The Vampire's Kiss (8 page)

“I don’t know. I want you to find out for me. Find out everything that you can.”

“Sure. Is there a number where I can reach you?”

“I’m staying at the Traveler’s Inn, room 718. I’ll be here until nightfall.” Then she would have to go back to William.

“Okay. It might take me some time to track this guy, but I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

“Thanks, Mary. Thanks for all of your help.”

“Anytime, Vannie,” Mary said using Savannah’s old nickname. “Anytime. You just be careful, okay?”

“I’m always careful.” And she was, usually.

“Don’t forget your meds.”

As if she could. “I’ll remember.” Mary always reminded Savannah to take her meds. No matter where they were, or what they were doing, Mary always reminded her.

It was good to have a friend like Mary. Someone she could rely on, someone she would trust with her secrets.

“I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Bye, Vannie.”

As she replaced the receiver, Savannah’s stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since the day before. And then she’d only had time for a quick bite.

She glanced at the bedside clock. It was just a little past noon. She would have plenty of time to grab lunch, pack, and return to William’s by nightfall.

She stood and stretched her tired muscles. Maybe she would even be able to fit a small nap into her schedule. She couldn’t afford to let her strength wane, not while she was finally so close to her goal.

She glanced down at her clothes. First things first. While her outfit may have been appropriate for a place like Jake’s, she would
definitely
stand out if she tried to walk in the diner wearing these clothes.

Savannah headed resolutely toward the shower. She’d clean up, and then she’d eat. And, maybe, while she was at the diner, she could get one of the locals to tell her a bit more about William. Maybe.

WILLIAM’S BODY lay perfectly still. His chest did not rise. His heart did not beat.

His mind, shadowed by the cobwebs of his deep sleep, flickered faintly. Unease moved though him.

Something was coming. Someone. He could feel it.

He could feel the evil. So close. Too close.

“HI, HONEY!” A tall, matronly woman with steel gray hair appeared at Savannah’s table. “What can I get for you?” Her pencil was poised above a small, white pad.

“Ah . . .” Savannah floundered. The woman’s quick appearance had startled her. “Do you have any specials?”

The waitress, whose nametag identified as Pat, smiled. “Hon, we always have specials.” She jerked her head toward the kitchen. “Today’s lunch special is the tuna sandwich combo. You’ll get the sandwich, the fries and some coleslaw, all for five dollars.”

Savannah snagged a menu from the center of the table. She had never been fond of tuna fish. She scanned down the list of sandwiches. “I think I’ll just take the club combo, with a Sprite, please.”

Pat scribbled quickly. “Sure thing, hon. Anything else I can get for you?”

Savannah smiled vaguely. “Not right now, but thanks.”

“Be right back with your order.” With a swish of her hips, Pat turned and vanished through the swinging kitchen doors.

There were only a handful of other customers in the diner. Two truckers sat at the counter, and a man in a deputy’s uniform was drinking coffee in the back corner.

Savannah sighed. Everything about the place just seemed so incredibly normal to her. The soft country music playing on the jukebox. The old-fashioned checkered table cloths that decorated the tables. Everything was so amazingly normal.

Who would have ever guessed that a place like this would be home to a vampire?

“You aren’t from around here, are you?”

Savannah’s head jerked up, and she found herself staring into the deputy’s warm brown gaze.

“Ah, no. No, I’m not.” What did he want?

“I didn’t think so.” He continued to stare down at her. “I’m one of the deputies here in Tyler. My name’s John. John Sykes.”

Savannah offered her hand. “Savannah Daniels.”

His grip was firm, but not overwhelming. “And what brings you to our town, Ms. Daniels?”

“I’m visiting a friend,” she replied immediately, sensing her chance to push for more information about William. “Perhaps you know him.”

“I know everybody in this town. In a place the size of Tyler, it’s real easy to get to know your neighbors.”

“I’m sure it is,” she murmured with a polite smile.

“What’s your friend’s name?”

It was the opportunity that she’d been waiting for. “His name’s William Dark. He lives up on the mountain.”

The deputy’s eyes widened. He let out a low whistle. “You’re in town to see William Dark? Are you sure about that?” He sounded like he questioned her sanity.

Savannah stiffened. “I think I know who I’m visiting,” she said, her tone dripping with ice.

John flushed. “It’s just that, well, Mr. Dark isn’t exactly the type to have visitors, you know?”

That wasn’t surprising. “Surely he’s had other friends come to town.”

John shook his head. “Not that I know of.”

“What, exactly, do you know about him?” Savannah held her breath, waiting anxiously for his response.

“Very little.” John shrugged. “I heard that his grandfather bought the property on the mountain back in the twenties. And I remember seeing William’s dad in town some, back when I was a kid. Course, his dad wasn’t much for talking either. And I think he must have used the property here as kind of a retreat.” His gaze clouded as he struggled to remember. “Yeah, he came here in the summers. Every summer, until I was about eight or nine.”

“When did William move to town?” Savannah asked quietly. She found it fascinating that William would pretend to be his own father, his own grandfather. He had created a thin veil of deception to fool the townsfolk so that he could keep his mountain hideaway.

“He moved here about six or seven years ago. I heard that he inherited the property when his old man died.”

Six or seven years. Where had he been before that? What had he been doing? Had he truly been alone for all of those years? All of those centuries? The idea was jarring, chilling. No wonder he wanted a companion.

John frowned at Savannah, sudden suspicion sweeping across his features. “But you should know all this, shouldn’t you? Since you’re here to visit him . . .”

“We’re . . . newly acquainted.” Yeah, they’d only met two days ago. That definitely qualified as newly acquainted. “There’s still a lot we don’t know about each other.” And that was the problem.

“Hmmm.” John didn’t look convinced. “Where did you say you were from, ma’am?”

“I didn’t. But I’m from Washington. Seattle, Washington.”

“You sure did come a long way to visit your friend.”

“Yes, I did.” She wasn’t going to give the deputy any more information.

“Here you go, hon!” Pat appeared, carrying a large plate in one hand and a drink in the other. “One club combo, just like you ordered.”

“Thanks.”

Pat smiled at the deputy. “Want another coffee?”

He shook his head. “Nah. I got to be getting back on duty.” He glanced back at Savannah. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Daniels. I’m sure that I’ll see you again.”

As he walked away, Savannah wondered why, despite his friendly smile, the words had sounded almost . . . threatening.

BY THE TIME Savannah returned to her hotel room, it took all of the meager energy she had to unlock her door.

The sudden wave of exhaustion had come upon her as she finished her meal. She’d been forced to push her half-eaten sandwich away and hurry from the diner.

It was another side effect of her medicine. Severe drowsiness. In her case, severe was definitely the word of choice.

Of course, the fact that she’d had no rest the night before only aggravated her condition.

She fumbled with the lock, barely fitting the key inside. All of her muscles felt heavy. Her eyelids kept lowering, her chin sliding down. She took a series of deep, quick breaths, trying to force her body to stay awake.

The key turned in the lock and Savannah stumbled inside her room. She leaned against the cool wood of the door, giving her body a moment to rest. With hands that trembled, she turned the lock on the door handle.

The bed looked so far away. She was so tired. Tired of the exhaustion that plagued her body. Tired of the pain. When would it all end?

She took a step forward. Her leg seemed to buckle. She staggered, struggling for balance. One more step. Two more. She could feel the base of the bed against her knees, and she fell on the bed, her body bouncing lightly. The old springs squeaked in protest.

She stopped fighting the exhaustion and closed her eyes. She would rest, just for an hour or two. The rest would give her enough strength to make it through the rest of the day.

She just needed to sleep for a little while . . .

WILLIAM’S BODY twitched.

Evil.
The word screamed through his mind, but not a sound passed from his lips.

He could feel the presence. Feel its darkness.

So close.

SHE WAS AT THE cabin. She could see the sparkling wood. She could smell the crisp scent of a winter fire.

Everything was just as she remembered. The table that her father had made the summer of her sixteenth birthday sat in the corner. Her mother’s painting hung over the mantel.

A cheerful fire burned, the flames dancing.

She walked toward the fire, wanting to feel its warmth. Needing so desperately to banish the cold that was sweeping through her.

She looked around, surprised to find herself alone. She’d thought for certain that Mark would be there. Or Sharon.

She felt something wet and sticky touch her bare foot. She glanced down, frowning. Was that water? It seemed to be flowing straight out of the fire.

How could water come from fire?

She bent down, touching the liquid with one fingertip. She held up her hand, straining to see in the flickering fire light.

Her fingertip was red—blood red.

She gasped and jumped back, trying to escape from the cool touch of the blood. The pool seemed to follow her, moving like a snake on the floor.

The sound of laughter, light and mocking, froze Savannah.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” The words were soft, purring, lightly accented.

Her gaze flew frantically around the room. “Who’s there?” She strained to see in the shadows.

“Don’t you know?” He whispered. “Don’t you know who I am?”

Her heart pounded. “No. No, I don’t know you.”

“Of course you do, my dear.” He laughed again, softly. “You know me very well. Better than any lovers I’ve ever had. After all, you’ve shared a kill with me.”

“What?” Her feet were becoming soaked in the blood.

“You were here with me. I could feel you. You were here while I fed.” His voice drifted from the shadows, seeming to surround her.

What was he talking about?

Mark. Her memory returned in a blinding rush. Mark had died. He’d died here, in the cabin. She’d seen it. She’d—

“That’s right,” he purred. “Your dear sweet brother. I’m afraid I had to drain him dry.”

A cool touch drifted across the back of her arm. Savannah jerked forward, a scream rising in her throat. She turned quickly, hoping to see the face of the killer who stalked her.

No one was there.

His words continued to whisper from the darkness. “But you know what I did, don’t you, Savannah? You were there that night. I felt you. I felt your fear. Your anger.”

Her hair was lifted gently. A cool breeze blew against the nape of her neck. Savannah trembled.

“Your fear made me strong.” The voice was louder now, closer. “It made me hungry.”

The flames of the fire raged, snapping out from the fireplace like greedy hands. Savannah felt the heat burn across her skin. Then, in a flash, the fire died.

The room was plunged into darkness.

Something brushed against her leg. Savannah bit her lip, choking back a scream. She knew it wasn’t real. The cabin. The voice. None of it was real. It was just another dream. Another nightmare.

His hand grabbed hers, locking tightly around her wrist, crushing the skin and bones in a powerful grip.

It just felt so damn real!

“Tell me, Savannah.” His breath whispered across her face. “Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy watching them die? Did you enjoy it as much as I did?”

She tried to jerk away, but he held her fast. She kicked him, once, twice, but he just laughed at her. “Let me go!”

“Never.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the skin on the back of her hand. She could feel the edge of his teeth against her. The sharp edge of his teeth. His fangs.

“Who are you?” She whispered.

“Don’t you know?” He turned her hand over, and his teeth scraped against her palm.