“Well, whoever you are, I will only be here for awhile. I hope you don’t mind,” I spoke out loud, feeling a little foolish.
Returning to the kitchen, I did my best to ignore the creaking as I finished cleaning the glass.
Suddenly, the sound of cackling laughter filled the room.
I refused to turn around. My hands started trembling that I had to set the glass down. A chair that rocked by itself was one thing, but this was something else altogether.
Just as I was getting ready to face whatever or whoever might be sitting in the chair, the laughter faded and the creaking stopped.
Holding my breath, I waited for something else to happen, but all was still. When I could finally breathe again, I forced myself to go back to what I’d been doing.
I didn’t mind the going into hiding part, too much anyway, but the getting haunted part wasn’t so good.
Several minutes went by with no further disturbances so I relaxed a little. Passing the time wasn’t going to be easy. I’d been completely unprepared to hide out someplace, so I hadn’t brought a book to read. There was no internet reception, so reading on my phone wasn’t an option, even if it wasn’t going dead.
Brushing as much of the dust from the couch as I could, I decided to try and get some rest. There was no telling when Alec would return, so I figured I might as well take advantage of the situation.
The last few days must have caught up with me because within minutes, I was falling into a deep sleep, but it wasn’t a normal sleep.
Slipping into a lucid dream, I could see myself through a thick haze. I was a child again, only five years old. My mother was there too.
Mom was sitting on the park bench, watching me play. I was trying to swing from a rope that was attached to the monkey bars, but I had blisters on my hands. The monkey bars always gave me blisters.
I notice that it is getting dark.
I’m confused. We are never at the park at night. Mom always said that it was too dangerous to visit the playground after dark.
The painful blisters on my hands caused me to slip and fall into the sand below. My scraped knees were stinging so bad that I started to whimper.
Suddenly, there was a man kneeling beside me - a strange man that I’d never seen before. He was wearing a long black coat. The man had dark hair that hung to his shoulders, which was a style I didn’t see too often.
The really scary part was his eyes. They were almost completely black, and his skin was so pale that I wondered if he might be a ghost.
“Hello, Nicole,” he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Hi,” I answered, as I was stealing a quick glance at my mom.
My mother was still on the park bench and she seemed to be watching us closely.
I wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers, but since my mom could see what was happening, I thought it must be okay.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Just a little,” I told him, getting to my feet and wiping away the tears that were rolling down my cheeks.
The stranger’s eyes were drawn to the small amount of blood on my knees.
“You’re a very pretty little girl,” he said, raising his eyes until they locked with mine.
“Thank you,” I replied, my words sounded strange because I was missing a front tooth.
Then the man took my hand in his. I was instantly repelled by the coolness of his hand, but I didn’t pull away. That would be rude, and Mom always said that I shouldn’t be rude to others.
“I will come back and see you another time,” he promised.
Then the man led me to the park bench where Mom was waiting.
“Did you hurt yourself, Nicole?” Mom asked.
“Only a little,” I told her, shaking my head.
I turned to look for the stranger so I could ask Mom who he was, but he was gone.
That’s where the memory ended and the strange images took over.
Right where the man had been standing, there was now an old lady sitting in a rocking chair. She moved it back and forth as she stared at me. He caramel-colored face was deeply lined, but it was her dark eyes that showed her age. They seemed to reflect several lifetimes of wisdom.
She was such a tiny woman and so old and frail that I was sure the slightest gust of wind would blow her away.
“Now ya listen to ole Bellea, girl.” The woman’s voice was coarse but clear. “Ya need ta find dat man.”
Suddenly, there was a strong blast of wind and the woman dissolved, scattering like the sand in the playground.
Gasping for air, I jumped up from the sofa. I was overcome with the feeling that I’d died for an instant and then came back from the dead. It was a struggle just to get air into my lungs.
When my breathing returned to normal, I realized it was morning. I’d only meant to rest my eyes for a few minutes, but I’d been so exhausted that I must have fallen asleep.
Why wasn’t Alec back yet?
Stepping out to the rickety porch, I shielded my eyes from the rising sun and scanned the swamp for any sign of life.
The swamp was beautiful, in an eerie sort of way. In the distance, a gator was sunbathing on the bank, but not too far from the shack, I saw the head of one of the reptiles sink below the waterline.
I sure didn’t want to try and get out of here on my own. But even if I’d wanted to, it was impossible. I didn’t even have a boat and trying to find my way through the swamp would be crazy. Just the thought of running into a gator made me cringe, especially the extra large ones. I’d rather take on an entire nest of vampires than one single alligator.
What a strange place for someone to want to live.
Suddenly, the dream came back in vivid detail.
I hadn’t thought of the man in the park for years, so why dream about him?
As a child, I’d been confused, but I eventually forgot about the man. He never did return, as he’d promised.
Bellea being in my dream could be explained. After all, I was in her house.
And I was sure that’s exactly who the old lady was. It did make sense that I would dream about her, since that’s who I’d been thinking about, but I couldn’t shake the feeling the woman was trying to tell me something about the man in the park?
Maybe it was time I asked my mother about the man?
Sighing, I went back inside. No matter how I tried to relax, the anxiety and fear wouldn’t leave me alone. I couldn’t help but worry that something had happened to Alec and Ethan.
Chapter Four
Alec
By the time I left the Cell, there was only an hour before dawn; too late to make the trip out to retrieve Nicole. Although I wasn’t comfortable with her being out there alone, there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. The limitations put on me by the sun was one of the worst things about being a vampire. There were times when I had to admire Ethan for his refusal to accept his fate, and this was one of those times.
The streets of New Orleans were dead so my trip back to the Garden District was quick. I was accustomed to seeing the streets so void of life, but could it be something Nicole would get used to? To love a vampire meant living life after the sun went down. I’d never been able to bring myself to pull a woman into that kind of hell.
Inevitably, this was my first thought as soon as I felt a woman wiggling her way into my heart. But with Nicole it was different. She hadn’t wiggled her way in. Nicole blasted her way in.
It was the only way I could explain why her fate mattered so much. She’d gotten under my skin without me even realizing it.
I felt the presence of another vampire, even before I pulled up to my house. Sure enough, it was Victor. He was one of those vampires with an aura so strong that it could be felt from a distance. I still wasn’t sure if what I felt in his aura was bad, good, or just somewhere in between. Either way, Victor wasn’t someone I trusted, especially since he’d been working with Omar.
Victor was leaning with his back against a tree near my drivew
ay. He had his arms folded across his chest as if he’d been waiting for quite some time.
As soon as I got out of the car, he walked over to me.
“What are you doing here again?” I asked, arching one brow. “It can’t be that you have another threat or warning from Omar. I just left him and he already delivered plenty of those.”
Victor shook his head. “Nope. I was just told to watch your house in case you brought the girl back here.”
Determined to ignore him, I started for the front door.
“You know, Alec, your loyalty to this girl is going to cost you,” Victor warned. “Not that I blame you. What I saw when I was in her head was sweet,” Victor’s smile was more of a leer. “Tell me, Alec, have you fucked her yet? Is she as sweet in the flesh?”
My jaw tightened as the anger boiled up inside of me. I was completely aware that I was being baited. Omar wanted to know what it was about Nicole that was so important to me. Someone like him could never accept that an immortal might look at a human female as more than just a food source.
Stopping abruptly, I turned to face Victor. ‘What I do or don’t do with Nicole is not your concern. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the hell out of here while I’m still willing to let you go,” I said, pushing the words through clenched teeth.
“Oh come on! You can share,” Victor smirked. “I’ll bet she’s one hot bitch, isn’t she.”
White-hot anger coursed through my veins and my fist made contact with Victor’s jaw before he saw it coming.
Victor hit the ground.
Blood spurted from Victor’s lip. Although vampires can bleed, it never lasted long. Right before my eyes, his lip began to heal.
“Hell! You didn’t have to do that,” Victor grumbled as he rubbed his jaw.
“Don’t think I’m not aware that you’re the reason for Omar’s interest in Nicole. You had to have said something to draw his attention to her,” I said, my voice laced with rage.
Victor got to his feet and brushed off the dead leaves that were sticking to his leather clothes. “Omar knows a lot more than what you think. Probably more than you do.”
Turning away, I made my way to the front door.
“You can’t protect her forever!” Victor called after me.
Ignoring him, I closed the door.
He was right. I would not always be around to protect her. The only way to keep her safe was to find out why Omar wanted her.
Chapter Five
Nicole
Twilight comes on rapidly in the swamps.
Dragging one of the old wooden kitchen chairs out to the porch, I waited for Alec. By now, I was frantic with worry. As darkness gathered around the little shack, it was beginning to look as if I’d be spending another night out here and I dreaded it.
But then I heard the low hum of an engine and my heart skipped a beat.
Some of my anxiety faded when I saw Alec maneuvering a boat around some trees that protruded out over the water. A moment later, he was at the dock and the engine went silent.
I flew down the stairs to greet him. When he stepped onto the dock, I totally lost control, throwing my arms around his neck and lightly brushing his lips with a kiss.
My reaction to seeing him again was a surprise, even to me. The moment I saw him, I felt as if a heavy weight had lifted from my heart.
He was safe!
“I thought something might have happened to you, “I said, stepping away from him.
Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me close again. “Why do you do this to me, Nicole?” he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
Tilting my head back, I stared up at him. “Do what?” I asked, putting on an innocent smile.
He stared down at me with those stunning eyes that sent heat rushing through my body whenever I looked at them.
Alec brought a hand up and gently caressed my cheeks with the back of his fingers. “You are as beautiful as you are innocent.”
My cheeks grew hot. Not only was I unaccustomed to being showered with compliments, but I wasn’t so sure how innocent I actually was, let alone beautiful.
“What about Ethan?” I asked, changing the subject. “Were you able to get him away from Omar?”
Alec shook his head. “I don’t think they are keeping him at the Cell like I believed.”
“So now what? Do you think they’ve done something to him?”
“Will you take me to your vampire friend?” he asked, without answering my question.
This was troubling. Alec didn’t seem nearly as confident about Ethan’s fate as he had last night.
“Now?” I asked.
He nodded. “We need more information.”
It was about time he started taking this Light Seeker business more seriously, though I wasn’t even sure why I was taking it seriously, considering I didn’t really understand the first thing about them.
“Let’s go,” I told him. “I’m ready to get out of here.”
Our journey back to New Orleans seemed to take a lot longer than when we’d left the city. As soon as we got close, I directed him to the part of the city where Dash’s tattoo shop was located.
When we reached the waterfront, Alec found a place to park as close to the tattoo shop as possible.
After switching the headlights off, Alec turned to me. “What the hell were you doing in a place like this, alone?”
“I do what I have to do when it comes to helping out a friend.” I shrugged.
Taking my hand in his, we crossed the street to the little run down building. There were lights on, which I assumed meant Dash was there.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, the shop appeared to be empty, but then I saw Dash lying on one of the chairs with his eyes closed.
“Dash,” I called his name loudly, thinking he might be sleeping.
Did vampires sleep?
Another one of those things I didn’t know about vampires.
I added this to my checklist of things to ask Alec.
One of Dash’s eyes popped open. “Oh bloody hell! Not you again! What is this, tempt a vampire week?”
It was then Dash noticed Alec standing behind me.
Jumping to his feet, Dashed backed away; ready to flee at the first sign of movement from Alec. “Hey, I didn’t touch her. I swear!”
“Is that so?” Alec glared at him with a predator’s eyes.
“Well okay,” Dash shrugged his shoulders. “I may have asked for a bit of a taste, but she said no.”
“Relax, we’re not here because of that,” I told him. When I glanced back at Alec, I was surprised at the dark look he was giving Dash.
At least I hoped that wasn’t the reason we were here.
Dash gave us a sheepish grin. “Oh, in that case, how can I help you?”
“I want you to tell me what you know about this alleged, secret of the vampire.” When Alec stepped closer, Dash took a step back.
“I told the girl what I know,” he insisted.
“Well tell me. Where were you when you saw this person who showed you that other dimension?” Alec pushed. “I want more detail.”
“Like I told her,” Dash nodded toward me. “I was riding a motorcycle and saw this little guy walking on the side of the road.”
“Where at?” Alec asked.
“It was Wyoming. Before I came out here to New Orleans,” Dash told him. “We were riding from California.”
Cocking his head to one side, Alec asked, “And how is it you did that, without becoming sick from the sun?”
“I would think we had to ride at night,” Dash said, adding a roll of his eyes.
“Can you take us to this place?”
“What for?” Dash frowned. “That little guy disappeared on me. I can’t see you finding him years later.”
“Can you or not?” Alec asked again.
“Well yeah, I would think so.” Dash shrugged.
Alec’s eyes strayed to the image on Dash’s shoulder. “Why
do you have that tattoo?”
Dash looked down at his shoulder. “It’s one of the things I saw when I was in that other place.”
“What do you mean?” Alec arched one dark brow.
“There were wolf people there?” Dash told him. “Now I admit, it was more of a vision than actually being there.”
“Now we have another one babbling about wolves,” Alec sighed.
“Hey wait! Do you know someone else who saw them?” Dash asked.
Alec just smiled.
Dash folded his large arms in front of him. “I want to know more. You come in here asking all kinds of questions, but don’t want to give up any info. That’s not right.”
“Be ready to leave when we return,” Alec told him.
Dash tilted his head to one side. “I do need some notice. I have a business to run you know.”
Alec looked around the empty tattoo shop and smiled. “I can give you no notice. This could be dangerous, as you should well know.”
Dash nodded. “But I hate to tell you, I do just fine in my business. Just because no one is here right now.”
A smile was tugging at the corners of Alec’s mouth, but he didn’t contradict the other vampire.
“Don’t say a word to anyone,” Alec warned.
Dash brought his fingers up and made a zipping motion over his lips. “As silent as the grave, if you know what I mean? We are, in a way dead, aren’t we?”
“Yeah.” Alec smiled darkly.
Dash walked to his refrigerator and pulled out another one of his bags of red fluid. “Care to try some of my recipe?” he asked, holding up the bag so that Alec could see it.
“What it that stuff?”
I just stood back and smiled; anxious to hear Dash’s sales spill.
“Well, this stuff is made from animal blood and other proteins. It tastes great cold, and will keep for days. This here recipe could really improve the reputation of the vampire.”
Alec’s mouth twisted and he shook his head. “I think I’ll pass, but good luck with that.”
“Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” Dash was offended.
“Be ready,” Alec told him before turning to leave.
“Bye,” I called to Dash over my shoulder.
Dark Seduction: A Vampire Romance (Immortal Legacy Book 2) Page 2
