by Tonya Nagle
"Who is she?" asked Laura.
Brinna waved her hand absently. "They are dead. They came before our people.
All we know of them is that they were called the Gogh and built the lilith. We should continue on."
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Laura gazed once more on the woman's beautiful face. I'm sorry I couldn't have met you.
The brooch appeared on the floor outside the crystal box. "Oh, my, would you look at that?"
Everyone looked at the pin. Laura bent down to retrieve it.
"No," shouted Brin. "Don't touch it."
"Why not?" asked David.
"We don't touch things of the dead."
"She can." Brinna intervened. "The lilith took it out of the tomb for a reason."
Laura picked it up and pinned it to her robe. "Okay. I'm good. Let's get out of here, before anything weird happens." She winked at her husband.
David chuckled and grabbed his wife by the arm. Their guides led the way through the huge cavern of tombs and then up a narrow dark passageway. At one point, they stopped.
"I can't see any further," said Brin.
Laura rubbed her fingers together until they glowed and held her hand aloft. The small band climbed the dirt path upward avoiding the sharp jet stones in the wall. Then the passageway opened up into a crystalline corridor with a translucent wall. A dark, turbulent sea rolled and churned out tall, ice-capped waves.
"That is the Sea Eosh. It lives and has a will of its own," explained Brinna.
Waves crashed against the foot of the mountain, which responded by throwing rocks into the surf. In the distance, a white pavilion perched atop a rock overlooking the sea.
"What is that?"
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"Eosh Tower. That's where we're going. It has a door leading to the outside like the temple." The librarian led the way now. Her husband had to run to keep up.
"Brinna, please, forgive me."
She turned to see if she was beyond Laura's hearing range and said, "Of course, I forgive you, babo. Just never let that thing touch me again."
"But I thought you were dying," he pleaded.
"Don't you understand? I'll have to purge myself when we get back, because you let the foul one contaminate me."
Far down the hall, David and Laura stood staring at each other. Even at that distance, they heard every word. Soon they would part company with the Latt and would be happy to do so. While Laura enjoyed the security of the passageways, where they safely passed by horrors and witnessed the beauty of the mountains' heights, the closed-in feeling bore down on her. Their next descent was deeper than she expected. A quick left brought them into a long, wide corridor. Brin found an S-shaped apparatus and shook it. Light fluttered and blinked like a moth dancing to a flame.
Laura could hear Brin's heart pounding like a runaway horse.
"Why are you frightened, Brin?"
"I have only been to the mouth of Eosh Tunnel but never through it. I've heard there are terrors beyond these walls."
"Hmph," replied Brinna, walking past him.
The gray stone passageway darkened, as they went deeper. A thunderous rushing and pounding engulfed them. An object sparkled against the translucent barrier then quickly disappeared. Brin jumped away.
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Laura put her hands against the wall. She could feel constant movement pushing and pulling. She asked Brin to cover his light, which plunged them into darkness.
Lightly touching, she put her head against the side of the tunnel and listened. High pitched voices sang soft songs. Her eyes penetrated the dark. Tiny silver forms moved in patterns together like breathing. Out of the black a gold drop appeared. Gold orbs and needle-sharp teeth leapt into view. Brin yelped in fear, but Laura remained rock solid against the wall. After a few minutes, they moved further down the corridor.
Slender silver creatures fluttered into view for an instant and then retreated into the dark. A dark face with canine features and floppy ears pressed against the impediment.
His large brown, human eyes looked sadly into hers. The creature hesitated, gazing at her as if remembering her from somewhere. She couldn't turn away from him and placed her hand against the wall near his face. His tongue licked that spot on that other side then swam away.
"Brin, what was that?"
"I don't know anything about the creatures of the deep waters. All I know is that to venture into their depths is to die. They would eat us if they could. They eat each other too. Oooh," he shivered.
"Somehow the water creatures can see us, can't they?"
Brin nodded. "It's not like the mountain where we are protected from view. The wall here is merely a barrier. Hurry. We must hurry."
"That's it!" Brinna shouted. "I'm weary of your cowardice."
Brin turned on his mate. "And I'm weary, female, of your evil looks and belittling. You have spent your entire existence in the library, never knowing what is really out here. At least, I wanted to know."
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"You could benefit by being braver," Brinna said, grim-faced.
"You could benefit by being kinder."
"Like the vampiress?" She taunted. "I see how you look at her. She has a mate that obviously pleases her."
"Whoa. Stop. Stop right now." David had his hands up. They screeched at him.
Boom! Huge white teeth slammed into the wall. Everyone fell to the floor.
"Okay," said Laura calmly, "let's just get moving."
They hurried faster down the long, gray hall. Laura kept looking at the walls, hoping the dog-faced fish would return so she could look at him more closely, but he didn't. Pale monsters with ghoulish faces filled with razor teeth, webbed fingers, and elongated bodies danced near the tunnel before leaping into the dark. They threw themselves with great force against the enclosure as if to tear it down.
Silent emotional rage and fear possessed Brin and Brinna and was more than Laura could bear. Her fangs ached and she was getting a headache. She could hear the Latt's blood rushing through their bodies like a wild river. The sound of it made her hungry.
David touched her arm.
Why do I feel the hunger burning through me? Why is this happening again? It took every inch of self-restraint in Laura not to attack them. They're so near and so weak.
The sound of blood, the pounding sound beyond the walls echoed in her head.
David pulled her closer, and together they floated down the corridor. Their guides ran to keep up.
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They found a wall and a circular metal upward stairwell. The steps were so many; Laura couldn’t see the top. They climbed. Too many stairs later, Brin held up his hand and sat on a step to catch his breath. The climb proved too much for him. Brinna had remained on the floor. She was obviously angry with him again.
David waited a few minutes.
"Clearly climbing is not going to get us where we're going." He grabbed Laura by the arms and floated up. Together they pushed open a door in the ceiling and glided into a dimly lit room. Beyond the gray, translucent walls of the half moon-shaped room, a storm bellowed.
Several minutes later, Brin arrived, sticking his head through the door and still panting. "This is Eosh Tower. I have studied all the information we have about it.
There are three doors in the tower room. The middle one will take you down a long corridor and finally to a doubled door. The first door will seal automatically as soon as you step through to prevent anyone from the outside from entering. The second door leads to the outside. It too will seal automatically."
"What about the doors on either side?" asked David.
"That wasn't in the information," said Brin. "I have to leave you now. Brinna says we must go home." Before they could thank him, he had disappeared below the trap door slamming it shut. They heard it lock.
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Chapter 23
"Well, that was strange." David frowned.
"I'm, glad he's gone," Laura replied. "I don't know what's gotten into me, but in another min
ute I would have bitten him."
"If you need to bite someone, you can bite me." David offered his arm.
Laura pushed it away. "The feeling's gone now. I don't understand why I felt like that. I've never felt like that before with humans."
"The Latt are more vulnerable than humans," David explained.
"How did you know they were the Latt, when I didn't?"
"I read their minds. It was easy. They put up few defenses."
"Why couldn't I?"
"You're still learning. By the time you're a hundred, it will be easy for you."
Laura sighed. "David, I'm confused. Why am I having the blood thirst? I've never known it and now. . . well, it's ridiculous."
"When I turned you, the first blood you drank was mine to calm you, to give you control. Then I had more blood ready so that you would never know the hunger and the uncontrollable rage it brings. I didn't want you to know that kind of torment. This 249
world unravels us with its half-light and half-dark. I usually have the hunger pretty well in check, but the Latt affected me as well."
"Let's open the middle door and go find my father."
"And the storm?"
"Oh, that's no problem. It's only wind and dark skies. I'll unwind it."
She went to reach for the knob, but David grabbed her other hand and pulled her back. He looked off past her, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Something is really wrong here, Laura. When you cried, it rained in this world.
By Brin's reaction we know that rain is not normal here. Now there is a storm over the sea—basically a wind storm." He paused again as if concentrating. "Someone created this storm to lure you out."
Laura sat on the smooth stone floor, and David held her.
"Who?"
"I don't know. I feel an entity searching for you. He's very strong, and he's evil."
"Then we should leave right away."
"No. We have to plan this out. I feel his eyes passing over us. He doesn't know we're here. If we go out now, we could be walking into a trap. Let the storm pass first."
A tear fell down her cheek. My father!
He brushed it away. "Oh, no, darling. We'll find him. Don't cry." He kissed her cheek. "You'll add rain to the storm, and the evil might find us. I think Eosh Tower is part of the lilith, and we're safe here. When the storm passes, we'll leave and find him."
Laura took a deep breath and nodded. She wouldn't cry. The storm continued to rage beyond their walls.
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"Besides the lilith has apparently taken an interest in you to our benefit." He examined the brooch on her robe, rubbing the yellow stone with his thumb. Beneath its facets, a fire swirled. "This gem means something."
"What do you think?"
"I have no idea, but we'll probably find out." David stood up and pulled her with him. "Come on. Let's see what's behind those other doors." The door to the right opened into a storage room. Behind the left door was a kitchenette and off that a bathroom. After rummaging through a strange collection of items piled haphazardly together, they found some blankets and pillows. David set up a makeshift bed on the floor of the outer room.
Laura looked at the bed and laughed, "You're very good at this."
"I had a lot of experience camping when I was a soldier."
David kicked off his shoes. Then he took off his shirt revealing a powerful chest, tight abs, and strong arms. Laura bit her lower lip. He took off his jeans and his boxers.
"Oh," she moaned in anticipation.
He looked at her and smiled. "What are you doing?"
She giggled. "Nothing. Just standing here."
He walked over to her. "Now that's the problem." He slid off her Telkhine robe and let it slip to the floor. "Turn around."
She stood with her back to him, and he unzipped the back of her strapless gown.
His hands reached under her arms to cup her breasts. He breathed in the scent of flowers in her hair and sighed. Then his mouth kissed her neck and moved to her shoulders. As he trailed kisses down her back, his hands moved down her body inching 251
the dress with them. He paused at the hips, pushing off her black lace panties. The gown and underwear fluttered down to her ankles.
Laura quickly turned. "I want to be in charge this time. I want to send you to that unconscious bliss."
David smirked. "Okay. I'm up for that." He made himself comfortable in their makeshift bed and held out his arms to his wife. "Laura, I'm lonely." He narrowed his eyes mischievously.
Slowly she crawled up his body pausing only to lick him here and there. David moaned with each pause. Each lick lengthened in duration. He groaned. She placed herself over his eager shaft and plunged down. David gasped, "Laura," then panted.
His dark eyes closed. David threw his head back as she rocked her hips with him inside. First she squeezed gently, then harder and harder. Then she became gentle with him, lifting herself almost off him and then sliding down again. After a few times at that, David yelled in frustration, "Laura, you're making me crazy."
She just giggled.
In a blur, he flipped her first to her side and then to her back. He was on top now and from the growl in his throat he was in charge. His lips pressed firmly against hers, his tongue reaching into her mouth to caress her fangs.
Laura whimpered. David, you're not being fair.
He just snickered. Then he pressed hard into her, driving her close to the edge of ecstasy. When he paused or withdrew slightly, Laura clawed the blankets. Soon the rhythm was fierce. Laura felt the climb, the bursting into bliss. Then everything glowed warm into sweet surrender.
***
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David held her against him, her head against his heart. No one was more important to him. He looked down at her sleeping face and remembered the night they first slept together. That was the happiest moment in his life, when Laura became his.
Every detail of that night played itself over and over in his mind, then it merged with the newest version of love making. He just couldn't get enough of her.
***
Laura yawned disturbing his revelry. He smiled down at her, as she opened her eyes.
"You did it again." She sighed.
David grinned at her. "It just happens, my darling. When you celebrate your 100th year as a vampire, I will be at your mercy. Still I did please you, didn't I?"
She nudged him playfully. "Oh, yes," she joked. "I love it when you pursue me and then ravish me and then . . ."
"You take me captive." He finished her sentence for her. "And you really do. I'm imprisoned by your love." His fingers trailed through her hair.
Laura giggled. "You are not."
David leaned toward her and kissed her. "Please, promise never to release me."
Laura put her hand against his young beard and said, "It's hard to say who captures whom." They both chuckled.
The wind outside still howled. Nestled close against him, Laura looked up into David's dark eyes. "I've always wanted to ask you something."
David gazed down at his bride. "Okay."
"What did I taste like when you bit me?"
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He looked away, obviously upset by the question. Then looking deep into her eyes, he said, "I truly don't remember. I wasn't on the hunt. I had fed earlier. So when I pulled you from the river, all I could think of was that I didn't want you to die of massive internal injuries. I had to do something. If I did nothing, you would die. If I did it wrong, you would die. So I was too busy listening to your heart to make sure I did it right to consider the taste. After a year of living together, why are you asking this now?"
"I've been afraid."
He asked, "Of me?"
"No. I'm afraid of the monster that's locked up inside of me. Remember, one night when it was pouring rain, and we watched all those old vampire movies on DVD."
"Ah, listen to the children of the night," said David in his best Bela Lugosi voice.
Laura giggled, but
her giggles faded into a sad face. "Remember 'Nosferatu'?"
"Yes."
"It's that kind of monster I'm afraid I'll become."
"No, darling. It just won't happen, not to you." He kissed her neck. "Besides if you're curious about the taste, bite me. Vampire couples do it all the time."
Laura shook her head no. "I don't want to."
David caressed her face. "I'm glad you don't want to."
The hunger inside her changed to a fiery passion, as he kissed and fondled her breasts. Further he explored her, touching every part, until he thrust into her. Their passion was like a tide, always the power pushing and pulling. They fiercely growled at each other, and at other times laughed. Laura closed her eyes to ecstasy and in that moment embraced him fervently. David rubbed her back, soothing her until she lay back and found a place of stillness.
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"That was fun," said David, sporting a very toothy grin. "And I didn't overwhelm you."
"Oops, you must be losing your touch," she teased.
"What!" He rolled her over and began again, nibbling at the back of her neck. "I will show no mercy this time."
