“Why!” Donovan stormed. “Because you care about her, and not the pleasure she can give you? Or is it the yearning you have to feed on her that keeps you coming back for more? You are a killer, Alec! Make no mistake about it!”
“I would never harm Nicole. I love her,” I added.
Donovan’s eyes seemed to soften slightly. “If you truly love my daughter, I think you know what you must do.”
“Yes.” I nodded. “But it won’t be easy, on either of us.”
“I am sure this is true,” he said with a slight nod of his head. “But her destiny does not include you. It is something much larger than any of us.”
Again I nodded. The truth was, I would have let Nicole go, even we’d had Donovan’s blessing. Nicole had such a beautiful soul and she deserved so much more than what I could ever give her.
Chapter Seventeen
Nicole
I wasn’t too surprised when my father decided to return to New Orleans with us. He claimed he was returning to help us rescue Ethan, but I thought it probably had more to do with keeping an eye on me.
When Donovan finally summoned me from the room, I’d tried to speak with him about Alec, but he’d waved away my argument. As far as he was concerned, the matter was settled.
This made me nervous, especially since he wouldn’t give me any details on how exactly the matter had been settled.
My fears were compounded by how distant Alec had been since we’d left New York.
For now, my father’s presence in the city was to be a secret. He promised that he would visit my mother when the problem with Omar was settled. But for now, I couldn’t even tell my mother he was here. Keeping something like this from her didn’t make me feel too good.
I was dying to tell Mom that Donovan was back, but I did understand the need for secrecy. If Omar found out my father was involved, it could get dangerous, especially for Ethan.
Closing my eyes, I let go of all my thoughts. For the moment, all I wanted to do was relish the feeling of the sun on my skin. I’d been in the dark way too much lately.
Although it was late afternoon, the air was still hot. As it cooled, the scent of flowers grew stronger. Alec’s backyard garden was even more beautiful than the front. A garden of flowers and palms surrounded the sparkling blue pool, filling the air with the aroma of jasmine.
My father and Alec were sleeping in a room that had been specially modified to keep sunlight out. It was the first thing Donovan did when he arrived, but because there was still a possibility of someone opening the door, they slept in coffins. Dash was also staying with Alec.
The three vampires decided that until their business was done, it was best if everyone stuck together. I found it kind of amusing how vampires seemed so much like regular people most of the time. Of course, they didn’t seem so normal when they fed or slept.
The thought of sleeping in a coffin gave me the creeps. I could understand why some vampires chose to go underground. At least there they could sleep in real beds.
No matter how many times I went over the events of the past couple of weeks, I still had difficulty accepting that any of it could be real.
But it was.
Connecting with Jay had been heartbreaking, but uplifting at the same time. Deep down, I knew he was at peace. That knowledge didn’t help it to hurt any less, but it did calm some of the turmoil in my heart.
But then there were the moments when I had my doubts.
Was it possible that I’d imagined the whole thing?
Was my father’s mind powerful enough to create the illusion of talking with the dead?
The only way I would ever know for sure was if I found this other dimension.
And then there were my sisters. The thought of having sisters was kind of exciting, but then I would remember that they had also been sired by a vampire.
What would they be like?
Although the temperature was starting to cool, the pool still looked awfully inviting. Just as I was considering another swim, I got a text message alert.
It was from Mom.
I’m on Rampart and my car won’t start. Do you think you give me a ride home?
Biting my bottom lip, I looked at the sky. It wouldn’t be too long before the sun started going down. It was possible that I could make it there and back before dark, but what if I didn’t?
Both Alec and my father were adamant that I shouldn’t leave the house after dark.
Really, I didn’t see where I had a lot of choice. It wasn’t as if I could just leave my mother stranded.
Sighing, I got up and started for the house. At the very least, I would have to change out of my swimsuit.
Before getting dressed, I sent a text back to tell Mom that I would get there as soon as I could.
I decided to just throw a sundress over my swimsuit instead of getting dressed. It would save a lot of time. Next, I searched the kitchen for a piece of paper and a pen so that I could leave Alec a note, but there wasn’t a pen anywhere to be found.
The kitchen looked as if it had never been used, and it probably hadn’t. At least Alec had probably never used it.
Maybe I didn’t even have to leave a note. After all, Alec seemed to be pretty good at finding me whenever he wanted.
But, what if something went wrong?
Not leaving a note to tell them where I was going was probably a really bad idea. Besides, I didn’t want him wasting time looking for me when they had better things to do, like find Ethan.
Finally, I decided to dig through my purse. Sure enough, I found a pen, but I was stuck using the back of an envelope to write the note. After sticking the note on the fridge, I ran out to my car.
The sun was getting pretty low in the western sky. Hopefully, I’d find Mom with no problem and be back here before they realized I was gone.
I’d never been so nervous battling the downtown rush as I was then. With so many cars on the road, getting to Rampart took three times as long as it should have, which meant it was dusk by the time I reached my destination. To top that off, Mom hadn’t been too specific about where on Rampart she was.
I drove up and down the street a couple times but Mom’s car was nowhere in sight. Finally, I pulled over and sent her a text to ask her where she was.
While I waited, it continued to get darker. After several minutes with no answer, I dialed her number. It rang several times before her voice mail picked up.
“Mom, where are you? I’m here but I don’t see your car.”
I didn’t really believe my mother would get the message. This was too odd. My mother had never had car problems. Her car was almost new.
The vampires had her!
Ice-cold fear gripped my heart. I’d already lost my brother. I couldn’t fathom losing my mother too.
Something crashed against the car and a scream tore from my throat. I frantically hit the lock button for the doors so that whatever was outside, wouldn’t get in.
It had been a trap!
They’d used my mother’s phone to lure me away from the others, and like an idiot, I’d walked right into it. Now I was alone and defenseless.
Suddenly, the back window shattered and one of the creatures was crawling through it. The vampire’s eyes were red and his face appeared twisted and deformed.
Without taking my eyes off the vampire, I reached around and unlocked the door. It was only when I had the door open that I dared to look away.
Scrambling from the car, I turned to run but a woman stepped in front of me. She had long black hair and eyes and the same glowing eyes that I’d come to associate with the vampire.
Why was it that only some of the vampires look so horrible?
Before I could react, something was placed over my face. There was only time enough for my brain to register the harsh smell of chemical before everything went black.
Chapter Eighteen
Nicole
The room was spinning. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t make my eyes focus on any one thing. The diz
ziness was nauseating. Any minute, I fully expected to lose my stomach and vomit. The nausea was bad, but not nearly as bad as the pain in my head. I felt as if my brain would explode.
“She’s waking up.” The female voice sounded as if it were coming from the end of a long tunnel.
Opening my eyes, I forced the pain to the back of my mind with sheer willpower. At first, my vision was so blurred that it was like looking at everything through water. My wrists were bound and chained to the ceiling. While I’d been out, my entire weight had hung from my arms. Now they ached like hell. Pushing onto my tiptoes, I tried to take some of the weight off my arms.
The woman with the long black hair was standing nearby and there was also a man. He was a large, and like Dash, this guy had no hair. But unlike the other vampires I’d seen, this one wore a medieval style red robe, instead of normal street clothes.
“Welcome back, Nicole.” A malicious smile spread across his face and he leaned in closer. “You’ve been a difficult girl to get a hold of.”
He seemed to be waiting for some kind of response, but I said nothing. I didn’t have to ask why I’d been taken. I already knew.
“I do apologize for our archaic methods, but I had to find some way to get your attention,” he said.
“What have you done with my mother?”
“Nothing.” He smiled. “They merely took her phone, but that could easily change if you decide to be difficult.”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. It was obvious that Omar was prepared to go to great lengths to get what he wanted.
“Do you know who your father is, Nicole?”
“No. Who is he?” I decided it might be best if I didn’t let on to what I knew, just yet.
“Well, he is my brother and you child, are a born vampire.”
“I don’t believe you,” I said, with as much force as I could muster from my dry throat.
“Do you know what’s wrong with a born vampire?” he asked, ignoring my outburst.
Glaring at him, I remained silent.
“They are forbidden!” Omar’s voice thundered through the room.
“Why?” I asked, not just in a show insolence, but because I really wanted to know.
What possible reason could the ancients have to forbid this?
“Because they are freaks of nature!” he thundered.
“Well, aren’t all vampires?”
Fury leaped into his eyes. “You are a sassy little girl, aren’t you?”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” I said, forcing a wicked smile.
“Where is your father?” His voice was so loud that it actually vibrated off the walls.
“I don’t know, dear uncle,” I told him, my voice dripping sarcasm.
Omar stepped forward and raised his hand to strike me. I refused to look away or even so much as flinch.
“He will destroy you,” I said in a calm, even voice.
Omar laughed. “Your father is weak. He chooses to mate with humans and hide like a rodent.”
I gave him a scathing look. “If I were you, I would not be too confident of that.”
Turning away, Omar made his way to a small, ornate table. He then picked up a gold chalice and a knife. Slicing his hand, he let the blood drip into the chalice. When he’d filled it with a small amount of blood, he pulled his hand away. Right before my eyes, the wound healed in a matter of seconds.
“You must become one of us, Nicole.” He turned back to face me. “If you don’t, I will be forced to destroy you.”
“I have no intention of drinking your blood,” I informed him, betraying none of the fear or revulsion I was feeling.
“I am your uncle, Nicole. I do not want to kill you, but I must if you choose not to join us and embrace what you were born to be. Your very existence is forbidden.”
Closing the distance between us, Omar lifted the chalice to my mouth. I clamped my lips tight, hoping that he wouldn’t manage to get any in my mouth.
“This won’t work, Nicole,” he told me, shaking his head in disapproval.
Omar turned his attention to the woman. “Julia, bring Ethan in.”
Julia left the room and returned a moment later with Ethan. I barely recognized him and was repulsed by what I saw.
He was bound in chains that he dragged with him as he walked. Ethan’s face was pale and sunken. My boss looked like a skeleton that had been covered with a thin layer of skin. His eyes were yellow and lethal. When Ethan saw me, he hissed and drew back his lips so that his fangs were visible.
The thing I was looking at wasn’t Ethan. It was a monster.
“He’s starving, Nicole. Your friend has been deprived of blood for so long that he is a danger, even to us. Vampires that become blood deprived turn into true monsters. Did you know that, dear niece? If we let him loose, he will tear into the first human he sees, and I’m afraid in this case, you are the closest thing to human within his reach.”
“You are deranged!” I screamed.
“I am the same as your father,” he mocked. “I am also just like your lover. You hate us so much, but you would take a vampire for a lover.”
Shock rippled through me. How could he know about my relationship with Alec?
“Oh yes, I know Alec is your lover. If you don’t care for Ethan’s sad fate, then perhaps I’ll have to kill Alec.”
“You couldn’t!” I said through clenched teeth, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.
His laughter was hideous. “I most definitely can and will … if you do not cooperate with me.”
Stepping closer, he leaned down and whispered. “Alec and Ethan are mere vampires. We are the Lords and can do as we choose with them.”
I continued to slice at him with my eyes. He’d managed to get me to the point that my anger was overriding common sense. “You are pathetic,” I told him. “My father is noble. You are no better than the rest of these bloodsuckers.”
This time, he struck me on the side of my face. I felt my lip split and the blood dripping down my chin. Both Ethan and the female vampire started growling. Suddenly, the woman lunged toward me but Omar knocked her out of the way with a swipe of his arm.
“You see, right now it is only me that stands between you and a horrible death.” Omar took a tissue from a nearby box and dabbed the blood from my face.
“You are wrong, Omar! It is also me that stands between her and death.”
My heart leaped at the sound of my father’s voice.
Omar swung around. “Well, if it isn’t my brother! He decided to crawl from his hole in the ground.”
“If you strike my daughter again, I will tear you apart and scatter your remains to the vultures,” Donovan spoke through clenched teeth.
Omar flew at him, but my father easily managed to maneuver out of his way. Alec and Dash stepped forward to stand on each side of my father.
“You dare to defy me!” Omar bellowed at Donovan’s companions.
“I do,” Alec said, looking him right in the eyes.
“I am your lord and master,” he yelled.
“You are not mine,” Dash shrugged.
The woman sauntered up to Alec. Lifting her hand, she gently ran her fingers through his hair. “My sweet Alec. It has been such a long time.”
He did not respond.
“I am your maker, Alec. You should obey me.” Her voice was harder now.
Alec shoved her hand away. “All you are to me, Julia, is the one that took me to hell. I owe you nothing.”
“This insolence is unbelievable.” Omar shook his head.
“Times are changing, Omar. You will not control forever.” Donovan smiled.
Before anyone realized what was happening, Ethan broke free of his chains and was lunging at me. Screaming, I lifted my legs so that I was hanging by my arms and kicked at Ethan to keep him away.
In a flash, Alec attacked Ethan, bringing him to the ground.
Omar went for Alec, but Donovan grabbed him by the throat and they both flew
through the air, smashing against the wall. The two ancient vampires hovered above the ground; their eyes alight with rage and bloodlust.
“No, Omar! You will step aside and leave my daughter be.” Donovan’s fury laced each word.
“Or what?” Omar asked, sarcastically.
“I will destroy you.” There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in my father’s voice.
“You know what that would mean, don’t you.” Omar smiled, the light gone from his eyes.
“Yes, but it will not matter.”
Slowly, the two immortals descended until their feet were on the ground.
“Get Nicole free and make sure Ethan is secure,” Donovan told the others without taking his eyes from Omar.
“I forgive you brother, this time,” Donovan said. “But next time, forgiveness will not come so easily.”
Omar glared at him but made no move to stop our escape.
“I will be watching over her, Omar. I better not see any sign that your vampires are stalking her,” Donovan warned his brother as he was backing away.
“You’ve always been a pathetic Light Seeker, Donovan,” Omar yelled. “It will be your undoing.”
With his bare hands, Dash broke me free of the chains and led me out of the room. Alec was struggling with Ethan, pulling him by the chains he was wrapped in.
We entered a small hallway. I could hear music coming from the front of the building. Apparently, they’d brought me to the nightclub Alec had talked about.
“Let’s go through the back,” Alec said, motioning toward the end of the hall. “There’s no sense of drawing unneeded attention.”
We slipped out the back exit without being seen. Of course, the other vampires would be alerted at any moment, but hopefully, we’d be long gone by then.
My father wrapped his arms around me and we lifted into the night sky. The old warehouse grew smaller and smaller. Already, vampires were pouring out of the building.
But they wouldn’t come after us. They were under Omar’s control and my uncle would not defy my father, yet.
Chapter Nineteen
Nicole
It seemed like only a matter of seconds before we came down in front of Alec’s Garden District house.
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