Vampire in the Night: In Darkness We Must Abide, #1

by Rhiannon Frater

  “I’m not a girl!” Vanora’s teenage angst was at full blast.

  “She’s a young woman,” Alisha said, giving her upset sister a quick smile.

  “Oh, yeah. She’s got tits now.”

  Alisha smacked Sin again. He just laughed.

  “Don’t say tits to my little sister.”

  “Boobs?”

  Alisha gave him her sternest look, but he just tapped her nose with his finger.

  “You’re so cute when you’re mad.”

  “Gross!” Vanora exclaimed.

  Rolling her eyes, but amused nonetheless, Alisha glanced out the window at the sparkling lights of the city. The cinema had a huge marquee that was lit up like the Fourth of July announcing the latest releases. Headlights sliced through the gloom as cars wandered the parking lot in hopes of a spot. Flipping open her phone, Alisha checked her text messages. They were all from Roman. She deleted them.

  Alisha knew it was childish, but he made her so mad when he acted like he was her parent. Though he greatly resembled their deceased father and even sounded like him, Alisha resented it when he tried to take authority over her. She completely understood that he felt responsible for her and Vanora, but she was an adult and didn’t need him lording over her. Of course, their relationship was further muddled by the fact they were both vampires, and Roman felt protective of her. Lately, she had found it easier and easier to forget she was a vampire when she was hanging out with Sin or socializing with other artists. She suspected Roman was a tad jealous of her ability to move around in the human world. Living in the mansion all the time had to be suffocating.

  Yet, she had enough on her plate. She was preparing for a new show and she was having a lot of difficulty with her latest pieces. They were far too dark, abstract, and disturbing. She’d developed a niche for her portrayal of sunlight. It wasn’t time yet for her to move on to a new vision.

  Sin finally found a parking spot and parked, holding one arm up in triumphant. “Six spaces from the front!”

  “It won’t hurt us to walk,” Alisha responded, rolling her eyes.

  Once they were all out of the car and walking toward the cinema, Alisha felt a bit more relaxed in the fresh April breeze. It was Friday night, and the area was very busy since the theater was hemmed in by restaurants. Couples on dates, teenagers in groups, and families all gathered before the box office to purchase their tickets.

  “My treat. I sold a piece today,” Sin said, pulling out his wallet.

  Alisha snuggled into his side, smiling at him proudly. “It was an awesome sculpture.”

  Beside Alisha, Vanora texted on her phone, her small fingers dancing over the keypad. Alisha had to mentally figure out which numbers translated into letters, but Vanora was lightning fast. It had taken a lot of lobbying to get Roman to buy the Razr cell phone for their little sister’s birthday, but he had finally broken down.

  The thought of Roman brought a fresh burst of guilt rushing through Alisha. What if her slip up with Sin adversely affected them? Would Sin talk about Roman to someone who knew Alisha’s brother was supposed to be dead? A shiver ran through her, and she leaned her cheek on Sin’s muscular arm to comfort herself.

  Closing her eyes, Alisha pushed aside her fears and tried to concentrate on the smell of Sin’s cologne and skin. The coppery scent of blood caught her attention, and she drew away quickly. She had missed the bandage stuck on his bicep. Obviously, he had hurt himself again while working. Sometimes the sharp edges of his pieces nicked him. Running her tongue over her teeth, she was dismayed to feel her sharp fangs descending. Human blood always smelled much more delicious than the warmed pig and cow blood she drank to sustain herself. Flashes of sinking her teeth into Sin’s delicious skin sent shivers of pleasure and fright through her.

  “I have to go to the ladies room,” she muttered, keeping her head down, hiding her teeth.

  “No worries. I’ll buy the tickets and get in line for the popcorn,” Sin answered.

  Alisha dashed out of line and through the people clustered to get through the entrance. She had to push a bit, but she finally made it to the lobby and headed for the bathroom. Once inside, she darted into the first stall and leaned against the wall, her lips clamped shut. Trembling, she concentrated on anything but the smell of Sin’s blood. It took nearly ten minutes, but at last her teeth retracted. She’d have to be very careful for the rest of the night.

  As added insurance, she spritzed more perfume on herself, hoping it would help mask the scent of the fresh blood beneath the bandage. Finally, she hurried back out into the lobby and spotted Sin and Vanora in the line to waiting for the chance to buy snacks. Seeing them laughing and obviously having a good time brought a smile to her face. Yes, the life she was living was dangerous, but it was worth it just to see her sister out having a normal time like the rest of the teenagers.

  Everything was going to be fine. She had to remember that. This would work for all of them.

  Feeling better, she rejoined her boyfriend and sister.

  22

  May 2005

  The parking lot of the Houston Minute Maid Park was a chaotic hell. After witnessing the Astros suffer a stunning defeat by the Chicago Cubs, none of the Astro fans were in the mood to be considerate. Cars were swerving, braking, accelerating, nearly colliding; all in a mad dash for the parking lot exits. Headlights cutting through the dark of the night, Roman’s Mercedes edged its way into a long line of jerking cars.

  “Hey, that guy gave us the finger!” Vanora exclaimed. “Can I give it back?”

  Roman gave her a sharp look. “You know better than that.”

  “I’m fifteen, still a virgin, never been pregnant, never been drunk, never taken drugs, never got arrested, never driven a car, never even said a curse word, and I don’t get anything lower than B’s in school. I’m so boring!”

  “Stay that way,” Roman ordered. “Except for the B’s. Make A’s.”

  Vanora grinned and returned her gaze to the glowing red taillights of the car in front of them. Snuggled down in her chair, she was content tonight. Even though the Astros had lost, it had been an exciting game, extending into extra innings, keeping all the fans in suspense.

  “Back in the day, if Nolan Ryan had been pitching, we would have won,” Roman decided.

  “Whatever, Roman! He’s old school.” Vanora rolled her eyes.

  “He was my personal hero when I was younger. He was cooler than Superman.”

  Roman’s protest made Vanora giggle. “Everyone is cooler than Superman. Especially Batman. Christian Bale is so gorgeous!”

  Frowning slightly, Roman said, “I liked it better when you were a fan of Barney.”

  “Uh, Roman, I was never a fan of Barney.” Vanora glanced out the window as several fans trudged past them on the way to their cars. “Besides, you don’t even know the starting lineup! You don’t know modern baseball like I know baseball.”

  “Okay, I may not hound the Astros for autographs, keep track of every statistic, and scream like a banshee at the umpires, but I am a fan,” Roman said defensively.

  “You slept through the fifth inning!”

  “My eyes got tired.”

  Vanora snorted, but she was smiling. She loved it when Roman took her out. He was always nervous that someone who thought he was dead would see him, but Vanora thought he was being overly cautious. Alisha had originally planned to take Vanora to the game, but when she had found herself in a frenzied painting streak, Roman had stepped in.

  Vanora glanced over at her brother and giggled. He looked so funny with his Astro cap pulled too far down around his ears. Roman was a dork in so many ways, but it made him all the more wonderful.

  Death draws near!

  It wasn’t actual words she heard, but an intense, overwhelming feeling. The night transformed around her, growing ominous. Jerking upright in her set, she clenched her hands at her sides, her breath catching in her throat.

  Danger! Danger all around!

  T
he world became surreal, a blur of white and red lights, shouting voices, honking horns, and squealing tires. But beyond the chaos of the mortal world, something was watching her.

  Something behind her.

  Twisting about in her seat, Vanora glanced out the rear window. Her eyes widened when she saw a strikingly tall, thin woman standing directly behind Roman’s car, her hands resting on her hips. Large luminous eyes glowed in the brightness of the brake lights and stood out sharply on her pale angular face, capturing Vanora’s gaze. The teenager trembled, sensing the dark power of the woman coursing through the night and attempting to entangle her mind.

  She attempted to convince herself that it was the reflection of the Mercedes’ brake lights that caused the woman’s eyes to glow red and that she was just being silly and imagining things, but the truth kept screaming through her thoughts, banishing those lies. A creature of the night had stumbled across them. Vanora struggled to muster the willpower to look away from those dark, subtly glowing, red eyes, but she was riveted by her gaze.

  Your brother? Who is he?

  Vanora heard the voice clearly in her mind. A strong, determined voice demanding an answer.

  “Roman,” Vanora whispered hoarsely, her voice trembling.

  “Hold on, Snow Pea. I’m in a little bit of a jam right now,” Roman said briskly, concentrating on several cars trying to cut in front of him.

  Roman? Roman Socoli?

  Abruptly, the woman’s red lips gleefully turned upward.

  Excellent, little girl.

  The woman whirled about and, with long, fluid strides, climbed over the car following the Mercedes and disappeared from view as the driver of the car screamed at her for denting his hood.

  Released from the woman’s power, Vanora grabbed hold of her brother's arm. “Roman, did you see that weird woman? She just walked over the car behind us!”

  “What woman?” Roman asked, obviously more interested in maneuvering his way out of the parking lot than listening to Vanora.

  “There was some lady who-” Vanora cut herself off when she looked through the windshield and felt her blood run cold. “There she is again!”

  The woman had reappeared, this time standing to the side of their car with two other men. All three stared at the Mercedes. Both of the men listened intently as the woman spoke. One of the men, a tall, handsome creature with raven hair flowing down his back, began to walk toward the car with long, purposeful strides.

  Fear gripped Vanora, squeezing both her breath and her voice from her. The raw, terrifying desire to run burned within her. Danger loomed in the night, stalking her in the guise of three beautiful creatures. Vanora instinctively knew that these three strangers were vampires.

  The male vampire stood next to the car ahead of them in, waiting for the line to advance. His fine dark hair rippled around his shoulders. Intense dark eyes gazed into the Mercedes, examining those within.

  “Don’t move the car!” Vanora gasped, finally finding her voice.

  “Vanora, I’d like to go home,” Roman said, giving her a quizzical look.

  The car moved up a few feet.

  How could Roman not feel them?

  The vampires began to talk passionately among themselves, gesturing toward the car.

  “Roman, can’t you feel them! Can’t you see them?” Vanora screamed at her brother. She felt vulnerable within the car, easy prey to the menace lurking beyond the glass and steel contraption.

  Roman finally noticed the hysteria in his sister’s voice. “Feel who? Vanora, what’s going on?”

  “Those vampires!” Vanora exclaimed, pointing frantically.

  “Vampires? Where?” Roman asked.

  Vanora looked toward the place where the vampires had gathered. Only a spot of empty asphalt, littered with scraps of trash remained where the vampires had stood. None of them were in sight.

  “There really were these weird people, Roman! Vampires! I’m sure of it! They were watching the car!”

  Roman grasped Vanora’s hand tightly. “I think your imagination is getting to you. I’m here. You’re safe. You don’t have to worry about anyone hurting you. Oh, here we go!”

  The Mercedes finally exited the parking lot and began to speed away from the Minute Maid Park complex. The traffic was now moving swiftly and Vanora felt safer as the baseball park fell away behind them.

  “Roman, I know what I saw. I saw other vampires!”

  Roman squeezed her hand. “Maybe you did, but they didn’t bother us and we’ll be home within an hour. You’re safe with me, Vanora. Trust me.”

  Vanora didn’t respond. She was shaken to the very core of her soul. Ever since that horrible night when Roman killed that first vampire, she had hoped never to be that afraid again. Tonight, she had felt the cold, helpless fear that overwhelms the senses and renders a person powerless. She’d felt weak in her mortality, vulnerable to the predators that ruled the night. The surreal dream world she inhabited and called home had lost its allure. Yes, her brother and sister were vampires with human hearts, but there were others who could threaten and destroy the safe haven they had created for themselves. Armando had spoken of others who embraced the old ways, and Vanora feared that these vampires had found them. Now, she could only hope that they would stay away and not destroy those she loved.

  * * *

  The vampire with the strong features of the indigenous people of Mexico landed lightly on the roof of the Minute Maid Park. Two other vampires waited for him. One was the woman who had frightened Vanora Socoli; the other was a man with long black hair, kneeling at her side. The woman stood impassively, her dark eyes gazing toward the illuminated skyline of the city. Sensing the presence of the new arrival, she turned toward him, her eyes questioning.

  “I followed them back to their home. It’s an estate near the outer reaches of the city,” the Mexican vampire stated, moving swiftly toward her.

  “Angel, I knew I could count on you. You’re the best tracker we have.” She pronounced his name An-hel.

  “It wasn’t too hard, Sheila. He’s not really cautious,” Angel answered, shrugging.

  Sheila smiled, her fangs glistening in the moonlight. “So, Angel, we found our elusive Roman Socoli at last,” she said in an Australian-accented voice.

  “What do you think, Sheila? Is he what you imagined?” Angel asked.

  Sheila shrugged her bony shoulders and fastened her eyes on the male vampire seated at her feet. He returned her gaze, and she rested her hand on his cheek. “Alexander and I have been searching for Roman for nearly a year now, and I never knew what to expect. Now I know the face of the man I seek and I cannot be disappointed that my quest has come to an end.”

  Alexander rose to his feet and pressed his lips to Sheila’s cheek softly. Sheila held his hands to her lips and kissed them gently.

  “So do we tell the others?” Angel asked impatiently.

  Sheila’s eyes flicked toward Angel for a second, then returned her gaze to her mate’s loving eyes. “Of course. Once we gather the rest, we’ll go to the rebel vampire and reveal ourselves. The search is over. Our time has come.”

  23

  June 2005

  It was a balmy June night. Vanora was up later than she would have been during the school year and was busy soundly beating her sister, brother, and Armando at Monopoly. Armando had, at last, won his trust, and it made the evening much more enjoyable that he was not to be under Roman’s constant scrutiny. Roman had finally relaxed his strict edict about not allowing Armando to interact with Alisha and Vanora.

  It was Armando’s first real contact with Vanora since their short talk in April, and he found her immensely entertaining.

  “I own you!” Vanora screamed as Roman landed on one of her properties. “Yes! Yes! I’m rich! Filthy rich!”

  “You’re ruthless,” Roman sighed as he counted out the play money.

  Vanora threw her hands up over her head and bounced around on her chair. “I’m in the money! I’m in the mo
ney!”

  “She’s almost as bad as you are,” Alisha decided, looking toward Roman.

  “Roman dances around with his hands in the air when he closes a deal?” Armando asked, flashing a wicked smile.

  “Oh, yeah. It’s really embarrassing.” Alisha met Roman’s glare with one of her own, then her brother laughed.

  “There’s no proof,” Roman said, wagging a finger at Alisha.

  “Oh, give it time. I’ll get it. That’s what video cameras are for.”

  Vanora smacked Roman’s shoulder. “Pay up, loser.”

  Roman handed over the colorful play money, his dark eyes fastened on his sister’s face. “I will get you back. Maybe not tonight, but someday.”

  “Ooh, I’m sooo scared,” Vanora responded, sorting out the bills into color-coded stacks.

  “I’d forgotten why I avoid playing board games with Snow Pea,” Alisha said, picking up the dice. “I usually want to slap her silly before the night is out.’

  “That’s child abuse.” Vanora stuck out her tongue.

  “Put that thing back in your mouth,” Roman ordered, but couldn’t help but smile as he took inventory of his greatly diminished funds.

  Armando appeared relaxed, sitting comfortably in his chair and watching the siblings argue. He was always careful not to reveal his true state of mind. Projecting an amiable persona wasn’t always easy. Though he had come to enjoy his friendship with Roman Socoli, it was difficult not to forget that he had been ordered to befriend the man and observe him closely. The situation was even more complicated by the fact that the young girl before him was the true reason for his intrusion into their lives.

  After their talk, he had been a bit bothered, yet flattered by her obvious crush on him. She had even changed her attire, dressing less child-like and more like the fashionable young women in her age group. Already, he could tell that she would be a beautiful young woman with a unique look due to her albinism. Her intelligence and cleverness made her fate seem even crueler. A part of him regretted that he was being used as an instrument against her, but his loyalty lay with his Master, and not with those seated around the table.