“No,” he snapped, getting up from the floor. “What you’re asking is suicidal. I have to go.”
I reached out for him. “No, please stay.”
He stepped towards the balcony without looking at me. “I can’t. I knew this was a bad idea.”
Then he opened the door and I watched as he leaped over the balcony all the way to the ground and disappeared.
Chapter Thirteen
“Well, that certainly wasn’t very smart. He could have drained you down to nothing.”
I whipped my head around. “Celeste!” She was sitting outside in the same spot as Duncan had been earlier, staring at me with amusement. “You have to quit sneaking up on people.”
She smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt your little interlude.”
I grabbed a blanket from my room, to wrap around myself. The chill in the air seemed magnified by her presence. I cleared my throat. “So, um where’s Nathan?”
She licked her lips. “Oh, he’s had an exhausting night. Don’t worry, though, he’s tucked safely inside of his bed.”
My eyes narrowed. “You didn’t do anything to him, did you?”
She gave me a wounded look. “You don’t trust me very much, do you?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I sat down on the chair next to her and stared off towards the woods, wondering where Duncan was headed. “So,” I stated. “You’ve made Duncan into one of you…”
“I had to do it,” she murmured, wrapping a piece of red hair around her finger and staring at it. “He’d lost too much blood.”
“Why?”
She raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean, why?”
“Why did you bother saving him? Why didn’t you just suck him dry or whatever it is you Roamers do?”
She studied me for a few seconds and then shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just like Duncan. Besides, I want him to find Ethan and kick his arrogant fucking ass.”
“So, it really was Ethan who attacked him?”
She nodded. “Of course, who else could it be?”
I let out a sigh. I was hoping she’d have an answer other than that. “Well, how did you come across Duncan that night?”
She stood up and walked over to the railing. Looking off into the distance, she said, “I was just leaving your house when I chanced upon him. It was a pretty bad scene, though, blood everywhere. Fortunately, I called a couple of my friends and we were able to clear the wreckage before daybreak.”
“Why?” I asked.
“It was my dad’s idea. He wanted to avoid any kind of investigation.”
“I don’t understand. If there was blood everywhere, and it’s so hard to resist, why didn’t Ethan finish him off? Drain him of his blood?”
She shrugged. “I’m really not sure myself.”
“Well, what about me? How did I end up back at home?”
“I don’t know. You weren’t with Duncan when I arrived.”
It was getting more confusing by the minute. “What about my father? Was he really here last night? Did you kill him?”
She snorted. “Is that what Ethan told you? That I killed your dad?”
“Ethan said there was a man outside of the cabin, watching us through the windows. He said you took care of him.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, he’s good.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“I didn’t kill that man, Ethan did. He ripped his throat out and tossed him into the lake, then went after you.”
It was hard for me to believe that Ethan had enough time to do that before he’d kidnapped me; but then again, he had unimaginable speed.
“Well, why didn’t you stop Ethan? You were outside, supposedly patrolling the area.”
She smirked. “Why didn’t I stop him? Well, as far as I’m concerned, your father got what he deserved for being a Peeping Tom. Plus, I heard how he abused your mom. You can’t be too upset about his death.”
“He was still my father,” I said, trying to be strong around her even though I was bordering on the edge of hysteria. As horrible as he’d treated my mom, I couldn’t help but have feelings for my own father.
“Fathers aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be,” she said. “Just think of it this way, your mom doesn’t have to live in fear of him anymore.”
We sat in silence for a while as I stared out towards the lake. It was still horrifying to think that my dad’s body was lost in there.
“So, now what? Your dad’s just going to leave the body in the lake?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure what dad’s planning on doing. He mentioned trying to blame the recent murders on your dad.”
I shook my head bitterly. “How convenient.”
“It is, actually.”
“That’s not going to fly with me,” I said, sitting up straighter. “Tell your dad that if he frames mine for murder, I’ll make waves.”
She smiled. “You certainly have balls, I like that. You know what? I’ll just let him know you’re not tickled by the idea.”
“I’m serious. My dad may have been a jerk, but he didn’t murder any girls and shouldn’t be blamed for it.”
“Fine. Well,” said Celeste. “I’ve got to get going. I haven’t fed for a while and even you’re starting to look interesting.”
I gave her a murderous look. “Goodbye, Celeste.”
“Goodbye… Miranda,” she answered with a funny smile.
I raised my eyebrows. “Miranda? That’s what Ethan called me last summer. What’s that all about, anyway?”
She laughed. “You still haven’t figured it out yet? He never told you?”
“No. I still don’t know anything about Ethan other than he’s one of you.”
She smiled. “Miranda was his wife, Nikki; the love of his life. He’s been searching for her for centuries. Now, he thinks he’s finally found her.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Seriously? Me?”
She nodded. “He’s always been obsessed with finding her. All because this old gypsy lady once told him that Miranda would someday return to him.”
“And he fell for it? Why?”
“This woman had a knack for telling the future, I guess. I’d never met her but Ethan respected and believed in her so-called … prophecies.”
“So, that’s why he’s so obsessed with me,” I muttered. He wasn’t in love with me at all. He was haunted by Miranda and consumed with finding her.
“So you see, Nikki, Ethan will do anything for you, only because he believes you’re Miranda. If I were you, however,” she said, getting ready to jump over the balcony, “I’d stay away from him.”
“Why?”
She swung her leg over the railing and looked at me. “Remember the girls who were murdered last summer?”
I nodded.
“Ethan thought they were his dead wife, too. Until he realized they weren’t, then he murdered them.”
All the blood rushed to my ears as she leaped off the balcony to the side of her truck. I couldn’t believe that Ethan was responsible for killing Tina and Amy. How close had I come to being murdered myself?
Chapter Fourteen
It was sometime after four in the morning by the time I’d finally fallen asleep. When Nathan tried waking me for school, I gazed at him with bleary eyes and mumbled that I wasn’t going.
He raised his eyebrows. “You’re not going? Jesus, I was the one who was up most of the night.”
I yawned and slowly sat up. “Actually, Duncan paid me a visit.”
His eyes widened. “Duncan? Are you serious?”
“Yes, and there’s something I need to tell you.”
Just then my mom came up behind Nathan and flashed us a radiant smile. “Hey, kids, you’d better get ready for school, you’re going to be late.”
“Nikki says she’s staying home,” said Nathan.
“Oh,” she said, walking towards me. She put her hand on my forehead. “Well, you don’t seem to hav
e a temperature or anything. You’re really not feeling very good?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I think it’d be better if I stayed home, today.”
She squeezed my shoulder. “Okay. Well, get some rest and drink some of that orange juice in the fridge.”
“Thanks, mom.”
“I’ve got to get ready for work,” she said, walking back towards the doorway, her voice a little too bubbly for six-thirty in the morning.
Even Nathan seemed to notice it. “Mom, you’re in a very chipper mood this morning,” he remarked.
She looked back at us, her eyes sparkling. “Well, I didn’t want to tell you this now, I was actually going to wait for dinner tonight, but… what the hell, I’m just so excited I can hardly stand it! Caleb and I are getting married!” she cried and then held out her ring finger to show us the big rock Caleb had apparently given her.
“Wow,” smiled Nathan as he grabbed her hand. “Looks like Caleb’s doing pretty well as a Sherriff.”
She nodded vehemently. “I know, it’s a little big, but I’m certainly not going to complain!”
I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach. My mom was marrying a vampire. The only thing worse was her becoming one, and I knew that was next on his agenda.
“Are you okay, Nikki?” asked my mom.
“How can you do this?” I exploded. “You don’t even know the real Caleb!”
My mom’s face paled. “Nikki, of course I do. He’s a wonderful man.”
I jumped out of bed. “You can’t marry him, mom!” I choked. “He’s a vampire! You can’t marry a fucking vampire!”
She raised her hands in exasperation. “First of all, watch your language. Now, look, this is getting way out of hand. You need to grow up, Nikki. Stop with these ridiculous fairytales.”
“It’s not a fairytale, mom! You can’t marry him. He kills people and sucks their blood!”
“Nikki, knock it off!” hollered Nathan.
I glared at him. “It’s the truth, Nathan! And you knew it, too, before they erased your memory!”
Mom pointed her finger at me. “Enough! I’m going to get ready for work and I’m making an appointment for you to talk to someone about this obsession of yours. This is ridiculous.” She then turned on her heel and left my room.
“You are extremely warped,” said Nathan, his face red with anger.
“No, I’m not. Duncan was here last night. You can to talk to him about it. He’ll confirm everything I’ve told you!”
“Right,” he snorted.
“He will, because Duncan…he’s a vampire now, too!”
He laughed out loud. “Oh, here we go!”
“He is,” I choked. “Celeste turned him into a vampire to save his life after Ethan attacked him! You’ll see for yourself, I swear to God, Nathan!”
He shook his head in disgust. “I’m going to school.”
“You have to believe me,” I begged as he stormed out of my room.
“Warped!” he called back.
I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. I was so exasperating that nobody believed me! It was then that I made a decision. One that might save my mother’s life, before it was too late.
Chapter Fifteen
Feeling calmer now that I’d made my decision, I fell back to sleep and woke up several hours later, feeling much better than I had in days. I went down to the kitchen and fixed myself something to eat. When I finished, I took a shower and then left to go find Duncan. I started with the marina.
“I haven’t seen him,” said Sonny when I met with him in his office. “I spoke to Duncan on the phone earlier today, however. He said he’ll be back in town in a couple of days. I’ll definitely let him know that you stopped by.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
His lips thinned. “That kid… I’m still pretty ticked off, I tell you. I thought he had more brains; nearly gave me a heart attack worrying about him.”
I smiled. “I’m sure he didn’t realize what he was doing at the time. Duncan would never want to worry you like that, not intentionally,” I said.
He shook his head in disgust. “Still, I thought he had more brains that that. It just makes me sick when I think about all of those people who helped me search for him. The time that was wasted and all turmoil we went through. I still can’t believe it.”
“I know what you mean. Tell you what, I’ll give him hell when I see him, too,” I said.
Sonny smiled. “I always liked you, Nikki. You and your brother are a couple of good apples.”
“Thanks,” I laughed.
“Say hi to your mom for me.”
“I will.”
After leaving the marina, I decided to drive towards Caleb’s house, which was on the other side of town. I’d only been there once, so it shouldn’t have surprised me when I took a wrong turn and got lost.
“Crap,” I murmured, pulling over to the side of the road. I grabbed my cell phone out of my purse and decided to try Duncan’s again. Just like before, however, he didn’t answer. I threw my phone against the seat in frustration and closed my eyes.
What am I doing, anyway? This is crazy.
I’d decided to try and kill Caleb myself. I’d read that you could kill a vampire by stabbing it in the heart with a wooden stake. Fortunately, I’d found some narrow pieces of wood in Sonny’s marina and had brought a hammer from the garage at home. My plan had been to try and take Caleb by surprise by congratulating him on the engagement. Then, I was going to try and somehow hit him with the hammer until he couldn’t move, then pierce his heart with the stake. It sounded so logical earlier, but now, it was completely laughable.
Someone began pounding on my window, surprising the hell out of me. When I saw who it was, I froze up.
“What are you doing in this area?” barked Ethan. He was wearing sunglasses and an angry scowl. “Open the door!”
I swallowed back my fear and unlocked the door.
“I repeat, what are you doing over here?” he asked, getting into the passenger seat.
I bit the side of my lip. “I was searching for Caleb’s place.”
His lips thinned. “Caleb’s? Jesus, you have to stay away from him and the others. It’s not safe for a human, especially a young woman like you, to be out wandering around this side of town.”
I stared at him, wondering if it was even safe being in a car alone with him. Feeling lightheaded, I put my hands on the steering wheel for something solid to hold on to.
“Ethan,” I swallowed. “So, who’s Miranda?”
He stared at me for a minute. “Miranda?”
I nodded. “Yeah, who is she?”
He looked away. “She was someone I knew… a long time ago.”
“Do you remember calling me Miranda?”
He smiled bitterly. “Yes, I do. It was a mistake, a slip of tongue. I’m sorry.”
“Ethan, did you kill those girls last summer?” I whispered hoarsely.
His clenched his jaw. “I already told you I didn’t. Why are you asking me these questions?”
“I…”
Before I could answer, Ethan’s door swung open and he was ripped out of the car.
Duncan!
“Get the fuck away from her!” roared Duncan. He pulled his fist back and hit Ethan so hard, he flew backwards and landed several yards away on his back.
Oh crap!
“Duncan!” I yelled, scrambling out of the car. I didn’t want him hurt by Ethan.
In a flash, Ethan jumped up and retaliated with his own fists, sending Duncan flying across the field, hitting his head against a large oak tree.
“Stop it!” I yelled.
Ethan turned to me and shrugged. “Well, he started it.”
Before I could answer, Duncan was back, body-slamming Ethan to the ground. From there, everything became a blur; all I could see were glimpses of fists flying, feet kicking, and flashes of blood in their frenzied rumble. I stood frozen in horror as the two vampires violently attacked each o
ther, not certain of who was getting the upper hand or who I even wanted to have it.
“Idiots,” snorted Celeste, who’d appeared out of nowhere.
I turned to find her sitting on the hood of my car. “Jesus, where did you come from?”
She pushed her sunglasses up and smiled. “I’d been giving Duncan a few lessons on survival when we noticed you and Ethan through the woods. Oh,” she cringed, “that’s got to hurt.”
I turned to see them fighting still, but their movements were so swift, I couldn’t tell one from the other.
“Kick his ass, Duncan!” hollered Celeste. “No, not like that!”
Suddenly, I could see both of them and it wasn’t pretty. “Stop it!” I screamed, moving towards Ethan, who, although his face was a smear of blood, was now standing and had Duncan by the throat. He was squeezing it so hard, that Duncan’s eyes were bulging out of his red face. I tried grabbing Ethan’s arm, but he was too powerful. “Please,” I cried. “Ethan! Stop this!”
Ethan’s face was a mask of red rage.
“Ethan!” I repeated.
He looked at me and swore. Then, he released Duncan, who toppled to the ground. “You’re lucky,” he growled. “If it wasn’t for Nikki…”
“What?” rasped Duncan. “You’d try to kill me again?”
“Kill you? I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” hollered Ethan, his nostrils flaring.
“You’re nothing but a coldblooded killer, a pariah,” spat Duncan. “But you know what? Someday I’m going to kill you.”
Ethan laughed sardonically. “You don’t have a chance in hell with someone like me. You have no idea who you’re messing with.”
“Keep talking,” growled Duncan, his eyes full of hate. “Because soon you’ll be silenced forever.”
Soon they were both neck to neck, glaring at each other, like two boxers in a ring, ready to pounce on each other.
“Would you both just stop!” I pleaded. “You’re both acting like idiots!”
Duncan was the first to back down this time. He turned to me and held out his hand. “Come on, Nikki. I’ll drive you home.”
Shiver (Night Roamers #2) Page 7
