At last Will slowed down, and she tentatively opened her eyes once more. They were deep in the bush, surrounded by tall gums and wattle. The sun was high in the sky, just visible up above them, although the swaying branches of the eucalypts blocked most of its rays, keeping the area cool and shaded.
Will set her down, and she stretched her arms and legs, thankful to be on solid ground once more after the unnerving ride in Will's arms. There was a sudden thud behind her, and she spun round. Will had fallen to the ground and lay there unmoving.
Darci dashed over and dropped to her knees beside him. She could now see what had been hidden from her view before: the blood that stained the front of his shirt and the ragged tears in the fabric made by the bullet that had pierced his chest.
"God, Will. We have to get you to a doctor, find help."
"No, we can't. How would you explain it? Besides, I would not be an easy patient for them to understand. I can expel the bullets myself and heal the wounds, but it takes a lot of energy and I am too weak."
"You need blood, don't you?"
"Yes."
Darci moved closer to him, sitting down properly on the ground, and held out her arm, pressing her wrist towards his mouth.
He brushed her arm aside, catching her wrist in a firm grip as he tried to sit up. "Not you."
"Then who? Will, we don't have time for this. You said you came to save me. How do you expect to keep me safe if you are too weak to even move?"
"I might not be able to stop," he said, lowering his eyes.
Darci lifted his chin and looked into his eyes. Their ice-blue shine was already dimming. "I trust you. You will stop." She saw his resignation in the slump of his shoulders and the way his grip on her arm loosened. She held her wrist towards him once more, and this time he did not brush it away.
"Lie down." She followed his instructions, easing backwards onto the ground, trying to ignore the lumps of dirt and stone that dug into her back. Will turned onto his stomach and grasped her arm with both hands.
She watched, fascinated, as he slowly brought her wrist towards his mouth. There was a stinging pain, lasting only for a second, then warmth began to spread up her arm, moving through her body, relaxing her.
She stared upwards. The trees swayed, dancing above her, light flashing playfully in between the leaves. It was teasing her, drawing her towards it, and her body lifted, floating upwards. The closer she came to the light, the more the colours danced, turning into a kaleidoscopic display she alone could see. The leaves tickled her skin, and she felt warm, safe. She wanted to stay there forever.
Then, out of nowhere, something below pulled at her, trying to bring her down. She fought against it, struggling to stay in the light, but the force below was too strong, and she found herself hurtling towards the ground.
"Darci? Darci, wake up."
Her body jerked, and the sharp rocks jabbed into her flesh, the pain helping to ground her in reality once more. When she finally focused, Will's face was above her, looking down at her with concern.
"I dreamed I was flying," she said, trying to sit up.
Will helped support her, keeping a hand in the small of her back. "I thought for a moment I had stopped too late."
"Does everyone see that when you drink from them? It was beautiful."
"No, what a person sees depends on the individual, although whether it is a dream or a nightmare depends on the vampire. I have always tried to give the person something wonderful to hold onto. Other vampires revel in the fear they can create by imposing a terrifying vision on their victim."
Darci reached out and brushed Will's chest. The fabric was stained a russet brown from the dried blood, yet the skin underneath was now smooth and healed, save for several tiny scar lines. Will picked something up off the ground and offered it to her. She held out her hand, and he dropped the slug into it. Misshapen and covered in flakes of blood, it looked impossibly large, heavy, and unpleasant against her palm. She let it fall to the ground, cradling her aching wrist against her chest.
"We need to get out of here and find somewhere you can rest 'til you recover from the blood loss."
"We can't go anywhere looking like this," Darci said, gesturing to Will's bloodied shirt and her own tattered dress.
"I brought a change of clothes for each of us." Will stood and wandered towards a gap in the trees. "I left them nearby, hidden in the bushes. They are not much, but they are an improvement on our current attire and should be good enough to get us in."
"In where?" Darci asked, staggering to her feet.
"The Hilton," Will called over his shoulder, disappearing amongst the trees.
Chapter 18
"Don't you think we should be hiding somewhere a little less ostentatious?" Darci asked, pausing in between bites of her toasted panini.
"No, this is perfect. The better the hotel the more staff; the more staff the better the security. If someone is loitering around, the doormen will see them and security cameras will record their every move." He came over and sat on the bed beside her. "Eat up; you need to regain your strength."
She finished the last few mouthfuls of the sandwich and set the plate down on the bedside table, stretching out on the huge king-sized bed. "I'm tired."
"Then have a sleep and we will talk when you wake up."
Darci yawned and rolled onto her side, snuggling into the silky pillow. She fidgeted at the bandage around her wrist until her eyelids grew heavy and fell shut.
* * * *
Will sat in the chair, legs stretched out in front of him, watching her sleep. Her breathing was slow and deep, matching the regular beat of her heart. He found it soothing. She rolled onto her back, her skirt riding up to reveal her pale, toned legs, and he could see the gentle swell of her breasts as her chest rose and fell with each breath.
He moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed. Her face looked so peaceful and innocent as she slept, and more than ever, he regretted having drawn her into this. He should never have approached her. He should have admired her from a distance and let her live her life.
He looked away for a moment, struggling with his feelings, and when he looked back, her eyes were open, looking up at him. He started to stand and move away, but she caught his hand and drew him back. She pulled gently on his shoulder, guiding him down until they lay side by side, looking into each other's eyes.
He kept still as she wriggled forward, her lips fluttering against his in a gentle kiss. Her lips were warm against his own cool skin, and they awoke feelings in him he had not felt in many years. He pulled her closer until their bodies pressed together, and then he returned the kiss. His lips found hers with increasing urgency as his hands began to explore her body, running down her back and keeping her pinned against him.
He slipped a hand below her top and gently caressed her breast. Her breath on his face came in hot gasps, and he could hear her heart pounding in her chest, its rhythm urging him onwards.
He had no recollection of undressing, but a few moments later, they were both naked, lying entwined amongst the sheets. He continued to explore her body, wanting to know every part of her as she ran soft fingers along his back and down his torso.
At the culmination of their passion, he cried out her name, and for that moment, nothing existed for him except the two of them, together. For a while, they lay there, his arms around her as she rested against his chest, their fingers locked together. They didn't speak, but he listened to her heart as it slowed once more, returning to a steady beat, relaxing and reassuring. With her so close, it was like sharing her heartbeat, being alive again for the first time in centuries.
He looked down at her. An auburn lock had fallen across her closed eyes, and he gently brushed it back behind her ear. He could tell from her breathing that she was asleep once more, and he gently eased himself out from under her. She murmured and smiled in her sleep but did not wake. He pulled the covers up over her so she wouldn't get cold and then retrieved his clothes from the floor
.
Their lovemaking had changed something inside him, and he needed time to think. He had planned to leave and take her with him, knowing she would come if he asked her. Now he wasn't so sure. She had made him feel more than he had ever felt before, even in his past human life, and he did not want her love for him to change. And it would, if she came with him, maybe not straight away, but eventually. She would see herself growing older, and out of love for him and the desire to be with him, she would ask him to change her. This he could not do.
He had never made another because he could not bear the thought of inflicting the life of a vampire on anyone, no matter how much they might think they wanted it. His refusal would turn her love to hate or, at the very least, a bitter resentment, and what they had together now would be lost. Better to break things off at once than allow feelings to grow that would later bring about their own destruction.
He sat at the desk and pulled the hotel notepad and pen towards him. He wrote and wrote, tossing page after page into the rubbish bin before he sat back and lay a single sheet of paper down in front of him. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out several fifty dollar bills, placing them next to the letter.
He stood, tucking the chair in, and approached the bed. She lay there, still sleeping, her face serene and her lips curved into a gentle smile. He kissed his fingers, touched them lightly to her forehead, then turned and left the room, easing the door shut behind him.
Chapter 19
Darci woke feeling happy and refreshed. All the horror was behind her, and she and Will would make plans today; they would leave here to start a new life together. She stretched out, wriggling her toes, and then rolled over to snuggle up against Will. His side of the bed was empty; a desolate expanse of white sheet.
She abruptly sat up and looked around. The door to the bathroom stood open, so he wasn't in there. The light filtering in around the edge of the curtains told her it was still day. A digital clock on the bedside table confirmed it was 1:30pm. Perhaps he had gone to get her some food. That must be it. He'll be back soon with some lunch for me.
She got out of bed and wandered into the bathroom to take a shower. The water came out hot and strong, just the way she liked it, and she lingered there until the room was full of steam and she could no longer see her reflection in the mirror. She flicked the fan on to clear the condensation then towelled off.
She wandered back to the bedroom and picked up her clothes from the floor, slipping them on. She glanced at the clock. It was now nearly 2pm. He should have been back by now. She looked around for any sign of where he might have gone, her fingers fiddling with the buttons on her top. Then she saw the piece of paper lying in the middle of the desk.
She picked it up and began to read then put it down and looked away. When she turned back, it was still there, mocking her with its presence and shattering her dreams. She grabbed it and reread it slowly, hoping that somehow the words written on it had changed or that she had misunderstood. But they remained the same.
She had never seen Will's handwriting before, yet it was so obviously his, an elegant sloping copperplate that would have been beautiful if not for the message it contained.
My dearest Darci,
Last night was the most wonderful I have ever known, but any future for us together is doomed before it even begins.
I want you to live a normal, happy life; one without any need to fear. Draken will never stop hunting me now, and even if we are apart, he may try to use you again to draw me in.
I cannot let this happen because your life means more to me than my own. I am going to give myself up. Once Draken has me, he will have no further need of you and you will be safe. I can only hope I will not be unleashing too great an evil on the world in the process.
Do not regret my death. I think I have lived long enough now, and I am ready for it to end. You may feel I am being melodramatic and perhaps you are right, but my heart tells me what I am doing is for the best and I must trust in that.
I will love you until my dying breath.
Your
Will
She let the letter fall to the ground, crossing her arms and tucking her hands beneath them to try to stop them from shaking. She had to stop him, but what could she do? She sat down heavily on the bed, desperately trying to subdue her emotions so she could think rationally.
It was still daylight, so even if he was already at Draken's house, she still had several hours before anything could happen to him. Even then she was certain Draken would want to cruelly drag the moment out. Time was on her side, but she would still need help.
Thoughts whirled around in her mind, gradually slowing and rearranging themselves into the semblance of a plan. There was no guarantee that her idea would work, and she might be going to her death. But she had to try.
* * * *
Darci stood at the door and rang the bell. It had taken her a few minutes to find the house. She'd had to dig around in the recesses of her memory to find the street name, and after that, it had been a matter of walking up and down the street until one of the houses looked familiar. As the sound of the bell began to die away, the door opened.
"Oh, it's you." Liza's expression was blank, and neither her face nor the tone of her voice betrayed any hint of surprise.
"Can I speak to Stefan?"
Liza didn't answer, but she opened the door wider and turned back into the house. Darci stepped inside and shut the door behind her before following Liza down the corridor. The girl's top scooped low in the back, her pale skin ghostly white in the dimly lit hallway.
They entered a room, and Liza flopped into a chair, gesturing for Darci to do the same. "He knows you're here; he'll come soon."
Darci sat down tentatively, unable to relax. She kept her back rigid, and fidgeted with her hands in her lap. Liza made no further attempts at conversation, but every now and then, she caught the girl looking at her intently as if she wanted to speak yet was unsure how to begin.
A few minutes later, as Darci was growing more and more agitated, Stefan entered the room. He'd left off his historical attire of the other day in favour of something more modern: jeans and a t-shirt. He was still handsome, but somehow the clothes looked wrong on him, as if they and not the frockcoat were the costume.
"Miss Madison, to what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?" Stefan sat down on the chair beside Liza, gathering her into his arms as he leant back against the cushions.
"It's Will," she said. "He's about to do something stupid, and we have to stop him." She held out the letter.
"Oh, we do, do we?" Stefan leant forward, and Liza slipped out from under his arm as he reached for the paper.
Darci waited as he scanned the letter, watching the expression on his face change: incredulous, aghast, annoyed, and then something that almost looked triumphal, but quickly disappeared.
"I'm sorry; I can't do anything. This is Will's decision, and it is not for me to interfere. What do you expect to do anyway? I suppose you want us to storm the castle and rescue the fair damsel, taking out any number of vampire guards in the process, and then killing Draken himself, hmm? Well, I can tell you now that it is impossible." He stood and approached her, offering a hand to help her up. "Go home, cherie."
"If you won't help me, I shall go alone." Darci ignored his hand, getting up on her own.
"It would be a great waste of beauty, but if that is your decision then I will say adieu." Stefan bowed and walked out of the room.
Darci followed, heading to the front door, fighting back the angry tears that welled up behind her eyes. She had wasted too much time, and it had all been for nothing. She wasn't even sure she could remember exactly where Draken's house was without a guide. She was halfway down the front path when she heard her name called softly and turned to see Liza coming out after her.
The girl scurried forward, casting the occasional glance back towards the house. She was clutching something in her hand that she now held out to Darci.
"Take this. Stefan made me wear it once when he took me to meet Draken. It has been blessed and is made of silver; it will protect you."
Darci looked down at the pendant. It was a silver Celtic cross engraved with runic markings hanging on a black silk ribbon.
"That's a Celtic spell for protection, protection from Draken specifically," Liza explained.
"Why are you here, with Stefan I mean?"
"I'm here because I love him. He loves me too in his way, though he hasn't admitted it to himself yet. One day he'll realise it. I can wait. Don't let my appearance fool you; he treats me well. That gruff exterior and nonchalance is really only for show. When we're alone he can be very tender." She glanced back at the house where the door still stood ajar. "I must go back. Good luck, I hope you find him."
"Thank you," Darci said, slipping the pendant over her head.
Liza ran back up the pathway, turning as she reached the door and calling out to Darci. "By the way, I don't know the number, but the house is on Old Mount Barker Road." Before Darci had time to offer further thanks, Liza had slunk inside and closed the door.
Chapter 20
Darci reached into her bra and pulled out the remaining fifty dollar note, handing it to the taxi driver. Will had left money alongside his note to pay for the hotel room, and luckily, there had been a little left over. She would never have made it in time if she'd been forced to walk all the way here from North Adelaide.
The beautiful twilight sky that had been full of pinks and purples during her visit to Stefan had turned to the deep blue of night. The sky was starless, and the moon was partially hidden behind a cloud, offering her no aid as she started up the road. There were a few houses with lights on that helped to guide her way, but she struggled to see and wasn't sure she would recognise the house even if she passed it since she had only had a brief glimpse of the outside during her escape.
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