by Laura Hysell
He smiled and nodded, though I was sure he knew the answer before he asked. “She’s trying to control you. Did you know that?”
I immediately shook my head. “She wouldn’t do that.”
He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Oh, yes she would. At first, I knew something was strange about our connection, but it wasn’t until just moments ago that I realized what it was. Patricia has been giving you her blood, and biting you. She’s a bold one.” I was shaking my head as he spoke. “She’s addled your thoughts. Let me help you think more clearly.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I responded immediately. Did he think I would trust him? I didn’t even know who he was.
He leaned forward, suddenly holding out a mirror to me. I frowned, but took the mirror from him and held it up to my face. My reflection seemed as it usually did, except with my former blonde hair. I suppose I still thought of myself as a blonde in my dreams. I ran a hand through my hair and turned my head to the side. That’s when I noticed the blood on my neck. I ran my hand over my neck, feeling the two holes in my skin. Blood seeped down my neck, and I realized it had been pouring across my shoulder and down my shirt, soaking it quickly in blood.
The man was suddenly standing before me, lowering the mirror so I was staring at his muscular body. “Who are you?” I asked, staring up at his chest.
The muscles in his stomach contracted and flexed with his laughter. “Donovan, Henri Donovan,” he replied in a very good James Bond impression. “And you are?”
I smiled in spite of myself and looked up at his face. He was incredibly handsome, with piercing blue eyes. “Isabella,” I said softly.
He brushed his blond hair back out of his face as he looked down at me, a smile playing at his lips. “You’re not like the others,” he muttered. He seemed pleased, but I had no idea why.
I was holding my hand to my neck still, trying to stop the bleeding. This was a dream, but I couldn’t seem to stop the flow of blood no matter how much I concentrated on trying to stop it. Henri reached out and pulled my hand away from my neck, examining the puncture marks. Blood flowed faster and I realized my top was now completely soaked. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine myself wearing a new, dry shirt. When I opened my eyes I was indeed wearing a different t-shirt, purple this time, but it was already soaked with blood.
“Patricia is trying to gain control of you, but she’s not powerful enough, so she will continue to drink your blood until you are dead. Listen carefully to me,” he said as he leaned toward me. “I will give you the power to resist her, but you must do as I say. Do not drink her blood again. Do not tell her of our encounter. And if the opportunity presents itself, kill her.”
I shuddered at his words, wondering why I would do such a thing to my Patricia. Patricia only wanted the best for me. Yes, Patricia loved me. She cared for me. I would be safe with her and no one else.
“No you will not be safe with her,” Henri growled, and I realized I had been speaking aloud.
“Why do you care?” I asked slowly, my thoughts coming slowly. “Patricia loves me.”
“I don’t care, but neither does she.”
No, that wasn’t true. My Patricia would care for me and take care of me. She would help me find my brother. I must not listen to this man. I felt Patricia’s voice in my mind, whispering soothing words to me. Yes, my Patricia loved me and would take care of me forever. Yes, forever.
“Look at me!” Henri roared, and my eyes jerked up to his face. I felt the blood flow faster down my neck and I was growing quickly light-headed. “You will die! Is that what you want?” I shook my head automatically. Of course I didn’t want to die. Why was he asking such a question?
He nodded his head and in the blink of an eye he pressed his mouth against my neck, drinking deeply from the blood that poured freely down my neck. I felt faint, as though I was going to pass out. How was that possible, if this was a dream? Henri licked my neck, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. He held his bleeding wrist in front of my face, urging me to drink without saying a word. The room was growing dark and suddenly I knew that I was dying. His blood would save me from death. I grasped his wrist and drank the blood, wondering briefly if I was damning myself.
I woke with a jerk, grasping my neck in a panic. The sky was still dark and I was still in the Hummer, but it was no longer moving. Patricia was leaning over me, her chin dripping blood. I scooted away from her, backing into the door of the truck. Wet blood covered the front of my shirt and the memory of my dream was quickly coming back to me. “Do not tell her of our encounter,” Henri’s voice echoed in my mind.
“Who was it?” Patricia asked, her voice dripping with menace. She grabbed my face, forcing me to look into her pitch black eyes. “I know there is another. Tell me who! Who was in your dream? Answer me truthfully.”
I felt a tug at my mind and felt the urge to answer her, to tell her everything, but I managed to bite back the answer. “What?” I squeaked out.
She leaned away from me, frowning. “Who was in your dream?”
I shook my head and frowned back at her. “I don’t remember any dream,” I lied, the words coming swiftly from my lips. I felt as though I had been in a fog and it was suddenly clearing. “What happened to my shirt?”
“Don’t worry about that, dear,” she responded, smiling as she brushed a hand across my cheek. I fought the urge to pull away from her, knowing that I needed to play along. I had a feeling that my life depended on it. “Go get cleaned up in the bathroom,” she ordered.
I opened the door to the Hummer and walked toward the bathrooms. We were in a rest area and the only sound was that of a semi-truck idling nearby. I walked into the bathroom and winced at the fluorescent lights. I hurriedly emptied my bladder before moving to the sink to clean myself up. I was pale and almost green looking, with blood drying my neck and shoulder. How close to death had I been?
I was pulling the sweater off over my head when Patricia walked in behind me. Her face was clean of blood and her eyes were once more a normal brown color. A clean black shirt was draped over one arm. She took the blood-soaked sweater from my hands, and I pulled off the camisole as well and handed it to her. I washed quickly in the sink, using paper towels to get all the dried blood off my skin before putting the clean shirt on.
I tried not to look too closely at myself with Patricia staring at me, but I did notice two sets of bite marks on my neck. There were four holes in my neck! I was not happy about that at all, but I pretended there was nothing wrong, smiling happily at Patricia in the mirror. Patricia patted me on the head as though I was a pet, and ushered me back to the Hummer.
I climbed in and waited for Patricia to start the truck. The clock on the dash said it was a quarter after four in the morning. “Where are we?” I asked as we pulled out onto the road.
“Eastern Washington,” she responded.
“I thought my brother was in Walla Walla.”
She shook her head, but her eyes remained on the road. “No, I said your brother was near Walla Walla. We drove through Walla Walla over an hour ago. We’re close to him now though. I can feel it.”
I didn’t respond to her comment, but it bugged me. What did that mean that she could feel it? Had she fed off my brother as well? Considering what she’d done to me, I could hardly be surprised. Jed had warned me not to trust vampires, and what did I do? I got in a vehicle with the first vampire I met. Then I let her bite me. Stupid, I thought, very stupid.
My thoughts drifted to my brother. I wondered what Patricia wanted from him. I knew she wasn’t going to tell me, so I’d just have to wait until I saw Justin and ask him myself. The Hummer slowed down and I peered out into the darkness, but all I saw were what looked like fields. Patricia suddenly veered off the road and I had to grab the door handle to steady myself. She slowed the truck as we skidded down a stretch of gravel road, bouncing with the many potholes. There didn’t seem to be markers of any kind indicating where we were.
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br /> After about ten minutes of driving Patricia veered the truck off the road, her headlights illuminating nothing but dead grass. We bounced over rocks and uneven ground and my seatbelt jerked tight around me. Several minutes later she pulled the Hummer to a stop in front of an old rundown farmhouse. A barn stood several feet from the house, half its roof caved in. Weeds and bushes were growing up through the dilapidated porch of the house and it looked like no one had lived there in quite some time.
Patricia turned off the engine and sat tapping her fingernails on the steering wheel. She looked at me thoughtfully and reached into the back seat, pulling out a thick black vest. She tossed the vest into my lap and I grunted with the weight of it. I undid my seatbelt and hefted the vest, looking at it closely in the dim light the headlights provided.
“Is this what I think it is?” I asked as I pulled the vest around my shoulders and began cinching it together.
“Kevlar,” she replied simply.
As soon as I had the vest on, Patricia handed me a black duffel bag. I unzipped it and reached into the bag. I pulled the first item out and felt my heart thud faster in my chest. “Why do I need a gun and a bullet proof vest?” I asked.
“I sense your brother is near, but he’s not alone. This is just a precaution,” she replied, before turning to face me fully, her eyes going black. “You will not shoot me or harm me in any way. You will guard me with your life. You will attack only on my command. Do you understand?”
I nodded, feeling a strange pressure on my head. I had a bizarre urge to strap the gun to my side and jump in front of bullets to protect Patricia. No, I wasn’t going to do that. I am my own person. I control me, no one else. I swallowed hard and put the gun holster on across my shoulders, feeling odd as I placed the gun under my arm. I had shot a few guns, but I wasn’t very comfortable with them.
I reached back into the bag and pulled out the last item, a long knife. The knife was in a leather holster of some kind that had long ties coming off it. “It’s a blessed knife,” Patricia said as I examined the rough leather-bound handle and slowly pulled the knife out of its holster. “It’s very old, and also very sharp. Strap it to your leg and do not remove it unless my life is in danger.”
I slid the knife back into the holster and held the knife against my right leg, wrapping the ties around my thigh and cinching them tight. What were we getting into that I needed a knife, a gun and a bulletproof vest? I glanced over at Patricia, who was staring out into the night. I looked where she was looking, but I could see nothing beyond the glow of our headlights.
Patricia flipped off the headlights and I blinked at the sudden darkness. “Let’s go find your brother, dear,” she said softly as she jumped out of the Hummer.
I followed suit a moment later, quietly shutting the door behind me. I glanced around nervously, wondering if I should be carrying the gun in my hand or leave it in the holster. I’d never imagined myself in such a situation. Patricia’s precautions were making me nervous, and I shivered involuntarily. I had a very bad feeling about this.
Chapter 13
Patricia walked toward the farmhouse and I scurried behind her. She’d gone to the effort to put a vest on me, so I guessed Patricia wanted to keep me alive, for now. Of course, she’d also ordered me to protect her with my life, so maybe she just wanted me to stay alive long enough for her to get out. No matter, Patricia was a vampire and could likely handle whatever it was that might be out here.
I shivered again as a cold chill ran up my spine and Patricia stopped in her tracks, turning to look behind me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I whipped around, stumbling back into Patricia. Two men stood side by side, smiling widely to show off their sharp fangs. I stared at the men for several seconds, realizing I recognized one of them.
“Jin?” I asked the shorter man. “Jin Hao?”
He turned his black eyes to me, and smiled suddenly in recognition. “Izzy, it’s so good to see you. Your brother has been worried sick about you.”
“Justin? Where is he?” I asked, scanning the area nervously.
“Oh, he’s off with Sarah. You know how those two are,” he replied with a grin.
Justin said Sarah was gone, which I had figured meant dead. I glanced at Patricia, wondering if she could shed light on what was happening, but she had her eyes focused solely on the two vampires. I turned my attention back to them as I slowly backed up. “So Justin is around here?”
“He’s close. We can take you to him,” Jin replied as he took a step toward me.
Patricia took a step forward and pushed me behind her. “You’re not taking her anywhere. Who are you working for?” Patricia asked.
Jin glanced at the other man, who stood still with his arms crossed. The other man looked military, with a short buzz cut and black cargo pants. He also carried a gun in a holster similar to mine. Unlike me, this guy probably knew how to use his gun. Not that he needed it, being a vampire.
“We work for NuvaDrug,” Jin replied with a shrug. “Mitch here works security. Izzy can tell you all about it. I’m a researcher working with Justin. He and I are in the middle of a very important project, but that’s strictly classified.”
Patricia shook her head in front of me. I was pretty sure she was looking for a different answer. “Let us try again, shall we? Who made you?”
Jin frowned thoughtfully, stroking his chin as though he was in serious thought. “Well, that’s quite the philosophical question. I don’t know if we have time to answer that before the sun comes up. I suppose it depends on your personal beliefs. Do you believe in God?”
“That is not what I’m asking, and you know it,” Patricia snapped. I took an extra step backward. I didn’t want to be anywhere near an angry vampire. “What vampire turned you?” she asked, biting off each word.
“Oh, that’s what you want to know. Sorry, but I’m not allowed to say. I don’t believe you’re on the approved list. I’ll have to check. What was your name?”
“I am Patricia Von Deeten, and even a newbie such as you should know my name.”
Mitch flinched visibly at Patricia’s words and cast a worried glance at Jin. Obviously Mitch had heard of Patricia, and by the way he was fingering the butt of his gun, I guessed it was not favorable. Jin was smiling and flipping an imaginary notepad in his hands, seeming oblivious to Mitch’s concerned looks.
He ran a finger down his palm and then shook his head. “Sorry, there’s no Patricia Von Deeten on my list,” he replied, still staring at his hand. He closed his imaginary notepad and smiled back at Patricia. “I’ll have to ask my supervisor.”
“Who is your supervisor?” Patricia asked sweetly.
“Sarah, of course,” he replied, pulling out a cell phone.
“Jin was the lead researcher,” I whispered under my breath to Patricia, hoping she’d hear me and the other vampires would not. “He was in charge of all the others, including Sarah and Justin.”
“Vampire hierarchy trumps human,” she replied softly without turning to look at me.
Jin wandered off, talking animatedly into the cell phone. I stared at Mitch, trying to place him. I knew most of the people Justin worked with, but I didn’t remember meeting him. The only members of security for NuvaDrug I had met were Kirk and Jared, but they had been friends of Justin’s before joining the company. Most of the other people I had met were researchers, or students finishing up their PhDs, like Sarah had been.
“Where’s Justin?” I whispered back to Patricia.
There were no lights on in the house behind us, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in there. “He’s somewhere behind us,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder at me. “He’s been moving steadily away from us.”
Why was Justin moving away from us? I turned with the intention of going after Justin, but Patricia put a restraining hand on my arm. “He’s moving too fast for you to catch up. Do not worry so much, my dear. We will find him.”
I turned back around, watching Jin impatiently. Patricia se
emed calm and relaxed, but I was on edge. The sky was beginning to lighten and I wondered what the vampires were going to do when the sun rose. Jin finally got off the phone and stuffed it into his pocket. With each passing moment I was able to see more details as the early pre-dawn light illuminated the sky. Jin looked yellow to me, almost jaundiced. His eyes were two black spheres and his lips were gray. Mitch looked pretty much normal to me, except for slightly paler than usual skin, black eyes, and of course a nice set of fangs.
“Well, I spoke with the boss,” Jin said as he bounced back to us. “Sarah wants Izzy here alive, but she said she didn’t care if you lived or died.”
Patricia nodded her head as though she had expected it. I backed up a couple more steps, wanting to put some space between me and the vampires. “Isabella, come back here,” Patricia ordered.
I stopped in my tracks, feeling that strange tug at my brain. My left foot took a step forward and I silently cursed under my breath. I could feel her power moving me forward, but I was aware of it. Whatever had happened with Henri Donovan in my dream had given me a measure of control against the vampire influence, but it wasn’t perfect. My feet slowly shuffled forward of their own volition, moving up beside Patricia. Damn, this wasn’t good. Patricia was going to use me as a shield, I just knew it.
I had barely reached Patricia when I felt a gust of wind as Jin and Mitch suddenly moved. I’d never seen anything like it. It was like watching two tornadoes collide. There was a swirl of dust and a blur of colors as all three vampires moved. Mitch was suddenly beside me, pulling me back toward the house. I stumbled backward, my eyes transfixed on the sight before me as Mitch tugged me behind him. He dropped me onto the porch of the house and pulled out his gun.
All I could see were streaks of red from Patricia’s sweater, mixed with streaks of black from Jin’s clothes. Jin suddenly went flying through the air, crashing into the house beside us. Patricia stalked toward him at a normal pace, looking perfect as usual. Gun shots rang in my ears, and I ducked down, putting my hands over my head as Mitch emptied his clip beside me. I cautiously peeked up when the gunfire stopped.
