With a startled cry, Bryan skidded to a stop.
For a long moment, he stared at Dominic, who stared at him in return.
"You," Bryan gasped. "You're one of them."
Dominic lifted one brow. "Indeed." His nostrils flared. "And you are not. Yet."
"What do you mean, yet?"
"You are her creature now. It is only a matter of time until she brings you across."
"What are you talking about?"
"She has taken your blood, has she not?"
Bryan nodded, his expression filled with revulsion.
"And she has given you hers in return."
Bryan shook his head. "No, I didn't… I wouldn't… it was just a nightmare… wasn't it?"
"I am sorry. She has marked you now and there is no way for you to escape her so long as she exists."
Bryan stared at Dominic. "What are you saying?"
"You need not worry. She has defied me and for that, she must be destroyed. When she is no more, you will be free of her."
"I don't believe any of this," Bryan said, his voice rising. "It can't be true."
"Come," Dominic said. "I will take you home."
"Where's Tracy? Is she all right?"
"She is no concern of yours."
"I asked her to marry me tonight. I think that makes her my concern."
Hands clenched at his sides to keep from reaching for the boy's throat, Dominic stared at Bryan. "What was her answer?"
"She said no, but I'm hoping she'll change her mind."
"I could destroy you with a thought," Dominic remarked. "And it would please me to do so."
"Just tell me if she's all right."
"She is home," Dominic said.
"You haven't done to her what that woman did to me, have you?"
"No. Give me your hand."
Bryan took a step backward. "No way."
The words had barely left his lips when Dominic was beside him, grasping his forearm. A moment later, feeling slightly dizzy, Bryan opened his eyes and found himself standing outside his apartment. "How did you do that? How do you know where I live?"
"It does not matter. If you are wise, you will not leave your house after sunset. If Petrina comes here, do not invite her in."
"It wasn't Petrina."
"What?"
"It wasn't Petrina who… who took my blood."
"Who was it?"
"I don't know. I never saw her before."
"What did she look like?"
"She was beautiful, with dark red hair and the coldest, greenest eyes I've ever seen…"
"Kitana." Of course. It was Kitana he had seen in the alley. She was the only immortal strong enough to cloak her presence.
"You know her?"
Dominic nodded. "She is the oldest of our kind."
"It's true, then? You're a vampire, aren't you? And so is she?"
Dominic nodded. "She has taken your blood and given you hers in return. She will be able to speak to your mind. She will hear your thoughts and if she wishes it, you will hear hers."
"Are you going to kill her?"
"That was my intent when I thought it was Petrina who had taken you."
"And now?"
"I do not know if Kitana can be destroyed. Go inside now," Dominic said. "You will not be safe after dark so long as she survives."
With a hand that shook, Bryan unlocked the door and quickly stepped across the threshold. "You can't come in, but thank you," he said, and slammed the door.
With a wry grin, Dominic willed himself back to Nightingale House, and Tracy's side.
He found her asleep in her bed, the covers drawn up to her chin. She looked young and vulnerable lying there, and more beautiful than any other woman he had ever known.
He had hoped to show her the wonders of vampire life, to make her see that even though there was much to give up when one accepted the Dark Gift, there was also much to gain. Though he could not walk in the sunlight, he had walked through centuries of time. The only thing he truly lamented was his inability to father a child. The undead could not create life. Was it selfish of him to want Tracy to join him in his unnatural life, to ask her to give up the joys of motherhood to spend eternity at his side?
Turning away from the bed, he went to stare out into the night. Selfish or not, it no longer mattered. He would destroy Petrina and Kitana and if he survived, he would greet the dawn and Tracy would be forever free of him. He wondered fleetingly what, if anything, awaited him on the other side. There were those who believed that vampires had no soul. If that was true, then only oblivion awaited him. And if he still had a soul, would he burn in hell for all eternity?
"Dominic?"
He turned at the sound of her voice.
"Did you find him?"
"Yes."
"Is he… ?"
"He is alive."
"Thank goodness you found him in time!"
"He is alive, but he is still in danger."
She sat up, clutching the covers to her breasts. "What do you mean?"
"A vampire has taken his blood and given him her blood in return. He is her creature now."
"But he's not a vampire?"
"Not yet."
"This is all my fault!"
Crossing the room, he sat down on the edge of the bed and drew her into his arms. Ah, the wonder of holding her again. For a moment, he closed his eyes and drank in her nearness, the warmth of her, the sweet smell of her hair and skin, the sheer pleasure of holding her in his arms.
"It is not your fault," he said, stroking her hair. "Do not worry about the boy. I will not let her bring him across."
"Thank you for helping us. I wasn't sure you would."
"I will always answer your call," he replied quietly. "If I am able."
She drew back a little so she could see his face. "What do you mean, if you're able?"
"The boy proposed to you tonight."
"How do you know that?"
"He told me." Dominic took a deep breath. "Do you care for him?"
"Yes."
"Do you love him?"
"I turned him down."
"That is not what I asked. Do you love him?"
"No."
"Perhaps you should."
Tracy stared at him. "Do you want me to marry him?"
"I want to know you have someone to look after you when…"
"When what?"
"Nothing." Rising, he went to stand at the window again. It would be dawn soon.
"Dominic, what are talking about?"
"I am going away, and I do not want you to be alone."
"Where are you going?"
"It does not matter."
"It matters to me."
"Does it?" He turned away from the window to face her. "You told me you wanted me out of your life. I am only doing what you asked."
"What did you mean when you said there would be no next time? Dominic? Answer me."
"Only that I would not pursue you any longer, in this life or any other."
"That's all you meant?"
"What did you think I meant?"
"I thought maybe you were thinking of doing something like… you know."
"I am not thinking of destroying myself." It was not a lie, he thought, not exactly. He was no longer thinking of it. The decision had been made. Of course, Kitana might end his existence for him.
Moving toward the bed, he sat beside Tracy once more. "Sleep now, my best beloved one." He smoothed the hair from her brow, ran his knuckles over her cheek, leaned forward to kiss her gently. "I will stay by your side until dawn. There is nothing for you to fear."
Soothed by the sound of his voice, she slid under the covers and closed her eyes. "I wish things were different," she murmured drowsily. "I do love you, you know."
"And I love you more than my life, my best beloved one," he replied, but she was already asleep.
Chapter 23
Tracy woke early after a restless night. Staring out the window, she tried to co
nvince herself it had all been a bad dream. The sun was shining brightly. Birds were singing outside her bedroom window. On such a morning, it was almost impossible to believe there were vampires sleeping the day away, waiting only for the night to emerge from their lairs to prey upon the innocent.
Dominic. Was he resting in the house below? She went over their conversation of the night before. What had he been holding back? Try as she might, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he meant to destroy himself because of her, because she wasn't brave enough to accept him for what he was, because she wasn't strong enough to share her life with him.
Sitting up, she dialed Bryan's number. It was a little early to be making phone calls, but she needed to hear his voice, needed to know he was all right.
He answered on the third ring. "Hello."
"Hi, Bry. It's Tracy. Did I wake you?"
"No. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Are you?"
"I don't know." He was silent for a long moment. "I feel sort of… strange."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know how to explain it. I don't have any appetite, and the sun hurts my eyes."
Tracy felt suddenly sick to her stomach. Was he turning? She refused to consider such a thing. Dominic had said Bryan would be all right. Had he only said that to calm her the night before?
"Trace?"
"I'm here."
"He's one of them," Bryan said. "A vampire."
"Who?"
"Dominic."
"Oh. Yes, I know."
"You know? You know, and you went out with him? Are you crazy?"
"Bryan…"
"Vampires in Sea Cliff." He laughed, though there was no humor in it. "Who would believe it?"
"What did Dominic tell you?"
"He told me he was going to try and destroy that creature and that I shouldn't go out after dark until she was dead. Dead. Hah. She's already dead."
Tracy's fingers tightened on the telephone. Dominic was going to destroy Petrina. Could he? He was older and stronger. Surely it would be easy for him to destroy a younger vampire. But what if the impossible happened? What if she destroyed him instead? Feeling suddenly restless, she told Bryan goodbye and hung up the phone.
Rising, she showered and dressed and then went downstairs. She put on a fresh pot of coffee and then, feeling suddenly famished, she fixed breakfast. Bacon and scrambled eggs and fried potatoes, orange juice and coffee and toast, and a slice of melon.
Sitting at the table, she stared at the food on her plate. She never ate this much. What on earth had possessed her to prepare such an enormous meal? Even as she asked the question, she knew the answer. She was eating it because she could and, as foolish as it sounded, she was eating it for Dominic because he couldn't.
She savored every bite as if it were the last morsel she would ever consume.
After clearing the table, she washed and dried the dishes and then went outside. She'd forgotten how big the yard was. It was enclosed by a high brick wall that insured her privacy. There were a couple of peach trees near the back wall, a gazebo in the middle of the yard, a small, man-made pond in one corner.
Hands on her hips, she tried to decide where to start. There was, after all, much to be done. The gazebo needed painting, the flower beds needed weeding, the lawn needed to be mowed, the pond needed to be drained and filled with fresh water.
She grunted softly. She had no paint and no lawn mower. She didn't know how to drain the pond, so she spent the next hour and a half pulling weeds, her gaze constantly straying to the path that led to Dominic's lair.
Gaining her feet, she dusted off her jeans, then walked down the path, finally admitting to herself that this was the reason she had come outside in the first place.
When she reached the door, she placed her hand on it. The iron was cold beneath her palm.
"Dominic, are you down there?"
There was no answer, but she hadn't really expected one. With the sun up, he would be sleeping the sleep of the undead.
With a sigh, she laid her cheek against the door. "Oh, Dominic, what are we going to do?"
Tracy…
Startled, she backed away from the door, only to realize that the voice, his voice, had been in her mind.
Pressing her cheek against the door again, she whispered, "I'm here."
Come to me.
Her heart seemed to turn over in her chest as the door swung open.
She took a step forward, and several candles sprang to life to light her way.
She hesitated a moment, then crossed the threshold.
The door closed behind her. There was no turning back now.
Filled with apprehension, she slowly descended the passageway. The door at the bottom opened as she approached.
She moved into the room with great trepidation, not certain what she would find. Would he be in his coffin? She was afraid she would run screaming from the room if he were.
Her relief was almost palpable when she saw him sitting in the easy chair in front of the fireplace.
He looked up at her, a faint smile playing over his lips. "You came. I did not think you would."
She sat down on the ottoman. "Why did you call me?"
"To warn you to be careful."
"Bryan said you're going to destroy Petrina. Can you?"
"Yes, but there is a new complication."
"Won't it cause trouble with the other vampires if you kill one of them?"
"Perhaps. But Petrina is not the only problem now."
"What do you mean?"
"It was not Petrina who took Bryan's blood. It was Kitana."
"Who's that?"
"She is the vampire who made me."
"I don't understand. What does she have to do with Bryan and Petrina?"
"This is my chosen territory. Petrina has long desired to have it as her own. I think she has brought Kitana here to fight her battle for her."
"Why have you let Petrina stay?"
"She was turned by the same vampire who brought me across. I suppose I have been lenient with her because of my affection for Kitana."
"And now?"
"The next move is Kitana's. I do not want to fight her, but I will if I must."
"What about Bryan? Is he turning?"
"No. Becoming a vampire is not a gradual thing."
"Then why has he lost his appetite? And he says the sun hurts his eyes."
"She must have given him a good deal of her blood. He is feeling what she feels."
"Will he be all right?"
"If she does not drink from him again, he will be as he was before, in time."
"Dominic, what's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"Something's wrong. I can feel it. Tell me."
"There is nothing wrong, my best beloved one. I only wanted to see you one last time."
"Don't talk like that!"
"Is that not what you wish, to be free of me?"
"Yes. No. I don't know." Was it really what she wanted, never to see him again? What would her life have been like if she had let him bring her across centuries ago? How did one know if one would be happy living as a vampire? If she accepted the Dark Gift, would she come to regret it?
He smiled wistfully as he reached for her hand. "You have given me much joy throughout the centuries," he said quietly. "Promise me that you will be happy in this life."
"How can I promise such a thing?"
"Leave this place. Marry your young man. Have children. Grow old together."
Tracy stared at him. "You want me to marry Bryan?"
"He loves you."
"I thought you loved me."
"With all my heart. Never doubt it for a minute."
She shook her head. "I know what you're planning." She blinked back the tears that burned her eyes. "You're going to destroy Petrina and Kitana, and then yourself, aren't you? Aren't you? Because of me."
"Tracy…"
"Aren't you? Don't lie to me, Dominic. Tell me th
e truth."
"I have waited for you for centuries," he said heavily. "Waited to make you mine. I grow weary of waiting."
"No!" She threw herself into his arms. "I can't imagine my life without you in it. Please, Dominic, don't leave me."
"Tracy!" He gathered her into his arms and held her tight, cursing as the lethargy of his kind began to steal over him. "I must rest, my best beloved one. I will come to you tonight."
She nodded, then, cupping his face in her hands, she kissed him. "I love you, Dominic."
He kissed her, then set her on her feet. Rising, he drew her into his arms again. "Until tonight," he murmured. "Go now."
She smiled at him, then hurried toward the passageway. Pausing at the door, she turned in time to see him disappear into his bedroom. With a shiver of revulsion at the thought of him climbing into the casket, she ran up the passageway and out into the light of a new day.
Outside, she wandered around the yard for a while. Relishing the feel of the sun on her face, she grabbed a blanket from the house and went down to the beach. Hardly aware of what she was doing, she found herself at Tower Ten. Shading her eyes with her hand, she looked up to see if Bryan was there. She didn't see anyone at first, and then she saw him come out of the glassed-in booth. The first thing she noticed was that he was wearing a pair of dark—very dark—sunglasses.
"Hey, Bry!"
Moving to the edge of the tower, he looked down at her and waved. "Be right down."
With a nod, she spread her blanket on the sand and sat down. He joined her a few minutes later. Handing her a soda, he dropped down on the blanket across from her.
Tracy held the can up. "Thanks. How are you feeling?"
"I don't know. Strange." He dropped a small sack on the blanket beside him and rolled his shoulders, flexed his hands. "I feel like I'm in somebody else's skin. And…" He leaned toward her and lowered his voice, "I have this awful craving for blood."
Tracy's eyes widened in horror. "You're not serious?"
"'Fraid so. I think I'm becoming a… you know."
"No! Dominic told me that's not possible. He said it happened all at once, not a little at a time."
"Then why do I feel like this?"
"He said it's because she gave you so much of her blood. He said you're feeling what she feels."
Bryan groaned low in his throat, his expression tortured. "I can't believe this is happening."
A Whisper of Eternity Page 18
