Emma was shivering uncontrollably by the time he finished his explanation. Suddenly, she was able to put the pieces together and she knew where his explanation would lead. He did not disappoint her.
“I had to practice, to learn how to use and control emotions, to hone my abilities, as I let go of my need for blood,” he said. “All of the others—and there were many others besides the two, three if you count Lily, this week—were just that—practice. All because I was impatient to reach you, to touch you. To make love to you.”
Emma couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her. “How many others?” she had to ask.
“Every chance I got to travel to the mainland, which was at least once a week, there were one or two. Over five years, that would make how many?” He gave a negligent shrug. “I’ve never been good a math, and how many there were doesn’t really matter.”
She thought she might throw up again as he said, “You have to understand, sweet Emma, that not that many of them died. It wasn’t until this week that I perfected my abilities to the point that I could feed on their fear and allow my emotions to grow and flourish. I brought great pleasure to many women without killing them.” Emma could not mistake the amusement she heard in his voice as he said, “I had to acquire that full, complete emotional status before I could physically touch you as I wanted to touch you and feel the emotion that accompanies that touch.”
“What about Ginger Rashmyer?” Emma had to ask. Her heart pounded painfully, but she had no choice but to keep him talking. She wouldn’t give up. She would never give in. And just as she had five years ago, she would never look at him.
“A minor set back, I know. I didn’t understand these new emotions of anger and jealousy. First, I lost control over Lily, thanks to Officer Price. Then I saw you with Chief Winchester, and I went over the edge.”
“How simple,” Emma said. “How convenient.”
He obviously didn’t hear the mockery in her voice because he said, “You would be amazed at the simplicity of being a vampire, my dear. And with your beauty and your strong will, the world will be at your fingertips.”
As if to prove the point, she felt his touch as he cupped her cheek with the palm of his free hand. He still held her hand tightly, and he did not allow her to move away from his touch. His fingers were cool, his grip firm, almost painful.
She felt as if tiny bugs crawled on her flesh where he touched her. And his touch was icy cold. Emma gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering. Then, suddenly, she felt like smiling. James had touched her countless times, had touched her entire body. Never had he felt cold or lifeless. James was nothing like this monster. How could she ever have thought he was?
It was as if this monster had read her mind, for he said softly, “I understand my hands will warm with time, my darling, and soon you will yearn for my touch.”
“I doubt that.” He had said her will was strong. Now was the test. She had to show him just how strong she was, and she would do whatever it took to keep him from hurting her again—or she would die trying. But she was uncertain as to what to try—mere words or holding up two fingers as a cross?
“I doubt that, too,” James said.
For the first time, Emma opened her eyes to see James, her James, standing just inside the pool room.
His eyes were now almost completely silver. And the look in them told her he could, indeed, become the killer she feared.
Chapter Nineteen
Showdown
“Step away from him, Emma,” James said firmly.
“No. I like having her close to me,” the monster replied.
Emma held James’s gaze for a long moment. His eyes darkened and filled with compassion and love for her. Then she shifted her gaze to take in the man who still held her hand, the man whose cold fingers still touched her face. At first, he still looked like James, only with cold eyes.
Then, as she watched in horrified fascination, his face seemed to melt away, becoming completely smooth, losing all features before changing again. His hair shortened and became a spiked cut. His entire body shortened as he lost James’s height.
It was Officer Ronald Ghetts who now held her hand. Emma stared at him, stunned, and tried to breathe.
“It was you?” she let out on a breath. It was almost impossible to believe this seemingly weak little weasel of a man could hurt and kill countless people, could give her five years of horrifying nightmares. Then she remembered how, during the past five years, she had done everything necessary to avoid him, as if something inside of her recognized him for the monster that he was.
He smiled at her. No, it wasn’t a smile, Emma saw. It was a snarl. His lips thinned and stretched across horrible, pointed teeth.
Emma gasped and tried to break free of his grip. His hand that held hers felt as if it had the strength of ten men. His fingers bit into the bones of her hand painfully. Her feet, still wet from her swim, couldn’t find purchase on the wet floor, and they slipped out from under her. She would have fallen completely, but he held her fast, refusing to release his grip on her.
“Let go of her,” James commanded.
“Surely, you don’t think I’d so easily release something so delicious, so delectable, do you?” Ghetts replied. He stared at Emma as he spoke. “I’ve waited too long for her.” The hunger in his eyes was enough to tell her he wanted to devour her right here and now. “Being the mere mortal you are, however, James, I’ll explain things to you.”
Emma continued to try work her hand free of his. “How did you get in here?” she forced out as she tried to escape his hold.
“Don’t struggle so, my dear,” Ronald said. “You’ll only hurt yourself. And you left the door standing wide open for me. It was an open invitation. Thank you.” He turned slightly toward James.
“I said let her go,” James repeated.
“See the candle I lit over there?” Ronald pointed toward the door where James had entered, his hideous grin remaining.
Both Emma and James looked toward the door. James hadn’t even noticed the candle when he entered the room or he would have blown it out.
“I’m not even certain I needed that small bit of flame, for all the water in the pool holds a great deal of energy, and the plants around the room hold the earth. With the storm and the lightning outside, I believe I can conjure up all I need. Let’s see.” He changed again, quicker this time, and turned into something that resembled a huge snake that stood taller than Emma.
She would have screamed, but didn’t have the chance before he changed back. Seeing him turn into Ronald Ghetts so quickly was almost as shocking as seeing he turn into a snake. Emma pulled harder at his hand, trying frantically to get free.
Because Ronald was as equally surprised to find himself once again in his true form, he inadvertently released her, and Emma managed to scramble away from him. “What the—” he began, as he looked down at himself. Then he looked at James, his empty eyes now filled with hate and loathing. “How did you do that?” he asked harshly, his voice tight with uncontrolled emotion.
Emma ran to James and pressed herself against his length. He didn’t look at her, but he put his arm around her and held her close for the briefest moment. Then, with a slight move of his arm, he pushed her behind him, working to place himself in the danger zone instead of her. “Stopping your evil is probably one of the easiest things I’ve ever done,” he lied. “Emma,” he commanded firmly, “stay behind me, no matter what.”
James wanted nothing more than to send Emma away from here, but now that Ronald had been allowed to come into her home, there was no place safe for her except his house, and that was too far away. If Ronald escaped him, even for mere seconds, he would catch Emma before she could reach the safety of his home. James couldn’t take that chance, so the safest place for her was behind him, where he could protect her with his powers, his abilities and even with his own body.
Ronald silently surveyed them both. To Emma’s horror, his grin broadened as he took in J
ames. “You aren’t a mere mortal, are you?”
“No. And if you hadn’t been so busy filling yourself with emotions instead of blood, you would have recognized me.” James replied, keeping the advantage of not sharing how strong a vampire he really was.
“Ah, but I think filling myself with emotions must have worked to my advantage, too, because you didn’t recognize me either, not like you did five years ago.”
James said nothing.
“Your silence is answer enough.” Ronald’s gaze moved to Emma. “So you’re a vampire, too?” he asked sarcastically. “That’s why she was so angry at you when she thought I was you and I pulled her from the water. You should feel her anger. It’s so invigorating.”
From behind James, Emma stared at Ghetts. Hatred burned in his expression so strongly, his eyes were red. Then he grinned as realization set in.
“And now why was she so angry at you? When I watched you from outside earlier, she was far from angry. Dare I say she had no idea the monster you really are? And because you are powerful enough to actually make love to her must mean you have the ability to turn her into one of us by making love with her. I thought I’d heard that somewhere. Oh, you must be powerful, indeed.” Then Ronald laughed. It was a haunting sound, echoing off the water and the glass, drowning out the sound of the rain. “And aren’t I lucky? After everything you’ve experienced with her, I get to be the one to actually turn her. I can hardly wait.”
“You’ll have to keep waiting. Forever,” James said. Using only the power of his thoughts, he sent Ronald careening across the room, slamming his back into the wall behind him. His leg broke the pot of a large plant that sat there. Then Ronald fell to the floor.
Emma let out a cry at the sudden assault. Not that she worried over Ronald; she was just shocked at the sudden, powerful action. Then Ronald was back on his feet in the blink of an eye, appearing unhurt. If anything, he was angrier than before.
“That wasn’t very nice, Chief Winchester,” he said sarcastically. “And what do you think the good people of this town will think when they discover they have a vampire for their Chief of Police?”
He sent a surge of powerful energy back at James. James tried to shield it, but it was strong enough to force him to take several steps backwards. He bumped into Emma before she could move out of the way. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but at least she was still behind him where Ronald’s evilness couldn’t touch her.
“The people of Medusa’s Island will never know, because you won’t be here to tell them,” James shot back after he regained his balance.
Emma watched in awe as James conjured up a wooden, pointed stake. As quickly as it appeared, James threw it like a large dart. It sailed through the air with a loud whoosh. At the last moment, Ronald stepped aside, and it crashed against the wall behind him and landed next to the broken pot.
“Oh, that was close,” Ronald taunted. “I’m so scared I’m shaking in my shoes.”
James threw a second stake equally as fast before Ronald finished his sarcastic words. Ronald sidestepped the second one, too, and again his laughter echoed through the room.
“Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me,” Ronald singsonged. “Maybe I’ll just wait and have Emma kiss me.”
“Never,” James put in. A third dart-like stake soared through the air. Ronald stepped aside, but not quickly enough and it caught him on the arm. Blood seeped instantly through his blue uniform shirt.
“Oh, that smarts,” Ronald said. “But watch this, boys and girls. I’ve been practicing this one for a long time.”
Emma stared in disbelief as the gaping wound closed and the only blood left was that which stained his shirt.
“Is that it?” Ronald gloated. “Is that all you have to throw at me?”
Three wooden stakes rushed through the air. They caught Ronald on his arm, his left chest and his left shoulder, skewering him to the wall behind him. He gasped as if he couldn’t breathe, as if he really felt pain.
Emma gasped, too, as memory slammed into her. “Mary made that same horrific sound when I . . .” she declared, more to herself than to James. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she was forced to work each breath that entered her lungs. The last thing she wanted was to distract James, but her ability to control the shivers that clutched at her was quickly fading.
Against the wall, Ronald smiled, then threw his head back and laughed, showing every pointed tooth. “Do you really think you can kill me like this?”
Emma reached forward and grasped James’s hand. She laced her fingers through his and held him tightly. “Yes, you can,” she whispered.
At the moment she touched James, he conjured up a sword, large and white and fearsome looking. It was like nothing Emma had ever seen, and James sent it flying toward Ronald, who was still stuck to the wall. But somehow, Ronald managed to halt the sword about six feet from him.
He let out another haunting ring of laughter, and the sword spun several times about the room. Then it flew back in the direction from which it had come. It headed not toward James, however, but a little to the left, aiming toward Emma.
“No!” James cried out.
Emma felt his hand tighten on hers. At the same time, she felt the surge of energy, like a current of electricity, pass through her arm. She recognized James’s power and knew he was attempting to stop the progress of the weapon flying at her with incomprehensible speed. He managed to veer it away, but not completely. So at the last possible moment, he stepped into its path, and the sharp edge of the white, shiny blade sliced him across the chest before it landed on the floor near Emma’s feet. The sound of it clanging to the floor was sharp, hurting Emma’s ears, as it reverberated off the water and glass.
Emma screamed.
James let out an oath, filled with pain.
Before Emma even had time to assess James’s wound or he had the chance to heal himself, what looked like a dozen silver daggers flew at them.
Again, James protected her with his body. Three of the daggers pierced him, making sickening sounds as they entered his flesh. The others hit the wall behind them and clattered to the floor, sounding even louder on the tile than the sword had. What seemed like only seconds later, another group of knives, their blades glittering and reflecting off the light and the water came at them. James pushed her backwards until her back hit the tile, and he refused to let any part of her be exposed. The knives that didn’t pierce him slammed against the wall around them and crashed to the floor.
James followed them down as his feet went out from under him. Emma didn’t recognize her own scream as she grabbed him and tried to help him stand, but she didn’t have the strength. All she could do was use the nursing skills she knew to gently ease him to the tile and keep him from hurting himself further.
“James,” she sobbed as she cradled him in her arms. The warm, wet stickiness of his blood spread across her hands. “No . . .” she let out. Everywhere she touched him, she felt his energy fading, just as she felt the warmth of his blood. She tried to put pressure on his wounds, but there were simply too many of them. He was leaving her. He was dying.
The pain in her chest was that of a cold hand, digging its nails into her heart. “James, no . . .” she said again, holding him closer.
Sensing movement, her gaze shifted upward. Ronald Ghetts stood before them, near James’s feet that were sprawled out in front of him. All the wounds that James had inflicted on Ronald were healed. The smile he cast her was malicious and cunning, reminding Emma of a horrifying Halloween mask.
“Get away from him,” she spat.
Ronald reached down leisurely and touched James’s ankle. “His life flows out of him. In a few moments, he’ll be nothing but ashes.”
The hand that clutched Emma’s heart tightened its grip. “No,” she said, looking away from him. Her throat ached painfully with that single word.
“I’m afraid, dear Emma, that you were meant to be mine. You should accept that.”
>
Emma tried to swallow past her painful, tight throat and found it to be an impossible task.
“Take my hand, Emma, let me make you mine. Accept the inevitable. I promise you, I will make it a pleasurable experience. Perhaps then,” Ronald said very slowly, accentuating every word, “I will spare him for you.” He extended his hand to her. “He can’t save you.”
Emma finally managed to swallow. She didn’t look up at him. Her arm, moving automatically, feeling as if it wasn’t even attached to her body, reached up and she slipped her hand once again into his.
Chapter Twenty
Sacrifice
Ignoring the cold of his hand, Emma stood slowly, still refusing to look directly into his eyes. With her other hand, she grasped one of the many silver daggers that Ronald had mentally sent flying at her and James. All the ones that hadn’t hit James were scattered about her on the floor. Without hesitation, and without giving herself time to think about what she planned to do, she sank the blade into his chest. The sound of the blade moving through flesh and bone was sickening and echoed in the stillness. Emma was amazed at how easily it slipped through his ribs to his heart.
No Fear Page 26
