The Vampire Jonah

by Ann B. Morris

  Jonah avoided the tip of Kruger’s sword. “If it is not Luther I am to fear, then who?”

  Kruger laughed, baring his fangs. “Look no farther than your home. You will find the answer there.”

  “Enough with the riddles. Speak plainly.”

  But there was no answer, only another hideous laugh and Kruger was gone.

  The sirens stopped. The police had arrived.

  Jonah called out to his men to end the battle. Both sides heeded the warning and began collecting their dead and wounded. He was the last to leave, pleased, overall, with the outcome of the skirmish. Yet, Kruger’s final words lingered in his thoughts. Were the words simply an empty threat? Or a warning?

  Chapter Five

  SCOTT WAS WAITING outside Jonah’s living quarters when he returned home. Jonah didn’t bother to hide the grimace on his face. His wound throbbed painfully.

  Scott eyed Jonah’s injured hand, draped across the wrist of his good arm. “You’re hurt.”

  “No kidding,” Jonah said, attempting to release support of the injured hand, but changing his mind at the last moment. “Since you’re here, would you kindly open the door for me?”

  Scott stepped forward and keyed in the combination on the wall pad. When the lock clicked, he turned the knob, opened the door, and followed Jonah inside. “Do you need any help?”

  “Not with my wound,” Jonah replied, “but you could clean my sword for me.”

  Scott immediately unstrapped the scabbard, removed the sword, and laid it across the dresser.

  Jonah started to unbutton his shirt with his good hand but gave up midway and turned to Scott. “It seems I do need help.”

  Once his shirt was removed, Jonah noticed a few nicks and scratches he hadn’t felt when Kruger’s sword found its mark. The wounds were minor and already almost healed. He headed toward the coffin, then stopped and looked back at Scott, holding out his uninjured hand. “I’m going to need help to unfasten this, too.”

  Scott walked over to him and unbuckled the heavy copper watch Jonah wore, setting it down on the dresser next to the sword.

  Jonah nodded toward his sword. “Do your best with it.” Jonah knew that, as meticulous as Scott was, he would do nothing less than a perfect job with the weapon, but he still felt compelled to voice the instructions. The sword was close to his heart. It had been in the Whitcombe family for a century or more, and Julian had given it to him in the 1970s as a birthday gift. On the handle was a replica of the Whitcombe Clan symbol: a copper, flat-blade dagger, studded with pearls and turquoise.

  But beyond the weapon’s connection to his lineage, the sword was an intimate part of him. He loved the way his body moved when he wielded it in battle. Every thrust and parry he made reminded him of dancing to a beautiful piece of music. He was certain Julian knew how much the weapon meant to him. He thanked his brother silently as he moved to the coffin and lifted the lid.

  “Wait!”

  He turned in Scott’s direction, taken aback by his sharp tone. “What is it?”

  Scott took a hesitant step toward him. “There is something I must tell you first.”

  Jonah’s wound gave a sharp, painful throb. “Then spit it out, man. And hurry.” He needed to get inside his coffin so its copper lining could heal him while he slept.

  Scott captured Jonah’s gaze. “Zurik is expected here any day now.”

  The unwelcome news caused another, sharper throb to Jonah’s hand. Zurik, coming here? He looked intently at Scott. “Are you certain?”

  “I got it from two very reliable sources.”

  Why was Zurik, the oldest—and vilest—of the deep-earth vampires coming here? Was it because of the mountain? Or . . .

  Jonah leaned against the coffin and closed his eyes as Kruger’s words repeated themselves in his head. Look no farther than your home. You will find the answer there. In a flash, everything became clear. He knew exactly what had called the vampire to the area.

  Zurik had shown up in New Orleans because Simone had been there and she had come very close to being captured. Instead, he had kidnapped Dottie, who had eventually been rescued and sent to San Francisco for medical help. Then, he had shown up in San Francisco and captured Dottie again. That time, she’d barely escaped with her life. And now . . .

  Jonah’s heart rate, which had already slowed to the beat that foreshadowed his death sleep, gave a weak, but determined thud in his chest.

  And now a third woman had shown up here.

  Three brothers.

  Three women.

  Everything suddenly made sense. Consumed as he had been by the fast-approaching deadline to the realization of his life’s dream to make it to Carnegie Hall, he hadn’t realized that Angela showing up on his doorstep could mean only one thing. She was to be the pawn Zurik needed to draw Jonah into battle with him.

  He put a hand on the edge of the coffin to steady himself, then turned to Scott. “Angela Martin is in danger.”

  There was no need for Scott to reply.

  “Do whatever you must to keep her here.”

  IT WAS NINE O’CLOCK when Angela awoke Sunday morning. She hadn’t slept this late in years, but then, it had been many years since she’d stayed up until after three o’clock in the morning.

  After Jonah left in such a hurry, she had gone to her bedroom and tuned in to an all-night movie that held absolutely no interest for her. All of her attention had been focused on Jonah.

  Why had he left in the middle of the night? She had asked herself that question a dozen times. Who had called? Certainly not a woman. He wouldn’t have looked so concerned if that had been the case. She was growing more and more confused.

  Finally, exhausted, she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, not anticipating sleep, but listening for any sound that would indicate Jonah had returned. And now here it was, hours later, and she knew nothing more than she had earlier.

  She turned on the television and channel-surfed until she found one reporting on the earthquake in San Francisco. Another aftershock had been felt just hours ago, but there were no other updates.

  After several fruitless attempts to connect with Dottie to be assured of her safety, Angela uttered a sigh of resignation, took a quick shower, dressed, and followed her nose to the kitchen where a pot of coffee awaited. She was pouring a cup of the fresh brew when Scott entered the room with a neatly folded newspaper.

  “Good morning. I hope you had a pleasant sleep.” Scott laid the newspaper on the table. “In case you want to catch up on the news.”

  She perched herself on a stool at the breakfast bar in the center of the kitchen. “Thank you. I’ve already heard the latest on television.”Scott took a mug from the cabinet. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Of course not,” she said, taking a sip of coffee.

  Scott sat across from her at the bar. “I hope you enjoyed yourself last night.”

  “I did. Thank you.”

  “I’m afraid there isn’t much in the way of breakfast food in the house, other than toast.”

  She held up her cup. “I’m fine with this. I’ll stop for an early lunch on the road.”

  Scott opened the newspaper to the first page, scanned it quickly, and looked up. “What time are you planning to leave?”

  “Soon. I just need to recheck my route and make some hotel reservations. And I’d like to write a thank-you note to Jonah.” She set down her empty cup and smiled warmly at Scott. “You, I can thank in person.” She held out her hand to him. “I really appreciate the time you’ve spent with me. You’ve made me feel completely at home.”

  “It was a pleasure. I’m sorry you can’t stay longer.”

  “So am I, but I do need to be on my way. Although, it won’t be easy to leave after the fantastic time I had last night.”

 
“Speaking of last night, I ran into Jonah when I returned home from the club early this morning. He really wishes you would consider staying a bit longer.”

  This was the perfect opportunity for her to find out what had called Jonah away last night. She almost asked, but decided against it. It was none of her business. And maybe, deep down, she really didn’t want to know.

  Scott pushed back from his chair. “I know Jonah will be disappointed that he won’t get another chance to show his gratitude for what you did.”

  “I’ve been well rewarded. I can’t think of a time when I’ve enjoyed myself as much as I have these past few days.” Or been so enamored with a man, she admitted to herself with an inward smile.

  Scott went to the counter, tore a sheet of paper from the pad next to the phone, wrote on it, and handed it to her. “Here’s my cell number. Call when you’re ready to leave and I’ll give you a hand with your luggage.”

  “That really isn’t nec—”

  Scott gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’ll be waiting. Jonah wouldn’t have it any other way. And neither would I.”

  What could she do other than graciously accept his help? “Okay. I’ll probably be at least an hour.”

  Scott walked to the door. “Take your time.”

  After helping herself to a second cup of coffee, she walked back to her room. She repacked the few pieces of clothing she’d left lying about, rechecked her route to Oklahoma, made a few hotel reservations and wrote a thank-you to Jonah.

  Once she was ready to go, she called Scott. He took her luggage to her car and stood by while she prepared to leave. She waved one last goodbye to him, then turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. Dismayed, she tried again, but the result was the same. Fortunately, Scott was still standing in the driveway. She rolled down the window and called out to him. “It won’t start.”

  Scott came over and she got out of the car, letting him take the driver’s seat. He turned the key, but it was no use. He shook his head and stepped out of the car. “I’m not a mechanic, but it sounds like it could be a problem with the starter.”

  “The starter? But the car is less than six months old.”

  Scott shrugged. “You’ll have to have it looked at. I know one of the mechanics at the dealership in town. I’ll give him a call.”

  Before she could respond, Scott was pulling her luggage out of the trunk. She followed him to the porch through a light rain that matched her dampened spirit.

  Unless a miracle happened, it was unlikely she would be on the road today.

  SHORTLY AFTER NIGHTFALL, Jonah received a phone call from his brother Julian that convinced him more than ever that his instructions to Scott to find a way to keep Angela under his roof had been the right thing—the only thing—to do.

  Julian had been adamant. “You can’t let her leave as long as Zurik is in the area. We had hoped the wound he sustained in New Orleans was fatal. But it seems that the slippery bastard managed to survive after all.”

  “Is there any advice you can give me, anything you can tell me about how I might defeat him in battle?” he had asked Julian.

  “Just be prepared for the wiliest adversary of your life. If we are lucky, the goddess will call you here for our final ritual before anything happens. After that, our individual and combined strengths should enable us to be victorious in almost any situation. Until then, your only recourse is to keep the woman close to you and be ready to defend her should her life be threatened.”

  “And you have no idea exactly when Lilith will call?”

  “No, sadly, I do not.”

  “Let’s hope it is not before Jerome’s work is finished in San Francisco.” Or before I make my own long-awaited trip to Carnegie Hall.

  “Yes, let’s hope for that.”

  Julian’s words didn’t seem to hold the confidence Jonah needed to hear. It really did seem as if hope was all he had left. Before the conversation ended, he promised to keep Julian informed about what was going on. He could only hope the next few days would be uneventful.

  A FEW MINUTES after finishing his conversation with Julian, Jonah was at Angela’s door. Drawing in a deep breath, he raised his hand and knocked.

  “One moment,” Angela called out.

  Even though he had a few seconds before coming face to face with her, he still wasn’t prepared when the door opened and a rush of emotion surged through him. It had been little more than twelve hours since he’d last seen Angela, but it felt as though he’d been separated from her for a lifetime.

  Angela opened the door and stepped aside for him to enter. When he did, his hand accidentally brushed hers. The touch burned his skin like fire. He tried to ignore what he’d felt, but even as he casually slipped his hand into his pocket, the heat remained. And from the look on Angela’s face, the brief physical contact between them seemed to have affected her as well. Forcing the incident to the back of his mind, he addressed the issue at hand. “Having your departure delayed yet again has to be a big disappointment.”

  Angela nodded. “It is, but Scott assured me his friend will do his best to get me on the road as quickly as possible. Hopefully, by tomorrow.”

  “Well, since you’ll be here for at least another night, I wanted you to know you’re welcome to join us at the club again. There’s some fantastic jazz music scheduled.” Before she could offer an excuse, he continued. “I need to leave early to practice with two new musicians before we go on stage tonight, but I’ve already alerted Scott that he might be needed to escort you again.”

  She looked away from him. “Well, since I’m forced to stay here—”

  He saw the flush rise in her cheeks as soon as she realized she had made it sound as if he was the reason for her predicament. For a moment, he felt a pang of guilt he couldn’t afford to entertain.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” Angela apologized. “I meant . . . thank you for the offer. I’d love to go.”

  A weight lifted from his chest. If she had refused, he would have had to enlist one of the vampires from his Cadre to watch the house until daybreak to assure Zurik or one of his followers did not gain entry by some unorthodox means. “What time shall I tell Scott to come for you?”

  She glanced at the bedside clock. “I can be ready in half an hour.”

  “I’ll call Scott and let him know.”

  “Jonah?”

  He had turned to leave but stopped when she called out to him. “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry to be such a bother.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to come clean and tell her about Zurik’s appearance and the real reason her car needed repairs, but, at the last moment, he decided it would be better to ease her slowly into the drama that awaited her. One more night of pleasure was little enough to grant her in the face of things to come.

  Later, when he brought her home from the club, he would reveal everything to her. He would tell her about the Watchers who would guard her during the day, and then he would give her the watch that would protect her as long as she wore it.

  He did not look forward to offering the revelation that would change her life forever. He could only pray she was strong enough to accept her part in his destiny.

  AFTER ANOTHER unbelievable night of some of the greatest jazz she had ever heard, Angela waited for Jonah in the back of The Onyx. Since Scott had to stay behind and close the club, Jonah had promised to take her home, as he’d done last night. And like the night before, all she could think of was being alone with him. Mentally, she crossed her fingers that he wouldn’t run out on her again in the middle of the night.

  Once they were inside the house, Jonah escorted her to the Victorian living room and fixed them both a drink. They drank for a few minutes in silence before she sensed that Jonah was attempting to capture her attention. She instantly looked up and saw a look o
f concern on his face.

  Jonah moved closer to the end of the sofa and patted the cushion next to him. “Why don’t you join me here?”

  Apprehension caused her stomach to churn. What was wrong? Her first thought was of Dottie, and she suddenly felt sick. On wobbly legs, she crossed the room to where he sat and took the opposite end of the sofa. She swallowed her fear in a big gulp. “Something’s wrong in San Francisco? You have some bad news about Dottie?”

  Jonah shook his head. “My news doesn’t concern San Francisco. At least, not directly.”

  If what he had to tell her didn’t concern Dottie, then what . . . who? “Simone. Is there something wrong with Simone?” The first thing that entered her mind was that the viral infection Simone had contracted from Julian when he was still a vampire had returned.

  Jonah shook his head. “No. It’s not Simone.”

  He moved a few inches closer and Angela felt the panic start to set in. She tried to swallow but couldn’t. As a distraction, she reached for the glass she had set on the coffee table. The ice cubes clinked against each other noticeably as she lifted the glass to her lips. She was barely able to take a sip of the liquid. The silence in the room seemed to close in on her. Setting the glass back on the table with shaking hands, she forced herself to meet Jonah’s gaze. “What is it, then? What’s wrong?”

  When Jonah covered her hand with his, her heart thumped loudly in her ears. She held her breath and waited for him to say something . . . anything . . . dreading what she would hear, yet needing to hear whatever it was more than she needed to breathe.

  Jonah’s hand closed ever so slightly over hers. “I have something to tell you that I know you aren’t prepared to hear.”

  My God, what could be so awful that he couldn’t tell her? If it didn’t concern Dottie or Simone . . . then it must be about her. She put her free hand to her chest to still her pounding heart.

  Jonah captured her gaze and held it. “You know about Simone staying in New Orleans with Julian . . . and about Dottie remaining in San Francisco. . . .”