“I guess yesterday unnerved her more than we thought it did. At least she crawled into your bed, Alisha, and not mine. Her feet are always so cold, and she kicks the hell out of me.”
Trying to muster up her courage and sort out her frightened thoughts, Alisha said, “Roman, I have to speak to you. It’s important.”
“Can this wait? I have a big meeting today first thing and then I’m flying to Austin to meet with that real estate agent about that property that might be opening up. You know I want to expand the company.” Roman retied his tie, obviously frustrated at the bit of fabric’s lack of cooperation.
“I’d rather it didn’t,” Alisha answered.
Glancing at his watch, Roman grimaced. “It’s going to have to.” He darted back into the hallway as Vanora slipped back into Alisha’s bedroom.
“Do I have to go to school?” Vanora asked in a plaintive voice. She was slathering the heavy-duty sunblock she had to wear to protect her skin and still yawning. Due to a lack of melanin, Vanora was prone to severe damage from the sun.
Alisha nodded. “You’d better go. I’ll pick you up right after school.”
Vanora pouted as Alisha pushed her firmly out of the room. Dragging her feet, the little girl returned to her own bedroom.
Alisha ran down the stairs and entered Roman’s office. “Roman?”
He barely glanced up at her. “Make it fast.”
“Roman, I want you to seal that coffin back up!” Alisha blurted out.
“Are you seriously going to bring this up again?” Roman asked as he searched through a drawer.
“You let something truly evil out when you unchained that coffin!” Alisha declared.
Roman studied her evenly, taking in her rumpled hair, bloodshot eyes, and trembling lips. “What happened to you?”
“That thing you set free was outside the house last night, Roman! I saw it! Vanora saw it! It wanted to kill us!”
Roman sighed heavily and slid a folder into his briefcase. “I’ve never known you to drink, but Alisha, did you get smashed last night?”
“No!” Alisha slapped the briefcase lid shut and glared at Roman. “Maybe you don’t believe in the supernatural, but I do! But I never believed that something so evil could exist until last night.”
Roman stared at her for a long moment. He actually looked a little unnerved. “What did you see, Alisha?”
“A vampire!”
Roman sighed and locked his case. Casting a concerned look at Alisha, he said, “Once the sun is higher in the sky, you will realize what foolishness you’re spouting. This, Alisha, you have to see, is absolutely absurd. Vanora has been watching far too many horror movies and you, well, I can understand how the new mausoleum could spark your imagination.”
“I wish you would listen to me!”
“I am listening! What am I supposed to do Alisha? Call Van Helsing to come take care of our vampire problem?”
“No!”
“Then what?”
“Roman, please, put the chains back on that coffin. For me. Please!”
Shaking his head, Roman tugged on his suit jacket.
“Roman, listen to me! I’m not imagining this! Vanora saw it, too! She said it crawled into her window and tried to attack her.”
“Alisha, she had a nightmare!”
“I saw it, too!”
“We’ll discuss this later. I’m running late,” Roman said with a soft snort and brushed past her.
“Don’t treat me like a child!”
“Don’t act like one!”
“I know what I saw!”
Vanora stood in the hallway in her school uniform, her satchel in one hand and a peanut butter sandwich in the other. Dark sunglasses covered her sensitive eyes, but Alisha knew the little girl was watching them with concern.
“Are you ready, Vanora?” Roman asked, but didn’t wait for a reply as he strode down the stairs to the entrance hall.
Vanora tilted her head so she could look over the top of her sunglasses. She questioned Alisha with her eyes.
“I’ll do what I can,” Alisha said with a sigh.
Vanora nodded and motioned to her cross. “Don’t forget.”
Alisha touched her neck. “I’ll find mine. I’ll pick you up after school.” She kissed Vanora on both cheeks and smiled. “I’ll see you later, Snow Pea.”
“Bye,” was the peanut butter smothered reply.
5
Alisha’s white Camaro wove in and out of the two o’clock Houston traffic at speeds exceeding seventy-five miles per hour, the speed most Texan drivers cruised at despite the posted signs. She sat behind the wheel, her face tense and determined. After a frustrating hour of trying to get the dial-up modem on Roman’s new desktop computer to work, she had given up and spent most of her day traveling to Houston’s various libraries searching for books on vampire lore after several bookshops had turned up empty. They had all been a dead end as well. The library computers all reported the vampire tomes to be in-house, but when Alisha sought them out, the shelves were empty. Finally, a librarian had confessed that most vampire books disappeared into the backpacks of teenagers.
Alisha took an exit, effectively cutting off a cowboy in his gleaming truck. He honked at her, and she promptly flipped him off. She was in a desperate and foul mood. She didn’t know what she was going to tell Vanora. Her younger sister was counting on her to save them from the monster that had invaded their lives.
Alisha felt fiercely angry with Roman and his family honor. Sometimes his high ideals caused him trouble he could have otherwise easily avoided, but he was so kindhearted, he didn’t even stop to consider any other way than the honorable one. Alisha was well aware of the fact that Roman had, in essence, postponed starting his own family to care for his half-sisters. Even though she felt guilt over his delayed life, he didn’t seem to ever regret the decision to be their guardian.
Pulling hard on the wheel, Alisha skidded around a corner and nearly avoided slamming into another car.
“Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!” she cursed under her breath fiercely.
The hot Texan sun was beating down through her windshield, virtually cooking her alive. Just driving about Houston today had given her the beginnings of a lovely tan or a rotten burn. The sunlight made her feel safe, but she knew that the sun would soon begin to dip below the Houston skyline.
She glanced over at the only vampire book she had managed to find in the children’s section of a library. It only repeated the vampire lore of the Hammer Films. But in the end, it was all she had. Spotting a flower shop ahead, Alisha made up her mind as to what her first step would be.
* * *
Vanora sat quietly on a bench in the hall, listening to the muted sounds of people talking in the classrooms. The bell had already rung for dismissal of the lower classes, and most of the kids were outside loading onto the bus or waiting for their parents. Though she regularly applied sunblock to her skin and wore her dark glasses, Vanora didn’t dare stand outside to wait for her sister. After she had suffered a nasty sunburn after a romp around the playground on a hazy day, the school determined she was not allowed outside due to liability issues.
With a sigh, Vanora pushed her sunglasses up on her nose and glanced out the glass inset in the doors to look for Alisha’s car.
Two kids from another class on her grade level sauntered past her on their way out the front doors. The two little boys, dressed in blue blazers and gray trousers, were a study in contrasts: one a fair-skinned white boy with blue eyes and blond hair, the other black with dark brown skin and eyes. Giving her sharp, quick looks, they whispered to one another, laughing while they obviously talked about her.
Vanora ignored the other students, her eyes staring through the tinted lenses of her sunglasses at an announcement taped to the wall. Though she knew they were making fun of her, she was determined not to let them know they were hurting her feelings. This was her third school since kindergarten and after half a year of attendance, she was stil
l the focus of much gossip, jeering, and bullying. Her wintery white skin, white-blond hair, and purple eyes fringed with white lashes were the source of much mockery. Additionally, her inability to be in direct sunlight, the necessary use of her sunglasses, and her parasol made her the brunt of vampire jokes. Even though the school had held an assembly to discuss tolerance, the bullying didn’t stop. It just became more subtle. It was ironic that she was accused of being a vampire and now one was haunting her life.
The boys shot her smirks over their shoulders before shoving open the front doors. “See if she bursts into flame,” one of them snickered.
The doors banged shut behind them.
With a sigh, Vanora checked her Mickey Mouse watch. Alisha was fifteen minutes late. She had to keep reminding herself that the vampire couldn’t hurt Alisha during the day.
Two short honks followed by a long one informed her that Alisha had finally arrived. Grabbing her book bag, she rushed out the doors and down the steps. Only a smattering of students remained, and she could feel their eyes tracking her as she ran to her sister’s car. Leaning over, Alisha shoved open the car door for her.
“Who are all the roses for?” Vanora asked, peering into the back of the car.
“Well, hello to you too, Snow Pea,” Alisha said with a forced smile. “You have to sit in the front today, so put on your hat. As you can see, the back is occupied.”
Vanora rolled her eyes, climbed in, pulled on her seatbelt, and hugged her sister. Alisha gave her a kiss on the cheek before shoving a wide-brimmed hat onto Vanora’s head and tilting the brim down.
Vanora twisted in her seat and stared into the backseat, which was overflowing with deep, red velvety roses. Their sweet perfume filled the car to the point of being overwhelming. “These are for the vampire, aren’t they?”
Alisha concentrated on maneuvering past the few remaining buses parked on the curved drive and directed her car toward the iron gates. “We’ll talk about it later.”
“I may be a kid, but I’m not stupid. These are for the vampires, right?”
Her older sister sighed, rubbed her nose, and didn’t answer.
“I saw it myself. I know that it is real, Alisha,” Vanora said sullenly. “All day I have been trying to forget, but I can’t. I’m really afraid, Alisha.”
“Snow Pea, we need to be calm,” Alisha said in a soft, firm voice. She took Vanora’s hand firmly in one of her own. “All day I keep thinking that this can’t be real. That it’s not happening.”
“You saw it too, Alisha!” Vanora wailed. “You did!”
“I’m not denying that, Snow Pea, we both saw that thing, and yes, the roses are to protect us. I also bought several crosses. You can sleep in my room if you’d like tonight. In fact, I would prefer it.”
Vanora stared at her sister with large, fearful eyes. “I don’t want to be alone in my room.”
Alisha turned out of the drive and rubbed her brow wearily. “We are going to put the roses in my room and hang the crosses in the window and on the door knobs, but when we get home, I’m going to try to get into the mausoleum and deal with it.”
“Are you going to kill it like in the movies?” Vanora asked in a quivering voice, pulling one of her long ivory braids over her shoulder.
“I don’t know if I can.” Alisha reached into her purse and pulled out a long, sharpened stake. “I got this at the lumberyard. If I can get into the mausoleum, I will try to kill it. I’m not sure if I can go through with it though. I don’t think I can kill anyone.”
“I’ll help you, Alisha.”
“You’re so sweet, Snow Pea,” Alisha said with a smile. “But I think I have to kill the Vampire because little girls shouldn’t have to hurt anyone. And stop chewing on your hair,” she added pulling the tip of Vanora’s braid from her mouth.
* * *
The Socoli sisters ran across the large sprawling lawn down to the mausoleum nestled in a circle of oak trees. The long, leafy boughs hovered over the tomb, casting dark shadows that danced over the white surface. Even in the bright afternoon sun, the atmosphere was menacing.
As Alisha approached the imposing Gothic building, she slowed and took several deep breaths. Maybe it was her sister’s youth, but Vanora seemed far less afraid than Alisha. The little girl’s fingers clutched the brim of her hat tightly while she stared at the grim building with an enraptured expression.
“It’s kinda cool that monsters are real, but I don’t like this monster,” Vanora said matter-of-factly. “Anyway, the sun is out. It can’t hurt us now.” She patted her sister’s back soothingly. “Don’t be scared.”
Then why am I so damned scared? Alisha thought. She hugged Vanora tightly. “I’m trying, Snow Pea.”
The creature knew they were outside the crypt. Alisha was certain of that. The evil emanating from within the mausoleum was so tangible her hair stood on end. A dark, ominous force thrust against her, trying to make her flee. The pressure was so great, she felt as though she was going to collapse. Slightly lightheaded, she laid her hand over her hammering heart.
“Snow Pea, stay outside.”
“I want to help kill it,” Vanora protested. Her small hand clutched her cross in one hand, and her delicate jaw was set with resolve.
“Just obey me,” Alisha ordered.
After a long, annoyed sigh, Vanora nodded.
Swallowing hard, Alisha took hold of the scrolled handle of the mausoleum door. She yanked it and felt her muscles straining. The door did not budge.
“Oh, please, don’t do this,” she exclaimed.
Taking hold of the handle with both hands, she tugged with all her might. The heavy metal door did not relent. Vanora’s hands joined the struggle and her pale face strained as she pulled in vain. The door would not budge.
“It’s not going to open,” Alisha grunted.
“It has to!”
Alisha let go with an explosive sigh. Leaning against the door, she said, “I was afraid of this. Roman had it sealed.”
The world was perfectly silent. Only the rustling of the leaves whispered in the breeze. The sisters stared at each other with frustration. Alisha was overwhelmed by the pulsating evil slithering over her body. She wanted frantically to run away, but she had to find a way to defend herself and her family. The vampire wasn’t going to leave on its own.
Vanora grabbed hold of the door handle and struggled to open it. “It’s in there right now. It’s helpless!”
Alisha ran her hands through her hair and stared at the mausoleum with loathing. “We can’t get in, Vanora. Why wouldn’t Roman listen to me today? Dammit!” Alisha slammed her hand against the heavy doors with disgust. “Why did he have to be so stupid?”
“Roman doesn’t know monsters are real!”
“He should know to listen to me! He knows I have the gift! Forgive my language, but our brother is a bullheaded bastard at times. Well, we just can’t sit here and do nothing.” Alisha dropped to her knees and unzipped her bag. She pulled out several roses with a small gold cross bound about them. She slipped the bouquet through the door handles and whispered a soft prayer.
“That’s all?” Vanora asked with disbelief. “It’s going to get us!”
Alisha placed her hands on Vanora’s waist and peered up at her through her bangs. “No, it won’t. We will be safe. I promise you.”
“They always kill the vampires in the movies, Alisha!” Vanora cried, once more tugging on the door.
Alisha felt tears welling in her eyes. No matter what she said to Vanora, she really didn’t feel safe. The darkly mesmerizing atmosphere permeated everything around her, even piercing into her soul. It convinced her that this was no simple battle. Everything she loved was in jeopardy, as was her very life. All through her life, she had known evil existed, and on a few occasions, she had felt the cold touch of its hand in certain circumstances. The day her parents died, she had known before the phone had rung and Roman had broken the news to her that they had died. She had felt evil’s ruth
less presence in her life that fateful night when she had lost her parents forever as she did now this hot afternoon. Even the bright Texas sunlight didn’t seem to touch the mausoleum. It was shrouded in the shadows of the oak trees, which stood guard over it. The evil had embedded itself into their lives and destroying it was going to take all their will and strength. This was not a battle she could run away from. It would follow them. They were of the creature’s blood, and instinctively she knew it would find them wherever they fled.
Shivering despite the day’s heat, she drew her jacket closer about her.
“Snow Pea, there is nothing we can do today. We had better get in. It will be night soon.”
Vanora’s face paled significantly. “Okay. But we have to kill it tomorrow, Alisha.”
“Okay, Snow Pea. Come on.” Alisha stood up shakily and extended her hand. “We have things to do. We have to prepare for tonight.”
As they strolled across the lawn to the house, Vanora glanced back toward the mausoleum where Death slept. “You can even feel him in there, can’t you? All over your skin. You can feel it.”
Alisha glanced at her sister with surprise. “You feel it?”
“Real strong. It almost makes me feel sick,” Vanora confessed.
Alisha kissed the top of her sister’s head. So Vanora had inherited Carys’s Second Sight. She had wondered if that was the case but hadn’t expected a full confirmation until puberty. That was when her powers had fully manifested. “Yes, I feel it, too.”
Vanora wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist and held on tightly. “We’ll beat it, right?”
“Of course,” Alisha said, hoping she sounded sincere.
6
Rushing about before sunset, the sisters filled every extra vase they could find with dark red roses and positioned them around Alisha’s bedroom. Once the bedroom was ready, Alisha double-checked every window and locked every door, while Vanora hung the cheap metal crosses Alisha had bought in all the windows.
Vampire in the Night: In Darkness We Must Abide, #1 Page 3
