Grave Illusions

by Lina Gardiner

  To her utter amazement, the words seemed to stun Prometheus. He halted and stared at her through eyes that didn’t appear to really see her. Then he began swaying rhythmically, as if the words were driving him deeper into the abyss of pleasure only a vampire can know.

  The ancient text was alleged to have a strange affect on true vampires, vampires who existed from the beginning of time, but the words didn’t affect her. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because she’d been saved by her brother. Or maybe it was because she was the one speaking the words.

  If legend was true, the text would mesmerize him, but only for a moment. The words called to the rushing of the vampire’s adrenaline. The thirst for blood. In retrospect, maybe not such a good idea in a situation like this, but at least it had given her a window of time to prepare.

  Seconds later, the pleasure left his eyes. He took one long breath and lowered his head. Those glowing eyes glared at her from half-lowered eyelids while he ripped a headstone from the ground and threw it at her.

  It missed her by millimeters, shattering on the ground beside her.

  Shards of stone showered her, and she raised her arm to protect her face. If he expected this little escapade to slow her down, he was very much mistaken. She was ready for whatever he’d try to do. Given the advantage of a few seconds, she’d already tensed to spring at him, while at the same time aiming her double edged silver dagger at his heart. He might have expected her heel spike, but he’d be getting another surprise instead. Since he was in that semi-trance when she took the knife out, he probably didn’t even notice she held it.

  She threw it. It was buried in his chest before he knew what hit him. The force of it knocked him backwards. His head slammed against the edge of a marble statue, and for a second, blood spurted down the front of his face.

  The knife hadn’t hit dead-on or he’d be dust right now. But it had caused enough of an injury to slow him down and make him quiet. That might be good, might be bad. If she’d managed to nick a piece of his heart, he’d be severely debilitated.

  She watched with astonishment as he dragged the dagger out of his chest. His strength astounded her. Before she could react, the knife whizzed past her head, missing her by inches, and driving into the oak tree beside her.

  The glow had gone out of his eyes, and he’d turned a slug gray. The other vampires moved in front of him, circling to protect him, and cutting off her chance of finishing him.

  Strangely, the final glance he cast in her direction didn’t resemble either hatred or anger.

  Not one of the vampires stayed to fight her. They left in order to protect their wounded master. Things might have been different if she hadn’t done a good job at slowing Prometheus down.

  Looking down at her side she snorted in disgust because she, too, had been injured pretty badly. Her left side was a reddish-purple mass of torn flesh and arteries, and he had ruined a perfectly good leather jacket.

  Damn, it smarted.

  A deep breath tore through her, making her side throb anew. Unfortunately, she might have hurt the big guy, but he’d live to fight another day. And he’d be even less agreeable the next time they met.

  Glancing around the darkness, her heart stuttered to a stop at the sudden realization that Britt was no here to be seen.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jess found Britt lying on the ground beneath a massive tombstone. It had been tipped over, roots and dark earth torn up with it. The musky scent of humus filled the air.

  His eyes were closed and he looked beyond pale as she flew to his side. She lifted his head and bit back the urge to beg him to be okay. When his eyes fluttered, she lowered her head in silent thanks.

  When she opened her eyes again he was looking at her.

  “Jess! Thank God you’re all right,” he said, heaving an audible sigh of relief. He looked sheepish lying there, but the way he was pinned he couldn’t get up without help.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “No, I don’t think so. It’s a good thing my leg sank into the ground under the stone. If the earth hadn’t given way after they ripped out the tombstone, I’d be a lot worse.”

  Jess grabbed the edge of the marble with one hand and lifted it easily.

  “Why were your eyes closed?” she asked. “Were you unconscious?”

  “No. I fell asleep,” he joked. How else could he save face? Big heroic cop trapped under a tombstone leaving beautiful vampire to battle evil monster on her own “It’s been quite a while since I killed the guy and no one came along, so…” A valiant attempt to get up failed and he dropped back to the ground. When he began rubbing at his legs, she realized they’d lost their circulation.

  Cute come back. She wanted to laugh out loud. Laughter twice in one day. Not even possible. “I guess you weren’t overly traumatized if you were able to sleep after that.” She played along with his story.

  “I knew you’d handle the rest,” he said. In reality she could see the sweat on his forehead and upper arms. His T-shirt was nearly saturated. He’d been trying with everything he had to get free and come to her assistance. It was obvious he didn’t like being the impotent man trapped under the headstone.

  His breath was coming in shallow gasps when he moved his legs. Though she didn’t exactly remember the sensation, she knew pins and needles could be quite painful. He also had a nasty looking black bruise on the side of his ankle. She hoped it was only sprained, but realized it could be broken. That would be a setback.

  “There are many types of strength, Britt. Don’t get all blubbery on me when I tell you this, but you passed the final test—top of the class.”

  “Test?”

  “Everyone on my team has to prove to me, personally, that they’re worthy before I sanction them as a team member. You’ve passed the test.”

  “And if I’d failed?”

  “You’d be dead.”

  “That’s comforting. I can see why you didn’t mention the final exam to my fellow classmates.”

  “Be careful. Just try out your foot. Don’t put too much weight on it case it’s broken.”

  He gingerly put his foot down. “Feels a little sore, but it’s not too bad.”

  Now that she knew he was okay, she put some distance between them. She crossed her arms and looked him over casually. Hard to believe that only minutes ago, she’d nearly fallen apart when she’d seen him lying there pale and, in her mind, injured. She didn’t have those kinds of feelings. Or she hadn’t had them until he came along.

  Britt ran one hand through his hair to dislodge the pine needles. “Fighting vampires isn’t easy.”

  “No, it isn’t at all easy. In fact, if I didn’t have to, I wouldn’t have humans on my team. But, for some strange reason, most vampires aren’t exactly vying to kill off their own kind. It’s an unfair advantage vampire versus human. We’re stronger, faster, and we don’t have to carry weapons—we have them built in. There’s no choice, though. It’s either people or nothing. That’s why I work my teams so hard; train them to the best of my ability. I hate to lose anyone.”

  She scanned his shirt and pants which were in tatters. He wasn’t bloody, just scratched and bruised.

  “Hell, if you hadn’t trained me, there’s no way I would have survived tonight. Since I don’t have vampire speed or strength on my side, technique is the only thing I can count on. It paid off.”

  “Good for you.”

  “And you? I take it you got Prometheus?”

  She leaned her head back and cleared her throat, swallowing back her anger. “This would be a good time to avoid asking questions.” She twisted her head to the left and grimaced. Just being reminded of her failure sent her blood soaring through the roof. “I hurt him, but he got away. Again.”

  “You’ll get him the next time.” His expression contorted and he gasped when his gaze lowered to her side. “Oh my God, you’re badly hurt.”

  She glanced down. The wound did look nasty. Even though he’d seen her injured before, he pr
obably didn’t realize the full scope of her healing powers. Watching his reaction made her realize he no longer saw her as a monster. He actually cared about what happened to her. That made her realize something else. Whether or not she wanted it, he threw her off kilter. Maybe she liked it better when he found her abhorrent.

  Her only recourse now was to stare him down with her meanest look. She couldn’t allow him to care about her. He needed to be reminded she was a monster. Not some warm-blooded woman he could ask out on a date. As much as she wanted to feel like a human being again, they could never have that kind of relationship. “I’m fine,” she said, her tone dripping irritation.

  She really wanted to tell him to back off because he made her feel. Something she couldn’t do. Since becoming a vampire, the only person who’d made her feel was her beloved brother, Regent.

  Britt let his hands drop and he backed off. There was no doubt he’d felt the brush off, and it was obvious he didn’t like it. A muscle bunched up in his jaw when he got really angry. And his eyes became dark, and cold. But even so, that anger didn’t feel like it was projected at her.

  He walked around a little, as though testing his leg, all the while putting distance between them.

  “Don’t worry about me, it’s already healing,” she told him.

  Spreading her hand over her side to hide the wound, she thought about how it must look to him. People had a tendency to get all worked up when they saw bloody torsos ripped open. Of course, even if she told him it was just a flesh wound, given the amount of tissue damage, he’d never believe it would be completely healed by tomorrow or the next day.

  With disgust, she looked down at her side again, hating the sight of her own gaping wound. Not because of the injury, but because it separated her from the living person she’d been fifty years ago.

  “Let’s get out of here,” she said.

  She headed for the truck. Britt limped beside her as they made their way through the damaged headstones.

  “Tell me more about the vampire who grabbed you,” she said when they’d walked halfway across the cemetery. She’d expected him to boast about how he’d taken down the vamp, but he hadn’t said a word. She decided she liked that.

  “First of all, I got the distinct impression he was in a hurry to get away from you. I think he was concerned about what you might do to him. I don’t think he thought I would be much of a threat.” he grinned. “That was his first mistake.”

  “Apparently.”

  “His second mistake was assuming he could take his time killing me.”

  “So how’d you get him?” She shot him an approving glance. He’d done very well tonight. He was bruised and battered, and his torn shirt exposed way too much of those rock hard abs for her liking.

  He lifted the stick he was using as a cane. “I used a hawthorn stake.”

  A night owl screeched deep inside the forest beyond and a soft breeze picked up and blew her hair around.

  “It’d work better if it had some silver in it,” she told him. “Remember, in class we discussed the fact that silver reacts with our blood. Makes vampire blood do all kinds of nasty, bubbly, burny things.”

  Killing a vampire had to be hard on him. Even though he had shot one criminal in the line of duty, deliberately killing a person, vampire or not, had to affect him. He was playing tough cop right now, but he’d go home and lick his wounds. Make peace with what he had to do, and move on. She knew from experience that it got easier with time. Ironically, for the past year he’d thought he was a murderer, then found out tonight he probably hadn’t killed his partner. Then he’d had to kill a vampire.

  She could see every sinew through his shirt. His muscles were tense. He was tense. It had been a difficult night for him. Hell, it had been a difficult night for her. She’d fought Prometheus alone and was still around to talk about it.

  Britt’s angry expression had faded and the way he was looking at her right now told her everything she needed to know. And everything she wanted to avoid. His humanity seemed to exacerbate her latent desire to protect him from the horrors of her world. It pained her to know she was the one who had turned him into a killer, for real.

  “I have to talk to you before we go anywhere, Jess.” His gaze actually smoldered over her, and his tongue flicked out over his full, sensuous mouth. She couldn’t tear her gaze away.

  “I’m listening,” she said, sounding oddly breathless.

  “Ah, hell,” he ground out as he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her toward him. “I’m sorry about the way I treated you when you told me you were a vampire. I … I just want you to know I don’t feel that way now.”

  “Forget about it. It was a natural reaction.” Not really, because she didn’t let many people know what she was. Only special people she thought she could trust. But she wouldn’t tell him that.

  “I’d like to prove that I have gotten over those misguided beliefs.” His voice deepened in a way that made her suspicious and curious at the same time. He led her to the truck, and opened her door. But before she got inside, he took her into his arms. She let him mold her body against his, wound and all. He felt strong and so damn warm.

  She closed her eyes and waited for his hot breath to fan her face, her mouth. To taste him. Not like that time on the sidewalk. This time, she’d be tasting the man who wanted to kiss her even though he knew she was a vampire. If anyone had told her a month ago it was possible for a human to want her, she would have said it was inconceivable.

  Their lips met and, strangely, Jess felt warm inside. Blood surged through her and she felt desires that she hadn’t felt since she was alive. His hot, demanding mouth made her realize how much she’d missed being a woman. How much she’d enjoyed the touch of a man before she’d been turned.

  While his hands wandered down her back to her hips, he nuzzled her from her chin to her earlobe. She arched against him and tasted him, savoring every nuance, every touch.

  When car lights caught them in their beams, they pulled apart like guilty teenagers.

  “You two. This ain’t no lover’s lane, it’s a cemetery. The two of you git.” An aged man, wearing a cardigan that had seen better days, parked his car and got out. He shook his head as he walked past them. A security guard, apparently on his rounds. “Ain’t you two a little old for nooky in a cemetery?”

  Jess snickered and leaned closer to Britt’s ear. “Imagine what the old fellow would say if he’d seen the two of us in the middle of battle a few minutes ago. Or he knew how old I really am.”

  “Yes sir, we’re leaving.” Britt held the truck door and waited for Jess to get in. “Hurry before he sees that gash on your side or realizes the cemetery’s been trashed. We don’t want to be taken to the station. Especially not when we’re onto Randy. We don’t want anything to slow us down now. I want to catch that son-of-a bitch.”

  “We will. We’re going to find out exactly what the hell’s going on.”

  On the drive back to the city Britt couldn’t stop thinking about how weird his life had become. He’d just spent the evening in the cemetery with a beautiful vampire. They’d battled and won. And now he wanted to claim his prize. Of course, he shouldn’t have kissed Jess, but, damnit, she’d enjoyed it too.

  The other night, when Regent had told him how lonely Jess was, Britt had felt a spark of concern even though he still hadn’t come to terms with what she was. He’d wondered how any man could ever consider a vampire a needy person.

  Now he couldn’t keep lusty thoughts about her out of his head. With a ragged sigh he gripped the steering wheel as they turned onto the main highway.

  “It’s been quite a night for you,” Jess said.

  “Yeah, a night I’ll never forget.” He could feel her focus on him. Vampire or not, she was his commander and he shouldn’t have kissed her. Especially on duty. She had every right to fire his ass.

  “Adrenaline really gets pumping after a good fight like that, doesn’t it?” she said. “Sometimes it makes a person d
o crazy things. Risky things they wouldn’t do normally.”

  “It does.” His heart sank.

  “You and I accomplished one hell of a coup tonight. We fought off those vampires and sent them running. One human and one vampire—we did it together. Enough to make any combatant’s blood soar,” she said.

  “I have the feeling I know where this conversation is going. I kissed you, okay? It’s no big deal. I know I shouldn’t have, but I don’t regret it. If you really think it’s necessary, we can just forget it happened.”

  She was silent a moment. “In the future, we should keep things on a professional basis.”

  Hard to do when he remembered that sexy body pressed against him. All leather with just the right amount of cleavage showing to drive him to distraction. She was firm—and soft—in all the right places. She smelled like heaven, not something he would’ve expected of a vampire. But she was no ordinary vampire. Now that he’d tasted her lips, he wanted more. How could he convince her that it was all right to make love with him? Was she afraid she might get carried away?

  It didn’t matter. He’d never convince her of his true feelings tonight. They had business to attend to. It was time to get back into cop mode.

  The instant he regained his momentum, a thought struck him. “If Randy’s wife is dead, who’s looking after their kid?”

  “Very good question. We should look into that. I’ll call Drake in the morning and ask him to do some checking.”

  Britt and his wife had tried to conceive a child before their marriage had gone from bad to worse. Thank God he’d been too busy at work to put much of an effort into it. He couldn’t imagine bringing a child into an unhappy home. And a child wouldn’t have fixed their problems.

  He shuddered to think what Randy’s infant might have had to endure after its mother had died. Given the fact that Randy’s wife had been buried in the ground before being moved to the crypt, it would be difficult to tell how long she’d even been dead.

  He sucked in a long breath and held it. Surely to God Randy wouldn’t have left the child in the house alone? To starve? Would a vampire care about his offspring?