Someone inside the house was playing the piano. It had to be Jonah.

  WHEN SCOTT KNOCKED on her door at ten minutes before nine, she had been dressed for an hour. She had spent the time waiting for him in front of the window, watching the ever-falling rain as the minutes crawled by. She had felt like a kid again, waiting for her father to take her to the pre-opening rehearsal of a rock concert. Only, she was no longer a kid. And her father wasn’t there anymore. Involuntarily, she wrapped her arms around her waist. There were many times her father hadn’t been there at all. She shook the thought away and crossed the room to open the door.

  Fifteen minutes later, they entered The Onyx and were greeted by a trumpet solo. Angela knew immediately who the trumpeter was. Her insides quivered with every note.

  After spending a few minutes talking with his assistant, Bobby, Scott led her to the same table they had shared two nights ago. She could have been sitting on a wooden crate in a barn for all she cared. The important thing was being here surrounded by the music. Especially Jonah’s music. Every note of I Get a Kick Out of You was as polished and professional as the notes of the Beethoven sonata he’d played just hours before. He was truly a masterful musician.She was so focused on Jonah, she barely heard Scott when he told her he was leaving to get some food and drinks for them. Her thoughts turned back to the man on the stage, but it wasn’t just Jonah the musician who captivated her. It was Jonah the man—correction, again—Jonah the vampire.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you alone again,” Scott said, setting a small plate of hors d’oeuvres and a rum and coke in front of her. “I don’t know why I thought this New Year’s Eve would be any different than all the others. People who don’t usually drink much try and make up for it on the last night of the year. Bobby has more than he can handle alone right now.”

  She waved him away. “No need to apologize. I have a front-row seat, good food, and my favorite drink. I’ll be fine.”

  And she would be. Just to be able to sit here, to listen to such fabulous jazz and watch the couples on the dance floor was more than she’d hoped for when she’d left Mobile. The band took its first break and she took the opportunity to visit the ladies’ room. Because the club was so crowded, she was gone longer than she’d intended. In fact, by the time she finally made it back to her table, the band had started to play again. Out of habit, she glanced at the stage and was surprised to find that Jonah was not at his position. She consoled herself with the assurance that he’d be back any minute and picked up her glass to take a sip of the drink that was already diluted from the melting ice cubes.

  “Would you like to dance?”

  She nearly choked on the liquid. Her hand trembled as she set the glass down and looked up. Jonah stood before her, his hand extended. She had to swallow before she could speak. “What are you doing here?”

  He gave her one of his boyish grins. “I’m asking you to dance. Will you?”

  As if in a trance, she gave him her hand and let him lead her to the dance floor where they were immediately swept up into the crowd of moving bodies. It took a minute or so for her to fully grasp where she was or what she was doing. And with whom.

  The band started playing That Old Black Magic and at that moment, she felt exactly like she was under some kind of spell. The air around her seemed to vibrate with electricity, the same way it had when she’d first met Jonah. Only this time, the feeling was more intense. Her knees grew wobbly and despite herself, she leaned against Jonah for support. Without missing a beat, Jonah took a step back, putting some distance between them. His gaze found hers. “You’re a good dancer.”

  The spell broke. She wet her lips and swallowed. “Thank you. So are you.”

  The rhythm of the music changed to a bluesy tempo and Jonah pulled her closer. She felt heady. The sensation of having Jonah’s breath against her neck sent shivers down to her toes. She leaned into him for support, and this time, his arms tightened around her. Her entire body felt weightless.

  Jonah’s arm slid to her waist. “Are you all right?”

  Dear Lord, could he tell how out of control she felt? How vulnerable? Somehow, she found her voice. “I’m fine. I’m just a little rusty. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a dance floor.”

  “I would never have guessed that.”

  She managed to stay on her feet until the music ended and Jonah escorted her back to her table, her hand still in his.

  “I’ll be leaving shortly after midnight,” Jonah said. “Scott has to stay behind to close, so I’ll be driving you back to the house.”

  She couldn’t manage a word, so she nodded.

  “I still have a story to finish.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Jonah released her hand, then, with a quick bow, he headed back to rejoin the band.

  Scott came back to the table in time for Auld Lang Syne but she scarcely noticed. All she could think of was Jonah’s promise to take her home. She realized that this was the first New Year’s Eve she had ever spent with someone who wanted her to have a good time. Her former fiancé found no joy in anything except making money.

  And her father had never been home on New Year’s Eve.

  “CAT GOT YOUR tongue?” Jonah asked as he pulled into the driveway.

  She jumped, startled. Her thoughts had been miles, or more precisely, minutes away, to the time they’d be in the house together. Alone.

  “You haven’t said a word since we left the club. Good thing we only had a short ride.” He chuckled as he turned off the motor.

  She felt her cheeks flush. “I’m sorry. My mind was somewhere else.”

  “Back in San Francisco or in Mobile?”

  She lied easily. “Both.”

  She got out of the car and followed him up the steps to the front door. He turned the knob and stepped aside so she could enter. A lamp had been left on in the foyer, but it did little to light their way. Once again, the feeling of stepping into another era settled over her. The Christmas tree was lit, and one of the porcelain ginger-jar lamps had been turned on, but the room still looked and felt as if it belonged in another century. The wonderful time she’d had at the club suddenly seemed a long time ago. What was she doing here? As if reading her mind, Jonah walked to the table on the side of the sofa and turned on another lamp. It helped, but not very much.

  “Can I get you something?” Jonah asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  He motioned her to the green velvet sofa. “Kick off your shoes and make yourself comfortable. Are you sure—”

  “On second thought, I would like a drink. Rum and coke, if you have it.”

  “Good, now I won’t have to drink alone.” He turned and headed for the door. “I’ll be right back.”

  After Jonah left, she took him at his word, kicked off her shoes, tucked her feet under her, and settled back on the sofa. But as hard as she tried to relax, she still felt nervous, jittery.

  “Here you are. I hope I did it justice.” Jonah was suddenly in front of her, holding out her drink.

  Remembering what it had felt like when they danced, her hand in his, their bodies swaying together, she took the glass from him, making certain their fingers didn’t touch.

  Jonah took the chair across from her and put his glass to his lips. She did the same, her first swallow a deep one. The drink spread through her body quickly, warming her insides.

  For the next few minutes, they sat in silence. Angela continued to sip at her drink until, finally, she started to relax. Setting her half-empty glass on the marble table in front of the sofa, she settled deeper into the soft velvet.

  Jonah set his glass next to hers and leaned back in his chair. “Are
you ready for the rest of the story?”

  “Yes.”

  “What do you remember?”

  “The goddess Lilith was Adam’s first wife, wasn’t she?”

  Jonah nodded.

  “Lilith didn’t want to submit to him so she ran away to be with—” She hesitated. “I know he was a demon but I can’t remember his name.”

  “Asmodeus.”

  She nodded. “And she had many daughters with Asmodeus.” She closed her eyes, crooked a finger to her lips, and let her memory take over. “And then,” she continued, “the demon Malmorte kidnapped some of Lilith’s daughters and took them deep into the earth.” She opened her eyes and gave Jonah a quizzical look. “How did I do?”

  “Great,” he assured her. “Are you ready for the rest of the story?”

  At her nod, he settled comfortably in his chair and began. “Valtius, one of the lesser gods who was supposedly in love with Lilith, heard of the kidnapping of her daughters and went to the cave in an attempt to free them. A battle ensued between him and Malmorte. Valtius was eventually victorious, but during the battle, he was bitten by Malmorte and infected with a virus. That virus caused Valtius to become a vampire. And all of his descendants carry the same curse.”

  Angela wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged herself. If this was a tale she had read in some book, she would enjoy it and then dismiss it as a good piece of fiction, but she wasn’t able to do that now. Not with the words flowing so seamlessly from the lips of . . . the vampire . . . across from her.

  “In case you haven’t yet figured out what this has to do with me and my brothers, the Whitcombes are descendants of Valtius.”

  Angela let out a stream of air, unaware she’d been holding her breath. “Interesting,” she said.

  “But there’s more to the story. Out of gratitude for saving her daughters, Lilith promised that, once in every century, she would send a woman into the life of one of Valtius’s descendants. If the woman fell in love with him, and was willing to sacrifice her life for him, his humanity would be restored. As you know, Julian and Simone are that couple.”

  Simone had told her about how she’d shown up on Julian’s doorstep when she was searching for Dottie immediately after Hurricane Katrina. Simone had fallen in love with Julian, and after they’d faced a life-threatening test together against Zurik, Julian had been granted his humanity.

  She understood the big picture, and now Jonah had filled in the details. But she still had questions.

  “So how did Jerome regain his humanity? And what about you?”

  “Once Julian became human, he was given the power to extend that gift to Jerome and me. Jerome was recently called to New Orleans to take part in the Transformation Ritual with Julian. It’s something each of us must undergo to become human again.”

  It was like a fairy tale. And yet, the lives of her two best friends had been dramatically changed by that fantastic story. Her legal training had conditioned her to be very pragmatic. She was not accustomed to navigating in a fantasy world—even when that world now seemed as real as her own.

  “Can I get you another drink?”

  She looked at the empty glass in her hand. There were only a few melting ice cubes left. “No thank you, I’ve had enough.”

  Jonah took one last mouthful of his drink, then put down his glass. “I’m afraid I haven’t kept up with the news. What’s the latest on the earthquake?”

  “The last I heard, there was a pretty bad aftershock in the Bay area.”

  “No doubt Jerome is quite busy with the drove of deep-earth vampires down there.”

  Deep-earth vampires. She’d heard Jerome refer to them exactly that way when she was in San Francisco.

  “I wish I could send him some help, but with Mount St. Helens the way it is . . .”

  “There’s a problem there?”

  “Yes. I’m afraid things may be heating up here before long.”

  A sudden chill gripped her. What was causing these terrible catastrophes? First, Hurricane Katrina, and then an earthquake wreaking havoc in San Francisco? And now, a volcanic eruption here in Washington State loomed on the horizon?

  She had to know. “Is there a connection between all these natural disasters?”

  A worried expression crossed Jonah’s face. “My brothers and I have always known that one day we would have to confront the deep-earth vampires. Since they live in the bowels of the earth, they can sense impending changes before they happen. Whenever a natural disaster is about to hit, the deep-earth vampires surface. They were spotted in both New Orleans and San Francisco right before the disasters took place.” He drew in a deep breath then slowly exhaled, his lips a thin line. “And they were sighted here a day or so ago.”

  His admission made her stomach clench in fear. If another disaster hit, how many people would be affected? There were so many already suffering in New Orleans and San Francisco. The thought made her feel guilty for not doing anything to help. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn’t know where to start. But before she could say anything, Jonah’s head came up sharply. He put his hand to his waist and removed his cell phone. “Would you excuse me for a moment?”

  He got up and walked out into the hall, leaving her to take in everything he’d told her. Moments later, he was back, a worried look on his face. “Something has come up and I must leave. If there’s anything you need before morning, call Scott at the club. The number is on the calendar in the kitchen.”

  And then he was gone. And once again, she was sitting there, all alone, confused by the abrupt way he had left her.

  INSIDE HIS PRIVATE quarters, Jonah rushed to the wall cabinet, removed his sword and scabbard, and strapped them across his chest. He had no time to waste, so taking the Audi was out of the question. Harnessing his power, he tele-transported to the area that Daniel, his second in command of the Cadre, had told him about when he’d called.

  He arrived at the scene of the seven-car pileup. Bodies were strewn as far as twenty feet from the site of the accident, and at least half of his Cadre, along with Daniel, his second in command, were in battle with the followers of his arch-enemy Luther, leader of the deep-earth vampires in the Pacific Northwest. He recognized most of his assailants, but he saw a few unfamiliar faces, as well. He could hear the police sirens in the distance and knew if something wasn’t done soon to rid the area of the blood-draining parasites, there would be little flesh left to heal or bury.

  Jonah quickly scanned the area for Luther. He spied the aged vampire about to ravage the body of a young woman who was writhing in agony in a pile of twisted steel. Even from this distance, Jonah could see the evil, twisted expression on the face of the centuries-old leader who had made this part of Washington State his home.

  Jonah’s gums began to throb and ache as his incisors lowered. His nails lengthened to talons. Anger drove him forward, and in the next second, he stood before Luther, his sword raised for battle. The building rage inside him drove everything from his mind except the need to destroy his enemy before the woman on the ground lost all chance of survival.

  He was the first to land a blow, striking Luther on his shoulder. “Damn you,” Luther cried, thrusting his sword toward Jonah’s chest.

  Jonah dodged the blow and laughed grimly. “You’ll have to do better than that, you miserable black-hearted demon.”“Take this, then,” Luther shouted, lifting his sword and aiming for Jonah’s head. Jonah danced out of the way, but the blade caught his hand.

  “Damn you, a thousand times,” Jonah spat. He took a step back, then quickly leaped forward, driving his sword into Luther’s chest. The sound of his cry nearly drowned out the sound of the fast-approaching sirens. Jonah was about to move in for the kill when Kruger, Luther’s second in command, suddenly dropped down between them.

  Jonah had barely e
nough time to leap backward, avoiding Kruger’s blade.

  “Leave, Master,” Kruger shouted over his shoulder to Luther, “I will take care of this one.”

  In the blink of an eye, Luther was gone and Jonah was facing a new opponent. He quickly surveyed the scene around him. The members of his Cadre were holding their own but they needed to do better than that. They had to win this battle and win it quickly; the sirens were almost upon them.

  With his eyes trained on his new enemy, Jonah shouted above the din of battle, “In the name of the goddess, get it done, men. We are almost out of time.”

  The tempo of the battle immediately picked up, and the shouts of victory from his men told him they had taken charge of the situation.

  Jonah had never battled Kruger before, and he found him to be an able opponent; one who would, unfortunately, be a worthy replacement for Luther when the time came. The two men dodged each other’s swords with skill, and Jonah was moving in, hoping to find an area of weakness, when his hand began to throb. He chanced a quick glance downward. Blood ran from his wrist down to his fingers. He hadn’t realized the wound was so deep. He needed to finish things up here quickly so he could get home and tend to his injury.

  Suddenly, the sirens were on top of them. They were almost out of time. With a forward thrust of his sword, he landed a glancing blow on Kruger’s forearm. The vampire cursed and jumped backward, wielding his sword at Jonah again. Deftly sidestepping, Jonah landed another, more severe strike to Kruger’s arm.

  “You bastard,” Kruger yelled. “You may be on top now, but wait. Just wait. Your end is not far away.”

  “If you’re referring to your master, I took him today and I’ll take him again tomorrow.”

  “It is not Luther of whom I speak.”

  The two vampires continued to circle each other, but Kruger’s strength was waning and Jonah needed to end this and leave the scene as quickly as possible.