Duella Book 3: The Witch and the Vampire Series (9 page)

Chapter Twelve

Duella
awoke with a start. His eyes flashed open. He bared his fangs and hissed.

“What’s wrong?”

Miriam sat up beside him, her eyes inquiring,
one
hand on his chest as she gazed about the darkened bedroom. She inched to the side of the big bed and
stood,
her attention still on the room and
Duella’s
sudden awakening.

He lunged upward and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. He felt no presence in the room other than Miriam. Vampires weren’t prone to dreaming. He smiled and shook his head. He could barely remember how it felt to dream. It had been such a long time since he was mortal.

“It’s all right, Miriam.” He glanced at her crossing the room to the locked door. The pink gown she wore moved softly with the sway of her body. He dragged in a long breath. He would have liked to have kept her in bed for sex, but his unusual awakening had frightened her, eliminating any possibility of her staying by his side.

She paused at the door and turned toward him. “Did you hear a noise?”

“No.” He shook his head and stood. “I suppose it was the servants milling about down stairs.” He crossed the room to the door and gathered her into his arms. “I’m sorry I scared you.” He kissed her temple.

“I’m famished. Let’s go eat.”

He nodded in agreement, then thought of last night and the conversation he had overheard at the men’s club. Perhaps he would accompany Miriam when she went to feed.

They left the mansion together, with intentions of visiting the old section of the city. The weather was warm and less humid than the past days. The partygoers should be filling the streets, roaming aimlessly from bar to bar, getting drunk on frothy drinks and losing the ability to be on guard.

They arrived at the end of
Bourbon Street
and began strolling down the sidewalk as though they, too, were partygoers.
Duella
thought they looked the part. He was dressed like most of the males they had observed throughout the city, jeans and t-shirt and Miriam sported a black leather shirt and slinky rhinestone top. Her long hair was gathered at her nape with a rhinestone-studded clasp. “You look very tempting.”

She giggled and hid her smile behind one hand.

Duella
unconsciously puffed out his chest. She was beautiful and she belonged to him. He observed the men on the street staring at her as they mingled with the group standing before the doorway of a nightspot. A surge of jealously sprang up inside him as he identified the lust in their eyes. The urge to bare his fangs and threaten all that looked at her with desire in their eyes rose up inside him.

“Those two over there.”

He glanced down as Miriam laid a hand lightly on his arm, calling his attention to a couple that stood separated from the gathering waiting at the door. They looked like tourists, dressed casually in jeans and shorts, the woman had a purse on her shoulder and the man stood with his hands shoved into his pockets. They were intent on taking in every nuance of the nightlife, their eyes as big as saucers as they glanced up and down the street,
then
observed each of the patrons waiting in line.

 
“Come.”

He followed Miriam as she stepped out of line at the entrance to the bar and approached the pair.

A quick wave of her hand and the couple turned and fell into step with them. Miriam led the way down the sidewalk from the gathering,
then
turned into the first dark recess between two buildings she came across. A quick scuffle and she subdued the woman, pressing her against the side of the building so she could pierce her neck.

The man made a futile attempt to aid his wife, but quickly fell victim to
Duella’s
persuasion as he grasped his shoulder and pulled him against his chest. He held him immobile while he drank his blood. The warm liquid quickly gave him strength, renewed his flagging body and made him alert again. He stopped himself from taking too much blood from the man, held him at arm’s length while he inspected the pallor of his face,
then
released him. He slid slowly to the ground and
lay
there, his eyes staring blankly into the darkness.

Miriam still held the woman and drank.

Duella
went to her, placed one hand on her shoulder. “Do not take too much, my sweet.”

Miriam turned her eyes on him, questioning in her gaze as she relinquished the tight hold she held on her victim. The woman collapsed at her feet. Miriam stepped back and swiped a forearm across her lips, wiping away the drops of blood she had not swallowed.

“I was very hungry,
Duella
. But I never take more than what I need to satisfy my hunger.” She stared at him for a second, then turned and transformed into a bat. She took to the air, leaving him standing in the shadows.

Duella
felt a bit remorseful for having doubted Miriam. He shook his head. He had to find
Drucella
. Deep in his gut, he blamed her for the death of Gary McCoy. If only he knew where to look to find the witch. He thought of the times she had appeared, threatening
he
and Miriam. Both times, she came to them in the
library,
it was due to the information contained within the old book Miriam discovered. And each time he thought he would put an end to her existence, she managed to vanish right before his eyes.

He stood in the shadows and considered what he should do. He couldn’t tell Miriam. Alerting her to
Drucella’s
latest plan to destroy him would only place her in harm’s way. He had to find a way to draw
Drucella
out, to make her come to him. He needed a plan.

He changed from his vampire body and rose into the air, his destination the old cemetery on the edge of town. The old dusty book in the library had revealed the graveyard to be a favored place of the Gideon. He didn’t quite understand the significance of the creature and the resting place for the dead, except that the Gideon could only be killed in one particular way. He grimaced. The damn page in the old book was torn and he had been unable to discover the one thing he desired to know.

The stars gleamed against the black sky, shining pinpoints of luminous lights that seemed to go on forever. A full moon hung low in the sky, its silvery light casting long shadows across the grassy expanse. Above ground mausoleums stood eerily quiet against the darkened surroundings, the intricately carved cherubs on their heavy lids were poised to ward off evil spirits.

A flicker of recognition grasped his mind.
Gideons
were evil spirits. It made all the sense in the world.
Drucella
had suffered little consequence from the fire his brother had cast her into, short of losing the valued amulet she wore, she somehow regained her witch body and traveled through time in search of him. He thought of his plea to understand how to destroy a Gideon.
Drucella
had found him only to get her precious amulet back.

Is the amulet the key to her existence?
He clutched the stone then opened his hand and looked at it. He knew its powers came from the dark one. The Witches of
Morganford
had been servants of the devil. They had terrorized the small community for as long as he could remember, taking crops and livestock for their own demented uses. They had laid waste to entire families, murdered the parents and took the children hostage, then turned them into slaves and made them toil under their domination.

A sudden movement off to his left drew his attention. He whirled around as a sound penetrated the quiet. A ghostly figure loomed straight ahead, shadowy white and hovering mere inches off the ground. He stared at the apparition as he thought of
Drucella
and the many forms the witch could take. “I have no fear of you,
Drucella
.”

A spiel of laughter broke the silence.

“Come closer so that I might wrap my hands around your throat.”

“
Duella
, you would do me harm?” She laughed loudly. The apparition wavered, shimmered beneath the glow of the full moon. “I come with a message for you.”

“Be gone with you.” His anger rose to choke his throat.
Drucella
wanted only to rile him, to raise his hackles in the chance that he would make a mistake and she would best him, taking the amulet as the prize. Well, he decided he would not give her the chance to irritate him, and since she knew better than to get within his reach, she would be wise to take her leave.

“Your little Miriam has gotten herself captured by the townspeople.”

“You lie.”

The apparition rose into the air, then moved closer to him, lowered, hovered just beyond arm’s length. The figure inside the mist moved one arm and a vision appeared before his eyes. Miriam stood on the edge of a cliff, her back to the crevice.
In front of her stood a mass of angry people with long clubs.
They jabbed the jagged ends of the weapons toward her, trying to force her off the cliff. She spat and hissed, bared her fangs and made her eyes glow bright red.

“See? What I say is true. Miriam is about to meet her end.”

Torn between believing
Drucella
and going to Miriam’s rescue, he took only a moment before making his decision. He leapt into the air, transformed into a bat and disappeared in the darkness.

Chapter Thirteen

Duella
tried to reach out to Miriam with his mind. He sent mental messages for her to tell him where she was. He received no answering reply or any other telepathic communication relating to either her dire situation or her location. Puzzled, he began to think
Drucella
had led him astray again.
But why?
What would she have to gain?

On a hunch, he returned to the mansion he shared with Miriam. He hurried inside, his eyes alert to any movement within the house, his ears keen to noises associated with the she vampire. He raised his head and listened, his gaze trained on the upper floor of the house. Soft humming
sounded,
a lyrical tune that wafted down the long hallway and spilled lightly into the lower level of the house.

He smiled and rose upward to the second floor. The humming grew louder, leading him toward the master suite at the end of the hallway. He released a relieved sigh as he came to believe that Miriam was at home in their bedroom, safe.

“Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you.”

He stopped in the doorway and gazed at her. She was beautiful. She stood before a full-length mirror, turning from side to side, looking at the exquisite evening gown she wore. He glanced at the mirror, seeing only the dress. Miriam’s likeness failed to reflect in the mirror. He strode across the carpet and stood beside her, looking into the mirror. His reflection failed to appear, but his clothes were placed nicely beside hers.

“We look like a couple of dolts.”

“Do I need to remind you to stay away from mirrors?” They laughed and he wound one arm around her waist, drawing her against his side.

“Mirrors are the bane of vampires.”

“Along with so many other things.”

“We can’t think about that now. Let’s go dancing.”

He gazed down at her. Her eyes were luminous, her cheeks flushed and rosy from her recent feed. He felt a measure of comfort having her by his side. The feeling settled within his body, bringing him peace. “I like the changes you’ve made.” He traced the arc of her cheek with one fingertip.

She rose up on tiptoe and kissed him. “It’s all because of you. Can we go dancing?”

He considered whether to tell her that he didn’t know how to dance, then shrugged his shoulders and tacitly agreed. She clapped her hands as if she were a child and led him from the room. Hurrying down the long hallway, she paused at the top of the staircase.

A measure of fright gripped
Duella
as he halted his feet and gazed the length of the stairs. Ambrose stood at the foot of the stairs flanked by two burley policemen. Miriam jerked her head round, her eyes wide.

“Return to the bedroom,”
Duella
whispered. He took her elbow and turned her from the top stair. “Don’t worry.” He thought of the vision the apparition in the graveyard had showed him earlier. But Miriam wasn’t being held captive by an angry mob—she was right there in the mansion, dressed to kill—

He sucked in a quick breath and started down the stairs.
Be nice.
He intended to heed his silent warning, stretching a welcoming smile across his lips as he drew nearer the butler and his guests.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Sutherland,” Ambrose began, an anxious look on his wrinkled face. “These officers say they need to talk to you.”

“Thank you, Ambrose.” He nodded to the officers after dismissing the butler. He raised one hand and invited the policemen to join him in the spacious living room of the house. “And what can I do for you gentlemen on this lovely evening?”

The taller of the policemen cleared his throat. “There was a disturbance along
Bourbon Street
earlier this evening, Mr. Sutherland, and various witnesses gave us information that made us believe that you and your lovely wife might be involved.”

“Do tell.”

“Were you in that vicinity this evening?”

“Yes, we were. We thought we would enjoy the nightclub scene for a while, but the atmosphere appeared too rowdy for my delicate companion.” He stared at the two officers, smiled,
then
frowned. “The police need to be visible in that district, especially on the weekend when so many tourists crowd the streets. Don’t you think?”

The two officers exchanged glances.

“We have several patrols in that area, Mr. Sutherland.”

“I can’t recall seeing a single cop during the time we were standing in line at the nightclub or strolling along the crowded streets.”

One officer cleared his throat and took a step closer to
Duella
.

Duella
met his gaze, causing him to halt his feet.

“How long have you been in
New Orleans
, Mr. Sutherland?”

“Only a short time.”

The officer glanced around at the large room, the exquisite furnishings,
then
turned his gaze back to
Duella
. “Was Fred
Glasco
a relative?”

“Only a business associate.”

“Did you or your wife attack two tourists this evening, biting their necks and extracting blood from their bodies?”

Duella
laughed. “Surely you’re joking, Officer.”

The policeman stared at him, assessing him from head to toe. “There was a murder recently—a gruesome murder, to say the least. Do you know anything about it, Mr. Sutherland? The body of the young man was drained of blood.”

“Shocking.”
Duella
stared at the policeman. “But no. I have no knowledge of the incident. And I most certainly had no part in it.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Perhaps if the police were more visible in the community—”

The officer turned, glanced at the other officer.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sutherland. But you must understand. There was a complaint filed and we had to investigate it. Please excuse us.” The men wasted little time finding the front door of the mansion.

Duella
watched their backs as they crossed the wide porch and got into their patrol car. He turned toward the stairs, his thoughts on
Drucella
. That witch! She would stop at nothing to cause him trouble.

“What did they want?”

Miriam stood at the top of the stairs. She had changed out of her evening gown. A worried look wreathed her face.

He started up the staircase. He needed to reassure her without alarming her. “It was all a mistake, my sweet. They apologized and left.”

She released an audible sigh of relief and smiled at him. “I was so afraid they had come to cart us off to jail.” She clutched
Duella’s
shirtfront, her fingers knotted. “We must be more careful about where we feed in the future. We must choose our victims more carefully.”

“Don’t worry.” He smoothed a hand across her hair.

She snuggled against his chest, tears filling her eyes. “I hate being a vampire. Now the police know where we live. They’ll be coming around every time someone reports a hangnail.”

Duella
laughed. “You’re jumping to conclusions. The police don’t know we’re vampires.” He held his tongue, not wanting to worry Miriam, but the visit from the police only served to solidify the threat
Drucella
aimed at him. He had to find a way to rid the world of that witch—and soon.

“The night is almost over. Take me to bed and make me feel safe,
Duella
.”

He hugged her against his side as they walked down the long hallway. The ringing of the telephone halted their feet.
Duella
glanced down at Miriam. Renewed fright shown in her dark eyes. He smiled, trying to reassure her.

The sound of Ambrose’s voice rose upward to the quiet of the hallway as he answered the ringing menace.

“Mr. Sutherland, there’s a call for you, sir.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Who could that be?”

“Don’t worry. Remember, I’m a businessman. I’ll be getting business calls. There’s nothing to fear. Wait for me in the bedroom.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. “Naked.”

She smiled and nodded her head.

He hurried to take the call, lifting the receiver as though commonplace instead of the very first time
he
ever talked on one of the apparatuses.

“Relinquish the talisman.”

Anger reared up inside him at the sound of the voice. He gripped the receiver, his hold at once tight enough to destroy the plastic earpiece. “You bitch!” Rancor filled his tone.

A loud clamor sounded in his ear, making him grit his teeth. If he could transform and follow the phone line to where
Drucella
was, he’d do it in a second. As it was, he could only grip the receiver and curse beneath his breath.

“You are at my mercy—you and your little whore!”

A loud screech sounded and the line went dead.

Duella
stood rigid, as though his feet were frozen to the floor and he was unable to move. The call had unnerved him to the point that he thought about leaving the mansion and returning only after he had successfully hunted the witch down and destroyed her for good—even if it meant losing his own existence in the process. He gnashed his teeth as his anger refused to subside.

Miriam was at his side, her arm spanning his waist. She pried the receiver from his clenched hand and replaced it atop the phone. “You forget that I have keen hearing, too,” she whispered.

He was so irate that he could barely move. His legs felt laden. His temples throbbed.

“I know that wasn’t a business associate. Who was it?”

He forced himself to control his rage. He swallowed down the impulse to flee the house in search of the witch. He turned his gaze on Miriam. She seemed so frail and needing as he looked upon her. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. She was an innocent pawn in the deadly game he played with
Drucella
.

He shook his head. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders, he turned her toward the stairs. “You’re supposed to be waiting for me in the bedroom.” As he spoke the words, he knew he was too enraged to perform sexually. Even if he were mortal at that moment, he doubted he could get it up and be any pleasure to Miriam.

“The sun is rapidly chasing away the darkness, my lover. We shall have to wait until morning to sate our sexual lusts.”

He hugged her against his side, relieved for the moment that it was time to lose
himself
in the sleep of the dead.