Vampire - When Darkness Falls Part 55

Maggie rang off. "Isn't that weird? "Jade said. "If Renate was on the flight-"

"She had to have missed it. I mean, it was a big plane, and it was pretty full."

"Knowing Renate, she might have been in first cla.s.s, and maybe she wants to prove something herself before finding us," Jack suggested.

"Well, I hope we see her soon. This has got me worried," Jade said. "I'm going to shave," Jack said. "Then we'll head out. Shopping."

"Jack, will you and Shanna do the shopping without me? I want to wait here in case Renate is trying to find us, or in case ..."

"Lucian tries to find you," Shanna finished.

"I guess it will be all right," Jack said. "As long as you don't open the door. To anyone. No room service, nothing, Jade."

"No room service," she promised.

Rick Beaudreaux had his first lesson in the power of the mind that night.

"It's in what you see with your mind's eye," Lucian told him. "Think it, and you will be it."

"Think it, and you will be it."

"Move with the power of air and mist, and you are the power of air and mist."

"Think it, and you do it," Rick said.

"Walk on water," Lucian murmured. Rick was staring at him. "The first time I saw Sophia, I thought she could walk on water. She wasn't walking at all. I only learned that later."

"When you learned to walk on water?"

"Something like that. Tonight we need to move as one with the darkness."

"Is Sophia here? Could you feel it if she were?"

"She isn't in the cemetery yet. But it's open for a party. Tomorrow night is Halloween."

"Halloween," Rick said. He started to laugh, and the sound was finally just a little bit bitter. "Halloween. Well, trick-or-treat on me."

"I'm sorry."

"I intend to help you beat her."

Lucian was still. "She isn't here, but she knows we are. And she can move quickly. Tonight will be our only chance to search the tomb unhindered."

"What about Darian?"

Lucian was quiet again for a minute. Still. Dead still. "Close. So we have to move fast. Think about the beauty and the grace of the darkness. Move with the mist, with the shadow. Disregard gates and fences and iron doors. So close your eyes. See a new backdrop. Feel the wind, hear the air, listen to every pulse around you.

The whisper of the leaves around us, ants moving in the earth. The flutter of bird's wing. Feel yourself. The power of your muscles, the agility of your body. Feel the earth with your feet, and run. ..."

They had purchased a dozen broomsticks, which hadn't been all that hard.

The shops were geared toward Halloween. Broomsticks were popular objects at Halloween. Witches were common at costume parties.

Jack had even found a decent sword at an antique dealer. They'd managed to get into the Catholic church-a miracle, since the doors had been closed. A priest had come along who sympathized with their story that since they were Catholics in a basically Protestant country, they would dearly love just a few moments to pray.

Shanna had asked the priest questions about Catholicism today, keeping his attention while Jack filled empty little liquor bottles from the plane with holy water. She also persuaded him to sell her several blessed crosses from the small tourist store in the church, despite the fact that it, too, was closed.

When they got back to the hotel, they called upstairs. Jade was in bed, watching the news. She sounded despondent.

She'd yet to hear from Lucian.

They ordered drinks at the bar. Shanna hadn't realized how much she liked Jack until she had spent all those hours on the plane with him.

He was handsome, very Irish-looking, and he wasn't afraid-or if he was afraid, he forged forward despite his fear. She liked that. He was dependable.

And he liked her. . . .

She was glad that he was going to be right down that narrow little hallway between the two rooms tonight. She was afraid. And she'd been uneasy ever since they'd left home. Jamie crying out in the airport had unsettled her.

Shanna ran her fingers around the edge of her winegla.s.s, thinking it would be nice to be here under different circ.u.mstances-there was a fire roaring in the hearth, the wine was good, the company very pleasant. But thinking about Jack made her think about the other guy she had met-the one at the coffee shop who had reappeared at the hospital.

And then again at the airport.

"What?" Jack said.

"I was just thinking, I guess. About people-about timing in life."

"To people. And timing," Jack said. He had settled for a nonalcoholic beer, and he lifted it to her.

She smiled. "It's so nice here. I was just thinking ..."

Timing.

The cable man.

Jamie had dreamed about the cable man. She had dreamed about Dave. Jamie had been crying at t.i.tle airport. She had seen Dave.

Rick had died at the hospital.

She had seen Dave there.

"Jack."

"What?"

"What did he look like?"

"Who?"

"The guy who came after you when Sophia was tearing into Rick.

Was he tall?"

"Tall, lean, but muscular. Reddish-brown hair, good features-I didn't have a lot of time to study him."

"Reddish-brown, longish hair?" she inquired.

"Yeah, it was longish."

"He's here."

"What?"

"Darian is here. Somewhere. Somehow. I... I met him. I met him at a coffee shop in New Orleans. I made a date with him, but he didn't show. It was the night all those people were killed in Ma.s.sachusetts.

But then I saw him at the hospital." She hesitated, deciding against mentioning the dream.

He had tried to come into Maggie's house. Somehow, by the grace of G.o.d, she'd managed not to let him.

But he was here now!

She stood up. "Jack, he's here. We've got to get to Jade. Fast."

Jade had stared at the news without seeing it for a very long time.

She was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. She stared at the phone now and then. Lucian, where are you? Where are you?

When the knock came at the door, she nearly leaped out of her skin.

She jumped from the bed and rushed toward it, then stopped dead.

Would Lucian knock? Would he need to? No, she had invited him in long ago.

"Yes?"

She peeked through the peephole.

Renate was standing just outside her door.

"Renate!" She threw the door open.

"Yes, it's me. Aren't you going to ask me in?"

"Of course. Come in! What are you doing over here? I paid attention to everything you said; I intend to relay it all to Lucian. It's dangerous, what you're doing-"

She broke off because someone standing behind Renate pushed her on into the room. "Invite me in," he said harshly to her.

"Come in," Renate said mechanically, her eyes never leaving Jade's.

Jade backed away, wondering what possible weapon she had on hand as she watched the man who entered behind Renate.

"Darian." It was the tour guide from last year.

He smiled. "So you know me now, Miss MacGregor. And look at the way you're looking at me! As if I were Satan himself.'' He smiled.

His voice was light, the accent smooth and cultured. His features remained appealing, though he appeared somewhat pockmarked at the moment. Injured.

"What have you done to Renate?" Jade demanded.

"Not half of what I'm going to do to you," he told her. "You were the best. Definitely the best. I knew it from the moment I saw you with that group of kids at Edinburgh Castle. And you were so intrigued with everything. You really loved history, and Scotland. You were so ready to learn, eager to talk to people, eager to embrace the world. I watched your hair in the light. Watched your eyes, watched you smile. Sophia, of course, was the one who saw the resemblance to Igrainia." "I'm not Igrainia," she said.

"Who knows? That cop sure is-was-a lot like Wulfgar."

"What cop? And who is Wulfgar?"

"Ah! There go your eyes, darting to the clock! Playing ignorant, stalling for time, hoping for help? Help can't come fast enough.

Lucian's a fool. He should have taken your blood right away and given you this gift. But then, that's the pity. There's good old Lucian, king of the vampires, a monster with a conscience, refusing to d.a.m.n people, as he sees it. Well, I just see the grave. Dust to dust. Ashes to ashes. There are the powerful, such as we-and the cattle. Such as you, dear.

Although you are finest filet. There's hunger, and there's l.u.s.t, and you've inspired both."

He started walking toward her, and she threw a pillow at him.

Naturally he laughed.

It fell to the floor, causing no harm. Obviously, she mocked herself.

He kept coming. Renate stood inside the room, seeming to see neither of them.

"Renate, help me! Do something!" Jade shouted. Darian had almost reached her. She leaped up on the bed, bolting to the other side.

"Run!" he told her, his smile this time betraying the length of his fangs. "Run. I just love it when humans run. It makes the heart beat more strongly. The blood rushes with pa.s.sion through your veins."

She grabbed a vial of shampoo from the counter and aimed it at him.

"Get away. It's holy water. And I know what it can do."