by Nicole Marie
A Pull of Moonlight
Darkness Bites Book 2
Nicole Marie
Dungeon Media Corp.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or in any means – by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission.
Copyright © 2017 Dungeon Media Corp.
All rights reserved.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Newsletter
Also by Nicole Marie
1
I stared out the window of the taxi as we drove out of London, tapping my foot impatiently on the floor, desperate for him to go faster. “I’m so sorry I had to leave again this morning, James. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“Where did you say you were going, again?” James’s voice sounded anxious through my phone. I didn’t have time to explain. I didn’t even know what I would say to him to begin with.
I had to come up with some sort of an excuse.
“Uh...” My voice sounded awkward and on edge. “Just have to help a friend with something. Bit of an emergency. I’m so sorry I had to leave.”
“As long as you promise everything is okay,” James said, his voice softening a little bit. “Will you be back anytime soon?”
I bit my lip as I tried to imagine the way my day was going to play out. I shook my head, and when I realized he couldn’t see me, I tried to make my voice sound sweet as possible. “Trust me. I wish I could head back right now and join you in bed. This might take a while, though. I promise I’ll let you know soon as I’m back in town.”
I heard James yawn through phone, and then he his voice became very sleepily. “Okay, babe. I’ll just have to close my eyes and pretend you’re still here naked beside me.”
I blushed and was thankful the cab driver couldn’t see me in the back seat. “Whatever you need to get by,” I laughed.
I regretted leaving again in the morning, but I knew deep in my heart that I had to do this.
The link that had haunted me these past two months in the back of my mind had vanished nearly into an indecipherable trace. I had dreamt, no, I had experienced, Erik dying. Dying because of me.
I didn’t know how the hell I was going to help, and I doubted there was anything I could do, but I had to at least show up and find out what the hell was going on.
I spent the last two months being angry with him, hating him with every ounce of my being, and now I learned that he’d been tormented this entire time. That he hadn’t actually meant to forge the link between the two of us, and he had suffered just as much as I had. The sensation of his body wasting away made my stomach clench into painful knots, and I knew he had suffered far more than I had. A newfound guilt coursed through my body as I thought back to the various nights I’d spent writhing naked together with James, and that night at the club…
I shook my head to try and rid myself of the memories, as wallowing in my thoughts wouldn’t serve any good. I tried to think what the hell I would say when I arrived, but my mind was empty.
For the first time in two months, my mind was completely blank.
“Can you go any faster?” I asked the cab driver in the seat in front of me. He groaned back but didn’t answer, and continued on at a steady pace down the road.
I watch the buildings pass as we drove and checked my phone every thirty seconds to see the time. Oxford was at least an hour, to an hour and a half away from London, and there wasn’t a train that I could’ve caught right away. As soon as I woke up and realized what was going on, I immediately called a cab, ran out of James’s apartment, and headed towards Oxford to find Erik. I didn’t even know if I’d be able to find him at the same place his lackeys had taken me previously. I hoped beyond anything that he would still be there, as that was the only place I knew where to look. It’s not like I could pick up a phone and call him, and no matter how hard I tried to call his name in my mind, he didn’t answer.
I feared the worst. A vampire, a being that was supposed to be undead and immortal, was likely dead because of me. Two months ago, I wouldn’t have cared. Actually, one week ago I wouldn’t have cared, either. I would have been happy for the bloodsucker to have vanished.
But now, after knowing the torment that he’d gone through in order to save me, to preserve me, I couldn’t help but feel so guilty deep in my heart. I didn’t understand why he was doing this, or what he was truly saving me from, but he was sacrificing himself for me and I had to do everything I could to find out why.
The hunger and starvation that slowly withered his body away was all my fault. I’d caused him so much pain and grief, both physically and mentally, that I never would be able to forgive myself if he was dead.
As much as I fought the connection between the two of us and the link in our minds that had been forged, no matter how much I disagreed or disliked it, it had created a bond between the two of us. I didn’t know him anymore than he knew me, apart from what we’ve deciphered through each other’s minds. But I felt a longing for him and a sudden need to protect him.
That pull that I initially felt and fought so hard against was gone, and I couldn’t believe myself for feeling this, but I missed it. I longed for that mental tug that linked the two of us together. For at least I knew when it was there that he was alive and out there. Now, with hardly any trace of his mental connection, I didn’t know where he was or if he was alive.
I tapped my foot faster on the cab’s floor as I cleared my throat loudly. “I understand there are speed limits, sir, but I really am in a hurry. Is there any way that you could pick up the pace?”
The driver stopped at a red light and turned to look at me angrily. “We’ll get there when we get there, lady. I’m not going to risk myself in no hurry for you.” He turned back towards the road in front of him, and I rolled my eyes. I was trapped in the back of a cab with the world’s slowest driver while time was of the essence.
When we finally arrived in Oxford, I began recognizing some of the buildings that we had passed in the limousine days before. I demanded that he pull over, tossed him a handful of cash, and jumped out of the car before he’d even completely pulled to a stop.
I ran down the sidewalk as fast as my legs could carry me, my heart beating furiously and my breaths coming in quick, ragged gasps. I knew I was close as the buildings were familiar and I knew in my gut that I was in the right place. I ran for three blocks before I arrived at the large stone building and I came to a complete stop as I stared at its open front door from the sidewalk.
I caught my breath momentarily, and then raced up the stairs and into the building. The door was open, but the inside was deserted. I looked around to see if I could find any trace of anyone, but to no avail.
“Hello?” I called loudly. My voice echoed in the large stone room until it disappeared in a faint trace. “Is anyone here? Please, someone. Anyone?”
Again, my voice echoed until it disappeared
into the silence. I sighed loudly and took off to the far end of the room where I remembered the staircase to be.
The room with the stairs was locked, and no matter how hard I rammed my shoulder against it, the door wouldn’t budge.
“Shit,” I swore under my breath. I ran down the hall and the other direction to see if there was another set of stairs. I couldn’t find anything, so I ran back to the closed door, realizing I had to break through. There is no other way.
I took a deep breath and pushed as hard as I could. Still, the door didn’t move forward.
“Is anybody there?” I screamed loudly. Again, no answer.
I looked frantically around the room and spotted a side table under a large ornate painting at the far end of the room. I pulled the table towards the door and stood behind and pushed. The table slammed against the door in a loud crash, but the door didn’t budge. I slowly pulled the table back in a screech at the floor, and then pushed forward again with all my strength, smashing against the door one more time.
I then sunk to my knees in frustration, and balled my hands into fists. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself as I thought critically about what I could possibly do to get in.
My heart skipped a beat as I heard footsteps approach, the echoes of each step growing louder. I pushed myself up off the ground and looked down the hallway and saw a tall hooded figure walking towards me.
Holding my breath I waited, and as the form got closer, he pulled off his hood revealing long silver hair.
“Victor, thank God.” I ran up to the vampire and was going to give him a hug, but thought better of it. I let my hands fall down beside me as I stood in front of him and looked in his eyes of panic.
Victor raised his eyebrows and looked quizzically down at me. “Miss Rose, what are you doing here?”
“I need to see Erik. Please,” I pleaded desperately.
Victor’s eyes became sad as he looked down to the floor. “I’m afraid that’s not possible,” he said to me slowly.
My breathing grew ragged again, and I nearly began to cry. “Please, Victor. I need to see him. I need to do something.”
He looked up curiously at me as his eyebrows narrowed. “You know?”
I nodded furiously and then bit my lip. “I can feel it in my mind. Or, at least, I could. Please, tell me I’m not too late.”
Victor sighed deeply and then frowned. “I’m afraid that you are, Miss Rose. There is nothing that can be done for the Master.”
“Nothing to be done? Does that mean that he’s still alive?”
Victor nodded. “So to speak, Miss Rose. Although, I’m afraid I’m not too sure how long he will be with us.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. I thought I was too late.”
“I’m afraid there is nothing you’re going to be able to do, Miss Rose. And seeing him in that state will just upset you.”
I shook my head furiously. “You need to take me to him. I need to see him.”
“Very well.” Victor led me towards the door I had been trying to bash through and slid the table away with one hand as if it weighed nothing. He then clasped his hand around the doorknob, gave it a turn to the right, and pulled it open.
My mouth fell open as I watched him open the door, and looked up at him in shock.
“This door, you pull to open, Miss Rose.” He looked mildly amused from moment, and then frowned. “This way.”
My eyes darted back to the table, to the door, and then back up to Victor. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and then took another deep breath to calm myself. “Pull, right. I knew that.”
Victor led me down the stairs in silence and I followed him as best I could in the darkness again. I held my hand out and my fingers gently grazed his back as we walked, as I didn’t want to repeat what happened last time and squish my nose against his hard flesh.
As he walked down the endless stairs, I had to ask, “What happens to a vampire when he… dies?”
“A vampire does not die, Miss Rose. He simply wastes away until his life energy is not powerful enough to keep him animated.”
“He would die eventually, though, no? I mean, not really die, like a human dies. But there must be an end to it, surely?”
Victor shook his head. “It is a lesson in eternal pain and suffering. Unable to move, speak, and feed. The eternity of utter agony and sorrow, and there’s the fate I don’t wish on my worst enemy.
“There has to be something we can do. Something I can do?”
Victor led me down the long set of stairs, around and around we went in silence until I felt dizzy. Finally, when we reached the bottom of the stairs he spoke, his voice choking with devastation. “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. It’s too late.”
2
I listened to Victor’s footsteps disappear behind me as I stood frozen alone in the dark stone room. It took a few minutes for me to gather my courage, and I took a deep calming breath before moving forward. My footsteps echoed hollowly on the hard stone floor as I passed the fireplace that had burned down to nothing but a few crackling embers.
I walked up to the doorway that I had seen Erik go through last time I was there. I stepped forward and pressed my hands up against the cold wooden surface. I leaned my head towards the door and pressed my ear up against it to listen. Nothing but silence came from the other side.
I knocked timidly and waited, but there was no answer. I had a feeling deep in my heart that I knew what that meant. I tried so hard to listen for any trace of Erik in my mind, but I couldn’t hear a thing. Although I had a feeling, or hope really, that he was still here. As soon as I arrived in the building, I could feel the light tug in the back of my mind pulling me towards him, the smallest and faintest trace of the pull that I felt before. I couldn’t hear him, though, and the chatter was gone. Erik’s mind had either pulled away from our link, or shut down completely. And as I took another deep breath and pulled the door open, I noticed my hand was shaking violently on the handle.
I slid my hands in my back pockets to steady them and stepped through the threshold. I stood still for a long moment as my eyes tried to adjust to the complete darkness, but after a moment of waiting, I still couldn’t see a thing.
“Erik?” My voice echoed hollowly down what I realized was a long corridor. My hands held high in front of my face, I took a step, placing one foot in front of the other, slowly making my way down into the passageway. A few steps in, I called his name again. The sound of his name echoed a dozen times until it finally disappeared down the end of the hall. I let out a loud sigh, pressed my right hand up against the cold stone wall to guide me as I walked. I closed my eyes and listened as I moved forward, eyes serving no purpose in the darkness anyway.
With my fingers running along the rough sharp edges of the cut stone as I walked, I traced the deep mortar joints as I moved. After a few minutes of walking, I finally opened my eyes to get my bearings and noticed a faint trace of light coming in underneath the crack.
I quickened my pace and approached what turned out to be a door. Again, I placed my ear up against the door to listen, but I couldn’t hear anything on the other side.
“Erik?” I whispered to the door. “Erik, are you in there?”
When no one answered, I slowly opened the door and stepped through. I was blinded by the very small beam of light that came through the tiny window high up above. I held my hands over my eyes for a moment, and then tried to get a sense of the room.
The room felt familiar and the tug in my mind grew stronger. “Erik, it’s Charlie. Please, answer me.” I knew in my heart that he was in this room. I could feel him. The faintest trace of energy burned my skin the moment I stepped inside.
The exact moment that I spoke his name out loud, my mind flashed alive again, but just for a brief moment before it died back down into silence. My heart beat loudly in my chest and I sighed with relief. “Erik, thank God. I know you’re in here. Please, answer me.” I dropped my hand to look ar
ound the room, but the light was shining in my direction and blocked my vision completely from what was on the other side. The walls were complete blackness, and the depths of the room were not visible to my own eye.
I took a step forward, the sound of my foot on the hard floor echoed loudly in space, a nearly deafening sound after the complete silence from before.
“Stop,” a husky voice sounded from the other side of the room. My body froze and I stopped walking, my muscles clenched tight and rigid as I stood and stared to where the voice had come from.
“Erik, what is happening?” I whispered. Even the sound of my own whisper echoed loudly and rung in my ears. I waited for him to answer, but the voice did not come again.
I could feel his pain consuming me and my skin burned from the touch of the air. I could hardly imagine what he was going through himself since the pain I felt was nearly unbearable. I couldn’t imagine how much worse it must be for him.
It took all of my strength to stay standing from the excruciating sensation. “Erik, what is going on? What’s happening to you?”
“Charlie. You must leave.” His voice was forced and shallow, barely a whisper in the empty room.
I took another step forward as my mind flashed with fear that coursed through my veins. I immediately stepped back in panic, and my voice came out ragged and wavering. “Erik, what’s going on? Please, explain this to me. I don’t understand.”
I could feel the mental tug grew stronger as I tried to communicate mentally with me, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Flashes of pain, confusion, and desperation rotated through my mind, and finally settled on a feeling of deep regret. I didn’t know if it was mine or his, but I concentrated on our mental link, desperate for him to say something.
